Escape [Sasuke Uchiha]

Chapter 37: His Humble Abode

Ayuda's P.O.V

The next morning, a nurse notified me that I was as fit as a fiddle to be discharged from the hospital and that they gave me the permission to leave the building on the spot. They detected no more injury on any of my body parts. While I was changing my clothes, I realized that the severe cut on my right waist was gone without a trace like that wound never occurred to me before.

And the next day after my release, the majority of the Leaf villagers (including me and my entire family) wore black attires and departed from our houses, heading for the one funeral that became everyone's destinations - the Third Hokage's funeral. To be precise, it's not only his funeral but also the Leaf shinobis' who died fighting for their lives and for our beloved village during the invasion.

The gloomy, dark sky showered us with relentless rain that went on for the entire day as if it was also shedding tears for their unanticipated deaths, but we paid no heed to it since the funeral was more important for us to attend than protecting ourselves from the rainfall.

It was at this moment I found out that Konohamaru was the Third Hokage's grandson. The said boy was sniveling throughout the whole ceremony, and the thing that managed to pull at my heartstrings was the sight of Iruka-sensei hugging him in the way a mother embraces her child.

After the heart-rending ceremony, nearly all of us dawdled from the scene, while the others stayed there such as Konohamaru. My family and I went our separate ways - my parents betook themselves to our home, my sister to meet her fellow friends, and I... I just needed some time to myself. I was perturbed and stressed over one matter, and my house wasn't a good choice to relax at. In fact, I know one place that will give me a much-needed equanimity.

I ended up at the abandoned park... where I first met Sasuke Uchiha who soon became my rival in the academy, where I cried pitifully after receiving the appalling news that I was put in an arranged marriage without my permission, where no annoying people could find me and interrupt me and my serenity. This is, by far, my favorite place.

I ambled into the park when a single thought came to my mind, causing me to halt in the middle of the somber park. Is it possible for me to end up with Sasuke in the future...? That sounds completely ridiculous. It's so utterly absurd and ludicrous, especially when I have an inescapable arranged marriage with Neji Hyuuga. And it's absolutely wrong for me to think like that, but I can't help it...

There's no denying that I am indeed enamored of my rival named Sasuke Uchiha.

And what about Sasuke? Does he... feel the same way too?

As soon as I began ruminating on that question, his words and actions from that night sprang into my mind in that instant, suffusing my entire face with embarrassing reddish hue despite the cold environment around me.

***

"I want you to decipher everything that I say about you into the opposite meaning."

The onyx-eyed boy leaned closer to my face with valiant movement. His eyes held such intense fondness and dauntlessly stared back into mine. I involuntarily smiled back to him, still with the heat bathing my pale cheeks with color. He proceeded, "I hate you so much."

***

Does he really mean that? I don't want to put too much hopes in it only to cry in the end. I know that he is pretty shy when it comes to something embarrassing such as love, but I hope he says it as blunt as possible. But it doesn't matter now. Even if he fancies me in all sincerity, I would still have to marry Neji in the future.