She knew it was too good to be true.
He left ten years ago with the promise of coming back to her. To be with her.
She stared at the bear he left as a memory, still fresh and clean, sitting beside her pillows like a guardian protecting her at all times. Like Kero. Like him.
She sighed. Tomorrow is her birthday and like all times, she would be saying the same wish: for him to come back to her. Now, after all those years, she is starting to give up.
"Maybe he has found another. Maybe he doesn't like me anymore. Maybe he forgot."
Eyes brimming with tears, she slumped to her bed with a squeaking repose for comfort.
"I hope he didn't."
As always, she'll be waiting for him under the cherry tree. Just as promised.
---
The dark sky was deafening to his senses as he started to zone out from reality. Hands fixed on his magical sword, again he sat under the oak tree in the Li gardens. The oak tree where his father died. The oak tree where he saw his destiny. His oak tree.
"No. I can never go back."
He has been seriously contemplating on his return to her but he was afraid of everything. He was afraid of her startling and sparkling green eyes, her soft brown locks. He was afraid that she forgot about them. About him. About their promise.
A clow card was caught that night, as Sakura and Syaoran, together with Tomoyo and Kero sat under the huge cherry blossom tree in celebration. It was a long fight – thank goodness it was a success. They would've gone home, if not for Syaoran's injured state. He was bruised, black and blue. His body flaccid and immobile rested leaning on the tree's broad trunk. His head leaned towards Sakura in a rather forced manner – Sakura decided that he would get some sleep while Tomoyo got the supplies to get Syaoran fixed. Kero followed quite happily with the promise of a takoyaki dumpling along the way.
The moon gleamed like a pearl.
"Kinamoto."
They called each other by their surnames. It was 'appropriate' for them to do so. Well, at that time.
"What is it Li?"
"I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what?"
"…Nothing."
In Syaoran's mind, it was not 'nothing'. She almost died back there if it weren't for Kero's strong sense of responsibility to save her. Good thing the little stuffed animal had wings.
"Li? Are you alright?"
"Yes."
No he wasn't. He was aching inside because he almost got Sakura killed. Because of his stupidity, the Mistress of the Cards would've died. Because of his stubbornness, she almost got killed.
"Li, after all of this, do you have to go back to Hong Kong?"
The question startled him.
"Yes."
He dared not to look up, but his curiosity got the better of him. Her emerald eyes gleamed with tears showed nothing but the truth. Well, at least until she noticed that he was staring at her. Bashfully, she wiped the tears away. She would not cry in front of him
"Under the cherry blossom tree," Li blurted out.
"What?"
"Under this cherry blossom tree Sakura. When I come back, I'll be waiting for you under this cherry blossom tree. On your birthday, I promise."
He said unconsciously so that she would stop the teary demeanor.
"I shouldn't have said that."
He can't go back now. After ten years of making her wait, he cannot face her. Her pained expression haunted her very thoughts. Maybe she would not remember anymore.
"But maybe, just maybe, she will" a woman said.
"Mother... I…"
Yelan Li smiled. "Go back to Sakura, Xiao Lang. You have suffered long enough."