Sasusaku Month, Day 10: Idol
With the pulsating rhythm of music reverberating through her bones, Sakura Haruno, the pop sensation of the decade, commands the stage of her Grammys' rehearsal. She has only an hour with her team to re-block her tour choreography to the much smaller stage, but Sakura knows this chance is priceless. The glow of the spotlights, the beat of the music, and the rhythm of the choreography are familiar, comforting even, in their intensity. The biggest night in music is all hers to start off, only if Sakura works hard enough. Her heart pulses with the beat of her song, her body responds to the practiced steps.
With only five minutes left before her set is torn down, Sakura's eyes see a glimpse of a figure in the wings, where shadow and light play a mesmerizing dance. It's him - Sasuke Uchiha, the newcomer from Firestarter Records who has recently set the music charts aflame. His dark hair is slightly tousled, likely to be fixed up for tomorrow's big event, and there's an air of unpretentious confidence about him that immediately draws her attention. Sasuke's dark eyes take in the enormity of the event space, likely bigger than any stage he's yet to perform in, and Sakura can see him mouth the word "wow" with wonder.
Sasuke's debut single, "Endless Night," has captivated millions with its deep, velvety voice and soul-stirring lyrics. Sakura has no idea how Sasuke convinced their label to allow him to begin his public music journey with a ballad, but it paid off. His song is currently number 3 on the charts, nestled between music industry veterans like her. She herself has listened to his song on loop about a million times while on tour, captivated by its haunting melodies and the raw emotion that seeps through every word he sings. The heart and soul he poured into his music have captured her attention, and watching him now, Sakura finds herself drawn to him in a way she hadn't expected. His dark, compelling eyes hold her gaze and she can't look away, their chemistry palpable, like a live wire.
Their eyes meet, a silent acknowledgment across the stage, sending a shiver down her spine, making her heart flutter in her chest. Electricity to electricity, with neither one moving their sights. As her dance captain calls the end of the rehearsal, Sakura doesn't hesitate, crossing the stage towards him. The anticipation in her heart throbs with a rhythm of its own, matching the tempo of the thoughts swirling in her mind. Summoning her courage, she approaches Sasuke.
"Sasuke," she calls out, her voice steady despite the pounding in her chest.
"Me?" he responds. Sasuke's stare brightens, sclera becoming visible, eyebrows shooting up, and the corners of his mouth curling up into an incredulous smile. He's handsome, undeniably so, but there's something more than just his looks that pulls Sakura closer to his tall form. It's the calm confidence he exudes, the way his eyes light up, the sincerity in his voice. And most importantly, his humility. He seems to be holding back, as though he believes he's playing in a league different from hers.
"Yeah, you. My name's Sakura."
"I think everyone in this room knows who you are. Great rehearsal, by the way," he responds, his eyes never leaving hers, a slight surprise flickering in those obsidian depths. His voice is just as warm and magnetic as it is in his music, sending a thrilling tingle up her spine.
Sakura can feel herself beam at his compliment: smile wide, eyes captivated, and her tone of voice is so genuine. "Thanks! I wanted to tell you that I love your song."
"Really?"
"Absolutely! It's literally the number one song on my playlist right now. So amazing. How did you get Kakashi to let you debut with a ballad?"
He laughs, a warm, genuine sound that causes a pleasant stir in Sakura's chest. "Well, it was either that or a dance track. And seeing as I don't dance…"
With a playful roll of her eyes, Sakura jokes, "You lucky bastard."
His laughter echoes throughout the room again. "Thanks? I think?"
It's so natural, Sakura thinks to herself. She compares this conversation with those she's shared with other male vocalists. Nowhere in this exchange has Sasuke tried to control the conversation, his ego confident but not domineering. She can feel herself at ease, smoothly changing the topic. "So, am I seeing you here tomorrow night?"
"It's supposed to be 'music's biggest night,' right? I wouldn't miss it for the world."
Her heart flutters with anticipation, knowing she's being too forward with a slightly older man. But she's not going to stop, not when it feels like Sasuke's company is the one she's been missing all this time. "Awesome. Whose afterparty are you going to?"
His brow furrows, hesitating slightly, "Um. Maybe I'll show up to Vanity Fair's?"
"Don't tell me you're not going?" Sakure teases, an obviously fake tone of outrage reaching her ears.
He shrugs, his gaze a little self-conscious as his hands pull into his pockets. "I'm not really a party kind of guy. Plus, I think I'm the only debuting artist invited this year. Don't want to be hanging out by myself."
The realization gives Sakura pause. To Sasuke, her fame and success might create an unbridgeable chasm between them. Like they shouldn't even be having this conversation. Like they can't even be friends. Like they can't even attempt every runaway daydream Sakura's mind gives her. Like she'll never get the chance to feel him press her against a wall. It's a thought that sends a pang of disappointment through her.
"Don't be ridiculous!" she exclaims, reaching out a hand. "Give me your phone."
He hesitates but hands it over.
"Sakura. What are you doing?"
She quickly types in her personal phone number. "Here. That's my private line. Text me so we can hang out."
He stares at her for a moment, stunned. "Hang out... Like, together?"
"Of course! What are labelmates for?"
A slow, appreciative smile spreads across his face. "Thanks. Genuinely. I guess I have to figure out what my second outfit is going to be tomorrow night."
The earlier butterflies explode like fireworks within her chest, dripping with shiny and new feelings all throughout her body. Sakura can't help the excited shiver that runs through her at the prospect of spending more time with Sasuke. "Looking forward to it."
Just then, an announcement rings out overhead, "Sakura, to staging area B. Sakura, to staging area B."
"That's me," Sakura sighs, her gaze lingering on Sasuke for a moment longer.
"That's you," he echoes, his eyes never leaving her.
Sakura finds herself caught in the unexpected gravity of Sasuke's presence. It doesn't seem to matter to her heart that she's his senior in this industry. It took only one conversation, and everything has changed. She's like a planet pulled into orbit around a new sun, his aura glowing like a captivating star. Leaving his side feels like an eclipse is obscuring her radiant vision; a heavy, unwanted shadow that signals a disconnection. His gaze, intense yet gentle, has imprinted itself onto her retinas, a beautiful afterimage that even her closed eyelids can't erase.
Looking into his eyes, Sakura feels as if she's peering into the infinite cosmos, a sea of secrets and unspoken dreams. It's a vision she yearns to explore, an enigma that calls to her with the irresistible pull of a black hole. Her eyes are satellites, caught in the gravity of his, tracing an unwilling path away from him. The world outside of Sasuke's vicinity blurs, becoming the peripheral haze of a telescope focused on only one celestial body.
"See you tomorrow," she says, already looking forward to it.
"You're going to rock it," he replies with a nod, his eyes conveying a sincerity that touches her.
"Bye!" With that, she heads towards the staging area, a strange exhilaration buzzing through her veins. Her heart pounds in her chest as she walks away, her mind already filled with thoughts of Sasuke and the promise of tomorrow night.
But Sakura can't shake off the pull she feels towards him. The thought of what could be stirs a longing in her heart. She imagines him tomorrow night, clad in a new designer suit and necktie, passing her a text message, some secret invitation. The thought of a clandestine rendezvous, of stolen kisses and whispered secrets in the dark corners of some fancy afterparty, lights a spark in her heart.
She imagines him waiting for her down the hall, his back pressed against the wall. The thought of him, of what they could be, quickly entrances her, becoming a secret addiction.
'What would it be like if they could just forget the world, forget their professional obligations, and give in to this powerful attraction?'
Sakura can see it now, Sasuke becoming hers, her secret mission. In her mind, she can see herself behaving differently, can see him succumbing to the same allure. It took only a few minutes, but Sakura already yearns for him, in ways she's never yearned for anyone else. She can see him, his jacket thrown on the floor, their bodies entwined.
As she clutches her phone, Sasuke's number already glowing on her screen, Sakura makes a decision. The pulsating beat of the music in the background becomes the rhythm of her heart, a backdrop to the exhilarating drama unfolding in her life.
Sasuke might not believe her, but Sakura can see him; see him in ways others might not. She can see him waiting for her, wanting her. And she's ready to show him, that she sees him too. Tomorrow, on the biggest night of their careers, Sakura Haruno isn't just the queen of pop opening the Grammys. She's a woman standing at the edge of an intoxicating possibility, ready to take the leap, ready to make Sasuke Uchiha hers.
THE END.