27

Tonight's dinner was dumplings. I ended up making pork dumplings (Syaoran's favorite), and since I bought too many ingredients, I ended making too many, so there's plenty for me to pack some, place them on a bento box, and take them to our trip tomorrow, as our roadside lunch.

I'm placing the dumplings in the bento box, when Misaki, wearing her pajama, sits in one of the stools, and silently watches me.

"Who's that for?" She finally asks.

"Syaoran and I. tomorrow we're going on a trip to get some flowers."

"Flowers?" She asks in confusion. I asked for my dad's permission while she was taking a shower, so of course she has no idea.

"Syaoran's mom's the owner of the flower shop we use to buy mom's bouquets." I hurry to explain, as I keep on packing dumplings. "And tomorrow we'll visit his flower provider for a special flower shipload."

"And that's why you're packing dumplings?"

I nod, as I smile. I'm already daydreaming with Li's reaction, and his expression makes me happy. He's not expecting me to bring lunch, much less for it to be his favorite food. I'm so absorbed by it, that I don't see how Misaki's looking at me.

"You must be madly in love to make him lunch."

I finally look at her. I'm in such a shock, that I even forget to keep on packing the dumplings.

"I mean." She shrugs her shoulders. "Rika used to make shrimp and mayo onigiris, because that's Eriol's favorite. Although Rika doesn't like mayo." And hurries to ask. "What's Syaoran's favorite food?"

"Dum… dumplings." I said, as I blush. Even when it means nothing, cuz I already knew dumplings were his favorite, way before we started this fake dating thing…

"Leave some for me to have tomorrow for lunch." Misaki asks. I promise I'll do so, and so she says good night, and heads to her bedroom, as I keep on packing these left overs.

Li said he'd pick me up at seven o'clock. I've been waiting outside since six fifty, and it's already seven twenty and Syaoran's nowhere to be seen. I'm starting to get annoyed. He said he'll be punctual! He made me wake up very early, on a Saturday, and it's going to be for nothing since he's not coming!

I'm seriously considering to go back to bed, when a pale green van shows up at the corner, and stops right in front of me. I can hear how someone takes off the door lock, then the door opens, and from behind the wheel, Syaoran's smiley (and also visibly ashamed) face says hi.

"I'm so, so sorry!" He repeats nonstop, just as I get up from my front door steps, and look at him, frowning. "But I got a very good excuse. Please, get in."

I puff, but do as he says. I have to do a tiny jump so I can reach the seat, but once up and after closing the door, over my bento box, Syaoran places a tiny cardboard box. As he drives away, he excitedly asks me to open it.

Inside the cardboard box there are half a dozen tiny cakes I've never seen in my life. Smaller than my palm, about one-inch-tall, golden color and with some Chinese words written on the top. I wonder what they are. Syaoran seems to notice I have no idea what am I looking at, since he hurries to explain:

"We call them mooncakes. They're filled with lotus seed paste, and red bean paste. It's a typical dessert of the mid-autumn festival, in China. I bought them in Chinatown, the pastry shop opened at seven o'clock, that's why I was late. Give it a taste, please."

He said all of this in such a hurry. I can clearly see he's excited to share this tiny piece of his heritage with me. I wonder if it's him holding onto it because he misses his country, or it's his family the one that doesn't want him to miss these traditions.

Either way, I take one of the mooncakes, and I take a small bite. The outside shell is a thin and soft layer, and the filling (red bean paste) is really good. I smile at him, and give him a thumbs up, so to let him know I actually liked it a lot. As he holds the wheel with one hand, with the other one, he points at a thermos.

"It's tradition to eat it while drinking Chinese tea."

I take the thermos and pour a bit of tea in the cup. I then take a sip: it's warm, and feels comforting. Totally feels like autumn in a cup.

"Come on, share with me." Syaoran whines, so doing my best not to laugh, I take one mooncake, and feed him.

We finished the mooncakes when we just left Tomoeda and took the highway that will take us to Hakone town. Syaoran also finished the tea, so I closed the thermos and left it in the back seat, same as the empty cardboard box. That's when Syaoran asks what's in my bento box.

I can't help but hug it.

"I thought it would be nice to have something for lunch. They're dumplings." I hold in from saying your favorites.

"Pork dumplings are my top favorite dumplings." He says, not taking his eyes out of the road. I also hold in from saying I already knew that. "Are these pork dumplings?"

I immediately say yes, and unable to contain himself, Syaoran asks:

"Gimme one."

He keeps his mouth open, and says "aaah" as I open the bento box and take one dumpling. Just as with the mooncake, he lets me feed him.

Cute cute cute cute

Ribo~