Deathly Games
Author's Note:
Title: Deathly Games
Author: Kanata Saionji.
Genre: Mystery/Romance/Family/Thriller
Story Line: Shaoran Li, the most famous as well as the youngest Private Eye is assigned the job of protecting the would-be heiress to a vast fortune—Sakura Kinamoto. A sense of foredoom befalls our young detective as he undertakes a deathly vacation to the Hill house of maiden home of Sakura's mother, which is surrounded by something more than the beautiful climate and nature.
Disclaimer: The Author does not own the characters. Everything is the sole property of whomsoever it was created by. However the story, in the general version, belongs to the Author.
Author's words: Enjoy the story to its extreme and please, the readers can make any sort of comment. Anonymous reviews are welcomed.
Story…
The alarm on the table made the first noise of the day. A hand extended out of the blankets and a voice murmured beneath it, 'Snooze… where's the snooze button?' His hand found the clock and he pulled it within the blankets and there was silence in the dark room. Then suddenly a brunette hair jumped from beneath the blankets and his hands held the alarm clock. His auburn eyes snapped open fully and he gasped, 'Shoot!'
Episode Two
The Cherry Blossom
'I can't believe I'm late…' muttered Shaoran as he stuffed bacon into his mouth while trying to pull up the zipper on his red-blue jacket covering a white t-shirt. After pulling up the zipper, with a toast between his teeth, he tied his shoe laces.
'Where did I place those keys?' asked Shaoran frantically to himself while searching for it inside the closets when his phone rang.
He picked it up and asked into it frantically, almost yelling, 'This is Li, who's this?' and after a few seconds said into the receiver, 'I know I know… I overslept… I'll be there in a minute…'
After he placed the receiver back in the phone muttered, 'as soon as I find those keys…'
He went back into the kitchen sprinting for his milk when he spotted a note on the refrigerator. It said, "Keys in the dining table". Shaoran snatched the note and smirked to himself saying, 'I made that note, and still I forgot?' He got to the table, got his keys and went to the door. He placed his keys between his teeth and was halfway through his second shoe when he remembered something else, 'Shoot… I forgot my bags…'
He dropped his shoes and keys beside the door and ran into his room and returned with a travel bag. He took the keys and put on his shoes and before locking the penthouse's door, he messed up his hair and ran down to his garage. He opened the garage door and climbed into his car and started the engine and said to it, 'Cindy, we're up with a new case… I hope its good…'
oxoxoxo
'Honey, he's here!' called Fujitaka Kinomoto from the main door of the Kinomoto residence. A few seconds later a shrill voice replied, 'I can't believe this dad!' The reply was followed by its owner who came down the stairs with an agitated look in her enticing emerald eyes. Her short brunette hair was held back with bands and clips. She was wearing a white top and a long black skirt with a silver girdle.
'C'mon Sakura,' said Fujitaka, 'you'll be fine with him…'
Sakura gave her father a frown and stepped into her black flip-flops with her eyes closed and muttered, 'I'll be worried about this Li-guy if I were you'.
'Why so?' asked Fujitaka with a small smile.
'Cause he's with me…' said Sakura and picked up her bags and stepped out of her house, closely followed by her father. Outside their gates was standing a tall and handsome brunette with his ankle over the roof of the car. He was staring transfixed at a passing puppy which wagged its tail at him.
'Mr. Li?' called Fujitaka.
Shaoran turned and saw his new client standing with his daughter. Shaoran forced a smile to her but on not receiving one back, he turned formal at once.
'So, Mr. Kinomoto,' he said, 'how long is this vacation going to be?'
'As long as I want it to be…'
It was Sakura who replied. Shaoran's eyebrows twitched. 'That insolent little brat...' thought Shaoran.
'Shall we leave then?' asked Sakura crossly. Shaoran raised his left eyebrow and opened the front door, for the seat next to the driver but she moved right past him and got into the back seat. 'That little…' thought Shaoran with a frown. He sighed and closed the door and was about to get into the driver's seat when his client, Mr. Fujitaka called him in almost a whisper.
'What is it Mr. Kinomoto?' asked Shaoran agitated.
'I'm really sorry…' he apologized at once, sincerely and said, 'I know my daughter can be a handful when she's angry but putting that aside, she's a really caring and sweet girl…'
'Are we leaving now or is it going to take a whole century for you to get into the car?' asked Sakura from the window. Shaoran burned up in fury but contained himself.
Fujitaka smiled at him in an awkward and warm way but it didn't make up for the fact that Shaoran was going to take the case that he had always dreaded—working with a woman. But he tried to help her for the cause of her loving father.
'I'll do my best to help her out Mr. Kinomoto,' said Shaoran, but his voice wasn't actually what you'd call reassuring.
'I trust you with my daughter Mr. Li,' said Fujitaka smiling and he added in a worried tone, 'Please don't quit even if she goes berserk… please?'
'I'll try…' said Shaoran and slipped into the driver's seat. Fujitaka bent to him through the window and gave him his cell number, which Shaoran saved in his.
Shaoran started the engine and started to drive. Fujitaka walked to the middle of the road and waved at the car with a smile, which disappeared as soon as the car did taking a short turn. 'Oh God please protect both of them…'
'Oh God please save me from this torture,' thought Shaoran helplessly as he saw Sakura's reflection in the rearview mirror in front of him. Her impression showed only one-third of how angry she was feeling inside.
They had been driving along the highway for almost two hours and they were just about to enter a small town when Shaoran finally asked, 'you hungry?'
Sakura turned her face to the window and murmured, 'No…'
An audible sound erupted from her stomach and Shaoran saw her turn deep crimson in the mirror. He smirked and said, 'you sure you're not hungry? Your stomach seems to have a different story to tell…'
Tiny tinges of cherry appeared on her cheeks and she said closing her eyes, 'No it does not!'
Shaoran sighed and took a path to a small diner. He stepped outside and opened the door of the car for her. She stepped out with her lips pouted and her eyes closed as she was desperately trying to hate Shaoran.
They got a table. Shaoran ordered a plate of French nouilles and a cup of coffee while Sakura ordered a simple curry-rice and a lime-soda. It took a while before their orders arrived, so Shaoran decided to stir up a conversation.
'I'm Shaoran Li, by the way,' he said as though he had just met her.
She looked up at him disbelievingly and said, 'I don't have short term memory loss you know…'
'I hope so…' muttered Shaoran and added, 'I just thought you wouldn't have bothered to hear it from your father…'
There was a minute's silence which was broken by Shaoran who asked, 'you don't seem too enthusiastic on having me as your private eye…'
There was more silence. Sakura poked her plate of curry rice with her spoon with her head bent. She had her left hand on her lap and it was squeezing her skirt.
Shaoran sighed and said, 'alright then… I just need your cooperation if you want to crack this case…'
There was more silence. Shaoran was irritated by the moment. He got so frustrated at her silence that he slammed his hand on the table and asked, 'just tell me if you don't want to do this, ok? I'll leave!!'
He got up and turned to leave when she called him, 'Li, please sit down…'
Shaoran looked at her with frustrated eyes. Then, at once he realized that he had attracted a lot of attention.
'Those two should keep all this at their home…'
'That's so indecent for couples to argue in public…'
'Young people these days… can't understand them at all…'
Shaoran sat down at once with a slightly red face. He couldn't actually believe that he had lost his nerve. 'This never happens to me… I usually keep cool even if the culprit comes down to kill me… then, how come she can make me get angry so easily? I knew I shouldn't work with women…'
There was more silence. Shaoran then slowly spoke up, 'we should have had this conversation before I decided to take up this case… we'd better head back to your place and I'll quit this case. Fine?'
Sakura looked up at him. Shaoran was very furious and it was evident from his eyes. But Shaoran could tell that she wasn't angry, on the contrary she looked at him warmly with a small smile. Shaoran was really taken aback. He could have taken up any case and finish it, but he had to take up the case where his client will forcibly ask him to retreat. Shaoran sighed and got up.
'We'd better head back then,' he said.
'You know it is really rude to leave your lunch unfinished…' she said and she swallowed a spoon-full of her curry rice. Shaoran raised a questioning eyebrow and sat down. He continued his lunch and after a while Sakura spoke and this time there was some softness in the way she addressed him.
'I'm really sorry if I made you angry,' said Sakura.
'I'd be lying if I said no,' said Shaoran simply and she smiled.
'I can be a real pain when I'm angry,' she apologized.
'So, about this case?' asked Shaoran.
'I don't want you to take it,' said Sakura and Shaoran looked at her with a questioning look but even before she said it, he knew what she was about to say.
'But your client is my dad and not me,' she said, 'so it's between you two whether to take this case or not…'
Shaoran smirked at her cheekiness and asked, 'so, you mean you'll co-operate?'
'I'll try,' she said and Shaoran was indubitably reminded of the answer that he had given her father.
'Your father asked me to get introduced as your friend in order to not evoke suspicion…' he informed.
'Yeah, he told me,' she said.
'Now, I want you to tell me about the letter you received as well about the cookies…' he said formally.
Sakura sighed and said, 'here I was thinking that I could enjoy a cool and nice lunch outside the city and you want me to talk about all those horrid stuff?'
Shaoran gave her a smirk and said, 'you are on vacation, but I'm still working and you're now my job, miss'
'That sounds really odd,' she said.
'So I've been told,' he replied.
Sakura smiled and said, 'I'm sorry but there is seldom I can tell you about the cookies… the chemical test report will be more useful'
'Yeah, I didn't receive the report yet,' said Shaoran and asked, 'and about the letters?'
'Well,' she said thoughtfully, 'there's nothing much I can say, it was printed…'
'Do you have it on you?' asked Shaoran hopefully.
'I'm afraid I threw it away,' she said apologetically and with the look that Shaoran gave her, added, 'I'm really sorry, I thought it was just another prank by Touya and I threw it away…'
'Touya—that's your brother, right?' asked Shaoran.
'Yes, the one who's in the hospital because of me,' said Sakura and her eyes shined with forming tears.
'Hey, c'mon,' said Shaoran, 'it's nothing serious, I'm sure and this gives you an even more better reason to help me… don't you want to punish the one who did this to your brother? Shouldn't they be locked up?'
Sakura sniffed and said, 'I don't want to punish them… I just want to make sure that they'll never do it again…'
Shaoran stared and she continued, 'I don't want to hurt them… I just want to make sure that they'll understand what it feels like to have someone hurt a person special to you'.
A smile formed around Shaoran's lips as Sakura bent down, her brunette hair covering her eyes. He stared at her for what seemed like an eternity and he finally found enough strength to break free.
'Hey, why don't we head to that hill house before it gets dark…' he said, 'if we start now, we might reach before nine'
'Yeah, sure' she said and she got up. After paying the bills they left the diner and Sakura opened the door to the seat next to the driver's but Shaoran stopped her.
'You'd better take the back seat,' he said and she looked up at him with a confused look.
While driving up the hill, Shaoran looked into the rearview mirror and saw her lightly asleep. Her face was gentle and amiable and Shaoran smiled. He knew he had broken the first rule in being a private detective but he couldn't help it. He wished he had never taken up the case but at the same time thanked his instincts for choosing this job.
Shaoran sighed and murmured, 'Cindy, why am I feeling this way?'
End Episode 2
Author's note:
Dedication:
To my best friend who encouraged me in starting this difficult plot, as well as every other work I've ever done. Thanks.
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