Disclaimer:
CLAMPS owns Cardcaptor Sakura forever.
The song 'These Hard Times' is owned by Matchbox Twenty.
Summary:
Sakura was separated for years from her family, that it nearly makes her lose hope to reunite with her loved ones. But like everyone believes: miracle happens. Even though there will always be something obstructs on the way or at the end.
EDGE OF DESIRE
Chapter 7 - These Hard Times
Knowing that ever crash is bleeding the hourglass and taking the strife from all our lives. - Matchbox Twenty
Wei was really shocked when he saw what was happening in front of him. That girl who was kneeling in front of Fujitaka Kinomoto. He quickly got a grip of the desk behind him. He felt himself limp. What had he done to them?
Sakura stared at the mirror listlessly. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. She did not know what to do. She hated how she was helpless like this. She had always protected her family all this time. She did not want to fail at the first opportunity.
She exhaled slowly, gathering herself. No one said that this would be easy, but she knew that they would be fine. They would, because she would find the way.
She fetched her bag and went to the university. She walked absentmindedly, giving no care to the January's cold wind. Sometimes she had regretted on her inability to have better jobs with better salary. She wished that she was more than she was already right now.
People always said that no matter what difficult our predicament was, there were still another who had worse out there, that life would not give loads more than we could endure. But words were words. Once you were on the said place, those wise idealism would fade away.
"Maeda-san, Sasaki-san wants a help in the first floor." Ms. Kimura said when Sakura arrived on the library. Sakura was supposed to type off the book codes into the computer today, but helping at the first floor might be a change to the scenery.
The old kind Sasaki apparently did not really understand English. It turned out that she requested Sakura for translating the letters from foreign partner universities. Sakura was a bit proud of her English skill. She had favorited that language since she had been a child. Reading a lot of books had been helpful too.
After she was finished with the translation, she went to the equipment room for copying the documents. At that time, she heard a whistle from behind her. She turned around and found Syaoran, grinning at her.
"Good morning, superwoman."
She chuckled and smiled to him, "Have you finished the morning class?" She looked at her watch that it was already eleven.
He nodded. "Do you want to have lunch?"
"Let me deliver these first." She answered, gesturing the piles in her hands.
He walked her to Ms. Sasaki's office and they headed to the cafeteria. The place was always quiet, as the students preferred to go to the nearby restaurants or cafes.
"Do you think it will be enough for you?" He eyed her menu which was only a bowl of miso soup.
"I'm not really hungry." She said.
His amber orbs scrutinized her intently. He shook his head and picked a piece of katsu meat from his plate and shoved it to hers. "No wonder why you are too skinny. You should eat more."
"Thank you." She blushed shyly. She turned her eyes and sighted the whole cafeteria. She frowned. What was with that? She could not help but feeling a little worried that someone might catch them being together. But she did not do anything wrong, right? She should not let anybody intimidating her like that. She just had lunch with a friend. That was all, right?
"What are you thinking?" He eyed her.
"No. I wasn't." She answered. "Hey, how is the progress of your novel?"
"It's a little stuck. I have a little bit difficulties to adjust the point of view." He sighed. "The novel is sort of an indirect biography of my family actually."
"Really?"
Syaoran nodded. "My sisters will be furious if they know what i am planning to write about them." He chuckled.
"How many sisters do you have?" Sakura asked. She had heard that he was the only son in the family and how that had made him as one of the main heirs of the Li Corporation.
"Four. They are all married and scattered around the globe." He laughed, remembering his fussy sisters. "The oldest is Fuutie. She helps her husband running his company in United States. Shiefa works in Germany as a teacher. Fanren lives in Scotland. And Feimei takes care of our family company in South Korea."
"You have lots of siblings." She mused. "But it must be fun."
"Yeah, it was fun. But now they are busy with their own business and we rarely contact each other." He quickly explained after seeing her confused expression.
"Oh." A sad frown was formed on her face. "So you live here with your mother?"
He shook his head. "My father had passed away when i was eight years old. And my mother is really mobile. She does not settle in one place. But she always contacts me, asking me how i am and how is it going with college. Typically a mother." He chuckled.
Sakura did not say anything to reply. She knew that it was inappropriate if she did not respond to someone who had talked lengthy to her. But it was too sad for her. She thought that her situation was the worst, that she did not have a family and had to live at an orphanage. She had thought that someone like Syaoran had lived a happy life, being always luxurious in a conglomerate family. How petty she had been.
"Don't make a face like that." He scolded her. He stared at her for a while. "Do you still do the freelance job and work at the coffee shop?"
She nodded, "Why?"
"Don't you think it's too much?" He said. His voice held a worry. He noticed that how tired she looked every day and how she was growing thinner.
"I have to do it." She answered shortly, turning her sight to her dish.
"Do you have any difficulties at the orphanage?" He asked, being careful to not press the subject too much.
"I'm not too comfortable with talking about it, if you don't mind." She stiffened with a final tone.
Syaoran knew better than arguing with her. "Okay." He conceded. But deep inside, he knew that she would be opened to him as time went by.
"When i was a child, my grandfather taught me how to play piano." Nadeshiko said in front of the young girl whom she had grown fond of. "And sometimes i played songs for him and my grandmother."
Sakura smiled as she was listening to the older woman in front of her.
"My grandfather really likes it." Nadeshiko smiled. "I was never close to my parents as i was to my grandparents. That is how most of prominent families work out. You distance yourself to your parents as they put much pressure on you, and you rely on your grandparents instead. They are much more understanding at least." She laughed a little.
Sakura's head suddenly snapped a little, realizing the mysterious lady's sudden presence, sitting beside Nadeshiko. A soft frown was formed on Sakura's forehead, "Your grandfather is still around?"
Nadeshiko chuckled, "Alive, safe and sound. He has the stamina of a young adult."
"Wow, that's amazing. I mean, people usually do not have a chance to see the fourth generation." Sakura said. Her eyes met the mysterious lady.
"She loves to play Debussy." The mysterious lady hinted.
Sakura eyed the lady doubtedly, but the latter gave a reassurance nod, so she said, "Do you love Debussy?" She asked Nadeshiko.
Nadeshiko's eyes widened. She was silent for a moment before answering, "I... I do. I used to play one of Debussy's with my cousin." She closed her eyes for a moment. Tiny beads of tears dripped on to her lap. Her eyes opened back and looked at Sakura, smiling. "You remind me of her a lot, Saki-san."
Sakura could not help but feeling a little guilty. Everything she had done that had gotten Nadeshiko teary eyed actually had been suggested by the mysterious lady to her, such as the kuzuyu she had served the other day. "What was your cousin like, Ma'am?"
Nadeshiko sighed softly, "We had been really close since we were born. She was a really energetic child, who always made my grandparents' headache. She was like my older sister, always protected me from bad kids and always there for me. When my parents were against my decision to marry my husband, she stood up for me and tried to persuade them." She laughed sadly. "I owed her a lot. I wish i could just return her the favor."
The mysterious lady moved her arms to put them on Nadeshiko's shoulders. Her eyes glistened and she whispered, "You did."
Sakura watched them in awe. The mysterious lady clearly knew Nadeshiko. How? She was curious. But if she asked Nadeshiko now, it would seem strange. Moreover who was she to meddle in their business anyway?
Sakura went out of the Tomoeda Central office. She took a deep breath, eyeing the papers on her hands. She had finished with list of eateries, cafes, restaurants and other commercial establishments serving foods and drinks. She would have to move to the list of educational institutions, both public and private. Sister Maeda might have had the list for half of them.
Her movement was suddenly halted from the sudden pain near her left knee. She hissed hurtfully, groping the limb. The pain was throbbing that nearly made her legs gave up.
She carefully limped her body to reach a bench near the sidewalk. Sitting down, she pulled up her lower part of jeans and bit her mouth at the sight. The swelling had reappeared after having succumbed a few days ago.
She rolled down her jeans again and stood up, slowly walked home again. She had to keep it remain unseen or else she would be asked to have much more rest. She could not get confined now. She still had too many things to do.
She heaved a sigh as she arrived near the orphanage. The sun was setting, producing the rosy light of the afterglow in the sky. The huge door of the orphanage was slightly opened. Kei might have been preparing to play soccer with the other kids. They loved to play outside when the twilight came. The sun was not blaring anymore and the night was still young.
"Hurry up."
Sakura suddenly looked up when the door was banged open, revealing a frightened and panic Sister Nagano, being followed by Ken with Yumiko on his arms.
"What happened?" Sakura gasped, trying to run fastly even though her left leg was screaming in pain.
"She accidentally ate peanut butter sandwich." Sister Nagano said frantically, wiping the sweats on Yumiko's forehead. The little girl shut her eyes tight, seeming to be in pain.
"We should get her to the hospital quickly." Sakura said. They got inside the orphanage car with Sister Nagano driving them.
"Saki onee-san, are you alright?" Ken asked worriedly, looking at her. Yumiko was being laid down on his lap.
"Yeah, don't worry." Sakura forced a smile, trying not to show her pain.
Sakura bit her lips when she realized that they arrived at Tomoeda Hospital. She instantly prayed that she would not meet Tsukishiro Sensei or the Kinomoto heir. But God did not answer her hope. The emergency room opened and both the young surgeons were ready on the set.
"You?" Yukito Tsukishiro was startled to see Sakura, as well as Touya Kinomoto.
"What happened?" Touya asked as they transferred Yumiko to a gurney.
"She is allergic to peanut." Sister Nagano started to explain to both surgeons.
"Oh my God."
Sakura turned to see two females behind her gasping. One of them was a red haired woman who immediately helped the doctors, even though Sakura doubted she was a surgeon since she did not wear white coat.
Sakura succumbed slowly and leaned to the wall, panting. She patted her left leg, hoping that it would ease the pain.
"Do you need help?"
Sakura looked up. One of the females who stood behind the doctors approached her, looking at her in concern. She just nodded at the girl. "I'm alright."
"Are your legs hurting?" The girl pointed at her left leg which she had been touching.
Sakura shook her head, "No, don't worry. How is my sister?"
"She's going to be fine. Tsukishiro and Kinomoto sensei will treat her. I think you should sit down." The girl took Sakura's arm and led her to sit on a bed. "My name is Meiling Li. I am a medical student who is having a voluntary work here. Don't worry, i'm not going to treat or diagnose you. I'm not allowed yet. I'm just going to sit here and keep you company." She gibbered, grinning at her.
Sakura scrutinize the young girl who looked like the same age as her. Before she could reply an introduction to Meiling, the red haired woman came back to them with a glass of water on her hand.
"Yumiko-san is fine. The allergy has been handled." The woman told Sakura, smiling. She handed the glass to Sakura who accepted it gratefully.
"Oh, this is Kaho Mizuki, Kinomoto sensei's fiancee." Meiling introduced them.
"I'm Saki Maeda." Sakura bowed her head to them.
"Where are your parents? They will be needed for administration." Kaho asked.
Sakura blushed shyly. "We are from orphanage. But Sister Nagano is the responsible guardian for us here." She pointed her index finger to where Sister Nagano was being comforted by Kei in the other corner of the room.
"Oh." Kaho and Meiling were suddenly bumbling at Sakura's words. She concluded that they were feeling guilty to her.
"I have a friend who has a nut allergic too. She has to take an adrenaline injections everywhere with her. Maybe it will help Yumiko-san." Kaho said kindly to Sakura. "But we should listen to the doctors first anyway." She added.
Sakura turned her sight to the floor and said remorsefully, "This was my fault. I should have taken care of her better."
Meiling patted her shoulder kindly, "It's not a thing that you can control, Maeda-san. She is doing fine and we just need a little precaution in the future."
"Yumiko Takahashi's parents?"
Sakura looked up and saw Touya Kinomoto standing at the waiting room's threshold. She quickly strode to him, being followed by Kei and Sister Nagano. "How is my sister?" She asked worriedly.
Touya raised his eyebrows when he noticed that Kaho had been sitting and talking beside Sakura. "I only need to talk to the parents." Touya said coldly and then took Sister Nagano to a consultation room.
Sakura sighed and rubbed her temple as she felt a wave of dizziness.
"How have you been?"
Sakura looked up and found Yukito smiling at her. "Oh, i'm doing fine, Sensei. Thank you for helping my sister."
Yukito nodded at her. "You need to come back for consultation, Maeda-san..."
"No, please don't force me, Tsukishiro-sensei." Sakura cut him in a low voice so that no one else would hear her. "I really appreciate your help. But right now i'm too occupied with my family. Once i get all the business done, i'll come back to you. I promise." She quickly said.
"But..." Yukito tried to reassure her again, but her brother interrupted them to take her to their sister. She quickly asked for leave and followed him, leaving Yukito sighing and feeling helpless.
Nana entered the orphanage listlessly. She only got a few yen from her part time work at the canteen school today. She could not attend the last audition as she had not gotten any money from her sister. But the talent management would hold a second audition this week. She could not hide her happiness when she had heard that. She was determined to no not fail this time.
"Where have you been?"
She was greeted with an angry and worried Kei in front of her. "Where else? School, of course." She answered nonchalantly.
But apparently her answer was not good enough. "Nana, i am a high school student too like you. I know well what time the school ends and if there is any additional extracurricular being held after the class. But there was nothing today."
She sighed tiredly and walked past, ignoring him.
"I'm talking to you, Nana. Do you know that Yumiko had to be admitted to hospital this afternoon? We were all panic and you were not there. You could have helped us." Kei yelled angrily at her. He caught her arm, "Don't you care about us?"
Nana repelled his hand furiously and shouted, "Yes, i don't care! Why should i when all of you don't even care about me?" She ran to her room and shut the door before Kei followed her.
She threw herself on the bed and buried her face in a pillow. Tears streamed down her face. She did not care anymore.
Sakura strode quickly once she got off the bus in front of Tomoeda High School. Her task of helping Ms. Kimura had been disrupted when she had received a phone call from Nana's teacher, who had requested her to go to the school right now. Along the trip here, she had been praying that nothing bad had happened to her sister.
She walked along the corridor of the school and found the headmaster office. She knocked softly on the door and opened it. She instantly noticed that it was apparently 'headmistress office'. Something was more surprising when she realized that she and this headmistress had actually met a few days ago.
"Oh, i don't know that you are Nana's sister too, Maeda-san." Kaho Mizuki greeted kindly.
Nana, who had been bowing her head, stared up at them with mixed expression between confused and remorseful. Sakura noticed the younger girl's swollen eyes and dried tears streaked on her cheeks.
"Nana is my other sister, Mizuki-san." Sakura nodded awrily. "What has happened to Nana?"
Kaho pursed her lips, took a deep breath and said with a smile, "There was a little incident today at the class. Nana took one of her classmates' cell phone. But I already talked to her and she said she completely regretted it. She already apologized to her classmate and gave the cell phone back. I asked you to come here because it is a requirement if a case like this happens that we have to call in the parents or the guardians. Nana asked to call you."
Sakura held her breath and turned to look at Nana, who kept staring to the floor, feeling embarrassed.
Kaho looked alternately between the two young girls. "I am convinced that you won't scold Nana, Maeda-san. Instead giving her more attention will do much better."
Sakura nodded and bowed to Kaho, "I really apologize for what happened, Mizuki-san. I know that i'm the responsible one here. Thank you very much for giving Nana counsel, rather than punishment."
Kaho smiled and turned to Nana, "Nana, dear, could you wait for us outside? I would like a few words with your sister."
Nana nodded and went out of the room.
"Maeda-san, i was really surprised that Nana is your sister. It seems that you have more responsibility than i thought." Kaho said to Sakura.
"Yes, Mizuki-san." Sakura nodded. "Once again, i really apologize to you, to her teacher and her friends."
"That's alright, Maeda-san." Kaho stopped the girl's chattering and held her hands. "If you have any problems or troubles, you can go to me. I don't know why i'm saying this, but there is something that pulls me to want to help you." Kaho said again slowly. It was true. Deep in her heart, she felt the young girl in front of her had more burdens than anyone could ever imagine.
Sakura nodded again clumsily, "Thank you very much, Mizuki-san. I really appreciate your good intent. Please take care of my sister here." She said.
"You're welcome, Maeda-san." Kaho smiled and hugged her briefly.
They walked slowly through the street in silence. Nana did not have courage to talk to her sister since they had gone out of her school. She knew that she would get hell for this. Sakura must have been very angry and would report this to Sister Maeda.
"Nana, can you wait here for a while?" Sakura suddenly asked.
Nana nodded and saw that Sakura strode to an ATM center across the street. She came back not long after that.
Sakura sighed and shoved a bundle of banknote into her hands. "It's six thousand yen, just in case you need more."
Nana felt tears started to stream down her face. She felt awful, bad and mean. How could she do this to her sister and herself? She had known that Sakura would have given that money to her eventually if she had asked. It had been only her who had been too impatient. Why wouldn't she have waited for a while and been grateful that she had had enough all this time and her wish would have become granted in the end?
"I'm really sorry, Saki onee-san." She broke down. "I'm such an ungrateful brat. I'm sorry that i always put you in trouble."
Sakura set a small smile and hugged Nana. "I know. I'm sorry too for not caring about you. I'm so sorry, Nana." Tears escaped her emerald eyes as she was feeling guilty to not be good enough for her brothers, sisters and their family.
Sakura sat down at a table a few meters away from Syaoran. Her arms propped her chin as she watched him typing fast on his computer, being lost in his imagination. They were in the music chamber inside the great hall. Sakura was on her break time and Syaoran had no lecture.
"What are you writing? Your novel?" Sakura asked.
Syaoran only replied her with a nod.
"Will you tell me what is it about?" She asked again, lazily. She felt too tired recently. Her minds were always occupied by the dispute with the Kinomotos, her works at the university and Autumn Blossom, her freelance job and her family in the orphanage.
Syaoran detached his fixed sight from his laptop to look at the girl in front of him. "I won't tell you of course. It has not even been half finished."
"You can't keep it secret from me. Especially when you already said that i am one of your inspirations to write that novel." Sakura pursed her lips.
Syaoran frowned, "Another good reason to keep it from you. Wait until it's finished." He smirked playfully.
Sakura only sighed and stared back at him.
"Why were you sighing?"
"What?"
"People only sigh when there is a problem." Syaoran said, staring at her from behind his glasses.
Sakura rarely saw him with glasses. She did not even know that he had to wear one. He looked more handsome with the pair of thin titanium rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose, strangely making his amber eyes brighter.
Sakura exhaled, "Yesterday i had to go to my sister's school. She stole her friend's phone and the school had to put discipline on her."
Syaoran now stopped typing. He slowly took off his glasses. "Is everything alright?"
She just smiled faintly. "Yes. But no. It's not alright." She rubbed her face with her palms.
"I feel like i am a useless sister. I am the oldest in the orphanage. I should have been more responsible." She choked. Her tears dampened her cheeks. "I was too busy looking for money that i did not care about what my brothers and sisters were going through. I should have taken care of them better." She sobbed.
Syaoran stood up to sit next to her. He gently tilted her head to lean on his shoulder. He lifted his hand to stroke her short auburn hair softly. He closed his eyes as he inhaled the cherry blossom scent, "It was not your fault."
"Yes, it was. I always said to myself that i don't want to be like those rich people who ignore their family for money, fame and career. But i did." She breathed. All of her incapability to manage and balance everything came into her mind.
Syaoran sighed softly, "You have done anything you could. You did your best. Do not blame yourself like this."
Sakura lifted her head and wiped the tears on her face. Syaoran might be right. But she still could not let go of that feeling of powerlessness.
"Do you want to go to my place?" She suddenly asked.
He just smiled and nodded.
"There are five other kids in our orphanage. The second oldest after me is Kei. It's his last year at his high school. He is going to start college this April. And then Aiko, Miho and Nana, who still have another year at high school. And the youngest one is Yumiko." Sakura excitedly told Syaoran about her family in the orphanage as they walked along the neighbourhood towards Soka District.
"Not like my house, it must be difficult to find silence in yours." Syaoran said jokingly.
"Yeah, i never get lonely." Sakura smiled. She glanced at her watch, "They must already be home now. You can meet all of them."
"I should have brought something." Syaoran frowned.
She shook her head, "No. I invited you here. It's actually good that you have time to visit."
When they arrived, Sakura found Kei was playing with Yumiko and Miho at the field next to the orphanage.
"Saki onee-chan!" Yumiko ran to her and hugged her. The little girl turned to Syaoran with curiousity. "Onee-chan, who is this?"
Kei and Miho approached them as well and they smiled to Sakura.
Syaoran bent down to Yumiko, "This must be Yumiko-san. Your sister told me about you. You're not sick anymore, right?"
Yumiko shook her head and grinned. "No. Saki onee-chan took care of me."
"Guys, this is Li Syaoran, my friend from university." Sakura introduced them. "Syaoran, this is Kei and Yumiko."
"Nice to meet all of you." Syaoran greeted them.
"Kei, have you always wanted to learn kungfu? Syaoran here is already a master on that one." Sakura grinned, glancing at Syaoran. "You can teach him the basic." She added to him, while he frowned at her.
"Really?" Kei asked Syaoran excitedly.
Syaoran chuckled a little and nodded. "Yeah, of course."
"Where is Nana and Aiko?" Sakura asked Miho as they went inside the orphanage, leaving Syaoran and Kei having their time.
"They aren't home yet." Miho answered. "Is he your co-worker, onee-chan?" She glanced curiously at Syaoran's figure.
"No. He's a student at Tomoeda University." Sakura said as they went to the kitchen to serve dinner.
"And?"
"And what?"
Miho rolled her eyes and exclaimed, "I know that there is something more. He likes you, onee-chan."
"What are you talking about, Miho?" Sakura mumbled. She felt her cheeks warm.
"Or are you already going out with him?" Miho gasped.
"Of course not. You're talking nonsense." Sakura stuttered. She deliberately made herself busy fetching vegetables and meat from the fridge. Going out with him? How could she even think about that? He was still Tomoyo Kinomoto's fiance. she thought.
Miho just smiled and giggled, "And i think you like him too, onee-chan."
Sakura chose to not mind her sister.
Tomoyo cradled her head in her hands. It had been throbbing since she had read that stupid email. There were another pictures of Syaoran with that girl.
She really did not understand where they were going all this time. Syaoran and her had been together since what? Since they were not even born? She had spent all her life with him. She knew who he was.
Even when Syaoran had been sent to Hongkong for a short summer course required by his elders, she had gone there too to accompany him. She had always been there for him. But why it was getting to seem absurd?
She sighed tiredly and closed her eyes.
"Miss, Young Master Syaoran is home already." A maid reported to her.
Tomoyo nodded and stood up. She glanced at the wall clock. She had been in the Li Mansion for almost three hours. God knew what would happen once she saw him.
His smile instantly vanished when he entered the living room. "Tomoyo? Why you're here?"
Tomoyo snorted in disbelief, "I waited for three hours here and the first thing you could say was those words?"
He sighed and turned away from her, "I'm tired, Tomoyo. You better go home."
She walked past him and blocked him, "You just went with that girl, didn't you?"
He was silent, staring at her.
Tomoyo took a deep breath, calming herself down, "Syaoran, Why am i the only who is struggling to keep this relationship?"
"Because there is no such thing like relationship between us, Tomoyo." Syaoran yelled. "I'm really sorry, but all this time i never see you as anything else but my sister. I love you, but as a brother." He said in hopeless tone.
"What?" She whispered, tears were streaming from her eyes. "How could you?" She stepped back slowly from him.
"Tomoyo." Syaoran sighed desperately. "Just please understand."
She shook her head and stormed out of the room.
"What did you just say?" Meiling exclaimed in disbelief, staring at the grey haired man in front of her.
Yukito furrowed his eyebrows, "I'm not going to repeat that. You heard me."
"But what could possibly go wrong with my report?" She asked desperately as they began to walk after finishing their morning rounds. "For your information, i even had it checked by my senior who is one of the best medical students in my university."
"I am your mentor here. So my words are the one which is applicable. Not his." He said shortly, smirking softly so she would not see it. "Rewrite it again."
"I know that you are a bastard, especially when i saw that woman cried." She mumbled quietly. She was furious. No. Furious would not describe her feeling enough. Wrathful it was. She had spent two sleepless nights for finishing another weekly report which seemed to be more piling up in pages as weeks gone by. And now she had to hear that the bloody five hundred page report had not done any good?
He suddenly stopped his pace and turned to her, "What did you say?"
"Nothing." Meiling bit her lips.
"Don't ever say something about me and that woman again, because you did not see us that day. Do you understand?" He warned in low voice.
She stomped her feet furiously once he was out of sight. "Bloody bastard." She sighed heavily and headed her way to her office.
When she was walking up the stairs, she was surprised to find who passed her, "Tomoyo?" She called the girl out.
Tomoyo looked up and was surprised as well, "Oh, hi, Meiling."
Meiling smiled and gave her a slight hug, "I'm sorry i haven't had the time to visit to your place."
"Don't mind that." Tomoyo said warmly. "Are you having rounds?"
Meiling pursed her lips and shook her head, "Actually, i'm having my free time. Do you want to have some coffee with me?" She asked, ignoring her mind which was telling her that she would die later by Yukito Tsukishiro.
"Of course." Tomoyo nodded and they went to the hospital cafeteria at the ground floor.
"So, how do you enjoy your stay at Tomoeda?" Tomoyo asked once they chose a spot to sit with warm coffee cups on their hands.
"So far so good. Even though it's tiring." Meiling said, half complaining. "You know, i've been waiting for a chance to work with your brother. But it seems like i'm stuck with Tsukishiro-san."
Tomoyo laughed lightly. "I know. Yukito-kun is really a strict surgeon. I like him. I hope he does not give you hard time."
"Oh, don't bother to hope for that." Meiling forced herself to grin. "So, how have you been doing all this time?"
Tomoyo shrugged as she sipped her coffee. "Normal. Just struggling with college and conducting some researches for my upcoming fashion line."
"When will you launch it?" Meiling gasped.
"By the start of next year." Tomoyo answered, feeling proud of her own effort.
"That is really great, Tomoyo. I'm sure it will be fabulous." Meiling said excitedly. "Just make sure to tell me for the launching date. I'll make sure i'll come."
"Absolutely, Meiling." said Tomoyo.
"Anyway, there is something i would like to discuss with you." Meiling slowly started. She did not know how she was supposed to deliver this, but after finding a rather morose cousin of hers last night, she needed to do this.
"Yeah?" Tomoyo frowned slightly, expecting her.
Meiling inhaled and said carefully, "I don't know how to say this, but do you really love Syaoran?"
"What kind of question is that?" Tomoyo chuckled. "Of course i love him. He is the only man i have ever loved."
"Tomoyo. Are you sure about that?" Meiling looked at her intently. "I hate to say this, but i never saw you guys like a couple all this time."
"What do you mean?" Tomoyo frowned.
"You know, i used to like Syaoran as well. Do you believe that? I liked my own cousin. How gross it sounds?" Meiling laughed, but quickly succumbed, seeing Tomoyo's face.
"I don't understand what you're talking about, Meiling." Tomoyo said, suddenly tensed.
Meiling sighed deeply, "I know my cousin, Tomoyo. Syaoran... There is only one girl he ever loved. She was his first love."
Tomoyo snorted, irritated, "And who that might be? Just to remind you, Meiling. Me and Syaoran have been tied since we were not even born yet."
Meiling smiled weakly, "I don't know who she was. But i'm quite sure it was not you."
"You are talking nonsense." Tomoyo replied coldly. "And i don't think that this topic is appropriate to talk between you and me. It should have been private."
"I know." Meiling nodded. She was not surprised that Tomoyo did not like this talking. After all, she just might have put the harsh fact in front of her. It would be a waste if Syaoran and Tomoyo were trapped in an unhappy relationship in the future. "Anyway, i think my other cousin likes you." She informed the stubborn girl. Tomoyo was about to reply, but Eriol suddenly came up behind them. "Oh, Eriol. Tomoyo and i are having a talk about you."
Eriol nodded tiredly. "Tomoyo, i have done with my shift today. I can take you home now."
Meiling grinned when she saw Tomoyo blushing, even though the girl seemed to be angry with her. "See you then, Tomoyo." She smiled and left them.
Yoshiyuki had been pretty occupied lately. He had gone back in forth between Tomoeda and Fujioka almost every day; inspecting the surrounding and collecting any evidences coming up to the surface which could contribute to this case. This made him feeling guilty to his wife, leaving her in her pregnancy time. But lucky man he was, Rika was more than understanding to what he had to do. What was the most interesting part was the fact that Wang Wei came to Fujioka police office regularly. Between his up and down town trip, Yoshiyuki had been tracking his every move.
He drove his car slowly as he paid a much closer attention to everything encircling the scene. There were houses about two kilometers away. He pulled over and walked slowly, examining each house. The occupants might be still outside, since it was really quiet. There was only one house which indicated human presence, the third house from the turn.
Yoshiyuki strode to the house, noticing the occupant: an old man who was sitting at the porch, reading newspaper. He came closer to the fence and greeted, "Good afternoon, Sir. Could i have some of your time for a moment?"
The old man detached his newspaper and slowly hobbled towards him. "Who are you, young man?" His dimmed eyes scrutinized Yoshiyuki.
"My name is Yoshiyuki Terada. I am an independent detective and currently investigating car crash which happened fifteen years ago here." Yoshiyuki explained.
The old man nodded and turned around, "Come in."
Yoshiyuki followed the old man into his house and was offered a seat in the living room. He eyed the small room. The old man seemed to not live alone.
"You can call me Uehara. My wife is out of town, visiting my children." Uehara said. Yoshiyuki helped him to take a glass of water from his trembling hand. "What do you need, Mr. Detective?" He chuckled, which sounded like a grunt.
"I would like to know about the crash, Uehara-san. Could you tell me everything you knew and saw about it?" Yoshiyuki asked.
Uehara nodded slowly and spoke, "There were not so many houses like now at that time. I remember hearing a blaring sound from my house. And some of my neighbours called the police. They came about fifteen minutes after the crash."
"Didn't you come to the site?"
"Oh, no. Even if it was fifteen years ago, my legs have already been a trouble." Uehara laughed heavily. "I only heard that the victims were a couple and they did not survive."
"So, there was really police coming here?" Yoshiyuki emphasized the certain information.
"Of course. Why would police not come when there was some tragedy like that?" Uehara said.
Yoshiyuki nodded. This piece of information and what he got from Sister Maeda were completely contradictory. When she had found that only Sakura who had survived at that site, she immediately took the child to the hospital. She had come to the police office to report, but they had said that there had been no accident. While Uehara clearly had stated that there had been police coming there indeed. It was concluded: they had gotten rid of the report which had said that there had been an accident.
This was getting interesting. He said to himself.
Touya Kinomoto had always been a perfectionist. He did not accept failure or mediocrity. Since he had been a child, he had paid attention to nothing beside his study and it had resulted the best: he had always been at the top of the class, even though he had had to compete really hard with Yukito Tsukishiro.
He really loved his family and put them above everything else. Even though his long-lost sister had not been found yet. As the heir to both Kinomoto and Amamiya Group, he handled the business in an astounding way, while keeping his performance as a surgeon at his best. His relationship with Kaho went smooth. If it was not to mention his strained friendship with Yukito.
So, when he found Tomoyo broke down, hiding away in her room, he realized that his life was not perfect at all. That was why it made him furious. No one messed with his sister like that. Thus he lost his temper and invaded the Li Mansion to shake his fist at that brat. He was only sorry to Li Meiling, who was there at that time, witnessing him beating her cousin to a pulp.
He sighed soundly. What he needed to find more was the girl who had been the third party between his sister and the brat.
Tomoyo never believed the phrase which said that an heiress did not need to bother working hard. Instead she pushed herself to maximize her potential and capability. She had to show to herself, her family and to the world that she was not a pompous who took advantage of her family's huge name.
This day was another ordinary day when she had the usual working visit to the Kinomoto Group office. She nodded her head frequently when the passing employees greeted her politely, as she walked inside the building. She was known as the stern yet competent Kinomoto young lady here. Her father had said that it had been enough that she wanted to prove herself, but she was not satisfied. She wanted to do more.
She entered the elevator and pressed seventeenth floor button. Once she arrived at the floor for the board of directors, she was immediately welcomed by a rather girlish, high-pitched voice from a young woman, whose age was definitely older than Tomoyo, but no doubt had a more childish behaviour from the appearance.
"Good morning, Miss Kinomoto. We have been expecting you here. Let me bring your purse." The woman said energetically.
Tomoyo frowned and quickly winced; expressing that she was annoyed by the woman's tone. "Who are you?"
"The name in my birth certificate is Nakuru Akizuki, but i prefer to be called Ruby Moon. It's way much cooler. Who's going to name their children with 'Nakuru Akizuki' these days anyway? I'm the new secretary for the boards, Miss Kinomoto." Ruby gibbered quickly as they strode into Tomoyo's office.
Tomoyo rolled her eyes, "Whatever. Get me some coffee."
Ruby instantly retreated with light speed, which amazed Tomoyo. She shook her head in disbelief. What made the woman thought that 'Ruby Moon' was less annoying than 'Nakuru Akizuki'?
Her eyes swept the piles of documents in her desk. It was not an urgent one that she had to regularly check upon. Instead it was the proposals from local brands which would like to join in her upcoming fashion line. Perhaps she would ask Eriol's opinion for helping to choose later. Even though she knew that he would never be interested in this kind of stuff, but it would be a great way to ease his stress from being a surgeon.
Tomoyo heaved a long sigh. She could not believe that she thought that way for Eriol. She never even paid attention whether Syaoran handled the same stress or not, as he also dived into his family business. She massaged her temple. She did not understand herself.
"Come in." She said disinterestedly, when she heard a knock on her office's door.
The door was open, revealing Wang Wei's figure.
"Oh, Wei-san. What brings you here?" She asked curiously.
"There is something Miss Feimei wants me to deliver to you, Miss Tomoyo." Wei placed a stack of huge brown envelopes on her desk.
Tomoyo grabbed the uppermost one and tore the seal. It was a document that contained Feimei's design for girl cosplay costumes, which would be launched in Tomoyo's fashion line next year. She was glad that Feimei was willing to help her, as the Li daughter was a designer herself too.
"Thank you very much for delivering these, Wei. You can go now." Tomoyo said. But Wei stood still, staring at her. "Do you need anything else?" She asked doubtedly.
Wei seemed to gather himself back and shook his head, "No, Miss. Excuse me, then."
Tomoyo furrowed her eyebrows as she saw Wei went out of her office. What had she been seeing on his face? Sadness and guilt? She shook her head and grabbed another envelope. But her eyes suddenly caught something at the left side of her desk: a letter.
She curiously took and opened the letter. Her eyes got wider as she read the content. A foreclosure letter of the Orphanage of Kibou Yoi. And there at the bottom of the letter, she spotted a name of a girl which had made her gone berserk all this time: Saki Maeda.
Sakura stared at the cover of a DVD on her hands. How to Waltz for Beginners. She found it at the library, in the DVD section. She might have gone mental: agreeing to waltz for the Valentine party in the first place. She sighed and shook her head.
She entered the music room which would be empty at least for the next two hours. She could watch and try to learn some steps, even though the idea still seemed impossible in her head. She put the disc inside the player and started it.
The caucasian woman as the tutor on the DVD, demonstrated the basic movements. Sakura observed carefully and thoroughly every each instruction the tutor told. She bent her left hand, pretending to wrap her left arm around someone's arm and held out her right hand. Closing her eyes, she spun herself around, but a pair of hands caught her torso gently.
She opened her eyes and found his smirking face staring at her.
"Learning how to waltz?" Syaoran asked.
"Mmm... Yeah. It was a fail though." She blushed, quickly pulled out her hands from his. "What are you doing here? You don't have classes again?"
He nodded and smiled. "Kind of."
"Kind of?" She repeated disbelievingly. "Don't tell me you have been skipping classes for a few times?"
"Don't worry, i can manage it. I'm brilliant, remember?" He smirked playfully. "So, if your DVD teacher failed to teach you, how if i will be your teacher instead?"
She chuckled, "Is there any charge for that?"
"You can pay me off by going for a dinner with me someday." He said, keeping his smirk. "May i have this dance?" He held out his hand.
She took his offer, grinning at him, "I really don't know how to dance."
"Once you are out of this room, you will be a proficient dancer." He smiled. "The first thing you have to know that waltz is known for its three beat count. As you step, you have to count 'one-two-three' twice to complete a box. Now hold out your right arm to my shoulder's height, and place your left hand on my shoulder blade." He instructed.
She followed his command and looked up at him, "Like this?" Their faces were now only a few inches away. She never noticed that his amber eyes were so bright.
He was just as surprised as her too. His breath hitched for a moment before he replied, "Yes, like this."
He smiled and then continued his tutorial. "Your right foot has to be between both of my feet." After she got the basic steps right, he directed them to move to the right and left slowly. He closed his eyes and healed the cherry blossom scent from her silky hair. He rested his chin gently at the top of her head.
She closed her eyes as well, absorbing his presence which made her in peace. It had been so long since she felt this serene, she almost forgot. "Syaoran."
He opened his eyes again and stared at her.
Her emerald eyes bored into his, "My real name is Sakura." She whispered.
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