Sakura sighed as she watched Ino glumly sip on her coffee. The two had met up for a spontaneous chat but Ino had seemed out of it for the past hour that they'd been in the desolate coffeehouse. Sakura patiently waited for Ino to put her cup down before speaking up.
"Did something go wrong with the date?"
Ino jumped up at sound of Sakura's voice as if forgetting the pinkette was there the whole time. She shook her head lightly before moving her gaze to the many paintings on the wall. They reminded her of Sai. This whole place reminded her of Sai. Just like him it seemed so dismal yet captivating ー the paintings were made of dark shades and yet they told such wondrous stories. The bleakness of the whole place sure seemed a little unsettling but, somehow, it fit. It didn't exactly lighten her mood but she felt at peace here just because it made sense for everything to be the way it was.
"It's not that," she answered Sakura quietly.
"Then what is it?"
Ino bit her lip and pulled her gaze from the paintings back to her cooling cup of coffee. She herself was clueless to the sudden dampening of her mood. But, she was certain it wasn't the date. Sai had been nothing but a gentleman the whole time, albeit hesitant. He had taken her out to the movies and a candlelit dinner after. They had talked about mundane things, but it worked. There was a sense of comfort when he was with her, but there was also something else pulling at her heart strings.
"I'm not sure. When he left, I just felt a little relieved? I don't know." Ino cut herself off, trying to find the right words.
"Relieved? So was it painfully awkward the whole time?" Sakura frowned. She thought the two were getting along given Ino's excitement prior the date last night.
"That's just it! It wasn't awkward or anything and he was really nice the whole time that's why I'm kind of feeling guilty right now. But then again, I don't know what I felt really," Ino blabbered. "It's just like a weight I didn't know was on me lifted once we'd parted."
Sakura stayed silent, quietly contemplating Ino's words. She let Ino speak as she went over her thoughts and the possible explanations to Ino's predicament.
"I guess it just felt kind of wrong? But I don't know why it could feel wrong, it's not like I'm tied down or anything. And, I've been showing an interest in him for a while now, so why am I only feeling this uncertain now?"
"Maybe, he wasn't what you expected? Did he not meet some sort of expectation?"
"I honestly don't think I've had much expectations given the person we're talking about here. I wasn't expecting him to have a completely different persona and he didn't. It was the same as always, and yet different."
"I think you should talk to Shikamaru about this, Ino." Sakura said carefully before picking up her mug to take a drink, cunningly avoiding having to immediately explain.
"What?" Ino's reaction was instantaneous and expected. Her eyes flew wide open and her head pulled back in shock. Why was Sakura bringing Shikamaru into this? Shikamaru, of all people!
"I'm just saying he could give better advice." Sakura replied calmly, perhaps too calmly.
"Advice? Sakura, that boy will just drive me mad with riddles. And, it's not like he'd be interested in what I have to say about the matter. Mind you, we have barely spoken in the past week and it's not like he's making any effort to talk to me in any way. He isn't obligated to solve my problems for me."
Sakura gave Ino a mysterious smile.
"Trust me, he'll care about this one." At Ino's wary look, Sakura added, "He's also your best friend, Ino. Just trust me here, okay?"
"Fine," Ino huffed after eyeing Sakura's gleeful expression. She's definitely hiding something form me. "But, only because you aren't helping right now and I need to see him for Aunt Yoshino, anyway."
"Alright, then." Cue Sakura's triumphant smile.
