Saying Goodbye the Easy Way
By Keeki-chan
The Tomoeda Airport was rather crowded, so it was slightly difficult for the four small children to weave their way through the crowds. Eventually, they reached the gate for the flight to Hong Kong, and sighed slightly. Even though they'd see each other...it was still hard to say goodbye. And besides, who knew often the visits would be? Two or three months might turn into years...years could turn into decades...
Sakura, although sad, looked cheerful as always. "Well, here we are," she said. "I guess we should just take turns saying goodbye," she added, and turned to Meiling, who had been standing next to her. The two of them moved away slightly to engage in a private conversation.
This left Shaolan and Tomoyo. Tomoyo smiled fondly, and then looked at Shaolan. "Sakura-chan is quite cute, isn't she?"
"Mmm..." Shaolan nodded absent-mindedly, then realized what he said and gave Tomoyo a Look.
Tomoyo grinned. "But, truthfully, I'll miss the both of you," she admitted. "I know I missed you the last time as well, but...this time, it's worse, in an odd sense. We've become so close...but, I know we'll see each other a lot. And we'll certainly keep in contact." She sighed, and looked at Shaolan rather forlornly. "It must be heartbreaking to say goodbye to Sakura-chan."
Shaolan looked at the floor numbly. "Yeah. It is."
"But, Li-kun, you're strong," Tomoyo said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "If you cry, though, I'll be sure to get it all on tape," she added, gesturing to her purse.
Shaolan looked ill. "Er, Daidouji...do you have your video camera with you?"
"I do!" Tomoyo exclaimed, her eyes turning to stars, "for when you say goodbye to Sakura-chan, it is sure to be something I can't miss! It will be so, so, so wonderful and cute! And with Sakura-chan dressed up in something I made her...oh, it will be so great! And you, Li-kun, will blush and stammer, which will cause Sakura-chan to become even cuter! And then comes the heartbreaking moment of tears, and I will cry for you! Even so, it's a video I'll watch everyday!" she finished enthusiastically, clapping her hands in bliss.
Shaolan sweatdropped and managed to stammer, "Oh...well...I...t-that's...is that right?" Mainly because he knew that with that videotape, Daidouji Tomoyo had eternal blackmail on him. Not like she doesn't already, he added wryly to himself.
Tomoyo smiled fondly at him. "Li-kun, you're odd."
"I-I'm what?" he asked, perplexed and blinking.
"Do you honestly think I'd really do such a thing to you," continued Tomoyo curiously, "a thing such a blackmail? I'd never be that mean to you."
The Chinese boy facefaulted. "Are you psychic or something?" he demanded. "What do you have going on inside that head of yours?"
Tomoyo laughed at this remark and proclaimed again, "Li-kun, you're odd."
"Daidouji, you're a nutcase," muttered Shaolan. Tomoyo laughed again, and Shaolan found himself smiling. Odd as she was, Tomoyo was his close friend...and part of his clan, eventually. He'd have to tell her that someday...although, considering Tomoyo, she had probably figured that out ages ago.
"Well, in that case, perhaps we should both go to the nuthouse together," Tomoyo said suddenly. Shaolan sweatdropped and made a face which clearly read 'Daidouji-Tomoyo-is-a-maniac,' and Tomoyo laughed at this.
Shaolan suddenly grew somber and looked at Tomoyo seriously. "Daidouji...before I go...I...err..." he paused, and then mumbled, "thank you."
"For what?" Tomoyo, for the first (and probably last) time in her life, was confused.
"You know," he continued, looking slightly nervous. He looked towards Sakura and Meiling, who were happily chatting. He then turned back to Tomoyo. "For encouraging me...and for being there, I guess. I mean, if you weren't there, I probably wouldn't have told -"
He was silenced as Tomoyo suddenly placed her index finger on his mouth. His mouth shut and he stared, blinking at Tomoyo and blushing slightly. She smiled and said quietly, "Li-kun...don't thank me for anything. I was simply there, you know. Your own self told Sakura-chan, not me. But you *can* thank me for supporting you the whole way," she added with a slight wink, removing her finger from the Chinese boy's lips.
Shaolan blinked. "You mean...since..."
Tomoyo beamed at him, and nodded. "The first time I saw you, I knew you'd be the one that Sakura-chan would love most. Even when you two didn't get along...even when the two of you only had Tsukishiro-san in your eyes...and even when you put her down, I always knew it."
The two of them smiled at each other, and Shaolan shook his head. "Daidouji," he said, "you're too damn sneaky."
"I think I'll take that as a compliment, Li-kun."
* * *
Two weeks later, the phone rang at the huge Li clan estate. Meiling, being the only one in the room besides Fei-mei (and knew that *she* certainly wouldn't pick it up, being too busy drooling over cute boys in her magazine), walked over. "Hello, this is the Li residence," she answered.
"Hello, Meiling-chan!"
Meiling smiled. "Hey, Daidouji-san."
"Ah, nothing...Sakura-chan sends her regards, though. I'm replying to your letter at the moment...but, if it isn't a problem, may I speak to Li-kun for a few moments? There's something important I need to tell him."
"Sure. Let me get him." Meiling put down the phone and walked out of the room. A few seconds later, she came back with Shaolan.
Shaolan picked up the phone. "Daidouji? It's nice to hear from you."
"Nice to hear from you as well, Li-kun," replied Tomoyo. Shaolan could practically cut the slyness in her voice with a plastic spoon, and he was in a completely different country. He sweatdropped nervously as Tomoyo continued. "Remember what we were saying at the airport? About how we're both odd people?"
"...Yeah..." Shaolan didn't like where this conversation was heading.
"Well, I bought us a room," said Tomoyo, and Shaolan felt himself weave. "Yes, a room," she continued brightly, "at the Tokyo Mental Asylum! But you have to come within three days, or else we miss out on the padded walls and complementary straight jackets. By the way, visiting days are every two weeks, so that will give Meiling-chan just enough time to come back and forth."
Shaolan flopped over in a dead faint, still holding the phone. Fei-mei didn't notice this, and continued to gush over male models. Meiling sweatdropped and left to room to get a glass of water.
In Tomoeda, Tomoyo hung up the phone and smiled.
Yamazaki was right -- screwing with people's heads was quite rewarding.