by: Mattel
*~ Standard Disclaimers apply ~*
Author's Note: I know this chapter have been goddamned late, and I'm really sorry for that. I just had our periodical exams and I just took a college entrance exam, so could you blame me?
Syaoran: .. yeah...
Mattel: aww.. hell, shut up
By the way, spare me if I use some uniquely exquisite words.. that's what I get from studying vocabulary words too much.. ^^;;
Chapter Five - Sayonara.. aishiteru... watashi no futari koibito?!
Birds chirping, leaves rustling, winds blowing... a perfect day in an exquisite day in Hongkong but not for Sakura and her colleages because this day would be the day Syaoran would take on Rian's challenge, and the prize would be, guess who, Sakura.. ofcourse~.
Sakura sighed, unbelieving the situation she's in.
"I couldn't understand how boy's mind works," she whispered as she stretched and yawned a little.
"Well, neither do I, ya know," a doll-like voice interrupted Sakura away from her reverie.
Sakura turned towards the source of the voice and smiled, "Now I know why I brought you, Kero-chan, you always make me smile even at times like this," she told him as she picked him up from bed.
Kero-chan mocked her by a horrified expression, "So now I'm turning into one of those you like to call 'stuff dolls'?! I believe that's what they do, to mak people happy huh?,"
Sakura giggled, she always laughs when Kero-chan tries to imitate a doll, "No you're not a doll to me Kero-chan, you're one of a kind talking doll," she whispered as she hugged him.
"Hmmmmmph~!," Kero-chan said trying so hard not to get swept away by her sentiments.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
[ knock~! ] [ knock~! ] [ knock~! ]
:: Aww, hell, is it morning already?, But i had just lied down to bed~! :: Syaoran thought as he blinked a few times trying to get used to the light, before a distant knocking at the door even registered to his mind.
:: Is getting a good night's sleep too much to ask? :: he thought.
"Gyaaah...," he half shouted as he made a dash towards the door not caring if his bed was in obvious state of disarray.
"K'so~! who could be this troublesome....," Syaoran started but the sentence died from his throat as he opened the door and nearly drowned into a pool of green lagoon.
Sakura smiled at him looking absolutely perfect and sunny, her smile was even enough to make Syaoran feel kissed and would never even want to end this magical moment.
:: How could one feel this corny is a mystery to me :: he thought as he blushed, ushering to Sakura to come in.
"Ohayou Syaoran-kun," she looked over his shoulders and noticed that the bed was still a mess.
Syaoran in the meantime, having to notice _where_ she was looking, blushed and looked away.
:: K'so~! I'll never leave my bed a mess again~! ::
[ note: okay, the _bed_ signifies nothing okay?, so just throw your wild fantasies aside. They're only 16 for Kami's sake ]
Sakura turned to look at him again, "I see that you just got up... I.. uh.. , I'm sorry to bother, I'll just come back later," At that she reached for the door knob but even before she could _touch_ the knob, Syaoran instinctively grabbed her hand.
"Iie..," he told her as he shook his head, "Not a bother at all,".
She blushed as she realized that he actually told her to *stay*, but that just not what kept her glued on the ground, it's because of the intensity on the open stare Syaoran was giving her. She looked away feeling her face might, just might, explode or something.
"Uh...," she looked uneasily at Syaoran, "Okay,".
Realizing her uneasiness, he began to wonder why is that.
:: Well it is obviously about you, Syaoran no baka~! :: he thought, scolding himself.
After some time, he regained his cool and asked Sakura what is her purpose to visit him this *early*.
Sakura then clasped her hands in front of her and prayed to all Gods, Saints and prophets there are to please let her maintain her cool, "Well, actually, I'm just here to wish you luck--," at that Syaoran's face brightened, "--and ofcourse Rian too," and then fell almost immediately.
"Oh," was the only word Syaoran could manage right now.
:: Syaoran no baka~! what else did you expect? :: his subconscious mind scorned.
Sakura, being not-that-clueless anymore, saw the change on Syaoran's expression.
:: Was is something I said? I didn't mean anything to be that bad.. I just wanted to wish him luck.. :: Sakura thought, worried.
"Did I say something wrong?," she asked, her eyes filled with worry.
Syaoran immediately snapped back into reality, "Uh.. no you didn't," he cursed himself inwardly not knowing that Sakura could very well hear him.
Widening her eyes, Sakura turned her eyes to his, questioningly, "Nani?,"
Now it was time for Syaoran's eyes to widen, "Gomen~! I was cursing myself because... uh...,"
Sakura quirked an eyebrow, "because....?,"
Syaoran tried to think of something but came up with nothing, "Just because...," he said while smiling quite sheepisly.
Sakura sighed in relief upon hearing this but quite disappointed not hearing the real reason behind his actions but remained silent, knowing it was not her place to ask and it's just about a ridiculous little thing no one would even care.
She just smiled at him, "Uh.. Syaoran-kun, I hope you'd win the spar but I also expect nothing less from Rian too," she blushed, realizing what would be the way Syaoran would take the true meaning of this little sentence.
"...".
"Anyway, I really should be going be going now," she said.
Even before Syaoran could utter a reply, Sakura was gone in a blink.
Syaoran sighed and put his hands on the pocket of his pajamas while saying, "Boku wa Baka," but on second thought, "I feel something would happen, I must follow her,".
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Sakura kept her head down all the while until, finally, she reaches Rian's house, she was about to knock when the door opened before her knuckles make contact with the wood, Rian appeared at the doorway, looking, handsome as always.
"How did you--," Sakura started, but was cut off by Rian's insisting lips covering her own. Her eyes went wide and goosebumps made themselves known. She felt shocked but she felt comfortable but her other rational side kept complaining that this was all wrong, that she has Syaoran back--
:: Back where?, we obviously aren't a couple but what I feel today, it's like comforting yet knowingly and naggingly wrong, maybe it's comforting since he's Syaoran's relative so he feels like Syaoran, but then it feels wrong, since, afterall, he isn't him.. :: she thought ruefully as she close her eyes to enjoy the sensations that were new to her, but she couldn't, she pulled back. Feeling all embarrassed and flushed.
"Gomen, I just couldn't.. you know, I don't know your true intentions yet and more so, you're Syaoran's cousin for Kami's sake," she reminded him as she kept her eyes fixed on a certain spot just above Rian's head.
"I think you got the feeling of what I'm going to tell you, and it obviously don't matter if I'm Syaoran's cousin, right?, has he even told you that he loves you?," he asked.
:: Well, I was hoping for... :: she thought sadly.
"No, I don't even know.. how he feels for me," she informed him while fidgeting.
Rian brushed a strand of hair out of his eyes, "You see, I've been meaning to tell you.. I....,"
Sakura eyes began to widen, waiting for him to finish. Rian tried again, "I've been meaning to tell you that I l--,"
".. like you," someone's voice interrupted and had rudely cut off Rian's attempt to confess.
Both teens looked on their left just to see who that person was. No doubt about it. It was Syaoran.
Rian stared daggers at his cousin, "Well, that was so good of you to interrupt while I'm just talking to Sakura about a very important thing," he said sarcastically.
In the meantime, Sakura was having a hard time digesting this new chunk of information.
:: Syaoran likes me? that couldn't be possible.. but I really heard him say those words, unless I'm only dreaming something very vivid, ::
She pinched herself to make sure she isn't dreaming, "ouch,"
:: So it is true ::
She just felt the need to grin so wide but she couldn't just yet, she still need to concentrate on what's happening presently on her, not to mention, in front of her.
"Hoeee.. this is really tiring," she thought defeatedly, as the two boys exchange death glares.
Suddenly Syaoran turned towards Sakura, jealousy and betrayal written on his pain-filled face, "Do I mean anything to you? or maybe do you like him better than me?," he asked her. He needed to know the truth even if it would hurt him.
Sakura was dumbfounded. She was lost for words but she tried anyway,
"I.. uh..," she stopped short not knowing on how to express her true feelings, she just.. err.. well, confused, and this seems to make Syaoran feel even more betrayed, "You do. I know you do. Who couldn't state the obvious when you just caught someone too wrapped up in a kiss and doesn't love each other?," he then laughed mirthlessly.
Rian just snorted, the drama which was in front of him was driving him nuts~!.
[ note: my... doesn't he feel a little.. well.. evil? ]
"I didn't--," she started but Syaoran waved her off.
"Save it, I know what you're going to say, I know from the start that you'd reject me, sooner or later," then he turned to his cousin, "I still want to challenge you, to prove my worth," at that he turned to leave but was stopped by Sakura's voice, "Syaoran-kun, I really didn't--,"
"Save it," he snapped, he didn't care anymore, he was too hurt to argue or accept explanations.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
That night, Sakura couldn't sleep even if she wanted to. Something's tearing her insides apart, she finally acknowledged her feelings for Syaoran. They were the same.
She smiled a sad smile, she couldn't get through this whole night. That, she know for sure, not when they were only separated by thinly clad walls.
"Hoeeee... I'm getting outta here & straighten things out," she resolved as she slipped on a night robe.
:: I need to let him know I feel like the way he is with me :: a smile smile played across her lips.
:: I'll make sure he understand what I'm planning to tell him and I'll take no NO as an answer ::
At that she rushed out of her room and knocked at the other room.
"Who is it?," she heard Syaoran growled behind the door. She shivered as a chill ran up and down her spine.
"It's me." she whispered through the door mentally reminding herself not to wake up her dad and let him found out that she was on front of Syaoran's room knocking.
:: Who know what crazy ideas might enter Dad's mind? ::
"And who might 'you' be?," Syaoran asked, still not opening the door.
Sakura sighed, obviously perplexed, "Syaoran-kun, it's meeh.. Sakura~,"
She then heard something rustle, drop and a groan.
:: What was that? :: she thought, worried.
She couldn't wait anymore, she stepped inside his room, not caring what he might think, "Are you okay?,"
Syaoran almost jumped from where he's crouched, "Oh," was all he said, "I'm okay, why do you ask?," he smiled, a fake smile though.
:: Talk about mood swings, one minute he's mad and then after another minute he's so cheekily cheerful~ :: she thought as she surveyed him, :: something was definetely up :: although she couldn't put a finger upon it.
"No you're not," Sakura told him.
Syaoran could only blink in response.
"You are definetely not, Li-kun," she continued, "What I did a while ago was--,"
"It's okay, I understand that you like my cousin than me.. ofcourse~! who wouldn't? I'm a failure, a shame to our family and he's definetely good-looking though," Syaoran interrupted, he felt bad for putting himself on such low position, but it was true. He was indeed a failure.
"No, you're wrong..," he heard Sakura say but he didn't had the chance to reply because of the sudden light, dizzying pressure on his lips. For a moment he couldn't understand what's going on, hell.. he felt like he died and was now in heaven, but after a while his rational mind told him what's happening.
Sakura's kissing him.
But even before he could respond, Sakura pulled back her face, flushed from the intensity of the kiss she'd given him.
"Now you know what I feel," she said, her eyes brighter than before.
Syaoran could barely nod.
She continued to explain while Syaoran remains in a state of catatonic state of shock, "I didn't mean to kiss him, I really didn't~!, he's the one who kissed me... I know the one I like..," she paused and looked at the still-passive Syaoran, "... is you Syaoran-kun, I feel the same way, even if you won't, by all gods, believe me," at that she lunged herself to Syaoran, not totally caring what he might think of her, she just needed to feel his heart and feel secure.
"What makes you say that I won't believe you?," she heard him say while feeling something warm encircling her waist, she leaned closer to him. Feeling ready to explode from too much bliss, she felt all dreamy.
"I believe you," she heard him whisper through her hair.
At that everything went black.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The sun was just rising by the time Sakura woke up. She opened her eyes carefully and eyed her surroundings. It was familiar & unfamiliar at the same time. The patterns and design on the room was the same with hers but the things were diiferent.
:: Sakura no baka~! you are in Syaoran's room, remember? :: her mind told her.
"Oh yeah, right, I almost forgot that, HOEEEEE~!," she screamed as she remembered something more important than remembering whose room she was in. She immediately looked at the clock, it read, 6:54 AM.
"HOEEE~!, I'm going to be late~! I want to see the fight~!," she muttered as she ran to her room and put on something much more decent to wear.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"So, cousin, are you ready to loose?," Rian asked as he prepare himself and moved in into a fighting stance. His sword glimmering and giving off luminance.
Syaoran smirked at that. There was no way he was going to let him win. Even though he wasn't entirely sure who'll win between them. He knew Rian's something more than what he seems and he knew, that his cousin isn't bad nor slow, in fact, he knew he was an excellent sword fighter.
"No I'm not, cousin, but be prepared I'm not what I seem to be," he warned.
Rian chuckled, "Do you really think I would underestimate you?, who would be insane enough to underestimate the suppose-to-be heir of our clan?,"
"I'm just stating the fact, I'm not saying that you'd underestimate me, because neither do i to you, judging from the fight we had years ago," Syaoran said, never taking his eyes off his cousin. He felt like some sort of power's refilling his senses, pumping on him.
Rian snorted, "But that was a long time ago, you must know that I never use the same technique twice, so be prepared,"
"I am," Syaoran simply stated.
"Enough with this worthless conversation, we must start," Rian said sternly.
At that, Syaoran positioned himself, readily preparing for the battle ahead of him.
"The battle starts now," Rian said, then, signalled that it started.
TO BE CONTINUED...
A.N. I'm feeling already evil for leaving you a cliff-hanger like that.. ^^;; gomen.
finished: 11/04/00 -- 11:12 PM.