FAIRYTALE

Genre: Romance/Drama/Humor

Rating: T

Summary: A girl. A guy. The twenty first century. An arranged marriage. Based on Goong.

Disclaimer: I don't own CCS or Goong or Kodocha.

iii. Revealed

Several weeks passed since Syaoran first arrived, but that didn't mean there were less fans or paparazzi surrounding him every morning he arrived to school. The same shrieks of delight, the same questions ("I only want you to sign my bra! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO ASK YOU?"), the same old, same old…

However, as time passed, Sakura's hatred for him seemed to decrease – in fact, she didn't bother with him at all. There were hardly any more name-callings, yelling, or whatever she did when she was angry – and for some reason, Syaoran found himself missing it. The only girl in the whole school who acted differently than the others – please, throw the dirty towel again! Call me an asshole again! Dump ketchup on me!

Syaoran has strange desires, don't you think?

Ducking around a corner, Syaoran managed to get pass a group of girls who were waiting anxiously for his appearance. He breathed a sigh or relief when he saw the area was secluded – just him, a door to the bathroom, the corner he just came from, and a door leading outside to the balcony.

He leaned against the wall, looking outside through the glass of the doors. Maybe I should've taken home schooling instead. Maybe I shouldn't have kicked the last tutor out. Then I wouldn't be spending two hours per day running and dodging and –

"Syaoran?"

Hearing his name, Syaoran's head snapped to his side and saw a familiar girl standing a few feet away from him serenely.

"K – Kaeda."

The girl smiled and leaned her back against the wall opposite of his, looking out of the doors as well. "Funny, meeting you here."

"What are you doing here?"

"I go to school here."

Syaoran stared blankly at her. "What happened to the art institute?"

She gave him a fleeting glance before looking out again, lost in her thoughts. "Haven't you read my email?" she smiled slightly. "My ballet instructor transferred me to a better dancing studio here – I didn't feel like waking up at dawn every morning, so I moved."

Syaoran said nothing. Part of him was glad she was here, here with him. Another part of him was – well, not quite so. I can see the media going over this already, he thought glumly. They'll think she's some sort of stalker.

"So," Kaeda started, not knowing where to start. It had been awhile since they've met, face-to-face and all.

"So," Syaoran cleared his throat, stuffing his hands inside his pockets. "How's the Paris offer going?"

"Good," was her simple reply. "My instructor says I have a really good chance."

A pause.

"If they offer you the scholarship, will you go?"

Kaeda tore her gaze from the view outside and looked at him. "Depends."

"…"

"You know how these things go."

"Not really. I'm not a ballet dancer, you know," Syaoran raised an eyebrow at her and she laughed.

"I might not get it," she said, suddenly nervous. "I have an interview next month – and if it goes well, then…"

"I'm glad."

"Thanks."

"No, I'm glad about – about your refusal," Syaoran cleared his throat. "To uh, my … my proposal."

Kaeda blinked at him, confused. "Wha – oh," she suddenly seemed tense, and looked down at the floor instead. "Yes, well, that was …"

"I wouldn't want someone like you trapped in a stuffy mansion with me."

"…"

"Go for your dreams, Kaeda," Syaoran said quietly, pushing away from the wall he was leaning on and standing up straight. "You'd only be a prisoner if you married me. I'm – I'm sorry."

She didn't need to ask him what he was sorry for; she understood. As Kaeda watched his retreating back, she bit her lip and pondered. Yes, she'd be a prisoner – but with him by her side.

Did I do the right thing?

"Sakura!" a voice rang down the hallway, attracting several curious looks. "Sakura! YOU! SAKURA KINOMOTO!"

"What, Chiharu?" the girl shot back, half-jogging, half walking towards her next class. "And make it quick – SOMEONE with toothpaste-cap-sized-brains spilled a whole carton of juice over my project, and now I don't have anything to hand in, and I want to reach the teacher and explain it to her before any of my classmates step inside the classroom and hear her yelling at me about being irresponsible and clumsy and –"

"You," Chiharu shook her head, cutting her off, "need to take some yoga classes. You're gonna die of a heart attack in the future, I can just see it."

Sakura snorted, now taking the stairs two at a time. "Now you're a fortune-teller?"

"Not really, but I'm really good at reading palms – here, let me see yours –"

"HERE!" Sakura gasped for breath and came to a stop, bent over. "Come on, I have three more minutes – make it fast, whatever it is."

"Alright, well, see this line over here, that's –"

"Did you shout my name for the whole galaxy to hear just so you could read my palms?" she demanded, wrestling her hand away from Chiharu's. "What's the deal?"

"Oh, right, well, guess what Miss Kato just told me?" Chiharu grabbed her arm in excitement, barely keeping herself from jumping up and down. "You'll never –"

Sakura gasped. "No way – you – you got in?"

"Yee-eeees!" Chiharu shrieked in joy and enveloped Sakura in a hug, which she returned equally ecstatic, now earning more curious looks from their peers.

"I called my parents as soon as I heard the news," she continued to gush, cheeks flushed with pleasure. "They want to celebrate – so, how about we stop by that new restaurant across the corner with Tomoyo and the others, grab some dim sum, and a sleepover-slash-party at my place?"

"Are you planning on getting fat?"

"Sakura…"

"I'm probably going to die of a heart attack," Sakura tapped her chin mockingly, looking at the ceiling, "but I think it's going to be high cholesterol for you –"

"Sa – kura –"

"– and seriously Chiharu, have you considered the consequences? What about your ballet career?" Sakura continued to tease her, enjoying herself. "How can you pay for my bills now?"

Maybe I said the wrong thing, Sakura thought nervously, looking as Chiharu's expression changed.

"Do – do you need some money?" Chiharu asked, now running a hand through her bag. "I knew you'd give in, you can't go on like this with your arrogance and pride –"

"What? No!"

"It's okay, Saku, you're one of my best friends and I wouldn't want –"

"I wasn't implying anything!" Sakura made a grab for the cell phone her friend had pulled out. "Seriously, Chiharu, we're fine, we'll manage …"

"But –"

"Miss Kinomoto, you're here already?" her art teacher looked at her in surprise. "I think this is the first time you've arrived in my class on time – and before the bell!"

"I – well – yes, you know how I enjoy your classes," Sakura giggled nervously, tugging at her shirt.

The teacher smiled at her before walking inside, and Sakura followed suit, but not before shooting Chiharu a meaningful glare. No money, she mouthed.

Chiharu could only sigh in frustration. No money, as always.

Sometimes she wished she could just jab that big ego of hers with a needle to deflate it.

"I'M HOOOOOME!"

"Dad, did you hear that?" Touya called. "Did you hear the Loch Ness monster shout out to the whole country that she's home?"

"SHUT UP, TOUYA!"

"Just checking, baby sister."

Dropping her bag on the living room floor, Sakura glared at her brother as she plopped herself onto the sofa. "I'm not a baby!" she retorted, taking her socks off and throwing them aside. "Let alone a sister. Do you know how embarrassing it is?"

"Not as embarrassing as you being –"

"Dad, Chiharu got accepted into that Royal Ballet School in Paris, and we're going out to celebrate, so I won't be home for dinner," Sakura cut her brother off, and sprinted to her room.

"What, by flicking your smelly socks all over the room?" Touya snorted. "Some party."

Sakura, as usual, ignored his sarcastic comment. "And I'm spending the night at her house!" she called from her room.

"Thank the Lord," Touya mumbled under his breath, surfing through the TV channels. "Now I can have my peace and quiet and chicken wings all to myself."

"What, we're having chicken wings?" Sakura burst from her room once again, with a clean set of clothes. "No! DAD! Why didn't you tell me?"

"He was afraid you'd steal them."

"Touya…"

"Most kids steal cookies from the cookie jar," Touya sighed and shook his head, "but I guesssome people prefer to be different and steal chicken wings from oven trays…"

"I wouldn't talk if I were you, Mister I-Steal-Sushi-Straight-From-The-Fridge –"

"Now, now," Fujitaka had to laugh at the constant bantering between his children. They did it so often now it didn't bother him anymore, knowing it wasn't anything serious. "Touya, stop teasing your sister, and Sakura, before you go, I have something to tell you."

"Oh, well, make it quick Dad, I'm meeting the girls in five minutes –"

"Are you sure it's five? Maybe it's two."

Fujitaka chose to ignore his son as well, leaving Touya as the only one grinning from ear-to-ear at his own stupid joke. "You remember your grandfather, don't you?"

"What does – yes, of course," Sakura was shocked at the topic of their discussion, and couldn't help but feel saddened by the reminder of her grandfather, who had passed on a few years ago. "How could I forget?"

Now Fujitaka was nervous. Sakura had came home from school everytime with a complaint about 'Li' – and by 'Li', he assumed to be Syaoran Li. Maybe I should do this – er – discreetly …

"And – you see, this is, um," he cleared his throat once more and continued, "Your grandfather and – and his best friend decided on, uh, a decision that will affect your, um, life."

"… Dad, you're creeping me out."

"You see, ah – they decided that – uh –" This is NOT going well. Spit it out already!

"Decided on what?" Sakura raised an eyebrow and looked at her father, who looked like he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

"They – they want an arranged marriage between you and your grandfather's best friend's grandson."

…

"WHAT?"

"Of course, you can turn down the offer if you'd like –"

"DAMN RIGHT I'M GOING TO TURN IT DOWN! AN ARRANGED MARRIAGE? DAD, THIS IS THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY! NOT THE TWELTH! DO I HAVE A SAY IN THIS? NO? WHY, BECAUSE I'M A GIRL?"

As Sakura continued on, screaming about feminine rights and the feminist movement, Touya, who was equally shocked, asked, "Sakura? Married? Who to?"

"Ah – you see –"

"– HOW LONG WOMEN HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR EQUALITY IN OUR SOCIETY? ARRANGED MARRIAGE, BAH! IS THIS A WAR? WHAT DOES HE –"

"I'm not sure I want to reveal that information right now," Fujitaka mumbled. "If this is how she'll react to this … this agreement, I'm not sure if I want to tell her who it is she's engaged to."

"– I MEAN, LOOK AT THE ARRANGED MARRIAGE BETWEEN CHIN AND JIN! THEN YOU HAVE THE CHIN DYNASTY! LOOK HOW THAT TURNED OUT! FIFTEEN YEARS UNDER THE RULE OF SOME IDIOT WHO CARED MORE ABOUT IMMORTAL LIFE THAN HIS PEOPLE –"

"C'mon, Dad," Touya tried to persuade him. "I mean, it's not like Sakura can hear you, she's a tad bit busy right now –"

"– CONFUCIOUS! SIMONE DE BEAUVOIR! AND WE DON'T HAVE A SAY IN THIS? HOW EXACTLY DID THEY EXPECT THIS TO –"

"Fine," Fujitaka gave in, and leaned in closer to his son, who cupped a hand behind his ear to block out the yells from his sister, "it's Syaoran Li."

"– I LOVE GRANDFATHER AND ALL, BUT– WHAT DID YOU SAY?"

Now, Sakura might not be the tallest girl in her class, but the way she stood – on her toes and chin up, and a fire clearly visible in her eyes – she looked like she was towering over them.

"DAD! WHO? Who am I getting engaged to?"

"Your – your grandfather's best friend is – is Li –"

"A LI?"

"…"

"Please, Daddy, please, please, PLEASE tell me the Lis have another guy from their family who doesn't go by the name Syaoran –"

Forget about being discreet, Fujitaka grumbled inwardly. Might just as well drop the bomb on her.

"It's Syaoran Li."

Touya grabbed for the cushions on the sofa and pressed them hard against his ears before bending down and hiding his face between his knees. But for some reason, the scream he was expecting didn't come.

"Sa – Sakura? Are you alright?"

"…"

Touya looked up to see his white-faced sister standing, slightly hunched, right where she was, a shocked expression on her face.

"I'm … I'm …"

"Getting married to Syaoran Li?"

Fujitaka sent a glare to Touya before walking slowly – SLOWLY – towards her daughter. He patted her shoulder reassuringly when he reached her, chuckled nervously and said, "Again, it's all up to you, you don't have to if you want to, but it was your grandfather's wish –"

"I'M NOT GOING TO!"

"He's a Li."

Sakura, for once, nodded furiously in agreement with her brother. "Yeah! Even Touya understands!"

"So you have to marry him."

"Yes, exac – what?"

"He's a Li," Touya repeated again. "Think about it. The Lis, the most wealthy family in all of Asia, a great influence to –"

"Politics? So? Do I look like I'm going to run for prime minister?"

Touya snorted. "I hope not, 'cause if you did, Japan will be a laughing stock to the rest of the world. The most wealthy family, Sakura."

Wealthy.

"So – so," Sakura cleared her throat, her anger decreasing, "that means – if I marry Syaoran Li, his – the – money –"

She trailed off as it finally sunk in. The Lis. One of the richest families in the world. Clearly her family's financial problems aren't going to get any better, and if – IF – she agrees to this arrangement, then –

"No pressure," Fujitaka smiled slightly, patting her shoulder once again. "We don't want to rush you into anything, it's your decision to make."

"Yeah," Touya said, turning on the TV again. "Imagine you, a Li mistress. This can't be any good. You'll probably trip over the president of France's feet when you meet him, ruining his shoes, and then that'll elad to a stock market crash –"

As Touya rambled on, Sakura thought it over.

Did she want to?

No. Hell no, of course not!

But should she?

If it means I can save my family from a financial patch…

No, no, no, no, NO!

Marriage to Syaoran Li. I can't even stand that arrogant look on his face at school, how am I supposed to look at him for a lifetime? Sakura thought furiously, frowning. This isn't a one-month or one-year deal, it's a … a one-lifetime thing! I don't wanna die young!

Fujitaka retreated back into the kitchen, and Touya was now busy laughing his head off at the TV. My family.

Right now, right at this moment, that was the most important thing that mattered to her.

"SAKURA'S LATE!"

"What else is new?" Tomoyo mumbled.

"RIKA!" Chiharu barked up the stairs, looking for what her friend was up to. "I told you to hand the chairs down, not ROLL them down the stairs!"

A girl appeared on top of the staircase, hands on her hips and glaring down. "That was what you said before," she retorted, "but when I complained it was to much work you got all frustrated and told me 'WHATEVER, JUST GET THEM DOWN WHICHEVER WAY I CAN'!"

"'Whichever' does not mean ruining the floor in process!" Chiharu shot back as she stomped up the stairs and grabbed a chair herself.

"I told you it might have been quicker if I threw them down and you can catch it swiftly –"

Snort. "You think this is the same in fairytale movies?" she laughed as she descended the stairs, careful with her steps. "The princess sees the prince, and she leaps into his outstretched arms and they'll spin in a circle with these – these shining lights and romantic music playing in the background –"

"YOU SAID WHICHEVER!"

In the kitchen, Tomoyo sighed as she took out the food from the cupboards. They argued like they were siblings, like lovers even, but that didn't surprise her. They've been going at it since they were in diapers.

I meant arguing! Arguing! Get your mind out of the gutter!

What's taking Sakura so long? Tomoyo complained silently, now placing dim sum on plates. I can't stand this any more!

"Four! There's only for of us!" she could hear Chiharu's voice coming from the back yard. "Why are there five?"

"That one's broken, you idiot!" Rika shot back. "Why do you have broken chairs around here, anyway?"

Ding dong.

"SAKURA'S HERE, THANK GOD."

Chiharu and Tomoyo rushed towards the front door. It opened with a slam and both girls hugged an alarmed girl with glee.

"SAKURA! Why were you late this time?"

"I thought you'd NEVER be here, all the chairs –"

"Come on, help me out with the food –"

"No, no, no, help out with the chairs, we're eating in the back yard –"

"In the winter?" Sakura raised a brow at Chiharu, who shrugged.

"And why not?"

"And what will we be having to eat, ice cream?"

Chiharu beamed. "We have that! There's also cake, the leftover dim sum, ice tea, or you can –"

"SOMEONE HELP ME WITH THE CHAIRS ALREADY!"

Chiharu growled and headed towards the backdoor. Sighing again, Tomoyo dragged Sakura off into the kitchen, ordering her on what to do.

"Now that you're finally here," Tomoyo mumbled as she pulled more food out of the fridge, "I've got something to tell you!"

Sakura flinched slightly. Oh, boy. Gossip time, from Tomoyo Daidouji.

"I've been dying to tell someone about this, but some people," she coughed out the last two words, "were too busy dancing tango with furniture, and I couldn't exactly tell the dumplings, could I, I mean, how silly would that look? A sane person talking to food?"

Sakura suppressed an un-ladylike snort. Sane?

"Have you heard about Li?"

"Hmm?" she managed to grunt, now taking out a few glasses from the cupboards. Oh, nothing much, Sakura thought sarcastically. Just the fact that he's getting married – to me!

IF I accept.

If.

"He's getting married!"

Sakura froze, nearly dropping a glass. How ... is it in the papers already? How in the world did Tomoyo get hold of this information? "Did…" she cleared her throat, "did they mention who the unlucky bride-to-be was?"

"Nope!" Tomoyo sighed, bustling around. "One of his sisters is actually pretty good friends with my mom. Apparently his sister had a baby two years ago, and they order toys just about every week – it's supposed to be a secret!"

Color me surprised.

"But this is so big – I just had to tell you!" Tomoyo gushed, beaming. "Too bad Feimei – that's Syaoran's sister – didn't say who the bride is going to be, but wow –"

Listening to Tomoyo's constant ramblings, Sakura tried to save herself from blurting out,the bride's me!

When Sakura made her way to Chiharu's, she thought it over. This'll just be between her, her family, and the Lis. No point in shouting out to the world. She knew what would happen: her friends would squeal in delight, go crazy, and then everyone on planet Earth will know.

Tomoyo was her best friend and all, Sakura thought glumly, but still. If I told her, I might just as well make a press conference and be done with it.

"– think the wedding dress is going to be like? But seriously, an arranged marriage? In Japan? I mean, there's nothing wrong with that, but in all life, I haven't heard about an arranged marriage, especially in this century!"

"You're only eighteen."

"So?" Tomoyo huffed as she grabbed a jar of jam. "And not getting any younger!"

"You sound like my great-grandma." Sakura smirked at her and took a few plates. "I'll head out and put these on the table, then."

But Tomoyo just continued on. "– I actually begged my mom to ask Feimei who the bride is, but then again, I guess you –"

Sakura shook her head as she made her way out of the room, down the hall and through the backdoor. Amazingly, Chiharu and Rika had finally stopped arguing about chairs and were now sitting on them instead, looking at a brochure held between them.

As Sakura set the plate down, the two didn't even notice her. Rolling her eyes, Sakura coughed to get their attention and said, "Thank you two lovely ladies SO much for all your help and effort, because without you two, I doubt me and Tomoyo would have gotten ALL the food out of your kitchen –"

"Look at this!" Rika exclaimed, shoving the brochure in Sakura's face. "Look!"

"Ow!" Sakura yelped in pain as the corner of the paper jabbed her cheeks. "What – I can't see anything!" She held the brochure instead, and looked at the front. Prix de Lausanne.

"That's the most prestigious competition ever!" Chiharu moaned.

"So?"

"Here –"

Chiharu flipped to a page, and jabbed a finger at a picture of a dancer. Sakura eyed the girl and looked at the caption beneath it:

Kaeda Ito, eighteen-year-old star on the rise, was among the winners of this year's ballet compeition.

"… I still fail to see the point."

"Kaeda just transferred into our school," Chiharu said, just as Tomoyo came through the doors. "She's in my ballet class. This – this girl will ruin everything!"

"What's that?" Tomoyo took the brochure out of their hands after she set the plates down. "Oh, her."

"Prix de Lausanne!" Chiharu wailed, slumping in her chair. "I'll never get the scholarship now – not with someone like her in the same school, let alone same class as me!"

"Don't be silly," Rika scoffed, grabbing a few chips. "You got an offer, you accepted! There's nothing they can do now."

"…"

"You're thinking irrational thoughts," Sakura said furiously, pouring a glass of water for her friend. "So she won a competition, big deal. You've won loads too!"

" … she won a Lausanne competition. Lausanne!"

"Whatever," Tomoyo huffed, throwing the brochure on the table. "God, Kaeda Ito."

Three pairs of eyes suddenly shot up, staring at her. "Don't tell me you know who she is?" Sakura asked carefully. But then again, Tomoyo knows everything, especially about this kind of stuff …

"Duh. I do. You all do."

Rika frowned. "I don't recall –"

"Kaeda Ito. Syaoran Li's girlfriend, you morons."

Chiharu spat out her water. Rika choked on her chips. Sakura's head shot towards Tomoyo's directiton so quickly she nearly broke her neck.

Well, not really. But still, it hurt.

"She's his who what?" Sakura managed to say through the painful throbbing. "Who's his what?"

Tomoyo rolled her eyes. "They're the weirdest couple I've ever seen," she commented. "They don't kiss in public, or hug, let alone hold hands –"

"How come she's not all over the media then?" Chiharu demanded. "A girlfriend of Syaoran Li – that's bound to raise some curiosity, isn't it?"

"That's the point," Tomoyo explained as she grabbed a plate and began to pile it with food. "God, I'm starving. Looking at all this food for hours, and not being able to eat it – well, I stole a few bites here and there, but you don't need to know that –"

"Tomoyo!"

"Huh?" she looked up, and dropped a piece of sushi. "Oh, crap! I spent ages defrosting that fish and cutting it up and – oh. Well. Hello. A couple that doesn't do anything interesting, the media of course retreated and went on disturbing someone else like Britney Spears, poor girl."

"Whatever," Chiharu grumbled, tugging at her shirt. "I've got more important things to care about, I can't let some – some –"

"– princess steal your scholarship?"

"Excuse me?"

"Syaoran Li's getting married. The bride could easily be her; it'll be like a fairytale, with Syaoran as the prince and Kaeda as the princess –"

And, once again, Rika choked, Chiharu spat out her water. Only Sakura managed to stay sane.

"He proposed?" Rika gaped. "Wow – but he's only eighteen! How – how –"

"Apparently it's an arranged marriage," Tomoyo said, excited that she got to break the news again. "I don't know who the bride is, but –"

As her friends started guessing gleefully on whom the bride could be ("Princess Aiko?" "Are you kidding me? She's in, what, SECOND GRADE."), Sakura ate her food quietly.

Not only was a marriage to Syaoran a nightmare, but a marriage to someone who's already in a relationship? How awkward would that be? She'd be labeled as the 'man-thief', for sure.

But … my family, Sakura thought glumly as she looked around her surroundings. If I agreed, Dad and Touya can have a life like this too – a big house, a comfortable home … no more money trouble.

AND she'll get to see the inside of the Li mansion.

PLUS she'll have maids, wouldn't she? And a huge bedroom, loads of clothes, maybe a new cell phone or camera or two…

And lots and lots of chicken wings!

Hmmm.

A/N:

I re-watched Goong the other day and I got inspired again. By the end I was flooding the room with my tears XD

Originally I wanted to leave out Kaeda (Hyorin, if you've seen the TV series) to make things simpler, but it just didn't seem … right. So, voila.

And another reason – the relationship between Hyorin and Shin was so … weird. They didn't act like they were together; the first few episodes with them were just … odd. They didn't do anything – and I mean anything – that couples are supposed to do, so I had a hard time figuring out what it was all about. And Shin never really referred to Hyorin as his girlfriend, did he?

Or maybe that's just a mistake on my part. XP

I apologize for Kaeda's short introduction – I just wanted to cover the basics before going into anything deeper and more detailed. If you want the details, await the next few chapters then.

Uh, one more thing. I'm AWARE of the whole Chinese name thing. Surname before the first. I'm TAIWANESE. I just don't feel like doing it.

And, THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS! They make me all happy and giddy inside :DDDDDDDDDDD

REVIEW! No flames. If you're unsatisfied with something, day dream. I don't write for your pleasure, I write for mine. But if you're confused, just ask. :)

I'll give you a cookie.

… oh alright, two. And boost my ego while you're at it. XD

xRstar28x: Sorry, no sneaky previews XD That's what I do to keep my readers reading. I'm evil, MWAHAHAHAHA!

Ahem. Excuse me.