More than What It Seems
by Zenin

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There is so much more to life than just the outer appearances.
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What do guys do with their free time?

Well, they do sports, chores, and work out...right?

Yeah, sometimes.  But do you know what they like best of all?

Competing.

Yup.

They'll think up the most idiotic things for the sake of preserving their self-esteem.

Even if they have to hang on the end of the high dive for hours.

Even if they have to eat two extra large pizzas with everything to prove that they are the definition of "a bottomless pit."

Even if they have to duct tape their feet to a skateboard and roll down a mountainside with two eggs in each hand, hoping to reach the bottom with the eggs intact.

Even if they have to bicycle down a flight of stairs, up a ramp, and hope that they will make the jump over their dad's prized possession, a mint- condition Mercedes.

You get the point?

So what does a guy do when he's faced with a situation like mine?

My name is Li Syaoran, the future head of the Li Clan.  And here I am, wearing a pair of dweeby suspenders, my tweed pants hitched up to my chest, and a pair of thick-lensed glasses balanced precariously on the end of my nose.  And I can't believe I —

Nani?

No, I am not a nerd.  I may look like one, but I'm not.  Seriously!  You still don't believe me?  Fine.  Here's what happened. 

I was sent on a mission to Japan, a mission to retrieve the Clow Cards, some rebellious magical cards containing a lot of power.  They used to belong to my family a long time ago, but they had mysteriously disappeared.  My family traced then to the town of Tomeoda, Japan; and there I was sent.

It seemed like a baby task.  Go to Japan, get the cards, go home.  Simple, ne?

When I arrived at Tomeoda, one of my friends, Yamazaki Takashi, was there to meet me.  He and I had met at a summer training camp in Okinawa, and had stayed in touch ever since.  I guess you might say that he's my best friend.  Anyway, our parents had arranged for me to either stay with him or stay in the apartment my family owned.  I opted to stay with Takashi.

Big mistake.

Oh, it wasn't so bad at first.  We had tons of meaningless competitions during the summer.  He'd gather all his friends together and we'd hang out, betting each other on how much soda Yao could drink, or how many lies Takashi could tell in one breath.

Gradually the competitions got more and more intense, and elaborate.  Then, one night, it happened.

I got stuck.

One of Takashi's friends — a guy named Hiirigizawa Eriol — really was getting on my nerves with his calm, secretive smile.  Not to mention I kept detecting a powerful aura radiating from him.  He also was freaking me out by calling me his "cute little descendant".  So, naturally, I developed a strong disliking for him.  Anyway, one night while we were sitting around talking, he suddenly turned to me, his eyes gleaming mysteriously.

"Girls seem to like you, Li-kun.  And I can certainly see why.  You dress stylishly, speak smoothly, and are the future head of a powerful Chinese family."

My face was stoic, the way I usually keep it, as I responded.  "Your point is — ?"

"I bet that if you weren't so…sophisticated…girls wouldn't give you a second glance."

I shrugged.  "Big deal. I don't want any attention from girls."

Eriol smiled that eerie smile of his.  "I bet that you couldn't even get a date. I bet that if we set you up on a blind date, that you wouldn't be able to charm the girl if you were…different."

He really was beginning to annoy me.  What the hell was he talking about?  I mentally reviewed his words.  Let's see.  He said that if I was an ugly loser, I would not be able to get a date — or even charm a girl if they set me up with her.  He's saying that the girls are only attracted to my looks…and money.

Well.

I'll just have to prove him wrong.

The room went silent as four guys turned and looked expectantly at me.  I glanced up at them.

Takashi spoke.  "You doing it?"

I know that it can't be too hard.  Girls will fall for my dynamic personality any day.  So, after a bit of thinking, I answered him.

"You're on."

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^_^  I'd appreciate any comments that you might care to leave.

~Zenin