Summary: Fujitaka decides to remarry, and what's a 15 year old Sakura to do when her new brother is a) totally hot, b) her age and c) a total jerk?

Disclaimer: Story is mine, characters aren't.

Punk Hunk and the Longest Summer Ever

The Announcement

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The harm caused by sibling rivalry is relative

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"Kinomoto, can you help me with this?"

Kinomoto Sakura, a girl with auburn hair sighed and left her post by the cash register to go help her boss. The bakery was having a slow day anyway.

In the backroom her manager, Akira, was searching in vain for baking chocolate. He was quite tall, with a shock of blond hair atop his head. His eyes were a bright blue. Sakura helped him look, but it didn't seem to be in any of the usual places.

"I just bought a whole box of bittersweet for the new cake I want to make," he muttered, "Where could it have gone?"

Sakura shrugged. Akira gave a frustrated sigh.

"Alright, just take out the trash or something," he said.

As she gathered the trash, Sakura cast an eye over the store. It was a Tuesday afternoon in late spring and there were a few high school kids having tea in the tea room. It was almost summer vacation. They sat chatting excitedly while eating the various cakes that Akira made. However, the glass case of cakes was almost full – people weren't really buying cakes to take home very much anymore.

Whatever, not like I care whether the store does well or not, she thought. After all, she was just a part-timer. And Akira wasn't particularly nice, anyway. She only got this job because…he…liked cakes. She blushed, thinking of her secret crush, who, sadly, had not dropped by the store yet that day.

She took the trash out around to the back and plopped it in the trashcan. She then turned to walk back inside, when a peculiar sound stopped her.

It was the sound of lips smacking, a sound Sakura loathed with ever fiber of her being.

She looked around. There, on the other side of the alleyway, was an extremely attractive guy. She recognized him immediately from his trademark messy brown hair and amber eyes. It was Li Syaoran. He went to her high school, and was the most popular guy there despite his numerous personality flaws.

Sakura had never given him much thought before, since he was renowned for not being very nice.

He was watching her, and eating something while smacking his lips.

A quick downward glance confirmed her suspicion. He was eating the bittersweet baking chocolate straight out of the box. A hot rage boiled in her stomach.

Sakura was not normally one to get angry easily, but this guy was just too much.

"That's disgusting," she said harshly. He looked at the chocolate, and then back at her.

"Who, me?" he looked around, feigning ignorance.

Sakura grew more and more annoyed.

"Obviously you, moron. Who eats baking chocolate? And lip-smacking is a disgusting habit," she said coldly. She was a little shocked at how harsh her words sounded.

"I don't want to be called a moron by someone who's failing math," he said softly. Sakura's left eyebrow twitched.

"Too bad," she spat, opening the door back into the bakery, "And you better buy us another box of that, you filthy thief!" she called over her shoulder.

As the door slammed behind her, Syaoran pulled a notebook out of his pocket.

"Now this will be interesting," he said to himself.

"Jeez could you have taken another thousand years to take out the trash, Kinomoto?" Akira said sarcastically as she resumed her post. She ignored him. She had to put up with him to keep the job, so that she could see…

"Yukito!"

"Hello, Sakura!" Yukito said, smiling. Sakura felt her insides turn to goo.

"Sup, Monster?" She frowned as Touya appeared from behind her Yukito.

"So what would you like today?" she asked, hiding her disappointment. Yukito always had Touya with him when he came by…

"What would you recommend, Sakura?" Yukito asked. Sakura stared at his face before replying – his gray eyes were so pretty behind his glasses!

"Strawberry shortcake," she said, blushing a little. Touya eyed her suspiciously.

"After work, come straight home, ok?" he said.

"Ok, shut up," she said, getting a cake out for Yukito. Touya was her annoying older brother. Tall with black hair, he was like Yukito's shadow. They had always been together, ever since they were kids.

As Yukito paid for his cake the door swung open for another guest.

"Welcome," Sakura called, smiling.

Sakura's best friend, Tomoyo, entered the store, tossing her dark violet locks gracefully over her shoulder.

"Hello, Sakura! I see you aren't wearing the apron I made for you." she said with a frown. Sakura sighed.

"Boss said no – I have to match what he wears." Sakura looked down at her plain white apron.

"But the one I made was so much cuter!"

Sakura thought of the apron Tomoyo had made for her (Tomoyo was very good at sewing). It was pale pink with frills and lace. A little extreme for work.

"That's true," Sakura replied nonetheless.

"Anyway, wanna come hang out after you get off work? I want to show you my latest dress idea!"

Sakura glanced at her brother, who answered for her: "No, our Dad has big news he wants to tell us tonight, so she has to come straight home."

Tomoyo looked at Touya with narrowed eyes.

"Well, then I'll see you tomorrow, Sakura!" she said, turning to leave. Touya and Yukito left after her.

The high school kids left soon after that. Sakura was alone again. Akira was out buying more chocolate, and there really wasn't anything for her to do.

"What a way to spend my first year of high school," she said aloud with a sigh.


"I'm home!" Sakura called, taking off her shoes. No one replied.

She walked into the kitchen to find her dad and Touya busy making croquets – the sizzling oil must have drowned out her words.

"Hello," she repeated, prodding her brother's back. He world around angrily.

"You could've burned me!" he exclaimed. Sakura shrugged, grinning. Their father chuckled.

"Now behave yourselves once our guests arrive," he said smiling. Sakura smiled back. Her father was a very kind man with auburn hair.

"Wait. What? Guests?" Touya asked, eyes narrowed. Fujitaka sighed.

"Yes, today the woman I have been seeing is coming with her family."

Sakura frowned. Her mother had died when she was three years old, and now, twelve years later, her dad was dating someone else! Touya glanced at his younger sister. They silently agreed to make the evening a disaster.

With that, the doorbell rang.

"Ah! I haven't even changed out of my school uniform!" Sakura cried, running upstairs as Touya opened the door, laughing.

"Welcome!" he said as they exchanged pleasantries. It sounded like there were a lot of people. Five women, to be exact.

Sakura dashed into her room, shedding her uniform as she went. She whipped out a pink summer dress and threw it on, pulled a comb through her hair and checked her teeth before running back out.

As she came down the stairs she noticed that there were eight pairs of legs in the living room – eight? She had only heard five guests. She was almost all the way down when she saw the sixth guest – none other than Li Syaoran.

Her right foot promptly slid out from under her, and she fell the remaining few steps. Loudly.

"Sakura, are you alright?" her dad called. Sakura stood up quickly. They were all looking at her. She suddenly felt terrified.

Her eyes met Syaoran's. "Bow" he mouthed silently. She obeyed, and exchanged greetings with the Li family for the first time.

Li Yelan, a tall woman with black hair and eyes was dating her father. She had four daughters whose names escaped Sakura as soon as she heard them, and of course, her only son Syaoran. Sakura was starting to feel sick.

The atmosphere in the room was strangely heavy, even as Sakura took her next to her father and brother. Yelan and Fujitaka kept exchanging glances, and the daughters all giggled and whispered amongst themselves, eyeing Touya, who did his best to pretend not to notice. Syaoran was staring directly at Sakura. She felt her face get hot.

"What is it?" she mouthed. Yelan and Fujitaka were talking about how happy they were together.

"Where's the bathroom?" he mouthed back. Sakura felt a sting of annoyance and pointed upstairs. "It's on your right."

He excused himself and walked up, but Sakura then remembered that she had left her clothes all over the floor in her haste. She jumped up without thinking and followed.

The rest of the people there simply shrugged.

He was awfully fast, and she lost sight of him by the time she reached the foot of the stairs. The bathroom was empty – where was he?

Then Sakura noticed that her clothes no longer seemed to be on the floor. Dread increasing with every step, Sakura went to her room to find Syaoran folding her clothes.

"What are you doing?" she asked quickly, her voice shrill. He turned and smirked.

"Just cleaning up after you," he replied. In his hands was her camisole. She snatched it quickly.

"Get out," she said softly.

"Jeez, I was helping you out," he said. He turned and left the room. Sakura was about to follow, when she noticed a box on her bed.

Bittersweet chocolate.

Maybe he wasn't so bad after all.

"Sakura? Come down, let's eat!" Touya called. She hurried down and helped seat everyone at the table.

It was usually just the three of them, so to have a lot of people over for dinner was strangely exciting. Sakura was actually pretty happy. She felt a nudge on her leg. It was Touya, reminding her of their previous agreement.

As she lifted her hand to start wreaking havoc, her dad interrupted:

"Before we eat, Yelan and I feel we should tell you something."

Utter dread. Terror. Horror. Sakura braced herself, knowing what he would say.

"We're getting married."

She looked at Syaoran. He smiled widely.

"Please take care of me, Sister."

No, he really was so bad after all.