Prologue Part II – Letting Go

At the airport, Sakura was agitated as she sat beside Syaoran, who was reading a magazine, feeling completely opposite of her. She resisted the urge to hit him on the head and yell, "What's wrong with you?!" She kept her hands together, and unconsciously began tapping her foot. Syaoran cleared his throat. Sakura turned to him, his gaze pointing to her foot. She looked back up again at him and continued tapping.

"Sakura…" Syaoran began, putting his newspaper down.

"I'm sorry, but this is really getting on my nerves," she defended.

"I'm telling you, you have nothing to worry about," he insisted. "Trust me."

"I can't. Not right now."

"Ok, well…" he shrugged indifferently and rested back on the chair. "Your loss."

She rolled her eyes. "Loss of what, exactly?"

"My affection and care," he answered a matter-of-factly.

"Ah…what a loss," she laughed quietly.

Silence arrived as they both went in their own worlds.

Minutes later, "hey, here they come," Syaoran interrupted, standing up.

"What? What?" Her senses went on high as she stood up, spine straight, heart pounding like there was no tomorrow.

"Come on," he grabbed her hand and they jogged to where the other people stood waiting for their loved ones.

--- --- ---

"Hi, Mrs. Li," Sakura bowed as she greeted the very sophisticated, beautiful woman. The sisters were nowhere to be found having went to the bathroom as soon as they got off the plane.

Her cool voice flittered across to Sakura's ears. "Hello…and who may you be?"

"I'm Sakura Kinomoto," she introduced, offering her hand.

"She's my girlfriend," Syaoran put in, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

Yelan's surprise was clearly shown in the way her eyes widened from their natural gaze. "Your girlfriend." She didn't shake her hand.

Sakura pulled it back. "Yes," Sakura managed a smile though she was terrified.

"Ah," Syaoran could see the disapproval clear in her eyes. He narrowed his eyes at his mother.

"What's wrong, Mom?" He gritted his teeth to keep from sounding angry.

Yelan shot a 'who-the-hell-is-this-girl' look to Syaoran that was highly obvious to Sakura. "Nothing's the matter, son. I'd rather just get some sleep right now, that's all. Is the hotel near here?"

"An hour's drive," he answered just as coldly.

"Very well," she sighed and started walking from them.

Her heart breaking for every moment Yelan despised being with her, Sakura looked down. She wouldn't show it. As much as she was offended and hurt by the sudden brush-off, she still loved Syaoran and this was his mother. She had to show utmost respect, whether she liked it or not. Syaoran's grip on her shoulders tightened, apologizing with a smoldered look in his eyes. Sakura nodded slightly and they walked to the baggage claim together.

As soon as the sisters found Sakura, they could do nothing but pinch her cheeks, praise her beauty and cuteness, and acted like the best sisters in the world. Syaoran never thought he'd really feel love for his sisters for their annoying traits, but at that moment, where tension seemed to rise between the three of them, the sisters broke it off with their usual selves and made Sakura feel so much better. He couldn't say the same for him, though. Yelan's harsh attitude towards Sakura sorely hurt him, and he knew Sakura was even more hurt by it. What the hell was wrong with his mom anyway?

--- --- ---

As soon as Syaoran's name was called, he got out of his seat and walked up the stairs to the stage where a few teachers and the principal presented their graduation certificates. Wearing a blue robe and matching graduation hat, he remembered his high school graduation, except now there were a lot more people, very sophisticated, and that Sakura was there. He grasped the certificate with his left and shook the teachers' hands with his right. Before exiting in the other staircase, he glanced out and grinned at Sakura, cheering for him in the auditorium. His mother didn't look very happy, though, as she watched their little exchange.

--- --- ---

"WHAT?!" Syaoran's voice roared in the hotel his sisters and mother were staying at. "No way am I going with you!! No way in hell!" He cursed and started to exit the room.

"Xiao-Lang Li, you will not leave this room until I say so," Yelan's order came cold and icy as always.

He stood by the door just mere inches from him. "Why should I?"

"Because you are my son and I raised you better than that!" She practically yelled. "Now listen to me very carefully and you will do as I say."

He gritted his teeth, set his jaw, and turned around to face her. If looks could kill, he would be one long, dead SOB.

"Tomorrow, when your sisters and I leave for Hong Kong, you are coming with us whether you like it or not. Before your father died, he wanted to give you what you wanted and that was the chance to live here in Japan during your college years, but now that it is over, you are coming back. I don't care if you love that girl, because frankly, you're not old enough to understand the real meaning of love." She remained firm.

"I do love her, mom, but you can't just do that!" He protested. "Dad gave me this chance, but he didn't say anything about going back! I don't want to go back to Hong Kong! Do you understand that?? I've been living here for 5 years and I'm used to it! I don't want to go back, because this is my home."

"Hong Kong is where you've lived your whole life, Xiao-Lang. How can you turn your back on your own country?" She questioned harshly. "Nonetheless, you are coming with us. You have a career ahead of you with our corporation going very well. If you don't choose to return with your own free will, I will see to it that you are brought back to Hong Kong. I will not stand by and watch you make a fool of yourself."

"Why don't you just tell me the reason, mom? I don't buy the threats. You're not as heartless as you make yourself as. Just tell me why I have to return to Hong Kong so badly." He ground his teeth and set his eyes on his mother, leveling their hard gazes.

"That is the reason, Xiao-Lang. Don't patronize me."

He searched her eyes for something and found nothing. "Dammit, I can't leave Japan! I don't care what you do to me, but I am not leaving. I can't. You have to give me a better reason than that and I doubt you can."

He could see her jaws tighten. Suddenly, a tear leaked out of her left eye. She hastily wiped it, as if it was a sign of vulnerability. "Mom-" he began, quite surprised with this. The only time he'd seen her cry was when his father was brought down to his grave.

She put a hand to stop him. It took her minutes before she could get the heartbreaking words out. "I'm dying, Syaoran," her voice had gone to its lowest. "And you're your father's and my heir. You have to continue our business."

Blown away at this, Syaoran stepped back and stared at her in shock. It took him a while to start talking. "No," he began, feeling his heart tighten. "No. You can't be dying," he protested, breathing hard. "No, you're the healthiest woman alive."

"I was diagnosed with kidney failure four years after your father died. You had already left Hong Kong by then, and I had no intention of telling you. No one knew about it, even your sisters. Privately, I had the operation. Months ago, the doctor said that, now, my other kidney is failing me."

Syaoran brushed a hand over his face, struck by this news. "And…uh…when were you going to tell us this?"

"As soon as we got back in Hong Kong," she replied, still as cold as ever.

"Mom…" he shut his eyes and envisioned a life without his mother by his side. "This is not happening."

"Come back with us, Xiao-Lang. You asked for the real reason and you have it." She answered wistfully.

--- --- ---

Syaoran's bloodshot eyes indicated the immense lack of sleep he had the night he graduated and the sorrow he felt. Spending it in his dorm room, he could do nothing but think about his mother and then Sakura and then his mother again. With emotions swarming inside him that he thought wasn't there, he knew he had to make a decision. He couldn't think straight after hearing his mother's heartfelt confession. He could see in her eyes she didn't intend to tell him because of the huge weight it would put on his shoulders.

The digital clock by his bed blinked in green lights 5:25 in the morning. With all the energy left in him, he stood up from his bed, put on a pair of pants and shirt, and got out of his room, not bothering to check in with his roommate. He used the staircase and went down to Sakura's floor, knowing that he had to break it off with her right now before it could get worse. Syaoran stood on her doorstep, feeling the dread in his stomach, practically swallowing the lumps in his throat. His heart beat harder at the thought of breaking up with the only woman he'd ever loved. He could feel moisture beneath his eyelids.

He knocked, and for the third time, Sakura opened it. She looked up at him with sleepy eyes. "Syaoran?" She stifled a yawn. "What are you doing here? It's so early."

Syaoran couldn't speak for a second as he stared at the beauty in front of him. Oh my God, he would miss this woman with his entire being. Without waiting for another moment to pass, Syaoran bent down and kissed her like never before. His arms wrapped around her waist as he kissed the sleep out of her. Sakura murmured a protest, but was lost in the passion he was pouring in the kiss. At the loss of breath, they pulled away. Sakura, with wide, green eyes and swollen lips, stared at him in concern and surprise.

"What's the matter??" She asked, frowning. "Did something happen with your mom or…?"

He let his forehead rest against hers. "I have to tell you something."

Her heart leaped at her throat. 'Oh no…oh no…this is the part where he tells me he's breaking up with me…or he's sick…' she felt the sinking feeling in her gut rise. "No…no, don't tell me. No, Syaoran…no, I-I, you don't have to say anything," She backed away from his arms.

"Sakura, wait," he followed. "Hear me out. Please."

She shook her head. "No, no. No," she repeated, blindly reaching the living room.

He held her arm and turned her around to face him. He pulled her close. "Listen to me."

With a trembling, wavering gaze, she met his eyes.

He felt his heart break at the look she gave him: innocence, vulnerability. "I'm going back to Hong Kong."

At his words, she ripped herself out of his grip. For a minute, nothing came out of her mouth. Until, "No!" She shook with anger and frustration and shock. "No, you can't!!"

"I have to," his voice failed him now. "Sakura, this isn't what I want-"

"Then why are you leaving??" She cried, her bottom lip already beginning to quiver.

"I have no choice!" He answered back, walking back to her. "Don't cry, baby, please…" he whispered.

"No…" she tried to get out of his hold, but he wouldn't let go. Her body gave up fighting and she went limp in his arms, burying her head in his chest, crying. "Why are you doing this to me, Syaoran??" Her muffled voice hiccupped. "Why tell me this now??"

"Because I can't bear to do it right when I leave," he held her tightly, stroking her hair. "I love you, Sakura…a lot more than what you probably think right now."

They shared the silence for a while. After Sakura got back her composure, she began to ask.

"Are you coming back?" She asked, raising her head.

He shook his head.

"So we're breaking up?" Her eyes left his, but her hands still stayed on his chest.

"I…" he couldn't breathe. Syaoran shut his eyes as the pain left his mind and went straight to his heart. "I don't want to."

She pulled away, her tears glistening from the light. "When are you leaving?"

"Today," he replied, his voice hoarse.

Sakura nodded numbly, making her way away from him, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Tears were furiously pouring down her cheeks, but she remained calm outwardly. "Then I guess we should say goodbye."

As much as Syaoran wanted to grab her in his arms and kiss her with all the passion he had for her, he knew he wouldn't be able to go back to Hong Kong if that happened. With as much willpower as he could muster, Syaoran gazed at her deeply. "I'll always love you, babe," he whispered.

"Don't say that," her voice hissed as she blinked away her tears.

He stared straight into her eyes as he said the words that tore her heart all the more. "Goodbye."

Voice gone, Sakura stared at him as he looked at her for one long moment and then turned his back to walk to the door. The knob turned. Syaoran took one step out of the room when Sakura made a strangled sound in the back of her throat. He stopped, his heart pounding, his eyes already tearing up. He turned around and saw Sakura fighting with herself, her face very pink and irresistible. Her lip quivered and her eyes trembled.

"Goodbye," she managed, biting her bottom lip to keep from crying out and running to him. His eyes held pain as he stared back into her water-filled eyes. And with that, Syaoran left her, never to return again.

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To be continued...

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