By the time Sasuke made it home at night, the press had already beaten him there.
Literally.
Flashbulbs burst against the windshield as his black BMW rolled to a stop in front of the Uchiha estate gates. The headlines were already trending:
"Uchiha Heir Meets Hyuuga Heiress—Are Rival Families Making Peace?"
"Love at First Fight? Doctor Uchiha and the Hyuuga Princess Dine Together."
"Doctor Uchiha: From Scandal King to Lover Boy?"
He closed his eyes, leaned his head against the steering wheel, and exhaled through his teeth.
"Fantastic," he muttered. "Mother wins again."
Inside, the manor was quiet—suspiciously quiet. The kind of silence that meant his mother was waiting.
Sure enough, Mikoto sat in the living room with a cup of tea, eyes sharp and satisfied.
Next to her, Fugaku read the newspaper headline with grim amusement.
"See?" Mikoto said sweetly. "You can behave like a civilized man when you try."
"Behave?" Sasuke arched a brow. "You hijacked a dinner, Mother. That's not behavior, that's terrorism."
"Semantics," she said, waving her hand. "You didn't insult her, she didn't faint, no furniture was broken—overall success!"
Fugaku lowered the newspaper. "Hiashi already called," he said mildly. "He's… surprisingly not furious. Just confused."
Sasuke looked skeptical. "Confused?"
"He said," Fugaku quoted, "'If your wife shows up at my house again unannounced, please bring dessert.'"
A pause. "Apparently Mikoto brought wine."
"I always bring wine," Mikoto said defensively. "It opens people's hearts."
"Or arteries," Sasuke muttered.
The next morning, Hinata Hyuuga woke to a phone vibrating non-stop on her nightstand.
Hanabi burst into the room, waving her tablet. "Nee-chan, you're on every news site in Japan!"
Hinata sat up, hair tangled and expression horrified. "W-what!? I didn't—how—"
Hanabi flopped onto the bed, scrolling gleefully. "Look—your picture with Sasuke Uchiha from last night! The press says you two are secretly dating!"
Hinata blinked, mouth open. "Secretly—w-we're not even publicly—what!?"
Hanabi turned the tablet toward her. There it was:
a photo of Hinata handing Sasuke a teacup, his hand brushing hers.
A perfectly timed, perfectly scandalous frame.
Underneath the headline:
"From Feud to Flirtation? Hyuuga Heiress and Uchiha Doctor Set the Internet Ablaze."
Hinata buried her face in her hands. "I c-can't do this…"
Hanabi patted her shoulder, smirking. "Oh, yes you can. You're trending, nee-chan. Hashtag #HinataHealsHearts."
"Wh-what does that even mean!?"
Hanabi grinned wider. "Public loves the quiet girl taming the wild doctor. You're Japan's new favorite rom-com."
By midday, both the Uchiha and Hyuuga PR teams were in emergency meetings.
Uchiha Corp's conference room looked like a war zone—photographers, lawyers, marketers, even an exhausted Naruto slumped at the corner scrolling Twitter.
Sasuke sat at the head of the table, arms crossed. "Delete it. All of it."
"You can't delete the internet, teme," Naruto said, yawning. "You've officially become a meme. People are calling you Heartthrob MD."
Sasuke glared. "That's not funny."
"It kinda is," Naruto grinned. "And the Hyuugas' stock just went up four percent."
Across the room, Mikoto entered like a queen surveying her kingdom. "Gentlemen," she said, "I have a proposal."
Fugaku winced. "Oh no."
She smiled brightly. "We lean into it."
Sasuke turned toward her. "Excuse me?"
"Public perception is everything, darling. You've accidentally created the story of the decade! The stoic surgeon and the sweet heiress—two rival families united by love!" She clasped her hands. "It's practically Shakespeare."
"This is blackmail," Sasuke said flatly.
"It's marketing," Mikoto corrected. "We announce a partnership—charity work, hospital sponsorship, something to frame the photo positively. You and Hinata will appear together for six months. It will calm the media and investors."
Her smile turned sharper. "And maybe teach you how to behave like a human being."
Naruto snorted. "So basically: fake dating. Oh my god, this is genius."
Sasuke shot him a deadly look. "No."
Mikoto ignored him. "Yes."
Across town, Hinata faced a similar ambush.
Her father, Hiashi, folded his hands. "This situation could be… managed. If we play it correctly."
Hinata blinked. "P-play?"
"The photo is already viral," he said calmly. "If we deny it, it will invite more scandal. But if we confirm a cooperative project with the Uchihas—"
"Meaning…?"
"You will be working with Dr. Uchiha for the next few months."
Hinata's jaw dropped. "Wh-what? But—he's—!"
"Rude?" Hanabi offered helpfully. "Arrogant? Handsome?"
"Hanabi," Hiashi warned.
Hinata sighed miserably. "Do I have a choice?"
"Of course," Hiashi said serenely. "You can either collaborate with him or let the tabloids define you as his jilted lover."
Hanabi grinned. "Guess you're going to the hospital tomorrow."
Hinata looked at her reflection—pale, tired, and already doomed.
"Perfect," she whispered. "Just perfect."
Meanwhile, in the office of Uchiha Medical Center, Sasuke's phone buzzed.
The message was from an unknown number.
From: Hinata Hyuuga
Message: "Dr. Uchiha, my father has agreed to the PR arrangement. I'll be at your office tomorrow.
Please… don't say anything unnecessary."
Sasuke smirked. "So she can text first," he muttered.
Then he typed back:
"Understood. I'll try to restrain my natural charm."
There was no reply.
But for the first time in weeks, he found himself smiling—just a little.
--