Chapter 15
Halfway through July, it was hot and humid, but under the trees, there was a nice breeze. It was a yearly tradition in their group to go for an all-day picnic at the seaside park. But this time around, Syaoran was away in Hong Kong. And that put a huge damper on Sakura's enjoyment.
Lying on her back and staring up at the clear blue sky, Sakura wondered what he was doing now. He'd been gone for 2 weeks already. They were supposed to go visit him in Hong Kong on the third week, but he'd gotten extended for another month, so the group had unanimously decided to visit on the first week of August instead.
She grabbed her phone. In the last two weeks, he'd only called twice. He'd said that work was crazy and everyone was busy. He had had to work 12-hour shifts for 8 days straight. But he'd managed to find time to call.
She missed him. No lie.
"Why don't you just call him?" Tomoyo suggested.
"It's expensive," she muttered back, still staring at the screen of her phone.
"I say call him anyway," Naoko interjected. "He probably misses you too Sakura. Neither of you are used to being away from each other for too long."
She made a random noise under her breath. "That's true."
"He just texted, asking what we're doing," Eriol piped up then.
Sakura sat up immediately. "What? Why would he text you and not me?"
He blinked. "Uh…" Tomoyo threw him a chastising look.
She didn't wait for his reply and got to her feet. Walking several meters away from them, she rested one hand on her hip. A bit more annoyed now, she scrolled down her list of contacts and called him. Forget the international charges.
"Hello?"
"You have time to text Eriol and not me?!" She demanded, no, almost screeched.
In Hong Kong, Syaoran stood by the window and looked out at the traffic in front of their company building. He laughed. "What, I can't text Eriol now?"
She frowned. "No, that's not what I mean. Yes you can text Eriol – I'm not trying to – wait, don't change the subject. Why aren't you texting me?! You've been gone for over 2 weeks!"
"I know. It's been so busy. Sorry, I figured Eriol was more easily reachable. You're busy with work usually." When she didn't reply, he asked, "You miss me?"
"Why do you think I called?" She snapped.
He laughed. "I miss you too."
Still scowling, she looked up. "It's weird not having you here in summer. Not seeing you play soccer during our picnic. Hiro's got no competition against Eriol and Taka."
He chuckled. "I never thought you'd miss that."
"Well, that among other things." She kicked at random grass. "How are you? How's work?"
"Work is work. Busy, crazy, doesn't end. I'm all right though. I had some time to see my sisters and their kids over the weekend, so that was nice. I haven't felt homesick yet. But I do miss seeing your pretty face. I still want that date."
She almost dropped her phone. How…how was he able to just say those things so easily like that? Much too affected, she couldn't form a reply.
"Hello?"
"Huh?" A little too pitchy, she cleared her throat. "I'm here," she amended quickly. "You…you're busy? Do you need to go back to work? We can talk later. I don't want to keep you from your work."
He chuckled. "You're freaking out. Calm down. I've got ten more minutes. Just forget what I said. How's everything with you?"
Jerk. How was she supposed to forget that exactly? That was the first time in her life that he had ever called her pretty. Ahh, forget it, she instructed herself firmly.
"Work is the same as usual. I've been a third wheel too many times to Eriol and Tomoyo since you left. They always invite me to their dates – I don't know why. I think it puzzles me more that I say yes." He laughed. "But it's fun. It's become a lot easier for me to be on my own now too. When I think of Kohei, I don't feel as awful as I used to. That's good, right?"
"Yeah that's really good."
Sakura sighed. Hearing his voice comforted her a lot. "Could you call me more often, Sho? I just…"
He couldn't help the grin that formed on his face. He'd been waiting for it. Since he had arrived in Hong Kong, he'd promised himself not to reach out first, but to wait. It had been hard, but hearing this now was worth it. "All right. When I get home from work, the first thing I'll do is call you."
"You better."
When she got off the phone, she caught Tomoyo and Eriol looking at her curiously. Tomoyo couldn't exactly hide the smile, but Eriol tried his best to pretend like he didn't know what they were just talking about. Tomoyo spoke first.
"How's he doing?"
"He seems well. I miss him," she mumbled without hesitation.
"So does Hiro." Tomoyo pointed to the lonely man dribbling the soccer ball by himself.
Sakura laughed.
Naoko came running to them. "What are we talking about?"
"Syaoran."
Naoko studied Sakura's face. "Honey. Did you and Syaoran finally admit you're in love with each other?"
Sakura blinked. "What?"
Naoko sent her a wide-eyed, waiting-for-something look.
"I…I-…he's not in love with me," she stammered out.
"Hmmmm, I doubt that."
"Naoko, you knew that Sakura's liked him since high school?" Tomoyo asked in surprise.
"Well. Now I do." She beamed shamelessly. "But it's no secret how close you two are," she said to Sakura. "Let's just say I wouldn't be surprised if someday you do get together. Heck, I'm all for it! I mean, don't get me wrong. I really liked Kohei. I thought you two were a cute couple. But no one knows you like Syaoran does. And no one loves you like Syaoran does. Best friends have the most successful-"
"Actually," Sakura interrupted, "the way Syaoran loves me is like the way you love a puppy. Or a sibling. It's very platonic."
"That's not true," Tomoyo disputed. "He asked you out on a date."
"He asked you out?!" Naoko cried. "WHAT?! When did this happen?!"
"Shh!" Sakura hissed, grabbing her arms.
"Who did?" Takashi asked behind them. "Someone else interested in you Kinomoto?"
"What? What are we talking about?" Hiro followed, running to them with the soccer ball.
Sakura threw Tomoyo a distressed look, then glanced at the three staring back at her. She and Tomoyo had been successful at keeping it a secret between them for a good month, but it was inevitable for it to come out to the rest of the group. The problem was that she and Syaoran weren't even dating, so there really was no secret. No news. But…
"Who asked you out?" Takashi repeated.
Sakura touched her forehead gingerly, then faced everyone. "Ah…nothing, it's nothing. It was out of pity. Nothing special," she argued uselessly.
"Who are we talking about?" Hiro asked curiously.
Naoko burst into a laugh. "No! It was definitely not out of pity. We know Syaoran! He doesn't ask women out on pity dates as a rule."
"Wait WHAT. Syaoran asked Sakura on a date?!" Hiro exclaimed, grabbing Sakura's shoulder. "He actually asked you out?!"
Sakura put her hands up to stop them. "Wait, stop-"
"Finally. Wow. It took you guys this long to get together," Takashi said with a grin. "I approve!"
"This is EPIC."
"No wait that's not-"
"I gotta call him. This is BIG NEWS! WOW!"
When Hiro got excited, it was hard to calm him down. He turned swiftly to get his cell phone when Sakura came after him, yanked his arm, and pulled him backwards with strength. He lost his footing immediately and fell on his back.
"You are NOT calling him right now!" She snapped, losing all patience.
"Ow! Why not?"
"Because," she blew out a breath huffily, "there is no big news. He asked me out, yes, but it was out of pity. And I said NO. We aren't dating and we aren't in a relationship and don't count on it ever happening in the future!" Then she turned and stalked off in another direction away from them.
They stared at her retreating back, speechless.
"Nice job everybody," Eriol said dryly, his arms crossed in front of him. "All you did was make it that much harder for them to ever get together."
"What do you mean?" Naoko demanded.
Tomoyo sighed. "Sakura confessed to Syaoran. He asked her out in reply. She got spooked. She thought he asked out of pity. She got angry and told him he couldn't ever ask her out again. That is, until he falls for her. Anyway, you guys just spooked her to another level."
"Well why didn't she just say that?" Hiro complained. "That's not our fa–"
"If you would've have just shut up instead of going crazy on her, maybe she would've have explained the rest," Tomoyo said wearily.
::::::
With a pounding headache and still unsettled feelings, Sakura sat on her couch after a long day of work and stared blankly at the TV. It was Monday night. The day had been marked by meetings with executives about an up-and-coming fashion designer with a promising new line. And add that to the unresolved confrontation with the gang.
When her phone rang, she grabbed it. "Hello?" She muttered in obvious annoyance.
"Hey," came the familiar voice of whom she wasn't looking forward to speaking with.
Slightly more annoyed, she said, "What?"
"Uh…you told me to call you."
"Did I?" She sighed, remembering their conversation just the day before. "I forgot. Hi. How are you?"
In Hong Kong, Syaoran sat against the bed post, his legs stretched out in front of him, his ankles crossed. He glanced at the time and wondered why she was so cranky. "Something's obviously up with you. What's wrong?"
"It's nothing."
"Hm. Let's try that again. Talk."
Sakura repositioned herself on the couch and stretched her body out. Leaning her head on a pillow, she turned off the TV. "I've got a headache."
"And?"
"And…I messed up during one of my meetings today. I didn't prepare well for it and one of the executives embarrassed me in front of the other directors."
"Ouch."
"I almost forgot all about it but you asked." At that, she flinched. She was being ungrateful right now. And rude. "Sorry. I've had a rough day. And yesterday at the picnic, when we got off the phone, I just…"
At her pause, he waited.
"The guys found out about…us-not that there is an us but that I confessed to you and you asked me on a date and I hadn't planned on telling them and it came out and I didn't know what to say and I freaked out and I threw Hiro on the ground and yelled at him." Sakura let out a long breath of air and covered her eyes with her arm. "Ugh."
For another moment, Syaoran was silent.
When he didn't respond, she said, "Hello?"
"Sakura," he began then, "why don't we actually talk about it now?"
She swallowed. "Talk about what?"
"Not that I want you to freak out again, but…you know. Let's talk about us. Let me start by saying that men never initiate this kind of conversation, but I'm willing to because I don't want you stressing out about this every time you think about it."
Slowly, she sat up. "Um… my first instinct is to say no and hang up the phone. But… okay, maybe we should…talk about this," she finished lamely.
Syaoran could sense from her voice that she was indeed on the verge of freaking out again. He bit back a smile. "All right. Here's my proposal. When I come home – that's in 5 weeks – plenty of time from now – we go on a date. Nothing fancy, nothing uncomfortable. Just movie and dinner. Let's wear comfortable clothes. We'll have dinner at a cheap restaurant. I won't pick you up by car. We'll walk. That way, it won't seem too much like a date. Just us hanging out. But," he added, " it'll be a date."
Sakura studied her fingers. "Why do you want to go on a date with me, Sho?"
"It's not out of pity."
"Then why?" She argued.
"Because we've never tried it before. It's one date. It's harmless."
"Okay, here's me being totally honest. It might not seem harmless to you, because as you said, it is just one date. But it'll probably be harmful to me. I…have feelings for you. Which means everything you do or not do and say or not say will be amplified, no matter what it is. So it will really break my heart if we go on this date and at the end of it, you'll still see me as a little sister."
He understood where she was coming from, but he thought with a frown, there was no avoiding it. "Look, let's face it. First, we've known each other too long. We grew up like siblings. That's out of our hands. Second, I can't make you feel any different than you can make me feel any different. You can't make me fall in love with you. It'll either happen or it won't."
That was tough to hear. It hurt. But she appreciated his frankness. Though he could say such harsh words, she knew it was said for her sake. "Mm."
"So you could either keep running away from this or you could face it."
"Mm."
At her quiet agreement, he said, "So? What do you say?"
She took a long pause, then… "I'm nervous," she admitted.
Wondering why he felt the same, he said, "Me too."
"Why would you be nervous?"
"I don't know. I'm just hoping you say yes."
She laughed then, feeling a lump at the back of her throat. Everything he said would be amplified, she knew, but she couldn't help the happiness that was filling her now. "Okay."
"Okay?"
She nodded uneasily. "Yes."
A surge of excitement threw him on his feet. "Wow. All right. You said yes. You can't take it back. I know you're worried, but don't be. It'll be fun."
"I hope neither of us regrets it, Sho." I hope you don't regret it, she added silently.
"We won't," he assured.
::::::
"Everyone's got their passports on hand?" Eriol asked the four in front of him.
"Got it!" Hiro announced, patting the front of his sweatshirt.
"Yep."
"Carrying it."
"Our flight leaves in just over an hour so we need to check in and go through security right when we arrive. We're all hungry but let's get to the gate before we go looking for breakfast. That sound good?"
"Good idea," Sakura said.
"You have everything you need?" Eriol asked Tomoyo.
She smiled, patting his chest lovingly. "Yes honey."
Taka then took out his keys from his pant pocket. "Let's roll."
A ball of nerves and excitement, Sakura followed Naoko to the back of the van. They were heading for Hong Kong for the three-day weekend. None of them had ever stepped out of Japan before, so it was a new experience in a lot of ways.
"I can't wait to meet Syaoran's other sisters!" Naoko squealed. "Fanren's so gorgeous too. They're quadruplets right?"
"Yeah! Identical quads. I'm excited to see Hong Kong! And his mom and dad again. It's been years since our family's last seen them."
Tomoyo followed them into the van and sat beside Sakura. "I'm so excited! I love vacations!"
"What's the weather like over there?" Hiro asked from the middle seat.
"Syaoran said it's usually around 32, but it's more humid than in Tokyo," Eriol said, settling into the front passenger seat. "It's supposed to rain today but for the rest of the weekend, it should clear up."
"Hong Kong here we come baby!"
::::::
Excited, Syaoran stood at the arrivals area with his sister Feimei, her twin sons, Kai and Chen, and her newborn, little Jaiying. The twins were aged seven and little rebel kids. Since they'd arrived at the airport, they'd run around the waiting area, bothering a lot of people. Neither he nor Feimei had planned on bringing them, but the twins had clutched onto their legs the moment they stepped out of the house and demanded that they be taken along.
As annoying as they could be, they looked a lot like him and it was amusing to watch them. He felt like he was looking at a multiplied version of his younger self.
"Kai, stop it," he commanded, grabbing one boy's collar and hauling him back to where he and his sister were sitting. "I already told you to stop touching other people's stuff. You do that one more time and I'll throw you back in the car."
"But Chen started it!" He complained. "He put something in somebody's purse. I just wanted to take it out!"
"Chen," Feimei said with a warning look, "What did you put in someone's purse? And where did you put it?" She demanded.
Chen's face scrunched up into an exaggerated scowl. "Mom, he's lying! I didn't even bring anything with me!"
"Oh you boys you're driving me crazy!" She cried. "What do I need to do to get you two to stop messing around?!"
"There's a playground over there! Can we go there? Pleeeease?" They asked in chorus.
She sighed, already at her wits' end. "FINE. Since your friends haven't arrived yet, I'm going to take the boys to the playground. Will you take Jaiying for now?"
"No, I'd rather not."
"Let me rephrase that. You're taking Jaiying now." She slid her out of the baby carrier and passed her to Syaoran.
Thankfully she was already two months old and gaining fat. Otherwise, he probably would've dropped her. Compared to Taito, she was one tiny baby. Syaoran held her with one arm.
Feimei took the carrier off of her and fastened it around Syaoran, who stared blankly at the equipment now sitting against his chest. "Does that feel tight?"
"I can't believe this is happening," he muttered in disbelief.
She snorted. She took Jaiying from Syaoran and slid her into the carrier. Satisfied that she was safely tucked against Syaoran's chest, Feimei smiled. "Now you look like a daddy. Be nice, honey," she said as she kissed the top of her head tenderly. "She's not a fussy one and she doesn't cry, but if she does start crying, just shove this into her mouth," Feimei lifted up the pacifier she had attached to Syaoran's belt.
"Fine."
"Boys," she instructed then, "hold my hands. Let's go."
"YAY! See ya, Uncle Syaoran!"
"Bye Uncle!"
The three walked out of the doors and disappeared off to the corner.
Now on his own, Syaoran studied the little one currently resting up against his chest. She was perfectly content where she was. Her eyes were small, which made her cheeks even bigger. She was one cute dumpling, he thought.
It was another ten minutes or so until people started walking out of the doors.
"They're almost here baby!" He said to Jaiying, moving out of people's way. He stood as close as he could to the door.
When he heard Japanese instead of Cantonese, his heart jumped. The first voice he heard was undoubtedly Hiro's, who was practically hollering in excitement. When they stepped through the doors, his eyes met Sakura's.
"SHO!"
"HEY!"
"Syaoran!"
"Hey guys!"
When they got near enough, they were all about to jump him when they caught sight of the baby hanging on his chest.
"Is she yours?!" Hiro cried.
Eriol smacked him upside the head. "Baka."
Syaoran went straight for Sakura first, bending down slightly, and hugged her, even with the baby between them. With a grin directed to everyone around them, he said, "Hey pretty face," knowing it woud rile her up.
Her face turning red, she smacked his shoulder before hugging him back. "Couldn't you just say you missed me?"
"They are so cute," Naoko whispered to Tomoyo, who laughed.
When they pulled apart, she angled her head to the side to look at the baby. "Who is this cutie?"
After exchanging side hugs and handshakes with the rest of the gang, he said, "This is Jaiying, my niece, Feimei's third kid. She's just at the playground with her boys, but they'll be here in a bit."
"She doesn't look like you," Naoko mused. "But she is awfully cute! I could eat her cheeks!" She caressed her cheek, biting back the temptation to pinch.
"How was the plane ride?"
"Surprisingly short. It was good, except for Taka," Eriol said, pointing to the bathroom with his thumb. "Apparently he's got a bad case of motion sickness. He didn't even know it. He's been puking for over an hour now."
"That sucks. The rest of you were all right though?" They all nodded. "Good. So my parents prepared a big meal back home. And they said you could all stay at the mansion," he added with a thumbs up. "Don't worry about paying for boarding. They'll just get offended. Just eat everything they feed you and they'll take that as a sign of gratitude. That sound good?"
"Woow, your parents are so nice. And rich," Hiro said with admiration.
"Are you sure Syaoran? We don't want to inconvenience them," Tomoyo said, troubled. "Do we have enough omiyage for them?"
"It's fine, don't worry about it. It's part of our custom here, so like I said, just eat everything they give you. That'll satisfy them. Anyway, Feimei drove a van and I brought my car, so we'll have to split up. You guys got everything you need? Any baggage to pick up?"
"Oh, me," Naoko spoke up. "I checked in a small luggage."
"Let's go pick it up." Tomoyo hooked her arm through Naoko's. "Eriol, you'll wait for Taka? Maybe you should go to the drug store and pick up some medicine for his stomach."
"That's a good idea. Is there one in the airport, Syoaran?"
"Yeah, just down there, past the glass doors. There should be a bunch of small stores."
"We'll meet the rest of you outside those doors, then?" Naoko clarified.
"Yeah, we'll get the cars. Everybody else, follow me!"
When they stepped out of the airport and headed towards the parking lot, which seemed like its own building, the three felt the strong wave of humidity pass over them.
"So this is Hong Kong!" Hiro announced happily. "I feel so free! And special! Nobody speaks Japanese here but me!"
Ignoring him, Syaoran walked in rhythm with Sakura, standing close enough to brush his arm against hers.
She looked up, felt too happy to see him, and and couldn't resist reaching up to ruffle his hair.
He chuckled. "This is the first weekend that I'm actually glad to be here. It's nice having you guys here with me."
"I can't believe I didn't see you for a month."
"And survived it," he teased.
She laughed. "That's right, I did!"
"Did you sleep on the plane?"
"No, I just watched a few movies. Oh, actually I studied the Cantonese book you gave me back in college!" She fished for it in her shoulder bag and showed him. "'Easy Cantonese for the traveler's convenience,'" she read the title out loud. "I can't believe I found it!"
"Wa-ow, that brings back memories," he took it from her hand. "It still looks brand new. You didn't open it once did you?"
She smiled sheepishly. "I had no reason to, until now."
Just then, "Uncle SYAO!" came the loud yells from behind them.
The three turned and two boys looking just like Syaoran came running for them.
"Oh my gosh." Sakura said in shock. "It's you times two."
"Sakura!" The tall and beautiful Feimei waved.
"Feimei!" Sakura waved back in excitement.
It had been almost ten years since Syaoran's family – Dad, Mom, and three of his sisters – decided to move back to Hong Kong and settle there. Ten years had transformed Feimei into a blossoming mother. She was only 36 and yet she already had 3 children.
Meanwhile, the two boys stopped short in front of Sakura and stared up at her with wide eyes.
"Uncle Syao, is she your girlfriend?"
"Yeah Uncle Syao, she's pretty."
"Her eyes are GREEN!"
"Who are you?"
"Kai," Feimei warned gently.
"Actually boys this is my best friend and you can call her Auntie Sakura." He switched to Japanese and said, "Sakura, meet my nephews – Kai and Chen." Then in Cantonese, "Boys, what'd I teach you? In Japan, we bow in greeting."
Unusually obedient, they stood straight and bowed perfectly towards Sakura. "Konnichiwa," they said in unison.
Charmed, she let out a bright smile. "Hello!" Trying out her Cantonese, she managed to ask, "How old are you?"
"Seven!"
"Are you Uncle Syao's girlfriend?" Kai asked again.
Unable to understand, Sakura glanced at Syaoran, who looked back at her innocently. "I don't know what he said." Changing the topic, he turned to Hiro. "Boys, this is Uncle Hiro. He's almost as good at soccer as I am."
"Hey boys! I don't know any Cantonese and I'm gonna keep speaking Japanese!" He said in greeting. And it was hard to explain, but somehow the three seemed to immediately click. The boys laughed at his facial expressions and Hiro got a kick out of them.
With the boys distracted, Feimei pulled Sakura into her arms. "Hi honey. How have you been?" She pulled away and admired Sakura's face. "Look at you. You've really grown up. You're so beautiful!"
Blushing, Sakura shook her head several times. "It's you who's gorgeous, Feimei. I can't believe you have three kids."
She laughed. "I know! Well, Jaiying's a sweet little baby. She hardly cries. But those two boys, oh they're just terrible. They drive me nuts."
"They must be the reason why you're so tiny."
"They definitely take up all my energy," she said with a smile and sigh.
Still unable to get over it, Sakura said, "I can't believe they look just like Syaoran did at 7! Wow."
When Syaoran caught sight of his four friends reaching the doors, he turned back to the two ladies. "Fei, let's put Jaiying in the car seat now. I'll take Sakura, Hiro, and the twins. You take the other 4 and baby with you."
"Ok."
When Taka, Eriol, Tomoyo, and Naoko met them at the parking lot, there was another series of Japanese-Cantonese greetings between the adults and the children. Half an hour after they had arrived in Hong Kong, the group finally headed off.
:::
That night, after an emotional reunion between Sakura and Syaoran's parents and sisters, a big feast for lunch and dinner, and a restful nap in between, the group of friends were gathered at the living room, endlessly talking about everything with Syaoran's sisters and their husbands. The kids were already off to bed. Syaoran's dad would have a long day the next day and retired first.
"I should go to bed as well," Yelan said ruefully, unwilling to leave Sakura's side. "But I'm so happy you finally came to visit us. I've missed your family dearly. And it's so wonderful to see that you've turned into such a beautiful, independent woman. Just like your mother." Yelan hugged Sakura again, then turned to Eriol. "And you," she took his chin in her hand, "how did you become such a smart-looking man? I'm glad to see you all grown up, Eriol."
Eriol grinned. "I'm taller than Syaoran too."
"Stop lying," the amber-eyed man said from behind.
When Yelan went back to Sakura and hugged her, Syaoran had enough of it. "Ohkay Mom, she's here until Sunday." He began to pull her off of Sakura. "You'll see her again tomorrow morning."
"Fine, fine. Goodnight everyone."
"Night, Mrs. Li," the group said in a chorus. "Thank you for everything again!"
"Oh it's our pleasure! Sleep well, everyone. Don't stay up too late," she said with the same charming smile that Syaoran possessed. Already full of love for Syaoran's mom, Sakura's heart melted even more at the sight.
Left alone, the seven looked at each other, wondering how to spend the rest of the night. It was nine o'clock in the evening, but after a three-hour nap in the afternoon, everyone was wide awake.
Eriol put a hand up. "Idea. Let's go see the night view from the harbor." He turned to Syaoran. "It's not too far from here, right?"
"Twenty-minute walk." He opened the curtain slightly. "It's not raining anymore. Who's up for it?"
"Let's go!"
"We're walking?"
"Come on, it'll be fun."
"Yeah, let's do it!"
:::
Being the official guide of the tour group, everyone made Syaoran walk ahead of them. Not wanting to walk on his own, he grabbed Sakura's arm and pulled her alongside him. Behind them trailed Hiro, Naoko, and Takashi, and behind them were the lovebirds.
"How do you know so much about Syaoran's family?" Tomoyo asked Eriol with curiosity.
"I went over to their house every week during junior high. Then when they were planning on coming back here and leaving Japan, Syaoran talked to me about it. I got to know them really well, so," he shrugged.
"You really love him, don't you?" Tomoyo asked with a smile.
Eriol put his arm around Tomoyo's shoulders. "I prefer the word 'care.' Love is a strong word."
"I think you love him," she repeated nonetheless, wrapping her arm around his waist. "His family's amazing. I can't believe how kind they've been to us. This is like a dream vacation."
"Yeah. We should buy something nice for them. Maybe a decoration for their house."
"We really should. I can't believe we're not paying anything to stay at their house. And they're cooking all our meals! It's better than a five-star hotel." They became quiet for a moment, then she added, "It feels nice to be here with you, Hiira. Our first vacation together."
He dropped a kiss on her forehead. "Next time let's go to Hokkaido. I'll introduce you to my grandparents."
She looked up. "Really?"
"Yeah. I already told my grandma about you. She's been asking when I'll introduce you."
"Uwah, that makes me nervous," she laughed lightly. "I'd love to meet them."
Meanwhile, just in front of them, Hiro, Takashi, and Naoko kept talking over each other as usual.
"I still think we should go buy fireworks and light them up at the harbor," Hiro insisted stubbornly.
"And I still think we should do it tomorrow night. It's too muggy to do it tonight," Taka retorted.
"Are we all staying together tomorrow? Because I want to go shopping," Naoko interjected. "Would you all go shopping with me?"
"No," the men replied simultaneously.
"Why not?!"
"You can go shopping in Japan! We're only here for three days – scratch that, only two more days! I'd rather see as much of Hong Kong as I can. Anyway, Syaoran's taking us to the monastery tomorrow."
In front of them, Syaoran and Sakura walked in synchrony and enjoyed each other's company.
"Tell me more about the twins," Sakura said eagerly. "It still boggles my mind that they look so much like you. Well, you at seven."
"Yeah," he chuckled. "When they were just newborns, Feimei sent me their pictures and they looked nothing like me. Then I met them for the first time when they were 3 and it was insane! Everybody got such a kick out of it. Mom took out old toddler photos of me and we looked almost exactly alike. Like triplets. But they're ridiculously bad kids. I was never that troublesome as a kid."
"Mm, but I remember all the times you made me cry back in elementary. And left me to go play with your friends."
"But that's not making trouble. That's just being a boy," he defended. "Besides, every time you hurt yourself, I always came, didn't I?"
"Yeah I guess you did."
"Kai and Chen, they just go around making pranks, laughing at people, doing stupid things like that. I hate babysitting them. But," he added with a proud grin, "they do listen to me."
She laughed. "Really? You're lying."
"I'm not. It's because I follow through with my threats. When I first got here, they just kept jumping on my bed while I was on it. I told them to stop or I'd tie them up for three hours. They were like, 'Oh yeah? I bet you'd never do that! You can't do that to us! Mom would get mad at you!'"
Sakura pressed her palm against her forehead, laughing. "Oh Sho you didn't."
"Oh I did. I grabbed one, tied him up on a dining chair, chased the other around the house, then tied him up beside his brother. They watched TV like that for three hours. I told them if they had to pee, they were free to do it there. Taught them a lesson." He chuckled.
"I guess that makes you a good disciplinarian?" Sakura mused.
"Hey, kids need to be taught a lesson. And they're smart too. If everything you say are empty threats, they'll see through you."
"Seems like you've learned a lot of lessons about children since you came to Hong Kong."
"Being around them 24/7 does that," he supposed. "But honestly, yeah, since I've been here, I keep seeing my sisters and their husbands together, spending time with their kids. Sometimes I think about how nice it would be to have my own family someday."
Surprised, she said, "Yeah? A lot of guys your age would rather enjoy the single life for another ten years before settling down."
"Well.. if the right woman shows up, I don't think I'd mind cutting my single life short to spend the rest of it with her."
Warmth fluttered in her. "Wow, that's romantic. I never thought of you as a romantic guy before. Have you turned sappy now too?" She teased, trying to hide how touched she was.
He glanced down, realizing that he was seeing her in a way different now. Like he was more aware of her as a woman; from what she said, from how she reacted, from the expressions on her face.
"I mean it though," he said seriously.
At his insistence, she looked up. Staring back into his amber eyes, she decided to challenge him. "But you've never fallen in love with anyone before, so how would you know?"
Sliding his hands into the pockets of his shorts, he said with some embarrassment, "I know… but if I think of spending the rest of my life with… someone like you," he shrugged, "I feel like it'd be easy to give up the single life." When she stared back at him with a wide, shocked gaze, he covered her eyes with his hand. "Don't look at me like that. I'm just being honest that's all."
She swallowed. Because of what she felt for him, her mind always tended to make a bigger deal of things he said than how it really was. Get it together, Sakura, she chided her heart. But with a sigh, she was still affected that he cared enough to protect her heart like this. "You really are awful, Sho," she muttered, pulling his hand down. "Don't worry, I won't misunderstand next time."
Guilty, he slid his hand back into his pocket. "Would you rather I lied?"
She faced forward, keeping her gaze straight ahead of them. "I want to say no, but for my own sake… yes."
When they reached the harbor five minutes later, everyone became excited. Syaoran's family's mansion rested atop a high hill, so the view from the park nearby was spectacular. After a muggy and rainy day, there was a bit of polluted fog covering the city, but the lights of the city still sparkled like glittering jewels against darkness.
They stood against the farthest edge of the park, leaning against the railing. "Amazing," Naoko murmured beside Sakura.
"Mm. It is beautiful," she said softly.
"I've never seen a night view like this," Tomoyo said, standing on the other side of Sakura.
On the other side of Tomoyo was Hiro. Grabbing the camera hanging around his neck, he turned it on and focused it on the view in front of him. He wasn't the quiet type, but the view somehow left him wordless.
Beside Hiro, Takashi rested his elbow on the railing and propped his chin with his hand. "Yeah it's amazing," Takashi admired.
"How often do you come here and just look at this?" Eriol asked Syaoran.
At the end of the line, he relaxed beside Eriol. "Not often. I'm usually at work until past nine, but if I'm stressed or whatever, I'll go for a walk and stop here. We'll go over there tomorrow," he said, pointing northward where downtown was.
Hiro stepped a few meters back and focused his camera on his friends. "Guys, look over here."
Standing where they were, they all turned and posed with peace signs. Happy smiles appeared on each face when Hiro said, "Say cheese!"
For the next ten minutes, the group of friends enjoyed the impromptu photoshoot. Some photos involved stretched out arms and funny expressions. One was of the men pretending to climb off the railing. One was of the women happily laughing and hugging each other.
"Just me and Tomo," Eriol directed then, pushing everybody out of the camera focus.
"We should do a couple pose!" Tomoyo said excitedly. "I'll jump into your arms and then Hiro, you take our picture!"
Eriol blinked. "What? Seriously?"
"Yeah. Now!"
"What?!"
Tomoyo propped herself on Eriol's shoulder, and did a big, quick jump. Though caught a bit off-guard, he ended up cradling her successfully. Hiro took a photo just before Eriol's arm slipped out of the hold.
After them, Syaoran grabbed Sakura's arm and pulled her to the center. "Now us!" Behind her, he stretched out his arms nice and wide, his hands holding out peace signs. "Sakuchin, do a cute pose in front of me."
Good at posing for photos, she lifted one foot, bent her knee, held up peace signs against her cheeks, and smiled brightly. It was a perfect imitation of a female Asian idol pose.
"Our turn!" Hiro announced, pulling Takashi and Naoko with him. "Guys, let's do the air band pose!"
"I wanna join!" Syaoran and Eriol announced at the same time.
"I call guitar!" Taka immediately said.
"Piano!" Naoko called out.
"I'll do sax," Eriol added.
"What? Wait-"
"I'm drums," Syaoran announced.
"WHAT. What am I doing then?!" Hiro objected. "This was my idea! I want to do guitar too!"
"You can be the bass. I'm doing electric," Taka said, pushing him off to the background.
"Bass is boring! Can I jump and do the air guitar?"
Tomoyo spoke up. "Actually, I'll take everybody's picture, so Sakura you join in too. You be the singer."
"Okay!"
Syaoran found a medium-sized boulder, rested it against the railing, then sat on it. Takashi and Hiro bickered for a few seconds until Hiro relented and stood on the opposide side of Takashi, who got on his knees. Naoko buckled her knees slightly and stretched out her fingers as though playing a piano.
"Ready?" Tomoyo asked, amused at the serious way each person was posing their band role, even Sakura. It was like high school all over again.
Sakura lifted up her fist as a fake microphone. Her eyes closed and her face constricted to show an expression of a serious singer. Eriol stretched back his back and pretended to hold a saxophone in front of him. Syaoran lifted his hands as though carrying a pair of drumsticks.
"Say cheeeese!"
"Cheeeese!"
They all broke out in laughter at the end of the series of photos Tomoyo took. They took turns looking at the final product and laughed at each other's great acting skills. They'd done a similar photoshoot twice before – once after graduating junior high, the second time at the bonfire by the beach after graduating high school.
"The only one missing is Rika," Tomoyo murmured.
"Our next group vacation should be Australia," Taka said then.
"We should do it before people start settling down and having babies," Naoko said with a twinkle in her eyes.
Embarrassed, Eriol looked away, pretending not to have heard the comment. Tomoyo merely laughed.
A/N: So sorry I disappeared for almost a month! I went on a 2-week vacation and just getting back to real life again. This chapter is extra long because I made you all wait so long... I promise I'll try to have the next chapter finished by next week. Thanks for waiting!