"Sakura, your flower's blooming."
"Huh? Sakura, are you heading out?"
Haruno Megumi stepped into the room, pausing as she caught sight of Sakura in front of the mirror, dressed in a soft pink sundress, adjusting her appearance again and again.
Her long pink hair, freshly brushed, flowed neatly past her shoulders. A dark crimson ribbon tied at the crown of her head held it gently in place.
"Yes, Mom," Sakura replied without turning.
"Which flower bloomed?" Her eyes remained fixed on the mirror.
"Oh this one. The cosmos."
"Really?" Sakura spun around, delight lighting up her face. She spotted Megumi standing at the doorway, cradling a flowerpot. Inside it, a single golden cosmos had burst into vibrant bloom.
Sakura rushed over, taking the pot into her arms with careful hands and a radiant smile.
"This is perfect. I can take it to Ino now." Her whole face glowed with joy.
"So it's for Ino." Megumi chuckled softly. "Our Sakura really puts her heart into her friendships."
"Well, I've been growing this for more than two months now."
"Your orchid is about to bloom too any day now," Megumi added. "Who's that one for?"
"The orchid isn't for anyone," Sakura said, shaking her head.
"Oh?" Megumi blinked, caught off guard.
"I'm heading out now, Mom." Without further explanation, Sakura hugged the flowerpot close and walked out the door.
"…She really has grown brighter, hasn't she," Megumi murmured, watching her daughter disappear down the path.
…
Sakura walked through the streets of Konoha with a soft smile on her face. The golden cosmos in her arms swayed gently as she moved, complementing the warm pink of her dress and the light in her expression.
The girl and the flower made a picture so lovely, passersby couldn't help but glance her way in admiration.
"Ino's going to love this," Sakura murmured, hugging the pot a little tighter, her gaze full of hope.
"Hey, is that Sakura?"
"It is!"
"Yo, Sakura!"
She heard the voices before she saw them two girls standing a short distance ahead, waving in her direction.
Sakura's smile faded in an instant.
"Oh. It's you two," she said, her voice flat, her steps slowing.
"Well, well, look who's here. Forehead Girl," one of the girls sneered.
"Chirumi," Sakura shot back with a smirk, "your buck teeth are getting uglier."
"They're not buck teeth they're bunny teeth!" Chirumi snapped.
"Same difference. Still ugly."
"Better than having a five-head," Chirumi growled.
"Hey, that flower's kinda pretty. Where'd you buy it?" the other girl asked, eyeing the pot in Sakura's arms.
"I didn't buy it. I grew it," Sakura said proudly.
"You? Grow a flower?" the girl scoffed.
"Aoki, what's your problem?" Sakura's smile vanished.
"Nothing at all." Aoki raised her hands, feigning innocence. "Just being honest."
"Oh, right!" Chirumi suddenly exclaimed, tapping her forehead as if something had just clicked.
"Hey Aoki, remember who we ran into at the barbecue place this afternoon?"
Aoki's lips curved into a knowing smile. "Oh, you mean Sasuke-kun?"
"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura froze.
"Yep," Chirumi said with exaggerated casualness. "I even said hi to him. You know, manners."
Sakura pressed her lips together and scoffed.
"You? With those teeth? I bet he ignored you."
"I told you they're bunny teeth!" Chirumi shrieked.
"Still better than someone who's never had the guts to talk to Sasuke-kun at all," Aoki chimed in, throwing her words like daggers.
"Hmph. Look who's talking, Ugly. You think you could match up to Shin?" Sakura shot back, not backing down an inch.
"What did you say?" Aoki's face darkened.
"I'm just being honest," Sakura said coldly, echoing Aoki's earlier words.
"You're getting cocky, Haruno Sakura," Aoki snarled.
"Don't think having Ino around means you can do whatever you want."
"Hmph."
"Oh, right." Chirumi suddenly flashed a sly grin.
"Speaking of Ino…"
"Sakura, you haven't heard, have you?"
Sakura glanced at her, suspicion in her voice. "What?"
"Ino…" Chirumi dragged the word out with relish, her eyes gleaming.
"Aoki?"
"Yeah," Aoki smirked, catching the cue.
"What are you two trying to say?" Sakura frowned.
"Ino," Chirumi said sweetly, "has someone she likes."
Sakura blinked, stunned into silence.
"…Who?"
Chirumi's grin widened. "You know him."
"…"
"It's Uchiha Sasuke."
"…"
Sakura stood there, frozen.
Chirumi and Aoki watched her, exchanging a glance of shared triumph.
They smirked and strolled past her.
"What does it feel like?" Aoki asked over her shoulder.
"Does it hurt?"
"Are you angry?"
"Or scared?"
"Did you really think… Ino would let you compete with her?" Aoki's voice was low and cruel.
Compete…?
Sakura remained rooted to the spot, their voices ringing in her ears.
Only when they had walked away did she move again, as if waking from a daze.
"You didn't need to say all that," Chirumi said once they were out of earshot.
"It doesn't matter," Aoki replied, her face unreadable. "Just another pitiful girl."
"…Right." Chirumi gave her a sidelong look but shrugged.
…
"Ino…"
"Do you have someone you like?"
"…Actually, it's Sasuke."
"I heard Sasuke-kun likes girls with long hair…"
"Ino, do you think I'd look good with long hair?"
"Ino?"
…
"So it was for Ino, huh."
"Our Sakura really puts her heart into her friendships."
"I've been growing it for over two months…"
…
"If…"
"If Ino is the cosmos…"
"Then I'm just the orchid."
…
"If a flower never blooms… then what's the point?"
"Maybe…"
"Maybe I'll become a flower…"
"Even more beautiful than the cosmos."
…
Ino…
Why did you lie to me?
You said… you didn't have anyone you liked.
Sakura stared at the golden cosmos in her arms. Just ahead, around that corner, stood the Yamanaka flower shop.
But somehow, that final stretch of road felt utterly impossible to cross.
…
"Huh? Sakura's back already?"
Megumi was cleaning when she heard the door open. Her eyes widened in surprise at the sight of her daughter.
"What happened? You didn't give the flower to Ino?"
She noticed the pot still in Sakura's arms and frowned.
"Sakura?"
Her daughter said nothing, head bowed.
Megumi's heart tightened. She set her cloth aside and approached, crouching in front of Sakura.
"Oh no… are you crying?"
"Sakura?"
Tears had long been streaming down her cheeks, silent and unending.
"Sakura?"
"What happened, sweetheart?"
"Did you fight with Ino?"
"Talk to me, Sakura."
"…Mom."
"Yes?"
"…"
"Sakura, please. Tell me what happened."
But she never did.
No matter how many times Megumi asked, Sakura stayed silent.
"Are you hungry? I made your favorite red bean dumplings."
"Sakura? Can you open the door?"
"Please, Sakura. Open the door."
Sakura sat alone in her room, the door locked tight. Her mother's voice came again and again from the other side.
Out on the balcony, the golden cosmos still stood in full bloom, swaying gently in the light.
Beside it, in another pot, an orchid crouched low, its buds tightly closed. Compared to the cosmos, it looked small… and lifeless.
"I… don't want to…"
"Don't want to be…"
"…the orchid anymore."