Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Sakura. She had very few friends other than her best friend Tomoyo. The two were inseparable. But one day, a boy came to their school as an exchange student. His name was Li Shaoran. At first, they hated each other. But as they grew close to each other, Shaoran fell in love with Sakura. Although he was afraid to tell her his feelings, he was determined to tell Sakura that he loved her. He was given advice to Tomoyo who noticed the patterns of Shaoran's blushes when Sakura was around. Finally, in the middle of a battle with a descendant of Clow Reed, the creator of the clow cards, he blurted his feelings out to Sakura and ran off, leaving Sakura in shock. The next day, Shaoran left Japan for China, his birth home. And before he got on the plane, Sakura came running to say goodbye. She did so and a small hug was played and that was it. Now, they might have a chance to redo everything.
"Sakura-chan!" yelled Tomoyo. "Did you hear the news?" Sakura looked up from her breakfast at her kitchen table. Tomoyo had been let into the house by Toya, Sakura's older brother. They were having breakfast and had invited Tomoyo to eat with them as a repayment for letting Sakura stay at their mansion for a week.
"What news, Tomoyo-chan?" she asked, getting up from the table.
"Li-kun is coming back for a visit!" she franticly answered. She had run from her mansion a few miles away to Sakura's house. "He called me to ask me if it would be alright!" Sakura stiffened. She had never forgotten Shaoran, but she never thought he would come back from Hong Kong. He had left three years ago to help his mother and three sisters with their jobs and to reconnect with them. He had been away from home for a very long time.
"When is he getting on the plane?"
"He's…already there."
"When is he getting off?"
"in about …" she checked her watch."… ten or fifteen minutes."
"c'mon! We'll have to run to the airport to get there on time! It's not too far from here!" Sakura grabbed Tomoyo's wrist and ran out the door, Tomoyo not far behind. She knew what Sakura intended on doing. She intended on meeting Shaoran there and expressing her feelings to him.
They finally got to the airport about eight miles away – both girls were fast on their feet and were able to run at a steady pace to the destination. They were out of breath but still looked around. Sakura found herself unsuccessful. Until Tomoyo tapped on her shoulder and took her wrist to a waiting area just as a plane emptied. On about the twentieth person out, Li Shaoran walked out. Sakura remembered his straight face he always gave her when she would cry for no reason. He noticed Tomoyo looking at him with a smile and walked toward her. But when he saw Sakura, he stiffened and stopped on a second step. He whispered Sakura's name and smiled and continued walking. Sakura started to cry and ran up to him and hugged him tight. Strangely, Shaoran hugged back.
"S-Shaoran…I missed you." Sakura whispered into his chest.
"It's alright, Sakura. I missed you, too." He told her and looked up at Tomoyo. "Thank you for letting me come back, Tomoyo-chan." Tomoyo smiled back.
The three of them walked back to Sakura's house for lunch. They talked on the way about what had happened in the last three years since Shaoran left. "And then Rika said, 'Where is that?' she had absolutely no idea what was going on!" she laughed with Tomoyo and Shaoran. Then, she looked up at Shaoran. He had really gotten tall since he left they both were eighth grade now and still Shaoran grew a foot taller than Sakura. Tomoyo was still as tall as Sakura and still with her all the time and still acted like her sister. Tomoyo's mom had let Sakura stay at their mansion for most of the last three summers because she knew Sakura's father had been offered a big job to travel the world and he only came home a few times each year to catch up with Sakura and her older brother Toya. Toya was already old enough to go to college but he stayed home until Sakura left for school in the morning and came back just before she came home. In the summer he is working with his best friend Yukito at many different places so Toya can keep an eye on Sakura. If he can't be where Sakura is going he asks Yukito to help with that.
Shaoran had had a very busy time in Hong Kong. He had been asked to come home only because his mother and sisters needed help managing their jobs and taking care of the house that need to be clean. Then when all that was done, they went to find a daily job for him. They signed him up for Karate, Ti Chi, Tae Kwon Do, and Yoga for some odd reason. He also worked at the grocery store, the flower shop, and the library. How fun.
"What have you been doing Tomoyo?" Shaoran asked.
"just having fun with Sakura-chan!" she replied. "How are your sisters, Li-kun?"
"Just fine. They all are going to college in Beijing next week. Oh, and they wanted me to tell Kinomoto-san that they miss her and hope she visits soon!" he replied looking down at Sakura and smiling. She smiled back. "and I told them not to leave early so I could get her on the next plane to Hong Kong with me!"
"What?!" Sakura yelled in happiness.
"that's right! The three of us are going to Hong Kong tomorrow at 8 o'clock!" he announced. Sakura was smiling big in surprise. Tomoyo was surprised too.
"Did you say 'the three of us?'" she asked.
"Yes. You're going too, Tomoyo-chan! Just repayment for letting me come back here on short notice." He told the very happy Tomoyo.
"Great! I should go. I have to tell my mother. You should, too, Sakura-chan! Bye!"
"Bye, Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura waved back.
"should I walk you home?" Shaoran asked, holding her hand out for her to take. She took it without thinking and they walked the short two miles to the Kinomoto house. Sakura opened the door and yelled, "I'm home, Toya!" although she didn't mention Shaoran.
"Did you and Tomoyo give up on looking for the Twerp?" Toya walked in opening a letter he found in the mail. He finally looked up and saw the "twerp" he was talking about. "why are you here?" he asked gravely.
"I was taking Sakura home! Why are you here?" Shaoran yelled, head-to-head with Toya.
"I live here, you little punk!" he yelled back. They pushed their heads harder together.
"Boys! Boys! Cut it out!" Sakura yelled over the grunting. "Toya, stop being mean to Shaoran! He's really nice and he was bringing me home! And Shaoran, my brother is very over protective as of now and ever since the day you came to Tomoada elementary school three years ago, you know when you wanted the cards I had, he doesn't trust you. Tonight we need you to trust each other before I pack for Hong Kong."
"Wait a second!" Toya shook his head. "Hong Kong? You're going to Hong Kong?"
"Yes. Tomoyo and I are going to Hong Kong with Shaoran." Sakura replied taking Toya and Shaoran to the living room couch.
"But Sakura, if we do this you wont have time to pack and get enough sleep for tomorrow!" Shaoran protested.
"Who said she was even going, you little-" Toya spat.
"TOYA KINOMOTO!!!" Sakura threatened – or screamed – depending on how you would put it. The trio heard a small thump from Sakura's room a floor above them. Then, multiple thumps coming from the stairs and then a small voice from an old friend:
"Sakura!!! You just woke me up from a very important nap and-" Kero yelled into Sakura's shocked face and looked at Shaoran. "well, well, well," he said flying over to Shaoran. "If it isn't the twerpy kid with the big sword! What are you doing here? Making out with Saku-"
"KERO!!!" Sakura punched the little squirrel into the air with an iron fist.
"Who are you calling a twerp, you three-inch-tall free-loader?! And as for the big sword. If you ever call me a twerp again, I'll show you how much bigger it's gotten since I made some very big changes."
"Bully!"
"Tiny."
"Jerk!"
"Chubby, cookie-Alcoholic."
"Take that back!" Kero gasped.
"Enough, all of you!" Sakura yelled over the roar of voices. "Now, you all are going to talk nicely and get along right now! First of all, Brother,"
"Yeah?" Toya snapped back into reality.
"Why Don't you like Shaoran?"
"because in the beginning of your school day, he attacked you and I was my usual over-protective self."
"did you ever think that maybe it wasn't what you thought it was?"
"I didn't really think for a second because I thought he was trying to hurt you."
"Well, he didn't want to hurt me. He just wanted my clow cards because he was collecting them too. Did you ever think that was the case?"
"Well, no. of course, I didn't know about the clow cards until like two years ago when I found that little squirrelly thing eating my chocolate when I want looking! He was so stuffed with coco he couldn't fly away fast enough!" he chuckled.
"Good. Now are you still mad at Shaoran?"
"No. Sorry, kid. But now…I'm mad at that little coco-alcoholic for eating all my chocolate!"
"Hey! It's your fault for looking away so much!"
"Hey! Do I have to lecture you two, now?"
"No." Toya said quietly.
"No, Sakura." Kero mopped.
"Now, Shaoran, why are you so careful of my older brother?"
"because of how he treats me when I'm around."
"and from what you've just heard why did he treat you badly?"
"well…because he thought I wanted to hurt you!" he looked up, finally getting what was going on. "oh, now I see. It's like a chain reaction. I tried to take the cards, your brother thought I was hurting you and I get repaid with mean behavior. This started with me. Sorry Kinomoto-sama. This is all my fault."
"hey," Toya put his hand on Shaoran's shoulder. "it's my fault for acting so irrational. I should be sorry."
"this is really good! Everyone is friends now! We're done early and I can pack and get to bed sooner!"
"Hey what about me and the Twerp?!?!" Kero squealed.
"That's it! I'm getting my big sword!" Shaoran yelled back. Kero ran up the stairs into Sakura's room and slamming the door and locking it. "Just kidding." Shaoran whispered. The trio left laughed lightly so Kero wouldn't hear.
Sakura told Shaoran that she would meet him at her house before they left the next day for the air port. Toya offered to give them a ride and that was settled. Shaoran said he would inform Tomoyo about the plan. And they left the next day and reached Hong Kong.
And found what made the love that connected them reach everyone else that they know.
And how strong love can be for two already strong kids.
A twerp and a kid.