"Killer-eyes"
Sakura stood from the floor slowly and looked at the two making their way towards her. Xing seemed so excited for them to meet, yet her insides were twisting in knots, dreading it from the look in the man's eyes. He was surely going to prove that no god was on her side more. She could hear the rapid beating of her heart, making her fear that they would be able to hear it when close to her.
When they reached her, her eyes shifted to the ground due to the man's intimidating glare. It felt like he could burn a whole through her face if he wanted to. She had not done anything wrong, so she could not understand why he was treating her like she had.
"You are the source of my son causing a ruckus in my company?"
That question struck her, realizing why the man seemed upset with her. Her heart nearly stopped beating as her mouth opened, ready to defend herself, but nothing came out. She had not even been aware that she was behind Xing's actions, but she found it hard to say.
When he raised a brow, her mouth closed immediately. "I'm sorry, sir. I wasn't aware that I was a problem here. I-I can leave to fix it if that would mean something now." She scrambled up clumsily before he could even respond. For some reason, she felt like she needed to get out of there if she wanted to keep living because she could barely breathe. She felt terrified of the possible consequences of her unintentional actions. The door was only a few feet away so maybe she could make it out alive.
"Slow down, missy. You are not being dismissed."
Her body stood frozen in that spot, not having the slightest clue what to say or do. Her fingers clutched the handle tightly, trying to silently open the door, but it would not budge.
"What is your name?"
For a moment, she thought about giving him a false name, just in case he looked her up and sent someone to her apartment to assassinate her for causing his son to misbehave. She knew better than to lie when she had already given her information to the other lady earlier though.
"K-Kinomoto Sakura," she stuttered, keeping her fingers around the handle.
Xing ran over to her excitedly and hugged her lower half tightly. "She's my new girlfriend, Daddy!"
Sakura stood awkwardly, not knowing how to act around Xing with his father. Hug him back? Gently push him away? Tell him to behave in front of his father? She could not understand why she was making herself sound like a bad guy, hiding his crimes when she had done nothing.
"Come here, Xing." It was a soft command, but Xing seemed to understand the seriousness to his tone, just as much as she did.
The little boy peeled himself from her body with a frown on his face. "But daddy, she will be sad if I don't comfort her when she needs it. Only I can make her happy with my hugs. Remember what you said?"
Sakura closed her eyes, feeling a warmth spread throughout her body at the words Xing just spoke. She remembered why she had decided to stick around now. "Xing, I am happy just being around you."
Feeling an icy glare on her, she looked in the direction of the man, seeing his eyes silently question what she had said to his son to make him say such a thing. That look caused an unnerving chill to run through her entire body. Sometimes she wished she could just keep her mouth shut.
"See? Daddy, can we keep her?" Xing looked at his father pleadingly, making her realize she had to be the one to put a stop to his act.
Ignoring her fear of the boys father, she bent down in front of Xing with a smile on her face. "Xing, I have to get home now. I'm glad that I had the chance to meet you."
"You're leaving me?"
She could hear the tears in his voice just as much as she could feel the heated gaze of his father on her. She rest a comforting hand on his shoulder, as the tears welled in his eyes now. Her eyes closed so she did not have to see the look he was giving her. It almost shredded her heart into millions of pieces. "Well, it's not goodbye."
Xing turned to his dad, grabbing his designer pant leg, sobbing. "Daddy, can't we keep her? Please?"
"Xing, you know better than to ask for such an outrageous thing. Discard of the things on the floor so we can leave." His tone was harsh and cold, making a frown form on her lips. She knew what the kid was asking for was out of line, but his father could have been nicer by letting him down better than that.
"Daddy, please! We only just met in the day time."
Something came over her, that she did not even know what, but she could not stop herself from interjecting to end the boys misery. "We can play again tomorrow, Xing. I'll come here again, and we can spend the entire day together." She ignored the intense amber eyes she could feel on her back. Turning around to him only confirmed what she had expected, which was him glaring at her.
"That's not necessary at all, Ms. Kinomoto. He is not a baby anymore and he cannot always get what he wants—"
"I want to!" she interrupted, feeling a little overwhelmed with the thought of not being able to see the little boy anymore. Her conscious chastised her for being rude, but she ignored it.
He glared at her coldly, making her body stand taut as her eyes drifted to the floor. "I'm sorry, sir. I…I really enjoyed playing with Xing today and I wouldn't mind coming back tomorrow if he wants me to," she said, mustering up the courage to defend herself.
"I don't know you, so I don't trust you with my son. You have no right to come here and think that you can demand what you can and cannot do with my son!" he barked at her.
Guilt automatically ate at her heart, making her realize she might have taken it too far. "I didn't mean it like that, sir—"
"Daddy, don't be mean to Sakura!"
Xing was picking up all the toys and putting them away slowly with tears still rolling down his rosy cheeks.
Her eyes widened at the fact that he would defend a mere stranger against his father. She felt even guiltier being the cause of this conflict. "No, Xing, your father is right. He doesn't know me, and you shouldn't trust strangers so easily, either. It's very dangerous."
"Finish putting your things away, Xing. I don't want to hear any more complaints from you tonight. Is that understood?"
Xing sighed. "Yes, sir."
She turned to his father again and bowed her head slightly. "Please forgive me, sir. I didn't mean to cause any trouble here or overstep."
He just stared at her hard for a moment, causing her cheeks to warm. "Where is the location of your home?"
That question caught her off guard with the way he had been treating her since he got here. Not trusting the man, she decided to remain silent. He did not need to know that because it was not any of his business where she stayed. She almost felt sure now that he was trying to send someone to assassinate her.
Her thoughts must have shown on her face because he opened his mouth again. "I'm not going to let a girl who is god-knows what age, walk home alone."
"I-I'm 17, sir," she told him politely.
"It doesn't matter, my point still stands."
"I am capable enough to get home on my own though. Thank you for the kind offer."
He gave her a questioning look before speaking. "I must repay you for watching my son all day. I know he can be a handful at times."
She waved it off as if it were nothing. "Oh no, that's not necessary. I had a wonderful time with him. I would do it again if I could." She had not felt obligated to stay with Xing. It had been her choice to be with him all day because she wanted to.
His gaze stayed on her face, seeming to study her expression before their eyes met. "I'm going to take you home," he said in a tone where he was not going to take no for an answer.
Because she felt she had no other choice, she nodded mutely and looked down shyly at her bare feet. Letting herself get comfortable so easily in a place that was foreign to her was insane. It caused her insides to turn in shame and embarrassment. She had not felt this comfortable at a place around a person since she started working at the diner two years ago. She looked around for her shoes before finding them and slipping them back on her bare feet slowly.
Goosebumps broke out on every inch of her skin, feeling his intense gaze on her every move. It felt like he was waiting for her to make the wrong move.
"Are your parents aware of your whereabouts?"
Her body visibly froze, not thinking anything about him asking about her parents. After some thought into it, she just shrugged nonchalantly. "It doesn't matter if they do or don't."
She received no response, making her glad that he dropped the topic immediately. She could not care if her answer made her seem like a rebellious child getting into trouble. She would rather he think that, than to know what the truth is. She did not want any pity from him and she certainly did not want him to try and get the government involved. Besides, it was not a complete lie.
"I'm all finished, Daddy."
Xing motioned to the clean room, making her smile. Xing walked to him, holding his arms up to be picked up. The man picked him up with ease. "Xing, we are going to get dinner and take Ms. Kinomoto home. Then we are going to go home, and you are going to go to bed, okay?"
Xing's face lit up. "Sakura is going to ride in our awesome car and go out to eat with us!?"
At hearing that, it felt like her heart sunk to the bottom of her stomach at the mention of going out with the man and his kid. She must have missed something in their conversation.
"That is, if she wants to." The man looked at her, silently asking her if she did with his eyes.
Her mouth opened to speak, but not a single coherent sentence came to mind, so she just ended up nodding her head. Besides, a little more time with Xing would do her nothing but good.
"Yay! Sakura is coming with us!"
Seeing how happy the little boy was at her compliance, the nervousness washed off her immediately.
"You do understand what I said, right? Bedtime as soon as we get home, Xing," the man said in a stern tone.
Xing nodded stiffly.
"Xing, what are you doing when we get home?"
"Go to bed…" Xing sounded so disappointed, but his father nodded. She wondered if this was a routine between the two.
"Let's go."
When the man started walking to the door, she took that as her cue to follow after them. He swiped his card and the door automatically opened.
Sakura mentally groaned, realizing the opportunity that was missed when he swiped the card. She knew his name was on it, and he was putting it away now. Instead of dwelling on it, she just followed closely behind them, listening to Xing tell his dad about everything they did today.
"And then we built this huge building! Didn't we, Sakura?"
She smiled at him and nodded, still not able to find her voice. She had never been this nervous around a man before, despite her being able to hold herself together at the restaurant where many men were not afraid to show their interest in her.
Xing squirmed down from his dad's grip and ran to her, grabbing her hand to pull her down to his height. "Daddy isn't normally this mean," he attempted to whisper her my ear, making her giggle because he failed miserably.
She stood back up, keeping a hold of his hand. "I'm sure he isn't."
She caught up with the man, so they were walking side by side now. After mustering up the guts, she decided to ask the big question to lighten the mood between them somehow. She couldn't understand why it felt so…tense between them when she had been great at socializing. She had been quite extroverted all her life, so this tension between them made no sense to her.
"So 'Daddy', are you going to tell me your name?" she asked playfully, hoping the joke would lighten the mood between them.
He stopped walking, appearing confused about her joke. Instantly, she regretted making the joke because maybe she did take it too far.
"It's…Li Syaoran."
For some reason, she felt the need to apologize for her terrible humor. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you, sir."
He made a grunting sound and continued walking ahead of Xing and Sakura, a little faster than he was before. Sakura could feel Xing look up at her with a curious expression on his face.
Sakura just smiled and ruffled his hair. "It's nothing, let's go."
They walked out of the building to the man's car with Xing hopping and pulling on her arm. To her surprise, the car had not been one of the most extravagant cars like she thought it would be. It was the latest version of the Toyota Camry. It only took her by surprise because he looked like another rich businessman in Tokyo who would drive some sports car.
"Daddy, can Sakura sit in the back with me, please?" Xing looked up at Syaoran pleadingly with those puppy dog eyes.
Syaoran looked at Sakura, silently asking if she wanted to with his eyes. She could not help but wonder what else those eyes were capable of since they could speak and make her feel things she never felt before.
Instead of responding to him, she smiled at Xing. "Of course I want to."
She heard the man open the door for them, before he motioned Xing to get in first. Her eyes scanned the inside of the car from the outside, admiring how fresh and clean the car looked. Maybe they had just gotten the car, she reasoned, since it was impossible to have a car this nice and clean with a four-year-old.
Suddenly, she could feel an intimidating stare on her, so she looked in the direction of it to see the man staring at her intensely. Her cheeks warmed a little, heart beginning to beat against her chest hard. She slid inside the car, buckling up after the man closed the door.
Xing immediately turned to her and started talking. "Daddy bought me a car that looks exactly like this one! It's at home in my room and I drive it around all the time."
She could not understand how his energy level could still be this high when they had been playing all day. She smiled regardless and looked at him amusingly. "Oh yeah? I bet you run your father crazy with your driving," she played along, even though she knew his dad wouldn't even be able to fit a hand in his car.
"Of course I do! It's because I am the fastest race car driver ever!"
She burst into a fit of laughter at that, not able to contain it. As soon as it started, it came to a halt almost immediately when she felt familiar piercing eyes on her. She looked up to see the driver glaring at her in his rear view mirror after the car was at a stop sign. Her eyes averted back to Xing beside her quickly, avoiding those killer eyes.
"Do you have an awesome car like Daddy?"
Sakura smiled at him, as she pulled on his cheek gently. "I can only dream of having a car at all."
"Maybe Daddy can get you an awesome car like me!"
She giggled and shook her head, deciding to humor him. "That won't be necessary, considering I might not even be able to fit a leg in it."
"But you will! It's a big car, almost like Daddy's!"
Sakura gave him a playful, pointed look. "Oh really?"
"Xing, stop telling stories. You know what I told you about that," his father interjected.
"Oh, I was only just kidding, Daddy," he said dramatically, making Sakura laugh at his cuteness.
They pulled up to a nice, fancy restaurant, something Sakura noticed immediately. It made her want to be swallowed in a black hole for some reason, almost as if it were a reality check for her. She was not dressed for this type of place and felt positive that she wouldn't be able to afford any of the food. There was probably less than 400 yen in her pocket right now that she could spare, thanks to rent being due tomorrow.
Her thoughts were interrupted when the door opened. She looked up to see the man glaring down at her, making her frown a little. They stared at each other for a moment before she realized he was waiting for her to get out.
After some thought and considering it to be appropriate, she turned to Xing and unbuckled him from his car seat then slid out of the car. Xing jumped out behind her excitedly. She glanced at Xing's appearance and noticed he even looked more appropriate for this place than she had. She wondered when the man would comment on her appearance not being appropriate enough so she would have to stay outside until they finished eating.
Sakura could hear someone clear their throat his throat, grabbing her attention, so she looked in the direction, only to see that it was Syaoran. Instead of saying anything, he just grabbed Xing's hand and started walking towards the entrance of the restaurant.
She followed a good distance behind them, waiting for him to tell her that she wouldn't be able to come inside.
It never came though.
He held the door open for her as Xing stood beside him, waiting for her to walk through. She smiled at the two gratefully and walked through the door. Somehow, she could feel the man's eyes on her as he walked closely behind her. It unnerve her to the core, feeling him so close to her.
"Table for three, please."
The host looked up to see who it was, and a wide grin spread across his face. "Li-sama! How's it going? It's been awhile since you came here. And with a new pretty face?"
Syaoran nodded. "Yes, a lot has been going on lately, so I have not had time to go out and sit down for a proper meal."
Sakura could feel her cheeks warm at the compliment, though she was not sure if Syaoran ignored it on purpose.
"I see. Well, I'm glad that you could come out tonight. Follow me this way."
The host led them to a secluded area in the restaurant, only increasing her anxiety about being alone with the man. Being alone with an intimidating man and his son was not what she expected her day to end like after losing her job. She knew that if she couldn't get her heart under control, she would be rushed to the hospital from a heart attack.
"Here are your menus," he handed them menus, "And I will get you all someone to serve you."
He left after Syaoran gave him a nod, acknowledging that he heard him. Sakura could not help but notice that the man had not smiled one time since she met him, even to the kind host. She thought he was very handsome but if he smiled, maybe he could look even better, if that were possible.
She blushed at that thought before picking up the menu, automatically looking for the cheapest thing on it.
20,000 yen?!
That was the cheapest thing on the menu, so what was she supposed to do with the little money she was allowing herself to spend?
She contemplated for a moment what she could do, but came up with two options. Either she could tell him that she could not afford this food, or tell him that she was not hungry. She sat the menu down, deciding to go with the latter. "I'm not really hungry, Mr. Li."
He looked up at her with those eyes, making her look away shyly when she felt her cheeks warm.
"Why is that?" he asked blandly.
"You have to eat, Sakura. You won't be strong like me and Daddy if you don't." Xing held up his small arms, and tried to flex his 'muscles.'
She giggled and shook her head. "I've already ate today," she lied with ease; one she had been used to telling for years.
"You're a horrible deceiver."
She cringed at the words he used to describe her. Despite that, she still did not defend herself because she knew he would see straight through her lies.
"I'm trying to reward you for watching my son all day and you deny it. Where are your manners?"
Not expecting that answer, she frowned at him. "I told you that I wasn't doing anyone any favors. I chose to be with him today, Mr. Li," she said, hoping that she sounded convincing enough for him. She hated for people to feel obligated to do anything for her.
She flinched in her chair when she noticed the icy glare he threw at her. "You will eat with us," he commanded forcefully.
A surge of anger rushed through her blood at that, ready to retort, but Xing cut in before she could. "Please, Sakura. You have to eat with us, or you might faint." He gave her those puppy dog eyes that she could not say no to, so she gave in with a nod reluctantly. She hated herself for being so weak with this kid. It was just something about him that made her want to make him happy.
She picked the menu back up and looked for the cheapest thing on it. She could be stubborn sometimes, but she hated to be a nuisance to anyone. Especially people she did not even know.
A waiter came over to take their drink orders. She asked for a water, knowing that had probably been the only free thing on the menu. She could feel the man's glare when she said it, but she avoided looking at him. If he were going to spend any money on her, it would be as less as possible. She ordered a small portion of food after they gave orders. Syaoran did not even bother to speak or join the conversation between her and Xing throughout the entire dinner.
When the check came, she avoided looking at it, knowing she would come close to tears. He did own a company, but that did not mean that the guilt of someone spending so much money on her would not eat at her conscious.
Xing had fallen asleep as soon as he was strapped in his car seat in the back, so Syaoran closed the door before she could get in, in the back with him.
She knew it was not necessary for her to sit in the back this time, but it would have made her more comfortable to. She did not even know what made her more scared; his eyes or just his presence all together. He was a person that could make you feel like you had committed a crime, even if you had not. His glaring and harsh tone of voice didn't help one bit either, which put her at a huge disadvantage.
She opened the door to the passenger's side of the car awkwardly and slid in quietly, buckling herself in. The drive to her apartment was uncomfortably quiet, besides her telling him where to turn.
"Stop here." She pointed to a nearby store that was just around the corner from the apartment.
"You live in a convenience store?" he asked blankly as he slowed down.
She didn't want him knowing where she stayed because it was too embarrassing. With the lifestyle that he lived, she was sure he would be quick to judge the place she stayed.
"No, Mr. Li, but this is where I would like you to drop me off at."
"What kind of man do you believe me to be?"
"You're a real gentleman. I can't thank you enough for your generosity, but I believe that I have stretched it long enough. My place is just around the corner from here and I can walk the rest of the way."
"Tell me where to turn, Ms. Kinomoto. Surely your parents are worried sick about you."
After hearing the word 'parent,' a sick feeling arose in her stomach. It made her feel like the world was coming down to crash on her. Another reality check, is what she liked to call this feeling though.
She kept her mouth closed tightly, not wanting to let up on it.
"Ms. Kinomoto," he said called sternly. He stopped on the side of the road and turned to her, glaring now.
"I want you to drop me off at the store," she said it so weakly, that her voice broke at a few of the words she had spoken. He was making this so much harder on her than it needed to be.
"I will do no such thing. Tell me where the hell to turn."
Not wanting to argue with the man and prolong her time any longer with him, she gave in and told him where to go, not caring that he heard how upset she felt with his stubborn and pushy behavior.
When they arrived at her apartment, she stepped out of the car immediately. He ended up getting out with her too though and walked her to the door. To say it wasn't awkward was an understatement.
When they got to her door, she turned to him with a small smile on her face. She knew she still had to show her gratitude for what he had done for her. "Thank you, Mr. Li. I don't know how I—"
"Take this."
She glanced down at his outstretched hand towards her. It was a small, square card in his hand. "You are the only female that Xing seems to be fond of. He has never taken a liking to a complete stranger in one day, so there must be something about you."
He almost sounded like a robot with the way he spoke to her. Not knowing how to respond to that, she just accepted the card from him and looked at it. It was a business card that had his information on it. "Um…"
"Would it be possible for me to get in contact with you? I would like to make a proposition with you."
A proposition?
She looked at him confused, wondering what he was trying to say. "What...kind?" she asked slowly.
He looked towards his car that was a few feet away, reminding her that Xing was there. "I find it best if we could discuss this another time."
She nodded and reached into her pocket, grabbing a piece of paper and pen she had stored away from her job. After scribbling down a phone number, she handed the sheet of paper to him.
He looked at it for a moment then nodded before stuffing it into his pocket. "I will be getting in contact with you shortly. Have a good night."
And just like that, he was gone.
She unlocked the door to the small apartment and shut the door behind her after she got in before letting out the deep breath she had been holding around the man. She leaned against the door, wondering how her day ended up like this.
First, she lost her job that had somehow paid the bills, despite her living paycheck to paycheck. Then, she met an angel in disguise, along with the devil, known as the angel's father. And now, she had to figure out how she was going to figure life out, starting tomorrow. This day had just been her luck.
A/N: I'm so sorry! I know I promised updates a couple of weeks ago following the first chapter, but I've been so wrapped up in getting ready for grad school and moving to another place. Everything's settled, grad school has started(first day today), but I should be able to update more now since I just got wifi at my place and everything's situated at my new place now. I promise I will try my hardest to get more chapters out this week since I just have to do some editing/adjustments.
Also, I'm glad you guys are still planning to stick around with me. I don't know if I would feel as comfortable with my work if it weren't for your support TT. Even though today was only the first day of classes, I learned sooo much in just one 3 hour class that you guys may see me incorporating more psychology into my stories. School motivates me to write and come up with ideas for some reason lol.
Alright, I'll end the note here since it's 12am and I have class in the morning.
Ja ne!
