A/N: Here's the next chapter. I tried to update a few days in advance, so I happened to get this chapter finished exceptionally quickly. Now things should be getting interesting, so don't give up on me yet! P Here's a quick review of the last chapter.
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Chapter 8: A Secret to Tell
She followed behind as quiet as a mouse and stayed hidden in the shadows. Luckily the stacked boxes shielded her from the moonlight that leaked through the windows, hiding her from view as Syaoran and the agent snooped around back at the shed. She watched through a window at the two men from afar as they talked, and took into account their hand movements, the way they talked, the way Syaoran's lips moved with his words, and the shadow that passed behind the shed, cloaked in the darkness of the trees… wait, what?
Syaoran remained at the shed, looking inside as the agent walked back towards the warehouse where Sakura was hidden. Was their conversation over? Where was he going? She ducked behind a few boxes and watched as the man exited the warehouse. Now it was just her and Syaoran, what other business did he have that he wanted to stay for? Gathering up her courage, she regained her posture and made her way to the doorway leading to the 'backyard'. Maybe she would play stupid and pretend she had no idea what was going on?
"Hey Syaoran, I knew I'd find you here." She said, standing in the doorframe, the tips of her toes almost touching the blades of grass in front of her. She expected Syaoran to throw one of his famous death glares her way, which he did, but oddly enough that 'glare' turned into one of sheer horror.
"Don't move, or she dies!"
A strong arm grasped Sakura about her waist from behind while the other aimed a loaded gun to her temple. Her body froze over in terror as realization struck, and her breathing grew desperate as she felt the man's grasp around her tighten. Someone had found out that they were there, and something told her that he was hiding a secret...
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To My Reviewers:
dancingwindforever: I know, extreme, isn't it? I figured I'd slip into the more intense parts of the story now, so expect a lot more going on between Sakura and Syaoran from here on forward. Thanks for reviewing! Hopefully the chapter was fitting enough for you. 3
cherrylove05: Thanks a bunch! Here's your update darlin'. )
PinkCh3rryBlossom: XD Don't worry about it, I was still able to make out what you said… eventually lol. Thanks so much for your review, and I'm glad you like my fic. Enjoy!
MizUnapprochable: You'll find out in this chapter soon enough! Just keep on reading and hope for the best. Who knows, things might take a turn for the worst, or maybe they won't? Thanks for reviewing! –grin-
Kaipanther: You'll see, things should be heating up for Syaoran and Sakura now, seeing as they're slowly finding out more and more clues. Just read along and see for yourself what happens! ;) Thanks for reviewing, hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter.
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Chapter 9: Rescue Me…
Tomoyo lay in bed with no urge to sleep. But this wasn't the only night she had stayed awake staring at the ceiling. No, she had been in this state of insomnia ever since Sakura had been 'kidnapped' by her beautiful Man-of-Mystery. Fortunately for her though, just because Sakura had been gone didn't mean she wasn't living perfectly fine on her own. Sakura's brother, Touya, would be arriving at the city in the next few days to help out with their little 'predicament'. Not that she was anxious or anything… she had unlimited resources anyway, so there was no need to panic. But she knew that it was entirely different on Sakura's end, and she had been especially careful not to let anything slip about Sakura's capture to her brother. That was the last thing she wanted. She wanted to keep things on the down low for as long as possible. Hopefully she wouldn't need to revert to extremes in order to situate everything back in order… but until then, she had no choice other than to sit back and contemplate. Sakura would be fine, she knew it. So, tucking the blanket beneath her chin, she did just that.
"Oh Sakura… hurry back…"
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"Eriol, would you mind if I went into the kitchen to fetch some more champagne? I asked for some earlier, but your butler seemed bothered by something…" Malina asked. Madison simply listened from a few feet away, twirling a lock of her hair lazily with her finger. Eriol narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
"My butler, eh? Tell me, did he ever fulfill your request?" He asked, curious. Something just wasn't right about Gerry these days…
"No, not at all. He just nodded, said he'd tend to me right away, and then walked off. And the last I saw him it looked as if he was leaving for somewhere. Syaoran and Sakura seemed to leave not too earlier then he did also."
Perhaps Gerry wanted to see Sakura home safe? Or maybe he was off doing other things he wasn't supposed to be doing? Either way, something was wrong, and Eriol was going to do something about it. He had held this gathering for a reason and anybody who was anybody was at his home this night. He couldn't afford to have anything go wrong, especially when his own butler was the one behind it.
"I see… thank you, Malina, I'll be sure to have a talk with him as soon as he gets back…"
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"I mean it! One more step and I'll blow her pretty little curls through one ear and out the other."
Syaoran tried to keep calm. He wasn't sure whether he should curse Sakura in eight different languages for disobeying him, or to try his luck at the draw and try to kill this guy before he could harm her. He stuck to neither, seeing as none would serve any good in getting her to safety. The best alternative seemed to try and talk things out until he could discover a weak point.
A bead of sweat trailed its way down his temple as he thought, then decided it was best to start things slow.
"Listen, why don't you let the girl go? She has nothing to do with things going on here, leave her be."
The strange man simply chuckled and gripped Sakura closer to his broad form. His voice, his attitude, his mere smell disgusted her. But she dared not say a word when the object that could easily end her very life was mere inches away from her brain. And with that in mind, she didn't want to tick this guy off anymore then he already was. As for Syaoran, he was growing desperate and he was on the verge of toppling over his last nerve. And with the sight of Sakura moments away from shedding a tear he knew she was fighting to hold back, it made him grow even more determined to free her from this rogue.
"You haven't the slightest clue who I am, do you?" The man asked, knowing perfectly well that neither Syaoran nor Sakura knew who he was. He laughed again then gasped as if he had suddenly realized something important. "That means… you don't know who-"
A ruckus of something heavy falling onto cardboard sounded behind Sakura and her captor from inside the warehouse, signaling that another unwanted visitor was present. Now Sakura was frightened. She had no idea what was going to happen to her, and two psychos against Syaoran alone didn't give her much hope of getting out of this place safely at all. But her thoughts were interrupted when her captor aimed his pistol at Syaoran so he could glance over his shoulder to see who else had managed to sneak into the warehouse without his knowledge.
"Who's there? I've found out who's been snooping around here these past few weeks. What should we do with them?" No answer. "Boss? Hey, is that you?" Syaoran's senses were perked and ready for pick up, but with a gun aimed at him, there wasn't much he could do. He grinned. That was an understatement. As soon as the man had turned around to glance into the vast array of boxes, Syaoran noticed the sudden fault in the way he was holding his gun and knew that now would be a good time to catch him off guard. So, without a second thought, he lunged forward and kicked the gun out of his outstretched hand, pulling Sakura out of his grasp before flying down to where the gun had dropped to pick it up.
The man forgot completely about Sakura and instead, worried about his gun. He followed shortly after Syaoran lurched toward the weapon and managed to kick Syaoran onto his side in his own attempt to regain possession of the fatal object. Sakura backed up as she watched the two grown men tackle each other each in a desperate attempt to refrain from getting shot, and it wasn't until this time when she was able to take in the scene.
The man looked to be in his mid thirties and didn't look a day older. His beard was short and clean shaven and his eyebrows thick and scraggly. That alone made him look downright angry whether he was smiling or not. But it wasn't as if she would know what he looked like when he smiled, since at the moment he was wrestling on the ground with her savior for his very life. She was so busy debating on whether she should panic, that she almost didn't notice a hooded figure dash by the doorway.
Syaoran rolled over on top of the enemy, pushing the gun away from the man's grasp before reaching behind him to grab a hold of his own pistol. But before he could pull the gun from its holster, the man balled a fist and swung, hitting Syaoran straight in the jaw. Syaoran fell to the side and the man rolled over on top of him this time, managing to earn himself a few more successful punches before deciding on saying a few words.
"I've heard of you. Names get around, but who would have guessed that you would have been an undercover agent?" He howled in laughter as he glared down at Syaoran, his deep voice echoing throughout the trees and bushes around them. "I'm sure to get rewarded well once I tell my boss who I managed to kill tonight."
"And who's your boss?" Syaoran asked, trying to drag out the smallest piece of information he could before he attacked. The man aimed the gun to Syaoran's forehead, having somehow regained possession of it during their quarrel, grinning evilly.
"My boss? Why, he's-"
BANG!
Sakura screamed in horror and fell to her knees, shielding her face with her hands as the man's body toppled onto the ground beside Syaoran, limp and lifeless. Syaoran stood to his feet and ran into the warehouse with his pistol in hand and looked around to see who the culprit was, but only managed to catch a last second glimpse of the form escaping through the front doors. He cursed under his breath and wiped stray blood away from his brow as he turned around to face his enemy, then Sakura.
Sakura remained seated on her knees, shivering and sobbing quietly. Whether she was shivering from the cold or from fright, he figured it was a bit of both. Normally he would have yelled at her for being so wreckless, but seeing her in her current state somehow made him go soft, and he refrained from doing so. Walking over to her, he kneeled down in front of her and took in her appearance. Her legs were covered in dirt, her dress was ruined, her hair was slightly messed up, and he could faintly make out a thin line of perspiration on her arms and shoulders from having been in such a compromising situation. She was scared out of her wits, and he was surprised she wasn't wailing in tears on his shoulder.
"Sakura… come on, it's over now. I'll take you somewhere safe," he offered, grasping both her hands and lowering them from her face. He felt a pang of guilt at seeing her expression. Her face was splotchy, and her bright emerald eyes were still glistening with tears. He suddenly felt as if he should have blamed himself for all of this. But wait, it was her fault for following him to begin with!
She sniffed and wiped her eyes with her palm before grasping his hand and standing to her feet.
"I want to go home…"
Syaoran nodded in understanding without saying a word and thought it best to leave anyway. It wasn't safe anymore, and he needed to get her somewhere where he could check her over and let her rest. To think that he came back to the warehouse expecting things to go normal like they always did, and then have the entire night flip around with a surprise from some strange man. Come to think of it, he didn't get to know who the man was and who he was working for. He had said "Boss" earlier, so he must have been working for someone important… he couldn't have been a rogue agent, could he? Syaoran shook off the thought and decided to leave it for tomorrow. Right now, he needed to focus on Sakura and explain things to her. He needed to explain why she should follow his orders without deciding, on her own, that the right thing to do was to ignore him. She really was thick headed…
The drive to the hotel seemed to take forever… but only because it did take forever. Sakura had fallen asleep as soon as she was seated in the car on their way back to the suite. Her head was reeling with questions and her heart was still beating with the same intensity as if she was still being held at gun point. But as soon as she had opened her eyes, she realized that they were no where near the hotel or the city anymore, but somewhere secluded.
Looking at the driver's seat, her nerves calmed when her eyes settled on Syaoran. He looked so serious and his hands were gripping the steering wheel so hard, his knuckles had turned white. She thought that he was still stressed out about what had happened and decided not to say anything about it. She would save the questions for later.
Not too long after she had woken, they pulled into the driveway of a large house. Not a huge mansion like Eriol's, but something comfortable and sweet looking. Sakura wondered why he had taken her here instead of back to the hotel but didn't have a chance to ask, for he got out of the car. He walked over to her side of the vehicle, opened the door, and offered her his hand to step out.
"You feeling okay? Come on, this is one of my summer houses, we should be fine here for the time being," he explained, helping her out of her seat. She nodded in response and followed him as he led her up the driveway to the front door. His home looked similar to her house back in Japan, and just the look of it made her feel right at ease. "This way, let's go to the living room." Syaoran said, gently grasping her upper arm and leading her to another room.
"Syaoran… I'm sorry." Was the first thing she managed to say as soon as she sat down on the black leather sofa. She knew she had to start somewhere, and she might as well start out with an apology. Syaoran had left the room and had come back with a First-Aid Kit in hand, and when she said she was sorry, he simply arched an eyebrow at her and kneeled down, opening the box before her on the floor.
"Sorry for what? You only ignored my orders at staying with Eriol, where it was safe, somehow managed to get to the warehouse without a map, then almost get shot by some lunatic who ended up getting shot in the head himself. Nah, you have nothing to be sorry for."
Wow… way to make her feel even worse. She sunk back into the sofa cushions at his words, and she knew he was right. He had said that he wanted her to stay behind so he wouldn't have to worry about her, but he ended up having to anyway as a result… She felt like scum. Syaoran caught sight of her hurt expression and made a mental note not to make her feel any worse for the rest of the night, she had obviously just gone through something traumatic and she was better off without him nagging her about her own mistakes. He sighed in resignation and ran a hand through his hair.
"Gah, I'm sorry about that," he said, trying not to sound too soft, "What I mean to say is… be more careful, alright? Now lean forward, I need to wash up your face a little…" She did as he had asked and sat forward on the couch, folding her hands in her lap as she watched him wet a piece of cotton with water from a small bowl, and then waited patiently as he rubbed the dirt off her forehead. He may look rugged and his hands may have been calloused, like a mans hands should be, but they were surprisingly gentle with how carefully he wiped the excess filth off her skin.
…So careful…
She hardly noticed that she was watching him so closely until his eyes focused on hers.
"Ah yeah, to be careful, right? Yes, I'll do that." She blurted out, catching her mistake and diverting her gaze to a more interesting part of her dress. Syaoran didn't catch this, but instead felt obligated to explain himself further.
"Sakura, look at me," He rested his finger beneath her chin and tilted her face up towards his, staring into her eyes to hold her attention. "There's a reason why I ask you to do certain things, and it's not because I like bossing you around, but because I don't want you getting hurt. Do you understand?" Wow, was he seriously being nice to her? Since when did he feel this compulsive need to coax her and make her feel better? Blah, he really was being changed by this girl. But what was scarier was the fact that perhaps, just maybe, he… didn't mind it. She smiled in understanding and nodded, diverting her gaze elsewhere, yet again. For some reason, staring into his eyes made her feel uneasy… and she didn't like the feeling of being helpless.
"Yeah… I understand. Thank you." She replied in just above a whisper. All this bonding stuff was making her queasy and unbearably shy. She could have sworn she could almost feel a blush creep into her cheeks… almost.
Syaoran smiled, but this time not with his lips, but with both his lips and eyes. The emotions he felt when she was at gun point mere moments away from death were emotions he had almost forgot he had already felt once before… 'Thank you…' Her words echoed through his mind long after she had said them, and before he could control what he was doing, he leaned forward and brushed his lips ever so gently across hers. So feather-like was it, it seemed as if he pressed any harder she would crumble and dissolve into vapors before him.
Sakura inhaled sharply in surprise and her eyes widened to that of their full extent as he kissed her. Was he really? Her head hurt enough as it was with all the questions from before still reeling around in circles in her mind, but now this… this was one too many to handle at once.
Smack
Silence followed the faint echo of flesh against flesh, and tears welled up in Sakura's eyes as she brought her hand to her mouth, almost not believing that she had slapped him. But it was too late to take it back now, so she decided to make the best of it… but no one ever said she had to do it without crying. Her face scrunched up in a frown as tears from both eyes dropped onto her pale cheeks.
"How dare you take advantage of me in this state? How could you think it's right to do something like that? How… how could you…" And without further warning, she bolted from the sofa and ran up the stairs, alone, with nothing but the faint sound of the door slamming shut. Syaoran knew then that she had escaped to the sanctuary of an empty bedroom. She had slapped him, yet he couldn't do anything except remain kneeled in utter shock. Bringing up a hand, he rubbed the cheek where her palm had struck. She was right… he had taken advantage of her while she was vulnerable; while she was weak… he had no right to do so. But he couldn't help but wonder whether he had kissed her to take advantage, or because he really wanted to. Either way it would be best to just forget about it, and he would be sure not to let it happen again.
Standing up from the carpet, he wadded the piece of cotton in his hand and closed the First-Aid Kit with the other, before replacing the kit in its rightful place. His only use for Sakura was for a distraction, nothing more. And he would be damned if he was going to let himself fall for her, he wouldn't allow it. He should let her go, to let her leave now to keep her out of harms way. But alas, she already knew too much and it would be risking his job to let her free. Yes, it did seem as if she was his hostage, but until his mission was finished she was going to remain that and abide by his rules. Under no circumstances was he going to leave himself open like he had done just now. If there was a crack, there was a weak point, and the last thing Syaoran needed was to fall for the girl. So, a hostage she was, and a hostage she was going to stay.
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Sakura stared at the wall in wonder. She had finished sobbing to herself a long time ago and was now thinking about what had happened. Syaoran had kissed her, and she had reacted violently in return. She bit her lip regrettably. Sure it may have been drastic, but there were so many things to consider for at the time. She had been vulnerable and open to anything, and he knew it. He should have thought before acting… because now she felt like a fool.
Rolling over onto her other side, she stared wide-eyed into the dark, empty room. She could hear him scuffling downstairs, and she could faintly make out his footsteps as he made his way upstairs to his room. She knew she had to apologize for her actions, but it was too awkward to say she was sorry now. Then an idea struck. What if she were to leave, right this moment? She was pretty sure that, considering the situation, he had probably forgotten about keeping her with him against her will. Hell, he didn't even lock her bedroom door before he went to bed. Now was the perfect opportunity.
Sliding off of the mattress, she quietly made her way to the bedroom door and peeked out into the hall. She had thrown herself onto the bed in her misery, completely ignoring the fact that she was still in her clothes from the party… not that she had anything to change into anyway, so she needn't worry about changing clothes in order to make her escape. She just wanted to get out of there, and fast.
Syaoran wasn't in the hall, just as she had suspected after hearing him enter his room. And she was afraid that if she waited around any longer, he would catch her red-handed., so she wasted no time in slipping out of the bedroom and tiptoeing down the hall to the staircase. Syaoran's room was right beside the banister, so she was careful to descend down the stairs lightly to refrain from making any sort of sounds. The taste of freedom was just within reach now. And she knew that if she did this, she would rid him of her hassles and he would be free to complete his mission without having to bother with her anymore. She walked across the tile to the front door, holding her high heels in her hand. So close…
She reached for the handle and was about to grasp it when…
"And where exactly do you think you're going?"
Busted...
Sakura's heart nearly lurched to her throat at the sound of his voice. She had made sure that she was quiet, how was he able to notice? Also… how was he able to sneak up behind her without having heard him? She hit herself mentally. Duh, he was an agent; 'stealth' was his middle name. She turned around and faced him. Was there even any need to explain?
"You know, I actually find it kinda funny that you think you can slip past me when you think I'm not expecting it," he continued, inching towards her. "First of all, you have no idea where we are. How would you find your way back to the city?" Pfft, he had won that battle. She had decided to leave without even thinking about how she was going to go… ah crap. She forgot Gerry's car back at the warehouse. He was going to get pissed.
"I was just going outside to get a breath of fresh air, what's it to you?" Good one. That excuse was hopefully capable of holding her off for another moment or two. "Besides, I thought you were in bed."
"In bed? Not likely."
It was late into the night now and from the looks of it, it was probably closer to 1 o' clock in the morning. The moonlight leaked in through the windows, displaying fluorescent shadows onto the wooden floors throughout the room. Sakura was partly relieved that no lights were on. The last thing she wanted was for Syaoran to see how embarrassed she was.
The more the silence lingered between them, the more the situation grew awkward, and Sakura wasn't in the mood for another round of embarrassment that evening.
"Fine then, I'll go back upstairs and open a window instead. Good night." She said, walking past him in a hurry to secure herself in the privacy of her bedroom.
"Sakura, wait… we need to talk." He called out to her, staring at her back as she stopped in mid-step.
"There's nothing to talk about."
"Oh, but I think there is. What happened earlier was entirely uncalled for on my part and I apologize on behalf of my actions."
"Very well then, you've made your point clear. Can I leave for my room now?"
"No, there's more I need to say…"
Why was she still being so cold towards him? He had openly apologized for the kiss they shared, she should at least be more kind to him now… but it wasn't until after he finished his speech when she decided that she would have much rather escaped through a pit of molting hot lava than have to stand before him and listen through his rant.
"I just wanted to let you know that the kiss we had, will never happen again. I realized that I've kept you by my side for a reason, and until I've finished with all I've worked for, you're going to remain my accomplice. Afterwards, you'll be free to leave and we'll never see each other again." Syaoran slid his fists into his pockets and stepped past her, making his way up the stairs without another word to the matter. How was it so easy for him to say such expressive things without showing the slightest bit of emotion?
Sakura followed up the stairs behind him to her room. Fine, things were settled then. All she needed to do was follow as he asked, and things would hopefully be done before she knew it. He'd finish his mission, and she'd be able to get back to Tomoyo and fly back home. But hadn't he said that she would have to remain his accomplice? Surely he must've meant that she would remain his distraction until things were settled, which was perfectly fine with her, but it was too much for her to pretend to be something else. Sure, it had hurt when Syaoran had said that they would never share another kiss again. But the question was, why did it hurt? If she wanted his affection, she wouldn't have slapped him to begin with, yet why did she feel obligated to cry in his lap and beg for him to… to love her? She shook the thought away and slid fully clothed, back into bed. So many things were happening in such a short amount of time, maybe these irrational thoughts were just figments her brain decided to conjure up in its attempt to piece her thoughts back together. Yeah, that must've been it. Maybe once she got some sleep, the entire situation would blow over and she'd be fine… hopefully.
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The next morning was tense. Breakfast went by slower than expected, and in unbearable silence. The drive back to the hotel was even worse, neither Syaoran nor Sakura even wanted to listen to the radio. So much for the situation blowing over… But the mood changed as soon as they reached the hotel suite. As soon as Syaoran had unlocked the door, the both of them jumped in surprise when they noticed Eriol sitting, rather comfortably, on the sofa watching television. How had he gotten in?
"Well, what a pleasant surprise, friend. What are you doing here lounging on my couch?" Syaoran greeted him, closing the door behind Sakura after she entered the room. Eriol flicked the screen off and stood up, wide and tall in all his glory. He really did look intimidating when he wasn't in a suit…
"I just thought I'd wait till you two got back from your rendezvous. Why, it isn't a problem is it?"
How did he even know they were coming back that day anyhow? Syaoran raised an eyebrow and reached for the door again.
"Sorry to burst your bubble Hiiragizawa, but we're busy right now. Call here later." Syaoran said, swinging the door open for him to leave. Eriol simply chuckled.
"I'm not leaving Li, I need to know why you left my party so rudely yesterday. You didn't even say good-bye." He said, faking depression as he took a few more steps towards them. "I assume you had a nice evening, Sakura?" He continued, clasping her hand in his before kissing its backside softly.
"Oh yes, a wonderful evening, thank you." Lie.
"That's good to hear, I was hoping Syaoran wouldn't give you much of a hard time anyway. So tell me, where did the both of you go last night?" Syaoran gritted his teeth. Where they had gone wasn't the least bit important and he surely didn't need to tell Eriol about it.
"Out," he replied.
"Fine then, I won't trouble you with questions. I mainly came to find out if either of you have seen Gerry," Eriol glanced at Sakura and said; "Apparently he's been missing since last night and hasn't come back since. I'm starting to get suspicious of my butler, but I can't seem to put my finger on what it is that's bothering me…"
A sudden image of what seemed to be a wig popped into Sakura's head, and another of Gerry snooping through the rooms earlier before when she had first started working with Eriol. Indeed, it all seemed a bit unusual, but how did it all tie in together?
"Maybe he's an imposter?" Sakura blurted out, expressing her thoughts in words before she could think. But now that she had heard herself say it, it didn't seem all as crazy as it had sounded in her head. "Yeah, maybe he's an imposter… I did catch him in a few compromising situations. But I liked him so much, I figured it wasn't anything to fret over."
Eriol's eyes widened in realization, but his expression softened almost immediately after, as if he didn't want to trouble Sakura with anymore of his problems.
"Perhaps you're right… if he comes back, I'll be sure to keep a close eye on him. Hopefully he didn't find anything of…" he caught himself and attempted to move on to a more suitable topic, "…extreme value. No matter though, I'll deal with this as best I can. Other then that though…" Eriol slid past the two and helped himself to the door. "I'll be expecting you at the manor today by noon, Sakura. See you then." And with that, he left. What peculiar behavior… But then again, everyone she had encountered lately had been having strange behavior, including herself.
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A/N: End of this chapter! Poor Saku… wait no, poor Syaoran! Things are so hard for the both of them right now, it's almost a shame to have to see the chapter end like that. Suppose things will turn out better later on? And who was the other mystery man that had killed Syaoran's attacker? A bit obvious, is it not? Or maybe it's someone else? Oh well, until next time. Ja ne!