Reoploaded for grammar changes
Chapter 02: You!
Normal P.O.V.
"What do you think you're doing, Kinomoto-san?" Li-kun asked.
"I'm going to help my friend," Sakura answered, as if it were quite obvious.
"Kinomoto-san, please return to your seat. Or are you too, becoming a kindergartener as your friend has previously showed the class how well she can portray one?" Li-kun asked.
"Please, I am merely going to comfort her," Sakura replied, getting a little angry. "You know, it's what friends do. You do know what I mean, right?"
"Kinomoto-san, sit down right now," Li-kun persisted.
"I do not have time for this. My friend needs me; please get out of my way!" Sakura yelled, extremely upset.
"Kinomoto-san, I believe I clearly stated in the beginning of class that disobedience would not be tolerated. Or did you not hear me because you were not listening? Laughing, perhaps?"
"The only thing I've learned in the last 15 minutes is that you hold a personality of a cold-hearted jerk, easily distinguished when one hears your voice," Sakura exclaimed. "Maybe that's why you do not understand my responsibility of helping my friend in her time of need. Your rude personality lost you any chance of having friends." Sakura's eyes then drifted to his left hand. "Apparently, also of having a 'significant other' in your life, I assume, seeing your left hand is bare of any wedding band. Tell me Li-kun, what's a fine gentleman like you at your age doing with a life of no friends or females?"
The class stared in disbelief as Sakura Kinomoto, the timid, kind girl continued to insult a complete, utter stranger.
"Now if you will excuse me, I have a friend to take care of," Sakura said as she pushed pass Li-kun and headed out the door.
"Kinomoto-san, you put one foot out of that door, and I will report you to the Dean!" Li-kun bellowed.
Sakura stopped, pivoted on her right foot and gave Li-kun an ignorant stare. "I believe I will take my chances with that," she answered with a smile. "Goodbye, Li-kun, it was a pleasure meeting you. I hope you have a good rest of the day with all of your friends, and I am looking forward to coming back to class on Thursday!" Sakura blew him a kiss, turned on her heels, and left the room.
Li-kun was left standing by the door, stunned and speechless. Considering his social status and position Kinomoto-san obviously was not aware of, no one had ever spoken to him that way before and he was not expecting it at all. And frankly, neither were the classmates, as they were all silent. That is, all but Rika, who sat in the back, giggling like crazy.
Li-kun regained his stern face and proper composure and calmly asked, "Sasaki-san, is there something wrong, or shall I report you to the Dean as well as Mihara-san and Kinomoto-san?"
Rika giggled even more. "You can try, but I believe any attempt to do so will prove useless."
"And why is that?"
"The Dean is Sakura Kinomoto's brother. Not only is he the one in power in this situation, but he is also extremely overprotective of his baby sister. And you being a male, well… I think it's best you just drop everything," Rika answered with a giggle.
Li-kun breathed in deeply. "I see. So I assume that Kinomoto-san gets in and out of similar situations quite easily then?"
"Oh no sir," piped up a student in the middle row. "Sakura Kinomoto would never do such a thing like abuse her connections with an important person of the school. In fact, she never abuses them with anyone outside school, anyway."
"Yeah," said another student. "Besides, she never gets in trouble anyway to have a chance to do something like that!"
"Maybe," replied another, "but I hardly believe the statement about her abusing connections outside of school. I mean, how could she have possibly become a model on her own? She had, to have had some kind of help from her mother!"
"Yeah, I mean her mother was only the most popular model in all of Asia."
"Actually," Rika said, quite annoyed with the classmates' comments, "she did not have help from her mother. In fact, as far as we know, Sakura's mother knows nothing about Sakura, or of her career as a model, no matter how successful or well know it is."
Li-kun scoffed. "What, is she dead?" He laughed at his own comment.
There was complete silence. A dead leaf could have been heard falling to the ground outside in the classroom. Rika gave Li-kun a cold, hard glare. "Yes," Rika replied, "she is."
The class stared in disbelief at Li-kun. Rika picked up her books, walked to the front of the class, stood close to Li-kun, and stared him in the face. "Everyone," Rika said, not averting her gaze, "I believe this class is over. See you all Thursday."
Everyone got up from their seats, and left the room without saying a word to avoid the mass tension that had built up in the room. When the last person had exited, and the door had shut, Rika grabbed Li-kun by his tie.
"Now you listen to me," she said sternly. "I know for a fact that you are Sakura's blind date tonight. If you insult her, say anything rude, or ever have the gall to not show up, I guarantee you, I will not be the only person aiming to hunt you down and personally shoot you. And trust me; I'll know what goes on tonight. Tomoyo Daidouji, is Sakura's best friend, the infamous matchmaking camerawoman that manages to capture everything that Sakura does when she least expects it on tape. Afterwards, she always shows Sakura's friends that things that happen and we decide together if her date is worth Sakura seeing again or not. Sakura is as fragile as glass, and we would go to the ends of the earth to not see her hurt again." Tears began to form in Rika's eyes. "Do anything wrong and I swear I will abuse my connections in this school?" And with that, Rika left the room, slamming the door behind her.
Li-kun was left in the classroom by himself to think about all of the words that had been thrown in his face in the last half hour. "Sakura Kinomoto, is my date tonight?"
Sakura and Tomoyo sat in the coffeehouse together, Sakura venting out all of her anger that had been building up in the past hour about Li-kun on Tomoyo, who was avidly listening.
"And he was totally yelling at me for being what he called 'disobedient!' All I was trying to do in the beginning was apologize!" Sakura exclaimed.
Tomoyo stared in disbelief, sipping her coffee at the same time. "What did you do after that?"
Sakura calmed down a bit. "Oh it was nothing, really. I just told him that he had no friends and then I left the classroom."
"Yeah, way to go, Sakura!" Tomoyo exclaimed. "So tell me, what was the name of this 'high-almighty' teacher?"
Sakura scoffed. "He told us to call him Li-kun."
Tomoyo choked on her drink. Sakura laughed. "Yeah I know, weird name, huh? It doesn't sound like he's from around here. And now he barges into our campus and tells me when to sit down and when to talk. Some nerve."
Tomoyo cleared her throat. "So what does he look like?" she managed to say.
"Definitely not my definition of attractive," Sakura answered with a wrinkle in her nose. "He was tall and had the worst hairstyle I have ever seen. Screw hairstyle, it was a disaster! Honestly, it looked like he hadn't brushed it in days!"
Tomoyo took a deep breath, and another sip of her coffee. She started to worry.
"Why the sudden interest anyway?" Sakura asked a little confused. "Have you met him before? I pity you."
"No it's not that," Tomoyo answered shaking her head. "I mean, I have seen him before, but that's not what matters right now."
Sakura gave Tomoyo a questioning look. "What do you mean you've met him before? Tomoyo, what's going on?"
"Listen to me," Tomoyo replied. "You have to understand, I'm breaking major blind date rules here, but I would not be doing it unless I thought it necessary. Sakura, Li-kun is…"
"A crazy loon?" Sakura interrupted. Yeah, I figured that out on my own. But what does he have to do with my date ton…" Tomoyo winced.
"You've got to be kidding me," Sakura said, looking at her friend with the most threatening look ever. "Tomoyo, don't tell me that Li-kun is my blind date tonight."
"Okay, I won't then!" Tomoyo laughed nervously. Sakura's face dropped, and she slumped in her chair, downing the rest of her coffee. Tomoyo grabbed her best friend's hand. "Oh Sakura, I'm so sorry, I had no idea something like this would happen!"
"Tomoyo, what am I supposed to do?" Sakura exclaimed, getting extremely panicky.
"Well, you could always go on the date with him," Tomoyo suggested.
"What!" Sakura exclaimed. "Tomoyo, I cannot go on a date with the just that I totally just bashed an hour and a half ago! I said so many horrible things to him!"
Tomoyo eyed her grief-stricken friend. "What are you saying, Sakura? Do you regret saying those things to him?" Tomoyo asked.
"No of course not!" Sakura answered. "But think about it, it is never in my disposition to yell at anyone at all. Do you expect me to go on this date, act the way I usually am, and expect Li-kun to believe that I really am a good-natured person?"
"No, not really, but don't you think you should try anyway?" Tomoyo asked. "You always tell me to give second chances, maybe you should just give Li-kun one. I've met him, remember?"
Sakura sat up straight. "What's he like? Is he anything like he was in class today?"
Tomoyo sighed. "Well, no. He was nothing like you explained, but I can completely understand where you're coming from. When I met him, he was completely quiet. He never spoke to me, unless I directly asked him a question. The only person he talked to was Eriol. I have to admit, Li-kun wasn't very enthusiastic about the whole date idea, but I told him that you were a perfect lady and that he wouldn't be wasting a Friday night."
"I guess that's gone down the tubes then," Sakura answered. "So, he was quiet?"
"Silently still, barely moved a muscle," Tomoyo answered. Sakura groaned.
"Hey, don't worry," Tomoyo said. "Just be you, everything will work out fine."
"Tomoyo, I was myself today in class. I think it's too late for that. Besides, even if he gave me a chance, I don't think he'd buy anything that I would say, if I decide to talk at all," Sakura explained. "Just admit it, I've ruined this date already, and it starts in five hours."
"Five hours, that's it?" Tomoyo shrieked. "Oh my gosh, Sakura, we have to find something for you to wear!"
"What do you mean, what kind of date is it? I thought it would be casual!" Sakura replied.
"It is, but you can't possibly expect me to allow you to wear what you're wearing now," Tomoyo answered.
"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Sakura asked.
"It's totally last week, Sakura," Tomoyo answered.
"You made this last week!" Sakura exclaimed.
"Whatever, let's go. Besides, I need something to wear too," Tomoyo replied.
"Why, where are you going?" Sakura asked.
"I'm going with you. Eriol and I can't make it to your party tomorrow, so we decided to double date tonight. And after hearing what has happened today, it's sounds like you'll need some saving tonight," Tomoyo explained.
Sakura's eyes lit up. "Tomoyo, what would I do without you?"
"I dare not think of the possibilities, Sakura," Tomoyo said. "C'mon, Eriol said that we could raid the closets at work and use some of the outfits that didn't make it into the catalog."
Sakura sighed a happy sigh. "I'm so glad you are coming, I'll actually have somebody to talk to," Sakura stated as she walked with Tomoyo to the car.
Tomoyo stopped and gave Sakura another look. "Sakura, just because you two fought in class today, doesn't mean you shouldn't talk to him tonight."
"Okay, fine. But I don't want you or Eriol asking any questions that would embarrass me or completely humiliate me in front of random people at wherever we are going," Sakura said. "We are we going?"
"We're going to the carnival," Tomoyo answered, starting the car.
"The carnival?" Sakura repeated. "Tomoyo, you know I don't like the carnies, they scare me!"
"Don't worry," Tomoyo answered. "Besides, Li-kun will be there to save you, remember?" She laughed.
"That is not funny, Tomoyo. Seriously, can we go somewhere else?" Sakura asked.
"Nope," Tomoyo answered. "We are going to see the friendly carnie people, and that is final."
Sakura sat back in the seat, thinking about everything that had happened so far in the day. Being late, trying to apologize, Chiharu yelling, Chiharu crying, Li-kun being a jerk, yelling at Li-kun, helping Chiharu, and pouring everything out to Tomoyo. Then she thought about something that Tomoyo had said about Li-kun back at the coffee shop. "He was nothing like you explained, but I can completely understand where you're coming from…"
"Hey Tomoyo, what did you mean when you said you understood what I meant when I said that Li-kun was mean, even though you didn't see it when you first met him?" Sakura asked.
"Well, his quiet wasn't a shy quiet," Tomoyo replied. "It was more of an 'I hate it here and there's something I'd rather be doing, but I can't disappoint my best friend and his gorgeous girlfriend' quiet. It also looked like he was keeping something away, but it really wasn't my place to ask, so I didn't."
"Great," Sakura answered. "You and Eriol, being the couple that you are, are going to ditch me and Li-kun and I'm going to have to fend for myself against the carnie people and Li-kun will laugh at me and leave me there instead of coming and saving me."
"That's the plan."
Sakura gave an incredulous look to Tomoyo, and Tomoyo laughed at the expression of her best friend's face.
Sakura rolled her eyes. "Forget it, it doesn't matter. At least I'll look good tonight, I know exactly what I want to wear," she said. Then she giggled. "I love my job."
"I thought you hated it."
"Yeah, but then I like it in between seasons when I get to keep all of the left over clothes," Sakura answered. Then I don't have to spend all of my clothes, and I can save it up for what I really want to do."
Tomoyo laughed. "That life-long dream of yours is gonna stick around until it happens, huh?" she asked. "That's okay. I like that you have your job, too. It's fun for me."
"Tomoyo, any occasion on which I look cute is fun for you," Sakura pointed out.
Tomoyo started to giggle uncontrollably. Sakura gave her friend a strange and concerned look, and then proceeded to join her friend in laughing their heads off.
And so the two girls drove back to the work building to get their clothes for their outing later that night. Little do they know, two men are already there, leaving the building after finishing for themselves what the girls plan to start. Unaware that either party is approaching each other, the girls leave their car and proceed to the front door, while the guys leave the elevator and head to the front door. Unfortunately for our little model, she notices nothing when she opens the door, due to the excessive talking to her best friend. Likewise, the familiar substitute that the little naïve girl previously have had the pleasure of meeting is doing the same. Fate conveniently lets the two bump into each other, and when emerald and amber meet up once more, the only word heard for miles is a simple, "YOU!"
Hmmm, what ill-fated attempt will the four try and make to do their best to make the date bearable? Who knows, when neither of them are feeling at all eased about the night ahead.
Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and also to those who continue to review. Everything is greatly appreciated. Chapter Three is coming!
sweetpea