I do not own Naruto and its characters. This storybis just a product of my imagination.

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115 days before the incident.

The cool night air nipped at my damp skin as I stood outside my car, wrapped in the towel Naruto had given me. My heart felt heavy, still weighed down by the awkwardness of the party and Ino's outburst. I knew something was bound to happen the moment I decided to attend, but I went anyway. I had no one to blame but myself. If only I had stayed home like I usually do, maybe none of this would've happened.

"I'm really sorry about what went down," Naruto said, his voice sincere as we walked toward the garage.

"You don't have to apologize," I replied, forcing a small smile. "It's not your fault."

Naruto ran a hand through his hair. "I thought it'd be a good time, you know? I didn't realize Ino could take things that far. She can be… intense, but this? I didn't expect that."

I glanced at him, surprised. How could he not know? They'd been friends for years. But then again, Naruto was the kind of guy who tried to get along with everyone. In our class, he was the only one who made an effort to greet and smile at everyone—even the outcasts like me. I couldn't fault him for that.

We walked in silence until we spotted Sasuke's car parked next to mine. We both thought he wasn't coming. Naruto paused, waiting for Sasuke to get out.

Sasuke's gaze flickered between Naruto and me, and for a moment, there was a tense silence. It was as if he was weighing something, deciding whether or not to acknowledge me. His expression was as unreadable as ever.

Naruto, sensing the tension, stepped forward, trying to break the ice with his usual casual tone. "Hey, I thought you had something important going on tonight. What made you change your mind?"

Sasuke didn't answer right away, his gaze still locked on me. It was like he was waiting for me to say something—or maybe for something to happen. I wasn't sure.

"None of your business," Sasuke replied flatly, his eyes still on me.

I felt my neck heat up. Was he annoyed? Confused? I couldn't tell. But something about the way he was looking at me made my pulse race.

"Is this a swimming party now?" He asked, his dry humor cutting through the awkwardness.

Naruto shifted uncomfortably but kept things light. "Ino went a little overboard with her prank."

"Prank?" Sasuke repeated, raising an eyebrow, clearly skeptical.

"You know how Ino is," Naruto said, shrugging, trying to explain without saying too much.

Sasuke didn't speak for a long moment, his gaze fixed on me, his expression unreadable. Naruto clapped him on the shoulder, trying to keep the mood light.

"Alright, I'll handle things with Ino. We should head back inside, yeah?" Naruto suggested, glancing toward the house, already mentally preparing to manage the fallout.

Sasuke didn't move right away. It was as if he was still processing, still figuring out whatever was going on in his head. My heart rate quickened as I waited for him to say something, but he remained silent.

"Well, I should probably go," I said, trying to break the uncomfortable silence. "I'll be fine, really."

Naruto shot me a concerned look but nodded. "Okay, Hinata. I'm sorry again for everything. Just let me know if you need anything."

"Thanks, Naruto," I said, managing a small, genuine smile. I was grateful for his care, even if the night had turned into such a mess.

I watched them walk back toward the party, Naruto's voice echoing in the night air like a cruel reminder of how out of place I felt. Every step they took seemed to stretch the distance between us further, like they were leaving me behind in a world I didn't belong to.

When I opened my car door, a rush of cold air hit me, but it was nothing compared to the heaviness that clung to my chest. The night's weight pressed down on me, suffocating, and for a moment, I couldn't breathe. I didn't even start the engine. I thought I was fine. I convinced myself I didn't care about the sting of their rejection. It was nothing new, really—just the same old feeling of being the freak, the outsider, the one nobody ever understood. But now, as I sat here, my thoughts crumbling around me, the tears that had threatened to spill earlier finally surged, blurring my vision. I should've known better. I should've been stronger.

Just then, a tap on my window broke through the storm in my head. I looked up, startled, and there he was—Sasuke, standing there like he belonged in this moment, like he could just walk up to me without a care.

I rolled the window down, my voice sharp, as if the words had been trapped in me for too long. "What are you doing here? I thought you were inside with Naruto?"

He shrugged, his indifference cutting through the night. "Who cares about his party?"

I could feel my heart racing, but it wasn't from relief. It was from the sudden panic that gripped me, the fear of what would happen if Ino found out I was talking to him. "Go back inside. Ino might see you here. I can't handle this anymore." My voice cracked, betraying me in the silence that followed.

He didn't move. He didn't say anything. He just stood there, like he didn't care, like nothing about the mess I was in mattered to him. And for some reason, that silence, that stillness, made everything worse. Him, who only spoke to me when it was convenient.

"So hurry up and give me the keys. I'll drive you home," he said, his tone so calm it felt like a slap across my face.

I wasn't ready to let go of my anger, but I knew I had no choice. "I'm sorry," I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper as I stepped out of the car.

He didn't say anything, just stared at me, and in that moment, I felt exposed in a way I hadn't expected. My shirt clung to my skin, soaked with the weight of the night, and I suddenly felt so vulnerable—so small in front of him. I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to hide the way my body trembled. My face burned with shame, with the rawness of everything I couldn't say.

And then, as if sensing the fragile state I was in, he draped his jacket over my shoulders. The warmth of it only made the coldness in my chest sharper, more painful. But I didn't pull away. Instead, I let the weight of it settle over me, even as the tears burned in my eyes.

"Go inside," he said softly, his voice cutting through the chaos in my mind.

I didn't argue. I couldn't. Instead, I nodded, my throat tight, and sat down on the passenger seat feeling like I was walking away from everything I had ever known.

We drove in silence. His eyes were fixed on the road ahead, and I couldn't read his expression. It took a while before he finally broke the silence.

"Why did you go there?" he asked.

"I know I'm stupid, but I didn't plan on staying for long. I just felt bad saying no, especially when Naruto made an effort to invite me."

"Effort? That guy invites the whole school every time he throws a party," he said, and I felt a little offended.

"Oh, so I must be really stupid to think he put in a little extra effort to invite me?" I said, getting upset. "Who am I anyway? Just the weirdo in class that no one wants to be friends with. And if anyone even tries to get to know me, someone like Ino will make sure to remind me where I belong."

I didn't know where my courage came from, but I continued to speak my mind.

"I don't really belong in the world you're in, so I try my best to stay invisible. If I keep a low profile, people won't focus on me. I get by in life that way. But then Naruto happened to be friendly, and I became a target for bullying again. Now, I'm really scared of what they'll do to me if they see me with you."

I said all of this in a panicked voice. This is what I had been avoiding—Sasuke's fan girls finding out that I could talk to him freely. As much as I enjoyed these secret moments with him, now it was making me panic.

"Is that how you really feel?" he asked, emotionless.

"In all truth and honesty, yes. Imagine what Ino and Sakura would do if they found out you're spending time with me. Ino pushed me into the pool just because I was invited by Naruto. Now I can't even imagine what they'd do if they found out I have the guts to talk to you."

What happened tonight really sent me into a panic.

He didn't say another word until we reached my estate.

"You're not stupid or weird," he suddenly said as we stopped. "Can you drive inside?" He nodded toward the gate.

"Yeah," I answered, caught off guard by what he said.

"Well, I have to get out."

"But how will you get back to Naruto's place?"

"I'll take a cab. Just go and rest," he said as he got out of the car.

I walked over to the driver's seat, and he gave me a simple nod before I took the wheel and drove off.

As I looked at him in my rearview mirror, I couldn't shake the feeling that this might be goodbye.