The penultimate chappie...it would be over the next chapter...
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CHAPTER 10: THE TRUTH
The entire group crashed at Syaoran's apartment, minus Syaoran. They all felt that the amber-eyed boy deserved some quality time with Sakura.
Though the majority did not include Touya, he was effectively subdued by Yukito.
After some four hours of sleep and a rushed breakfast of cereal and fruits, they held a meeting.
"So, today we are going to consolidate all the info and the timeline of the event," Tomoyo began, looking at everyone.
"Any volunteer?"
Eriol raised his hand.
"If I may," he said. Tomoyo nodded and sat down.
"Kinomoto-san, Touya, Yukito, Meilin, Xi, Yamazaki and Tomoyo—the past two days have been hard; all the more since we are more of a family to Sakura. With the skating accident designed to look as sabotage by a jealous competitor—a red herring which almost succeeded in leading us astray, this has been a long two days. But combined investigation by the police, Xi, Syaoran and Ruby not to mention the utter faith in our bonds have presented us with the answer."
"Hear, hear," said Yamazaki heartily.
Eriol winked at him before continuing.
"But the question remains, how do we deal with the situation? Because for the law to take its course, we need concrete proof that can withstand legal cross-examination. So, what do you guys propose we do?"
"How about the dressing room CCTV footage?" Xi asked.
Yamazaki shook his head.
"No go...the footage was apparently replaced."
"Sakura's shoes are with Aaron Kruger—and I have inserted a GPS tag inside the sole," said Xi quietly.
"We can track it...and police can arrest him for retaining important evidence."
Fujitaka nodded in agreement.
But Meilin did not look convinced.
"But how do we trap Shizune Yagami? Kruger will slip out of it, I am sure. We need water-tight evidence."
Tomoyo suddenly squealed, making others jump.
"Of course! How could I have been so blind?" she exclaimed, her amethyst eyes shining in delight.
"What is it, Tomoyo?" Eriol asked curiously.
"Sakura's shoes! If we could find the guy who did the actual tampering, maybe we can scare him to give us proof on Shizune's guilt."
Everyone stared at her dumbly for a couple of seconds before smiling widely.
"If we can pull it off, then we have a gold mine!" Yamazaki whooped.
"So guys...we know what to do...so let's get to work!" Tomoyo said.
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Sakura opened her eyes a little, only to squint at the bright sunlight—someone had apparently forgotten to blind the windows. After a rapid succession of winks, her eyes adjusted to the brightness. She glanced at the Hello Kitty wall clock—a present from Tomoyo.
Gosh! It's eleven-thirty already! she mentally screamed, scrambling to sit up...
Only to find her one hand blocked.
She whipped her head to find the reason. And then smiled.
Syaoran cradled her hand as he slept, snoring softly. His chestnut hair was ruffled and untidy and a small smile played on his lips. The dark circles under his eyes were slowly fading away.
She ruffled his hair with her free hand—the silkiness felt familiar and comforting.
"Syaoran..." she said gently.
"Hmm...five minutes more, Fuutie...stop being so demanding..." he muttered, clutching her hand tightly.
Sakura giggled at his childish mumbling, which resulted in a half-opened bleary amber eye which poked from under his messy chestnut bangs.
"Sakur-aaaaah!" he yawned, rubbing his eyes.
"How are you feeling?" he asked, attempting to rein in his hair.
"Slept well...what about you?" she answered, smiling.
"Like a log."
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Syaoran helped Sakura out of her bed, acting as her support as she brushed her teeth.
"I can call the nurse, you know. You don't have to do this," she said, looking uncomfortable.
"Don't worry, I want to do this...I missed you too much to let myself stay away for more time than necessary," he answered, giving her a gentle poke on the forehead.
Though Sakura pouted, the slow-spreading blush on her cheeks betrayed her.
"You worry too much, Sakura. Leave some for me too," he said, snaking his arm under her's as he helped her hobble back.
"Besides, this is not a permanent fixture, is it? You will return to the ring in no time," he added proudly, glad to see the emerald eyes twinkle.
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"Easier said than done, Tomoyo," Eriol sighed as the duo sat in a coffee shop for refreshments.
"Where on earth will we find that guy who did such a crappy piece of work?"
Tomoyo twirled her strawberry lemonade thoughtfully, her cinnamon bun untouched. They had scoured the entire northern part of the city but came up with a fat zero. Yukito and Touya were combing down the east, Meilin and Xi were down south while Yamazaki was in the west. Mr. Kinomoto had gone to the University following an urgent call.
"I just hope the others come up with some results," she sighed, finally sipping her drink.
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"Hey Yukito, what sort of person can do that thing with the shoe straps? I mean, no ordinary cobbler is capable of that," Touya wondered out loud as the duo walked down a narrow, damp lane in the shady part of the city.
"I was thinking that too, Touya," Yukito said slowly, scratching his head.
"If I am correct, we might need to hack into Shizune's daily planner and check for some discrepancy."
"What sort of discrepancy?" Touya asked, puzzled.
"I dunno...it could be anything. Like an odd appointment, or some stretch of unaccounted time. Coz I don't think ambling down streets would solve our question." Yukito explained, looking at his friend.
"But where is this daily planner?" he asked.
"She's a manager...most managers keep their planners in their cellphones as opposed to the old fashioned diary. I just pray she is a tech-savvy person..." Yukito answered calmly.
"Then let's call up Eriol and have Ruby look into it," Touya said decisively.
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"I am worried about Sakura," Meilin said as they drove through a busy street.
"Don't worry so much...she's fine now. Her memory has returned and she has Syaoran by her side. What can go wrong now?" Xi said calmly, squeezing Meilin's hand.
"Syaoran might think you to be a bit stand-offish but you are sweet, you know," Meilin smiled, returning the pressure.
"The sheer number of your friends makes me nervous, that's all. I am not used to so many people concerned so much at the same time. They are amazing people."
"They are, Xi. They are."
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"That's a good idea, Touya. I will inform Ruby immediately." Eriol replied before disconnecting.
"Yukito's idea is a sound one. Let's get to work immediately." said Tomoyo happily, clapping her hands.
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Syaoran stepped into the shower and was about to turn the tap when his cellphone rang. Muttering about bad timings, he picked up the phone from the shelf.
Unknown number?
"Hello?" he spoke.
"I will be brief. Yamazaki Takahashi is in our custody. It would be in everyone's interests if you follow our orders quickly and discreetly. Remember, we have eyes everywhere."
The voice was chillingly calm. Syaoran grew pale with fear.
Oh Gods! Yamazaki!
"What do you want?" he asked, trying his best to keep his voice from shaking with anger.
"Just a small favour. Something akin to an 'Eternally free from Jail' pass for Aaron Kruger."
"And why do you think I will comply with this favour of yours?" he said, seething.
"Don't want me to carve a new face for dear Yamazaki-chan now, do you?"
The voice laughed out before the phone-line went dead.
What should we do now?
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NEXT CHAPTER: CHAPTER 11: CRAZY STUPID LOVE