Terms:

-Nee-chan: refers to a close older sister

-Le Nid d'Amour: The Love Nest

Symbolic meanings:

-red roses: love x 13: secret admirer = love confession


Flashback; Normal P.O.V.

Under a tree, a young girl. Seven years old. Short, auburn hair. Sad, emerald eyes. In a white dress adorned with cherry blossoms. Staring straight ahead, distantly.

Next to her, a young boy. Four years old. Chestnut-colored hair. Chocolate-colored eyes. In a school uniform with a black backpack on. Crying uncontrollably.

"Nee-chan, why did they leave us?" The boy's question was distorted by his hiccups.

"They had to go somewhere far away," the girl answered.

"Where to?"

"Heaven."

"Where's heaven?"

"I don't know."

"Can we find them there?"

"If you're good, then maybe you can see them again one day."

"Then I'll be a good boy!"

"Just stick close to Nee-chan. She won't let anyone harm you. Nee-chan will take mommy and daddy's place from now on," she assured the child. "Until you see them again, that is," she quickly added, for his benefit.

She didn't realize that the boy would see their father and mother again so soon…


Ch. 3

Secret Admirer


Present Time; Normal P.O.V.

RIIINNNNGGGG!!!!!

Sakura woke up at the sound of the alarm, with her hair in a messy disarray.

A bad dream, she thought wearily to herself. She didn't like to think about the past, especially not anything associated with the young boy in her dream. Yet, she clutched to every memory and every memoir related to him. She loved him too much.

"I guess it's another busy day at work." As soon as she said it, she felt better. She smiled at her workaholic ways.

Work. It was her over-the-counter Advil, and the office was her second home. The employees? They were her pawns, naturally, in her series of chess games, where she always came out victorious.

She pulled herself from her bed and prepared for the day ahead.


"Syaoran Li, I don't know why you even bother to repair that car," his mother shook her head in disapproval. "It's too old and dangerous to drive."

"Mother, that was my first car, and," he added, with a proud grin, "I bought it with my first paycheck back in college."

"I understand that you may want to keep it, but you don't need to drive it." Yelan Li, Syaoran's mother and chairwoman of Li Corp., was trying desperately to talk some sense into her son. At least, in her opinion, it was senseful not to drive an old car. "I mean, it's practically an antique! When you bought it as a secondhand, it was seven years old already. Now, it's—"

"Mother, remember how you taught me to treat the elderly with respect?" her son teased.

"And you can respect its old age by not laboring it any further." His mother ground her teeth, aggravated by her son's joke.

"I've kept in great condition," her son soothed.

"Syaoran Li, you better not push it…"

Syaoran gulped at his mother's threat. Close as they were, he still held such a reverence for his mother that he was practically terrified of her. "I promise I'll be careful," he offered.

"No, Syaoran. I've put up with you and that car for long enough. You're getting a new one, and you're getting one now. As for that piece of junk," she continued, "It's up to you to either discard it or to keep it. I don't care; I just don't want to ever see you driving it again."

"But—"

"No 'buts,'" she interrupted. "And if I ever find out that you're driving that car," she warned, "I will make sure I'll have you married with a nice lady of my choice in no time at all. And just so you know, I already have a candidate in mind; her background may not be from a wealthy, noble family, but I can take care of the elders. In fact, I quite adore her. Dote on her, even—"

"Enough! I've heard enough!" Syaoran panicked. "Okay, okay! I'll find a new car. I'll keep the car, but I'll never drive it again. Ever!" Fear was lucid in his eyes. "Just don't threaten me about your arranged marriages anymore. Please! I don't think I can handle it," he pleaded.

"I'm quite satisfied with your answer, Syaoran," his mother laughed, "But I hope you don't honestly believe that I'm just threatening you. I am quite serious about the candidate. She's smart, sociable, successful, and very lovely. Quite an adorable girl, I must say. In fact, I would just love it if you two met. I'm sure you'd fall head-over-heels with her as well." Then, she sighed, "Of course, with all the men trying for her hand in marriage, I am worried about you and your silly attitude."

"Mother!" he exclaimed in frustration.

"Alright, alright. Goodness! Calm down, will you?" His mother rolled her eyes. Normally, she would not speak or act so unrefined, but with her son and four daughters, she could not help but act childishly as well. "However, if you change your mind—"

Her son smashed his head against the wall in exasperation.


Back at the office, Sakura occupied herself with the plans to promote the new soap bar. That is, until she received some much unexpected presents.

"Ms. Kinomoto, someone sent you a boutique today."

"Sure, sure. Just leave the documents on my desk." Sakura didn't bother to look up from her documents, engrossed in the text.

"Um, Ms. Kinomoto? They're flowers, not papers."

"Yeah, yeah. Just leave them there, 'kay?"

"Alright…"

"Hurry up," Sakura said absentmindedly, "Oh, and hand these to the PR department, will you?" She handed her secretary several folders.

"Yes." The secretary placed the boutique on her boss's desk, took the folders, and briskly walked out the door."

Unknown to the woman emerged in her work was that there was a boutique of thirteen red roses on her desk, and what she was even more unaware of was of the contents of the card attached to it:

Would you like to have dinner tonight at 7 o'clock?

I'll meet you at Le Nid d'Amour

-Eriol Hiiragizawa


A/N: Thanks to all who reviewed. *Cries invisible tears of joy*

Did you enjoy this chapter? Want more? THEN REVIEW, DARNIT. XD