Gallery of Broken Hearts
(14: the dumbing down of love)

The sky opened up and it began to rain.

Sakura let out a squeak and leaped up from the stone bench she was sitting on, trying to keep the notes in her hands from getting soaked. The ink was already beginning to bleed across the paper.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Sakura sighed.

Suddenly, a black umbrella appeared above her head. Sakura turned around and found herself meeting Syaoran's amused gaze. He tweaked an eyebrow at the pile of notes in her hands.

"Doing some last-minute studying before finals?" he inquired, watching her pick up her backpack and sling it over her shoulder. "You know, that might stress you out even more."

Sakura nodded, veering her eyes back to her notes. "But I have to retain all this information if I don't want the History final to totally kill me…" She forced a smile. "At least I know we'll do great on our Drama final."

They began making their way to their classroom. Sakura tossed Syaoran a grateful glance as he continued to share his umbrella with her. The rain continued to pour, gradually becoming stronger by the minute. Sakura squinted at something indistinguishable in her notes. Was it a graph of some sort?

Oh, no.

It was a doodle of a bunny.

I'm doomed, Sakura thought miserably.

"What is it with this weather, anyway?" Sakura pouted.

"It's June gloom, baby!" Syaoran replied with a grin, much too cheerily for Sakura's current stressed out state. He laughed and ducked as she swatted at him with her papers.

"Hmm, it's June already, huh?" Sakura observed Syaoran as he folded up his umbrella. They were now within the shaded safety of Tomoeda High's halls. "I can't believe it. We're graduating soon."

"Yep. Graduating and leaving this hell hole for good." There was a sense of relief in Syaoran's voice, but also an underlying hint of uncertainty. What was to become of his relationship with Sakura once they left Tomoeda High? Would they still talk to each other?

Was their rivalry the only thing keeping them together?

Sakura frowned as soon as she noticed Syaoran's sudden silence and the distracted look in his eyes. She watched as he walked into their History class, tucking the umbrella under his arms and pushing a hand through his hair. He always seemed to perform that gesture whenever he was deep in thought.

They both took their seats without another word, and Sakura was left staring at the back of Syaoran's head for what seemed to be the final time.

As soon as the bell rang to initiate the beginning of class, Mr. Tohno began passing out the final exam. There was a still silence in the room, save for the occasional tapping foot and nervous sigh. Many students were depending on this test in order to pass the class and graduate. In Sakura and Syaoran's case, it was a contributing factor to whether they would be valedictorian or not.

Sakura gripped the pencil in her hands, feeling the skin of her palms grow cold and slightly damp. She shut her eyes and sucked in a deep breath. When she heard Syaoran's soft voice before her, her eyelids fluttered open. He was tilting his head to the side, glancing at her through the corner of his eye.

"Good luck," he whispered, before fully facing the front once more.

Sakura smiled. From across the room, Ryo caught her gaze and gave her a nod and thumbs up of encouragement. Her grin weakened before she forced it to broaden.

"You will have exactly one hour to complete the exam. No more, no less." Once every student had an exam placed on their desk, Mr. Tohno stared down at his watch and monotonously said, "Begin."

Almost all at once, everyone's pencils hit the paper before them and began scribbling.

Twenty minutes later, the unthinkable happened.

Syaoran stood up and pounded a fist on his desk, turning around and glaring daggers at the student sitting beside Sakura.

"Do you think you can just take advantage of her like that?" Syaoran demanded, obviously not caring that every eye was now focused on him. The student, who went by the name of Toji Natsuwa, stood up from his own seat and met Syaoran's glare with a heated look of his own.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Toji spat, a vein pulsing near his temple. Sakura silently widened her eyes and glanced back and forth between the two boys towering over her.

"You were cheating off Sakura's test!" Syaoran shot back. "You weren't even being slick about it, man! You were so damn noisy, shuffling and fidgeting around like that! I saw you through my peripheral vision."

If it weren't for the desk separating Syaoran and Toji, a fight could have erupted right then and there. Fortunately, Mr. Tohno was between the two of them now, nearly acting as a stoic referee.

"You two need to silence yourselves and resume the exam," Mr. Tohno told them flatly, his dark eyes shifting from Syaoran to Toji.

But Syaoran wouldn't listen. He didn't sit down. He was evidently pissed. "Sakura pulled an unhealthy amount of all-nighters for this test, and you can't just leech off of her hard work."

"I wasn't cheating," Toji insisted, his eyes turning into menacing slits. However, the defensiveness in his voice and the sudden rigidness of his body seemed to indicate otherwise.

"Yeah? Bullshit."

"I'm warning you two…" Mr. Tohno's voice grew sterner.

Finally, Sakura spoke up. "Syaoran, just let it go." She bit her lower lip. "Come on, it's not worth getting in trouble for."

"Really, Sakura?" Syaoran gave her a distasteful look. "You're actually willing to share answers with this idiot?"

"Hey!" Toji growled.

Now, Sakura was on her feet as well. Her nerves for the exam translated into trembling and panic. "I said, let it go!"

"Li. Kinomoto. Katsuwa." Mr. Tohno's gaze darkened. "To the office. Take your things and leave your exams here."

Syaoran, Sakura, and Toji shut their mouths a second too late.

"Now," Mr. Tohno hissed, narrowing his eyes and pointing toward the door.

There were tears of disbelief in Sakura's eyes as she snatched her backpack and headed out. Syaoran and Toji exchanged spiteful glances before gathering up their own belongings and leaving the classroom full of stunned peers and one furious teacher.

The counselor's office door burst open, and out came Sakura, Syaoran, and Toji. While Toji took a different route to return to History (most likely to avoid Syaoran's wrath), Syaoran and Sakura walked through the same hallway.

Sakura squinted up at the gray, overcast sky, curling her fingers into fists and shoving them into the pockets of her pink parka. She didn't know why, but she suddenly wanted the heavens to break open and once again release a rush of heavy rain. Maybe that way, she could drown out her aggravation.

She could hear Syaoran's footsteps several feet behind her.

"You shouldn't have done that," Sakura mumbled all of a sudden, dropping her gaze from the sky to the ground beneath her. She watched her white sneakers move slowly along the pavement. Much like the last time they had walked this hall together, she didn't seem to be in any hurry to return to class.

Syaoran slowed his pace so that he kept his distance from her. Even though he was behind her, he could notice the tension building up in her shoulders. She was as stiff as stone. She was upset at him. And it was making him upset, too, because all he wanted to do was help— but he had to screw it all up, of course.

"Sorry," Syaoran muttered back. "I didn't realize you were okay with people mooching off your answers."

He had expected Sakura to shrug off his sour comment, so his face took on a expression of bewilderment when she suddenly whipped around and glared at him. He stepped back as she began to raise her voice.

"That's not the point, Syaoran!" she began crossly, her eyes like green shards that could have sliced him to the bone. "Our grades are in jeopardy now. Who cares if someone was cheating off my test? At the end of it all, Toji would have passed the class, at most. But my grade on that exam determines if I get to keep my A or not. If I can still be valedictorian or not."

Syaoran didn't know whether he wanted to laugh or punch a wall. If he did both, he would most definitely appear crazy— or maybe it was too late for that. This girl drove him insane.

"Why does becoming valedictorian matter so much to you, anyway?" Syaoran interrogated her, his own voice raising a decibel.

Sakura frowned at him.

How was your first day of kindergarten, dear?

"If you knew why," she replied slowly, her voice brimming with hostility, "then you would understand."

"Alright. Go ahead. Explain." Syaoran gestured toward her, resisting the urge to throw his head back and scream out in vexation. "Because I don't fucking get it. Do you think that, ten or twenty years from now, somebody will actually care if you graduated valedictorian in high school? Why the hell is it so important to you?"

I got the most gold stars today, and that means I'm at the top of the class—

When Sakura only tightened her lips in lieu of a reply, Syaoran continued, not bothering to hide his growing irritation. "You just can't get rid of that old 'center of attention' habit, can you?"

You make me so proud.

"You should just shut up, Syaoran," Sakura blurted out shakily, stomping a foot on the ground. Her hurt gaze intensified. For the second time that day, her eyes were beginning to blur over with gleaming tears. She hadn't noticed that she had been biting down on her tongue until she drew a bit of blood.

Syaoran couldn't stop himself— he let out a bitter laugh. He shook his head and roughly raked a hand through his hair as he evaluated the scene that he was currently standing in. So, they were back to this? It was unbelievable. After all the progress they seemed to make… they were back to arguing. And this time, a storm was brewing. Something— or rather, someone— was about to break.

"You know, the competition for the top rank was fun for a while, but now it's just getting annoying," Syaoran growled, taking two steps forward.

Sakura took two steps back. It was her turn to let out a spiteful laugh. It was official. She was going crazy, too. They were both going crazy. There was no turning back. She lifted her head so that the tears wouldn't fall.

I like how it feels being at the top of the class…

… but it makes me happier when you're proud, Mommy.

"Annoying? Syaoran, you have no idea why it matters to me so much!" Sakura flared, feeling her lower lip tremble. "You don't know anything!"

"No, Sakura," Syaoran retaliated, his own voice beginning to shake as well. It scared him, because such a thing hardly happened. "You don't know anything. There's something about me that you should have figured out weeks ago, a month ago, two months ago— maybe even years ago, but you're so damn dense and so fucking clueless!"

"You're right, I must be clueless, because I don't even know what you're talking about anymore," Sakura snapped. "Do you really think you have the right to tell me that practically everything I do is for attention? At least I don't treat high school like it's some sort of game. It isn't a game. Life isn't a game. Beating out other students for the highest rank isn't a game, and earning money to seduce girls isn't, either! None of this is fun, Syaoran! We're under investigation for allegedly cheating, and now our grades—"

"—are in jeopardy, I know! I know. I get it." Syaoran let out a disgruntled exhale. "But we can't do anything about that right now. I get it."

"No, you don't get it!"

I promise I'll always be the smartest student—

The tingling heat behind Sakura's eyes became too much for her to bear. Her tears began to cascade in hot, tiny streams. "You don't get it at all!"

So I can keep making you proud—

Syaoran furrowed his brow. "Then help me get it, help me understand! Why do you keep yelling at me?" He was frowning now, watching helplessly as the tears trickled down Sakura's face. There was nothing he could do but throw questions at her. "Why do I always make you cry?"

"Because you're you, Syaoran, and for most of my life I've hated you!" Sakura cried out, stepping back once as Syaoran took another step forward.

"You don't hate me, Sakura," Syaoran shot back, shaking his head again. There was a burning sensation in his chest, and to anyone else it could have been heartburn or some other sort of bodily pain pertaining to the organs in his chest— but he had a hunch that it was just the feeling of his heart ripping open. And because his heart was splitting right down the middle, he couldn't help but yell, "You know that's complete and utter bullshit!"

The instant the profane word broke out of Syaoran's mouth, the school bell let out its shrill wail, and Sakura's next harsh words were immersed in the ringing.

"Shut the hell up!" Her voice was nearly raspy now. She could feel a damp warmth at her neck; her tears wouldn't stop spilling. "You're an idiot! You—"

Her self-control cracked; she felt her body lunge forward as her fists poised for pummeling—

"Agh, damnit!" But the instant she leapt forward, two thin yet unrelenting arms shot out and wrapped around Sakura's torso, yanking her back before she could attempt to do harm against her rival. It was Tomoyo. And for the first time, Sakura noticed that a crowd had gathered— a crowd of babbling students who wanted to know what all the fuss was about.

"Let me go, Tomoyo!" Sakura struggled against her best friend's hold, grunting and wincing as she jerked forth. She didn't get very far. Tomoyo had an iron grip. "Let me go! I want to gouge his eyes out!"

Syaoran hadn't moved from his spot at all. He met the wide, anxious and curious stares of his classmates with a fierce visage of his own, and only let himself flinch slightly as Sakura continued to swipe and swing at him with a heart-wrenching expression in her tear-filled eyes.

"You're such a goddamn kid, Sakura," Syaoran hissed, feeling his breathing grow shallow.

"I told you to shut up!"

"Both of you need to shut up!" Tomoyo's voice was uncharacteristically loud— louder than anyone had heard her yell before, and she sounded like one seriously pissed off angel. The chattering and whooping and gasping of their fellow peers grew louder as the situation escalated.

"He doesn't get it— I made a promise—" Sakura felt her throat tighten up as her sobs shook her body. She clenched her hands around Tomoyo's arms, trying to pry herself away. "Let me go—"

Tomoyo whirled Sakura around so that they were facing each other. She pulled her sobbing mess of a friend into her arms. "Sakura. Shh. Please, please calm down…"

The crowd continued to prattle on and on.

"What? There isn't going to be a fight?"

"Fight, fight! We wanna see some—"

"—the hell is going on? Syaoran? Why is Saku—"

"Syaoran! What did you do? You knock her up or—"

"—can't be possible, thought they hated each oth—"

"Syaoran, hey, Syaoran—"

"—bet neither of them's gonna be valedictor—"

"QUIET!"

A voice boomed over the halls, silencing every flapping mouth in the sea of high schoolers. It was a voice that students were not accustomed to hearing in anything but a monotonous tone.

"Syaoran. Sakura."

Syaoran and Sakura lifted their heads. Mr. Tohno stepped through the cluster of people, his normally tired eyes appearing sharp and disappointed. His arms were crossed over his chest.

Tomoyo released Sakura, who quietly struggled to pull herself together. Syaoran straightened his posture and forced in a breath.

"Come with me. Bickering so vehemently is unacceptable. It seems as though you two will have to return to the office sooner than anticipated."

It didn't take long for the crowd to disperse after Mr. Tohno had made his appearance. He beckoned the rivals with a hand and they silently followed him back into his empty classroom.

"I thought we were going back to the office," Syaoran mumbled as soon as the door closed. He instantly quietened when Mr. Tohno raised an eyebrow at him.

"It has certainly been an eventful morning for the both of you," Mr. Tohno began, slipping his hands into his pockets and moving his eyes between Sakura and Syaoran. "Now, what did I tell you two about lovers' quarrels?"

"We're not—" Sakura was cut off with another sharp look from the teacher.

"I have absolutely no clue as to why you two are at each other's throats more than usual today," continued Mr. Tohno, "but fighting with one another will not look good on your records…"

Sakura and Syaoran avoided each other's gaze and looked at their shoes instead.

"… especially if either of you want to claim the title of valedictorian." Mr. Tohno shook his head. "All year, I have witnessed the throes of your endless arguments and overdramatic rivalry. All year, I have had to put up with your class disruptions and petty comments toward each other."

Sakura and Syaoran remained silent.

"But," Mr. Tohno began to pace, "there is no doubt in my mind that you, Sakura Kinomoto, and you, Syaoran Li, are the most intelligent students at this school."

They lifted their heads and blinked in surprise.

"Sir…" Syaoran trailed off as Mr. Tohno stopped pacing and lifted a hand.

"You two may retake a different version of the final exam tomorrow." Mr. Tohno smirked slightly as Syaoran and Sakura simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief. "I will not send you back to the office, as that would only further jeopardize your chances at earning the top rank. However… I am assigning classroom cleanup duty for the both of you, everyday after school until the end of the semester. Starting tomorrow."

Syaoran and Sakura froze, suddenly dreading the thought of spending hours alone together in an empty classroom. Didn't Mr. Tohno think they would kill each other at this point?

"Is that fair?" Mr. Tohno inquired.

"… Yes," Sakura and Syaoran replied quietly, their eyes on the floor again.

"You're in love with Sakura, aren't you?"

Syaoran peered over the edge of his couch and shot his cousin a hostile expression. When Meiling merely smiled sweetly at him from the kitchen counter, he collapsed onto the cushions once more and continued to stare at the ceiling.

"No," he finally answered, blowing the stray strands of hair away from his eyes.

"Here," Meiling finished pouring herself a glass of wine and took a sip, "let me give you one more chance to be honest with me."

Syaoran rolled his eyes.

"You're in love with Sakura, aren't you?"

"Why do I feel like the whole world except for her knows?"

"Because the whole world except for her knows." Meiling paused and sauntered her way toward her cousin. She sat at the edge of the couch where he lay and passed him her glass. "What are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing." Syaoran sat up and finished off the rest of the wine in two quick gulps.

Meiling pouted at him. "That doesn't sound like my typically dashing, go-getter cousin."

"I have to get over her. I make her cry all the time."

"Syaoran…" Meiling sighed. "When a guy makes a girl cry all the time, it usually means she hates him… or likes him too much for her own good." She laughed softly. "Or both."

"Well—"

"And I think we all know that she doesn't really hate you."

"We shouldn't be analyzing this," Syaoran grumbled, returning the empty wine glass to Meiling and rising to his feet. He groaned and stretched his arms overhead. "She has Ryo."

"Does she really?"

Syaoran dropped his hands to his sides and delivered her a puzzled look.

"Wow." It was Meiling's turn to roll her eyes. "And you say she's the clueless one." She stood up and began walking back into the kitchen. "Maybe you need to learn a lesson, after all."

Syaoran shook his head, feeling a slight dizziness set in. He hadn't been in the mood to eat anything at all since his fight with Sakura, and with wine being the only thing in his system, he was starting to feel a bit fuzzy. He glanced at Meiling, who was helping herself to a jar of sugar cookies.

"Don't eat all of them— or you'll get fat and won't fit into your prom dress." He smirked as Meiling cursed at him until he disappeared up the stairs.

In the comfort of his room, Syaoran let himself delve into his thoughts. He dropped himself onto his bed and buried his head into his pillow, breathing slowly and deeply. Who knew that things with Sakura could have gone to shit so quickly? He should have expected it. He should have known.

Things had been so good, so nice for a while.

And that time at the hospital…

Syaoran refused to let himself develop that thought. He left it unfinished.

"Syaoran!" Much to Syaoran's displeasure, Meiling's voice was able to travel up the stairs and into his room, even though the door was closed. "Someone's here to see you! She's coming up."

With a bit of guilt, Syaoran's heart gave a huge leap as he sat up and earnestly watched his doorknob turn. Was Sakura seriously paying him a visit?

The door swung open and Minako stepped in.

His heart dropped and he suddenly felt utterly stupid.

"Minako…" Syaoran mumbled, watching the petite girl close the door behind her and sheepishly step further inside. There was an anxious look on her face.

"Why didn't you—" Minako stopped herself, her face flushing in embarrassment. "I'm sorry for the intrusion, but why didn't you tell me you were in the hospital last month?"

"I didn't think I was supposed to…" Syaoran trailed off when he noticed a slight sadness in her eyes. "I mean, I didn't want to worry you." He continued to examine her expression. "But I guess you're worried anyway."

"I'm worried to death!" she suddenly blurted out, her eyes glistening with tears. "I was so scared when I heard about it!"

"I'm okay now."

"Are you sure?"

"Minako," Syaoran sighed heavily, "I'm fine."

"You seem frustrated," Minako replied quietly, composing herself and sitting beside him on the bed. She reached out and rested a hand atop one of his. He remained rigid. "Syaoran, why are you so tense right now?"

"I'm just… a little stressed out." Syaoran stared at Minako's hand, wondering how he could possibly pull away without harming her fragile feelings. "Maybe way more than a little stressed out."

"It must be because your senior year is coming to an end. Final exams, college applications, applying for scholarships and summer internships, graduation…"

Syaoran forced a smile. "It doesn't help when you list all of them like that."

"I apologize. Perhaps all of it has been taking a toll on your happiness lately."

"I guess. Maybe." Syaoran sighed again and fell back onto his bed, letting his legs dangle off the edge. Minako followed suit, her head ending up so close to Syaoran's that her cherry curls mingled with his cinnamon locks.

"It's more than that, isn't it?" Minako murmured.

"Yeah."

"Wouldn't it be nice if we could just forget everything that ever hurt us?"

"Yeah." Syaoran closed his eyes. A moment later, he felt Minako shift her weight on the mattress. When he reopened his eyes and turned his head toward her, she was on her side and facing him, admiring him with her creamy brown gaze.

"You've changed so much," Minako whispered, lifting a hand and pushing his messy bangs away from his wolfish eyes. "But at the same time, you seem exactly as I remember you."

Syaoran's expression remained soft, but slightly blank. "I'm not that innocent little boy you used to share your lunch with, Minako. Not anymore."

"I know. You're a young man now." Minako withdrew her hand. "Remember when we used to pretend that we were the only people who existed in the entire universe?"

"Yeah."

Her voice was barely perceptible. "Can we pretend again?"

Rain tapped against the window.

Minako's milky cheeks began to flush over with a light shade of pink. She inched toward him. Any space that had been between them was now nonexistent. Syaoran felt his breathing grow heavy, and all of his plans to pull away eventually evaporated. He knew this was wrong. He knew he was making a mistake. He knew he was supposed to stop, but he didn't.

His heart was weak.

He was weak.

The rain outside intensified, falling in heavy sheets and hitting the window like liquid diamond bullets. The sky gave out a deep rumble, roaring load enough to nearly drown out a soft, shallow moan coming from Syaoran's bed.

Sakura and Tomoyo weaved through aisles of dresses.

"Maybe I shouldn't have lost my temper like that…" Sakura said beneath her breath, running her fingers along the gleaming fabrics. Tomoyo followed close behind her, quietly listening. "I never explained to him why becoming valedictorian is so important to me."

"You never told him about your promise to your mother?"

"No, I didn't. Looking back, I kind of wish I had…" Sakura knitted her brows. "He was really clueless and frustrated when I broke down like that, now that I think about it. He would have understood if I told him about the promise."

"He would have," Tomoyo agreed, pulling out a dress and displaying it for Sakura to see.

Sakura shook her head and Tomoyo set it to the side. "I can't believe I told him I hated him," she grumbled. "The only thing that would make me hate him right now would be if he started up his business again, after all we've been through."

Tomoyo grinned to herself.

"What's with the smile?" Sakura lifted an eyebrow.

"Because I'm thinking about this friendship between you and Syaoran. It's so… interesting."

"Interesting?"

"A good kind of interesting," Tomoyo clarified. "You two may yell at each other half the time, but most of the time you bring out the best in each other— in some sort of strange way. You've taught him how to be less manipulative, and he's taught you how to be more sure of yourself."

Sakura didn't say anything. She kept her gaze on the dresses.

"So since all that has been established…" Tomoyo's voice became evidently quieter. "Is Ryo going to break up with you now?"

"Tomoyo." Sakura frowned. "We should be focusing on these potential prom dresses."

"Alright, alright—" A small chiming noise blossomed from her purse, and Tomoyo pulled out her phone to read the new text message. Three seconds later, her eyes grew as wide as saucers.

"Tomoyo?" Sakura's tone was a cross between curiosity and concern. She tried to peer over Tomoyo's shoulder. "What is it? Who's it from?"

"Ah, um, nothing," Tomoyo replied breezily, clenching her phone within her hands and walking toward another rack of dresses.

"Huh?" Sakura was on Tomoyo's heels. "How could it be nothing? You look like someone just sent you nude pictures!"

"It's nothing, Sakura," Tomoyo repeated, more firmly this time. She turned around and gave Sakura an expression of reassurance.

"Well, alright. If you say so…" Sakura began to turn away and Tomoyo exhaled with relief.

But at the very second Tomoyo let her guard down, her phone was suddenly swiped away from her hands. Sakura blinked, slightly astonished and impressed at herself because her reflexes weren't that great to begin with. It took her two seconds to read the message, but she could have stared at it in disbelief for a century.

text message from meiling li
omg. -_- i'm so bored.
syaoran & minako are totally going at it right now.

Sakura slowly and quietly returned the cell phone to Tomoyo, who sighed.

"Sakura—"

"We haven't checked that section over there yet." She started to walk away. Tomoyo quickly matched her pace.

"You know how Meiling is, maybe she's exaggerating—"

"C'mon," Sakura hooked arms with Tomoyo, a little too sharply. "We need to find the perfect prom dresses, so let's—"

"Sakura, stop!" Tomoyo unlinked their arms and took ahold of her best friend's hands, giving her a meaningful look.

"He's just so…" Sakura tugged away. She let out a frustrated huff before suddenly catching her breath, as if somebody had wrapped a wire around her lungs. "He's just so—"

Tomoyo shook her head and reclaimed Sakura's hands, gently pulling her into a hug. "I know, I know."

"Of course you know, Tomoyo!" Sakura cried out, jerking away again and flinging her arms into the air. "You know everything!"

"No, I don't know everything, Sakura." Tomoyo frowned. "I don't know how to fix this. All I know is that you're furious and sad and in need of a hug."

Sakura covered her face with her hands and let out a shaky exhale. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the other girl. "I'm so sorry, Tomoyo. I'm having a bad week."

"It's okay." Tomoyo squeezed her companion with every ounce of comfort she could possibly muster. "I'm having a bad week, too."

"You are? Why?"

"Because my best friend is having a bad week."

Sakura sank her chin into Tomoyo's silken hair and sighed. "Any words of wisdom?"

"Not this time, Sakura. I don't know what to say to you right now, and I don't know what to do." She buried her face into Sakura's hair as well. "This is the best I can do for now."

Sakura nodded, closing her eyes and letting Tomoyo's sweet-scented perfume tickle her nose. This girl was her age, but she was the closest thing Sakura had to a maternal figure. And for once, Tomoyo couldn't come up with anything profound or omniscient to say.

Normally, this would have scared Sakura. Tomoyo always knew what to say, and being at a loss for words never happened to her in their years of friendship. But now, Sakura was okay with that. Tomoyo was only human. It was the same circumstance for her and every other being that walked this planet. They were all human— ridden with flaws, making mistakes for their own reasons.

What's your reason this time, Syaoran?

The following morning, Syaoran drove himself to school with a heavy heart. Every inch of his body tingled with an overbearing, nearly magnetic sensation, and he knew it was probably the weight of guilt pulling him down. The weight only intensified when he lugged himself out of his car and slowly made his way onto campus.

A voice stopped him.

"Syaoran Li," a fellow classmate began, and without turning around, Syaoran knew exactly who it was. He cocked an eyebrow and exhaled sharply through his nose, reminding himself to remain calm.

Syaoran finally decided to turn halfway so that he only slightly faced his peer. His own voice matched the tranquility and indifference of the one that had stopped him. "What, Ryo?"

"You must be losing your edge, man. You had a good thing going… and then you just stopped."

Syaoran narrowed his eyes. "Try to be a little more vague."

There was a chuckle from Ryo. "And so he speaks sarcasm…"

"Fluently."

"Hm. So it's true. You never liked me."

"I'm pretty sure we both know why." Syaoran was fully facing him now. They were the same height, the same build, and— at the moment— they were carrying themselves with the same sort of aloofness. "What you said earlier, about how I had a 'good thing going'… you were referring to my business, right? Well, I'm done, I really am."

"Done with your business, but not done fooling around with girls?" Ryo's mouth made a subtle movement, as if he wanted to smirk but refrained himself from doing so. Syaoran could tell that this was definitely not the sweet, goodnatured Ryo that Sakura was dating. He had completely switched gears. "So you're just being a player for free now, I assume?"

"You don't know what you're talking about." Syaoran wanted to kick himself for offering up such a lame comeback, but Ryo had caught him off-guard. He obviously knew more than Syaoran had anticipated, and that meant he was a little unprepared for this confrontation.

"I know exactly what I'm talking about. Listen…" Ryo paused, casually sliding his hands into his pockets and taking a mild step forward. "I'm not just talking about your childhood sweetheart." Syaoran's jaw tightened. How on earth did Ryo know about Minako? "You must think so highly of yourself, having all sorts of girls falling for you left and right. Kisa, Aiko, Yuumei, every girl on the cheerleading team… hell, ninety-five percent of the straight female population in this entire school has been head over heels for you at some point. I wouldn't even be surprised if your own damn cousin has some sort of sick, suppressed attraction toward you."

Syaoran couldn't help it; his fists clenched. But it only took a moment for him to gather himself together and unclench them.

"If you want to judge and insult me," Syaoran began slowly, "by all means, go right ahead. Have fun. But don't bring Meiling into this."

There was a smug tone evident in Ryo's next words. "What if I brought Sakura into this?"

Syaoran's eyes narrowed once more. "What does she have to do with anything?"

"Syaoran, she has to do with everything." Ryo was smiling now. "You know that. I know that." And almost as soon as it had appeared, the smile vanished. "You see, I don't really feel like Sakura is completely in this relationship, if you know what I mean. Her heart isn't in it— like she has feelings for someone else."

Not a single word left Syaoran's mouth. In fact, it had run dry as soon as Sakura had become the subject of their conversation.

Ryo was looking directly at Syaoran. His deep goldenrod gaze was piercing. "And I think I know who it might be."

Syaoran still refused to reply.

"You don't deserve someone like Sakura," Ryo continued. His voice was lower but his words were still biting.

"Looks like we found something we can both agree on," Syaoran finally answered, moving his gaze away. His heart gave a little lurch at the thought of the previous evening's events. He could have told Minako to leave. He could have controlled himself. He could have—

But he hadn't.

There was a still silence between them, save for the sounds of cars pulling into the parking lot. Nobody seemed to be paying much attention to their exchange; apparently it was too early in the morning to be seeking out drama.

"I want to break up with her."

What?

Syaoran had to struggle in order to keep himself from toppling over. His body was nearly frozen.

"And I want you to help me."

"Tch." Syaoran forced the apathetic noise out of his throat and hardened his gaze against Ryo's. "So were you just pretending to be crazy about Sakura?"

Ryo only smiled.

"Anyhow, whatever your underlying motive is— I told you, I'm done with my business."

Ryo let out another one of his soft, spiteful chuckles. "Now, I know you've turned over a 'new leaf' or whatever, but that doesn't change the fact that even though you're practically in love with Sakura… you gave in to another girl." Ryo let the harsh words sink their teeth into Syaoran's skin before continuing. "That's not what you want for her, is it?"

"Goddamnit, Ryo." Syaoran couldn't help but let a little of his frustration seep out. The guilt was gnawing away at him like flesh-eating bacteria. "I already know I'm scum, alright? I already know I shouldn't be with her, ever. She shouldn't be with a guy like me." He paused, his sharp stare unwavering. "But she shouldn't be with a guy like you, either."

Unfortunately for Syaoran, a trace of satisfaction appeared on Ryo's face, as if he had heard exactly what he wanted to hear.

"You want to protect her from guys like you and me?" Ryo shrugged. "Then accept my offer. She'll never look at us again."

Syaoran finally dropped his gaze. He stared down at the asphalt with a furrowed brow.

What was he supposed to say to that?

"Come on. You know I'm right. Just one more business deal before we graduate. The pay will be generous, I assure you. Consider it the grand finale or something."

Syaoran bit his lower lip. He should have been prepared for something like this to happen. But he wasn't. He wasn't prepared, not even a little. And now he had to face the consequences.

"… Fine." The short word left Syaoran's mouth in a small sigh of defeat.

Ryo's smile reappeared, and it was clear that he was back to being the lighthearted version of himself. "Good talk, man. See you around."

Syaoran shut his eyes as Ryo's hand landed on his shoulder. He felt two firm pats before hearing the sound of retreating footsteps.

Consider it the grand finale or something.

Ryo's words echoed within Syaoran's head for the rest of the school day. It didn't help that he had to struggle with every fiber of his body to keep from beating Ryo to a bloody pulp when he noticed that he was treating Sakura as sweet as ever, as if his feelings hadn't changed at all.

Seven hours seemed to pass by a bit too fast for Syaoran, because before he knew it, he was alone in an empty, silent classroom with Sakura. He gripped a broom in his hand while Sakura cleaned up the chalkboard. While he made several efforts to catch Sakura's glance, she seemed rather adamant to avoid any eye contact.

Finally, as Syaoran began sweeping aside the last of the floor's dust, he decided to break the silence. It probably wasn't the greatest idea, but the tension between them was driving him over the edge.

"Are you still not talking to me?"

Much to Syaoran's surprise, Sakura actually responded. Her voice was quiet and empty, but her response was prompt. "I heard about what you did with Minako."

Shit.

"Oh. Word spreads fast." When Sakura failed to react to his nonchalant tone, Syaoran felt himself grow a little hostile. He knew his next words were going to be a mistake, but he said them anyway. "What, are you jealous?"

"I'm not jealous. I have a boyfriend, remember?" She kept a steady stare on the chalkboard in front of her, maneuvering the eraser in smooth, sweeping motions. "You're just… stupid."

Syaoran refrained from letting his eyes roll. The word "stupid" had left her mouth as if she couldn't think of anything better to say… as if she didn't mean it at all.

He wished she meant it.

"So I'm stupid for being sexual with someone that I actually like for once?"

He didn't mean that, either.

The chalkboard eraser in Sakura's hands suddenly slowed to a stop. Her eyes focused on the drifting remnants of chalk hovering before her face.

"You had sex?" she asked quietly.

"Well—" Syaoran's grip on the broom tightened and loosened repeatedly. "Technically— yeah, no— I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"It depends," Syaoran sighed. "I… I was on the receiving end and I didn't really do anything to her. That's as far as it went, okay?"

"So you let her… do that to you." Sakura's hand was still poised against the board, squeezing the eraser within her fingers until her knuckles paled.

Syaoran noticed this subtle action, which confused him even further. Why did Sakura even care? Was it because it was obvious that it was going to take more than a silly promise for him get rid of his scandalous habits? Or was it because…

You see, I don't really feel like Sakura is completely in this relationship, if you know what I mean.

It couldn't possibly be because…

Her heart isn't in it— like she has feelings for someone else.

Why did everything have to be so fucking complicated?

"I don't know!" Syaoran finally spat out, his aggravation seizing the last of his patience. "I wasn't really thinking, Sakura! I was frustrated!"

"Ah." Sakura met Syaoran's sudden outburst with an almost eerie kind of indifference. "So that's how you deal with your frustration."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Syaoran's temper was obviously getting the best of him again. "Get off my case. I don't meddle with your relationships. You can do whatever you want, and so can I. You're…" He trailed off for a moment as he attempted to cool down his heated speech. "You're happy with Ryo, aren't you?"

"Oh, so you're defending him now? Syaoran, you never liked Ryo!" Sakura finally set down the chalkboard eraser— or rather, slammed it down— and a white cloud billowed beside her. She watched it disperse, letting herself regain composure before continuing in a softer voice. "Please… if there's any reason you don't think I should be with him… tell me now."

Syaoran felt his body tense up. He sank his teeth into his tongue as Sakura's eyes moved to meet his own.

"If you think there's someone out there who's better for me…" She was staring right at him, and Syaoran wasn't sure if he was imagining the flicker of an unspoken plea in her eyes. "Tell me."

Unlike the many times they had locked gazes, Syaoran was the one to look away first. Even if his feelings were requited in a twisted way, did he really deserve to be happy with her?

"No." Syaoran grimaced slightly, turning around and setting the broom aside. "Ryo's a nice guy. You should be with him."

There was an uncomfortable and wordless moment between them.

"Fine," Sakura replied quietly, reclaiming the chalkboard eraser.

Before another unnerving silence could settle between them, Syaoran switched the topic.

"Last month…" He watched her wipe a whitened, chalky hand against the side of her jeans. "Tell me what happened in the hospital. When you hugged me."

"I don't know," Sakura responded with a hint of irritability. "You must have been drugged up enough to start hallucinating things that would never happen."

Syaoran leaned against the wall, right next to where he had propped up the broom. He crossed his arms over his chest and frowned slightly, delivering her a side glance.

"So when we almost kissed—" As soon as he began uttering those words, Syaoran noticed Sakura's jaw tense as her lips pursed. "—it was just my mind playing tricks on me?"

Another cloud of chalk began to rise up, this time lifting into Sakura's face. She began to cough.

"Stupid chalkboard erasers," Sakura rasped, dropping them and wiping her eyes with her sleeves and the back of her hands. She continued to cough between her next words. "You think we would have upgraded to— to whiteboards, but no— the school's being stupid—"

Syaoran stepped away from the wall and watched as Sakura began to sniffle. His arms fell to his sides. It didn't take him long to understand that she would cry soon.

"Everything is just… stupid…" Sakura's voice cracked. "So stupid…"

Syaoran exhaled heavily and began to approach her. Even though he was putting himself at risk of getting his eyes clawed out, he didn't hesitate. "Do you think you could handle a hug from me right now?"

"No," she muttered pathetically, coughing again. Several tears slid down her chalk-speckled face, leaving light, glimmering lines. "Stay away. Stay right where you are."

Obviously, Syaoran wasn't going to obey. A moment later, he was gingerly gathering her into his arms.

"You never listen," Sakura grumbled. She refused to return the hug but she decided against pulling away. After briefly remaining frozen, she let her body relax. Her arms hung limply at her sides. Almost as if she were giving in, Sakura closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against Syaoran's chest. "You know I'm sorry, right?"

"Yeah," Syaoran whispered, nearly catching his breath as he felt the subtle warmth of her face through his shirt. There was a pause. "I'm sorry, too."

Rain was trickling against the window again. Syaoran shut his eyes and couldn't help but envision the terrible, idiotic mistake he had made the previous day— Minako's tiny, smooth hands running down his cheek, his neck, trailing down his chest and stomach and hip bone and—

When he reopened his eyes, Sakura was still in his arms, chalk particles sprinkled over her hair like defective fairy dust. He didn't know whether he loved or hated that he was becoming so accustomed to feeling her dainty frame embraced against his own— the way her head would always be pressed directly over his heart, right where she could hear it beating, faster and faster still.

What he knew he hated was the familiar sensation of her warm tears soaking through his shirt— how he could essentially feel the weight of everything that haunted her without being able to do anything about it. He wasn't sure if she was crying because of her mother again, or because of what he did with Minako, or because of a shitty week in general, but there was one thing he knew for sure.

In time, all hell would break loose, and he would never be able to hold her like this again.

I'm so sorry, Sakura.

A/N: What's that stench? Smells like a big, fat, stinky drama llama. I guess all the negative emotions in this chapter make up for all the fluff that happened last chapter! Sorry, everyone.

Well, there's not much for me to say except… there are three chapters left! I want to finish this story as soon as I can because I'm really excited to release a new fic I've been working on. Anyway, I adore you guys and all of your kind words. Please don't loathe me for the bad stuff that happened in this chapter, I promise it gets better. In the meantime, send some love my way? :3