Author's Notes:
"Sir, concentrate your mind. Yes. Focus all your attention on the block." Wei shouted, his voice dominating over the training room. Syaoran swirled around the mechanized block as he dodged the moving piece of wood.
"Syaoran, watch out!" Meiling called out when another piece of wood appeared from behind and lashed out onto his back. He doubled over with pain, allowing yet another moving block to strike him.
"Are you alright?" Meiling rushed over.
"I'm fine."
"You're not! The match is in a few hours' time and you can't focus." Meiling retorted. You can't focus because you love her, that's what. "So stop deceiving yourself."
"I'm fine. Wei, let's continue."
"Fine. In that case, I'm
leaving." I'll go and find Tianxin. She will be able to tell me whether she
is lying or not. For Syaoran and for Sakura.
* * *
"Well, that's the last box." Sakura brushed away the drop of sweat and settled into the chair. It will be my last day here. I will probably miss here.
"Sakura-chan," a voice appeared from the opposite side of the door. "Can I come in?"
"Hai, Oto-san."
"Are you done?" Oto-san looked around the room, his eyes straying from box to box. Sakura nodded. "Well, I'm going down to the campus to hand in my resignation letter. I will be back in about four hours' time."
"Hai." Sakura nodded again, her face alit with excitement.
"Oh. Since I may be late, why don't you go out for a walk?" Oto-san paused. "You may like to say goodbye to some of your friends."
The smile faded away from Sakura's face. "There's no need to. Oto-san, you better hurry now, or you will be late."
* * *
The crowd was filing into the stadium. The commotion was getting louder by the minute. Syaoran scanned the crowd from where he stood on the platform. Most of the people were from his family. The elders sat in the front row towards the right and his mother was among them. Wei stood up from among the audience and shouted but the commotion drowned his words.
Syaoran frowned. I guess you have forgotten about the
competition. I thought you will be here.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Annual Martial Arts Competition. I'm your host, Wong." The compeer awoke him from his trance. "On my right, is the undefeated champion, from the house of Li. Li Syaoran!"
Syaoran bowed. "And on my left, representing the house of Hu. Hu Yong Ming!" The opponent flashed his devious smile as he waved his arms in the air in accordance to the cheering of the crowd.
"Without much ado, let the competition start!"
"Please be kind with me." Syaoran bowed again to his opponent. Yong Ming smiled devilishly. "I will… try to."
* * *
"Oh, these boxes are so heavy." Sakura panted as she pushed a large box out of her room and into the living room. Once she stopped, she slouched down and wiped away the beads of sweat that had appeared on her forehead. "Well, there's one more box on my table."
She stood up and moved casually back into her room. So empty. How ironic that I find it empty now that I am leaving and I didn't think about that when I first came. She moved towards the table. "Let me carry you out now."
As she lifted the box up, the calendar on her table toppled over and landed on the floor. "I'm so careless." She returned the box onto the table and bent over to reach for the calendar.
"Hey, I actually circled today and it's for… the Annual Martial Arts Competition." Sakura set the calendar back onto the table and eased herself onto the chair.
"Then, I will go there on that day to support you, just
as you have encouraged me today."
"Syaoran-kun…"
"I will be there. I promise."
"Syaoran-kun, wait for me." Sakura ducked out of her room and into the living room for the keys. "I'm coming. I will be there, I promise."
* * *
"Tianxin, please tell me how you have gotten the information?" Meiling tagged behind the dark-haired girl. "Come on, please tell me."
"Go away, Meiling. I have nothing to tell you. It does not concern you."
"Yes, it does, it does." Meiling pleaded, as she continued to follow Tianxin in the direction of the director's office.
"Don't you understand? I don't want to talk about it." Tianxin stopped, whirling around to stare at Meiling.
The door creaked open and Fujitaka looked out. "Oh, it's you." He made his way out of the director's room and bypassed them.
"Mr Kinomoto, Mr Kinomoto." Tianxin called. "Wait for me. Wait for me."
Fujitaka turned around. "Yes?"
"Perhaps you should have realized that I am so much better than that Sakura. If you promise to be with me, I may just ask my father not to suspend you."
Fujitaka looked at her and frowned. "I'm afraid that you cannot threaten me now. I have just handed in my resignation letter."
"Huh?!"
"And to make sure that you get it into your head, I'm already married. But not to Sakura. She is my daughter, not my wife nor mistress."
"Your daughter? Is it true?" Meiling butted in.
"Yes. My daughter, and my dearest loved. When I was invited over here to present a lecture, the university has enlisted me only even though I have told the staff that I'm married. Sakura-chan, that silly child, insisted on coming along, saying that she cannot accept the fact that I am going to Hong Kong by myself. So she worked hard, saved a sum of money to come with me and had wanted to get a separate apartment at first. But how can I let her stay by herself? So I told her that there's a spare room available for her. She initially declined the offer, as she was afraid of getting me into trouble. But I persisted and finally she agreed to it."
"Moreover," Fujitaka paused. "The campus had only hired me and would not accept another person that they would have to provide for. So, the only way is to keep it a secret."
"And that is why she refused to tell us the truth." Meiling added, as the light of understanding came onto her.
"Yes, that's part of the reasons. But I do not have to tell you anything more. Tianxin, you are a good girl but I'm not the one for you. The only person I love all my life is Nadeshiko, my wife and Sakura's mother."
"But… but why?" Tianxin bent down, cupped her face in her palms and wept.
"Your name is Meiling, is it?"
"Yes."
"Sakura and I will be returning to Japan tonight at seven. Sakura did not tell you, did she?"
"No!" Surprise exclaimed itself on her face.
"I guess as much. Please tell… Syaoran's his name, right, that we will be leaving. I think he deserves to know."
"…yes. I'll inform him."
* * *
"Hmmm… make it." Sakura smiled as she struggled through the crowd. "Hope I'm not too late." She turned to the platform and observed two figures moving at each other with high speed.
"Hey, girl! You are blocking me."
"Oh, I'm sorry." Sakura apologized as she moved to an
empty seat. Come on, Syaoran-kun. You can do it.
The opponent swung his fist against Syaoran, slamming it hard against his chest. Syaoran staggered back, stung by the impact of the blow.
"Come on, Syaoran-kun…" Sakura began when a strange feeling came over her again. The opponent revealing a dagger from his right sleeve… running towards Syaoran… stabbing him hard at his chest.
"No! Syaoran-kun! Watch out for the dagger in his right hand!"
* * *
That voice… Despite the fact that it is so noisy, I can
hear her voice. It's her. Syaoran stood up. She's here. She's here.
"Syaoran-kun! Watch out for the knife in his right
hand!"
Syaoran watched Hu Yong Ming dash at him with such ferocity, and a glint in his left eye. A sharp light sparkled off from his right sleeve as he charged at him.
"No!" Sakura's voice outshone the commotion.
Syaoran smiled as he leapt into the air, somersaulted over Yong Ming and knocked the weapon out of his hand. A whistle sound broke through the commotion.
"Hu Yong Ming is disqualified for breaking the rules of
the competition for attempting to use a weapon. The winner of this year's
Martial Arts Competition is… Li Syaoran." The compeer stuck out his hand to
congratulate Syaoran but he wasn't interested. Where are you, Sakura?
* * *
"Thank goodness, that nothing happened to him." Sakura
mused over the thought as she stepped out of the National Sports Centre. Well,
I'm glad that he's alright. Nothing else matters other than that.
* * *
"Syaoran! Syaoran, where are you?" Meiling stormed into the white mansion. "Syaoran!!!"
"Please. Silence." Yelan appeared from behind the kitchen door. "Syaoran? He said that he needs a breather and has gone to the park."
"Thank you, Aunt." Meiling bowed and headed for the west wing of the mansion. Great. Of all times, he chose to go to the park now. It's already five-thirty and her flight is at seven. Got to hurry. She entered into his room.
"Ok, if I were Syaoran, where will I put the ring?" Meiling mumbled as she scanned around the room. Her eyes fell onto the drawer. "Why yes. In the drawer."
The drawer was pulled open, revealing a velvet box and Meiling grabbed it and ran out. "Aunt, I'm going to find Syaoran and both of us will be late for dinner. We apologize for that."
Yelan smiled as she walked into the porch from the kitchen. "Good luck to you, Syaoran. May Destiny be kind to you."
Syaoran stared at the sun setting where the orange glow of
the large star lit the entire park up in a warm, cheerful colour. "It's so
beautiful." Sakura, where are you? Did you turn up at the competition?
A rustle sounded from the back and Syaoran turned. "Oh, it's you, Meiling." Syaoran turned back to look at the sunset. "I'm sorry for my attitude today. Please forgive me."
"Syaoran…" Meiling panted, as she struggled to get her breath.
"Meiling, I have been thinking lately.
"Syaoran, you got to listen to me."
"Yes?" Syaoran turned over again to face Meiling.
"We have misunderstood Sakura. She's not what Tianxin claims her to be."
"Really?"
"There is no time to explain. Sakura is going back to Japan with her dad. Her flight leaves at seven. You only have an hour to get to the airport."
"But…"
"Don't you want to apologize to her? Go before it's too late."
Syaoran nodded as he stepped over the bush.
"And Syaoran…"
"Yes?"
"Take this with you." The velvet box flew through the air and landed into his palms. "Now hurry."
Syaoran nodded again as he began to run out of the park. Sakura,
wait for me. I'm coming. Don't leave. Please…
Author's Notes (again):