Disclaimer: Cardcaptor Sakura belongs to CLAMP.
Summary: By their father's decision they wed. Is it too late for them to change this fate or is too soon for them to love each other?
Late and Soon
Prologue
"Father, is it true?" an auburn haired girl slammed her fist on the table staring at his father eye to eye.
The old man just shrugged his shoulders and proceeded to pour himself a cup of sake. Twirling the glass and drinking it ever so slowly.
"Wee? Is it really true?" another voice piped in but is calmer compared the other one.
"Hikari and Miyo-chan!" a voice thundered on the doorway. The two women immediately sat down to the chair adjacent to their target. Their father, known as FujitakaKinomoto stared at approaching figure who just let out an authoritative voice. He can't help but sigh and remember his desceased wife, Nadeshiko. Sakura Kinomoto, at the age of twenty three indeed bloomed into a beautiful flower with her auburn hair falling straight to her waist, eyes shining like emerald stones accented her face which is complemented by her smooth and fair skin. Indeed, she is an angel on earth.
"Dad, even if I don't know what you're talking about but would you care to explain the cause of this commotion? I can't do any work with Hikari and Miyo's shouting and I've been dying to finish this project for the last three days!" She equally yelled in frustration.
'Well, so much for my angel' he thought and smiled.
"You know very well about our company merging with another" he paused and was given a nod by his audience.
"The founder of the said company is a good friend of mine. Unfortunately, he died at a young age because of a terminal illness. He left the company in his wife's hands who in turn will pass it to their son when he reaches the age of twenty five years old." He paused and tried to mask his laugh by coughing.
'These children are so serious. Might as well get this over with' he thought.
"Xiaoron Li offered me a deal. His son will choose one of you as his bride or he will forfeit the right to the company and give the said right to one of you."
"WHAT!"
"WHAT! But mother-"
"Xiao Lang! Do you dare question your father's decision?" a woman in her early fifties yelled.
"Mother, what about Chai Hua?"
"Break up with her" his mother known as Yelan casually stated.
"But mother-"
"End of discussion Xiao Lang!" her voice boomed with authority. She glanced back at her son who gave a frustrated sigh and was slumped on the bed. She made her way towards him and sat beside him.
"Listen my son. I also do not understand the reason why your father has set this terms but I have known him long enough to tell that no matter how crazy his decision might be, in the end he's right about it. You should trust your father the way he entrusts his company to you" His mother finished and ruffled his hair. She stood up and walked towards the door. "And I do not like that social climber clinging to you" she added and left the room with grace.
The man known as Li Xiao Lang groaned and punched the pillow next to him. Yes, he loves both of his parents and even accepted his father's decision to hand over the company to him even if he yearned to do something else but when he did that, he never said that he has to marry someone.
'Good thing we haven't announced it in public' he thought while he grabbed his phone and dialed Chai Hua's number.
"Hi baby!" a cheerful voice answered. "So, how's work? Have you eaten already?"
"Chai Hua. I'm sorry, we can't continue this"
"What do you mean?"
"We can't continue this relationship. I realized that I'm not the one for you" he said in a dejected voice. One he has mastered when he started going out with numerous women.
"What do you mean? Earlier you were here in my apartment telling me how this relationship would last and now you're telling me that you want to end it?" she yelled on the other line.
"I'm just sorry. It's not you. It's me. I just don't feel the same way like what I felt when we met a month ago. I'm sorry." And with that, he hung up and immediately removed his phone's battery.
"Where's that application form again for a new phone line?" he mumbled and went straight to his table.
AN: When I opened the draft I made with late and soon, I realized that the first three chapters provided many loop holes for the story so I have to edit everything so that loop holes will be at minimum if not absent. So that's the reason why I haven't been able to update this story for a while. I sincerely apologize for this.