Sunset Glow

Chapter Six

The game was over.

Touya's team won and that was all that mattered, according to the rejoicing fans clad in green attire as they screamed and jump in their seats.

Sakura was also glad, but remained composed in her seat.

She would have to wait for awhile until everyone calms down. Afterall, she had to personally congratulate her brother for scoring the winning goal.

---

Syaoran Li was beyond happy. Aside from that fact that he just witnessed the best soccer game he's ever watched, Meiling brought him to the locker room to meet the winning team.

If he didn't know any better, she just brought him so that she wouldn't end up as a creepy stalking fan girl. Syaoran didn't fail to notice the posters in her room of all the team members all shirtless.

Not that he was complaining that his annoying cousin shared this privilege.

How did Meiling manage to have these connections, he did not know.

"Nice to meet you again," Syaoran said one last time to the team's goalie, shaking hands with him. He made the motion to leave, but Meiling remained rooted to her spot.

Thinking it was better to leave her there then attempting to drag her out kicking and screaming, he left.

Too bad three of the team members left early. That included Touya Kinomoto.

Syaoran groaned remembering what happened before the game.

Sakura's accusation.

How did she end up with that theory?

"..you know he'll set up your engagement with Eriol as soon as possible, right?" Syaoran caught some of the words from two people conversing in a corner.

He squinted his eyes to get a better look.

It was Touya Kinomoto, still clad in his uniform, and Sakura Kinomoto.

By instinct, he hid behind the nearest object.

Which was a random plant.

From what Syaoran could see, Sakura look furious. Very different from the poker face she's always sporting.

"I can't believe father's still pushing the idea of Eriol and I being together! You know how messy that turned out," Sakura replied and Syaoran frowned in confusion not understanding anything.

"Whose fault was that? If you only followed what you're told to do then none of it would have happened." Unlike Sakura, Touya kept his voice low but Syaoran was still able to hear it. "Eriol is here now, that could only mean he agrees on the engagement. All that's needed is your cooperation."

Sakura scoffed, looking away from Touya. In the process, she caught a glimpse of someone's head hiding behind a nearby plant. Her eyes narrowed.

She lowered her voice, knowing they have an eavesdropper. "You know I could care less if I marry someone just so father can expand his business more, but you also know that I care about Tomoyo."

It was Touya's turn to scoff. "If you care so much about her, then why is she lying in a hospital bed and not waking up until God knows when?"

Behind where he was hiding, Syaoran cringed hearing Sakura slap her own brother. Hard.

That was the last straw for her.

She couldn't even stop some of her tears from falling.

"I didn't want or plan the things that happened---" Her soft, trembling voice was cut off as they heard a cellphone ring.

They figured it wasn't theirs and looked to where the sound was coming from.

Syaoran looked back at them guiltily.

He had been caught.

"Who are you?" Touya asked while Sakura immediately wiped the tears that betrayed her.

Syaoran could only stare at his idol speechless.

Sakura sighed knowing he might be starstucked. So she answered for him.

"This is Syaoran Li. He's your---" She was cut off the second time.

"I'm Sakura's friend." Syaoran interrupted, knowing Sakura would probably say something like "He's your fan and I think he's in love with you."

"Oh?" Touya seemed to be deep in thought. "I remember. You're Sakura's friend from the yogurt place, am I right?"

Syaoran was a little impressed that the siblings could switch to talk civilly after arguing over something serious the moment before.

"Uh.. Yeah." Was his smart reply.

Opposite to what Syaoran thought, Sakura was still livid from Touya's cutting comments earlier. He had no right to accuse him of planning such things to hurt the people she cared for around her. She might have done things that are deeply uncalled for in the past and connived terrible ways to cancel her engagement to Eriol, but she never wanted anyone hurt.

There was that awkward silence among them as Sakura's mind raced faster than the bullet train.

"Actually he's not just a friend," she started, breaking the silence. Two men look at her in wonder. "I'm dating him."

"WHAT?" Touya asked flabbergasted, his friendly composure towards Syaoran thrown out the window.

Sakura had to hide her smile of satisfaction. It was a cheap lie just to spite her brother after what he said earlier, but it was enjoyable for her nonetheless.

Syaoran might have been speechless earlier, but now he even have trouble standing.

Did he heard her right?

Didn't she made it clear she wasn't interested in any relationship with him? Not that he minded because he wasn't attracted to her in that way either. Their date seemed ages ago (in his opinion) and didn't even matter because it was based on a bet.

That's when the conceited playboy attitude of his kicked in.

Maybe she couldn't resist his charms, afterall.

He found this as a way of proving he didn't have the hots for Touya Kinomoto.

Syaoran might be a lot of things, but he wasn't homosexual.

"It's true," Syaoran added the fuel to the fire as he went next to Sakura and put an arm around her shoulder.

This was definitely not the way to get on your idol's good side.

Sakura glanced up briefly to the man standing next to her in slight surprise. She hadn't expected Syaoran to help her with her little lie.

Touya look like he was about to beat the living daylights out of Syaoran, but the younger man remained oblivious.

"Don't try to use the same trick you used last time to get out of father's plans Sakura," Touya growled.

"I'm not," Sakura countered innocently, touching Syaoran's hand that was draped on her shoulder to spite her brother some more.

Touya didn't fail to notice the gesture and was about to pry Syaoran's hands away from his sister as violently as possible but some of his team mates were already exiting the locker room.

Among the team members was the giddy Meiling.

She noticed Sakura and Syaoran's close proximity right away.

"Oh My God! No way! You two are going out or something?" She yelled as she approached them. Syaoran and Sakura let go of each other too late before Meiling laid eyes on them.

They were about to deny, but Touya was still there.

"Um, yes," Sakura said hesitatingly.

Meiling would not believe if it was Syaoran who answered but Sakura's confirmation made the it official for her. She could not wait to tell everyone at school. She felt a little proud that her own cousin is going out with the girl who was too good and pure for everyone at Seiju.

Then for the first time, she noticed Touya Kinomoto's presence.

"Oh My God! It's Touya Kinomoto. Look Syaoran, it's Touya!" Meiling pointed at Touya excitedly. The rest of them cringed at the loudness of her voice. "Are you and Sakura related? I knew it! This is way too awesome!"

They just smiled convincingly at Meiling, afraid to interrupt her.

If she was this scary when she's happy, then they don't want to see how she is when she's angry.

---

"Here, try this cocktail, it's really good."

"No thanks," Sakura denied Meiling's offer as nicely as she could. To her relief, the Chinese girl just shrugged and walk the opposite way as she swayed to the loud music.

Sakura frowned thinking how she ended up at the spontaneous party Meiling threw at Syaoran's house. It turns out that Syaoran and Meiling's circle of friends were also at the game and once Meiling caught site of them, she immediately announced Syaoran and Sakura's relationship.

That was the only thing needed for Sakura's dream of finishing the rest of her months in high school drama free to be completely thrown out the window.

She never thought a small lie to spite her brother could be blown out of proportion.

Their friends were cool with it, cheering them on. At the same time, that was when Meiling made her brilliant idea of throwing a party to celebrate their team winning. Unlike everyone, Syaoran knew it was Meiling's way of cheering herself up after not being invited to celebrate with the team members themselves.

The familiar party scene disgusted Sakura yet she didn't do anything about it. She could walk out of there and go back to her little apartment. She could go home and forget this day never happened. But if she did, she'll think more about her father's blasted arrangement with Eriol's parents.

Sakura hoped that by surrounding herself with people, she'll think about it less. Contrary, she thought about it more. And she had to mentally slap herself for starting to think of ways to permanently cancel her nearing engagement with Eriol.

Everyone knew Tomoyo and Eriol were made for each other. She grew up with both of them so she watched first hand how much they were perfect for each other. So imagine what she felt like when her father and Eriol's parents decided that she and Eriol marry when they come of age.

Tomoyo was her best friend. She couldn't do something like marrying Tomoyo's love of life.

"Hey."

Sakura was shaken out of her thoughts as Syaoran joined her on the couch. She nodded in greeting.

"You seem to hate alcohol today as much as you love it yesterday," He observed before drinking from his own beer bottle.

"I don't really like beer," She admitted. "I like wine better, but wine reminds me of something I don't want to remember."

Syaoran smiled, realizing she's opening up a bit.

"I like wine too, but beer would do," He shrugged. They were both quiet in their own thoughts. "You know, wine reminds me of something too although not quite clearly."

Syaoran laughed for a couple of seconds as Sakura only stared at him.

"So, you're going out with me now, huh?" Sakura asked and Syaoran stopped himself from spitting out the beer from his mouth thinking how out of character of her to ask such a question.

"No," He flashed his charming smile, his normal self kicking in. "You are going out with me."

"So who's the lucky one between us?"

"Definitely me," Syaoran said so sincerely, Sakura had to shrug the weird feeling she felt when he said it.

"Of course. You are dating your favorite soccer player's sister, afterall."

"Well that and the fact that I have such a mysterious girl for a girlfriend. I'd love to learn something new about her everyday."

"Are you always flirty like this?"

"I've never tried so hard until you."

Sakura caught her breath when she realized how near Syaoran's face had suddenly become in a matter of seconds. She could clearly see his amber eyes by the short distance and hear his own breathing.

They just stared at each other for a while, neither of them daring to pull back.

"I think we've met before," Syaoran said, deep in thought despite the alcohol in his system. Sakura couldn't help but crack a smile knowing he's about to bust a pick up line on her. But instead of continuing with his corny pick up line, he asked. "Can I kiss you?"

Can I kiss you?

She felt a swarm of butterflies crowd inside her stomach and her blood rush up to her cheeks at the mere question. She desperately wanted to cry out yes, but her shyness got the better of her.

Despite her lack of reply, he closed the gap between them and neared his lips to hers.

Three seconds. It took three seconds for Sakura to realize what was about to happen before scooting away from Syaoran and look the other way.

Syaoran, realizing the rejection, leaned back on the sofa and chuckled at himself as he covered his face.

"I am so sorry Sakura. I don't know what came over me." Syaoran apologize, his hands still covering his face. "I don't know why you're suddenly going out with me. I don't know what you and you're brother were talking about earlier. I don't know.. I don't know why your engage to that new kid Eriol. I don't know anything!"

Sakura turned her attention back to him, but he wouldn't meet her eyes.

"I don't know anything about you but it seems like I've known you all my life. I swear this is not some cheap pick up line I'm making as I speak. God, I suck at those actually. I just feel like we have a connection. I probably sound as cheesy as hell right now but yeah."

Sakura concluded that Syaoran can get really weird when drunk.

"You're drunk," Sakura sighed. "Just go to sleep."

"Okay," Syaoran didn't argue, but Sakura yelp in surprise when he lay on the couch with his head on her lap. In a matter of seconds, his even breath confirmed him asleep.

Sakura sighed again. "That's because we're so alike. I used to be just like you." She spoke softly as she looked around his friends as they continued partying unaware of them.

She hate to admit it, but Sakura agreed with him. There was that unspoken connection. From the first day she moved to Seiju High.

He was snogging some random girl in the empty hallway and she was unsuccessfully looking for her next class. For the briefest moment he opened his eyes and met hers, there was that pull. Sakura knew better and decided from that moment that he should be the person she should stay away the most from if she wanted to stay peacefully at Seiju.

How very right she was, but her life before she cross paths with Syaoran wasn't anywhere near peaceful to begin with.

AN: I AM SO SORRY. i haven't updated in more than a week. my work hrs got longer (that's a good thing for me, bad thing for you readers). i do need the money to support my never ending hunger. if you guys want me to write more and work less, then send me some food. haha. im kidding. just having u guys read my story is enough. so if ur reading this and haven't said hi to me (its already the 6th chapter!) then by all means say hi and tell me to quit my excuses. ehehehe.

AND! i will clean up my mistakes and edit the uploaded chapters soon enough. i have colorful stickynotes everywhere to remind me :) thank you again for reading.