I Think I'm In Love with My Bestfriend's Boyfriend
Author's Notes: Thank you again to all the reviewers! Remember, the more reviews I see, the more inspired I get. I tend to write longer…
Na, my apologies if everything in the last chapter is so confusing: in order to clear up, I'll explain it here.
Syaoran was confused with who he was in love with, Sakura or Meilin…he thought it was Sakura he liked better, but it turns out it was really Meilin. Problem is, when he went to Hong Kong for a visit, Meilin contracted some water-borne complication and died.
As for Eriol, he met Tomoyo in Tokyo in the same year that Syaoran met Sakura and Meilin. Tomoyo had gone to Tokyo for that one year, and wasn't aware of Sakura's involvement with Syaoran. Trouble here was that Tomoyo completed her one-year stay in Tokyo the day that Eriol arrived.
After Tomoyo, Eriol met Kaho Mizuki…but unfortunately, she was affected by severe hypothermia. Lost, Eriol returned to Tomoeda.
Tomoyo doesn't know that the 'other girl' that Syaoran is talking about is Sakura - Eriol doesn't know that Sakura's 'best friend' is Tomoyo.
Tomoyo is very happy about Syaoran, yet he seems to be unsure. Eriol is confused with himself and Sakura, because he likes Sakura very much but is still hanging on to Kaho Mizuki and especially Tomoyo. Sakura is turning to Eriol for comfort and 'another chance'.
My dearest apologies for all the delay and the shortness of the chapter!
Disclaimer: All characters and places are property of the manga-ka CLAMP and companies related to it. Only the plot and story is my intellectual product.
Chapter Five: Partial Revelation II
"This is one of my favorite restaurants…" said Sakura, smiling sweetly at the blue-haired man across the table. Grinning back, he returned, "I'm glad to have experienced it here…I've never quite roamed around Tomoeda too much."
Each took a sweet spoonful of dessert ice cream.
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Tomoyo was extremely happy with her new date.
Syaoran was the kind of person that a director would beg for on a top-ranked movie. He had the looks, the attitude, the abilities…
Except, really, he was never sure about things.
"Where do you want to go today, Li-kun?" asked an elated girl, jumping up and down in happiness. Despite the pouring rain of the last night, the sun had made a grand return in the morning with a majestic carriage of fluffy and curtain-like clouds. The sky was as blue as the inside of a poster color container, and everyone seemed to be in a good mood.
"I don't know…"
"Do you want to go see a movie again?"
"I'm not sure."
"What movie will we see today then?"
"I can't decide-"
Syaoran was never sure about things.
It was up to the great Daidouji Tomoyo-sama to decide things on this particular time.
"Okay…let's go to the park then!"
And so began a wonderful, simple yet pleasant day for Tomoyo and Syaoran.
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Sakura was at home, writing in her diary --
January 20 (Friday)
Dear Diary,
Eriol and I went to the Fruits Candy restaurant today for brunch. It was so nice, because such I've said so many times before, I love the restaurant and now I like Eriol.
Hoe! They even had my favorite flavor of ice cream on special today. Yum for Chocolate…
Still, I can't seem to forget about Syaoran. Whenever I look at Eriol, it's like there's a glimmer of that foreign exchange student in those deep eyes - something I can't really identify. All I know about it is that
Suddenly the phone rang again. Feeling a bit of déjà vu from the previous day, she instead shook her head and focused on brighter thoughts than clueless best friends and come-to-return crushes.
When Sakura picked up the receiver, she was immediately greeted by Eriol's courteous voice. Unfortunately though;
"Good afternoon Sakura…I'm sorry if I would be disturbing you but-" started Eriol in a strange, anxious way.
"No, no, it's fine-" Sakura replied, but was quickly cut off.
"I must leave for England immediately. It seems that there is a matter I should resolve back at home."
Shock came to Sakura like a tidal wave.
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The next day, Tomoyo was still as happy as a flea in a blood bank. Everything was perfect again, only this time it seemed to be that there were even less clouds than usual. Well, at least it wasn't to the point that the sun turned merciless and scorched all of Tomoeda…
She decided to invite Sakura over for a picnic.
January 21 (Saturday)
Still so upset. I was looking forward to a morning at the park or something like that, let Nakuru tag along with us too, but then Eriol had to go to England because of some affair he had to settle about the estate.
Even so, I'm sure things will be great after some difficulties - I mean, a year at maximum to wait wouldn't be too long for me and Eriol at all. It would be a wonderful chance for me to develop my ((hidden)) artistic abilities…
then…
Ring, ring.
The phone again. A slender hand put down the pen and paper, stood up somewhat shakily from the chair and reached for the infamous wireless phone.
This time, it was the honey-sweet tone of a best friend that met Sakura this particular morning.
"Hey Sakura, are you free today? I bet you are, I mean, who couldn't be on such a perfect day?"
She let off a small scowl at the over-excitement that was encountered. For Sakura, it was getting a tad bit annoying, that enthusiasm…
"Of course I'm free Tomoyo…" Sakura supplied with not much emotion.
"Well then, it wouldn't be a trouble if you could meet us at my house for a picnic today, right?"
A frown deepened. Tomoyo was speaking so fast that only the words 'it', 'house', 'picnic' and 'today' were coherent enough. Letting out a lazy murmur, she half-patiently waited for the details that were given (and left un-listened to) to finish.
Putting down the phone, she closed her journal once more to prepare for yet another trip to the Daidouji mansion. Packing a couple of plates of leftover Christmas pudding to contribute, she opened the front door, locked it, and stepped out.
…………………………………………………………
The sandwiches were already being loaded out from the basket onto the wide blanket when they finally spotted a figure coming up from beyond the hill.
"Oh, here she is…" commented Tomoyo happily, "…my best friend. I'd really like you two to really meet each other, you'd be great friends as well!"
Syaoran Li simply nodded his head in return, not too interested. Picking up one of the wrapped snacks from beside him, he was about to remove the tissue covers when-
'Sakura?'
…………………………………………………………
Stretching his body after such a long and dull plane flight, Eriol Hiiragizawa picked up his pieces of luggage and set for the outside of the terminal. There he would meet Nakuru who went ahead of him just a day before, then proceed to his home…
There was that excited look in his eyes that seemed clouded with a faraway dream again-
"Eriol, that looks heavy. Let me help you, m'kay?" Nakuru said, now in a different aura than at Tomoeda.
Smiling, Eriol let go of one of the bags and moved his hand to make space for another to help.
"By the way Eriol…things have become complicated. I don't want to say this, but phone lines have been cut from the house. I'm afraid only letters would be your communication back to Tomoeda." continued Nakuru in a completely different expression.
Suddenly all started to turn gray…the mood, the air, the sun…the sky.
…………………………………………………………
"Meet my best friend, Sakura Kinomoto." Tomoyo blurted out cheerily, grinning as if there was no tomorrow. "Sakura, I think you might remember: Syaoran Li?"
Both Sakura and Syaoran remained speechless.
Sensing the initial awkwardness, Tomoyo gestured for them to sit down on the blanket. Doing so, they shook hands while seated but their eyes never left each other's gaze.
Sakura, shocked senseless.
Syaoran, unsure once again.
Tomoyo, gladly clueless, just proceeded to dish out the rest of her cakes.
…………………………………………………………
January 21 (Still Saturday)
Oh gods. Impossible.
They actually continued on after the first date.
I didn't imagine it to happen after Tomoyo's over-enthusiasm in Syaoran, and whatever might have happened after the rain (probably) ruined their date after the movie…but it did.
I decided to accept Tomoyo's invitation to picnic anyway, thinking it would be a good excuse to stop thinking about Eriol and Syaoran. What I hadn't expected was that SYAORAN himself would be there!
Darn it, I should listen more to whatever Tomoyo says on the phone.
I can't help but feel a wave of jealousy whenever I see them…telling me that I was nothing more than a classmate in whatever subject we shared in high school. No more than a clumsy, forgetful girl who he helped a bit one day.
But…and yet…
After all those tsunamis of envy pass, I feel wonderful. Because I know, that even though it's probably not me that's on his mind, I'm still there with him. That even though it maybe Tomoyo he brings to the cinema, or my best friend he may greet the first in the mornings and evenings…
I've learned my lesson. I'm happy as it is, because I get to be with him. I'm with Syaoran, in the same room, breathing the same air…
…and at least I can look at him whenever he isn't aware.
At least I am safe in my mind to think of what we could have been.
At least I can pass the time while Eriol is in England, before I have another chance.
At least I share the same laughs, the same conversations, the same pleasantly sweet pastries that Tomoyo's mastered to fix over all our years.
At least…at least.