Chapter 11: Syaoran Li's Secret
The room is fairly large for a single person to sleep in but to the Li family is just only normal for them to have that kind of room. Unlike all the men who normally kept their room messy, Syaoran's room is different. In fact of a piece of dirty clothing could be found in his maroon carpeted floor. A large mahogany armoire could be seen across his king size bed which is fixed neatly with an olive silk blanket draping on it. Adjacent to the bed is his study table with a lamp and neatly arranged books. Beside the table is where Syaoran sat on his widow sill that overlook Sakura's house. He is smiling while he is looking at her house. The way he smiles could make a lot of girls drool at first look. He is been that way since he came home and nothing could wipe it off his face, or so he thought. A knock came from his door ad Shiefa came in with a tray with a pill and a glass of water on top of it.
"You forgot that it's already half past eight and you forgot to take these." Shiefa said to him in mock anger.
"I'm sorry." Syaoran said and took the pill and the water and drank it. Shiefa took the glass of water from Syaoran's hands and place it in the table.
"Sakura seems different today just like someone I know who can't stop smiling ever since he went home." Shiefa said jokingly. Syaoran raised his eyebrows at her. "Just joking. I haven't got a chance to talk to you ever since you started working. I just miss my little Xiaolang." Shiefa said while she ruffled his messy hair.
"Big sister! Stop it I'm not a kid anymore." Syaoran said while laughing.
"You're really not a kid anymore…everyday you look and act like papa. However, something is missing." Shiefa said fondly while looking at Syaoran in trance-like state.
"What is it?" Syaoran asked curiously. Shiefa snapped out of her trance
"Don't mind what I said, so tell me everything that had happened these past few weeks, I heard you brought Sakura with you at Shibuya to meet Meiling." Shiefa said as she took a seat beside Syaoran.
"Yeah…a lot had happened at that time, both good and bad." Syaoran said with a faraway look.
"Let me guess, Meiling practically shove to your faces how pathetic and worthless you are?" Shiefa stopped and sighed sadly. "Meiling sure has changed. I hope you can help her soon because mama is getting depressed as each passing day."
"I don't know if I can do it, now that Shou An is isn't here anymore." Syaoran said in a defeated tone.
"I know you can. Why do you think a lot of people always look up to you?"
"Please stop lying to me. I know now why people look up at me it's because I'm rich and smart beyond my age." Syaoran said sadly.
"What about the friends you have back Hong Kong?" Shiefa asked trying to convince Syaoran he's wrong.
"Them?" he smiled sadly. "They are just after our money. All my life I haven't had a real friend except for Eriol, and you guys but that is not enough…"
"As if they could never complete your life." Shiefa finished for Syaoran. "I know that feeling."
"But you know what, I think I already found what am I searching for here at Tomoeda. A great friend." Syaoran said with a smile as he remembered what had happened after Meiling shove them out.
Sakura took off the car and lost herself in the crowd. I don't know what is this feeling I feel right now, but one thing is for sure, it is scaring me. I got out of my car and started to look for her. Sadness, desperation, frustration and fear build up all at once inside my heart. I am confused as to why am I feeling this way just because she left. The only person who treated me for who I am is gone and it's all because of me. I could never forgive myself if something bad had happened to her. I started praying to God and just then I saw her on her knees. I immediately thank God and run to her side. I held out my hand to her to help her. When she accepted my hand I noticed how small and warm her hand is. At that time I was so scared that I blurted out the first words that came into my mind.
"Don't run away from me again. Please."
"Why?" she asked
"I thought you're going to leave me and I don't want that because...because you mean a lot to me...you're...the only friend I have."
"You really like Sakura, don't you?" Syaoran snapped out of his trance with a blush staining his cheeks.
"Who?" Syaoran said innocently
"I don't know you tell me. I'm just talking to the wind in here." Shiefa said sarcastically. Syaoran just glared playfully at her. It wasn't too long before Syaoran became quiet once more. Shiefa just looked at him with a smile on her face. 'My naive little brother.' Shiefa thought silently.
"Am I crazy?" Syaoran suddenly asked out-of-the-blue.
"What?" Shiefa was taken aback at what he asked that she was still thinking over what he just said.
'I think that is a wrong way to ask. Wait, why am I asking her such an embarrassing question? Me and my big mouth.' Syaoran said to his mind. "Never mind."
"No…I was just surprised that's all. What made you think like that?" Shiefa said trying to control her laughter. Syaoran glared at her so he decided to ignore her. 'I wonder why Fanren said to me that Shiefa is the best person to go to for advice?' Syaoran thought annoyed for listening to Fanren's suggestion.
"I'm sorry." Shiefa said trying really hard not to laugh. "It's just that what you said earlier is really…bizarre." When Shiefa saw Syaoran glared at her while his face could be compared to a ripe tomato, she laughed really hard.
'This is embarrassing.' Syaoran thought to himself. Shiefa's laughter subsides but she is still grinning.
"Sorry…but what makes you say that you have a loose screw in that thick skull of yours?" Syaoran just ignored her while he is looking outside. "Well…if you don't want to tell so be it. I will not be the one whose going to be tortured tonight because I couldn't solve a pure simple question." Shiefa said tauntingly as she slowly took the tray and go out to the room. "No…I am going to sleep like a baby tonight coz' I don't have any worries in my life. Well, I have to go…"
"Wait!" Syaoran shouted to Shiefa. Shiefa smirked while on her back to Syaoran. She turned around with an innocent smile on her face. "Okay." Syaoran said in a defeated tone. 'I am going to regret this.' Syaoran said to himself.
"Well?" Shiefa said excitedly as she returned to his room.
"I…I don't know what came over me these past few weeks. Ever since I met Sakura I…I feel like…like I don't know. I know it is impossible to get that too close to a person whom you just only met for only a few days…or is it weeks? Ah who cares! But do you know what, I feel like I've known Sakura all my life…" Syaoran said while pacing around his room.
"Syaoran." Shiefa said calmly but Syaoran just ignored her.
"…That is really weird. I even started dreaming about her ever since we came here…"
"Xiaolang." Shiefa said a little more loudly but still Syaoran didn't hear her.
"I always want to smile whenever she's around and…"
"XIAOLANG LI, STOP!" Shiefa shouted at Syaoran, which made him, stop talking. Shiefa breathed a sigh of relief once he stopped talking. "Thank you." Shiefa just looked at him with an eyebrow raised. "From all the blabbing you've done a while ago…I say you really are losing it…" Syaoran eyes widen and were about to open his mouth when Shiefa beat him to it. "…But that is just normal in your case. All I can say is that Sakura will be playing a big part in your life. By the way have you told her yet?" Silence seems to envelope the whole room.
"No. I kind of lied to her" Syaoran replied simply.
"That secret will be the cause of the rift in your future if you are not going to tell it." Shiefa said sadly.
"Please speak in my language."
"No way…I'll leave it to you to understand but be sure to tell her soon before somebody does."
"Do you think she'll ever forgive me?" Syaoran said with a faraway look in his eyes.
"Maybe. Well, I have to go." Shiefa picked up the tray and was about to leave when she suddenly remembered something. "Oh yeah, mama wants to talk to you tomorrow morning."
"Did she tell you why?" Syaoran asked.
"No, she just told me to sent for you. Well I have to go, goodnight." With that Shiefa left Syaoran alone with his thoughts to Sakura. Syaoran returned to his place before Shiefa came in.
"Sakura what are you doing to me?" He said while gazing at her house. 'I don't know why I put so much fuss just because I saw you smile even though I know it's not for me. I don't know why I was so scared when I saw you standing at the bridge looking empty. I don't know why I am so hell bent on helping you. I don't know why I always feel warm and happy inside whenever you are near. I don't know why is it that whenever I can't see you I feel incomplete. So many questions but I know all will be fine. I just hope you can forgive me for lying to you.' An image of a smiling Sakura is what he saw while staring at her house.
…………
Sakura is staring into nothing while clutching her teddy bear. "Tomoyo and Eriol are up to something, don't they Kero."
"At last, you smiled."
What he said to me made me smile even wider. Tomoyo turned to look at me and started to run to me when she saw me smile.
"What?" I asked innocently with a smile still on my face. Without warning Tomoyo pulled me in a bear hug.
"I thought I would never see you smile again."
"It would be hard not to after you got your best friend back." I know that was half the truth but I would die if someone knows the whole truth.
"Really?" Tomoyo said with a glint of mischief in her eye. She turned to look at Syaoran then to Eriol. Once Eriol saw the glint in Tomoyo's eyes, Eriol's eyes ere now hidden and there is a cat-like smile on his lips. A smirk on those two means trouble and it's scaring me.
"If that is what you want to say Sakura-chan." Eriol said to me.
"Hey, stop picking on her." Syaoran said to Eriol once he saw Eriol's cat-like smile. Eriol just smiled at him while Syaoran just glared at him. They both look so childish that I couldn't help but laugh. They both stopped arguing at the sound of my laugh and soon all of us are laughing.
"It sure do feels nice to smile and laugh again, isn't it Kero?" I know it's childish but I can't help it. "I don't know why but I owe it all to my angel." I said while playing with Kero. "Oh, I haven't told you yet who he is. His name is Syaoran Li. It suits him perfectly." A smile is slowly forming in my lips. "My disguised angel." A knock interrupted me from my thoughts.
"Come in." I said. My mom and dad came in with a smile in their faces. They just stood there looking at me. "What is it? Am I in trouble?" I asked slowly.
"Yes, young lady." dad said jokingly.
"Fujitaka!" Mom scolded. Dad just smiled sheepishly at her.
"What! Can't all of you take a joke?" mom just glared at him while dad just sweat dropped. "Haha… sorry Sakura. The truth is we just dropped by and see how are you doing." They're the best parents a girl could ever have and I'm blessed to have them both. I slowly smiled at them and told them how happy I felt today. When I look at them I notice the changes in their faces. They look so young, so full of life, so happy, compared to these past few weeks.
We all talked and laughed about anything under the sun and it feels great to be like this, no worries.
"I really hate to do this but let's call it a night. I still have work tomorrow and you young lady have school tomorrow." Dad said.
"Let's do this again tomorrow, okay?" Mom asked.
"Sure and maybe tomorrow we could talk about…"
"The young man named Syaoran Li." Mom suddenly said. I slowly felt my face heating up at the mere mention of his name.
"MOM!"
"Sorry." Both of the laughed while I'm blushing like there's no tomorrow. We both said our goodnights and left me alone to dream about a man with mysterious amber eyes.
…………….
Knock Knock
"Come in.," a soft commanding voice said behind the mahogany door. Syaoran came in silently and went toward the balcony the overlook the mini garden behind their house. A lady dressed in an elegant Chinese robe sat at the balcony.
"You called for me?" Syaoran asked his mother. Yelan Li, Syaoran's mother, turned her head to look at her son. She has a sad yet beautiful face, black hair pulled in a ponytail, creamy face, red lips, and sorrowful amber eyes.
"Is there any news about your sister?" Syaoran inwardly flinch not knowing what to do. He is thinking of whether to lie or tell the truth to his mother. Yelan sighed sadly and turned to look back at the empty garden. "I know your not going to tell the truth to me right now."
Syaoran put his right hand at his mother's shoulder. "Mom, Meiling is a strong and independent woman. I'm sure someday she will come back to us. So, please stop worrying so much about her because dad will be angry at me if he saw you like that." Yelan touched her son's hand and smiled at him.
"Everyday you look and act just like your father. If he can see you right now, I'm sure he will be proud of you as much as I am. "
……………
Today I woke up with a feeling of something big is going to happen and I don't know if I could handle it. I took a bath and went downstairs to have my breakfast and went outside to go to school. As I am approaching the university, the feeling of dread is getting stronger inside me. Maybe I am just paranoid but when I got in the university grounds everyone is looking at me with pity in their eyes. What's wrong with these people? Tomoyo came rushing to me with Eriol behind her.
"Sakura, we don't know how it happened but everyone knows." Tomoyo said to me. How…why…who…? Questions are running inside my head until all I could see is darkness and nothing else.
Author's Note:
Okay sorry if that took so long. I ran out of ideas of what to do next. This reason why this chapter is so short is because of a big surprise I will do for the next two chapters!
AnimeObsessionFantasy – hmmm…would it really last? Do you know the saying "A calm before the storm"?
Sora- Wow…I have no idea my story made you that…well I made this chapter a light drama to prepare you for the next chapters…buy a dozen of tissues. Hehehe…just joking.
Sweet-captor- WAIIII…KAWAII…ISN'T IT!!!!
Natsuyo- since you ask so nicely…I hope you like this chapter. The reason why there are few Syaoran parts is because he is supposed to be an enigma, a mystery, and a puzzle. However, you've helped me a lot in making this chapter because the truth is I really have no idea what to put in this chapter. THANK YOU!
Serenity's Blaim – wow a Syaoran fanatic! I agree with him being cute especially when he smiles or glares or serious…. WAIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!