Chapter Eleven
Meet the Sweet Taste of Revenge
Revenge can be taken
with several meanings.
For instance: to hurt someone else,
or to make yourself feel better.
January 2020 – Tomoeda, Japan
Third period had already started, and Tomiko stepped on the school grounds for the first time after the Christmas holiday. The few students that still lingered outside noticed her with wide eyes, and immediately avoided eye contact by looking at the ground in front of their feet. She got the message, they were afraid of her. But she wondered... She never got caught for the elevator accident, the attack of her men on Sakura and all the small things she did, because she had a strong alibi and a lot of money. But it seemed everyone knew she did it. It would only be a matter of time before it came out in the open.
The only reason none of those scared students spoke against her was exactly that: they were scared. Scared if they did speak, she would get them before she got caught. And she would. She had enough money to buy herself out if necessary, and then she would get her revenge.
When she entered the school, and walked through the hallways, she saw Kinomoto Sakura laughing happily with some of her friends. They sat in a classroom and the teacher obviously went out for a bit. Seeing her laughing so carelessly with still so many friends around her, made Tomiko only want to hurt her more.
On the side, she saw Yoko, sitting all alone, busy writing something down. She hoped the girl took notes of what Sakura said. They desperately needed to think of something new. After all that happened to Sakura, she still acted like this, which could only mean she was stronger than expected. They had to come up with something to make sure no one stood by her side anymore.
She would like to hurt her friends, so no one would want to be Sakura's friend anymore, but then again, neither would they want to be her friend. She decided to talk to Yoko, Miki and Naomi after school, to see what they could think of. Pleased with her conclusion, she walked pass Sakura's classroom, towards her own.
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'Ah, I wished Christmas hadn't ended so soon.' Chiharu sighed, walking beside Sakura and Naoko towards the canteen. She had spent Christmas with Yamasaki, and had enjoyed every moment of it. Yamazaki always acted differently around her when their friends weren't around. More serious, even though he would never stop telling his lies.
'I agree,' Naoko said dreamingly. 'I found a few old books with ghost stories, but didn't get the chance to finish them.'
Chiharu sighed deeply. 'You're in love with your books. Why not find yourself a boyfriend?'
Sakura giggled, linking arms with Naoko. Chiharu was right, but it didn't feel right to say "find a boyfriend". 'Don't worry Naoko, books have a lot more to say than most men.'
That earned her a playful glare from Chiharu, who also linked her arm with Naoko. 'But a lot of books are written by men. This means writers have a lot to say.'
'Eh...' Naoko tried to come in between, without success. Her friends practically dragged her towards the canteen. Other student already gave them strange looks.
'So you need a writer as a boyfriend.' Chiharu continued.
Sakura nodded in agreement; made sense to her. 'Or someone who works in a bookstore.' They must have a lot to tell, too.'
It really did make sense, Naoko thought, but couldn't she say something to? 'I already have met someone.' It came out softly, like a whisper, but her friends heard nonetheless.
'Eh..!?' They exclaimed in unison. 'You have?' Chiharu asked, surprised.
Naoko nudged her in the ribs. 'Don't be so surprised! Anyway, we are not dating yet, he only told me he liked me.'
'And do you like him to?' Sakura asked. She already stopped walking and blocked the hallway.
Naoko nodded, not daring to look at them.
'And is he a writer?' Chiharu added jokingly.
Another nod. 'He writes ghost stories.'
'And does he work in a bookstore?' Sakura asked excited.
'He has his own bookstore here in Tomoeda.'
'Wow!' Sakura hugged Naoko in a moment of happiness for her friend, and Chiharu followed after. They started walking again, when students asked them to clear the road.
'Then we were right!' Chiharu was pleased with herself. 'How old is he, if he owns a bookstore? And what is his name?'
They entered the canteen, looking for their friends. 'His name is Aki, and he is only 26, but inherited the shop. His father is ill, and can't run it anymore.' Her tone made sure the subject was closed and she quickly joined Eriol en Syaoran at their table, her curious friends following her suit. Soon after, Yamazaki, Tomoyo and Rika joined them. Ted came over for a moment, wondering where Nakuru hided. No one knew, but did want to know if anything happened over Christmas, between those two. Sadly enough, Ted only shrugged and sped away.
'Their relationship is getting nowhere, at this pace.' Chiharu said seriously and the other girls nodded in agreement.
They ate in silence, and Sakura let her thoughts drift away. It was such a good thing to find someone you could love. Naoko might not want to talk about it further, but she had been giddy all day, and now Sakura knew why. It might even be that Ted and Nakuru had hooked up, though she doubted that at the moment.
It showed her that, if she wanted a chance in love as well, she had to confess her love. But then again, confessing was kind of scary. She glanced at Syaoran for a short moment. He ate his lunch quietly, his eyes seemingly focused on the book in his right hand. Just as she wanted to turn her gaze away, he looked up and stared directly in her eyes. A blush appeared and she quickly focused on her lunch once more.
A second glance, from behind the bangs of hair, learned that he read his book again, but a smile tugged his lips upwards. The blush on her cheeks increased, and she refused to take another look. The others didn't seem to notice, except of course, for Tomoyo, who winked happily at her.
Sakura got a little confused now. Why did Syaoran look back, and why did that make him smile? Strange enough, it only made her want to be closer to him. He had such a nice smile. She would have called it cute, but knew very well that men didn't want to be called cute. They seemed to think it affected their manliness or something like that. But nevertheless, she got that warm feeling in her chest, just by seeing him smile.
Would he feel the same as she did? Feel something different when he saw her or exactly the same as when he saw Tomoyo, for instance?
And when would Tomoyo finally learn not to notice every little thing that went on?
Sakura decided at that moment that she had to confess to him, before Tomoyo tried to meddle. If that love-addicted-friend-of-hers did, Sakura didn't know for certain if she could confess in a normal manner. For as far as confessing could be normal.
Confessing to Syaoran meant a big step forward for Sakura, and she needed to do this alone. Not with Tomoyo meddling between them, trying to help them in her own strange and wicked way.
But first, she had to muster up enough courage, and then she had to speak to him alone. The latter was not a problem, because they still trained every morning, before school. But then again, confessing while being all sweaty wouldn't prompt him to answer positively.
And what if he didn't feel the same? Would he still want to be friends? Would he still want to train her? Or would he be bothered with it then?
But somewhere, deep inside herself, she knew that it would be okay; knew that this feeling was mutual. But also, that he would never confess to her, knowing that she could run away, like she did in the past. After all, she had told Meilin how she thought about boyfriends, and Meilin, without doubt, told Syaoran.
Such bright insight... That wasn't something that she normally had. She had always been very negative concerning herself, no confidence about her own feelings, or the feelings others had for her. The people around her needed to tell her directly what they thought, or else she would wonder about it herself and conclude in the wrong manner.
The only people she knew well enough to always know what went on in their minds were her father, Touya, Tomoyo and now Syaoran.
Strange enough, she realized that she had known Syaoran's feelings for a while now, but never allowed herself to believe it, scared of the idea that someone liked her enough to make advances.
Suddenly, she wanted desperately to tell him her feelings. She felt no nervousness, nor angst or uneasiness. She knew for certain that he was the right one for her. In fact, she had never been so sure of anything before.
But it was kind of strange though. She never meant for herself to admit her love to someone. She never even wanted to! But somehow, the events had changed her mind on this matter, or maybe Syaoran made the change. Not that it wouldn't be difficult to confess. She still had to take that giant leap forward before she could do it, but now she knew that she was at least able to take that step.
Meanwhile, the blush on her cheeks had disappeared, and she dared to look around again. Right at that moment, Kuromori Tomiko came by their table, giving her a superbly made false smile, before walking further. Sakura's just build up confidence crumbled down too fast for her to build up again. She did manage to send a much sweeter smile back at her, though. Tomiko's smile faltered a bit and she turned around and walked away.
Unfortunately, that one smile made her feel helpless and scared. Sending Tomiko away like that didn't make her feel any better. Tomoyo smiled encouraging at her, telling her that she did well, but the concern was visible in Syaoran's eyes. The others hadn't noticed Tomiko at all.
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Where are they? Tomiko fumed lividly, stomping through the halls, scaring the last few students away. She just visited the classroom where they normally gathered after school, but Yoko, Miki and Naomi were not there. She waited for ten minutes, before getting mad and calling them, but their phones were shut off.
What are they thinking?! They knew perfectly well that she didn't like to wait, let alone to go searching for them. They had some nerve to pull this on her. In her anger, she nearly missed them. They entered a classroom at the end of the hall. She hastened the last strokes towards them, hearing they were welcomed by a teacher. Before they could close the door, they noticed her standing behind them.
Tomiko noticed that Miki glanced between her and the teacher and Naomi shuffled with her feet. Yoko remained perfectly calm, though. 'I'm sorry, Mr. Tanaku, it seems we made our friend wait. Please allow us to continue this conversation on a different time.'
The teacher nodded, but not understanding at all. They had just called him out saying they needed to talk to him, and now they left him standing here.
The four of them walked away, Tomiko in front, Yoko half a step behind, Naomi and Miki following a bit later. When they reached school gate, Tomiko's limo already stood ready and drove them towards the Kuromori Residence. The entire way back, she didn't say a word towards her three underlings. She still fumed visibly.
Safely in her room, knowing no one could hear them, Tomiko broke loose. 'What were you guys doing? I waited for ten minutes! Ten minutes, for god's sake! And for what; a teacher?'
She paced through her stylish decorated room. Most of it was black and white, strict and abstract. The accessories where very expensive, varying from her silver mirror, a wardrobe, imbedded with rubies and the golden frame with pictures of herself.
While Miki and Naomi trembled, Yoko answered. 'The teacher wanted to speak to us, that's all. We asked him to postpone it till tomorrow morning, but he said he did not have any time then.'
'You should have just walked away.' Tomiko pointed a finger towards Yoko, but the girl didn't back down.
'Don't exaggerate, Tomiko. It were just a few minutes, we didn't let you wait for hours.' Before Tomiko could respond, she quickly continued. 'Anyway, you must have something up your sleeve if you're so angry like this.'
That calmed her down, and her own cold self returned. 'Yes, Kinomoto irritates me. We locked her up, we broke her bones, but she is still popular. Instead of her bones, I want to break her spirit, but I'm out of ideas.'
Miki trembled. 'B-break her spirit?'
She got misunderstood. While Miki really hated this idea, Tomiko thought she didn't understand what it meant. 'Yes Miki, break her spirit. I want her to go mentally ill, that she won't do anything that normal people do, make her retarded. No one, not even her close friends would stay at her side then. It would be a true victory.'
The glint in Tomiko's eyes made a chill ran over Yoko's back, but she didn't show it. She played along as best as she could. They already decided what would benefit them most. All they had to do now was play along. 'That would be a victory, but it won't be easy to do. Kinomoto is stronger than we expected. To break her spirit... would take a lot.'
'Yes, I know. Think of something by tomorrow. And this time, don't let me wait.' She shot a glare at the three friends and turned her back on them. This was her indication for them to leave the room, and go home.
They left her house, and once they were at a safe distance, they stopped to talk.
'It's as we expected.' Naomi said, regaining her normal, assured posture. She didn't entirely played to be scared, but did exaggerate it.
Yoko nodded. 'So are we going to do this?' She looked her two friends in the eyes, as they both nodded. For a moment they grabbed each other's hands in unison and then went towards their destination.
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The room was dimly lit, making it seem gloomier than normal. The most light came from the TV and computer screen. On the bed in the corner Eriol slept calmly, hugging Tomoyo's sheets around him. His glasses lay on the night table beside him, on top of the book he had tried to read, before sleep took over him. The clock on the other side of the bed pointed at ten past six.
Tomoyo sat behind the computer, trying to put some order in everything she videotaped so far. She had planned to lie down next to Eriol, and talk some, but decided to let him sleep. After all, he looked so adorable while sleeping.
A soft yet firm knock on the door startled her. She had focused too much on the screen, where at this moment the kiss could be seen that Sakura gave Syaoran in the first minute of the New Year. She was sure that Sakura had no idea that she managed to videotape that moment. Well, after all these years, she mastered the skill of hiding her camera while filming.
When she opened her door, one of the butlers stood in front of her. 'Miss Tomoyo, there are three students waiting at the front door for you, asking to have a moment of your time.'
Tomoyo nodded and went downstairs, wondering who they could be. It took her a while to reach the front door, because the mansion she lived in was too big to be healthy. Her mother worked a lot at home, and enlarged the house for her costumers needs.
In the hall stood three students, under the supervision of one of her bodyguards. A frown appeared on her face when she recognized Yoko, Naomi and Miki. Three girls she did not exactly want to see. She did not hide her hostility. 'You've got some nerve coming here. What do you want from me?' At these words, the bodyguard clipped her fingers and two more arrived, just for safety.
The girls all bowed their heads for a moment, but Yoko took the word. 'Daidouji, please hear us out. We have come to you for help, to prevent further damage to you friend, Kinomoto Sakura. We do not know how to contact her outside of school, so we came to you instead. We really need to talk to you about Tomiko.'
A shiver went down her spine, and Tomoyo did not know what to do for a short moment. She didn't trust these girls, but if it concerned Sakura... On the other hand, it could be a trap. 'I'll listen to you in my room. Sasaki, please wait with three outside the room and be on guard.' Tomoyo directed her bodyguards and motioned the girls to follow her. Her guards followed directly after.
She let them wait outside for a moment, so Tomoyo could wake Eriol up. Strange enough, he already sat on a chair with a serious look, the lights turned on, the screens shut off. Eriol had a knack of knowing what went on without telling him so, but Tomoyo quickly explained nonetheless before letting the girls in. She didn't offer them to sit down, but let them stand. 'Explain.' She said, standing behind Eriol, her hand on his shoulder.
They nodded their heads towards Eriol, and again Yoko took the word. 'Since the beginning, we have sided with Tomiko. We had our reasons, but that doesn't matter. We're not nice or friendly, but even we think Tomiko has gone too far. The last attack on Kinomoto was planned by her, as well as the elevator accident. But she is not satisfied yet, and wants to take it a step further, by trying to break her spirit. She doesn't have a plan yet, but expects us to come up with one tomorrow after school.'
'But we do not want to continue this.' Naomi added. Miki only nodded.
'Go on.' Eriol said. He had a firm look in his eyes and motioned them to tell more. Tomoyo's grip had tightened on his shoulder.
'We have nothing against Kinomoto, and don't want to see this happen. We want you to tell her, and make sure nothing can happen to her. And for that we offer our help, although we do not know what we can do.'
Eriol and Tomoyo let it sink in for a moment, before asking questions. 'Why are you changing sides?' It was something Tomoyo could not understand. She didn't like them, but they were friends with Tomiko. It was a strange thing to abandon your friend.
'I asked them to.' Miki said looking straight at them. Of the three, she was the most unsecure and mostly let others do the talking and thinking. For her to speak out was rare. 'I do not like to hurt others, and Kinomoto has never done us any wrong. I kind of liked how she always stood up for Hiji's latest prey, so I do not want her to get hurt more than this. Yoko and Naomi agreed with me.'
Her friends nodded and Naomi spoke. 'We have been friends since forever. The decision of one, goes for us all.'
'If you don't like what she does, then why haven't you stood up against her?' Eriol demanded to know.
A shiver went through the little group. 'We were scared.' Yoko answered. 'Tomiko is a very strange person. She does things for reasons we don't understand. She can freak out over little things and is not afraid to hurt others. Revenge is something she likes, whether it is against friends or foes.'
'We were already too deep into it. If Tomiko finds out about this, we are in big trouble.' Naomi held Miki's hand, which trembled visibly. 'We don't want to be hurt either, so we stayed at her side for safety. Though, we did try to talk to a teacher about it, but Tomiko found out so we couldn't continue.'
Tomoyo's eyebrows rose up and her eyes seemed on fire. 'But you hurt my Sakura! How can you say you don't like to hurt or be hurt, after all that you've done? Even if you change sides now, I won't ever forgive you!' She wanted to say a lot more, wanted to scream and yell, but Eriol's hand on hers prevented that. She held on to that hand in comfort.
'We don't ask for forgiveness, only for your help. This needs to be stopped before something happens that can't ever heal.' Yoko sounded angry as well. The path that they had taken might be the right path, but the most dangerous as well. They risked a lot, coming here and betray Tomiko.
'We need to tell Syaoran about this.' Eriol said to his girlfriend.
A murderous look appeared in her eyes. 'Yes, let's do that! I'm sure he would kick the hell out of them.'
Eriol rolled his eyes at her. 'He's more sensible than that. But he holds more power than us and might come up with a decent plan.'
'Whatever you choose, I beg of you to do it before tomorrow after school. Then Tomiko will decide what to do.' Miki said, still with a scared look in her eyes.
'I'll call him right now.'
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Syaoran paced around in Tomoyo's purple room. Everything he just heard shocked him, although they had all expected it somewhat. He had believed for a long time that Kuromori wasn't as bad as Tomoyo made them believe. That she had nothing to do with the attack on Sakura. He had always disliked her, but hadn't thought she would be that rotten. But this proved him wrong.
He couldn't follow her train of thoughts, couldn't understand as to why she had done it. It was less hard to understand why Yoko, Naomi and Miki had done what they did. He didn't agree with everything, be he understood their reasons.
If they hadn't decided to turn sides, this might have continued for a long time. But now, they had the proof of Kuromori's actions. They would willingly tell the police and lawyers what they knew, even though they knew very well they would be punished as well.
But they had to go to the police now, even though the station would be closed by now. Kuromori had to be arrested before she heard of this and could do something about it. After all, she was not only spoilt, but had a lot of money and a lot of connections. She would be able to create an alibi if she got wind of this.
But she wasn't the only one with connections. He could achieve a lot with just one phone call. But before that... 'We need to tell Sakura first. I can make sure Kuromori is placed under arrest by the end of today, but I do not know what Sakura thinks of this. Her father and brother need to know beforehand too.'
After this statement, they all took action immediately. Tomoyo grabbed her camcorder, ordered her bodyguards to arrange a protected car and grabbed her jacket. Eriol shoved the three girls out of the room and turned off the lights, while Syaoran called Sakura while walking downstairs. He didn't tell her what went on, but only that they all had to speak to her, her father and her brother. She promised to make sure they were home by the time they arrived.
When they arrived half an hour later, Fujitaka opened the door and let the group in. Right behind his father stood Touya. He welcomed Tomoyo, gave Eriol a short nod of is head but glared at Syaoran, blocking his way in the small house. 'I don't like you being here, gaki.' He fully ignored his father, who told him to be nice towards the guests.
'This is not the time for a glaring competition, Touya. We have important matters to discuss.' Syaoran tried his best not to glare himself. He really didn't have time for this.
'Important matters? If you are trying to ask Sakura's hand in marriage, then you can forget it!'
At that moment, Sakura herself showed up behind him and stomped on his foot with more power than she usually did. While Touya hopped around on one foot, Sakura let Syaoran in. The others were already inside. 'Don't mind him.' she said, giving him a smile, before sending her brother a glare. Syaoran silently wondered what exactly he didn't have to mind. Touya's foul behavior, or not getting her hand in marriage. But these were not thoughts to be concerned by now.
They went inside, followed by a grumpy Touya, and sat down in the living room. Before starting, Syaoran quickly explained who Yoko, Miki and Naomi were. The three looked around in amazement of the size of the Kinomoto residence. They were rich themselves, so such a tiny house was new for them.
Syaoran told everyone the story, from the beginning till the current situation, and then the idea of what to do next. Fujitaka trembled visibly, wondering why his little girl had to go through all this. Touya fumed lividly, and really wanted to twist the necks of the three girls. They shrunk visibly under his glare and crawled together for safety. One word of Sakura made him restrain himself, luckily for them.
Everyone waited for Sakura to respond. Her eyes were focused on the cup of tea she held in her hands, seemingly not concerned with her surroundings. 'I don't know.' she said after a while. 'I don't wish her anything bad, but this can't continue either.'
'How can you not wish her anything bad?' Tomoyo asked, slamming her cup on the table, creating a dent in the wood. 'Sorry, Fujitaka. I'll get you a new one.'
Fujitaka only shrugged, meaning it wasn't a problem, while Sakura spoke. 'Well, her mind is already messed up. What good would it do to make it worse?'
'She would get a fair trial, just like everyone in court.' Eriol said.
Sakura thought for a bit, before deciding. 'A fair trial it is. But I want them to get a fair trial as well.' She pointed at the three girls. 'They made the right choice by coming to tell Tomoyo, I'm sure they have a good heart.'
'You're too nice...' Tomoyo and Touya muttered at the same time.
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The office was brightly lit and ordered. It didn't feel good to be here. It felt like this was almost the end of all her misery. She just had to get to this last stage, and then it would be over. But somehow, this last stage seemed more difficult than everything else. To actually turn Tomiko in, to turn Yoko, Miki, Naomi and even Ryan in, didn't feel as good as she would have thought a while ago.
The officer who sat in front of her asked her questions, recorded it and took notes. Questions about her past and about everything that happened; the important things concerning Tomiko and her underlings, but also about her situation at home, at school, with her friends and family.
In another office, they heard out Yoko, Miki, Naomi, and even Tomoyo, Eriol, Syaoran, her father and brother. They would probably get the same sort of questions. She wondered how they felt. It was not a nice experience to relive everything that had happened. It hadn't only happened to her, but also to the others.
Her brother got a great shock when hearing all that happened to his little sister. It ate at him every day, made him nervous en protective of her. A part of the pain she felt, he took in.
The concern her father had for her, the anxiousness, sadness and sorrow he must have felt for his only daughter. He had been scared several times to lose her, just like he had lost his wife. The pain that caused scarred him for life.
Eriol and Tomoyo had been with her for a long time, watched over her, always worried for her safety, and at the same time always tried to give her a, as normal as possible, life. All the times they comforted her, let her cry on their shoulders... it hadn't been easy for them these years.
And Syaoran got thrown in the middle of it. He befriended her, comforted her and talked with her. He had taken such an important place in her life, and shared a lot of her misery. He gave her back the feeling of love, and she could only hope she could give it back to him as well.
Sakura sighed deeply and gave the officer an answer on all his questions. It was only eight o'clock in the morning. Syaoran had called yesterday night, arranging everything that had to be done, before the police could take Tomiko in. Since it was already late back then, they promised to start early this morning. They had promised to take care of Yoko, Miki and Naomi until Tomiko had arrived, so that Tomiko couldn't pull any stunts on them.
She nearly talked two hours to the officer, before she could return to the others. When she opened the door of the office, she was greeted by her friends and family. Another officer brought them to a waiting room, where they could drink some coffee and wait for the conclusion.
A while later they got the news that a team had pulled out to arrest Tomiko. A sigh of relieve washed over the room and everyone relaxed visibly. The silence they were in stopped and small talk could be heard again.
Sakura sat in the center of attention, but soon grew tired of it. They said more than needed to be said. Only Syaoran and Touya didn't participate in talking to her. They sat both on the other side of the room, having a glaring competition. It was an even match, because although Syaoran was more trained in glaring, Touya disliking for his opponent was more livid.
Sakura sweat dropped at the sight of it and decided to pour everyone another cup of coffee. An hour passed without anything happening at all. Once in a while an officer came by to see if everything went well. Syaoran wanted to stretch his legs, and Sakura opted to accompany him. When they left, Touya's glare surpassed Syaoran's by far.
When the door closed they both sighed deeply. 'I thought I could never get out.' Sakura told him, giving him a smile. He smiled back and started to walk. After a few turns, they could hear a well known voice just ahead. Syaoran gave Sakura a questioning look, and she nodded. They turned the last corner and stood eye in eye with Tomiko.
The anger Tomiko emitted surpassed the anger they normally felt from her. She still wore her uniform shoes, and looked like she was taken by surprise. Her eyes stood bewildered, her fist clenched, and she yelled at the officers.
When she noticed Sakura, hell broke loose. 'You stupid bitch! You'll pay for this!' Before the officers could stop her, Tomiko spit in Sakura's face. Her arm rose to hit her, but Syaoran jumped between and grabbed her arm, before she could do more damage. The officers quickly took over and dragged her to the office. For safety, they handcuffed her, which only made her angrier.
Sakura cleaned her face by wiping it off with her sweater. Syaoran had turned around to see how she coped, but instead of a crying girl, he saw a confused, yet angry one. 'That was gross.' she said, reached for the door Tomiko just went through and smashed it open.
The officers inside looked up startled. That's what you get for not locking the door. Sakura marched in, smacked her hands on the table in front of Tomiko, bent over and looked her in the eyes. For the first time, Sakura saw a bit of fear in her eyes. Handcuffed and not able to defend herself, she had every reason to be scared. But Sakura wouldn't dare hurting her. It just wasn't her thing. 'What was that for, Kuromori? What did I ever do to you?' Sakura didn't yell, but talked soft and clearly. But her eyes told Tomiko that Sakura did her best not to lash out. 'You hate me ever since we met, but what for? I've never done you wrong; I never hurt you, never stood in your way. So why do you hate me that much? To lock me up, break my bones, throw me of the stairs and tackle me in the hallways, to spit in my face. Tell me, what for?'
One look between Syaoran and the head officer, made sure they let Sakura talk. He knew very well that she wouldn't hurt Tomiko physically. Tomiko on the other hand, was not so sure. At least, she didn't dare to spit in Sakura's face again, even though there were just a few centimeters between their faces.
'You took what's mine.' She spat angry.
'And what might that be? I haven't taken anything for a long while.' Sakura had really no idea what she could have taken from Tomiko.
'My position in school, of course. In the past, I was the most important, everything revolted around me. But here, you have that position, while it belongs to me.'
Sakura hung her head for a moment, letting out a laugh. 'That's all? That's all the reason you got? You nearly killed me because of that? Let me tell you, Kuromori, you are wrong. I haven't taken anything. I went to this school, years before you arrived. If I had that position, then I had it before you came around, so I haven't taken it from you. But most of all, we're two opposites; you crave for a different kind of position than I do. I would never have, or want, the position that you want so badly.
'All I wanted was to stop the bullying, while you wanted to continue it on a higher level. The students respected me for my role in the school hierarchy, while they were scared of your role. No one wanted to give you any positive attention, but scared as to what you might do next, they all allowed your rule of terror. The only reason why I got more attention than you, was because everyone knew, I would never hurt them, only help them.'
Sakura looked Tomiko in the eyes for another few seconds, not knowing what to say more. She already said everything she ever wanted to tell her. She stood rigid, nodded at the police officers, before leaving the room.
In the hallway, her friends and family had gathered. Syaoran stood in the middle, as he had just explained what went on, and to ask them not to interfere. But they obviously all heard the heated conversation. Suddenly Sakura felt really tired of it all. She walked towards them, threw her hands around Syaoran's middle and buried her face in his chest. 'Syaoran, I want to go home...' she muttered. Syaoran held her close in response, giving her all his comfort. It surprised him a bit that she hugged him, but he certainly wouldn't complain.
'Why is she hugging him?' Touya asked no one in particular, but everyone ignored him. He couldn't do anything against it though, for Sakura started, and not the gaki.
And of course, no one noticed that Tomoyo videotaped every detail. Except for Eriol, who stood behind her, rolling his eyes for his girlfriend's strange hobbies.
When Sakura let go of Syaoran, Fujitaka spoke. 'I'll ask if it's okay to go.' He walked away, and the group went to the coffee room again. Sakura stayed close to Syaoran when they walked, not touching him, though just barely. When Fujitaka returned he didn't close the door. 'They said everyone can go, except for Sakura and me. Eriol, can you bring Touya home?'
Eriol nodded, and directed Tomoyo, Syaoran and an offended Touya out the door, after saying their goodbyes. 'Why can't I stay?' Touya asked his father.
'Now, Touya. Just listen to me this one time.'
'Fine.' he grumbled. 'But I do not like to ride in the same car as the gaki and the creep.'
When they had left the room, Fujitaka took place besides his daughter. 'Tell me, Sakura, how are you feeling now.'
Sakura knew immediately it would be one of those father-daughter-talks. 'Drained, most of all.' She knew better than to lie to her father. She could tell him anything, and he would still love her. 'It's finally coming to an end and I'm not sure what happens afterwards. It all happened so soon and sudden, I've hardly had time to register it.'
'It's not really going fast, Sakura, for it started almost five years ago.' He tried to comfort her and put his arm around his daughters shoulder.
'That's not what I mean. Just yesterday I thought this could go on for many months, and I was scared of what would happen in the next hour. And then suddenly, within half a day, Yoko, Miki and Naomi turn themselves over, Tomiko is arrested, and even Ryan has been interrogated. I didn't even have to do anything myself, it just... happened.'
'But isn't that a good thing?'
Sakura rest her head against his shoulders. 'I'm not sure, I guess so. But it doesn't feel right that I didn't solve my own problems. I'm glad it is over, but I am not proud of myself for that.'
'Don't worry about that, my dear. For me, your brother and all your friends, the only thing that matters is that the culprit is caught, and she can't hurt you anymore. How it happens, is not our concern, it only matters that you are save, and found happiness.'
'Happiness?'
Fujitaka stroked her hair and looked at her with a tender smile. 'Don't you really like that boy? Don't tell me that I don't know when my own daughter is in love.'
She smiled back at him, although a small blush colored her cheeks. 'You know me too well, dad.'
'That's why I am your father. Shall I speak to Touya about it? I'm sure that once he knows your feelings, he won't pick a fight with him anymore.'
'Thanks, dad, but I like to do that myself. I haven't even told Syaoran yet, I think he needs to know first.'
'Alright dear, tell me when you've confessed, alright?'
'I will.'
The door opened and an officer walked in. He gave a surprised look when he noticed them. 'Are you still here? I thought we gave you permission to leave. We'll contact you as soon as we need you, or if there is anything you must know about.' He pointed at the door, indicating it really was time to leave.
Fujitaka stood up, thanked the officer and walked out the building. Sakura ran after him. 'I thought you said they still wanted us to stay?' She asked confused, before getting in the car.
'I lied, sorry. I just wanted to talk to you, without Touya running around us.' He gave that fatherly smile again and opened the car door. Sakura let out a laugh and got in the car on the passenger seat. She had never known her father had this side as well.
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Syaoran sat at the steering wheel, Touya next to him, Eriol and Tomoyo in the back. It was awkwardly quiet in the car, and Touya still fumed a bit about how he ended up here. Syaoran planned on taking him home first, but when he turned the indicator on, Touya stopped him. 'Take the others home first, I need to talk to you.'
Syaoran did what he said, and turned the other way. He dropped Eriol and Tomoyo at school, since they still had half a day left and school wouldn't end till five this afternoon. Dropping them first meant he had to ride back afterwards, but if Touya wanted to talk to him… They drove away, but Touya refuse to talk, before he got home.
They got out of the car but Touya certainly didn't invite him inside. Instead he started to talk with the car still between them. 'I want to know what your intentions are with my sister.' He demanded, looking him straight in the eye, not all that friendly.
That amused Syaoran. It suggested that Touya would consider accepting him as some kind of brother-in-law. Though, he wasn't sure if he actually meant that. 'To make her happy, of course.' He answered. 'But how I do that, depends on her.'
'Explain.'
'I love her. Honestly.' He added when Touya's glare deepened. 'I'm quite sure she at least likes me too, but I don't know if she'll willingly enter a relationship, after all that happened. If not, I'll just stay her friend and be there for her in that manner. But if she does...' He gave him a wicked grin. 'You know what couples do.'
This gave the expected reaction from Touya. He exploded. Luckily for Syaoran, the car still stood between them. 'No, but seriously. If she does, I'll give my all to make her the happiest girl in the world. And I think I will be able to do that.'
Touya did his best to control his anger. He knew very well that the brat irritated him on purpose, but he wasn't able to completely ignore it. Actually, not at all. But he did believe that his words were sincere. Whether he liked it or not, Sakura made clear that she liked him. And if the gaki was her choice of man... then so be it. 'I'm not happy. My sister is very important to me, and I do not like her flying in your arms. I rather have she chose a decent person. But if she does choose you, then I warn you. If I find out that she's not the happiest girl in the world, I'll tear you apart, limp for limp. Heir of Li, or not.'
The treat hung in the air, but before Syaoran could respond Fujitaka's car arrived, Sakura sitting next to him. Immediately, Touya ignored Syaoran and gave his attention to his family. Syaoran waited besides the car, repeating Touya's words in his mind. It didn't matter. If Sakura wanted to be with him, that would already mean that she was happy. Or else, she wouldn't want to overcome her fear of relationships.
After a few minutes Sakura walked up to him, Fujitaka and Touya following after her. 'Do you still want to go to school, or are you going to stay here?' He asked her. 'Tomoyo and Eriol are already there. The others would probably want to ask you what happened.'
'Hm, I think I better tell them myself, before Eriol and Yamazaki change the whole setting. They're pretty good at that.' She smiled at him. 'Just let me get my schoolbag.' She already wore her school uniform, out of habit. Though it seemed that her friends had the same strange habit. They even brought their schoolbags. She ran inside, grabbed her bag and hurried back. She could just hear her father thanking Syaoran for his help in the happenings of the last two days. Without him, it probably wouldn't have gone so fast.
'I was glad to be of help.' Syaoran responded. Sakura gave her father a hug and went in the car. Syaoran also said goodbye and drove off, towards school.
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Days went by without trouble. She soon got the hang of her normal routine. She woke up early, trained with Syaoran, went to school together, stayed there till the end, talked with her friends, and laughed again. She started going to cheerleader practice again, as well as other club activities.
There were just some little differences. Tomiko wasn't there anymore, and even Yoko, Naomi, Miki and Ryan were absent. Hiji didn't feel the urge to bully anyone anymore, after seen what could happen, so everything was peaceful.
But the day of the trial neared rapidly, and Sakura didn't look forward to it. Eriol tried to explain her, what happened at court, but she just couldn't understand it. The only thing she remembered from his explanations was that she had to come forward when they called her, do exactly as they asked her to, and answer everything with the truth. It only made her more nervous, especially because there would be many people she knew.
While waiting for that day, Sakura focused really hard on her studies. After all that had happened in the last half year, she abandoned her study books quite a lot. When the last test results came out, she had three make up tests to do. They tests took place the day before the trial, so Sakura had little time thinking about it and studied instead.
She was so busy, that she found no time to confess to Syaoran, and decided to tell after the trial. She convinced herself that it made sense, and she wasn't postponing it out of fear.
When the day of the trial finally arrived, she was exhausted from staying up late all those days to study. That, and her emotions running high, made that she hardly registered what happened there. She listened throughout the entire ordeal, answered every question that they asked her with the truth, but still had a difficult time staying awake.
She didn't miss the outcome, though. When the judged declared Tomiko guilty, relieve washed over her. She vaguely noticed the relieved faces of her friends, her father and brother. The judge told Tomiko her sentence, which was much heavier than that of Yoko, Miki and Naomi, who were also found guilty for their charge. Ryan came off with a punishment given by the school, for demolishing the elevator.
She had no time to sleep afterwards, though. Tomoyo arranged a huge feast at her house, to celebrate the good outcome of the trial. Not only she, Fujitaka, Touya, Syaoran and Eriol would come, but Tomoyo had also arranged table settings for others. Rika, Chiharu, Yamazaki, Naoko, Nakuru, Ted, Yukito, Kaho and Sonomi all joined in. Sakura got overwhelmed with hugs and comforting words.
Although Sakura enjoyed it immensely, and laughed till her heart's content, she also longed for some peace and quiet. It was her father who noticed and called it a night, sooner than most would have wanted. But even when Sakura was gone, the festivities went on.
When Sakura got home, she fell asleep, as soon as her head hit the pillow.
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'Ah, look at this, I got an A!' Sakura waved the test results in front of Chiharu's face. 'I knew I could do better than a D.'
Chiharu sighed and showed her own test results. She had also made the make-up-test. 'Why do you have an A, and I a B? It's not fair.' She grabbed both sheets and started to compare.
The bell rang, and Sakura dragged her friend out of the classroom. 'You have an appointment with Mizuki-sensei, remember? Better not be late. When you're ready, I'll be outside.' She shoved Chiharu unceremoniously in Mizuki's office and left her there.
The end of January neared, but today it was exceptional warm for this time of year. The sun shone and the ground was dry. Sakura took her jacket and went outside to sit under the oak-three. No one was there, so the others probably still had class, while she had one hour off.
She tried reading a book for a while, but the sun made her drowsy. She put the book back in her bag and sought a comfortable position in the grass. Soon after that she fell asleep.
She woke up by a honking car in the distance. When she opened her eyes, she noticed that she was not alone anymore. Syaoran sat next to her, reading a book, as usual. She observed him for a while, before letting him know she was awake. She noticed the serene mood that took over him. Since Tomiko was gone, he seemed more relaxed and in a better mood around strangers. The silence could be heard, as she stared at him. In fact, it was so quiet, that this would be a good opportunity to tell him how she felt. 'Good morning.'
Syaoran smiled and looked down on her, his amber eyes bored into hers. 'Good morning.'
She smiled back and gathered her courage. 'You know, Syaoran, I...'
At that moment Rika and Chiharu showed up next to them, chatting happily. They sat down next to them, not noticing they interrupted Sakura on a very import moment. Sakura's mouth hung open for a moment, before she turned on her back and said: 'Ah, forget it.'
Syaoran had no idea what she wanted to say, but before he could ask, Tomoyo stepped out from some bushes in front of them. She held her camera and looked agitated. 'Those girls got a complete wrong timing.' She muttered and went to sit next to Sakura, who blushed a nice shade of red. 'And next time, Sakura, not right after the bell rings.' She huffed, put the camera away and started on her lunch.
Sakura did her best to ignore her. She had probably slept longer than expected. Next time... well, next time she wouldn't try confessing on school. Or better, nowhere where Tomoyo could possibly be. How long had she been there already, spying on her? She had to look out for her.
In a few minutes, the group of friends was complete. Eriol sat next to his girlfriend and quickly stole some of her lunch. 'You know, Yelen called me last night.' He said to no one in particular, but Syaoran's head snapped up, a curious look on his face.
'She called you?' He remarked surprised.
Eriol nodded. 'Yes, asked me how everything went over here, and asked us to come skiing next holiday.' He made it sound nonchalantly, knowing it would irritate Syaoran.
And irritate him, it did. 'And she called you for that?' But he got ignored.
'I asked if we could take Sakura as well, because I know she loves skiing. Yelen really wanted to hear more about that. It seems Meilin already mentioned her.'
'Why didn't she call me?' Syaoran repeated unbelievingly.
Even Sakura got a little irritated by now. 'Eriol, you talk as if I'm not here.'
'Yelen said we must definitely bring Sakura. Your sisters are coming too, as well as Meilin and Ryu, and both their parents. She also said to bring Sakura's family, but I told her that would probably not work out, with Touya and you together.'
'It's my mother, so why did she call you?'
'How should I know, it's your mother.'
Syaoran choose to ignore the matter for now, not giving Eriol another chance to irritate him. 'And that means I'm supposed to go as well?'
'That's right.'
'And I don't have a say in this?' Eriol shook his head, and Syaoran sighed. 'I suppose I should have expected it, because it is family tradition to go skiing every year.' Well, since a few years, it was. His mother had decided this some years ago.
'Can I have a say in this?' Sakura asked, expecting the worst. And indeed Tomoyo shook her head decisively. 'You're in on this too, Tomoyo? Why, we just returned from a vacation in which I didn't have a say.'
'But it's fun! And don't worry about the money, because Yelen said it's her treat.' Tomoyo smiled broadly, already envisioning the next holiday.
But Sakura had enough. She really enjoyed the vacation in England, but disliked the idea of freeloading very much. And to do that a second time, really bothered her. 'I'm not going. It doesn't matter who pays, because I'm not going and I won't be persuaded this time.' To proof her point, she grabbed her bag and walked away from them, going to the classroom a bit earlier than usual. Her friends stared at her retreating back in disbelieve.
But she didn't look back, though, because she was really serious this time. Now Tomiko was gone, she should try to build up her life again. She didn't dare to do that after what happened four, nearly five years ago, and had always relied on others. But this time, she had to prove herself that she could take care of herself, no matter what had happened.
If she wanted to go skiing in the middle of nowhere, than she should work hard to be able to afford it. If everything went well, then she would only have to study till the end of this year. She would be able to get a well paying job after that, and pay everyone back who gave her money in the years she couldn't take care of herself.
She sat down in the class, on her regular table. No one arrived yet, because lunchtime wouldn't end for another twenty minutes. Taking out her notebooks, she decided to do some homework before class started.
A few minutes later, Syaoran walked in, taking a seat in front of her. He waited with talking, until he had her full attention. 'Why don't you want to go?'
She looked at him over her textbook, but she didn't smile. 'I don't want to freeload anymore. I've done that enough already and it's against my nature. It's time I prove myself that I can do whatever I want, without anyone's help.'
'Does that mean I can't train you anymore?' He rested his elbows on her desk looking at her intensely. He had to convince her to come, because it would be much more fun if she went.
'No, it doesn't.' She gave him a quick smile. 'I would like to continue our training very much.'
'And you'll never ride in Eriol's car anymore, and instead skate the whole way from home to school and back?'
'No... Not really.'
'And you are going to pay your family for living in their house?'
'Ehm... well...'
'Or you plan on living on your own?'
'No!'
'And you plan to pay for this expensive school all on your own, starting today?'
'N-no...'
'Then you're not really serious, are you?'
'Y-ye...'
'Mother will be offended if you reject her offer.'
'But...'
'She looks forward meeting you.'
'Eh?'
'I just called her, and that's what she said.'
'Well...'
'I would like you to come.'
'Ah.' Her cheeks reddened, and she wondered how he could say that with such a straight face. He had really cornered her now. How could she possibly find a reason not to go? 'And I absolutely have to come?'
'Yes, you have to. And because none of us wants to take a no for an answer, we can't do anything else than to cover up all your expenses that period of time. Seeing as how you won't be able to work and such, only because we say so.'
'Really...' She pouted her lips in mock sadness.
Syaoran grinned at her. 'Yes, really. So you are coming with us?'
'Do I really have a choice?'
'I would like to say so, but... since I don't have a choice it wouldn't be fair if you do have.'
Sakura gave him a smile. He had convinced her, not nicely, but he did nonetheless. 'Right, poor guy. I'll keep you company, then.'
He smiled eagerly back at her. 'Thank you.'
They sat together for a while, eating Sakura's remaining lunch, until the bell rang. Although this seemed like a good opportunity to tell Syaoran, Sakura couldn't help but wonder if Tomoyo stood behind the door, or hid in the closet or something like that. So she didn't dare to say it again.
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'You're getting better at this.' Syaoran remarked as he gave the auburn haired girl in front of him a towel. They were halfway the training and had to take a break. A couple of weeks ago, Sakura had fully regained her normal strength and since then he trained her harder. They sparred, and in a few weeks, she became really good. She even worked him in the sweat.
She still had no chance of winning against him, but she would be able to fight back when necessary. He rather hoped that it would never be necessary, but he still meant to train her to the max.
He enjoyed sparring with her as they both poured a lot of energy in it. But more than that, he enjoyed spending his mornings with her. After training, they ate together, and then Eriol would come to pick them up. Those moments with her were precious. They could talk about anything, laugh and cry together (although the latter didn't count for him), or simply be silent, without feeling peculiar.
'Thanks to you. But I'll continue until I can defeat you, at least once.'
Syaoran had to laugh at this. 'That means we have keep practicing for a long time.'
Sakura pouted at him. 'But I will never win, wont I? Because you're getting better as well, and I won't keep up.' She dried her face with the towel and then drank some water. All that training made her thirsty.
Syaoran shook his head and sat down on the ground to rest his legs. 'No, I think you'll reach a high level soon enough. See, you fight someone who is stronger, which makes you stronger. But I'm fighting a weaker person, and I won't learn anything new, nor do I get stronger. I can only stay on the same level and shave my techniques a bit.
'But then again, you're a man. You have more muscles than me.' She pointed out at him. 'Not to mention you're way taller than me.'
'You don't need muscles or a high length to win.' He smirked at her pointed finger, although he didn't quite believe she could defeat him. Maybe sometime she could win once from him, but not a few fights in a row.
'But you have more experience.'
'True. I know much more fighting techniques, how and when to use them. While you think you found something new to try, I might already know how to counter it.'
'So that still means that I can never beat you.' She sat down on the floor next to him, handing him the water bottle.
'I think you will find a way, sooner or later.'
He sounded mysterious and amused at the same time. Sakura choose not to comment that, and stood up, ready for the next round.
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