-3-
Syaoran was standing outside Sakura's apartment building. *Should I call from out here or actually go up to her door? Hmmm...*
"Hey, aren't you that boy who always stands outside of this building?" an elderly voice suddenly questioned from behind him. "Are you lost? Homeless? Wait, are you that burglar that's been running around lately? No... that's in Seoul... and you look too clean..." the voice trailed off.
Syaoran did not want to turn around.
"Aha!" the voice suddenly yelled out again. "You're afraid to go inside because your mother will admonish you for being late, aren't you? Children these days..."
Syaoran stood frozen. He was frightened yet stupefied.
"Young man, you should face your elders when they are speaking to you."
With no other choice than to obey, Syaoran slowly turned around. With his eyes glued to the ground, Syaoran rapidly mumbled an apology, then spun around and dashed into the building. A sudden desire to see and hold Sakura compelled him to run up eight flights of stairs. Exhausted, Syaoran stopped in front of Sakura's door and sat down. Realizing that he was sweating profusely, he waited until he cooled down a bit then tried industriously to make himself at least decent. Just then, the door swung open, and Syaoran fell backwards.
"Li-kun?!" Sakura exclaimed, completely surprised.
Syaoran reluctantly opened his eyes. Sure enough, his head had landed at Sakura's feet. "Uh... hi?"
Sakura helped Syaoran to his feet. Then, she ushered him into the apartment.
Feeling rather foolish, Syaoran stared at the living room clock.
Sakura reentered the room from the kitchen, carrying a tray with two cups of tea. After setting out the tea, she sat across from Syaoran. "Can I ask you a question?" she asked with some hesitation.
Syaoran froze and focused more of his attention on the clock. He knew what she was going to ask.
"Why were you sitting on my doorstep?"
Syaoran gradually turned his head in her direction. "It's a long story..."
"Touya isn't here. We have time."
"Well... an old lady was talking to me."
"Uh huh..."
"So I dashed up here."
Sakura stopped in the midst of drinking her tea. "Uh... okay..."
"I was tired after eight flights of stairs. That's why I was sitting there."
Sakura looked at him blankly. "Do you have a phobia of elders, Li-kun?"
Syaoran almost fell off the couch. "Hehe..." Syaoran tried to hide how stupid he felt. "So," he started, changing the subject, "should we go out?"
Sakura blushed slightly, recalling that they were supposed to be on a date. "Sure. It should be warm tonight."
Sakura took the cups of tea back to the kitchen and then followed Syaoran out of the building. The couple walked on, side by side, in silence. Both were nervous and pretending to concentrate on the scenery. They continued walking until they reached a small countryside, filled with flowers and orchards; there were even cherry blossom trees in full bloom.
"No matter how many times I see them, cherry blossoms always make me feel happy," Sakura confessed in a soft voice.
Syaoran took her hand and replied, "I believe the person rather than the flower makes me happy."
Sakura turned to look at him, blushing. "Li-kun, you're so sweet."
Though he tried to suppress it, Syaoran's face coloured into a deep scarlet. Shaking it off, Syaoran pulled Sakura into his arms. "You know, I love you very much, Kinomoto Sakura," he whispered into her ear.
Snuggling closer to him, Sakura whispered back, "I know."
All of a sudden, Syaoran pulled back and looked around him suspiciously.
"What's wrong?" Sakura inquired, rather alarmed at his unexpected gesture.
"Do you sense anything, Sakura?"
"Why, do you sense a magical presence?"
"Yes."
Sakura closed her eyes and concentrated on her surroundings. She allowed her focused energy to reach out, but it grasped nothing.
"Sakura?" Syaoran called out tentatively.
She opened her eyes. Syaoran searched her blank face for an answer. "Nothing. I sense nothing," she uttered in a low voice.
But before Syaoran could soothe Sakura, his premonition revealed itself.
The sky abruptly flashed black, enveloping the entire world in darkness for a split second. Almost immediately afterwards, an explosive streak of lightning pierced the ground, centimeters away from Sakura and Syaoran. Sakura screamed and held tighter to Syaoran, but the ground began to shake violently, tearing the couple apart. A rift in the earth appeared between the two, and it grew rapidly. As the division widened, both Sakura and Syaoran had to struggle to keep their balance as the ground beneath them crumbled into the opening.
All at once, Syaoran heard Sakura cry out, and turning around, he saw her falling into the black, black abyss.
Syaoran was standing outside Sakura's apartment building. *Should I call from out here or actually go up to her door? Hmmm...*
"Hey, aren't you that boy who always stands outside of this building?" an elderly voice suddenly questioned from behind him. "Are you lost? Homeless? Wait, are you that burglar that's been running around lately? No... that's in Seoul... and you look too clean..." the voice trailed off.
Syaoran did not want to turn around.
"Aha!" the voice suddenly yelled out again. "You're afraid to go inside because your mother will admonish you for being late, aren't you? Children these days..."
Syaoran stood frozen. He was frightened yet stupefied.
"Young man, you should face your elders when they are speaking to you."
With no other choice than to obey, Syaoran slowly turned around. With his eyes glued to the ground, Syaoran rapidly mumbled an apology, then spun around and dashed into the building. A sudden desire to see and hold Sakura compelled him to run up eight flights of stairs. Exhausted, Syaoran stopped in front of Sakura's door and sat down. Realizing that he was sweating profusely, he waited until he cooled down a bit then tried industriously to make himself at least decent. Just then, the door swung open, and Syaoran fell backwards.
"Li-kun?!" Sakura exclaimed, completely surprised.
Syaoran reluctantly opened his eyes. Sure enough, his head had landed at Sakura's feet. "Uh... hi?"
Sakura helped Syaoran to his feet. Then, she ushered him into the apartment.
Feeling rather foolish, Syaoran stared at the living room clock.
Sakura reentered the room from the kitchen, carrying a tray with two cups of tea. After setting out the tea, she sat across from Syaoran. "Can I ask you a question?" she asked with some hesitation.
Syaoran froze and focused more of his attention on the clock. He knew what she was going to ask.
"Why were you sitting on my doorstep?"
Syaoran gradually turned his head in her direction. "It's a long story..."
"Touya isn't here. We have time."
"Well... an old lady was talking to me."
"Uh huh..."
"So I dashed up here."
Sakura stopped in the midst of drinking her tea. "Uh... okay..."
"I was tired after eight flights of stairs. That's why I was sitting there."
Sakura looked at him blankly. "Do you have a phobia of elders, Li-kun?"
Syaoran almost fell off the couch. "Hehe..." Syaoran tried to hide how stupid he felt. "So," he started, changing the subject, "should we go out?"
Sakura blushed slightly, recalling that they were supposed to be on a date. "Sure. It should be warm tonight."
Sakura took the cups of tea back to the kitchen and then followed Syaoran out of the building. The couple walked on, side by side, in silence. Both were nervous and pretending to concentrate on the scenery. They continued walking until they reached a small countryside, filled with flowers and orchards; there were even cherry blossom trees in full bloom.
"No matter how many times I see them, cherry blossoms always make me feel happy," Sakura confessed in a soft voice.
Syaoran took her hand and replied, "I believe the person rather than the flower makes me happy."
Sakura turned to look at him, blushing. "Li-kun, you're so sweet."
Though he tried to suppress it, Syaoran's face coloured into a deep scarlet. Shaking it off, Syaoran pulled Sakura into his arms. "You know, I love you very much, Kinomoto Sakura," he whispered into her ear.
Snuggling closer to him, Sakura whispered back, "I know."
All of a sudden, Syaoran pulled back and looked around him suspiciously.
"What's wrong?" Sakura inquired, rather alarmed at his unexpected gesture.
"Do you sense anything, Sakura?"
"Why, do you sense a magical presence?"
"Yes."
Sakura closed her eyes and concentrated on her surroundings. She allowed her focused energy to reach out, but it grasped nothing.
"Sakura?" Syaoran called out tentatively.
She opened her eyes. Syaoran searched her blank face for an answer. "Nothing. I sense nothing," she uttered in a low voice.
But before Syaoran could soothe Sakura, his premonition revealed itself.
The sky abruptly flashed black, enveloping the entire world in darkness for a split second. Almost immediately afterwards, an explosive streak of lightning pierced the ground, centimeters away from Sakura and Syaoran. Sakura screamed and held tighter to Syaoran, but the ground began to shake violently, tearing the couple apart. A rift in the earth appeared between the two, and it grew rapidly. As the division widened, both Sakura and Syaoran had to struggle to keep their balance as the ground beneath them crumbled into the opening.
All at once, Syaoran heard Sakura cry out, and turning around, he saw her falling into the black, black abyss.