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 forces herself to believe that she is a boy. What will happen when she meets a gruff and cold Syaoran who unwittingly makes Sakura regret?
I'll start answering your reviews like this from now on. I wish I did from the beginning…Thanks for reviewing, you guys!
Lucia096: Glad you like it! Hope you enjoy this:)
Everyday-snowangel: I'll update as fast as I can, I promise!
WhenItAllFallsApart93: Yosh! If everyone had the same reaction, I'm gonna hafta add drama over and over again Thanks!
Rosedreamer101: I will (",) Thanks for all your support!
Cherry Akira Li: Oh, you had the same reaction as Syaoran! 0
KamichamaKarinLover25: He's gonna play along until she decides to tell him – Oops! Maybe I should've let you read this chapter first… Enjoy!
Neoazngirl: Glad you like it! (",)
EvilDunkin-Sama: Yeah. Imagine how Syaoran feels right now… :)
Lil Miss Delusional: About that, I'm sorry. I was watching Naruto while writing and got carried away with the fighting. Lol. I'm glad you liked it. I couldn't resist that part!
Tears-of-redemption: Thank you! I'll try to update as fast as I can!
Tinkerbellie: You said it!
Imp4ever: Whoa… If you continue to send long reviews, I'll thank boredom really well. Just kidding. I hope you do get better. You're lucky, though. Whenever I get a cold or something as small as that, I'm not allowed to go near the computer or a TV for that matter. :) Well, cliffhangers are very useful as hateful as they are… they give me the time to gather ideas. I hope you like this chapter!
Dark mirth: Thank you very much!
Lazygirl078: Glad you liked it:D
Y-chan: Thanks! Sakura was supposed to fall for other girls, but I forgot all about it and found it hard to squeeze it in the story, so I emphasized most of it on Meiling even though it was just infatuation. I write a chapter and send it in, so I often stray off the plot. Gomene!
Chapter 10: Seduction Plan
Syaoran managed to tear himself away from the shocking sight. What was he supposed to call the kid now? Cherry? 'No,' Syaoran decided, 'I'll play along until he – she tells me.' He ruffled his hair as he remembered all the signs he ignored.Syaoran walked out of the building, feeling a bit distraught. He had to think everything over. Besides the fact that he still had yet to apologize for the night before, he couldn't help feeling angry at Sakura's deceit. 'No wonder Sakuragi never appeared with Cherry at the same time.' He reasoned. 'I should've paid attention.'
Tomoyo looked over the amber-eyed man from afar. She sat at their usual bench, fondling Eriol who had his head on her lap as he stretched out for a quick nap. "Eriol, baby, did you see Syaoran go out of the singing department building just now?" She asked anxiously.
"Hmm?" Eriol mumbled sleepily, "If he did, there's 99.9 chance that he knows Sakura's secret by now…" He dozed off.
Tomoyo stood up in surprise. Eriol fell off with a loud thud and groaned. "My poor Sakura! – Oops, my poor baby Eri-kun!" She exclaimed, bending down to help him up. "Are you alright, Anata?"
Eriol rubbed his eyes in a sleepy daze, "Did they ring the bell already?"
"No. You're not paying attention to me." Tomoyo pouted, "You don't love me."
Eriol snapped out of his sleepy mode in an instant, "No way! That's not true!" He said with conviction, seizing both her hands.
"Ok." Tomoyo flashed a confident smile, "I know you do. So, what should we do? Syaoran can't know about Sakura yet."
"No. This is good." Eriol replied, letting go of her hands and sitting down quietly.
Tomoyo blinked in surprise, "It is? How?"
Eriol shifted awkwardly. "Well, to start with… We're gonna have to stay out of this…" He cringed when he saw Tomoyo glower, "…for a teeny tiny bit, okay? If Syaoran knows, he'll probably… Yeah, you're right. I don't even know what good can come from it but, I know we should let nature run its course."
"I can't just watch. We have to do something." Persisted Tomoyo, tugging Eriol stubbornly.
"We don't have a choice, darling. We're not sure what will happen or where their relationship is going, so, we have to watch."
Tomoyo folded her arms and made a childish face. "Big meanie."
Eriol sighed, "Do you want me to…?" He adjusted his glasses to hide his embarrassment.
"Yeah! Let's go shopping for marriag-mmphff!"
Eriol quickly covered her mouth with his hands, "Shh…You can't say that in public." Eriol withdrew his hands, and shook his head. Tomoyo loved shopping especially for marriage – one that Eriol had yet to propose. For Tomoyo, it was like chocolates and cakes – comfort food and all that. It distracted her completely.
"Okay," Began Tomoyo, "Last time we went there, we bought aprons, silverware, a washing machine, a dish washer, towels, a flat screen TV, a dresser, two cupboards and two bedside lamps. We could've bought more but you got tired, didn't you, honey? Well, this time we should start with the bedroom furniture so we won't forget anything since the bedroom is the most important place in a marriage. Hmm? What's wrong?"
Eriol looked away hurriedly, "its just t-that, we're too young to be p-planning this, don't you think? I mean, I still don't have a job and I haven't gotten you a ring yet…"
"Such a cutie!" Tomoyo squealed, pinching his cheek. Suddenly, she felt as if someone was staring at her. She turned and saw Syaoran, staring at them a few meters away. "Still, I hope everything goes right in the end." She murmured to herself.
Syaoran
'They must know about Sakuragi – Cherry- I mean, er – the kid.' Thought Syaoran as he looked away from the couple. 'I wonder why they hid it.' He spotted a rock the size of a golf ball and started kicking it around. Two shadows crossed his path. It, of course, belonged to the twins.
"Did something happen?" Asked Tsukasa, his face sporting a cheeky smile.
Takashi peered slyly at him, "You look lost, man."
Syaoran glanced at them, 'Do they know?' He pushed his hands deep into his pockets, "You guys know a lot about Sakuragi, right?"
"We sure don't." They replied together.
Syaoran smacked his head in frustration, "Cut it out. Could you guys tell the truth for once?" The twins stared hard at him without making any response. "Fine. Be that way." He turned and started walking away.
"Wait." Takashi blurted, grabbing Syaoran's shoulder, "You mustn't…"
"…mustn't treat Sakuragi harshly." Tsukasa added, "He's a kind-hearted person."
Syaoran turned sharply, "What do you mean? You-" He realized that they had run away, to avoid his question. "Was that a lie or… Man! They really like confusing me!" For some minutes, Syaoran watched the students frolicking around the campus, wondering how he'll apologize for the night before. 'She had asked for it,' Syaoran concluded, 'flirting with me and giving Meiling the wrong idea.' He caught sight of Sakura. 'Still, I feel horrible. Well, I hope this works.' Syaoran walked to the school canteen.
Sakura's POV
Ouch. OW.
It stings.
I knew it was a bad idea to sing today. I feel like the corner of my lip is burning. Dash that Syaoran, his bad temper and all! Next time, I'll dodge. I was just caught off-guard yesterday. Yeah. He deserves a punishment. What kind of punishment should I give him…? I tapped a finger on my lip to concentrate.
Ouch. I think I hit the spot. Okay. How about this: I kick him out of my apartment. Hmm…Nice. I'm proud of myself, I laughed out devilishly, only to receive immense sting from my lower lip. Ouch.
"Ahem. Uh…Kid."
I spun around. Aha! The devil himself wants to fight again. Bring it on! Just watch! I'll beat you to pulp… after I finish staring at your deep Amber eyes that makes me want to melt… OK! Snap out of it! Look somewhere else. Let's see… It's rude to stare away from the face when one talks to you. I'll look at his lower face. Ok, bad idea. His lips are too tempting. His nose - too perfect! Uh, what about his eyebrows? Oh, why can't I find an imperfect part of him?! He's too good-looking to a point it's like a crime. Wait. I haven't said anything yet.
"What?!" I hissed. I won't go easy on you no matter what you say. Wait. Don't tell me you're gonna…
Normal POV
Syaoran shuffled his feet awkwardly. "Uh… I'm not very good at this…" He extended a cup of noodles to Sakura. "I guess I'm sorry for last night. Here, you can have these noodles."
Sakura hesitated. For one thing, Syaoran had a suspicious glint in his eyes, and another, he was smiling oh-so-confidently. "I'm not sure-"
"Good. Listen well, please tell Cherry to meet me today at the movies at five P.M sharp. If she doesn't, I'll ask her address from the bar she's working in. No, better; I'll go meet her there if she doesn't." He said, thrusting the cup noodles into her arms forcefully. He grinned with satisfaction when she widened her eyes in panic.
"No you can't-" Sakura tried to protest but Syaoran interrupted her.
"She stood me up the other time. Well, I have to go now. See you." He said, and left her. Sakura stared after him, sulking.
"No-o-o-o-o. He wants to go out with Cherry. He can't and mustn't like me. I want to help Meiling." Sakura muttered to herself, walking towards the bench area. She passed by a tree and stopped. Someone was crying. She swerved around the tree and saw Meiling all alone, obviously sobbing her heart out. "Meiling-chan?"
Meiling rubbed her eyes frantically and brushed her tears away with her handkerchief. "Oh, it's you, Sakuragi-kun. I didn't see you earlier today." She looked up. Sakura sat down beside her.
"I was busy catching up with school work. The professors are thoroughly convinced that I tried to kill myself. Weird huh?" Sakura tossed her the cup noodles. "You look pale today. Here, eat."
Meiling smiled weakly and saw the wound on Sakura's lip. She gasped. "Did Syaoran do that to you? He told me he was your roommate. I'm so sorry; I didn't mean to get you into this mess."
"It's okay. I'm at fault too. I provoked his anger." Sakura replied, smiling nonchalantly. Suddenly, an idea dawned upon her. Sakura would make Syaoran not like her. "Meiling-chan, I need your help. What does Syaoran hate in a girl?"
Meiling perked her head up in surprise, "My help? Uh… Syaoran prefers decent girls - you know those that are innocent and pure with a feisty side. He doesn't like girls that dress provocatively and flirt. Why do you ask?"
Sakura nodded as she memorized each word. "It's a long story. Anyway, he hates sluts, right?"
"Yes! They always tick him off. He even hates it when I try to flirt with him." Meiling said quietly, "I'm really confused. How will this help you?"
Sakura smiled, "I can't tell you right now, but I promise it's to help you and Syaoran back together. Don't cry anymore, ok? I have to go. There's someone I have to talk to." She waved adieu to Meiling before running to the bench where Tomoyo and Eriol sat.
"Sakura-chan? What's wrong?" Tomoyo asked, wondering where Sakura's cut lip came from.
Sakura took a deep breath, "I can't believe I'm saying this but… Tomoyo!" She grabbed Tomoyo's hands.
Tomoyo squinted suspiciously at her friend, "Yeah?" She asked slowly.
"Is this one of your girl talks?" Asked Eriol as he rose to his feet. "Maybe I should go…" He looked at the two people, knowing too well that neither had heard him.
"I need the most provocative suggestive enticing seductive damn eye-popping clothing you've ever made and a makeover." Sakura hissed, all in one breath.
Tomoyo's eyes became fine-cut perfect amethysts that shone in different directions. In fact, it didn't just shine; it glittered and sparkled in little beams. She shoved her left hand out of Sakura's grip and placed it on her cheek as she let out a dreamy sigh. Tomoyo cheeks gave out a wonderful rosy sheen. Sakura and Eriol became alarmed.
"Maybe I shouldn't have said that to her." Sakura mumbled, glancing at Eriol.
Eriol shook his head quickly. "Do you have any idea how many clothes she designed for you? She's been waiting for you to say that since ever!"
Sakura widened her eyes, "Oh. Dear."
"S-a-a-k-k-u-u-r-r-a-a-a—c-h-a-n…!" Tomoyo moaned, smiling abstractedly.
"She says that too in her sleep." Eriol stated as-a-matter-of-factly.
Sakura's eyebrow rose in his direction, "Hmm… I wonder how you know that…" Eriol looked away, flushing tremendously. She turned to Tomoyo and snapped a finger in front of her face. "Tomoyo… Come back to earth, will you?"
Tomoyo grinned widely as her gaze fell upon Sakura, "S-a-a-k-k-u-u-r-r-a-a-a—c-h-a-n…!""
"You'd better quit saying that…" Muttered Sakura anxiously, "It's freaking me out."
"I'll be glad to-! Yes… Be at my house after school, okay. Kawaii… Dee Da Dum Dee Da dum…" She said in a singsong voice as she pranced around.
"O-k-a-y…" Sakura said slowly, averting her gaze to Eriol, "You better take care of her. She looks a wee bit woozy."
Eriol gave a puzzled nod, "It's weird that you actually volunteered to do this. You know what you're putting yourself into, right?"
Sakura rubbed her neck uncomfortably, "Yeah, but it's the only choice I have. Syaoran is getting interested in Cherry, and I hear from Meiling that he hates hookers. The only way he'll forget about Cherry is to be one – or act like one rather."
"Surely you don't mean to seduce him, do you?" He watched her nod reluctantly, "What if it doesn't work and he gets… worked up?"
"Don't say it! You'll jinx the whole thing!" Hissed Sakura, furiously pounding her fists on his shoulder.
Eriol managed to get away. "It's too late, Sakura-chan. He knows." He muttered silently.
That Evening (Syaoran and Cherry's Date)
Sakura wrapped her beige overcoat tightly around her, wondering if she was doing the right thing. Tomoyo had given her such a thin garment to wear inside that Sakura was still shivering with cold inside the coat. Sakura tucked a loose strand of hair behind an ear and ran a hand through her hair. Tomoyo had made such a fuss; she couldn't decide between curls and straight, and so, she decided to have it wavy. Tomoyo put little makeup on her, complaining that Sakura looked like a clown with too much, and looked like an angel with none. Tomoyo even gave her a special ointment to relieve Sakura of her cut lip's stinging and treated it with some cream to hide the wound.
Sakura waited patiently at the entrance of the cinema. 'He's late,' She thought glumly, 'It'd be better if he stood me up. Cherry will then have a reason to decline meeting him in the future.' She studied the movie posters to distract herself from the time. 'But if he does, then everything I prepared for will be hopeless.' She sighed and focused on which movie she'd like to watch. "Hmm… Mr. Bean's Holiday - That'd cheer me up. Miss Potter – It'd be perfect if he'd show up, so that I'll-"
"You'll what?" Asked a ridiculously solemn voice. Sakura threw back her head slowly to see that Syaoran hovered over her. "I'm late. Sorry. The traffic was absolutely awful. Anyway, which movie would you like to watch?"
Sakura turned to look at him with fluttering perfectly curled eyelashes, "Anything you choose is fine with me. Syaoran-kun." She said in a husky voice.
Flashback
"Okay, I've got some tips for you, Sakura." Tomoyo said with an evil grin.
Sakura propped her chin into her hands "Lay it on me."
Tomoyo called Eriol to stand by her, "The first tip is all about the facial expression. You have to want him and want him good. Whenever he looks at you, you have to pucker out your lips like this…" She demonstrated it on Eriol, "There must be a small gap between your lips. He'll go absolutely mad." Eriol fumbled with his spectacles nervously.
"Are you sure this tip will work?" Asked Sakura suspiciously, her right eye twitching in disbelief. "He's supposed to not like me, you know."
Tomoyo let out a small laugh, "You said he doesn't like to be seduced, didn't you? You'll have to do it the right way!"
"I was afraid of that." Muttered Sakura.
Flashback Ended
Syaoran studied Sakura from head to toe. 'Man, she looks oh-so-fine. I wonder why she got all dressed up for it.' He noticed her expression and her body language, and frowned, 'She's up to something.'
Sakura followed the first tip carefully. She had practiced it at least twenty times in front of the mirror, yet it seemed to be awful judging from Syaoran's response. She remembered the second tip. Self-confidence. "What's wrong?" She asked in a sensual voice, wrapping herself around his arm. "Let's go in!"
Syaoran let her lead him inside without hesitation. He was too busy figuring out her intention. First off, he had asked her to go out with him in order to give her the chance to confess her secret. She didn't looked repentant. "So, how about Spiderman 3?" He asked as they stood in front of the movie ticket-booth.
"Sure!" Chirped Sakura, resting her head on his arm affectionately. She glanced at him briefly, 'Syaoran's supposed to be ticked off by now… Maybe I should remove this coat?' She shuddered. 'It's too skimpy, people might stare. I'll remove it once they turn off the lights.' She planned as Syaoran chose their seats. 'Boy, is it chilly.'
Syaoran looked over Sakura as she huddled beside him. He smiled to himself as he finally realized her intentions. 'No wonder the kid is acting so weird. I'm not into Cherry. I'm into playing Sakuragi around. Let's get it started then.' He turned his attention to the screen.
Sakura shivered secretly. Even the coat was not warm enough for her. The warmest thing she knew she could have at arm's length was Syaoran's hand, but she couldn't hold it for long. 'Syaoran mustn't know that I'm shivering,' Sakura thought determinedly, 'He'll only feel bad for me and offer me his jacket or something. I know, I'll go outside, buy popcorn and drinks.' First, she would apply the third tip. "The third is all about physical contact… Grab what you can!" Tomoyo had told her earlier, grinning idiotically. Sakura stretched her hand unwillingly. This was going against her principles.
Syaoran sat up suddenly. He felt a hand softly caressing his thigh. He glanced at Sakura in alarm. He took hold of her wrist. It was icy cold. "Cherry-chan, are you cold?"
Sakura shook her head and smiled sweetly with the greatest difficulty, "I'm fine. We forgot to buy popcorn and drinks, though." She kept her teeth from chattering.
"Oh yeah. Ok, I'll go buy." Syaoran said, rising to his feet.
Sakura stopped him. "No, I'll go. I need to stretch my limbs for a bit." 'To keep from freezing…' She thought desperately.
Syaoran took out his wallet, "Here. Are you sure you're not cold?" He asked, still holding her wrist.
"Yeah, I'm fine." She answered, breaking free from his grip. Sakura rubbed her hands together in frenzy and blew hard into them as she stood behind the popcorn counter. She ordered two cups of coke and jumbo-sized popcorn. It was warm outside the cinema. She wanted to stay there a bit longer.
"What flavor do you want with the popcorn?" The salesclerk asked, looking at her blankly.
Sakura twiddled her fingers playfully. "What else do you have besides butter flavor?"
He stared at her with a glassy expression. "There's the special chocolate flavor but we ran out of it."
"Are you sure?" Asked Sakura, opening her coat wide. The man let his jaw drop open. Sakura wore a dark red dress with thin straps and a low neckline. Tomoyo had made it worse by urging her to put on pushup bra so that it increased the pressure on the top half of the dress. The dress was very short, reaching down to her thighs and the black leggings made her legs more prominent. With the coat on, her boots showed only.
The salesclerk shook his head slowly, "Wait. I'll check." He rushed off to check and came back with generously filled chocolate popcorn (A/N: Mmm... I wonder what it tastes like...). "Is there anything else you might like?"
Syaoran stared at her, well hidden. "Ah… So that's why she's so hot – I mean cold, wearing such thin garment." He smiled wryly. "She really went through all that trouble to – Dash!" He bent down lower as Sakura turned her head in his direction.
Sakura looked around to see if anyone was watching, then turned her attention to the salesclerk, "These cokes have ice in them, right?" He nodded in surprise, "Could you put all the ice into this one?" She asked, 'Mwahaha! I hope Syaoran freezes!' She thought maliciously. "Thank you!" She said sweetly, as she took the items. She turned and bumped into someone.
"Cherry, what's taking you so long?" Asked Syaoran with a smug look on his face.
Sakura widened her eyes, "How long have you been standing there?"
Syaoran chuckled, "Long enough. C'mon, you're missing the whole movie." He helped her with the drinks.
"Thanks," Sakura responded, following him to their seats. "But you shouldn't have followed me secretly." She added quietly. 'I don't think this seducing thing is working. I have to do something.'
Syaoran heard what she said and smiled to himself. 'She didn't expect me to see her, I guess. Well, then she didn't do much of a job.' He sat down and helped himself to his drink.
Sakura shook hers quietly and smiled. The cold drink was with Syaoran. Sakura started shivering; the cinema was too cold. She rubbed her palms together silently and observed Syaoran.
Syaoran noticed that, every time he took a sip, his hairs on the arms began to stand on its end. 'Oh crap! I drank the cup full of ice.' He thought, wrapping his jacket around him tighter. It had no effect. "Cherry…"
Sakura smiled triumphantly, 'Yes, feel the ice… Freeze, you jerk.' She fluttered her eyelashes at him, "Yeah?"
Syaoran grabbed her hands, his teeth chattering, "I need you… Come here…" He pulled her close to his body. 'You have to suffer for making me cold. I bet you weren't expecting this…' He thought, smirking. Without listening to Sakura's protests, he yanked her coat open and removed his jacket.
"W-what are you doing?" Asked Sakura, shivering and surprised. Syaoran made her sit on his lap and spread the jacket and coat over both of them. She felt the cold disappear in an instant as she snuggled on his chest. 'It-it's not supposed to be like this… I'm supposed to…' She thought uneasily. 'But he's so warm…'
"I'm still cold…" Grumbled Syaoran. He wrapped his arms around her tightly. 'Mmm… Feels good. I wonder how the cinema got so freaking cold.'
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"Are you sure it's not too cold?" Asked Eriol quietly, "It's starting to mist inside." Tomoyo and he were in the projector room, spying on the two. "You know very well that we were supposed to stay out of this, right?"
Tomoyo shushed him, "I wouldn't miss it for the world, honey. It's funny. They didn't notice they were all alone watching. It's a good thing I lowered the temperature."
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Sakura felt her cheeks burning furiously as Syaoran held her tighter and closer than ever. 'I'm not succeeding. He's too difficult to manipulate. I must – I must…'
"Hey, what's wrong?" Syaoran asked as Sakura squirmed free from his hold. The bitter cold suddenly made his teeth chatter. To his enormous surprise, Sakura kissed him passionately on the lips. She pulled him close to her and continued with intense desire. Syaoran, stunned, tried to analyze the situation, and understood. 'I see… Well, two can play at this game.' He started kissing back. His hands wandered her body dangerously.
'This can't be happening!' Thought Sakura in alarm, 'He's not supposed to like it!' She felt Syaoran removing the shoulder straps of her dress. She broke away, panting in distress. Without daring to look at him, she snatched her coat and ran out.
Syaoran grinned arrogantly, "I win, kid." He took a deep breath. 'That was fun. Hey, it's not cold anymore!' He looked around the place, wondering if anyone saw them, "What the – there's no one here… Weird."
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"What now?" Asked Eriol as they watched Syaoran leave. "Your tips didn't work on him."
Tomoyo shrugged, "Then it proves it. He knows. Well, I do feel sorry for Sakura and Syaoran."
Eriol glanced at her, "Why?"
"They're gonna have them rotten colds." She replied with an evil laugh. I made sure they were chilled to the bone."
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Sakura sneezed as she opened the door of her apartment. "Gosh, I don't feel so good…" She wrapped her coat tightly around her. "I feel so tired." Sakura managed to keep awake long enough to change into her male counterpart. She patted her wig, locked her wardrobe and remembered to hide the key. She placed it under a leg of the bedside table. "Ooh, it's so cold." She glanced at the unmade bed. She dived into the bed's covers without hesitating and slept.
"Hmm… That should be enough time to change." Syaoran said, standing by the front door. "Ouch, I think I'm getting a headache." He opened the door and placed the untouched popcorn on the table. He wondered where the kid went. He rubbed his aching temples and walked to the bedroom. 'I should've taken a thicker jacket. Anyway, I'm sure a good rest will cure me.' He told himself. He stared at the bed in surprise, 'Did I leave it that messy?' He shrugged the thought away, changed his clothes, and got into bed.
A/N: Just imagine their reaction when they awaken the next morning… Oh boy! So, here we have it, Syaoran's bent on giving Sakura the chance to tell him but, of course, Sakura's bent on setting him up with Meiling. Face it, my version of Sakura is wa-a-a-y too nice and naïve. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!
Unfortunately, for me (maybe you, too), school starts tomorrow… (Groan) I'm not sure I'll be able to update every week but I really will try!
Don't forget to review!…'CaUsE tHeY GiVe mE MuCh gReEn HaPiNeSs…
With lots of greeny love
Green Cherie