Chapter 8: Mr Li and Touya Kinomoto

After the fight, Sakura was not allowed out of her house for two weeks. Touya would take her to school and Mr Kinomoto would pick her up again. She also had to take a few counselling sessions, but she was deemed healthy and not terribly affected.

Takamura was taken to court, he was charged with Grievous Bodily Harm and attempted rape. He was sentenced to five years in jail.

Syaoran wasn't taken to court but he was charged with Grievous Bodily Harm also, and had to spend three months in the cells.

It had been so long. He looked at the familiar scene before him. The same shops, the same feel, the same memories.

The only thing that had changed was the time, and the new emotions. To him, this place was as bad as it was good. He looked to his left, at the theatre. It had been remodelled.

This was where he met her.

Driving a long a little more, he saw the Penguin Park.

This was where he had confessed his love.

He drove past the hospital.

This was where his son was born.

Turning the corner, onto an almost deserted street, he felt a stinging sensation in his chest.

This was where the crash had happened.

It was such an empty, innocent looking street. Cars barely came past this little road.

'It's the quiet streets you've got to watch out for.' He thought, bitterly, a sad smile flickering across his face.



Syaoran was sitting in his cell when the warden told him he had a visitor. Slowly getting up from his bed, he followed the older man down the hall and into a room with smash-proof windows running down the middle.

The brown-haired boy was shown to a both in the corner, picking up the cream-coloured phone, he put it to his ear.

"Hello." He said, not really looking at his visitor.

"Hello son." Was the uncertain reply.

A few minutes of awkward silence went by.

"So how has school been?" Mr Li asked, trying to start a conversation going. He was a tall man in his forties; he had streaks of grey running through his light brown hair and wrinkles on his forehead and around his mouth. It was obvious where Syaoran had got his got looks from, Mr Li's face contours were the same, chiselled, yet still strangely boyish, you could say that Mr Li looked like an older Syaoran. The only difference was that Syaoran's eyes were a dark, amber-brown, whereas his father had soft, grey eyes. Syaoran got his eyes from his mother.

Syaoran shrugged to the question, still avoiding eye contact.

"Okay I s'pose." He answered.

The older man sighed into the phone. Ever since his mother..........passed away, Syaoran had been so distant. No matter what he did, Syaoran would just push away.

"I hear you're here because of a girl." He continued, raising an eyebrow. If Syaoran weren't going to be sociable, he'd still be, even if he had to do the talking for the both of them.

At this, Syaoran shifted in his seat and glanced at his father.

"Yeah." He said, almost softly.

Mr Li now finally had his son's attention. That was a good thing.

"Was she worth it?" He asked, leaning in a little closer.

Syaoran's face was defiant, but Mr Li could see his amber eyes glazing over and a small taint on his cheeks.

"Yes."



"Touya! I'm fine! Really!" Sakura protested as her older brother escorted her to the corner shop.

"You're fine NOW," He said, grabbing her hand. "But what about when you get into the shop, when you're paying, when you're walking home!" His eyebrows came down so far; they looked almost like one whole eyebrow, shaped like a V.

Sakura sighed loudly, but she was smiling inwardly. Her brother was so cute! Even if he did go over the edge when it came to protecting her, at least he was there.

They made it the shop, with Touya giving any boy who looked at Sakura a death-glare.

"So this Shu-o-rin guy, kicked the hell outta Takamura eh?" Touya asked, sounding almost pleased.

"ShA-o-rAn!" Sakura corrected. "And yes, he did."

"Underestimated the little punk." Touya muttered to himself, taking a huge lick from Sakura's ice cream.

"Hey!" Sakura yelled, covering her ice cream with her free hand.

They walked on in silence for a little while, taking in the sun. Summer was ending and autumn was beginning to pop its head round the corner.

"How long he got left in the slammer?" Touya asked.

"About two and a half months I think." Sakura replied, finishing off her cone.

"He loves you, you know." Touya said, out of the blue.

Choking on her cone, Sakura looked up at her dark-haired brother.

"W-what?" She gasped, as Touya patted her back, none-to-lightly.

"You mean you haven't noticed?!" Touya hit her extra hard. "You kaijuu!"

He hit her on the back of the head.

"I am NOT a kaijuu!" She cried, grabbing her head and turning on him. She glared at him for a while and then-

"How do YOU know he loves me?"

Touya laughed and stroked his chin. "Elementary, my dear Sakura." He said, putting on a terrible English accent.

Put her hands on her hips, she once again glared at her brother. "Don't be so stupid!" She said.

"Ok, ok," He waved his hand nonchantly. "It's so easy to tell." His face became soft as he looked at his sister.

"It's the way he looks at you." He said, smiling lightly.

Before Sakura knew it, she was intrigued. "The way he looks at me?"

"Yeah." Was the reply as Touya ran his large hands through his jet-black hair. "He looks at you like you're the only person in the world." He looked up the sky, his black eyes becoming distant. Sakura knew who he was thinking about.

"You only know all that crap because YOU do it with Yuki kun!" She retorted, smiling evilly.

At this, Touya suddenly lost his coolness and became tomato-red. "S...Sakura chan!" He stuttered, staring at the floor.

Touya always became embarrassed and clumsy whenever anyone mentioned his best friend. Yukito had been Touya's friend since they were ten. He had gone with Touya everywhere, calmed the boy down when he was angry, and comforted him when he was sad. Over the time, both Sakura AND Touya had developed crushes on the white-haired boy. While Sakura got over her girlish crush and found someone she truly cared for, Touya's crush had turned into a deep love for his friend. Of course, he would NEVER confess to Yuki.

"You should TELL HIM Touya kun!" Sakura laughed as her brother composed himself. He thought his secret love WAS a secret, but not from Sakura!

"I-I can't!" He protested, turning red again at the thought of telling Yuki.

"Now who's being dumb" Sakura cackled, hitting Touya's head. "He TOTALLY feels the same way!"

"How would YOU know?" Touya scoffed. Secretly, he was glad she said that.

Now it was Sakura's turn to blush.

"B-because, when I-When I confessed to him." She pulled some hair back behind her ear nervously.

Flashback

"Sakura chan.........."

"It's true! I love you Yukito san!"

"But I.........I........."

"You...don't feel the same way..."

"No, gomen."

"Oh."

"But one day, Sakura chan, you'll find the person you truly care about!"

"Really?!"

"You bet!"

"Have you found the person you care most about, Yuki kun?"

End Flashback

"What the hell does THAT prove?!" Touya shouted, a little disappointed.

"I haven't finished yet!" Sakura shouted back. "He was about to reply when YOU came and told me that dinner was ready and I was late! THAT's when I saw it!"

"Saw what?" Touya's interest had just been rekindled.

"He blushed SOOOOO deeply, and he fiddled with his coat, and as I was leaving, I heard him whisper your name!"

Touya turned pink again and averted eye contact. "Do you really think he feels the same?" He asked after a few moments.

"Won't know till you ask him." Sakura replied, opening the front door.

"Yeah........." Touya whispered. "I guess so."



It had been an uneventful conversation. Mr Li could hardly get two words from his son at a time.

Sighing for what must have been the fifth time that half hour, he stood up.

"I'll see you when you get out, Syaoran." He said, looking down at his son. When did he grow up? Was he always so lifeless?

Mr Li felt a sudden surge of regret. He had missed out on a lot of Syaoran's life, especially after his wife died. He had forgotten that Syaoran was hurting too.

' "IT'S YOUR FAULT SHE'S DEAD!"

"I HATE YOU!"

"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" '

He had blamed Syaoran for so much, he felt sad and lonely, looking down at the boy who only physically resembled him. He would never get into his son's mind.

Syaoran didn't answer; he kept his eyes on the wall. Mr Li cleared his throat.

"You'll be joining me and.........Akiko in Osaka once you've gotten out."

Syaoran's head shot up in anger, he slammed his fist down on the table.

"I'm not going with you." He spat, his teeth gritted.

Mr Li just shook his head and left.



WRITER'S BLOCK! I'm sorry; this was a bit of a pointless chapter. I had trouble writing it. The WORDS wouldn't come OUT properly! I'm just trying to stretch this fic really..........

CONGRATULATIONS! 100 REVIEWS! In this speech, I'd like to thank my parents, little Jimmy with the one eye and ALL of you who've reviewed! Thank YOU!

I read the first volume of Kodocha! It's a bit weird and kinda rushed, I think I'll have to get the second one in order to make up my mind!

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Sakura Clover