Chapter 5 – An Intimate Moment

Syaoran looked out the sunny, very hot, day from a balcony in the 11th floor of the building. He could see a beach close by with people brazenly spread out on the sand. The scorching weather was enough to make Syaoran take off his shirt, but even that didn't work. The men, carrying the heavy objects and working in the construction field, had taken off their tops as well, but to their dismay, the women chose to keep on their very revealing clothes on. Syaoran wiped drops of perspiration on the bridge of his nose and sucked in a deep breath. Only 2 days had passed since he'd last seen Sakura, and because it had only been 2 days, he couldn't get her out of his mind.

"Crank up the AC, man!!" Someone called from the back.

That snapped him out of his thoughts. He turned. "What?" He asked, wiping the back of his neck.

"Don't we get some air-conditioning in here?" A woman supplied for the man.

Syaoran dryly stared at them. "How long you been working here?"

"2 years," the woman said with a questionable look in his eyes.

"6 months," the man replied.

He nodded. "So I'm guessing you were here 2 weeks ago when the air-conditioner broke?"

They nodded and the woman gave into a rolling of eyes.

"And you were here when I said that when we find somebody, we'll get it fixed?"

They nodded again.

"So why do you think the air-conditioner's not working now?" He practically bit his tongue from yelling out.

"We haven't found anybody," the woman muttered.

"Exactly, because if had it fixed, do you think we'd be working like this?" He waved his hand to his chest and the rest of the men.

She shrugged.

"So quit your whining and get to work," he called to the man and went back to the balcony. A bead of his sweat layered his forehead. He growled and went back in where the air was less humid.

Grabbing his shirt from the couch, he walked off to the elevator to get out of that place. Why did his parents think to make the buildings face the sun during noon when it was definitely at its hottest temperature? The elevator did nothing to take off his massive sweating. His chest was tanned and already moist. As soon as he got out to the lobby, he headed to the door and mentioned to the desk clerk that he'd be going out for a while. Syaoran didn't bother putting on his shirt as he got out. People from wherever wore half-clothing, covering only the private parts of their body.

He decided to walk out to the nearby shore where people didn't go. He crossed the highway and jogged along the grassy sand area. No one was there, but it was because of the rocks piled up there, making it dangerous to swim in. He found the place a week after he arrived in Kyoto, when he went around and found some places he didn't know existed. Syaoran relaxed as he sat on a large boulder overlooking the beautiful ocean in front of him. He could see people swimming from the beach shoreline on one side. There were people sailing as well. Despite the weather, the sight was amazing. The breeze was coming by slowly, but it was good enough. Syaoran let his legs dangle on the boulder as he relaxed on the rock behind and closed his eyes.

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Sakura stood up and wrapped the beach towel around her waist as she walked off her spot. Her friends had gone off and changed in the bathrooms somewhere. She left her things in their spot, hoping that no one would take them. She didn't want to go to the beach. She didn't want to get out of her house, where she was safe and protected and far away from Syaoran. But nooo, her friends had to hang out with her and bring her to the nearest beach from Syaoran's building. Sakura sighed and looked at the skyscraper, seeing the sun's reflection from the glass windows. It must be hot there. Careful that her friends didn't see her go, she hurried and walked to the sidewalk by the highway.

It took her a while to get far from the beach. Thirty minutes she'd been walking and suffering from the sweltering sun, but the occasional breeze made it worthwhile. Twenty minutes later, she arrived across from the Li Corporation. Desperately trying to ignore her feelings, Sakura felt herself wishing that Syaoran would come out and see her. Sakura glanced around, fighting the urge to enter and look for him. It had only been 2 days and already she wanted to see him again. He'd also made that promise to her that he would never bother her again if she would just agree to eat lunch with him.

A small sigh came out of her pink lips. Her cheeks reddened at the sound of herself sighing. She shook her head to clear her mind from Syaoran, and turned. The view before her took her breath away. Beneath two large trees were boulders piled against each other. From the place she was in, she could see the view of the ocean and the people swimming from the other side. In awe of the beauty, she hurried down. When the rocks got sharper and more spread out, she watched her footsteps, her eyes still fixed on the sight before her.

"Beautiful…" she whispered. She stopped at the shoreline and felt the cool water hit her legs. A giggle came out of her. She felt like a kid again, enjoying the day and the sun and the water. It was like she was back in high school and there were no problems in the world. She turned around and felt the large breeze pass her. Her hair flew all the ways as her beach towel went with the wind. Sakura smiled at the sun as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the moment.

She turned around to go up to a boulder and sit down when something from the corner of her eye caught her attention. Sakura looked. Her heart beat erratically, doing a 360-turn. A bare-chested Syaoran rested on one of the large boulders, his wild chestnut hair going with the wind, and his handsome eyes hidden from sleep. With astonishment still vibrating her nerves, Sakura pulled her legs to move, and with great hesitation, she made her way to him. She remembered the few times she went in his room and just watched him sleep. He always looked peaceful and so unlike the way he really was when his eyes were closed and he let go of everything in his heart.

As she neared him, her heart thudded worse, causing the big sound to pump her ears. She wondered if Syaoran would wake up from it. Hoping against hope that he wouldn't wake up at all to find her there, she knelt on the boulder and climbed up to sit beside him. Heart drumming continuously, Sakura finished the task and settled herself a good 10 inches away. Longing and pain filled her as she watched the man she loved sleep contentedly. He looked happy. Content with where he was in life.

She gathered her knees together and let her chin rest on them. Her eyes didn't waver as she studied every single thing about him; his face, his hair, his tanned chest and abs, his strong hands, and his heart. She saw him breathe in and out with ease. Before she could even think of what was happening next, her eyes filled with unshed tears. She hadn't cried in so long. They didn't flow, however. She swallowed, and looked away, back to the sea.

"Sakura…" his voice mumbled.

Her eyes widened. The pounding of her heart started once again. Her head swiveled and stared at him. The sight stunned her even more. He was still asleep, his eyes gently closed, but his lips were lightly apart. He'd whispered her name in his dreams. Did that mean he was dreaming of her? Feelings overtook her, and before she knew it, she was touching his hair and moving away his bangs from his face. He was so handsome…the most handsome man she'd ever laid eyes on. Not just because he was tall, good-looking, and physically appealing.

Almost an hour passed, Sakura decided to leave him. The time she spent watching him and thinking of the past made her feel happy; happier than she had ever been in years. With a small sigh, she stared at him once more, as if to take a picture for her memory. She'd never see him again. The thought hurt, but it was the truth. And it was definitely for the best. Suddenly, without even meaning to, she bent down and pressed her lips gently to his cheek and gave him a loving kiss.

"Bye Syaoran," she whispered and stood up, and for once, she was leaving him.

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It had exactly been a month and two weeks since he came to Japan. At first, Syaoran expected to be glad that he had 2 months left to enjoy himself in another country away from his family, but surprisingly, he found that he wasn't; not even close to it. It wasn't just homesickness and it wasn't that he missed Hong Kong itself; it was the fact that there was nothing exciting happening and worth staying for. Constantly fighting the urge to go to Tomoeda and look for Sakura was hard, but he did it and succeeded. But now that he missed her a lot more because of a damn dream that haunted him for days, he wasn't sure if he'd be surprised to find himself in Tomoeda one day, grabbing Sakura in his arms and just kissing the hell out of her.

"Hi, little brother," Sheifa greeted.

Syaoran grinned at the sound of his sister's voice. "Hey, Sheifa. Ladies," he greeted his sisters who he knew were listening in.

They giggled. "Are you excited?? Your birthday is tomorrow!!"

The sudden reminder surprised Syaoran. "Oh…oh yeah."

"You…forgot?" Sheifa asked in shock.

"Well…" Syaoran shook his head and laughed. "Damn, it is my birthday tomorrow!"

They laughed. "Honestly, Syaoran. So what are you going to be doing?"

"Beats me. I just remembered it now," he said with casualty. "Anyway, how's everyone doing?"

"We're doing wonderful," she answered. "And yourself?"

"Uh…" Syaoran glanced around the grand hotel he was staying at. "The hotel's great, the business is doing ok…-"

"And what about the women?" She teased. He could easily hear the other women giggling in the background.

With a chuckle, Syaoran rested the receiver between his head and shoulder and opened the balcony door. "I haven't…found the time to hang out with them," he said lamely.

Four voices scoffed. "Right. Do you expect us, the women who have known you your entire life, to believe that?"

"I'm not expecting that at all," he muttered.

"Then let's get straight to the point," Feimei interrupted in another phone. "What happened between you and Sakura?"

"You're very direct, you know that?" He asked, trying to ease off the tension building in him.

"I think that's the biggest compliment you've given me in years," Feimei said with a smile. "But seriously, what's up with you two?"

"I don't know what to say, except that nothing has happened." And like that, the four voices he knew so well protested in unison. He managed to move the receiver away from his ear by a good 3 inches. "Wait, wait, stop yelling. Let me explain," he interrupted.

Quickly, they quieted. "Ok. Good," he said. "Anyway, I did see her a few times. We even had lunch together once."

"Then what's the problem?? Why hasn't anything happened??" Fuutie exclaimed.

"It wasn't as if she fell for me again and decided to spend the rest of her life with me," he said cynically. "I had to practically beg her to have lunch with me that time. I shouldn't have made a promise to her, but I did, because I was…well..."

"Desperate?" One of the sisters put in.

"Why do I have the feeling we're not going to like this promise?" Sheifa interrupted with unease.

"I promised her I wouldn't bother her again if she went out with me," Syaoran said, his voice going a pitch lower. "And so…she agreed."

"Xiao-Lang Li!!" Fanren cried. "How stupid can you get??"

"You could've promised her something else, but that?! Were you born yesterday??"

"I don't even think you care about Sakura as you make it seem, because someone who does care about a woman like that wouldn't make such an idiotic mistake!"

He had enough with the insults. "Shut up!" He said from his side. "Look, I had no idea what to do when I was put in that position! All I knew was I had to say what I had to."

An awkward silence filled the line.

"Was it worth it?" Feimei's quiet voice broke it.

With a small sigh, he answered truthfully. "More than you know."

"Then I don't think you made a mistake at all," Feimei defended. "Come on girls. All we asked him to do was see if there was still something between them. Obviously, there isn't," she reckoned. "So if you want, you can come home, Xiao-Lang."

Surprised at her offer, he stopped. "What?"

"Well…that was the point of going to Japan, wasn't it? I mean, the real point of going there. To see if there were still something between you?"

He didn't know what to say. He stared at the hard carpet beneath him.

"Syaoran?" Fuutie asked. "What's it going to be?"

"…I…uh…" he closed his eyes and swept a hand over his face. "I don't know."

"Don't know what?"

He sighed slowly. "I don't know if I want to leave yet."

"Is there some other reason why you don't want to come home?"

"I…I honestly don't know," he muttered. "But I…I don't want to leave Japan yet."

"Well…honey, if you're sure," Sheifa murmured. "You don't want to come home?"

"Give me the rest of my vacation, big sisters," he said. "And then I'll come back."

"Ok," they agreed. "That's a good deal. But you just call us when you want to come home, ok? 'Cause we're just a phone call away."

"Yeah, that and a couple thousand mi-"

"All right, bye sweetie!" They finished the call before he could get sarcastic with them.

God, that conversation was exhausting. He hadn't expected that to be what it was. Mere minutes ago, he was sure he wanted to go back home. After that…well…it turned out that what he was sure of was staying in Japan for a little bit more. This was probably his last chance to see Sakura before tying himself down with someone completely unknown to him. The arranged marriage was hard to get out of. Both people involved in the marriage and their families had to agree before it could be called off.

Syaoran sighed. His birthday was tomorrow. That's right. He'd be turning 29…almost 30. He was getting old, and he didn't even have a family, much less a girlfriend. Ah damn. It was 2:00 in the afternoon and he was suffering from heat exhaustion. He stood up from the couch and went to the air-conditioned, beautiful bedroom. He'd think about that later. Right now, he had 4 hours to get some rest before he had to return to the building later that night.

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To be continued...