The article hit the morning feeds before Hinata had finished her tea.
"Doctor Sasuke Uchiha's Coffee Date Melts Japan."
The icy surgeon and the shy biotech princess are warming hearts—and possibly each other.
She dropped her phone onto the counter and groaned into her mug.
"Please let the ground swallow me."
Across the kitchen, Hanabi grinned like she'd personally written the headline. "You're trending again, Nee-chan! #HeartDocAndHoney."
"That's… not flattering," Hinata muttered.
"It's adorable! And look—he's smiling in this one!" Hanabi swiped through photos, each worse than the last. Sasuke handing her coffee, Sasuke holding the cafeteria door, Sasuke breathing. Apparently that was enough for the internet to declare national romance.
Her father, Hiashi Hyuuga, appeared in the doorway holding a tablet. "The investors loved it. Uchiha Group's stock jumped, ours followed. I'm meeting with their board this afternoon to discuss joint press coverage."
Hinata blinked. "P-press coverage?"
"Of course," he said serenely. "Your collaboration must look authentic. The world already believes you're together; best not to disappoint them."
Hanabi gave her a thumbs-up. "Congratulations, you're officially half of Japan's favorite couple."
Hinaya buried her face in her hands. "This is a nightmare."
--
At the Uchiha Medical Center, Sasuke was living the same nightmare, only with worse lighting.
"Just read the statement," his mother ordered. Mikoto Uchiha stood in the PR office surrounded by journalists. "Say you and Hinata Hyuuga are exploring collaborative charity initiatives. Smile. Do not insult anyone. Don't mention kidneys."
He straightened his tie. "Mother, I'm a surgeon, not a spokesperson."
"You're whatever the shareholders need you to be," she said sweetly, then turned to the cameras. "He's ready."
He wasn't.
The flashbulbs exploded. Questions flew.
"Doctor Uchiha! How long have you and the Hyuuga Heiress been seeing each other?"
"Is this merger romantic or corporate?"
"Are wedding bells next?"
Sasuke's jaw flexed. "We're… colleagues. Any insinuation otherwise is speculative."
Mikoto shot him a look sharp enough to perform surgery.
"Of course," she said quickly, "colleagues who share an inspiring friendship—and a passion for humanitarian medicine!"
The reporters scribbled furiously.
Sasuke exhaled through his nose. Fantastic. Friendship. Humanity. Kill me now.
Hinata POV
By afternoon she was sitting in the gleaming conference room of Uchiha Corp's headquarters, trying not to shrink under thirty curious stares. Across the table, Sasuke looked like he'd been carved from boredom itself. Between them sat a towering bouquet of apology flowers—courtesy of Mikoto, who had introduced it as "a symbol of budding partnership."
The meeting droned on about clinical trials and cross-branding until Hinata's phone buzzed. Unknown international number.
She glanced down.
It's been a while, Hina.
Tokyo suits you.
— Gaara Sabaku
Her breath caught. Gaara.
Two years hadn't erased his voice from her memory—the calm cadence, the way he'd said her name like it meant something.
She locked the screen quickly, cheeks hot. When she looked up, Sasuke's dark eyes were on her.
"Something wrong?" he asked quietly.
"No," she lied.
He didn't believe her but let it go. "Good. Because our next public appearance is tomorrow."
She blinked. "Our what?"
"Joint interview. Live. Prime-time."
Hinata almost dropped her pen. "L-live!?"
He smirked faintly. "Relax. If you faint, the ratings will be excellent."
Sasuke POV
The next day's studio smelled of coffee, perfume, and impending disaster.
Sasuke tugged at his cufflinks while the host rehearsed introductions.
"Doctor Uchiha," she gushed, "viewers are obsessed with you two! What's the secret to such undeniable chemistry?"
He managed a polite half-smile. "Genetic compatibility, perhaps."
Laughter rippled. Hinata blinked at him in panic. He leaned slightly closer and murmured, "Joke."
"Oh." She forced a smile. "He's… very funny."
The host clasped her hands dramatically. "So, it's true—you are more than colleagues?"
Sasuke opened his mouth, but Hinata beat him to it.
"We're… partners," she said.
The word hung in the air like a dropped scalpel.
"Partners!" the host squealed. "In every sense?"
Hinata's face turned crimson. "I—I mean for the foundation—"
Too late. The audience was already applauding.
Sasuke sighed internally. When he glanced sideways, she mouthed sorry.
For some reason, that made him laugh—quietly, genuinely—the first real laugh in days.
They barely made it out of the studio before the next wave hit.
A sleek black car waited at the curb. The door opened—and a man stepped out, calm, composed, and dangerously elegant in a tailored grey suit.
Gaara Sabaku.
"Hello, Hina," he said in that measured, almost hypnotic tone. "It's good to see you."
Sasuke's brain short-circuited. This must be the ex.
Gaara extended a polite hand toward him. "Doctor Uchiha. I've read your work. Impressive results in pediatric cardiology."
Sasuke shook it, firm enough to break fingers. "Thank you. I hear you're investing in Hyuuga Biotech."
"A modest contribution," Gaara replied smoothly. "I like supporting brilliant women."
The pause that followed could have powered a small war.
Hinata cleared her throat. "Gaara's company collaborates with ours on research in Europe," she explained, voice tight. "He's… an old friend."
"Old?" Gaara smiled. "I prefer 'unfinished business.'"
Before Sasuke could retort, camera flashes erupted again. Reporters swarmed like vultures discovering fresh meat.
"Is this a love triangle, Miss Hinata?"
"Doctor Uchiha, how do you feel about your partner's ex-boyfriend returning?"
Sasuke's jaw clenched. "Delighted," he said dryly. "Every relationship needs audience participation."
Hinata groaned. "You're making it worse."
"I'm aware."
Hinata POV
By the time the security guards scattered the press, she was shaking. Gaara had already slipped back into his car, leaving behind polite chaos. Sasuke stood beside her, coat half-torn by photographers, expression unreadable.
"I'm sorry," she said. "He shouldn't have—"
"It's fine," he cut in. "Next time, warn me if your exes travel by paparazzi."
Her lips twitched despite herself. "You handled it… better than expected."
"That was better?" he said, incredulous.
"You didn't insult anyone's anatomy. Progress."
A reluctant smile touched his mouth. "I'll put it on my résumé."
The tension broke, replaced by something lighter—exhausted amusement, maybe.
She realized then that under the sarcasm and headlines, he was just as overwhelmed as she was.
He opened the car door for her. "Come on. Let's get out of here before someone asks if we're eloping."
She climbed in, heart still racing, not entirely from the cameras.
Sasuke POV
The ride back was silent except for the hum of traffic. Hinata stared out the window, and he—well, he tried not to stare at her.
Every few seconds, his phone buzzed: new headlines, new hashtags, new trouble. He ignored them all.
Finally, she spoke. "You don't have to protect me from them."
He glanced over. "I wasn't."
"Yes, you were," she said softly. "Thank you."
He looked away quickly, pretending to study the city lights. "Don't mention it."
Outside, the billboards along the expressway were already updating, each flashing a photo from that morning's interview: the surgeon and the heiress, smiling like they belonged in the same world.
He exhaled. "This partnership's going to kill me."
From her seat beside him came a quiet laugh. "Then it's a good thing you're a doctor."
--