Lost in His World (A Sasuke Fanfic)

⇜Chapter 42⇝

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'll be posting another update tonight. Yes, another double update because it's my birthday. :)   

        “You wanna talk about it?” Ino asked. She was sitting close to me on my bed, healing my injuries. I shook my head in response and shifted my gaze to look at nothing to avoid her inquiring eyes. I heard Ino sigh.

            “It’s Sasuke, isn’t it?” she asked. I could hear the worry in her voice and yet I chose to remain silent.

            “Was it about last night? What happened, Mika? What did he do?”

            “Nothing,” I replied in a whisper. There was bitterness and sadness in my voice, something that I prayed would never accompany my words again next time I speak of anything that is remotely related to Sasuke.

            Ino stared at me before she gave yet another sigh.

            “Alright. I won’t ask anymore. But I’m here if you decide to talk about it,” she said and proceeded to get up from my bed but then stopped, as if she forgot something, and turned to face me again. “Oh and, I’m here, too, if you need someone to hold him while you cut his throat,” she added jokingly. That finally earned her a smile from me.

            “Thanks, Ino.”

            “You’re welcome,” she said and smiled. “By the way, you should get dressed. The king and queen requested everyone’s presence at the banquet hall to formally announce the prince’s engagement to Princess Misuko.”

            I nodded while watching Ino pick a dress for the party. She seemed rather excited.

            “I’ll take a quick shower, I look horrible. I must smell horrible, too,” I said, noticing how bad my clothes looked like. Its long sleeves were torn here and there, revealing my arms as if I wasn’t wearing sleeves. My thick coat and pants were also stained with dirt and something green, probably from leaves. They were also soaking wet, which was no surprise given the number of times I fell flat on the snow.

            I got up from my bed and headed towards the bathroom but stopped midway when I happened to glance at myself in the full-size mirror standing at a corner of the room. My hair was half wet and looked like I haven’t brushed it in days. There was even a thin branch with a leaf sticking from it, and my clothes looked like a rug that’s been used a thousand times and was never washed.

            “Eeeeehhh!” I exclaimed, my eyes wide in dismay.

            “What? What is it?” I heard Ino asked. She sounded a little worried.

           “I look horrible,” I answered, astonished, while still looking at myself in the mirror. I then turned to face Ino. “Why didn’t Shikamaru tell me that I look like I haven’t bathed in years?”

            Ino’s forehead wrinkled in an utter display of bewilderment.

            “Why would he? You were just training. How you looked like doesn’t matter.”

            “I know but…arrrgghhh,” I screamed and pulled my hair with both hands in frustration. 

            “Why are you so worried about how you look?”

            “Because…” I stopped mid-sentence. I wasn’t sure if I should tell Ino about Sasuke. It was difficult to admit my feelings for him even to myself. After contemplating for a minute, I decided to spill the beans. She knew how I feel about him anyway even if I don’t admit it. It’s not like I could still hide it from her.