Valkyire: WOW! Finally the 12th chapter! It is still incredible to be able to get this far. My perseverance was never this strong before...This is all because of you supportive readers who keep me motivated!
Disclaimer: I do not own CCS. Only the new plot and the new characters did I create.
Complications-Chapter 12
On the very top floor of the Li Empire building was where the chief executives, including CEO Taka Kissu, worked. Only those with high authority were allowed to enter whenever and however they wanted, without having to report to the secretaries before entering.
As the sixth heiress in line to claim the company, being the only child in her family--her father, the younger brother of Syaoran's father--she was counted as one of the top executives, as well.
Sitting behind the current temporary CEO's massive, brown, wooden desk, Mei Ling concentrated on the large computer flat-screen in front of her. With all of the blinds from the windows behind her, closed, she was able to focus more clearly on whatever she was looking at.
The atmosphere was very secluded.
"...I understand," said a stern female voice coming from the computer. "If his problem could be fixed so quickly, I shouldn't have to ask you to do this favour for me, but do hurry because you've only got until the end of grade 12 to accomplish this, Mei Ling." Even the calm voice comprised with elegance had to let out the least bit of frustration.
"Yes, aunty. I will try my best, however, this is more complicated than I originally had thought it would be. I have confidence in myself, but at the same time, I can only tell you this must not be hurried and it's only a matter of time until we achieve that goal," Mei Ling assured.
"Thank you, Mei Ling. I can't thank you enough. Let's just hope Syaoran will turn out to be the capable man who will gain their trust and confidence," thanked the woman, the hint of a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.
Her eyes looked ancient, like she hadn't slept for many days, but Mei Ling knew it was not the case. There was nothing but her son's future, her close cousin's future, that could dominate so much power to destroy this perfect woman's unyielding self-esteem.
With a final wave at the computer, Mei Ling pressed esc on the keyboard, and pushed her wheel chair away from the desk.
"The blinds are still closed," Mei Ling told the receptionist, working behind the desk typing furiously away, as she opened Taka's office door. She smiled before going to the elevator.
"Please thank Taka for me, Miss Tate."
On the ride home, in a limo escorted by Taka, Mei Ling recalled her long conversation with Aunty Yelan. There were all types of emotional moments, from frustration to happiness to anger...Truly was the powerful Li Corporation President defeated by her precious son. Not even when her loving husband fell ill was she this emotion-strucked.
Staring out at the the dark starry night--where only rare stars could be seen-- Mei Ling prayed silently for her aunt's health. Was it a right decision, telling her that everything was more complicated than she thought it would be, or should she have told her everything was going smoothly?
But then again, failing her dear aunt's excitement was out of the question, so maybe telling her the truth at this time should be the safest response. She needed lots more time to do the research before making another move...
Flashback-Unwritten scene from Chapter 9
Syaoran set his eyes upon Takumi's like a hawk scrutinuzing after its pray. The threat in those fiery amber eyes were deadly cold that sent chills down Takumi's spine. Wasn't he paying no attention to their conversation? Seemingly so...
"E-Ecuse me for a moment. I need to use the restroom." Takumi hurried off in limps towards the washroom.
"What's with him?" Syaoran asked innocently. Ryu shrugged, having no idea what had just happened while Mei Ling's eyes narrowed. There was something going on around here that she had no knowledge of and she knew it was something important, and the Sakura Kinomoto...
"Excuse me for a moment as well. I need to use the washroom." Mei Ling walked slowly towards the restroom area.
When there, she turned back to make sure that the table she and the others sat at was not anywhere near the area. Obviously at a fancy restaurant, a revolting washroom was separated from the dinning area; that was the common courtesy.
She followed the washroom sign until she reached a circular area where a beautiful statue was positioned in the centre, stretching out each hand with a washroom sign. Supported by the left foot of the statue, Takumi was down low, rubbing his foot.
"Oww..." he moaned, massaging his foot. Mei Ling got up to him and tapped lightly on his shoulder.
"Are you alright, Takumi?" Mei Ling asked gently, a little bit too gently that made Takumi jump up in surprise.
"Oh, Mei Ling!" he cried, taking a deep breath of relieve. "I thought it was Syaoran coming to send me to hell!" He covered his mouth abruptly after the words came out of his mouth.
Mei Ling's eyebrow raised.
"Why would Syaoran beat you up?" she asked suspiciously.
"N-Nothing. I was just joking!" Takumi hastily explained. He shook his hands in disagreement which made Mei Ling even more suspicious.
Her thoughts became speculating.
"Takumi," Mei Ling grinned evily, taking a step closer to him. "Too bad I'm not Syaoran, eh? Why not I do his job and beat you up, instead." She wrapped her arm tightly, and chockingly, around Takumi's neck.
"If that's what you really want," she added.
"A-A-ah. Stop, I c-can't b-breath, Mei Ling!" Takumi said as he tried to unwrap her arm.
Mei Ling smirked and released his neck.
"Now, will you tell me who is this Sakura Kinomoto you were about to say and why Syaoran kicked you under the table?"
Takumi's face covered in shock again. Who knew somebody, other than him and Syaoran, noticed what had caused Takumi to scream in the restaurant?
"Sakura's one of Syaoran's ex-girlfriend. She was the longest girlfriend he had ever had. They broke up shortly after Syaoran got tired of her. She's also the only girlfriend who rejected Syaoran's cheque as well as the only girl who we think Syaoran's had true feelings for," Takumi murmured lowly, barely loud enough for Mei Ling's ears.
"What about my other question? Why was Syaoran so careful about it that he had to kick you to shut you up?" Mei Ling inquired skeptically.
Takumi rolled his eyes. "Madame, I was about to get to that before you so rudely interrupted. Because Syaoran is afraid to admit his feelings, or maybe doesn't realize it. He is so unsure of his feelings for Sakura that he's trying to avoid it in every possible way."
Mei Ling stayed quiet for a few minutes before fixing with a simple nod.
"Are you surprised to be hearing this?"
Mei Ling stared at Takumi before nodding again.
"Sakura is different. The aura around her is simply incomprehensible. Even Eriol, who's dating her best friend, Tomoyo, thinks so. Me and Takumi are not too close with her but we know she is different-- one of a kind. Have you met any of the other girlfriends he'd dated? They're all..."
"Sluts?" Mei Ling suggested.
"Yeah, you can say that. Though don't mention it in front of Syaoran, okay?"
Hearing no reply fom her, he sighed and continued.
"They're all sluts, but only Sakura was an exception. She had the ability to change Syaoran, even in the shortest time," Takumi mused.
Mei Ling still couldn't believe her ears that this Sakura Kinomoto could make her cousin's heart move, could make his friends say so much about her--that was a first.
Suddenly, Takumi's expression dropped. "Ouch. I really do need to use the washroom before my bladder explodes. Will you be so kindly and go back to the table to make things less suspicious? Thanks!"
With that, Takumi rushed into the washroom. Mei Ling stood there silently, just absorbing everything she had heard. Finally coming to the conclusion, she decided that she needed to learn more about this Sakura Kinomoto.
End of Flashback
There was no reason, in any means, to feel as sweaty as what Syaoran was feeling at the moment. It wasn't like the air conditioner wasn't turned on to accomodate the students to the unseasonably warm weather. Today was especially hot, hotter than any other day that could remember.
Was it really that hot--making his feet sweat inside the newly polished black shoes, and teardrop shapes of sweat dripping down his neck, back and forehead-- or was it really because the girl he will be asking to be his dance partner tonight at the ball was currently performing a beautiful piece of piano music right in front of his eyes?
Or, was it hot because he was practically rejected by Sakura?
Her eyes first scanned through the audience the minute she got up to the stage. This was the common courtesy to make eye contact with the audience before performing. Just before he made proper eye contact with Sakura when her eyes landed on him, her warm orbs turned cold and quickly moved on.
See, Syaoran was that good with reading women. Why in the world would she make eye contact with possibly every single one of the students in the auditorium, except for him? He was, in a way, closer to her than half of the people in the audience, right? Because he was his ex, they were once really close, right?
There was a rush of anger through him after that happened because he was physically humiliated by her lack of compassion towards him. But deep down, he felt a kind of twingy feeling of sadness.
Why would he feel sad, though?
Most of the audience stood to the ground before Sakura hit her final note on the piano. Her performance was flawless, as usual, that made her audience go wild.
Why hadn't she auditioned to be the second Lang Lang?
Syaoran remained sitting on the chair, still as stone. If Sakura didn't consider him a close person, then why should he? The audience standing are probably most of her friends, anyways, Syaoran thought.
He had no reason to cheer for her because they weren't close. He considered this as a counter-humiliation.
Geez, he didn't even bother to clap! Yes! That's what she deserved.
As promised, Syaoran was going to do his dare in front of his friends, tonight. He finally arrived at the banquet hall in his porsche all by himslef, without a partner. His three other friends each had a partner of their own so didn't accompany him like the other times.
As he walked to the entrance-- two girls dressed in ball gowns-- who he recognized from his school greeted him in shy voices, and one of them handed him a red rose wrapped in plastic wrapper.
"Hi, Syaoran!" said one of the girls. "You are to give this flower to the girl who will be your dance partner, tonight."
She looked on both sides of Syaoran. "I see you don't have one yet, but don't worry, there are lots of girls here tonight who came without a partner, so you're not the only one." The girl winked while the other one blushed furiously.
Syaoran showed his significant killer smile before entering. "Thank you."
"Syaoran's here!!!!"
"OH MY GOD! I THINK I'M GOING TO FAINT! DO YOU SEE HOW HOT HE IS?"
"That rose is mine," many cried out mischiveously. Syaoran just smiled his way through the gathering crowd as he witnessed some male partners being left alone while their dance partners rushed towards him. Some even threw the roses they received from their partners on the way, in hoping of receiving Syaoran's.
Syaoran professionally pushed his way through the crowd, using his skilled techniques to calm their excitement.
"You look beautiful tonight!"
"You got a haircut?"
"That makeup looks just right on you. You're beautiful."
With his sweet talks, he was able to get away from them, one by one.
For now.
He approached his three friends, all standing side by side in the far corner. Each in their hands, no roses.
"Hey."
"Syaoran, it's time. You are to do your dare in front of our eyes," Takumi said excitedly.
Syaoran looked around the room in search of Sakura. "She's over there," Ryu said pointedly.
Syaoran turned around to find Sakura and an unknown man dancing to the waltz being played at the moment, on the other side of the room. The rose in that man's chest pocket was vividly visible.
Syaoran smiled to himself, smugly.
"He offerd the rose, but Sakura rejected it, saying that she already has a partner," Eriol explained, reading Syaoran's expression.
"Obviously, it's a lie because she came in alone, well in Tomoyo's car, actually."
The extra information made Syaoran smile even wider. "Looks like our friend's in a good mood, today," Takumi teased, nudging Syaoran. As if on cue, he stopped his smiling and returned to the old, pretentious poker face.
"Do you guys know where Mei Ling is? She told me she got a partner." Syaoran inquired.
"Oh yes. I forgot to tell you, man. I asked her to be my partner," Ryu said apologetically as he scratched the back of his head. Syaoran's face lightened up in surprise.
"Wow! Are you serious? Mei Ling?" he asked humorously.
Ryu shot him a dirty look.
Syaoran sauntered towards where Sakura and the unknown person danced, while glimpsing over at the food table where Mei Ling and Tomoyo conversed happily.
Reaching closer to Sakura, he stopped to take in Sakura's appearance. There was no word to describe her--too beautiful beyond human's imagination. The smallest bit in him hoped that the person she reserved her partnership to tonight was secretly him, none other than him.
But of course, that was out of the question. There was no way Sakura will do that.
The strapless, floor-length pink dress hugged tightly around her upper body, showing the beautiful shoulders and her lovable curves possessed by a model. It was the ideal kind of body that many girls would die for, not too fat or too skinny. Near the end of the upper part and the begginning of the lower body, her dress starts to gradually thicken up with multiple folds to accentuate her long legs.
Her always soft-looking auburn hair was tied up into a fancy bun on the side, with a final touch of a small tiara fixed in the centre oh the hair masterpiece.
Tonight, Sakura was truly a princess. The smile on her face was beautiful, breath-taking.
Syaoran was grateful that her look was not the sexy type tonight, showing too much cleavage, but the cute-looking princess look that matched her out-going personality.
He took a mental note to thank Tomoyo for her prodigious creation.
Once the dance was over, Sakura thanked her partner and left for the chairs on the side. What a coincidence! Just as she took her break, other people started filing in, grabbed their dance partners, and danced to the next piece of music. The area where the chairs were was almost empty.
He stepped away from the wall he was leaning against and strolled towards Sakura. He felt anxious eyes upon his back.
Syaoran smiled smugly to himself as he approached her.
"You look beautiful, tonight, Sakura," he complimented, breathing in her sweet perfume.
Sakura looked up as her face faltered to nothing but coldness. "Thank you."
She showed him her polite smile that didn't reach her eyes for they remained cold, and returned her gaze to the dancing crowd.
"I see you don't have a partner, yet. Where's Mike?" Syaoran tried to start another coversation.
"He's with somebody else, tonight," answered Sakura coldly, not meeting his eyes; second chance a failure.
"Oh, I see. I don't have a partner either. It would be an honour to have you as my partner," Syaoran said sincerely, however, Sakura knew better not to trust his exaggerated polite manners because that was how she got tricked into dating him.
"My apologies," Sakura said, finally meeting his liquidy amber eyes with her cold ones. "I don't want to be your partner."
With that, she got up and left for the exit of the banquet hall. Syaoran remained standing dumbly on the floor, frozen like a statue-- a heart-broken statue.
He couldn't even break down the words--simply too stunned to do anything. Suddenly, he felt two firm hands on his shoulders. Eriol, Takumi and Ryu had rushed to his side the minute they noticed something went wrong.
He was Syaoran Li. He never got rejected like this ever, before. Nobody dared to reject his offer. They simply die for them.
Then, the words from Takumi quickly flowed into his head..."Sakura's different!"
Sakura Kinomoto was different. She rejected him not only once, with the money, not twice, with the eye contact in the auditorium, but three times, rejecting his offer to be her dance partner. This was nothing but humiliation.
How dare she ruin his reputation like that!
He felt a rush of anger go through him but didn't quite understand the reason. Was it because he got humiliated so many times by her or because she just simply rejected him. Did he feel regret or was it really ANGER?
Damn it! Why was life so comlicated?
Finally, he regained his composure, shrugged his friends' hands off roughly and hurried out the door where Sakura had left minutes ago.
After the emotionless encounter with Syaoran in the banquet hall, Sakura hastily paced to the women's washroom located on the far end of the corridor.
When there, she splashed cold water over her heating face. The water-proof makeup that Tomoyo had put on for her was another marvelous idea.
As much as she hated to admit this, she had struggled hard to compose herself back in the hall. She felt Syaoran's hawk-like eyes scruntinizing her every move, even when she danced with Hikaru.
It was hard to be cold to Syaoran, she honestly believed, but his usual pretentious personality had won her the correct attitude he deserved. After that, as soon as she rejected his offer, she couldn't help but run for rescue.
Wiping her face with a piece of paper towel and then fixed her hair in front of the mirror, she left the washroom.
"How are you, Syaoran?" she heard a girl ask seductively.
"You still have that rose? Is it for me?" another girl questioned, hopefully.
"You look hot, tonight, as always," complimented the first.
When Syaoran took sight of Sakura coming out of the washroom, he quickly whispered something into the girls' ears and they left willingly back into the dancing hall, shooting Sakura a dirty look on the way in.
They shut to corridor doors, leaving the two of them alone in dead silence.
"Sakura," Syaoran said plainly.
Sakura ignored him and started walking towards the double doors.
"Sakura!" She felt one of his hands on her shoulder. She shook it off dangerously, turned around and glared at him with disgust.
"Don't touch me!" she warned coldly as she quickened her pace to the doors, which seemed longer than it should have been. She heard Syaoran's footsteps echo hers, at a quicker speed trying to catch up to her.
"Why don't you want to be my partner?" Syaoran asked, finally stopping his progression.
"I just don't want to be your partner. Simple." Sakura stopped too.
"Three times, Sakura Kinomoto," he laughed without any trace of humour. "You have rejected me THREE damn times!"
Sakura's eyes shot at him. "My apologies. What if I did? Who was even there to witness this embarassment? Nobody really cares, Syaoran."
Syaoran struggled to get the words out. If he told her he got dared to do that, would she get mad? "E-Everybody."
"You're one big fat liar. Everything to you is a shame. So Mr. Perfect, please get out of my way before I embarrass you again."
As she took one more step forward, the lights suddenly went off.
She froze.
"Oh my God!" she whispered lowly, shutting her eyes tightly.
She was afraid of darkness.
Sakura became dead silent. She wasn't moving, or breathing. If that was possible.
Syaoran closed the gap between them as he whispered.
"It's okay, Sakura. I'm here with you. There's no GHOST or anything," Syaoran comforted her, while humorously emphasized the word "ghost."
Syaoran instantly became regretful for joking about the thing she was scared of the most in the world when Sakura started sobbing.
He took off his jacket, put it over her shoulders and grasped her hand in his, guiding her to where Sakura thought was the double doors she had tried so hard to reach.
"Where are we going? The doors are THAT way," Sakura pointed at the other direction, still too scared to open her eyes.
"Sakura, the doors are this way," he replied velvetly, leading her to the opposite direction of the doors.
"Here, go in." He opened the door for a clueless Sakura who thought that it was really the banquet hall they were entering.
Valkyrie85: WO HO! Finally done this chapter! Again, this is a really long one. Lots of secret being exposed in this one, eh? Well, I'm hoping to read a lot of surprised reviews! I realized that a lot of you thought Mei Ling learned Sakura's past through her first-hand story, but really, that's not the case! GOT YOU THERE, DIDN'T I? Also...what is Mei Ling's true purpose moving in with Syaoran?!?! DUN DUN DUN DUN!
Until next time, folks! PLEASE REVIEW!