----- Sort of a Fairytale
----- Written by Iris (Rainbow) Dreamer
----- DISCLAIMER: Card Captor Sakura solely belongs to Clamp. However, the plot is mine and I would like to remain it that way. Arigato.
----- AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey! This is my new fic! Bear with me here as I suffer my way through my one last stab at the SATs, through college essays, countless college searching, and college applications of my senior year. Needless to say, I'll be very busy. I'll be trying my best to update this, but I'm going to have one hectic senior year!
----- BACKGROUND: Okay! Some background here. Syaoran and Sakura have not met before. Hm. No magic in here either (as some of you might know, I'm horrible at describing magic.....). What else? Oh, the characters may seem a bit out of character in the beginning (especially Sakura), but you'll see why as the story proceeds. Hm. I think that's about it. The rest you'll have to discover yourself! And if you know me, I love twists and turns, although this chapter should have less than ADOHE if you've read that.
----- SPECIAL THANKS: I want to thank every single reader who has read my past stories. This story is for all of you, especially those who had stuck with me through my ups and downs from my first fic.
----- CHAPTER ONE:
The automatic glass doors of the 7-Eleven opened to greet me with a cool wave of air conditioning that is greatly appreciated after standing under the scorching sun for half an hour. Since whoever was to pick me up had not yet arrived, I decided to browse through the magazine rack that was near the window so I could see outside. My eyes caught a fluorescent pink sign that boldly pronounced, "Bestseller for two months already! Millions sold!"
Picking up the magazine, I flipped it until I found the article that made the bestseller. It was titled, "Men: They're Not Worth Crying Over."
I scanned the first few lines, vastly amused at the content.
"We, women, spend so much time worrying over whether that one-in-a-million guy, who seems just so perfect and deadly handsome, has noticed us yet. Countless money is spent lavishly on the brand name clothes, matching shoes, the most expensive, best makeup, and hair appointments so often that every single hair stylist knows your history by heart. And most important of all, stacks of credit cards with eye catching low interests that make you buy more. And of course, paying the money back is the last thing on your mind because as long as that Prince Charming even glances at you for a few seconds, it'll be all worth it. The time, the effort, and the money spent.
Ladies, girls, women, let us stop and think exactly why we're doing this. The male specie that you're so interested in probably doesn't even know your name. Okay, maybe they do. And maybe you're even dating them right now. And most likely you think you're on cloud number nine, floating in the air with happiness, in heaven, and in love. And maybe, you are. And if you are, count yourself lucky. Not everything is a perfect story, like a fairy tale, no matter how hard we wish to find that Prince Charming. And this time, there won't be any fairy godmother either. How will we be able to find the 'happily ever after' written on the last line?"
"She's an amazing writer, isn't she?" A voice asks and I look up from the article to look at the speaker. She smiles at me.
I nod and close the magazine, my finger as a bookmark. "Tomoyo Daidouji." I greet with a curt nod.
The girl with raven hair smiled at me again with lively lily colored eyes. "Sorry I'm late. There was a small car accident on the way here so I took some more time coming here."
"It's okay," I replied with gallant smile. "So, what did you ask me to come here for?"
"There's a Starbucks near here. How about we go there to talk rather than the 7-Eleven?" Tomoyo replied, gesturing to the coffee shop that was just across the street. I nodded and went to the cashier to pay for the magazine.
We sat on a booth on the second floor that overlooked the busy downtown of Tokyo sipping cold refreshing coffee.
"Well, it's been a long time since we've seen each other huh?" Tomoyo asked grinning at me over her cup.
"I remember it was around five years." I asked with a smile as I thought of the past we spent as children together. "It seems almost like yesterday when you bought a new camera and Sakura went downtown to see the movies with us for the first time."
She laughed, remembering that moment. It had taken a lot of convincing for Touya to let his little kaijuu join her friends to have fun back in the summer after fourth grade. "You're still the same Eriol Hirrigiawaza."
"And you, Tomoyo, are lovely and pleasant as ever. I hope everything is well with you?" I replied.
Tomoyo smiled lightly. "I hope it was. Have you kept in contact with Sakura?"
I sobered. "I'm sorry that I could not have been with her when she went through such difficulties. Is she better these days?"
"Slightly better now, since she's found an interest in writing." Tomoyo replied. "However the scars run deep. The second time hurt Sakura even more, being betrayed twice by those she had trusted. Only a year has passed since it had happened."
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Tomoyo, I know you too well for you to hide things from me. What has happened now?" I looked up into the girl's purple eyes that were full of worry.
"Sakura has been receiving letters, you know fan mail. Thankfully she wrote under an alias so the letters have been sent to the publishing company and then they are transferred to Sakura. Of course there are some angry ones, but she's been receiving a few letters that are really awful, which seems to be from the same person." Tomoyo wringed her hands worriedly. She sniffed.
"Do you have the letters with you?" I asked softly, handing the girl my napkin. She nodded miserably as she handed me a letter.
"This one is one of the recent ones." She told me. "Sakura doesn't know that you're here right now and that I have one of her letters. Though she's changed a bit, she's still the same old Sakura when she places her friends before herself." I reached over and held my friend's hands tightly that were trembling.
"Oh, Eriol. She's shutting herself out from others more and training more often. I know that she thinks that it was her fault that she wasn't strong enough then. Sakura has few friends in college other than me."
I gave her a comforting smile, squeezing her hand in reassurance before I briefly scanned the contents of the letters, awful bile filling my mouth as I read the horrid words. It was evil beyond words. I closed my eyes, massaging the bridge of my nose. How could someone have written a letter so cruel?
"Sakura tries to pretend that she's not affected by the letter, but late at night, I find her rereading the letters and crying hard, without sound, over them." Tomoyo continued. "Then she wakes up at dawn and practices."
"Where is our dear Sakura now?" I asked quietly as I closed the letter and slid the letter back to Tomoyo who placed it safely into her pocket in the inside of her jacket.
"She has an afternoon seminary at the university today."
"University has been well for Sakura."
"Yes." Tomoyo said. "She's doing wonderfully well in her classes, but it still contains bad memories."
"Sakura still won't go near the west building in the campus?" I asked, remembering what was written in the letters we wrote to stay in contact. While Sakura wrote of the horrible event, she tried to sound like she had gotten over it. It was Tomoyo who had told me how hurt Sakura really was.
Tomoyo shook her head, her hair framing her face perfectly. "Touya suggested that she transfer to his university but Sakura won't hear of it. Tokyo University is special to her."
I nodded knowingly. When Nadeshiko died when Sakura was just a small girl of five, it tore her heart into pieces. The two shared an unbelievable close bond. And Nadeshiko graduated from Tokyo University and Sakura had always wanted to go there.
"Tomoyo, what do you plan for us to do? About Sakura? I don't like these letters. They seem to know who Sakura is even though she wrote under an alias." I massaged my neck lightly with my right hand. "Have you told Sakura's father about this?"
Tomoyo shook her head. "No, it's better not to worry him. I've talked to Touya about this though. I convinced him to let Sakura stay at Tokyo but he's only going to let her if we,"
She looked at me, her eyes serious and determined. "We have to find Sakura a bodyguard."
-----
"Li, you have a letter," Yamazaki informed him as he found a piece of paper sticking from his friend's mailbox. "And, viola! I have one too!" He pulled out a letter of his own from his mail slot. "Don't you feel so loved?" He sang as he found that the letter was from his dear Chiharu.
Syaoran looked at the letter in his hands and sighed. "Not if it's from some insane friend of mine who's on vacation while I'm doing his crap." He said in a bored tone as he slid the letter into his back pocket of his jeans.
Yamazaki laughed and raised a hand to slap his friend on the back friendly, but Syaoran moved away from it easily. "So, Li, anything new lately?"
He grunted. "Not much. Just some paperwork I have to finish from that last case."
His friend nodded. "Heard from boss that you did a really great job last time."
"I was just doing my work." Syaoran replied stiffly, not wanting to elaborate. He worked hard in the past few years and was now finally handled small cases in the Tokyo police department even if he was just only an intern.
"Yeah, yeah I hear you." Yamazaki replied cheerfully, not the least bit affected by his friend's attitude. "Well, I'm off to work. My break's almost over and I want to read my letter. See you around." With that, the tall young man sauntered off happily towards his office cubicle.
Syaoran sighed and went off to his cubicle. He had little work left and it was only when he was getting up to leave did he feel the stiff letter inside his pocket. Sighing, he sat back down on his chair and decided to see what his crazy friend wanted now.
"You know I don't write to you unless it's important, so stop sighing in exasperation and guard this page carefully Li Xiao Lang. There are things that cannot be said over the phone. Enough said. Knowing you, you must be above all gossip. However, you must have heard the article, "Men: They're Not Worth Crying Over." The author who wrote this article is a close friend of mine. I don't want to say much for there is too much to be said on paper. I have an offer for you. I'm here in Tokyo actually, not in some faraway place having vacation, as you would like to think. I'll be seeing you in your apartment when you return. It won't take long so stop complaining. I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important."
The young man sighed, folding the letter and put it back into his pocket again. Hirrigiawaza just knew him too well to know exactly what his reactions would be. He might as well see what was the matter Eriol was getting all hyped up about.
Eriol, as expected, was sitting in an armchair, facing the entrance when Syaoran opened the door.
"I don't like you to be the first thing I see when I come home, Eriol Hiiragizawa."
"Sit, Syaoran." Eriol commanded, gesturing to the seat in front of him. "The faster we start, the earlier we end."
Syaoran growled, obviously annoyed. "Alright. What does this have to do with that strong feminist figure?"
"Her name's Sakura Kinomoto." Eriol started. "She has her own reasons of distrusting men that I won't say here. All I came here was to show this letter." He offered the ominous red letter towards his friend. Syaoran looked at it before opening it and reading it.
There was a slight pause that drifted after Syaoran finished the letter. "What does this have to do with me?" He asked quietly. "I'm a police in training. Not a professional. If you wanted real help, you should have asked someone else."
Eriol shook his head. "This isn't the only one Sakura's been receiving. Tomoyo, a friend of mine and the best friend of Sakura, has told me that this one is the fifth one already. Don't you think they sound like the person knows her?"
His friend sighed and reread the letter carefully. "Perhaps, but her article was bound to cause some unrest, especially the males. She should have expected it when she sent that article for publication."
"Sakura was, and she has received a lot of flames, but this is different." Eriol firmly stated. "Syaoran, this guy wants her dead. It can't be that simple."
Syaoran remained silent. After a while he spoke. "Eriol, I can't help her. As I said before, I'm not a police. I don't have that training. I don't have that power or authority."
His friend shook his azure head with a slight smile on his face that made Syaoran frown in suspicion. "We're not looking for a police. We're looking for a bodyguard."
Syaoran glared at Eriol. "You're stating the impossible. I don't do that either."
Eriol sighed. "Look, it's like this. The only way Sakura can stay at Tokyo University is to have a bodyguard, under her brother's orders. And Tomoyo and I believe it's best if Sakura doesn't move; her world is unsteady as it is. She's been through horrors that are nightmares."
"What about the rest of the family? Her parents? What do they have to say about this?"
"Sakura's mother died when she was five. Her father is being hospitalized." He replied shortly. "Her brother, Touya, is currently in his third year in graduate school. Tomoyo is her relative and her best friend."
Syaoran sighed, running a hand through his messy chestnut colored hair, which only succeeded in making his hair more unkempt. "Look, I'm not a psychiatrist or a bodyguard. I don't know how to do things you're asking me to do."
"Syaoran, just think about it, okay?" Eriol asked. "Besides, Sakura'll probably reject having a bodyguard anyways. She is quite capable of taking care of herself nowadays." He continued thoughtfully.
-----
"Sakura! Please!" Tomoyo begged as her friend's emerald eyes blazed angrily.
"Tomoyo, I can handle this myself. I do not need some MALE bodyguard living with me! I can protect myself Tomoyo. You know that I'm a professional martial artist and I have a teaching permit for kung fu." Sakura said furiously. "Why must I have a bodyguard?"
Tomoyo sighed. She thought it would be better that she didn't get Touya involved in this. "Oh, Sakura. I'm worried for you. Whoever's writing those evil letters truly wants to cause you harm. The bodyguard will just only be a person watching your back."
Sakura just grunted with her arms folded stubbornly across her chest.
"I met Eriol this afternoon," her friend continued. "He's just as worried as I am of you."
"Eriol's here?" Sakura whispered. She and Eriol were close friends and their history went even further back than Tomoyo who she had met in fourth grade. "In Tokyo?"
Tomoyo had to smile a bit. "He's taken up an internship at the police department for some credit for his graduate school. Eriol said he would be transferring to our university."
With those words, Sakura let out a rare smile that made her face light up with delight. "I can't wait to see him! It's been forever."
Tomoyo nodded in agreement. "So will you try it? Have a bodyguard?"
A frown immediately replaced the smile that was on her face.
"Eriol offered to look for a bodyguard for us. He said he has a friend who's really good a martial arts as you are." Her friend comforted. "You trust me, don't you? And Eriol? Nothing bad would come out of this, Sakura. We're all worried for you."
Sakura looked up into Tomoyo eyes that were full of worry and her eyes glistened with wetness. Feeling guilty, the girl got to her feet and gave her best friend a long tight hug. Tomoyo rested her head on Sakura's shoulders as she patted Sakura's back comfortably.
-----
"So, what's this girl's name?" Syaoran asked after taking a long gulp of his beer.
Eriol took a small sip of his beer instead of sighing. "Sakura Kinomoto." It was better not to mention that he had told Syaoran five times already. Syaoran usually never forgot anything once he was told once, but Eriol, being the long time friend that he was, knew that he was worried about the choice he had to make.
"And she's in her sophomore year at Tokyo University?" The brown haired young man asked, frowning to get his facts straight. Must be the damn beer that was making him think unclearly.
"Hai. And you'll be enrolling for your second year of graduate." Eriol told him patiently while biting his tongue to keep himself from sighing out loud. "She's going to be four years younger than you. Sakura at eighteen, and you at twenty-two."
Syaoran growled at his friend. "I know how old I am, Eriol Hirrigiawaza. I'm not that stupid."
Eriol just made a frustrated gesture with his hands. "Look, you're meeting her tomorrow with Tomoyo and I don't want her to think you're some idiot. After all, her opinion of males are pretty strong, and you don't want to get on the wrong side of her."
The agitated male snorted. "Of course. I mean, she is the one who believes that men are useless. How I wish to be on the good side of her," Syaoran drawled sarcastically.
"Syaoran, just shut up will you?" Eriol snapped. "This is serious."
"Sorry," Syaoran mumbled, placing his empty beer can on the table of his living room. He settled back into the leather couch and rested his head back. "This is a big decision. You know I'm not a bodyguard and I don't have any training or any sense of what exactly I am to do. Knowing martial arts doesn't classify one as being qualified. Does Kinomoto know I'm not a professional?"
Eriol ran a hand through his hair, sighing out loud at last. "Well, I'm not sure she'd like a professional. From what Tomoyo told me over the phone, she had to practically wheedle Sakura into the deal, with leaving the fact about her brother of course. Actually Sakura's quite capable of handling herself, a martial expert like you."
"Then why the heck,"
"Should you be bodyguard?" Eriol finished, giving a mild glare to his companion. "I've told you that already."
"Okay!" Syaoran barked angrily. "What time tomorrow?"
"The four of us will be having a pleasant lunch at the Ritz Café." The young man said, forcing the "pleasant" and giving the other another dirty look.
Syaoran whistled, clearing undaunted. "Who's paying?"
Eriol sighed again. Syaoran could be a pain sometimes when he really wanted to. "I will be, okay? Happy now?"
"Perfectly," he replied smugly. Not only was Ritz Café one of the best café around, it was also one of the more expensive one. And getting Eriol to pay for him was a special treat. "Now, I think I'll go to bed. I knew I shouldn't have drank that cheap beer from the vending machine at the bottom of the apartment."
Eriol gave him a small smile and waved his hand to show that Syaoran was dismissed. It was perfectly normal, for Syaoran that is, to go to sleep around ten and wake up at four in the morning to practice. Why he still practiced probably came out of a "good" habit from his childhood when his mother wanted him to become a champion martial artist like his deceased father. And he did. Count on Syaoran to achieve his goals.
----- Sakura -----
The clock beeped quietly beside my ear and I quickly pressed the button to turn it off before it could awake Tomoyo, who is my roommate at the university and also happens to be a light sleeper. I yawned, made myself to the bathroom I shared with two other people at the room beside ours. After taking a quick cold shower that made my brain going in a snap, I pulled on my tight black shorts and a navy tank top and headed towards the huge gym. Due to my good performance, two gold, one sliver, and two bronze at final competitions, I was given the key to the gym where I could practice early every morning. Otherwise, the gym was opened at eight.
I breathed in the fresh smell of dawn, letting myself relax before running the usual five laps around the gymnasium. I was practicing my punches when I heard the door open and someone come inside. I scowled and eyed to see who had dared cross me. Must be some new student. Others knew better than to bother me during practice. Only Tomoyo had the privilege of interrupting me so far.
My eyes widened as I saw who it was. "Eriol!" I squealed, running over to him, my eyes lighting up. I gave him a tight hug, which he returned. "How are you?"
He grinned and I knew he didn't change. That same smile that greeted me years ago greeted me again today. "Lovely, Sakura. And how are you?"
I beamed at him. "Wonderful, better than I've been in ages."
"I'm glad." He replied in the same gentlemanly manner. "You're still as sharp on your practice."
I gave him a small smile and shrugged.
"Well, I decided to come here earlier to see how you are." He told me with a gentle smile, wisely changing the topic. He's just as considerate as he left five years ago. I'm glad that some things won't change forever, and I'm glad that one of those things is my friendship with Eriol as well as Tomoyo. Friends really are forever. "Besides, we won't be able to talk later much since we'll have other matters to deal with during lunch."
"Sakura, dear, you're scowling." He teased, drawing a slight smile from my cross face. "Let me guess. You're not too happy about the whole bodyguard situation?"
I snorted in contempt.
"Ah, just what I thought. But don't worry, Saku. This young gentleman isn't so happy either. I'm sure you guys will come along perfectly well when we meet this noon."
"Whatever, Eriol. This guy better not double cross me or he'll end up worse than the last guy who dared." I told him, inhaling sharply. Eriol winced slightly and nodded.
"Tomoyo should still be sleeping so I don't think you should bother her." I said, calming down, while doing a few arm exercises to keep myself in practice mode.
"Mm." Eriol nodded in agreement and looked at the clock on the wall that indicated it was five thirty in the morning already. "Well then. Are you done practicing or shall I wait for you? I was planning that the three of us could have breakfast together and catch up on stuff."
I smiled and nodded. "Sure." I glanced at the clock again and did some quick calculations in my head. "I'll just practice some more tomorrow morning. Wait for me while I take a quick shower."
Eriol, being the gentleman that he is, gallantly nodded. When I came out, dressed in a pair of beach shorts and an emerald tank with my wet hair around my shoulder, Eriol was sitting by the bench with two bottles of juice.
"Here Saku." He threw a can at me and I caught it with ease with my right hand. I nodded my thanks before gulping the cool juice down my parched throat. "Come on, let's go wake Tomoyo up."
----- Syaoran -----
I sighed, my arms crossed at my chest as I leaned against the cool glass window of the Ritz café. A waiter that came earlier who told it wasn't safe leaning against the window, hinting that I was dirtying it, was given a quick glare. Problem solved. Not only was I meeting that huge feminist figure I had to stick around with for a long time, wearing black dress pants and a white button up shirt was not my idea of comfort on a hot summer day. Besides, I had been waiting for ten minutes.
"Now look! We're late!" I heard a female voice complain.
"That, Tomoyo, would be your fault." Her female companion replied. "I don't see why you insist on me wearing a dress. Pants is perfectly presentable and it's not like I'm meeting president or anything."
"Ohhh," The first person tried to argue but quickly gave up. "Saku, you're impossible, you know that?"
"I know." She replied. "But I give you credit for forcing me into this ridiculous dress. Now I can't even walk properly."
I smirked as I identified the voices that were coming towards me. This actually was going to be more interesting than I thought it would be. As I leaned off the window, I could practically hear the waiter who had kept a wary eye on me, whisper "finally." Turning around a giving the speaker a smirk, I walked over to the trio.
"Ah, ladies, this would be Syaoran Li. A friend and bodyguard." Eriol introduced politely. An auburn haired tall girl with stunning green eyes was glaring forcibly at me before turning quickly to Eriol.
"Eriol, I'm going to stay this right now. He'll only be my bodyguard and that only. You can forget the friend part." She said crisply. "And if you don't mind, the heat is unbearable and there is such a thing as an inside to a building." With that, the girl quickly made her way inside. I smirked as the girl walked a bit inelegantly on black heels that was companioned a long royal purple skirt with an elegant white sleeveless blouse.
The remaining girl who was slightly shorter with long wavy raven hair with light purple eyes gave me an apologetic smile. "Li, nice to meet you. I'm Tomoyo Daidouji and the other girl would be Sakura Kinomoto."
I just glanced and her before heading into the café myself. Like Kinomoto said, it really was too hot to be outside. Tomoyo and Eriol shared a glace, Tomoyo looking awfully confused while Eriol just grinned. The two seemed so alike.
-----
As it turned out, Sakura didn't say much after her little speech. She mostly spent her time glancing out the window and drumming her fingers on the table. Syaoran had a similar bored expression on his face. Sure lunch had been good, great actually, but he too wondered when this so called meeting would be over. It seemed like the only people who were having fun were Tomoyo and Eriol who were chatting happily. Sakura sighed inwardly as she glanced at her two friends talking happily. It would be rude to interrupt them so she pulled out a notebook from her bag and decided to write some. By the pace Eriol and Tomoyo and talking, she wouldn't be surprised if they had to be here for another two hours or so.
Syaoran looked around himself and found that everyone had found something to do. Cursing his misfortune, he decided to read that feminist article that Eriol had brought along with him. And as he started to read, he found that the article, "Men: They're Not Worth Crying Over" was actually pretty well written. It wasn't at all a total feminist, men-are-evil-creatures article. It was simply asking women why they did such drastic measures for guy who's frankly not worth it. And him, being a guy, actually understood a tiny bit what women were actually thinking.
"Good, Syaoran?" Eriol asked with a sweet voice. Syaoran just closed the magazine and chose not to respond.
Sakura, who had finished her last thoughts in her notebook, saved Syaoran by asking, "Are we done talking? It's already three. We've been here since eleven-thirty."
Eriol and Tomoyo shared a sheepish look. "Uh, Saku, we still have something important to say. You know, some rules." He shot an apprehensive look at Tomoyo, wondering if he had said the right thing.
Sakura sighed loudly. "What rules," She asked warily.
"For starters," Tomoyo said, deciding to take the matters into her own hands. Sakura listened to her most of the time and Eriol was a bit rusty at convincing Sakura into things after being gone for five years. "Li here has to transfer to Tokyo University. Eriol has volunteered to do that for Li and himself. While I'll try to be with Sakura at all times, Li, it's your responsibility to be with her from class to class."
"What? I'm a graduate and she's an undergraduate. How are our courses going to meet?" Syaoran pointed out.
Sakura nodded in agreement. "Besides, what will everyone think when a guy, who I might mention is four years older than me, goes with me everywhere? It's not like we know each other or anything."
Eriol and Tomoyo shared another uneasy look. Clearly they did not want to mention what was coming up. Neither wanted to be the one to say it.
"Spit it out Tomoyo." Sakura said. "What can be worse than having a male bodyguard anyways?"
"Uh, well, Sakura, I understand if you kill me and Eriol after this, but it's the only solution we have. Truly." Tomoyo said quickly.
"And?"
"Li has to be your boyfriend." The girl meekly said with fast speed.
"What?" Sakura yelled while Syaoran cursed loudly. The neighboring tables glared at them but the two just ignored them.
"You're stating the impossible." Syaoran declared. "Can't we just make something else up? It's worse enough that I have to be her bodyguard."
"You," Sakura whirled her fiery eyes on him, "watch what you say. I'm the one suffering here; so shut your mouth. I can protect myself and only heaven knows why I have to have a bodyguard now. I should have had one from birth then, shouldn't I? Then all those bad stuff wouldn't have happened." She said bitterly. "You can't stop things from happening." And before anyone could say anything, Sakura had already left the table.
After a moment of silence, a sound of a chair being pushed back was heard and Syaoran stood up. Tomoyo and Eriol looked up at him. "I'll go see how she is," He said gruffly with a tone of reluctance. "My job anyhow; might as well start now." The two watched his figure leave.
"Let him go." Eriol told Tomoyo softly. The girl was half out of her seat, worry for her best friend clearly shown upon her face. He reached over and held the girl's cold hands and pulled lightly.
Tomoyo looked at him, seeing the worry in his azure eyes, and sat down in her seat. "It's not like Sakura to spill her thoughts out like that, she's usually quite reserved."
Eriol nodded, in deep thought as well. "She's changed a lot even though she tries to hide it from me."
-----
The first place to look was naturally at the bathroom so Syaoran headed towards there. But just as he saw the bathroom side and walked towards it, a figure walked passed him, shoving him roughly without a word.
"What the hell?" Syaoran roared, but the figure had already gone. Muttering another string of curse words under his breath, he came to the red door with "Ladies" marked upon it with fancy gold letters. "Damn, now what?" He asked himself.
An old lady was eyeing him with a suspicious eye; her nose raised high as if she smelled something rotten. Syaoran swore under his breath once more, but pasted a polite smile on his face.
"Miss, could I ask a favor?" The old grandma's eyes turned into slits, her grip on her wooden cane tightened, ready to strike whenever needed. Syaoran bit the side of his mouth to refrain himself from yelling.
"My friend," He rolled his eyes mentally when he said that word, "was feeling unwell and I wanted to ask if she was okay." The lady's eyes softened a bit and her mad dog glare was gone.
"Could you just go into the ladies' room and ask for a Sakura Kinomoto?"
"Alright lad, I'll do it." The lady sighed, but shot him a glare. "But you better not be lying to me!" She said, waving her finger warningly at him.
Syaoran smiled weakly. "Of course not."
The old lady came out a few minutes however to say that there was no one by the name "Sakura Kinomoto" in the bathroom. Syaoran frowned and recalculated in his mind where else could the damn girl be. Then his mind flashed back to the rude figure that had bumped him. Figures, he thought. After thanking the old lady, who became much more polite and friendly, he decided with a groan to search for that girl.
She was definitely not what he had expected. The strong personality was admirable to a certain degree, that is, when you're not the object of her sharp tongue. At least she was better than those females who were flirtatious. Ah, the irony. It just made him think of the article Sakura had written. Indeed, the irony.
Syaoran, after walking annoyed in the scorching sun, had untucked his dress shirt and unbuttoned the buttons as well. Seriously, whoever invented those business suit pants did not make them comfortable. For starters, they were stuffy and sweat just made the pants stick to the legs. Talk about discomfort.
Anyhow, Syaoran finally spotted Sakura dangerously close to a pond. Squinting, he saw her bend dangerously close to the water. "Hey! What are you doing?" he yelled, running over. However Sakura did not hear him, now standing unsteadily next to the deep pond.
----- Cliffhanger! Okay, sorry, especially since it's the first chapter, but I just wanted to see if you guys were here with me. Not sleeping? Not reading this with heavy lidded eyes? Not yawning in boredom? I hope not. * Chuckles nervously *
Anyhow, I want to know how this is. And if you're wondering, ADOHE epilogue isn't up yet. I know, I know. I'm just really busy these days, and as for reasons, look at my author's note. I don't want to remind myself of all those horrors I have to accomplish. * Shudders * I wrote the beginning to this story while I was finishing up ADOHE. But, you guys might have to wait for a long time until I update this story. Which do you prefer? ADOHE epilogue or the next chapter of this new story? TELL ME. I want to plan everything out before time.
Except for that, happy moon festival for those who celebrate it. Other than that, see you guys until next time. Hopefully I'll survive the college process. Oh! Any suggestions on where I should go? And don't say Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, MIT, Rice, Duke, Northwestern, and all those other extremely elite school. You'll just make me more depressed than I already am. LoL. Ja!
Rainbow Dreamer, or should I say Iris dreamer????
----- Written by Iris (Rainbow) Dreamer
----- DISCLAIMER: Card Captor Sakura solely belongs to Clamp. However, the plot is mine and I would like to remain it that way. Arigato.
----- AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey! This is my new fic! Bear with me here as I suffer my way through my one last stab at the SATs, through college essays, countless college searching, and college applications of my senior year. Needless to say, I'll be very busy. I'll be trying my best to update this, but I'm going to have one hectic senior year!
----- BACKGROUND: Okay! Some background here. Syaoran and Sakura have not met before. Hm. No magic in here either (as some of you might know, I'm horrible at describing magic.....). What else? Oh, the characters may seem a bit out of character in the beginning (especially Sakura), but you'll see why as the story proceeds. Hm. I think that's about it. The rest you'll have to discover yourself! And if you know me, I love twists and turns, although this chapter should have less than ADOHE if you've read that.
----- SPECIAL THANKS: I want to thank every single reader who has read my past stories. This story is for all of you, especially those who had stuck with me through my ups and downs from my first fic.
----- CHAPTER ONE:
The automatic glass doors of the 7-Eleven opened to greet me with a cool wave of air conditioning that is greatly appreciated after standing under the scorching sun for half an hour. Since whoever was to pick me up had not yet arrived, I decided to browse through the magazine rack that was near the window so I could see outside. My eyes caught a fluorescent pink sign that boldly pronounced, "Bestseller for two months already! Millions sold!"
Picking up the magazine, I flipped it until I found the article that made the bestseller. It was titled, "Men: They're Not Worth Crying Over."
I scanned the first few lines, vastly amused at the content.
"We, women, spend so much time worrying over whether that one-in-a-million guy, who seems just so perfect and deadly handsome, has noticed us yet. Countless money is spent lavishly on the brand name clothes, matching shoes, the most expensive, best makeup, and hair appointments so often that every single hair stylist knows your history by heart. And most important of all, stacks of credit cards with eye catching low interests that make you buy more. And of course, paying the money back is the last thing on your mind because as long as that Prince Charming even glances at you for a few seconds, it'll be all worth it. The time, the effort, and the money spent.
Ladies, girls, women, let us stop and think exactly why we're doing this. The male specie that you're so interested in probably doesn't even know your name. Okay, maybe they do. And maybe you're even dating them right now. And most likely you think you're on cloud number nine, floating in the air with happiness, in heaven, and in love. And maybe, you are. And if you are, count yourself lucky. Not everything is a perfect story, like a fairy tale, no matter how hard we wish to find that Prince Charming. And this time, there won't be any fairy godmother either. How will we be able to find the 'happily ever after' written on the last line?"
"She's an amazing writer, isn't she?" A voice asks and I look up from the article to look at the speaker. She smiles at me.
I nod and close the magazine, my finger as a bookmark. "Tomoyo Daidouji." I greet with a curt nod.
The girl with raven hair smiled at me again with lively lily colored eyes. "Sorry I'm late. There was a small car accident on the way here so I took some more time coming here."
"It's okay," I replied with gallant smile. "So, what did you ask me to come here for?"
"There's a Starbucks near here. How about we go there to talk rather than the 7-Eleven?" Tomoyo replied, gesturing to the coffee shop that was just across the street. I nodded and went to the cashier to pay for the magazine.
We sat on a booth on the second floor that overlooked the busy downtown of Tokyo sipping cold refreshing coffee.
"Well, it's been a long time since we've seen each other huh?" Tomoyo asked grinning at me over her cup.
"I remember it was around five years." I asked with a smile as I thought of the past we spent as children together. "It seems almost like yesterday when you bought a new camera and Sakura went downtown to see the movies with us for the first time."
She laughed, remembering that moment. It had taken a lot of convincing for Touya to let his little kaijuu join her friends to have fun back in the summer after fourth grade. "You're still the same Eriol Hirrigiawaza."
"And you, Tomoyo, are lovely and pleasant as ever. I hope everything is well with you?" I replied.
Tomoyo smiled lightly. "I hope it was. Have you kept in contact with Sakura?"
I sobered. "I'm sorry that I could not have been with her when she went through such difficulties. Is she better these days?"
"Slightly better now, since she's found an interest in writing." Tomoyo replied. "However the scars run deep. The second time hurt Sakura even more, being betrayed twice by those she had trusted. Only a year has passed since it had happened."
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Tomoyo, I know you too well for you to hide things from me. What has happened now?" I looked up into the girl's purple eyes that were full of worry.
"Sakura has been receiving letters, you know fan mail. Thankfully she wrote under an alias so the letters have been sent to the publishing company and then they are transferred to Sakura. Of course there are some angry ones, but she's been receiving a few letters that are really awful, which seems to be from the same person." Tomoyo wringed her hands worriedly. She sniffed.
"Do you have the letters with you?" I asked softly, handing the girl my napkin. She nodded miserably as she handed me a letter.
"This one is one of the recent ones." She told me. "Sakura doesn't know that you're here right now and that I have one of her letters. Though she's changed a bit, she's still the same old Sakura when she places her friends before herself." I reached over and held my friend's hands tightly that were trembling.
"Oh, Eriol. She's shutting herself out from others more and training more often. I know that she thinks that it was her fault that she wasn't strong enough then. Sakura has few friends in college other than me."
I gave her a comforting smile, squeezing her hand in reassurance before I briefly scanned the contents of the letters, awful bile filling my mouth as I read the horrid words. It was evil beyond words. I closed my eyes, massaging the bridge of my nose. How could someone have written a letter so cruel?
"Sakura tries to pretend that she's not affected by the letter, but late at night, I find her rereading the letters and crying hard, without sound, over them." Tomoyo continued. "Then she wakes up at dawn and practices."
"Where is our dear Sakura now?" I asked quietly as I closed the letter and slid the letter back to Tomoyo who placed it safely into her pocket in the inside of her jacket.
"She has an afternoon seminary at the university today."
"University has been well for Sakura."
"Yes." Tomoyo said. "She's doing wonderfully well in her classes, but it still contains bad memories."
"Sakura still won't go near the west building in the campus?" I asked, remembering what was written in the letters we wrote to stay in contact. While Sakura wrote of the horrible event, she tried to sound like she had gotten over it. It was Tomoyo who had told me how hurt Sakura really was.
Tomoyo shook her head, her hair framing her face perfectly. "Touya suggested that she transfer to his university but Sakura won't hear of it. Tokyo University is special to her."
I nodded knowingly. When Nadeshiko died when Sakura was just a small girl of five, it tore her heart into pieces. The two shared an unbelievable close bond. And Nadeshiko graduated from Tokyo University and Sakura had always wanted to go there.
"Tomoyo, what do you plan for us to do? About Sakura? I don't like these letters. They seem to know who Sakura is even though she wrote under an alias." I massaged my neck lightly with my right hand. "Have you told Sakura's father about this?"
Tomoyo shook her head. "No, it's better not to worry him. I've talked to Touya about this though. I convinced him to let Sakura stay at Tokyo but he's only going to let her if we,"
She looked at me, her eyes serious and determined. "We have to find Sakura a bodyguard."
-----
"Li, you have a letter," Yamazaki informed him as he found a piece of paper sticking from his friend's mailbox. "And, viola! I have one too!" He pulled out a letter of his own from his mail slot. "Don't you feel so loved?" He sang as he found that the letter was from his dear Chiharu.
Syaoran looked at the letter in his hands and sighed. "Not if it's from some insane friend of mine who's on vacation while I'm doing his crap." He said in a bored tone as he slid the letter into his back pocket of his jeans.
Yamazaki laughed and raised a hand to slap his friend on the back friendly, but Syaoran moved away from it easily. "So, Li, anything new lately?"
He grunted. "Not much. Just some paperwork I have to finish from that last case."
His friend nodded. "Heard from boss that you did a really great job last time."
"I was just doing my work." Syaoran replied stiffly, not wanting to elaborate. He worked hard in the past few years and was now finally handled small cases in the Tokyo police department even if he was just only an intern.
"Yeah, yeah I hear you." Yamazaki replied cheerfully, not the least bit affected by his friend's attitude. "Well, I'm off to work. My break's almost over and I want to read my letter. See you around." With that, the tall young man sauntered off happily towards his office cubicle.
Syaoran sighed and went off to his cubicle. He had little work left and it was only when he was getting up to leave did he feel the stiff letter inside his pocket. Sighing, he sat back down on his chair and decided to see what his crazy friend wanted now.
"You know I don't write to you unless it's important, so stop sighing in exasperation and guard this page carefully Li Xiao Lang. There are things that cannot be said over the phone. Enough said. Knowing you, you must be above all gossip. However, you must have heard the article, "Men: They're Not Worth Crying Over." The author who wrote this article is a close friend of mine. I don't want to say much for there is too much to be said on paper. I have an offer for you. I'm here in Tokyo actually, not in some faraway place having vacation, as you would like to think. I'll be seeing you in your apartment when you return. It won't take long so stop complaining. I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important."
The young man sighed, folding the letter and put it back into his pocket again. Hirrigiawaza just knew him too well to know exactly what his reactions would be. He might as well see what was the matter Eriol was getting all hyped up about.
Eriol, as expected, was sitting in an armchair, facing the entrance when Syaoran opened the door.
"I don't like you to be the first thing I see when I come home, Eriol Hiiragizawa."
"Sit, Syaoran." Eriol commanded, gesturing to the seat in front of him. "The faster we start, the earlier we end."
Syaoran growled, obviously annoyed. "Alright. What does this have to do with that strong feminist figure?"
"Her name's Sakura Kinomoto." Eriol started. "She has her own reasons of distrusting men that I won't say here. All I came here was to show this letter." He offered the ominous red letter towards his friend. Syaoran looked at it before opening it and reading it.
There was a slight pause that drifted after Syaoran finished the letter. "What does this have to do with me?" He asked quietly. "I'm a police in training. Not a professional. If you wanted real help, you should have asked someone else."
Eriol shook his head. "This isn't the only one Sakura's been receiving. Tomoyo, a friend of mine and the best friend of Sakura, has told me that this one is the fifth one already. Don't you think they sound like the person knows her?"
His friend sighed and reread the letter carefully. "Perhaps, but her article was bound to cause some unrest, especially the males. She should have expected it when she sent that article for publication."
"Sakura was, and she has received a lot of flames, but this is different." Eriol firmly stated. "Syaoran, this guy wants her dead. It can't be that simple."
Syaoran remained silent. After a while he spoke. "Eriol, I can't help her. As I said before, I'm not a police. I don't have that training. I don't have that power or authority."
His friend shook his azure head with a slight smile on his face that made Syaoran frown in suspicion. "We're not looking for a police. We're looking for a bodyguard."
Syaoran glared at Eriol. "You're stating the impossible. I don't do that either."
Eriol sighed. "Look, it's like this. The only way Sakura can stay at Tokyo University is to have a bodyguard, under her brother's orders. And Tomoyo and I believe it's best if Sakura doesn't move; her world is unsteady as it is. She's been through horrors that are nightmares."
"What about the rest of the family? Her parents? What do they have to say about this?"
"Sakura's mother died when she was five. Her father is being hospitalized." He replied shortly. "Her brother, Touya, is currently in his third year in graduate school. Tomoyo is her relative and her best friend."
Syaoran sighed, running a hand through his messy chestnut colored hair, which only succeeded in making his hair more unkempt. "Look, I'm not a psychiatrist or a bodyguard. I don't know how to do things you're asking me to do."
"Syaoran, just think about it, okay?" Eriol asked. "Besides, Sakura'll probably reject having a bodyguard anyways. She is quite capable of taking care of herself nowadays." He continued thoughtfully.
-----
"Sakura! Please!" Tomoyo begged as her friend's emerald eyes blazed angrily.
"Tomoyo, I can handle this myself. I do not need some MALE bodyguard living with me! I can protect myself Tomoyo. You know that I'm a professional martial artist and I have a teaching permit for kung fu." Sakura said furiously. "Why must I have a bodyguard?"
Tomoyo sighed. She thought it would be better that she didn't get Touya involved in this. "Oh, Sakura. I'm worried for you. Whoever's writing those evil letters truly wants to cause you harm. The bodyguard will just only be a person watching your back."
Sakura just grunted with her arms folded stubbornly across her chest.
"I met Eriol this afternoon," her friend continued. "He's just as worried as I am of you."
"Eriol's here?" Sakura whispered. She and Eriol were close friends and their history went even further back than Tomoyo who she had met in fourth grade. "In Tokyo?"
Tomoyo had to smile a bit. "He's taken up an internship at the police department for some credit for his graduate school. Eriol said he would be transferring to our university."
With those words, Sakura let out a rare smile that made her face light up with delight. "I can't wait to see him! It's been forever."
Tomoyo nodded in agreement. "So will you try it? Have a bodyguard?"
A frown immediately replaced the smile that was on her face.
"Eriol offered to look for a bodyguard for us. He said he has a friend who's really good a martial arts as you are." Her friend comforted. "You trust me, don't you? And Eriol? Nothing bad would come out of this, Sakura. We're all worried for you."
Sakura looked up into Tomoyo eyes that were full of worry and her eyes glistened with wetness. Feeling guilty, the girl got to her feet and gave her best friend a long tight hug. Tomoyo rested her head on Sakura's shoulders as she patted Sakura's back comfortably.
-----
"So, what's this girl's name?" Syaoran asked after taking a long gulp of his beer.
Eriol took a small sip of his beer instead of sighing. "Sakura Kinomoto." It was better not to mention that he had told Syaoran five times already. Syaoran usually never forgot anything once he was told once, but Eriol, being the long time friend that he was, knew that he was worried about the choice he had to make.
"And she's in her sophomore year at Tokyo University?" The brown haired young man asked, frowning to get his facts straight. Must be the damn beer that was making him think unclearly.
"Hai. And you'll be enrolling for your second year of graduate." Eriol told him patiently while biting his tongue to keep himself from sighing out loud. "She's going to be four years younger than you. Sakura at eighteen, and you at twenty-two."
Syaoran growled at his friend. "I know how old I am, Eriol Hirrigiawaza. I'm not that stupid."
Eriol just made a frustrated gesture with his hands. "Look, you're meeting her tomorrow with Tomoyo and I don't want her to think you're some idiot. After all, her opinion of males are pretty strong, and you don't want to get on the wrong side of her."
The agitated male snorted. "Of course. I mean, she is the one who believes that men are useless. How I wish to be on the good side of her," Syaoran drawled sarcastically.
"Syaoran, just shut up will you?" Eriol snapped. "This is serious."
"Sorry," Syaoran mumbled, placing his empty beer can on the table of his living room. He settled back into the leather couch and rested his head back. "This is a big decision. You know I'm not a bodyguard and I don't have any training or any sense of what exactly I am to do. Knowing martial arts doesn't classify one as being qualified. Does Kinomoto know I'm not a professional?"
Eriol ran a hand through his hair, sighing out loud at last. "Well, I'm not sure she'd like a professional. From what Tomoyo told me over the phone, she had to practically wheedle Sakura into the deal, with leaving the fact about her brother of course. Actually Sakura's quite capable of handling herself, a martial expert like you."
"Then why the heck,"
"Should you be bodyguard?" Eriol finished, giving a mild glare to his companion. "I've told you that already."
"Okay!" Syaoran barked angrily. "What time tomorrow?"
"The four of us will be having a pleasant lunch at the Ritz Café." The young man said, forcing the "pleasant" and giving the other another dirty look.
Syaoran whistled, clearing undaunted. "Who's paying?"
Eriol sighed again. Syaoran could be a pain sometimes when he really wanted to. "I will be, okay? Happy now?"
"Perfectly," he replied smugly. Not only was Ritz Café one of the best café around, it was also one of the more expensive one. And getting Eriol to pay for him was a special treat. "Now, I think I'll go to bed. I knew I shouldn't have drank that cheap beer from the vending machine at the bottom of the apartment."
Eriol gave him a small smile and waved his hand to show that Syaoran was dismissed. It was perfectly normal, for Syaoran that is, to go to sleep around ten and wake up at four in the morning to practice. Why he still practiced probably came out of a "good" habit from his childhood when his mother wanted him to become a champion martial artist like his deceased father. And he did. Count on Syaoran to achieve his goals.
----- Sakura -----
The clock beeped quietly beside my ear and I quickly pressed the button to turn it off before it could awake Tomoyo, who is my roommate at the university and also happens to be a light sleeper. I yawned, made myself to the bathroom I shared with two other people at the room beside ours. After taking a quick cold shower that made my brain going in a snap, I pulled on my tight black shorts and a navy tank top and headed towards the huge gym. Due to my good performance, two gold, one sliver, and two bronze at final competitions, I was given the key to the gym where I could practice early every morning. Otherwise, the gym was opened at eight.
I breathed in the fresh smell of dawn, letting myself relax before running the usual five laps around the gymnasium. I was practicing my punches when I heard the door open and someone come inside. I scowled and eyed to see who had dared cross me. Must be some new student. Others knew better than to bother me during practice. Only Tomoyo had the privilege of interrupting me so far.
My eyes widened as I saw who it was. "Eriol!" I squealed, running over to him, my eyes lighting up. I gave him a tight hug, which he returned. "How are you?"
He grinned and I knew he didn't change. That same smile that greeted me years ago greeted me again today. "Lovely, Sakura. And how are you?"
I beamed at him. "Wonderful, better than I've been in ages."
"I'm glad." He replied in the same gentlemanly manner. "You're still as sharp on your practice."
I gave him a small smile and shrugged.
"Well, I decided to come here earlier to see how you are." He told me with a gentle smile, wisely changing the topic. He's just as considerate as he left five years ago. I'm glad that some things won't change forever, and I'm glad that one of those things is my friendship with Eriol as well as Tomoyo. Friends really are forever. "Besides, we won't be able to talk later much since we'll have other matters to deal with during lunch."
"Sakura, dear, you're scowling." He teased, drawing a slight smile from my cross face. "Let me guess. You're not too happy about the whole bodyguard situation?"
I snorted in contempt.
"Ah, just what I thought. But don't worry, Saku. This young gentleman isn't so happy either. I'm sure you guys will come along perfectly well when we meet this noon."
"Whatever, Eriol. This guy better not double cross me or he'll end up worse than the last guy who dared." I told him, inhaling sharply. Eriol winced slightly and nodded.
"Tomoyo should still be sleeping so I don't think you should bother her." I said, calming down, while doing a few arm exercises to keep myself in practice mode.
"Mm." Eriol nodded in agreement and looked at the clock on the wall that indicated it was five thirty in the morning already. "Well then. Are you done practicing or shall I wait for you? I was planning that the three of us could have breakfast together and catch up on stuff."
I smiled and nodded. "Sure." I glanced at the clock again and did some quick calculations in my head. "I'll just practice some more tomorrow morning. Wait for me while I take a quick shower."
Eriol, being the gentleman that he is, gallantly nodded. When I came out, dressed in a pair of beach shorts and an emerald tank with my wet hair around my shoulder, Eriol was sitting by the bench with two bottles of juice.
"Here Saku." He threw a can at me and I caught it with ease with my right hand. I nodded my thanks before gulping the cool juice down my parched throat. "Come on, let's go wake Tomoyo up."
----- Syaoran -----
I sighed, my arms crossed at my chest as I leaned against the cool glass window of the Ritz café. A waiter that came earlier who told it wasn't safe leaning against the window, hinting that I was dirtying it, was given a quick glare. Problem solved. Not only was I meeting that huge feminist figure I had to stick around with for a long time, wearing black dress pants and a white button up shirt was not my idea of comfort on a hot summer day. Besides, I had been waiting for ten minutes.
"Now look! We're late!" I heard a female voice complain.
"That, Tomoyo, would be your fault." Her female companion replied. "I don't see why you insist on me wearing a dress. Pants is perfectly presentable and it's not like I'm meeting president or anything."
"Ohhh," The first person tried to argue but quickly gave up. "Saku, you're impossible, you know that?"
"I know." She replied. "But I give you credit for forcing me into this ridiculous dress. Now I can't even walk properly."
I smirked as I identified the voices that were coming towards me. This actually was going to be more interesting than I thought it would be. As I leaned off the window, I could practically hear the waiter who had kept a wary eye on me, whisper "finally." Turning around a giving the speaker a smirk, I walked over to the trio.
"Ah, ladies, this would be Syaoran Li. A friend and bodyguard." Eriol introduced politely. An auburn haired tall girl with stunning green eyes was glaring forcibly at me before turning quickly to Eriol.
"Eriol, I'm going to stay this right now. He'll only be my bodyguard and that only. You can forget the friend part." She said crisply. "And if you don't mind, the heat is unbearable and there is such a thing as an inside to a building." With that, the girl quickly made her way inside. I smirked as the girl walked a bit inelegantly on black heels that was companioned a long royal purple skirt with an elegant white sleeveless blouse.
The remaining girl who was slightly shorter with long wavy raven hair with light purple eyes gave me an apologetic smile. "Li, nice to meet you. I'm Tomoyo Daidouji and the other girl would be Sakura Kinomoto."
I just glanced and her before heading into the café myself. Like Kinomoto said, it really was too hot to be outside. Tomoyo and Eriol shared a glace, Tomoyo looking awfully confused while Eriol just grinned. The two seemed so alike.
-----
As it turned out, Sakura didn't say much after her little speech. She mostly spent her time glancing out the window and drumming her fingers on the table. Syaoran had a similar bored expression on his face. Sure lunch had been good, great actually, but he too wondered when this so called meeting would be over. It seemed like the only people who were having fun were Tomoyo and Eriol who were chatting happily. Sakura sighed inwardly as she glanced at her two friends talking happily. It would be rude to interrupt them so she pulled out a notebook from her bag and decided to write some. By the pace Eriol and Tomoyo and talking, she wouldn't be surprised if they had to be here for another two hours or so.
Syaoran looked around himself and found that everyone had found something to do. Cursing his misfortune, he decided to read that feminist article that Eriol had brought along with him. And as he started to read, he found that the article, "Men: They're Not Worth Crying Over" was actually pretty well written. It wasn't at all a total feminist, men-are-evil-creatures article. It was simply asking women why they did such drastic measures for guy who's frankly not worth it. And him, being a guy, actually understood a tiny bit what women were actually thinking.
"Good, Syaoran?" Eriol asked with a sweet voice. Syaoran just closed the magazine and chose not to respond.
Sakura, who had finished her last thoughts in her notebook, saved Syaoran by asking, "Are we done talking? It's already three. We've been here since eleven-thirty."
Eriol and Tomoyo shared a sheepish look. "Uh, Saku, we still have something important to say. You know, some rules." He shot an apprehensive look at Tomoyo, wondering if he had said the right thing.
Sakura sighed loudly. "What rules," She asked warily.
"For starters," Tomoyo said, deciding to take the matters into her own hands. Sakura listened to her most of the time and Eriol was a bit rusty at convincing Sakura into things after being gone for five years. "Li here has to transfer to Tokyo University. Eriol has volunteered to do that for Li and himself. While I'll try to be with Sakura at all times, Li, it's your responsibility to be with her from class to class."
"What? I'm a graduate and she's an undergraduate. How are our courses going to meet?" Syaoran pointed out.
Sakura nodded in agreement. "Besides, what will everyone think when a guy, who I might mention is four years older than me, goes with me everywhere? It's not like we know each other or anything."
Eriol and Tomoyo shared another uneasy look. Clearly they did not want to mention what was coming up. Neither wanted to be the one to say it.
"Spit it out Tomoyo." Sakura said. "What can be worse than having a male bodyguard anyways?"
"Uh, well, Sakura, I understand if you kill me and Eriol after this, but it's the only solution we have. Truly." Tomoyo said quickly.
"And?"
"Li has to be your boyfriend." The girl meekly said with fast speed.
"What?" Sakura yelled while Syaoran cursed loudly. The neighboring tables glared at them but the two just ignored them.
"You're stating the impossible." Syaoran declared. "Can't we just make something else up? It's worse enough that I have to be her bodyguard."
"You," Sakura whirled her fiery eyes on him, "watch what you say. I'm the one suffering here; so shut your mouth. I can protect myself and only heaven knows why I have to have a bodyguard now. I should have had one from birth then, shouldn't I? Then all those bad stuff wouldn't have happened." She said bitterly. "You can't stop things from happening." And before anyone could say anything, Sakura had already left the table.
After a moment of silence, a sound of a chair being pushed back was heard and Syaoran stood up. Tomoyo and Eriol looked up at him. "I'll go see how she is," He said gruffly with a tone of reluctance. "My job anyhow; might as well start now." The two watched his figure leave.
"Let him go." Eriol told Tomoyo softly. The girl was half out of her seat, worry for her best friend clearly shown upon her face. He reached over and held the girl's cold hands and pulled lightly.
Tomoyo looked at him, seeing the worry in his azure eyes, and sat down in her seat. "It's not like Sakura to spill her thoughts out like that, she's usually quite reserved."
Eriol nodded, in deep thought as well. "She's changed a lot even though she tries to hide it from me."
-----
The first place to look was naturally at the bathroom so Syaoran headed towards there. But just as he saw the bathroom side and walked towards it, a figure walked passed him, shoving him roughly without a word.
"What the hell?" Syaoran roared, but the figure had already gone. Muttering another string of curse words under his breath, he came to the red door with "Ladies" marked upon it with fancy gold letters. "Damn, now what?" He asked himself.
An old lady was eyeing him with a suspicious eye; her nose raised high as if she smelled something rotten. Syaoran swore under his breath once more, but pasted a polite smile on his face.
"Miss, could I ask a favor?" The old grandma's eyes turned into slits, her grip on her wooden cane tightened, ready to strike whenever needed. Syaoran bit the side of his mouth to refrain himself from yelling.
"My friend," He rolled his eyes mentally when he said that word, "was feeling unwell and I wanted to ask if she was okay." The lady's eyes softened a bit and her mad dog glare was gone.
"Could you just go into the ladies' room and ask for a Sakura Kinomoto?"
"Alright lad, I'll do it." The lady sighed, but shot him a glare. "But you better not be lying to me!" She said, waving her finger warningly at him.
Syaoran smiled weakly. "Of course not."
The old lady came out a few minutes however to say that there was no one by the name "Sakura Kinomoto" in the bathroom. Syaoran frowned and recalculated in his mind where else could the damn girl be. Then his mind flashed back to the rude figure that had bumped him. Figures, he thought. After thanking the old lady, who became much more polite and friendly, he decided with a groan to search for that girl.
She was definitely not what he had expected. The strong personality was admirable to a certain degree, that is, when you're not the object of her sharp tongue. At least she was better than those females who were flirtatious. Ah, the irony. It just made him think of the article Sakura had written. Indeed, the irony.
Syaoran, after walking annoyed in the scorching sun, had untucked his dress shirt and unbuttoned the buttons as well. Seriously, whoever invented those business suit pants did not make them comfortable. For starters, they were stuffy and sweat just made the pants stick to the legs. Talk about discomfort.
Anyhow, Syaoran finally spotted Sakura dangerously close to a pond. Squinting, he saw her bend dangerously close to the water. "Hey! What are you doing?" he yelled, running over. However Sakura did not hear him, now standing unsteadily next to the deep pond.
----- Cliffhanger! Okay, sorry, especially since it's the first chapter, but I just wanted to see if you guys were here with me. Not sleeping? Not reading this with heavy lidded eyes? Not yawning in boredom? I hope not. * Chuckles nervously *
Anyhow, I want to know how this is. And if you're wondering, ADOHE epilogue isn't up yet. I know, I know. I'm just really busy these days, and as for reasons, look at my author's note. I don't want to remind myself of all those horrors I have to accomplish. * Shudders * I wrote the beginning to this story while I was finishing up ADOHE. But, you guys might have to wait for a long time until I update this story. Which do you prefer? ADOHE epilogue or the next chapter of this new story? TELL ME. I want to plan everything out before time.
Except for that, happy moon festival for those who celebrate it. Other than that, see you guys until next time. Hopefully I'll survive the college process. Oh! Any suggestions on where I should go? And don't say Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, MIT, Rice, Duke, Northwestern, and all those other extremely elite school. You'll just make me more depressed than I already am. LoL. Ja!
Rainbow Dreamer, or should I say Iris dreamer????