Chapter Text
It was difficult not to notice her. How could he not, when she stood out so vividly?
Sakura Haruno had hair that was the warmest pink; a unique and striking colour, that drew in everyone’s attention. Her personality matched the colour of her tresses; she was outgoing, kind, and always eager to help others. She stood out because of her cheerfulness just as much as she had because of her hair. Sakura Haruno turned the boys’ heads around, grabbing their attention wherever she walked by, and the girls at the Academy hated her for it.
Sasuke, in contrast, had a darker and more intimidating aura. His sharp features and piercing gaze often made others feel uneasy around him. Despite this, many girls were drawn to him, hoping to win his approval. Sakura Haruno was the antithesis of Sasuke Uchiha.
Sakura and Sasuke rarely exchanged words with each other. She would notice him sitting alone, avoiding the others, and wondered if he felt lonely, so she made it her mission to keep him company, even if he hadn't asked for it.
She would find Sasuke at lunch and sit beside him to eat her meal. At first, she tried striking up conversations with him, hoping to break through his tough exterior. But he would simply ignore her, staring straight ahead as though she didn't exist. Sakura was undeterred, because despite his blatant disregard for her, he would not get up and leave her side, so she assumed this meant that silence is what he preferred.
Over time, a strange kind of routine developed between them. Sakura would always seek out Sasuke at lunchtime, and he would always be sitting in the same spot, alone and brooding. She would sit down beside him, pull out her lunch, and start eating in silence. Sasuke never said a word, but he didn't seem to mind her company either.
Sakura grew comfortable with their routine. Even though they didn't speak, she felt like they had a connection. She didn't know why, but being around Sasuke made her feel... something. It was as though his silence was speaking volumes to her.
One particular day caused a turning point in their something of a relationship. That day, instead of joining Sasuke for lunch, Sakura decided to join her best friend Ino by the swings. They were having a light-hearted conversation when a group of girls approached them with clear malintent. Sakura tensed up as the gang of girls crowded around her and Ino on the swing set. She could sense the hostility emanating from their ringleader, Yuna, who had always been jealous of Sakura's natural beauty and popularity among the boys.
Yuna sneered at Sakura, her eyes filled with malice. "What are you two losers doing here? This is our swing set," she spat.
Ino stood up to Yuna, ready to defend her friend. "We were here first, Yuna. Why don't you and your friends go find somewhere else to play?"
Yuna ignored Ino and turned her attention back to Sakura. "You think you're so special with your pink hair and big forehead. Well, I'm going to make sure you're not so pretty anymore," she hissed, before lunging towards Sakura.
The unexpected occurred when Sasuke Uchiha suddenly stood between Sakura and Yuna, blocking the incoming punch that was aimed at Sakura. Yuna was stunned and trembled with disbelief as Sasuke, who usually paid no attention to anyone, came to her rescue. His stern and threatening gaze never left the other girls as he spoke to Sakura, "Sorry, I'm late. Let's go have lunch now."
Sakura’s mouth dropped open in surprise when she saw Sasuke appear, and the shock of it rendered her speechless for a moment, until she registered what he had said. “R-right…” she stammered, unable to believe that Sasuke, who had never acknowledged her before, had just come to her rescue. She quickly gathered her things and followed him, her heart still palpitating from shock and confusion. As they walked away, Sakura glanced back at Ino, who had a similar dumbfounded expression on her face as the other girls had.
Sasuke took a seat at their usual spot, took out his bento, and began to munch on an onigiri with tomatoes. Sakura was staring at him intently, mouth still agape, and wondering why he had come to her help when he never indicated that he cared before. Sasuke noticed Sakura's gaze and looked up from his food, meeting her questioning eyes. He didn't say anything, but the intensity of his stare was enough to convey that there was more to him than what meets the eye, and she took it as an opportunity to finally break the silence between them.
"Thank you for earlier," she said softly, breaking the long-standing tradition of eating in silence. Sasuke simply nodded in response, but something about the way he did so made Sakura feel like he was appreciative of her company. “I’m surprised you could actually speak.” She pushed teasingly, hoping to get more words out of him. Sasuke stared at her with a raised eyebrow and said, “Of course I can speak” he asserted, “I just don’t have much that I want to say. You say too much and a lot of it sounds like utter nonsense.” he finished.
Sakura giggled at his response, finding it somewhat amusing and endearing, a joke he didn’t seem to comprehend. She appreciated his candour and admired his ability to say what he meant without any extra words. “You’re really blunt.” She observed to him. “I like that. It’s nice to know that when you do actually speak, you’d always mean what you say.” She looked at him again with glistening eyes, and he was captivated for an instant, before realizing he was ogling too long. He scoffed and turned his gaze away pouting, before muttering, “You need to be more careful. From now on, I expect you to have lunch with me every day. Those girls would probably come back for you again if I’m not around.” he smugly ordered, and Sakura giggled again as she said, “Yes, Sir!” offering him a soldier’s salute.
Sasuke couldn't help but feel a small smile tug at the corners of his lips at her playful response. He was surprised at how comfortable he felt around her, despite his usual stoic demeanor. Maybe it was because she never tried to change him or force him to talk, but instead, accepted him for who he was. He couldn't deny that he enjoyed her company, and the thought of having lunch with her every day didn't seem so bad.
He cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure, before muttering, "Don't get the wrong idea. I'm only doing this because it's convenient for both of us." Sakura grinned at his words, knowing that he was trying to hide his true feelings. She didn't push the matter further, deciding to enjoy the moment and the company of the enigmatic Uchiha.
From that day on, they had lunch together every day, in comfortable silence or engaging conversations.
Sasuke and Sakura became friends, and soon he will come to realize that meant dragging him into a lot of things he didn't want to do, but he went along with it anyway...