My laptop broke! It had to get taken away for repairs but the worse part was I couldn't update as soon as I wanted. I had 3 chapters waiting to be updated and they all got deleted so I had to type them again. Sorry for the delay.
This chapter isn't that important but I really wanted to put in the 'incident'. Just to show that they care. Just something to keep in mind first. It's about the last part in this chapter. Remember that it was ALL buttons. ALL. It's very important to remember that. My beta reader didn't get it and was like 'What's with this last bit?' I think that it's really obvious but I didn't exactly say it. It's a little embarrassing to say it then again it's embarrassing when it happens. I think you'll get what I mean.
-x-
Therapy for the Therapist
By Louann1
Session 3: Things are Never What They Seem
Give it up. Just forget all about it. Get a proper job as an accountant or something sensible like that. It's not too late to change professions. As Syaoran was slumped back in his chair, he thought about all of the other jobs that could've been doing if he hadn't followed Sakura around like a love-sick puppy. If he didn't take every class that she did would he have found himself doing something else like teaching?
Syaoran finally came to the conclusion that wouldn't have done anything in particular and probably would've ended up living off his family's fortune. The thought didn't please him all to well. He was the kind of person that couldn't keep still and just waste the days away. Although being a therapist didn't require him to be as active as he would like it was better than being a couch potato. And yet, while he still dwells on this, all he really does is watch other people being couch potatoes with their problems in hand and their words almost bursting to come out.
" I've just been having the most awful week. It's just so terrible, I feel depressed all the time and-" It was the usual horrid week of Jasmine Satoshi update but it was unusual this time as as she spoke her words drowned out and for some strange yet not unwelcome reason Syaoran's thoughts were drawn back to Sakura.
Oh, Sakura. That beautiful maiden that just loved to annoy the hell out of him still hadn't been in touch with him yet even though she seemed to be so open at their last meeting. He could almost recall everything that had happened that day when he went for his first 'session' with her. I say 'almost' as it had been quite a while back and Syaoran was never really one to remember the little details.
" Dr Li?" His patient was becoming more aware of his dazed look.
" I'm sorry, uh… Please continue," Syaoran snapped back and forced himself to pay attention to Jasmine, as awkward as it was.
She continued to blabber on about how terrible things were and how she felt throughout the amazingly weird coincidences that had occurred during the week and all Syaoran could do was try to listen and get the image of Sakura out of his mind. His look of attention that was focused on Jasmine changed as his attention changed back to Sakura. Jasmine, the permanent member of the 'I-love-Dr-Li' fan club, noticed the look of happiness that was spread across his face.
What was this? What was this strange look on his face? Was it-? It was! He was looking at her with a look of affection. What did this mean? Jasmine was always the first to jump to conclusions. It didn't matter who the people involved were or what the situation was, she would twist it just so it would suit her liking.
" Dr Li! I knew you felt the same way I did!" Jasmine's voice was just filled with aspiration.
" Eh?" Syaoran couldn't believe what she was doing.
" Ever since I saw you I knew that you weren't like other guys. I knew that you knew how to treat a lady right. I was a little unsure because you hadn't made a move on me yet but I was sure that you'd come around."
There are just some things that shouldn't be done. Syaoran knew that but he was unsure if Jasmine did. It was obvious that she found him attractive, she had made that fact known but their relationship couldn't be more than just a patient-therapist one but it wasn't that it was against the rules, for Syaoran there was another reason behind his non-existent moves.
Jasmine was the kind of girl that was pretty and stupid enough to be a model but she had that fiery spark of ambition that made her determined enough to go for what she wanted without thinking of the consequences.
" She's just out of control when she's unable to get what she wants. All I can do is sit back, apologize when it doesn't work out and just hope that she doesn't make the same mistakes again," Samantha was so unlike Sakura's usual patients.
Usually, it was people who were finding their own lives hard or those who were a little crazy. There were the occasional strange cases but she didn't mind. It was all part of the job. The funny thing about Samantha was that she was normal. She didn't go on about some obsession and she didn't froth from the mouth. She even watched TV with Sakura when there was still time left. All she really did was ask for advice about her extremely flirty friend.
" Do you know this man who she's obsessed with?" Sakura asked a little curious to find out who the unfortunate man was.
" I'm not entirely sure but I think that it's her therapist. That uh… Dr Li? She seems to go more frequently than before and sometimes she blurts out the strangest things," Samantha replied.
" Dr… Li?" Sakura was shocked to hear his name. It had been quite a while since she had last seen him and the sudden sound of his name brought back unrequited memories.
" Yeah, he's that therapist across town. She's always going on about him," Samantha noted the strange look that had formed on Sakura's face. " Do you know him?"
" Uh… Yeah. You could say that," Sakura just gave her a smile and saw her false expression facing back at her when she looked at her watch.
" 'Course you know him! I can't believe that I forgot. Aren't you rivals or something?" She noticed Sakura's blank stare and decided that it would be best to leave Dr Li out of it. " Should I just do what I usually do? Should I just keep my distance and just hope that she doesn't do anything drastic? She's a good person at heart and she's never as conceited around her friends as she is with men. I'm just worried that one day it's going to blow up in her face."
" It'll be fine. Just tell her what you told me. That way, even if it doesn't go all too well you can say that you did warn her and she'll listen to you more," Sakura gave her out advice just as she was trained to.
She watched Samantha leave and couldn't help but feel powerless. There was another woman in Syaoran's life. For some reason she always thought that there wouldn't be room for a woman in his life. He always seemed to be consumed in something strange like biometrics or something strange like that. Sakura never really considered Syaoran as being someone's object of affection or crush yet alone being someone's boyfriend. Now there was a patient who fancied him. Not only was she pretty she also saw him more than Sakura did. That was the impression that she got from Samantha.
Stupid as the idea was, Sakura decided that she would go see this woman. She would just go and see what the situation was. That was all. At least, that was what it was before she got sucked into the terrible situation.
" Ever since I saw you I knew that you weren't like other guys. I knew that you knew how to treat a lady right. I was a little unsure because you hadn't made a move on me yet but I was sure that you'd come around."
Syaoran couldn't believe what he was hearing but what he was seeing was even more incomprehensible. Jasmine drew closer and closer and all Syaoran could do was sit in his chair with his mouth flapping like a goldfish. He couldn't move. The situation was just wrong and yet he couldn't move. Not because he wanted it to go further but by the fact that Jasmine had pinned him down with her legs. He squirmed but that only seemed to make her hold on that much tighter and plant kisses all over him.
Someone! Please, anyone! Help me out here! Syaoran thought as the kisses were beginning to get closer to his lips and his buttons were being undone.
The door opened. Syaoran sighed it was just what he needed… But it wasn't. As his eyes drew to the open door he could jus see a shocked expression on Sakura's face. What was she doing there? It was still office hours and of all the people to be there it had to be her.
" Your secretary let me in. I just dropped by to see how you were but I can see you're busy so I'll come back later," She immediately closed the door and began to make her way back to her practice.
" Sakura!" Syaoran jumped from his seat and in the process pushed Jasmine off him.
" Dr Li!" Jasmine protested as Syaoran went to follow the woman that had just appeared at the door.
Ignoring the fuming patient, Syaoran quickly buttoned his shirt and followed Sakura, hoping to talk to her. Syaoran knew that as time goes by it gets harder to talk about difficult things and what Sakura had just witnessed was indeed 'difficult'.
" Sakura!" He called her name out but she didn't stop or slow down. " Wait. Let me explain."
He managed to clasp her hand, forcing her to listen to what he had to say. Sakura couldn't look at him. All her conclusions were right. Everything that Samantha said was right and still Syaoran wanted to explain. Sakura decided to hear him out, it was her job. She would listen to people and then give them advice after. What advice could she give Syaoran?
" What you saw… It isn't what you think," Syaoran was trying to catch his breath.
" If it's about you breaking the patient-therapist rule then your secret's safe with me," Sakura rolled her eyes. There was nothing more to say and yet Syaoran was still standing there. " You can breathe a sigh of relief! You won't get fired."
" It's not about that, well it is a little, but it isn't what you think it is," Syaoran repeated.
" So what is it? That's the second time I've seen you with her. What am I supposed to think?"
" It's… Not what you think it is," Syaoran was still trying to find a way to explain it. " It's… I'm… I don't…"
" Spit it out! I can't stay here all day!" Sakura was a little disappointed at Syaoran's lack of explanation.
" I'm just trying to say that I wouldn't want you to think that I'm… With my patient. She just came onto me I swear! I don't want you to think of me like that. I'm not her boyfriend or anything."
" I see," Sakura paused. So he wasn't 'with' that girl. Even though Sakura was a little relieved there was still a possibility that he could've been with someone who wasn't his patient. " We'll talk about this in your next session."
" Eh?" Syaoran was shocked by Sakura's sudden change in attitude towards him.
" It's tomorrow at midday. Okay? Don't forget! We'll meet at that restaurant were you and your 'patient' were," She waved to him as she walked out of the practice. " Oh, by the way you might want to uh-"
Sakura pointed down. Syaoran's eyes followed her and as soon as he understood what she had meant he immediately turned into a bright shade of scarlet.
" Heh, thanks," Syaoran sheepishly replied.
