Summer Essence

By Riyukku Sayuri

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Cardcaptor Sakura: Romance/Drama

Disclaimer: I, in no way, own or am affiliated with Cardcaptor Sakura or any of its characters. However, all of the OC characters belong to me. I have created them and so therefore belong to me. Thank you. Now, let's hope there are no misunderstandings.

Reference:
Konnichiwa: Hello
Ja ne: Goodbye (informal)
Sayonara: Goodbye (formal)
Ohayo: Good morning
Arigato: Thank you
Domo arigato: Thank you very much
Gomen: I'm sorry
Gomen nasai: I'm very sorry
Kawaii: Cute
Kaijuu: Monster
Gaki: Brat
Baka: Idiot/Fool
Otou-san: Father
Oka-san: Mother
Hai: Yes
Iie: No
Nani: What
-…-...-...-: Scene change
.---.---.---.: Flashback or memory

Author's Note: Read and review. Arigato.

Chapter Six
Cold One-Sided Love

"Sakura-chan is all right," Tomoyo said proudly as she skipped down the stairs. Fujitaka, Yelan, Sonomi, and Touya sighed with relief. Fujitaka was also sure that Nadeshiko sighed with him.

"I'm going to call Yukito-kun," Touya said hastily, getting up from his seat and running to his room. Fujitaka chuckled softly. Yup, that was his son all right.

-…-...-...-

"Gomen Syaoran-kun," Sakura sighed heavily. She breathed deeply and felt her world start to spin. "Why?" he questioned.

Sakura's face paled as she said sickly, "I think I'm going to…"

And with that, Syaoran lifted Sakura onto his shoulders and lugged her to her bathroom. He set her down beside the toilet and turned away as she began to vomit yesterday's meals.

Where are Sakura and Syaoran? Touya thought. He panicked as he tossed her covers over and found nothing. Syaoran had his eyes closed until he heard Sakura's bed sheets being thrown to the ground.

He hastily got up on his feet and hid in the shadows. Of course Touya's towering body did not permit Syaoran to view his face.

"Get out of here, intruder!" he shouted. He charged at Touya and knocked him down. But Touya had thought Syaoran was an intruder and held onto Syaoran while they tumbled into a pile of Sakura's dirty clothes.

They tumbled and punched each other while roughhousing over Sakura's dirty clothes. They nearly knocked over her drawers, nightstand, and wood closets.

"What's going on?" Sakura questioned weakly after vomiting. "An in-intruder," Syaoran said as he threw a punch at Touya. "Is that Syaoran?" Touya choked under a pink blouse.

"Stop fighting!" Fujitaka shouted sternly.

Fujitaka stood in the doorway, towering over the two who rolled over to the doorway. His eyes were stern on them yet worried on Sakura.

Sakura's face had paled and it reminded him of Nadeshiko when she was ill. Oh how he missed Nadeshiko.

"Gomen nasai, Fujitaka-sama. I-I thought Touya-san was… was an intruder," Syaoran said as he bowed his head down in shame.

"You are forgiven, Syaoran," Fujitaka said, patting Syaoran on his head. "Nani?! That is completely a lie!" Touya shouted firmly. His face was stressed and firm while his lips were straight and tense.

"Touya," Fujitaka said sternly, his eyes narrowed. Sakura's body began to shake. Did the whole room suddenly become tense or was it just her?

Oh dear, please, please let this disaster end quickly, Sakura prayed feverishly in her heart. She couldn't bear the tenseness of her room or the narrowing eyes of one another.

Damn that Li. Why won't Otou-san believe me? I deserve to be believed! I deserve to be trusted! Touya swore.

"Touya, if this happens again, you will be punished immediately. Yelan and Syaoran are our guests; we ought to treat them as any other guest," Fujitaka grumbled.

Touya nodded obediently. He knew that by yelling at his father disrespected the Kinomoto name and brought shame upon his late mother.

"Gomen nasai, Otou-san," Touya said quietly. Fujitaka smiled. They were finally under control again.

But after Fujitaka left, Touya gave a hard glare at Syaoran. A glare Sakura saw very rarely.

-…-...-...-

"Tell him that I wish him all the best and that he has all the best luck from me," a deep, womanly voice said.

"Hai, Nori-sama," a servant said obediently. She scribbled down on a card that said, "Wishing You…":

Dear Syaoran-kun,

I hope that as you're away in Tomoeda staying at Kinomoto's household, you will think of me and remember our memories. I wish you the best of luck and the safest of love as I await your return to Hong Kong. Remember, I will stay waiting… don't keep me gone from you for long…

Your Sweetness,
Nori-chan

The servant quickly shooed herself off to put the card into an envelope and send it to the Kinomoto home for her master Nori.

Now, Nori was the successor to the Nijo clan. She had no brother to take the place of successor, and so she was granted this spot; this ranking.

Over time, she had heard of the wondrous Syaoran Li, successor to the Li clan. Naomi Nijo, Nori's mother, had met Yelan Li and proposed that their two children should meet and be married. Syaoran and Nori were friends, but sadly, Yelan forgot the promise and had allowed Syaoran to never know the truth of this arranged marriage, but Nori knew… all along and thought them being as "friends" meant them as husband and wife…

-…-...-...-

After Touya left, Sakura finally slumped down with Syaoran.

"Oh Syaoran, I love you so much," Sakura sighed lovingly. She gazed into Syaoran's amber eyes and looked longingly into them for the same response.

"I love you so much too, Sakura," Syaoran replied, a lopsided smile playing on his lips.

He brushed a gentle kiss on Sakura before wrapping his arms around her once again. He could smell the lavender shampoo she used for her hair and even the strawberry-scented conditioner. He could smell cherry blossom-scented water evaporating from her tanned skin. Sakura was beautiful. She was pure. She was all he would ever need…

-…-...-...-

A week later, Sakura checked the mail and found a letter addressed to Syaoran. She wondered at what it meant.

Who's Nori Nijo and how did that person know Syaoran was here? It must be a friend of Syaoran's… not a girlfriend or anything… he couldn't be cheating on a girlfriend… that's just not him, she thought.

She walked inside her home and laid Syaoran's letter on the kitchen table along with all the other letters that her father or Touya received. Syaoran was out sightseeing with Yelan…

-…-...-...-

"We're home! Or should I say back?" Yelan shouted gaily. She hadn't seen the beautiful relics of Tomoeda for such a long time. She was sure her daughters would love them and maybe they could also visit Tomoeda with them again.

"Syaoran-kun, you're home!" Sakura shouted happily. She knew their lives were twisted with uncertainty, but just seeing Syaoran brought back normality in the world around her and drowned her with an eerie love she would never forget.

"Konnichiwa," Syaoran said calmly. He smiled at Sakura and then looked at the small pile of envelopes that gathered on the brown of the kitchen table.

"Oh, Syaoran, there's a letter here for you," Sakura said.

When Syaoran looked at the pile of letters, it was then that she remembered the letter from Nori Nijo.

"So there is…" Syaoran's voice trailed off as he picked up the flower-embedded envelope. He studied the envelope carefully and then read the sender's name.

Nori-chan? How did she know I was here? Syaoran thought confusedly. Then it hit him. He had given Nori the address of where he was staying. No wonder why he received a letter, she had told him that she would write to him soon.

He carefully opened the flap of the envelope and it revealed a card. On its cover, it said in a sparkly purple font, "Wishing You…"

He opened the card and it said:

Dear Syaoran,

I hope that as you're away in Tomoeda staying at Kinomotos' household, you will think of me and remember our memories. I wish you the best of luck and the safest of love as I await your return to Hong Kong. Remember, I will stay waiting… don't keep me gone from you for long…

Your Sweetness,
Nori-chan

He read it over and over again, not understanding what "Your Sweetness" had meant. Was Yelan up to something? He didn't know. However, it was sure that it meant something more than their slump friendship. What did it mean?

"Syaoran," Sakura called, breaking him from his wondering. "What is it? Who's it from?"

Sakura had a right to know. He wasn't betraying her; he was just telling her truths so she wouldn't think he was betraying her.

"Oh, an old friend. Not really 'old,' but a friend from Hong Kong. Her name's Nori Nijo. I think she goes to school with Meiling," Syaoran replied.

Phew, a friend of Syaoran's… Just a friend of Syaoran's… and a classmate of Meiling's too… Sakura thought thankfully.

Yelan finally buzzed to a holt. Did Syaoran just say Nori Nijo? Naomi Nijo… and their promise. But what if Syaoran had already fallen in love? Could he have? He never showed signs… but of course! Teens would never show any signs that they were in love – especially not Syaoran; one who did not enjoy showing his true feelings to anyone.

"Syaoran, I must speak to you immediately," Yelan said sternly, pulling her son away from the Kinomotos.

-…-...-...-

"What is it, Oka-san?" Syaoran questioned. He stared blank eyes at his mother who was pacing the floor of his guest room.

Syaoran, still holding the card, was worried at what she was going to say, but before he could open his mouth, Yelan snatched the card from his hand.

"Let me read this," Yelan said firmly.

God no, she thought once she finished reading the card. She knew what everything meant. Nori knew. Naomi still remembered, but she had not… she had forgotten about Syaoran's behalf; her own behalf.

"Syaoran, do you understand the content of this card?" Yelan questioned sternly. She was about to break the news to him.

"Iie," Syaoran replied.

Yelan was in deep trouble now. The hints were everywhere but she was not in place. She had forgotten all about the arranged marriage, all about every single thing she knew… everything she had promised to the Nijo clan and to Naomi.

"Syaoran, are you currently in love? You must answer honestly – this will have a big effect on you and on your own personal life," Yelan said icily, still pacing the floor of the guest room.

"I… I may be… I'm unsure about that," Syaoran replied, a dark red blush creeping up onto his face.

"Syaoran, you must be sure. Yes or no," Yelan said hastily, demanding a short answer that consisted of yes or no.

"Oka-san, I told you, I am unsure about that! Why must you rush to find out if I am in love or not?!" Syaoran shouted.

"Because… you are in an arranged marriage," Yelan said, turning to face the wall and not Syaoran's confused amber eyes.

"N-Nani?! In a-an arranged marriage?!" Syaoran questioned again. How could he be in an arranged marriage? His mother never informed him of any arranged marriages. How many could there have been? Many? One? Two? With Sakura? With who?

"I promised the Nijo clan that you would be married to Nori Nijo. I fear I have forgotten the promise I made to Naomi, Nori's mother. I forgot to tell you and the promise drifted to the back of my mind. I'm so sorry, Syaoran. Gomen nasai. You must forgive me, but… if you are in love, I will do with all my power to cancel out this mad arranged marriage… I am so sorry that I could not read all the signs Nori placed in front of me. The questioning of your private life, the notes to you, the way she acted around you… just everything that she did revolved around you!" Yelan confessed.

"O-Oka-san, you couldn't have… done this, could you?" Syaoran questioned. No, this couldn't be happening – she couldn't have done this. Syaoran wasn't at all interested in Nori, but he suspected she had – was – in him.

He couldn't accept such a lie… such a terrible, terrible lie. He wouldn't. He knew it was a lie. He was in love with Sakura and always would be, but his mother… what could he do? He had to give up one for another. Sakura would have her heart ripped but his mother would be hated for all eternity.

"Oh Syaoran, gomen nasai! This is my fault, if you are in love, please, just tell me now. Tell me before I allow Nori to marry you. The time is drawing too near. Once you and Nori are twenty-three, you are to marry. I am so sorry, Syaoran. Tell me the truth. If you break one's heart for mine, I will surely kill you for it," Yelan said, and with what she said, she meant.

"Kill me? Kill me for breaking another's heart? Oka-san, are you crazy?" Syaoran nearly gasped.

"I will not let your heart be burdened with a reputation as 'heartbreaker' or something similar. Maybe player, if you must. I will not allow misery to befall upon you. My life is drawing near, anyway. In a few thirty, forty years I will be gone and your wife will soon bear a grandson or granddaughter to make me proud. Just tell me Syaoran, are you in love with Sakura or not?" she replied.

Oh damn it, you just said Sakura! How could you give it away that you know?! Yelan scolded herself after saying Sakura's name.

How does she know? How? Now it's too late… I can't protect Oka-san anymore, she already knows. So even if I deny it, she'll only give away the truth, Syaoran finally sighed, giving up.

"Hai, Oka-san, I am. But I am not willing to break either one of your hearts. I don't want you to be hated forever or do I want Sakura's heart to be torn," Syaoran finally admitted.

It was true, he couldn't decide. Why had his mother promised such a terrible thing? If it could be that it was an arranged marriage with Sakura, he would surely be happy. He loved Sakura. There would be nothing that anyone could do to destroy that feeling that he had toward her.

"Now, how should I break it to them?" Yelan thought aloud.

"To who? The Kinomotos or the Nijos?" Syaoran questioned.

That caught Yelan. To who? She was absolutely sure that Sakura returned Syaoran's feelings toward her… but what about Nori?

Knowing Nori, Yelan was sure she wouldn't give up the "love of her life." She would absolutely deny it and send curses toward Sakura and the reasons why Syaoranshouldn't love her.

Nori did not want another young man for her husband; she had already made that clear. With every word she wrote to Syaoran, it only showed more of how she loved Syaoran. It was a cold one-sided love.

Nori would never give up… she would never break free of the past…

-…-...-...-

"Nori-san, you have a letter," a servant boy said, handing her a white envelope.

Could this be from Syaoran-kun? She thought hopefully.

She opened the envelope and it revealed a handwritten letter on Syaoran's finest piece of stationary. Notebook paper was not used instead…

-…-...-...-

A cold one-sided love… Syaoran thought.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

a/n: Who's this "Nori" and what does she have to do with the story? Read and review! Thank you!!!