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"Paruru?" He asked, chuckling a little. "Why 'Paruru'?"
"I met Hina-chan in preschool. We had these nametags were our names are written in Hiragana. She read my name as 'Paruno' and it just stuck. Now it's become my nickname. All my childhood friends call me that. And when they do, everyone else looks confused." I said with a laugh.
"Hmm…" He said, smiling and nodding. He was looking at me like that again. I don't really know how to describe it, but every time he does this, my heart would start beating fast and the time seems to slow down.
---
Sakura stirred and woke up with a smile.
"Good morning, it seems. That's a big smile you got there." Someone suddenly said.
Sakura only smiled more. "Good morning, Karin." She said as she sat up, and looked at her roommate. She was leaning on her side of the wall so her eyes were to her direction, no wonder she caught her smile.
"What's with the big smile? Good dream? What about?" Karin asked, looking at her curiously.
Sakura just shrugged and stood up, immediately arranging her bed.
"Hm..." Karin sounded thoughtful. "Who about then?"
Sakura laughed but didn't answer. She started for the bathroom, stretching as she walked.
"Ahh… About this Sasuke, is it?" Karin said and Sakura saw her shake her head in obvious exasperation.
"It's not a dream… more a memory." Sakura said as she entered the bathroom.
"And that's why you can't have lasting relationships! You never even try to move on from your first love!" Sakura heard Karin shouting as she closed the door.
She could only laugh. That was the usual reaction she gets from her friend whenever the talk stray to Sasuke.
At first it was a little annoying with Karin trying to meet her up with guy acquaintances of hers but she'd given up on that and now it was just amusing for Sakura whenever her friend complains about her lovelife.
When she had emerged from the bathroom about half an hour later,
Sakura expected that Karin has already gone. But instead she found her sitting in her bed, still in her pajamas.
"I mean…" Karin suddenly said, as if no time has passed since her last words to Sakura. "When you and Kenta broke up, you didn't really seem sad or anything. I'm worried about you. How will you ever find ‘the one’ if you're not looking?" She asked.
Sakura just sighed. "I was sad. I did like Kenta. A lot, actually. But that's already in the past. Anyway, aren't you late for school?" She asked her friend, wanting for a change of subject.
Karin frowned at her, recognizing her question for what it is. But she just sighed and answered.
"My professor suddenly said today instead of tomorrow is the start of our holidays. We just have to go to school later for Christmas party. Perks of being in grad school, I guess." She explained.
"Ahh..." Sakura just said as she closed her closet. "That's perfect then. I felt a little guilty leaving you alone here. You're going straight to your parents' house after the party, right?"
"Yeah." Karin said. "Are you going to Konoha on your car?" She asked.
"I am. Why?" Sakura asked back.
"Better get your car checked. It's a long way from here. Better be safe than sorry." Karin said.
Sakura laughed. "You are such a worrywart."
--
It was exactly four o'clock in the afternoon when Sakura finished work. It was her last day before her leave.
Sakura started working as a medical officer right after graduating. For the past years, she had dedicated her life to her career. Which was why Karin was always worried that she wasn't happy with her life. That was far from the truth though. Sakura is very much content with her life.
Sakura drove back to their shared apartment to get her things and then set off for Konoha. Sakura's family is actually from Suna, but this year they decided on celebrating the Holidays with her grandparents in Konoha.
Sakura smiles at the thought. The last time they spent their winter in Konoha was around ten years ago.
They had visited their grandparents after that, of course, but only for short periods of time.
And during those short visits, she never did meet him again.
It was winter ten years ago when she met her first love, Sasuke. She was sixteen then.
Sasuke, too, was just visiting his grandparents at the time. They had met one afternoon in front of the old church.
Sakura had lost her way after running an errand, while Sasuke was exploring. She had asked Sasuke for directions and Sasuke had been kind enough to even accompany her back to her grandparent's house.
On their way, Sasuke and Sakura had chatted and became fast friends.
After that, they'd meet each other every day and generally just hang out the rest of the day.
It had been the best vacation, lounging around all afternoon. Sometimes they would hang out in her grandparents' house, sometimes in his, sometimes with his cousins. Other times, they would explore together, and then rest in that old church. They could talk about anything from books they read, music they like, their dreams, and what they were going to do with their lives when they grew up.
Whenever Sakura was with him, it was as if they were in their own world. It felt very comfortable, and she knew somehow he understood her, as if he'd known her for a long time. And he was the same to her. She could be herself in front of him.
Sakura slowed to a stop as the street light glowed red. She was still in Kiri. It was getting a little colder so she tapped the heater. She hoped she would arrive at her destination soon.
As Sakura continued to drive, more memories flashed into her mind and she couldn't help but smile. Somehow, Konoha had become very special to her.
She remembered their snowball fight.
The sky was already darkening when the snow suddenly started falling. It was such a beautiful sight, and somehow, with Sasuke besides her, Sakura felt like she was a heroine of a movie.
Sakura smiled at the memory. That was one thing Sasuke always does to her that he probably that he probably didn't know himself. He makes her feel like she is special.
That afternoon, they had hung out in his grandparents' house. When the snow started falling, both of them went out the house and started playing. It was such a bliss. Sakura had never really played around in the snow before that. But with Sasuke, it felt okay to be childish. It was fun. It was like a movie moment and Sakura could feel each beat of her heart.
They ended up drenched and Sasuke's grandmother had even scolded them. Sasuke lent her some of his cousin's clothes while hers dry. He prepared hot chocolate for the both of them, and they just sat silently in front of the fireplace. After a while, Sakura realized Sasuke had fallen asleep.
It was a spur of the moment and still feels a little embarrassed when she remembers, but she had kissed him that night. She had given him her first kiss. And she doesn't regret it one bit.
They weren't together, and she doesn't even know how he felt about her, but that time, it just somehow felt right.
Now that she thought about it, that winter was somehow like a fairy tale. Like a dream… It has to have an ending. Winter came to a close, it was already midnight and they had to say goodbye.
Sakura had to return home to Suna and eventually, she and Sasuke grew out of touch. She graduated high school, went to medical school, graduated and went out into the world to make her mark; however, Sasuke was never far from her mind. Yes, she had other boyfriends, but nothing ever measured up to the experience of that winter.
It was already starting to get dark when she reached Konoha. She was only a few more kilometers away from her grandparents' house, but she is running empty. She remembered too late what Karin had said earlier.
She sighed, but felt grateful anyway that it was just gas she needed. She hasn’t been in the place for long, but she knew there was a gas station close to where she was so she kept driving. About five minutes in, she'd finally spotted it and feeling relieved, drove towards it.
As the gas pumps, Sakura got off the car and started for the convenient store close by. She had been driving for more or less two hours and felt a little hungry. As she walked, she realized she had been in that place before.
With Sasuke.
Suddenly she felt home. It was amazing how just thoughts of him can make her feel hundreds of different emotions. She was almost in front of the store when its door opened and out came…
Sakura felt as if her mouth nearly hit the ground. She was staring and blinking and trying to figure out if she was dreaming (again), she was tired from the drive and imagining things or…
"Sakura, ka?" Sasuke—ten years older than Sasuke from her memories suddenly said.
"S-Sasuke-kun." Sakura deadpanned. "Oh my God."
"Sakura!" He called, suddenly looking ecstatic. Sakura didn't know how she felt, though. She was happy, oh so happy, but she was still in a sort of shock.
"I thought I was…" He started but then shook his head.
"What are you doing here?" He asked.
Sakura had finally found her voice then. "My family is spending the holidays here… God, I can't believe it's you." She whispered her last sentence.
"Me, neither." Sasuke said in the same volume. And then he grinned.
"But then, I knew we'd meet each other again eventually."
Sakura smiled. "I didn't know. But I hoped." She told him.
"We need to catch up. It's been what? Ten years?"
"Yeah." Sakura answered with a laugh. She just suddenly felt silly and giddy and just happy.
"Do you wanna go out, maybe? Are you free tonight?" He asked.
"I don't think we have anything planned tonight." Sakura answered.
"It's a date then." Sasuke said. "It's already a quarter past 6… Can I pick you up around 8, then?"
Sakura smiled and nodded.
"At your grandparents' house, right?"
"Yeah." She said with a nod.
Just then, Sasuke suddenly pulled Sakura to him in a loose hug. "I missed you."
"I missed you, too." Sakura said, now feeling like she wanted to cry. Sasuke stepped back, looking as happy as Sakura felt.
And if it was possible, that made her even more happy. It was like they were never separated. There was no awkwardness.
But Sasuke's face became serious and for a moment, he only looked at Sakura.
Then he said, "Just so we're clear of being hallmark, you are single? You don't have a boyfriend or fiance waiting for you in the big city, do you?"
Confused for a moment, Sakura just stared at him, and then started laughing.
"No, I don't." She said after a beat.
And then she realized she wasn't sure if he was.
"I'm single, too." He already said before she could ask.
And then suddenly, Sasuke leaned in and kissed her right on the mouth. Sakura let out a squeak, completely taken aback.
"That's for the kiss you stole." He said cheekily and then gave Sakura a pat on her head. "I'll see you later."
Sakura didn't remember how she arrived at her grandparents' house. It was also a blur of hugs and welcomes, and then going to her old childhood room—or at least, the room that she had always used whenever she stayed there, and then got ready for her date.
It all felt like it was happening in fast forward, but at the same time, Sakura felt like she was floating.
She couldn't believe the first thing that welcomed her back here was Sasuke.
And the first thing he did was ask her for a date.
Her first love who she hadn't seen in years, have grown up to be an even more handsome man than the boy he fell in love with.
And he asked her on a date.
She felt like she was dreaming.
-
Sasuke arrived at her grandparents' front porch a few minutes before 8, and her whole family had welcomed him (surprisingly, even her dad).
They went to an old restaurant both their families had gone to and just as it was when they had first met earlier that day, there was no awkwardness.
It was unexpected, but somehow Sakura felt she'd knew it would happen all along when during their date that night, Sasuke had suddenly got on one knee, produced a ring from his pocket and asked her to marry him.
And she knew that he probably knew that of course, she would say yes.
Before that, though, she decided to tease him first.
"Sasuke-kun, I have a bad news for you." She told him.
"Do you think this is a good time? I'm still down on one knee over here." He asked a little dryly.
Sakura couldn't help but laugh.
"Yes, because it's related."
Sasuke scrunched his eyebrows.
"What is it?"
"Sasuke, if I said yes, we would be hallmark-coded, unfortunately." Sakura said, feigning to be serious.
"We are childhood friends, some would even say childhood sweethearts, who met one winter in this small town. And then ten years later, on another winter we meet again, and you went down on one knee..."
Sasuke rolls his eyes at her at this, knowing full well she was teasing.
"Ugh, who cares if we're hallmark. I've been bringing this ring along everytime I came here in case I saw you, and I finally did. Please say yes?" Sasuke complains.
Sakura laughs, and finally, finally nods her yes, going to him and hugging him.
Sasuke starts laughing, as well, and the people around them start clapping.
But then Sasuke whispers something in her ear.
"I hope your friend doesn't call you Uchipa this time."
Sakura's tinkling happy laughter turned into a snort and they both laughed out loud as Sakura playfully hit his shoulder.
She can't believe he still remembers that.
But then again, it was Sasuke.
Sometimes you never get over your first love, and sometimes, you never have to.
Because he never got over you, either.
--
"WHAT???" Karin shouted over the phone. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE ENGAGED? I JUST SAW YOU A FEW HOURS AGO AND YOU WERE DEFINITELY SINGLE THEN!"
END