Title: The Pretty Substitute's Secret
Author: BlackSMILES
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but I own the plot of this fic!
I am rewriting this in hope of improving the plot of the story. I like this story quite a lot so I want it to be more complex and deep and better. Watch me try. :)
Prologue
The cinema was buzzing with excited mutterings and huddled whisperings from the audience. Haruno Sakura scanned the dimmed cinema with her brilliant emerald orbs. The movie theater was filled with no empty seats. "As expected from the famous Yamanaka Ino," she muttered inaudibly.
Glancing at her ticket, Sakura walked into the dark room and found her seat easily. Slowly, she smoothed down her dress and settled down into a velvet red seat. The cinema dimmed completely, a sign that the movie would be starting soon.
Sakura was looking forward to the premiere of this movie. "Summer Holidays" was Ino's debut chick flick with a sensual scene, an indication to the entertainment world that Ino was no longer a child actress, but a full-fledged mature one. That movie was also Sakura's debut, her first job taken as Ino's stand-in for racy scenes.
The movie was running smoothly with a few giggles and 'oohs' and 'aahs' from the audiences. Sakura smiled. The climax would be coming soon. A rendezvous with a handsome young heir in the onsen of his Japanese ryokan, that was the scene Sakura had to act out.
The scene came quickly. Sakura stared at the large screen in front of her. The blonde woman in it was branding fiery kisses on another man's neck. Her creamy shoulders were exposed and steam from the hot spring made her back damp, sticking strands of blonde hair seductively across her bare back. The man kissed back with equal passion.
"The famous Yamanaka Ino! Looking at her made me aroused already. She did mature very well. If only I could get a chick like her," the man sitting beside Sakura whispered, the lust in his voice evident. Sakura did not bother to suppress the frown that was instantly etched on her face after the middle aged man made that lewd comment. She was in a pitch-dark cinema. No one could see her anyway. She glanced sideways to the potbellied male beside her and grimaced.
She was relieved that the man would never know the 'Ino' he was fantasizing about was actually her.
The credits started rolling and Haruno Sakura did not even bother looking for her name. To everyone else, Ino was a great actress who always did her own scenes like a professional. Ino was great. Ino was sexy. It was always about Ino. No stand-ins, Ino and her manager claimed.
Yeah, right.
Yamanaka Ino, a young star who was rapidly rising in the entertainment industry, was also the dream woman of every male who produces testosterone. Ino was someone Sakura could never reach. Sakura was just a mere stand-in for Ino, someone who did Ino's steamy scenes. She was nobody.
Everyone left the cinema soon after the credits were shown and went to the outdoor reception that was prepared for them. Waiters and waitresses decked in smart uniforms were hoisting trays of various wines, miniature cakes and prawn cocktails.
Sakura glanced at everyone who was at the premiere. As expected, everyone was dressed to the nines. The females were in branded frocks and the men were in tuxedos and matching ties. She glanced at her own dress which was picked up at a second-hand store. She decided she could not fit in well in this whole glitz and glam business. The next time when the director of any movie offers her a ticket, she would not accept it.
Trying to look as relaxed and casual as possible, Sakura swiped a prawn cocktail from a impassive waitress and munched on one of the prawns as delicately as possible. She was enjoying the food. It was of higher quality than whatever she ate usually.
Walking on and reveling at the number of famous faces present, she suddenly stopped in her tracks. Ino was right in front of her. Should she say something? Like why was she here? She had not talked to Yamanaka Ino before. Maybe Ino had no interest in knowing someone like her.
Right then, Ino was talking to three men who were about the same age as Sakura. Sakura recognized them all.They often graced the covers of top female magazines with their alluring looks and perfect toned bodies.
The first one was a red head with a tattoo of kanji 'love' inked on the side of his forehead. He had striking seafoam eyes and one could easily say he was handsome. Sabaku Gaara, son of the actor who was a famous middle-aged actor. His father was fondly known as 'Kazekage', a role in a shinobi movie which made him famous. Gaara was a budding actor, striving to surpass his father.
The second one was Hyuuga Neji. He was equally attractive as Gaara with his pearl-colored eyes, smooth long coffee-colored hair and taut muscular chest which rippled underneath his suit. He was someone not related to the entertainment industry. Sakura knew that he was a heir to a kendo dojo from the newspapers. Neji was famous for being one of Japan's representatives for kendo.
The third one was probably the most striking of them all. He wasUchiha Sasuke. He had navy blue hair and onyx bedroom eyes which could make every woman in the world fall in love with him. He had a broad frame and narrow hips, and his suit made him look good enough to eat. He was the second heir to the Uchiha Entertainment Corporation, which was the biggest entertainment company in Japan. He was also Yamanaka Ino's current boyfriend, or so the paparazzi claimed.
"Eligible rich men with a beautiful woman," Sakura thought to herself. She would not want any similar amount of attention Ino got. Sakura was terribly shy when it came to boys and matters of the heart.
Her heart almost stopped when she saw Ino catch her eyes. Her heart started beating really fast when Ino begun striding to her. What? Ino was going to talk to someone like her? Why? She could do nothing to Ino's career. She might even endanger it. The worse thing was that the three men were also walking towards her. Sakura wanted to hide somewhere, or run away. "Don't come near me," Sakura chanted inwardly as she grimaced when she saw Ino's bright smile her way.
Her discomfort was replaced by a slight disappointment when Ino reached for the prawn cocktail from the same waitress she had encountered before near her. Ino ignored Sakura completely, like she was a stranger.
Sakura sighed in relief. She could not stay disappointed at Ino. She was wearing a blonde wig which concealed her roseate hair and blue contact lenses which covered her emerald orbs when she saw Ino that day to begin her first job as Ino's stand-in. It was no wonder that Ino did not recognize her. The men with Ino ignored Sakura too, adding on her relief. She thought the men would have seen many other girls like her because of their status in this society.
Smiling faintly at everyone she passed, Sakura left the reception and walked briskly to the entrance of the cineplex. It was time to leave. There was no meaning for someone like her to stay. There was no praises for someone like her. She hailed a cab easily and boarded it. Looking out of the cab window, she saw the same potbellied man beside her in the cinema talking to Ino. Ino was all smiles from the praises the man heaped on her. She was practically glowing with pleasure.
Sakura was not complaining that she did not receive credit for her performance. In fact, she was quite content with it. The job as Ino's stand-in paid well enough for the room she rented and for living. That was enough and Sakura was content.
She was not someone who hankered for fame, glory and too much riches, Sakura often told herself. It was not quite possible for someone like her to climb high in the social ladder too. She concluded that it would be best if she did not even have the desire to be famous.
Haruno Sakura, an average eighteen year old girl to most, other than the fact that she was an orphan. Her parents died in a tragic car accident a decade ago. Her paternal uncle and aunt support her by sending a small amount of money to her bank account monthly. Currently, she was working as Ino's stand-in (absolute secret!) and living in a small rented room in a middle-sized living complex.
She received a scholarship for her to study in the most prestigious school in the city she lived in, Konoha. Konoha Gakuen was a school different from the rest. It was a school for teenagers from prestigious families. Sakura knew she would definitely be an outcast, but it was the best school in the city and she wanted the best for herself.
She also knew Yamanaka Ino studied in Konoha Gakuen. It was nothing particularly of concern to Sakura because she already planned to stay in the school as a low profile student and pass the years in school quietly.
"Hurry up! Sakura-chan! You'll be late for school soon!" The landlady hollered from her apartment downstairs. Sakura stayed on the second floor of the complex. The thin and poorly made walls of the aged complex made sounds travel easily through them.
Sakura opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling above her blearily. It was mere seconds later Sakura widened her eyes and sat straight up on her futon.
"GAH! I will be late for the first day of school!" Sakura screamed as she hurriedly got up from her bed, and zoomed into the bathroom, brushing her teeth, combing her hair and changing to her new school uniform.
Her new school uniform had a shirt that was white in color and had a navy blue collar. There was a little red bow in front of the shirt.. The skirt was pleated and had the same color as the collar of the shirt. Sakura did not buy blazer of the school uniform because she could not afford to.
Springtime was cold in Japan. Sakura threw on a white and furry bomber jacket and looked at herself in the mirror. She put on a pair of black-rimmed glasses, hiding her green orbs. She had no money to buy contact lens anyway.
"Go! Sakura-chan!" She told herself, smiling broadly. Konoha Gakuen would be great… right?
Sakura ran down the stairs and wore the designated black shoes for school. The landlady stopped her before she could dash off to school.
"Sakura-chan! There's a treat for you! Only for today" The landlady winked and passed Sakura a bento box filled with her lunch.
"Thank you so much!" Sakura smiled brightly and bowed deeply to show her appreciation before rushing to school on her trusty five-year old bicycle.
Taking a deep breath, Sakura stepped into the school entrance, a little intimidated by the imposing iron school gates decorated with steel roses. She gasped as her bespectacled eyes surveyed the school environment.
Konoha Gakuen was indeed different from other high schools. It was breathtakingly luxurious. The school buildings were made of glass, marble and brand new red bricks which could only be designed by famous world-class architects. An old fountain at the entrance of the school had little weathered angels carved onto the rich marble, adding on to the grandeur of the school. Shiny black limousines dropped students carrying Prada and Gucci bags off the entrance.
Sakura glanced down at the old bicycle just beside her. How she envied those students, born with a silver spoon in their mouths!
Nervously, Sakura smoothed her skirt and checked her shirt for creases when she stood ouside the principal's office. Carefully, she knocked on the door and opened it to let herself in. The room was high-ceilinged with full-length translucent windows at its side, letting the morning sun rays into the room
"Good morning, Principal. I am Haruno Sakura, scholarship recipient attending this school for the first day." Sakura bowed deeply in respect when she entered. First impressions count a lot, especially if she was someone 'poor', as what most students in school might deem her as.
When she looked up, she saw a scene that was totally unprepared for. A drunk principal. Early in a morning.
"Good morning-hic-g. I –hic- am –hic- Tsunade. I'll ask –hic- my student–hic- leader to show you –hic- around. You are in the same –hic- class as him," Tsuande slurred as her head fell onto the table.
"Eh?" Sakura squeaked, as she stood rooted to the ground. What just happened?
A sharp rapping on the door made Sakura turn her head. A handsome boy with a practiced smile plastered on his face entered the room and strode towards Sakura with much grace.
"Sai," the male took her hand and kissed it.
"Eh?!" Sakura retracted her hand quickly and blushed. What just happened again?
"I am the leader of the student body. Welcome to Konoha Gakuen, scholarship student. I should explain. Konoha Gakuen is made in a way only students from higher-class families could afford to enter this school. However if you are a studious commoner, it is possible for you to enter," Sai explained, smiling all the time although his words dripped with sarcasm.
Sakura's eyes narrowed a little when she got what he was trying to hint at.
You are not welcomed here, studious nerd.
She did not like the school already.
A/N: I did not change a lot of things. :/ Just added some stuff. BUT it's longer than the previous prologue by 500 words. It's long enough, I guess.