Sorry for the wait but here's a longer chapter to make up for it :P

"The tempura was really good there," she said, trying to fill the silence.

"Yeah."

They had finally gone to the tempura place they were supposed to go one week ago when her watch had stopped working and Sasuke had saved her from falling dishes. She did not think much about what happened after that because she did not want to put any meaning to it.

Sasuke, on the other hand, had been affected by his actions that day, but at the moment something else had been occupying his mind.

"What's wrong?" Hinata asked hesitantly, as she could see something was on his mind throughout dinner.

Sasuke bit his cheek before deciding to ask her yet again about advice on his future. He felt frustrated for not having all of this sorted out like so many of his classmates. Even the most careless blonde he ever knew had it all figured out.

"Yesterday, my brother asked me whether I've decided where I want to go for university."

"Oh." Hinata did not expect him to actually tell her so easily. "Have you?"

"It doesn't matter," he shrugged.

Hinata frowned before opening her mouth to protest but he beat her to it.

"Everyone in my family has gone to Konoha University so I'll probably end up there too." He sounded so apathetic that Hinata was not sure what to say.

"Do you not want to go there?" she asked, unsure if that was the reason why he was thinking about it.

"I…don't know," he said after giving it some thought. "I still don't know what I want and…I just feel like I'm being drifted by some current."

Hinata bit her lip as she stared at the pavement they walked on, contemplating in silence on what she could say that would help him. She was not an accomplished adult and she had made a lot of mistakes in her past so she did not feel like the best person to give him advice. But in that moment, she really wanted to say something.

"M-maybe…it's not s-so bad to go with it." She felt so nervous saying every word out loud, hoping that she was not messing this up. It did not help that Sasuke was staring at her so intently that she could not look away from his dark eyes that reflected everything so perfectly in the night.

Raising an eyebrow in question at her statement, he waited for her to continue which she finally did with a light blush painting her features from the attention she was getting.

"W-what I meant w-was," she mentally smacked herself for stuttering so much, "right now you don't know your own path, so you can just take the one already in front of you. And that way you might find something of your own along the way too." Hinata gave him a smile as she saw his brow furrow in thought. She hoped that he would eventually be able to work out all that was bothering him so much.

"Hn," he responded before going into silence for the rest of the way to the train station.

He did not know what to take of Hinata's advice, but he did think about it for a while. April was ending soon, and with that he had to send his decision in May for the university he would attend later in the year.

Itachi had not been much involved in Sasuke's academics in high school since he was always doing well in school, but these last few months he had adamantly been inquiring his little brother on his future. Sasuke, being tired of Itachi's constant questioning, decided to take Hinata's advice and agreed to take the path that was once taken by so many Uchiha's before him, like his brother, his father, and so on.

"I'm glad you decided on this," Itachi had told him once Sasuke finally gave him an answer. "You'll do well in the company." Itachi felt proud at his decision, but mostly relieved at knowing that this way his younger brother's future would be settled.

When Sasuke had told Hinata his decision over dinner one night, her response was something he had not expected. He did not know that he was anticipating on what she would say or think as if to validate his decision. But it was the lack of it, her reaction only consisted of an 'Oh' and a look that showed she just found it interesting.

"So, you're going to Konoha U after summer?" she asked even though she knew the answer.

"Yes," he replied, a little disappointed at how she reacted.

"I'm happy for you," she finally said with a smile. "It's a really good school."

Sasuke did not want to admit it, but seeing her smile at his decision made him a little relieved to think that he was not completely lost at the moment.

…

…

"Hey man!" Naruto yelled as came up from behind Sasuke and placed an arm around his shoulders. "Haven't seen you in a while."

The raven-haired teenager decided to ignore the blonde hanging on his shoulder that he tried to shrug off as he walked out of their school.

Naruto let him walk away for a few seconds as a mischievous smile spread across his face before catching up to his quiet friend.

"What? Too busy to talk to me now that you have a girlfriend?" Naruto wiggled his eyebrows suggestively while Sasuke just stared sideways at him thinking how stupid the blonde looked.

"What the hell are you talking about, idiot?"

"Don't play dumb. I already know." Naruto continued with a knowing look but seeing how Sasuke still was confused, he dropped it for a frown. "I swear I saw you on a date with a girl at Ichiraku so don't even deny it." Naruto pointed at him. "I should've taken a picture," he whispered to himself.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and was about to disregard whatever Naruto said until he realized what he was talking about.

"I remember you were at Ichiraku, waiting in line with a girl, and you two were chatting it up, which is unusual for you," Naruto furrowed his brows in thought, "Maybe that wasn't you…No! I'm sure it was you."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Looking ahead, Sasuke decided to carry his most effective tactic, feigning ignorance.

"Don't lie! I swear I saw you."

"Maybe you should get your eyes checked then."

"Oh, is that so," Naruto said, seeing right through his friend's facade. "I guess you don't mind if I just look for that girl myself then?"

Sasuke knew what he was trying to do which was why he pointedly ignored him.

"Hn."

Naruto frowned at his friend's response. He had hoped that Sasuke would react like he always did before whenever he used to tease him, but ever since their senior year started, Naruto had seen his best friend change. He brushed it off as Sasuke being upset over not being able to play soccer. But as months went by, Naruto could see him go back to the way he was in middle school where he shut himself off from other people.

So, Naruto tried harder this time to make sure Sasuke was not alone. He would force him at times to join them at events or parties, but in hindsight, Naruto worried whether that helped at all.

"Hey… there's a party after graduation at one of my friend's house. He's from the soccer team, you might remember him."

Sasuke glared at Naruto who pretended not to notice it.

"Naruto—"

"I know, I know," the blonde spoke hearing how annoyed his best friend sounded. "I swear I'm not going to beg you or anything…I just think since we'll be graduating, this might be our last chance to hangout. Sakura will be busy with premed, you'll be busy with uni, and I'll…" He chanced a glance at Sasuke to see his reaction but the boy was looking at the time on his phone.

"Shouldn't you be heading to practice?" Sasuke raised a brow at him.

"Oh shit!" Naruto looked at his watch before turning to sprint back to the school fields. "Just think about it!" he yelled behind him to Sasuke. "And you can even bring your girlfriend." He winked before running away, leaving behind a crowd of students walking on the sidewalk to stare and whisper behind the black-haired boy who cursed at the blonde under his breath.

When he reached the bakery for his shift, he was no longer angry at Naruto, but he did think about the party he had invited him to. If it was any other time, Sasuke would have immediately rejected it, and depending on how much Naruto would have argued, he might have gone in the end.

But this time, it was different because things were going to change between him and the people he had known since childhood. If the past few weeks were anything to go by, things had already changed between him and Sakura. She would not approach him for conversations any longer and only greeted him from a distance with a smile. Naruto, on the other hand, was the same as ever, but knowing how outgoing he was, Sasuke knew the blonde would only get busier with activities once they started college.

They were all going in different directions and he found it frustrating to admit how lonely it made him feel in the end. It was pathetic, but that was the truth since he was always good at distancing himself, and now that he was going to be surrounded with nothing but strangers at university, he was sure to end up on his own again.

There would be no annoying blonde who would pester him day after day no matter how hard Sasuke ignored him. All there would be left were school and a lifetime bound to serving his father's company just like his older brother. Was that all what he had to look forward to?

"What are you thinking about?"

Having a sense of déjà vu, Sasuke turned to see Hinata stand beside him with a curious look on her face. Remembering how Naruto had mistaken her to be his girlfriend, Sasuke awkwardly coughed to avert his gaze.

"Nothing," he replied, without looking at her.

"You know, I've noticed that with you it's usually the opposite whenever you say 'nothing.'" She walked forward to lean on the counter, tilting her head to look at his face as he kept staring at the door to the front, hoping for a customer to walk in at that moment. "Is it school?"

When he did not respond, Hinata continued.

"Your brother?" Still no response. "M-maybe…it's a girlfriend?"

"No, it's nothing." He turned to glare at her, but that had only surprised her as a blush grew on her cheeks, which confused him.

She straightened herself before whispering an apology for bothering him and heading to the kitchen.

The words were on the tip of his tongue to stop her from leaving but he refrained since it made no sense to do so.

Thinking back on the word 'girlfriend,' Sasuke thought to himself how ridiculous it was for Naruto to think that just because he saw them talking at a restaurant.

It was ridiculous because it could never happen. She could never be his girlfriend. Someone like that could never be. And why was that so, he did not know. But in the end, it did not matter because he did not need a girlfriend.

Sasuke never thought of himself as someone who was keen on the idea of a relationship, especially since the majority of people who had any interest in him had it for superficial reasons. But, maybe, just maybe, if he were ever to, he wouldn't mind...

Feeling his ears warm up at his train-of-thought, Sasuke literally shook his head to clear his mind before going back to mending the register just in time for a customer to walk in.

Hinata, on the other hand, stood in her kitchen with her hands to her burning cheeks as she tried to cool down her blush. Looking around at the empty room she sighed in relief that there was no one to witness her acting like an idiot.

Earlier, when she had tried to pry out from Sasuke what was bothering him, he had taken to avoiding her gaze. This somehow led her to unconsciously let her eyes wander.

She knew that the boy was handsome in the conventional sense, and his popularity with girls at school was evident from Sakura. But Hinata had not stopped to observe him herself.

She saw how his pale skin was smooth and contrasted so perfectly with his dark hair. His sharp nose and soft features blended well with his strong jaw. As her eyes trailed up his neck and landed on his lips, she could not help but remember the time when they almost kissed as she uttered the last of her question without much thought.

She could not believe she just asked him about a girlfriend, but when Sasuke abruptly turned to glare at her, she was embarrassed to realize that she had just been staring at him so openly.

Shaking her head to dispel her thoughts, Hinata went back to working in the kitchen for the rest of the time.

By the end of Sasuke's shift, when Tenten had just arrived, the two were still too embarrassed to look each other in the eye when saying goodbye, which was nothing but amusing for Tenten to watch.

…

…

What was so special about graduating high school? They had been through elementary school, middle school and now high school, but the graduation for first two held no comparison to the last one. People put so much weight on finishing high school, not because of its merit but its significance as a passage of rite. Sasuke could not understand that because high school was not the end for them. They still had college and maybe even further more to go to be fully accepted into the working field. The present was different where a simple high school degree would not get anyone anywhere, yet its significance still held on.

Standing in line among all the other students in his grade, Sasuke waited for his turn to walk on the field. All he had to do was walk in a line, making sure he was not too fast or too slow, until he reached the stage to get an empty cover for his diploma from some admin at his school and take a picture. It was such a simple thing but they had to practice one week for it just to make sure everyone knew the order and did not mess up, yet there were still some hiccups. There was a girl who wore brand new heels to graduation without realizing how much they would hurt to walk in them as she slowly made her way on the field, limping, and causing the line to drag. It did not help that Naruto had to stand right behind Sasuke because of how their last names lined up on the roster. His constant whispering and attempts at teasing Sasuke made the hot day even more unbearable.

"Don't forget the party tonight!" Naruto would whisper every few minutes to Sasuke until he hissed a "fine!" with a twitch of his eyebrow, to which Naruto only grinned and winked.

After listening to some speeches and finishing the ceremony, pictures were taken with staff and other students, most of whom Sasuke did not know. Naruto had taken upon himself to drag Sasuke so he could be in almost every photo with him. Sakura too had squeezed herself in some of them, and finally, after some courage, she had dared to ask Sasuke for a photo of just the two of them. He was reluctant but nodded his approval, causing her to gasp in surprise and then grab his arm to pose for the camera in her mother's hand with a bright smile.

Everything went by pretty fast, and Sasuke just felt like a bystander watching everything happen. The only thing he would admit that made this day a tad more special than any other was the fact that Itachi had taken time off his work to be at the ceremony. He had even taken the time to be with him afterwards, taking pictures on a camera Sasuke did not know they owned.

At the end when people were dwindling and Naruto had loosened his grip on his best friend, he decided it was time to go, but not before Itachi asked some random stranger on the field to take a picture of him with his little brother. Sasuke tried his best to hide his emotion in the tumult from the crowd around them, but a smile did sneak up on him as it was evident in digital proof of the photo they took on the camera.

Don't forget the party!1! Sasuke read the text on his phone that buzzed under Naruto's name for the third time.

Sighing, Sasuke put the camera down and made his way to the front door to put on his shoes. He was not looking forward to this, but if he was honest, he did not want to regret it since it was the last time he would get to do something like this, especially with Naruto.

On my way, replied Sasuke as he headed out the door locking it behind him.

…

…

"Ugh," Sasuke groaned at the sunlight shining through his blinds into his room in the early morning. It was only a few hours ago that he got back to his house so he was still tired, but the sun right out his window had already woken him, making it harder to go back to sleep.

He had not had a drink so he was glad for the absence of a hangover, but he did end up staying out later than he had anticipated. It was weird how he actually enjoyed last night unlike the other times he had been to a party. This time, he was even more inclined to join the guys on the soccer team he was once such a big part of.

He could not play competitively anymore so he had cut them off entirely. Maybe it was because he was envious, and hated his teammates' pitying gaze, but last night he forgot about all that and just pretended like it was the same as before. He talked with them about old times and reminisced about games they had played together. He patiently listened to their new games and what he had missed without a shred of resentment.

…

…

Congratulations on Graduating! The card in Sasuke's locker read the greeting as it was neatly placed in the middle with a cupcake wrapped in a box sitting in front of it. It had a small cap and what seemed to be a diploma decorated on top.

It had been a few days since he had a shift at the bakery because of all the ceremony practice and final exams he had to take. Now it was two days since his graduation that he finally got to come in for a full shift, and as soon as he went to the employee locker room to put his stuff away, he was greeted by this card and a cupcake.

"Oh, you finally got that." Tenten spoke from beside Sasuke who was still staring at the present. "She wanted to give it to you in person, but she couldn't so I guess she put it here before she left so you could see it."

"She's not here?"

"No," Tenten shook her head as she put her stuff away. "You should eat it instead of just staring at it. I'm sure she didn't make it for that." Sasuke rolled his eyes but took the cupcake and the card out and replaced it with his stuff in the locker. "She probably made it fresh for you this morning."

Sasuke stared at it the cupcake some more as he contemplated how he actually felt about it.

"I got one yesterday too, you know, so don't think you're special."

Sasuke glared at the brunette beside him as she just stuck her tongue out at him before heading out of the room.

Looking back at the cupcake in his hand, Sasuke contemplated eating it or not. He hated sweet things of any kind, but this was something she made for him, and even if he was not the only recipient, it was special. But on the other hand, it was sweet. It was a tough choice.

Placing the cupcake back in the locker, not wanting to think about it right now, Sasuke took out the card and opened it to see her handwriting scribbled at one corner with a cordial message of praise at finishing high school and an apology for not giving it in person. It was a simple message that any person would give to another as a normal thing, but it being from her in her handwriting made it different for Sasuke. Not liking how such a small thing was causing his heart to beat just a bit faster, he placed the card beside the cupcake and shut the locker door on all the thoughts that were swirling in his mind.

From there on, his summer had been quite ordinary. He spent almost every day at the bakery as he prepared for college to start. He had orientation to attend, classes to register for, supplies to buy and plenty more to do, but most importantly he had to decide where he would live for his first year. Most students decided to live in the dorms their first year, but Sasuke's house was a little more than an hour long train ride away from campus. He could manage it if he really wanted to, especially since he was not too fond of the idea of sharing a room with some random stranger, but Itachi insisted that he experience this just like he had when he started college.

In all honesty, Sasuke had relented all control of his choices so far when it came to college. He still felt unsure and aimless so he followed his brother's advice without question. Even if he had no conviction, he did not want to mess this up.

And so, his summer went along, stuck in this rut of getting ready for college and working at the bakery. The only respite within these days was the fact that he was at the bakery with a certain person with pale eyes that were a complete opposite of his own. He did not realize it at first but at many occasions he had caught himself staring at her. Unconsciously he would look for her as soon as he entered the small shop, and when he did he would memorize her form as if he was seeing her for the first time. They did not talk much since both were not quite talkative, but he could feel how relaxed and easy it felt for them to talk to each other. He liked hearing her voice, and her daily banter on the random stuff around them. He felt comfortable, even in the silence.

Every day felt the same for him, until it was getting closer to the end of summer vacation for him. Things began moving fast for him, especially around his birthday.

Every year, when the day came for Sasuke to be a year older, nothing seemed any different to him. He felt the same as he did the day before, or even as the year before. But this time it was different.

It was already a few weeks past his birthday since he had turned eighteen in July, but he still felt different. Maybe it was the idea that he was supposed to be considered an adult now that made him see this in a new light.

Nobody at his work knew that his birthday had passed, since he never mentioned it, and Itachi had wished him only once as he headed back to work. Naruto and Sakura had wanted to do something special for the day but he had refused, forcing them to opt for something simple. He would have outright refused to do anything, but knowing they would not let up on this since they always pulled something on his birthday, he decided to compromise. It wasn't too bad for the first time going out for dinner just to celebrate his birthday. He did just turn eighteen.

"Sasuke, thank you for rearranging the display." Hinata stood behind him, right by the kitchen door, smiling her candid smile like she always did. "You've been such a help this summer, thank you," she continued as he nodded at her, not meeting her eyes.

Most of the part-timers at the bakery had been students, and with summer vacation starting, one-by-one most of them had taken off for holidays spent with family. Some were even quitting to start college early. This had left only a few of the staff to take up more shifts. Luckily, the bakery was not too busy so Hinata had not needed to hire more than one or two more people.

"Sasuke, do you have plans for the summer?" He really liked the sound of his name from her voice. "It's almost halfway gone, and all you've done is spend it here." Hinata frowned as she crossed her arms across her chest.

Staring at her pout and the small crease of her blouse right above her chest, Sasuke swallowed before answering.

"I don't really…have any plans."

"Really?" she asked incredulously. "This is your last summer after high school before you're off to college, and you're not going to do anything?" Hinata did not know why she was so surprised since that was how it was for her, but she was like a hermit back then so it was not the same.

"I did go out with some friends a couple weeks ago," Sasuke defended, not liking how she might view him as a loner.

"Oh! Where did you go?" she asked as she came closer to lean by the counter next to him. It was one of those slow days in the bakery so she was dying for a conversation to pass the time, not to mention she got to hear Sasuke speak more than just grunts or one-word answers.

"…Romano's Italian restaurant by the station near my school."

"Oh, I've never been there. Do you like Italian food?" Hinata leaned closer, fascinated by how unreserved Sasuke was today.

"It's okay," Sasuke shrugged. "But at the restaurant they sing for you on your birthday." Sasuke winced at the memory of the staff that had come out to sing him a happy birthday after Naruto and Sakura had told them about his birthday. He was not aware of such a thing, and even his hardest glare could not stop them as they just giggled at how annoyed he looked.

"That's nice," she smiled, "did you go to celebrate someone's birthday?"

Sasuke paused as he realized he had to tell her that it was his birthday. He was unsure whether he wanted to or not.

"Yeah," he answered, wondering why he felt so awkward.

"You must've really enjoyed that," Hinata teased.

"Yeah, like hell I did," he shot back as the woman just laughed at his reaction.

"I can't even imagine you sitting through something like that if it was your birthday."

He had to admit that it was one of the most cringe-worthy memories of him glaring at his friends and awkwardly trying to ignore the attention caused by the singers shouting his name in the restaurant. He did not want to go through having to listen to a rendition of happy birthday in the tune of Under the Sea song from The Little Mermaid ever again.

"Somehow I did," he muttered with a shake of his head at the unbelievable predicament.

"W-what…They sang for you?" she asked to which Sasuke only nodded. "No way…" Hinata gaped in surprise momentarily before becoming serious. "What tune did they sing it in?" she asked with her eyes staring at him and her face expressionless.

"…Under the Sea," he almost whispered turning to look at the counter as if something had caught his attention. At the sound of her laughter bursting, Sasuke moved further to hide his face behind his hair. He could feel his ears warm, but for some reason he did not hate that he was embarrassed in front of Hinata.

"From The Little Mermaid?" He nodded in response."No way…I'm sorry," she laughed in between with her hand covering her smile, unable to control herself. "I didn't…mean to laugh," she finally got out as she continued to laugh with tears forming in her eyes.

He chanced a glance at her face from the corner of his eye, seeing how flushed she looked as she laughed so much that her eyes squinted. Unable to look away as a smile crept on his face before he began to chuckle with her as well. He remembered how awful the singers had carried the tune while singing his name in the crowded restaurant, and how Naruto and Sakura had looked as they snickered and recorded the whole show. Looking bad, it was not too bad, Sasuke thought.

"Oh god," Hinata sighed as she finally calmed herself. "I'm s-sorry, I just couldn't control it when you said…," she giggled again. "Did they really sing happy birthday to you in that tune?"

"Yes."

"W-with your name and all?"

"Yes."

"In the m-middle of t-the restaurant?" she asked, trying her best to hold in her laughter.

"Yes," Sasuke sighed even though he still held a smile as Hinata laughed once more at his expense.

"What I would have paid to see that!"

"Too bad, I'm never doing that again." Hinata pouted while Sasuke only smirked at her.

"So how old are you now?"

"Eighteen," he answered without much thought but the sudden change in Hinata's features caused him to pause. It was subtle and anyone would have missed it were it not for Sasuke's acute observations.

"Oh…congratulations, you're almost an adult now," she said teasingly but there was an undertone to her voice.

"Last I checked, eighteen is considered an adult in this country," Sasuke raised an eyebrow at how her eyes narrowed.

"You're right, it does." She pushed away from the counter to head back to the kitchen, but not before turning with a bright blush by the door to look at the only other person in the bakery with her. "B-but...I'll consider you an adult when you're legal to drink with m-me," she looked at him once more before heading into the kitchen, leaving Sasuke to stare blankly at the space she had just stood by.

What did she mean by that, Sasuke thought as his ears began to warm once again. While on the other side of the wall, hidden from his view through the small window in the door, Hinata stood with her back to the wall and her hands fisted, bunching up her shirt in the palms.

That was a stupid thing to say, Hinata thought as she smacked her forehead with her hand multiple times hoping to knock some sense into her. She should have just congratulated him or given a belated "happy birthday," she thought. Even though she was not eighteen anymore, she once had been and she should have known how special it felt to turn the year you might be considered an adult, even if it had very little meaning. It was just that hearing him say it made her realize how young he still was, and that brought a sort of disappointment in her which utterly confused her. But nonetheless, even if she thought he was still so young, for Sasuke turning eighteen might have been a big deal.

Even though Hinata had hoped Sasuke had forgotten or at least disregarded her stupid comment, as days passed by Sasuke only began to ponder on it more and more. It was enticing at first, the thought of being able to have a drink with Hinata, but then slowly he thought more on it to realize that she still saw him as a child.

She was older than him, that much was apparent, but by how much, he was not sure. It could not be much, maybe less than Itachi who was almost ten years older than him, but even with years between them, Sasuke found it unnerving to know how she thought of him as just a child. Talking to her, and being with her in the bakery was easy. He barely ever thought about how much older she was, but at the same time it was possible that Hinata never saw him as anyone more than just a teenager, which was true, but he wanted her to think of him as an equal, for lack of a better word. He wanted to be equal in his position in society. He wanted to be equal in her consideration. He wanted to be equal in her eyes.

…

…

"Why're you grouchier than usual?" Naruto asked as he sprawled across his floor after tossing the controlled to the side once they finished their seventh game on Street Fighter.

"Who's grouchy?" Sasuke snapped as he fiddled with the controller, pretending to pick his next avatar. He had somehow found himself being dragged to Naruto's house on his day off from the bakery, and now he was in the blonde's room playing video games and eating junk food.

"See what I mean!" He waved his hand in air as if to make a point. "You get annoyed so easily these days." Naruto sat up to stare at his friend in concern as he chewed on a pocky stick.

"Naruto," Sasuke warned, "you always spout some idiotic nonsense, I swea—"

"Is it about your girlfriend," Naruto cut him off.

At the silence that came from the Uchiha as he just sat there glaring at the TV screen, thinking of ways to punch Naruto, the blonde took a serious tone as all signs of teasing left his face.

"Do you…like this girl?" he asked without looking at the only other person in the room.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Sasuke snapped, almost about to break the controller in his hands.

"Don't try to hide it from me!" Suddenly Naruto got angry and yelled at Sasuke as if accusing him.

Confused at why Naruto was so upset Sasuke only stared at him, waiting for him to continue.

"You've been…You've been pushing me and Sakura, always ignoring us away whenever we call or text." Naruto had always tried to ignore this subject whenever he was with Sasuke. Even today when he had to practically beg after showing up unannounced at the other boy's house, he did not want to confront him, but once he had started, he could not hold back. "I know it annoyed you hanging out with me and the team but at least you would get out of the house sometimes. Now, you don't even come out when I invite you. I don't know if you're cooped up in your house all the time or what. This past semester all I've seen you do is go to school and then go home. I don't want you to…" Naruto could not finish, huffing slightly in exasperation at the blank stare on Sasuke's face, and at the fact that he had bared some of what he was feeling so openly.

"…You're an idiot," Sasuek said as he pretended to go back to the game. He figured that Naruto did not know about his part time job, but the realization that his friend was still concerned over him made him feel something different.

"Look, Sasuke." The sudden change in Naruto's tone to something Sasuke was not used to hearing made him want to avoid looking at his face. The memory of Naruto finding him passed out on his bedroom floor when they were in middle flashed by in his mind, making it more difficult to face him. "I know we're not always going to see each other, especially now that we're all going in different directions. But…all I want to know is that you're not alone, pushing people away from you. I want you to be with people that genuinely make you happy."

After several minutes of awkward silence, Sasuke finally made a move to toss the controller at his best friend with a noncommittal "idiot" as an insult while Naruto just laughed after having slightly blushed from saying all the cheesy stuff. It was uncomfortable to say and even to hear, but Naruto felt that it was important to let Sasuke know at least once what he was actually feeling.

"Hey!" Naruto caught the controlled with ease as he smiled at the way his best friend tried to subtly hide behind his bangs. "I mean that was all cool and stuff to say, buuuuut," Sasuke perked at his teasing tone, for once anticipating what idiotic thing would come out of his mouth next. "How're things going between you and your girl?" Naruto wiggled his eyebrows with a huge grin as Sasuke just rolled his eyes. The blonde still thought that him and Hinata were together, and in truth Sasuke had done nothing to dissuade his delusion.

"You're mistaken," he simply stated, convinced that it was enough effort on his part to dispel any misunderstanding, even though he knew he needed more than that for Naruto.

"Suuure," Naruto drawled, as Sasuke just shrugged thinking that at least he tried to convince him otherwise. "You can say whatever you want, but I know you like her." Naruto leaned forward with a cheeky grin at the frown growing on Sasuke's face.

"What?" Sasuke asked, confused at how Naruto could even come up with something like that.

"I know I only saw you guys once, but even just from that I could tell." Naruto nodded, feeling wise like a sage as he grabbed a pack of chips and popped it open on the wrong side.

"You seriously need to get your eyes checked."

"But I'm serious!" Naruto said as he munched on the fallen chips. "I saw you, and you've never been like that with any girl. You almost looked normal." He emphasized on the word "normal".

"Just because I talk normally to people who are sane doesn't mean I like them." Sasuke shook his head at how ridiculous Naruto sounded and was ready to disregard anything he said until he spoke again.

"I don't know," Naruto shrugged, "you just looked like you wanted to be there with her, and you're the most antisocial person I've ever met."

Sasuke did not know if it was the insult at being called antisocial or the fact that Naruto read him so well that made him shove a pillow at the blonde's face, but after that the boys decided to let go of the matter, to Sasuke's relief, and went back to playing their video game.

Naruto had not meant it to be a super deep conversation in that regard, and Sasuke knew that, but for some reason he kept thinking back to it. Did he really like spending his time with her, he thought.

Making observations on the past and during the shifts he still had, Sasuke concluded that he did not hate being around her like he would have with a majority of other person, let alone a girl. But that simply did not mean that he liked her, more so it probably meant that he tolerated her, or at least that was what he believed.

However, as the days carried on as fast as ever, Sasuke felt restless. Soon he was going to move away and start college, and even though he would be away almost an hour by train in downtown, Itachi had pushed him to quit his job after summer. Sasuke had agreed at the moment, knowing how inconvenient it would be to travel that much just for a small shift for money that he honestly did not need. But now, as he thought about his work ending at this small, insignificant shop, Sasuke could not help but think whether he should have not given his two weeks' notice.

But it was too late now. It was already decided, so instead he just worked like normal and counted his days until he finished. One thing was unnerving though, and it was the fact that Hinata had remained the same also. He knew that by now she knew from Chouji of his leaving, but not once had she mentioned it or brought it up. She was still talking to him like always, and smiling without a falter.

Was his absence not going to affect her, he thought, as he gazed at her back while she stood atop a stool in the pantry, marking items for inventory.

"Ah, Sasuke! Could you get this down for me?" she asked once she noticed his presence. It was close to closing time for the shop, and it being a slow day had made it perfect to stock the pantry.

Looking at Hinata now, Sasuke had a sense of déjà vu feeling his heart race a bit as he realized that this scene was from a dream he had once.

"You can do the rest tomorrow. It's almost time to close up."

"Tsk tsk, Sasuke," she looked back to smile at the boy behind her, "already slacking right before you leave us."

Sasuke said nothing as he walked up and got the item she had asked for. Even after doing that, he stood a few feet back looking at her as she went back to her task without giving him much mind.

He figured that she was aware of his leaving, but to watch her say it and not be affected by it made something twist in his chest.

"Maybe…I should just stay." He did not know why he was saying it or where he was going with this.

"You mean not quit?" she frowned. "Of course not, you're moving to your college aren't you."

"But I can take the train and come here," it sounded so pathetic to him because it felt like he was pleading or arguing when he already knew what he had to do.

"It's way too far, and it's not worth it," she shook her head as Sasuke saw a few strands of her hair fall from her ponytail. "You're going to have classes, studies and other activities. Plus, why would you come back to a small place like this."

Even from standing behind her, without being able to see her face, he could tell the sad smile she held from her wistful tone. It sounded unhopeful and defeated, which made something in him ache.

"Because…I like you."

...

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Hello everyone, and I'm sorry. I've been gone for so long now. I hadn't plan for this to happen but I couldn't come back to this story. I did get busy this past couple of months, but to be honest, I had a hard time writing past the last chapter. I don't really know what a writer's block is suppose to feel like since I'm just starting to write longer fics for the first time, but it did take me a long time to get this chapter to somewhere I felt at least somewhat satisfied with. I have an outline and I'm trying to write the best I can but sometimes it's hard to put out something when you're not happy with it, fearing that you will disappoint. So I apologize for delaying this so much. I won't promise anything but I am trying my best. I really enjoy writing stories and making my ideas into words so I want to move forward and continue so I can get to a point where I can write so much more.

Thank you to everyone who read my story, favorited it, followed it, and stuck by it till now. I really appreciate every one of you, especially the ones who leave their thoughts in the comments. You guys make my day when I read them. So, thank you :')

PS: just a side note, I'm trying to portray Sasuke as a teenage boy. This is an AU so he isn't a shinobi or an avenger. He's just a normal teenage boy who has some issues and is antisocial, but he is a little innocent in the sense that he has never experienced such emotions. I hope that came across through this, so it didn't seem like he was out of character. I know I need practice but I hope it shows.

Don't forget to leave your thoughts in the comments, and I hope you enjoyed this!