♡ The Only Player SasuSaku ♡

♡ Part 75: think for herself ♡

NEXT DAY (January 12th)

TO NARUTO

no sign of sakura anywhere.

their first class of the day had already begun but the pinkette hadn't even showed up. naruto was worried for her because from the way she had disappeared yesterday, to the way sasuke seemed troubled, to the way she replied to his texts---- everything seemed off. 

sasuke was fairing the worst. 

he barely spoke and kept his eyes darted down. whenever it seemed as if something had crossed his mind, he would tie his brows together and occasionally shake his head. 

naruto: hey teme, can i have a pencil?

the raven glanced over to his side to see his best friend with a gentle smile creasing his face. he stared at naruto for a few seconds before searching through his bag to get what he had asked for. naruto's smile slightly decreased at the actions of his best friend but decided to talk to him later. 

there was something going on and no one was saying anything about it. 

TO SAKURA

ino: sakura....

the blonde hugged her best friend in hopes of putting her into slight ease. 

ino: okay but think of it like this, he didn't really break up with you. and plus, the kiss only happened once and i think sasuke will realize that it's not such a big deal

sakura: it is a big deal..

ino: it really isn't. in all fairness, naruto is naruto. i don't think he thought too much of the kiss afterwards so just let it go. 

that was something sakura would never put into consideration. not once in her long years of being friends with naruto did she see him cry the way he did the night he painfully confessed to her. he didn't confess to her because he wanted to, he confessed to her because he was eating himself up inside. 

sakura felt guilty for being the cause, but she felt even more guilty for hurting the boy who had been doing his best to stay by her side.

sakura: how many people am i going to hurt?

the pinkette groaned in annoyance and threw her head back on the couch of her living room

sakura: first sasori, then naruto, and now sasuke

ino: you're just popular with the guys, that's all

ino laughed in hopes of lightening the mood, but failed. 

ino: anyways, are you going to tell naruto?

sakura jerked her head to the side and looked out her window

sakura: i'm sure sasuke must've told him already

TO SASUKE

naruto: why won't you tell me teme? 

silence. 

naruto: c'mon y'know!

shikamaru yawned as they walked to their second class for the day. 

sasori eyed them from the back and noticed the gloomy demeanor of the raven. it was odd seeing him like that and he figured it had something to do with sakura. she wasn't here, so that means that she was probably gloating in her house about whatever had happened. 

without second thought, the red haired boy turned on his heels and trudged his feet to the pinkettes house. the least he could do is be there for her if naruto wasn't going to be. 

he walked in silence with his hands dug deep into his pockets. a frown creased his face once he thought of the way sasuke's expression was because it felt all too familiar from one that he once had. 

it was the face he had for awhile after sasori realized sakura no longer loved him and finally moved onto another person. 

it was odd to say the least. 

he reached the front door and knocked. 

ino: -muffled- WHAT? YOU LIKE NARUTO??

chocolate orbs widened. he knocked again and the door finally opened which revealed a surprised blonde girl

sasori: where's sakura?

ino: over there.....

the horror on ino's face never left once she guided sasori to the living room where sakura laid down on the couch. a small smile smeared on her lips at the new arrival

sasori: you like naruto?

the pinkette looked to the side

ino: she's just being crazy...right? 

sasori: i don't think she is

he made his way to her and sat down on the floor. his back leaned against the couch's rim and wrapped his arms around his knees. his back faced sakura, but he could feel her green eyes stuck onto the back of his head

sasori: sasuke's a mess, just like you

sakura: karin likes sasuke, right?

the boy sighed

sasori: she does

ino: who cares if she does. sasuke loves you and that's all that matters

sasori: what also matters is how you feel, sakura. 

the boy looked down to his knees and thought of the days he once he loved sakura unconditionally. 

sasori: sasuke really likes you, maybe more than i ever did. but naruto loves you more than any of us and i can see tha---

ino: you're not helping!

sasori: shut up, pig

the blonde girl threw a pillow to the red haired boy.

sasori: but no one should guilt you into anything. go for the guy you like, and no one can say anything about it

sakura: it's not that easy. i hurt them both, i'm the cause of their pain. gosh i feel so stupid

she really did feel stupid. 

sakura: i don't know what to do

sasori: don't do anything. 

the pinkette's eyes widened

sasori: don't do anything. don't look for the answer, let the answer look for you. 

ino: listen i don't know what kind of dumb tedtalk you're trying to do, but it doesn't sound nice. 

the red haired boy stood up and finally faced sakura as he ignored ino's commentary. 

sasori: if you like naruto, wait. if you like sasuke, wait. it'll work out in the end. 

with that, he gave her a small smile before leading himself out the door and heading back to school. he knew that he couldn't be the one to tell sakura what to do simply because what he did when he was in sasuke's position was the last thing anyone should ever do. although there was a part of him that wanted to just let sakura know that even if sasuke is hurting, there's a time where she needs to stop thinking of others and just think for herself. 

ino: well.... i guess he might have a point. but sakura...

ino walked over to her and placed a gentle hand to ruffle sakura's hair

ino: don't hold back. let it all out.