Sakura's New Love?

Chap. 3 : Sakura's new love?

"Your brother did not get home last night?" Tomoyo asked.

"No." Sakura sighed, trying to rub sleep from her eyes. "I stayed up all night waiting for him, because Yukito-san seemed so intent on finding him..."

"I hope that you do not catch a cold or get in trouble by one of your teachers today..."

"I hope so, too."

"How is Cerberus?" Tomoyo asked, suddenly remembering the guardian.

"He's doing fine. The only times I go to my room right now are when I feed him or when I go to sleep... I should really take more care of him now that you mention him...but I have so much to do right now..."

"I understand, and I am sure that he must, too."

"Thank you, Tomoyo-chan."

"That's what friends are for. Don't think about it."

Sakura smiled at her. "Still. Arigato, Tomoyo-chan!"

* * *

"Hoeh..." Sakura had ended up going back to the penguin park after school, this time to wait for yet another person who wanted to tell her something. Actually, that was because he hadn't had a chance to on the phone, the other day...

"Sakura?" Syaoran appeared out of the shadow of a tree.

"Did I keep you waiting?"

"U...uh, no."

* * *

<What did you do to my son?>Nadeshiko stormed into a dark room. <Emi--!!>

Emi, the previously mentioned fair haired woman, stepped forward.

<You're back so early, Nadeshiko. I thought you were going to observe your children.>

<What did you do to my son?!> Nadeshiko repeated.

<You're son? Oh, Touya Kinomoto!> Emi smiled. <He will be fine. I just did what master told me to.>

<Now, don't be so angry, Nadeshiko. I did nothing that will hurt him. He will awaken soon...just wait...and see.>

<If you're lying...> Nadeshiko was unable to look very threatening, but the other woman knew that she was trying her best to force anger upon her pretty face.

<I'm not. Don't worry.>

* * *

"What were you going to tell me, Li-kun?" Sakura took a seat on the park bench.

"Um..."

"Come on, you have to tell me!" she sighed and leaned back. "Tomoyo-chan said she wanted to tell me something here, too...but she never did."

"..oh." he said simply.

"Will you tell me?" her green eyes focused on him and she was more than surprised when he turned red.

"..um..." he felt very lame. He knew that he had promised himself to tell her and that he wouldn't chicken out, but...now...that she was right in front of him...

"Li-kun."

"Hmm?" Syaoran turned back to the girl, noticing then that he had spun away automatically when he had blushed.

"I want to ask you a question."

"Okay..."

"(Since you don't seem that you're going to tell me what you wanted to say...) I want to know why you've been avoiding me at school."

"A...avoiding? I...haven't been avoiding you...!"

Sakura sweatdropped, remembering the almost identical response from Tomoyo. "Yes you have. And I want to know why." she leaned forward, looking the boy up and down. "Y...you're very special to me, you know...I want to know what's wrong." she smiled at him sweetly. "If there's something wrong, or if you have a problem with...me...am I doing something wrong?"

"No!" Syaoran shook his head.

"Then, what--"

"I called you here to tell you that--I'm in love with you, Sakura!!"

"..." Sakura looked pleased in a way. "Really?"

This was not the reaction Syaoran had been expecting.

"Huh?" he was confused.

"I mean, do you really mean it?" she smiled, tilting her head to one side. "Or are you playing a really mean trick to me?"

"I...mean it." he bit his lip and hoped that she wouldn't laugh.

"T...thank you."

"Huh?"

Sakura stepped forward and took his hand. "Thank you, Li-kun."

"W...why? Huh? What do you mean?"

"But..." she sighed, glancing down. "You already have a fiancee."

"I do?" he wished that his temperature would go down...but of course, that wish did not come true.

"Meiling-chan!"

"That wasn't my choice! I--"

"But you still have to marry her, don't you?"

"..."

"If you do still have to marry her, than there's no point in this romance."

Was it just his imagination, or did she look sad...?

"Sakura..." Syaoran shook his head. "Don't worry about her. I...if I stay with someone else...then she'll understand."

Sakura sweatdropped, remembering about how protective Meiling was about her fiancee.

"I don't think she will." she stated.

"But since I'm in Japan--" he tried again.

"Why are you here, though?"

"Huh?"

"You could have gone back to Hong Kong..."

"I know I didn't know it at the time, but...you were keeping me here."

The breeze blew at them softly, just enough to blow Sakura's hair to the side. The two gazed at each other for a silent moment, and then Sakura shook her head, breaking the spell.

"I...really need to go home. I'm so sorry, Li-kun...but I don't want you to get in trouble." she turned to leave.

"Don't worry about me..." he grabbed her hand before she could leave. "Sakura..."

Before she could protest, he had scooped her up into his arms and kissed her...

END of chap. 3

Chap. 3.5

I take a step back and I hope not to rustle any leaves. I don't know what Li-kun will do if he found out that I was watching them...after all, that was a private moment of theirs...

I take another step back, then another, and another, until I am out of the bushes and greenery around me. I sweep my hair from my face and run...as fast as my feet will carry me.

I stop under a familiar tree. I look up. "Sakura." simply put, it was my favorite tree...and growing on it was my favorite kind of flower...

I remember the object I am carrying and hurriedly turn it off. My video recorder has become something not very short of a second eye to me. I don't feel any differently looking from the eye of the recorder than I do without it. Actually, I think it seems sort of awkward not to be seeing through the lens of my video recorder...

<Didn't you just want your precious friend to be happy?> the voice interupptes me from my thoughts.

"Yes." I nod to myself.

"You do?" I whisper, and then can't help but laugh. "I wonder what everyone would think of me if they knew I talked to myself."

<Ha ha.> I am really getting to think that the voice in my head is not mine.

"Who are you?" <Why, I am you, of course!>

I leave it as that and ignore its other comments and remarks.

I glance up, just in time to see a cherry blossom falling from the tree. I catch it in the palm of my hand, wistfully. "Sakura-chan..."

"I hope you will be happy with him." I close my eyes and sigh. "I hope he doesn't hurt you like Tsukishiro-san...but, remember this, Sakura-chan, your brother will be happy with Tsukishiro-san...don't think of it as a loss..."

<Sakura-chan...>

* * *

<Did I do the right thing?> I am very nervous now.

<Well, well. You can do it when you try, now, can't you, kiddo.>

<Aw, shut up. I thought I got rid of you before.>

The other voice in his head snickered.

I scowl and hold the girl to me so she won't see. I wonder what she's thinking...

<Why, kiddo?>

<Leave me alone!> my eyes soften as I look down at Sakura. <At least now...>

<Fine, fine.>

<...Sakura...>

<Heh. What would everyone think of you if they knew that you were soft to girls?> I think the voice will be quiet now...of course, it had to say something before it disappeared fully...

I stroke her hair gently, and she tilts her face up to me...I guess...with puzzlement written all over...

<...Gods, she is beautiful...> The first thought that comes to mind... I wonder why I never noticed...

Well, I had...but...but...

But what?

Don't ask me that.

I don't know the answer to that question.

I wonder how long this will continue...I wonder if this is a dream?

Those breathtaking eyes...is it just a coincidence that they are made of my favorite color...? Her innocence...like a--

<Kiddo, kiddo! Relax!>

<Huh?> I blush slightly. I think I'm getting carried away. What if she doesn't like me, though...

<But-->

"Sakura..." my voice speaks on its own and I cringe. My voice seems so loud...it rings in my ears...

"Hoeh?" she answers. "Yes? Li-kun?"

"Sorry." I mumble, turning a slight red.

"For what, Li-kun?"

"For not asking..."

"Asking...?"

"About...the...the...k...kiss."

"..oh." she says simply.

<What does that mean?> I scream to the voice, maybe it would be able to comfort me...

<Listen to her and you'll know.> the voice says plainly. <And I thought you didn't want me to bother you right now.>

I notice now that she had been whispering something to me...and I had missed most of it.

"...so I..." her emerald eyes focus on me and I feel my temperature rise once again.

"...so I..." she begins again. "...I trust you...I...love you..."

I think I am about to burn to a crisp...

I think to myself, embarrassed, and then I think about what she had just said to me...

* * *

Everything around me is spinning...my mind is racing...

I am going crazy...

Do I even really love Li-kun? Or did I just say that I did because I know that Yukito-san will never want to be with me...and because I'm lonely...?

No, it isn't because of Yukito-san. And no, I'm not lonely. I have my friends...

Then why...?

Well the answer is obvious...I do love him...I've cared for him for a long time, but I just never knew that I cared for him in this way...or that I cared for him so much...

If I didn't care, then I wouldn't have minding his avoiding me very much now, would I?

I'm dumb. I've known it from the start. I'm inexperienced when it comes to love...well, so is Tomoyo-chan...and I think Li-kun...but...

I thought I knew more than I do.

Is this what love feels like...?

I look up at Li-kun but I don't think he notices. Then I sigh. I wonder how it turned out like this...I mean, we were rivals in the start...although I never thought of him that way. I hate having rivals, and that's why I try to be as nice as possible to everyone. Except for my brother. But he's not nice to me, so that evens things out. I want to be as nice as my dad someday...and as smart. But I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon...

Right now, I'll just enjoy what is going on...think about the future later...focus on the present...

Focus on what's happening to me now...

I close my eyes and put my head on his chest. I hope he doesn't mind...

<Gosh...I'm really tired...really...tired...>

The last thing I notice is his arms tightening around me...and then I see only black.

END of chap. 3.5....

^.^;; this is such a corny fic it's not even funny.

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