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Sasuke was lying beneath the eaves of the house his family had rented for the summer holidays. That year, his mother had wanted to visit Taiwan.
He was immersed in the plot of the book resting in his hands. Soft melodies flowed through his headphones, songs from the playlist he liked to listen to while reading. The weather was warm, and Sasuke felt at peace. The air was clean, filling his lungs with every slow breath he took.
Although Sasuke usually preferred staying indoors, he couldn’t say he was unhappy. He enjoyed reading in solitude. The sunlight filtering through the shade made him feel relaxed.
Uchiha Mikoto approached from behind, carrying a tray with a glass of fresh watermelon juice and a slice of coconut cake, far too sweet for Sasuke’s taste. Still, whenever his mother offered it, he ate it obediently. Sweets had always been more to his older brother’s liking.
Itachi had not joined them that year. He had chosen to go on holiday by himself, accompanied by his partner, Shisui. At first, Sasuke had felt annoyed. After all, he and his brother had always been close, and Sasuke was used to spending their summers playing together. But he eventually understood that Itachi had grown up, and so had he. He had to accept that there were other important people in Itachi’s life now.
“Sasuke,” Mikoto called gently, tugging at his headphones. He looked up at her; she was always smiling so sweetly. “Try this. I’ve just made it. We ran out of tomatoes, so I couldn’t prepare your usual tomato juice, but the watermelon one is delicious too.”
Sasuke set his book aside and removed his headphones, placing them carefully on top before taking the tray.
“Thank you, Mum,” he replied politely, taking a small bite of the cake with the spoon. As expected, it was very sweet.
He ate in silence, bite by bite, finishing the slice before taking small sips of the cool juice. It was refreshing, and he drank it with appreciation. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and the cold sweetness helped ease the warmth clinging to his skin.
Mikoto watched him as he stared down at his plate. The gentle breeze from the garden stirred his dark hair, making it sway like the light flutter of a crow’s wing. She worried that her son, always so reluctant to socialise, would spend the entire holiday alone while his brother was away. He was such a sensitive boy, yet he found it so difficult to open up to others.
“Sasuke, would you like to go for a walk? I heard there’s a river just down the road. You could go and have a look. Who knows? Perhaps you’ll meet some boys your age and make friends for the summer. It might be fun.” Sasuke sighed.
He could refuse and stubbornly remain in the safety of the shade all day, but that would only disappoint his mother. He wouldn’t do that.
“All right.”
Mikoto brightened immediately and pressed a kiss to his cheek. Sasuke flushed red at once and quickly stepped away.
She laughed softly. He had always been so reserved, so easily embarrassed by any display of affection.
-
Sasuke set off on his bicycle, drawing in a slow breath as he pedalled. The wind tousled his hair, but he didn’t mind.
He hadn’t gone out since they arrived, barely sparing a glance at the town, which was, without question, charming. The landscape stretched wide and open, fields that seemed endless, inviting exploration. The houses carried a traditional style, almost like something from a period film.
When he reached the river, he found himself momentarily speechless. He didn’t remember ever seeing anything like it. The water was clear and crystalline, so pure it looked as though one could drink from it without ever falling ill.
Groups of teenagers his age were scattered along the banks, laughing, splashing, calling out to one another.
Sasuke chose a safe distance away. He had agreed to come for his mother’s sake, but he had no intention or desire of making friends.
He sat with his back against the trunk of a tree, pulled out his book, and attempted to read. The noise was too loud it made concentrating difficult. He was about to put his headphones back on when a voice called out from behind him.
He was surprised to hear fluent Japanese. Yet when he turned around, the appearance of the person standing before him did not match what his mind had expected.
The boy looked almost radiant. Sasuke couldn’t quite find the right word for it. It was simply that he seemed to carry warmth within him, a warmth Sasuke had never encountered before. His hair was blond. Yellow and bright like sunlight. And those eyes… Sasuke was speechless. He had never seen irises so vividly blue. They were like the sea. Not like the river behind him, clear and safe. No. In that blue sea, one could easily lose oneself if not careful.
“Hello…” Sasuke managed at last, awkwardly.
“Sorry,” the boy said with a smile as bright as summer mornings that woke one up. “You looked Japanese, so I took a guess. Are you here alone? Do you mind if I sit with you?”
“No,” Sasuke replied automatically, slightly overwhelmed by the rapid succession of questions.
“…No, you’re not alone?”
Sasuke shook his head quickly.
“You can sit.”
“Great,” the boy said, still smiling.
Their shoulders brushed as he moved past him to sit down, and Sasuke felt the faint contact burn against his skin. He tilted his head slightly, as though to confirm the sensation had truly happened.
When he looked again, the boy was already seated cross-legged on the grass. Sasuke returned to his place against the tree.
“What’s your name?” the boy asked, studying him with open curiosity.
“Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke.” His voice came out somewhat too low, but the other boy seemed to hear him perfectly well.
“Nice to meet you, Sasuke. I’m Naruto.” He extended a hand.
“Fishcake,” Sasuke blurted out without thinking as he took it.
The hand was warm and soft. Sasuke felt an odd urge to hold on just a moment longer. But Naruto burst into laughter, and Sasuke released him at once, startled.
Heat rushed to his ears. That had been rude. Yet Naruto didn’t seem offended.
“That was actually hilarious,” he said, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. “No one’s ever called me that before. I like it.”
Sasuke found himself without words.
“Are you Japanese?” he asked eventually.
“Sort of. My parents are of Japanese descent. We don’t live in Japan, though. We only go there during the winter holidays.”
“Oh. Where do you live?”
“In England. I was born there. Lived there my whole life. Do you live in Japan?”
Sasuke nodded. For reasons he couldn’t quite explain, a small thread of disappointment tightened in his chest when he heard that.
“I haven’t seen you around before. Is this your first time here? Are you going to swim?”
Sasuke was beginning to find the constant stream of questions amusing.
“It is my first time. Do you want to?”
“Come on! I bet I’m faster than you,” Naruto teased, already rising to his feet.
Sasuke opened his mouth to retort, but Naruto pulled his shirt over his head, and the words vanished.
Naruto’s skin was lightly sun-kissed, seemed soft to the touch. Sasuke’s fingertips tingled. Naruto’s waist was slim but seemed strong, as if it could endure any treatment you gave it. Sasuke quickly looked away and removed his shoes.
He stepped slowly into the warm water, feeling it climb over his skin.
Naruto dove in more recklessly, splashing water into Sasuke’s face. Sasuke huffed.
When Naruto resurfaced, his damp hair framed his face beautifully. His blue eyes shone beneath the afternoon light, and that smile, it never seemed to leave him. Droplets clung to his neck and shoulders. Around his throat hung a delicate necklace, a crystal pendant catching the sun. How could someone be so beautiful?
Sasuke spent the afternoon beside him, watching, listening. Naruto had a habit of jumping from one topic to another mid-sentence, something that would usually irritate Sasuke. Yet somehow, with Naruto, it felt charming.
He didn't regret listening to his mother.
He wanted to be Naruto’s friend.
-
There are people who seem destined to meet, to form a bond that will shape them for the rest of their lives and then to part ways.
Sasuke found himself thinking about that each evening as he returned home after spending the day with Naruto.
They did whatever amused them. They rode their bicycles through the town’s narrow streets, raced each other along the riverbank, and sometimes visited the small local karaoke bar where Naruto would sing at the top of his lungs. His voice was unexpectedly gentle, filling Sasuke’s chest with feelings he did not know how to name.
Yet every time Sasuke walked back to the house, that emptiness followed him. The uneasy awareness that, at the end of summer, they would go their separate ways and never see each other again.
He knew their connection was fleeting and yet he could not stop wanting more and more. More time. To be closer to Naruto, to know him more, to listen to every wandering word that escaped from his lips. He wanted to capture a fragment of his laughter and seal it inside a jar, to preserve it forever. To trace the curve of Naruto’s cheek. To feel the softness of his lips, which looked exactly as soft as they appeared.
He knew he shouldn’t.
That night, Itachi called.
“Little brother,” Itachi greeted warmly, his voice clear through the phone. “How are the holidays?”
“They’re not bad,” Sasuke replied, trying for indifference.
“Oh? Have you made any friends?”
Sasuke could have said no. Could have dismissed the question.
He didn’t.
“I met someone at the river,” he murmured.
“Really?” There was a hint of surprise in Itachi’s voice. “What’s he like? Do you like him?”
Sasuke hesitated. Of course he liked Naruto. As for what he was like…
“He’s Japanese. But he doesn’t live in Japan,” Sasuke began, choosing the safest facts first. “He laughs loudly. Talks even louder. He’s… he… I like him.” His voice faded at the end.
There was a brief silence on the other end of the line.
“That’s good, little brother,” Itachi said gently. “Enjoy the time you have. Don’t leave yourself with regrets. It’s rare to find someone who truly moves you. Now that you have, make the most of it.”
Sasuke lay awake for a long time after the call ended.
There wasn’t much time left. It was the final week of summer.
-
On the last night before returning to Japan, Sasuke met Naruto by the riverbank.
The silence of the night was broken only by the song of cicadas and the gentle current of the river. Moonlight spilled across the water, reflecting softly and illuminating Naruto’s bright eyes as they watched him. A pair of fireflies drifted on the opposite side of the river.
Naruto’s head rested on Sasuke’s lap. He lifted a hand, his index finger brushing lightly against Sasuke’s chin.
“You’re very beautiful, Sasuke,” he said suddenly.
Sasuke looked at him. Naruto’s eyes had a different shine; they were looking at him with sadness.
Sasuke felt the urge to change that, to erase that look on that pair of eyes, but he didn’t know how. He felt sadness too.
He studied Naruto’s face carefully. His brows. His eyes. His lashes like threads of gold. The gentle slope of his nose. His lips.
Naruto sat up abruptly, now very close. He caught Sasuke’s wrist and looked at him with unexpected seriousness.
“You know, Sasuke,” he said softly, “you have to remember this. If you want to do something, do it. If you desire something, take it. Don’t be afraid.”
“Don’t be afraid…” Sasuke echoed under his breath.
Yes. Don’t be afraid.
Even if they would part tomorrow, he could still take what he wanted today, even if he wasn’t entirely sure what that was.
He raised his hand and placed it against Naruto’s cheek. Naruto stayed still. Sasuke noticed that he was allowing it, so he leaned forward.
He pressed his lips gently against Naruto’s. His eyelids lowered as he focused on the softness beneath his mouth, holding the moment with delicate care, as if afraid it might break.
It was only a brush of lips but it was what Sasuke needed.
“Goodbye, Sasuke.”
Goodbye, Sasuke.
Those were the last words Naruto gave him along with a bright, trembling smile and a sadness in his eyes he tried to hide.
That was all.
Sasuke walked home with an emptiness in his chest.
But that was all it was.
Perhaps that was simply how fate worked. You meet someone. You form a bond strong enough to last a lifetime. And then you part.
Sasuke kept that memory quietly, forever.