Oddities in Oak Trees

-Thirteen-

An uncharacteristically happy Yelan Li opened the door to her son's room, not paying heed to his peacefully sleeping form. "Magnificent news!" she would say, in her usual old-fashioned way of speaking, as she opened the curtains letting the sunlight cascade directly onto Syaoran, who was understandably irritated.

"What news?" he tried very hard to croak out the words, his face in his pillow and his rear end up in the air. He looked like a worm in mid-crawling movement.

His mother dusted off imaginary specks of dirt on her rose-colored sheath dress before trying to nonchalantly announce the very important piece of information she had. "Well, you passed the first round of getting into Stanford's business program." She unsuccessfully attempted to hide the rather massive grin plastered on her face as she continued, "Results for the second round will be in April."

His eyes opened at what she said as he scurried to face the older woman. "That's wonderful, but I already told you that I was hoping to go to Waseda University here in Tokyo instead." Waseda University is one of the leading schools in Japan, a competing second to Tokyo University. The outcome of the entrance examination would be due in April for the said college, as well.

Her left eye twitched at the statement as she suppressed a chortle of sarcasm from emanating from her mouth. "I am your mother and so my word is absolute. I know what's best for you, after all."

He frowned at what she told him. He disliked that she would use her being his mother as a reason for him to follow her bidding. This decision, after all, wasn't as petty as washing the dishes or cleaning the car first. This concerned his future, and he was bent on deciding on it himself.

"I respect what you are saying, but I think that this is a choice I have to make." He arranged his words as carefully as he could as he proceeded, "Waseda University is one of the greatest in the world in business, and I believe it would be the best answer to our businesses, since it is based in Japan. Waseda would know local commerce more than an American university would, as that is its focus. I'm not trying to put down Stanford or other foreign schools, they are the crème de la crème after all, but what I'm saying is that… I think Waseda University is best for me and the Li industry."

Yelan furrowed her eyebrows together before clearing her throat. "Correct words. Fine, then. I'll give you a proposition." He perked up at the idea that she would give him a chance to fulfill his wish of going into the school he wanted to go to. He listened intently as she proclaimed her proposal. "You will have to get into the top three for the first trimester. Otherwise, I will have no choice but to transfer you to the college I want you to attend."

"Agreed!" there was no hesitation as he said this with his right hand up, his expression full of resolve and devoid of any doubt in himself. He was, in any case, one of the best in his batch in one of the most elite high schools in Tokyo and subsequently in Japan. He would do anything for his dreams.

But then again, not all things would always go the way someone wanted them to.

"…K-Kyoto University?"

Sakura nodded. The train from Tokyo to Kyoto would be five and a half hours, which would mean they won't be able to see each other as much as Syaoran would want to. The Chinese lad's eyes widened as he tried to process this. Graduation was just around the corner, and he knew it would mean the time to say goodbye to some things, but he never anticipated that Sakura would be one of the things he had to wave his hand to.

"But…" his eyebrows furrowed, "But then I won't… see you every day…" his eyes looked searchingly at Sakura's before he lowered his gaze. He felt lost. Sakura was the only person who made him understand happiness, and for that to be taken away from him at a blink of an eye saddened him to no end.

A gentle breeze seemed to coax Sakura into approaching him for comfort, but she restrained herself from doing so. Their visions, it seems, were going to cause them to be apart. But Sakura was also his dream, and she held all things dear to him. "I… guess not…" she lowered her eyes as well, as if the ground held all the answers to their dilemma.

"That's true…"

"I'm… I don't know what will happen now…"

"…Me neither."

"…"

He straightened himself as a thought made him snap to his senses. "Then…!" he began, a look of determination on his handsome features, "Then I have to hurry up and make you fall in love with me!"

Sakura Kinomoto looked at the peculiar boy in front of her in an equally peculiar way. "Hurry up?" it was a strange thing to proclaim, but Syaoran—as you may remember—is a very odd type of person. He also had many other traits, and one of them was stubbornly going head-on with any challenge that comes his way.

"Y-yes!" he seemed to contemplate on something as he put his hands on her shoulders firmly. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life!" Characteristic of the Li family, he had fire in his eyes as he said this. "Sakura, you're my dream! And nothing, absolutely nothing," he closed his eyes tightly as he said the last word before opening them again in a split-second, "Will keep me away from my dreams!"

She blinked a few times while noticing how vastly taller Syaoran was compared to her. They were standing in the Kinomoto residence's backyard and her brother couldn't be bothered on checking up on them because of his traumatic past in the area which relieved her (pun intended) tremendously. Touya Kinomoto might have laughed out loud at how audaciously childish Syaoran's lines were just now. "Never been more sure…?" she couldn't help but echo the things he stated in a dumbfounded fashion. She would never get used to the way he was full of resolution.

He nodded vigorously in return. "Sakura, you make me so happy. So happy, in fact… so happy, in fact, that I feel I could just burst every time I see you!" He let his gaze fall as he tried to recount the words he had attempted to memorize in his mind for the past few seconds oh-so much. It was a speech of romantic pursuit that he wanted to sound as earnest as possible. "You… made me change in so many ways. The truth is: I appreciate life more now. I mean… it's not like I didn't appreciate it before, but…" he looked up at her again, this time with even more intensity, "But everything's much more colorful now! I mean…" he furrowed his eyebrows, his fear that his point wouldn't come across making him stumble with his words, "Before I met you… I was living in a bubble…I think. At least, that's how I handled things. I didn't know how to feel so many things. I understood a lot of realizations not just about myself, but about people, as well. I learned that… they're okay. People are okay. Most of all…" he straightened his stance with his hands still on Sakura's shoulders, "…Most of all, I'm okay. And there's nothing wrong with that."

Sakura nodded finally, after trying to process what he had just said. "Thank you… that makes me… very, very happy." She closed her eyes tightly upon saying 'very', only opening them after her last word, mimicking his actions a while ago. His words did make her overjoyed. Her heart beat so fast at just the prospect of falling in love with him. She was ready. Her heart was ready.

But the bigger question is: are they really ready for what's to come?

Six rings from his mobile echoed throughout his room before he decided to pick it up. Habit was still habit for him, and he changed but not totally. He sat on his mattress.

"Hello?"

"Dude!" Of course, it was none other than Takashi Yamazaki on the other end of the line.

"What's up?"

"Great news, man! Found me a new dudette!"

"You say that as if you had a 'dudette' before now." Syaoran liked his friend, but his strange accent and way of speaking bothered him at times.

"I had tons of dudettes before! Anyway, her name's Chiharu and…"

"I know Chiharu. I was the one who introduced you to her."

"Please don't interrupt!" Syaoran could imagine his buddy holding up a palm at him as he would quickly dismiss what he just said, "Her name's Chiharu and she's beautiful, you know: even prettier than your chick, but she doesn't believe in anything I say at all! It sucks, brah! It's like I'm talking to a wall! She doesn't respond whenever I tell her 'bout them important stuff!"

"You sound amused even though you pretend to be peeved." Syaoran smirked at Takashi, although said boy couldn't have seen this.

"Well, whatever, no interruptions! Just this morning, I walked her ta school and I was like: 'Don't walk under that ladder! It's bad luck!' and she was like: 'Alright', but then she actually walks under the ladder! I mean, y'all don't even…it's not funny!"

Syaoran tried to stifle a chortle to no avail. Soon enough, he let out a howl of a laugh as he slapped his right knee a few times. "Can't…help…it…sounds like…" he gasped. What he meant to say was that Takashi sounded like a pissed preteen girl who wanted to sound as 'fly' as the stereotypical cool black, sassy girl.

"Geez, dude! You'd think you'd be more supportive of a troubled fellah… guess not." Takashi pretended to sulk as he continued, "Anyway, remember my uncle who owns the ramen shop near Tomoyo's and Chiharu's?"

"Yes; what about him?"

"Well, he's relocating to Fukuoka. That's where he originally set up his ramen business, anyway. And well, I… decided to study there as well."

"…Oh." Syaoran let himself fall into his bed. Fukuoka was far… much too far. It really was time for farewells. Syaoran was starting to think twice about college being the path towards new beginnings. Ever since he had met Sakura, he had learned to love more, but… "I see." But it made goodbyes even more difficult. It made goodbyes even more painful.

"Fukuoka's kind of a long ways from here, so I guess I'll only see you during the holidays."

"…Y-yes, I guess so…" They truly were going their separate ways. "I guess… that life goes on, too…but…I'm not so sure if I'm ready… for it."

There was a short period of silence before Takashi exhaled rather loudly. "…Buddy! Don't worry 'bout it!" a serious tone could soon be heard afterwards as he continued, "It never really is farewell, you know." His strange pronunciations were gone as he said, "Whenever you see a black cat, be sure to retrace your steps… and think of me in the process as well." He took another deep breath. "But what you should always remember is to continue to dream impossible dreams… promise me, okay!" It was more of a command than a request.

Syaoran smiled quietly. Maybe moving on really didn't mean goodbye for forever. He nodded, hoping that Takashi could sense the movement. "Thank you, buddy." He meant it as one for everything.

Graduation would be in three and a half weeks. He hoped it would be enough time to truly say 'goodbye', while simultaneously saying 'hello' to what was to come.

As graduation ended and April just seemed to fly by, it was May already.

Li Syaoran ran as fast as he could, not paying any attention to the beauty of the cherry blossoms that fell on him. He was late for class, which was quite uncharacteristic of him. He would wonder later on what could have happened if he paid more attention to the cherry blossoms.

Sakura Kinomoto browsed through the organizations in the university, hoping to find one that could be added to her resume once she graduates. A photograph of a young boy from the Philippines smiling happily to the camera captures her attention as she walks by the booth in which it can be seen. She began to look around curiously, hoping to find anyone who could be managing it.

"See something you like?"

A man with silver irises that mirrored the color of his long hair that cascaded until the middle of his back was the one who asked. There was an arrogance to him, which would have made girls want to flock to him. His haughty nature reminded her of a certain Chinese lass she had met a few months back.

"I… was just looking around." She bowed her head for a second politely, ready to walk away. It proved to be too little, too late as the man held her wrist rather gently, but the gesture was enough to have her stop in her tracks. "Can I… can I help you?" There was a certain magnetism to the guy. He was astoundingly different from the other men in the campus.

"I think you'd like the organization very much. It doesn't seem like there are many members right now, since it's fairly new, but we're always looking for a new eye. Experience doesn't always equate to excellence, which is what our goal is."

She stared at the hand gripping her, which caused him to let her go. "Um… that's very admirable but… I don't think I'm good enough a photographer to…uh… get in."

"That's okay!" He proceeded to assure her that the best photographers usually didn't know they were capable of greatness until they tried it.

"I really… should get going…"

"Oh…" there was disappointment in his tone before he asks, "Where are you from again? I'm sorry I haven't introduced myself, they call me Yue."

She blinked a few times at the old-fashioned name. "I'm actually from Tokyo, but I'm staying at the dorm here."

"I'm sorry about being such a pest. Would you like to go to dinner, as a form of some sort of apology?"

"Um… that's really not necessary…"

"It's not necessary, but apologies aren't always necessary."

She seemed to ponder on this for a while before frowning. "I honestly don't have the time to go out. I need to study."

"Well, how about I just treat you for coffee?"

"Um..." she hesitated, "okay…"

"Great! I'll see you at five in front of the main campus's Camphora."

Sakura nodded as she waved her departure to her new acquaintance.

"Hello?"

"Syaoran! It's such a relief to hear your voice…"

"Sakura? Oh, sorry, I have to go… classes are about to start… sorry!"

She gazed listlessly at the window as he ended the call. It was only a few weeks, but it felt like they were drifting apart already. Every time she called, he was always in a rush or wouldn't answer. His dream was Waseda University, too, in the end.

A strained smile found its way on her lips as she decided to study instead for her exam the next day. "That should be right…" it was no time to dilly-dally. "Time to get cracking…" Studies should be her priority anyway.

But as she noticed her mobile again—the number she had known by heart on the screen—a pang of pain could be felt. She may be his dream, but not his first one. It was utterly selfish, but she had hoped she would be his primary one.

She furrowed her eyebrows as a feeling she thought had long been gone already encompassed her. Tears began to flow down her cheeks. She was heartbreakingly lonely.

"… Five weeks…huh?" Syaoran glanced at the calendar on his desk as he got home. "Time really flies by…." It seemed like only a few days ago when he was worried about saying goodbye to Sakura and everyone else. Perhaps it was time to pay her a visit.

They met up outside of Sakura's dorm. Syaoran, due to his stubbornness, decided to show up at the same day that she called. He missed her and he had to see her right away, and that was good enough logic for the odd boy.

It would be six in the evening before they would see each other, and it would have to be a fast one since he still had classes the next day at noon. He began the conversation by asking her how her campus life had been thus far.

"School's been… so-so…"

"Oh…"

"…How about you? How has school life been?"

"It's been… good… nothing new…" he thought about this for a while as he gawked at his hands. "But Waseda is still my dream and I'm working hard on it…"

There was another long pause. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to meet up after all, they would think to themselves.

Were their conversations this empty before?

"That's… good."

"…Thank you." A moment of silence took to their exchange again. It seemed like no matter how hard they would try to resurrect the sparks they once had with each other, they were gone. It had been their first instant to see each other after graduation, and they should have been filled to the brim with stories… and yet, it seemed like all they could talk about was nothing. "…" Absolutely nothing.

"Well, I should really get going…" She didn't want to give up on what they had, but was it time to give it a break for the time being? It had only been five weeks and yet it seemed like they were strangers already.

"Sakura…" he sighed as he looked up from his hands, "I… I know right now, we aren't very comfortable with each other but… but please know, you still are my dream."

She stared at him long enough before giving him a small smile. He could tell she was starting to have doubts.

Li Syaoran got home, wearier than when he did from a grueling day at university. His priority was being at the top in Waseda University, but did that mean he had to sacrifice being with Sakura just for that? They were two dreams that seemed so far apart from each other and he felt like he had to carry them both with such herculean effort, he could topple and fall off from the metaphoric balancing act he was in.

As he was about to take off his shoes, a ringing from his phone caught his attention.

"Hello?"

"…It's me." It was Sakura.

"What's the matter?" He was very much worried. They had only seen each other a few moments ago, and yet she was calling him? It was strange.

"…Do you… do you think we should take a break for a while to study first?"

His eyes widened at the proposal before he let his gaze lower to his lap. The thing that shocked him the most was the fact that he was actually considering it. Maybe it was time to take a break.

A/N: I originally planned for this story to have twenty chapters so that the count would be divisible by ten (I kind of have a compulsion to have all things end by zero). But for a story this simple, I feel that that would be too much, so there would be only around two chapters left or more.