"Here."
Sasuke hands over a cup of hot coffee to you, since it is very cold.
Without saying anything, you take the cup from him and drink a bit of it.
Right now you are in a play ground not far from the site of the festival. Sasuke has dragged you here in attempt to escape from the sea of humans. Like usual, he hates crowds.
Sasuke sits right beside you and takes a sip of his coffee.
"You are incredibly quiet today. What happened?"
He asks, sarcasm can be heard from his voice.
You simply shake your head.
"Nothing."
That is the only word you are able to mutter.
Sasuke sighs.
"Why? You are too amazed by itachi? Is that it? You think he's handsome? Is it?"
"No! It's not that!"
"Then, what? You fall in love with him already?"
His sinister intonation is really getting on your nerves. You just glare at him angrily.
And suddenly, sasuke scoffs.
"Now, that is the face that i want to see. How long has it been since you glared at me? A week?"
You bit your lips in anger, trying to calm yourself down.
Without answering him, you turn to face the empty playground in front of you.
You take a deep breath and try to start a conversation.
"What happened? I thought you told sakura that you didn't want to come. So why are you here?"
It takes you a lot of courage to ask him that question. Well, you are curious indeed.
"Because of you."
His answer makes you choke on the coffee you are trying to drink.
You immediately look at him in shock.
"What the hell is that?"
But instead of smirking or laughing, he just stare at you with a serious face.
"It's true. I'm serious. When sakura said that you are here, i immediately turned of my phone and rushed here."
You are unable to say anything due to shock. You can only stare at him in disbelief as he exchanges your stare with a serious expression.
He is not making it up. He means all the words he said.
Both of you remain quiet for a while. Then, sasuke changes his gaze to the empty park.
"I have been thinking about this for a few days. Why are you avoiding me? The last time we talked, you ran away just like that without telling me why. I tried looking for you again after that but i couldn't find you. Then, kakashi sensei said that you went home already. I was devastated, you know. But then, i couldn't stop thinking about that. I ended up trying to find the relation between yuri and why you were so mad at me."
Sasuke stops for a while.
In that brief moment, your adrenaline spreads over to your body, making your heartbeat increases and your body tenses up.
You are so nervous, you can't describe it.
"S-so... Did you figure it out?"
At the utterance of the question, sasuke smirks.
"Of course. Who do you think i am? I am the handsome genius, sasuke uchiha. Things like this is just a piece of cake to me."
You are unable to say anything. You simply put your head down and just bit your lips in order to hold yourself from screaming out loud due to embarrassment.
How bad does everything has to be?
"But it's ridiculous. How can you mistook my sister as my girlfriend. Geez... I am the icon of rejecting people, how can i have a girlfriend? That's absurd."
"I know, i know! I was wrong! I'm sorry about that! Now, please, stop talking about that. I'm embarrassed enough of myself so please stop."
Sasuke laughs a little at your words.
He seems to enjoy this a lot.
"Alright, I'll stop. But next time, ask me first before you go making assumptions on your own. Don't do ridiculous things like this ever again. When i realized that you have misunderstood, i tried to call you and text you to explain, but no answers at all. You even blocked me after that. How funny are you, really?"
"Now stop, Mr sasuke uchiha! Stop!!!! Or else, i won't unblock you later!"
"Do that. Keep blocking me. And you'll see me barging into your house everyday after this. Do you want that, miss (name)?"
Sasuke puts up his creepy smiling face. His usual behavior is coming out again.
Now, this guy sure loves to mess with you a lot.
"I swear, I'll kick you someday."
You grit your teeth as you mutter those words.
But sasuke is still smiling. He is not afraid of your threat at all.
Well, this is your fault for misunderstanding his relationship with his sister anyway. You can't blame him for messing with you.
'Ah!'
Suddenly, something comes out on your mind.
The things that yuri said is making its way into your memory again.
"I'm not his real sister, but i have been raised like one."
You turn to look at sasuke and hesitate for a while whether to ask hin or not.
In the end, you decide to ask.
"Hey, sasuke."
"Hmm."
"I have something to ask."
He moves his eyeballs to take a side glance at you.
"What now?"
You stutter for a while before you are able to find the suitable words to ask him. Well, itachi was mad when yuri talked about it, so sasuke would be mad as well, isn't it?
"What is it, (name)?"
Meanwhile, he has grown impatient when he sees you stutter like that.
"W-well... It's about yuri."
Sasuke lifts up his left eyebrow a bit.
"What about her?"
You take a deep breath and haul it out.
"Just now, she said something about not being your real sister. What does she mean by that?"
Sasuke stuns for a while after he listens to your question. He doesn't say a word, nor did he move.
He remains still, with nothing to say.
In the long silence, you also don't say anything because you're afraid that he's mad. You simply wait for him to respond.
But then, sasuke sighs.
"So she still think about that..."
His voice sounds so sad and disappointed, as if he is very dejected.
You remain silent, not wanting to spoil the mood.
Then, sasuke begins his story.
"13 years ago, yuri lost her biological parents in an accident. She has no other siblings and no one to take care of her. Her grandfather was my grandfather's brother. You can say that her father is my father's cousin. My grandfather loved his late brother, uchiha izuna so much. He died protecting my grandfather. Then, when yuri's father was involved in an accident, my grandfather felt so guilty that yuri has no one to take care of her. He felt as if it was his fault. Therefore, he took her in and took a very good care of her. She's the granddaughter of his brother anyway. My father officially adopted yuri when she was 5 years old and i was 6. Since then, she became part of our family. We tried our best not to make her feel estranged, but i guess we failed. She still feel that way."
Sasuke stops for a while. He keeps his head down while staring at the ground. He is so sad, no doubt about it.
"I don't think that's the case."
You try to speak.
Sasuke then looks at you in confusion.
"I think, yuri does not feel estranged at all. It's just that, you guys treat her so well and she felt like she doesn't deserve the treatment. That's why, she's reminding herself. She doesn't want to forget how good you are to her despite her being an adopted child. So don't feel sad, sasuke. She loves you a lot."
Sasuke's eyes get teary when he listen to your explanation. He doesn't know how, but your words soothe his heart a lot.
He smiles.
"Thank you, (name)."
Your heart skips a beat. His sincere smile is really something, no doubt about it.
"A-anyway, since we're in this topic already, i have another question to ask."
Sasuke doesn't answer that, but he makes a sign with his eyes, allowing you to ask.
"Um... About itachi-san. He is very kind and soft, so why are you not in a good term with him?"
Again, sasuke remains silent.
Well, itachi warned you about this, but you are curious, that's why you ask.
Sasuke looks up to the night sky and sighs.
"Have you ever met a perfect person, (name)?"
His sudden question startles you.
"N-no..."
"Then you are lucky. But for me, it's the complete opposite. All my life, I've been living with a person who is perfect in everything. To make matter worse, that person is my own brother. He is so good in everything. Nobody doesn't know him in Konoha. He sets the record for everything; in studies, in sports, and even in management. No one is as excellent as he is. At first, i was very proud of him. The itachi that everyone kept on mentioning is my brother. Besides his good look, he is also smart, and he's a son to a very successful man, plus he also has a very good personality, which makes everyone loves him. They said that he is the perfect heir for uchiha. But then, as time goes on, i got tired of it. People kept comparing me with him. No matter how good i am at something, he's a lot better. I could never defeat him. The pressure kept increasing, and my father never compliment me for anything. He just told me to be as good as itachi. Just that."
Sasuke pauses for a while.
"Then, one day, my father made us fight each other in archery. At that time, i was so desperate to win. I want my father to say that he's proud of me. Just once is enough. I didn't know that Itachi heard that. So when the match began, he lose to me on purpose. I was so mad. I felt like he looked down on me, that's why he didn't do his best. He made me felt like i was no match for him at all. That's why i was so mad and could never talk to him like i used to."
Sasuke takes a sip of his coffee that has gone cold. Then, he continues.
"Not long after he graduated high school, our grandfather took him under his care, to teach him how to handle the company and stuffs. I was left all alone with yuri, and i loved it. Yuri was the only one who treated me differently. When everyone said i did bad, she said i did well. When everyone complimented itachi, she congratulated me. When nobody actually cared about me, she stretched out her hands with a smile on her face, telling me that she was there. She truly loved me for who i am. Not for who I'm supposed to be. That's why, she meant so much to me. But then, one day in three years ago, yuri got into an accident when she was under my care. She fell from the stairs. My grandfather was furious. He got extremely mad at me. Then, itachi offered himself to take care of yuri. He even said that he won't hand yuri over to me unless i proved him that i am able to take care of her. He wanted me to show him that i am good enough to be able to take care of yuri. After saying those words, he took yuri away to live with him and grandfather, just like that. That's why, this competition is very important to me. I must win this in order to prove him that i am worthy enough. Right now, yuri is back because we passed the first stage with flying colors. If we are able to keep this up, she'll be staying with me forever."
After the long story, sasuke finally turns to look at you.
"That's why i forced you to join the team. I desperately want her back. Yuri is all i have, (name). I don't want to lose her again. I hope you understand."
Tears start to gather at the corner of your eyes. Who could've thought that this cold guy has a lot of things bottled up in him?
Your heart twitches in pain as you hear his story. Then, without realizing it, you grab his cold hand.
"Don't worry, sasuke. I will help you. Right now, yuri is not the only one you have. You also have me and your friends. We will always be there for you, so just tell us when you need something."
Sasuke smiles when he hears your words.
"Hey, (name)."
"Hmm?"
"Want to spend Christmas together?"
You startle when you hear his offer.
"Wh-what?!!"
Without hearing your answer, sasuke smirks.
"Alright then. It's decided. Tomorrow at 10, meet me at the fountain. If you don't come, i will announce to everyone that you're my girlfriend."
"What?! No!"
"So please attend."
"No, i won't!"
"Oh, you will."
"Do what you want. I won't go."
Then, suddenly, sasuke grabs your shoulder and pulls you closer.
Your face is now only an inch away from him. You become astounded when his handsome profile is this close to you.
Sasuke stares at you into your eyes with a serious gaze. Then, he speaks.
"Listen, (name). You have been neglecting me for a whole week. I am trying to fix that for us right now, so please, don't reject my effort. You are as important as yuri is to me right now, so don't hurt my feelings, (name). Please."
His words makes your blood rush to your face. Your heart is now running at a 200 km/h speed and your mind goes blank.
You don't know what to say.
Then, without realizing it, your hand makes its way to sasuke's cheek. You rest your palm there.
Then,you smile at him.
"Alright. Let's spend christmas together."
Sasuke is very delighted when he hears you say that. He lets go of your shoulders and grabs your hand that is on your cheek.
"Let's go home."
You simply nod.
Suddenly, a drop of snow falls onto sasuke's hair and that causes you to be shocked.
You tilt up your head and see the snow falling beautifully onto the earth, making the night even more meaningful than it already is.
With sasuke's hand in yours, you smile happily.
'How can my life be any better than this?'