A/N: Feh. I guess a disclaimer would be sensible.
I do not own any characters from CCS or the 1LoT plot…and I definitely do not own Kurogane from TRC, as much as I would like to. Also, I don't own a Nikon camera. –Sulks in corner-
I write scenes, not stories :(.
Broken Glass
Phase II
"I will become strong."
"My daughter," Fujitaka began proudly, holding his spoon out in front of him dramatically, "is class president in Seiju." He wiped a few nonexistent tears away. "I'll die happy."
"Otou-san," Sakura laughed. "It's nothing big. Our first project is to come up with a performance for the fall arts festival."
"Our?" Fujitaka froze, his food halfway chewed. "There's more than one president?" He frowned.
"Yeah," Sakura replied, turning serious. "His name's Li Syaoran. He was the person who gave me a ride to Seiju during the –" Realizing what she had said, Sakura bit her tongue.
"You got a ride from a boy?!" Her father's face distorted almost humorously.
"Otou-san!" Sakura giggled.
"Sorry, sorry, just clarifying." He paused, gnawing on the ends of his chopsticks. "…So what does he look like?"
x – x – x
"Kinomoto-san, have you come up with something for the performance yet?" Terada-sensei asked with a kind smile.
"Ano…about that…I was hoping the class could come up with a performance together, since I don't really know what –"
"Anything is fine," a girl on the other side of the room interrupted. Her rude, indifferent tone reflected the attitudes of the rest of the class. "Just organize it, and we'll do it. We have mock exams coming up, and no one has time to prepare for a stupid festival."
"Li-san," Terada-sensei said dangerously.
"What is it sensei?" Li Meilin let out a yawn. "I'm sorry I can't be as perfect as my cousin back there." She vaguely gestured to Syaoran, sitting silently in the back corner of the room. "Besides, shouldn't this be the class president's job anyways?"
Sakura looked over at the other class president, eyes pleading.
Syaoran averted his gaze to his desk emotionlessly. Sakura's face fell. When he looked up at her again, a sliver of hope entered her mind.
It disappeared within two seconds of entering.
"Yeah, anything is fine, Kinomoto-san." He smirked. "You don't have to confirm with me. Hell, if you wanted to do a play, you can be the one to direct it." Even in her mounting unease, Sakura could've sworn that Meilin blushed at his assent. But they're cousins, right?
"Li-kun…" she murmured helplessly. Her words did not reach him, but her look of pain did.
Feeling the heaviness of the atmosphere, Terada-sensei spoke up. "On a lighter note…club activities start today!" The talking began. Students turned cheerfully to each other to discuss their own club plans with each other.
"Sakura-chan, are you okay?" Tomoyo asked from behind her. Sakura didn't turn around.
"I'm fine…just thinking," she replied softly, bangs shading her eyes.
"Ano…Meilin-chan was right," Rika said in her quiet voice. "Sorry, Sakura-chan, but we really don't have enough time to even care about an arts festival. This is Seiju, after all." Seiju, Seiju, Seiju. It was all Sakura ever heard. The word could be used as an excuse for anything. But nevertheless, she forced on a smile.
"It's alright, Rika-chan. I'll try to get the performance together with minimal effort on your part."
The smile still frozen on her face, Sakura turned to face Syaoran's corner of the room. He was staring at the back of Yamazaki Takashi's chair, his sculpted face taking on a frown. It would've been silly – no, extremely idiotic – to say that Li Syaoran wasn't beautiful. And it wasn't a bishonen type of beautiful. Sakura couldn't put to words the feeling of serenity she had when looking at him. She also couldn't figure out why. Even though the boy had completely rejected her plea for help, all of her resentment was wiped away as soon as she saw him….replaced with nothing but calmness.
Across the room, a boy began to regret his actions. It was extremely rude of me to pick on the clumsy girl, was it not?
x – x – x
"Seiju tennis club tryout. Please check in at the front counter and find out your match-ups. The four semi-finalists will be the new first year additions to our club."
"Forty – love." Sakura twirled her racket in her hand and prepared herself for another serve. Although her demeanor didn't show it, she hated self-judged tournaments. Every out-of-bounds ball she called made her feel guilty – even though she had done nothing wrong. This'll end the game, Sakura thought to herself. The game count was five to zero, and her opponent wasn't confident enough to pull off a win after five consecutive losses.
Sakura tossed the ball into the air gently, letting the breeze carry it approximately twenty degrees to her right. A spin serve should do it.
That was when the ball disappeared. Suddenly, Sakura's vision blurred, and the blue of the clear sky dissolved into the bright yellow-green of the ball. Blindly, Sakura struck the air. Her fingers felt like sticks, the racket barely stuck to her fingertips.
"O – out!" she heard the girl on the other side yell shakily. She sounded quite surprised, if not a bit disbelieving of her own call.
Sakura's vision came back temporarily, but it was severely limited. "Enough for one more serve," she muttered to herself. It was no longer about feeling guilty. It was about surviving.
Little did she know that she would have a lot more surviving to deal with.
Snapping her wrist at contact, Sakura's mind clicked at the very wrong sound of ball-against-string. Nonetheless, it went over. As her opponent was running to the off-course ball, Sakura felt the usual urge to move behind the baseline.
But she couldn't.
Her legs locked up, the bones in the structures no longer supporting her body. Sakura managed to stay conscious long enough to say, "Game, 6-0."
As she fell, her arms became stiff as well. She could only watch as the ground rose to meet her face.
There was searing pain. Then silence.
x – x – x
"Which club are you joining, Syaoran?" Yamazaki Takashi relentlessly pried. Relentless prying was apparently something he liked to do – when he wasn't busy lying, of course.
"I don't know," Syaoran replied nonchalantly.
"I heard the choir has cute girls…"
"You mean Mihara-san?"
"Ye – I mean, no!" Takashi's eyes widened slightly at the thought. He looked down, refusing to meet Syaoran's eyes.
Oblivious, Syaoran looked around the empty hallway. "Science hallway, huh? Meilin told me that the soccer club was fun. And the coach is supposed to be cute."
"Uh, sorry to burst your bubble, Syaoran, but Meilin probably said that just to get you in the same club as her."
Syaoran bit his tongue, not at all enjoying the flow of the conversation. "Let's join the biology club."
"What?!" Takashi gaped at his friend. "Li, are you nuts? Did you know that biology was first created by the Ottoman Empire to punish the boys who failed physics, the real science? They had the kids dissect each oth –"
"Save it, Yamazaki," Syaoran muttered softly. His amber eyes smoldered at the sight of the biology classroom.
"Syaoran, did you know that even turtles lived to be much older than humans? That shows just how weak we are as creatures."
"I'm joining," he announced to no one in particular.
"Fine, Li. Leave no room for negotiation, huh?" Takashi trailed behind his friend with a pout on his face. "I hope the teacher looks decent…"
As they walked through the glass doors of the crowded room, they found it quite deserted. A lone boy sat in a corner of the room, looking through a microscope. His glasses enclosed deep blue eyes that scintillated with the sunlight that managed to seep through the shades.
Without looking, the boy spoke to them in a smooth voice. "Welcome to the biology club. Our professors aren't here today, but I hope you'll find something of interest here. Please tell me your names."
"Ore wa…Li Syaoran desu," Syaoran managed hesitantly.
"Yamazaki Takashi desu." Takashi yawned. "So senpai, what exactly do we do here?" The boy in the corner looked up from his equipment.
"Hiiragizawa Eriol desu." Hiiragizawa Eriol scratched his head and smiled. "I'm really not sure, Yamazaki-kun. You see, it's always been me and the two senseigata. We've never really had any members." He shrugged. "What do you guys want to do on this fine afternoon, Li-kun, Yamazaki-kun?"
Takashi looked over at Syaoran, but found that his friend was gravitating towards the aquarium. The habitat by the window was a cramped place, full of moss and…turtles.
Eriol followed Syaoran's gaze. "Interested in animals, Li-kun?"
"Yeah," Syaoran replied, distracted. "I've always been more fond of animals than…" He stopped himself, realizing he was saying too much. Takashi gave him an odd look.
"You can be in charge of cleaning it, Li-kun," Eriol offered, looking back at his microscope. "Mizuki-sensei was never fond of all of the algae…and the other sensei…well…let's just say he isn't interested in biology, period."
Syaoran nodded lightly, already heading for the turtles. But this time, the animals didn't catch his attention. He approached the tank, looking straight through its glass and the glass of the window.
"Tennis club?" he muttered skeptically when he saw a familiar figure with shoulder-length auburn hair. Even as she played tennis, the girl's hair was flying wildly around her face.
"Hey, isn't that the class president girl?" Takashi asked, looking over Syaoran's shoulder. "She's pretty cute. Just a bit blunt." He paused. "What's her name again, Syaoran?"
"No idea," Syaoran replied, his eyes still fixed on the running girl. She's quite good, though, he admitted to himself.
"Childish," Eriol muttered from the corner.
"What, Hiiragizawa-senpai? You don't like looking at girls?" Takashi queried, peeved at the upperclassman's indifference.
"I wasn't talking about you two, staring up girls' skirts…I was talking about that tennis girl." He gestured to Sakura. "She looks so hopeful…so juvenile…so naïve."
"Is that bad?" Syaoran snapped defensively.
Eriol didn't answer.
"Senpai, answer the quest –" He froze, tracing Eriol's gaze.
"Shit," Takashi muttered. "That's a lotta blood."
The girl was lying facedown on the green court, her blood staining the ground as it gushed out of her head. Her arms were hanging limply on both sides of her body. Eriol stared at the fallen girl, a frown marking his face. "Why didn't she catch herself with her hands? Isn't that human instinct?"
Neither of the two first years could answer. They simply gaped at the scene.
x – x – x
Sakura woke to a sharp pain on her chin. "Otou…san?" she mumbled, her eyes still closed.
"Kyaa, Sakura-chan! You're finally awake!" Sakura heard footsteps, then felt a warm hand on her arm. She managed to open her eyes, the bright hospital lights blinding her temporarily.
"Why'd we all have to miss school because Sakura-nee fell?" Kinomoto Ako asked bitterly. "I was in the middle of art class."
Fujitaka glared at his second daughter. "Ako-chan!"
"What?" she whined back. "I don't get why Sakura-nee couldn't catch herself with her hands like us normal people can. That would've saved us a lot of trouble."
"I don't mind missing soccer for Sakura-nee," Touya murmured softly. Sakura could hear the poignant smile in his voice. Touya loved soccer practice.
"Maki-chan brought Usa-chan to see Sakura-nee!" Maki declared, offering her bunny to her sister.
Sakura managed a painful smile. Her gaze rested on Ako. "Gomen nasai. I've troubled all of you."
Fujitaka gave his daughter a concerned look. "Don't mind her, Sakura-chan. Just be more careful next time during practice." He frowned. "I always told you tennis was a contact sport! You have to knock down your opponent before she knocks you down!" Ako sniffed stubbornly.
"Ano, Otou-san, I think that's called dodge ball," Touya offered.
"Right, right. I knew that," he muttered. "Anyways, you can go back to school tomorrow. They just need to change your bandage again."
"What'd they do to me?"
"Oh, just an x-ray. And you've been transferred to a different doctor – Mizuno Hiroshi-sensei. He's the neurology head," Fujitaka stated proudly. "Hear that, Sakura? You've got special treatment."
"Why?" Sakura asked, confused.
"They're just worried about any head injuries you may have received from your fall. But you're fine." Fujitaka smiled, but Sakura could detect a hint of doubt behind those words. Nonetheless, her father, as crazy as he was, had never before lied to her.
Yet…his smile was almost…sad?
x – x – x
"What?" the father had asked, his foolish smile faltering.
Mizuno sighed. "I think there may be something wrong with your daughter's nerve signals. Has she been tripping a lot recently? Falling? Dropping things?"
"Yes, but she's been studying really hard recently, so…"
"Well, I'm not one hundred percent sure, Kinomoto-san, but I'll run more tests to see what I can find."
"She has nothing," Fujitaka stated stubbornly.
The encounter had been brief.
Mizuno Hiroshi dropped his face into his palms, breathing in and out deeply. Yes, he would perform the tests. But if the girl really had that disease…he would have to somehow tell her, even if her father was in denial.
Mizuno-sensei could not bear the thought of more lost time for another lost childhood.
"Sen…sei, please…give it…back…to me…" the boy begged, his voice coming out in soft, short rasps. "Give…my time…back…"
"Mizuno-sensei?" His secretary, Hina, poked her head into his office. "Mori-san is here for his speech therapy." She lowered her voice. "He's losing it…slowly, but surely. He'll need a kanji chart soon."
Mizuno smiled humourlessly. "Is Natsuki-chan with him?"
x – x – x
"Are you sure you're alright, Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo asked, confused. "You look pretty beat up."
"It's just my face, guys," Sakura answered with a genuine smile. "There's nothing to worry about."
"That's a really large bandage though, Sakura-chan," Chiharu mused. Sakura had noticed earlier that Chiharu had done her hair up differently – in many criss-crossing ribbons. She was sitting next to Takashi, the latter hanging on to her every word. "It's pretty much covering your entire chin."
"Did you know," Takashi began with a serene smile, "that modern bandages were first created by the European archeologist who went to Egypt to study mummies?"
"How does that work?" Sakura asked, intrigued.
"Well, in the tomb, he cut himself on a sharp rock. The man was bleeding to death. In desperation, he grabbed the –"
Chiharu turned sharply in her seat. "Takashi! Stop lying to the poor girl!"
"Hoe?" Sakura blinked twice, oblivious to the giggles around her.
"Sakura, you're funny," Rika giggled. Sakura stiffened, recalling Rika's reluctance to help out with the performance.
No, grudges, no grudges… "Oh, guys…I've thought of something we can do for our performance."
"Really, Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo gasped.
"Yeah. We could put together a musical!" Sakura exclaimed, getting painfully excited. Every word hurt her bruised face. "Tomoyo-chan, you can make the constumes…Naoko-chan can write the script…Chiharu, you and Takashi are great actors…but I still need a piano player." She cast a fleeting look at the other class president. To her surprise, he was staring right at her with a concerned glance.
"Anyways, if we all work together, everything will be alright," Sakura concluded with a small smile.
"Meilin-chan can play piano," Rika offered timidly, completely noticing her exclusion from Sakura's plan.
"Thanks, Rika-chan. I'll ask her…" Inhaling deeply, Sakura approached Meilin, who was busy talking to Naoko. "Meilin-chan?"
"Yes?" Meilin looked up at her. "What do you want, Kinomoto?"
Sakura was taken aback by Meilin's harshness. She hadn't done anything to the girl that she knew of. "Ano…would you mind playing piano for the class performance?"
"No," Meilin stated simply, turning back to an uncomfortable Naoko.
"Why not, Meilin-chan?" Naoko asked nervously, attempting to help Sakura. "You won the music competition back in middle school.
"No time," she replied coldly, as if Sakura wasn't right in front of her. "Anyways, how do you feel about –"
"Meilin."
Meilin spun around again, her mercurial mood shifting yet again. "Syaoran!" she exclaimed with a nervous giggle. She played around casually with her pigtails. "How's your day so far? I haven't had a chance to talk to you yet today. And bothersome little Kinomo –"
"Why don't you play piano for the musical, Meilin?" Syaoran cut in, his face getting dangerously close to his cousin's.
She immediately flushed. "O – of course, Syaoran. I guess I'll have to, since you asked." Meilin let out a dramatic sigh.
Humiliated, Sakura turned away from the two. She felt like she was an intruder. At that moment, the bell rang, rescuing the girl from any more awkward situations. Or so she hoped.
x – x – x
Sakura left the room, her mind spinning.
"Oi!" Footsteps trailed after Sakura hastily.
"My name is not 'Oi', Li-kun," she said coldly without turning around.
"I don't exactly know your name," the boy admitted shamelessly.
"But I know yours."
"You're not obligated to."
Sakura frowned. "You're weird, Li-kun." She couldn't help but smile – though it hurt, what with all of the bruises near her jaw. Syaoran smiled back.
"Am I now? I'm sorry, but I'm not the one who fell headfirst during a tennis match. What are your reflexes for?" He sighed dramatically. "I'm amazed you can even play a sport, what with your constant stumbling."
"It's only been recently," Sakura explained for no reason in particular. "I've never been this clumsy before." She rubbed her bandaged jaw. "Just…sometimes…"
Syaoran surveyed her curiously.
Then, spontaneously: "I love this hallway." Syaoran simply stared.
"I don't even know why I'm telling you this," she admitted with a laugh, though her expression was pained – an expression Syaoran had seen before on the girl.
"I – uhh…I don't know either."
Sakura frowned, her words escaping her. "Why did you follow me out here anyways?"
Syaoran looked around them, for the first time noticing their location – the deserted hallway leading to the science classrooms. "I…wanted…" he trailed off, not wanting to admit his sudden impulse to apologize to the girl. "…to retrieve my thank-you." His eyes danced vividly.
"What?"
"I got you a pianist for the musical. That's major ass-saving right there," he replied smugly.
Sakura rolled her eyes. "She's your cousin. Of course she'll do anything you ask." She chose not to mention Tomoyo's comment from earlier ("Ne, Sakura-chan…Meilin-chan seems to have a crush on Li-kun."). "Besides, it's your duty as a class president to take care of these kinds of things. I owe you nothing." She nodded to herself, walking away. Except…I do wonder about his sudden change of heart…
For some strange reason, Syaoran couldn't let her go yet.
"You never did tell me your name, Oi."
x – x – x
Li Yelan opened her eyes. It had become a habit – waking up at exactly 3:50 to give the manservant her son's afternoon schedule. "Wei, send Syaoran to the D wing of the hospital after school. His observations today will be with Mizuno-sensei of the neurology department."
"As you wish." Wei bowed, his old eyes reflecting years of empathy for the young master.
But Li Yelan's orders were not to be taken lightly. If she wanted her son to follow in his father's footsteps, it would take a knife to the stomach to stop her.
Yet somehow, Wei knew that the young master was capable of becoming the very knife that will stop the tyrant. Li Syaoran, after all, knew what his father's true dreams were.
If only she were capable of accepting it.
x – x – x
Mizuno-sensei looked over his data for the umpteenth time.
Again and again…yet the same results appeared over and over again.
"Spinocerebellar ataxia," he muttered to himself. Leaning back in his chair, his weary eyes squeezed themselves shut. "Oh, Kami-sama. Not this again."
Mizuno-sensei knew exactly what he was required by law to do next. "This fifteen-year-old girl…" He could only hope that Kinomoto Sakura's psychotic father would make the right decision.
"Hina-san? Call the Kinomotos in tonight – yes, the time slot I have after I meet with Li-san's son."
x – x – x
"Mizuno Hiroshi. CNS and muscular disease specialist. Neurology head. Currently working on a cure for spinocerebellar ataxia. Has had three patients die of it. Currently has one patient to care for," Syaoran read casually from his folder. "Happy, Wei?" He had wasted the last three hours of his day with Mizuno-sensei in the hospital, recording personal data and hearing his heartfelt theories about the spinal cord disorder. Spinocerebellar…what? It wasn't like he actually gave a damn about any of it.
Wei sighed wearily from the front seat of the sleek convertible. He didn't answer Syaoran's question. "Mizuno-sensei just gave me a call. He wants you back there for a few minutes."
"What?! But we're almost home!" Syaoran cried with an agonized groan.
"He says it's important – something for your mother."
"Of course, Okaa-san is law," he muttered bitterly. "Bring me back, then."
When they entered the neurology wing, Mizuno-sensei was already waiting for them with a fat yellow envelope in his arms. "Gomen nasai. Thanks for taking the trouble to come all the way back here."
"No trouble at all," Syaoran replied coldly.
"Li-kun," the neurology head continued, "these documents are for your mother. Could you deliver them to her? I would do it myself, but I have a potential…terminal…patient whose father needs a little talking-to."
"Of course, sensei," Syaoran replied emotionlessly. "Thank you." Turning to leave, he saw someone very unexpected exiting Dr. Mizuno's office. She spotted him as well, turning to him with a bright, bandaged smile and a questioning glance.
"Li-kun?"
"Kinomoto-san," he stated, a tad relieved that he actually remembered her name…for once. "What are you doing here?"
"I could say the same for you."
"I come here for daily checkups. I'm a transvestite, you know. Just got my procedure done two weeks ago," Syaoran replied, face completely serious.
"Really?" Sakura asked, her eyes growing wide. "Wow, I've never met a transvestite before!"
"Joking," Syaoran replied with a smirk. "No, the real reason is because my father owns – owned, I mean – this hospital."
Sakura's eyes lit up. "Oh! You're one of those Lis!"
An eyebrow lifted. "Those Lis?"
"I mean…the ones from Hong Kong who are legends here for their accomplishments in the medical field," Sakura recited with an embarrassed blush. Hoee, that was insulting.
"Lying again," Syaoran murmured, though his eyes did not contain a hint of humor.
Sakura bought it. She groaned. "Li-kun, you really are weird," she said with a playful giggle.
"You too, Kinomoto-san. Are you here because of your face injury?"
Sakura fingered her bandages, preoccupied. "I'm really not sure, actually. Mizuno-sensei called in telling me and Otou-san to come in tonight for something…"
Syaoran froze. Mizuno Hiroshi. CNS and muscular disease specialist.
"Maybe he's just telling us that everything's fine…though I don't understand why he'd go through the trouble of calling us here to do it…"
"Kinomoto-san?" Syaoran managed slowly. "Why…if you simply bruised your chin…why is Mizuno-sensei your doctor?"
"Hoe?" Sakura stared at him, confused. "After I had x-rays taken, my original doctor sent me to Mizuno-sensei. Why?"
It could be nothing, Syaoran thought nervously. She could've just torn a muscle… His gut instinct told him differently. The tripping…the delayed reflexes…
Eriol stared at the fallen girl, a frown marking his face. "Why didn't she catch herself with her hands? Isn't that human instinct?"
"Ano…are you sure you're alright, Kinomoto-san?"
Sakura smiled brightly. "Of course, Li-kun. Everything will surely be alright!"
Syaoran hesitantly smiled back.
"It's only a bruise, after all," Sakura added. She could not understand why the boy in front of her was beginning to look more and more uncomfortable.
x – x – x
"It's good that Sakura left the room, Kinomoto-san," the doctor began solemnly. "I needed to talk to you first."
"Is…is there something wrong?" Fujitaka's entire figure radiated his anxiety.
"You have a choice to make, Kinomoto-san." Mizuno placed a few x-rays in front of the father. "Sakura has spinocerebellar ataxia."
"Spinocerebellar ataxia? Is this some kind of doctor's joke?" Fujitaka asked, hysterical. "Please, Mizuno-sensei, give her the medicine now!"
Mizuno looked down at his clipboard, his mind spinning. "I…there is no cure, Kinomoto-san. Your daughter's nerves will continue to degenerate until she cannot even talk or eat. Then, one day…"
"Please, sensei…don't say that kind of thing to me," he begged helplessly. "She just needs sleep…just some…sleep…then she'll stop dropping things and tripping…"
Mizuno shook his head sadly, his eyes weary. "Are you going to tell her?"
Fujitaka did not reply.
The doctor sighed. "Spinocerebellar ataxia is a cruel disease – it doesn't attack anyone in particular…it attacks everyone. Signs of the disease may not even show up until later in life. It kills slowly, and that's what makes it so painful."
"…kill?"
"Yes. No one has survived the disease. Our technology is not yet advanced enough to prevent the disease from impairing the autonomic nervous system – that is, the heart and the lungs…the other internal organs. Physical therapy will only help delay the progression of the damage."
"So…what can we do about it?" Fujitaka asked, his voice dangerously low. "Shall I just watch my oldest daughter die?!"
x – x – x
Following Mizuno-sensei's wishes, Sakura did not go to the courts during club time. She could not understand the logic behind the doctor's orders, as she was feeling perfectly fine.
After the bell signaled the end of class, Sakura reached for the zipper to her canvas bag.
She missed it. By more than four inches.
"Hoe?"
"Kinomoto-san," Syaoran called from behind her. "What's the holdup?"
"Oh, nothing, Li-kun!" she called back, turning red from embarrassment.
"You're not going to tennis today?"
"Iie, Mizuno-sensei told me not to do any running," Sakura explained.
Syaoran's mind raced. No, it can't be…yet it has to be… "Ano…would you like to come to biology class with me and Takashi?" Takashi opened his mouth to protest, but a sharp jab in his stomach persuaded him otherwise.
"Sure, let's go," she replied cheerfully, oblivious to Takashi's reluctance.
"Dude," Takashi whispered to Syaoran as soon as they reached the science hallway. "Senpai will scare the living daylights out of that girl." Syaoran didn't reply – he was busy observing Sakura's expression of pure ecstasy as her footsteps echoed down the corridor.
"I love this hallway."
"Yamazaki-kun, Li-kun, is this it?" Sakura had stopped in front of the biology room.
"Yeah," Syaoran replied casually. Then, to Takashi: "Don't worry, Hiiragizawa isn't that bad."
Little did the boys know that Hiiragizawa Eriol was not the one to be scared of in the biology club.
"Hello, little punks," a rough-looking dark man growled as soon as the trio entered, "I'm Kurogane-sensei, one of the sponsors of this club. Get ready to learn some real science."
"I will become strong."
"Can I say that even if I know that I'll…die soon?"
x – x – x
Preview:
"Would you like to play with me and Kero-chan while you wait for your father to finish up, Natsu-chan?" Sakura asked brightly. Kero struggled in her grasp. The small puppy didn't seem to feel comfortable away from Syaoran.
"Sure!" The girl ran back to her toys, bringing over a large blue ball. "Let's play catch, Sakura-nee."
They threw the blue ball back and forth for a while, Natsuki's tiny giggles occasionally piercing the silence. Kero ran between them – an undersized monkey-in-the-middle. Then, suddenly, the small girl caught the ball with a frown.
"Do you have the same thing as Otou-san, Sakura-nee?" she asked quizzically, the frown growing deeper. She threw the ball again.
"What?" Sakura froze, missing the ball by more than a few inches.
"Okaa-san said that Mizuno-sensei is a…specialist," the girl managed, struggling with the larger word. "Do you have the spinal thingy that Otou-san has?" Her eyes shined with tears. "Because I don't want Sakura-nee or anyone to die like Otou-san will…"
x – x – x
"…it's a secret," Sakura said softly, wiping away a few tears discreetly. Did he know? That day at the hospital…did Li Syaoran, possible son of the famous Li-sensei, find out before me?
"Can I ask you a different question then?" Although he could tell that something was amiss, Syaoran decided not to pry.
"Alright, I guess." She forced on a smile.
"Why did you say you liked the science hallway?"
"No reason," Sakura replied cheekily.
"Is that a secret too?"
"I already said that there wasn't a reason, Li-kun. Do you not understand Japanese? Must I speak slow for you?"
x – x – x
The preview not only tells what is to come in the next chapter (duh), but this time, it also contains some major foreshadowing to future chapters. Yay.
This update was quite late. But hopefully the abnormal length (for me, at least) will make up for the delay.
Review, review, review (:. My chemistry homework is jealous of the time I spent on this.
The pairings will be a bit different this time around. I'm tired of writing anything-but-canon ExT that doesn't even make any sense :(. So, CxT and SxS will do (:. And of course, that special Terada-sensei and Rika-chan pairing that has a special place in my heart.