Academic system I'm using:

School years: primary (6 years), middle (3 years), high (3 years)

Medical School: pre-clinical (3,5 years), clinical (1,5 years)

Internship (as GP): 1 year

Residency: depends

Desclaimer : this site is solely dedicated for fanfiction...fill in the rest xD

This is a revised version (see at the end for author's note)


1

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sub·clin·i·cal

the early stage(s) of a disease or abnormality before symptoms and signs become apparent or detectable by clinical examination

man·i·fes·ta·tion

a symptom or sign of an ailment

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"I think a relationship is nice," Hinata voiced just above a whisper. Her words hung low in the air, waiting for any response or anything at all. He heard her just as clear and she knew it. Knowing he was just too occupied on taking notes and eyes focused on the screen too much that he squinted occasionally, she started again, facing him this time, "what do you think?"

Sasuke was sitting in one of the chairs of four, with laptop only forty centimeters away from his eyes atop the dining table. A notebook right beside the laptop as he occasionally took notes. Her question came too sudden, but he heard her the first time. He was just trying to understand why would a cyst form in the ovary and all the pathomechanisms saved in his head were popped disappearing like a bubble once she broke the silence.

He turned his head to look at her—sitting with legs crossed atop the microfiber rug before the black wooden table as her back leaned on the beige colored couch. It was supposed to be their living room but they weren't ones to watch television so there wasn't any and only the TV stand adhered to the wall in front of her. As the most spacious room in the apartment, it became the best place for them to study together with as much space needed individually. The living room was continuous with the kitchen with granite island and the dining table—of where he was sitting at the moment—separated them. Despite visibly annoyed with the sudden invasion, he answered without any interest.

"You aren't interested in relationship," he stated and waited for her with hard stare. He hoped she'd take the cue and just answer immediately to let this odd conversation end. He needed to concentrate for the damn cyst. "Or at least you weren't."

"I know and I still am," she answered immediately, noticing the urge in his eyes. He looked tired, with dark shadow under the eyes and coffee ever present—she could only know it wasn't the first three cups. She actually felt bad for bringing up this unnecessary topic in the middle of their studying session—exams are getting near and they needed to study real bad. But she was just as tired as him, it was a half past two in the morning, they have class at eight, shouldn't they just sleep already?

"But, what if?"

"Then, it is you to decide," he replied tersely, still, uninterested.

"I need your opinion, dear Sasuke, why would I ask otherwise?" She was desperate for a break and she wanted to take him with her.

"Hinata, stop," he tried, tiredness lingered in his voice, "I need to focus."

"Well, me too! But—"

"What is this all about anyway?"

"There.. there is this guy," she started, averting her eyes to look at Sasuke's laptop.

At a sudden, Sasuke was intrigued to ask more. They never talked about relationship before, not even once. Now that he thought about it, it did sound weird not having this particular topic visit their conversation from time to time. So this was new to him.

He was tired and she was too, might as well finish his study, converse for five minutes and sleep. Noticeably sighing, he turned off and closed his laptop then paid his full attention to Hinata. "At our school?"

Her face started to color in embarrassement. "I'm not telling—are you done?"

"Tell me then let's sleep." She wouldn't put the talk away if she didn't end up telling him. Knowing her for such length, he wouldn't dare to answer otherwise or the conversation would meet to no end.

She sighed. "I was just.. I just wanted a break, I needed to finish this one." She closed her laptop despite herself. She stood and stretched her legs a bit before pulling a chair opposite of Sasuke and sit there herself. "You know the guy. It would be embarrassing."

"Then, let's just sleep."

"Sasuke!" She tried her best glare but knew it was futile as Sasuke just stared at her nonchalantly with a slight raise of an eyebrow. He made no movement to indicate he was leaving though and Hinata knew him too well to know that he was listening. Suddenly giddy for unknown reason, she pushed her body closer to him, then as if fearing anyone would hear—despite only the two of them in the space—she murmured, "you know Gaara, right?"

The image of gloomy red haired guy with black rimmed eyes suddenly came to mind. Sasuke recalled him as someone who was sickeningly good at observing cadaver without mask or goggles on without as little as twitch on the eyes. That kind of skill was… a rarity.

Long story short, he didn't seem like the guy to go out.

"He asked you out?"

"No!" Hinata was utterly embarrassed, palms directed at him to shield herself or to give him the proper gesture of denial. "He asked me to have lunch together."

"We always have lunch together," he stated like it was the most normal thing which it was for them.

"It's different," she said it more calmly now, "with Gaara I just occasionally meet him when grouped together and we barely talk! Then suddenly he asked me to have lunch with him."

Something in Sasuke's eyes changed. It turned into half bewilderment half uninterested—still. Hinata noticed, so she elaborated. "I mean it would be different than you, because," she trailed off, because? "you are… you."

It was amusing because he never really thought about it. About them. He had known Hinata since first grade in high school when he moved back to Konoha with his family. He was the new guy in their high school and on the first day of going to school, he only knew two persons. Naruto, his preschool to primary school friend—before moving due to his father's work—and Hinata, his new neighbor and surprisingly classmate.

Having to only acquaintance with only two person—in which he didn't intend to have any addition—they grew together as three best friends, somehow. Probably because Naruto is someone to rely to—despite their opposite personality and Hinata was someone he could tolerate to and she was his neighbor so it was all convenient. Turned out Hinata'd had a crush for Naruto since middle school and she cherished the moments they could spend together—at least with Naruto. This was how the three of them became best friends.

How the two of them became even closer as best friends, however, started when he finally decided—at second grade—to attend medical school after finishing high school. He never really had any particular interest in anything, really, having no difficulties in studies throughout high school and he could just be anything he wanted to be. Raised in a family of engineers, he always thought to become one in the future. Just how Hinata was raised in the prestigious family of surgeons and his cousin too had just accepted to the most prestigious medical school in the country at the time. Pressured by her father expectations, Hinata had only one vision for the future, to be a doctor herself. Though she wasn't handling high school with straight A as smooth as Sasuke, with struggles here and there, she had set her mind and when she did, she did it with all her might. Becoming a doctor wasn't only about proving her capabilities to her father, he remarked, she genuinely wanted to become a doctor, a doctor like her mother she had said.

Somehow, watching her had inspired him to become one himself. Though his motive had indeed seemed too shallow to proceed, his family had agreed at once, so he didn't dwell much on the matter.

As he announced—more like stated to the other two—about his desire to attend medical school, her eyes had lighted up. At the start of their third grade, she proposed to have him as her study buddy—more like mentor. It was brave of her, despite her shy nature. It proved him just how much she wanted to be accepted in one and not just any medical school, but the one his cousin had attended to, Konoha Medical School. She was just willing to try anything. She was just that determined. Deeming it would advantage not only her but also himself, he agreed.

They would study after school hours and the weekends, either at Sasuke's home or Hinata's, they switched fairly. It was always better in Sasuke's home, where his mother would prepare snacks for them and observe them with self joy. On the contrary, at Hinata's, every time felt too quiet. Her father rarely at home—he always spent most of his hours in the hospital and would only be home late in the evening, and Hanabi was just a sister with the same quiet personality as Hinata, albeit more daring. One day, she had exchanged his textbook with hers—middle school one—and he could only curse mentally as guilt-ridden Hinata had offered to share her book.

Having caught up in his own reverie made Hinata think he was already somnolent but just too polite—or too proud—to admit. She slumped her shoulders before she stood up, this conversation was useless, she should know better. Walking past him toward her room, she gently touched his tensed shoulder. She could feel a slight flinch from him. "Forget it, see you at breakfast."

She proceeded to her room and closed the door behind.

Not bothering to clean his belongings on the dining table, he walked to his room himself.


Author's Note :

Greetings to my older readers and welcome to new ones! The revision has officially finished, now this story will update normally.

Thank you for reading and give me some love, eh?

-Crowds (21-04-2020), revised version (10-03-2021)


Credits : art in the cover is by Renoa Heartilly.