DM: Hello again! Thank you all so much for your reviews! Your guesses as to the two heartbroken ones were reasonable, but no one got it completely correct. Also a note: in Asia, school years begin in the spring, and then there is a summer vacation, followed by a new semester in the fall and then a winter vacation. I think they also go to school on Saturday, but we're going to pretend they don't, ok?
I would also like to take this time to thank Jishinibaka-chan, who reviewed every chapter of my fic so far! Thank you so much, you are seriously awesome!
Disclaimer: I don't own CCS.
Curses!
Arc Two: Hong Kong
Chapter Nineteen
Heartbreak for Two
The rest of the school week passed without incident, but our heroes eagerly anticipated the following weekend, though for different reasons:
Syaoran was happy that he could finally relax (keeping Meiling happy while hanging out with Sakura was very difficult).
Eriol was excited because he was going to move in with Kaho.
Tomoyo was looking forward to shopping for clothes with Sakura (Sakura did not have many clothes suitable for Hong Kong's humidity).
Last but not least, Sakura was looking forward to the weekend because Touya and Yukito were coming to drop off her stuff and meet Syaoran's family. For some reason, despite their many months apart, her heart still pounded when she thought of seeing Yukito again. It was only many months to Sakura, since she had been in Clow Land. For him, though, it had only been a week.
So, let's begin with Friday afternoon.
The four were walking home together from school. Unbeknownst to Tomoyo and Sakura, it was only Syaoran and Eriol's sheer cunning that made it so that Meiling was excluded every single day (poor girl!). They reached Eriol's house first, as usual.
"Can you come over later to play some videogames?" Syaoran asked. Tomoyo frowned and Sakura resisted the urge to beg to be included.
"Ah no, sorry," Eriol said, putting up a hand, "I have things to attend to today." He went inside.
Syaoran knew the exact nature of the "things" to which Eriol had to attend, and Tomoyo could pretty much guess as well. Sakura simply shrugged it off and walked obliviously with the other two, who shared a knowing glance of disgust.
"Well I'm gonna play videogames when we get home," Syaoran said, "Cause I just got this new one before we went to Cl-Egypt and I haven't had the chance to play it yet."
"Oh! Can I play too? What's it called?" Sakura asked excitedly, bouncing a little.
"Super Smash Brothers Brawl," he said proudly. Sakura gaped.
"No way! I reserved a copy of that back home but I haven't been able to get it yet!" she whined. Tomoyo placed a hand on her shoulder.
"But Sakura, you promised that you would go shopping with me," she said softly. Sakura pouted, but then gave up and nodded.
"True. It's ok though, I'll just beat Syaoran up when I get back," she said, sticking her tongue out at an indignant Syaoran. The two girls turned to walk towards the shopping district, when he grabbed Sakura's backpack rather suddenly.
"Let me take Kero," he whispered. Sakura nodded and smiled gratefully. Tomoyo looked a little confused and a little jealous, but shrugged it off.
"Say, Sakura," Tomoyo asked as soon as Syaoran was out of earshot, "Are you sure you still like Tsukishiro?"
Sakura flushed a little but nodded. "Who else would I like, Tomoyo?" she added.
"Oh I don't know," Tomoyo replied, rolling her eyes.
"Ah, I see!" Sakura exclaimed, pounding her fist into her hand. Tomoyo, startled, asked her what she was talking about.
"But don't worry Tomoyo," Sakura continued, ignoring Tomoyo's question, "Hiira—Eriol may be nice, but I don't think I could like him that way. He reminds me too much of my dad."
Tomoyo could not begin to describe how wrong the above presumption was. For starters, Eriol gave off the least paternal vibe out of anyone she had ever seen. Secondly and most importantly:
"What makes you think I like Hiiragizawa?" she asked, barely containing her rage.
"Oh, it's just that you both stare at each other so intensely during class, that's all," Sakura replied simply.
Tomoyo wanted to yell that those were stares of intense hatred, but held her tongue. Instead, she took Sakura's arm and led her into the first store of the day.
"I don't think I could think of him that way, either," she said once they were inside. Sakura smiled. The two began to browse. Despite the haywire seasons in Clow Land, it was spring in the real world, just like when she had left it. In Hong Kong, spring changed to a humid summer much more quickly than their hometown of Tomoeda, and some new clothes were in order!
After about ten minutes of looking around, Tomoyo had amassed a large pile of clothes for Sakura to try, and one sundress and a blouse with jeans for herself. Sakura had managed to find two items that she liked. She noted Tomoyo's large pile with some apprehension, but before she could get away, she was forced into a fitting room to try on the clothes.
They emerged from the first store with a dress, a pair of jeans and a blouse each. Sakura also got two pairs of shorts.
"That was so relaxing!" Tomoyo exclaimed, stretching. She then began walking.
"Wait, we aren't done?" Sakura asked.
"Nope, we still have to get one more thing," Tomoyo replied, motioning for Sakura to follow her to a store across the street. Sakura followed, albeit reluctantly. The sun was setting, and she needed to get back home to play brawl with Syaoran…
"Here we go!" the raven-haired girl exclaimed. Sakura peered over her friend's shoulder.
"Swimsuits?" she asked. They were all pretty much bikinis, too.
"Yes, because my Auntie and Uncle have a yacht and they said me and my friends could use it this summer. I think they're out cleaning it today, actually."
Sakura nodded and began to finger through the racks. Each one was skimpier than the last, and to be honest, Sakura was a little insecure about her figure, especially next to Tomoyo.
"Ok Sakura, I think these will look good on you," Tomoyo said, holding up a pile. She had one for herself hanging off her arm.
Sakura took a deep breath and entered the changing room. Tomoyo had been right on, as usual. The yellow gingham bikini she had chosen for herself fit perfectly in the bust, and the little skirt around the bottom was cute as well.
Sakura, on the other hand, had a little trouble. The first one was too bright of a pink. The orange one made her skin look ruddy and gross. The yellow one was too big in the bust. The blue one made her look flat-chested. Finally, a green bikini with ruffles suited her perfectly. She emerged from the changing room for Tomoyo's scrutiny.
Tomoyo, who had already purchased her bikini, was delighted with Sakura's. The two girls headed out of the store in high spirits.
It was now dark outside, and the two were really hungry, so they bid their goodbyes and went their separate ways. Tomoyo had a ways to go before she got home, but Sakura would arrive quickly.
Unknown to the two girls, the following scene was playing out at a nearby apartment complex:
Eriol hefted the last box into the closet with a groan. He then brushed his hands carefully.
"Eriol, are you finished yet?" Kaho called. He replied with a yes and she walked into the bedroom.
"Come now, rest with me," she said softly. He smiled and the two sat hugging each other on the bed. Eriol had never been happier in his life. He moved and pressed his lips to Kaho's. The kiss was about to go somewhere, when the phone rang. Eriol sighed, but Kaho took his face in her hands.
"Let the machine get it," she whispered. They kissed again amidst the rings. The answering machine came on and a man's voice began speaking in an excited tone.
"Ms. Mizuki, I am very pleased to announce that you have been accepted into our study abroad program! You will receive your information and registration package shortly. Congratulations!" the message ended with a beep.
Eriol broke away from the kiss and looked at Kaho questioningly. He had pinned her underneath him and she smiled up at him.
"What study abroad program?" Eriol asked.
"Ah, I applied to go to England next fall," she answered, still smiling. Eriol got off her and sat up, resting his head in one hand.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" he asked, not looking at her.
"What's the matter?" Kaho asked, reaching out to stroke his hair.
"Don't touch me!" Eriol cried, "Why did you have me move in with you if you were just going to leave?" Kaho scooted back and leaned against the headboard.
"Jeez, Eriol, I thought you'd be cool with this. Is it not right for me to want to enjoy my last months with you? Or did you misunderstand?" she asked, smirking a little.
"It's you who misunderstood. I'm not a toy," Eriol replied coldly. He stood up and began pulling his boxes out of the closet.
"I'll have a mover send them back to you tomorrow. Don't worry about it," Kaho said. Eriol stopped and then proceeded to walk out. Kaho followed him to the door.
"You really are childish, you know. I was wrong about you. I thought you were a man, but you're just a boy," she called as he dashed down the stairs and out into the street.
Now, who could he possibly have encountered on the streets of Hong Kong that night as he ran out on his former lover?
I think everyone knows the answer to that.
Imagine Tomoyo's surprise when Eriol ran headlong into her on her way home. At first she thought it was some guy trying to mug her, and was about to scream for help when he placed a hand over her mouth and she saw his face in the light of a street lamp.
"Daidouji?" he panted.
"Hiiragizawa," she replied, stunned.
They helped each other up, their mutual dislike forgotten in their shock. Tomoyo was staring at his face.
"What?" he asked, remembering why he didn't like her. She took a step closer to him, and he felt his heart pound.
"You're crying," she said, thoroughly amazed. He took a step back.
"Jeez, I don't bite, you know," Tomoyo snapped. She then grabbed his arm and began dragging him towards her house.
"Where are you taking me?" he asked.
"My house," she replied.
"What the hell for?"
"Because it embarrasses me to see my worst enemy so weak." She turned around and stuck her tongue out at him. He flipped her off, but followed her anyway. The odd pair walked in silence the rest of the way.
When they arrived at the house, Eriol was surprised to learn that they were alone.
"My aunt and uncle own a yacht. They're going to spend the weekend on it as it needs to be cleaned," she explained. She set about making some tea.
"Why are you being so nice to me?" Eriol asked, cringing at how childish the question sounded.
"Well, a number of reasons," she began listing them, "I'm in a good mood, I'm lonely, I'm curious, I'm bored," she turned and smiled, "whatever reason you find suitable."
Eriol smiled at her without warmth.
"Why are you in a good mood?" he asked as she poured the tea.
"Oh, shopping went very well, that's all," she replied, "Do you want sugar?"
"Yea sure, can I see what you bought?" he asked, trying to peer into the bag.
"Are you actually interested or do you like playing married couple?" she asked, adding sugar to his cup.
"A little of both. I'll tell you why I'm upset if you do," he offered.
She shrugged and pulled out the dress. It was a white halter dress with blue flowers. Eriol fingered it thoughtfully. She then pulled out the blouses, a pink one and a tangerine one. He nodded his approval.
"You're not showing me some of the stuff," Eriol said, smiling. She shrugged and said that it was just a pair of jeans.
He reached into the bag and pulled out the bikini. She snatched it away before he could scrutinize it.
"Who gave you the right to look at that?" she said angrily. He smiled at her.
"Could it be that you're embarrassed?" he asked.
"Why would I be embarrassed by a freak like you? And what is this married couple atmosphere, anyway?" she stuffed everything back in the bag.
"I love Kaho," he said suddenly, his voice shaking a little, "But she never took me seriously." He huddled into a ball. She sat down next to him.
"I wanted her to stay," he whispered.
"That's understandable," she replied.
Eriol stared at her. She looked back.
"Did I stutter?"
He hugged her in reply. She didn't really mind.
"She—" he began, but his voice cracked weakly in the middle. She put a hand up.
"It's ok, you don't have to say anything else. You don't need to explain your emotions to anybody," she said. Eriol felt strangely like crying with relief at those words.
"You know," she continued, "You joke, but Sakura is really the person I love the most. She is my number one."
"I understand," he replied. Now she was the one about to cry. They lay back against the chair, she sitting in his lap with her head on his shoulder.
The two stayed like that until they fell asleep.
Meanwhile, back at the Li mansion, Syaoran and Sakura were playing their 40th straight round of brawl. Needless to say, they didn't sleep.
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ
Now, on to Saturday. The morning was quite chaotic as Tomoyo and Meiling had come over and were messing around. Meiling was playing badminton with Syaoran in the garden, but they were continuously interrupted by his sisters, who pretended to be referees and gave penalties for things like "hitting the birdie with the racket."
Meanwhile, Tomoyo helped Sakura prepare for Yukito and Touya's visit that afternoon. They rushed about trying to clean up her room and make it look appropriate, while deciding what Sakura should wear.
As Tomoyo looked thoughtfully over a pile of clothes, Sakura observed her longtime best friend carefully. Something was different today.
"Tomoyo, did something good happen?" Sakura asked carefully. Her friend ignored her and grabbed a white frilly top and paired it with denim walking shorts. Very cute.
"Huh? Oh, no, nothing," she replied after a bit. Sakura felt a little hurt that Tomoyo was hiding something from her, but that was replaced by nervousness when Tomoyo picked up a hairbrush.
"Time to do your hair super cutely!" the longhaired girl exclaimed, grabbing Sakura and brushing her hair.
The truth was, she felt very lighthearted today. Eriol had been gone in the morning, but he had left a blanket on her. Maybe they wouldn't have to be worst enemies after all.
"Tomoyo, you're pulling too tightly," Sakura complained. Tomoyo snapped out of it as she completed her specialty: a French braid that went across like a headband. Also very cute.
"There, finished! Tsukishiro will be very happy!" she exclaimed. Sakura went to a mirror and smiled.
"Thank you so much, Tomoyo!" Sakura cried happily, hugging her friend.
The two then went down to the garden, and joined the game of badminton. The four Li sisters, luckily, had gotten bored and left.
"Alright," Meiling said, "Me and Syaoran versus the two of you!"
Syaoran and Sakura locked eyes. The trash talking commenced.
"Prepare to be schooled like you were last night, Sakura!" Syaoran called. Meiling and Tomoyo, who had no idea what he was talking about, looked scandalized.
"Schooled? The score was 36 to 35! I was the clear victor!" she shot back. Realization dawned on the other two girls.
"Yea well then this will decide the true champion!" he replied, and with that, he served the birdie.
I'm sure that one can guess what happened. It became essentially a match between Sakura and Syaoran, with Meiling and Tomoyo casually watching. Eventually, the girls got bored and left the two to their battle. A maid brought them some lemonade.
"So, Daidouji," Meiling began, "Does Kinomoto have someone she likes?"
Tomoyo took a sip before replying with a yes.
"Who is it?" the other girl asked, a little worried. Tomoyo smiled.
"He's one of the guys coming today. Her brother's friend, Tsukishiro Yukito."
Meiling breathed a sigh of relief and drank her lemonade. Sakura hit Syaoran in the face with the birdie and was laughing while he readied a counter attack.
"Why doesn't Syaoran let me walk home with you guys?" Meiling asked suddenly. Tomoyo thought carefully before answering.
"I think that, since you're his fiancée, he doesn't want you to be competing with Sakura for his attention," she said, watching as the two subjects of their conversation chatted across the fence.
"I'll talk to him about it," said Meiling, "By the way, Daidouji, do you have someone that you like?"
For some reason, Tomoyo remembered the way that Eriol's hair smelled. She shook her head, which Meiling took to be a negative reply to her question.
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ
At last the time came for Touya and Yukito to arrive. Sakura was patting her hair (she had mussed it during badminton) and waiting by the door. The bell rang, and Wei opened the door to reveal two tall men in their early twenties. Touya was as dark as Yukito was light, but it was clear to Syaoran's four sisters that they were exceptionally good-looking.
Now then, what do the Li sisters do with good-looking people?
Yes, that's correct. They attack them.
"Are all Japanese boys this good-looking?" Meiling wondered aloud. Tomoyo shook her head. Syaoran sighed and pulled his sisters off.
"Go to your rooms!" he said sternly. Pouting, the girls obeyed. Once they were out of earshot they began squealing about how cute Syaoran was when he pretended to be Daddy.
"Big Brother!" Sakura called when the smoke cleared. She ran and hugged him.
"Hey, Monster. How are you holding up?" he asked, mussing her hair. She let go and pouted.
"Number one, I'm not a monster! Number two, don't mess up my hair!" she said resolutely. Touya laughed.
"Your hair does look very cute, Sakura, did Tomoyo do it for you?" Yukito asked before Touya could upset her further. Sakura blushed and nodded. Syaoran eyed Yukito, feeling strangely drawn to him but at the same time…jealous? He shook his head. No, he couldn't possibly be jealous.
The group sat down to coffee in one of the living rooms, and Touya began relaying his messages, sending glances of venom at the space between Syaoran and Sakura periodically, as it was too small for his comfort.
"Father is very happy that you're staying with the Li's, but he won't be able to visit you," he began, "But he thinks that spending a semester here is plenty and wants you home in time for the fall semester in Tomoeda, understand?"
To a teenager, months seem like ages, so Sakura just nodded, not really paying attention. Touya continued.
"Are you eating enough? Don't tell me you're making a pig of yourself here, too. And are you sure you're doing ok in school? You only got 76 marks on your last Chinese exam. Also," he paused in his rant, "who is that guy?" he asked, pointing at Syaoran.
"That's Li Syaoran. He lives here," Sakura said.
"Oh, so this is the ickie meanie you were telling me about the other day on the phone?" Touya asked, eyeing Syaoran with malice.
Sakura looked confused and turned to Syaoran. After all, it had been Syaoran who had posed as her at that time anyway (see chapter two for details). Syaoran shrugged, remembering how desperate times had called for desperate measured. Touya had "sister complex" written all over him.
"Don't worry, Kinomoto, I'm watching over her," Tomoyo said, to ease the tension.
Sakura smiled brightly and began chatting with Yukito, asking him all sorts of questions about his job, his apartment, his family, blushing and feeling her heart skip a beat each time he smiled in reply. Syaoran watched her, feeling strangely lonely. Just a short while ago his world had just consisted of her and himself, and he did not really like sharing.
The rest of the evening passed without incident, until the last goodbye, when the second heartbreak of this installment occurred.
Yukito and Touya were talking in private in the hallway as everyone waited for Sakura to return from a trip to the restroom.
Naturally, Sakura was lost again, thinking, Goddamnit this place is too big…
She managed to circle the group and come at their location from the opposite direction of the restroom, and thus saw Yukito and Touya talking with their heads close together. Curious to hear what they were talking about, Sakura snuck close to the wall.
"Yuki, you know how I feel about you," Touya was saying. Yukito smiled, then…kissed him? Sakura almost screamed. She quickly ran the opposite direction and finally came back to the group.
"What? Were you constipated?" Syaoran asked teasingly. Sakura did not hear him, only stared at the floor, distraught.
Everyone bid their goodbyes, and Touya and Yukito were set to walk Tomoyo and Meiling back to their respective houses when Tomoyo stopped on the street outside the house, wondering if something was the matter with Sakura.
This faded when she saw Eriol coming up the street. But we'll hear about what happened with those two later.
Back inside, Sakura walked to her bedroom completely ignoring Syaoran, who tried to taunt her into playing brawl with him. He tried to follow her in, but she shut the door quickly and locked it. He knocked on it softly.
"Sakura, what's the matter? You were so happy today," he called through the door. Sakura made no reply.
Syaoran leaned his full weight against the door and pressed his ear to it in a vain attempt to hear if she was crying. However, he then fell through the door. Yes, through the door. He landed on Sakura's floor with a small thump.
If Sakura noticed this strange occurrence, she did not give any indication whatsoever. She was huddled on the bed, but as far as he could see her eyes were dry. He tentatively approached her and sat down next to her on the bed. She didn't move. He slowly put his arms around her.
"What's the matter?" he whispered, "You're worrying me."
For a few seconds she did not answer, but then everything spilled out at once.
"Oh Syaoran, he likes my brother! He likes my brother! He's gay and I have no hope at all!" she practically yelled, and then she broke down crying.
Syaoran held her still and stroked her hair. She tried to pull away but he only closed his arms more tightly.
"Syaoran," she mumbled, "I'm getting your shirt wet."
"It's ok," he replied. When she stopped crying he released her a little and wiped her face.
"Thanks," she said. For a few minutes she sat comfortably in the circle of his arms. He watched her carefully in case she started crying again.
"Don't worry, Sakura. You're a beautiful and wonderful person and I am certain that you will find someone who will love you more than anyone else in the world," he said suddenly. She blushed and smiled and lay down on the bed. Syaoran didn't let go and shared a pillow with her. She put a hand on his cheek.
"You're the best, Syaoran," she whispered. Exhausted, she fell asleep. Syaoran stayed awake a little longer (though the all-night brawl fest had tuckered him out), smoothing down her hair, feeling a confusing mix of emotions.
He felt strangely relieved to know that Sakura couldn't be with that guy, yet sad that she was so upset over him. He was hopeful, too, that maybe she'd feel that strongly about him some day, but guilty that he found anything positive in the situation. Groaning, he squeezed his eyes shut tightly and willed himself asleep as well.
DM: They say that if you can sleep in the same bed as someone, you can trust them deeply. I don't know if I buy that… Anyway, this chapter was ridiculously long. Thank you for reading it all the way to the end! I bet you're all shocked! Please review and perhaps my other chapters will be this long… Next Chapter: The Long and Winding Road.