It is a cold night.
Christmas is tomorrow and tonight her family is having a huge business party to celebrate it.
But still, despite the feisty celebration, she is not feeling happy enough.
Something is disturbing her thought that she is unable to enjoy the party.
"What are you doing sitting all alone in this cold weather? Everyone is having a lot of fun inside, you know."
Temari puts on a wry smile as she listens to the familiar voice nagging at her. She looks up to see the boy with an annoyed face standing beside her.
"I am just trying to escape the hectic hall. Never mind me, what are you doing here? I thought that you hate the cold."
Shikamaru rubs the back of his head.
"Well... I do hate cold weather a lot... But i saw you sitting here all alone. I just felt the urge to come."
Temari giggles.
"So you are concerned about me, is it? What an honour."
The male couldn't help but to sigh at her sarcasm.
"That's not it..."
He slowly takes a seat beside her on the bench.
"I'm just curious, that's all."
"Say whatever you want, shikamaru. You are sitting with me in the cold now."
"Yeah, yeah... I am."
Both of them stay quiet for a while. Neither of them say anything.
The silence remain for some time until temari comes up with a topic to talk about.
"Hey, shikamaru."
"Hm?"
"Do you remember the first time we met?"
Her lips form an upward curve as the memory of their first encounter a few years ago comes flooding into her mind again.
Meanwhile, shikamaru just sighs.
"Of course i do. That troubling moment."
He seems troubled by that memory.
Temari only laughs at his reaction.
"Just what is not troublesome to you, huh, shikamaru?"
The black haired guy just shrugs his shoulders.
"Who knows..."
Temari laughs again at his silliness.
"You are amazing, you know. Despite being so lazy and annoying, you are a genius. And you actually have a likable personality which is impossible for someone like you."
"Wait. Are you complimenting me right now?"
Shikamaru asks in confusion.
"Of course! Why do you ask?"
He takes a side glance at her.
"Because it sounds like an insult."
The comment bursts temari into laughter again.
She is easily entertained whenever it comes to shikamaru. Everything about him is unique for her. She even thinks that shikamaru is a very weird person.
That's why he is so attractive.
"Do you remember what happens at that time?"
Temari's question makes shikamaru reminisces about the past again.
The old memory creates a smile on his lips.
"Of course i do. It was our first meeting, yet we're paired to fight in a quiz already. I was not in a mood to fight, but you were so enthusiastic. I had no choice."
Temari also dwells in her childhood memory along with him.
"Not in a mood, yeah right. You answered every single question that was there and left me in a huge bind. I lost to you. Do you know how embarassing it was?"
The male just snickers.
"Yes, i do. But it was much more embarassing for me when you saved me from the bullies at the play ground, you know."
"Why? Because you are being saved by a girl? But it's your fault! Who told you to be so weak?!"
"Oi, oi... I was not weak. It's just that, the bully was also a girl, so i didn't have the heart to fight her. It would be such a pain if she cried."
Temari laughs at his ridiculous excuse.
"So the bully was also a girl, is it? What was her name again? Tayuya?"
Shikamaru nods.
"She was with the notorious twin, sakon and ukon. They were so annoying, i swear."
"Yes, i remember them. But in the end, i beat them all. I was strong, didn't i?"
The blond girl throws a proud look at shikamaru, and the helpless boy had no choice but to nod.
It would be such a pain if he annoys her.
"And after that incident, you cried."
The sentence immediately makes him flinches.
"Oi, oi... Stop it. That was years ago, you know."
Temari is very amused at this. She sure enjoys this a lot.
"Alright then, mr crybaby. I'll stop."
Shikamaru hauls a deep sigh.
"This girl... Is such a pain..."
Temari instantly grabs shikamaru by his collar.
"What did you say?!"
He is only able to apologize as usual. Temari is really scary. No doubt about it.
After releasing his collar, both of them become quiet.
Then, they look at each other and stare in each other's eyes for a few seconds.
Finally, both of them burst in huge laughter.
For them, it is very funny because things always happen in the same cycle.
Shikamaru would say that temari is a pain, and temari would get mad at him. Then, shikamaru will apologize and things get very awkward after that.
It is so predictable that it becomes very funny.
After laughing out loud, both of them try to catch their breath.
"Now that i think about it, we share a lot of childhood memories together."
Says shikamaru.
"That's true. We share so much that we practically know each other so well now."
Temari adds.
Then both of them laugh again.
After laughing for quite some time, they finally calm down.
Then, it becomes quiet again.
While fighting her own feelings, temari finally decides to talk to shikamaru about the thing that has been disturbing her since morning.
She took a glance at him and calls him out.
"Hey, shikamaru."
Her sudden call causes him to feel weird.
He lifts up one eyebrow as he looks at her.
"What is it?"
Temari's eyes starts to sparkle with tears that begins to fill her sad looking eyes.
"My father wants to set me up in a blind date."
Shikamaru's eyes widen at her statement. He is extremely shock at what she says.
"Sorry?"
Temari forces herself to smile.
"It's ridiculous, isn't it? He said that i should get engaged as soon as i graduate. That's why he set me up with a son of his friend. The blind date is tomorrow..."
Temari stops talking for a while, and she stares at the shocked shikamaru right into his eyes.
"Should i go?"
She finally asks the question that she really wanted to ask him since the first time she sees him tonight.
The still shocked shikamaru is unable to say anything.
He doesn't answer her. Instead, he just look at her in disbelief.
After staring into each other's eyes for quite some time, he finally speaks.
"What kind of question is that? If your father tells you to go, then you should go."
Temari is stunned when she hears his answer. She is afraid that she might misheard.
"So... I should go...?"
Shikamaru simply nods. He then mutters a "you should" at her with his usual tone.
Temari becomes speechless at his response.
This is not what she expected. She never wants this to happen, but it is happening.
The situation turns awkward and it makes shikamaru uncomfortable.
"It's getting colder. I'll get you a warm drink."
Then, he left.
Temari is still dumfounded, she doesn't know what to do.
Suddenly, she can feel a drop of snow falls on her hands.
She scoffs.
"Why does it have to be so dramatic...?"
Then, the snow keeps falling, and her tears also falls along with the snow.
She is sad, extremely sad.
She didn't get the answer she was hoping for. In other words, she feels like she is rejected.
To make matters worse, it is by her very own first love.
Temari bits her lips in attempt to hold in her tears, but it is useless.
She is drenched already.
"What should i do..."
Temari puts her right hand on her chest.
"It hurts so much..."
Those are the only words that she can utter after getting such a disappointing respond.
Then, after some time, she cannot hold it in anymore. She wipes her tears and stands from the bench.
Temari tilts up her head and look straight at the night sky.
"I didn't get to say it, and i won't ever get to say it anyway. That's why, I'm just going to express it now."
She takes a very deep breath, and in a loud voice, she shouts.
"I LOVE SHIKAMARUUUUUU!!!!!!!!"
She screams with all her heart.
Then the tears falls again.
"I LOVE HIM! I LOVE HIM SO MUCH I CAN'T DESCRIBE IT!!!"
She gasps for a little air and then continues.
"I love him, so please... Please make him happy even if I'm not..."
She cannot continue her words because her tears is stopping her. She cannot even breath properly.
It is so suffocating, so hurtful she can't even control herself anymore. The snow is still falling, as if not showing any mercy towards this broken heart. She becomes much more emotional because of the snow and she just cries her heart out.
Suddenly, in this jumble mess, temari hears a sound of something falling from behind her.
She turns and is surprised when she sees shikamaru staring at her in confusion.
The nervousity immediately rushed towards her head.
'Does he... Hear everything?!'