The Lost Princess

A/N: got to type faster…^^

Chapter 4

"'Ey, guys! Listen to this!" came Takashi's urgent tone that February afternoon. The others looked at him with raised brows as he ran hurriedly to where they were, clutching a bunch of newspapers.

"What's up?" this inquiry came from Syaoran who was perched on one of the branches of the cherry blossom they were gathered under.

"Four girls had been reported missing just within this week. According to investigations…these girls were seeing the same guy before they were reported missing." Takashi announced in his most excited voice because he was sure it was another mystery that needed to be solved.

"Duh! Isn't it obvious that the guy's the culprit?" same Sakura's sarcastic announcement from beside the tree.

"You make hasty conclusions, Saku. More often than not, the obvious culprits are mere victims." Countered Chiharu who was sitting opposite her.

"But there are exceptions, Chi." Sakura countered back, crossing her arms on her chest.

"Actually, the guy had a solid alibi and he has witnesses who can verify that indeed he was far away from the crime scene." Takashi inserted this piece of fact.

"See!" Chiharu announced in triumph.

"Believe whatever you like… but I stick with my theory… People often think of complicated ploys that they sometimes overlook the simple and obvious ones." Came Sakura's firm stand.

Well, everyone's entitled to their opinions so I won't argue with you." Chiharu tactfully surrendered, not up to arguing with Sakura who had become a bit moody.

"Good move, Chi." Takashi whispered to her when he passed behind her.

"Okay, guys! So, are we taking this case?" Takashi asked, looking expectantly at the others.

"Absolutely!" this enthusiastic reply came from Chiharu.

"Whatever." Sakura shrugged.

"Syao?" Takashi prompted. Syaoran looked down at him and nodded distractedly.

"Any problem?" Takashi inquired in concern.

"No… It's nothing." He answered, giving them a slight smile. Though Takashi didn't believe his lie, he just let him be 'cause sooner or later, he was sure Syaoran would open up and confide in them.

XXX

"Guys, have you heard the news? The missing girls were found dead…floating on a river." Came Takashi's shocking news early that Monday morning, the 9th of February.

"Oh, my Lord! We have to act soon!" came Chiharu's stricken voice.

"You're right. Meeting this afternoon…at my house." He announced as they walked across the grounds. When they were halfway the grounds, a kid --- first grade from the looks of him --- approached them carrying a single white rose which was still in a cute bud.

"Miss Sakura…? For you…" the little boy said shyly, holding up the rose at the surprised Sakura.

"What?" was all she could say in her surprise.

"Someone asked me to give this to you." He explained, blushing in embarrassment.

Sakura took it after a painful nudge from a grinning Chiharu.

"Th-thanks… whoever sent this." Sakura stammered, feeling awkward at the attention she was getting. The other students had looked at what was happening. After this, the young boy bowed politely then ran away in a hurry.

"So, Saku has a secret admirer, eh?" Chiharu teased with a wicked smile.

"Admirer?" Sakura raised a brow at the word in total disgust.

"Who could be the unlucky guy?" came Takashi's casual question.

Sakura stuck out her tongue at him and inhaled the rose's fragrance unconsciously. Takashi smiled fondly and pinched her cheek lightly before they resumed walking.

~Who could have given me this?~ Sakura wondered the rest of the walk to their class.

XXX

"Morning, Syao! What are you doing?" came Takashi's greeting when he saw Syaoran on his seat, writing busily.

"Assignments, what else?" came Syaoran's distracted reply, sparing a glance at the newcomers.

He saw Sakura carrying a single white rose and his brows arched at this.

"What's that supposed to be?" came Syaoran's mocking tone, gesturing at the rose with his head.

"A rose, silly!" came Chiharu's tolerant reply.

"I know it's a rose… What I'm asking is why she has a rose." He countered with a wicked grin and mocking expression.

"Shut up, Li!" came Sakura's annoyance, knowing full well what Syaoran meant.

"What did I say?" he acted as if he didn't know what caused Sakura's annoyance.

"You don't have to open your mouth for me to know that no good will come out of it." Sakura stated dryly, sitting on her chair which was beside Syao's.

"You wound me, princess." Syaoran complained in feigned hurt.

"Whatever." Sakura decided to cut the conversation with a shrug.

"Short fuse." Syaoran teased, covering her face with his palm. Sakura made a face when he removed his hand from her face and stuck out her tongue at him. The two spectators just looked at each other and grinned.

XXX

"Oh, darn! I'm so dead!" came Sakura's curse as she hurried up the steps to her class that Tuesday morning. She was already very late. She turned a corner and bumped on a hard chest, making her step back and lose her balance. Luckily, strong hands clasped her shoulders and balanced her.

"Thanks!" she murmured gratefully before looking up at the person who had helped her. Her emerald eyes met a pair of concerned slate eyes.

"Sorry about that." His deep voice was filled with sincerity. Sakura was unable to react immediately 'cause the guy's gaze held her mesmerized.

"Miss…?" the guy's inquiring voice snatched her back to reality.

"Huh? … UH…" she stammered, gathering back her wits.

"I-It's okay…" she managed after a while.

"You sure?" came the concern.

Sakura just nodded because she didn't want the guy to hear her stammering like an idiot.

"Okay… See you around…" the guy announced with a dimpled smile and shining eyes.

"Yeah…sure…" this was voiced out when the guy was already out of earshot and she didn't realize that a silly smile was plastered on her lips.

"Who the hell was that guy?" she jumped in surprise at Chiharu's excited voice from behind her. She was unable to see her because she had followed the guy with her eyes.

She turned to her friend, unaware that her emerald eyes were glowing and dancing. She gave her friend a silly smile and shrieked in giddiness.

"Oh, darn! Saku is completely lost!" came Chiharu's shocked announcement, understanding Sakura's behavior.

"Huh?" came the two guys' confusion, brows raised in inquiry at each other. The two girls were already gushing endlessly as they started walking. Sakura completely forgot the fact the she missed the first class.

XXX

Sakura's Literature class had just been dismissed for their lunch break. She was just crossing the threshold, talking animatedly to Chiharu when she noticed a little boy standing awkwardly on the hallway. When the boy saw her, he approached her and presented her with four white roses still in a bud.

"Huh?" came her surprised reaction, staring at the roses with creased brows.

"Miss Sakura… Someone asked me to give these to you." Came the timid voice of the boy.

"T-Thanks, I guess." Sakura hesitated before taking it and the only reason she took it was because she noticed that the boy was ready to run away any minute --- so tense was he.

"Bye." The little boy bowed to her and then ran immediately.

"Am I that intimidating?" Sakura directed her stunned inquiry at the chuckling Chiharu. Instead of answering, Chiharu just patted her on the shoulder with a mysterious smile.

"And what's with the roses?" she stared at the roses with something close to confusion and helplessness.

"Stop complaining, princess." Came Syaoran's amused tone from behind the two girls. She looked at him and saw mischief glinting in his brown eyes.

"At least someone was stupid enough to like you." Came the mocking addition, his grin one of smugness.

His statement made Sakura confused and child-like expression evaporate, replacing it with one of obvious indifference.

"Did you hear something?" Sakura asked Chiharu with creased brows, innocence in her eyes.

"I think the wind's howling." She added in so casual a voice, tucking a stray strand of her silky auburn hair behind her ear before grabbing Chiharu's arm and tugging her to resume walking. Chiharu just laughed at Sakura's retaliation to Syaoran's teasing. The two guys just followed them to the cafeteria for lunch, Takashi and Syaoran grinning their boyish grins.

"Hi, Saku!" came the greeting from Yukito, a senior student. His greeting was accompanied by a megawatt smile that could have made all the girls swoon, not to mention jealous to whoever was the recipient of such smile.

"H-hi." Sakura stammered her greeting, a shy smile forming on her lips. Yukito and his friends proceeded to an empty table at the farthest corner of the cafeteria.

"I'm telling you, Saku. It must be him." Chiharu's statement was lost to Sakura whose eyes followed Yukito's every move and whose mind was wandering up to the clouds.

"Saku? Are you listening to me?" came Chiharu's inquiry when she noticed Sakura's absent-minded look.

"Huh? Did you say something?" Sakura finally snapped out of her daydreaming state, clueless eyes directed at an amused Chiharu.

"Do you really need to ask the obvious, Chi?" came Takashi's chuckling inquiry before turning his concentration back to what he was eating. Sakura just ignored Takashi's statement.

"I said there's a possibility that the roses came from Yukito. It's the most reasonable and probably guess I have. Either him or one of these two guys sitting on this same table." Chiharu finished with a nod at the two eating guys' direction.

"I would prefer the former than the latter, Chi, 'cause if those roses came from one of these guys, I'm sure it's just a joke…" this statement was delivered with a frown that made her look like a naïve child in a temper --- without her knowledge. Only the guys seemed to notice it and that's one of the many reasons why they loved to tease her mercilessly.

"But if it's the former, God, I don't know what to think…" he hard voice had softened and her frown had turned into a smile --- a dreamy one --- which made her look like a nymph, her auburn hair dancing gracefully with the passing cool wind.

"We're not that stupid to give you flowers, Saku. Only that jerk of a guy is stupid so maybe Chiharu's right, it could be him…" came Takashi's comment to Sakura's statements.

Sakura just gave him a deadly glare, not really commenting because the two guys had never liked Yukito, really. But she didn't care because the two guys always hated all the guys who were better-looking than them.