"How One Comes To Understand"
Syaoran stared at the group of people in the room, but only one person in the room has his attention.
Kinomoto Sakura.
His eyes locked with hers briefly, making him feel like they were the only two persons in the room. But, the trance broke as soon as her eyes strayed from his.
He nearly became annoyed with her, but remembered that no one must know about their time spent together. He was sure that someone in the room would pick up on their connection if they continued to stare at each other like that.
He took a deep breath, closing the door behind him. Why did he come here, anyway? He had told her no when she practically begged him to come to one of her group sessions, insisting that it would help him.
Help me, my ass.
His eyes raked over her body until they locked on her face again. He missed her. It had only been six days, but it felt like an eternity.
He had been so busy this week at the hospital that he had to cancel all the appointments with her. It was probably the hardest thing he ever had to do.
It was a wonder how he made the time to get here today. He could only stay for a little while before he would have to get back to the hospital.
It took a little extra time to get the opportunity to come here, so he threw the thoughts of shame and embarrassment of people judging him here, out the window.
Besides, Sakura said that these people would keep their mouths shut about it.
She trusted him when he told her that he was clean and could not get her pregnant. He still could not believe that she placed that much trust in him.
Thinking about it caused him to have a warm, fuzzy feeling in his stomach. So, he could give her this much trust and believe her when she said that these people would not judge him.
"It seems that we have someone who would like to join us," Sakura said, breaking his trance again.
He looked at everyone in the room, seeing the woman and two of the men that Sakura told him about.
His fists clenched, looking around at them. Suddenly, he felt nervous about all this.
She had told him that he would not have to say anything, so what was there to be nervous about?
Perhaps it was because he feared that she might force him to talk to these strangers.
No, I trust her!
He cleared his throat, walking further in the room. He looked at a corner to see a chair sitting there alone, so he went to grab it. He brought it over to the small circle and placed it by a guy with sandy-brown hair.
Syaoran did not even bother to speak to him, fearing that he would say something to humiliate himself.
It was quiet in the room, awkward, even. No one spoke, just stared. It was beginning to make him feel uncomfortable and regretful for coming here.
What was I thinking?
"Everyone, would you mind introducing yourselves to him?" Sakura asked, smiling at everyone.
"My name is Shinomoto Akiho, but please, call me Akiho," the blonde said, smiling at him brightly.
His eyes took in her appearance, and everything that he could see from her blonde curls to her crystal blue eyes and plain outfit.
After he finished giving her a glance, he realized the desire to see her naked was not there. He nodded towards her, turning his eyes to the next person.
"Tanaka Rui," the raven-haired man said, nodding towards him.
"Yamamoto Sato," the guy beside him said.
Syaoran looked for the third guy Sakura mentioned, but he was not there.
"Li Syaoran," he said quietly.
Akiho smirked, nodding her head. "We know exactly who you are, doctor," she said in a playful tone.
He ignored her, turning his attention to Sakura.
She gave him a small nod with a slight smile on her lips, warming his insides.
Still, he said nothing else.
"Well, shall we continue?" Sakura asked to ease the tension in the room.
Akiho was the first to speak. "As I was saying before the doctor showed up, my week has been great. I've only given in to the urge three times so far," she said proudly.
Is that supposed to be good?
Syaoran mentally counted the days of the week after that thought until he remembered that it was only Friday. He wondered if that meant that she had sex Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday? Or something like that.
Mentally shaking his head from the thoughts, his eyes trained on Sakura.
"That's great, Akiho!" Sakura said excitedly. "What about you guys?"
Syaoran remained quiet, not daring to say a word.
The man who was named Tanaki Rui chuckled with a blush on his face. "I lost count after five on Tuesday," he said shyly.
"That's okay. You only just started, so it will take time," Sakura said, giving him an encouraging smile.
Syaoran felt his heart tightening at the kind gesture she sent the raven-haired boy. And then, the thoughts started flying in; if she was sleeping with this guy too or giving him the same treatment as she did to him.
His fists clenched, eyes leaving her direction.
She said that she's not sleeping with anyone else, though...
Despite the thoughts of her saying that, there was that voice in the back of his head telling him that she said that they would never have sex again, but they did.
She slept with him, and she initiated it.
"Mr. Li?"
He was snapped out of his thoughts, turning in her direction. "What?" he asked, sounding irritated with her.
Her lip twitched and she cleared her throat. "Are you okay?"
He did not say anything for a while, causing tension to build in the room again.
He nodded.
Sakura gave him a small smile before turning to the Rui guy. "How does that make you feel?"
"The same way Akiho said she felt last week," he said shyly. "I haven't quite found anything that could distract me yet..."
"Has anyone found anything to distract themselves when they feel the urge? If you wouldn't mind sharing," Sakura said.
The sandy-haired man beside Syaoran nodded. "I've been trying to hang out with friends more," he said confidently.
Sakura nodded.
"I don't like hanging out with friends, or I'll just be humiliated on the spot with an erection in front of them," Rui said. "It's hard to control my thoughts around women."
"You could hang out with male friends," Akiho chimed in.
"I don't feel comfortable hanging with them either..." Rui said sadly.
"Have you tried?" Sakura asked.
"No...but, I fear getting a boner in front of them and they'll surely humiliate me..." Rui said. "I don't think I can deal with that anymore."
"Bullying is something that we've all faced at one point of our lives. How we respond to it determines the outcome of the way we view things," Sakura said, leaving the discussion open to talk about.
"It was high school...the guys in the locker room would often taunt me, and declare that I was into guys because of it..." Rui said, blushing in embarrassment.
"I was bullied in high school too," Akiho said quietly. "But, I didn't let it bother me too much."
"I did too...but I handled it quite well," Sato, the man beside Syaoran said.
"What did you do?" Rui asked, sounding interested.
"I taunted and bullied back," he said triumphantly. "It was childish, I know that now, but it made me feel better at the time."
"I wish I thought of that..." Rui said.
"You don't," Sakura said. "Sato-san, would you mind telling us how it made you feel after doing it?"
For a minute, it sounded like she already knew the answer to that question.
"Awful at the end of the day. It just made me feel like...I was like them, ruining the lives of other people. In the moment it did feel great, though, but it wasn't worth it," Sato said.
"Still, how am I supposed to feel comfortable hanging out with friends, while fearing that I'll get the urge?" Rui asked.
"You know, adults are different from high schoolers," Sakura said softly.
"When you're around people and interacting with them, you don't even think about the urge," Sato said.
"See? If you give it a try, you'll find out if it works for you," Sakura said, smiling at him.
Syaoran swallowed, keeping his eyes on her lips. "U-uh...my job keeps me distracted from everything," he said hesitantly.
Everyone stared at him before they gave a slight nod, some even appearing deep in thought.
"That's true. When the firm's busy, I don't even have time to think about the urges," Sato said.
"That's—"
The door opened, interrupting Sakura from further speaking.
A man with chocolate brown hair and grey eyes stood at the entrance with a blank expression on his face. He closed the door behind him and walked over to the empty seat that he always sat in quietly.
"It's nice of you to join us this evening, Watanabe-san," Sakura said sweetly.
When the man looked at Sakura, Syaoran immediately noticed the dark look in his lust-filled eyes. He had to look away before he decided to act on his emotions to tackle the guy to the ground.
Is she sleeping with him too?
His fists clenched, thinking about her taking her clothes off for yet another man. A patient. Someone she talked to the way she talked to him.
He could feel his heart beat increasing as his palms grew sweaty with the heat that seemed to course through his body.
He could not understand why he jumps to these conclusions every time he saw her interact with another man. And this feeling that he could not describe would always creep in at the thought of her with another man.
He knows that Sakura was not his, but he sure as hell would not accept her being with another man when he is around.
"What a surprise to see you here, Watanabe," Akiho said playfully.
The man turned to her, not saying a word.
"We were just talking about ways to distract ones' selves from the urges," Sakura informed him.
Every time she opened her mouth to say a word to him, Syaoran could feel his anger rising to new highs.
The Watanabe man said nothing, but stared at Sakura.
Syaoran let out an exasperated sigh, drawing attention to his self.
"What is it, Li-kun?" Sato asked.
"Is this what these sessions are about?" Syaoran asked without thinking.
"What?"
Syaoran did not know who said it, but how could he care now?
"We just...sit around and strip the therapist of her clothes?" he asked haughtily.
"Li—"
"No, Dr. Kinomoto. You should understand when a man is looking at you like you're an object, rather than a person," Syaoran said, glaring at the Watanabe guy.
The man only stared at him blankly, not saying a word.
Syaoran felt himself becoming infuriated with his lack of behavior, so he stood up, ready to launch.
"Stop it!" Sakura yelled, standing from her seat.
Syaoran looked at her, shocked that she had interfered so soon. He could see her throat bob as she swallowed.
"S-sit down, or you'll be asked to leave," she stuttered for a moment before her voice became stern.
Syaoran stood for a moment, contemplating whether he wanted to cooperate or just leave.
Sakura looked him in the eyes warningly, silently telling him to sit down.
He swallowed, moving back to his seat slowly.
The moment he sat down, Akiho let out a sigh. "You're new here, I get that. I don't know why you're here, but I can only assume that it's for the same reason as all of us. When we..." she paused, taking a deep breath. "When we see people, we don't...see people, okay? We see sex. The first attractive thing that crosses our paths, sex comes to mind. Sakura is...very attractive, okay? So, yes, Watanabe-san sees sex whenever he looks at her. You don't get to come here and judge us like you know anything!"
"Akiho..." Sakura called softly. "That's enough."
Akiho forced a smile, nodding her head. "I'm sorry. You know how I feel about this," she said softly.
"I know, I know. We talked about this last week, though," Sakura said to her.
Sato cleared his throat, causing everyone's attention to draw to him. "Akiho is right. But, so is Li-kun," he said quietly. "Just because we want to have sex doesn't make it right to disrespect people."
Syaoran set his jaw tight, staring at the floor hard, willing himself not to say anything to anyone. And suddenly, he felt disconnected, yet so connected to them on so many levels.
He knew that he was being hypocritical of the Watanabe guy because, in truth, he was the same way. Whenever he looked at women, all he saw was sex. Or, at least in the past it was this way.
Now, it was different. The urge to look at any woman was not there anymore, he began to realize. Or maybe he did not put himself in situations to see them that way anymore.
"Respect," Sakura said with a smile on her face. "Sato-san said it best. We all want it...so, why is it hard to give it to others?"
Anything else that was said, was drowned out by his thoughts of all this – the coming here, the quiet man looking at Sakura, and just the whole concept of being in the presence of people who deal with the same thing that he deals with.
He missed her, but that was all he could come up with for the reason he came here. She had said that she would see him on Tuesday, but...
Tuesday was way too far away. He needed to see her now. Alone, so they could talk about whatever he wanted to talk about. Not what these people were discussing.
Apparently, respect was a topic that could go further into discussion. So, he gathered his wits together and listened to everyone else talk about their problems, while waiting for the session to end.
As soon as it ended and everyone began to leave, he became relieved. He could finally get some time alone with her, even if it would just be a little.
Patiently, he stood behind the Akiho woman who was currently talking to Sakura.
"I didn't want to mention this in the session since it wasn't the topic of discussion this week. But, I've met this guy..." she trailed off.
Sakura gasped. "Really?!" she asked excited.
"Yes. His name is Yuna Kaito. I met him at the market," she said shyly. "I don't know, though...I wanted to know if I should continue seeing him? He asked for my number and said that he would like to take me out..."
"Why not?" Sakura said, smiling at her. "Before you decide to get serious with him, let him know about this. I'm not saying tell him now, but...just take things extremely slow, okay?"
Akiho nodded and hugged Sakura tightly. "Thank you," she whispered.
Once she let her go, Akiho bid her goodbye then turned around and came face-to-face with Syaoran.
She smiled at him, holding a hand out to him. "I know I seemed a little rude earlier, but no hard feelings, okay?" she asked, waiting for him to shake her hand.
He swallowed before grabbing her hand hesitantly.
She shook it and then released his hand. "It was nice meeting you. Hope to see you next week. Have a great weekend, Sakura," Akiho said, waving goodbye as she walked out of the practice.
As soon as the door closed, Syaoran rushed to her side, pressing his body against hers to the counter desk tightly, and his lips found hers.
Her hands flew up to his chest, but her lips responded to his hesitantly.
He deepened the kiss a little, holding her body tightly against his as his tongue slipped past her parted lips briefly. With a quiet moan, he pulled back, resting his forehead against hers. "I missed you..." he said, eyes still closed tightly. "God, I missed you..."
He hugged her tightly for a moment before he released her. "Talk...don't scold me yet because I know it's coming, but just...wait. Just talk," he said, still panting from the brief, passionate kiss.
"H-how are you?" she stuttered.
"I'm good. Great, actually," he said, relieved.
She moved her hands up to caress his face gently. "I'm glad you were able to make it tonight," she said softly.
"I had to...I really missed you," he said, leaning down to kiss her again, but she turned her head away.
He grabbed her head gently and closed the gap between their lips again.
She pulled her head back, looking at him. "Stop," she said softly.
"Why? I missed you," he said, frowning.
"Because..." she trailed off.
He sighed. "I'm sorry for ruining this..." he said quietly.
"There's no use for scolding since you know your wrongdoings," she said. "I'm not going to let you think your behavior was acceptable, though."
He sighed once again, but in relief this time that the chastisement was not too bad. "I can't stay long...but, I would like to spend some time with you," he said.
Her pink lips trembled a little, making him think that she might cry. "Spend time as in what?"
"As in...talk..."
"Why did you act out like that then?" she asked. "It better be excusable too."
"Because...that asshole... he was looking at you..." he said, hands trembling in anger at the thought.
"And you don't?" she asked softly with a giggle.
He dropped his hands from her body, clenching them into fists tightly. "That's different," he said stiffly.
"How so?"
He baffled at her question. "I've seen you naked already," he said.
He was glad when he was rewarded with a blush. "Well, you were looking before that..." she said shyly.
He sighed exasperatedly. "Do you like it when guys undress you with their eyes?" he asked irritably.
"No. I love to be very well-respected by all," she said calmly. "But we don't always get what we want."
"Well, I'm not having it. No guy is allowed to look at you like I do," he said, leaning down to kiss her lips softly before pulling back.
"And when was this decided?" she asked, raising a brow.
"When I saw that bastard looking at you like you were some kind of sex doll," he said with disgust.
"I'm not yours, Syaoran," she said, reaching up to brush her lips across his softly. She pulled back before he could respond.
"I don't care," he lied, despite the small sting in his chest at that reminder. "Still, no other guy is allowed to look at you."
She shook her head comically. "So, you didn't come here to talk, really?"
"I came here to see you." He leaned down and kissed her lips briefly. He could not get enough of her lips.
"Well, let's talk," she said, smiling against his lips.
To see and feel that look on her face, he nodded. He would do anything to see her happy. Unless...
"So...I am the only patient you've done this with, right?" he asked, feeling no shame in his insecurities.
She pushed against his chest. "Syaoran," she called, giving him a pointed look.
He moved back from her body and followed her to the little couch across the room like a little puppy. "I'm serious, Sakura..." he said, feeling his cheeks warm.
"I am too," she said, sitting on the couch.
"Are you?" He grabbed her hands between his once they sat on the couch beside each other.
"I already told you this."
His cheeks grew hotter in embarrassment. "Just say it again... every time I see you interact with another man... I can't help but think..." he trailed sheepishly. "And it's driving me mad."
"I'm not, Syaoran. If it's the unprotected sex we had last week that has you worried about these things, that was your fault," she said with a small laugh to ease the awkward tension.
Ah...last week...
His mind brought the images back from that evening in the car with her.
She was...amazing. Perfect, even.
The way her shirt was lifted over her breast, along with her skirt bunched around her waist... and the way she rode him...
It was like no other experience he ever had.
Now that he knew she could be adventurous, he wanted to try out so many positions and places with her. And it would all start at his hospital where he fantasized about her daily. He just needed to figure out a way to get her there.
"It's not that. And, thank you," he said quietly.
She tilted her head to the side in confusion. "Why?"
"For trusting me..."
Her face softened. "Can we talk about that?"
"Of course. Anything you want to know," he said, wanting to please her as much as possible.
"Tell me about this, 'not being able to have kids' thing," she said.
He sighed, not expecting her to ask that. "I don't want to have kids," he said quietly.
"So?" she encouraged.
"Vasectomy," he said simply.
Her face dropped, almost looking disappointed. "Why?" she almost whispered.
"I don't want kids, Sakura...mainly because I don't want to be a terrible parent," he said with a sigh.
When she did not say anything, he knew that he had to say something to make this better.
What the hell is wrong with me?
"I know someone who's done plenty of successful reversals, so if I change my mind one day, then," he shrugged his shoulders.
He did not plan to get a reversal, because, the fact still remained. He did not want kids. However, he would say whatever he needed to say to ease her worries.
"Still, Syaoran. Surely, you've thought about having your own kid one day," she said.
He sighed. "It doesn't matter. I doubt I'll want them one day, so I don't even have to think about it."
"You don't think this has anything to do with your moth—the woman who gave birth to you?"
His hands tightened around hers a little. "You aren't still thinking that, that bitch is my mother, are you?" he asked in a tone that dared her to answer incorrectly.
"I—It's hard sometimes. Because most—"
He glared at her dangerously, making her cower away a bit. "Don't you dare fucking compare me to most assholes," he commanded tightly.
She sighed. "I wasn't, Syaoran—"
He held a hand up, silencing her. "Just don't. Let's just have sex," he said suddenly, feeling his body grow aroused.
It was bound to happen eventually, he reasoned.
"W-what?" she said, looking confused.
He pushed her down on the couch to emphasize his point. He climbed on top of her, straddling her waist. "Sex." He kissed down her neck slowly, never letting his lips leave the soft flesh.
"W-wait, not here, it's..."
Her eyes closed and fingers slid in his hair as he travelled his lips down to her covered breast. He surprised her by biting her nipple over her shirt because she gasped loudly.
"Stop!" she said immediately.
Hearing that word, he pulled back with a frown on his lips.
"I..I...No, not here. It's wrong, and... you're only trying to do this because of what we're talking about," she said nervously.
He stopped, paused, and took in the emotions that he felt, aside from arousal.
Frustration. Anger. And, sadness?
He looked at her with a frown on his face, finally understanding what she had meant. He got off her, sitting on his side of the couch, wincing at the painful erection in his scrubs. "Okay..."
"Do you understand now?" she asked softly.
Though she did not directly say what she was referring to, he understood what she was asking.
"Yes..."
"These are the times when you should try not to have sex," she said in a shaky voice. "This is how sex controls you."
"Sex doesn't control me. It's the other way around," he said. "I have control over everything during sex."
She said nothing, besides let out a small humming sound.
"What is it?" he asked, a little agitated that she said nothing.
"You're not fully understanding it yet," she said softly.
He sighed. "I'm sorry that I've been busy..." he said, deciding to change the subject. He really was not in the mood to argue about that.
"You have a life, Syaoran. You, in no way, should feel bad about having a job that you love," she said with a smile.
His heart warmed, hearing her say that. This was the exact reason why he felt drawn to her. She was so understanding and kind. She made him feel good. Not just about himself, but also the things he does.
"Really?" he asked, sounding like a little child almost.
"Of course. I don't expect you to stop your life just to see me. I mean, getting help is good, but that doesn't mean that you should stop everything else," she said reassuringly.
He sighed in relief. "Thank you," he whispered, bringing her hands up to his lips.
A faint blush appeared on her cheeks as she pulled her hands away from his. "Maybe you'll find the time next week to come in," she said softly.
"I really hope so...I feel like...I mean, I think I'm getting a little better. I don't know...I still have the urge whenever..." he stopped, sighing.
He wanted to tell her that he understood what she meant by him getting aroused whenever negative emotions rose. But, he could not figure out how to.
Also, he certainly did not want to tell her that because she would assume that that was the only reason he slept with her.
It was different with her, though. The day she brought him home, he did not have any negative emotions. She washed all those negative emotions that she stirred at that bar with that hug. The simple hug that made him realize she was different from every other female in his life.
Different how, though?
"What is it?" she asked.
He shook his head from the thoughts. "I do still have the urges, but I'm finding myself to be able to control them a little more now, since I started self-pleasuring," he said.
She nodded her head slowly, appearing deep in thought.
The look made him worry. "What are you thinking about? Tell me," he asked, and then demanded at once.
"You are getting better. It may be hard for you to see it, but three months ago, you couldn't even count on your fingers how many times you had sex with different women in one week. You still have the urges, yes, but you're controlling them more than you used to be able to," she said, sounding a little proud of him.
He bit his lip lightly, holding back a bashful smile at her praise.
She really did make him feel good about himself.
"How many people have you slept with, within the last week?" she asked, seeming to emphasis her point.
"Just you," he whispered, letting his eyes land on her.
Unconsciously, his eyes began to strip her of the clothes. However, he looked away, remembering the Watanabe guy doing the same thing.
I have a right to do this, though...
With that thought in mind, his eyes landed on her body again. Was it really so bad that he wanted to have sex with her? That he wanted to bury his face between her legs again and have another taste of her?
Gods...
He shifted uncomfortably on the couch, feeling annoyed with his hard-on. When he felt her eyes on it, he could feel his face growing hotter, along with his erection rising.
It was as clear as day that he wanted her so badly right now, because his manhood was practically begging her to touch it through his green scrubs.
"Sakura..." he called, almost sounding desperate.
When she looked at him, he leaned up from his slouching position and grabbed the back of her head gently, pulling her lips to his.
It felt like deja vu, an event that occurred between them right here, on this same couch a few weeks ago.
His tongue slid into her mouth slowly, the back of his throat releasing a groan against her mouth at her willingness.
She tasted much sweeter than normal, or was it all in his head?
He stroked the back of her hair gently before his grip tightened in her hair, pulling her face closer to his.
With his actions, he hoped she could silently hear him pleading for her tongue to slide in his mouth.
He gasped, pulling her back from his lips to look at her face when he felt her slim fingers caress the top of his scrub top, nails barely grazing his neck.
With her eyes locked on his, her hands began to slide down his covered chest slowly.
Sweet, mother of—
Her hands stopped, just above the top of his bottoms.
He could feel his insides trembling, or quivering for more.
More...
"Sakura," he called her name weakly.
She leaned over and kissed his lips again, and her fingers slid between his bare skin and the waistband of the scrubs.
His lips responded to hers fervently, taking over the kiss that she had initiated as her fingers slid lower.
Fuck, fuck, fucketyfuck, he chanted over and over in his head.
He had never felt himself trembling at the touch of a woman's. Never in his days had he felt that his heart would jump out of his chest because of the rapid beating.
His senses were heightened, feeling, hearing, and seeing everything in a lust-filled trance with her.
He pulled his lips from hers, groaning loudly when her fingers grasped him gently.
"Harder," he instructed, removing his hands from her body so he would not hurt her. He rested his hands on the top of the couch, clenching them into fists.
Her hand clasped around his girth a little harder, and began to stroke him slowly.
He jerked a little, tightening his fists. "H-harder," he stuttered, imagining her tight walls around him.
When she grasped him hard enough, his eyes closed as she stroked him slowly. Her nails grazed him a little, causing his hips to jerk towards her hand. "S...Sakura," he tried speaking.
She ran her hand up his length until she reached the tip. Teasingly, she ran her hand over the top.
"Sakura!" He jerked again, piercing his nails into his palms tightly. "K-kiss me."
She kissed his lips softly as she stroked him slowly.
He kissed her back, except harder as he withheld the urge to throw her down on the couch and take her from behind.
He was willing to take what she gives, instead of asking for more when she could tell him no altogether if he did.
He pulled his lips back, staring into her eyes darkly. "Faster," he said roughly.
And she followed the instruction, almost driving him insane.
When that familiar coiling sensation settled in his loins, he gasped loudly. "S-Sakura, I'm..."
Her hand increased in the long, hard strokes, and just when his release was there, a loud beeping sound caused her to jump and stop the stroking.
He glared at her, but immediately stopped when he realized the source of the beeping. "Shit..." he murmured, standing from the couch. "I have to get back to the hospital. I'll call you when I get off tonight."
When she did not say anything, he looked down at her to see a beautiful blush on her face. Smiling, he leaned down and kissed her lips softly. "Thank you. I'll talk to you when I can," he said before rushing out of the building.
Sakura stared at the email, concentratedly. She was trying to figure out a way to respond to a question without giving too much detail about the answer.
She loved to help people, no doubts, but she still liked to challenge them mentally. She wanted this patient to figure out the answer himself.
Just like she was doing to Syaoran.
Her cheeks warmed at the thought of him. And then, she began to think about last night, and the act she tried to perform for him.
It was in the moment, was the only explanation she could come up with for her behavior.
Never mind the thoughts of her wanting to pleasure him because she wanted him to feel good.
It was the moment they were in. He created it, set the pace, and instructed her to pleasure him.
It was all him, not her.
Her stomach did an unpleasant jump at that thought. Was she really trying to blame him for something she did?
No.
Was she really using him to make herself feel better?
No.
Was she really—
Her phone rang, stopping all the questions from coming in.
"Moshi, moshi?" she answered after the first ring.
"Did you get my text?" she heard Tomoyo ask in the phone.
"I did, Tomoyo. If you gave me time, I would have responded back," she said with a giggle.
"So, you're going to come out with us?" Tomoyo asked, almost pleadingly.
"It's Saturday, so I have nothing else better to do. And, I would love to hang out with you guys again like old times," Sakura said, smiling.
"Yay! I'm going to come over as soon as I finish these designs," Tomoyo said excitedly.
Sakura glanced at the clock, giggling. "Tomoyo, it's only eleven in the morning. Clubs don't even open until later tonight."
"I have to get you all dolled up, though! I don't want to hear any arguments."
The call ended before Sakura could even respond. She giggled, shaking her head at her best friend's behavior. Tomoyo could be so pushy sometimes.
She sat her phone down on the table and looked at her laptop, glancing over the emails.
She had been busy all morning, responding to emails that had built up over the past few days.
She reasoned that maybe she does too much. Doing online counseling was a lot, but she could not help but feel obligated to connect to people all around the world who needed help.
Her phone buzzed on the table, snatching her out of her thoughts.
She looked at the phone to see two new messages. She picked it up to see that they were from Syaoran and Aki.
She pressed Aki's first, seeing that he sent the message first.
'Are you coming out tonight?'
Her heart raced, already knowing that she would have to face him eventually.
She responded with, 'Yes. Are you?'
She looked at Syaoran's message next.
'Can I call really quick?'
Before she could respond, her phone began to ring. She picked it up.
"What is it?" she asked immediately, wanting to get straight to the point before he would have to go again.
They had talked briefly on the phone last night, but he had to go just as fast as he got on the phone. Apparently, he had to stay overnight at the hospital again.
"Yamazaki called about going out tonight. Evidently, he thinks we're all buddy-buddy again since I came to the baby-shower," he said.
Sakura smiled, hearing the relief in his voice.
Is he happy that Yamazaki still considers him a friend?
"What about it?" she asked.
"Um...are you going to be there?" he asked shyly.
"Maybe," she said teasingly.
He groaned, in what she could hear as irritation. "Answer the damn question, Sakura. Please. I don't have all day."
She smiled. "Yes."
"Okay. That's all I needed to know."
And the call ended.
She giggled, realizing that was the second time she had been hung up on today.
She saw that Aki had sent her another text.
'Now how could I miss out on the drunk Sakura who I love the most? :P'
She rolled her eyes at the text. 'Who said that I'd be drinking anything?'
Another text came immediately from him.
'Oh, you will ;)'
She giggled at the text, leaving his chat.
Her work cell buzzed on the table, so she placed her personal phone down and picked it up. When she saw an unfamiliar number, she pressed the message. She read the text, confusion written on her face.
'Is this Dr. Kinomoto, Chieko's psychologist?'
She swallowed, feeling her heart tighten at the text. Suddenly, she knew there was something wrong.
She responded back, confirming for the stranger.
Her work cell rang immediately after the text went through.
She picked it up, holding it tightly in her palms to her ear.
"Dr. Kinomoto...this is Chieko's husband..." the man said in the phone quietly.
Sakura's breath caught in her throat before she took a deep breath and let it out. "Is everything alright?" she asked.
"Chieko has...Chieko, she..." His words cut off in broken syllables.
Sakura's heart began to beat in her chest rapidly. "Mr. Hashimoto," she called brokenly. "Is she..."
The man began to sob loudly on the phone in short breaths. "She...she...she—she put... the gun to her head," he barely whispered.
The phone dropped from her hands, possibly breaking the glass, along with her heart.
A/N: Sorry about the late update. Classes just started this week and I'm taking more advanced major courses, so I have to do a lot more studying! I promise that I won't keep you all waiting forever, though :D.
As always, thanks to my beta theDeviantme for editing. And, thank you guys for reviewing, following, and favoriting. I'm forever grateful for them!
Since this is the first week of school, I'm probably just going to binge-write a lot of the story before...Sunday when I have an assignment due for class lol.
Don't forget to leave a review!
Ja ne!