A Semester of Deceit and Love
Chapter 4: A Project
"Okay class, before you guys leave today, I have an announcement to make."
Sakura along with the rest of the class listened as their swimming professor began to talk.
"You might have all thought you wouldn't have to do anything written in this class, but there will be a few things. Your first assignment will be due a week from today."
Murmurs of disappointment began to spread among the students.
"I want you to write a three page paper about the history of swimming, as well as the basic techniques. To do this, I want you to pair up with someone else. Anyway, like I said, it'll be due a week from today, and I want you to include a bibliography for the sources you use. So I'll see you next session."
The class quickly departed, thinking about the new assignment.
"Hey! Sakura-san!"
Sakura turned to see Ryan running to catch up with her.
"Have you paired up with anyone yet?" he asked.
"Not yet," Sakura replied.
"Would you mind working with me, then?" Ryan asked her, hopefully.
She smiled. "Of course. That would be great."
"Great! Then how about we meet tonight at 7 in the library to start?"
"Sounds good to me," Sakura told him.
"Then I'll see you tonight," he said.
Sakura watched him as he left. She smiled.
***
"You're going to work with that guy?" Syaoran asked, a new wave of anger beginning to surface within him.
Sakura looked at him confused. "Yeah…"
They were all sitting together at dinner. Tomoyo of course, had her ever-present camera with her. She smiled. Is he jealous? Rika and Naoko also exchanged glances, smiling knowingly.
"Couldn't you work with someone else?"
"What do you mean? Why shouldn't I work with Ryan-san?" Sakura asked him, growing more confused by the second.
Syaoran looked down. What can I say? If I told her what I heard last night, she probably wouldn't believe me. She would probably thing I was lying…
"I need to go," Syaoran said suddenly. He quickly picked up his tray and left the table.
Sakura watched him as he left. "Syaoran-kun…"
***
"So, how do you want to go about this?" Sakura asked pointing the five books spread out before then that they had just found in the library.
"I don't know. You decide," Ryan told her.
Sakura looked up at him. "Uh…well…how about we both look through one book for now and see what we find," she suggested.
"Okay," he said. Sakura reached out to take a book, but looked up in surprise as she felt Ryan's hand on hers.
"You have pretty hands."
"Thanks," she said, pulling her hand away. She looked down quickly at the book she had taken, trying to hide the slight blush that had started to appear on her face.
He smiled, staring at the girl sitting in front of him. This girl…I have to make her mine…
Twenty minutes later, Sakura finally looked up from her book. She looked at the young man before her. He's been so nice…ever since the first time we met when we moved in. And he's so handsome…
She blushed as she realized he had caught her looking at him. She looked away quickly. He smiled.
"So, do you like what you see?" he asked.
Sakura's head shot up, a darker red spreading quickly over her face and traveling down her neck. "What?" she asked innocently. "Did you find any information that we might be able to use in our paper?"
Ryan smiled at her attempt to change the subject. "There were a few facts…"
"Great! I found some good information too. This paper won't be so bad," Sakura said.
"Well then, why don't you show what you found," Ryan said, getting up from his seat across the table and coming up behind her. Sakura jumped slightly as she felt one of his hands on her shoulder and his breath on one side of her neck. She nervously opened the book she had been skimming through, pointing out some of the facts. This feels so strange…it's not comfortable like this with him…
"Hey, you two are still here?"
The unexpected voice made both of them jump. Ryan groaned inwardly at the sight of Syaoran. Sakura sighed in relief as Ryan finally backed away and went to sit back down in his seat.
Syaoran glared momentarily at Ryan. He had been watching the entire time from behind one of the shelves by the table they had been sitting at.
"How much longer do you think you'll have to work on this?" Syaoran asked.
"We've only been here for like thirty minutes," Sakura said.
Ryan sighed. "Look, maybe we did work enough for today. Let's meet again tomorrow sometime, okay Sakura-san?"
Sakura looked from Ryan to Syaoran then back at Ryan. "Sure."
They watched as Ryan gathered his books and left. "What was that all about?" Sakura asked as Syaoran took Ryan's seat.
Syaoran looked at her, then away. "What do you mean?"
Sakura stared at him, confused. She quickly gathered her own books, stuffed them into her bag, and got up to leave. "I should be going."
Syaoran
looked up at her surprised.
"You seem to think I've stayed here long enough," Sakura said.
Syaoran's eyes widened. "What?"
"I'll see you tomorrow," Sakura told him. Syaoran's face fell as she left. That didn't go well…
Sakura and Ryan met everyday the rest of the week, but remained uninterrupted. They never noticed, however, the distrustful eyes watching them at every meeting.
"Yay! We're finally done!" Sakura exclaimed.
Ryan smiled at the happy girl. "I'm glad you worked with me, Sakura-san."
Sakura smiled at him. "Thanks for asking. It was fun working with you."
Ryan smiled at her as they both slowly got ready to leave. "So, umm…how about going out with me this weekend?"
Sakura looked up at him surprised.
"I mean, since it's a holiday, I thought it would be fun," Ryan continued.
Sakura smiled. "I'm sorry. I'm sure it would be fun, but I'm going back to Tomoeda for the holiday. We're meeting up with some of our friends that are going to another university."
Ryan's face fell, but only slightly. "Well, I guess I can't help that. Maybe some other time then?"
Sakura smiled. "Sure. Well, I guess I'll see you next week after the holiday then?"
Ryan smiled. "Right." He watched as she left. That girl…
He suddenly noticed Syaoran standing and glaring at him from behind a shelf. Ryan grinned. He walked slowly to the other side of the shelf.
"Sakura is quite a pretty girl, isn't she?" Ryan asked, eliciting an even more horrible glare from Syaoran. Ryan laughed shortly as he saw the man in front of him shaking with anger. "Have you been watching us everyday?"
Syaoran just continued to glare.
"I see. You should just back off you know. It doesn't seem likely that she would ever like a guy like you," Ryan said laughing, walking away.
Syaoran sighed frustrated as he watched Ryan walk away. I don't know what to do…and it doesn't really matter now how she feels about me. I just can't let that guy hurt her…
***
End of chapter 4
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