Okay. I am late.
But I am giving you guys an super-long chapter as compensation.
Enjoy!
THE KAZEHIME'S SONG 09: ERIOL'S SURPRISE AND SYAORAN'S CONFESSION
"Man this sucks," Syaoran grumbled as he lay flat on the rug, trying to ease out the cramps on his joints courtesy of poring into books for two hours straight.
"I completed my assignment but no, just because a spectacled nuisance had to make my life a bit more rosier, I had to do it twice!"
Eriol smacked him on the forehead as he filed up the papers.
"Shut up Li, you know it as well as I do that if you don't help me out in History, I won't help you in Business Law. So deal with it," he huffed, earning a smirk.
"Alright alright, don't get your panties in a twist. I just feel my Sunday has been wasted, that's all," he said in a mock-martyr voice, putting up his hands in an effort to placate the other guy.
"Any idea what the girls are up to, though?" asked Eriol, getting up to place the books on a side table.
"Dunno, bud. Well, Kinomoto said it was girl's thing...and if you ask me, the fairer sex is more cryptic than the etchings of the Indus Valley Civilisation. They just love suspense," Syaoran sighed, sitting up.
Eriol raised an eyebrow.
Syaoran shrugged nonchalantly, looking at the afternoon sun through the window.
"I have four sisters, Eriol. I know."
Yelan Li was hysterical, for perhaps the first time in her long, fruitful and organized life.
"HIKARI! Are you sure?"
"Yes ma'am. Shiefa-sama and Fanren-sama are on their way to Tokyo. Apparently, Fanren-sama has discovered that her husband was in an extra-marital relationship with a Belgian supermodel so she has requested her sisters' help."
Yelan pressed her temples in an attempt to alleviate the exponentially increasing headache. No one knew better than her as to what the consequences would be if the sisters became serious. Though she was beside herself with anger when she heard about Fanren's husband, she now felt sorry for the poor man. Inwardly, she was glad Fuutie was pregnant—otherwise the man would have departed for the other world already.
Still, media scandal could no longer be avoided. It was best if Syaoran came home before the news became headlines.
"Hikari, call up Syaoran and Meiling—tell them that their sisters are in town and hence are expected to return home soon," she said to her PA in a tired voice, dismissing her with a wave of her hand.
Miyagi, the company and now this.
No wonder she had more grey hairs than most people her age.
Syaoran was about to enter the lift when his phone buzzed.
A surprise! Just be at Eriol's place till we come...I promise you it will be a lifetime's experiece. Ta da!—Meiling
Before he could process the message, his phone rang. It was his mother's PA, Hikari Ayuzawa.
"Hello Ayuzawa-san, what is it? Is Mother alright?" he enquired.
"Yelan-sama is fine, Syaoran-kun," she said in her trademark efficient voice. Unlike other employess of the company, Hikari treated him like the son she never had and thus, she never used the formal tone with him.
"She requested that Meiling and you return home as quickly as possible. Apparently, a giant media scandal is going to break through today evening so she wants you two safe at home."
"Media scandal?" he asked, surprised.
"Long story, Syaoran-kun. It's best if your mother tells you," she sighed.
"Alright, we are coming," he answered, his interest piqued. What was up exactly?
"Okay, then. See you soon."
He sighed as he stepped into the lift. What was up with secrets today anyway? First Meiling and now his very own mother.
As soon as he stepped outside the entrance of the building, his cellphone rang merrily.
It was Meiling.
He knew today was going to be a really hectic day.
"So what's the plan, Mei?" Ayume asked. It was five-thirty already and they were sitting at a roadside café. Tomoyo's suitcases had been sent up to the hotel she was staying and the four girls were presently planning for Eriol's big "surprise".
"Some paparazzi stuff—Auntie Yelan says we have to come home soon," Meiling sighed as she sipped her coffee.
"Aww...that's like super-cruel," Ayume replied with sympathy.
But Meiling must have had another plan as her ruby-tinted amber eyes shone with delight.
"Plan B, folks. You guys, my house, what say? We have a sleepover. And you get to meet my sisters."
Sakura jumped.
"Sisters?" she asked, surprised. She never knew Syaoran had sisters.
"Four of them, actually. Media scandals always there's something exciting up which will be front-page news tomorrow...don't tell me you want out?" Meiling asked slyly, looking from Tomoyo to Ayume. She could see Sakura's slightly flustered look and grinned inwardly—it would worth even a night in Purgatory to keep Sakura and her cousin under the same roof.
Man, she was excited.
"Okay okay, we are in. What's the next step?" Ayume asked quickly, as Tomoyo winked. The amethyst-eyed girl was quickly cluing into Meiling's idea of killing two birds with one stone.
"I have already asked Ayuzawa-san to send the car down here and keep Syao-kun and Eriol from reaching before us. Then, it's showtime!"
Yelan Li was seated in the family living room, facing her three daughters with a serious look. Shiefa, the second oldest and most responsible of the lot, began to speak.
"Fanren's husband was involved in this infidelity for a very long time, mother. Perhaps even before their marriage."
Feimei wrapped her arms around her sister as she cried softly, anger crunching up her delicate face.
"Can I kill him, Mother?" she asked calmly.
"Of course not, Feimei. Be reasonable. Let Wei and Hikari arrive, then we will decide a course of action.
Enter the house only when I tell you...and don't tell Eriol anything about us.—Meiling.
Yeah sure, Syaoran sighed mentally. Eriol did look surprised at the sudden change of plans but shrugged it off regardless. Syaoran had to admit, the sapphire-eyed guy did take the taking-it-with-a-stride thing to a whole new level. If Eriol was stumped at the sudden invitation, he didn't show.
His cellphone buzzed.
We are home.
Now he too wanted to know what was going on exactly.
"Auntie Yelan! I brought a couple of—oh my gosh! You look tired!" Meiling exclaimed, running over to the elegant-looking middle-aged lady sitting on the sofa. Sakura looked around shyly. She knew Li's were rich, but this was like insane. The house defined opulence to the ultimate degree. It was almost a mansion—no, more of a palace. It was three stories tall, white and regal with ornate columns standing proudly in front of the entrance. The living room looked more of a place out of a fairytale—polished white marble floor, carved ceiling and dark brown upholstery. The walls were covered with gigantic paintings of Syaoran's ancestors—according to Meiling, after turning twenty-two, every Li got a portrait done.
She, clad in just a grey sweatshirt and jeans with worn-out sneakers, felt completely out of place.
"I am alright dear. I see you have brought your friends along," she replied, smiling at Meiling's worried look.
"That's Ayume Tendo—you know her, Auntie, and this," she said, dragging Sakura in front.
"This is Sakura Kinomoto."
Yelan looked appreciatively at Sakura, her brown eyes twinkling.
She seems good...suddenly, Yelan jumped. Kinomoto?
Sakura must have seen the change in her expression as she looked uneasy. To her surprise, Yelan patted her shoulder in a motherly manner while looking over to the black-haired, amethyst-eyed girl.
That must be Sonomi's daughter, then. Tomoyo Daidouji.
Nadeshiko's daughter...her son's friend. Karma was something, wasn't it?
"Mrs. Li doesn't like me, does she?" Sakura said slowly, as they sat in Meiling's room. The owner of the room was presently in conversation with her aunt so the three girls were lazing around.
"Nopey, Sakura. Meiling told you, she was tired. And I know Mrs. Li, she's a really nice lady," Ayume replied, filing her fingernails.
Sakura didn't look convinced.
"Hey, Saku-chan. My mom knows the Lis...and they are cool. Don't sweat it," said Tomoyo gently, giving the brunette a one-armed squeeze.
"Uh-hmm..." she mumbled.
"THE NERVE...I SWEAR...!"
"Meiling...Shiefa and Feimei have already yelled their throats out...please have pity on this old lady and give her ears a rest," Yelan sighed as Meiling looked positively murderous.
"Can I kill him?" she asked, notching down a couple of octaves.
"No...no...are all the Li girls crazy? Your sisters and I have a plan...you and Syaoran stay put. You are having a sleepover, right? Focus on that."
Meiling hung her head in defeat—how she would have loved to give Fanren's husband, rather ex-husband for the matter, some food for thought.
"As you wish, Auntie Yelan."
Syaoran entered the foyer, closely followed by Eriol. The sight of a familiar looking grey-haired clad in the clothes of a butler caught his attention.
"Wei!" he exclaimed in delight, running over to the man he considered as a father figure.
"Oh it's you, Young Master Li," he said, dipping his head slightly.
"Nice to see you doing well."
"It's been a long time Wei...here," Syaoran motioned Eriol, who had standing uncertainly a distance away, to join him.
"This is my friend from class, Eriol Hiiragizawa. He's from Tomoeda...this person, Eriol," Syaoran motioned to Wei, "He has been like a father to me since I can remember. Since the last two years, he had been in Hong Kong along with Shiefa to help her settle down the new branch of our fashion line. Good to see you back, old man."
Eriol extended his hand.
"Looks like someone missed you a lot here, Wei-san," he commented.
"And I see he has found a good friend in you, Master Hiiragizawa," Wei answered, shaking his hand in return.
"What brings you here, Wei?" Syaoran asked as the three walked into the mansion.
"Shiefa-sama has come to Tokyo, you are aware of that," he said. Syaoran nodded, motioning him to continue.
"It has come to light that Fanren-sama's husband had been engaged in an extra-marital affair with a Belgian super-model. Feimei-sama is here too. Fuutie-sama is unwell due to her advanced pregnancy hence she has not been informed."
Syaoran clenched his fists tightly.
"That...that...that dog!" he seethed.
"Yelan-sama seeks my counsel as to what step to take up next. She believes that a media scandal would be unavoidable, hence she has called you and Meiling-sama home."
Syaoran nodded; that was what his mother would do.
"Do not worry much, Master Li. You enjoy with your friend, we will take care of everything."
Meiling stormed into her room, taking the other three by surprise.
"Wazzup, Mei?" Ayume inquired, taking in the dark look.
Meiling narrated the incidence, eliciting indignant remarks on Fanren's behalf.
"Poor Fanren-san," Sakura sympathized.
Syaoran marched up when he was reminded that Meiling had specifically asked him to come to her room. He checked his watch. It was almost seven-thirty. Wei had said something about a meeting to discuss about the next course of action and had told him to go straight up.
He trusted his mother in such situations—she could be emotional and soft at times but when family came into the picture, she could be really ruthless. He wanted to squeeze the life out of that shithead of a man.
How much could a person lower oneself for money?
Syaoran realized that the man married Fanren only to enter the hallowed corridors of the Li Corp. he hoped fervently that true justice would be delivered.
"I know you are seething Syaoran but chill. I am sure your mother can handle it."
Syaoran looked back to see Eriol smiling at him.
"I know that..." he trailed off.
Eriol nodded in response.
"I understand how you feel. I would feel the same if something like this happened with Sakura."
Syaoran had a sudden vision of demonic Eriol standing atop him with a sword in hand.
"Ye...yeah..." he replied a bit shakily.
"I can very well imagine that."
The girls were gossiping about Ayume's crush when a loud cough announced Syaoran's presence.
"Quick Tomoyo, hide!" Sakura hissed, piling blankets on the poor girl.
"What the-?" Tomoyo began before her voice was muffled up by the quilts.
"Wazzup girls?" Syaoran asked, quick enough to catch on the surprised looks on their faces.
"Er...nothing, Li-kun," said Sakura brightly.
Over-brightly, she mentally reprimanded herself.
"Where's Eriol-kun?" she asked innocently, craning her neck to see the space behind him.
"Well, he was..." Syaoran turned to look.
Eriol was standing at the door, looking as white as a sheet.
Syaoran looked surprised.
"Hey man, you okay?"
Eriol pointed at the door. On it was a banyan tree encircled with gold.
"What's this?" he asked hoarsely.
Syaoran peered at the carving, puzzled at his friend's strange behaviour.
"Can't tell you exactly...Mother would know. Why? Wazzup?" he asked.
"I never told you about myself, did I?" Eriol began, staring straight into the amber eyes.
The girls came down the bed up to the door, except Tomoyo who was still under the blankets.
"I lived my grandparents—my mom's parents—in Tomoeda. Both my mom and dad were killed when they were driving home from Tokyo. And the knife that was found lying next to them, the knife that was the murder weapon, it had this same carving."
A deathly silence followed his words. Syaoran blanched, looking at the carving in horror. He had seen it since like forever.
"Tomoyo, I think you are needed here," Sakura said slowly. The amethyst-eyed girl jumped down to Eriol, hugging the boy tightly. He was too dazed and shocked to even register her presence. The six stood quietly, unsure and uncertain.
"What needs to be done, Mother?" Shiefa asked quietly.
"We will expose him...he dared to trifle with the Li family. Such dirt need to know their place," Feimei added grimly.
Yelan sat with her head resting on interlocked fingers as she contemplated the situation.
From the corner of her eye, she saw one of Hikari's underlings whisper something quietly in her ear before moving out.
"Ma'am, Sonomi Daidouji is on the line. She says it is of utmost urgency."
"Put her up on the speaker."
A few moments later, Sonomi Daidouji's voice filled the conference room.
"Bad news Yelan. Does Fanren know her husband's a cheater?" Sonomi asked quickly.
"We all know that Sonomi." Yelan replied.
"Do you know that the Belgian model is an employee of Miyagi Industries?"
A stunned silence followed her words as everyone digested the news.
"That man is an idiot—he was being used by Miyagi as a pawn to get inside information about your company. I hope you have not gifted him any Li holdings, yes?"
"Thankfully no," Yelan sighed, feeling tired all of a sudden.
"That model is a specialist in honey traps...and this guy fell for it. But I think we can get a consolation prize if we interrogate her," Sonomi continued, a little excitement creeping in her voice.
"But how do we do that?" Yelan wondered out loud.
"Leave that to me. You catch hold of this man and do whatever necessary to elicit a confession...I will get Suzaku to work too."
"That sounds like a great plan. Thanks a lot Sonomi. Be careful though, don't become a casualty instead."
"I won't," Sonomi promised.
"Okay. Catch you later."
Yelan looked at Fanren and steeled herself up. If nothing, then for Fanren she will make sure that this man experienced hell.
"I was five years old that time," Eriol said slowly.
The group was seated in a circle on the rug in Meiling's room.
"It was almost Christmas. Dad was Japanese but mom was English. So celebrating Christmas was a tradition in our house. I had a cold and slight fever so I was home with the baby sitter. I was having dinner when the police came and delivered the news. I couldn't believe it...I mean how? Why? My parents weren't bigshots or anyone like that...dad was an architect while mom was a high-school teacher. So why?"
He paused, looking around. It was difficult letting it out...in fact, it was the first time he was talking about it.
"The next day papers was all about that case. And the picture of that knife. I still remember it. I lived with my uncle and aunt until I was twelve and then I went to London to my mom's parents. Then when I graduated from junior high, I wanted to return to Tomoeda so we came back."
"All these years...we were diaper buddies and you never told us...we all thought that your parents died in a car crash..." Sakura said sadly.
"I am sorry Sakura, Tomoyo...but I just couldn't talk about it," Eriol said, regret laced in his voice.
"We understand," said Tomoyo softly.
"But remember...we are there for you."
Syaoran stared at the door again, his eyes crunching up.
"But why this symbol? We need to get the bottom of this," he said grimly, hitting his right fist on to his left palm.
The other five nodded in assent.
"Can't you do even one thing properly? Why do I even hire such shit?" Taiichi Miyagi raged at a curvaceous, sexily dressed woman who looked down to her toes.
"I am sorry, Mr. Miyagi. That man must have blabbed away under the influence of alcohol in last night's party," she said, twisting her fingers.
"He is a liability now. See that he is disposed off. If he is found by the Li's, then I can kiss my contract goodbye."
He marched out haughtily, slamming the door on her face.
Unknown to him, a tiny recorder in the form of a hairband had recorded everything he said.
It was almost past ten-thirty when Wei came up to Meiling's room to call for dinner. He was surprised to see the group sitting with such solemn faces.
"Is something the matter, Young Master Li?" he asked gently.
"That symbol on the door, Wei. Do you know anything about it?" Syaoran asked.
Wei peered at the symbol, slightly thrown back at such an unusual question.
"If I am not mistaken, this symbol belongs to The Banyan Syndicate. You could call it your ancestors or predecessors. Long time back, when the Li's had their base in Hong Kong, the Syndicate was a powerful organization. And it's leader was your great-grandfather. But after his death, chaos broke out in this highly regimented organization—from what I know, some nouveau business moguls wanted to usurp the organization. Your grandfather tried his best to rein in but was unsuccessful. So he withdrew and relocated to Tokyo. Presently, The Banyan Syndicate has no relations whatsoever to us. In fact, it considers us to be its biggest enemy, though the fact they are run by the pettiest of men make their existence highly laughable. But this house is replete with their symbols as it was constructed when Li's were still a force in the Syndicate. Why ask, Master Li?"
Eriol summarized his story.
Wei scratched his chin thoughtfully before asking.
"Those killers, were they caught?"
Eriol shook his head.
"I thought so," he sighed.
"Presently, there are rumours that the Syndicate has degraded from a fraternity of business families to a guild of criminals. Your mother should be informed about this incident—maybe some light can be shed on this matter."
Eriol looked slightly hopeful as colour returned to his cheeks.
Syaoran patted his shoulder as Tomoyo squeezed his arm in solidarity.
And that made Eriol realize something.
"What on earth are you doing here, Tomoyo?"
The dinner was a quiet affair. Sakura tried to look at Syaoran's sisters. All the three had chestnut brown hair like Syaoran. But they were longer and styled professionally. The tallest amongst them—Shiefa, she presumed—was fair with dark violet eyes and long lashes with high cheekbones and a sharp, shapely nose. Fanren—she assumed it was Fanren as her eyes were red-rimmed from crying—was shortest of the trio. Her eyes were chocolate brown and her face chubbier than Shiefa but still had an elegance which was quite uncommon. Feimei was darker and thinner with almond shaped amber eyes and a strong determined face. She had an intimidating gaze—Sakura later learned that Feimei was a highly-acclaimed corporate lawyer.
Yelan was having her dinner in her room as the days' events had tired her out.
"What happened?" Syaoran burst out, unable to bear the suspense. Shiefa looked slightly surprised but relented.
"There was enough dirt on this guy to sink his empire for the next three centuries. The media is harping out the rest. Tomorrow, his shares are going to sink and the guy's ending bankrupt." she said in an emotionless voice as she speared her steak.
Sakura couldn't help but feel sad for Fanren. All that happened and all that will happen, Fanren sure would suffer a lot.
"Keep a close eye on him. I want every document in his house."
"Roger that, ma'am."
"And do it quickly. If my hunch is correct, then Miyagi will surely try and remove him."
"Not before our work is done."
Yelan replaced her cellphone on her bedside table as she walked up to the window. The moon shone brightly down on the grounds, painting a picture of peace.
She knew there nothing remotely peaceful about the incidents that will happen tomorrow onwards. The ball has begun to roll and she could only pray that it would roll safely to its destination.
It was almost midnight but Syaoran couldn't sleep. He could hear Eriol rustling in his covers and he realized that he had company. Though too many incidents had happened over such a short span, he was slightly miffed about the fact that he didn't get to have a single conversation with Sakura.
"Hey Eriol...you awake?" he whispered loudly.
"Yep...too much excitement for one day. Couldn't sleep."
Syaoran slightly hesitated before beginning.
"Umm Eriol? Can I tell you something?" he said slowly.
"Tell what?" Eriol asked.
"Dunno, bud...but I think, I think I like Sakura."
Plots within plots within plots...Miyagi has a finger in every pie, to quote Suzaku...
Everyone has arrived and so the drama has begun.
Next chapter: CHAPTER 10: CRYSTAL CLEAR
Some mysteries clear up while some are born.
Stay tuned!
:)