Surfs Up / SasuSaku

Fanning the Flames

Sasuke glanced at the time on his laptop, 8 pm... It felt like just yesterday he had graduated from university and now he was finally free from all his studies.

However, he knew that his freedom wouldn't last long. In a few months, his family would expect him to join their family business. This was something Sasuke had anticipated ever since he started university.

At 23 years old, Sasuke found himself with a lot of free time on his hands. He didn't have any hobbies or interests to occupy his days. The only thing he did was go out to bars with his friends during the evenings. Other than that, his life felt stagnant.

His family, especially his father, never encouraged him to pursue his own passions. Growing up, his father had always been more lenient with his older brother, but he was always hard on Sasuke for some reason. Sasuke often wondered if his father truly cared about his achievements or if he secretly hated him.

To be honest, Sasuke didn't have a great relationship with his family in general. Maybe he got along with his brother to some extent, but he was unsure about his mother's role in his life. She always seemed to follow his father's lead and never had a voice of her own. Being around them felt like living in a world devoid of authenticity, where the only thing that mattered was money.

But what Sasuke truly desired was a life of his own. He didn't want to enter the workforce just to feel even more miserable. Sometimes he questioned whether his college major was his own choice or something his father had imposed on him.

Sasuke yearned for something that would bring him genuine joy, something that would make up for his monotonous existence. He didn't want to look back and realize that he had spent his life solely to please his father.

The problem was, Sasuke didn't even know what he wanted. All he knew was that he needed to find a way to break free from his boring routine. Going out to bars, clubs, and occasionally hooking up with girls could only provide temporary excitement.

That wasn't the life Sasuke desired.

Unfortunately, it seemed like that was the life he was destined to have. It had only been a few weeks since graduation and his friends were already talking about his future in the family business.

Sasuke let out a frustrated sigh as he powered down his laptop and made his way to his dresser. Fashion was never his strong suit, and his wardrobe mainly consisted of sweatpants and black shirts. If he had to guess, he probably had at least six different black shirts, making it seem like he didn't own any other clothes.

He grabbed a plain black t-shirt and paired it with some dark jeans. With his white Nike Air Forces and a gold chain, he looked like your typical college guy. If someone saw him on the street, they'd probably label him as a "fuckboy."

Just as he was about to settle into his living room, he heard his phone buzzing. His apartment was way too big for just one person, but his father insisted he move into this penthouse near Uchiha Corp. It was a bit overwhelming for Sasuke, who wanted a simpler life.

He ran his hand through his hair and made his way to the living room table where his phone was blowing up with messages from his best friend Naruto. Naruto was eager to go out and have a good time.

iMessage

(Naruto: Yo teme, you ready to go?)

(Naruto: Kiba and Suigetsu are already at the bars. They want us to pre-game because the drinks are crazy expensive!)

(Naruto: There's a liquor store near your place. I'm picking you up now.)

Sasuke let out another sigh as he flopped down on the couch. He wasn't really in the mood to go out, especially after checking the weather and seeing how expensive the drinks were at the new bar. The June heat waves were hitting Konoha hard, making it even more uncomfortable.