Chapter 22: A Rough Reunion
She observed them, the young boy and his companion, as they make contact with the girl, the false master whose magic taints her brothers and sisters. From where she was, she couldn't hear their conversation but she could tell by looking at their movements that they were acquainted. Their combined presence had startled her out of her rest, which in turn made her accidentally reveal herself temporarily. She had hidden herself immediately but both him and the usurper had detected her. Fortunately, they seem to be distracted by each other's presence currently to pay her any mind.
Her heart darkens at the sight of the girl who had stolen her brothers and sisters from her. She had sensed this usurper immediately after her awakening, though she had been too weak to do anything then. She was still not quite at her full strength, but it was slowly returning to her. She had even managed to save some of her brothers and sisters behind the usurper's back. Through the days she had learnt that despite her huge magical power, her senses were unfocused when it came to magic.
However, this was not the case for the boy. He was someone she had not seen before, but she knew his magic well. She had sensed it from time to time from some of the visitors when her old master Clow Reed was around, and he would always turn them away as if even seeing them was not pleasant. It was in her nature to pick up on negative thoughts or feelings and her master's inner thoughts always echoed one sentiment when these people came: They were untrustworthy, selfish, and only sought him out for their own gain. To think that they were still pursuing her master even after all this time made her angrier. Worse, he was acquainted with the usurper, enforcing her suspicions of the false master. Hidden from their senses, she observed the boy's magic energy. It was not as powerful as the girl's, but it was strong in it's own right and focused. Even from a glance she could tell he was well-trained in magic.
Worry started to settle in her heart. She had been asleep a long time and woken up to a world that had greatly changed. She had identified most of the people here with magical abilities. The ones that stuck out to her were the usurper, the Guardians, and another who lived with the usurper. It worried her that all of them seemed to be tied to the girl. She didn't know how many more magic users would gather in this place or if they were gathering for her. She was well-practiced in hiding herself, though it wasn't always her choice, and was sure she had kept out of sight and sense from any who had the magic sensitivity to sense her, but she couldn't be sure. The gathering of the children before her further fueled her uncertainty.
'It will be fine,' she assured herself. With each of her siblings she freed the more of her former strength she regained. Soon she would be able to face them openly and then they won't be able to stop her. She would no longer have to hide as she had done most of her life.
She would no longer have to be alone.
.
.
.
It took them awhile to recover from their unintended and abrupt reunion, but eventually the four children managed to recover from the chaos of their initial meeting. Meiling suggested that they leave the amusement park for a more comfortable place, which the rest agreed upon. They made their way to a nearby park and settled there to catch up.
Syaoran stayed silent during all this time, partly because he didn't see the need to put his voice in the mix as the girls quickly found their synergy and pretty much decided everything on their own, but mostly because he didn't really know what to say. He had expected his reunion with Sakura to be somewhat awkward, but being so abruptly reintroduced had left them both in a state of shock and left him at a loss on how to approach her. Meiling had made several non-verbal gestures to get him to speak, including pointed glances and not-so-soft elbows to his left arm and rib, but he couldn't find a way to join in that would feel natural so he decided to take a step back. A frustrated Meiling then took the lead and was now chatting up Sakura at the swings in his stead, something he would no doubt be reprimanded for by his cousin when she found the time.
Having found no way to converse naturally with her, Syaoran tried to keep a stoic face and kept his distance under a nearby tree. Through the corner of his eye, he could see her in her summer uniform swinging idly as she and Meiling continued to chat. He could hear tidbits of their conversation here and there, such as Sakura telling his cousin that she was to star in a play (which he already knew thanks to their correspondence) and Meiling speaking about her plans for the holiday (of which he still knew little about, despite undoubtedly being a large part of said plans). Seeing her so close and talking so cheerfully made the longing in his heart grew, yet here he was at a loss for words. There was so much to say that he had no idea where to start.
"Are Hong Kong schools having their summer break too right now?"
Syaoran snapped out of his thoughts and saw the pale smiling face of Tomoyo Daidouji looking at him. Like him, she was currently not engaged in their conversation and stood closer to him a distance away from Sakura and Meiling. The question caught him off-guard. He knew she already knew the answer to her question and she was not one to play ignorant unless she had something in mind. Nonetheless, he answered her.
"Yeah. Meiling suddenly said she wanted to go to Japan." It wasn't the full truth, but true enough. Besides, knowing Tomoyo he figured she knew a lot more than she let on, whether from Meiling or her own intuition.
"Well, Tomoeda is having a festival right now." She said casually. This was something he already knew thanks to his correspondence with Sakura and she would already know he did since she was close to Sakura. It was also likely that their holiday itinerary would involve this festival.
Having found their little verbal dance of stating the obvious tiresome, Syaoran decided acknowledge the elephant in the room. "Daidouji, you've been swapping e-mails with Meiling?"
"Yes," came the reply without any hesitation.
"Were you the one who invited Meiling to Japan?" he asked, letting slip a little of his annoyance at the machinations that had been going on behind his back.
Tomoyo only smiled at his reply, not taken aback by the accusatory tone he had thrown at her. However, she did acknowledge his annoyance. "Did I trouble you?" she asked in the friendliest tone.
Her unflinching cheerfulness took Syaoran slightly aback and disarmed his anger. "I…"
"Did you not want to see Sakura again?" she followed up. Despite the unpleasant wording, it wasn't an accusation on her part. Quite the opposite, she had found a way to reach the heart of the matter while bypassing his anger. He then recalled how much she had actually helped him realize his feelings back then, which in turn made him unable to be angry at her.
No, there was only one person he was angry at right now: himself, for being so confused and ignorant when it comes to Sakura, and for letting others take the lead on something important to him.
"Of course I did." Syaoran replied. Feelings of warmth and the sourness of frustration tied up knots in his heart. He turned his sights to Sakura, the person who gave him these feelings, who even now he wanted to talk to more than anything yet for the life of him didn't know how to.
"But it'll trouble her," he added. "She'll have to reply to me now." Syaoran wondered if she felt as conflicted or confused as he did. He hoped not; that was the last thing he wanted. Fuutie had said that his presence would push her to act, but seeing her so cheerful now he'd rather not inflict that burden on her if he could.
Sakura kept conversing with Meiling, not aware of the turmoil that he was feeling inside him. "So where are you guys going to stay?"
"I'm thinking of staying in Daidouji-san's place." Meiling replied.
"Oh, I see. Then how about dinner at my place?" she asked. "I'll do my best to cook for you."
"Thank you, but I have something to do with Daidouji-san." She turned to Tomoyo and gave a cheeky wink.
Tomoyo seemed slightly taken aback but quickly followed along. "That's right!" This interaction didn't escape Syaoran, who kept his calm but couldn't help but wonder what is it they had planned.
"Sorry." Meiling apologized.
Sakura shook her head. "No, it's my fault for bringing it up so suddenly."
"You can still treat Syaoran to a meal though, right?"
Their reaction was immediate. Both of them immediately flinched where they were. Syaoran stood from where he was leaning against the tree and Sakura stood from her swing as they echoed their surprise in sync.
"EEEEHHHH?!"
"Yeah." Meiling said calmly, ignoring their excited response. "Me and Daidouji-san will be away for the evening and the sun is already about to set." Sure enough, the first hues of yellow and orange were beginning to appear on the sky. "So it's only natural that you find dinner on your own."
"You're just gonna leave me alone while you go off on your own?!" Syaoran yelled, his heart rate rising both from panic and the frustration of being at the whims of her and Tomoyo.
Meiling sighed. "Weren't you paying attention? I'm not leaving you alone." She gestured towards her left where Sakura stood staring at him with beady emerald eyes. "I'm leaving you with Sakura. It'll give you both some time to catch up since you've decided to be as quiet as a rock this whole time." she finished accusingly at him.
Syaoran gulped. She had him there. "But my things-"
"There's nothing to worry about. Our bags are already on the way to Daidouji-san's house and we'll be done by the time you get back. You already know the way there from Kinomoto's house too, so there's no problem here." said Meiling, visibly getting impatient. She turned her attention to Sakura. "That is okay right?"
Sakura stood in her place looking down with her hands hung and clasped together. Her face had taken a visible blush that was somewhat hidden under the yellow-orange ray of the sun, wearing a strained expression. It was a moment later when she nodded and replied with a timid voice.
"Mmm."
"Sa-Sakura…" he said, shocked by her reply. It was the first time he had called her name since they reunited. If he had been more observant, he might have caught her slightly flinching as he called her name.
"Great, it's settled!" Meiling said, cutting the moment. It was not subtle on her part but necessary; the day was running out and she already knew the two would move at a snail's pace when left to their own devices. Besides, she thought, they'd have plenty of chances to have their moment in Sakura's house. "Let's go!"
The rest of the waning afternoon passed by quickly. With their respective itineraries settled, they all walked to Sakura's house. Meiling and Tomoyo made up all of the chatter, leading the troupe as they walked side by side while exchanging stories, while Sakura and Syaoran stayed silent in their respective anxieties, the latter walking behind the former. Seeing her lovely figure in front of him only exacerbated his nervousness, which drove him further into silence. By the time they all stood in front of the house, neither Sakura and Syaoran had exchanged any words between each other.
Syaoran looked at the house in front of him, it's figure washed by the orange light of the setting sun, and felt intimidated. He had been here many times before, but this time was different. Back then, there was usually a pressing circumstance that took precedent. This time there was no Clow Card or magical disturbance to shift their focus away. Perhaps more importantly, this time he had already embraced and confessed his feelings for Sakura and would go in knowing she knew what he felt for her. The thought made his heart pump faster. He spared a look to Sakura and saw that she fared no better. She kept her face down while wearing a troubled expression.
Once again, Meiling was the one to break the silence. "Well Syaoran, I'll see you later at Daidouji-san's house." She turned towards Tomoyo. "Let's go."
Syaoran watched as Meiling took Tomoyo by the hand and almost dragged her away from the both of them. In a last-ditch panic, he reached out to them.
"Oi, Meiling!"
His plea went unheard, or rather ignored, and as their figures diminished in his eyes he turned his attention to his back, where another figure stood silently still with her eyes cast downwards. This was it. There was no one here now; not his sisters, Meiling, or even his mother were there to give him advice. There was only him and her. He felt the seeds of panic grow in him as he tried to find something to say to her.
To his relief, Sakura solved his dilemma. "U-Um.." she started nervously, "Is pasta okay for dinner?"
Syaoran could see she was still nervous, but there was something about seeing her smile at him, the first he had seen her do so to him since he got back here, that put him a little bit at ease. He gave his own nervous smile. "Y-Yeah…"
Sakura nodded. and walked ahead of him and to open the gate which led to her house. Syaoran followed stiffly behind, sparing a last glance at the diminishing figure of his cousin and Tomoyo. With a harsh inhale, he tried to recompose himself as Sakura opened the door ahead of him.
'No turning back now.'
"Pardon the intrusion." Syaoran said reflexively as he entered the house. Immediately, the familiar sight of the Kinomoto household greeted him. The yellow painted walls offered a bright welcome as if the house itself was inviting him in, a thought that he found rather presumptuous. Regardless, he was grateful that it's owner was welcoming if not a bit tense. "Give me a moment. I'll tidy up the living room." Sakura said cheerfully. With that, she ran deeper into the living room. As she left, he couldn't help but feel relieved and then guilty for feeling that way, even if this was an awkward moment for the both of them. He could only hope that his presence did not make her feel as uncomfortable if not more than he did. As Syaoran removed his shoes, Sakura returned back to view without her hat and schoolbag. "Okay! Come on in!"
"O-Okay." he replied shakily. He had never seen her this nervous before, which made him feel a little more guilty and awkward. Nonetheless, her cheerfulness was still there so he was thankful for that. It was a quality that made an integral part of her and a huge part of what endeared her to him. Having been there when she had to fake her cheerfulness after she had been rejected by Yukito, Syaoran could at least tell she wasn't pretending to be happy. He tried not to get himself excited at whatever that might imply and followed her rigidly as she led him deeper inside to the living room.
"Please sit down. I'll make some tea first." Sakura finally spoke. Syaoran complied and as soon as he sat, she had spoken again. "Oh! There's some cake! Dad baked one!" With that, she ran off to the kitchen area leaving him alone. Once again, he breathed a sigh of relief as some tension left his body.
'This is harder than I thought.' Syaoran mused to himself, then shut it down just as quickly. This was not about him; it was about her. Whatever she would say to him, he would ensure that he didn't make her uncomfortable at all. He would even be fine if it didn't come up and they just chatted. They haven't seen each other for three months after all, ever only catching up through letters, and he had always wanted to try talking to her properly. With his feelings out in the open, he hoped he could try to make conversation more naturally as opposed to the days where he was stumbling over his own words because he was fighting his own feelings or looking for a window to confess them.
Putting those restless thoughts away for the moment, he looked around the living room. It had been three months since he left Tomoeda, but the place had hardly changed. The yellow painted walls, slightly orange from the rays of the passing sun, gave off the same feeling that he had felt when he saw the house open; one of bright welcome. He had always somewhat felt it, but without the pressing concern of magical matters or his own internal conflict it made that feeling all the clearer. Added with the open windows that almost seem to invite people with it's openness, it was clear that this house was made with that welcoming feeling in mind. He thought back to what Fuutie had said about their old home being smaller but more intimate and wondered whether the feeling was similar, though he was personally happy with having some distance from his sisters in their current one. Nonetheless, he enjoyed that calming feeling a little more to counter his nervousness, a warm sensation was accentuated by the fading orange of the sun.
'She's been gone a while now.' Taking a moment to decide whether or not he should, Syaoran decided to go check on Sakura in the kitchen. He went through the sliding door that led to the kitchen caught her pouring warm water from a heater to a jug. "Want some help?" he asked.
Sakura seemed surprised by his voice as she jumped a little, but she quickly recomposed herself and replied cheerfully to him. "It's alright. I'm almost done so just wait."
"S-Sure." Syaoran returned back to his seat in the sofa and sighed. That went about as well as he had expected. Patience was a virtue he had learned over his initial time in Tomoeda thanks to Sakura, but it didn't come as natural to him as he'd hoped and exercising it proved difficult right now. He steadied himself by remembering his sister's advice which gave him some sense of firmness. Fortunately, it wasn't long before Sakura's voice came from the direction of the kitchen.
"Sorry for the wait."
Sakura appeared in front of the kitchen doorway and entered the room carrying with her a tray with a pouring jug, several cups, and a piece of cake on a saucer. She knelt the tray gently upon the living room table, taking care not to spill anything. As she began gracefully preparing the various cups, Syaoran's eyes naturally fell upon her face, which was at the same height as his, and found himself unable to look away. Her smile, her gentle green eyes, her brown hair with the two tufts tied behind it and the few strands of hair that trailed down her ear, her small nose peeking out of her face, trailing down to her full figure clad in her summer uniform preparing him tea, all of it seemed to assault his eyes at once. Not for the first time, he thought to himself that she was beautiful.
And she was finally here, in front of him in the flesh. It was the moment that he had longed for and that he had thought would be a long time to come, yet here she was and once again here he was making a mess of things.
"How much sugar?"
Sakura's voice broke him out of his reverie and he realized he had been staring at her. "I-It's alright, I'll do it myself." Syaoran reached for the sugar hastily, but instead knocked over the container. Sugar spilled from the container onto the wooden table in a mess. In a panic, he immediately reached to clean up his mess as Sakura did the same. Their hands collided with each other and he could feel her soft fingers on the top of his hand. He recoiled out of reflex at the same time she did.
"S-Sorry." Syaoran stammered out.
Sakura shook her head. "I-It's okay."
Syaoran clutched his hands on his knees. This was not how he had wanted things to go. He wanted to talk to her, to catch up with her, yet he could feel his heart beat so hard it felt like it would burst out of his chest just by being in her presence. He began to think whether or not this was a mistake to talk with her so soon. A part of him thought he should go home for the day to give the both of them some space, but another insisted it would be rude to her and that he would be running from the problem, not facing it. That bothered him a lot. He didn't want to run away from her as he did the day he had to leave back for Hong Kong.
It was then that he felt eyes looking at him. Syaoran looked up to see Sakura looking at him intensely without breaking her gaze. As her emerald eyes stared into him, he couldn't help but stare back at her. She looked tense with her hands clutched on her chest.
"U-Um, Syaoran-kun…" she spoke timidly.
Something in the way she said his name made him feel tense. Sakura was about to say something, and judging by her demeanor it was something important regarding him. He braced himself instinctively for whatever came out of her mouth.
"I…I…I…about-"
"I SMELL CAKE!"
A flash of yellow cut between them figuratively and literally, startling both Syaoran and Sakura. Unaware of the situation he had just walked into, the floating figure of Keroberos hovered over the table, his eyes intent on the cakes that Sakura had cut out for the rest of them.
"K-Kero-chan!"
"Keroberos!"
Keroberos turned to Syaoran, having somehow missed the boy on his entrance due to his single-track mind directing him to cake. "Hey, it's the brat! When'd you get back here?! Were you trying to eat cake without me?!" huffed Keroberos.
"It's not like that!" Sakura protested.
"You didn't call me!" he countered.
Not having any explanation, or perhaps finding making one bothersome, Sakura opted to leave the situation. "I-I have to get dinner ready. You two eat the cake." With that, she left once more into the kitchen.
Syaoran watched Sakura go, feeling disappointed at her departure, then turned his attention and annoyance to the person who had interrupted what could have been their first proper conversation since he got here. The small furball that was the Guardian of the Clow Cards was now inspecting the two pieces of cake, no doubt looking for the better or bigger piece. Syaoran was reminded of their first meeting when he had expected a large and majestic winged lion closer to the illustrations and historical accounts of the Clan rather than a small creature resembling a plush toy. Moreover, the Guardian had the temperament of a brat that was nothing like the dignified Guardian he had read about. Even after the Guardian had regained his true form, Keroberos continued to act like an insufferable child which often put them at odds like right now, and though they could occasionally set aside their differences for Sakura's sake, Syaoran still could not bring himself to like the creature.
True to form, the Guardian had decided on which piece of cake would be his and proclaimed it loudly. "Yes, I get the bigger piece!"
Still annoyed at the furball's interruption, Syaoran couldn't help himself and made a snide comment. "Still as greedy as ever."
Keroberos, ignorant to the reason for Syaoran's annoyance, instead grabbed a fork to eat the piece of cake. "Even if you ask, I won't switch with you."
The creature's cavalier attitude annoyed Syaoran further. "Like I would. Don't think I'm like you."
It was a mild retort, but somehow that was enough to set off the little creature. Fork still in hand, the small furball flew right up to Syaoran's face. "How dare a brat talk to me like that!"
The creature's aggression set off Syaoran as well. "Who are you calling a brat?!" He was prepared to once again spar words with the small Guardian when the creature's wings began to glow brighter and brighter and bigger. Syaoran only had time to realize what was happening before the glowing figure was upon him.
'Oh no.'
Before he knew it, Syaoran was pinned front-faced downwards against the couch by two weighty paws on his torso and legs. Above him, the large figure of Keroberos' true form towered over him with a contemptible sneer. "You're just a kid compared to a magnificent beast like me." the large cat proclaimed triumphantly.
"Oii! Get off me!" Syaoran protested, his hands trying in vain to lift the large paw on his back.
Keroberos ignored the boy, still caught up on his own fantasies. "Since you're here, that means the other brat's here too! I have to show my wonderful and awesome true self to that brat." Meanwhile, Syaoran groaned as the beast's weight continued to trap him, solidifying his opinion of the creature.
He really did not like Keroberos.
"Get off me!"
…
It took a while for Keroberos to finally unpin him from the couch. Despite Syaoran's complaints, Keroberos wouldn't let him go until he admitted that the Guardian was superior to him. Syaoran refused so he remained pinned to the sofa for a while, so much so that he even considered using his magic on the beast. If they weren't in Sakura's house, perhaps he would have. Fortunately, Sakura eventually came back after hearing the commotion and found them. What followed was an angry reprimand from Sakura for Keroberos and a warning to behave unless he wanted to starve for the night. That finally made Keroberos calm down, although the small creature still spared pointed glares at Syaoran when he could, which the boy was more than willing to return. However that grew tiresome quick, so Syaoran decided to leave the furball to his own devices, or rather his vices, and checked on Sakura at the kitchen.
The girl in question was still busy with her preparations and frantically moving back and forth. A roaring pot of boiling water filled with pasta was left unattended as she hurriedly prepared some lettuce. Meanwhile, scattered ingredients were left on the cutting board, which included some minced garlic, sliced tomatoes, and something dark green and sliced which Syaoran recognized as dried seaweed, a Japanese twist on the Western dish. She was clearly in need of help and he would not be the one to refuse her, his awkwardness be damned.
"I'll help."
Sakura jumped at the sound of his voice and turned around. Her face flushed at the sight of her guest at the kitchen entrance. "I-It's okay! I'll have dinner ready in no time."
Syaoran could have settled back in his seat, and a part of him wanted to, but his desire to help her overcame his hesitation. "It's okay. I want to help. It's my way of apologizing for the commotion I made just now."
"I-It's okay. I know that wasn't your fault." she reassured.
Syaoran smiled. "All the same, I'd like to help. Besides, I don't want to be near Keroberos when he's indulging himself." he finished, pointing his thumb outside the room where Keroberos was drowning in his own gluttony.
A look of sheepish understanding passed on Sakura's face. "Yeah, he can be a handful." She shook it off and looked at him again. "Um, then if you don't mind, could you help me prepare the vegetables?"
"Of course." Syaoran replied. He went over to her stopping three steps away from her and tried not to let his proximity to her fluster him. "What do you need?"
"Nothing too complicated. Could you help me wash the lettuces and tear the leaves?" she said, pointing to the table where two lettuces laid.
"Sure." Syaoran picked up the two lettuces then headed for the sink. After giving each lettuce a thorough washing, he headed back to the table and grabbed a knife. As he cut the roots off the lettuces, he glanced briefly behind him, where Sakura was busy preparing the sauce for the pasta. The room had already begun to fill with the aroma of her cooking. Syaoran felt himself tense and instinctively began to regulate his breathing.
"Stay calm. I can do this."
Hesitantly, his mouth opened and he willed himself to speak. "S-So how have you been doing?"
His words startled her from her cooking. "O-Ohh, I've been doing fine. I've been busy lately though with the preparations for the festival."
"Yeah, you mentioned that in your letter. So you'll be the leading role, right?"
Sakura nodded shyly. "Yeah, I'm playing the princess. I'm a bit nervous though. I still haven't memorized all the lines and I'm worried I can't play the part well."
Perhaps it was her nervousness due to his presence, but Syaoran could hear the uncertainty in her voice. "Is there a problem?"
Syaoran couldn't see it, but he knew she was shaking her head. "Nothing serious, really. I think I just need more practice."
"I see." Syaoran gulped. "W-Well, I think you're going to do great."
Sakura's face lightened up at his words, though Syaoran couldn't see it. "You really think so?!"
"Mmmm." Syaoran replied, his face turning a shade of pink. "They wouldn't have put you on the role if they didn't know you could do it. Besides, you've done it before and it was really good." He said, trying not to think about that moment. It had been embarrassing for him, not just because he was the princess, but also because of the moment she almost…
Syaoran cut off his thoughts there. He'd be too flustered to speak if he continued that train of thought.
Sakura giggled. "That last play didn't really go well though."
"It will this time." Syaoran reassured. "And you're playing the princess this time, not the prince. It suits you." He paused, wondering if he should say what he was about to say. He decided to go for it. "Being a princess, it suits you."
"I-Is that so?" Sakura replied. "Thank you, Syaoran-kun."
"N-No problem." Syaoran stammered out, startled at her sudden expression of gratitude. If he had turned around, perhaps he would have seen the shade of pink in Sakura's face mirroring his.
"Will you be watching the play?" Sakura asked expectantly.
He didn't have to think about that one. "Of course. Meiling and I will be here for the festival, so we'll come and watch. I'd also like to catch up with Yamazaki and the others as well."
"Is that so? Well, we'll be having practice at school for the final week to the day of the festival. We're meeting tomorrow at 10.00." Sakura swallowed. "You could come if you want." she finished shyly.
"I'll be there, then."
"Wah, I'm glad!" she exclaimed cheerfully.
Syaoran smiled as he focused on tearing the lettuce in his hands. He was now conversing with her, which was a step in the right direction. Now he needed to keep their momentum going.
"How about you, Syaoran-kun?" she asked.
"Me?" he replied hastily. "I'm…" okay too, was what he was about to say, but Syaoran hesitated. The events of the last three months played back in his mind. He had been keeping those things from her in his letters, mainly keeping only to his school activities, yet now that she was here, he felt a tug in his heart to tell her everything. It was only fair after she opened up to him. Still, it would cast a shadow over their conversation and he wanted to keep her spirits up especially since they were finally talking.
"Syaoran-kun?"
Sakura's voice brought him out of his thoughts. He turned to see she was looking at him curiously. She looked at him, waiting for what he was about to say.
Syaoran smiled. "Sorry about that. I'm fine too. Everything's been pretty quiet at my school."
"Really?" Sakura asked again. Her voice wasn't yet worried, but Syaoran could hear the hints of concern in her voice.
"Really." Syaoran replied firmly.
Sakura looked apprehensive, which pained him. He didn't like lying to her but he couldn't make his burden hers. Even if he wanted to talk, this wasn't the time for it. Looking around at the kitchen, Syaoran then picked up the sound of boiling water and noticed the boiling pot on the stove. "Ahh, looks like the pasta's done!"
"Eh?" Sakura, surprised at the change of topic, looked to the stove where the roaring water was visibly bubbling wildly. "HOEEE!" she shouted in a panic as she scrambled to turn off the stove. "Sorry, Syaoran-kun. I was too busy talking that I didn't notice."
Syaoran shook his head. "It's okay. I didn't mind." 'I much prefer this than staying silent the whole time.' he thought to himself. "Anyways, I'm done with the lettuce." he said, pointing to the lettuce leaves that had been cut and washed before him.
Sakura smiled and nodded. "I'll take it from here then. Thank you for the help, Syaoran-kun. You can wait in the living room. Dinner will be ready soon."
"Do you need anymore help?" offered Syaoran.
Sakura shook her head. "Mmmhmm. I'll handle the rest, thank you."
Syaoran smiled. At least she was looking more spirited again, closer to her usual self than he had seen her all day. "Alright, I'll wait. Tell me if you need anything."
"Okay." Sakura replied, her cheeks flushed. Syaoran thought it must have been the heat from the boiling water.
As he went back to the living room to sit, Syaoran was greeted with the sight of an inflated Keroberos snuggling against the cushions with crumbs on his face and two empty plates before him. Ignoring the disgusting spectacle, he sat down and thought again to that moment where he had considered telling her everything. He didn't know what he was thinking and reprimanded himself. Sakura was at her best when she was cheerful. He didn't know how she would react to him telling her but having seen firsthand what she was like when she was saddened, he couldn't bear the idea of doing that to her.
'It's alright. It's my problem. I shouldn't put it on her.'
With his mind made up, Syaoran sat on the sofa, making sure to give the disgustingly bloated Keroberos a wide berth, and waited. He had another more pressing matter to focus on regarding Sakura, and it was something he would have to be patient about. However, he didn't mind.
He still had plenty of time after all.
.
.
.
"Thanks for the meal."
Syaoran put down his fork and knife on the plate and wiped his mouth. The meal had consisted of spaghetti with a tomato sauce with the other ingredients like the seaweed and lettuce mixed into the sauce after it was ready, giving it a unique flavor.
"Was it a little too bland?" asked Sakura.
Syaoran shook his head and smiled. "No, it was delicious." It was the truth, though he had to admit he could be biased on this judgment. He didn't think he could ever say anything bad about her cooking.
Relief immediately showed on Sakura's face. "Still, I'm sorry for making a guest help out."
Syaoran smiled and was about to say he didn't mind. If anything, he was thankful for it helping break the ice between them and reduced their underlying tension. They had even been able to converse between bites during dinner. Unfortunately, once again Syaoran found their conversation interrupted by a small pest.
"All the kid did was tear the lettuce." protested Keroberos, who flew to his sight between them both, which was all he seemed to be good for tonight other than anything. He was once again reminded of Keroberos' insolence, to boldly criticize him while the small furball did nothing at all to help.
"But you didn't do anything, Kero-chan." complained Sakura, echoing his sentiment.
"I was busy eating the cake!"
"What's with you?" said Sakura, looking at her guardian in frustration.
"I'm always serious when it comes to delicious food!" proclaimed Keroberos proudly.
Syaoran wasn't going to let the creature get away with disguising his bad behavior with sophistry. "In other words, you're a greedy, little pig." he retorted with more than a little annoyance in his voice.
Keroberos quickly turned around to face him. "You wanna fight?" provoked the creature as it moved it's stubby arms in a boxer's stance. Syaoran wasn't about to escalate the situation again, especially in front of Sakura, but he had to admit Keroberos had a way of touching his nerve.
Fortunately, Sakura also had enough of the furball's antics. "Kero-chan!" reprimanded the girl while slamming her hands to the table. The creature winced at his master's anger, took one look at her angry face, and decided to stop.
"Your life has been spared today, kid." said Keroberos as he flew away from the table and headed to the stairs.
"Where are you going?" asked Sakura.
"I've been playing games in the room all day. My eyes are tired." said Keroberos, rubbing his small eyes. "It's a little early, but I'm going to sleep." As he disappeared from view behind the wall, Syaoran felt a little relieved that he would finally be relieved of the creature's presence but Keroberos popped his head in one last time.
"But if you have a snack, you better call me down!" the creature reminded, giving pointed glances at both kids as he went his merry way back to his, rather Sakura's, bedroom.
"Kero-chan really has…" started Sakura.
"A greedy appetite." finished Syaoran.
"Mmmm." Sakura nodded.
Syaoran turned away from the wall to his front, content that the beast was gone for now. However, he turned to Sakura at the same time she did to him. As their eyes made contact with each other, Syaoran who had somewhat relaxed thanks to Keroberos' antics was caught off-guard by the sight of her green eyes. The tension that had slowly dissipated came back again in full view and he turned his sight away reflexively as she did the same.
'Calm down! Things were just starting to relax!' Syaoran grasped his hands in frustration. Annoying as he had been, Keroberos' presence had distracted them from the tension between them. With the loudmouthed creature gone, Syaoran was once again exceedingly aware of Sakura's presence. Heat returned to his face as his heart started to race. The sudden rush was too much that he couldn't even look at her.
"U-Um…" came a timid voice, breaking the momentary silence between them. Syaoran glanced to the front and met her eyes. "About what I was saying before..." uttered Sakura nervously.
Her nervous demeanor and intense stare told him of what she was talking about, and it was not the small talk they had throughout their dinner. He turned fully towards her, anticipation building in his chest.
"I…" Sakura started, her face also tense. Syaoran clutched his hands harder. This was it: he would be getting a definite ans-
"I'm home!" came a voice from the entranceway. Once again, the tension diffused leaving both parties disappointed. Syaoran released the breath he had been holding and tried to contain the displeasure he was now feeling at the unwelcome intrusion, though to it would be bold of him to say that out loud considering who the voice belonged. Nevertheless, a different kind of tension grew in his chest as Touya Kinomoto came into view.
"About tonight's dinner-" said the young man before he paused at the sight of the boy sitting in front of him alone with his sister. "You." Touya said with sudden hostility in his voice.
Syaoran saw the glare the young man was casting at him and returned it instinctively. He had truthfully not given much thought to Touya Kinomoto during his preparation for coming to Japan. If he had, perhaps he could have asked his sisters or mother on how to deal with Touya or braced himself and reacted more favorably instead of being as tense as he was now. He had simply assumed he would get the time alone he needed with Sakura. However, with Sakura's older brother in view, Syaoran could only react defensively as the young man presented a 'threat' to his reasons for coming here, a complication which he definitely didn't need.
"Sorry for the bother." came a second, gentler voice followed by the gentle appearance of Yukito Tsukishiro, which cut through the tension building between the two boys.
"Yukito-san!" greeted Sakura cheerfully.
"Good evening, Sakura." Yukito replied before he caught sight of the person sitting before her. "Ohh!"
Syaoran looked away from the still angry Touya to the calm Yukito and relaxed. He gave a respectful nod of acknowledgment. "It's been a while."
"Yes." Yukito replied. "I didn't realize you were here in Japan."
Syaoran nodded. "I just arrived here today with my cousin."
"And you decided to just come here?" asked Touya aggressively. "Who-"
A light elbow to the ribs from Yukito silenced his dark-haired partner. "Are you staying here again or…?" asked the bespectacled young man.
Syaoran shook his head. "Just visiting. I'll be here for two weeks."
"I see." Yukito smiled. "Well, I hope you'll have fun on your time here. Isn't that right, Touya?"
"Sakura, where's dinner?" Touya asked, abruptly changing the subject. He moved inside the kitchen, giving Syaoran the cold shoulder.
"A-ah, there's some on the kitchen table. I made a lot so there should be some left for you as well, Yukito-san." Sakura said to Yukito.
"Thank you, Sakura-chan. Sorry for the trouble."
Sakura shook her head. "It's no trouble at all."
"Anyway," said Touya, breaking the conversation. "It's about time we have dinner. Anyone who's had their fill should go, unless you plan on eating my share too." he finished, making sure to stare at Syaoran to leave no room for interpretation of his intent. Syaoran gritted his teeth to hold himself back. This was not the same case as Keroberos; he knew he couldn't pick a fight with Sakura's brother without making Sakura sad.
"Onii-chan!" Sakura started, her anger rising. "Don't be rude!"
"It's okay, Sakura." replied Syaoran immediately. As he rose from his seat, Syaoran spared a glance at the still glaring Touya and turned towards Sakura. "It's about time I headed back. I don't want to keep Daidouji and Meiling waiting."
"Ahh, so you're staying over at Tomoyo-chan's house?" asked Yukito.
Syaoran nodded. "It was pleasant meeting you again." Syaoran turned to Touya, who was still eyeing him with anger. "Apologies for the intrusion." said the boy as he bowed, trying to keep his voice as neutral as possible.
"I-I'll accompany you out!" said Sakura. She stood from her seat abruptly to escort him out. Syaoran nodded and smiled, feeling the tension leave him as both of them left the dining table to the door. As they left, he caught sight of Sakura looking back and giving someone an angry glare with her tongue sticking out and suppressed a smile. He would rather avoid causing a conflict that would make Sakura sad, but it was nice to see that she had his back.
Sakura turned to him and clutched her palms together in a gesture of apology. "I'm sorry. I don't know why he was so rude. Onii-chan isn't usually like that."
"You don't have to apologize." reassured Syaoran as he put on his shoes. "Besides, it was about time I headed back. I don't want to miss the bus."
"I see." said Sakura, her voice sounding dejected. He wasn't quite in good spirits as well, if he was being honest, to have their time together cut short rather abruptly. "I'll see you to the bus stop."
"It's okay." Syaoran said. They were now both outside at her front porch as he made to leave.
"But-"
"It's alright." reassured Syaoran, not wanting to trouble her more than he already did. "Thank you for the meal."
As he was about to leave, Sakura's voice stopped him. "U-Um! Will you come to school tomorrow?"
"Yeah, I want to see Yamazaki and the others." 'You as well.' he said quietly in his mind.
Sakura's face brightened. "Then I'll see you tomorrow."
Syaoran smiled. "Yeah."
Sakura waved her hands. "Till tomorrow."
"Till tomorrow."
With that, Syaoran walked away from the Kinomoto residence. As he walked away, Syaoran felt Sakura's eyes linger on him and felt tempted to look back, but decided against it in fear of meeting her eyes being unnecessarily awkward. Instead, he continued walking until he felt the house was far enough. When he felt clear of the vicinity of Sakura's house, he exhaled a sigh.
With the house and the events within it behind him, Syaoran looked back on today. All things considered; today wasn't a bad start. He was at least grateful that he was now on talking terms with Sakura again, but he couldn't help but feel that he hadn't made the most of their time together. In the first place, Meiling had been the one to take the initiative to get them together which was troublesome. For both their sakes, he wanted to avoid relying on his cousin about Sakura but that was proving difficult. Her fiery nature combined with Tomoyo's fondness for plans certainly made him wary.
'No, I can't fully blame them. If it wasn't for them I would have not spoken to Sakura at all today.' It was the bitter truth Syaoran had to swallow. Meiling and Tomoyo might have been moving him around like a chess piece, but it was only because he hadn't made any moves of his own. If he wanted to leave them out of his and Sakura's affairs, he couldn't give them any room to move. That meant he had to make a move of his own. The problem was he didn't know what move he should make or what making his own move entailed.
'Right!' Syaoran shook his head and slapped his cheeks to clear up the muddled thoughts in his head. By now he had reached the bus stop and the next bus was about fifteen minutes away. Added with the bus trip to the station close to Tomoyo's house, it gave him plenty of time to consider his options. If he was going to make a move he needed a clear plan, which needed a clear head. He had been thrust to today's situation which had left him unprepared, but he had thirteen more days to spend in Tomoeda. He needed to figure out what to do with the time he had left.
The obvious unknown factor Sakura herself. Judging from today's events, he could at least see that Sakura was also looking for her opportunity to speak to him regarding something important which under the circumstances could only be her reply. Whatever her answer may be, he needed to make sure she had the chance to talk to him. As much as he didn't want to, he could at least rely on Meiling and Daidouji to provide time for them together especially since Sakura herself would still be busy preparing for the festival. He also took note of Fuutie's advice that his presence would push her to act, and he saw today that it rang true. Syaoran had to admire his sister's insight; today had played out more or less in line with her words.
That left his own part to play. His role was so far to wait which wasn't exactly any different than what he would normally do. Fuutie had advised him to make a move when he decided that things were not moving fast enough. The problem was feeling out when that exactly was. Along with the festival, that left an uncertainty factor which he couldn't exactly plan around.
Or could he?
A thought suddenly occurred to Syaoran, one born out of his logical thinking which seemed too easy a solution, yet it struck him how easily it fit into place. He had two weeks in Tomoeda, so he could simply set aside half the time for Sakura's reply and make his own move on the eighth day. It was a simple way of thinking that made things simpler for him, but what made it click even better was that it coincided with Sakura's own schedule since the town festival would be held on his seventh day here. This meant he would not interrupt Sakura's preparations for the play if he made his move afterwards.
'It can't be that simple.' A part of him said, still bewildered at the simple solution to what he thought was a messy problem but at the same time it made so much sense that it made things so much clearer. Syaoran wouldn't even be surprised if Meiling and Tomoyo had placed the time of their arrival with this in mind. However, that was beside the point. These were his feelings on the line and he had to stop letting others fight for them on his behalf. With a rough timetable figured out, he planned out his strategy as he would in a battle.
The first week, including today, wouldn't require much of him except his patience. He would try to act as normally as he could with Sakura to make her feel at ease to reply to him. As much as he wanted to avoid relying on them, Meiling and Tomoyo would also play their part by giving them windows of time alone. All the same, he wouldn't push too hard here since Sakura would also be busy with preparations for her play. The second week was when he would make his move. He would act on the eighth day, perhaps the ninth to allow Sakura rest after her play. So what would that move be?
Once again, the answer was surprisingly simple. As inexperienced as he was to romance, Syaoran knew enough to know what he needed to do to develop their relationship.
A date.
Well, it wouldn't necessarily be one in the sense of a couple going out but it would have to be the both of them alone. Not even Meiling or Tomoyo could be involved. It was important that this was his move alone. He would have to convince the both of them to back down, but he didn't think they would have a problem with it. Meiling would certainly be happy that he was taking initiative and Tomoyo would understand, even if it came at the cost of her not being able to record Sakura. Not wanting to be caught off-guard again, Syaoran took into account Touya and made a mental note to ensure that Sakura's brother doesn't find out when he put his plan into action.
For the first time, Syaoran felt some optimism regarding his situation. He had a clear plan of action which gave him a direction going forward. There was still things he didn't know, such as what Sakura's reply even was or where to go on this supposed date, but he couldn't do anything about the former. As for the latter, he would have time to plan it out during the first week. This was his move so he needed to think it out thoroughly. Regardless of what Sakura's answer would be, he wanted her to enjoy her time there. There was also the matter of asking Sakura out, a prospect which made him nervous just thinking about it, but he pushed it down as hard as he could. He had spent far too long relying on others for something that was important to him; the time was way overdue that he finally took action.
The sound of the approaching bus snapped Syaoran out of his thoughts as the approaching bus slowly halted in front of him. The hiss of the bus doors opening welcomed him in as Syaoran entered the bus. It was fairly empty save for what looked like a few office workers returning from work, so he took an empty seat at the corner at the back of the bus. After making sure he had the money ready, Syaoran thought back to his newly formed plan and felt his determination rise. He didn't know what lied ahead, whether or not things would work out as intended, and most importantly whether or not the answer he would receive would be favorable to him, but at the very least he knew he wasn't going unprepared. Anything else he could anticipate and plan accordingly.
After all, what's the worst that could happen?