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Sakura could remember the last time she’d worn a kimono, and it had shamefully been far too long ago; back when she was merely a child, attending a spring festival with her parents.
Back before she’d ever made a name for herself in the fashion industry.
These days, Sakura was so busy that she hadn’t a chance of participating in the simple luxuries of life. It was all interviews, fittings, and photoshoots. A practiced smile adorned her face more often than any fabric. She was an icon who had a reputation to uphold, and she did so while making it look easy.
Today, she was being dressed in one of the most beautiful kimonos she’d ever laid eyes on. As a model, Sakura was used to hours of hair and makeup, and an extensive amount of time for outfit prep and changes. Being wrapped in a formal kimono by specialists who were licensed to do it properly was another matter entirely.
It was most certainly something that Sakura couldn’t have accomplished on her own. She wasn’t familiar in the art of kimono dressing at all, but this was for business anyway, not pleasure.
The T-shaped garment was made of the finest silk, a deep crimson in color with an intricate pattern of cherry blossoms embellishing it. There were twelve pieces in total—too many for Sakura to keep up with, but she was admittingly intrigued as she was dressed. The obi was majorly white, though there were hand-sewn cherry blossoms with various red ornaments adding to it. It was wide around her waist and tied in what appeared as a large bow at her back. The ensemble was completed with tabi socks and zori sandals.
Her long pink hair was swept up and styled in a loose updo, a few tendrils hanging by her ears. To finish off her hair, a cherry blossom ornament was added last which included three fully bloomed blossoms that centered a red silk bow. Her makeup was done last—subtle, but accentuating, save for the red painted onto her lips. When she looked into the mirror for the first time before leaving her dressing room, for the first time in her life, Sakura truly felt beautiful.
Today, she would be modeling for a magazine that would be featuring her on the cover, as well as having a full spread inside, and two additional pages of various shots littered between the article written about what a traditional kimono meant to those in modern days.
Sakura was honestly excited. She felt light and pretty, more fashionable than she probably ever had in her life. The only downside was she wasn’t working alone, nor would she be the only person featured on that cover, the spread, or the article.
She was unsurprised to find him— the Sasuke Uchiha—already dressed and waiting when she reached the area of the photoshoot. They were working in a cherry blossom park right in the heart of the blooming season. There were various spots they would be posing at, and Sakura’s manager had forewarned her that it would likely be an all-day event. Sakura was used to working long hours, especially for the ‘bigger’ jobs such as this one. That, she was perfectly fine with.
What she couldn’t accept, though, was the fact that she had to work with the most prideful and vocally inept individual she’d ever met in her life.
It was even worse that this wasn’t the first time Sakura had ever had to work with Sasuke before. It wasn’t even the second or third. No, somehow those two ended up working together all the time. Far too often for Sakura’s liking.
He could be downright rude, with a presence that no one could ignore and looks that could kill. It was absurd and appalling to even have to stand next to him. Sasuke was the most beautiful man Sakura had ever had the pleasure of seeing—he was even voted as such for not one, not two, but three consecutive years. Sakura was quite popular in her own right, but Sasuke was far more known, and his fangirls tended to despise her.
Because of them working together so often, rumors had begun to spread in regards to Sasuke and Sakura’s relationship. People were actually contemplating that they may even be dating, as outrageous and out of the question as that was. Sakura laughed at the idea and had almost gone on her social media to shut down those rumors on more occasions than she could count.
But her manager had forbidden it, and Sasuke’s manager dared to have the audacity to suggest the two of them even tease the idea of them being an ‘item’ just to get people talking even more. It was something that the two of them had begrudgingly accepted, and the small ember the rumors had been sparking erupted into roaring flames of theories. Sasuke and Sakura were trending for weeks, and often did every time the two of them were spotted together, or anytime they released a work they collaborated on.
This time would be no different.
“Thought you’d never show up,” Sasuke grumbled under his breath when she finally stood next to him.
Sakura rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t help but admire how breathtakingly handsome Sasuke was in a traditional kimono. He wore grey trousers and a black kimono over a white under-kimono. His signature hairstyle was left as is, long bangs framing a face no doubt sculpted to perfection, the back of it a mess. Girls adored it though, and even Sakura liked it, but she would never admit it aloud.
The way Sasuke stood was so proud, like a man of the highest caliber, one who knew his worth and never needed to brag or boast about it. His body language did all the talking, but there was something different about him lately. Something Sakura had been picking up on little by little the more they were together. Today, it was even more noticeable.
Sasuke’s normally perfectly pale cheeks had some color to them. Even the tips of his ears were slightly flushed, and every time she looked at him, she caught him staring, only to have him avert his eyes pointedly.
“It’s not so easy for a lady to get dressed, you know,” she countered with a huff and stepped closer to him. “I suppose you had no trouble? Of course, you didn’t.”
“Of course, I didn’t,” he repeated her words, but the usual bite his tone carried was lacking. Even without it, Sakura didn’t appreciate his cockiness—at least not on the outside—so she turned her nose up at him and a muttered slew of bickering proceeded, only ceasing whenever it was time to shoot.
Sasuke and Sakura working together was rocky, but it mattered not how much the two of them bickered, all too easily passing off heated, distasteful comments, when the cameras were ready for them, they were perfectly poised, easily working together closely.
They began with Sasuke facing the camera directly, and Sakura facing him, her back to the camera. A few moments were spared for their kimonos to be adjusted to perfection before the camera began snapping away. Sakura placed a hand on Sasuke’s chest, looking back over her shoulder to the camera, then over at the blooming cherry blossoms nearby, following directions and suggestions with ease.
Sasuke maintained his usual stoic expression; it was one of composure and silent confidence. It complemented Sakura’s delicate features greatly. While she smiled and brought about a semblance of warmth and radiance to the photos, Sasuke appeared elegant in a way that was effortless. Sakura envied him for it, and she wasn’t the only one.
Transitioning to the next set would’ve been a simple and calm affair had it not been for Sasuke and Sakura scolding one another for nonsensical things that nobody apart from themselves would’ve noticed during the shoot. He called her out for slouching more than once and she rebutted by musingly mentioning the way his hand had come to rest at the small of her back despite there being no reason for it, as it was something the camera couldn’t see.
Sasuke’s left eye twitched, lips setting in a flat line before he leaned in close to her and said, “don’t get any ideas. Somebody has to guide you.”
Scoffing, Sakura nudged him in his side with her elbow. “Yeah, right. You just want to be close to me.”
Sometimes she suspected as much, and she wasn’t really sure if she was accusing him, or searching for a confession. If it was the latter, she didn’t know if it was exactly that—searching—or if she was somehow hopeful despite all the banter and blatant denial. The fact of the matter was Sakura was attracted to Sasuke, and even if they were constantly competing, sometimes she wondered what it would be like if they weren’t.
What kind of lover would Sasuke Uchiha be, if he was a real one? Being encouraged to allude to a fake relationship between the two of them prompted them to do certain lover-like things occasionally. When it came to the camera, Sasuke would offer her the barest of smiles, but Sakura could tell that it was somehow genuine, as it reached his eyes, leaving those obsidians somehow impossibly bright in spite of their darkness. It was the smallest of differences in his appearance, and wouldn’t affect a normal person so greatly, but for one notorious for an impassive expression, it was an extreme difference for Sasuke.
Secretly, Sakura adored those instances and longed for so many more of them. When they were in more public places and had to keep their rivalry to a minimum and be so much more doting on one another. In the likely event they were photographed—and they had been numerous times—they remained close, and sometimes they even held hands. Casual touches and kind smiles passed between them far too easily for it to be forced. For Sakura, she supposed she had always had quite a crush on Sasuke, but he did fire her up like nobody else in the world could.
In the beginning, when they first started working together, Sasuke was so much more difficult. He barely spoke, and when he did, his words were harsh. He either maintained that impressive impassiveness or looked to her like she was the bane of his existence. However, that wasn’t the case anymore, nor had it been for quite some time. These days, even their bickering felt light and somehow warm, and Sasuke was giving her a look that was something akin to longing and infatuation.
As if he could possibly have a crush on her. Sakura imagined it a lot and perhaps even fantasized about it, but she truthfully didn’t feel as if it was actually viable. No way would Sasuke Uchiha ever have any interest in her. Even if they worked together often, and even if she was a well-known model as well, he was a man who could have any woman he desired, and Sakura’s awareness of that was keen. Even still, the lines between fake dating, co-models, and rivals who couldn’t help taking note of the other’s flaws as well as their strong points, were undeniably beginning to blur, merging into one bundle of complications that neither of them truthfully had the desire to free themselves from.
Having the opportunity to work alongside Sasuke permitted Sakura to see him in various elements and ensembles, but she couldn’t deny that there was something innately beautiful about seeing him dressed in a traditional kimono. She admired his professionalism whenever the camera was on him, as well as his grace and poise. Compared to Sasuke, Sakura was a bit of a clutz, and while Sasuke rarely—honestly never—made a mistake, Sakura felt that she was constantly doing so. This wasn’t entirely true, however, and Sasuke had even taken it upon himself numerous times to assure her that she was doing fine.
She wondered if he knew how her heart palpitated whenever he would reassure her. While she much preferred his kindness, his attitude was far easier for her to deal with.
After their shoot finished, Sakura sighed in relief. It had been a long day, and the kimono she wore was heavy, so she was looking forward to getting changed into her own clothes. Before she could, Sasuke captured her attention and her hand at once, pulling her along with him without a word.
“Sasuke!” She scoffed behind him, glaring at their clasped hands with cheeks as pink as her hair. “Where are you taking me?”
“Tch. Don’t be annoying,” was his muttered response which had her free hand clenching into a tight fist, left eye twitching.
Yet she didn’t try to pull away from him. She went willingly, saying nothing more as he guided her to the heart of all the cherry blossom trees, not releasing her hand until he had her seated on the white iron bench there; a prop still in place from their shoot. Her delicate pink brows furrowed in confusion as he directed her into being positioned to his liking, finally ending with a curled finger beneath her chin, lifting her head just so.
Her viridian eyes went wide as they stared into endless obsidian, and Sakura was certain her heart ceased its beating entirely in that moment. Not from his touch, or the sudden closeness between them, but from the tender smile that morphed his features. It was so unlike any other he’d ever graced her with, and far from any look he’d ever given the camera. It was enough to steal every ounce of breath from her lungs and make her forget the world around them. For that moment, nothing existed but them. Just Sakura and Sasuke.
“Don’t move,” he told her, as if she could even consider doing so after seeing that smile.
Sasuke surprised her yet again by walking away from her and snapping a few pictures of her with his personal phone. She was used to being photographed, but for Sasuke himself to be behind the camera? It was unheard of.
“What was that for?” She huffed, cheeks puffing out in embarrassment while she pointed an accusatory finger at him.
He merely smirked and pocketed his phone, eyes trailing over her in a way that heated her up from the inside out. She didn’t make a move, too stunned and beside herself with his actions, and that only intensified when he walked back to her and offered his hand. This time, it was his cheeks that colored lightly, and he averted his eyes, lips mulling together before he gazed down at her once more.
“For my social media… you look...”
“Look?” Sakura prompted with a quizzical expression, eyeing him expectantly with bated breath.
“You look alright,” he replied with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders and she gasped, raised a clenched fist at him.
“Sasuke!” She snarled at him and he actually laughed, the sound so unexpected and out of nowhere that it rendered her speechless and immobile. She blinked at him in wonder and he cleared his throat.
“Relax, Sakura. I mean that you look good.”
That was high praise coming from the Sasuke Uchiha, and yet Sakura was unwilling to settle for just that . Just when she parted her lips, ready to let him have it for taunting her without giving her a proper compliment, he spoke up again, correcting himself.
“Beautiful.”
The single word was spoken softly, in a tone that she had never heard him use before. It was airy, brushing over her in a way that could only be considered refreshing, and it was accompanied by a look of sincerity on his face that somehow even managed to brighten his dark eyes.
He meant it.
Sakura nearly fainted. On the inside, she was having a field day, but on the outside, she miraculously held it together. After placing her hand in his, she stood slowly, cocking her left brow challengingly.
“Don’t I look beautiful every day?” She asked, and he rolled his eyes, clicking his tongue at her.
“Don’t start, Sakura.”
She laughed, and Sasuke shook his head, but the look on his face showed nothing less than fondness. They left the set hand-in-hand, and Sakura knew without a doubt that something had shifted between them, steering them in a direction she honestly never anticipated they’d go.