Disclaimer: Cardcaptor Sakura is the copyright of CLAMP. No infringement intended. This is only for entertainment purposes.

THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN REVISED
We have revised this chapter to Chapter 05 to include more character introductions and atmosphere. Also, the school system we used in this fanfic is based on the one we know. However, we have decided to use the Japanese school year. And one other note, we have used the legal drinking age in our country which is 18 instead of the Japanese legal drinking age of 20 .

From the writers, please enjoy this fanfic. Any comments you have are muchly appreciated. :o) :o).

Skin-deep
©2003, 2008, 2011 By Julia and Tania
Cardcaptor Sakura Fanfic
Chapter 01
02 December 2003

Location: School fields, sitting on top of a tree
Time frame: 1:20pm, Lunchtime
Point of View: Syaoran

I was not far enough from the thunderous laughter down below, even as I sat high up on this lofty tree in the school fields—not nearly far enough from the group of social elites who sat in the middle of the fields.

They often hung out here for their lunchtimes and normally I could withstand the noise that came from them, but it was intolerable this afternoon as I tried to read the letter I held in my hands. Another battering to my eardrums came with a pitchy shriek. I now wished I had chosen to spend my lunchtime in the library and not have been swayed to spend it outside by the pleasantly warm air of this spring afternoon.

I eyed the girl the shriek had come from and thought disdainfully: for someone who had enough intelligence to be a school prefect, she could not judge someone of good character. She was Kinomoto Sakura, the Head of Social—one who was intelligent in many ways, but that intelligence seem not have transferred onto her preference in guys: she was one of many girls who swooned over a cocksure loser, this Ashida Kansuke, the school's star football player who had a largely inflated ego that I have the unfortunate opportunity to have come up against during a season of playing football for the school.

Such ego doesn't put people off it seems. The female population of this school turn into salivating automatons at the sight of him. Foolish this particular population is as those who idolise and fall to his 'charm' are unaware of his true character and nature: a Neanderthal, pompous and narrow-minded individual who cared only about and for himself. They need to avoid or interact with caution.

Kinomoto was now trying to exit from Ashida's arms, but her friends, Daidouji Tomoyo and Mihara Chiharu cornered her to remain as she was. Her friends were a few girls who were not a part of Ashida's female population. They were already taken. My friend and Head of Sports, Yamazaki Takashi, was Mihara's boyfriend, and the Head Boy, Hiiragizawa Eriol, was Daidouji's, who was herself a prefect—Head Girl of the school. However, they supported their friend's poor choice.

I had forgotten about the letter I held in my hands. It threatened to go airborne with the wind blowing hard at it. I strengthened hold on it. It stayed.

This letter, I'd left it unread for several days now because any letters or emails I received were from back home and the majority of their contents never carried anything of particular excitement; weighty news always accompanied them.

The writer was always my cousin and good friend, Meiling. Her letters always started off pleasant, then it moves to unpleasant further into the letter. I have only myself to blame, though. Before I left home, I asked her to inform me all of Mother's dealings which remotely affected me. I may need to reconsider about getting her to inform me of such things in the future.

Such information was that Mother has befriended a business associate and has taken a liking to his daughter. Now in this letter, Meiling informs me that Mother has been in regular contact with the business associate and his daughter, and has ardently talked about getting her to meet me.

My mother, she was a business woman, who, after my father passed away when I was young, took over his advertising company. Her work and home life merged into one after this point and though I do love Mother, I have become less fond of her throughout the years because of her scrutiny and demands. I felt as if I was comparable to an employee in her company: before, I had some freedom and choice in my direction and path and in my personal life, now I feel I have little to none as Mother overlooks every area of my life with great detail. It is rare she does not object to a decision I make because she believes she knows what's best for me and my future—which—she does not.

However, I must give credit to her for allowing me to leave Hong Kong to come to Japan to complete my last two years of high school. She'd found validity in my argument that studying abroad would give me valuable life skills. So, for over a year now, I have been living by myself in a rented apartment in Japan.

I'd chosen to study in Japan for my interest in mechanics and for the country being a leader in producing automobiles. So far, the closest thing in pursuing this is my part time job at a petrol station near my school. Though school and work gives little time to do not much else, I have been actively seeking voluntary work in workshops. With my plan to head over to Europe to attend a university there, I needed an application with impressive grades and extra curricular activities to show for my dedication to succeed.

Living here has indeed given me much freedom and choice to explore on my own—to which I would not have otherwise been able to had I been back home. However, in saying that, distance does not bring complete freedom and choice. No distance can stop a strong force from imposing one's preferences on another when there are ways to get in touch. And a strong force Mother is. I cannot go about dealing with her forthrightly and untactfully. I must find a way out of this new predicament ingeniously.

The sound of the bell rang. I returned the letter back into my bag, grabbed my bag, and descended down the tree.

It was relatively quiet as I made my way down the hallway to Calculus. I suspect most were waiting for the final bell to sound before making a start to their fifth period class as I only saw a handful of people here at their lockers getting their gear out.

Fast and loud footsteps then disturbed the quietness.

"Li—hey, Li!"

I turned and found Yamazaki Takashi. He reached me in a pant. All of his weight came onto my right shoulder as he took some moments to catch his breath.

"Do you have a calculator I can borrow? I have a statistics test and I forgot to bring my calculator. Please say you do?"

"I have one." Yamazaki's expression lit up, but I halted his hopeful expression. "But I might require it for my next class."

He grabbed my shoulder with strength and desperation. "Oh you have to let me borrow it! I have a test. Please, you have to lend it to me!"

I sighed at his disorganisation. If he had a test today, he should have made sure he had everything for it the night before instead of standing here before me pleading for a missed item that he needed so desperately. The final bell to fifth period sounded. He remained standing before me with even more urgency as I seemed to be his last hope. A moment passed before I finally took compassion on him. I went into my bag, grabbed the object out of it, and parted ways with my calculator.

"Thanks—thanks so much! You saved me from failing the test!" My books dropped to the ground upon his frenzied shakes on my shoulder.

"Sorry! Thanks!" He then scuttled away at speed, going back in the direction he came from, leaving me to retrieve my scattered books and stationery on the floor.

I sighed once more: he was a prefect, yet he was one of the most disorganised people I have met.

I resumed. The hallway was now crowded with people—some at their lockers getting their gear out, and others making their way into classes. Appearing before me, were several from the group I saw sitting in the fields during lunchtime, rowdily making their way to class as well: Kinomoto Sakura appeared distressed as two of her friends laughed uncontrollably around her.

02 December 2003