Author's Notes: Sorry for the relatively long update people. Was stuck in work...sort of. I know, lame excuse, especially since everybody knows that I don't ever do work. But hey, I can dream, can't I? Okay, Okay, I was supposedly stuck in work, being that I had three tests in the same week and then results at the same time. I'm not going to disclose my results, because they were so horrid, they should never be seen again. I mean come on! Calculus is easy, the calculus test was easy, but they gave me a bloody "High"! I deserved a better mark, especially since I made like one mistake in that test which cost me one god damned mark, one!
Attempts to rein self back into the land of the sane
Anyways, hope you all enjoy this chapter. It's not glorifying for either Syaoran or Sakura, but it'll that will end soon-ish. Keep in mind that this is a college fic, so really, there are no antagonists, just some who are hormonally charged, some who has poles shoved up their asses (excuse the colloquialism, I know it's crude) and some who are just plain unlucky.
Disclaimer: I do not own the anime Card Captor Sakura, nor the characters within it. I do however, own this story, so be kind and do not steal it. No profit is being made from this work of fiction.
Summary: Li Syaoran and Kinomoto Sakura are in college, but on completely opposite sides of the social scale. So what will happen when Syaoran AKA The Geek, move in as Sakura's new roommate?
Sweet Blindness
Chapter One
Three years later
'You are what?' A shocked Sakura asked as she stood at the doorway of her two-roomed university flat. It was true, her original roommate had moved out since she graduated from the university, but Sakura never expected what was now standing on her porch now.
'I'm moving in with you.' A twenty-one-year-old Syaoran stated, smiling nicely. Sakura grunted in disgust, "the geek" was going to be her roommate?
'Honestly, there is no way that I am going to share my flat with you.' Sakura stated firmly, blocking the entrance.
'I have a notice of ownership,' Syaoran stated, holding up the piece of paper that the school had given him, 'from this day onwards, your flat is also my flat.'
'But,' Sakura was distort, she didn't want to share her flat with this person, that would destroy her reputation, 'but.'
'I'll comply by your wishes and agree to whatever rules you have Sakura-san,' Syaoran said, brushing past Sakura and entering the flat, 'as long as it is within reason of course.'
'I suppose telling you to leave is beyond reason right?' Sakura mumbled irritably, shutting the door with a snap. Syaoran smiled, not an arrogant smile or a smug smile, just a smile of peace. Sakura ignored him as he looked around her flat, another school flat similar to his own. Of course, a new person had arrived and his old roommate had hurriedly seized the opportunity to get rid of him. Syaoran didn't care, he only had a year left to study here anyway, then he could return to Hong Kong.
'Rules, okay.' Sakura pointed at what Syaoran assumed was now going to be his room, 'you must stay in that room, coming out only extremely late at night. If it is because you need to use the bathroom, then you have to make sure there is nobody else here besides me. I don't care if you kill your bladder or anything trying to hold your trip to the bathroom, but there is NO WAY that you come out unless there is no one else here, understood?'
'Yes, Sakura-san.'
'You better leave really early because I don't want to see you, and only enter when there is no one here. I don't care if that means you'll have to stand outside for hours, but I don't want my friends to see that you are living with me, understood.'
'Yes, Sakura-san.' Syaoran agreed once again without another thought. Sakura stared oddly at him, definitely thinking it was odd that he was objecting towards any of her rules. Syaoran just smiled, it may be difficult keeping to these terms, but he didn't want to cause Sakura any trouble, besides, he had signed a unwritten peace contract with his mother before he came, and there was no way he was going to go against that, especially after three years of hard work trying to keep by it.
'Another rule, when my friends are here, you are not to come out at all, nor to make a sound that suggests that you are in there. I don't mind typing or writing or stuff like that as long as it's soft and barely audible. But you are not to have any music in there, or anything else like that. And finally, when we are at college, you do not talk to me or show any recognition towards me at all, understand?' Sakura asked, emphasizing on her every word.
'Yes, I understand Sakura-san,' Syaoran smiled, 'is there a chore contract or anything like that?'
'No because you are not to contribute in any way towards any of these rooms, except your own. And if you are wondering about cooking, then you do that when I am asleep or not home. Otherwise, just eat out okay?'
'Sure.' Syaoran smiled, then entered his room with his suitcase and other belongings and closed the door behind him. Sakura didn't want her friends to know that he was here, that was normal. She had set out some very cruel rules, but that was alright. All these rules revolved around another obstacle for him to overcome, and he was going to overcome them.
He stared at his room, it wasn't too bad. He had a large window at the far end of the room facing the large Grande Park, that was draped with thick curtains. Just below the window was a large desk, and to the right of that, a single bed. There was nothing else in the room besides the power points, phone line and such. Syaoran sighed, he wasn't going to be using that phone line anyways, well, except when he received a call which was once every half a year from his mother. He never received any other calls, he didn't have that many friends - not here anyways.
From within his suitcase, Syaoran pulled out his textbooks, exercise books and pens, his desk lamp and alarm clock, his quilts, pillows and clothes. From another bag, Syaoran pulled out his state of the art wide screen laptop, something nobody knew he had. After all, Syaoran may look like a poor boy who could barely afford the clothes he wore, but he was in fact the heir to an extremely rich and possibly the richest family in Hong Kong. Even at that, he didn't want people to find out; that would peacekeeping difficult, and behaving even harder.
After sorting out his belongings, Syaoran sat down at the table and began to work. He was studying medicine here in Sannonmiya University, one of the best universities on the planet. Originally, Syaoran might have gone to some high-class university with snobby students who bragged about how many roller coasters they had and how many banks were named after them. But Syaoran didn't like that life, he wanted to live normally, experience the schooling just as a normal child would have gone through. That was why he came to this university, and although he wasn't treated well and didn't have very many rights, he was still satisfied…in a twisted kind of way.
Outside his room, Syaoran heard the door open and close and a new voice fill the place. It was a fair-toned, almost comforting female voice that Syaoran had heard once before, though he couldn't remember where. He could hear Sakura and the other girl talk, and laugh. The stove went on and so did the television, and the two girls' voices were lost in the noise that filled the room. Syaoran sighed and went back to work; he had a lot of notes to learn, and then further his knowledge. Then, when he finally graduates, he would be able to tell his mother how much he had learned at a normal college, both about the course he was studying as well as the middle class people.
Syaoran continued reading and studying till late at night. When he was satisfied with his progress for the day, he left his room, made sure the coast was clear, and headed for the bathroom.
The bathroom was extremely feminine with the pink towels and all the makeup that was placed over the sink. Syaoran made a small room for himself while he brushed his teeth and washed his face, then returned back to his room where he dropped off his toothbrush, toothpaste and face towel, changed into his pajamas and fell asleep.
Beep beep
Syaoran fumbled in the dark for his alarm clock, finally making contact with it and switching it off. He yawned, it was only five thirty, but he needed to go for a run around the park, return and have a shower, finish his breakfast, and leave for school before Sakura woke up. That was part of her requirements after all, for her and Syaoran to have as little contact with one another as possible, and he was happy to fulfill that. Though the stress of only six hours of sleep was still tugging at his eyes, and forcing him to constantly yawn.
Syaoran changed into his soccer t-shirt and navy track suit pants. He slipped on his trainers, removed his glasses and applied use of his contacts. His hair was no longer lying dully flat, but lying messily on his head, brushing past his eyes every so often. Syaoran sighed; his hair was always in the way, one reason he had compromised with using gel.
Picking up his keys from his desk, Syaoran exited his room as softly as he could, closing the door behind him. As he passed the lounge to the front door, he noticed that a girl with long raven colored hair was sleeping peacefully on the couch. He smiled at the idea that Sakura had allowed her to sleep there, never minding that her friend may have seen him. Without another thought, Syaoran exited the flat, locking the door behind him with a light click.
Outside, the city of Tokyo was still in darkness save for the lights coming from houses and buildings. The city was uncharacteristically quiet, with only the odd few cars starting to roll on the streets. In less then half an hour's time, the population would start to wake, and by seven o'clock, the city would be alive with the noise of everyone within it. As for Syaoran, he had to leave the flat again by seven because he was quite sure Sakura and her friend would start to awake at around seven thirty or eight. That was when most students in college seemed to get up at anyway.
A sharp breeze blew past as Syaoran crossed the street to the park where he did a few stretches, then took off to running around the park. At this time, the only things guiding Syaoran's way as he ran on through and around the park was the many light posts. He didn't normally leave this early to run, it was usually a run at around six thirty, then a shower and leaving for the library to study at around eight thirty. Syaoran's classes were centralized mainly in the later part of the day, so the mornings were normally when he would exercise and study.
Syaoran always ran twice around the park route, which was a total of four kilometers. This normally took Syaoran around half an hour, sometimes more, sometimes less. He was a fairly fit person, but was gradually loosing his touch from a long period of no extreme exercise. That was perhaps another thing he was looking for; in the holidays, he was going to go skiing and snowboarding. Syaoran used to enjoy those activities a lot, though he wasn't sure whether his present body would take the strain of such activities. After all, in his opinion, Syaoran's current fitness level was barely half of what it was before.
Without another thought, Syaoran began his run. These early morning runs were amongst the few things that kept him from breaking his contract with his mother. It was true, he had promised to be good, to not get into trouble. It had been three years now, and Syaoran was still doing great where the contract was concerned. Sometimes, it cost him great will power to keep from punching some person who was teasing. But these early morning exercises kept him from becoming a complete loony and breaking all out on some sardonic student who probably didn't know any words that exceeded five letters in length.
As he ran, he heard the sounds of cars and noises starting to fill the quiet city. The skyline began to brighten, and the streetlamps gradually flickered and died. Checking his wristwatch, a real Rolex, he found that it was five forty-five. It seemed that he was making good time, because he had already completely one lap and a quarter. He figured that he should leave the apartment and head for the library by around six thirty. Neither Sakura nor her friend would have woken up by then, at least, he hoped they wouldn't.
Finishing off his run, Syaoran headed back to his shared flat. When he opened the door, he found that everything was exactly as he had left it. Sakura's friend didn't even appear to have moved at all, save for her quilt which lay in a crumpled mess on the floor. Thinking that she would probably catch a cold, he sighed to himself and moved over to pull the covers over her again. She stirred a bit, but did not wake to Syaoran's relief.
Striding inside his room, he rummaged for a moment for his showering equipment. After several minutes, he reemerged and headed for the bathroom. He supposed that if he was to have a shower, the sound would probably travel and wake both Sakura and her friend up. But he really didn't have a choice, after all, he couldn't really go to class today smelling like sweat.
Once again, he made himself a small bit of room in the feminine bathroom to brush his teeth. Glancing over at the mirror, he met the face of an alert twenty-one year old man with a pair of fiery amber eyes, and messy chestnut hair which refused to lie flat. Removing his clothes, he turned on the shower and stepped in, attempting to make as little noise as possible.
His shower was quick, taking a total of barely ten minutes. Dressing himself quickly, Syaoran grabbed his bath gear and headed quietly back to his room. As he passed the lounge, he cast Sakura's friend a nervous glance. She was still sleeping, but it appeared that her quilt had fallen again. Dropping off his things, Syaoran tiptoed over and pulled the blankets over her once more.
Syaoran saw her mouth curve into a most devious smile, and to his horror, her eyes snapped open to reveal a pair of sparkling sapphire orbs, both of which were staring at him with malice. Syaoran backed a few steps, hoping that she would perhaps fall asleep, but he knew it was an impossible hope. Nonetheless, he didn't want Sakura to kick him out already, when not even a day had yet passed.
'I was wondering who was the kind person who had pulled the blankets over before.' She said in a matter of fact manner, sitting up on the couch, 'at first, I thought it was Sakura, but I didn't see her at all. Then I heard the shower, which really confused me because no one in the flat ever showered this early in the morning. I must say though, I never expected it to be you.'
'Me?' Syaoran asked anxiously, laughing nervously, 'do you even know who I am? If you don't, don't worry about it. Nothing happened, it's all good. You go on back to sleep, er…'
'It's Tomoyo,' she introduced, 'Daidouji Tomoyo. And I do know who you are, you're Li Syaoran from medicine class right? My boyfriend knows you.'
'Oh, really.' Syaoran was really anxious now, 'um…say, Daidouji -'
'Tomoyo.'
'Tomoyo-san, um, can you do me a favor and not mention this to Sakura-san. I'm afraid she doesn't quite like the idea that I am staying in the same flat as her, and she would really hate if she knew her friends found out. Won't you do me a favor and just fall back asleep, and not mention any of this to her at all?'
'Sure Li-kun,' Tomoyo smiled, 'I know Sakura can be a bit cruel, but she really is a good girl, you know that right?'
'Don't get me wrong, I don't mind at all.' Syaoran said quickly, waving his hands around in defense, 'it's just that she doesn't want anyone to know that I'm here. You know, being that I am not exactly on the top of the popularity barrel. I think she will be happier if this news didn't get out.'
'Don't worry Li-kun,' Tomoyo smiled again, 'you can count on me, I won't tell Sakura.'
'Thanks.' Syaoran thanked, turning to go to the kitchen. Since Tomoyo knew he was here, then it probably wouldn't do much harm if he cooked here. And Sakura was probably still sleeping…hopefully.
'Li-kun?'
'Yea?'
'About Sakura,' Tomoyo's smile faded, 'she's really a good person. She just…lost control of life. She's really quite lonely, at least, I really think so. She's let herself become something she's not, and it's really unbecoming of her. However, you won't hold it against her would you?'
'Of course not.' Syaoran said while cooking himself some instant noodles, 'I told you before didn't I? I'm not holding any of this against her at all.'
'What has she got you to do?' Tomoyo asked dully, walking over to sit at the table, 'oh, and can you cook me some noodles too?'
'Sure.' Syaoran said cheerily, putting in another bag of noodles. Looking in the fridge, he found some eggs and vegetables, so decided to cook them with it too, 'and she hasn't said much, just that I can't let anyone see me come out of this flat or let anyone see me here and the like.'
'But, doesn't that irritate you at all?' Tomoyo asked, her voice incredulous.
'It doesn't really matter,' Syaoran's voice was cold for a moment, 'I really don't care.'
The amethyst eyed maiden stared at him oddly for a moment, though Syaoran brushed it off with a small smile. It was obvious she found him a little odd, though she wasn't the only one. Not that it mattered. What other people thought of him were their opinions and he didn't have anything against that, and even if he did, he still had that peace treaty to keep.
'Li-kun, do you happen to know Eriol?' Tomoyo asked conversationally while taking a seat at the dining table. Syaoran thought for a moment, trying to recall the name.
'Ah yes! Hiiragizawa-san from medicine,' he smiled, 'he's a nice guy. Indeed, he's the only one who would hold a civilized conversation with me.'
'It must be hard for you Li-kun,' Tomoyo's voice was sympathetic, 'although, if you walked around college like that, I doubt you'd be called the geek for a moment longer.'
'I'd rather be called a geek than attract a whole lot of attention,' Syaoran poured the noodles, eggs and vegetables inside two separate bowls and moved on to applying seasonings and other flavorings, 'at least nobody bothers to bash me up anymore.'
'Why do you put up with it?' Tomoyo asked curiously, 'you're obviously a fit person who can definitely punch the living daylights out of some of those bullies, not to mention you really don't look half bad without your gel and glasses, so why do you put up with it?'
'It's a personal issue.' The amber eyed teen stated sharply, not wishing to go into any greater detail. He sensed Tomoyo's alarm at his sudden change in tone and smiled at her, apologizing while he was at it. She waved it aside, though her face bore a slightly calculating look.
Moving over to the dining table, Syaoran set the two bowls down and handed Tomoyo a pair of chopsticks while leaving a pair next to his own bowl. She thanked him politely as he took a seat next to her, which he responded in an equally polite way. The rest of breakfast passed in silence.
When they were done, Syaoran packed the dishes and cleaned them thoroughly and deposited them in the cupboards. Tomoyo was still staring at him with the same calculating look, and Syaoran was beginning to feel nervous under her gaze. It was almost like that of his mother's. Polite, innocent, but penetratingly shrewd which left him with the feeling of his mind being read. All he could hope for was that Tomoyo didn't manage to track down his family roots, though the girl looked perceptive enough to connect him with the famous heir, especially after seeing him this morning.
'Well Tomoyo-san,' Syaoran begun hesitantly, 'I better be going now, before Sakura-san wakes up. Please don't mention this to her though.'
'Don't worry Li-kun,' Tomoyo smiled sweetly, 'I won't speak a word.'
Dashing inside his room, Syaoran changed, exchanged his contacts for glasses and forced his hair flat with an excessive amount of gel. Slinging his bag over his shoulder, he exited his room, bade Tomoyo goodbye and left with less confidence in himself than he normally had.
Tomoyo continued watching Syaoran dash off for a moment after, her hands resting against the door frame. A small smile curved across her lips. Syaoran Li had proved to be a much more interesting character than she had thought, perhaps he really did have something to hide.
To be continued...
I hope you all enjoyed that chapter, and yes, well all know Syaoran has something to hide. As for Sakura, well, she was kind of bitchy...but bear with me for a little while longer and both would go away. After all, I kind stand to have poor Syaoran badly treated any more than you guys can.
Assassin
