CHAPTER (11)
Sasuke stepped out of the car and opened the door for Sakura.
The two exchanged shy glances, and Sakura said, "Thank you…"
Sasuke smiled, and they continued walking together.
Sakura kept glancing at him as she stood beside Sasuke until they entered the house and she went into her room.
Sasuke wanted to talk more with Sakura, but the situation wasn't favorable.
Sasuke also tended to be more silent than talkative.
"This is hard…" Sasuke went to the kitchen to get a glass of water to calm his thoughts.
Sasuke: (It can't go on like this. If I don't take the first step, things will only get worse…)
A week passed in the blink of an eye, and Sasuke was still thinking about what Sakura had said to him.
He was lost in thought.
It was clear that he didn't want to break up with Sakura.
The best choice was to stay together.
Their wedding was drawing near.
Itachi looked at Sasuke in confusion, shook his head, then approached him and spoke.
Sasuke stayed silent as Itachi spoke—unclear whether he was listening or ignoring him.
Itachi: "Did you two fight? You're getting married soon. You should get along."
Sasuke took a deep breath and replied, "Let me handle it."
Sasuke knocked on Sakura's door, repeating a few times until it finally opened.
Sakura: "Sasuke?"
Sasuke: "I want to talk to you. Do you mind if I come in?"
Sakura: (…) "Come in."
Sakura felt nervous and shy for a moment, but she calmed herself.
Sasuke looked around the room and noticed Sakura's suspicious gaze.
Sasuke: "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Sakura: "Why are you staring at me in my room like some pervert?"
Sasuke was shocked. "Pervert?" (Is she… talking weird?)
Sasuke felt glad Sakura wasn't gloomy anymore, even though he was annoyed by the accusation.
"Don't say things like that…" Sasuke stared back at her.
Sakura: "I was just saying… What do you want to talk about?"
Sasuke (seriously): (…) "About us. I want us to start getting along from now on."
Sakura simply stared at Sasuke, thinking: "Could it be that you…"
Sasuke was too lazy to explain further.
He was taking their upcoming wedding seriously.
Sakura saw the growing seriousness in Sasuke and began to consider opening herself up and accepting her fate more calmly.
After everything that happened, each day spent with Sasuke no longer felt difficult for Sakura.
When she tried on her wedding dress, Sasuke was mesmerized and quickly looked away.
Sakura didn't notice the change—she was too focused on the wedding dress that fit her figure perfectly.
The dress suited her so well that she looked absolutely stunning.
Sasuke let out a deep breath, captivated by Sakura standing before him.
He couldn't take his eyes off her.
He quickly looked around, making sure no one else saw Sakura in that appearance.
Coming back to his senses, Sasuke took a deep breath to calm himself.
Uchiha Fugaku, Mikoto, and Itachi came over to Sasuke and Sakura.
They were immediately mesmerized by how beautiful Sakura looked in the wedding dress.
Sakura felt shy hearing all the compliments, even Itachi praised her in an exaggerated tone.
Meanwhile, Sasuke remained silent as usual. Normally in moments like these, he would send Sakura a text message to express himself. But this time, for some reason, he didn't want to.
---
A bright morning welcomed the Uchiha family with a warmer atmosphere than usual.
Today was the day Sasuke and Sakura were scheduled for a joint training session.
Not just physical training, but also communication and teamwork exercises as future husband and wife.
This request came from Mikoto, who believed a strong relationship was built on unity and understanding.
Mikoto: "You need to get used to facing everything together. Marriage isn't just about love—it's about teamwork."
Sasuke didn't object.
Sakura nodded too, although inside, she still felt a bit awkward being so close to Sasuke for an extended time.
Still, part of her had started to enjoy the little attentions Sasuke gave.
The training took place in the Uchiha family's backyard garden, surrounded by cherry trees and the chirping of small birds.
They started with a light yoga session led by the family's personal instructor.
Instructor: "Inhale… and exhale slowly… Sasuke-kun, please don't be so stiff… Sakura-san, help him relax."
Sakura held back laughter seeing Sasuke's tense face.
She approached and gently placed her hand on Sasuke's shoulder.
Sakura: "Try to breathe… You're too serious."
Sasuke: "I'm not used to this…"
But when he looked into Sakura's warm smile, his body gradually relaxed.
There was something in her gaze that made Sasuke feel at peace.
After the yoga session, they changed clothes and moved on to light martial arts training.
This was Fugaku's idea—as physical preparation and a way to build mutual trust.
Fugaku: "A couple should know how to protect each other."
Sakura wore an all-white training outfit, while Sasuke chose a black uniform.
They stood facing each other on the traditional wooden floor surrounded by large stones.
Sasuke stared silently.
Sakura: "Hey, why aren't we starting?"
Sasuke looked away, his cheeks slightly red. "It's fine. Let's go."
The training continued until sweat trickled down both their foreheads.
Eventually, they sat down to rest, and the atmosphere grew more peaceful.
Sakura handed Sasuke a bottle of cold water.
He accepted it.
They sat in silence, enjoying the gentle breeze. Birds chirped, and sunlight softly illuminated their faces.
Suddenly, Sasuke spoke, his voice almost a whisper:
Sasuke: "I want us to move forward together, Sakura. Even though this started as an arranged marriage… I don't want it to end up as just a play."
Sakura held her breath.
Those words made her chest tighten, but also feel warm.
Sakura: "Then prove it. Prove you're serious."
Sasuke looked at her. "I will."
Sakura snorted—but deep inside, she felt comforted and reassured by Sasuke's serious response.
She was glad he now spoke more firmly, unlike before.
There were many changes in Sasuke's attitude.
The sadness in Sakura's heart slowly faded, and she began to hope that their wedding would be the most special moment in her life.
Suddenly, Sakura remembered something unexpected that had happened that day.
Their wedding was only a week away.
Sakura felt nervous, while Sasuke, with his usual calm expression, stared at the traditional garden before them.
Sakura followed his gaze, took a deep breath, then spoke to him.
Sakura: "Just one more week… I'm so nervous. Aren't you nervous too?"
Sasuke smiling faintly: "I'm actually really looking forward to it."
Sakura smiled shyly, her cheeks turning a bit red.
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Author's note: (This one's free hehe… The next part, Chapter 12, won't be bundled. I'll publish the ending on Karyakarsa. If you're interested, you can buy it there (2,000 IDR)/(0.13 USD) so Thor stays motivated to write more and focus on fanfics!)