Disclaimer: I do not own Cardcaptor Sakura or any of its characters.

A.N.: Things you must know before you go on reading this: (1) Sakura and Touya are twins; (2) Yukito is their cousin, on the father's side; (3) Touya and Yukito are on the same year as the gang; and (4) Touya and Syaoran are friends. Rating is subject to change. And now, on with the fic.

Just the Girl

Dream of Autumn

Chapter One:
His Dilemma

March 1999

"Good morning Sakura!"

A pair of ears twitched upon hearing the name and a head turned, eyes drifting to the young girl who had just entered the room. In an instant, a pair of amber eyes narrowed. There she was.

Kinomoto Sakura.

The girl who shunned him. The girl who paid no attention to his flirtations. The girl who intentionally ignored him. The girl who ruined his reputation. His reputation of being able to charm all the girls in school. And this got him mad. Yes. Li Syaoran was mad at this pretty little thing who acted as if he was just like any other guy in school. An ordinary guy. Syaoran growled inwardly, not breaking his gaze at Sakura. He begged to differ at the thought. He was definitely not any ordinary guy. He was special, in his opinion.

Whenever he thought of her, he had always asked this question: Why? Didn't she find him the most attractive guy in school like all the girls, attached or unattached? Even his childhood friend Hiiragizawa Eriol's girlfriend Daidouji Tomoyo, who happens to be Sakura's cousin, thinks so. As a matter of fact, they dated once – a little while before Eriol came to Japan and swept the raven crested girl off her feet. But Tomoyo's opinion regarding the cutest boy in school never wavered.

Yet this-this girl, this ordinary girl never thought of him that way. For crying out loud, even girls from neighboring schools stop by the gates of Seijuu High School just to get a glimpse of the exchange student from Hong Kong. And she who has him sitting just right behind her in every class won't even spare him a glance?! Was she blind? Or just insensitive? Syaoran snorted. His ears twitched once more as they picked up the sound of her laughter and his right hand immediately rolled into a fist, not believing what he was seeing.

Sakura was actually laughing at Junuchi Hiro's punchline! For three whole years, ever since she and her twin brother Touya transferred to Tomoeda in their sophomore year, he had been trying to make her laugh with his jokes and flattery but every effort remained futile. And now, the class clown had done the thing Li Syaoran had not been able to do. Oh no. Li Syaoran will not let this pass. Growling, he stood up from his chair – only to be pushed back down again by a strong pressure on his shoulders.

"Where do you think you're going, oh greatness?" a voice taunted. Then, he heard several snickers from behind him as well.

He turned around to meet the dark mocking eyes of Kinomoto Touya. Behind him were Eriol, Takashi Yamazaki, and Tsukishiro Yukito.

"Shut up, Touya," he said, turning back his gaze again to the Kinomoto girl.

"So," Touya began. "I see my sister's still not giving you the attention you want from her. Well, too bad," he laughed as he settled at the seat beside Syaoran.

Syaoran snorted again.

"She probably didn't see that I'm already here," he reasoned.

"So that means your charms aren't enough to attract her to your presence?" Yukito smirked, leaning against Touya's desk. Syaoran scowled at him.

"You put her into this didn't you?!" he accused the two and stood. "You probably told her to ignore me so I'll be humiliated in front of you dweebs and then you'll go-"

"Hi Syaoran," Sakura greeted him, putting her things on her desk before walking over to Chiharu's and continue chatting.

"—hi Sakura!—make fun of me again and then you—" he paused. "Wait a minute…"

He turned to the auburn haired girl in front of the classroom and back to his so-called friends, who were all stifling their laughter.

"Did she just say 'hi' to me?" he asked them, unbelieving.

Eriol raised a brow. "Uh… I think she just did," he pointed out as if it was the most obvious thing in the planet.

In a snap, Syaoran's frown turned into a grin. "There! I told you I am the most attractive guy in here! She finally noticed me! Uh-huh, uh-huh! Take that!"

Then, Touya yawned and looked at the time.

"Took her long enough. It actually took her fifteen minutes since she arrived here to notice you. Anything to say, Li?" he smirked.

Syaoran gaped at him. The elder Kinomoto twin was actually right.

"She noticed me! And that's all to it!" he said before sitting back and pouted, fuming. Darn that Touya!

"You know Li," Touya's voice came. "If I were you, I'd stop thinking about making Sakura notice me and/or Sakura only."

He glared at his seatmate. "And watch my reputation fall into the hands of your twin sister? Hah!"

Touya shrugged.

"I'm only looking out for you, man. Because if you won't…" he trailed off.

The bell rang and everybody settled into their respective seats.

"You might fall in love with her," he finished.

Eight Years Later

It was a sunny day on the island of Okinawa, and the Seijuu High School class of 1999 were having the time of their lives at their reunion. They had the first-class resort all to themselves for three whole days and nights!

"Hey Syaoran!" Hotonori Izuka greeted Syaoran with a high five. "Long time no see! Whoa!" he gasped inspecting him from head to foot and nodded. "Looking better huh? Still living up to your reputation, eh Li?"

At the mention of the word reputation, Syaoran's smile faltered. The reputation that didn't reach to my expectations because of that girl.

Syaoran laughed nervously and shrugged. "Well, I am Li Syaoran."

"Touya, my man! How's it been?" Izuka called Touya, who had just arrived at the hotel, from behind Syaoran.

The dark haired Kinomoto smiled upon seeing his former classmate. "Never better, Hotonori," he replied and shook hands with Izuka. Then, he noticed Syaoran.

"Li! I thought I'd never see you again since graduation!" he called out. Syaoran laughed as he gave his friend a big manly hug.

"Hey! I came didn't I?"

"So I've noticed," Touya smirked. "I thought you said on the phone you need to go to a seminar—"

"Board meeting," Syaoran corrected him.

"Same difference," he waved off. "—in Shanghai?"

"I had my brother-in-law attend to it," he told him. Touya simply nodded and 'Ah'-ed.

"Hey dudes! I think Eriol's gonna need a hand with the barbecue. Care to help?" another one of their classmates, Mowada Uji called.

"Yeah, we'll be out in thirty. Give me time to unpack," Touya answered back and was countered with an 'Okay'. And then he turned to his friend. "Hey Syaoran, you won't mind if I leave you here for a while as I unpack my bags, will you?"

"Oh sure! Go ahead. I'll be waiting here for Mei Ling anyway."

Touya nodded and went up to his room.

After five seconds, loud female voices were heard and the door burst open. In came two lovely ladies who were busily talking to each other.

"—and I just had to knee him in the groin after that!" the lady with shiny jet black hair pulled into buns on either sides of her head related to her companion.

The other winced in empathy for the guy. "You don't have to be so violent, Mei."

Her friend snorted. "Serves him right, you know!"

"Li Mei Ling!"

The girl named Mei Ling stopped and frowned. Syaoran, the man who had called her attention, was about to open his mouth and scold her again for tardiness, when Mei Ling raised her hand.

"Ah-ah-ah! I know what you're about to say Xiao Lang. But before you go on yapping again, dear cousin, allow me to explain why I was late for a couple of minutes."

"You were late for an hour and a half!"

"I was on time you know!" she cried while Syaoran snorted. "I really was, but you see—"

"No, I don't," Syaoran ridiculed. Mei Ling ignored him and went on.

"I was only half a mile from the resort when my car, my darling Mercedes, ran out of gas. I thought about walking but seeing I have a couple of bags—"

"You brought five."

Mei Ling waved him off. "—I fought against the idea. I only brought my credit card and had no cash to pay a cab. And so I sat by the road and pondered what I was to do. I thought about hitchhiking with motorists but knowing I couldn't just trust such unfamiliar persons, I ruled out the idea. And then I saw Touya driving in his flashy red convertible—"

"He has one of those?!" Syaoran cried.

Mei Ling made a 'pft' sound. "Yes he does! And if you're so envious, I don't see a reason why you shouldn't buy one—"

"Because if I would, that would make me a copycat! And Li Xiao Lang is anything but a copycat!"

Mei Ling made a 'pft' sound again and continued. "Anyway, I shouted and called out to him but he so rudely ignored me! Remind me to kick his ass later, will you?" Syaoran rolled his eyes.

"And so I had to wait again, for another thirty minutes until I saw Sakura here driving in her posh silver Volvo sedan. Good thing she had her windows open and heard me when I called her. She gave me the extra gasoline she had and we both drove then all the way here. So there! What do you have to say Syaoran?" Then she frowned. Her cousin had not been listening.

No. Li Syaoran had been listening to her story—up until she mentioned Sakura's name and pointed to the astoundingly beautiful creature beside her. Then, the wirings in Syaoran's brain short-circuited. This angel is Kinomoto Sakura? He looked at the delicate blossom agape. Then, he noticed something that made his blood boil. She wasn't paying attention to him. Again. Instead, she was busy filing her nails as Mei Ling narrated her excuse on why she arrived late. Then, she finished off her last nail. Just when Syaoran thought she'd turn to him, she just had to face his imp of a cousin.

"Mei Ling, I'll just check in and then bring my things to my room, okay?" Sakura smiled at the Chinese girl who gave her an 'Okay!'

Syaoran's eyes—and head, followed Sakura as she walked past him and went up to the reception desk.

"Xiao Lang?" Mei Ling called him. Then, she waved her hands in front of his appalled face. "Yoohoo! Xiao Laang!"

Finally, he turned to his cousin.

"S-she ignored me."

Mei Lin shrugged. "She must be shy around you. Now Xiao—"

"She ignored me again!" he exclaimed.

Mei Ling looked at him weirdly. "Oookay. What's the big deal if she did ignore you? It's not like you were close back in hig—"

"Kinomoto dared ignore Li Syaoran?! THE Li Syaoran?!"

"Xiao Lang, Sakura must be timid when it comes to you. I mean, I'll say it again, you weren't close back in high school—"

"Kinomoto Sakura ignored me again!" He was mad! "After eight long years, I've changed for what I thought was better and now she shuns me like she used to?!"

"Now, Syaoran, where did you get that idea that Sakura ignored you during high school?"

"Because she did! Can't you see? She had been ignoring me from September 14, 1996 at exactly 8:07 in the morning at Homeroom class with Mr. Amikara Yunaka, up till graduation!" an exasperated wolf breathed.

"That's not true! You're making that up!" Mei Ling cried.

"Making it up?! Tell me Mei Ling, when have I made something up, huh?" he challenged her.

Without a bat of an eyelash, "Well, there was one time you told me that Principal Fukumoto had sex reassignment that flopped and ended up having two sex organs."

Syaoran blinked. "Okay, so I made that up. But this time, I swear I'm telling the truth!"

Mei Ling groaned.

"I'll show her! I'll show her who she's been ignoring! Nobody ignores Li Syaoran! And definitely not some girl whose name is Kinomoto Sakura!" he hollered as he turned and made his way towards the door that led to the poolside, leaving a baffled Mei Ling in the aftermath.

To Be Continued

A.N.: Err, please be kind in giving reviews. Ahehe. I know humor is not my best genre. Why I even bothered to make this fic? Guess I wanted to take a break from the heavy theme of Midnight.