Chapter 7: Death…
Sakura couldn't believe what just happened…
"LI! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR!" Sakura exclaimed immediately as she rubbed her cheeks softly. She was sure that her cheek is all red by now because Xiao Lang SLAPPED her so hard and for no reasons. (Haha! You don't really expect me to put a kiss scene there, don't you?)
"Hey I'm just being kind! There're two mosquitoes on your cheek and you don't even feel anything about it, don't you?" Xiao Lang said as he showed her the two DEAD mosquitoes on his palm.
"Well, even if there are, you don't have to hit them DEAD that hard on MY cheek! And you HENTAI!" Xiao Lang chucked as he understands Japanese pretty well too and what he did earlier.
"Whatever. Come on. I'll let you lead the way."
"Better since we are still in the same place since an hour ago." Sakura stated as she continued rubbing her cheek. Xiao Lang said nothing much but let her lead the way.
If she's going to bring us to somewhere I would say LOST…
She is DEFINITELY dead…
Meanwhile…
"Eriol-kun, where's Mr. Li? He's not here today neither yesterday." Tomoyo asked as she sipped her coffee.
"Why would you want to know, Tomoyo? Interested in my cousin? I know all girls are interested in him. After all, he's quite a charm." Eriol teasingly replied as he glanced at her. Tomoyo was a little hurt hearing what Eriol has just said.
What has gotten into him?
Tomoyo kept quiet, not wanting to answer him back with a feeling of shouting at him that she has feelings for him but of course, he will never know.
Never know…
There was a silence then which was killing Tomoyo and Eriol personally though they had no idea why and what the other opposite of them thinking at that time…
"Umm… Tomoyo. Could you get me those files in that cabinet? Right at the first one." Eriol said, couldn't stand it anymore. Did he say something personally wrong? ...he wondered.
"Sure. Why would you want it for?" Tomoyo asked as she got up, walking to the cabinet.
"Mr. Fong's project. I remembered that I might have a copy of he wants." Tomoyo found the files and gave to Eriol. Just a second, Kim-Eun walked in bringing some files with her.
"Mr. Eriol. I need your signature on these files before sending it to the headquarters." Eriol took the files while going thoroughly on details at every file. Tomoyo glanced a few time at Eriol's concentrated expression while doing her thing. Soon after Eriol has finished, he looked up seeing a blushing Tomoyo, wondering why.
"H-Here." Tomoyo stuttered a little. She was blushing because she thought she got caught for staring at Eriol but hey, did she know that he didn't? Eriol on the other hand, raised his eyebrow looking at her wondering what is wrong with her. After taking the files, he put aside and took Tomoyo's hand, dragging a surprise yet unsure what's happening Tomoyo.
"Hey, come with me."
Back to Sakura and Xiao Lang…
"Li! Look! Wild flowers!" Sakura said as she jumped up and down as she pointed to the vibrantly colors of the wild flowers.
Great she found it…
Xiao Lang looked up seeing paradise of beautiful and what he thought he never see in the city or even better which he thought… the florists. Sakura quickly took her camera out and started snapping photos of wild flowers while Xiao Lang sat aside and took out his phone."You know Li…" Xiao Lang looked up as he listens to what Sakura was about to say.
"What?"
"We're on the right track because of me." Xiao Lang glared at her but unnoticed by Sakura since she's busy.
"Whatever dummy. We're not exactly where I thought of bringing you." Xiao Lang blurt out as Sakura stopped and looked at him.
"What?"
"I thought of going to the butterfly valley earlier… it's somewhere here but-"
"Let me continue it for you, will ya?" Sakura interrupted Xiao Lang but he nodded, letting her.
"You had no idea where we are and you have never been there and worse, we were going back at the same place since earlier but not after I lead the way. And now, we'll be here for probably another hour before we go back to the chalet to have lunch." Xiao Lang shrugged hearing whatever Sakura's decision today because he will be the one who's going to plan for today's schedule.
"Nice try Kinomoto. We're going on my plan. Now, after you have finished taking enough pictures of whatever you like, I'll lead back the way to the butterfly valley. Now, you have only 3 choices and choose."
"Li!"
"What! Whatever… anyway, choice number 1, you're going with me to the butterfly valley willingly. Choice number 2, I'll make you go with me to the butterfly valley and third choice, I'll make sure that you'll go there with me by force."
Sakura wasn't happy with the THREE choices which turned out to be only ONE place of three choices.
"What was the point of making your decision that is final into three useless and pointless choices for me? And is there choice number 4 from me?"
"Nope. Now choose."
"Why I am supposed to hear ordering me to do whatever you please? Who do you think you are?"
"Because remember about our bet that you'll do as I say. And I'm an acquaintance of yours like what you said yesterday." Sakura looked quite angry for being silly for letting him to boss her around now. But rules are rules.
"Fine. We'll go to butterfly valley later." Xiao Lang chuckled hearing and happy for getting to ask her to do what he wants. Why shouldn't he be, right?
Meanwhile with Eriol and Tomoyo…
"Eriol-kun, w-where are w-we n-now?" Tomoyo was blindfolded with a black cloth by Eriol which she wondered where did he get it. Right now, she was told to follow Eriol to walk being guided by him and she was pretty scared as she couldn't see anything around.
Only guided by his hands around her waist. Tomoyo blushed at that thought.
"Alright, we're here now. My favorite place when I get really frustrated with my work." Tomoyo pulled out the black cloth and amazed at the beautiful or should she say, magnificent view? But exactly where are they? She was sure that they didn't get into a car and drove to anywhere but where did they go?
"Now, I belive you are wondering where are we, right?" Tomoyo nodded.
"Simple, in my office." Tomoyo looked right at him with a little irritated look on her face.
"Eriol-kun, no joke. Where are we? The view in your office or Yelan-san or Meilin-chan's office are as great as this." Eriol smirked.
"Alright fine. It's my penthouse. There's Xiao Lang's one here too."
"You have a penthouse here?"
"Well, yar. But not much people know not even Kim-Eun. And one thing for sure, I won't let anyone in here except close ones." Tomoyo wasn't sure if she heard things right.
Close ones?...
Did he said close ones?…
Later…
"LI! For the last time, where are we now! We are lost, for goodness admit it." Sakura whined from the time Xiao Lang took back the lead to the butterfly valley.
"No, we're definitely not. We're on the right track." he retorted.
"Iie and I'm telling you that you have no sense of direction!" Xiao Lang glared at Sakura for implying him without any sense of direction.
"Ha-ha, Kinomoto. I'm highly entertained with that. Now, get the map out." Xiao Lang instructed her and she took the map out willingly, at the same time, Sakura was giggling in her mind. Not that too, she was worried if they really, really are lost and she doesn't like the idea of that.
Who will be happy if there lost?
Anything can happen right?
Especially with a guy who is that cute?
Sakura quickly snapped out of her thought.
Wait a minute. Cute! Ha-ha. Laugh my ass off if that stupid is cute…
Which he is as a matter-of-fact is cute…
"Great now, we'll go back to the chalet." Xiao Lang said after looking in the map for a minute as he walked to another way. Sakura looked at him, puzzled and confused and pissed off after she heard what Xiao Lang said.
"What is going on? Oh, so now you have decided that we are going back to the chalet? What happened to the butterfly valley? Or it doesn't even exist in this hill? Come on Li, we wasted so much time. Don't just plan going somewhere but you totally had no idea where is it!"
"Listen to me, Kinomoto. First, nothing is going on here. Second, yes! I've decided to go back to the chalet. So, get over with it! Third, nothing happened to the butterfly valley and fourth, it does exist in this hill and fifth, I know we have waste a lot of time and sixth, I'm a city guy not some hill or either some butterfly guy so, it's more likely reasonable if I had no idea where the hell it is. I was in my good mood before you annoyed me!" Xiao Lang bit back and Sakura totally left stunned with Xiao Lang's sudden or well, angrier, more furious, scarier and whatever she could think of him negative at the moment.
"Fine with me. So, why are we going back then?"
"Cause I had only realized that it is actually behind the chalet." Sakura's mouth dropped to the ground, hearing him. They were walking for hours and worst, at the same place till only he has JUST realized that the butterfly valley is at behind the chalet where they are staying.
"Yar. Whatever Kinomoto. And the thing I left out studying the map last night was that we can only see the butterflies at night."
"Night!" she thought and never expect Xiao Lang to reply her back. Mumbling to herself as she followed Xiao Lang walking back with him leading the 'right' way, "Night. Night. Night. I can see butterflies in the daytime in Tokyo. Weird butterflies in Hong Kong. If I ever get to bring one back to Tokyo, I'll make sure it'll get a clone of it."
She continued talking to herself softly as she didn't want to let Xiao Lang to hear her mumbling.
"This person in front of me is the worst of the worst guys in Tokyo I have ever known. Except for Juno's case. He's totally blacklisted. Li is definitely what I call almost the same type like onii-chan. Mean and being nice at the same time. Baka. Baka. Baka. Don't they just like to order me? Surely they don't expect me to be their 'slave' 24/7. I began to wonder what use you have, Li. What Felicia-san thinks you are so good for? For me right now, you are like a useful thing that is good for nothing."
Sakura was busy talking and talking about Xiao Lang as she stopped and squatted down. She didn't even tell Xiao Lang to wait for her as she was tired as she will know what Xiao Lang will say. Sure that she saw his back, she rested for a while. A minute or two later, she got up and continued back where she can still Xiao Lang's back slightly. She was never like this in Tokyo. Talking so much about a person especially about an acquaintance that's annoying enough to her. She keeps on babbling by herself…
"… not just that, you and your ego self. Sure you think yourself is that important to everyone here but not me, Li…"
…and she stopped walking suddenly.
What happened?
Why did she stop?
Something is not right?
To hell with it! Yes!
Looking left and right, turning around 360 degrees, not once but five times! Xiao Lang isn't with her or even near her. There was no sight of him. No sight of him anymore. Where did he go? Is she the one who's busy babbling to herself that she walked to a wrong way? Did he walk to another place? The chalet isn't much near to where she was as she remembered slightly about the way from the chalet.
"Li!"
There was no answer. Only the soft wind breeze was what she could heard.
"Li! Where are you?"
Sakura shouted as she wandered into deeper and deeper as she had no idea where she will be heading. She wasn't sure what's going on or this is a trick from him or not.
"Come on Li, where are you? Stop hiding, will ya?"
She doesn't like this idea of searching for Xiao Lang as she wasn't sure where she is and him either and she doesn't feel much thankful to where she is now. All she knows is that she's surrounded by thick bushes and trees and nothing else. Walking as she keeps on looking for Xiao Lang, there was no sight of him.
Where could he be?
Why is he missing?
What happened to him?
"Li, don't hide now, please! If you heard what I babbled by myself, then… I'm sorry!"
Sakura was getting more and more afraid as she goes deeper and much deeper than she could have thought. Where is she now? Still in the middle of the hill or up in the hill near the chalet? Or even at the foot of the hill? Where is she? And him too?
Then she stopped…
At the path that leads her to a deep ravine…
The steep and dark ravine and she was sure that anyone who falls there will not…
survive…
And gasped…
"Li!"
Sakura shouted as she looked down right into it. She could hear her own echoes and highly doubt if it's not deep at all. She saw a part of Xiao Lang's jeans and blood stain on it and his phone was near the side of the ravine and she had no idea what she should do.
Li, you can't be dead. You're kidding, right?
Right, Li? You can't be dead, right?
"You hear me, right? Li! You can't be dead, right!" Her knee couldn't hold her anymore as immediately she dropped to the ground, totally unsure how she would take the truth. And also Xiao Lang's close ones… like Yelen-san and Felicia-san…
She's in some country that she never laid a step before in her life and now, to have someone accompany her because of a bet that she suggested, she was so upset that she was the one who caused Xiao Lang's death. How can she explain to Xiao Lang's family and girlfriend that she somehow caused Xiao Lang's death?
"Alright Li! You should be unhappy now that I've won the bet! I told you that you shouldn't have the bet started yesterday! And you are right! Because of me, you are out of luck! See! I told you that you'll be unlucky and now you are! Are you happy now! Because of me, I caused your death because you came here with me! Because of me! I shouldn't have come to Hong Kong!" Sakura was blaming herself. How could she not? She was the one who started the bet that he will have the most bad lucks in his life if he's near and be with her for five days and now… its day two and he's dead.
"Li, now that I have won… you must do me the first thing!" Sakura shouted as tears started to trickle from her eyes. It was all her fault! All hers…
"It's all my fault, Li! Because of me! I shouldn't have known you. I hate myself to cause your death… Li. I'm so sorry… It's all because of me…" she was getting more and more emotionally upset with herself. She never had caused someone's death and now, it's an acquaintance of hers. This is getting too much to her. She never thought of that. What will she do? She can't take his body since it's deep in the ravine and she has no contacts to any of Xiao Lang's family except Meilin but how can she have the heart to tell her that Xiao Lang's dead?
"Just how can I tell Meilin or anyone about it? Just how? Li, all I want now for the first thing I want you to do… is just be alive… just alive… is it that hard to do it?" Sakura asked softly as she cried even more and more.
Her mind couldn't take it anymore…
Just couldn't anymore…
It's done… now or not…
She passed out…
Just the time she couldn't control her mind…