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I Should Have Known
by: Kinomoto Touya

Rating: G - General Patronage
Disclaimer: Sakura, Kaho, Tomoyo, Xiao Lang and the rest of the CCS gang is copyrighted by CLAMP. This is just a fanwork made by a fan for fans.
Author's Notes: Thank you for the comments in the previous chapter. I really enjoyed reading them. This chapter is especially made for Syaoran (or Xiao Lang, the real romanji of his name). Angsty, yes...and...oops! I'll stop there ^_^. Words in italic, means it happens in the past. Except for the quote from Boys Be below.

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"Autumn.
The falling leaves are said to be giving up their places for the new leaves of spring.
Their passing may make us lonely. But there will always be new leaves in spring...
The empty place in my heart probably has the same meaning."

-Kyoichi, Boys Be...

Chapter One: The Melody of the Night

Japan.

I can't believe I am here, riding the limo to my concert.

It's been a long time isn't it? I thought that I, Li Xiao Lang, will never step a foot in this place. Every night, it lingers---the memories of her.

Memories, as they have said, could make you better or bitter. In my case, my memories only made me bitter. I really do not know how to deal with my own memories sometimes. I can feel it hitting my heart, killing me slowly yet surely and painfully.

But then, it is all my fault anyway.

Whenever I am alone, I can clearly hear it. The beautiful yet, at the same time, sad tunes of her songs. I play the piano sometimes, just to remember her more clearly. I know it is painful but deep inside, I always want to keep her alive in my heart---our happy memories together as well the the most sorrowful ones.

Yes, she is all I ever had. My little flower, my Xiao-Huan.

Xiao-Huan. Two years---it has been two years since we have parted nevertheless, you are still the person whom I love most. Unfortunately, you never knew about that.

Her fragile fingers run gracefully upon the yellowish keys of the old grand piano owned by her grand father, a long, long time ago. Ever since she learned how to remember and keep her memories, she knew she wanted one thing: to learn how to play the piano. Her eyes were closed but the sound of the piano then becomes her eyes and her spirits from within. Her spirit then become one with the music. The power of imagination and the truth of reality becomes one at that very moment.

"Xiao-Huan," a voice then called.

She suddenly stopped obediently. "Grandfather," she said, smilingly. "What do you want?"

Her grandfather chuckled a little---a spark of youth still sparkle on his deep gray eyes even though his hair is already long and white and his skin is wrinkled and dark. It is quite odd that he is wearing a black tuxedo today with a red bow to complete his outfit---he usually in his silk Chinese suits. His long hair is still pony tailed neatly though.

"Xiao-Huan," he started, beaming. "I want you to meet Li Xiao Lang." He stepped aside, revealing a little boy with dark brown eyes and chocolate dark brown hair.

"Li Xiao Lang?" she repeated as he looked closely upon the boy's eye---it seems that he have that gaze which seems to care not about the world however a trace of sadness can also be seen. His face is expressionless and he wasn't even smiling too.

Xiao-Huan suddenly felt a little fear and a little pity on him. But she continued with a wide beam upon her face, "I am pleased to meet you. I am Chou Xiao-Huan, Chou Zhong Rong's grand daugther and um..." she then paused, seeing that Xiao Lang shows no interest on what she is saying.

"I am fourteen years old," she just added, without thinking.

"I am Li Xiao Lang. I am eleven years old," to their surprise, Xiao Lang speaks---very fast though. "I am pleased to meet you."

Grandfather Zhong Rong chuckled again. "Hohoho...he is such a good boy, isn't he, Xiao-Huan?"

"Grandfather," Xiao-Huan started. "What brings the young boy here?"

"Oh, Xiao Lang's mother was a former student of mine in traditional Chinese music," Grandfather explained, patting on Xiao Lang's back. "Hohoho...remember Yu Yelan...she is her mother."

"Ah...the honorable Yu Yelan," Xiao Huan thought. "She is very good student of you indeed. She even helped me with playing the piano when I was four. I didn't know that she has such a cute son like you."

"Hohoho...she even have I think four or five other daughters older than Xiao Lang," he then scratched his neatly-tied hair thoughtfully. "They are...hohoho, I forgot all their names. I am really getting older and older with each passing day. Hohoho..."

"Xiao-Huan," Grandfather continued. "Xiao Lang would stay here for some time to learn piano from you."

Her bright smiled disappeared.

"Um...I do not know," she hesitated.

"I am not good enough," she silently finished.

"No," her grandfather disagrees. "I believe you can help him. You can share your talents to him."

"I really do not know." she proceeded. "But..."

"You can do it," Xiao Lang suddenly blurted out---he doesn't know why though. "I know I could learn a lot from you, Xiao-Huan-oneesan."

A faint smile curled upon her lips without her noticing it.

"Domo arigatou gozaimasu, Li-san,"

Xiao-Huan is three yeard older than me. Her gray eyes were always smiling. She always look so beautiful with those long dark grey hair. Indeed she is one of a kind.

Despite of the talents and the good total development of her being, she always have little self-confidence. Very little. Nevertheless, she tried her best to teach me---not only piano but the total beauty of life itself.

I stayed there since the beginning of summer until the end of it. Everything is indeed wonderful in there.

"Xiao-kun," she asked once, while we were lying on the grass fields. "What is one thing you love most in this world?"

"I do not know..." I stupidly replied. "What is there to like? What do you like?"

"I like this moment," she then replied suddenly. "I hope this moment will never end. This is something I love most in this world."

"Me too," Xiao Lang's replied unconsciously.

The wind blew gently upon the fields. Their feeling suddenly felt so light. They felt that they are in one with nature and the whole world was with them.

I still remember everything so clearly. As if everything happened a moment ago.

But why did you die?

"Li-san," the public relations man then said. "We are approaching the concert venue."

"Hai,"

Thousands of people were already outside---most are females. They are all waiting for me.

"Tomoyo-chan," I suddenly heard a voice of a girl outside, somehow, i wondered why her voice sounded so lucid despite the fact that more than a thousand people were talking. "He is here!"

I turned to see her---she is pretty. Her brown hair was tied neatly in a pretty white ribbon and she is in a cute pink skirt with a matching pink sailor-like uniform.

Suddenly, I turned and saw to whom she was talking too, you know the 'Tomoyo',---a girl about her age but...

I saw that face, clearly before.

That is Tomoyo girl is...

Xiao-Huan.

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Author's Notes: That ends Chapter One: The Melody of the Night. Hehehe...it is supposed to be titled, 'The Song of the Night', but...hahaha...there is no song. I messed up again.
Hehehe...what do you think will happen after reading this chappie? This is still a Sakura and Syaoran fan fic, or is it ^_^?
To Anjuliet, Mark Angelo Herras is one of the new stars in GMA-7. He is the winner of the show called Starstruck, which is based on an American reality-based show, American Idol (I think.). Hehehe...I am just sure of one thing, he is such a cute and talented guy!

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