Chapter 3-Xuyan
Syaoran woke from his blackout a half hour later, very tired and dazed. Iori wore the same look I must have wore when I met Syaoran. To be beaten by someone who faints a lot is quite a large and sharp thorn in the side, yet on the other hand there are no many who has Syaoran's eyesights, with all his regards to my uncle. ( Who, of course, I would never call.) Despite Syaoran's lack of endurance, he was still pretty fast, so my cousin usually waits until the kick was made before moving.
He drank some water, cooled down a bit and all of us began to talk. We were going to eat dinner before going home; we were definetely not staying in Kyoto. It was quite simple. We were going to go home, and then next week we get to miss school again. Syaoran was panicking over his admissions test, which I didn't take because I was only visiting.
In fact, I don't see why Syaoran should worry whether he got into that middle school or not. He should worry more about Sakura-math is starting to become quite important these days.
So Tomoyo, Syaoran, and Sakura weren't going to get their results until somewhere around April, I don't know which. In the meantime, we were talking about the game, and all agreed that it was saved mostly by Syaoran. Which, of course, it would have been good, except now Syaoran has to work hard.
Syaoran, Eriol, and I were packed into the same bus. Yamazaki sat next to Eriol while I sat next to Syaoran. The road home wasn't much fun, we talked and that was all, but later we learned that the other bus, for there was one bus for boys, one bus for girls, where Noako and Sakura were, broke down in the middle of the highway. I personally thought it was absurd. The girls had to wait in McDonalds, one of the most disgusting fast food stores I've ever known in Hong Kong or Japan. Off we went, passing the girls, and we reached home before they did.
Touya had a nice fit. So did Yue. Syaoran was worried, Eriol careless, I was clueless until they came back.
A week later we played against another team. Needless to say, we won. The next game a few days later, Syaoran was absent, so another kid took over.
In the end, we ended up in the semi finals along with Iori's team. There were of course, two left in each group, and we all had to fight each other, hehehe. Syaoran was able to rest until the thing with Iori.
Meanwhile, Sakura's birthday came up. Syaoran and I ran into this problem of what to give her, just like any other birthday. We never thought much of birthdays, partly because competitions always end up either on that day or the day after. But with Sakura, there's a difference I guess.
I ended up buying Sakura a bracelet, simply because there was nothing else to buy but jewelry. She already got a watch from Yukito, I don't think she wants any more clothes because Tomoyo made her some anyway, as expected. Eriol gave her an english fan. So all that's left is jewelry. A bracelet, despite all the romantic scenes that come from it, does not really symbolize love, and anyway I gave her a jade friendship one so I made it all clear.
I still remember that day. It was one of the wierdest, sweetest, and funniest days I'll ever remember.
" So Syaoran, what did you give her?" Eriol asked.
" Hai, you left your gift till the last." Touya tilted his head. " It could either be the
best or the worst."
" I'm sure it's neither." I joked. " The truth is-"
" The truth is," Syaoran glared at me, " It's probably a little unfitting, that's all."
We suddenly had the image of the Black Stone of Renague, which we had
forgotten by now. The funny thing was, all of us had it.
" Iie, it's not that." Syaoran wore an sulking expression, he saw it too. " I'm not
that kind of baka."
" Oh, ano, I didn't know that." Eriol teased.
" So what is it?" Yukito urged. " You wouldn't let me in your room last night."
" Oooh," I smiled. " he didn't let me in either."
" Oh my god how romantic!" Tomoyo squealed. Sakura blushed.
" Oh please, stop that." Syaoran was blushing really red.
" So what is it, cousin?" I asked, grinning my most devilish grin, I think.
" Hai, what is it?" Eriol asked. " You certainly got her something special, yes?"
He said yes in English.
" Come on Syaoran," Yamazaki, who was also there, urged.
" Hey!" Syaoran yelled. ' What are you staring at me like that for?"
We shrunk back to give him space. Syaoran began blushing harder than ever. He handed over a thin, gift wrapped rectangle, and Sakura took it, puzzled.
Tomoyo was videotaping, and I'm sure we would have won the award for the funniest faces ever. Everyone was exactly the same, eyes popping out, mouth hanging open.
Two cards, different from either Clow or Sakura. One had a picture of a woman in
white satin, her hands cupped in front of her holding a bowl of herbs.
THE HEAL, it said. Another with a look of mist about it, an outline of a formless
spirit, THE INVISIBLE.
" I know it's different from the rest." Syaoran smiled. " But now, you have fifty five
cards."
" Oh my god." Touya breathed. " Does it work?"
A feeling of magic coursed the room, and Sakura faded slowly, until she completely disappeared. She popped back, and stared at the invisible card. Then, she looked at her arm, gave a deep scratch, ouchies, and then used the heal.
The scratch disappeared. Sakura immediately looked at Syaoran, and we all knew what she had in mind.
It was one of the weirdest, sweetest, and fnniest day ever. It was also a day of great disappointment.
Finals. Four teams. Tomoeda, Tokyo, Odaiba, and another place whose name I forgot. The first game we played in the morning. We went home and Syaoran, Tomoyo and Sakura got their results.
Syaoran got in. As did Tomoyo and Sakura. Sakura, barely. She was one point higher than the cut off score. Syaoran? He had the top score out of the whole student body that had taken the test. Tomoyo was about fifty or sixty points higher than the cut off score. Yamazaki was in the waiting list. Chiharu as well. Noako didn't make it. Neither did Rika.
So off we went, realizing that we were already separating. But as fate would have it Syaoran ended up in the same school as Sakura. Which was, indeed, good fortune.
Touya was really happy for his sister, of course, and Yukito was glad for Syaoran. I guessed this really means Syaoran's going to stay in Japan.
The finals were down to two teams, ours and Odaiba's, with the baka of Iori.
Syaoran got really tired at the last minute and had to sit out for about ten. Iori,
seeing Syaoran was not there, did not play his best. Ten minutes later Syaoran was
the goalie.
Then there was some sort of rivalry between Eriol and Iori. Eriol was not a bad player at this game, and neither was I. There was a little kicking of legs between us, but Iori got through with some strange luck. That luck stopped at the frame of the goal box. Syaoran caught the ball just as it was going in. He pushed it out. Iori caught it and prepared for another shot, but the problem was it went too far to the right and it the metal pole. The ball bounced out.
We cried out, rushing to get the ball. I got it, kicking at it with my feet, I hit it with my head. Yui caught it with his chest and then the ball flew straight back. Iori caught it with his feet, stamped it to the ground. Syaoran got ready. The ball got caught in the grass, and Syaoran ran forward to kick it.
Just as he was about to kick Iori slid forward and kicked the ball away, but tripped Syaoran over first. Iori got up by pulling Syaoran down, kicked him off, and continued to play. Of course, there was a whistle. Syaoran got up a little shakily, blood running down his face from where Iori kicked him.
This can't be good. I thought, and when I looked at Eriol I knew he thought the same. For the blood was pink as it always was, pink like cherryblossoms in full bloom. Syaoran was panting, people were holding him, inspecting his blood, completely confident that he was anemic. He was not allowed to be the goalie.
It ended in a disaster. Our team lost. Iori was so upset that he couldn't face his rival goalie he wouldn't play even if he was allowed to. The other team lost a member without replacement. And we still lost-maybe because Yamazaki kicked it into our own goal...
Syaoran was a little disappointed, but after all, it was only a game. He had so much to be happy for; he got in to the best middle school, after all. But it was just like Syaoran to worry about whether he'll get into the best high school or not, or the best college, the best graduate school or law school or medical school of some sort.
It was that night, when Yukito finally decided to tell us all about it. We, in all
seriousness, knew nothing about Syaoran and Yue's adventure in the caves. Eriol
threatened to put Yukito and Syaoran in a headlock. I'm not sure if that's a British
way of saying ' Are you crazy?', but since Eriol is our only example, we couldn't
say it was not.
So this time, instead of Syaoran and Yue cruising the winds, we took off with them. I had to ride on Kero's back, of course, and that was not fun.
The case was an interesting one, and...I'll leave it to Tomoyo to tell about it.