Author's note – I usually like to put the author's note at the end but in this case I find it's necessary to put it this time in here. I feel like I need to explain something because I received a review for the last chapter that caught my attention. First of all, I want to thank the reviewer for her/his honesty. Getting input back is one of the reasons I post the story in this site. It is because of this review that I feel like I should respond. From the very beginning I tried to do this story different from other stories in the sense were I like to develop more than just a simple romance. For me, love is more than just the simple uncomplicated Disney fairytale society makes us believe in since we are children. It requires commitment, it requires forgiveness, it entails conflict in opinions, it involves accepting and yes eventually it will have its romance but I've never been a fan of reading a fast pace story. I love to see the character development and more to analyze their personalities and I feel that for the last chapter that was one of the things I wanted to achieve. And I say this review caught my attention because it made me wonder if in reality I was transmitting that in my story the way I should be. So, once again I thank you for your review and will have your input in mind as I continue to write this story and future ones as well. As for the people that feel like sometimes I am putting things that don't need to be in the story, I would simply encourage them to re-read the story from the beginning if you like. I understand that being a story that is updated monthly (or tried to anyways) sometimes it's hard to keep up with things or enjoy a story like it should be enjoyed from the beginning to the end. For me, after I re-read a story or a book I find it more enjoyable since sometimes I make sense of things I missed the first time I read it. That been said, on with the rest of the story. Here's chapter 22! Hope you enjoy and as always read and review please!
"Actions prove who someone is, words just prove who they want to be." ~ Brigitte
Chapter 22
"Finals"
"Man! I can't believe it's our last practice." Kyu said out loud as he put his hands inside his jacket pockets while they waited for the elevator to reach the lobby. A vision, a dream… it had all started eight years ago for him, Syaoran and Eriol when they were summoned for the first time to join the National Team. Since then, they had been preparing for this moment practicing, lifting weights, and conditioning their bodies to play this particular game and after many sacrifices their work had finally paid off. Even with the odds against them they had been able to reach the finals of a World Cup for the first time ever in the history of China.
"Yeah." Xiun absentmindedly said.
"You okay man?" Kyu asked.
"Just… thinking about tomorrow." He answered.
Kyu reflectively watched the boy's face. It reminded him of the way Eriol, Syaoran and himself looked four years ago when they had the chance of playing in this tournament for the first time. They had only made it to quarterfinals back then but the mixture between excitement and nervousness had never left his body when he entered the field to defend his country's colors. At least that was the way he had felt back then. "Yeah… Word of advice, just think of it as you would for any other game."
"Except it's not just any other game." Xiun said staring at his reflection through the elevator's metal closed doors. In comparison to his seniors he felt his nervousness increase by the minute. He had never been into a World Cup tournament let alone a final and tomorrow for the first time in his life he would touch the field that so many only dreamt of stepping into. He had spent many hours as a child watching these games through his TV dreaming of the possibility of one day be a part of this team. Since he was a small boy playing in mini club leagues the dream of representing his country had been inculcated in his mind as a great achievement for a soccer player. And after so long, here he was. The sound of the bell announcing their arrival to the lobby brought him back from his thoughts.
Kyu patted his back and confidently smiled. "Hey, we're all in this together. We've made it this far and we'll make it tomorrow."
Xiun took a deep breath and nodded before walking out of the elevator. Just like the rest of the week they were supposed to meet in the lobby so they could all walk into the restaurant as a team and have breakfast.
"Morning guys!" Kyu greeted Eriol and Syaoran who, making yesterday the only exception, were always the first to be downstairs waiting for everyone else. Syaoran because he was a nazi when it came to training and well… Eriol simply being his roommate was left with little options. Since he was a light sleeper, once Syaoran was up he truly didn't have any other choice.
"Hey!" Eriol greeted back.
As usual Syaoran didn't say anything but nodded his acknowledgement. He watched in a far distance as his sister walked into the hotel followed by Suri with a big purse on her shoulder and an iPad on her hand. She was scribbling something quickly on the small machine before nodding to whatever his sister was saying. He looked at the door once more to see if by luck his girlfriend would walk in as well. Last time they had seen each other they didn't end up in good terms. He was still pissed off with the whole deal but nonetheless he knew he had to talk to her.
He waited for a couple of minutes while looking around until he let his impatience get the best of him and excused himself in front of his teammates. "I'll be right back."
"What's wrong with him?" Kyu asked as he curiously watched his friend walk away towards his sister.
"Best leave it alone." Eriol simply said. "He's been in a pissed off mood since he woke up this morning."
Kyu looked back at Eriol. "Don't tell me-"
"How about you don't ask and I won't tell you…" Eriol sarcastically responded.
Syaoran walked all the way towards Xiefa until he was at her side. "Is Sakura here with you?" he asked her.
Xiefa stopped giving orders and looked at him. "No. She's in Japan till tomorrow."
"Japan?" he asked surprised at his sister's words. What could she possibly be doing in Japan? Was this another one of her games to make him go crazy?
"Yep. So you'll have to wait till tomorrow to see your girlfriend once more." Xiefa said then quickly covered her lips with her right hand and smirked. "Oops, I'm not supposed to say that out loud."
Syaoran, being annoyed with the news, gave her a menacing look before turning around. There was only one woman who could riled him up inside like this and apparently didn't need a Master's Degree in doing so… experience was enough. Once again she had left without saying anything. He walked back towards his teammates trying to hold back his anger but even the slightest control couldn't keep them from noticing his morning mood increase.
"You okay man?" Kyu asked.
"Where's everyone?" he quickly looked at his watch.
Xiun looked at his watch and frowned. "They have like ten more minutes Syaoran."
"This is no time to be slacking off. They should've been here already." He impatiently said.
"Man chill… they'll be here on time." Kyu said.
Syaoran looked at his friend but didn't respond. He took a deep breath but even that was not enough to calm himself. He was anxious to get on the bus and leave for the field. Playing always made him feel better. It helped him release his anger or any stress he was feeling and right now he badly needed it.
~ o ~
She looked out the window to the cloudy sky and sighed. So far the ride to Japan had been a smooth one, totally the opposite of what she was feeling inside right this minute. Even though Xian had decided to buy the Channel she still didn't feel too content with that decision. In her mind it wasn't only her name that was at stake but also her reputation. Katherine had surpassed any other reporter in stupidity and yet she had to agree against her will to simply let her go the easy way out. No… she wasn't satisfied at all with that.
Second, she had left China and Syaoran still hadn't texted her which meant he was probably still pissed with the whole lawsuit deal. She probably should've at least tried calling him or perhaps text him to let him know about the slight change in plans but refused to make the first move. Not a 'good morning' or even an 'ok', he simply didn't texted or called her at all. Why should she be the one taking the step? She had listened to him. After calming down she thought about his words and had to admit he did have a pretty good point. But then after replaying that day in her mind over and over again the fact that he had openly admitted he was the one that seduced Katherine overshadowed everything else. That little fact made her angrier than the rest of the words he spoke that day. It was one thing to know in her mind he had been a player before, another one was to know he had sought that whore out, and the worse one to know he had the audacity to gloat about it in her face.
But there was something else that kept bothering her about this Katherine. From the moment she had met the woman she sensed it would be troublesome to deal with her. She was one of those problems that needed to be solved from the root instead of allowing time to deal with it. The infatuation she recognized in her eyes every time she looked at Syaoran reminded her of her cousin years ago the only difference being that this woman dared to go through farther lengths to gain his attention. After all, not every reporter pays thousands of dollars just to obtain a photo of his past with means to hurt their relationship or plan a trip to Japan with means of supposedly having a special editorial on someone's life without the star of it being present. No, even with her lawsuit in place she needed to make sure this little problem was well taken care of.
And to put the cherry on top of the ice cream, she was on her way to visit her father. She clenched her hands as she thought about this. It was something she hadn't been able to stop thinking about from the moment she had agreed to give Syaoran another chance. Being the daughter of famous archeologist Kinomoto Fujitaka had never being easy but it became worst the moment she had decided to be Syaoran's girlfriend the first time. Not to be one who kept his opinions to himself, he had openly voiced his thoughts on their relationship to her over and over again in the past. He had warned her Syaoran would hurt her and in the end he had been right which made this visit a little harder on her than usual. But this was something she needed to do.
Regardless of the way he felt about Syaoran before, he was still her father. Her relationship with him had greatly improved after she left Japan. Knowing her father he probably had been more pleased of her being away from Syaoran than sad because she had left back then. Now, she simply visited him from time to time and both of them were content with their lives.
After several hours, she finally landed in the small airport of Tomoeda, Japan. A nostalgic feeling surrounded her as soon as she saw the embellished letters 'Welcome to Tomoeda' in the outer part of the airport building. Taking a deep breath, she slowly walked down the stairs of the plane and reached for her phone. Turning it on regular mode she found there were still no signs of her missing boyfriend. Sighing, she phoned her father to let him know she was on her way to the restaurant and within minutes she made it in. As she entered through the crystal doors, she found her father with a smile waiting for her in one of the tables. She walked towards him and greeted him with a hug. "Father."
He smiled as he looked at her. "My daughter! I feel like I haven't seen you in ages. How have you been?"
She happily smiled. "I've been great. A lot of work but happy."
He chuckled after hearing her words. "I've never heard anyone being happy about having a lot of work. Only you my daughter." They both sat down on the table as her father called over the waitress and ordered a bottle of wine. His daughter's visit always merited a way of celebrating the occasion. The last time she had been here to visit him had been a couple of months ago when she had come because of her work. Back then they couldn't celebrate much as she didn't have much time to do so but this time he wouldn't pass it up. He would enjoy each and every minute he had with her. "I'm glad you took the time to come over. It was a bit of a letdown when Jun appeared alone that evening."
The waitress came back with the red wine and served a little of the bottle to Fujitaka. He tasted the wine and nodded his approval. She filled both of their glasses before setting the bottle at their side and taking their orders.
"I hear the tournament is being a success, as expected of my daughter."
Sakura smiled and took a sip of her wine enjoying the flavor as it ran through her mouth. Her father had always been good at choosing good wines. "It is. More now that China has made it to the finals."
"Ah yes… first time is it?"
Sakura nodded. "Yes. The semifinal against Japan was one of the most watched games in Asian history. We played well but in the end China had a better team."
"I see." He said as the waitress came over with their food and set the plates in front of them. "I was expecting to see you sooner and for far longer time too."
She savored her steak before swallowing. "I'm sorry father. I know you probably made plans for that weekend but I had to postpone it because of my work."
He nodded. "Yes, Jun was kind enough to let me know. He truly seems to love you a lot."
Sakura quickly grabbed her glass of wine and drank a little before clearing her throat. "You would give my hand away to a man that appears before you without your daughter next to him?"
He smiled. "I've seen you with him and you looked happy next to him. I approve of him. That's good enough for me."
Did she? She took a bit of her steak and swallowed before looking at him. She watched him as he grabbed a piece of sushi with his chopsticks and ate it. Taking a deep breath she calmly said, "Jun and I broke up."
This time he drank as he watched his daughter. "So I've heard. The news confirmed it weeks after he left Japan. May I ask what happened or will you simply deny my curiosity?"
His scrutinizing stare didn't help her nervousness at all. She looked away as she said, "We fall out."
"We? I doubt a man that approaches the father of his girlfriend to request her hand in marriage 'falls out' as you easily say."
Once again she grabbed her glass of wine and took a sip before saying, "I fell out then."
"He's a good man Sakura. It's a rare thing to find a man who loves you like he does simply lying around waiting for you to discover them."
She looked at him. "I wasn't happy with him."
"You looked happy to me." He said before drinking some of his wine.
"I was content. It's not the same." She quickly said looking down at her plate and cutting another piece of steak thinking there was no way she could do this.
He watched as his daughter avoided his gaze and sighed. "Should I also believe the news that you're back with that boy then?"
She could feel her body shaking inside knowing it was inevitable by now. "He has changed."
"How?"
She looked at him. "Would you consider my happiness at least once?"
"What do you think I've being doing all these years Sakura? You're happiness and your brother's is the only thing I think of. Do you think it's fair that a father should sit back and watch his daughter getting hurt by the same boy twice?"
She looked down once more before taking another sip of her wine. "The way I've grown, do you think I would be with him if he hadn't changed? I tried to avoid him. I tried to stay as far away as I could from him but I can't do that anymore." She looked at him. "I just wish you could at least give him a chance."
He watched his daughter as he heard her words and sighed not liking at all what he was hearing. "I was right the first time, wasn't I?"
"Is hurting me the only thing you have against him?"
"Off course not. I knew he would hurt you but that's not the only reason why I know he's not good for you. You who have worked so hard for what you want should know this better than anyone. He could never give you stability. And I'm not talking financially Sakura, you can cover that one on your own. Jun, on the other hand, can give you that."
She sighed and shook her head. She could've easily revealed the fact that Jun had cheated on her to make him see reason but this was not something she wanted to do. Jun had always been very respectful towards her father. Even in times when Sakura wasn't at his side he had gone and visited him just to spend time with him. In her father's eyes, Jun had been what every man should be for her and in reality she didn't want to tarnish that good image he had of him just because he didn't like Syaoran. "Don't compare Syaoran with Jun. They're totally different persons." Cutting down another piece of steak she kept eating her plate.
"Exactly my point." He sternly said. "Jun is a serious respectable man. He's not someone who proudly publicizes his inadequate behavior throughout the entire world."
She swallowed. "Have you heard any of that these past couple of months?" She watched him eat another piece of sushi and took the chance to state her point. She needed for him to see reason. Even if there was a past history between her father and Syaoran, she needed a breakeven point. She loved Syaoran but this was her father. And even though she was firm with her decision of being with Syaoran she refused to believe she couldn't have both of them. "You haven't. I know it's hard for you to simply believe my words after everything that's happened, but can you at least hear me when I ask you to give him another chance?"
"Would you leave him if I come to the same conclusion?" he simply asked.
She softly shook her head. "I told you already, I can't bear the thought of being without him. Would you rather see me unhappy then?"
He took a deep breath before reaching for his wine glass once more. He couldn't believe this. He wasn't pleased after confirming the news. Even with so many miles in between them somehow the boy had ended up reaching his daughter once again.
~ o ~
After finishing dinner, she drove back with her father towards his house. Looking out the window to the small town of Tomoeda she had to admit she missed this place. The tranquility in the streets with barely any one driving compared to Hong Kong's craziness was something that eased her mood. A couple of minutes later they reached her house and she walked in with a small bag on her hand. Nostalgia swept through her as she looked around to the familiar room. Some of the best moments of her life had been lived inside this house and yet it was so different compared to the apartment she had in China. It was like seeing a comparison of the girl she was when she left and the woman she had become with time.
As she looked around, she found an open photo book on the coffee table. She walked towards the table and smiled. "Looking at baby pictures father?"
He chuckled from behind. "Touya and you have always been my most precious blessings."
She felt his hand over her shoulder and smiled while putting her arms around his waist. She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed. "I'm sorry we couldn't be closer like this back then."
He took a deep breath. "Even so, I've always loved you my daughter."
"Touya and I must have been a handful." She said while smirking.
"You more than Touya… I assure you." He said in a matter of fact way.
She chuckled. "I bet."
He sighed. "I will give this boy another chance."
She quickly looked at him, a soft smile touching her lips. "Will you really?"
He nodded. "It doesn't mean I approve of him yet but you're not a little girl anymore. You have your studies. You have your work. If you say this boy makes you happy, I'll give him one more chance."
She smiled engulfed with happiness inside after hearing his words. She softly kissed his cheek before saying, "Thank you father. It makes me really happy to hear you say that."
She spent some time watching baby pictures with her father and remembering her childhood days before heading upstairs to her room. Once again, she looked at her phone and started responding at her messages. The ending ceremony was going well according to Suri. She had taken care of the last couple of details for tomorrow night. She couldn't deny feeling a little upset as she kept scrolling down through her phone and not finding one single message from Syaoran.
Giving up already on receiving anything, she put her phone down on her night table and searched through her bag for her night clothes so she could take a shower. Then suddenly as she was walking towards the bathroom she finally heard her phone ringing. Rushing towards the night table once more, she put her clothing down on her bed and quickly answered. "Hello?"
"We need to talk."
While she had been most of the day craving to hear the sound of his voice the tone of his voice clearly gave away a sense of displeasure. "We are talking."
"No. I want to see you. Where are you?" he demanded.
She could hear bells chiming inside her head while thinking something was wrong. She sat down on her bead and reclined her back on the headboard. Her intuition had always been a good companion at sensing these things even if she wasn't handling matters face to face. "It can't be today. I'm in Japan."
"Japan?" he simply asked.
"Yes. Since last time I wanted to visit my father I had to rescheduled, I took a flight this morning to come and visit him. You won't believe-" She was about to give him the good news when he interrupted her.
"Last time you weren't just going to visit your father. You were going to get engaged even when I asked you not to."
She stayed silent for a couple of seconds while going over his words in her mind. She knew he was pissed because of the lawsuit but there was something else bothering him. "According to you, what is it that I'm supposedly doing in Japan?"
"Why don't you tell me? You were the one that decided to go without telling anyone."
She narrowed her eyes. "Am I supposed to be having a romantic dinner with my ex while he asks for my hand in marriage once again?"
"I'm not in the mood for your games Sakura!"
She heard the warning inside his tone but said, "You should trust me more than this."
"Trust? Trust is not something that is built out of wordless conversations. Were you even planning on telling me you were going to visit your father?" Silence responded his question as he sighed. "Obviously you have a lot to think about. We'll talk when you come back."
She watched as the screen on her phone went black before reclining her head back on the headboard. Closing her eyes regretfully, she sighed. "Shit!" She had missed him the entire day yearning to hear his voice and ultimately ended up with a guilty sentiment invading her mind. She couldn't help but think something between them was off. If the lawsuit had started this uncomfortable distance between them she had without a doubt finished it by leaving.
~ o ~
As she had agreed with Xian, she landed in China early in the morning and was on her way to meet Mr. Cheng. Putting thoughts about her boyfriend aside, she kept scrolling down her iPad reviewing the points she wanted to emphasize in her meeting. Having a meltdown because of her emotional instability could not be an excuse for failure. This project was very important for the company and she was determined to close the deal no matter what.
Since Mr. Cheng was already staying in the hotel they had agreed on having the meeting at the restaurant. The company's driver left her in front of the hotel and she confidently walked out straight to meet him. It didn't take her long to find him sitting in one of the tables with a young woman at his side eating breakfast. Perhaps because it was the end of the tournament the restaurant wasn't as occupied as other days but still it was fairly crowded. Nonetheless she reached the table and politely smiled at him while shaking his hand. "Mr. Cheng. How nice to see you again. I apologize once more for rushing this meeting."
"Oh nonsense. This is fine by me." He said while waiting for her to seat down before following her in his own seat. "I hope you don't mind that we are having breakfast. This is my daughter Leonisse. She's been accompanying me to these games."
The excess of makeup Leonisse was wearing made Sakura wonder whether she was going to accompany him to a game or she was ready to party afterwards. Nevertheless she smiled at the girl and nodded her acknowledgement. "Pleasure to meet you Leonisse."
"I'm really excited for China. I heard it's the first time we make it this far. We certainly have really good guys playing for our country. What an accomplishment."
As if the excess of makeup wasn't enough her dreamy face only confirmed her thoughts that the girl wasn't at all interested in the game per se more like the men. Like a pro, Sakura hid her thoughts behind a politely smile once more before saying, "Yes, that's true."
She signaled one of the waitresses to order a cup of coffee while she waited for Mr. Cheng and his daughter to finish their breakfast deciding it was better this way before starting to discuss the project.
"I love this restaurant. Did you change the chef for this tournament? This dish taste different than when I came here with Mr. Li." Mr. Cheng happily said.
She smiled politely while receiving her cup of coffee. "We had to add some chefs because of all the teams that had to stay here."
"Ah, I see. I think I like this dish better today than I did the last time I came."
She nodded. "Thank you for the complement. I'm sure Mr. Li will greatly appreciate your input especially if it's about one of his hotels."
"I thought the soccer players ate inside this restaurant." Leonisse commented.
Sakura looked at her but remained silent. It was pretty normal for any guest to be mesmerized when looking at any soccer player passing by. Not that Sakura minded her infatuation too much except for the small fact that it reminded her that she was still pissed off with her boyfriend. Why couldn't things be simpler between the two of them? It would've been a lot better if he simply would've chosen her side or at least let her do whatever she wanted pertaining to this little issue.
She heard a gasp escape the girl's mouth before looking towards her left. Wanting to avoid any confrontation perhaps till she had all of whatever was going on between them sorted out in her mind, it was completely normal for life to simply put him in the way when she least wanted to see him. Well… she did want to see him but she didn't want to see the Syaoran that was mad at her she wanted to see the one that woke up beside her the day before yesterday. The sweet man that told her he was with her now. The guy that woke up to a pillow fight and laughed with her afterwards while whispering loving words to her in the morning. However, as he walked into the restaurant and their eyes met she knew there was nothing of that man in his stare.
Turning her stare back to her table, she took a sip of her coffee as she kept waiting for Mr. Cheng to finish his plate.
"Oh! Father. Do you mind if I go take a picture with some of them while you finish?" Leonisse asked.
"Not at all sweetie. Go right ahead."
Sakura watched as his daughter walked out of her chair and approached the team. She flirted with some of the guys as she laughed while taking her pictures. Some she did selfies while others she asked for one of the guys to take the pictures of her with another player. Being familiar to these things, Sakura noticed the later was the one she asked for when taking a picture with Syaoran. Watching as the girl put her hand around him to take the picture before slipping a piece of paper to his hand was unavoidable at this point… almost as unavoidable as feeling a slight shift of her mood moving closer to a familiar but distant feeling. The only thing that kept her at bay was sitting in front of her as she reminded herself the real reason why she was here this morning.
She looked back towards Mr. Cheng and smiled before drinking some more of her coffee. She needed to focus. She needed to close this deal. With these words in mind, she took a deep breath and took her iPad out. She put in her login information and was about to start introducing her plan when she saw a shadow of a man imprint itself on the white tablecloth. Suddenly her heart started beating faster. She didn't have to look up to know he was there. He had seen her since he walked in but none of them did anything towards one another. Without a word, he simply put the piece of paper right next to her cup of coffee and walked away.
Leonisse walked back towards the table and looked at the piece of paper. "He gave you my phone number?" she asked looking at his retreating form before looking back at Sakura. "I heard about this rumor on the news. Is it true then? Are you dating Li Syaoran?"
She wanted to hide under the table… run away from the restaurant and come back once this tournament was over. How the heck could he do this to her? She looked down at the piece of paper once again and cursed internally. He knew how important this was for her and yet he decided to expose them in front of the one person she needed to convince for the project. She had confided in him the real reason why her last failure to close a deal was and yet he still did this.
She could just simply deny it, after all without proper proof rumors would keep being rumors. If she denied it there was still a chance of closing this deal easily but that didn't feel right. It wasn't right. It was only a temporary solution that required lying in order to close a deal she was supposed to do out of her own merits. As if that wasn't enough, the deception of it all went against how she truly felt about him. She couldn't do that.
Taking up the courage, she looked at Leonisse and sighed. "I am." Turning her head towards Mr. Cheng, she decided that the only thing she could do right now was to be honest. There was no way of going back. What was done, was done. "I understand if you have a problem with this. Your project honestly caught my attention since the moment Mr. Li showed it to me but if you don't wish for me to work with it I will not hold it against you. I do however recommend staying with our company as we do have many good and hardworking project managers up to the challenge that share your vision of this project and can help you achieve your goals for it."
"You do know many business people think mixing business with anything personal is a dangerous thing." He said before drinking from his glass of orange juice.
Sakura tried to take a deep breath without Mr. Cheng noticing. She took a sip of her cup of coffee once more to help her calm down. The company was depending on her to close this deal. She needed to compose herself. She needed to snap out of this state and come back quickly before it was too late. "And I totally agree with them. If you don't know how to separate your business from your personal life many regretful decisions could be taken. But, and forgive me if I sound too direct with this, that doesn't mean it can't be done. As long as a person has a clear head and understanding of what needs to be done to get the project running then business will continue to be business."
A hint of a smile appeared on his face. "I like your frankness and honesty Ms. Kinomoto. There's no need to worry with me about being direct. In fact, the more you are the better. A lot of misunderstandings start with not truly expressing your thoughts on something. And I, for one, can't definitely have that with this certain project. Now, tell me more about how you would like to start developing this project. How do you see it?"
~ o ~
Having worked in the stadium months before this event had its advantages. Sakura quickly walked through the hallways bent on her mission… Finding her boyfriend to whom she owed a clear and direct conversation which, not in the slightest way, was an easy one to have with him. Setting the game aside in her mind, she found his locker room, opened the door, and dashed right in.
Not that she didn't know what to expect from her mission but what she found inside surprised her a lot more than she thought it would. It was as if she had just suddenly walked into paradise. The room was full of hot men half naked who had all stopped preparing for the game when they had seen her come in. Their abs imprinted on their sleeveless shirt was hard to miss on those that were wearing one although if someone would ask her she didn't have any problems looking at the ones without their shirt on. The view of their broad shoulders and well built legs were just an added bonus though she was grateful none of them were completely naked. Suddenly she felt warmer than usual. Perhaps from the embarrassment, maybe the room temperature in this part of the stadium was different, or perhaps her mind was having a little difficulty coping with being surrounded with so many hot guys in one room.
Kicking herself mentally back into earth, she started to look around for the object of her frustration. From the left corner she started but didn't have to finish looking around when she heard his voice before turning her eyes towards him.
"What are you doing here?" a serious voice was heard from the corner.
Angrily she looked at him after hearing his question. "Is this a joke to you?" She presented the small piece of paper he had so "lovingly" left for her at her table earlier on to make sure he knew what she was talking about.
He narrowed his eyes as he walked towards her, grabbed her hand, and led her outside of the locker room. "We're not doing this here Sakura."
She allowed him to lead her out knowing perhaps this wasn't the best way to do this but she was completely infuriated with him. What he had done could've cost her another deal and one she wouldn't have even been able to forgive herself if it had indeed happened that way.
"So, they are really going out?" one of the teammates asked.
"I guess." Another one answered.
"Hey, how come his girl can get in here?"
Mark listened to some of his teammate mutterings about what had just happened and thought it best to intervene. "Back to preparing for the game. Let's not deviate from our plan guys."
Kyu, who had watched the little encounter just like everyone else, stood from his seat. Concerned with what he had just witnessed, he walked towards Eriol and in a low voice said, "Is this something we need to worry about?"
"I don't know Kyu." Eriol simply answered.
"He already– " Kyu started saying but Eriol interrupted him.
"I know." Eriol quickly said. He looked at him understanding very well his concern. The last time a fight like this happened they had lost the Asian Junior World Cup. He went back to putting his spikes on and tying them tight. "We'll just have to see how he starts the game."
"We need him Eriol. We all know we can't do this without him." Kyu said.
"And what do you want me to do? To walk out and bring him back?" Eriol sarcastically asked in the same low tone voice so only Kyu could hear him while looking at him. Their predicament was bad enough to add up his suggestion to the list of things that could make Syaoran angrier than he already was. "Look, last time she left without saying goodbye. At least this time she came to find him. Let's just hope they've both matured enough to know how to handle this."
~ o ~
He turned around a corner and quickly opened a door that led to the video room. He quickly closed it after getting inside and let go of her hand. Taking a deep breath he turned around to face her. "Do you think you can just walk into a locker room just like that? Being my father's assistant is not enough to give you the right." He said loud and clear. How the heck did she dared go into their locker room?
"Oh! Because being you're father's son gives you the right to humiliate a client's daughter right in front of his eyes." She countered his statement in the same tone he had used on her.
He narrowed his eyes at her. "I didn't ask for her phone number and I gave it to you because I know you saw what she did."
"You still didn't have to do it in front of her. Your little spectacle could've caused me my deal."
He scoffed and sarcastically laughed. "Why? Because her father didn't know what type of girl she is? Well now he does!"
"Oh please… how is this her fault? You even said it yourself! You've seduced so many women in the past is hard for a girl like her not to feel the slightest curiosity of what giving you her phone number could do. This is not the first time you receive a phone number from a woman and I'm pretty sure it won't be the last. Even so, you didn't have to humiliate her like that."
His anger was reaching boiling point. What was he supposed to do? What had she expected him to do? To just accept the stupid phone number knowing it was wrong? He took a deep breath remembering his last mistake when arguing with her to calm down. Fighting with a hot head was never a good thing especially when dealing with Sakura. "I'm dating you. The least I can do is this. Or do you think I'm playing with you just like any other girl?"
She stared at him after hearing his words. A part of her was touched by what he said while the other was still fighting this over. He hadn't done it out of anger or even thinking this could've brought serious repercussions to her. He had done it considering her feelings and what their relationship meant to him.
Syaoran stared at her. Her lack of words made him feel uneasy. "Answer my question Sak."
She took a deep breath and looked at his eyes. "I know you're not playing Syaoran but she didn't know." Watching him turn his face away from her stare she added, "Even so, thank you."
"If I ever have to choose between caring for another woman's feelings or yours I will always choose yours. For me, being good to you comes first but I can see that is not the same for you."
Somehow she knew they had just changed to a different topic. "You can't honestly tell me you're mad because of a small trip I made to Japan. I already told you I went there to visit my father because I had to postpone the original trip last time. Why can't you simply trust me on this?"
He sternly looked back at her and narrowed his eyes. "You can't ask of me what you haven't given. I already told you trust is not something that is built on wordless conversations but obviously our opinions differ on this. You need to decide what you want to do Sakura."
She felt the wind leaving her lungs as she stood petrified by his sudden words. Suddenly a flashback of seven years ago came to mind as she tried to analyze his words. Fear rushed through her as she asked, "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying I can't be in a one sided relationship with you. I told you this already but then you do things like these again."
She scoffed. "So you're questioning my feelings because I didn't say anything about the trip?"
"The problem is not the trip Sakura, is that you don't care. Did it occur to you that perhaps when this tournament was over we could've gone together?"
"And do what exactly?" she desperately asked. "Your relationship with my father is not the best one. Do you want to go to Japan? Last time I checked you wanted to go to Spain with me."
He shook his head. "I'm not asking because I want to go Sakura. But this is my point. You don't care what I think. When you want to do things you simply do them regardless of how I feel. Did you think I wouldn't want to know that you were traveling yesterday? I understand we're both independent but in a relationship with you I like to consider your feelings above anyone else but I feel like is not the same for you."
She stared at him, every word slowly piercing her heart. This side of him she had seen once before. He had just gotten back from the lodge under a terrible storm and needed to confirm whether she was getting married to Jun or not and it wasn't one she wanted to see at all again. "I didn't do it because I don't care Syaoran."
He softly sighed and shook his head. "You need to decide what you really want Sakura."
He was about to leave but she got in front of the door to impede him from doing so. "Would you please let me explain before you leave?"
He incredulously looked down to her eyes. "You even have an explanation for this?"
"I'm sorry. You're right, it is my fault but in all honesty I wasn't sure you wanted to speak to me. I wrote you a text when I reached Feimei's house that day and didn't heard back from you till the phone call."
He looked away. "You shouldn't have to wait for my call to tell me something Sakura. If you truly had wanted me to know you would've found a way."
She stared at his face. Perhaps if he would've been angry it would've been easier to stand her case but he wasn't angry. Her words, as much as she meant them, could only do so much for a person who had been disappointed. Just like trust, mending disappointment wasn't something easy to acquire and it needed time to heal. And he was hurt… she had hurt him without even realizing it. After so much being said she understood he didn't needed an excuse and that was all she had given him so far. "I'm sorry. Nothing I say will make you feel better Syaoran but I apologize. I was wrong. Please believe me."
"You can't keep doing this Sakura." He softly said.
"I'm sorry." She said as she rested her head on his chest looking down. Tracing the abs that where clearly visible through his sleeveless tank top, she thought about Xian's words. He had been right. The days she had been away only made her yearn for him more. She turned her head softly to look at him. "Are we okay?" She watched him stare at her and decided to risk a little bit more. She needed to be okay with him. Like she had told her father, she couldn't bear the thought of being separated from him. She softly pecked his lower lips before looking at him again. "Are we?" she kissed his lips once again lingering a little bit more before saying, "I've missed you."
He wanted to stay strong but after hearing her words he simply couldn't keep holding back. He kissed her back but it wasn't soft. His hungry lips seek hers as he deepened the kiss and pushed her lightly against the door demanding more from her. Sometimes he wondered if she knew what she did to him. Suddenly he felt the need to make her see. He needed to make her know what he felt was real. Putting his hands around her waist he brought her body closer to his as he kept savoring her mouth. His hands traced her waist as they roamed through her lower back. He simply couldn't get enough of her. He heard her small whimper as he traced kisses around her neck and knew he had to stop. Panting, he rested his head on her shoulder. He wanted her but this wasn't the time or the place to do this. He felt her fingers slowly going under his shirt and softly grabbed her hands. "Don't tempt me."
She cunningly smiled. He had always succumbed to her in the past. A whisper to his ear, a soft touch in his stomach, a silly and soft bite to his neck… She had learned exactly what made him go crazy whenever she had wanted him. And not being able to resist, he always ended up complying.
He felt her lips in his cheek and closed his eyes. Feeling the need to urgently change his thoughts he said in a slow voice, "I'm sorry for what I did earlier in your meeting."
She smirked a little so that he didn't notice and asked, "Are you?"
He quickly answered, "You know, I shouldn't even be-" then he stopped and thought about her words before looking at her. "You said "could've" As in… it was possible. Which means in the end it didn't cause you any problems."
She smiled a little before tracing her hands from his stomach to the back of his neck and intertwined them there. "It did, but I was able to explain. Now is only a matter of hearing from Xian whether we have the deal or not although he sounded a little understanding of the situation. Bottom line is we still have to wait." She took a deep breath before taking forward her next point on her list. "As for our previous argument."
"I didn't mean to hurt you."
"Yes you did." She quickly answered. "You were angry at my decision and frustrated with knowing I wouldn't change my mind so you did it to make me see reason."
He looked at her before closing his eyes. He knew it had been wrong to mention it before. The moment the words had left his mouth he had wanted to take them back. "You're right. For that one, I'm sorry."
"I'm not naïve to think that only girls threw themselves at you Syaoran."
He looked at her and shook his head before softly saying, "I shouldn't have said that Sak."
His eyes were a clear indication that he truly felt bad for saying what he said. Taking a deep breath she said, "Is the people the only thing that concerns you?"
He stared at her. "Doesn't it concern you?"
She took a deep breath before speaking once more. "You're father has decided to buy the channel. That way we can keep the rest of the employees and only punish those who were involved in affiliating my name with uncorroborated stories. Will that be sufficient for you?"
He stared at her. They had talked about this issue before. She had clearly expressed her discomfort with being an icon in the public eye. To put it in her own words, she didn't wanted her life to be a public circus so he understood why she was doing this even if he was against it. And yet, there was something that still bothered him about this whole situation. "Yes."
"I can't change my decisions every time you don't like them Syaoran."
"I'm not asking you to do so. But I do expect you to be considerate when making these kinds of decisions."
"Being compassionate in this business is a sign of weakness."
"Being compassionate in my eyes makes you human." He sighed before softly saying, "I understand you like working with my father. Even though I have my own thoughts about that, I respect your decision. You want to work for him that's fine. I support you. But don't try to become just like him. He is my father and I love him but his decisions are not always right."
She heard his words and stared at him. Xian had been her mentor since she had arrived in China and started working for him. And, although he had taken care of her as if she was another one of his daughters, she could understand Syaoran's concern over this. Since she had met him in Tomoeda she knew he had some problems dealing with the way his parents handled with things. He hated whenever they tried to manipulate him in any way to do what they expected him to do. "Oh! Before I forget…" She untangled her hands and started searching for something inside of her pocket. "I bought you something when I was in Japan."
He watched her take out what looked like a red string and asked, "What's that?"
"It's a bracelet made of thin strings so you don't have problems wearing it for the game." She put it on his right hand and tightened it a little so that it would be firm but at the same time a little lose. "It's for luck."
He smirked. "I've gotten to the final without the bracelet. What made you think I needed luck?"
She narrowed her eyes at him annoyed with his reaction. "Forget it. If you don't like it I can simply stay with it since I do like it." She tried to get the bracelet but he quickly took his hand away.
"It's fine. I like it." He said while laughing a little.
She rolled her eyes at him before looking away. "You do not! You probably think it's childish."
He chuckled before taking her chin in his hand, turning her face towards him, and kissing her. Feeling her hands once more on his waist, he finished the kiss and rested his forehead against hers. "Ask Xiefa for the cabin's key."
"The cabin?" she asked before feeling him nod as he traced her lips. "Did you talk to her?"
He nodded. "Win or lose, meet me there. No more secrets between us Sak. I need to go now."
She nodded and kissed him again. It wasn't hungry or demanding, she softly kissed his lips before saying, "That one is to wish you success. Knock'em dead."
He gave her a small smile before softly moving her out of the way and walking out the door. Chanting from the crowd could be heard as he walked back into the locker room. He could feel the excitement running through his veins knowing what he had in front of his eyes.
~ o ~
Oliver and Vaughn walked inside the stadium like they had done every other game before this one but for some reason the guard at the front door of the VIP room had decided not to let them in for the final game.
"I'm sure there must be a mistake. You have seen us before." Vaughn told the guard his English accent clearly accentuating his frustration with this unexpected situation. He couldn't understand why out of nowhere the guard had decided not to let them in for this game.
"I'm sorry sir but I believe there's no mistake. Neither of you are authorize to enter the VIP room." The guard simply said.
"Say's who?" Oliver asked getting a little anxious because the game was about to start and the guard for no reason whatsoever had decided to keep them out of their sits. Looking towards his left he smirked. He nodded his head towards Mr. Li's approaching figure who was walking towards them with some men at his side before saying, "Well, I believe you're little mistake will cost you greatly."
Xian looked at his companions with a smile. "Excuse me gentlemen. Please go inside. I'll be right in." He waited for them to walk inside before turning towards the officer and asking, "Is there a problem here?"
"I'm very sorry to have to inform you about this Mr. Li but apparently your guard doesn't want to let us in." Vaughn said as politely as possible. Being the professional he was having a problem with a guard was not going to make him lose his composure.
Xian raised a brow looking at his guard before returning his sight towards them. "And by all means he's right. You see Mr. Vaughn, I am not a person that allows double crossings." He turned his sight towards Oliver and looked him straight in the eye like a predator sees its prey. "It's such a shame you offered Ms. Kinomoto something she has refused many times before. She truly was a perfect fit for your project. Unfortunately for both of you, I am not as lenient as her when it comes to the company I wish to have by my side."
Surprised by his comment Vaughn looked at him. "I don't understand."
Xian looked at him. "Then I suggest you ask your partner. A problem of communication inside a partnership clearly leaves an undesirable thought to think about." With this said, he turned towards the officer again. "Please escort the gentlemen outside of the stadium. I believe the game was sold-out days ago."
The guard nodded knowing the word given by Li was to be executed immediately. "As you wish sir."
Xian nodded before walking inside the room leaving two very lost forgotten guests outside the area with a clear impression of who was it that they were dealing with. Once inside, he walked straight towards his wife never losing his composure. He snaked his arm around her waist and in a low voice whispered on her ear, "I'm so glad you could make it."
She felt his lips as he kissed her cheek before sarcastically asking, "I would've never missed my son playing this final. Did you miss me much dear?"
He narrowed his eyes at her question still hating the little stunt she pulled to make him change his lawsuit. He didn't like losing but he hated more being without her. "You win this time, love."
She confidently looked at him and smirked. "So I was told by your lawyers…" she paused before sarcastically ending with his little nickname for her, "love." She looked back at the field before saying, "Hopefully this little misunderstanding will not repeat itself. I was worried about you sleeping alone last night." She sarcastically added knowing perfectly well her words were probably eating him inside.
He looked at her. Biting his tongue he took a deep breath as he watched his son walking into the field and the crowd went wild.
~ o ~
Chants were heard all over the stadium as the players waited in line inside the locker hallways for the referee to give the signal that would allow them to walk into the field. Their line was led by Mark and closed by Syaoran who was always the last one to walk out into the field. He took his place behind Eriol while fixing the last details of his uniform. The referee grabbed the ball as signal of the commencement of the game as they all started to walk out. While for some walking out to the field to play this final brought feelings of anxiety and nervousness, for him it was ecstasy. The louder the cheers got, the more focused his mind became as he reached the opening of the stadium. Touching the green grass with his fingers, he entered the field walking behind the rest of his teammates never losing sight of his goal in his mind.
Eighty minutes into the game…
"Well Lian it looks like Germany has well guarded Syaoran. I think their coach's strategy was simply to guard him throughout the entire game. Every where he turns he finds three man defending him. China has had more opportunities of scoring in the second half than in the first but they haven't been able to find the net. With only ten minutes remaining if this China team doesn't find a way of getting him cleared up on the field it's going to be very difficult for them to win this Cup."
"I agree with you Xu. Li is a key part of this team and they must find a way of getting him back in the game. I have to admit it would be a shame if we don't see this team win the cup this year. They have been phenomenal throughout all tournaments last year and this year. Their improvement from the last cup to this one has been very well noted. And their progress within the Cup has been amazing."
Syaoran received the ball from Kyu and started running down the middle. He found the field open at least till half court. As he approached the penalty box he found a man running towards him from the left. He kicked the ball towards his right and started running towards the corner only to find one of the German players had caught up with him. They started wrestling for the ball until the guy kicked Syaoran's ankle causing him to fall rolling down the ground. He grabbed his ankle and looked up but the referee didn't call anything.
"That was clearly a foul. We're going to see the replay in a couple of minutes but I have no doubt that was a foul." One of the TV reporters said as he narrated the game.
Syaoran stood up and looked around keeping his temper under control. One thing was that they had set up a strategy to block him from scoring but another was to try to injure him again while doing so. And the referee wasn't calling anything? He needed to do something.
"Syaoran! You okay man?" Xiun asked.
He nodded as he got up. "Stay close to me Xiun."
"What for?"
"We need to tie this game. There's no way we're losing this." He carefully started limping towards the middle of the field trying to minimize the pain from his ankle until he was walking normal once more. Eighty five minutes had passed and he still hadn't been able to break their defense.
Xiun watched as Syaoran slowly started walking back with determination in his eyes. How exactly was he planning to tie this game? So far, Syaoran hadn't even been allowed to enter the ball. They had quickly adjusted their defense so that Syaoran wasn't able to receive as many passes as he usually did whenever they won since the very beginning of the game.
Germany had the ball this time. They tried to score but the goalie stopped the ball. Kyu got the reflected ball and passed it down to Mark on the left. "Xiun go! Open the field man!" He pointed out loudly to him.
Xiun jogged to the left as usual but stayed a little inside remembering Syaoran's words. Having pissed him off in the past, he already had enough experience to know not to take his words lightly. If he wanted him close by then it was because he had reason to do so.
Mark started to run with the ball passing it to the front of his left side where Xiun received it and ran with it. He faked a pass to Kyu who had passed him through the right but entered their goal zone through the middle of the field with the ball instead. As soon as two German guys started blocking him in the middle he passed the ball back to Mark who was behind him on the left side of the field. Mark played with the ball for a couple of seconds before finally passing it to Syaoran who was more to the right side than the middle. As soon as he received it he quickly increased his speed to be able to enter the middle zone again. He looked towards his right and a guy was already running towards him.
"Two man on the left Syaoran!" Mark let him know. He felt them before he could see them. He looked around and increased his speed a little to the right again finding an open space while dribbling the ball between his feet. He looked at the net to kick the ball. Everyone was waiting for it. He looked down at the ball again and to the net as he kicked the ball.
"He's inside the box Lian. This is it. Fraulet won't make it. There's no way Li is missing this! He shoots- no! He passes the ball to Xiun on the left. He shoots. He scores! Whaaaaaat ?! China has just tied this game with only three minutes left of regular time." The reporter shouted excitedly.
"Unbelievable! He dribbled the ball through his feet to draw the attention of the defenders who have been at him the entire game before passing it to his teammate. What an unselfish play and way to tie this game. This guy simply is another thing."
"You're absolutely right. He's danger whether he makes a goal or not. Absolutely brilliant!"
Syaoran ran towards Xiun and hugged him in celebration as the rest of his teammates joined in short after. "Guys! Don't let out now. We need to take this to overtime. The priority is defense." He reminded them before jogging back to his place. A couple of minutes after the referee sounded his whistle announcing the end of the second half as both team walked towards their team box to reunite before starting the first overtime of the game.
"Alright. We need to keep our defense up and try to score early in this time." Their coach said.
"They're guarding us well."
Their coach shook his head. "We need to keep going hard. Remember what we said when we watched film. We need to exploit their weaknesses to convert the plays to our favor. Syaoran, keep trying to enter through the corners instead of the middle like you did for the last couple of minutes of the second half. It seems to be the only way their letting you approach the penalty box. As for the rest of you, Syaoran is not the only one that can score a goal. Although he is our main striker, if we try to use him for every play Germany will keep guarding him as they have been doing the entire ninety minutes we've already played. Let's try other people shooting at the net so that he can get open at some point. Above all guys, let's keep our focus. Got it? Concentrate on our strategy."
They all applauded and did their cheer before entering the field once more after hearing the referee whistle to start the first fifteen minutes of overtime.
They started the first overtime period just like their coach had asked them to. They focused on what they had learned from scouting the team through videos. Their tendencies, their way of moving the ball, their plays, they had each studied them after finding out they would play them in the finals and right now they needed to concentrate if they wanted to win this tournament. But while they had done their homework in scouting the German team, their opponents had done the same. They had been able to shutdown Syaoran's favorite shot from the moment their game started.
Xiun's goal had given them the chance to stay fighting for that trophy but they couldn't be putting their hopes in miracles. They needed a strategy and that's exactly what Syaoran thought of from the moment the whistle had been blown to start these first fifteen minutes of overtime. He watched as his teammates pass the ball to each other through the corners. He received Eriol's pass from his right and quickly passed it to Kyu on the left before moving a little bit more towards Kyu without the ball.
Kyu passed the ball to Mark. A German player intersected his pass only to have it recuperated by Xiun on their side. Since they had been trying to score, most of the China team had crossed the middle line in hopes of getting the winning goal. The game kept going back and forth for thirteen minutes when suddenly one of the German guys got the ball and made a run for it. The rest of his teammates ran behind him to try to make a play out of this break. Mark quickly turned and started sprinting towards him but it was Eriol the one that was able to put a stop to his run. He got in front of the guy and fairly stole the ball from him. Looking up, he saw most of the German team had crossed the middle line to their side and took this chance to make a long over pass one more time to Syaoran.
Syaoran easily received the pass and turned to see one of the German defenders in front of him. He instinctively kicked the ball forward to himself leaving the defender at a loss and sprinted passed him towards the ball. He knew this was it. He could feel it in his blood as he dribbled his way pass the last two defenders. The tiredness in his legs after playing a full two hours running back and forth couldn't keep him from sprinting towards the net. Entering the penalty box he looked up at the net. He skillfully aligned the ball a little towards his right before kicking it straight to the top left corner.
~ o ~
Sakura jumped from her seat excitedly leaving all business composure aside as she watched Syaoran scoring a goal before running wild through the field and jumping in celebration. His teammates joined him as well jumping and screaming celebrating that most awaited goal. She covered her mouth in excitement not believing the euphoric emotions running through her body right now. She wasn't just watching the game, she was living it. It was as if she wanted to jump and scream as well with just looking at them celebrating the goal. The chants of the people roared through the stadium as she watched the captions on the small TV they had in the VIP room reading…
"Goooooaaaaaaalllllll! Once again Syaoran Li has done it again."
It had been phenomenal. One minute he was helping the defense then the next he was already scoring. It didn't take him long to think about what to do it simply came naturally for him. Call it instinct, call it experience, in the end he had finally found a hole and broke free from the opponent's strategy to control him in the field to deliver one of the most amazing goals she had ever seen since she watched this sport.
Feeling a little conscious now, she looked around only to find out that she hadn't been the only one that celebrated that goal the way she did and it made her feel less guilty about her lack of control when she watched her boyfriend score that goal. She looked at the clock. There was barely any seconds left when the middle referee put his screen up to announce that two minutes had been added to the game to finish this first half of overtime. That meant the other team still had two minutes to tie this game and take it to an extra fifteen minutes or China could win their first World Cup Tournament in history. It all came down to one hundred and twenty seconds left as she watched the regulatory time come to an end and the countdown begin.
~ o ~
"Kyu! We're going on defense. Stay on the left side!" Syaoran yelled at Kyu and waited for him to nod making sure he would listen in the midst of the crowd's chants. He looked towards his coach who was also screaming as well to some of the other teammates to switch to a defense formation. "Xiun!" he called. "Support the left side. I'm taking the right and the middle."
Xiun looked at Syaoran and nodded as he watched Mark giving instructions as well from the other side. Being a middle fielder, he could feel his legs almost giving out after playing an entire two hours already but he refused to give in. Years of practice, hours of sacrifices had brought them to this moment and he wasn't about to give up now after so much hard work. Everyone was on alert. 'Just focus for two more minutes Xiun, we can do this!' he thought to himself pushing himself mentally to last the rest of this game as his teammates needed him to. The referee whistle for the German's to start playing once more and, just like Syaoran had asked him to, Xiun helped Kyu defend the left side.
"One minute left! I can barely watch Lian! Germany's on the attack!"
"Clear the ball!" Syaoran shouted. "Kick it out!"
Mark tried to keep the ball on his feet as much as possible but as soon as he felt the German players pressure to steal the ball he kicked the ball all the way to the German side of the field to clear their side of the field. The German goalie easily took the ball and kicked it once more towards their side. Kyu jumped and head hit it trying to gain some distance with the pass but a German player put his pass on the ground easily as he quickly kicked the ball towards another one of his teammates on the corner. This one took the pass and quickly kicked to the center were his teammates jumped to try to score with their heads but China's goalie stopped the ball once more.
"Thirty seconds left Lian and China is on its way to win their first Cup as Eriol has cleared the ball once more sending it to the crowd!" Xu excitedly said.
"Syaoran! The middle!" Eriol yelled from the side pointing at the German guy that was sprinting from the middle.
Syaoran turned and started running towards him anticipating the play. He watched the ball from the corner of his eye and sprinted when he saw the ball was being passed to that player. Effortlessly he intercepted the pass and cleared it once more to the German side before looking at the clock. Ten seconds left. This was it. Their goalie once more kicked the ball back but Mark was able to head hit it away before they finally heard that last whistle.
The crowd went wild.
"China wins! For the first time ever China wins! On overtime they win. Oh what a game!"
"Unbelievable! One goal, one assist. No surprise as to who the player of this game is Lian! What a guy! He has been blocked all throughout the game and he still found a way to score and lead this team to their first World Cup Championship."
"I'd say the player of this tournament as well. Coming back from an injury he has brought his country his first World Cup trophy."
"Unbelievable!"
Sakura couldn't stop herself from yelling excitedly with the crowd when the clock reached the last two minutes. She felt Feimie jumping next to her from excitement and laughed not believing what she had just witnessed. Without a doubt this game had to be one of the most heart stopping nervous wrecking games ever. From the very beginning the game had been closed. On the second half Germany did their goal and in the last couple of minutes China had been able to tie the game only to find their victory minutes after.
A multitude of fireworks started coming from around the field commemorating the moment. She watched Syaoran hugging and celebrating with his teammates and something tugged at her heart. He finally did it.
"I'm making history next week. Don't blink as you watch me."
His vision, his words… After so much hardship, he had finally reached his goal.
Author's note: As I've said everything I wanted to say at the beginning of the chapter hope you enjoyed reading this chapter and please review. : )