Her foot steps across the hard pavement sidewalk, was like the sound of a ticking clock, counting down the minutes it took her to get to school. Holding her books lazily in front of her, Sakura enjoyed the morning rays, watching the leaves dance in the wind as she walked by. School was just around the block away from her now, and doing the last step of her routine of the day, she gathering her patience for the next thing she knew would come next.
She stopped in her tracks before the bend turned, knowing full well someone would be walking around the corner as she looked up to stare blankly at them.
She smiled wickedly as he made his usual morning retort, "What's up dike? Standing in the middle of the street? Wow, that's really intelligent of yo-"
Suddenly she spun on her feel, around until she easily threw a back round house kick in the center of his face, causing him to literately spin on his own heel and hit his body against the brick wall beside him.
Once he regained his composure, realizing what had just happened to him yet not knowing how he clutched his nose as he watched her walk calmly away towards the school up ahead. With not a care in the world if he'd come after her or not she walked slowly, mocking him as he did her all these years.
He sniffed the blood back into his nose as he whipped the excess dripping from his nose with his bare arm, still watching her in disbelief. Never in his training was he never prepared for an attack like that. Deciding he'll get answers from her friend Tomoyo later he walked after her, farther behind.
-
"Hey Eriol," A boy with shaggy brown hair called towards his friend, nodding his head in the direction behind him. When Eriol's curious share turned toward the destination the boy, Ryu, continued, "Check this out. Syaoran's walking behind her today. He's usually walking in front of her all high and mighty. Why is he holding his nose like that?" The boy was now beside him; both narrowing their eyes in attempt to see clearer and farther, if possible.
Eriol watched for a brief second before a smirk dawned upon his sly lips and he moved forward to greet his friend and cousin.
"Fuck," Syaoran coughed softly as the boys greeted him.
"Shit man, what happened to you?" Ryu asked, obliviously than any ordinary person would be. Eriol just stared, analyzing his face and wound amusedly. Syaoran glared at the boy and looked down as he finished whipping his red running nose of bodily fluid and tried to prepare to speak, hoping to hell his voice wouldn't hurt either, "She fucking hit me, I don't know how she did it—but she fucking hit me."
"Who?" Ryu asked.
"Sakura." Both Syaoran and Ryu stared at Eriol suddenly, Syaoran holding his sleeve against his bloody nose. There was a silence as the confused boys waited for Eriol to continue; since he became the psychic of the group long ago he usually continues his stories. But Eriol kept staring at Syaoran, amusement written all over his face.
Syaoran, getting a little edgy under his intimidating stare nodded softly for a moment, then continued shakily as he eyed Eriol again, "Yeah…"
He left Eriol behind as he continued for the school, Ryu following suit, still confused. Eriol smiled to nothing in particular as he stood still, transfixed. Ironically blinking just as the bell rang, he turned and headed for class.
-
Without showing emotion, Sakura noticed Syaoran, who came back from the nurse office and a Band-Aid stuck to his nose, staring at her as he sat behind her.
"Hello Sakura!" Tomoyo greeted her as she sat down beside her.
"Good morning Tomoyo." Sakura greeted back, ignoring the boy staring at her from behind.
Beside Syaoran, Eriol sat firmly in his seat waiting patiently for their teacher to enter, until an idea struck him.
"Hey Syaoran," He leaned over to get in whisper range. "I'll volunteer to take the attendance to the office; you ask to go to the bathroom and meet me at the bathroom."
"Why?" Syaoran skeptically eyed Eriol, noticing his behavior has been different since he saw his injury.
"I have something I want to discuss."
Before Syaoran could pry further their teacher announced for silence as he entered to start the day off with English.
-
"What the hell do you want to discuss? This had better be good, I'm not looking forward to detention with Stinky Stan," With that, Syaoran made a disgusted face, gaining a tinge of pain in his nose from the movement.
"I just found it really interesting you let a girl hit you Syaoran, especially Sakura," Before he could finish his taunting Syaoran groaned in annoyance as he threw his head back, "Don't fucking tell me you're risking my possibilities to get stuck with Stinky Stan in detention over this shit. Please Eriol; it's not even worth it."
"Oh I believe it is my dear cousin. All of us have never seen Sakura do such a move before in her life, how do you think that could be?"
Syaoran stared dumbly at his loser cousin and decided not to bother answering.
"She may have done martial arts when younger, and even still to this day, how else could she beat you in combat?"
"Combat? She took a cheap shot; of course she'd beat me! Do you even realize, for a smart-alec like you, that this conversation is useless?"
Suddenly there were footsteps coming around the corner and Eriol, thinking rationally and knowing it was the principal patrolling the halls, pushed Syaoran in the closest room to his reach. Soon, they found themselves in a dark room until Eriol comically turned the light on with a playful smile, not even caring they could get caught still. Syaoran knew this side of Eriol personally; he was a prankster at heart.
"Maybe so, but I find it much more fascinating to make things interesting."
"What the hell are you getting at?" Syaoran was sure he would strangle his best friend and leave him here in this room if it weren't for the principal still outside the door to hear his pathetic pleas for release.
"I know you make it one of your hobbies to bully her, why not try and solve this mystery."
"Do you have any reasonable morals in life besides trying to manipulate others with your stupid philosophies and personal reasoning?"
Eriol chuckled and held his cousin by the shoulders as he tried not to laugh; his giddy mood getting the better of him, "I've realized this a long time ago," he put his finger to his lips thoughtfully, ignoring Syaoran's comment, "Sakura is rather a fine girl, very lovely if you search deep down. I mean, you barely know the girl and yet you harass her constantly whenever the chance given. She's never shown any sign of defense until this morning, it just so happens she pulls a stunt like that that makes us wonder how."
Syaoran made a funny face at his friend, staring at him as if he's seen a ghost, "Are you on drugs?"
Eriol went into hysterical fits of giggles as he held onto Syaoran harder, trying to regain his composure, "No, seriously are you on drugs Eriol? Because you aren't making any fucking sense at all and you've pulled me out of class to torment me in the dark closet of the school."
Eriol breathed back another fit of laughter as he looked Syaoran in the eye, "What I'm trying to say is, try being nice to her, get to know her. I know you secretly want to know how she did it. Ask her out; anything. Try anything, just to find out what her story is." Still holding his squared shoulders Eriol watched Syaoran's eyes glaze over with understanding, and possibly also that want to figure the mysterious girl out.
After a long silence Syaoran finally growled out a low, "No, I don't."
They stared at each other until a massive light engulfed them from the side and tried to cover their eyes from the brightness. Soon their eyes adjusted to the light as soon as they heard a low, rough, older mans voice rumble in towards them, "Hello gentlemen, I do believe you've hid your way into detention."
-
Sitting miserably at his desk, Syaoran burned with anger as he thought of ways to murder his impossible cousin as he sat in detention. Eriol seated two seats away from him sat comfortably as he imagined the seething anger his dear little cousin would imply on him later, smiling giddily to himself in confinement. As well, Stinky Stan sat in the front of the room lovingly picking his nose in which made Syaoran's face twist in utter disgust.
-
"Sheesh, that's got to be the fifth time this month those two have gotten into detention," Tomoyo said as she measured Sakura, who stood on Tomoyo's stool in her very large and expensive room. "I have to feel somewhat sorry for them though, having to sit in that room with Stinky Stan all the time."
Sakura stayed silent as she waited for Tomoyo to finish her dreadful routine of measurements. She moved away quickly when Tomoyo shoved the ruler along her back leg, feeling mighty uncomfortable to the touch.
"Really Sakura, do stand still!"
"I'm sorry Tomoyo dear, but I've already told you I can't be long," She made her way towards the door, having to softly push Tomoyo's itching designer hands away as she went.
"I don't want you to go yet! I've got something in my closet I've worked very hard on for the passed two months," Tomoyo made her way towards the long walk in closet, apparently knowing where it was exactly in the narrow hallway. Sakura raised her thin eyebrows in disbelief, "Wow." That was a long time for Tomoyo to be working on something; it only took her two days to think up and create. Her finished products always turned outstandingly amazing in the end, it was obliviously astonishing to anyone who witnessed her artwork.
"I wonder how you're wonderful work turns out when you work on it for so long, did you have dressing block?" Sakura's sarcastic humor reached Tomoyo's ears and a frown twisted her smile.
"Oh do be nice, please. I think this is one of my very best best's. I made it for your job."
Sakura's smirk vanished and she sighed, "Do you have to keep calling it a simple 'job'?"
She heard Tomoyo's giddy giggle from the inside of the closet, sounding awfully far away, but to her surprise Tomoyo appeared in front of her with her latest 'best'. Sakura was mesmerized by the outfit.
A simple black leather jacket, with a plain tank top to go underneath, yet Tomoyo's company signature was on the tag and it was embroidered with a lovely black bow to the side on the strap. There was hardly any pants, nor shorts; Sakura liked to think of it as underwear, also black. Her leather boots would cling to her legs like a second layer of skin and crawled up her long legs until they were a foot away from the underwear. Thankfully, to Sakura's relief, the black leather jacket roped around her until it stopped just before her knees, covering her skin completely, until she striped the jacket of course.
Sakura cocked an eyebrow in amusement and liking.
"I thought you'd like something a little sexy, sassy and sneaky for your next night of…fun." Tomoyo said bashfully as she watched Sakura's smirk grow in satisfaction.
"You are just simply too kind, Tomoyo. I'm going to have to give you the paycheck I'll be receiving tonight."
Tomoyo shoved her out of her door in dismissal, secretly hoping yet again her best friend would come home safely.
-
The next day Syaoran walked down the halls of the school during lunch, trying to find that hopeless Eriol in attempt to kick his ass. The scheming bastard took off and ran out of sight after detention that Syaoran didn't have time to react.
Stepping outside the suns rays blinded him as if being caught in the act and surrounded by cops and their bright police car lights. After his eyes adjusted a bit he caught sight of two female figures sitting under a tree far off beyond the field eating lunch peacefully. He noticed, after squinting a few times, it was Sakura and her friend Tomoyo chatting away like any other normal teenaged girls. Though something was knocking on his memory door and then his mind ticked. He thought of what Eriol had said earlier the day before, about trying to figure out this mysterious girl and knowing her true plots in life. It actually wouldn't hurt to try something new, he thought.
-
"Oh dear," Tomoyo said when Sakura took a small graceful bite of her sandwich, staring at the boy heading their way. Sakura followed her worried gaze and saw Syaoran walking towards them and went back to eating her sandwich as if he were an unimportant insect.
"What are you fussing about, Tomo. The boy's a loser who isn't even worth worrying about. Leave it be, he'll get bored soon if you ignore him long enough." She said as if he was always making fun of Tomoyo instead of her.
"Oh but Sakura, it bugs me that he picks on you." Tomoyo, with her easily caring heart never could stand the harassment Sakura went under, no matter how much it didn't affect her in the slightest. Sakura just shrugged and smiled when she heard his footsteps were actually in ear range now until he was standing beside them.
He smiled politely at Tomoyo who nodded appreciatively at him in response. Then he looked at Sakura who was only interested in her sandwich.
"May I sit with you guys?" He asked, so politely it was eerie. He earned a raised brow from Tomoyo who still held a polite smile and no response from Sakura, predictably, who still ignored him. Still unsure what their answer was he sat down all the same, closer to Sakura then of Tomoyo, yet still fairly away.
"Have you had lunch Li?" Tomoyo asked him, ready to grab something out of her picnic basket, always having something extra from their everyday meal.
"No I haven't but my stomach can only handle so much. I've had a large breakfast so I'm good for another few hours. Thank you anyways Daidouji." He patted his stomach to show his promised evidence. He looked to Sakura and opened his mouth again.
"I came here so I could chat for a little while but first may I ask have you seen Hirigisawa anywhere?" He said more to Tomoyo, knowing he wouldn't get an answer from silent Sakura.
Tomoyo shook her head, "No I haven't, is he missing?" She asked worried, a hint of a blush on her pale cheeks. Syaoran just shrugged unconcerned.
"Nah, just looking for the damn scoundrel. I just owe him a knuckle sandwich and he's hiding like a pathetic fool." He said, staring at the ground, and sounding as if this were normal. Tomoyo decided not to question further and nodded, yet still couldn't ignore their unusual relationship as cousins.
Syaoran turned to Sakura again, "I actually wanted to say my apologies for all these years-"
Sakura interrupted him with a very eerie cackle, and for the first time showing human emotion. "You really don't have to bother, fool." She started, laughing as if it were the funniest joke she'd ever heard, "Just because I show a little interest in a beating, doesn't mean you have to apologize. There is nothing to worry about. You're immaturity flatters me actually, I really could care less about your foolish taunts." She smiled wickedly at him, without hesitation and his attempt of intimidation over the years certainly not showing any sign of her fear; actually she didn't seem to have fear at all.
Just then the bell rang and Sakura started to lift her body without arms, like she practiced it for many years of ease, "You should think about hurrying for your next class, Li. I wouldn't want to be responsible for your late attendance. Coming dear?" She motioned for Tomoyo to follow her and they both glided along the field towards the school.
Syaoran sat in disbelief, never truly hearing more than a few words from the always silent girl. He certainly never knew how she talked or reacted to things, and the way she sounded to him made him think of his cruel mother. For the first time in years Syaoran actually felt intimidated. She sounded so fearless, so smart, and oddly… attractive. But Syaoran didn't take it to heart and ran to class.
-
All afternoon Syaoran avoided Eriol, along with avoiding to converse about his attempt of interaction with the interesting young woman. Now he walked in the park that night, deciding he needed air and wanting to get out of his stuffy house to think. His hands stuffed in his pockets as if shy, he walked along the lake, across the bridge and turned to walk down the slightly steep hill to sit against it near the small stream. His spot to cool off after a thundering fight with someone was always this calming area where no body could find him.
He felt the breeze graze his hair, letting it fly in the wind and become an even messier mop of brown hairs. He sat transfixed in his peace for a long while until he heard a strange yelp from across the stream.
Looking over he caught a quick glimpse of a scared man running in the water, splashing droplets wherever they may land around him. He never noticed Syaoran on the other side, and if he did, whatever or whoever was chasing him would be bothering him than an innocent witness.
Syaoran's eyebrows fixed downward in a confusion that he'd never felt before. Suddenly he saw a figure from behind literately fly above him and land on the older man's back. Dressed in black the assassin wrapped their arms around the man's neck and with a low yelp the man fell to the ground in a twisted gasp.
Whoever it was they stood there with their long hair hiding their murderous face, gasping for breath slightly.
"Why do you always run, you know it's a more painful death if you run," the voice was a woman's voice and after she spoke she kicked the older man's corpse as if he were still living and squirming.
Suddenly Syaoran saw the woman turn her head towards him sharply; her hair flew away from her face where it revealed who she really was. It took Syaoran a moment to stare at her, trying to recognize her familiar face, then his eyes and face twisted in disbelief, "Sakura?"
She walked quickly towards him, "Come with me. For some odd reason, my father wishes to speak with you. I fear he wants your help." She said to him and started to walk up the hill.
When Syaoran didn't move he was pulled to his feet forcefully and dragged by Sakura. After realizing his reality Syaoran started fighting out of her strong grip, "Hey! What the hell is going on! Let go of me Sakura!" Suddenly he found himself rolling down the hill. He held onto the ground and looked up at her.
"What? You said to let go."
Syaoran frowned and glared up at her. When he started walking after her he started to ask, "Who are you? And how come you look so different?"
"Haven't you heard of make-up, fool?"
Syaoran was stunned silent until he remembered the old murdered man from before. Briefly staring behind him at the corpse now shifting in the constantly changing current, then he looked back at her.
"Who was that?" a little uneasy Syaoran waited for her to speak. She stopped in her tracks, her hair shifting in the wind for a brief second before she turned and looked casually at him. And then… she smiled.
"Just someone who didn't pay his taxes."