computer was one of those which got infected by the Blaster Worm and nothing I did would get
rid of it. In the end, I rebooted my entire computer and later on, had trouble installing the
accursed Microsoft Word.
Winged Guardian: I made this chapter extra long to make up for the long wait
and no, I have
not abandoned my fics, and neither do I own CCS. Read and enjoy!
Note:
"..." stands for speech
[...] stands for thoughts
{...} stands for author's comments
'...' stands for the chapter's title
Cold-blooded Assassin
By Winged Guardian
Chapter Six: 'Forgotten Identity'
Sakura Kinomoto was bored.
And when Sakura Kinomoto was bored, she was positively dangerous.
She spun a silver-hilted knife in the air, catching it neatly in one hand
without batting an
eyelash.
She had hacked into the company files after breaking the high security with
the ease of
experience and downloaded the blueprints of the entire building. She had even
gone to
the painful extent of charming Annie, Li's secretary, into giving her
the meetings and
appointments scheduled for the week.
She winced at the memory of the blonde woman with the deep blue eyes who had
fluttered her eyelashes at her shamelessly and dripped honey as she chattered
light-
heartedly, trying to draw her into a conversation.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Flashback - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Entering the secretary's room while important phone calls were received
and meetings were
scheduled, Sakura gave the room a good once-over.
The room was small, as to be expected, but it wasn't crammed either.
It was rather plain,
the walls whitewashed and the floor a pale white marble. There was a glass window
at
the left wall, over-looking the streets below. At the moment, the white curtains
were
pushed to a side, allowing the rays of sunlight to streak in, illuminating the
room nicely and giving
the room a slightly cheery atmosphere.
Despite the years of living life on the edge, escaping authorities, covering
her tracks and
learning things the hard way as; a little of her old spirit,
crushed beneath the her hard
experiences, still remained; And now, that forgotten
identity stirred and a tiny smile, so
minuscule that it was almost invisible
and only the most observant of all people would notice it,
tugged at the corners
of her lips.
Annie, of course, missed all these little details and thought nothing of it,
other than hopefully
she might be able to get a tan while stuck in a boring
old room.
Overall, it was rather spacious, despite the small size of the room.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - End Flashback - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sakura shuddered at the memory of Annie's fake high-pitched laughter.
It was pretty hard to keep her composure when caught in such a situation;
but she had
managed.
After all, she was now an expert, hardened by her experiences. One little
thing could get
you killed, for in a profession such as this, you not only had to be good at
treading on thin
ice, but also at crushing your emotions and what was left of your humanity,
so as not to
be held at an advantage.
People who worked, hired or mixed with her group were all ruthless and would
stop at
nothing to get what they wanted, or in some cases: a little more money.
It was amazing what people would do simply for the sake of some banknotes.
A bitter laugh escaped her throat. After all, wasn't she a living example as well?
What mattered if a few lives were lost along the way?
No one cared, and those who did were too often found lying dead in dark alleys
with all
possessions with some value missing.
It was a hard world she lived in.
Closing her eyes, Sakura sighed inaudibly and brushed away a few stray hairs
impatiently.
She really should not dwell on such. It certainly did her current occupation
no good. It
wouldn't do to see 0711 fall onto 'his' knees.
Forcing out her thoughts and feelings, none of which were positive, her eyelids
opened
slowly, grimly, to reveal cold hard gems of a stony green.
Discipline was never something she lacked...
...Hearing the soft click of a door closing to her left, without pausing she
sent the silver-
hilted knife, which found its way into her hand from the table half a meter
away in a
flash, flying through what was previously empty space.
There was a whistle too high for human ears to catch as metal sliced through
air and a
sound of cloth tearing; a muffled 'thud' as the pierced cloth slammed
forcefully into the
sturdy oak door, pinned firmly in place by the stainless steel blade deeply
embedded into
the solid wood where its surface was smooth and unblemished a few seconds ago.
Spinning around in her wheeled armchair, Sakura was greeted by the sight of
Syaoran
standing motionlessly by the door, his pupils dilated in shock as he stared
mutely at the
square of cloth that was formerly part of the designer suit covering his shoulders.
Sakura's mind raced as she came up with a reasonable explanation for
her perfect aim,
aside for skill and expertise. She would not allow anyone to know too much,
least of all,
him.
At the same time, however, Sakura couldn't help but bask in his obvious
astonishment
and loss of his usual composure. A smirk graced her lips and she held her head
high, a
proud glint barely visible in her sea-green eyes.
Recovering from his shock, Syaoran turned his head to look at Sakura, amber
eyes
contemplative as his eyes took her in once again charily, not missing a single
detail.
After his careful scrutiny of his assistant, Syaoran turned to the knife.
Running a finger
along the Celtic carvings on the silver hilt, he studied the design, his finger
coming to a
rest on a heart half enfolded in slender wings right on the center of the hilt.
Although it ought to look feminine, it only served to increase its aesthetic value.
Pulling the knife out of the unyielding wood that refused to give up its occupant,
his
other hand was extended, palm up, towards the door.
Freed, the square of cloth fluttered around in spirals, finally landing on
his outstretched
hand.
His callused fingers curled inwards and he slipped the piece of cloth casually
into his
shirt pocket.
Returning his attention to the knife, Syaoran turned the blade to face upwards
and
thoughtfully placed a strand of hair on it. Without applying any pressure, the
hair was cut
into two by the keen metal edge, the two half-strands falling to the marble
floor.
Syaoran whistled, impressed.
Passing the knife back to its owner, hilt out as was the custom, Sakura accepted it quietly.
After a stretch of silence, Syaoran spoke up, choosing his words carefully,
"It is luck
that I am not injured. Perhaps it is a good thing that your aim is not better
than the level it
already reaches."
"Oh, I've practiced." said Sakura, shrugging carelessly
as she gestured at a wall scarred
with the marks nine inches of silver and a few various items made when thrown
from a
certain distance and achieving their aim.
Syaoran stared.
Sakura forced down a smirk.
She failed to mention that the marks were made when she was practicing with
both
hands tied up around her wrists and that she had missed only by mere centimeters
even
then. Her aim without any sort restrain was already perfected a year ago.
After a pause, Syaoran commented dryly, "You have.........unusual interests."
Noticing a blunt pocketknife attached to a ring of keys, Syaoran walked to
it and pulled it
out of its position incredulously.
Tsukishiro had certainly been practicing.
A sly glint appeared in his ocher eyes as he fingered the keys almost absently.
Sakura didn't like that expression. Not one bit.
"Give it back to me." said Sakura warningly.
Syaoran considered saying no, and perhaps he wasn't so smart after all
because it was
exactly what he said.
"No."
"Thank y-" Sakura started to say when his answer sank in.
"Could you repeat what you've just said?" asked Sakura in disbelief.
"Certainly," Syaoran replied charmingly, "I said no."
"Excuse me?" Sakura was starting to feel annoyed now. What was
up with this strange
guy? Was he created specially to irritate her? First, the photograph, and now,
this. What
on earth was wrong with him? He was courting his own death!
"Well, you damaged company property," Syaoran explained, hiding
a smile as he waved a hand
at the wall, "It is only fair that I take something
of yours for payment."
Sakura was starting to wish that she had not missed on purpose.
"Take the payment for repairs out of my salary." said Sakura, now openly glaring at him.
"Rule number 84 states that I have the right to choose what I want as
payment as long as
it does not exceed the price for the repairs. And unfortunately for you, I would
rather
keep these." he said, smirking cruelly.
He was enjoying himself.
"Fine! Keep them if you want! They're just a bunch of bloody keys!"
said Sakura,
frustrated. Why did he even want them in the first place?!
"So that means I can go to your apartment whenever I choose?" he asked casually.
His careless words sent a wave of ice crashing down on her.
He continued mercilessly, "Dear Yukito, didn't you remember that
the function of keys
is to open doors? The doors to your apartment in this case."
"No, you cannot." said Sakura, her voice dangerously quiet.
"I believe I can." said Syaoran, grinning.
An idea struck Sakura.
Nodding agreeably, Sakura replied, "Yes you can..."
Syaoran stared at her, flabbergasted. It wasn't like Tsukishiro to admit defeat so readily.
He had no idea how right he was.
"...If you marry me." Sakura completed her sentence.
He gaped at her.
It was her turn to give him a charismatic smile. She didn't even have to hide her glee.
"Wha-what?" he spluttered helplessly.
"You see, only my fiancée can have another set of keys to my
home. It is only fitting,
don't you think?"
Looking rather green, Syaoran returned the object of their attention hastily.
Sakura grinned. [Score one!]
Changing the subject quickly, Syaoran asked tactlessly, "Where did you
learn how to
handle knifes?"
"Oh, that."
With ease of long hours spent on practice, Sakura began to juggle with the
knife and
keys, adding a few pens and a pair of scissors from the table.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Flashback - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A four year old Sakura skipped happily along the stream, humming a cheerful
tune as a
gentle breeze swept her short brown locks back.
Anxious eyes of dark brown watched the bobbing auburn head like a worried
mother
hen as the boy, serious for the young age of only nine, followed the ball of
energy that
was his sister worriedly.
"Sakura! Be careful!" he called out, forgetting to hide his concern
for her in the moment
of worry.
A childish tinkering laugh greeted that statement as Sakura continued skipping,
leaping over
small boulders recklessly, not taking his warning seriously.
Turning her head back to look at him, Sakura grinned and shouted cheerfully,
"It's alright!
You're such a worrywart, Oni-chan."
Not seeing the rock in her path, Sakura tripped over it and landed on one
leg awkwardly.
She collapsed into a heap on the grass when her leg, unable to take her full
weight, gave
way.
Touya put on a burst of speed, running as fast as his legs could carry him
and was
instantly by Sakura's side.
"Sakura! Sakura! Are you alright?!"
The girl's head was lowered as she clutched her ankle tightly and she
raised her head at
the sound of her brother's voice.
Her emerald eyes were brimming with tears and on her face was an expression
of pain that sent
daggers into Touya's heart.
"I'm sorry, 'Nii-chan... I should have listened to you..."
said Sakura as she looked down at the
ground.
Her shoulders were shaking slightly and she waited for a scolding or a reprimand
from
her stolid brother, at least.
None came.
A gentle hand was placed on her shoulder, and she looked up startled, only
to see upset
brown eyes that radiated warmth.
"Shhhh......... It's alright. Don't cry, little Kaijuu."
Placing his hands on her hurt ankle stained with little bits of grass and
dirt, Touya saw
Sakura flinch and he said softly, "This'll hurt, but your ankle
will feel better afterwards."
Nodding her head a little apprehensively, she winced and bit back a scream
when he
started massaging her ankle and twisting her foot in different directions methodically.
Tears were streaming down her cheeks openly now, but she made no noise but
for a few
whimpers of pain as her fists curled into balls.
Touya gazed at his sister in wonder as he marveled at her bravery. Many children
of her
age would have burst out sobbing hysterically long since, but his sister was
different.
His sister was special; she was unique.
Biting her bottom lip, Sakura never saw the glint of pride in Touya's
eyes as he gazed at
her lowered head.
After a short while, the fire in her ankle started fading to a light throbbing
pain. Soon,
the pain had left almost entirely but for a dull ache.
Sighing in relief, Sakura lifted her head to stare at her elder brother in
open admiration
and adoration.
"Oni-chan, you're the greatest brother anyone can have! You're
so smart and you can
do anything!"
Embarrassed by her earnest praise, a light blush promptly spread across his
cheeks and
he looked away.
"Let's go home, Sakura," he said gruffly.
Sakura laughed, a sweet silvery sound, unruffled by her brother's reaction.
"Okay," she chirped and stood up, ready to set off back home.
And she fell down again.
"Ouch," Sakura complained, her tone accusing, "You'd
never said that it'll hurt when
I try to stand up again, 'Nii-chan!"
"Baka Kaijuu."
Sakura was opening her mouth to yell insults at him when she saw the mirth
in his dark
eyes as he gazed at her in amusement.
Instead, she settled for turning away in a huff, pouting sulkily.
Touya recognized one of her moods when he saw it.
"Nooooo, Sakura, don't give me the silent treatment!" begged
Touya, "I'm your dearest
brother, remember?"
Sakura refused to even glance at him.
"Here," beseeched Touya, "I'll show you how to juggle if you'll stop ignoring me."
With that, Touya gathered some small rocks in front of him and started to pick
by a stone and
throw in the air, catching it in the other and repeated this
action several times smoothly, until all
the rocks were in the air.
As much as she tried to keep her eyes averted, Sakura couldn't help but
throw glances at
Touya juggling out of the corner of her eyes.
Noticing that, Touya grinned. He had her attention now.
Touya started to increase his speed until the little rocks were a blur in the air.
Dropping the act, Sakura watched her brother like an eagle, both emerald eyes
trained
on him in avid fascination.
Touya finished by catching all the stones in one wide sweeping motion and
bowed
elegantly.
Sakura broke into awed applause.
"'Nii-chan! Teach me how to do that!!" pleaded Sakura, tugging
at the hem of his shirt
earnestly.
"Please?"
"Only if you water the ferns for a week."
"What?!"
- Pause -
"Fine, I'll do it." said Sakura reluctantly.
Smiling smugly, Touya knelt down, his back facing Sakura.
"Hoe?" said Sakura, confused.
"If you want to walk all the way back home with that foot of yours, it's fine with me."
"No!" said Sakura, hastily scrambling onto his back.
Careful not to step on uneven ground for fear of tripping them up, Touya made
his way
home.
After a stretch of peaceful silence, Sakura suddenly spoke up.
"Oni-chan, you're actually a big softie," Sakura informed
Touya, her voice filled with
amusement.
Touya almost fell over at that sudden comment and turned a hundred shades of red.
He could not see her face, but he knew without a doubt that her bright green
eyes were
twinkling with merry mischief.
Touya seriously considered dumping her onto the ground there and then.
"Two weeks."
"Huh?" questioned Sakura, puzzled.
"Two weeks more of watering the plants if you repeat that again."
"What?! No!" cried Sakura, "You're
the meanest, cruelest and unkindest brother in the
entire world, alright?!"
"That's more like it," said Touya, smirking.
And the two of them burst out laughing at that.
Deep down inside, both of them knew that the other loved them dearly even
though they
never told each other.
Perhaps it was time to.
"'Nii-chan, I luv you heaps. You know that, right?"
Touya almost fell down, startled at the sudden earnest confession.
When he recovered, a silly pleased smile appeared on his face and he was glad
that Sakura
couldn't see the expression on his face then.
"Yeah, I know that."
There was an expectant pause, and Touya said after some prodding from Sakura,
"I love
you too."
Smirking, Touya added, "Kaijuu."
"Oni-chan!!" cried Sakura.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - End Flashback - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
When was it when they'd last told each other that they loved the other?
Not since that
day, she believed. Although they were both aware of it, Sakura couldn't
help but wish
that she had said it more often...
A sad distant look appeared in Sakura's deep green eyes for a split-second
and it
disappeared, only to be replaced by the guarded impassive look she always wore
ever
since that-
Sakura swallowed a lump down her throat-
-the look that she always wore nowadays.
It hurt.
It hurt terribly; but survive she will.
She would make sure of that.
"Tsukishiro?" a quiet voice asked cautiously.
She began to speak, "I worked in a circus for a period of time."
Syaoran knew there was more to that than what 'he' said, but decided not to probe further. Not
in this
way, at least. It seemed to be a sensitive spot.
"Anyway, I didn't come here to chat," Syaoran said briskly,
his tone turning business-
like.
Bringing a hand to her heart, Sakura said in an aggrieved tone, jade eyes
mocking, "My
feelings are wounded; you didn't come specially to see me?"
Syaoran decided to ignore her childish antics. "As I was saying-"
"He ignores me, will you look at that? Ah, my heart is bleeding!"
she exclaimed
dramatically, smirking internally at his obvious annoyance.
"I'll give you a nice hug and a big kiss when we get back, alright?!"
he growled, as
angrily as a stung bear, "Now listen to what I have to say!"
At that point of time, Sakura was tempted to say: 'Now, what would the
ladies say to
that?' but decided against it in the end.
"Thank you," he said stonily, "If you've kept track
of the news of the market in the last
eight years, you'll find that the Shizakuu had fallen around seven years
ago."
"It wasn't the least bit surprising, as the Shizakuu company had
been declining at a very
fast rate, having switched hands."
"In the past, back when the Shizakuu were very prosperous, the Li Corporation
always
traded with them, and no one else."
"However, when the original owner decided to retire to a life of riches
and luxury, the
company was sold to some inexperienced wealthy man with a nice sum of money
to
spend."
Seeing where this was going, Sakura said, "But the Lis were not willing
to put such high
stakes and began trading with others."
"Exactly," Syaoran said.
"The wealthy man eventually fell into debts and the Shizakuu company
was doing so
poorly that it was promptly put up for sale. However, people believed in bad
luck and few
were interested in buying the company over."
"That changed five years ago."
"Some brazen young man with talents to spare took a risk and bought the
company. Over
the past few years, the Shizakuu rose rapidly. People were fond of their products,
or so it
seemed."
"Now, the present owner wants to take up trade with us again." Sakura deducted.
Nodding in approval, Syaoran confirmed it, "We're going to the
Shizakuu company to
work out a business deal."
"We're leaving now, and would you take note of the people we're
dealing with and tell
me what you think of the meeting afterwards?" asked Syaoran.
Sakura wasn't surprised, as the copy of Li's schedule had been accurate.
"Sure," she said quietly as she slipped her sheathed knife into
her pocket and took
her laptop from her table, very much aware of Syaoran's gaze trained on
her every action.
She looked up, emerald eyes meeting careful brown ones steadily, showing that
she was
ready to leave.
A rare smile appeared on Syaoran's face. He had a feeling that this
new assistant of his
would be efficient in 'his' work.
Turning around, he walked out of her office as Sakura overcame her astonishment
at his
smile and followed him.
As she recalled her purpose for being here, a twinge of what felt like guilt
appeared and
was abruptly pushed aside.
This was work. Her assignment would be completed.
In a world such as this, there was no space for remorse or emotions of any sort.
Sakura entered the lift and thanked Syaoran who had courteously waited for her.
A silence fell over the two of them as Sakura kept her eyes on the blinking
red light
indicating which level they were on and Syaoran simply studied her.
Sakura's eyes shifted to the metal lift door, glazed with translucent
white paper in ornate
patterns, staring defiantly at his reflection as if asking what his problem
was.
It took a moment for Syaoran to notice that Sakura was watching him as well,
and when
he did, Syaoran simply gave her a charismatic smile, unaffected by her open
hostility.
Slightly taken aback at his casual reaction, a stray thought slipped through
her mind...
[No wonder many women would die for his love...]
Realizing what she had just thought, alarm bells went off in her head and
Sakura forced
her attention onto the red blinking light that marked the twentieth level. That
train of
thought would bring nothing but trouble.
Angry with herself, Sakura glared venomously at her own reflection, the green-eyed
woman in men's clothes glaring right back at her.
A random thought once again drifted into her mind wistfully... [Who am I really...?
Sakura, the little girl who was hurt; Agent 0711, who kills for money; Yukito
Tsukishiro,
the imposer who will end yet another life; or perhaps I am none of them... I
do not know.
Not anymore.]
[I used to think I fit perfectly in my shoes, that I am simply all that I am,
but now,
it seems that my feet have grown too large. Even I don't know what I am
going to do
next.]
[Who am I?]
She looked at her reflection again. Then, she looked at Syaoran. [What does he see?]
He was slightly surprised when 'Tsukishiro' turned his eyes onto
him; but as if
answering an unspoken question, Syaoran spoke, his voice calm and steady.
Somehow, it was pleasant listening to him talk.
"You are rather quiet for someone who works in a circus."
Sakura shrugged indifferently at his observation. "I wasn't the clown."
[Perhaps not the clown...but the fool.] A bittersweet taste flowed down her throat.
A silvery ring was heard, the lift stopped and the doors opened to reveal
a man in his
forties tapping his foot impatiently.
"Finally!" he exclaimed and made his way into the lift, importance
filling every strand
of what was left of his hair.
"I'm going to the basement." he told them arrogantly.
He didn't even say a "please" or at least have a courteous
tone. There was no need to be
friendly, she understood that very well, but he could have at least practiced
some
manners.
Even though she had just met him, Sakura was already beginning to dislike this
supercilious man who obviously thought the world of himself.
"Sure, go ahead." Syaoran said coldly, apparently not going to be ordered around.
Sakura couldn't help but smirk at the outraged look on the man's
face. It seemed that
Syaoran didn't like him either. It was just as well.
Sakura observed the near-bald man. He seemed incapable of speech at the moment.
Suddenly, Sakura's head snapped upright, hearing approaching footsteps
and faded voices, all
senses alert.
Judging by the rhythm of the footsteps, there were probably two or three people.
Her senses were automatically sharpened as she strained to hear the voices.
"..........so cute! With......dreamy green ey-......"
She wasn't sure, but the speaker sounded female.
Another new voice "You mean.........Tsuki-guy..........don't see.........good about......."
Sakura frowned. They were talking about her, and from what she heard, attention
was
going to be drawn to her. Not good.
She glanced at the two males beside her. The man was still glaring speechlessly
as
Syaoran stared coolly back.
The man finally regained his voice, "Syaoran, you really must show respect
to your
elders. They, unlike the impetuous young people of today, have more experience
and
expertise."
Syaoran knew very well that it was a thinly veiled insult.
"Uncle Judson, I agree that the elders have more experience. However,
the world is
constantly changing as new technology appears and advances at a very fast rate.
While
the traditional methods work, new creative ones are needed for a business to
prosper. I
give respect only to those that deserve it."
"You-you-" Judson spluttered.
Sakura watched this exchange with interest. Apparently the two were blood
related and
unless she was very mistaken, Judson resented Syaoran and thought he could run
the
company better than he could.
Looking at them, Sakura could now see the resemblance. Judson was nearly bald,
but
his face had the same handsome features as Syaoran, only in a self-important
hawk-like
way. They even shared similar glares. However, Judson's pitch-black eyes
were squinted
and he had a belly, although he had attempted to hide it as best as he could,
judging by
the clothes he wore.
Vanity, Sakura thought, disgusted, Judson thought that spectacles would ruin his looks.
A gasp was heard and Sakura turned to see two women running towards the lift
from the
end of the corridor.
"Please wait for us!"
By that time, the two men had noticed them as well.
The two women, both dressed in office clothing, ran into the lift, breathless from running.
"Thanks." one of them panted. It was the one with the second voice.
Her dark red hair
was cropped short in a stylish haircut and cat-like grey-green eyes were shadowed,
her
head bent down and hands resting on her kneecaps.
To Sakura's repulsion, Judson was eyeing her slim figure appreciatively,
black eyes
roaming over her body, coming to a halt at her rise and fall of her chest as
she breathed
heavily. He stared lustily at her breasts through the gap between her blouse
and neck,
getting a good view from her bent position as he licked his lips hungrily.
Disliking him even more by the moment, Sakura reached out a hand to help her up.
"Here," she said, not unkindly, to the woman.
The woman's almond shaped green eyes widened, surprised, and flickered
upwards to
meet Sakura's emerald ones. She then hesitated, but accepted Sakura's
hand.
Sakura pulled her gently, but the woman tripped over her own feet and Sakura
instinctively
grabbed her shoulders to prevent her from crashing into her.
"Thank you," the woman murmured and lifted her head to drown in
a sea of green. A
strange expression appeared on her face and she continued gazing at Sakura,
as if
spellbound.
The woman's ruby-eyed friend watched them jealously.
A cough broke the woman from her trance. Sakura released her grip on her shoulders
and the woman took a few steps back, a light red tinting her cheeks.
Syaoran smirked at Sakura, amused; and irritated by his knowing look, Sakura
said, "Go
and see a doctor if you're sick. Don't go around spreading your
germs."
Giving Sakura a glare, Syaoran asked them considerately which level they were
heading
to.
Noticing Syaoran for the first time, the woman's friend couldn't
hold back a squeal of
delight. Tossing her long blonde hair, she smiled flirtatiously at Syaoran and
introduced
the two of them. "I'm Reiko and this bossy workaholic is my friend,
Anderaine. And you
are?"
Anderaine elbowed her for that comment, but Reiko got her revenge by whispering
loudly, "I thought you said you didn't like 'the Tsuki-guy',
Ann?"
Anderaine blushed a dark red, muttering hotly, "I never said anything
of that sort - I just
wondered why you think so highly of him. And I don't like him!"
The sound of a throat being cleared drew their attention back to Syaoran.
"I am Syaoran Li and he is Yukito Tsukishiro, as I'm sure the both of
you already know." he
said, flashing them a charming smile.
At the sound of Sakura's false name, Anderaine glanced at him, only to avert
her eyes hastily
when Sakura met her eyes, her face flushed crimson.
The 'ding' of the bell sounded and the doors of the lift opened to reveal the reception area.
"It has been a pleasure meeting you," said Reiko, a healthy red
glow in her cheeks as she
beamed at them.
"Likewise." said Sakura politely while Syaoran simply stood at ease,
hands in his pockets and
smiling as if he hadn't a care in the world.
The both of them strode out of the lift, unaware that they looked very similar
to each other,
with their wide purposeful gait and confidence radiating from them.
When they reached the exit, a muffled pattering of high-heels hitting the
carpeted lobby and a
"Wait!" stopped them in their tracks.
Sakura turned around, puzzled. It was Anderaine.
However, Syaoran didn't seem the least bit surprised and grinned, watching the two of them.
"Here," the redhead thrust a simple but pretty notebook into Sakura's hands shyly.
Sakura looked at her questioningly.
Blushing under her gaze, Anderaine said, "It's to thank you for helping
me up. Many others
would have left me as I was. I know it's not much and the first few pages are
used but I'm sure
you find it more useful than a handkerchief, or something of that sort."
Realizing that she was blabbering, Anderaine stopped and ran away from them.
Sakura stared at her figure growing smaller and smaller with considerable
bafflement, then
looked at the notebook. A practical and useful gift. It was just like her sensible
character, from
what she knew of her so far.
For the first time in a long while, Sakura smiled. It seemed that she had just made a new friend.
Remembering her manners, Sakura called out, "Thank you!"
Anderaine slowed down, then increased her speed and Sakura knew that she had heard her.
Turning, Sakura caught Syaoran staring at her, amused.
"You know, you look a lot better when you smile. You should do that more often."
Not giving Sakura a chance to respond to that, Syaoran said "You realize
that we've ignored
Judson, the old buzzard, all this while and left him fuming there?"
Sakura decided to let the remark go.
For the second time that day, Sakura smiled yet again. "Forget about
him. We've better things
to ponder over. Come on, let's go to the Shizakuu's."
Syaoran laughed, his voice a pleasant sound in the bright afternoon as they
stepped out of the
building, the sun's warm rays embracing them.
*^*^*^*^*
This was it.
The lift doors, not unlike the ones they had seen minutes ago, opened and they
stepped into the
posh corridor, carpeted in red.
They were now at the Shizakuu's, heading towards the conference room.
Eyeing the richly-furnished place, Sakura said, "This company is certainly
doing well for one
that just resurfaced a few years ago."
Syaoran shrugged. "We'll meet the person who made this all possible in a few minutes' time."
Nodding briskly to Sakura, Syaoran placed his hand on the plain gold doorknob and turned it.
Both of them stepped into the spacious air-conditioned room. The room was
empty of people
aside from two men.
From the familiar air of self-importance surrounding the man sitting at the
head of the table,
Sakura could immediately tell that he was the one in charge.
He was in his late twenties, well built and attractive. His eyes of a brilliant
and shocking robin-
blue shade appraised them calculatively, taking in the two of them, studying
each of them for
equal lengths of time. His skin was so fair that he looked as white as a ghost
and his hair that fell
over his eyes in fair locks was a sandy light blonde. The perfect ice prince.
He looked good and
he was well aware of that.
Sakura was surprised that he actually gave her the same amount of attention
as he did
Syaoran, considering that Syaoran would be the one making the deal, but this
man knew not to
underestimate people. He was strangely familiar in a sense, but Sakura could
not remember
meeting anyone like him.
It was probably nothing and he was just someone she passed on the streets,
but either way,
Sakura still put him on the list of people to be careful around. She had a peculiar
feeling about
him and it never hurt to be cautious. So far, her instincts had yet to lead
her wrong.
However, as good-looking as he was, it was the other who caught her attention.
If there were
perfect opposites, he was the other extreme of the man sitting next to him.
Long strands of coal
black hair fell over his eyes, before being brushed away impatiently only to
fall back into the
previous position again. His exquisite crystal eyes of a shade of blue so dark
that it was near
black, and only the rays of light falling upon his fine chiseled face showed
hints of blue in those
watchful dark eyes.
If Sakura had felt unease with the authoritative blonde-haired man, it was
nothing compared to
this. The moment she had set eyes on him, deafening gongs had sounded in her head.
This man had been studying her and her alone ever since she
had entered the room, not even
once bothering to glance at Syaoran.
A chill crept up her spine as his dark eyes met her emerald ones. His eyes
were emotionless,
giving nothing away. Beautiful flawless orbs, but nothing more. People said eyes
were the
windows to one's soul, and his blinds were drawn, impenetrable.
Just like hers.
She knew without a doubt she had seen him before and that he was dangerous.
A potential
enemy.
They said their formalities, introducing themselves to one another.
"I am Cyril, and this is my personal assistant, Eros."
And with that, they settled down and began talking business. Or at least Syaoran and Cyril did.
Eros, if that was his true name, observed her and she stared right back, giving
him the cold
indifferent look that had unnerved so many others.
Cyril was talking to Syaoran about computer chips and electrical voltage,
but Sakura was
barely listening.
She almost had it, it was just a centimeter away from her...
Realization hit her like lightning striking a tree, millions of volts concentrated
in that one blast,
as the very air in the room turned as chilly as winter.
He was Tai Surashi, also known as Agent 9404, but that wasn't the worst of it.
Eros was second in ranking, right under Sakura in the underworld status as an assassin.
As if by some natural instinct, Tai Surashi smiled, amused, his dark blue
eyes glimmering in the
light.
He knew that she knew of his identity.
Damn it.
===============================================================
Winged Guardian: Whoa, I didn't expect that flashback to be so long,
but I quite like that
part. Family love is a beautiful thing.
Winged Guardian: I made this extra long to make up for my long absence so you'd
better be
grateful and review!! Plus I had to pause on updating my site, not to mention
that I was tearing
my hair out because the stupid Microsoft Word wouldn't accept the product key
which I swear
is totally valid! I had to type in one of the school's computer labs while my
friends partied
outside. ;_;
*^*^*^*^*
To
Cherry Blossom 14:
I updated! So there! =P I know you've been waiting since forever and you can
wait again.
*cowers* No!!! Don't hit me!!!
ScarleT RoSe5:
You're welcome. ^-^ Sorry for the long wait, though. *apologetically*
Crimson-Snow1:
Thanks, I hope I lived up to your expectations. ^-^"""
Cheery-blossoms:
Ooo, great idea. I'll definitely consider it, thanks. Now, surely Syaoran would
be smarter than
that. Uh, and please put that sharp object away. I've already updated, ne? And
it's a very long
one too... *laughs nervously*
...and address me by my glorious name as befits me!!!
Sally:
Yep, Sakura will, given time. ^-^
dyt:
Hmm, I updated my site, have a look if you wish and as for your entry in the
guestbook, eh,
ignore her? *suggests*
Inkblots:
I emailed both you and UrbanCinderella but none of you replied yet. *teary-eyed*
And as
promised, here's the extra long chapter which took extra long to get up.
Usagi_Tsukino1:
This one's more cheerful, I hope?
Lexy Ann:
Thanks. ^-^ Not much S+S at the moment, but they need the space and time.
Cystal Jade2:
Hurry up? Eh, alright, I'll try.
Sakura-chan:
Short? Well, this chapter does make up for that, doesn't it? NOOoooooooooo!!!
Don't ask me
to make all the other chapters as long as this one too!!
SaKuRa LoVa:
You know the way some things are said so often that they simply slide right
off? Well, the same
goes for the evil comment, but I'll be generous. You can choose the nice sticky
honey instead.
I'll even throw in the beehive if you wish. Evil, yes, I know.
Pika-ki:
Definitely. I will never put up an author's note saying that I'm sorry but I
don't know how to
continue so I will be stopping the story, that I can promise.
Sword Heart:
I'll try. ^-^""" Now, if only there are plenty of nice people
who ask nicely instead of waving
weapons around casually... *glances meanfully at some people*
Sakura Blossom161:
Thanks for telling me that. I need to know what readers think. ^-^
NiteAngel:
Wow, thanks, I'm glad you like it so much. Sure, I'll email you.
Moon Guardian41:
Sorry for not replying for so long. As you can see, my computer was busted.
*sweatdrops*
WezL:
Thanks. ^-^ Glad ya like it.
Anyway,
Please review and hope you enjoyed reading my fanfic!
Winged Guardian
Heart_given_Wings@yahoo.com.sg
www.geocities.com/pastlives_clowreed