Strange emo phase

Naruko was nervous and genuinely concerned about the emotional state of her best friend, Sakura. She had been acting strange and depressed since Sasuke broke up with her after two years of dating.

Ino had told Naruko that Sakura sometimes skipped classes at medical school because she missed Sasuke so much. This was unlike Sakura, who was very dedicated to becoming a doctor and rarely missed class unless she was actually sick.

Naruko decided to go and check on Sakura, and try to pull her out of this wave of sadness caused by that idiotic emo, Uchiha. Ino had warned her that Sakura had been acting really strange and different when she visited her last week. Naruko thought Ino was hinting that Sakura was sitting on the couch, eating ice cream, and crying while watching sappy romance movies.

That's what Sakura sometimes did... that's what Naruko saw every time...

But now, standing in front of Sakura's bedroom door, the girl with spiky blonde hair was feeling nervous for some unknown reason. Perhaps it was because Sakura's bedroom door looked kind of different...

There were some skull stickers with pink tops or black stars almost covering it, along with a sign that said "do not enter." Naruko liked cute things like stickers, but Sakura didn't, so it was strange to see those childish things on Sakura's bedroom door.

"She spends most of her time in that room with the lights off," Mebuki said from behind Naruko. "Sakura is really, really depressed about her breakup with Sasuke. I've tried to cheer her up, but nothing works. Maybe you can do something to lift her morbid spirits..."

"Is she really acting that weird? But it's not the first time Sasuke has left her, so what could be different this time?" Naruko asked, gripping the doorknob, which also had a broken-heart sticker on it.

"Oh, how can I explain? You know that emo trend teenagers had back in the 2000s?"

"Oh, yes, I remember."

"Well, Sakura has regressed a few years and is now exactly in that emo style. She spends the whole day listening to what is considered gothic music," Mebuki said, not exactly concerned about the style her daughter Sakura had lately adopted, but more worried about her emotional well-being and her lack of leaving the house.

"Mrs. Haruno, are you telling me that Sakura is going through an emo phase? Even though that has been out of fashion for a long time? Just because she broke up with Sasuke?" Naruko found it a bit funny.

"Go inside and see for yourself," Mebuki said, walking into the kitchen.

Naruko slowly opened Sakura's bedroom door. Everything was dark, with the only source of light coming from purple candles. The once pastel pink walls were now black, the curtains were fully closed, and there were posters of gothic bands all over the walls. It was a mess, with all of Sakura's clothes piled up in one corner.

For a moment, Naruko thought she was in someone else's room. Sakura didn't like these things, and she had always been very tidy and hated mess...

"Sakura?" Naruko noticed Sakura's pink hair thanks to the candlelight, and felt along the wall for the light switch, turning it on.

"Naruko! Don't you dare turn on that damn light!" Sakura exclaimed irritably. When Naruko could finally see Sakura clearly, she understood what Ino and Mebuki had been talking about.

Yes, Sakura had regressed, and now she was going through an emo phase...

Sakura looked like a walking cliché of 2000s emos! One side of her hair was shaved with black cross accessories, she wore a black shirt with a punk Hello Kitty design, transparent gloves with black polka dot details, and a checkerboard pink belt.

Her makeup was smudged – she had probably been crying moments ago – except for the black lipstick that was intact.

Naruko had nothing against emos, but this was definitely not something that would be Sakura's style. She had always been an outgoing and somewhat tomboyish girl, even with Naruko, although Sakura had gradually become nicer to her over time.

Maybe Sakura's breakup had been more difficult – traumatic – than Naruko had imagined...

Or maybe it was just Sakura's obsessive side coming to the surface...