Synopsis:

Sakura fell in love with a man she knew was out of her league. He had an incredibly long line of suitors waiting to enchant him and become his wife. What would he see in her that the other women did not have? As fate would have it, they cared for each other deeply. Their love blossomed over time. But one fateful day, he disappeared. She was told he was dead. But she held on to the belief he was still alive. Alas, he reappeared, but not as her Li Syaoran, but the fiancé of the daughter of the Wang clan. He did not know Kinomoto Sakura existed, let alone a certain little boy who carried his surname.


Chapter 3: Strangely

Ambling down the long corridor on the second level of the Li mansion, Sakura hummed to herself. It was three in the afternoon, the children's nap time. After ensuring that both Haitang and Haitian were tucked into their beds, Sakura would either head back to her room or chat with some of the maidservants along the way. She enjoyed conversing with Nanny Zhang especially. She loved listening to her anecdotes, hanging on to every word that proceeded from her mouth. As she engaged herself in the nanny's stories, she felt as if she were being pulled into a treasure trove of memories. There was always an invaluable lesson to learn from each of her stories.

During her stay in the Li mansion in the last three weeks, Sakura had never felt more at home. Everyone was kind and friendly towards her – well, except the Li son. On the rare occasions when she would bump into him in the house, there was nothing more than a nod of acknowledgement and a small, polite smile from her while he glided past her as if she were invisible. At first, Sakura was a teensy bit miffed by his churlishness but after a while, she got used to it. She still greeted him subtly out of sheer respect whenever their paths crossed, which, thankfully, was not a frequent occurrence. Sakura figured he must be a very busy man with copious responsibilities on his plate.

One thing that brought Sakura great joy despite the Li son's surly attitude was her budding relationship with her two students, Haitang and Haitian. They were polite and considerate, eager to learn and though they could be rambunctious at times, they displayed a natural sense of responsibility beyond their years. Sakura had been most wary about handling children who were born with a silver spoon in their mouths. She had felt ashamed for having such prejudice the instant they enveloped her in a tight hug after her first dinner with the Li family. Their little act of affection extinguished her initial worry about dealing with rich kids. She had even felt sorry for them when she learnt about the hardships they had to go through because of their parents' divorce. Nanny Zhang had been filling her in on the details about the two youngest members in the household and she was ever so grateful for being able to gain insights about her students through her uninhibited sharing.

The past three weeks had been uneventful, which was what Sakura had hoped. She prayed that things would remain this way – peaceful, fulfilling and comfortable. Yes, she was starting to find herself looking forward to each day when she woke up. There was so much to accomplish, so much to learn about and so much to hope for. Her newfound sense of purpose invigorated her.

The Annual Spring Cheerleading Competition was around the corner and training sessions had intensified to ensure the team would take home the championship this year. Their coach had been even more unyielding in her expectations, pushing Sakura and her teammates beyond their perceived limits with an intensity that left no room for complacency. Though she ought to feel spent after such rigorous training sessions, Sakura would find herself abounding with fresh energy. Cheerleading was, after all, her greatest passion. It was as though she was born for the sport.

As she continued in the direction towards her room, Sakura was so absorbed in visualising her dance steps in her mind's eye that she did not notice a maidservant whose arms were loaded with freshly ironed laundry lumbering towards her. As a result, they collided into each other, the huge stack of fabric scattering all over the floor.

"I – I'm so sorry! I should have looked where I'm going!" Sakura apologised profusely as she helped the flustered maidservant pick up the pieces of clothing that were strewn all over the carpeted floor.

"No – no, I should not have been so ambitious to carry so much laundry in one trip," the maidservant said regretfully.

"Let me help you with some. Just let me know where to deliver these to," Sakura offered as she took half of the pile from the maidservant and placed it atop her own arms.

"You shouldn't –" she protested.

"I should and I will, Haru-san," insisted Sakura, her voice determined but kind.

The maidservant looked at her uncertainly and said, "Well, if you must, these are to be delivered to Young Master Li's room."

"You mean Li… Xiao Lang?" Sakura uttered the last two syllables in broken mandarin.

"Yes, Kinomoto-san," confirmed the maidservant, hoisting the other half of the pile to chest height. "His room is a level up, last room on the right."

"Got it!" Sakura wrapped her arms around the fresh-smelling laundry and began up the stairs.

"Thank you, Kinomoto-san!" the maidservant called after her retreating back.


Sakura gently tapped on the mahogany rosewood. She had an inkling that the Li son was not in his room. It was slightly after half past three, way too early for him to be back home, if he did come home at all. She hardly saw even a shadow of him in the house. Was he that swamped with work? Sakura shrugged. It didn't matter to her in the slightest. After a few more taps on the door and no response ensued, she turned the knob lightly and let herself in.

Sakura's eyes bulged and she involuntarily let out a muted exclamation as she surveyed the spacious, immaculate room that exuded an air of tranquility. As she took a few steps into Li Xiao Lang's chamber, an ephemeral sense of safety and deep comfort washed over her. Sakura stood stock-still in that passing moment as she relished the warmth that was enveloping her entire being. Then, she caught a whiff of the same sweet scent that surrounded the hallway of the mansion. It was undeniably peonies. The funny thing was she did not see any flowers in the room. So where did the soothing redolence of peonies come from?

Pushing the thought aside, Sakura continued to cast her eyes around the enchanting room. A grand four-poster bed draped in rich green fabrics took centre stage. A pleasant blend of different shades of green enveloped the space, from the velvet curtains that framed the tall windows to the plush area rug that muffled footsteps on the polished hardwood floor. Sakura was so taken in by the sight before her that she had forgotten about her original mission. It was strange how she felt like she was being pulled into a warm embrace just by standing in the heart of the Li son's bedroom. She… enjoyed this sensation. It was like… heaven…?

Sakura's eyes landed on a photo frame that sat on the left corner of his work desk. The photo captured a joyful moment between a younger Li Xiao Lang and an older man whom Sakura guessed was his father. They had the same chestnut hair and handsome features. They were both beaming, their faces radiant. They had their arms around each other. The Li son was actually smiling, and he looked exceptionally charming with his facial features lifted in pure bliss. So he wasn't born straight-faced, Sakura thought to herself, snickering. She noticed he was holding up a gold medal. She inched forward to get a closer look. She could not quite make out the diminutive engraved words on the metal piece. It seemed to read…

"You know, it's rude to snoop about someone else's room," came a deadpan voice.

Startled, Sakura whipped around to find herself face to face with an all too familiar impassive expression. Her bright, emerald eyes widened. They were only inches apart. Had he been standing behind her all this while? He smelled like bergamot, a blend of sweet and slightly spicy notes. It was… refreshing. Sakura took a step back. She inhaled sharply as she made a misstep and reeled backwards. A pair of sturdy arms steadied her from behind in one swift motion.

Once again, amber locked onto emerald. Time seemed to come to a halt in that fairytale-like moment – which lasted for a mere second.

Her heart pounding furiously, Sakura leapt out of the unexpected embrace from an unexpected person, her hands still grabbing onto the stack of laundry which belonged to… him and which she had completely forgotten about.

Feeling humiliated, Sakura could only stammer, "I – I didn't… I – I…" Ugh! What is wrong with me? Sakura mentally berated herself.

She saw the Li son raise his eyebrows in sheer amusement, making her cheeks flush a deeper pink. She wished there was an abyss right there and then that would just swallow her whole and take her away from this mortifying encounter.

Not daring to look at the Li son whose eyes she could sense boring into her, Sakura dipped her head in remorse and inundated him with her unceasing words of apology. "I – I didn't mean to – to… I'm sorry! I was – I was only helping Haru-san deliver these to your room! I'm sorry!"

Sakura sprang towards the foot of the bed and placed the stack of laundry gingerly on the sheets. She had finally accomplished her initial mission, although she could have been more expeditious in delivering it and saved herself from this awkward situation.

Giving another deep bow, Sakura said in a tone almost vociferous, "Once again, I'm truly, truly sorry for intruding!"

Without waiting for his response, Sakura made a dash for the door, not realising her phone had fallen out of her pocket during her near-fall.


They were so close. Noses almost touching. He could feel her breath on the skin of his face.

She had smelled like strawberries.

When his arms circled her waist to break her fall, his breath was caught in his throat and his heart jolted with adrenaline which was unusual for someone as phlegmatic as himself. There seemed to be a deluge of unknown emotions waiting to break free from his heart of stone. And the notion of experiencing something as foreign as this was downright unnerving. He, the cornerstone of the Li clan, could not – would not – be wrapped in such unpredictable circumstances that could leave him enfeebled. He had no time to dwell in the matters of the heart. To be more precise, he didn't know how to. It was too profound for him to comprehend the things related to the heart.

Ever since his father had succumbed to an incurable illness, his mother, Li Yelan, had been even more uncompromising in the aspect of his education and training. She made sure his daily schedule was packed to the brim. She expected - no - demanded tough discipline, unwavering focus and steadfast perseverance from her only son who was to succeed his father, the late unmatched, formidable leader of the Li clan.

"You cannot afford to slacken, Xiao Lang. The fate of the entire clan is in the palm of your hand," his mother would remind him at every opportunity she had.

The fate of the entire clan is in the palm of your hand.

If only his mother knew how heavy this responsibility was weighing on his shoulders. He was only fifteen - the age when he should be carefree, develop innocent crushes, go on dates, have fun. Fun. When was the last time he actually had fun? So foreign, so distant, so elusive.

Over the years, he had grown accustomed to it all - the rigorous, unforgiving trainings, harsh reproach, incessant reminders from the Elders to waste no time in the trivialities.

"Your father would want you to focus all of your energy on becoming the best leader of our clan. Your father would…"

Father would… if Father were still around, would he really want that of him? To lose himself for the future of the Li clan? Would he be proud of what he had become? Were those his unspoken expectations of his son? Because if they were, his father had kept him well in the dark until his passing. All the supposed expectations of Li Tian were unveiled to him by the Elders, not one had he heard from his father personally. But as a devoted son and bound by his duty as the Li heir, Syaoran took every expectation upon himself and shouldered it all without any complaint. He was not one who would shirk his responsibilities.

He had no choice. He needed to carry on his clan's legacy. Their fate rested in his hands.

Even so, his heart was his – not anyone else's to manipulate. It was one thing he would make a choice for. Even if he knew not what he truly wanted or desired, his mind was as clear as crystal what he did not. And it included all the women his mother had tried to set him up with. In all fairness, they had their own desirable qualities and it would be presumptuous of him to consider them all glory-hunters. But he just did not feel it with any of them. He could offer his life, but not his heart. This was the least he could do to preserve his humanity and not lose himself completely in the duties being the Li heir entailed.

His mind trailed back to the honey-haired girl with those captivating, dazzling green eyes. In fact, this was not the first time he had found his mind wandering to the family's new tutor. When he first saw her at the dining hall a couple of weeks ago, he had found himself drawn to her mellow but sincere smile when she had introduced herself. Though she had appeared somewhat klutzy, she was… adorable in her own unique way. He had seen more attractive, more charismatic women, but there was something about her that commanded his attention. And his… heart?

Infatuation? No – no, he was the future leader of one of the most influential clans in Asia. The Li heir smitten with a girl he had only met for the first time and with whom a word of interaction had never been exchanged? What – love at first sight? The notion of it was so preposterous it was laughable.

As Syaoran militated against the newfound emotions that threatened to cloud his usually sound judgement, a shimmering pink object near his work desk caught his eye. He stooped down and picked it up. It was a smartphone. He knew instantly it belonged to her – the source of his conflicting emotions and disturbing thoughts. He sighed and pocketed it.

He could not keep avoiding her.

He could not keep escaping from himself.

He could not keep using his work and training sessions as a convenient excuse for him to run away from what his father had always taught him to follow.

Because it would lead him to where he desired and needed to be… wouldn't it?

"Sometimes, if you don't know your heart, put it to the test," his father had once said to him.

Shaking off any more specious thoughts that might intrude his mind and conflict his heart even more, Syaoran started towards one of the rooms on the second floor.

Put it to the test. He was certain his heart would not be so easily conquered. He just had to prove it to himself that his heart – his soul – was impenetrable. If not, all his years of training would have been for naught. Yes, the pumping organ inside him would lead him to where he wanted – needed – to be. And where he needed to be definitely did not involve siphoning his energy on such trivialities.


Sakura nearly choked on her water when she saw the Li son standing outside her bedroom, looking like it was the last place he would want to be at. His tall frame towered over her, making her feel small.

He had tapped on her door politely, the sound on the wooden door dulcet and light. When she pulled the door open, she could not help but to gape stupidly at the figure before her. Sakura had not anticipated the visit of the elusive Li son for any reason. Hence, she was thrown off balance when she came face to face with him – again.

"K-Konnichiwa, Li… um… Li-san?" Sakura squeaked as she gulped down the remaining water in her mouth. He looked roughly the same age as her but he was an important figure in the Li household and the son of her employer. Calling him 'Li-kun' wouldn't have been appropriate, would it? 'Li-san', Sakura decided, was best to address him as.

Holding out the rectangular object in his hand, Syaoran said in a matter-of-fact tone, "I believe you dropped this earlier on."

Sakura stared at her smartphone as though it belonged to someone else, feeling dumb. How could she have been so careless? "Oh. Right. Yes… I think…"

Syaoran cocked his head sideways, his expression a mixture of confusion and amusement. "You think?"

Sakura thought she could detect a hint of condescension in his terse response. She quickly continued, "What I mean is – I think I might have dropped it when…" She could feel an uncomfortable heat spreading across her face as her mind replayed the scene in which she was chivalrously caught by the very man right before her eyes just a short while ago.

"Kinomoto… Sakura, right?" Syaoran started, his eyes resting on hers. Piercing, disconcerting, searching.

For the third time, amber locked onto emerald.

This time, the Li son inched a step closer, making the disoriented Sakura take a trembling step back.

"I… uh…"

"I'm curious…" Syaoran inched another step closer, while Sakura took another step back, as if dancing a waltz.

"A-about?"

"What makes you so nervous whenever I'm around?" His voice was hushed and low but each syllable was clearly uttered. It gave Sakura the chills.

"I- I'm not…"

At this point, their faces were mere inches apart. Bergamot - that invigorating scent wafted into her nostrils once again. Its sweet and spicy notes made the neurons in her brain light up with incandescent focus. She became acutely aware of his imposing presence consuming every fibre of her being. She was shrinking, shrinking, shrinking…

"You're not what?" His brows arched, anticipating.

Sakura drew a deep breath and backed away, creating an arm's length distance between herself and the Li son. Straightening up, she conceded, "Look, I'm not sure what you're getting at. I… Yes, I do feel nervous whenever you're around. And… and that's because you're so… you're so…" Sakura racked her sizzling brains, desperate to find the right words to explain herself in a way that wouldn't make her look ridiculous in front of this imposing, formidable man who was observing her with immense intensity.

"I'm so what?" She was starting to pique his interest. What did she think of him? He wanted to know - no - he needed to know what this Kinomoto girl thought of him.

Looking into his expectant, probing eyes, Sakura felt a panic rising to her voice and she tried to control it. For goodness' sake, why did she get so hopelessly distraught whenever she was in his vicinity? Sakura could not understand what was going on inside her. She had never felt this nervous around Hideki even when he had asked her out for the first time. She had not been this on edge on their first date either. And… she had a thousand and one reasons she would feel butterflies swirling in her stomach and her heart pound madly when it came to Hideki. After all, he was her first real love. The Li son… she could not find any palpable reasons to have beads of perspiration trickling down her back or her mind running like a record-breaking sprinter and then freezing up, rendering her neurons incapable of functioning normally.

Quelling the noise within her by conjuring a calming image of a picturesque seaside where the waves rolled in and out rhythmically, Sakura spoke cautiously, "You're so distant. It's like… you don't allow anyone near you." The Li son seemed to be waiting for her to elaborate, so she continued, "I think… I think your aloofness is kind of… unsettling." She gazed at her pensive listener warily, letting the words of truth hang in the air.

Syaoran's face was unreadable. He looked as withdrawn as ever. "Hmm" was all that came out of his mouth. His eyes seemed to be focused on nothing in particular, his gaze faraway.

Amber broke away from emerald.

Silence hovered between them. Strangely, the silence was as soothing as the bergamot scent emanating from him. Just as strangely, Sakura felt the urge to reach forward and rest a comforting hand on his forearm. And very, very strangely, her heart ached. Her heart ached for this seemingly infallible man who had the world under his feet. He seemed so… forlorn. For someone who had everything within his reach, why did he look so… sad?

Not knowing where she had gathered the confidence from, Sakura blurted, "I'm curious." And it could not be further from the truth. Though she kept telling herself she was less than interested in the affairs of the Li son, she could not deny her building curiosity about him, especially after unintentionally trespassing on his personal space. Those gleaming eyes, that unbridled smile of triumph, the sparkle of joy that highlighted his boyish features so perfectly… Where did the happy boy from the photo go? Not forgetting the sweet scent that filled his room. What kind of person lay hidden beneath those layers of indifference and gruffness?

The unexpected statement from Sakura caught Syaoran by surprise. "About?" he probed.

"Do you like the work that you're doing?"

Again, an unexpected string of words. And it was a question he had never pondered about. Simply because no one had ever asked him if he enjoyed all the work he had to do. Or what he liked for that matter.

"Why do you ask that?"

Sakura shrugged. "Just curious. I notice you spend more time at work than at home."

"It's what I need to do," he replied plainly. Lately, Syaoran had been holing himself up in his office because he was not sure if he could handle being in close proximity with this woman before his eyes. He was afraid. Afraid. Of a woman he knew nothing of except her name. But this was something she did not need to know. As he continued to gaze upon her eager eyes, he could not help but find himself wanting to talk to her, to find out more about her, to learn about her likes and dislikes. Her. Kinomoto Sakura. What a lovely name that befitted its bearer.

Clearly not satisfied with the answer she got from the Li son, she said, smiling, "Necessity doesn't equate passion, Li-san. So, you didn't quite answer my question."

Syaoran's lips tugged up ever so slightly. Was he smiling? Sakura couldn't tell. She could never decipher what he was thinking because he seemed to have the ability to carefully conceal his visage.

"Do you like the work that you're doing?"

There. He threw the question back to her. Unlike him, she could give him a wholehearted answer, "Yes, I do. Haitang and Haitian are so endearing. I enjoy being their tutor. They make this live-in tutor job so satisfying and delightful. I'm thankful."

Syaoran's usually hardened face relaxed and broke into a smile. A real smile. And it made Sakura smile in spite of herself. Somehow, she relished seeing the Li son smile like he did now. It was a mesmerising sight to behold.

Wait. Mesmerising? Had she been bedazzled by his… smiling face? Her face grew warm at the forbidden thought.

"I've practically watched the two little rascals grow up since they were babies. You're right. They are a charming pair. I'm sure they like having you as their tutor too."

"I sure hope so."

Silence hung between them once again.

"Your phone." Syaoran extended his hand where Sakura's phone still resided in.

"Oh! Right. Thanks." Sakura grasped it from his hand, her fingers lightly brushing against his. For a split second, she froze, caught off guard by the electric jolt of the brief touch. A flutter of nerves danced in her stomach, a flush rising to her cheeks as her hand instinctively pulled back. Sakura felt a soft warmth spreading up her arm, surprising her. She hoped he did not notice the faint tremor in her fingers as she tightened them around her phone.

"I'll get going," Syaoran announced, snapping her out of her momentary stupefaction.

"R-right. Thanks – again," Sakura muttered, feeling like a total moron. She only hoped her earlier reaction had gone unnoticed by the Li son.

She watched his retreating back, her fingers still tingling as her mind replayed the accidental touch.

Strangely, though her heart was still hammering in her chest, a gentle warmth enveloped her entire being. She leaned into that warmth, feeling herself embraced.


It was seventeen minutes past eleven. Hideki had promised to call her tonight. Sakura scrolled through her social media newsfeed absently as she tried to keep herself awake. He's probably still busy, Sakura thought to herself.

As she glided her thumb across her phone, she paused as she took in the photo before her tired eyes. Hideki and his teammates were revelling at what looked like a night club. One of his teammates had posted and tagged him in it just five minutes ago.

Sakura knew Hideki, or at least, she thought she did. Hideki was not one who dug parties or other rowdy escapades. Being a high-profile athlete and with the captaincy title crowning his head, Hideki had no lack of invitations to all sorts of parties and the like back in their university days. Given his striking physical features and magnetic personality, he was the eye candy of nearly the entire female population in Tokyo University. Despite it all, he did not exhibit any interest in such frivolous rendezvous nor did he pay any heed to those swooning girls, many of whom would unabashedly slip him little love notes and sweets declaring their admiration for him.

When news got around that the campus heartthrob was no longer single (rumours had it that he had never had a girlfriend before this new relationship), the university grounds were abuzz with speculations and envious chatter among the girls. When news got around that the 'lucky girl' he was dating was Kinomoto Sakura, the conjectures ceased as the girls conceded defeat.

The captain of the basketball team dating the captain of the cheerleading team. Perfection at its finest, wasn't it?

"Weren't they a match made in heaven?" was the rhetorical question that Sakura had overheard numerous times.

However, much to Sakura's annoyance, there were girls who would still shamelessly try their luck in getting Hideki to fall for them instead. It was as if she were invisible or just an accessory that he could replace on a whim. But Kimura Hideki had only eyes for her. Her. Kinomoto Sakura. A girl who was oblivious to her true potential, her own limitlessness, her uplifting influence on others. She had never craved the limelight, though being in it became inevitable when she became the cheerleading team's captain during her third year in Tokyo U. Still, Sakura was still Sakura – friendly, kind, humble and optimistic.

And that was what Hideki confessed he liked about her when she had asked him why he had set his eyes on her out of so many other girls who could easily be more charming than her. Sakura had to admit to herself that she was flattered at his words and being with Hideki had raised her self-esteem in one way or another. However, Sakura did not let their relationship status define who she was. She was not just the girlfriend of the basketball team's captain. She was who she would define herself to be. She did not want to make the same mistake as many other girls had the tendency to – letting their lives revolve around their men and losing it when they got betrayed or let down. Sakura refused to be the clingy, possessive, pandering girlfriend that most guys were repulsed by.

That was why she had not contacted Hideki even though she had not heard from him since their last phone call three weeks ago, except for the occasional texts of greetings and brief updates she would receive from him, which had become increasingly sparse. Just the previous day, Hideki had dropped her a text saying he would try to call her tonight, which obviously was not going to happen seeing where he was now with his friends.

Sakura continued to stare at the photo. It was not like they were bound to each other. Hideki was free to do what he liked. He had his own life to live. If, for some reason, the life that he wanted did not involve her, she guessed… she could live with it. Or could she really…? Sakura flinched inwardly at this sobering realisation that she and Hideki could possibly become nothing more than a memory. Then, as if being wrenched out of her own soap opera, Sakura began to titter at her own groundless musing.

Just when Sakura was about to toss her phone aside and get ready for bed, her phone trilled. Hideki's name with a heart emoticon next to it flashed on the screen. Her lips curving upwards, Sakura swiped the blinking green call button across and teased, "Seems like you remember a certain Kinomoto Sakura from Japan."

She could hear his chuckle on the other end of the line. "And she's mad, isn't she?" She could make out the mischief in his voice. It was… nice to finally hear from her boyfriend.

"Hmm," replied Sakura noncommittally. She was far from feeling angry at the prolonged absence of his calls, although she did feel a twinge of dejection well up within her over the last few days. Even so, she did not want him to know because she thought he would find it burdensome. And Kinomoto Sakura was not one who liked to burden others.

When Sakura did not speak, Hideki chimed in, "I'm sorry I haven't called in a while, Sakura. You know my schedule, packed to the brim. And with the semis coming up, trainings are even more intense. By the way, I was just out with the boys. Rowdy time."

"Rowdy, huh. Doesn't sound like Kimura Hideki's kind of thing," Sakura ribbed.

"You know me well," said Hideki proudly. Then, he quickly added, "Just so you know, I was obliged to go. You know clubs are not my thing. It was an impromptu decision by some of the boys and everyone else was in and it was hard to decline."

Hideki was blathering and he sounded a little anxious, which made Sakura let out a chortle of glee. "You're so cute when you ramble, Hideki-kun."

"So… am I forgiven, my dear Sakura?"

His words of endearment beckoned her to say yes. And she did. "Of course. But really, there is nothing to forgive you for, Hideki-kun. You have things you need to do. And I totally understand. So please, go ahead and do what you need to do. You know I'll always be here when you need me."

"Thank you, Sakura. I love you."

"I love you too."

They went on to fill each other in on what they had been up to and other daily happenings. There were moments of comfortable silence and moments of mirth. Halfway through their conversation, they decided to switch to video mode on Sakura's request.

She noticed how much more tanned and lean Hideki was. And how his eyes still held that same glimmer whenever he looked at her. It had been more than a month since they had last seen each other virtually. It made Sakura miss him all of a sudden. She yearned to touch him, to hug him, to kiss him. But she swallowed all these desires into the pit of her stomach. She did not want to be an encumbrance to him. Not when he was at the peak of his basketball career.

During the video call, Sakura also noticed something amiss about Hideki. His smile was atypically taut and he seemed a little edgy. She shrugged it off with the conclusion that he was exhausted from a long day of training and obligated fun.

It was close to 2 a.m. when they ended their call. Sakura lay on her bed, recalling the faintly tense look on Hideki's usually placid face. She could not help but to think there was something else other than physical exhaustion that was causing her boyfriend to appear less assured than he normally did. What was it? Why? With waves of unsettling thoughts lapping against her consciousness, Sakura drifted into a fitful sleep.


"You're done with the call?"

"Yeah."

"How was it?"

"She didn't suspect anything."

"Okay."

There was a pause before Hideki said, looking crestfallen, "I don't think we should do this anymore, Kairi. I… I don't want to hurt her."

Tossing her thick black tresses behind her shoulders, Kairi glared indignantly at her lover and sneered, "You'd rather sacrifice my happiness so your darling Sakura won't be hurt? What am I? Her replacement in the States?"

Frustrated, Hideki buried his hands in his messy dark brown hair, his eyes downcast. How had he gotten himself into such a messy situation? "We… We should never have happened."

Kairi sashayed across the room and sat herself beside Hideki on the couch. She cupped his face with her slender, soft hands and whispered, "You know you don't mean that." She planted a tender kiss on his lips, which he did not return.

Hideki tried to pry her hands from him but found himself pinned down onto his back by a pair of slim but strong arms.

"You know you want me, Hideki love," Kairi purred.

Hideki looked into her sable eyes that burned with unrestrained passion. She wanted him - every part of him. And he let her. He let her consume him, smother him, with her ferocious love.

"You know I'll always be here when you need me."

You're my heaven, Sakura…

I'm sorry.


A/N: As usual, thank you for reading!