Gambler of Feelings:
Chapter 16
After the events of Sports Festival ended, Sarada had a lot of stuff on her mind. The first question that she asked herself was when her crush on Boruto started?
Looking back on it she always observed him from the shadows before their first meeting. At first, she recognised Boruto Uzumaki as someone with similar family problems, but for some reason more optimistic than her. He was honestly annoying her, Sarada even wrote in her diary special instructions to avoid him. Later learning that Boruto was known as 'troublemaker, she followed those instructions because of his reputation for creating problems.
However, Sarada's actions were the result of her secret admiration for him. She admired his optimism, social skills, positive popularity, everything she didn't have. Maybe that's why Sarada avoided Boruto like the plague, even if his class was just a few steps away from her own class.
Boruto Uzumaki was a person Sarada Uchiha wanted to be, but couldn't due to her stuck-up personality. And now the same Sarada Uchiha tried to think how she ended up with such mixed feelings towards the same Bortuo Uzumaki she successfully avoided before.
In that case, wasn't it normal for her to have such contradictory feelings about Boruto as a person? Sarada before realising it until now from an 'idiot' that she's jealous of, somehow started to see him as a good friend.
"No, not just friend..." she muttered in a daze to the empty air. 'Friend' meant the person she could trust wholeheartedly like Chō-Chō. Sarada knew why she shouldn't doubt the intentions of other people so much, but being suspicious was her most natural reaction.
Being betrayed once was enough but due to that Sarada was scared to trust people that weren't Chō-Chō. Even though she interacted with Mitsuki, Sumire and Shikadai as a fellow club member, Sarada was unable to trust them completely.
When did she start to trust Boruto and developed feelings that weren't something which Sarada would label as friendship? Sarada till this day could recall stuff Boruto said to her during these past few months.
"Are you sure about that? No matter how strong you are it is nice to have someone worrying about your well being."
"That's a really awesome dream, ya know!"
"You can always stick to me, ya know! I mean to stick with all club members, hehe."
"Hahahahaha! An alien! I'm not a handsome and popular guy in your eyes, but an alien! It's the first time a girl thinks I'm coming from another planet, ya know? It's hilarious!"
Boruto is quite a smooth talker, isn't he? Out of context, those lines sound strange. No wonder she ended up loving him. It's this annoying idiot fault, not hers.
Suddenly, a light tap on her shoulder interrupted her thoughts. She couldn't help but jump slightly.
"Are you alright, Sarada? You seem kind of absent right now, ya know?" It was Boruto. He's the person that is responsible for all her mixed up emotions
"B-Boruto! Don't scare me like that ever again. Please." Sarada came back to her usual composure. The more nervous she was, the calmer she appeared in front of others.
"Did I scare you? Sorry, I can't tell because you don't look scared at all." Boruto almost looked like an angel with that relaxed smile.
"Yes, I was startled. Besides, it doesn't matter how I look." She hoped this answer was good enough. Sarada knew her judgement towards Boruto behaviour is clouded. Especially, after realising how handsome he is in this moment.
"What a waste, ya know..." Boruto muttered averting his blue eyes.
"Eh, a waste?!" Sarada didn't know why he made this comment. Was he trying to make her misunderstand something?
"I mean I think you should care more about how you look, ya know? I'm not talking about something extreme, but it would be nice if you sometimes dressed up. I really know you would be pretty if you smile more, Sarada."
Sarada eyes widened. Boruto's words really struck her heart, so she looked into his eyes and smiled. It wasn't sarcastic smirk, it wasn't a forced happy expression, it was her most real and sincere smile.
"Thank you, Boruto. It doesn't change the fact you're annoying." Sarada said, ignoring a small blush forming on Boruto's cheeks.
"Y-yeah... By the way, I realised that I forgot to give you an address to my house. We still need to know when we should meet to buy you a new phone, ya know?" Boruto spoke as fast as possible throwing in her direction the small paper. And after that, he disappeared from her like flash of lightning.
Sarada took this little scrap of paper in her hand and decided to read it. Boruto's house was really close to the cat alley she liked to go. Oh, whatever she'll pretend she's not jealous of Boruto running skills at all and forgives him now for deserting her.
At home, Sarada was like usual alone. She decided to read her favourite mystery novel that she got into. Though, her plans were quickly disturbed by her mom coming back. Did something happen?
"Mom?! I thought you had a shift today?" Sarada questioned her beautiful mother, Sakura.
"Did I surprise you, Sarada? I took the day off today." Sakura responded with a kind smile.
"A little bit. Last time when you suddenly came back we didn't have a pleasant conversation." Sarada remembered her mom was against her being a member of a club she participated in.
"Sarada. I'm still against you being in a club that involves gambling." Sakura sighed silently wishing this issue could finish fast. She wanted to spend time with her daughter in the same way as before. Without this tense atmosphere.
"I know." Sarada covered her face with a book just not to show her sadness. Her mom was stressed enough, even without her causing problems.
"You should quit." Sakura walked over and took a book from her daughter's hands. Honestly speaking she should have this conversation with her one month ago.
"I'm sorry, but I don't plan on quitting anytime soon, mom. I know you think this club can bring for me painful memories. However, being a member of this club made me more happy than sad." Sarada started to tell mom her reasons. She should speak sooner about her feelings. Maybe if she explained her reasons calmly before, her mother would be less stressed.
"Happy? Grandma Tsunade was happy too, but look like she ended up. Dear, I don't want for you to end up hurt. Can't you see I'm doing it for your sake?" Sakura mentioned Tsunade. It was painful for her to use the name of her mentor in this sort of way. Tsunade died pursuing her dream, the dream Sarada wanted to fulfil.
"Yes, happy. I moved on, mom. Of course, thinking about the past is painful, but that's it. It's the past." Sarada looked into her mother's emerald eyes. Her mom looked exhausted but still decided to have this honest heart-to-heart talk. It made Sarada incredibly happy.
"Are you sure you're okay, Sarada? I don't want to see you looking lifeless again." Sakura patted Sarada head lightly. Why people close to Sarada have the urge to pat her head?!
"I'm sure. I moved on and you should too, mom. Oh, and I don't know if I want to be definitely the owner of a travelling casino. Dreams can change, ya know?" Sarada imitated Boruto speaking habit. His influence on her was one of the reasons she used it.
"Is that so? I think you resemble someone I know a lot right now." Sakura teased confused at her words, Sarada.
"I do?" Sarada asked trying to get her mystery novel book back from her mom's hands.
"Yes, you do. Did you meet some new friends in the club perhaps?" Sakura smirked realising why her daughter didn't want to quit the club right now.
"I did. To be honest, joining this club made me feel less lonely. Boruto is really a great friend." Sarada decided not to mention Boruto was the person she had a crush on. Her mom was too much eager to listen about teenage romance stories.
"Boruto, you mean Boruto Uzumaki? Naruto Uzumaki son?" Sakura mouth formed a little 'o' in her surprise.
"Yes? He's the president of our club." Her causal answer made her mother laugh.
"Who would have thought Naruto son is more responsible than him. That's hilarious." Sakura had small tears in the corner of her eyes from this apparently funny situation.
"You know Boruto's father?" Maybe it seems like she pried too much into her mom private life, but the rumours in the school were making Sarada nervous.
"Maybe I do, maybe I don't. However, if Boruto Uzumaki is the club president half of my worries can disappear." Sakura concluded having a little bit of joy seeing confused expression on her daughter's face.
"So I don't need to quit the club and can still be Boruto's friend?" Sarada asked quite unsure how Sakura will answer.
"Yes, but I'm still against you gambling in any way." And with those words, Sakura started to talk about her work as well plan of spending her day off with Sarada.
Sarada was glad the heavy air between her and Sakura has lifted. It was quite a while when she enjoyed spending time with her mother just like today. It was one of the best days of her life.
Boruto felt strange since yesterday. Seeing Sarada smile was really rare. He didn't know what caused this reaction, but now was seating next to Mitsuki and Shikadai in the clubroom.
"Girls are complicated and scary." Mitsuki started the topic with a heavy sigh.
"You just say it right now because of Sumire and Chō-Chō avoiding you, don't you? What a drag." Shikadai said while closing his eyes.
"No, not really I sorted it out with them yesterday. All three of us decided to be friends after I explained my circumstances. I was talking about Sarada completely charming her way into Boruto's heart." Damn you Mitsuki! It was the only words Boruto could think as
an answer to his friend that changed the subject to Sarada.
Sarada smile popped into his head. She looked beautiful when she smiled. Any reasonable guy would want to put her in the cage and protect her seeing how awesome she looks when she smiles. Being this cute should be forbidden.
"Sarada? I'm her friend right now, ya know?" Boruto forced himself saying those words. For some reason, they didn't feel right to him.
"Troublesome. Every member of this club knew you wanted to be Sarada's friend. It was obvious. But what do you think about Sarada now?" For the sake of their friendship from childhood, Shikadai wanted to help Boruto in any way he can. He owes it for hurting him that day, after all.
"She's cute, I guess?" Boruto had a big grin when he told them his opinion. Mitsuki and Shikadai sighed in the mutual understanding of the hopeless case of Boruto denial. It wasn't surprising for Shikadai. Boruto probably didn't want to get hurt by a girl again.
"Why do you think she's cute? A lot of students think it's hard to deal with Sarada and calls her Ice Queen, you know?" Shikadai wondered. Sarada looked more like the girl that would murder you with one stare than looking cute.
"She's cute when she smiles? And Sarada isn't that hard to deal with when you get to know her a little bit better, ya know!" Boruto tone was very cheerful like he told them something they didn't know.
"Ahh, it's troublesome. If your fangirls heard you right now, Sarada would be probably killed." Shikadai wanted to sleep but helping Boruto was now his priority. It's not like his friend wasn't aware of his own feelings, he was just too stubborn to admit how he feels.
"Eh?! But my fangirls are afraid of Sarada, ya know? They ran away in fear after seeing her." Boruto statement made Shikadai sigh much more than before. Mitsuki just stared at the clubroom wall with a creepy smile showing on his face.
"I think you and Sarada would make a nice couple." Mitsuki chimed in after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence. Boruto started to fake coughing and cursing Mitsuki brutal honesty.
"No way! Not to mention the fact I don't know if I can trust any girl in terms of dating." Like Shikadai thought that was the main root of Boruto denaying the possibility of having feelings for Sarada.
At that moment door to the clubroom opened and Sarada entered the room. That was kind of awkward since they were still talking about her.
"So why you don't trust any girls in terms of dating, Boruto?" Sarada question made them really uncomfortable. Did she hear everything?
"Oh, Sarada how long you were here?" Boruto let out a nervous chuckle.
"I just came here and heard something about you having problems to get a girlfriend." Was it Shikadai imagination or did Sarada is jealous? Oh boy, they screwed up in talking about it in the clubroom.
"Kind of, ya know? It's tied more to my own personal problem than wanting to get into the relationship." Boruto answered truthfully.
"Is it tied to the question I asked you during the Sports Festival?" After some thought, Sarada whispered not being sure if she's ready to hear Boruto response.
"It is, ya know. Bringing up Asami Kinoshita and how I got into the gaming is always hard." Boruto averted his gaze from Sarada. It was a stupid move to mention his ex-girlfriend. However, Sarada eyes widened in surprise like she discovered something unusual.
"Asami Kinoshita?! That Asami Kinoshita?! Is she the root of the problems happening in our club?" Sarada outburst was really out of place. She spoke like if she knew Asami too.
"Sarada... You know Asami?" Boruto complexion looked pale. If Sarada knows Asami was she a participant in that game tournament year ago? Shikadai looked like he ate something unpleasant hearing Asami name. Mitsuki, on the other hand, was confused.
"I do, though I can say I wish I didn't know her at all." Sarada words could make anyone shiver in fear.
"Really? That's a surprise, ya know? Want to hear how I got into the gaming from the start?" Boruto voice lacked his usual energy, but Sarada nodded. She was curious about it not too long ago.
"Yes." It was the only answer she could give.
"Are you alright with it Shikadai?" Boruto looked at Shikadai before he got a thumbs up it's okay from him. Mitsuki at the same time thought him fading into the background was a great idea for now.
"You can start. I will listen." Sarada tried to process this unexpected situation calmly.
"Asami was my girlfriend and at that time was the person I cherished, ya know?" Boruto smile was warm, but his eyes looked like he was in pain.
What was this feeling of uneasiness in Sarada's heart? Sarada hated the smile that appeared on Boruto's face every time he mentioned Asami name. However, it didn't matter how she felt. She needed to hear this story. Especially, if it involved Asami.
Sarada promised Chō-Chō to discover the truth. Listening to this story will lead her to this discovery. No more excuses! She just needed to prepare her heart to hear everything from Boruto personally. She needed to know the truth from him and not anyone else.
Because she loved him.
AN: Uff, Chapter sixteen of GoF is finished! I mean published. I read something angsty and needed to heal from it, so this chapter has a lot of fluff! I will try to at least update one chapter of GoF every month. Maybe two, depending on how fast I polish up the next upcoming chapter. Anyway, like usual hope, the chapter doesn't contain too many mistakes and ya all enjoyed reading it!
Your clumsy Author Karinrumi:D