Chapter 14

"So…"

"So…"

"So Sakura's in love with me."

Eriol almost choked, coughing up the water that had gone down the wrong tube. "What?!"

Syaoran looked at him shrewdly. "You knew, didn't you?"

He reached for some tissues and wiped his face. "Wait, what? What happened? Did Sakura tell you?"

"The other night."

"WOW. And?!"

Then Syaoran grew silent, mulling over that night, and what had happened after she confessed.

"And then?" Eriol prompted.

Then Sakura had refused him. Because she didn't want to go on a "pity date." But it wasn't out of pity that he'd asked, frowning again at the thought. What it was exactly, he still wasn't sure. But then she'd made a rule that he wasn't allowed to ever ask her out again unless he was in love with her. Which was annoying. The logic behind that made no sense to him.

"And then?!"

Syaoran snapped out of his train of thought. "What?"

"What happened AFTER?!" Eriol demanded.

"I asked her out and she said no."

If his eyes could go bigger, it would have. "WHAT! YOU asked her out- wait, she said no?!"

"I don't get it either," Syaoran said. "If I was in love with someone and that person asked me out, I'd say yes in a heartbeat."

"She probably thought you asked her out of pity," Eriol replied absently, then shook his head a few times and cried again, "This is crazy! I can't believe she told you! And you asked her out! This is monumental!"

Syaoran glanced over at him uninterestedly and said, "Baka."

"I have to call Tomoyo," he said, reaching for his cellphone on the table.

"Sakura probably told her already."

Eriol sat back. "Oh yeah."

"Anyway," Syaoran sat up and inched forward. "I need your advice. You know me. When a woman's into me and I'm not into her, I like to put as much distance between us as possible."

"Yes."

"But for some reason, it doesn't weird me out that Sakura's in love with me."

Eriol eyed him for a moment. "Yeah that is interesting. How do you feel about it?"

"Like I want to go on a date with her."

Eriol knew how clueless Syaoran was. He was one man who could never express in words exactly how he felt. About anything. He wasn't expecting any big heartfelt revelation, but…what Syaoran did share made him smile like a dummy.

"Why are you grinning like that?"

"You always said you've never seen Sakura as a woman before."

"Yeah well…" Syaoran shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "When you grow up with someone as cute as Sakura, you learn to lie your way through anything."

At yet another revelation, Eriol's eyes widened. "Wait, are you telling me you've liked her all this time?"

"No. That's not it," he sighed. "I've always considered her as my best friend. When I put someone in a role in my life, they stay there. She's always been my oldest friend. But it never got lost on me that she's attractive."

"So…" Eriol thought for a long moment, trying to understand exactly what Syaoran had just said. "So let me get this straight. You always knew that she's an attractive girl, but you were never attracted to her that way. Because you've always just considered her as a friend. And your brain compartmentalizes people into roles, and for you, they just… never leave these roles."

"Yeah."

"Until now?"

"Uh…I don't know."

"I still don't get how you feel."

"Neither do I."

"All you know is you want to go on a date. With her."

Syaoran took a sip of his coffee while staring back at Eriol's confused gaze. "Yeah."

"Are you sure it's not out of pity?"

"It's not. I know what pity is and it's not that."

Eriol asked curiously, "What is it then?"

"Pity is going on a date with someone you're not interested in and you have no plan on asking out again, but going not for your sake at all and really just to make that person happy."

Eriol grinned smugly. "So this isn't a pity date that you're asking Sakura out on, right?"

Syaoran stopped, hearing himself again.

"Based on your own definition then," Eriol continued, leaning back against his chair, "you are interested in Sakura and you do plan on asking her out again and you are going for both your sakes, which means…you like her."

Syaoran put a hand up. "Shut up for a second."

"You…like Sakura."

He threw him a look.

"Or at least…you're interested," Eriol conceded. "And… sort of okay with the idea of maybe being more than friends?"

Defeated and a little emotionally exhausted, Syaoran fell back against his own chair and sighed. "Yeah. That's probably it." He wasn't an introspective person.

"At least we pinned that down. Well, don't go broadcasting this to Sakura anytime soon. Anything you do at this point and probably for the next month or two, she'll consider as pity, so I say take it slow, don't do anything out of the ordinary, and just be there for her."

"Two months?" Syaoran was almost sulking. "What if she meets another guy in two months?"

Aw, if Sakura were here now… Eriol could only grin some more. You're definitely closer to the edge of that cliff than you think, man.

:::

"This is by far my biggest regret in life!" Sakura then shoved her face in a pillow, yelling into it, "WHY, WHY DID YOU TELL HIM?!"

Though the sound was muffled, Tomoyo understood perfectly. "Sakura, stop," she said while hiding her amusement. "When did you tell him?"

Sakura pulled the pillow off her red face. "The day before yesterday."

"Have you talked to him since?"

As though she'd spoken in another language, Sakura stared back at her incredulously. "Didn't you hear what I just said?! I can't face him again! I'd rather be swallowed by the ground."

"Okay, you're definitely panicking." Tomoyo grabbed her hands to steady her. "Listen honey-"

"Don't call me honey. Kohei called me honey."

"Sakuchin-"

"Don't call me that either. Syaoran calls me that."

Channelling in patience, Tomoyo said, "Fine. Sakura. Everyone else calls you that. Does that work for you?"

"That's fine. Continue."

"You have nothing to be afraid of. You told him how you felt. He didn't run away. He didn't break off your friendship. He's still the same guy, still the childhood friend you grew up with. It's a huge and amazing thing to be able to say how you feel to someone you've known your whole life. That took a lot of guts! You risked a lot, but you lost nothing."

A little calmer now, Sakura listened to Tomoyo silently.

"And you made it clear to him why you said no. And you did the right thing by saying no. Even if he wasn't asking you out on a pity date, it wasn't the right place or time to ask you."

Uncertain, Sakura said, "You think so? I…was afraid, Tomo. That's really why I said no. Because I didn't expect that out of him. I prepared myself for a clean and direct rejection. And he said that instead."

The warmth fluttering in Tomoyo's stomach made her smile. It was like watching a romance movie in real life. And it was the confirmation she needed for herself that she no longer held any romantic inclinations whatsoever towards Syaoran. All she wanted was for them to be together.

"So why don't you tell him that?" She encouraged.

Sakura shook her head. "I made a big deal out of it and told him he's never allowed to ask me again. Unless he's in love with me." She sighed loudly and fell back against the couch. "Stupid pride. Now who knows if he ever will? He's never felt the same, so why would he now? Especially after such an awful rejection on my part."

"If he's the guy, he will," Tomoyo reassured. "Like Eriol and me. I never thought I'd fall for him, but…eight years later, here we are."

Sakura's facial expression changed from worry to happiness for her friend. "I always thought you guys were a good fit for each other."

Tomoyo laughed. "Really?"

She nodded. "Since that play during our last year in high school, I thought you two looked really good together and your personalities just matched each other perfectly. I'm glad that you're together."

"Thank you. Me too. I didn't expect it at all and that's what makes it even more…wonderful," she blushed. "Anyway. Eriol and I are meeting up with Syaoran tomorrow night for dinner. What do you think? Are you up for it?"

Sakura's mouth opened slightly. "Seriously?"

Tomoyo shrugged. "I'm not going to force you, but..."

"You guys are awful! Why are you doing this to me?" She whined, covering her face with her arms. "Of course I want to see that jerk. But I'm so embarrassed. And worried."

Tomoyo pulled her arms off her face and saw the tomato-faced Sakura. She began to laugh again. "You're so cute, Sakura."

::::::

Sakura stood in front of her assistant's desk, studying a series of pages on a clipboard. As marketing manager, one of her responsibilities was overseeing the customer response to new products and to consistently be aware of the popular fashion trends.

"Even with your wedding being cancelled so suddenly like that, you're still able to pull off a great fashion show," Kamaura-san, the director of one of the fashion lines under Clover, commented.

Sakura glanced up. A brief flash of pain appeared on her face. "I didn't do anything. Kohei took care of all the loose ends before he transferred to Osaka."

"Kohei managed to gather everything that you prepared beforehand," she argued lightly. "Give yourself some credit, Kinomoto."

Sakura smiled then. "Thank you. Yes, well…we did work well together."

"We were all surprised with the news as well."

So was I.

Though it had been about a month since their sudden breakup, the pain still lingered with her. With Kohei suddenly disappearing from her life, it hadn't been easy. Her feelings for Syaoran had been a great distraction, but in moments like these, when she was in a place that reminded her entirely of Kohei, it was hard not to remember all the memories they'd made together.

Excusing herself, she went back into her office and fought back the urge to lock the door. She walked to the window and watched the rain fall on the car-packed streets.

Before she knew it, she began to feel blue again. It was easy to feel sad whenever she thought of Kohei. He was the kindest person she knew. Someone who put her above everyone else. Who always made sure she was feeling okay. He loved her in a way that made her feel so safe, so special.

Five hours later, she turned off her laptop and prepared to head out of work. She glanced at her watch and cringed slightly. Dinner was supposed to start fifteen minutes ago. Texting her apology rapidly, she entered the elevator.

While she still couldn't escape the lonely feeling that had overtaken her from earlier, with a sigh, she squared her shoulders. Tonight was going to be good… somehow. But imagining the night ahead now brought a slight queasiness to her stomach. This was going to be her first time seeing Syaoran again since that epic confession night.

When the elevator doors opened at the lobby, she shoved her phone into her bag. Glancing over at the building security guard, she bowed while walking towards the doors. And just as she looked back up, she stopped short.

Syaoran stood there, in his black suit, his hands in his pant pockets, glancing at a painting on the wall.

What was he doing here? Her heartbeat had gone from 70 to 100 in a moment. She blinked. Her face was going pink, she was sure of it. And feeling way too warm.

Then he turned and those amber-brown eyes fixed themselves on her. He smiled that lopsided smile.

And every sad thought of Kohei fluttered away.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, staying put.

"I thought we could go to the restaurant together." He angled his head to the side. "Why aren't you moving?"

"Uh…"

"You're nervous right now."

"I'm not."

He grinned. "You are. You look happy to see me. Surprised and happy."

At that, her eyes narrowed. "Don't be cocky."

"What? It's true. I can see it in your face. Should I walk over to you instead or…?"

Her heart settling down, she straightened her back, then defied him by walking again. "Are you going to be like this all night? If you are, I might just cancel on dinner."

When she got to him, he threw an arm over her shoulder. "Aw, don't be like that! How've you been?" He opened the door for her.

"I'm okay."

Sliding his hands back into his pant pockets, he studied her. "Something troubled you today."

They walked in rhythm down the street to the train station..

"I've been back to work for almost two weeks now, but sometimes I still can't help but be reminded of Kohei."

"It's only been a month," he said lightly. "I think it's only normal to feel that way."

She glanced up, realizing that regardless of what happened between them, their friendship would always be there. No matter what happened. And that was a huge relief.

"I know. It's just… I practically saw him everyday for two years, dated him for half that. And now he's just gone. He's not even a friend. There's no trace of him whatsoever. I think I'm grieving in a way."

"I can't say I understand how you feel, but…" Syaoran squeezed her arm in comfort. "I'm here for you."

Comforted, she nodded. "Thank you. How about you, how was work?"

"The interns I'm in charge of haven't messed up in a while, so I'm not as stressed. We had a meeting the other day though. About sending a group to the main office for a month, maybe two."

"You mean to Hong Kong?"

"Yeah."

She stopped. "Are they sending you?"

"Ah, most likely. Dad will probably want to see me anyhow. I haven't gone back in a few years."

Entering the packed train station after Sakura, Syaoran held her arms from behind and maneouvred her to the back where there was enough space for two. They stood between seats of people and grabbed the hanging loops when the train started.

Lamenting, Syaoran continued. "A month is a long time though. My Cantonese is worse than it's ever been."

Sakura tried to hide her disappointment. He was going to be gone for a month? A month?

"The last time you were away for a month was before we went to university," she murmured.

"Oh yeah. They tried to convince me to go to university in China." Syaoran shook his head in amusement. "Who knows what my folks have up their sleeve this time."

Sakura looked out the window, stopping herself from biting her lip.

He studied her reflection on the window and caught the distress in her eyes. He couldn't help the smile that came out. "You're gonna miss me, aren't you?"

She threw him a sideways glance. "I told you to stop."

With the smile still on his face, he put an arm around her shoulders, reached down and kissed the top of her forehead. She kept quiet as her heart sighed.

:::

Arriving at the restaurant, Sakura and Syaoran watched the two play with each other's hands across the table. They eyed each other at the open affection.

"So, looks like 'congratulations' are in order."

Eriol and Tomoyo glanced up, their hands disappearing under the table faster than an eye could blink. Eriol smiled to hide the feeling of embarrassment rising in him.

"Hi guys," Tomoyo greeted first.

When Syaoran settled down on the seat beside Eriol, Eriol warily met his gaze. "You're so emb…" Syaoran began in a hushed voice.

"Don't finish that sentence," Eriol warned.

"Did you guys walk here together?" Tomoyo asked, studying the two, and resting her eyes on Sakura.

Sakura sent her a pointed look in return. "He picked me up at work."

"Mm. She looked ready to jump me. Ow!" He cried, feeling the not-so-subtle kick on the shin. Crouching down to rub it, he glared at Sakura. "Am I not allowed to joke around now?"

"When it's not funny, there's no need to share it," she said cheekily.

"Are you really in love with me?" He muttered under his breath as he leaned back against his seat. Only Eriol caught it, who muffled a laugh.

As dinner continued, the topic of dating was well avoided. Typical of old, childhood friends, the comfort and ease in each other's company surpassed any issues that may have been there before dinner. Conversation jumped from the problems of living by yourself to shaping up in time for summer to possible road trips to goings-on at work.

"You're going to Hong Kong?" Eriol asked in surprise. "When?!"

Syaoran put his glass down. "It's not official yet, but I'm 90% sure my dad's gonna ask for me. Anyhow, if I really am going, it'll be in a few weeks."

"For a month?" Tomoyo asked.

"Yeah, at least. We're thinking of renovating the buildings to keep up with the new technology, so that takes time to prepare and set up." Syaoran glanced at the woman sitting in front of him, who was currently staring intensely at her glass of wine.

"A month is a long time," Eriol concluded.

"It's only a month, not like I'm permanently moving back," he reminded. "Anyway I don't have a choice in the decision. I'd be more surprised if my dad doesn't ask me to go back."

At that, Sakura looked up. Trying to cheer up, she said, "That's true. You haven't seen them in a while. I think it'll be good for you, Sho."

"You think so?" He asked doubtfully. "Ah…" He loosened his tie and leaned back against his chair. "If it was for vacation, I'd be more excited, but I'd be working the entire month without much of a break. Work is work."

"Could we come visit?" Tomoyo piped up. "I mean, if we're all free or something, could we come and visit you for a weekend?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"That's a great idea," Eriol agreed. "I've seen his family's mansion. It's huge."

Imagining the prospect, Sakura's eyes brightened. She leaned forward. "Let's do it! I want to see your family again and see Hong Kong!"

He smiled then, feeling a little lighter about it than before. "Fine. You guys plan it and let me know. I'll take a weekend off to show you around."

A/N: Sorry for the late post, readers! I've been going through my own rollercoaster, lol. Anyway, some of you might be wondering why the story's going this direction, but I think a little time and space might be a good thing for our lovely couple anyhow... think "absence makes the heart grow fonder." =)