Lovers in Japan
when the moon fell in love with the sun

She was certain that she was the only one of her kind who allowed such things to disband her from the realities of the world. She could not see the normality in things, but rather how different they were from her. Syaoran was no exception.

After her mother had caught her in a rather awkward misunderstanding. She found herself stranded in a tiny room with him. The only thing that separated them was a double bed that stood in the middle of the room. She stared at the wall and wondered how she was going to bring herself to take off her clothes. He clearly did not mind. She could hear the sound of him shuffle, but she was motionless.

"What's the matter? Are you afraid to change in the same room as me?"

She shook her head hard. Even though he was not looking at her, she could not help but feel in embarrassed. She stared down her toes and her cheeks turned a cerise "No…" she swallowed hard. But inside, she was terrified. She feared that he would look.

"I promise, I won't look." He told her as though he had just read her mind.

"Please. Don't" she said coyly. And managed to unbutton her shirt.

"Are you done yet?" he asked getting tired of staring at the wall.

"Uh, wait."

He wanted to sneak a quick look. But it would be inappropriate. He could not shake the thought of his eyes meeting what his mind imagined would be long legs and her perfect breasts.
"So, when do you think we can get our luggage from my car?" he needed to say something quickly before his imagination got the best of him.

"My father will take care of it, don't worry. They are many mechanics here."

Beads of sweat went down his face. He buttoned a loose button.

"I'm done." She finally said.

Syaoran sighed. He was relieved that he was able to control himself and keep such a simple yet significant promise. When he turned around, she was standing with her hands behind her back. She wore a tie die t-shirt and a faded denim skirt that went slightly over her knees.

"Don't say anything." She warned him.

"I wasn't."

She turned her face away. She had given him the impression that she thought he was cruel and insensitive from the day that they met.

"Who is Touya?" he asked looking down at the shirt that he was wearing.

"My brother." She told him unwaveringly.

"You never told that you have a brother."

She raised her shoulders "I didn't think you cared."

He tucked his hands in his pocket and shot her a crocked smile, "Does he live here?"

"No, he moved out years ago. He doesn't live too far from here." She opened the door "I think dinners ready."

When they came out of the room, they met Sakura's father. He shook Syaoran's hands and congratulated them. Sakura could not believe it. All her life her parents had been strict; now they were treating Syaoran, a complete stranger as a member of the family.

"So what is it that you do?" Fujitaka asked looking at Syaoran during dinner.

"I work for a magazine, I'm the editor."

"Sounds interesting, Sakura also works for a magazine. Is that how you meet?"

Syaoran looked at Sakura lovingly "Yes."

"You look too young to be editor of a magazine."

He chuckled nervously "I get that a lot."

"I hope you are treating my daughter well." Fujitaka sounded nonchalant and serious all at once.

Syaoran just smiled. "So tell me, how was Sakura like when she was younger. I wish to hear it from your perspective."

Sakura sighed. She buried her head in her hands. "Can we not talk about this?"

In spite of her request, Nadeshiko told Syaoran "She has always been kind and gentle. There is no doubt about that. When she was much younger she was always happy. She was so adorable and chubby. And yet such an introvert, she always kept things to herself. In fact she only told me she got her period after it had already happened twice."

Sakura blushed.

"Honey, remember the first time Sakura got a bad grade? She hid her report under the mattress and her mother only found it months later when she was tidying her room. I'm not surprised that she kept you as a secret as well. Love is natural between a man and a woman. Your mother and I married when we were young, I just knew. Our parents did not want us to be together. They thought we were too young. And to make matters worse, Sakura's mother fell pregnant when she was seventeen. That did not get in our, we had another reason for being together."

"I thought you were married when Touya was conceived." Sakura gasped.

Both of her parents shook their head "No, we were married when you were born though." Fujitaka said.

"Mom, you said that you were a virgin when you got married, you've been telling me that all my life."

Nadeshiko shook her head "Oh no, I only said that because I didn't want you to make the same mistakes as I did. You've always looked up to me."
"Oh." Sakura said, then remained silent while Syaoran and her parents discussed other issues.

When they were done clearing the table and helping in the kitchen. Syaoran could not find Sakura. It was late and she was nowhere in the house.

"Where did Sakura go?" he asked Fujitaka.

She's probably in the old shed. She loves in there for reasons I will never understand.

Syaoran advanced to the barn house. He pushed open the wooden door and found that the room was dark. In fact most of the ceiling had collapsed leaving a large whole in the middle. Sakura was standing in the middle of the room looking up at the stars.

"So, is this what you used to do for fun? Stare up at the stars."

She took a step back; she was startled by his presence and said "Don't you think it's beautiful. You never see this in Tokyo. Come stand next to me and you'll see it for yourself."

He did as told, looking at her while he settled next to her as though seeking her approval if it was safe to stand so close to her. She leaned into him and pointed up at the sky "You see that star over there, the brightest one of them all." She said in a near whisper.

He nodded "Yeah."

"That's what I wanted to be when I moved to the city. I wanted people to notice me and like me. It was stupid."

"Sakura, if you saw yourself the way that I see you…well…you're more that a pathetic little star in the dark night. You are the sun. Bright and…warm hearted…golden"

Sakura blinked hard trying to consume the statement. She did not want to ponder on statements that would lead her astray. She had made up her mind, she was not going to fall in love with him "Then what are you?"

"Well me…I am the moon. I'm superior to the stars…" he paused as though he wanted to add onto that but instead he kept quiet.

Sakura stretched her arms out "We better get to bed, it's late."

…………………….

They entered her bedroom and locked the door. Sakura looked around, trying to figure out the sleeping arrangements. Of course, Syaoran being a part time gentleman would offer her the bed. But she could not let him sleep on the hard wooden floor. Her bed was big enough to fit the two of them. Nothing would happen. She trusted herself.

"You can sleep on that side, I prefer being close to the window."
Syaoran was baffled, he could not believe what she was implying "You want us to sleep…together." He stuttered sounding like a virgin in his own mind.

"Don't get me wrong, I don't want us to but we have to." She pulled out the sheets "You can't sleep on the floor."

"As long as it does not make you feel uncomfortable."

She nodded. "No, of course not. It shouldn't be unnatural dor a man and a woman not intimately involved to sleep on the same bad."

He nodded, his eyebrows descended and he wore a serious look on his face.

They lay in bed; there was a safe distance between them. Sakura played with tips of her hair and wondered if he was asleep yet.

He lay with his back facing her, but he could not help but wonder if she was asleep.

In the morning, Sakura found that while she was sleeping, she had unconsciously wrapped her leg across him and her hand was on his chest. Her face was buried in his neck. The warmth of his skin felt pleasant against her cold chin. Her eyes open and the sun rays bathed her velvety skin.

Finally releasing what was happening, she abruptly withdrew her body away from his thus waking him up.

"Why are you so anxious this morning?" he asked in a tired tone.

She looked at him then got off the bed.

"Listen Sakura, while you were sleeping you shifted to my side of the bed and threw your hands around me. I could barely move but I did not want to wake you up."

Sakura said nothing. She flushed coyly and said in a childlike voice "I'll make breakfast. My parents woke up very early; they are going to a funeral. After breakfast, you can help me with the chores then we'll go check out your car. I'm sure it is at the garage by now."

After breakfast, they sat under a green umbrella tree and looked up at the plain. They were quiet in the first few minutes. It was not an awkward silence. It felt right.

"Syaoran, once this is over; after your father has given you a share in his estate, what will happen to us?"

"Uh…" he held his hand over his forehead "You will break off the engagement."

"Oh."

"I love it here. You're lucky to have grown up here with such great parents." It seemed like he was changing the topic.

"How is your home like."

"You'll see when we get there."

"Your car will be fixed by tomorrow morning." She cut the pieces of grass underneath her feet.

He averted to look at her "I thought you were mad at me."

She shook her head "No why would I be mad at you."

"I broke your mothers China this morning and I did not really help you.

"I wasn't mad. Even so...whenever I argue with you I'm always the one saying sorry. So there is no point in being mad at you."

He lay back on the long green grass "So that's how it is."

"Yes. We're almost friends."

He looked up at the sky and tried to reach for a speck of dandelion. "I apologise, for the way I treated you, all this time. I'm always hurting the people who are important to me...I don't mean to. So I try not to get attached."

"Syaoran..."

She lay next to him and embraced the moment. Her heart pounded so hard, then she realised that her hand rested right next to his. If she were to move her fingers, she was sure she would be able to touch his. She looked at him and smiled. In her eyes he saw the clear blue sky.

They were quiet.

Then suddenly she felt his fingers slowly snake around hers. Her heart skipped a beat then naturally she held his hand back.

"Sakura! Sakura!" A loud voice startled her and she unconsciously released Syaoran's hand. But Syaoran noticed. The warmth she introduced to him slowly disappeared. She stood up to see who was calling her. She held her hand over her forehead.

"It's Leslie...Syaoran..." she looked at him "What must I do."

"Relax." Syaoran remembered her mentioning Leslie before. The only man she had ever been in love with. He broke her heart.

She gulped and walked to him, Syaoran walking slowly behind her. When Leslie saw Sakura, he ran towards her and hugged her. He picked her up and spun her around. Sakura laughed begging him to let her go. He released her "Sakura is it really you? You look beautiful."

She hit him playfully "stop messing with me."

"I heard you were back, I can't believe it's you Sakura. How could you leave without saying goodbye?"

Syaoran stood in the background, and in that moment he was non-existent. Leslie was taller than him, built and his voice was much more masculine than Syaoran's. Sakura looked like a little girl standing next to him. His eyes were sapphire and he had curly golden hair.

"Oh...Leslie, this is my fiancé, Syaoran." Sakura seemed to have finally remembered his existence. She held his hand.

"Syaoran...so the rumours are true. Sakura is getting married. You're only twenty one why would you..." he paused when he remembered that her fiancé was there.

"Good afternoon Leslie." Syaoran had already made up his mind about Leslie. An absolute moron.

Leslie barely smiled at Syaoran.

"He's kind of scrawny your fiancé. He doesn't work out much does he?" Leslie told Sakura after the entered the house, he did not know that Syaoran could hear him from the other room. "He looks foreign." "He has a strange accent." "I thought you were more into blondes."

"No, he's not scrawny…maybe compared to you. He's from Hong Kong, he grew up in America so don't be offended when he doesn't get certain things. I really adore him." Sakura said.

"Do you love him?"

Sakura managed a smiled "I wouldn't be marrying him if I didn't" she could not believe how calm she was around Leslie. Her heart did not beat as loud as it used to whenever she was around him.

Syaoran walked into the room. He stood next to Sakura and reached for her hand. This only illustrated his insecurities. Leslie took note of this and just smirked.

"Hey, do you remember the time when we went to the pond. Our parents did not want us to go there but Sakura and I bunked class anyway and went there."

Sakura and Leslie laughed. Leslie took no interest in Syaoran and treated him as though he was absent. Their conversations were purely nostalgic, nothing Syaoran could relate to. It had been a while since he allowed his emotions to get the best of him. He wished there was a way he could get the attention he was craving for from Sakura.

He had no other choice but to watch them.

He's heart had never known such torment. He watched Sakura, she looked very happy. Nothing he had ever said or done made her this happy. She was no longer the shy woman working by the front desk. He watched the movement of her lips as she spoke. He beamed 'Sakura, you're amazing. he thought.

If he could only get her alone he would—what the hell. He wouldn't know what to do.

An hour went by and it was starting to get dark. Then finally Leslie left. "I'll be back tomorrow." He told Sakura and Syaoran rolled his eyes.

…………….

She was in the kitchen getting dinner ready. He leaned against the counter; he had a look of uncertainty on his face that failed to escape Sakura's eyes.

"You look bothered Syaoran." She pointed out. "Don't worry your car will be fixed tomorrow."

He nodded turning his face aside.

"I should have never moved to the city, Leslie reminded me of what a wonderful place this is."

"Oh really." He said with bitter sarcasm.

"Today was a perfect summer day. It's a perfect day to be in love." She blushed.

She did not mean to make it so obvious. Syaoran inwardly agree, it was the best time to be in—love? Every moment was precious.

"Don't you want to help me make this soup?"

"Well, I can't cook, you know that."

She took his hand and pulled him closer to her "There is no such thing, just do as I say Syaoran and you'll be fine."

She gave him simple directions; he was doing well until he cut himself while trying to slice the onions.

"I'm sorry. Let me find a band aid. I wonder where mother puts the first aid kit." She searched for it relentless until she found it. She sat him down on the couch. She cringed at the sight of blood then took a deep breath.

"What's wrong?"

"I hate the sight of Blood."

He chuckled "Now that doesn't make sense, you're a woman."

"So?"

"You should be used to the sight of blood."

Sakura hit him on the shoulder 0_o..."You sexist pig." She smiled "Must you always be so silly Syaoran?"

She wrapped the band aid around his cut and ruffled his hair "There you go, all better." She said sounding like she was talking to a child.

The front door opened and Sakura's parents walked in. They both looked up at them.

"You prepared dinner. Sorry we're late; the funeral took forever to end.

"Uh..."XD

...............

Later that evening, while Sakura was helping her mother in the kitchen. Fujitaka sat Syaoran down for a man to man talk. "I need you to take care of her. I always worry about her."

Syaoran shook his head "I will, I promise."

"A real man always puts his wife first and remember, she's always right...even when she is wrong." He smiled "But I'm sure your father has already told you this."

Syaoran paused "Of course." The truth would be 'No, my father hates me. He thinks I'm useless, he couldn't care less to have such talks with me.'

"I know Sakura very well, she might appear like a simple girl on the outside but just like any other woman, she wants to be spoilt. Never forget birthdays, and anniversaries and to pay for cable."

Syaoran shook his head "Yes Sir."

"You'll be alright. When Nadeshiko and I got married, we didn't know what we were doing. But we have been married for 25 years."

Syaoran nodded.

"I hope you are as decent as you appear."

"Yes." Syaoran started to sweat. He was anything but decent.

...................

Inside, Nadeshiko walked into Sakura's bedroom. She caught Sakura flipping though an old diary. She was holding a large white box which she placed on the bed right next to Sakura. "What's this?" She asked hardly averting her gaze.

"This day came earlier than I thought. I know most girls have an idea of what their dream wedding dress will be like." She paused "It would mean so much to me if you wore mine."

Sakura froze, she could not move. She felt guilty. She wanted to tell her that it was a shared. "Mom...there is no..."

Nadeshiko took hold of Sakura's hands "Just try it on. I know he can afford you a better one but...just try it on. You don't have to wear it."

"That's not it" she stood up slowly. She managed a smirk "I'll try it on."

She quickly undressed and put it on. While her mother helped her with the zip she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was pleased and indeed it was a beautiful dress but...she was not getting married.

"You're beautiful, Syaoran would be blown away."

She smiled tracing her hands of her torso "He adores you."
Sakura arched an eyebrow. 'He does not adore me.' she thought.

"I see the way he looks at you. Like you are the only person who exists. He makes it so obvious."

Sakura wanted to laugh, the only thing Syaoran made obvious was the fact that he was the ultimate liar.

"Does he treat you well?"

She nodded slowly.

"I'm worried his parents won't like me."

"Sakura, they will love you and if they don't...it doesn't matter what matters is that he loves you." She rested her head on Sakura's shoulder "What I need to know is...do you love him?"

Sakura stood there, confused...not sure how to answer this question. She had managed to resist an absolute answer, what now?

"I'm your mother, I'll know if you're lying.

.........................

To be continued.

Disclaimer: I do not own ccs

Hi all, thanx for the reviews. It's not much but please support my story.

AND I DO NOT, "borrow plots and premises from Koreanovelas". I have never watched a Koreanoveala in my life, nor am I Korean (Just for your info) All my stories are my ideas. Of course I occasionally get inspired from the music I listen to. For instance "My paper heart" is the title of a song by the All American Rejects. "Lovers in Japan" is a song by Coldplay- it's actually lovers in Japan/Reign of love from the viva la vida album. I get so irritated when people (You know who you are) accuse me of stealing plots like I said, these are all my ideas..

…… ^_^bii