Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Card Captor Sakura. I sadly just own the plot although if the owner wishes to give me Syaoran as a gift I would take him in a heartbeat.
"Fall in love with someone who wants you, who waits for you, who understands you even in the madness; someone who helps you, and guides you, someone who is your support, your hope. Fall in love with someone who talks with you after a fight. Fall in love with someone who misses you and wants to be with you. Do not fall in love only with a body or with a face; or with the idea of being in love." - Unknown
Chapter 4
A small wooden porch like restaurant could be seen from the distance where she parked her car. Big letters on a sign read 'Asashi Restaurant' in front of it. 'I can't believe he picked a place forty five minutes away' she thought. As she had agreed to, she was at the restaurant at nine. She walked in through the doors and loved the interior design right away. Rustic wooden tables of different shapes were placed around the restaurant. Hanging red and white Chinese lamps adorned the ceiling while red and brown jars in the floor around the corners gave the feeling of calmness once you walked inside. She knew right away this wasn't your typical luxurious restaurant but more like a family oriented place to hang out and eat.
At the sound of the door, he looked towards it to find Sakura dressed in a knee length pencil black skirt style that reached all the way to her middle section with an emerald green silky blouse, a white coat covering her from the cold that reached all the way to her knee, and black pumps. He smiled at her. "Hey, you're on time!"
She noticed that, out of pure coincidence, Syaoran was the only one there to greet her on time. Contrary to her modern style attire, he was dressed in a very sporty casual way wearing a long black sleeve shirt with jeans on and a red baseball cap which was hard to miss. She was about to say something when the waiter came in, "Your table is ready sir."
Syaoran nodded. He had already asked for their table when he came in. "Come on."
She nodded and followed him. The waiter took them all the way through the inside of the restaurant till he opened a door that led to the back. The small space had a balcony look with two wooden tables to seat six people on the right side and four tables to seat couples throughout the middle which could also be used to seat four people if the tables were joined together. The glass walls protected them from the outside cold air while giving them a still traditional balcony look with an amazing view of the mountains.
The waiter sat them on the farthest table from the door far on the corner which was a little separated from the rest of the tables and where they could appreciate the mountain scenery through the glass. They took a seat as they waited on the rest of their friends to arrive.
"May I bring you something to drink?" the waiter offered.
"Two mimosas okay with you?" he asked her. After she nodded, the waiter left with their orders. "You could've brought Tails with you, if you wanted..." he said while taking the chair in front of her.
Even though he was trying to hide it, she heard the amusement behind his words. She kept her cool collected calm face on before answering, "I've heard you've become quite the player these past couple of years."
"I've been playing for a while, in case you haven't noticed. Will be the best after this summer..."
She rolled her eyes at him, "I meant with women."
He smirked, "Well, to find someone that's honest it's a little hard for me."
She acted all surprised and asked, "Are you even trying to look for honesty in a woman? I don't think a couple of hours is enough to tell."
"I may be staring at the only one I've met right now."
She kept her stare at him and scoffed. "I can't believe after getting your freedom you'd want something serious all of the sudden."
"You should try it some time. The freedom part I mean..."
"I've never seen a relationship as a jail to begin with." She took a deep breath before trying to change the subject. "So, what's good here?" she said while taking a glance at the menu. She couldn't deny that his words made her feel a little uneasy but she was determined not to show him any sign that would indicate so.
He stared at her and smiled before looking at the menu as well. "I've heard their French toast on brioche bread are the best." He said. Since he met her, he knew this was one of her favorite breakfast dishes back then. He hoped she still loved them like she used to.
"Sounds good. I think I may be having that." She put the menu down and tried to control her nerves. When she looked up, she saw him going through the menu. She took the opportunity to observe him while he was browsing it hoping he wouldn't notice. He still moved his brow whenever he read something he didn't like on the menu. It had always amazed her how he could be so decisive about certain things but the simplest ones he always had trouble deciding. It had been so long ago and yet she felt as if nothing had changed. But something had changed that dreadful night. The burning in her heart was a constant reminder of it. "Did you by any chance tell them to be here at nine?"
"Yeah." He carelessly said still looking at the menu.
She stared at him not believing him for one minute. It almost made her smile to see that he still couldn't look at her whenever he lied. "Oh, before I forget." She took out of her purse an envelope. "I need to know which pictures you like best."
He looked at her curiously, "Aren't you the expert on this?"
"Yes, but I want to know your opinion on them."
He put the menu down and reached to take the envelope with a smirk on his face, "What? Did you like them all?"
She rolled her eyes at him, "Just pick five."
He smiled at her while looking at some of the pictures. "So, how did you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Get into Li Corporation? If I remember correctly, to be in this company you need at least a Bachelor's Degree and you actually left in the middle of high school." He said as he chose the five pictures he liked the most and gave them back to her.
She smiled, "Your mother took care of everything. I only had to study and send my exams."
The mention of his mother's involvement caught his attention, "And you trusted her?"
"I'm here aren't I?" She confidently said.
He stared at her, "My mother doesn't usually do things out of charity..."
"Well, well, well... If it isn't runaway Sakura."
She looked to her right at the body behind the intruding voice and smiled. "Meiling, long time no see."
They had all arrived together. She watched as Meiling sat down to her right with Kyu on her side, and Eriol and Tomoyo sat on her left. "That was some drastic getaway by the way..."
"Meiling..."
Sakura noticed Kyu's warning voice before answering, "I'm not going to apologize for leaving because sooner or later I would've left anyways. But I will apologize for not staying in contact with any of you. I've missed you all."
"Some more than others, right?" Meiling jokingly asked.
Sakura chuckled and smirked, "You haven't changed at all have you?" The rest of them laughed. She knew this whole meeting would feel awkward at first but it was something she needed to break the ice. It was true that she had missed them over the years. Sometimes, when she was in her apartment alone, she let her mind wander through the past and laugh remembering some of the pranks they used to pull on each other when they were younger.
"And what do you mean you were leaving anyways?" Meiling asked.
"Well, I wanted to study project management and the best university for that is here in China."
"I thought you wanted to study closer to home?" Kyu asked.
She shook her head and sadly smiled. Home, that word felt so distant to her. Perhaps because she had tried to erase so many memories from the time she had spent there. She sighed and tried to change the subject, "I'm surprised none of you are married by now."
Tomoyo smiled sweetly at Eriol before saying, "Well, Eriol and I got engaged last year."
Sakura curiously looked at Tomoyo, "I'm sure if someone like Eriol would have gotten engaged it would be all over the news. I don't recall hearing or reading anything on your engagement."
Eriol smiled, "We decided to keep it a secret for now. Only our families and closest friends know about it. We're planning to do it after the Cup."
Sakura nodded and then looked towards Kyu and Meiling.
"Don't look at us. We haven't fight about it yet." Meiling carelessly said.
She chuckled while the rest of them laughed. Since the moment they had started dating back in high school Sakura couldn't remember them staying two straight months together without fighting.
"What about you? How long have you been dating Senator Eli's son?" Eriol asked.
"Jun and I have been dating for almost two years now."
"Is he as good as his father on politics?" Syaoran asked. He had been observing her since their friends arrived without getting too much into the conversation.
She caught the hidden message on Syaoran's question. She remembered a conversation they had in the past where he tried to convince her that all politicians were liars. "He's different than many of today's politicians."
"Oh! So are we hearing wedding bells for you two as well?" Tomoyo excitedly asked no doubt already imagining a way to have a double wedding next year.
Sakura, uncomfortable with the question, turn her head from Tomoyo. She could feel Syaoran's prying eyes waiting for her answer. She saw the waiter coming in with the mimosas. 'Oh! Just in time' she thought before saying, "We have talked about it but haven't decided on anything yet." She received her mimosa and quickly took a sip while the rest of them started to give the waiter their orders.
~o~
Suri spotted Xiefa down the corridor. By the looks of it she was heading towards her father's office.
"Xiefa!"
Xiefa stopped mid way and waited for Suri to reach her. "Talk with me as you walk. My father's waiting."
Suri nodded and started walking along with Xiefa. "I need to ask a favor of you?"
"Why do I get the feeling this somehow has to do with my brother..." She said in a low voice.
"It does, but not in any way you can possibly imagine."
Xiefa grunted. She could read Suri's infatuation with her brother all over her face. She didn't understand why every woman that Syaoran made contact with could easily fall for him. Even when he didn't treat them right they would fall for him. I mean, who could possibly accept that? "You should speak to his manager if this concerns him."
"Well you see I did try to reach his manager and left him messages but he still hasn't answered me back and the tournament is this weekend."
"Doesn't that give you a clue?" she bitchily replied.
"It does but even this clue will not be excuse enough for Sakura. Please, please I need your help."
Xiefa reached her father's office and sighed. She turned towards Suri and asked, "What is this favor you need?"
"Some of your father's business partners attending this event want to spend a little time around him with their families. You know, like a VIP exclusive section with him. Do you think you can talk to him about it?"
Xiefa smirked. "How about I give you his phone number and you call him and ask?"
Suri could feel her heart rate rapidly increasing at the thought of getting Li's personal phone number. She knew not every girl had that luck. Her thoughts made her smile before looking at Xiefa, "I could definitely call him and ask him personally if he can do this. I know this will also please your father as well."
Xiefa looked at Suri's naive face and scoffed, "Suri... for your own good stop daydreaming about my brother. He's not the type to stay with one girl and if he were ever to change his mind I have a slight feeling he already knows who he wants."
Suri smiled slowly faded, "Is he dating anyone?"
Xiefa rolled her eyes and shook her head while simply opening the door to her father's office and closing it after getting inside. She had definitely gotten her mother's genes when it came to having patience and dealing with people.
She watched her father standing in front of his huge window enjoying the look from his office with his hands behind his back. He didn't turn to greet her but instead asked, "Where's Sakura? Usually she's here before any of us."
Xiefa sat down in one of the leather chairs in front of his desk and crossed her legs. "She took the morning off." She thought not to indulge too much on Sakura's whereabouts despite her curiosity of wanting to know how her father would react to the news that her brother had invited Sakura to a brunch. She stared at his calmed body lacking any reaction towards her answer while watching the busy streets of China. Thirty years she had lived with her father and there had never been a moment where she could've guessed what he was thinking.
He silently smiled and smirked at his daughter's answer. She still had much to learn about hiding things from him but it always made him feel proud to know she would still try to. "I'm planning on proposing an agreement to Steven about investing in the tournament."
She raised her brow as she analyzed her father's words. "He is our biggest competition in the market right now father. Do you think this is wise?"
"I'm not talking about a permanent agreement. It would be a temporary agreement only for the sake of the tournament."
"But still, we won the bid for the tournament. We should keep it within our company alone."
He turned to look at his daughter with a smile on his face. "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, Xiefa. Although in this case he is not my enemy he is indeed our biggest competition in the market as we both know. I won't let this tournament be a distraction to let him invest in other proposals we don't have access to because we are too busy dealing with the tournament. The best way right now to keep him at bay is to make him as busy as we are."
Xiefa nodded. "Do you want me to talk to him?"
Xian shook his head. "I'll give this one to Sakura once she comes back."
"Mother won't be pleased about this. She wanted this tournament to be ours only. She worked really hard for it too."
He smiled at her, "Leave your mother to me."
She sighed but nodded nonetheless.
~o~
Meiling sighed after coming down from laughing so hard, "Feels good to spend time this way. Just like old times..."
Sakura heard Meiling's comment and nodded. They had just finished brunch and were getting ready to leave. After standing up she put on her coat. She heard her phone's ringtone signaling a text message had just arrived. She searched her bag for almost a minute before finally finding it. She unlocked her phone by sliding her finger through it which took her instantly to the message.
*The flower arrangement that you wanted just arrived. Also, Joe called wondering if you've already made up your decision on the pictures. And last, Mr. Li wants you to meet a client of his. He said to tell you to meet him at Cali Sports Bar at 1:00pm
She looked at her watch and sighed. It was almost 12:45pm and one of the things she hated the most was going to a restaurant after eating. Brunch had been delicious. She could clearly see why Syaoran had chosen this place even if it was far from the city. The place was definitely one she would write a note-to-self to come visit again. But after reading the text, going to another restaurant while still feeling full was not something she would rather do. 'At least it's a sports bar.' She thought before walking out of the restaurant with her friends. "Well, I have to go."
"Aw! So soon?" Kyu whined.
She smiled and nodded. "I have to meet some clients now. This was nice. We should do this again some other time."
"We definitely should." Tomoyo said.
"I can go with you if you want." Syaoran offered.
She scoffed, "Since when are you concern with the family business?"
He smirked, "I've always wanted to know how it's doing. I just do it quietly on my own terms."
"If you are that concern on how it's doing go to the office and ask for the financial statements. Right now, I need to go."
"You know, isn't it better to watch how the employees develop themselves in their areas than watching and analyzing numbers? I think it's better if I go with you and find for myself how my father's business works. Who knows... Maybe I'll finally get interested in this whole family business like he has always wanted me to." He tried to convince her. They hadn't had too much time in the restaurant to talk as their friends came a little earlier than he had anticipated.
"No you will not!" she stared at him to let him know she was being very serious about this. She took a deep breath and looked at one of the corners. She had been right all along, "I'm not sure if anyone has told you this but that stupid baseball cap doesn't work for you."
The guys chuckled at her comment while this time it was Syaoran the one that scoffed. "What does the cap has to do with me going with you?"
"There are more than 50 reporters right now around these corners taking hundreds of pictures from you talking to me right now. Neither of us needs the trouble." She saw her phone rang and picked up. "I'm on my way." She said before she turned around and walked towards her car leaving them on the sidewalk.
Syaoran watched her walked away and narrowed his eyes as she got in her silver sport Audi and drove off to wherever she was going. Eriol put an arm around his shoulders, "Well... Guess I'm not the only one who thinks putting on this cap is stupid."
"Shut it Eriol!" He said shoving his arm off him.
~o~
It wasn't the place he had chosen when she was told he wanted her to be at lunch for this meeting what surprised her, it was the fact that the meeting was with none other than Steven Makimasi, president of Makimasi Industries. She had heard rumors of his character during some of the seminars she had attended to throughout the year and none of them were good. Some said he was arrogant, others that he was spoiled but to Sakura the one word that defined his character was tyrant. The look this man gave her when she arrived was something that instinctively had bells ringing through her head.
"Ah, Ms. Kinomoto is here." He said while laughing.
Xian turned towards her from their booth and stood up. "Sakura, come on in."
She nodded and took a seat next to him.
"I was speaking to Makimasi here about your last project. He's fascinated by the outcome of it."
Mr. Makimasi smiled at her and nodded, "I've never seen someone invest in a project and have it producing positive outcomes that fast. It is indeed a work to be praised."
She politely replied, "Thank you." She was sure there had to be more to this meeting than her past projects. Xian would never meet this guy if he didn't want something out from him. So she patiently waited until the real reason why she was here would show up in the conversation. She asked the waiter for some water and sat listening to them dancing around words.
Finally when Xian finished eating he said, "On to business. I want you to work with us on the tournament. What do you think Makimasi?"
Sakura quickly looked at Xian but didn't say a word.
Makimasi smiled and looked at Sakura, "I've been told you're the one in charge of the tournament."
She calmly looked at him. "You speak of the tournament as if it is the whole thing I'm in charge of."
"After what it's been said of you around business people you don't need to be in charge of everything to produce a good outcome. Some call it a special gift you have."
She kept staring at him. There was nothing from this man that inspired trust for her. And yet, if Xian wanted this then there was nothing else she could do. "I'm only in charge of the advertising."
Xian chuckled, "I have Sakura and Xiefa working on it so as you can see there is nothing you should feel worried about. I know that here in China we are competitors yet this tournament is a worldwide event. We could work in unity to have viewers and fans enjoy one of the best tournaments in history. I believe you can be part of this history we are making this year. What do you think?"
Makimasi looked at Xian and smiled, "I'll have to think about it Li. We both know decisions made in a hurry could cost us dearly."
Xian wiped his lips with the black apron after finishing his last bite. "I'll give you some time to think about it then. But I will need your answer soon."
Makimasi nodded. "Well, I have to go now. Much to do today." He stood up and was about to get his wallet out of his pocket when Xian stopped him.
"It's on me." Xian said.
Makimasi nodded and turned towards Sakura. He once again smiled, "It was a great pleasure meeting you today Ms. Kinomoto."
She nodded but didn't say more. She waited until Makimasi was out of the restaurant before turning towards Xian. "Since when do we need his help to make this tournament a successful one?"
"I want you to keep an eye on him. There are rumors around he wants to invest in a big project that could put us on edge if the project passes."
"And getting him into the tournament would make a difference?"
"Let me worry about the company's decisions."
"I don't trust that guy Xian."
"Neither do I. This is why I need you to keep an eye on him. Make sure he signs an agreement of investing in the tournament."
She sighed but agreed to anyways.
~ o ~
The weekend came quickly. For it been the beginning of March the weather was irregularly colder than usual but the tournament was already on the way. Four years ago they had lost the World Cup tournament in the semifinals. As a team, they had been preparing since that moment for this years' tournament and part of that preparation was this scrimmage with Italy.
"They say the field is packed." Xiun excitedly said.
"Let's take this as practice guys. The World Cup will feel a lot much better than today." Mark said focused on the game they were about to play.
"It does feel different doesn't it? To play at home..." Eriol said looking at Syaoran who was behind him waiting in line to go out to the field.
He nodded. "Let's do this." He said before starting to walk towards the field behind his teammates.
He took a deep breath and walked outside and into the field. Adrenaline rush was all he felt as he took his first steps inside the grassy grounds. The excitement of the moment was one of the things he loved about this sport. He focused on the field and tuned out the crowd even when they went wild and yelled louder after seeing him coming out of the locker room.
A little far from the field a red headed woman walked through the VIP room. She walked towards their sits and asked with a notebook on hand ready to take in their bets, "What will your bid be sir?"
"I'm going for a million dollars for each goal my son makes and half a million dollars if any other team player makes the goal." The way he spoke about his son showed pride in his words. He was a mirror image of Syaoran but older. He had to admit at first he didn't even thought his son would do that good in this sport, yet another battle he lost against his wife. He had seen Syaoran's games year after year with his wife, or let's clear that up she made him watch the games with her. The more he watched the more he learned and even came up to fell in love with the game as well.
"Well, it is charming the way you have brought all of this together Li." A man with a white mustache spoke. His expensive watch and professional athletic attire left no doubt he was one of the richest men watching this match. Add to this the fact that he was sitting right next to Li, Xian, the richest man present in the VIP cabin and you get a very important guest for the tournament.
"Sir and for you?" she smiled at the old man.
"I'll give half a million per goal we make." He replied.
Xian laughed. "It is, isn't it Fabrizzio? Ms. Kinomoto was totally in charge of this one."
Mr. Fabrizzio was one of the Italian team biggest sponsors. "Ah yes! No wonder such precise details in it. I still wonder how you got so lucky Li. And to think she has been under your wing for only five years."
Xian chuckled, "It is what it is John. Have you thought about my suggestion on including Steven on this World Cup event?"
"I have! And yet I don't think he will go along with it. You know Steven, his pride is larger than his monetary account if that's even possible."
"I'll only be giving him a chance of joining us in this worldwide event." Xian said while making himself comfortable in his chair.
"I think that if you get him to come along, it will definitely be an event worth remembering."
Sakura tried to stay focused on the conversation yet the game was putting her nerves out of control. Every time China had the ball and the other team would steal it away she had to control her anger. She needed to remember she was sitting in the same line as the president of Li Corporation and that required for her behavior to be almost perfect if that could be possible.
She watched as Eriol passed the ball all the way from the right side to the left side. She held her breath in excitement as Kyu received his pass and kicked the ball to the net but the goalie stopped it. She released her breath again. The game was tied down 0-0 and even if it was an exhibition game to raise funds it still held the same excitement official games did.
"What time does Jun gets in?" Xiefa asked. She was sitting down in between her father and Sakura enjoying the game but more interested in looking around at people's behavior towards the game. If there was one thing Xiefa was perfectly good at was reading people. She wanted to use this game as a means to observe even the smallest detail and analyze what could be done better for the World Cup.
"He comes tonight. Why?"
"Mother wants you to come for dinner tomorrow night."
Sakura knew Yelan very well. What Syaoran told her a few days ago still rested in her mind as she was very aware that Yelan never did things without getting something in return from it. "Did she give you a reason as to why?"
Xiefa shrugged, "She just wants you to come."
She looked at Xiefa and raised her eyebrow, "Should the right question be is your brother going to be there then?"
Xiefa smiled. "Look, Feimei and Fanren came for the week. They will stay till after the tournament finishes or I think two weeks after it does but that's not the point. It's very rare to have the entire family in town. Even father is getting out early to have dinner too, which almost never happens. And you know my parents consider you almost another daughter. I mean, mother just wants to have a family dinner. Do you think you can make time?"
Sakura sighed and turned her head to watch the game again, "Why is it so hard to believe you?"
Xiefa chuckled, "I don't know if he'll come but I'm almost certain he wouldn't miss it if he is told you will attend."
She scoffed, "So you'll use me as bait to get him to come to dinner?"
Xiefa mockingly looked at her as if she had just been offended, "I would never use you. I'm just saying the whole family dinner would be better accomplished as mother wants it to happen if you agree on coming."
"You just used pretty words to indirectly say you're using me but that's okay. I'll go. But let it be known that I will only go because of your mother."
Xiefa smirked, "Sure, whatever you say. Oh, by the way, we might go out clubbing tomorrow night. When I spoke to Eriol he said it was Mark's birthday so if you guys want you can stay the night at the house."
She nodded, "I'll mention it to Jun. He might want to go out to the club for a couple of hours. If we come back late from it then we'll probably end up staying. If not, then we can just go to my apartment later. I'm sure he won't have any trouble with any of the choices but I'll ask him anyways."
The game went to half time with the score still tied down to 0. Sakura sighed, "Will Feimei be bringing her boyfriend to dinner?" she asked smirking already knowing the answer. A couple of months back she had introduced him to the family on her visit during college fall break. Sakura had the pleasure, or the displeasure, of meeting him then. She was only a couple of years younger than Syaoran which only made him be a little over protective when it came to her.
Xiefa chuckled, "If she loves him as much as she says she does then I think she shouldn't. Syaoran would kill him in an instant."
Sakura chuckled, "She better tell him before it gets too late although I have to say dinner would be a lot more interesting if she did bring him over."
"Come now Sakura, we both know what the outcome of dinner will be if she does. Mother wants a peaceful dinner, not a dramatic one."
They watched as the crowd went wild again letting them know that the players were taking up their positions to start the second half. She watched as Xiun passed the ball to Mark to commence the game. Eriol ran from the right corner to receive the ball from Mark. He tried to get into the middle but the Italian player took the ball from him. Syaoran made a dive in front of him and the ball went back to Eriol.
"You look nervous." Xiefa smirked.
"Shut up!" Sakura quickly said still having her eyes glued to the game.
Xiefa chuckled. They watched as Kyu received the ball and drove near to the score line. Two Italians were up against him when he got a little closer but instead of kicking the ball into the net he passed it down to Syaoran who was a little bit farther but only had one guy guarding him. He ran to his right with the ball and increased his speed until the other guy fell behind. He looked at the net and kicked the ball.
Goooooaaaaaalllllll! The crowd went wild again. Sakura got up from her seat and celebrated the goal after watching Xian getting up from his seat. He was proudly celebrating and applauding his son's goal while some of his business partners congratulate him.
The match had ended with a 3-1 win for China, two of the goals scored by Syaoran while the last one was done by Kyu. The guys had stayed in the field signing autographs for the people who had come and watch the match. She watched as a reporter was doing an interview with Kyu in the corner of the field while Eriol was taking a picture with some of the kids who came to watch the game. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Suri walking towards her.
"Sakura!"
She looked at her assistant and waited for her to reach where she was standing.
Suri smiled, "I'm glad to write another success for us. The tournament has done splendidly. Here are the reports on what's been already accounted for. We still haven't finished with the miscellaneous merchandise booth but the photo booth and the electronics booth did great. Also, the money from the sale of food is almost finished."
She nodded. "How much have we collected net after all adjustments?"
"Well, we still need the rest of the numbers but I can say we have been able to collect almost 78% of our projection goal for this event with the numbers we already have in. Once the rest of the numbers-"
She looked towards the field and was taken aback by the sight before her. Suri's words were suddenly fading back to her mind as she saw Syaoran playing with some of the kids that had been participants of the community event she had set up for him a week ago. She could tell they were the same kids as she had seen the picture of the event a couple of days later.
"But, like I said, once the rest of the numbers are in we can get a clear-"
Something tugged at her heart. Suddenly she wasn't hearing Suri anymore but was more mesmerized by the image of Syaoran playing soccer with some of the kids. She watched as one of them tried to grab his shirt to hold him and steal the ball while he laughed. In all her years knowing him she had never seen him playing with kids so carelessly. She could feel a smile slowly creeping into her face when she saw him grab the kid by his waist and run with him and the ball at the same time into the direction of the goal net.
"So I should think the numbers will be in by tonight. Do you want me to send them to your email or just update your iCloud spreadsheet?" Suri looked up and noticed she wasn't paying attention anymore. She followed the direction Sakura's eyes were directed at and scoffed. "Don't take this the wrong way but he's not a one woman kind of man."
She looked at Suri but didn't say anything towards her comment.
"And what is he doing there? I told him he needed to greet the VIP guests. President Li will be furious if he doesn't." Suri said before walking towards him.
"Ms. Kinomoto!"
She looked towards the left from where the voice had come from and smile. "Coach! Congratulations on your win!"
He chuckled and smiled. "Oh thanks, though I'm not sure if I should be congratulating you instead."
She waited for him to continue. "This whole exhibition match was your idea." He nodded his face to signal the field towards where Syaoran was playing with the kids. "I'm sure they will appreciate the help you will be able to give them with the money that was raised from this match."
She watched as Syaoran suddenly looked at them with a smile on his face. "They sure will." She said before turning her face towards the coach and smile. She waited for the coach to leave and looked back at the field. She had to admit her thoughts were suddenly taking a dangerous turn. She started desiring something she hadn't thought about for a long time.
"You know... If you still feel something for my brother you should break up with that idiot you call boyfriend."
She sighed tiredly before turning around and walking towards the entrance where the merchandise was being sold. "It didn't work seven years ago, I'm sure it won't work now either."
"At least this time you're not denying it, you know." Xiefa smirked.
She rolled her eyes, "Whatever Xiefa." She said before walking away.
~ o ~
Late that night, she was eating dinner with Jun on her apartment like each night he was in China yet something felt different. There was something that had been plaguing her mind since the tournament and she didn't even know how to get it off her mind. That image of Syaoran with the kids had left her thinking there was something missing in her life yet she felt she didn't know what it was. It wasn't kids, because she was entirely sure she wasn't ready to have any and yet seeing him after the game, the way he had been carefree playing with those boys, his laugh, his playfulness was making her feel a little confused about something in her life.
"What's wrong with you? You've been quiet all dinner." Jun said as he took some of his wine.
"Do you want kids?" She blurted out of the blue.
He was surprised by her question but nevertheless answered it, "What do you mean? Like right now?"
She shook her head nervously, "Not right now. But in the future, have you thought of having kids?"
"I wasn't aware that you had thought this far away Sakura."
"It's not something you have to answer now if you haven't thought about it."
"I have thought about it, along with many other things. I just didn't want to pressure you about any of them."
She looked questionably at him, "Really?"
"I have thought about having three kids, if that's okay with you."
Suddenly she felt weird like she lacked air by the mere thought of this conversation, "Maybe we're not ready to have this talk yet."
"No, let's talk about this."
"Jun-" she ran her hands through her hair, something she did every time she would get nervous about something, not wanting to indulge in this conversation any longer.
He smiled at her. "Sakura, we're only talking. I don't want to do anything we're not ready for but really baby there's nothing wrong with talking about it."
She gave in, "I don't want three kids."
"Okay, then how many do you want?"
"One... Maybe two."
"Then we can have two, after we get married off course."
She drank a little more wine before saying, "I'm not ready to get married."
He chuckled. "I know."
She closed her eyes apologetically, "I'm sorry."
He grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "Baby, we'll have time when you're ready to decide. For now, I enjoy spending time with you just as we are."
She smiled at him, "I do to."
~ o ~
The next morning she did her routine as usual. She woke up at 4:00 in the morning and prepared to have her long jog. After last night's conversation with Jun, she was eagerly looking forward to. She usually went running to clear her head. It helped her be more awake and aware with her office duties.
She placed her phone into her arm band which was tied on top of her sweatshirt. Tying her running shoes and taking her apartment key on hand, she stood out and welcomed the coolness of the weather as she locked the door and started her jog.
The Kahi match had been a success. Suri had texted the final numbers and they had been able to collect more than they had thought they would. Her team had done a marvelous job at getting everything on time and working hard to achieve the goal. That was something she would definitely praise when getting into her office this morning. And yet, her mind would still go over that moment where she found him laughing with the little kids. 'Stop Sakura! Focus on the jog, let's clear our head.' She thought before continuing.
After her long jog, which by the way didn't help achieve its objective, she prepared herself quickly and went to her office. As she walked inside the building, many of her colleagues from other departments congratulate her for her achievement with the match. She proudly smiled and nodded her thanks as she got into the elevator and pressed her floor number. After a couple of minutes, the elevator rang signaling she had arrived at her destination. As soon as she got out, she froze.
She saw Syaoran in the office laughing and flirting with one of the secretaries. He was dressed up in a lime green business shirt with a royal blue tie and business shoes. There was no doubt he hardly ever used that type of clothing in his life. It wasn't that he looked bad but let's be honest he looked weird from her perspective.
He saw her standing in front of the elevator and smirked as she approached him with a face that only he knew well enough... She was annoyed.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Don't over excite yourself for seeing me here sweetheart, I'm meeting my father."
She scoffed as she crossed her hands on her chest and clearly stated, "You're father's office is not on this floor. I'm sure you know that. And, I can assure you there's nothing to be excited for."
"You think so?" he arrogantly asked.
She looked at him from head to toe before calmly coming back to his eyes and smirking, "That tie doesn't go with that shirt."
He looked at his tie and smiled back to her, "I bet I can prove you wrong. If you look around you'll find hundreds of girls looking at me with that dreaming haze they usually have when they look at me."
She scoffed and rolled her eyes at him before asking, "Could you be a little bit more obnoxious?"
He turned towards the secretary who he had been openly flirting with before seeing Sakura and smiled, "Does this tie truly look bad on me?"
The secretary with a dreamy face on shook her head and batted her eyelashes at him, "Never."
Sakura tiredly took a deep breath, "Your father's office is three floors up. I wasn't aware Xian was doing any personal visits from his family in the office."
"This is not a personal visit. I have a business meeting with him."
She frowned, "Business meeting? You don't do business. You're a soccer player. Your agent does the business meetings for you."
He proudly smiled, "Not in this case. This time I'm the one who will be doing the business." He proudly said looking at his watch before returning his eyes to her again. "Now, you'll have to excuse me but I need to leave before I'm late to my first business meeting."
She watched him arrogantly walked towards the elevator. She could see through his façade as she knew too well how he hated to talk business with his father. As he stood waiting for the elevator she saw him blanked for a minute. She wondered why he was nervous about this meeting but instead of asking she called him out. "Syaoran!" He turned his face towards her as she mimicked with her hands and said, "Lose the tie."
As the doors opened he smiled at her before getting in. He watched as the doors closed and took a deep breath. He was nervous. Having a meeting with a business tycoon was definitely one of the top things in his Hate-To-Do list... more so if it was a meeting with his father. There was always something very intimidating about speaking with his father about business. He was just too good doing it. Convincing him would take a lot of effort but he was going to do it. He had looked himself in the mirror that morning and knew he had to do this.
He looked at his reflection in the elevator doors and took a deep breath. Following Sakura's advice, he untied his tie and put it in his pocket. He unbuttoned the top button of his shirt as he heard the elevator signaling he had reached his destination. He walked out already feeling a little more at ease than the way he was before.
"Syaoran!" his father looked at him from his desk and motioned for him to seat in one of the chairs in front of him. "You're here. I was surprised when Stella told me you booked a meeting with me."
Syaoran took the offered seat. "I wanted to talk to you about something."
Xian frowned, "Advice?"
Syaoran shook his head, "I was told you own a piece of land I want to buy."
Xian knowingly smiled at his son. "Let's do business then."
~o~
It was supposed to be cold tonight according to the news weather lady this morning, yet she had been wrong again. By the time they got into Li's house it was snowing with a possibility of getting worst as the night went by. It was almost Spring and yet they had prognosticated a very abnormal cold weather for this weekend. They stepped out of the car and walked quickly towards the house.
"This is some night to have dinner here." Jun muttered as they waited on Wei to open the door.
"We're already here, baby." She softly said.
Wei opened the door and with a bow welcomed them into the house. He took the small bag from Jun's hand and gave it to one of the maids at his side. "I'll see to it that your belongings are prepared in your room Ms. Sakura."
She smiled at him, "Thanks Wei."
Jun and Sakura walked straight into the living room. There was absolutely nothing in it that didn't screamed luxury. From the stone wall fireplace to the modern white leather sofa you could sense Yelan took her time in planning her own decoration. She made sure they had the most magnificent décor that anyone could ever see inside her house. While her husband worked at his company and got the title of the most prestigious CEO in China, she made sure his life at home was up to his standards.
She looked around and found the girls sitting in the sofa which meant the guys were somewhere around the house.
"Sakura, I'm so glad you could make it." Yelan happily greeted. She walked towards Sakura and gave her a hug.
Sakura smiled and hugged her back. She kept taking notice of her surroundings. She had been here before, yet every time she came to visit she would find something new decorating the living room. And this time it wasn't different for she found a new red orchid arrangement with a black vase decorating the top of the fireplace. "We tried to get here a little earlier but Jun couldn't get out of the office before 6:30."
"Oh, nonsense, it's alright." She replied while hugging Jun as well.
As Xiefa had told her Xian was in the house as well. He walked from the corner of the room with his cup of brandy in his hands before extending his hand to greet Jun before looking at her. "Do not leave without speaking with me."
She smiled and nodded. A couple of voices made her notice the guys walking down the stairs to her left. The three of them were all caught up in some conversation which probably involved soccer.
"Sakura!" Eriol smiled as he greeted her. "You're finally here!" he said as the three of them walked downstairs to welcome them.
"Jun, this is Eriol and Kyu." she politely introduced them to her boyfriend.
"Ah, nice to meet you." At the mention of their names, Jun extended his hand to greet them.
Since Syaoran was the last one to come down stairs, she introduced him last. "And this is Syaoran."
Jun got closer to Sakura and put an arm around her waist at the sight of Syaoran walking down the stairs towards them, gesture that didn't go unnoticed by Syaoran at all. She looked at Jun strangely but said nothing about it.
Although Syaoran felt tempted to get Jun's hands off her, even if he had to punch the guy to do so, he kept his composure as if nothing had happened. He had to remember they weren't together anymore. Throughout the years he had learned how to mask his emotions in a way that no one knew what he was thinking. Only his closest friends could catch the meaning behind his actions if he ever emitted such. He politely walked towards them and extended his hand towards him, "Jun, Sakura, it's good to have you at home for dinner."
Jun kept staring at Syaoran yet he politely as well shook his hand. There was something about Syaoran that threw him off. From the moment he first saw him at the hotel's elevator the way he had stared at Sakura had left a bad impression on him. He didn't like how Syaoran looked at his girlfriend at all. If it was up to Jun, he would gladly marry her and take her away from the whole Li family and yet there was nothing he could do about it. She was just so headstrong when it came to her job.
"Dinner is served." Wei announced.
They nodded and walked towards the dining room. The table was set nicely and organized. The vegetables were orderly put in the corner, the side dishes on the middle and the meat on the other side. They all sat down and ate. Thankfully this dinner had gone like Yelan had wanted it to. Nothing dramatic, just a peaceful quiet family dinner with a few laughs here and there.
By the time they had finished dinner, Sakura went into the study to talk to Xian while the rest of them waited on her to be done to go out clubbing just like Xiefa had suggested. In the end, Xiefa had decided to stay with the excuse of needing to finish a job she was supposed to. After talking with Xian, Sakura walked out of his study and reunited with them. In her absence, they had decided to take two cars since the only ones going to the club would be them. 'Just like high school, except this time I'm with Jun'. The thought made her feel a little nostalgic yet she shook it off and walked outside with her boyfriend.
The club was exclusively reserved by Mark's agent for that night. Only his friends and the people he had invited for his birthday were allowed to be in there. They had entered the club a couple of minutes later and were searching for their friend to congratulate him on his birthday except Syaoran. He had already excused himself with the excuse of seeing an old friend of his by the bar. Needless to say his old friend was a blond woman who he had introduced to them as Katherine before leaving with her to the dance floor.
"Oh! I haven't been clubbing with you in such a long time baby!" Meiling excitedly said to Kyu while putting her arms around his neck.
He smirked while giving her a quick peck on the lips and disentangling her arms. He took her hand and walked towards the bar with the rest of them following behind. They asked the bartender to serve them some drinks. As Eriol looked to his side, he nudged Kyu so that he too looked as well. Mark was already there celebrating his birthday with two shots in front of him.
"Guys! You made it!" he loudly said. There was no doubt he had started celebrating a while ago as his steps weren't even steady when he went to greet them.
"Happy birthday man!" Eriol said laughing while giving him a half hug.
"Yeah thanks! Is not every day a man reaches 26!" he said semi drunk already. "Where's Syaoran?"
Kyu smirked and nodded to the dance floor.
Mark shook his head, "Figures..."
"Mark! You left your drinks man. You need to drink these!" Gee yelled from the bar. Mark turned and walked back to drink the last two shots that he had left pending while greeting them. He downed the two shots while releasing a scream of accomplishment after finishing the last one and started patting his friend's hands.
Kyu chuckled, "He'll definitely feel that tomorrow morning." He said.
Sakura wasn't paying too much attention to Mark's behavior. Instead her mind was indirectly focused on Syaoran dancing in the dance floor. She had recognized his little blond friend from the community event picture. It was so obvious how the woman wanted him for herself. She moved her body in a provocative way to have his entire attention to her. There was no doubt she was an expert getting whatever she wanted. Sakura stole another glance as she saw his hands pulled her waist closer to his body and he whispered something that made her laugh as they kept dancing pretty close to each other. She turned her face away from the scene.
"I'll be right back. I'm going to the bathroom." she smiled at her boyfriend and headed to the bathroom. They had just gotten to the club and yet she felt like she needed a break already. In fact, she was so ready for it to be over.
"So, how long have you known Sakura?" Meiling asked him.
"About three years." Jun answered while drinking a little of his whiskey.
"And you've been dating for two?" Tomoyo asked.
He nodded. "Well, almost two."
"You know... I have to admit I never imagined she would end up dating a politician." Eriol commented.
He laughed, "Well, I'm not a politician yet, but I do consider myself lucky." He nodded towards Syaoran on the dance floor, "Is he always like this?"
"Like what?" Meiling asked.
The tone of her question suggested treading carefully around the answer but Jun didn't care if she was going to like his answer or not, "Don't get me wrong but the only thing he needs right now is a room."
Meiling smirked. "You could blame your girlfriend for that."
He lost his smile and quickly looked at Meiling. "What do you mean?"
"Meiling..." Eriol warned her to stop. His face was enough to hold any woman but he should have known it wouldn't work on his cousin.
She naughtily smiled, "Since she left, he hasn't been the same."
"Enough! Let's go!" Kyu hold her hand and started walking.
"Where are we going?" she said making him stop.
"Dancing! For the first time I want to dance." He pulled her towards the dance floor without giving her the chance to say anything more.
Jun turned his face towards Eriol, "Did they have something going on in the past?"
Eriol sighed, "Look man, maybe it's better if you ask Sakura about it."
She returned from the bathroom several minutes later to find Jun on the bar next to Eriol and Tomoyo. She walked towards them until she was by his side again. She put her hands around his torso but got no reaction from him. She saw him drink down more than half the cup of whiskey he had in his hands and worried. His face gave notice that something had changed while she'd been away, "Are you okay?"
He put his face right next to her ear and said, "I'm ready to leave."
She looked at his face again but he didn't say anything else. The seriousness she found there was enough indication that something had definitely pissed him off. She nodded and took his hand. "Guys, we'll call it a night."
"What? You're leaving? But the night is just starting!" Tomoyo whined.
Sakura smiled, "I'm tired and we're just ready to call it a night. We'll take a cab to get back."
Eriol nodded. "Well then, I guess we'll see you at the house."
Sakura nodded and smiled. She took her purse with one hand and took Jun's hand with the other to walk outside. The valet called for a cab on the side. After getting in she gave the Li residence address to the driver and waited for Jun to get in on the other side.
The ride to the house was silent. She looked out the window at the falling snow which was coming down a little harder by now and the passing trees that were illuminated by the car lights. There was something bothering him that much was obvious, but she couldn't figure out what it was. She started running through the events tonight on her mind to try and figure out what had put him in this mood. They were spending the night alright, they were having fun, and then suddenly a trip to the bathroom turned their night upside down so she deducted that he must have heard something.
They reached the house and the cab stop right in front of it. Without saying much he got out of the car and walked inside the house. She looked at him from the car. There was no doubt in her mind that tonight they would probably fight. She paid the cab driver and followed him directly into the house. She closed the door after getting inside their room and stared at him.
"You want to tell me what's bothering you?" she wouldn't dare walking towards him. From the door, she watched him take off his watch as he did every night and then turned towards her.
"How do you know Li?"
"I told you, we studied together in Tomoeda High."
"Was that all?"
She stared at his eyes. There was something intimidating about the way he was acting. His questions led her to believe that he probably had found out about her relationship with Syaoran in the past. She turned her face away took a deep breath. "We dated back then."
"Dated?" he incredulously asked. "That guy doesn't date Sakura."
"He wasn't always like that Jun."
"How long did you dated for?"
She tiredly sighed and ran her hands through her hair like she always did whenever she wanted to avoid something, "Why does this even matter Jun? It was seven years ago."
"How long?" he demanded.
"Three years."
"And you think this wasn't important to mention it to me? Where you even planning on telling me?"
She sighed and walked towards the dresser. She took her jewelry off, "I frankly didn't see the point. It happened seven years ago. We dated, we broke up, we moved on."
"Is that what you think? That he moved on? Do you think I don't notice the way he looks at you?"
She looked at him through the mirror's reflection, "Please... he looks at every woman that walks in front of him the same way."
He shook his head. "At first I thought I was imagining things, but now I know why. Are you having an affair with him?"
"What?" she stood up immediately turned around and looked at him.
"Why else would you try to hide this from me?"
By now they had both raised their voice more than normal yet they still weren't yelling at each other. "I never hid this from you. You never asked before and I never indulged on it."
"So you didn't think it was important to mention that your ex-boyfriend was the one that invited you to dinner tonight?"
"Jun, he didn't invited me, Xiefa did as a family dinner. Her mother wanted me here as well." She tiredly sighed and lowered her voice once again. She hated when things got out of control. "You are imagining things. There is nothing going on between us."
"I don't want to stay here anymore." He took out his bag and started to fill it up with the little stuff they had brought to stay the night.
She hated when he was like this. "This is why I didn't tell you, because I knew you would get like this. Do you not trust me?"
"You were his girlfriend Sakura, and you didn't even care to mention it to me. Now you're asking me if I don't trust you?" He stopped what he was doing to look at her, "I don't trust him. Pack your things, we're leaving."
She looked at him packing and sighed. She could have snapped back at him, tell him to go back to the city alone if that's what he wanted to do. There were so many things she could have said but the thought of having to spend time in this house while Syaoran exhibited himself with his little blonde friend diminished any words she could say to her boyfriend in order to stay so she decided to start packing as well. Perhaps leaving was for the best.
As they reached the first floor, the door opened. She cursed internally at the sight of Syaoran coming in through the door. She noticed he came alone as the rest of the group followed behind him. He looked at her and frowned, but when he saw Jun and the bag he had on his hand he narrowed his eyes. "Are you not aware of the weather tonight? No one should be driving in this snow." Syaoran seriously said.
"Don't tell me what I can or can't do." Jun venomously told him.
"Jun!" Sakura was about to tell him something but his look made her hold what she was about to say. She noticed from the corner of her eyes that Syaoran tensed up. If this continued the way it was going, there was no doubt in her head that Syaoran would probably start a fight with Jun in his own house.
Syaoran was pissed beyond words but he held his anger under control. If Jun decided to put Sakura's life at risk he would definitely take matters into his own hands. There was no way he would let her get out of the house tonight. They had barely made it in because they had left a couple of minutes after they did, but there was no way of driving in this weather by now.
"No one is going anywhere."
Sakura looked towards her right and felt relieved to find Xian walking towards them with a cup on hand. "The news weather report just came on TV. They're urging people not to drive because of the heavy snow. So, everyone should stay here tonight."
"We are not staying." Jun seriously looked at Xian taking Sakura's hand.
If Syaoran's eyes were intimidating whenever he was pissed, his father's doubled the intensity. "Son, these are no conditions to be driving right now."
He venomously said, "I am not your son."
"No one is leaving this house tonight whether you like it or not." Xian decisively said. "I suggest you pick your room. You may leave tomorrow after the weather clears up." He swallowed the last bit of his brandy and walked passed them towards his study.
"Wei can you please take our bags upstairs?" Sakura politely asked. "Thank you." She waited for Wei to take their bags right upstairs again. "Come on." She said to her boyfriend before turning towards the stairs and going towards their room.
He gave Syaoran one last nasty look before closely following her back upstairs towards their room.
Author's Note: Well, here's chapter 4! Wow... when I began writing it I didn't know I could write this much in a chapter. Hahaha I hope is not too long for you guys! I thank all the people who took some time to review chapter 3. It feels good to know that you like this story as much as I am enjoying writing it. Let me know what you think about this chapter. Do you guys think it's too long? Please read and review! Thanks!