What's within is what matters

Author: Green Cherie

Summary: Sakura quietly resides as a girl dressed as a boy after the death of her mother, father and older brother. Sakura, forcing herself to believe that she is a boy, finds herself falling for girls unconsciously. What will happen when she meets a gruff and cold Syaoran who unwittingly makes Sakura regret?

Chapter 3: More about Sakuragi

"How-?" Syaoran stuttered for the fifth time, shaking his head credulously.

"What's not to understand?" Sakura grumbled, looking at her watch, "You can't have possibly believed them…" She gasped when she saw his bewilderment, "Oh Li! A ghost showing around new students? Takashi-kun and Tsukasa-kun are born liars and they're particularly intrigued with my story. Seeing as how I act and say the same thing whenever I show new students around."

"Why's that?" Syaoran asked, relaxing. Takashi and Tsukasa had left earlier. Syaoran made a mental note to avoid them at all cost. Now that Sakura had finished with her shift, he wanted to know what it was all for.

"Look, I made a deal with the principal, okay? At first, it was all fine and dandy but, I got fed up with it and-"

"A deal?" He asked again, looking at Sakura with suspicion.

Sakura stood up indignantly. "I'd love to stay and chat but I'm late for another part-time job!"

Syaoran raised an eyebrow as he stood up slowly, "Fine, I'll see you tomorrow!" He took a deep breath, "Sorry for wasting your time…" With that, he went out.

"Who does he think he is?!" Muttered Sakura under her breath. She looked at her watch and fled, being late for work.

"Gomene, Gomena-sai!" She said, bowing her head slightly as she apologized for her tardiness. The employer, a plump woman in her thirties, refuse.

"No, Kinomoto-san, I've had it! You've been late the minute you started working here. That's not all! You've been tripping even by just standing straight to give a customer his receipt. I've had

"Please, I really can't help it…" Sakura begged, chewing on her lip as the woman shakes her head stubbornly.

"Sorry, but you can't work here any longer." The woman declared, shoving her out of the shop.

Sakura sighed deeply. As a compensation for a rough day, she buys herself an ice cream and a pink balloon – avoiding the baffled expressions of the passersby. 'Yeah, yeah… Stare all you want. A girl dressed as a boy still has a right to ice cream and pink balloons.' Heading off to the park, she quickly checks her scheduled part-time jobs.

She always managed to balance her three part-time jobs and school. Now that she lost her job as a cash register, she would have to work extra hours as a waiter for the Pizza place and a singer for a club (A/N: She sings as a girl there). Yeah, life was sweet, she though glumly. Sitting on a swing, she catches a glimpse of a seven-year-old boy clutching his younger sister by the hand. Suddenly, she remembered what had happened two years ago just after her father had died in a car accident.

Flashback

"Don't go, Kaijuu! I don't trust him." Touya warned, he grasped her arm tightly.

"Don't call me Kaijuu!" Sakura yelled, stomping on his foot, "I have the right to date whom I like and you can't do anything about it!"

"Okay then, Sakura, if you trust him that much, why don't you bring him home to meet me?" He loosened his grip on her.

"You'd kill him if I did!" She yelled, thoroughly annoyed. She yanked her hand away from him, "Otou-san would've understood - You've never trusted me enough to choose whom I want…" She burst into tears and ran out of the house.

G-R-E-E-N (A/N: Don't mind me. I just love the color GREEN!)

"Darren-kun," Sakura murmured. Darren had seen her and welcomed her into his arms.

"It's alright, Sakura-chan, all big brothers act like that," he soothed, running his hand through her hair, "Come, I know this awesome place where we can be alone."

Sakura nodded, unaware of the dangers that lie in wait for her. They arrived at a flat on an abandoned street. Sakura became nervous.

"No! Darren-"

"Don't worry, babe, I promise I won't hurt you." He grabbed her hands and dragged her to the door.

"No! Don't!" Sakura screamed, her heart pounding painfully in her chest. Darren was well stronger than she was.

"Hush." Darren murmured, bringing his lips close to hers. Sakura dodged him, screaming for help.

"Shut the hell up!" He yelled, striking her on the cheek. He altered when she stopped, her eyes widened and red. "I'm sorry, Sakura-chan." Touya knocked him to the ground.

"You'll be sorrier that you'll ever be when I get through with you." Touya hissed through clenched teeth. He reached to Sakura.

"Onii-chan, I was so scared." Sakura whimpered. She hugged Touya, grateful for his rescue. Touya hastily refrained from her embrace.

"Sakura, run…He has a gun-" He shoved her away, "Run!"

Sakura blinked back her tears as she ran for her life down and entered an alley. She hid behind a trashcan. Hearing swift footsteps, she peeked over the lid.

"Onii-chan! Over here!" She yelled, catching a glimpse of Touya. He rushed over to her. "I'm sorry…I can't fight. He has a gun and-"

"No, Onii-chan, I'm the one who's sorry…" Sakura murmured softly

"You can't hide from me!" Darren's vehement voice rang through the alley.

Touya took a deep breath and looked at Sakura with determination, "Stay here. Whatever happens, you must know that I love you and…" His voice started shaking, "I'll always be with you no matter h-how this'll turn out in the end."

Sakura face whitened, "No… Don't..." Her tears stopped her from talking. Touya rose up from their hiding place, with a crowbar he had picked up hidden behind his back.

"You can't hurt Sakura." Touya said firmly. His grip on the crowbar tightening. Darren laughed darkly.

"That's quite hard to believe – Seeing as I'm the one with the gun." He waved the gun at Touya's direction. "Any last words?"

"Darren, DON"T!" Sakura yelled, rising from her position. She knew Touya needed Darren distracted.

"Oh, babe, I was going to deal with you later and-" Darren couldn't continue. Touya's aim was very accurate. He hit Darren skillfully on the head. Darren fell to the ground unconscious.

"Sakura, are you alright?" Touya asked. He looked at her solemnly and watched her nod. "Good. Find a phone booth and call for help. Fast. He's coming around."

Sakura nodded again. She almost left the alley when she heard a gunshot. Only one word crossed her mind: Onii-chan. She ran back only to find Darren staggering to keep his balance and Touya gasping for breath as blood trickled from his chest.

"GO!" He yelled as he reeled towards Darren who was still weak. Sakura found herself running even as she heard another gunshot. After some minutes, she caught sight of a phone booth and dialed for help. She hurried back to see Touya, hoping against hope that he was still alive.

She saw Touya, his back leaning on the wall of the alley, his breathing slow and irregular. Darren was lying on the ground lifelessly. All around were small pools of blood. Sakura rushed over to her brother.

"Onii-chan, don't leave me…" Sakura sobbed. Her hands moved to the wound in a shaky act of disbelief. How could I have caused all this? She thought with remorse.

"I know," He uttered softly, turning to look at Sakura fully, "If I could, I wouldn't leave ever." He gave a bitter feeble laugh, "My Kaijuu couldn't take care of herself even if her life depended on it."

"Hey…" Sakura mumbled, giving a weak smile. She laughed silently, "I can take care of myself – you just haven't given me a chance to prove it yet."

"No, you're a girl. Darn it, I wanted a brother!" He closed his eyes and sighed. "A boy can always take care of himself – I told mother…Why…"

Sakura held her breath anxiously, her brother had started talking jumbled in a feverish garble. She was losing him.

Breathing difficultly, he spoke again, "Don't ever trust a guy like this again!" Wincing with pain, he bent his head, "I won't be able to kill him because I won't be there…"

"ONII-CHAN!" Sakura yelled, tears falling rapidly, "The paramedics are coming, hang on!"

Touya smiled faintly, "I'll greet Mom and Dad for you…I'll tell them you're fine…Sakura…Kaijuu – I…"

Sakura watched as his breathing slowed down. She bit her lip, tears stopped as his smile relaxed and his shoulders drooped. Touya was gone.

"Onii-chan!" She wailed. She was alone. Her mother and father had left. Now, Touya. She felt a part of her die along with him.

Flashback ended

Sakura felt herself snapped out of her thoughts by the sudden sobbing of the small girl. The brother did his best to comfort her but to no avail. Sakura looked at her balloon and felt a pang of kindness.

"Here, you can have it…" She said, extending the balloon's thread out for the brother to get.

"Thanks." The boy replied, giving it to his sister who stopped.

"No problem." Sakura smiled, and walked away.

The Next Day

"Sakura-chan," Tomoyo called to her at recess. Sakura stopped to wait for her. "Have you seen Eriol-kun?" She asked her eyes widened in anticipation.

Sakura smiled, "I saw him headed to the canteen."

Tomoyo gave a tired smile. "Why would he when I brought lunch for both of us?" She hurried off.

Sakura sighed deeply. Tomoyo had stopped prodding her to model the moment Eriol had stepped into their lives. Weird enough, Tomoyo had also stopped spending time with Sakura. 'Stupid Eriol' she thought glumly, even though she knew she didn't mean it.

"Hey, kid!" Syaoran called, catching up to her.

"Hey to you, too." Sakura said, still looking at where Tomoyo had last been to avoid his gaze. She knew Syaoran was staring at her. His Amber eyes had always given her the shivers. They sat on their bench.

"It must be hard…" He said with hesitation.

"What?" Sakura asked out of curiosity. She turned her head to look at him. They sat so close to each other; she could feel him inhale deeply.

"I haven't experienced it, but – I think I know how you feel…" He looked at her with emphatic eyes, "To have the one you love in the arms of another."

"You…" Sakura felt like pummeling him to the ground from sheer exasperation. "I don't love Tomoyo-chan – I do but not in the way that you-"

"It's better this way. They're both happy." Syaoran stated, nodding his head with utmost difficulty. He wondered why and how he was acting quite beside himself; feeling pity for the kid and all that.

"Oh, I give up." Sakura muttered. She felt him cringe and looked at the object of his perusal. The Yamazaki brothers headed their way.

"Sakuragi and Syaoran, what a surprise!"

"Really? That's hard to believe!" Sakura responded, glad of their company. She needed any distraction from thinking of the closeness of a male's body to hers - Not just any body…a hot muscular body at that.

"I don't want to hear this…" Syaoran grumbled, knowing he'll believe any garbage they tell him.

"What'd he say?" Tsukasa asked, peering at him with a broad grin.

"Nothing. What were you guys about to say?" Sakura responded for him. She shifted to break the contact between the two of them.

"We've seen Cherry." Takashi declared, his eyes twinkling.

Sakura paled at his words. She was sure that the twins didn't know her secret. "Oh, really?" She kept her voice from quivering.

"Yes, really." Takashi nodded.

"Sakuragi should know, Syaoran." Tsukasa smiled with a knowing wink.

"He does? Know what?" Syaoran asked, utterly confused.

Sakura shook her head. "Syaoran, don't believe-"

"It all started when we investigated his files-"

"Hey, that's confidential!" Sakura protested, "Why's it always about me-?"

"ANYWAY," Takashi continued, a bit upset that he was interrupted, "We have solved the riddle to why Sakuragi here," Nods at Sakura's direction, "doesn't have his name in the singers' department because he-"

"He takes private lessons WITH Cherry!" Tsukasa finished for him. For some minutes, silence settled upon them.

"I don't-" Syaoran began, baffled and perplexed.

"WAIT!" Sakura exclaimed, her chest heaving with sudden disbelief. If the twins knew that then they practically knew that Sakura was Cherry herself and – 'Wait a second, they ARE liars so…they thought they're lying but are actually telling the truth so…' Sakura fell back to reality with a thud. The thud came in the form of a girl's shout.

"Oops, Chiharu-chan! Uh-Oh!" They both gulped. The girl came running for them. The twins ran for their lives.

"Gomene!" The girl apologized, bowing low and glancing hastily after them. Sakura heaved a sigh of relief.

"Okay," Syaoran said, after Chiharu left. "I don't understand."

Sakura's hands fidgeted secretly in the attempt to search for a near-to the-truth answer. She sighed. "I…uh…Cherry's my partner."

"Huh?" Syaoran asked quizzically.

"We…do duets together. Our trainer says our voices blend perfectly." Sakura said more confidently.

"Ok…" Syaoran mumbled. "What does she look like?"

"It doesn't matter," Sakura stated. "I just hope you understand now."

"Yeah…I think."


What's this? Is Syaoran developing an interest on Cherry??

….I'm sorry this chapter isn't as funny as the previous ones…I just felt like explaining a bit. Umm…tell me if you're still confused. I'll do something about it…

Oh and I just wanted to ask (I'm a first-timer, so…)

I want Sakura to sing in a scene…but can I do that? Put music lyrics is what I mean.

With lots of greeny love,

Green Cherie