Disclaimer: Eh, you know the drill of
Disclaimers…
Author's Notes: Pre-fic ramblings…I've been
disturbed and saddened by last week's events...and this chapter is may not as
good as the previous ones… ::sigh:: I give out my condolences and prayers to
everyone, for recovery, peace, happiness, and love.
Short Glossary:
Baka = Stupid
Oniichan = What Sakura calls her brother
Doshite = Why
Sake = rice wine
Genki = happy, cheerful, full of spirit
Ohayo = Hi/Hello/short for Good morning
Arigato = Thank you
Moshi = hello?
Hao = mandarin for "Good"
Ni mun hao = Hello! (to a 2+ people)
Happy Reading! Again, sorry for the dismal chapter…
True
Happiness
By
Hikari
===Chapter
4: Troubles===
"WHY ARE YOU SO INTO THAT BAKA BRAT?!"
"ONIICHAN! Syaoran-kun is not a brat!"
"FORGET ABOUT HIM! LOOK AT WHAT HE'S DONE TO YOU – DUMP
YOU, AND MAKE YOU DEPRESSED!"
"He's only going back because he needs to!"
"Then when's he coming back? HM?"
Sakura was speechless, stunned with her mouth agape. She didn't
know what to say, because she didn't know the answer, and couldn't hold back
the tears any longer. Doshite? Why is Oniichan being so mean to be these
past months?! He's been drinking sake a lot too…I…I can't hide this from
Tomoyo-chan anymore…I…need help…Oniichan needs help…She ran to her room and
shut the door with a loud bang. "LOCK!" For sure her brother couldn't break in
and start to yell and push her again. Alone, she plopped onto the bed and
looked at the picture of her whole family (excluding her mother), smiling when
they had gone on a trip to Hinata in Northern Japan a few months ago. "I miss
the way Oniichan used to be…I miss Syaoran-kun…and Meiling-chan…I miss
Kero-chan and Yue-san…" That night, she cried herself to sleep and dreamt about
what Yue-san and Kero-chan could be doing on their vacation.
When the outside light shone again, Sakura quickly woke up
and got dressed for school. She washed up and dabbed some powder on her face.
In a minute Sakura again looked like the normal –genki— Sakura everyone knows.
Just as she entered the gates of Tomoeda, she saw her best friend. It was still
quite early and not many students were there.
"Ohayo Sakura-chan!"
"Ohayo Tomoyo-chan!" She skated towards the black-haired
girl.
"Sakura-chan, you've been arriving so early these past
several weeks. Do you have a minute? I know you do…We haven't had much time to
sit and talk to each other like old days, and I'm afraid I'm behind
Sakura-chan's life. How can I film your biography?" Tomoyo smiled at the sweatdropping
Sakura. "Ne, Sakura-chan, I know you haven't been yourself lately these past
months. Why haven't you told me about any problems, so we can work it out
together?" Pausing, she placed a hand on the girl, now bowing her head. "Did
you think I didn't know there was something wrong? I've known you for a long
time, and you can tell me anything that's on your mind."
Taken aback, Sakura managed a small smile at her friend.
"All right." She told her how Touya had started his bad mood streak ever since
Sakura announced she wanted Yue and Kero to go on a vacation for a while. There
weren't any things going on mysteriously, so somehow she had convinced them to
take it. Yukito had also gotten a scholarship to a program outside of Japan,
adding to the pros of the vacation from magic. Touya had tried to persuade him
to not go, but was unsuccessful, and since they left, he's been taking out his
anger on her. Tomoyo listened to all of this as Sakura started to pour all her
emotions, and wiped a tear from her friend's face.
In the background Eriol watched the two, but kept his eyes
more on the one comforting the other. "Sakura-san must really be
disturbed…she's not detecting me at all. Arigato, Tomoyo-san, for helping her
and going along with our plans."
"I know what we should do Sakura-chan. School term ends
tomorrow, and we have summer vacation. I think you need a rest, a break from
all your tensions and your brother. Shall we go on a trip, just the three of us?"
"Hoe…Three?"
"I mean two." Tomoyo smiled.
"…To where?" Sakura felt much better after pouring out
what she had been bottling up. "And before I forget, arigato, Tomoyo-chan, for
cheering me up!"
Still smiling, she replied, "I am your best friend after
all." With that, the two joined the other students walking into the building,
and disappeared into their homeroom.
* * *
[Syaoran writing a letter]
Dear Sakura,
Ogenki desuka? Spring vacation has begun here in Hong
Kong. It is not as pretty as it is in Japan though…the cherry blossoms are
already blooming there ne? I miss seeing you
"ARGH! I don't know what to write to her!" He smashed the paper and threw it into the wastebasket.
"Oi, Syaoran…." Hm, I still have say his name as I do
in Japan…oh well "…You're hopeless…" Meiling remarked, sighing as she saw
the basket slowly pile up crumpled paper. "Go giver her a call; it might be a
little easier…"
[flashback]
"I…I can't speak to her now--!"
"Shut up already! It's ringing!" As she heard someone pick
up the line, she shoved the phone to her cousin.
"Moshi moshi? Kinomoto residence."
The sweet voice of the receiver stunned him momentarily.
"…uh, may I speak to Sakura?"
"Syaoran-kun! What a surprise! Ohayo--"
"…Ohayo…eh…you knew right away it was me…um,
ogenki-desuka?"
"Un! I miss you so much! And Meiling-chan too!"
"Ah, arigato…" He was at a lost for words and a moment of
silence passed before the conversation resumed.
"Syaoran-kun? Are you there?"
"…." He didn't know what to say.
"I suppose the line got cut off…"
Before he could respond, she had hung up the phone.
[end flashback]
Syaoran leaned on the old tree and clenched his fists.
Clearly, he was frustrated and kept erasing whatever he had written. Suddenly
something hit him. A rock with a note that read "HI!" He put the clipboard with
the paper and his writing utensils down next to a dandelion on the grass.
Syaoran and Meiling looked around, wondering where it came from – more like who
threw the pebble -- until they saw a girl waving to them.
"Xiaolang! Meiling! Ni mun hao!" she said as she ran
towards the two.
Meiling whispered to her cousin. "…Ne, it's her again…"
He sighed deeply. [Aimi is a former classmate, friend of
Meiling, and one of the people he had mistaken for Sakura since he didn't
recognize her at first as she had cut her hair short.] Why is she so
persistent…He tried to pick down his stuff and walk to another location in
the park until someone had jumped onto his back and put her arms around his
neck. "Xiaolang! Where are you going? I
like you a lot!"
"GET OFF HIM AIMI!" Meiling glared at her and cleared her
throat. "er…sorry for the yell…but you shouldn't do that to him…you might hurt
his back or something…"
Aimi looked down for a moment at the ruffled brown hair of
Syaoran, and smiling, she said, "Ok!" and let her grasp go, allowing Syaoran to
breath. "Sorry Xiaolang…"
"…un."
She's gotten …too…cheerful…freaky…and I hang out with her
sometimes at school too?…She shivered at this thought.
Aimi stepped into the space between Syaoran and Meiling,
turning to Meiling first. "Want to go watch a movie today? It's on me…" Her
sweet voice couldn't be turned down.
"…Sure…uh, let me tell Auntie first." Meiling took out her
cell phone and dialed a number. After a brief chat, Meiling smiled at the genki
girl. "It's ok with Auntie."
"Yay!" Then she turned to opposite direction, facing
towards the boy. "Xiaolang! You can come too!…if you want…"
"No, thank you though, but I have some stuff I want to
work on." He shuffled his loose papers into a neat stack and took them up in
his arms.
"Ok…um…ne…Xiaolang…you…you…you hate me don't you?" Her
dark brown eyes slowly started to fill with tears as she gazed into his.
He looked at her for a moment then turned to his side. "…no…I
don't hate you…" The short-amber hair tied back with a ribbon and the
semi-confused look reminded terribly him of Sakura which led him to completely
show his back to her.
Her sniffles turned into quiet sobs.
Meiling looked at and pitied her. She recalled how her parents
and baby brother had died in a car accident when she was little, and how she
grew up living in a relative's house where everyone scolded her for every wrong
mistake. Yet…she was almost always happy. She sighed and took her hand. "…it's
ok…his mind is just slow."
He took a quick glance at the girl with her head bowed
down, and remembered when Sakura had cried when Yukito had told her that she'd
find someone else that really loved her. …Dammit…I hurt her feelings…come to
think…she is kind of like Sakura…wait, no…must keep focus…He took out a handkerchief
from his back pocket of his jeans and handed it to Aimi, who took it gratefully.
"Cheer up," his last words before he walked away from the two, feeling a little
better inside.
* * *
The door opened and a soft voice spoke. "Eriol-kun, all
preparations are set. We're flying tomorrow on ANA." Smiling, she walked
towards the couch and took the vacant seat next to him.
He looked at her for a moment, and showed a gentle smile. "Well
done, Tomoyo-san. Oh, this is for you." He took up the small bunch of white lilies
tied with a thin red ribbon, and placed it in her hands. "Thank you, for
everything."
Blushing, she nodded. Thank you, Eriol-kun, for finding
a way to help me cheer up Sakura-chan, and in the process, helping me feel less
preoccupied.
===Ending
Chapter Notes===
Again, be a good reader
and give me a review…that way I know whether to still continue to fic or not!
^_^;