The Disease that Killed Love

Chapter 3-Touya

Syaoran suddenly developed a craze for chocolate chip cookies one day.

It's kind of my fault, hehe, because I tried to make them. Syaoran was my first and he tasted the cookies and immediately demanded more. So now we have a store of chocolate chip cookies for him now.

Not bad, actually. It's funny watching him eat cookies, despite being twelve years old already. He still looked like a kid. Of course, to me and Yue. Yue, being his father, and me, being nineteen years old.

Jolly.

Still, there was something really wrong. Syaoran should be outside playing soccer or basketball, instead of lying about at home listening to Bach. He should be annoyed that Yukito was fussing all over him and look forward to college. However, Syaoran showed no signs of that. He was content to listen to one CD after another, or lie across Yue's lap, or just sleep and be pampered.

Twelve year old boys should not be content with that.

April 19th. Syaoran began acting queer that day. We were going over to Tomoyo's when he suddenly asked Yukito the date.

" It's the nineteenth." Yukito answered, quite puzzled.
' Three more months.' Syaoran mouthed. We were use to looking at his lips when he talked. I've become very good at reading lips, as were the rest of our group.
" Thinking about your own birthday?" I teased.

Syaoran nodded. ' It's fast.'
" I know." Yukito answered. " Are you excited? You'll turn thirteen this year."

But for some reason Syaoran didn't smile. He had this look in his eyes that I couldn't decipher. It wasn't a happy look, that's for sure. Rather, it was a defeated look. As if he knew something was coming that was inevitable, but that thing was not something pleasant.



" There we go." Tomoyo sighed. " Finally. Tell me, why are you doing this again?"
" The other bag got used up." The kaijuu answered.

The other bag was the bag of magical herbs that Sakura created and Xuyan had opened.

" Don't bother."

We turned around to find George and Mimi standing behind us.
" Konbonwa, George-san, Mimi-san!" Sakura said cheerfully. " What brings you here?"
" Don't bother casting anymore spells." Mimi answered. " It's useless."
" What do you mean?" Eriol asked cautiously.

George shrugged. " Just don't. It's not going to work."
" Do you know something that we don't?"

Mimi and George said nothing.

" Well?" I began. " Might as well tell us. Would it make a difference?"
" It would." Mimi answered. " You'll try to prevent it from happening. But it's beyond your power."
" Prevent what from happening?" Sakura asked. " Matte!"

But the wizard and witch were gone.



" That was odd." I commented to Nakuru. " Why did they seem so solemn?"
" I don't know. Why didn't they want Sakura to make the herbs?"
" They mentioned that it wouldn't work. Maybe we have to try another spell."

Syaoran shook his head.

" Something wrong, Syao?" Eriol asked.

Syaoran rolled his eyes. It's clear he was saying, Don't call me Syao.

Eriol laughed.

" What's wrong, Jingxi?" Yukito asked. " You seem so unhappy today."

Syaoran shook his head.

" Aw, come on, tell us already!" Xuyan began. " What's bugging you?"

Syaoran shook his head again.

We sighed.

" Syaoran, you're not telling us what's wrong, and that alone signifies that something is wrong."

Syaoran shrugged. It was one of those " I don't care what you think and I don't care about this situation either" kind of shrugs.

" Syaoran, we're trying to help you here."

Another shrug.

" Well, that was profitable." I answered, cocking an eyebrow. " Syaoran, do you want some ice cream?"

Syaoran nodded. Tomoyo went to fetch some ice cream.



" What do you suppose is wrong with him?" I asked Yukito.
" I don't know." Yukito answered. " He's been like this the entire day."
" Why? Did he have a bad night or something?"
" Maybe. I doubt it."
" Then what's wrong?"
" I don't know."

I took a close look at Yukito. He was tense. He was nervous.

" Well?"
" Well what?"
" Are you going to do something?"
" What do you want me to do? I don't know what the problem is."

I sighed. " Think back to yesterday. Did we do something to upset him?"
" Iie."
" So..."
" Perhaps what Mimi and George said upsetted him."
" But that was only five minutes ago!"
" We can still try."



Yukito came back from Syaoran looking very disturbed.
" Well?" Xuyan began.
" It's not George or Mimi. He's not upset about that. He didn't care what they said."
" So...what's wrong then?"
" I don't know."

I groaned. I hated not knowing what's going on.
" Do you think Syaoran's sick?"
" He always was."
" Iie, I mean, the sick as in fever, flu, that sort."
" Oh. Iie, his temperature is fine, and he's not showing any symptoms." Yukito blinked. " Although that could be a reason."
" That he's having some kind of sickness without symptoms?" Eriol blinked. " I don't know any disease like that."
" Neither do I." I answered.

Yukito looked at Syaoran.

" Ai, Li Jingxi, you'll be the death of us all." I muttered. We dug into our ice cream.