Disclaimer: I do not own Card Captor Sakura or any of its characters.
Author's Note: This is the first part of Sakura's (and the Kinomoto family's) story. I tried writing everything in one chapter but as I progressed, the chapter was getting longer and longer. So I decided to split Sakura's story into two. And I guess it makes sense to present Sakura's story in two chapters because the events here precedes the events in Chapter 4. Read and review!
Author's Second Note: December 27, 2016. To all my dearest readers, I've been re-reading the story and found the first three chapters too short. Hence, I decided to merge Chapters 1, 2, and 3. Did nothing major.
PERFECT STRANGERS
Dream of Autumn
iii.
It was one busy Friday at the Amamiya Corp. Vice President Kinomoto Touya had just finished a meeting with the Sales Department when his secretary's voice came in his desk intercom.
"Kinomoto-sama, Kinomoto Mei Ling-sama is here to see you."
A smile touched Touya's lips at the mention of his wife. He and Mei Ling had only been married for less than a year, but to Touya, it felt like it had been forever. After going through a dark time in his life, Mei Ling had been his saving grace. She was instrumental in bringing back the happiness he thought he had lost forever. Despite their almost similarly strong personalities, they managed to make their marriage work.
Mei Ling visiting him in his office was not usual, but nor was it rare. Her visits were always a welcome distraction to Touya's day. Despite the fact he had many things to attend to, he found no reason to hurry whenever she was there.
"Let her in," was his reply. In seconds, the door to his office opened and a woman with straight black hair and bright ruby eyes walked in.
Touya stood up to meet his wife, wrapping his arms around her waist and giving her a sound kiss on the lips. "Can't get enough of me, can you?" he teased, grinning like a lovesick puppy.
Mei Ling poked him on the side and smiled as her husband closed the distance between them. "Don't get ahead of yourself. I'm actually here for a reason," she said, enjoying his warmth.
"Really? And what would that be?" he asked huskily, nibbling her ear.
Mei Ling sighed with pleasure, biting her lower lip. "It's about your sister."
The hot and heavy atmosphere that was beginning to build up around the couple suddenly dissipated. Touya's ears perked up and he looked at his wife straight in the eye. "Sakura?"
Mei Ling pouted at the sudden change. Nevertheless, she nodded. Her eyes looked at the crease that was beginning to form between Touya's eyebrows. He was always on his toes when it came to his sister.
"Maybe it's better we sit this one down," Mei Ling suggested, pulling him to the couch.
Once the two of them were seated, Mei Ling began. "Touya… have you heard recently from Sakura-san?"
Touya shook his head, thoroughly confused.
"So, I'm guessing you have no idea that Sakura-san is engaged?"
The furrow between Touya's brows deepened. "Engaged?" he repeated incredulously, sounding as if it was the first time he heard the word. "That's—that's ridiculous! Mei Ling, Sakura doesn't even have a boyfriend, let alone a fiancé!"
Ruby eyes blinked. "I-I received a call this morning… from my Uncle Kang Ming."
Touya's memory drifted to a tall, greying man with strong brown eyes and he nodded.
"Apparently, Fujitaka-san went to Hong Kong to meet with my relatives to arrange the engagement," Mei Ling carefully chose her words. Touya doesn't need to know the real story behind his sister's engagement.
Touya stayed quiet as he absorbed what Mei Ling told him. Then, he shook his head. "No, that's impossible. Otou-sama would never do that." Mei Ling looked at him questioningly, challenging him. Truthfully, Touya knew that what he said was a total lie. He knew his father well to know what he was capable of doing.
"Well, it's either that or Sakura-san has been carrying on a relationship none of us knew about," Mei Ling said.
That put Touya in a pensive mood. "You know… you haven't told me who my sister is supposed to be marrying."
Beside him, Mei Ling stiffened and turned silent. Her heart was beating so wildly, she wouldn't be surprised if Touya heard it. She knew that her husband's reaction won't be pleasant when she told him who Sakura was to marry.
"Mei Ling…" Touya's eyes narrowed.
"W-well, from what Uncle Kang Ming told me, Sakura-san will be marrying my cousin," she answered, her voice an octave higher than normal.
"And who exactly is this cousin of yours?" Touya demanded through gritted teeth. Mei Ling's relations were numerous.
Mei Ling gulped, turning pale. "Xiao Lang."
Touya felt himself shake with restrained anger as the image of his wife's relative came to mind.
They were at their wedding reception, enjoying the celebration of their union. The bridal bouquet had long been contested and had ended up in the hands of Tang Xiu Yan, Mei Ling's childhood friend and a Hong Kong socialite. It was the time to throw the bridal garter. After enduring the jeers of their well-wishers, Touya had managed to remove the garter from his new wife's long leg. With his back to a number of bachelors made up of his and Mei Ling's friends and family, he threw the band. The crowd erupted with a cheer. He turned and saw a tall, brown-haired man looking smug as he held the garter. A meter away from Touya, Xiu Yan blushed heavily.
Slowly, the brown-haired man walked towards Xiu Yan smirking, twirling the white band around his finger. He knelt down in front of the girl, who sat on a chair with her leg extended. With a wink, the man slipped the garter on Xiu Yan's leg and began to move it upwards very slowly. When the band reached her thigh, the two stood up. Unexpectedly, the man tipped Xiu Yan and swooped in for a kiss on the lips as the crowd went wild.
Touya stared disapprovingly at the brown-haired man, who high fived a navy-haired man after pulling his stunt.
"Mei Ling, who was that?" he turned to his wife.
"Who? The one who caught the garter?"
Touya nodded in affirmation.
"That's my cousin, Xiao Lang," Mei Ling informed him. "He's the family company's CEO."
"I see," was his terse reply as he continued to glare at his new cousin-in-law. CEO or not, Touya thought, he's bad news to me.
Mei Ling kept silent as she rubbed his back to soothe him.
Touya shut his eyes and began to breathe deeply in an attempt to subdue his rage. He was going to talk to his father afterwards.
After Mei Ling left, Touya struggled to concentrate on his work. The news his wife brought continued to linger in his mind and many questions plagued him, seeking answers. Why did Sakura agree to marry that brat? Does she even know him that well? The sister he knew was not shallow. It would take more than good looks or infinite wealth to tempt Sakura to marry.
Unless… Touya clenched his fists. Heaven forbid Sakura was pregnant. While Touya thought this was beyond impossible, if his sister was, and by some stroke of misfortune the Chinese brat was the father, he would gladly drag him to the depths of hell and imprison him there.
When the clock struck five, Touya stormed out of his office ignorant of the astonished looks on his employees' faces. They were not used to seeing their boss leave the office that early. As soon as he hopped inside his car, Touya skidded out of the company driveway and headed for his childhood home, where he knew his father was resting having just arrived from Hong Kong that day.
He found his father inside his office, gazing longingly at his deceased wife's picture. The elder Kinomoto looked up when he heard someone entering the room. At the sight of his son, his face broke into a smile.
"Touya! This is a surprise! What can I do for you, my son?" Fujitaka greeted Touya, putting the frame down.
"Otou-sama, we need to talk," Touya said.
Still smiling, Fujitaka prompted him to continue. "I am all ears."
"Sakura's getting married." There was no question in Touya's words.
The smile on Fujitaka's face widened. "I see you've heard the wonderful news. Mei Ling must have told you then."
"I don't see anything wonderful about it," Touya spat.
Fujitaka's eyes widened a fraction in surprise at his son's reaction and he shook his head. "I'm afraid that's not yours to judge, Touya."
"Why did Sakura agree to marry that man?" Touya demanded.
His father seemed to consider the question for a moment before revealing one tiny detail. "Sakura doesn't know yet."
Black eyes widened with shock. "What do you mean she doesn't know?" Touya snarled. "How could she be engaged if she doesn't know?"
Fujitaka inhaled deeply. "Touya, as your father, it is my responsibility to make sure that my children are well taken care of. Through the help of your good father-in-law, I have found a suitable man for Sakura."
Touya was at a loss for words. Sakura's sudden engagement finally made sense to him. "You…"
"I only want the best for my children, Touya," Fujitaka said in earnest.
Touya's temper flared. Shaking his head, he told his father, "Otou-sama, I let you meddle with my life before. I won't let you do that to my sister."
"Why Touya, I didn't know you regret marrying Mei Ling?" his father challenged.
"This is not about Mei Ling!" Touya fumed, his body shaking with anger. "This is about you and your interference with our lives!"
"Touya, I only do what I know is best for you and your sister. I did what I knew was best for you! If I hadn't step in, you will still be obsessed with that—that woman!" Fujitaka hollered, spitting the last word with revulsion.
Touya saw red. "You leave Kaho out of this!" he growled.
"If I hadn't step in, you will not have met Mei Ling—"
"You put me through hell before I met her! I will not let you put Sakura through the same hell—"
Touya's words were cut off when his father's hand connected to his face, the slap reverberating inside the room.
"That is enough, Touya," Fujitaka said with finality. Walking to the chair behind his office desk, he sat down and regarded his son coolly. "When you become a father, Touya, you will understand why I am doing this. You have no idea what I had to go through to raise you and your sister alone, making sure you had the best of everything."
The young man did not answer, his clenched fists still trembling.
Fujitaka continued, "In time, Touya, you will see that I am right. And I will always be right."
His lecture was cut short by a knock on the door. A head of auburn poked inside the room and green eyes widened as they took in the scene.
"Onii-chan!" Sakura expressed her surprise to see him at the house. Touya remained silent, unwilling to look at his sister in the eyes. His father's confession rang in his ears. Sakura doesn't know yet.
Getting no response from her brother, Sakura's eyes shifted warily to her father. "Otou-sama, Rika-chan said you wanted to talk to me?"
"Ah yes, I did! Come in, Sakura! Touya was just about to leave, weren't you, son?"
Touya nodded curtly before turning on his heels and brushing past Sakura as he walked out of the door. As he drove off, he felt the left side of his face throb. His father's blow was going to leave a mark the next day. Mei Ling was going to have a fit. When he arrived at their house, he let out a sigh of relief when Mei Ling called to tell him she'll be going out with her friends and will not be expected to come home until late in the evening. In an attempt to prevent his face from bruising, Touya headed for the freezer and took out a frozen pack of meat, pressing the icy package against his left cheek.
As he lay in bed that night, he thought about his father. He had to admit that if it had not been for his machinations, he would not have met Mei Ling. And he will probably be forever grateful for that. But considering everything he went through—the depression, the suicide attempt, the hollowness of getting through the day breathing but not living—Touya would not wish it on anybody. Especially not his sister. She was far too precious to be toyed with.
Drifting to sleep, he thought about his mother and the promise he made on her deathbed. Remembering this, Touya's resolve became stronger.
Sakura, just as I promised Okaa-sama, I will do everything in my power to protect you.
Kinomoto Mei Ling woke up the following day to find her husband's side of the bed empty. She frowned. While Touya was the early riser between the two of them, he usually waited for her to wake up so they could start the day together. Waking up to find him gone made Mei Ling miss her husband. She had gone out the previous evening with her friends from work and went home at midnight. By the time she arrived home, Touya was already asleep. Slipping her robe, she went downstairs to look for Touya and found him sitting, in deep thought in their garden.
She smiled and lightly tapped his shoulder in greeting. "Hey!"
When he didn't look up, her smile fell.
Sensing something was amiss, she crouched down in front of him, only to gasp when she saw his face.
"T-Touya! What happened?"
The left side of her husband's face was swollen and bruised. Mei Ling reached out to touch his face only to withdraw her hand when Touya winced the second her fingers made contact with his raw skin.
"It's nothing, love," Touya tried to reassure her, holding her hands. Concerned ruby eyes searched his black ones. "I-I accidentally hit myself… hard… with the refrigerator door last night. I didn't turn the lights on… so it was pretty hard to see."
A crease formed between Mei Ling's brows and her eyes continued to probe his in question. Touya silently hoped Mei Ling would buy his flimsy excuse, or at least drop the questions. He hated lying to her. But to do so was, at the moment, a necessary evil.
Much to his relief, Mei Ling simply squeezed his hands and said, "If you say so."
Mei Ling, however, saw right through him. At around ten in the morning, while Touya was in the shower, she quietly slipped out of the house and drove to her intended destination. In fifteen minutes, she found herself inside the Kinomoto mansion asking to speak with her father-in-law.
Sakura sat in her father's office. In front of her lay documents that told her all about her fiancé. Fiancé. A shiver ran through Sakura. The previous night, after she saw her brother storm out of the house, her father told her that she was, as of that very moment, engaged.
To say that she was surprised was an understatement—a very big understatement. Before that day, Sakura has not had a single boyfriend nor had she even gone out on a date. Her father made sure of it. He explicitly forbid that she socialize with any male, aside from him or her brother without his approval. Those who dared seek his permission were all graciously rejected. While Sakura silently wondered why, she brushed it off and simply assumed it was because her father was unwilling to let her go. Thus, Sakura was convinced that she would grow old single and alone. She resigned herself to the life of a dutiful daughter taking care of her widower father until his dying breath. All of that, however, irrevocably changed the day Fujitaka arrived from his trip to Hong Kong.
The moment her father broke the news, a stunned "What?" was the only thing she could manage to say.
But she knew her face, eyes wide and confused, told her father all he needed to know of what she really thought and felt. The severe expression on Fujitaka's dark eyes did not soften. Yet his smile grew.
"Your fiancé comes from a very respectable family, Sakura," he reassured her. "His name is Li Xiao Lang. He is actually the cousin of your sister-in-law, Mei Ling," her father told her proudly, expecting her to be pleased. "You might have seen him during Touya's wedding. Currently the CEO of the family company. One of the richest men in Hong Kong. He can give you everything you want."
Sakura froze when she heard the name. Li Xiao Lang. She remembered him. How could she not? He was the man who caught the garter and made a scene with the girl who caught the bouquet. She could distinctly remember the distaste on Touya's face when he tipped the young girl and kissed her. Handsome and rich as he was, Sakura would certainly not have chosen the likes of him to be her husband. Like she needed someone that rich. She was very much capable of making money for herself, thank you very much.
"B-but Otou-sama, I don't understand. How—"
"Sakura, you don't need to know how or what happened," Fujitaka insisted, unyielding. "What's important is by the end of the month, you will be Li Sakura."
Sakura's blood ran cold as she gaped at her father. A month?! That soon?!
"B-but Otou-sama—"
"You don't have to worry about the wedding, Sakura. It's all been taken care of."
She was trying to convince him, albeit feebly, that she wanted to decide things as big as this for herself. But, in fear that her father might chastise her, she instead blurted out, "What if he doesn't like me?"
Fujitaka sneered menacingly. "He doesn't have a choice."
And so, Sakura lost another battle that she refused, out of fear, to wage.
From the time her beloved mother passed away, Kinomoto Fujitaka dictated everything that went on in his only daughter's life. From the schools Sakura attended to the friends she mingled with. He pushed—insisted that she should always have the top grades in her class. That one time when she fell to second place, Fujitaka forbid her from associating with her friends other than her cousin Daidouji Tomoyo. He had her study English, French, Spanish, and Chinese, and practically forced her to learn how to play the piano—all because this was what he deemed "appropriate" for someone of her stature. Even the course she took in college was her father's choosing. She initially wanted to become a teacher, inspired by Touya's ex-girlfriend Mizuki Kaho. Her father, however, would have none of it.
Not only did he dictate everything for her, he demanded perfection in everything she did.
And now, her father defined what perfection was for him in the man he wanted his daughter to be with for the rest of her life.
Sakura continued to stare at the picture of her supposed fiancé, gazing at the amber eyes that seem to burn through the picture. She was lost in contemplation when a soft knock brought her out of her thoughts and Rika, their maid, entered. "Sakura-sama, Mei Ling-sama is here to speak with Fujitaka-sama."
Immediately, Sakura stood up. She barely had time to stash Li Xiao Lang's files when her sister-in-law came barging into the office.
"Good morning, Mei Ling-san," she greeted her brother's wife.
Mei Ling's eyes fell on the file on top of the table. Sakura felt herself go red. Does Mei Ling-san know about me and her cousin?
"Otou-sama is not here as of the moment. He plays golf during the weekends," Sakura explained in an attempt to divert Mei Ling's attention.
Mei Ling looked at her stonily and remained silent.
Sakura felt uncomfortable under the other woman's glare. As sisters-in-law, their relationship could only go as far as being civil with one another. Privately, Sakura thought the Li girl was snooty. The first time the two were introduced, Mei Ling had sized her up from head to foot before sticking up her nose and refusing to speak to Sakura the entire evening. Sakura would never let her brother, most especially not her father, know but she liked Touya's ex-girlfriend much more than his eventual wife.
Mizuki Kaho, Sakura's high school teacher, had been Touya's girlfriend for a good seven years. After Kinomoto Nadeshiko died, Kaho had been Sakura's mother figure during her adolescence. She was smart, kind, classy, and beautiful. It was only unfortunate that Fujitaka vehemently disapproved of their relationship. Apart from the fact that she was older than Touya by five years, Kaho had come from a modest middle class family. Sakura would never tell Touya but she felt their father had some hand in Kaho's sudden departure.
Before she left, Kaho had reassured Touya that the overseas study program will only be for a few months. Two months after, however, Kaho would call Touya to ask to end their relationship. Distraught, Touya had to beg their father to let him go to England to win his ladylove back. It was during this time that Sakura witnessed her older brother break down the first time when Fujitaka broke to him the news of Kaho's marriage to a "respectable" Englishman named Clow Reed. For two years, Touya lived like a wounded dog. The family had to endure his bouts of depression and one failed suicide attempt before Fujitaka drew the line. He sent his son to Seoul. There, Touya met the feisty Hong Kong heiress who was responsible for mending his broken heart.
For Sakura, this was enough reason for her to accept Li Mei Ling as her sister. During the years they were together, up until the time they got married, she could clearly see how much Touya loved Mei Ling. And it was just as apparent how this love was very much reciprocated by the raven-haired girl. It helped, of course, that Mei Ling came from a wealthy Chinese family. Their marriage met no opposition from Fujitaka, who was only too happy to have a Li heiress for a daughter-in-law.
"I see," came Mei Ling's reply.
"Is there anything you would like me to relay to Otou-sama?" Sakura inquired.
Mei Ling thought for a second, her eyes not leaving Sakura. "Yes, there is. I would just like to make a reminder to you and your father. I acknowledge that Touya is firstly a part of your family. But he is my husband. And I love him, Sakura-san—very much."
Mei Ling's lower lip trembled.
"I protect everyone I love, Sakura-san. So if there is anyone—anyone who dares hurt Touya," ruby eyes flashed. "I will not hesitate to hurt them back, family or not."
Without waiting for a reply, Mei Ling turned and left, leaving a bewildered Sakura in her wake.
TO BE CONTINUED
Next chapter: Sakura's story Part 2.
