Disclaimer: I do not own Cardcaptor Sakura.


"…To the happy couple, Meiling and Hiromi. May your wedding be the best that Hong Kong has ever seen." Eriol finished his toast as the crowd erupted into applause and cheers for the future bride and groom. Meiling couldn't help but fluster a little. Hiromi was ecstatic. In just a couple of months, he would wed the perfect girl for him for the rest of his life.

Meiling had already introduced Sakura and Tomoyo as her bridesmaids and closest friends. Sakura looked awkward with her noticeable cast and crutches underneath her dress… but what could she do?

Many of the press were invited to the party, much to Syaoran's dismay, because this was the lead up to one of the grandest weddings in Hong Kong. After all, if a Li was involved, it was automatically big, especially since the Li member was so close to the 'reigning' Li family of the corporation. On top of that, there was the Hoshizawa lineage that was well known for their expertise in medicine. Hiromi was just one of many Hoshizawas that excelled in the sciences and became a cardiologist, who became more renown with each passing moment. Despite their part Japanese heredity, the Hoshizawas were very well accepted into the Chinese culture.

The Li dining hall was magnificent to say the least. A myriad of shimmering chandelier crystals illuminated the grand hall. The aroma of delectable food from the buffet tables ebbed since everyone was finishing up their meals.

The orchestra started up and played waltzes. Two by two, couples stood up to dance. Sakura giggled, watching Hiromi bring up a reluctant Meiling. Meiling looked so exhausted because of all the events that had occurred in the past 2 hours yet Hiromi persisted. Eriol used his charms to get Tomoyo to dance. She glanced over at Syaoran who had a crowd of females surrounding him. Everyone seemed to have a partner… except her. A sad pang rippled through her heart. Sakura immediately ignored it. What was the use if she had someone to dance with? Her foot was in no condition to be standing on, let alone dance. The orchestra finished their current song and moved right on to the next. Sakura smiled. That used to be her favorite waltz song. It even was her cell phone ring at one point. Speaking of cell phone, she pulled hers out of her purse and felt homesick and slowly still in crutches crept out of the room, unnoticed.

Finding tranquility in the nearby study room, Sakura plopped herself down into one of the comfy chairs and let out a sigh of content. Pulling out her cell phone, she punched in several numbers and waited for the call to go through.

"Moshi moshi."

"Konbanwa onii-chan." Recognizing the voice immediately, Touya smirked.

"Kaijuu."

"Sakura is not a kaijuu!" She took the time to drop a call and he insults her? Baka.

"Only kaijuus call this late at night." Sakura took a glance at the grandfather clock near by, which showed 10:00. What was onii-chan complaining about? It would only be eleven back at home. Besides, she remembered picking up his phone calls way later than 11.

"Then you must be a bigger kaijuu than me. Reminisce that time when you stayed out with your friends till 1 and you called home and I was still sleeping and otou-san was-"

"You're still a kaijuu." Sakura growled viciously at the phone-

"BAKA ONII-CHAN!" -And hung up. With nothing else to do, she studied the room. Upon its grand walls was a portrait of the Li family. Sakura looked at the painting and gaped with awe. There were 6 people standing upright, who looked elegant and regal. The youngest in the picture was holding a picture frame with a black and white photo of a man. Was it…?


Her fiancée coaxed her into dancing, not that Meiling minded it… but she felt that Sakura would be bored out of her mind. After all, she couldn't dance with her injured foot. Taking a quick glance at the table and almost tripping in the process, she noticed that Sakura wasn't present in the room. Noting Meiling's mistake in her movement, Hiromi already knew something was up.

"What's wrong?"

"Sakura-chan's not here…"

"Maybe she went to the bathroom." Hiromi suggested.

"Yea… you're probably right." Hopefully… Sakura wouldn't be bored to death. Hiromi held her close as both of them slowly swayed to the music. She took another glance and saw her dear cousin swamped with females… literally. This infuriated her. They were completely ignorant of his feelings and of his fiancée's death! His deceased fiancée! How dare they. Hiromi held her closer to himself and took a look at what Meiling was glaring daggers at. Syaoran… swarmed with females… well, female dogs. Letting out a sigh, he looked at his fiancée's incensed expression and grinned.

"Don't worry koishii (beloved). Xiao Lang's strong. He'll be alright." Meiling sighed and nodded. She twirled around his body and continued to move to the music.

"I guess."

"Now, stop being distracted. You should have no qualms to worry about tonight. Look at me." Meiling lifted her head from his chest to see him smiling at her. "I love you Meiling. Focus on me now?" He asked hopefully. Meiling let out a laugh and pressed her lips to his. "I love you too Hiromi." And with that, all her worries melted away.


"Please Xiao Lang. Just one dance!" One girl pleaded.

"No dance with me!" Another exclaimed.

"If you dance with her, you have to dance with me!" The migraine… those idiots just reminded him of another reason he adored his Aya… she was the first female that didn't throw herself at him. Just sitting down alone, wanting to enjoy the night. Now he remembered why he hated parties so much. Weirdly enough, during the time he'd spent in Japan with Eriol for that brief time period, he had almost forgotten about the damn paparazzi, the fancy parties and the inconsiderate females.

"Please go find another partner." Instead of using a sincere tone, he let out a deep low growl and clenched both of his fists tightly. Not blinded to his actions, the surrounding group scurried away and danced with lesser handsome men.

Rubbing his temple with two fingers, he headed towards the nearest room to the dining hall… the study room. Maybe he'd fine some tranquility there. Opening both doors, he alerted anyone who might've already been in a room. Taking a quick look around the room, he groaned as he saw a girl towards the far corner. She was probably waiting for him here rather than in the dining room. He really couldn't make out her features. Clearing his throat, he announced,

"I'm not dancing tonight." The figure in the corner looked over her shoulder and smiled. Pointing at her cast, she responded,

"I'm not dancing tonight either."

"Sakura-san?"

"Syaoran-kun?" Sakura replied in a mocking manner.

"What are you doing here?"

"I can't dance… so what can I do while everyone else is dancing? Watching is only fun for a while. And there's no way I could eat another bite of food! So I decided to come in here and call onii-chan, but he acted all mean and haughty so I hung up on him. I looked around the room and was studying this picture when you came in. It's you… isn't it? In this picture." Sakura pointed at the youngest family member in the picture and received a nod.

"Is that your…" Her finger hovered over the area of the picture where he had held a frame in his arms.

"Tou-san? Yea. He passed away when I was 5 so I didn't get to know him very much. We were supposed to have the family portrait done two months before he passed away so… I held his picture in our portrait." He remembered the feelings of denial from that time. His father couldn't have left him. It was a lie. His mother and sisters were all lying to him. There was no way that his great strong father could've died. But life moved on. Aya… why did life continue to move without her? Why couldn't time just stop until he could… hold onto his memories and bear a grin rather than recollect his memories and feel sorrow?

Noting that he spaced out completely, Sakura giggled softly. The Syaoran in Japan and the Syaoran in Hong Kong were two different entities with two different roles in society. There, back at her home, he was a normal person. Here, his home, he was a big business executive, surrounded by the loss of his fiancée and the annoying media. Frankly, she pitied the Hong Kong Syaoran. To live a life where people followed you, made up stories about you… it's just not right. She remembered the flashes of lights when she landed in the airport those few days ago. The insinuations they made were awful! Ah! Her heart was racing again. Not good. Taking in deep breaths, she calmed herself down a bit. Syaoran, who snapped out of his thoughts, expressed his emotions with the enigmatic look on his face. Noting that he was back to normal, Sakura let out a sheepish grin.

"Just a thing I do to regain my blood pressure. I'm just weird like that." She let out a nervous giggle; in hopes it would cover up the obvious. A replaced heart was something she wasn't proud of; neither was it something to be pitied or sympathized for. But Syaoran wouldn't show pity. Would he? Truthfully, Sakura didn't know much about Syaoran. As close as they seemed, he was Meiling's cousin who helped her out and acted friendly to her in Japan. He never told her much about his own life. Well, besides Aya. But she didn't know much about that either. She didn't know how Aya had become to be deceased, how the two met… anything. Just thinking about it made Syaoran slowly become a stranger in her eyes. She shook her head. She didn't want that to happen. She couldn't let it happen.

"What's with the head shaking?"

"Syaoran-kun. I don't know anything about you. Nothing."

"Ne? Sakura-san, what on earth are you talking about? You know that I'm related to Meiling and Eriol, the latter being even unfortunate than the former for me, that I am the current and by far crappiest CEO of Li Corporation and that I have a fiancée who lives dead in her grave because of me!" He shouted out the last part. His emotions about Aya continued to torment him.

"Why is it your fault?"

"Why do you want to know?" Syaoran snapped irritably. Soon, it would be two months. Two months earlier, he shouldn't have given in. He should've insisted on his way and that would be the end of it. 'Why the hell did she have to be so damn stubborn! Just like me…' As much as he liked Sakura's company, talking about Aya made him feel uneasy, constantly.

"Because then I would start to know you. Not the facts, but your emotions, your thoughts and your ideals. Knowing facts like that don't make people friends. Opening up to others do. I know I sound forward but I just want to get to know you, the way I know all my friends. So I can truly say that I know Li Syaoran. Not facts or rumors or anything someone can find through the Internet. By now, I bet there are people who know your birthday and you haven't spoken one word to them. They don't truly know Syaoran-kun. But… neither do I. I want to know Syaoran-kun… if you'll let me." Syaoran made no immediate response. Silence loomed in the air. Realizing that it was getting nowhere, Sakura quickly excused herself.

"Ah! This must be so rude of me! I… Uh… I'm going back to the ballroom now." Sakura said as she walked away from Syaoran towards the ballroom. Entering the ballroom, she found her seat, settled down and watched as she did before. However, unlike earlier, she had many thoughts that ran through her mind. 'Hoeee… I shouldn't have said that to Syaoran-kun. He must think I'm such a stupid person. Why did I say that? I was being so inconsiderate to him. Maybe there was a reason he didn't want to tell me. Maybe, he never wanted to be real friends with me. Why did I have to be so stupid?' A lone tear slid down her face. She really was looking forward to being close friends with him too. Just like Eriol-kun, Tomoyo-chan and Meiling-chan. Maybe… even more than friends. But his heart belonged to Aya's ironic much and she wouldn't be the one to ruin that bond. Besides, it wasn't like he was returning to Japan after this. Her heart stopped for a second.

He probably wouldn't be coming back. Why would he? Everything he needs is here. There is nothing for him in Japan. He wouldn't be coming back. Her heart pounded inside her chest. It hurt… a lot, both physically and emotionally. The pain wouldn't disappear. Clutching her chest, she crouched over from her sitting position and concentrated on a tile pattern. With time, it passed. She let out a sigh of relief. 'Yokatta. I wouldn't want to worry any more people. Especially Tomoyo-chan and Eriol-kun and Meiling-chan and Hiromi-kun and… Syaoran-kun. They shouldn't have to worry for me.' Thinking of Syaoran, a small tear escaped from her eye. 'Forget this… attraction thing. He's only meant to be a friend.


A friend.'


Syaoran sat and mused. She was right. He didn't open up to people the way he should. He should've mentioned to her that he was still touchy about Aya and plausibly always will be. He would've opened up about anything else, except her. 'Why am I telling myself this? I should've told it to Sakura-san earlier… during that pause of awkward silence.' There was always awkward silence. And then there was just plain awkward. Sunday being the prime example of awkward. That kiss… his composed face immediately flustered at the thought of it. 'That was some kiss… Stop thinking about it!' He massaged his temple to alleviate the stress piled up in his head. A rapping at the door paused his movements.

"Come in." Syaoran responded as the study door opened to reveal his mother. Immediately, he stood up and bowed in sign of respect.

"Xiao Lang."

"Hai okaa-sama."

"I have something to discuss with you."

"Hai."


Finally, the grand party was over. Meiling and Hiromi stood out in front and waved their guests goodbye. Tomoyo and Eriol were helping the clean up service clean up the dining hall. Sakura retreated back to her room and slept. And Syaoran? He sat in shock.

After his long talk with his mother, he stormed off to the training room to vent off his anger. He couldn't believe what she told him to do. Hastily changing out of his dress clothes and into his exercise clothes, he forcefully punched the dangling bag. His mother's words consumed his thoughts. Why?

"Xiao Lang. I know this is a very hard time for you but maybe if you forget about Aya, you can move on with your life. You're still young Xiao Lang and you have much to accomplish. You have so many goals that you can reach but you're falling short because of her. Please, for your sake, try to forget her, at least momentarily and your life will get back on to that long road you've been traveling. Your company and your family need you my son. Please, come back to us. That is all that I ask of you."

'Why should I listen to her? Of all people I thought she would understand that I need my time? Then why would she even dare suggest that I should forget about Aya and move on? How could I move on? She went through my father's death worse than anyone in the family. Even me. She stopped eating for a period of time in mourning. The house, regardless of its shiny-waxed floors and sparkly chandeliers became a gloomy place. I couldn't stand it. I was only 4 and my mother completely ignored me. At least I'm in mourning and not hurting those around me. I don't have a kid who needs a father figure. Or anyone who depends on me. The company doesn't need me. Fuutie doesn't have to be there. I know okaa-sama can do it. And she should until I've had the same time of mourning she's had over dad… which would amount to at least 2 years. And moving on? Ha. Secret code for get another girlfriend, propose to her, marry her and produce an heir. As if! Not in a million years… in which I would be dead… very dead… No way would I … right?'

Though he tried to fight it, bright emerald green eyes flashed through his head during his rant. Why? Letting out a yell of frustration, he kicked the bag. Why didn't he seem to agree with himself? His heart and mind were two different entities living inside his body, both seeking full control. His mind agreed with his subconscious thoughts but his heart… it yearned.


'Bored… bored… bored… hauuuuuu.' There was nothing for her to do. She couldn't help out Tomoyo and Eriol; she didn't know anyone that came to the party, excluding Tomoyo, Eriol, Syaoran, Hiromi, Meiling and herself. And Syaoran? Who knew what he was doing. Not like she wanted to know. There was enough 'awkwardness' to last her the day. But she was bored… A knock startled her thoughts.

"Hai?"

"May I come in?" Sakura wasn't able to pinpoint the voice but knew that she had heard it before.

"Um… come in." The door swung open to reveal Li Yelan standing straight and tall. Clumsily, Sakura stood up and bowed.

"Oh no need. Let's sit down."

"Uh… hai!" What would Syaoran's mother need with her?

"Do not be alarmed by my presence. I just wanted a few words with you." No matter what Yelan said, she still felt uncomfortable. She shifted in her position several times.

"It is to my knowledge that you have spent time with my son in Japan."

"Is that bad?" Sakura blurted out. Yelan smiled serenely.

"No. You see, my son has improved from his mourning since he's arrived. It still haunts him; I am aware. I spoke to him earlier and might have said some hurtful things to him. But you see, I realize what he's going through and I don't want him to repeat my mistake. I wasted two years of my life lamenting the loss of my husband, Syaoran's father. And with those two years, I missed time with my precious son. He should grieve for the rest of his life if he'd like, but I want him to at least balance his mourning and his life. He still has a future. I don't want him to lose his way." Sakura listened attentively to Yelan's speech. But she still couldn't help but wonder, 'what does this have to do with me?' Examining Sakura's expression, Yelan continued.

"What is my son to you?"

"Ano (um)… a friend. A really really close and valuable friend." Yelan looked at Sakura's eyes and knew that Sakura wasn't speaking the entire truth.

"Then, as his friend, I beg of you to bring him back to his senses." Yelan humbly requested as she bowed her head down before Sakura. Sakura returned the gesture and sat uneasily. 'How am I supposed to do it? I wanted to ignore Syaoran-kun for the rest of the day… demo… she believes in me… hoooeeeee…' Yelan stood up, bowed again and walked to the door.

"Just so you know, Xiao Lang is venting off some of his anger in the training hall. Last room of the downstairs hallway in the east wing." With that, she shut the door behind her.

"Hoeeeeee…" With no other option left, she grabbed her crutches from her side; slowly, she headed towards the training hall.


"There's a lot of food leftover." Tomoyo remarked. The buffet table still contained some palatable food from earlier that day.

"It'll all be donated to the soup kitchen nearby. Yelan-san always makes sure of it. We have to just focus on cleaning up the crap left on the table." He pointed to the gargantuan mess situated at the long table.

"Yay." Tomoyo's enthusiasm went so far.

"On the bright side, we're not in school." He countered, placing dishes into a big bin. When they filled that bin, it would head off to the kitchens to be dish washed.

"We're leaving in 3 days from here to go to Japan, where school will commence in the 5 days following our arrival." She retorted while grabbing a bowl.

"Why must you be so pessimistic?" In went some utensils.

"Why must you be so optimistic?" In went a couple of knives.

"Because I want to be." There goes a glass.

"Why?" And a small plate.

"It's better to see the glass half full. It makes you feel like you have more ahead of you… just how I want my life to be. I want a direction in it and pessimism isn't going to get me anywhere." Eriol stopped his motions and looked at an angry Tomoyo.

"Are you claiming that I don't have a direction?"

"Of course not koishii. You are one of the few lucky pessimistic people who can pull off having a direction."

"Don't I feel special?" She spoke sardonically.

"You should." He took a quick second to capture her lips with his own.

"Very special." He whispered huskily. Tomoyo immediately flustered and the two went on with their work. A while later, Tomoyo finally spoke up.

"Pessimism doesn't suit me."

"No it doesn't. You act it well though. Are you thinking of joining the drama club?" Eriol replied. They had become so bored with cleaning; they decided to act out spontaneous roles while doing it. Yup… really bored.

"Only the costume design area."

"You should think about actual drama though. You act magnificently."

"Why thank you." Tomoyo replied smiling.

"But not as a lead. I wouldn't be able to stand watching someone else touch you." Eriol's tone of voice was serious with a hint of possessiveness. Tomoyo giggled and offered a solution.

"Then join with me. I'll have you know, your performance was quite rousing as well. I never pegged you for the optimistic type Eriol."

"Because I'm not koishii. I'm a realist. I accept reality."


"Are they all showing up at our wedding?" Meiling asked her fiancée. They were both outside, still waving goodbyes to those who were taking their leave at the given moment. And there were a lot of people.

"I think so."

"Shouldn't you know?"

"How should I know? The groom isn't usually involved or wants to be involved in such trivial matt-" He was abruptly cut off.

"Trivial?"

"Yes… trivial." He spoke with hesitation. Her voice sounded slightly irked.

"Our marriage is a trivial matter?" Correction, extremely irked. Hearing the emphasized words made him cringe.

"No… the guest inviting would be a trivial matter."

"Why is that trivial?"

"We only really need two witnesses, a minister, you and me. But… you- I mean we wanted the whole shebang."

"Shebang?"

"Random words do pop up into the brain at random moments."

"How do you determine a moment to be random?" She asked her fiancée. He sighed and replied,

"Must you question these things?"

"Yes." She enjoyed agitating her fiancée. It was fun.

"I love you." He spoke sincerely. He held her close in his arms. Her back rested perfectly on his front. Inhaling her scent, Hiromi almost lost it. Jasmine… Absolutely intoxicating. She looked up at him with her wide beautiful ruby eyes.

"Random moment?" Referring to his declaration.

"No, veering off topic moment. Now stop the questions and kiss me." He then twirled her around and his lips descended onto hers.


The sound of a strong impact beat harder and sounded louder which each step she took. She was getting closer. She knew it. Her nerves tingled with discomfort. He would probably still be mad about earlier. Bravely, she entered the training room. He stood in the middle of the room; his body enclosed with sweat. She could feel the vibrations nipping at her toes from his blow to the bag.

"Who's there?" He growled viciously. Sakura grimaced. Maybe she should've waited a little longer.

"Ano… Syaoran-kun."

"Sa-sakura-san?"

"Uh hai…"

"What are you doing here… in your ball dress?" He asked.

"Hoe?" She looked down at her attire to see herself still wearing her light green dress from earlier. It didn't match her crutches but like she was suspecting herself to get stitches on vacation. Besides, she wasn't one of those overly prepared types. More like unprepared. But… that wasn't the issue at the moment.

"Ano… I can't get out of my dress alone so-"

"You wanted me to help?" Syaoran asked flustering immediately. He couldn't think of any other reason she would come down here. But he couldn't believe he just blurted out his thoughts. Mentally, he berated himself and averted his gaze from hers.

"IIE! No! Nothing like that! I just wanted to talk to you and… apologize for earlier. It was extremely uncalled for and I swear it won't happen again." Sakura couldn't face him either, for her apparent reasons, so she looked off to the walls.

"Why would you go and do something like that?" Syaoran looked at her and her wandering gaze and smiled. She turned her head and looked up at him. Her eyes shone insistently and she was lost in a fit of confusion and hope.

"Nani?"

"The only reason I overreacted… or under-reacted was because… you talked about Aya. I would've opened up to you about anything and anyone except Aya. She's… still a touchy subject for me and I know it. But you should have to apologize for wanting to become true friends. You're the first person to ever ask me questions about me; not Li Xiao Lang, the business executive and recent bachelor but the Li Xiao Lang who is just as human as anyone else on Earth. And I apologize for never getting to thank you for it." Syaoran confessed as he smiled at her. It was true. She was the only one who offered a true hand of friendship ever to him.

"Why should you thank me for something that should be done?" She smiled in a sincere way like she always did. Her smile brightened up the murky training room. Moving towards her, he gently caressed her cheek.

She was so kind. She was so similar to Aya yet so different. Sakura didn't seem to be as stubborn as Aya and Aya wasn't as childish as Sakura was at times. Aya really loved math while Sakura loathed it with every inch of her being. Aya made him happy. Just seeing her brightened up his day. The air around them was so comfortable. When he saw Sakura, his heart pounded a little faster, there were awkward moments everywhere, and he thought about her… all the time. He thought about Aya all the time too… Yet the feeling he had was different when he was with them. Different… what was this difference?

"The same reason why you're doing something that no one else does."

"And why is that?"

"Because that's who you are." Sakura paused in contemplation.

"Maybe I know more about you than I thought."

"Maybe… Sakura-san." As usual, a silence enclosed the room. However this time, it wasn't as awkward as it usually was. This time, they were both looking at each other and smiling.

"Ja ne Syaoran-kun." Syaoran quickly put on a shirt and grabbed Sakura's arm.

"Matte (wait) Sakura-san. Do you want me to walk you up?"

"Iie! That would be too much work for you and I'd be interrupting your training!"

"Not at all! It wouldn't be any trouble Sakura-san. Honest."

"Demo…" Sakura didn't want to burden Syaoran. Instead of her heart being a problem, her foot was. Just great. What was next? Her eyes? In

the midst of thinking, Syaoran swept her off her feet and held her tightly in his arms, holding onto her back and her legs.

"You don't have a choice now Sakura-san."

"Mou… my decision has no influence on the matter, does it?" Syaoran heard her words and reflected about his mistake two months earlier. Grasping her tighter, Syaoran headed slowly started to ascend the stairs.

"You know what?" Sakura spoke up softly.

"Hn?"

"This reminds me of when you carried me back in Japan. And you told me that you were leaving for Hong Kong and asked me if I would miss you-"

"And you said no because you knew you were also coming to Hong Kong." Japan. Holy sh-… Japan. He wouldn't be going back. After all, there was no reason to. He was back in Hong Kong; he seemed fairly stable now, at least more stable than he was before so his mother would force him to take his position again at the company. Also, his mother apparently thought that the company needed him now. Then… he wouldn't be going back. He wouldn't get to hang around with his exasperating yet close cousin (but he would never admit it to Eriol), the other people he met in Japan like Yamazaki, Tomoyo, or… Sakura. The funny thing was, the latter hurt the most. Who would take care of Sakura? She wasn't capable to take care of her self especially when that perverted bastard came around. And she came out from the hospital after being cooped in there for 4 months! Whatever hurt her, it was pretty bad if she was in the hospital for 4 whole months. Syaoran groaned. Sakura looked up at him from her position with a concerned look displayed across her face.

"Daijoubu ka (Are you okay)?"

"Daijoubu (fine). It's nothing." Syaoran forced a smile and turned left at the top of the stairs. Sakura's face scrunched up in doubt.

"Well it's obviously something."

"It's nothing. I promise."

"And you're not lying?"

"Uh… no." Syaoran said as he looked away. For some reason, he couldn't lie to her in front of her face. As a business man , he thought he had mastered this technique but he couldn't lie to her. It was so… bizarre. He was able to lie to Aya a couple times before…

"Look at me and repeat that Syaoran-kun." Sakura's voice sounded stern, which really didn't suit her.

"We're here." Syaoran said as he entered her room, slowly sat her down on her bed and took a seat beside her. Her eyes looked at him longingly, wanting a proper answer. Immediately, he looked away.

"I see. If you don't want to tell me, you don't have to. But don't lie to me from now on!" Sakura chastised. Syaoran chuckled and nodded.

"Hai Sakura-hime (Princess Sakura)."

"It's Sakura-san!"

"Whatever you wish to be called, Sakura-hime."

"Syaoran-kun!"

"Hai hai. Sakura-san." A gentle smile graced his lips. Sakura smiled back and embraced Syaoran, taking him by surprise.

"Arigatou for bringing me here."

"How could I leave you down there to walk all the way up here… Sakura-hime?"

"Syaoran-kun!" Sakura whined and withdrew her arms, folding them across her chest and pouting. Just when she had thought he wouldn't use the term…

"You're so fun to tease Sakura-san. Oyasumi nasai (Good night)." Syaoran stood up and grinned.

"Oyasumi nasai." Sakura replied as she fell back onto her bed.

"I send up Daidouji-san and Meiling if I see them."

"Arigatou."

"Oyasumi… hime." He slowly closed her door and left with a loud screech coming from her room. Syaoran chuckled as he made his way down the hall to his room.

Unbeknownst to both of them, someone was watching the entire time. This someone followed Syaoran down the hallway and into his room. He plopped down onto his bed and let out an aggravating yell. A very familiar rapping entered Syaoran's ears. In an instant, he stood up stiffly and waited for his mother to enter. She opened the door with a smile on her face and he bowed.

"Xiao Lang. I have something I wish to speak to you about."

"Hai okaa-sama."

"I would like to apologize for earlier today. I wasn't fair to you at all. You, my only son… you have been through so much yet I force things on you. I am not a good mother and as an act of apology, I shall resume your job until you feel that you are ready to return." Watching him with Sakura, she realized that Sakura had a lot to offer Syaoran… healing of his heart… and maybe even love. She was 99.9 sure of it. Besides it was her intuition. It had never failed her before. She never had the option Syaoran had before him back when her husband had passed away. Sakura had changed her son so much in these past weeks he had been away. Think about what would happen after a couple more months?

"Okaa-sama…" Syaoran was left speechless. Earlier, he wanted his mother in places that he shouldn't wish on his mother and now… he regretted it. But what brought about this sudden change? Before she was lecturing on about how he had to move on with his life.

"Please Xiao Lang. I don't want to force anything on you, but I wish to force my apology on you."

"Okaa-sama. I forgive you. And I accept your generous offer." Syaoran bowed down again and his mother smiled.

"Xie xie Xiao Lang. Sleep soon."

"Hai okaa-sama." Smiling again, she closed her son's door and left. He sat in silence reviewing what just occurred in his room. 'Wait a minute… this means I can go back to Japan! I can still watch over you… Sakura-hime.'


"Hiromi." Meiling and Hiromi sat out on her balcony, sitting together on a seat, watching the few stars that shone in the sky.

"Meiling." He brought her hand to his lips and smiled.

"Something's different about Sakura-chan. I just know it. Eriol-kun and Tomoyo-chan know what it is and I have no idea so I'm worried." She spoke sadly as she leaned her head against his shoulder. Hiromi gulped.

"Well… It has been a number of years since you last saw her. There must be a ton of things different about her." Hiromi replied nervously. As much as he tried to cover up his nerves, he felt that he might've made it apparent… meaning… Meiling lifted her head off her fiancée's shoulder and narrowed her eyes.

"Spill it. You know something Hiromi."

"W-what would I know? I don't even know Kinomoto-san!"

"Well you obviously know something. By the way, call her Sakura-san in front of her. She doesn't like it when people call her Kinomoto-san. Makes her feel too much of a stranger."

"How can I know anything about Kin- Sakura-san?"

"Well maybe you got Eriol-kun drunk or something and he told you something!"

"You have such a rampant imagination Meiling."

"Shut up and tell me."

"How can I shut up and tell you-"

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH SAKURA-CHAN!" Meiling shrieked. Tears began to leak out from her eyes. Wiping them away quickly, she looked ashamed of herself. Hiromi felt guilt pour into his soul. Meiling avoided being emotional as much as she could because she always connected emotional with weak. And she hated being weak.

"Meiling… I'm sorry. It's just that-"

"Just what? My friend could actually be lying on her deathbed but dragged herself here because of our engagement for all I know. But it hurts more knowing that she's not telling me what it is." Meiling confessed as she buried herself in Hiromi's chest. His strong arms embraced her tightly. Rocking her back and forth, he soothed her.

"Why don't we go to Sakura-san and see what's up? Hn? She'll tell you. Don't worry."

"You… you really think so?"

"She'll understand. You're still close friends. That's what scares you the most, isn't it koishii? That she might not regard you as a closer friend anymore."

"I hate you for knowing me so well." Meiling mumbled.

"And yet you accepted my proposal. Come on. Let's go." He stood up and outstretched his hand towards her. Obligingly, she put her hand in his and they walked together, hand in hand to Sakura's room.

"Now Sakura-chan, stand up straight without using your crutches." Tomoyo directed. Sakura stood up, balancing her weight on one leg to avoid placing her foot on the ground. Tomoyo undid the zipper and slid the sleeves off of Sakura's arms; the dress slumped down to a crumpled heap under Sakura's knees. Tomoyo giggled as she brought out Sakura's nightgown.

"Hands up." Sakura obeyed and Tomoyo slipped the piece of clothing onto Sakura. Unable to hold her balance any longer, Sakura fell back onto her bed.

"And now you can go to bed in comfort!" Tomoyo exclaimed. Her best friend laughed in response.

"Arigatou Tomoyo-chan."

"No problem Sakura-chan." A series of knocks on the door echoed through the room.

"Come in." Meiling entered the room with Hiromi at her side. Her eyes were a little red and puffy.

"Nani? Is something wrong Meiling-chan?" Meiling took a breath and looked into Sakura's eyes.

"That's what I should be asking you Sakura-chan."

"Hoeee? What are you-" Sakura looked at Hiromi and he shook his head. So he didn't tell her… but as sharp as Meiling was, she knew something was up. With a smile and slow hops, she moved forward to Meiling and enveloped her into a warm embrace. They slumped down in the middle of the room, holding onto each other securely. Hiromi moved closer to them and watched his fiancée's sorrow.

"I'm sorry Meiling-chan. I must've made you worry. I was going to tell you before I left because I'm not very comfortable with… what I have. You see Meiling-chan… I was really sick before. I almost met my okaa-san. But I had a transplant so I'm okay now. But I just don't like talking about it. Someone else's heart beats inside of me Meiling-chan. That's what keeps me alive. I hate knowing that I live at the expense of another." Meiling fell into a fit of tears. Mixed emotions raged throughout her body.

"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT! … it's not like that." Sakura was shocked at her friend's sudden outburst.

"Whoever it was didn't die at the expense of your life. You shouldn't feel uncomfortable with this. You're innocent. You were a victim to your disease and you would've died…" Meiling trailed off. One of her closest friends could've died. Meiling sobbed and held onto Sakura tightly.

"Sakura-chan…" Meiling whispered.

"I'm fine now Meiling-chan. Honest." Yet Sakura couldn't help the tears that fell from her own eyes. The door swung open and someone stepped inside.

"What's going on here?"


Who could that be? Now the group is leaving for Japan in three days! Three more days in Hong Kong till April, when Hiromi and Meiling get married! As for my knowledge of China… not too much… let's just pretend they have a cold snowy winter like some of us Americans? Okay? lol I thank the person who corrected me… I apologize greatly. GOMEN NASAI!

I thank you for taking time out of your busy lives to read this … thing… lol

cherrixwolf