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Shikamaru stared at the stream of moonlight coming in from the long windows at the top of the gymnasium. This whole ordeal would be over in a couple of hours, and he could finally go back home to the comfort of his bed. The room had been transformed; what was usually the scene of mundane school events and basketball games now looked like what he thought a night club might be. The darkness and shadows, the strobe lights and disco ball littering streaks of colour around the room, the music thumping so hard he could feel it pulsing through his feet. The gym looked cool, but school dances weren't really his scene. He pulled up his jacket sleeve and looked at his watch. Only one hour forty-two minutes left until it was over. He sighed and leaned against a table watching the dancing pattern of lights on the wall that had started to mesmerize him.
A distinct tap on the back of his shoulder pulled him out of his trance. There she was - a mess of blonde hair, a mischievous smile and a shimmery copper dress he was sure wasn't up to school code for being scandalously short. It could only be one woman.
"Temari. What do you want? To lodge a list of complaints of what isn't right?"
Temari smiled and crossed her arms in defiance. "I've saved my list for later, and besides that's no way to greet a lady."
"Is there a lady here? I must have missed her," he countered. That was the way it was with them. She insulted him, he insulted her. It had become their thing over the past year.
She raised her eyebrow. "Stop being a smart ass and come dance with me." She grabbed his hand and dragged him out onto the dance floor. The gym was packed at their first interschool dance, and there was barely any room to maneuver. The upbeat tempo suddenly changed, and a slow song came on. She pulled him towards a less crowded corner.
Shikamaru looked at her nervously and cautiously wrapped his arms around her waist. He had never been in such an intimate position with her before. Temari on the other hand looked perfectly content as she reached up and wrapped her hands gently behind his neck. He pulled her in close and they started to sway to the slow beat.
He cleared his throat. "Well, this is a surprise. What is the class president of Suna High doing in this compromised position with the enemy?"
"Slumming it, apparently," she replied quickly. She looked at the crowded room, packed with students from both of their schools. "The event is a big success, isn't it? But I have to say, I think the Suna student council really put this over the top."
"You would say that. But I'll remind you that this dance is being held at Konoha High. It is a nicer facility after all."
"It's just closer to transit. That's all it has going for it. But I'll give it to you, Nara; I didn't expect much with you as class president, but it does seem like you did a good job here."
"Wow, rare praise. I don't know if I can handle it, I might die from shock. Don't you ever get tired trying to prove that Suna High is better?"
"Well, it is better. That's just a fact and I like to be the best at all things."
He spun her around so that a stream of moonlight shone down on her. Her eye colour appeared to change from a forest green to a stunning jade with flecks of gold in it. He had never seen her looking so beautiful. "So you asked me to dance, was this your way of thanking me for a job well done?"
She pressed her red-stained lips together and broke out into a mischievous smile. "Well yes and no. I mean yes, I will give you the compliment in that the dance is well organized. But I may have an ulterior motive in asking you to dance with me," she stated, a nervous look crossing her face.
Their relationship over the year was filled with endless banter and competition. She had this relentless need to be on top, and it frustrated her to no end when he occasionally got the better of her. He had to admit though that he had come to enjoy it. Something was different tonight, though. The way she had sought him out, the way they were dancing so closely – it wasn't their usual rapport.
Temari tilted her head up and gazed straight up into his eyes. "Shikamaru, I want –"
"Yes?" he whispered softly.
"I want you to set me up."
His entire body stiffened. "What?"
"You heard me, genius. I was hoping that you could set me up on a date."
Shikamaru dropped his hands from around her waist and stepped back slightly. "With who?"
Temari got a dreamy look on her face as she smiled. She scanned the room, stopping when she reached the refreshment table. Her eyes lit up in excitement. "Him."
Shikamaru followed her gaze until he found the object of her affection standing there.
"No. Not that idiot."
"What are you talking about? He's got the highest grade point average at Konoha High. He even edged out Sakura Haruno!"
"He's not all that," Shikamaru grumbled.
"Well, that's for me to decide, not you. I don't exactly trust your taste after all."
Shikamaru sighed. Sasuke Uchiha. He was currently surrounded by Ino and Sakura who were giggling away at every little thing he said. It was bad enough that all the girls at Konoha High were chasing after him, now the girls from Suna High were too? Temari in particular?
"Why do you want to date that jerk, and why do you think I can help you do this anyways?"
Temari smoothed his collar and resumed the dancing position by putting her hands behind his neck lightly. Slowly, he returned his hands to the small of her back.
"I try my best in everything I do; I want the best for myself, and he is the best. He's the best in academics, the best in sports, and not to mention..." She gave a little grin. "He's not hard on the eyes either."
Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "I didn't think you were so shallow."
She punched his arm. "I'm not shallow, how dare you say that. You're just jealous of him that's all. I know that all the girls in this school are dying to date him. If he was a jerk, that wouldn't be the case, would it?"
"I don't know. I've seen girls chase after him, but I haven't seen him interested in anyone to be honest."
"Well, that's just because he hasn't met me yet. And that's where you come in."
"Oh, come on. Why do you need my help? You're as subtle as a freight truck. Just come in and mow him over in your usual delicate style."
"I'm smart enough to know how to use advantages when I have them. I've seen you two talk. He respects you. I don't know why, but he does," she joked.
Shikamaru looked at her puzzled. "Well I don't see it, but if you say so." He considered the spitfire standing in front of him. "So why should I make this easy for you? You've done nothing but make my life an ever-living hell this year."
"I beg your pardon. It's not my fault you joined the student council. Why did you anyways?"
"I didn't want to," Shikamaru sighed. "I got pushed into it by my mother, and I figured it didn't sound like a lot of work and would look good for college applications. I didn't realize I'd have some psycho rival school president who had the need to turn everything into a competition."
"Aaah….but it made your life a bit fun, didn't it?"
"Maybe," Shikamaru smiled. "Well if I do you this favour, what's in it for me?"
"What's in it for you?" Temari repeated. "You have the satisfaction of helping out a friend."
"Friend?! Oh, are we friends now? I thought we were eternal rivals?"
"Shut up. How about I'll owe you one. I mean, that alone is worth its weight in gold."
"Hmmm…Temari, class president of Suna High will owe me one," Shikamaru smirked. "I can't help but like the sound of that. But, I'm not going to make this so simple."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you always say you're up for a challenge. If you want this date with Sasuke, I think you need to meet a little challenge of my making."
"Are you kidding? You want to challenge me?" Temari smiled and straightened her dress. "You're on. I know I can beat you in whatever contest you have dreamt up for us."
"It's not a contest this time. It's something you'll have to solve. A puzzle, if you will."
"A puzzle?" Temari's eyes went wild with excitement. Just what was this pineapple-haired boy up to? She liked a good challenge, and she knew that if she kept her wits about her, she could figure anything out. Even a puzzle from genius boy here.
"If you think I'll chicken out because this is coming from you, you're wrong. Challenge accepted."
"Perfect. Check your email tomorrow. The puzzle will be there. It won't be easy so good luck."
"Thank you, but I won't need it. I make my own luck."
"Well if that's the case, there's nothing more to talk about. How about we get back to this dance."
Temari just smiled in agreement. She lightly lay her head on Shikamaru's shoulder, holding him close, swaying to the beat of the music.
Temari's phone started beeping promptly at 8 am. She fumbled around tapping her bedside table looking for the annoying device. Why did she think it was a bright idea to set an alarm the night after a big dance? She had gotten home late after going to get some food with some girlfriends and bragged to them that she had a date with Sasuke Uchiha in the bag. All she had to do was solve a piddly little puzzle.
A puzzle created by a genius named Shikamaru Nara.
Temari shook her head at her overconfidence. She never let on, but she was in total awe of her rival's intelligence. He always looked so disinterested, but when it came down to it, he could pick apart debates with ease; find the holes in other people's defense and see the one little thing most would overlook. It had taken her all to keep him somewhat in check this past year. She had scoffed at his challenge of a puzzle, but it was worrying; she might not be able to solve it at all.
But she was not one to give up. She'd definitely give it her all. Besides, even if she couldn't solve it, Shikamaru didn't seem the type to mention the whole Sasuke situation to his friends. Ugh, she had already dug that grave herself with her own friends.
She opened her email on her phone to six new messages. Spam, some school stuff, and the promised email from Shikamaru Nara.
Hey Troublesome,
If you haven't come to your senses and still want to date that pretty boy, then I suppose I better follow through with my end of the deal. Here is a riddle for you, Princess:
Crisp winds blew and stadium lights shone
the enemy was not as they seemed
White flags of surrender would never be shown
when she was on the scene
Playing for gold was not the true goal
her heart lay in the stars
Evidence, memories, photos captured
Yet she was seeking something afar
Find the record where these events intertwine - happiness, victory and woe
In that, and only in that - you will find the information that I do owe.
Shikamaru
Temari read the email three times over. What was this? A riddle? It was unlike any riddle she had ever seen before. She rubbed her eyes and read it a fourth time. It was just like him to make something that was supposed to be such a simple task like getting a phone number absolutely infuriating.
She kept reading it over and over, but it was not becoming clearer, so she wondered if perhaps going outside for a walk and getting some fresh air would help her figure it out. She took a shower, put on a light spring dress, and headed out the door with the riddle jotted on a piece of paper. Before long she was walking the main streets of Konoha. She opened the note.
Crisp winds blew and stadium lights shone, the enemy was not as they seemed.
Crisp winds. That seemed like a reference to autumn when the school year began. Stadium lights, though? There was only one main stadium in Konoha so she headed down a side street towards it. The stadium was big and typically only used for large sports events or concerts. The last time she had been there was during the big football game between Konoha High and Suna High in the fall for Homecoming. It had been just her luck that her ticket had her seated right on the dividing line between the fans of both high schools. Come to think of it, it was actually the first time she had formally met Shikamaru.
"Go Suna!" Temari hollered loudly, holding up her school scarf as a banner.
"I don't think people in the next town heard you. Maybe you should yell louder,"
Temari turned around to see him sitting there. Shikamaru Nara. She had seen him at various events over the past few years, but she had heard through friends that he was the new student body president for Konoha High. It was a move that surprised her, he didn't seem like the type - he seemed much too laid back for the position. She gave him a haughty smile and turned back around.
"WOOHOOO GO SUNAAAAAA!" She turned back to him. "Was that better?"
Shikamaru smirked. "Overachiever I see."
"You know it." She sat back down on her seat beside him. "Why aren't you cheering your team on? Isn't bolstering school spirit part of your job description?"
He stared her straight in the eyes. "That's not really my thing." He looked over at his friends who were jumping up and down at an interception play that just occurred. "Besides, these guys don't exactly need encouragement to act like idiots."
Temari wrapped her scarf back around her neck to protect herself from the cold wind. The boy beside her was not at all what she had expected. He wasn't exactly outgoing, but he wasn't shy either. He gave off a disinterested vibe, but he was watching the field so closely.
"So exactly what is 'your' thing?" Temari asked.
Shikamaru stretched his legs out in front of him and looked out onto the action on the field. "Your defensive line keeps leaving a pocket open over there," he gestured. "They never have a man there. If our players passed back and then freed up a man to that area, they can't lose. It's a straight line to the goal. Although, if your team puts your No. 7 player there, it's a good counter. He's fast and seems to scan all directions well."
Temari watched the next play, and Suna's defense left a hole exactly as Shikamaru had described. It appeared he wasn't into the hype and revelry of their schools' first game, but more the strategy of it all.
"I see," Temari answered. "Well it's a good thing you're up here, and not down near the coaches. I wouldn't want your secrets getting out."
He smiled. "That's probably for the best - for more reasons than one."
Temari blushed. She cleared her throat and held out her hand. "Well, since we are probably going to be running into each other a lot this year, let me properly introduce myself. My name is Temari. Student Body President of -"
"-Suna High. I know." He smiled and shook her hand. "I'm Shikamaru."
Temari's eyes lit up as she reread the first line of the riddle. Crisp winds blew and stadium lights shone, the enemy was not as they seemed. Yes, that was it. Shikamaru must have been referring to the first time they met. Their schools were rivals, enemies if you will, but talking to each other in the stands that day, they probably were both not as they first appeared. Hungrily, her eyes went down to the next line of the riddle.
White flags of surrender would never be shown when she was on the scene.
Her school had never conceded a sports match to Konoha High. It couldn't be that. What else could he be referring to? Temari left the stadium site and kept walking down the road. She turned down the main street, walking past the city hall, and on towards the courthouses. It had been a long time since she had been in this area of town. The flags of the city, state, and country were billowing in the wind. She stopped dead in her tracks.
Flags. White Flags. Country Flags. Model UN! He must be referring to Model UN! This was where they had the intercity Model UN meet, and her mind whizzed back to winter at the memory. The meet had turned out to be a really amazing day.
Temari slammed her fist down on the table. "That's unacceptable. If that's your position, our only means of action is to go to war!"
"Well then, unless you want countless deaths on your watch, I suggest you get your white flag ready; that's your only choice," the Ame High student countered.
"But a war will result in deaths on both sides. Don't you want to stop that? It doesn't need to go that far."
"A calculated loss. It will be worth it to our nation in the end."
Temari pulled her chair back from her desk and turned to her team. "I need a break. I'm going to get some water." She walked towards the back of the room to the refreshment table. Shikamaru was standing there, leaning against the wall. He picked up a cold bottle of water from the table and handed it to her.
"Tough room?"
"When you are working with jerks who don't care about killing people - yes."
Temari took a long sip of water and opened the top button of her shirt. She sighed. Shikamaru, had a blazer with his country's name pinned under his own. Tuvalu; the world's fourth smallest country, and one that was apparently sinking into the ocean a little bit each year.
"Why on earth did your team pick Tuvalu of all countries? You could have picked a geopolitical superpower with your schools ranking over the year. Or is this your way of ducking out of real work?"
Shikamaru shrugged. "I thought this might be more interesting. Having a top five country doesn't mean automatically coming out ahead."
"I know, but when your country has few resources, and little to no influence on international partners, it's a challenge."
"But that's the fun in this, isn't it? It'd be boring if it were too easy," he replied, raising an eyebrow. "Sometimes, it's more fun to make unexpected alliances."
Temari crossed her arms curiously. "And what benefit would I get from having an alliance with a little country like Tuvalu?"
"Oh, I don't know...Tuvalu often gets overlooked, but it's in a very strategic location, wouldn't you agree? Especially given the situation at hand. It's often forgotten that it once was used as a secret naval base, and military presence in an overlooked but critical geographic location might sound valuable to you after all?"
Her eyes lit up. "That's true! But what's in it for you? If we are successful, the win will go to Suna's team. That doesn't really help your school."
"Yeah, well, winning isn't everything. Let's just say I agree on your take of not having innocent people getting killed if it can be avoided. With this alliance, and utilizing Tuvalu's base, I think we could keep a war from ever even breaking out."
"It's a deal then," Temari looked up at Shikamaru. "I guess you're not being lazy after all. And...I wouldn't mind wiping the smirk off that Ame student's face."
They tapped bottles. "Let's go and mess with them."
Temari looked at the puzzle, excited. Yes, that memory matched exactly what Shikamaru had written in the riddle. What was this boy doing here? How was he going to pull this all together? Eagerly, her eyes dropped to the next line.
Playing for gold was not the true goal, her heart lay in the stars.
Now that she knew what Shikamaru was doing, it was a bit easier to figure these out now. She started racing down the street towards the track that she knew so well. Playing for gold could only be one thing. She had trained so hard for it all year - the city-wide track and field meet. She was a favourite for the gold in sprinting, but the day had ended up going so horribly. For so many reasons.
The sky darkened quickly as all the teams were packing up to go. Temari remained on the bench at the side of the track, her leg elevated with an ice pack on it. Her brothers would be there any minute to pick her up. She couldn't drive or walk in this condition.
"Dammit," she muttered as she wiped the tears from her eyes. As much as she had tried to keep her composure all day, she just couldn't anymore. Not today. Tears started streaming freely down her face.
She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder, looking up to see the dark brown eyes of the boy she kept crossing paths with. He set down his sports bag next to her and handed her a tissue.
"Temari? You look like you're in a lot of pain. Let me take you home or to a doctor or something. I'm worried about you."
"I'm fine," Temari choked out.
Shikamaru looked at her leg that appeared to be swelling up badly. "I get it. You're tough. Come on though, I can give you a ride. Your leg sure doesn't look good."
"I mean...I'm in pain, but it's not that. It's just-" Temari stopped abruptly.
"It's just what?"
"I failed. I failed at something I worked so, so hard for, and I don't fail. I don't! This is a result of me being stupid. I didn't stretch properly. I know I have to stretch properly and I didn't. And I lost it all because I made such a cocky error. And now the year is over, and it was all for nothing, and -"
Shikamaru kneeled in front of her and held her shoulders. "Temari, you've got to calm down. You got injured. It could have happened to anyone. It happens to Olympians even. Sometimes things just don't go right."
Temari tried to blink back the tears. "Those are just excuses. I have no excuse for this. This is all my fault."
"Stop, Temari. Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why do you push yourself so damn hard all the time. Nobody is perfect, even though you seem to push yourself to the ends of the earth to prove that you are. Why do you do that?"
She wiped a tear from her eye. "Because she was. She was perfect."
"Who was?" he asked, now kneeling in front of her. The sky had gone dark, only the stadium lights were shining in the distance.
"My mom."
The look on her face, her use of past tense; it was apparent that her mother was no longer with her.
"How can you possibly think that you're a failure? You're pretty much the most accomplished person I know, and not winning gold at one silly track meet isn't going to change that."
She sniffed back the tears and stared up into the night. "I just want her to be proud of me. It's the anniversary of her passing, and I just thought—I don't know, it's stupid, but I feel like she was watching me today. I wanted to win for her, and to look to the stars and show her that her daughter accomplished something."
Shikamaru sat beside her and said nothing. They both stared up into the immense dark sky littered with stars. He could feel Temari start to breathe slower and easier.
"Temari. I have absolutely no doubt that your mom is proud of you whether you win or lose. You don't have to be a certain way…you just have to be you. That's enough. That's always been enough."
Temari clutched the riddle close to her heart. He had captured that moment – Her heart lay in the stars. That was such a hard, horrible, and at the same time beautiful day. She didn't expect this riddle to bring up so many emotions for her. She thought this would just be a fun puzzle to figure out, but there was so much more to this, she realized, as she read over the final lines of the poem.
Evidence, memories, photos captured
Yet she was seeking something afar
Find the record where these events intertwine - happiness, victory and woe
In that, and only in that - you will find the information that I do owe.
Evidence, memories and photos were captured. They were all so specific—the football game, the UN Meet, the track meet—but was there a place where they came together in one record? Her mind was racing, but it kept coming back to one idea.
It was a long shot.
She quickly headed down a side street to a place she had come to know better over the past year. Would the building even be open? She tentatively put her hand on the handle and pressed her thumb down over the lever. The door engaged, and the door opened.
Temari peered down the hall. The school looked like a ghost town, the halls dark and empty. She probably shouldn't be there, it was probably trespassing, but she just had a lingering feeling that this was the right place.
She walked to the front foyer of the school where the trophy case and class photos were shown. At the top of the wall were the pictures of all the members of the student council. She glanced at the smiling faces of strangers and a few people she did know. Sakura Haruno was up there, and Ino Yamanaka. Neji Hyuga graced the walls as well. The first frame in the line of photos was the reluctant student body president – Shikamaru Nara. She smiled at his photo. Even though he looked annoyed, he looked cute at the same time.
She stepped up to her goal. It was a table that held the book she was looking for. The book of memories; the Konoha High yearbook. She carefully took the book off its stand and started flipping through the pages. It appeared that some of the pages had small slips of paper put at the top of them, so she flipped it open to the first tab in the book.
It was the homecoming football game from that fall. The picture showed the crowd cheering for the teams, all painted up in their school colours. The photo surprised her because she did not think she'd see any pictures of her in another school's yearbook. She looked closer and beside her in the photo was Shikamaru, it looked like the two of them were in deep discussion. Their bodies were turned towards each other, as though they had known one another for years. They both looked happy to be speaking with each other, wrapped up in their autumn school scarves.
The next tab opened up to show photos of the Model UN meet. Most of the photos were of Konoha's team, but again she was featured in one photo, caught up in a heated debate with the Ame High school member. The photo captured Shikamaru smiling in her direction in the background, the look on his face one she had never noticed before. His eyes were so focused on her, and he was looking at her with – what was it? Admiration? How had she never noticed until now? Had she been so solely focused on winning that she'd never realized?
The last tab opened up to a blank page. There was a piece of paper taped inside and folded. She detached the tape from the book and gently unfolded the paper to reveal a picture. It was her and Shikamaru dancing last night. Her arms were wrapped around his neck, his arms tightly around her waist. They were gazing at each other and smiling. They were looking at each other like they were the only two people in the room. The photo took her breath away. At the bottom of the picture were written two words.
"You won," she said aloud as she traced the words with her finger.
Her hand trembled as she looked down at the words so carefully written. She had figured out the puzzle, but it was so much more than that, wasn't it?
Yet she was seeking something from afar.
Those words in the riddle felt like a dagger now. All year the two of them had been playing this game with each other. The cat and mouse, the flirting, the teasing, the competition, the words of encouragement, the tears, the laughter. How had she not seen what was in front of her all along? Had this been another way of avoiding her feelings and throwing herself into whatever task that was in front of her?
He had put together this whole riddle of her rediscovering all the special memories they shared together, knowing that her end goal was to date another guy; a guy she didn't even really know. If the tables had been turned, would she have done the same for him?
No. She wouldn't have.
If she was reading this right, he had put all his cards out on the table, and if she was really being honest with herself, he really had been doing so all along. She was the one that had kept the blinders on.
She stared at the photo of them dancing again. Just who was Shikamaru Nara to her? On paper, he was just a student at another school. The truth was he really had become so much more to her. She never let him know, but she had always found him attractive. Even more infuriating was the fact that he didn't seem to realize he was at all. But, looks aside, there was so much more to him. He didn't converse just waiting for his chance to speak, he always really listened to her. He was funny in his own sarcastic way. He was supportive, always trying to help where he could. He was a good friend. But was he more than that? The excitement she felt every time she saw him, the way she sought him out. She smiled to herself – there was really no good reason to have this interschool dance other than the fact she thought it would be fun to work on it with him, not that she'd ever tell him that.
Temari traced the two words he had written on the bottom of the sheet again. She won, but would he even be interested in her after her confession of wanting to date another guy? The idea seemed absurd to her now.
"You figured it out," a voice behind her called.
She turned around to see Shikamaru standing behind her. Clad casually in jeans and a green t-shirt, he stood a few feet away in the shadows. He had a sad, somewhat defeated look on his face. It was a look she had not seen on him before, and it was making her heart race with anxiety. Normally they would start their usual back and forth, but in this moment, it was different. There was silence.
He shifted his hand and pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. "I have something for you," he said walking toward her.
"Shikamaru, I–"
" –Here. You figured it out, so fair is fair."
Trembling, she took the folded piece of paper from him, opening it up to see Sasuke's name and phone number written there.
She crumpled it and dropped it on the floor. "You're right, I finally figured it out." She reached and grabbed his t-shirt in her hands, pulling him close, and gave him a soft kiss on his lips. He had shown her who her memories were filled with, and it turned out she didn't want to change the main character. Not for a second.
He smiled and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her back. He leaned his forehead against hers.
She smiled and looked up at him. "I knew it was you all along."