Disclaimer: Cardcaptor Sakura belongs to CLAMP, not me.


Sensei, I Love You

Chapter 28


Sakura gritted her teeth as she stared at her infuriating English teacher while he continued to rattle to the class. The idiotic guy didn't even glance at her the moment he entered the classroom. She felt stupid for wanting to see what his reaction would be when she finally resumed her classes. She felt like hurling the contents of her pencil case at him and hoped that some stationery would really stab him and make her point known.

She let out a long breath to cool herself. She has wasted enough time thinking about Syaoran and she wasn't about to let him ruin her day. Touya would be discharged in a few hours and that was what she looked forward to. She couldn't wait for English lessons to end!

A sharp knock on her table made her squeak and jump. Chuckles and giggles filled the classroom and Sakura felt warm heat creeping up her neck. She glared at the offender, who simply returned her favour with a wide grin of his own.

"It's unbecoming of you to daydream in class, muffin."

Sakura gasped in surprise at the daring use of endearment in school. There was no way that her classmates would miss hearing that. The murmurings started and she knew everyone within hearing distance heard it and those who didn't would get to know about it soon.

"Li-sensei, I did not daydream!"

"Sure, whatever you say. Please remember that you have a detention session with me after class," he said and walked away looking proud of himself.

"What?" Sakura whispered to herself in disbelief. A detention for spacing out for less than a minute? That was unheard of!

The girl sitting next to her let out a dreamy sigh. "A date with Li-sensei... How wonderful..."

"I'd gladly trade place with you," Sakura muttered under her breath and turned to glare daggers at Syaoran.

"I don't understand why you could dislike Sensei," the girl continued. "He's such a good-looking guy and he's funny too. Everyone in the class loves him!"

Sakura turned to look at the girl and had to curb the urge to roll her eyes. "Good luck in trying to earn a detention then."

"Oh I definitely will!"

"Kinomoto-san, one more day of detention for you. Stop trying to distract your classmates."

Sakura's jaws almost dropped to the ground at the absurdity of the situation. She couldn't believe she was handed another day of detention! She wasn't even shouting in class. When she trained her icy glare at Syaoran, he returned with a playful wink that had half the class swooning over him.

"Idiot."

If that was the way he was going to force her to be alone with him then so be it. She has something to tell him as well. Something important.

Lessons didn't end as fast as Sakura would have liked it. The last few minutes of countdown was pure torture, considering Syaoran keep shooting glances at her as though she would disappear in the next second. She took her own sweet time to pack her bag after the bell rang and waited patiently for the class to disperse. Syaoran was attacked by a flock of giggling girls and had a hard time holding them off. It was almost half an hour later when the classroom was finally empty, except for the both of them.

That was when Sakura's temper burst forth.

"Seriously? Detention?" Sakura screeched as she launched herself at Syaoran, beating the crap out of him. She got even angrier when Syaoran caught her fists easily as if she weren't even a danger to him.

"It was fun, wasn't it?"

With her hands captured by Syaoran, Sakura resorted to stomping on his feet to inflict bodily damage. He grunted and released her immediately.

"Ouch! What the heck?"

"How dare you call me muffin in school? You could get me expelled!"

"I didn't know you cared about school from the way you keep on missing it."

"You obviously don't know me well enough."

"I don't," Syaoran said, cutting off Sakura's tirade. "If I did, I wouldn't be feeling so miserable for the past week, not knowing what you are thinking and what you would be doing next. It's kind of scary..."

He was going a damn good job at portraying himself as a pitiful guy who was really in need of some tender affection. Sakura felt herself drawn to him but pulled back at the last instant.

"I told you before that we are of different worlds, we still are. It's never going to change in the eyes of others. Your mother confirmed that."

"What has my mother got to do with us? I'm the one who likes you and you like me too. That alone is enough for me."

Sakura shook her head. "You don't understand... I can't be with you, not when your mother despises me so much. That accident... It affects her as much as it affects me... Seeing me is like reliving the impact of the accident all over again. I can't do that to her and I can't do that to you..."

"Muffin, you need to know that the reason why I like you isn't because of the accident! It's because of who you are!"

Tears sprung to her eyes at the admission. "No, you can't! You need to stick with your mother. Think about how she feels! She lost her husband and she would do whatever she can to keep you safe by her side."

"Why? Am I not going to be safe with you? You are confusing me!"

"I may be using you for revenge. Did you ever consider that?"

Syaoran's face paled immediately and he was slowly shaking his head. "No... Don't you dare to say that as a joke."

Sakura shrugged but a sniffle gave her away. "Well, my parents were killed in the car crash."

"I know, and it was our fault."

"And you lied to me about my brother."

Syaoran cringed. "Well, I didn't exactly lie... It's just the omission of the truth."

"You should've told me." Syaoran nodded. "But you didn't." Sakura's voice cracked. "There were so many chances to talk to me, but you didn't. Were you ever going to tell me about 'nii-chan if he didn't wake up?"

"I don't know... It just doesn't feel right to give you any false hope at that point of time."

Sakura shook her head and retreated when Syaoran walked nearer to her. "It's called lying, Sensei. You led me to believe my whole family died for an entire year!"

"Sakura... You must know I will never hurt you, at least not intentionally."

"No, I don't know. Just like your mother doesn't know that I won't hurt you in any way."

Syaoran let out an exasperated sigh. "But I'm hurt! It hurts here!" he exclaimed and thumped his heart repeatedly for emphasis. "Look, if it's about my mother, I'll... I'll talk to her. Really! I'll talk to her and slowly explain to her how important you are to me. I need you in my life, muffin. I've gone too far to turn back now."

Sakura's heart skipped a beat. What he said sounded like... a love confession. "I hate you!" She lashed out as tears began to pour down her face. "Why are you making me feel like this? We can't be together!"

Ignoring her protests, Syaoran snatched her into his arms, pushing her tear-streaked face into his chest and getting his shirt soaked in the process.

"Fate brought us together. There's no way that I'm going to let you go. Never!" Syaoran promised and pressed a lingering kiss on her crown. "You heard that, muffin? Never am I letting go of you."

The strong heartbeat in Syaoran's chest , together with his rich timbre voice, soothed Sakura. She stopped fighting him, already tired of putting up a strong front when all she wanted was to be with him. Her grasp on Syaoran's shirt tightened when she thought about her parents and how it seemed that she was betraying them by being with him.

"My parents won't forgive me," Sakura sobbed brokenly. "How am I going to tell 'nii-chan?"

"Don't think too much about that," Syaoran said, squeezing her even harder. "I'll talk to your brother and ask him about what he thinks of us. You don't have to worry about him."

"I'll worry about you. Knowing my brother, I know he'll throw a temper and even pick up a fight with you."

"I'll not fight him. He's your brother, and my friend." He caught the pointed look in Sakura's eyes. "Okay, ex-friend... But what difference does it make?"

"What happened to the three of you in the past?"

"Just some family issues on my side. Nothing that you should worry about."

Sakura shook her head. "I have every right to worry. Especially when I know your mother doesn't approve of us and even tried to use bribery to get me off your back."

"What?" Syaoran exclaimed and would have dashed out of the classroom if Sakura hadn't been holding on to him. "How dare my mother do that? That was out of the line!"

"I'd do that if I were in her place," Sakura said and dropping onto the nearest chair. "I'd want to protect my son from any harm, even from emotional hurt..."

Syaoran knelt in front of her, looking so apologetic that a slight smile broke out on Sakura's face. "I can't erase what my mother did but I'll be sure to talk to her. If her acceptance is what you need, her acceptance is what you'll get. I promise."

"I'm tired of fighting you."

"Then accept me. I'll be a better person with you around. I'll make sure you'll be the happiest person on Earth."

Sakura blushed. "Don't make it sound like a marriage proposal!"

"Well, I'm offering you a promise of a lifetime," Syaoran winked and leaned up to press a quick kiss on her cheek before enfolding her in his arms. "Trust me."

"You'll really talk to your mother?" Sakura asked, still feeling skeptical. "And repair your relationship with her?"

"If that is what it takes for her to accept you, then yes."

"Then promise me one thing?"

"Whatever you want."

Sakura's smile was solemn, as her thoughts flew back to her mother whom she would never get to see again. "Talk to your mother, get to know her even better. No mother would want their sons to get hurt and she's just one of them. Don't judge her too quickly. Put yourself in her shoes and you'll slowly understand why she does what she did."

Syaoran pouted. "That's a lot to ask for, muffin."

Sakura frowned at the endearment but did not comment about it. "It really isn't a lot. Just talk to her. At least you still have your mother to talk to."

Syaoran sighed. "Fine, I'll talk to her."

Sakura checked the time on her phone and gasped. "I need to find Yukito-san!"

"Wait a minute!" Syaoran jumped to his feet scant second after Sakura. "Why are you calling him by his first name and yet you are still calling me Sensei?"

"Because you are a teacher!"

"And he's not?"

Sakura shrugged. "He's the school doctor."

"So?"

"I've known him since young. He's practically my brother."

Syaraon wriggled his eyebrows playfully. "You know me better than most people here. Way better." With that he leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on her lips, earning a startled gasp from her. "So, what is the correct name you should be calling me?"

His lips hovered dangerously over hers. One wrong word from her and he would be kissing her senseless. Sakura knew and heat bloomed in her cheeks instantly. "You are not playing fair!"

"I am! In fact, can't you see I'm giving you a chance? So, what's your answer?"

"Sen—S-Syaoran..." Sakura cast her gaze downwards, suddenly too shy to look at him after calling him by his first name.

"Again."

Sakura did not hesitate this time round and said it with more confidence. "Syaoran." She let out a squeak when he kissed her again, bending her over his arm this time. Needless to say, Sakura was breathless by the time he released her. "Not fair!" Sakura wailed. "Even when I said your name!"

"I can't help myself. Not when you are this adorable." To emphasize his point, he swooped down for another taste but Sakura dodged it by turning her face away. He ended up kissing her warm cheek. Unfazed, he feathered kisses along her cheek towards her ears, delighted by the little shivers she made.

She stiffened in his arms in the next instant and started pushing away from him. When he didn't let go, she pinched his arm.

"Will you let go of her before I smash my fist into your face?"

"Yukito-san!"

"Oh, the school doctor is here," Syaoran mused as he did a little wave to him. "Hello, how nice of you to visit us."

"Drop the sarcasm, Li. You know the rules of the school."

"It's after school hours now. I'm officially off duty."

"But you are still in school and she's still in her uniform."

"Does it mean that it'll be okay if she's in plain clothes? Really?"

Sakura watched the exchange as though she was a spectator in a tennis match. Her neck was at a risk of being twisted at the pace which she was turning her head from one guy to the other and back again.

"You know Touya will give in to Sakura's wishes, eventually. He can't stop the both of you. You are his sister after all and he wants you to be happy."

"But... But..." Sakura was in shock. Did Touya really give in just like that?

"Do you remember that you were mopping around him in the hospital for a few days? He may be in coma for a year but he is still sharp in recognizing his sister's distress."

"So you were really avoiding me!" Syaoran exclaimed in mock tears that had Sakura rolling her eyes.

"Oh please drop the theatrics Sensei," Sakura said. She gasped when she realized her mistake and backed away from him.

Syaoran just grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the classroom. He pushed a fist against Yukito's shoulder on his way out as a friendly gesture. "Let's go greet my future brother-in-law, shall we?"


To be continued


Hello! Sorry for the super long absence! This chapter went through so many rounds of revision and my new job took up so much of my waking time. (Plus I was procrastinating a little too...) Anyway, just a few chapters (probably 1 or 2 more) before the series end! Yay! Then off to a new story!

Hope you've had a wonderful Christmas. I'm soooooo looking forward to the new year. :D

Review, anyone?

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