ஐI Hope You Dance ஐ
Written by: æsha
Disclaimer: I don't own CCS or the lyric.
You can find her here! - http://www.fanfiction.net/u/462377/Aesha
‹COMPLETE› Sakura is unable to skate after a severe ankle injury, and then she meets Li Syaoran who she believes to be the only one that can help her skate again. Can Sakura get back on the ice without falling over for her new coach?
ஐI Hope You Dance ஐ
Written by: æsha
Disclaimer: I don't own CCS or the lyric.
The thick fog filled the cool air as Sakura took her morning walk through the park, slightly earlier than usual. That morning, she wanted to walk through the green lawns and gardens of the park alone. No watchful eyes and ears prying for even the slightest of things to start gossip. No one of her acquaintance would be out that early to come across her path.
The surroundings of the park were in perfect condition as usual. Every bush or shrub were trimmed with precision by excellent gardeners The lilies and tulips carefully placed within the garden to compliment one another. It was the same view she had gazed upon every morning for as long as she can remember. Though she appreciated the breathtaking view, what really intrigued her was the little pond with goldfish that weaved its way into the middle the park.
She couldn't quite pin point what drew her to the pond. Perhaps it was the soothing melody that came from the pond each time the wind tapped the surface of the water. There had to be more than that though. It was as if even the trees were whispering for her presence. All she knew was that something had called her to come out there and she seemed to become entangled in a trance that she could not break free of.
The beckoning from the pond grew stronger with every steps that she took. She wanted to stop and turn back, to retreat, but the force it had on her was out of her control.
Three months had elapsed since he was taken away from her, yet, the memories of the nightmare still clung onto her soul; trying to draw her back to that dark, wintry day when she had lost a part of her.
It had always seemed to her that everything and everyone she loved dearly was to be taken away from her. First, it was her mother, her dream, and then... this.
She was strolling through the park one afternoon when she stumbled upon the pond and was amazed by the sight. Ever since the encounter, she had been walking to the park every morning to sit by the pond as she recollected their days together. The more she reminisced, the more she believed that he would come back to her one day. She didn't allow herself to give up this time. She was determined to hold on, because she knew that he was going to come back to her soon.
He promised...
- - - - -x-X-x- - - - -
Tomoeda, Japan; January 24, 2007 -
"Sakura, was it necessary to drag me out here at seven in the morning?" a dark-haired girl whined, stretching her arms out with a light yawn. "The birds and the worms aren't even up this early!"
"Tomoyo, you insisted that I should enjoy the park more," answered Sakura. She pulled the other girl behind her as they strolled down the walkway.
"Yes—and I'm starting to dread opening my big mouth—but did we have to go this early?" the whining continued. "There's hardly a living, breathing thing here! Sakura, I am very happy that you are out of that stingy bathroom; but, sweetie, you are killing my beauty sleep."
Sakura wrapped an arm around her friend's shoulders and pulled the girl over to bench by a small fish pond. "What do you mean there isn't a living and breathing thing here? I think the fishes deserve an apology, Tomo-chan. And you'd rather sleep than enjoy a beautiful morning at the park?"
"You are crazy," said the other girl with a giggle. “What put you in the mood for walking this morning?”
Sakura looked away and said, "I sneaked out last weekend."
Tomoyo knew what she was talking about. Sakura was always so cheerful by nature. Only one thing explained why her expression was distant and despondent all of a sudden.
"I couldn't do it. I kept falling. After a while, I just gave up."
"The doctors say your ankle is healing, it'll get stronger. You will be able to get back on the ice soon."
"How long is 'soon'? A year, two years, five years or maybe ten years? I can't wait, Tomoyo."
"Sakura—" the girl was cut off when her cellphone started ringing. Sighing agitatedly, she searched for the annoying thing in her purse. "Touya." She groaned under her breath. "Yes, I am with her. Yes, she is fine. No, she hasn't been kidnapped or harmed. You called the police?!"
"He what?" Sakura nearly fell off the bench.
"What are we going to about that man?" Tomoyo mumbled under her breath while hanging up the phone.
"What happened?"
"I guess brother instincts kicked in or something, because he filed a case for a missing person with the police when he didn't see you in your room this morning."
Sakura laughed. "That's my Onii-chan for you."
Tomoyo rubbed her temples. "I think I need a cup of coffee. Do you want any?" Sakura shook her head. "Okay, I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere."
"I'm seventeen!"
"Yeah. Yeah. Even people past fifty get lost sometimes," said the other girl before hurrying off.
Sakura let out a small giggle. Tomoyo definitely needed her sleep and coffee, no questions about that.
Sighing quietly to herself, Sakura glanced around at her surroundings. Tomoyo was partially correct when she said there wasn't a living and breathing thing there. There was none, maybe except for her and the creatures in the pond. At first, when Tomoyo had suggested the park to Sakura, the first thought that popped into her head was a big 'no'. The last place she wanted to be found at was a loud, crowded gathering area. Who knew it was so quiet and peaceful?
She could almost hear her own breaths. How amazing was that?
Her gaze quickly fixed on a tall figure coming down the walkway. Sakura was surprised to see someone other than herself there. She didn't think anyone was going to be at the park at that time of hour. That was partly why she wanted to go early, to avoid making a scene. For a second, she started to panic inside when his eyes met hers.
'Crap!' she screamed inside her head, waiting for 'it' to come. 'It' being the high-pitched screaming of 'Oh my God—you're Kinomoto Sakura, the figure skater!' and 'I'm sorry to hear about the accident'. Everywhere she went for the past few months, people were always jumping her with those kind of statements.
She didn't take her eyes off him as she waited for 'it' to come. But it never did. He just turned his head and continued walking, like he didn't know her or he was pretending not to notice her. His action was, if not more or less, puzzling to her, yet, intriguing as well.
Kinomoto Sakura might not have been considered as the belle of the spotlight, but she was still under the spotlight. She wasn't as famous as the top celebrities, but her reputation was still widely known among the crowd. She was one of the youngest professional figure skaters in the country, not to mention one of the most talented and influential female skaters, or she used to be one. Therefore, for someone to walk by her without paying the slightest care was pretty much amusing.
She snapped out of her thoughts when she saw Tomoyo running towards her with a hand waving energetically in the air, while holding a cup of coffee in the other hand. "Oh, Sakura, guess what!"
"What?" Sakura asked, truly confused.
"You're not crazy after all!" The girl laughed, trying to catch her breaths. "I saw this guy walking down the road when I was walking back, and I thought you'd be happy to hear that you're not the only crazy one."
Sakura giggled. "Daidouji Tomoyo, you're really something. You ran back just to tell me this?"
"No, you're something, Miss Kinomoto Sakura." Tomoyo looked at her briefly before letting out a sigh. "You didn't recognize him at all?"
Sakura wasn't sure what she had meant by that. "What do you mean?"
"He used to be a senior at our high school," said the other girl while sitting down. "Don't you remember him from Eriol's graduation? He gave the farewell speech at the ceremony. You nearly bawled your eyes out at how 'sweet' it was. You were admiring his oh-so-dreamy eyes and his ever-so-luscious voice. You even said you—"
"Okay, okay, okay!" Sakura held a hand up to stop the girl from going any further. "I was like what—fifteen? It was two years ago, Tomoyo. I can't remember."
Tomoyo flashed one of her infamous smiles and resumed to drinking her coffee quietly. Sakura sighed exasperatedly, knowing what that look was about. If she knew her best friend and cousin as well as she thought did, Tomoyo had some sort of schemes in her little wily mind.
"Okay..." Sakura finally said. "What's going on in that mind of yours?"
"Whatever do you mean, Sakura?" the girl replied innocently.
"What should I know about this guy?"
A sly smile lifted on the girl's face as her lips parted to say three simple words: "He coached Meiling."
Then everything clicked together in Sakura's mind—what was on Tomoyo's mind.
x-X-x
January 25, 2007 -
The next morning, Sakura went to the park and sat in the exact spot as she did the day before, looking at the time every now and then. She didn't know what she was thinking by waiting for someone she hardly knew. She was absolutely out of her mind!
Sakura found herself thinking about Tomoyo's words again.
He coached Meiling.
It might have seemed like three simple words, but it meant so much more.
Li Meiling.
Sakura's rival since birth.
The girls had never been friends, but they weren't enemies either. Meiling had always been Sakura's rival since the first day of fourth grade when the Chinese girl was transferred to her school. They competed in everything—from the monkey bars in elementary school to the sports fields in middle school. Sakura had thought that their rivalry was going to die away when the other girl moved back to Hong Kong, but then they met on the ice rink. Sakura was told from a reliable source that the Chinese girl had only picked up skating to spite her.
From that day onward, Sakura vowed to beat the girl into pudding at the Worlds (if she ever made it).
Sakura's eyes slowly fell to the magazine article in her hands. It read:
Li Meiling will be representing China at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships this year, making her one step closer to the Worlds if she takes home the gold for ladies' singles. When asked how she feels about the competition, Li had this to say: "I'll be waiting for you to join me at the Worlds, Sakura".
Li is most favored in the poll to win the gold after Kinomoto Sakura decided to withdraw from the competition. Japan is now one talent short. Rumors say that Kinomoto will not be able to get on the ice again due to a severe ankle injury. She was recently hospitalized after being rescued from a collapsed building. Luckily, no one died from the accident and there weren't major injuries either. However, Kinomoto injured her ankle in the accident and is now looking at the possibility of losing her career.
Some people look at this as a tragic loss to the ice skating world, but some seek this as an opportunity.
Sakura stopped reading.
"Do you always come here to think?" a voice brought her mind back to reality.
She looked up at the shadow falling over her head, surprised to see who it was as emerald met amber.
Eyebrows raised, and he looked at her with an amused look. He flashed her a pleasant smile. "Do you believe in love at first sight, or do I have to walk by you again?"
"P-Pardon?" Sakura said, bemusedly.
"I walked by you once yesterday, and I walked by you at least three times today," he started saying. "Not to mention the many times in high school when I had walked by you as well. I naturally don't believe in 'love at first sight', because it is such a silly thought. But we just keep meeting each other like this all the time, it's hard not to become a believer."
A smile formed on Sakura's face. "You remember me from high school?" she asked.
He gestured to the bench she was sitting on, and she quickly invited him to join her. "My friend was into your friend."
Sakura smiled nervously. "Ah, yes... Eriol and Tomoyo."
He let out a heavy sigh and turned to her with a big smile on his face. "Li Syaoran. Nice to meet you."
Sakura smiled back. "Kinomoto Sakura."
"What are you sitting here for?" he started asking.
"Waiting for you actually." She turned to look at him formally.
Although he held a cool expression on his face, she knew that he was probably confused by her statement. "I was just kidding about the 'love at first sight' thing." he joked genially before saying.
"I am aware that it is rude to be asking you favors after talking to you for like twenty seconds only," Sakura began slowly. "But I hope you will give what I have to say a little time to think it over before giving me an answer though. Please become my coach."
And he laughed.
She knew she was only being foolish.
"From the tone you were using, I thought you were asking me to donate my kidney or something." He stopped laughing abruptly when all of her words processed through his head. "W-wait. You want me to coach you? You do know that I'm Meiling's cousin and former coach, right?"
Sakura nodded. “I am aware of that.”
"And Meiling is your rival since forever, is she not?" She nodded again. "Let me get this straight. You want me to coach you so you can get better and compete with my cousin?"
And again.
“I know I sound really crazy and stupid, but I—” Sakura stopped mid-sentence when he suddenly leaned toward her. “Li-kun?”
"Why me?" he asked; his face was a small inch or two away from hers.
She moved away instinctively and said, "In junior high Meiling didn't even know how to put the skates on, but then she won a silver medal at the Chinese Figure Skating Championships a year later? If can do that, you can do this.”
"You sound confident that I will agree."
Sakura smiled. "That's because I know you will. Meiling fired you as her coach for a reason, and you and I both know what her reason is."
"When she found out you withdrew from the competition, she said she wanted to see you at the Worlds and I knew what that had meant."
"So, you agree?"
He chuckled casually. "If I don't get you to the Worlds soon, Meiling is going to kick my ass."
"Thank you."
"I'm going to say this beforehand though," he said. "I don't tolerate quitters."
x-X-x
August 3, 2007 -
The first few months of training with Syaoran was like a living Hell for Sakura. He didn't lie at all when he said that he didn't tolerate quitters—unfortunately, he didn't tolerate pain either.
He made her run laps through the park every day for a whole month to get her body back into shape. After that, he made her circle the ice for hours to get her used to the ice again. That went on for nearly two months until Sakura made the mistake of complaining to him.
Apparently, whiners weren't on his toleration list. And as punishment, he made her circle the ice again for another month or so. She almost offered a sacrifice to God when he said they were ready to move on. However, the kind of 'moving on' she thought of was different from what he was thinking.
Sakura had to work on spins, steps and footwork, and turns for another two months; but she didn't dare to complain though. The last thing she wanted was for another “punishment” from the great Li Syaoran.
The guy was a slave driver.
She wondered how his cousin could've dealt with him all those years and lived to look so healthy.
"So, which Worlds do you think I can compete in?" Sakura had asked.
"Do you want to hear the truth or a lie?"
"Truth, please."
Syaoran handed her an ice pack for her ankle. "If we work hard and your ankle gets better, I say you will be ready for the 2009 Worlds."
Coming from Li Syaoran, who was a man of few compliments, that brought great hopes to Sakura. "You know what, Syaoran?"
"What?"
"For someone who is always yelling at me, you know just the right thing to say when I need you to. Thank you," she said. "But you need to start giving me more praises. Even Touya praised me when he was my coach. You're such a drip."
And she stuck her tongue at him playfully.
He laughed. "Okay. Hurry up and get back on the ice. If you can complain, you can do a few more edges."
"Syaoraaaaan!"
"Should have learned your lesson the first time it was taught." He looked away when she started pouting. "No, Sakura. The pouting isn't going to work this time."
Sakura started tugging onto his arm. "Sakura doesn't want to do edges. She is so sick of them!"
"But Syaoran is telling her to do them because he is the coach. And why are we speaking in third person?"
"Fine," Sakura said and headed towards the ice. "But you're treating me to lunch."
Syaoran rolled his eyes. "Don't I always buy us lunch?"
x-X-x
November 5, 2007 -
As the months went by, Sakura started to train more intensely. The fun and games stopped once they started to pick up on the jumps and elements. Syaoran made sure that she perfected everything.
Sakura was starting to see how Meiling became such a good skater in a short amount of time. Syaoran didn't allow time to be wasted. He wanted perfection in everything, and he was willing to push Sakura beyond her limits to achieve that perfection.
Syaoran was like a different person during training. He took his job seriously, and he made sure Sakura knew that as well. Sakura appreciated his hard work—although, she had to admit that she liked him best when he put his work behind him for the day.
"Sakura, stop!" he yelled from across the rink. Sakura took in a deep breath and skated towards his direction. "Okay. Remember to cross your left leg in front of your right leg before launching from the back inside edge."
"Touya normally taught me to—"
"Your brother is no longer your coach, is he?" Syaoran snapped. "You can't find ways to go around the mechanics. Everything has to be right. Careless people might watch you and say that you are doing a great job, but if the judges catch one mistake—just one—the tide can turn. Let's try the flip jump again after a Mohawk turn."
Sakura slowly skated towards the center of the rink, carrying out the Mohawk turn with ease, and prepared herself for the flip jump while keeping in mind what Syaoran had just said about the mechanics. She launched herself into the air, making sure to keep her composure straight, and landed on the ice, pulling herself into a layback spin.
"Nicely done. Now, I want to see some axels before we end the day."
She let out a small breath, and wiped the sweats from her face. She started to skate around the rink again, allowing her breathing to cool down a bit before speeding up her pace. She began with a half Axel, and then slowly switching to a single Axel. She successfully landed a double Axel when she suddenly felt a scorching pain in her ankle right when the skates touched the ice. Sakura forced back the pain and continued to skate, attempting to go for a triple Axel.
"Sakura!" Syaoran came running onto the ice when she fell after a bad landing. "Your angle was a little off there," was the first thing he said when he knelt down beside her. "Are you okay?"
"Y-yeah." She forced up a smile and tried to stand up on her own, hissing back at the pain from her ankle.
"Your ankle hurts again, doesn't it?" he said.
"Just a little bit."
"Damn it, Sakura!" he scorned. "Tell me when I'm pushing you too much."
"I'm fine, Syaoran! It's okay... really. It's not a big deal."
"We should get you an appointment with the doctor tomorrow."
Sakura hated it when he didn't listen. "Syaoran, I am fine! It's just old pain coming back. Don't worry."
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yes!" she said exasperatedly.
"We'll pick up tomorrow. Go change, and I'll get you an ice pack."
Sakura watched as he ran off. Sometimes, she just didn't understand the guy.
"You don't have to feel bad about what happened," she said to him on the ride home. He took his eyes off the road and looked at her for a brief second before turning away again. "Syaoran, it's okay if you push me over my limits—I don't mind."
"Sometimes, I just forget that you're..." He stopped as if he was searching for the right word. "I've always been so strict on Meiling, and I guess I started to treat you the same way that I did with her. I know you're a great skater—I can clearly see that—and that's why I'm hard on you."
Sakura smiled and gently placed her hand on top of his. "I know." She said, and a light bulb lit in her mind. "Tell you what though! I'm going to do you a favor by letting you take me out to dinner and a movie to make it up."
He raised a slender eyebrow in the air. "And how is taking money out of my pockets 'doing me a favor'?"
"By easing up your conscience!"
He snorted and chuckled softly to himself. "Whatever you want, Sakura. Whatever you want."
x-X-x
November 11, 2007 -
"I'm home!" Sakura closed the door behind her as she set her keys on the table and put her coat up. "Otou-san? Touya?"
She glanced around the house, surprised that no one was answering her. She looked in the kitchen, but no one was there. Then she walked into the living, but she didn't find anybody there either and headed up to her room.
Before she could even touch the doorknob, the door flew open and she was pulled inside.
"Kinomoto Sakura, you are being interrogated. You have the right to remain silent, but anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law." Sakura didn't like the look on Tomoyo's face.
Touya beamed a flashlight at her face. "Where were you today from 10:00 A.M. to 7:30 P.M.? You don't have practice today, so where were you, kaijuu?"
"It's S-A-K-U-R-A!" Sakura blocked the light with her hand. "Can you get that light out of my face? Why did you turn off the light? And why are you in my room?"
"I repeat myself—where were you?" He flashed the light at her face again.
"I went to the mall with Syaoran, okay?! Now can we turn on the light?"
Tomoyo let out a small giggle and went to turn on the light. "Sakura and Syaoran sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes 10 babies in a—OOF!"
Sakura threw a pillow at the other girl. "Oh, that is real nice. We were just walking around. We're friends. 'Nii-chan, you're going to drill holes in my wall if you keep glaring at it like that."
"Are you sure you two are just friends?" questioned Tomoyo. "You've been going out with him every single day this week."
"We're just hanging out."
"Right. That's what they all say."
x-X-x
December 19, 2007 -
"What do you want for Christmas, Syaoran?"
He looked over his shoulder and replied, "Nothing."
"No, really. What do you want for Christmas?" she insisted on asking, jotting down a list of things as they walked through the park. "I want to thank you properly. I'll give you a yacht if you ask for one right now."
Syaoran laughed and ruffled her hair. "I'm telling you. I don't need anything."
"You have to want something! So what do you want?"
"Really, Sakura! I don't need anything." He turned to face her with a soft smile on his face, a smile that just warmed the heart on a cold, winter day. "My Christmas present from Santa Claus came early this year," he said. "You don't have to give me anything 'cause I don't want anything else."
And with that, he started walking again leaving a very puzzled Sakura to wonder about his words.
Did he want a present or not?
She thought Santa Claus was just her father or brother in a costume.
"So what do you want for Christmas?" She quickly caught up with him.
Syaoran groaned in exasperation. "Socks. Get me socks."
"Got it!" Sakura added socks to list. "What are you looking for?" she asked when she saw him digging into his pockets.
"I'm giving you your present early," he said.
"W-why?"
"I'm flying back to Hong Kong tomorrow for Christmas."
"Ohh. I thought you were spending Christmas here. I planned a party and... and..."
Syaoran felt guilty. "I'm sorry. Here," he handed her a Christmas card. "There's something inside."
Sakura opened the card slowly. "A CD?"
"It's kind of like a clip of all your performances together. I had a lot of time so..."
"How did you get videos of my performances?"
"I might have... erm... taped all of them when I was watching." Syaoran didn't have any success hiding the blush on his face.
Sakura giggled. "Never knew you were a fan, Syaoran."
"You can call it something else." He chuckled shortly. "There's another thing I want to give you though," he added as he pulled out a sterling silver necklace.
Sakura gasped in astonishment as he put it on her. "Syaoran, it's beautiful!"
"Look at it like an apology gift for not being able to spend Christmas here this year," he said. "Like I'm still here with you."
"You will come back right?" Sakura asked. "Cause if Meiling tries to imprison you over there, I will hunt her down."
Syaoran laughed and said, "I'll come back."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
x-X-x
January 3, 2008 -
"Flight 13—Hong Kong to Tomoeda—is now exiting at Gate 5," it said on the intercom.
Sakura looked eagerly around for Syaoran, having somewhat of a hard time. How hard was it to look for a six-foot, brown haired guy?
She caught a glimpse of him talking to one of the guards, and she started pushing her way through the crowd. She hated to admit it, but it had been two long weeks without him.
"Syaoran!" She yelled when she caught full sight of him.
He was caught off guard when she suddenly threw herself at him. He chuckled and ruffled her hair like usual. "Hey..." He said softly. "What are you doing here? I thought Eriol was picking me up."
"I asked him to let me do it," Sakura replied. "God, I missed you!" She blushed when she realized what she had just said. "I meant, you know..."
"Me too." He nuzzled his nose against hers softly.
Sakura began to blush harder. "S-so... how was your holiday?" she quickly changed the subject, pushing herself away from him.
"It was nice seeing the family again, you know. What about yours? Who did you give your New Year kiss to?"
"My nii-chan." Sakura giggled. "You?"
"Meiling." Syaoran pretended to shudder as they started walking. "Thank God it was just a forehead peck."
Sakura smiled softly. It felt nice to hear his voice and see his face again. She had missed him a lot for the past two weeks.
"Have you been slacking off?"
"H-Hoe?"
Syaoran flicked her lightly on the head. "Practice. I told you to keep practicing while I was gone."
"I have so been practicing!" she protested. "And that hurted!"
"That's not a word, Sakura."
"Oh, be quiet! You love to pick on me, don't you?"
He laughed. "It's cause I love you."
"Some coach you are."
"I'm a pretty damn good if I have to say so myself."
Sakura rolled her eyes. "Well, good coach of mine, you're paying for dinner tonight."
Syaoran let out a sigh. "I was gone for two weeks and nothing changed."
"Yup... everything is just waiting for you," said Sakura. "Syaoran, welcome back."
"I promised you I would come back, didn't I?"
"I'm glad that you did."
x-X-x
March 27, 2008 -
Dear Meiling,
Syaoran and I watched your performances on TV—CONGRATULATIONS!!
Syaoran says that he is proud of you, and he will get you whatever you want as a reward for winning the gold at the Worlds. As for me, I want to congratulate you on winning, and I want to thank you for giving me Syaoran. I'm sorry that it took me so long to give you a 'thank you' letter. I know that it has been over a year already, but what can I say? Call me a slow writer.
I'm deeply in debt to you. If you hadn't knowingly fired Syaoran as your coach to help me, I don't know if I would be skating today. You saved me. Thank you. You're not so bad (and I always thought you were such a 'pooch').
You do know that I'm not going to give Syaoran back, right? He is such an awesome coach! (He made me write that.)
I'm going to catch up with you, Li Meiling. Just you wait—I'll be counting the days and months.
See you on the ice.
Friends?
Kinomoto Sakura.
Sakura read over the letter and smiled silently to herself. "Do you think that's okay?" She turned around to ask Syaoran, who was reading over her shoulder.
"It'll be better if you scratch out the 'he made me write that' part."
"Not on your life!"
Syaoran smiled. "So you're going to keep me?"
Sakura blushed, realizing how many different meanings that statement had.
x-X-x
July 13, 2008 -
"Sakura, hurry up or you're going to be late for Syaoran's party!" Fujitaka called from the kitchen.
"KAIJUU!" came Touya's voice.
"Okay, I heard you!" Sakura shouted back; annoyed by all of the yelling. "What does a girl have to do to read a letter in peace around here?! Sheesh!"
Dear Sakura,
Sorry I haven't had the chance to sit down and write a reply to your letter. Yue has been working my ass 24/7 (and I don't mean that in a provocative way either). Thanks on you-know-what! And don't sweat about the situation—I had to do what I had to do. We've been competing with each other since forever. I'd hate to die without actually kicking your ass, so I had to do whatever I could to get you up and at it again. I knew sending Syaoran would be good for you (not to mention good for him too).
Oh, you can keep him—please. I am begging you not to give him back. He was a slave driver, and having Yue is bad enough right now! I'm a pooch? Honey, you were the pooch.
And I'll be counting the hours and seconds until I kick your ass.
(Good) Friends.
Love,
Meiling.
The letter brought a smile to Sakura's face. She was about to put the letter away when she noticed another another piece of paper behind it. Sakura continued reading.
Oh, Sakura, train hard these upcoming few months cause you don't have that much time left until the Worlds.
That's right—you heard me. You're going to the 2009 Worlds!!
And don't think I'm fooling with you. I heard from a very reliable source (and I mean the ISU themselves) that you can join the competition cause Japan qualifies to add another person to their team—and you're it!
I have my ways to get news.
Get ready to have your butt kick.
"Kami-sama, hooeeeeeee!!" Sakura screamed excitedly.
"What?! What happened?!" Touya came running into the room.
Sakura launched herself at her brother, pulling him into a tight hug. "I'm going to the Worlds!"
"Honey, are you positive?" Fujitaka stood in the doorway with his mouth wide open.
Touya put a hand to her forehead. "Doesn't feel like you have a fever."
"No, no! Meiling heard from the ISU that I can join the competition," Sakura explained. "I don't know how she heard, but she heard it—I'm going to the Worlds!" She could hardly contain her excitement. "I have to tell Syaoran!"
She gave her brother and father a kiss before running off.
She practically skipped down the street, screaming every now and then like she was a crazy lunatic; obviously not aware of the weird stares people were giving her. She ran all the way to Syaoran's apartment, nearly breaking down his door and knocking the birthday cake to the floor.
"Syaoran! Syaoran! Syaoran!" she yelled repeatedly.
"You didn't have to knock my cake over just because we started the party with you," he said sarcastically. "Did someone die?"
"I made it!"
"Made what?"
"I'm going to the Worlds!"
"SAKURA!" Tomoyo was the first one to react to the news as the girls started jumping up and down while screaming like what all girls go when they're extremely excited.
Syaoran was still trying to process the words through his head. "T-that's just..." He laughed. "Sakura, this is wonderful!"
Sakura hurled her arms tightly around his neck. "I know! And I wouldn't have been able to pull through without you!" She pulled him down towards her until their lips were firmly locked together. Tomoyo was taping everything while Eriol sat there like a frozen statue with his eyes wide open.
Syaoran instantly pulled away from her.
"I'm s-sorry," Sakura said. "I don't know why I did that."
"I'll get something to clean up the cake." Syaoran hurried out of the room.
Sakura wanted to kick herself in the ass so badly. "Why did I do something so stupid?"
"Sakura, it was just your instincts," said Tomoyo. "Don't worry."
"Yeah, you're just excited about going to the Worlds." Eriol added. "Syaoran understands that."
"I'll go talk to him." Sakura said before leaving the room.
She found him standing in the kitchen, staring blankly into space. She walked up to him and tapped him on the shoulder gently. "Hey," he said.
"Hey... Are you okay?"
"Yeah."
"Sorry, about you know... I was just happy."
"I know."
"So we're cool?" He nodded. "Syaoran, thank you—for everything."
"Just want you to be happy, Sakura." He kissed her lightly on the forehead. "But I'm warning you though. Because you're going to the Worlds, I am going to become even harder."
Sakura giggled. "And I say 'bring it on, baby'. No pain, no gain."
Syaoran chuckled. "Don't worry. You'll shine."
x-X-x
December 24, 2008 -
Months went by quickly. Syaoran trained Sakura even harder than before to prepare her for the Worlds Championship. Sakura gave everything she got at every practice like she was at the real competition. They practiced from dawn to dusk, sometimes even longer. The day didn't end until Sakura had landed every jump perfectly and completed three clean run-throughs of the short programs Tomoyo had created especially for her. Syaoran took the liberty of choreographing Sakura's free skating routine.
"Let's call it a rest for the night." Syaoran called out from the other side of the rink.
Sakura nodded and skated towards him slowly. "Which of the short programs should I use?" she asked.
Syaoran helped Sakura off the ice, and handed her a towel. "I suggest 'Casablanca'. It's not too difficult to strain your performance, but it also has some advanced moves to impress the judges while reflecting an elegant performance to the audience as well."
"What would I do without you, Syaoran?" Sakura said jokingly while taking her skates off.
He smirked slightly. "You tell me, Sakura. You tell me."
"It's Christmas Eve," Sakura said. “Do you have any plans?"
"Eriol is making a romantic, candlelight dinner for his girlfriend at our apartment," he replied with a sigh. "So I have to check into a hotel or something tonight."
"So you're going to spend Christmas Eve with room service?"
"Looks like it."
Sakura locked her arms around his, and pulled him towards the exit. "I'll do you a favor by allowing you to take me out for Christmas Eve, and then I'll make room for you on my couch tonight. How about it, eh?"
Syaoran laughed. "Sakura, you are too generous."
"Tell me something I don't know." She giggled. "I'll just take a minute to change, and I'll meet you at the car."
"Alright."
Later...
"What do you want for Christmas this year, Syaoran?" Sakura asked over dinner.
"Nothing."
"Come on, Syaoran. I want to give you something, and don't tell me you want socks!"
"I don't want anything from you, Sakura." He answered gently. "Besides, we have to prepare for the competition. Don't fret yourself over little things such as this."
"I know. I just want to get you something nice for once."
"I already told you last year," he said. "Santa Claus gave me my present early, and I can't ask for anything better."
"What did he give you?"
He smiled. "Something special."
"Right."
"Just don't worry about it, Sakura." He assured her. "It's not a big deal, really."
"When are we flying to Los Angeles?" Sakura asked.
"The 26th of January."
"Great," she said. "Syaoran, what will you do after the competition?"
He shrugged lightly, putting a piece of steak into his mouth.
Sakura sighed and rested her chin on her hand as she observed him quietly. "Syaoran, why are you doing these things for me?" she asked. "You were doing Meiling a favor by helping me get back on the ice, but why do you stay with me?"
She felt an intense and enigmatic ardor glimmering in the amber orbs when his eyes focused themselves upon her.
"Sakura, I already told you a long time ago when we first met." He said, softly, with a small smile on his face.
"I just... I want to do something for you cause you've done so much for me."
"Sakura, you've done more than you know."
"What do you mean?" She was confused by his words.
He just smiled; bringing a glass of wine to his lips as he said, "You'll figure it out soon."
"Syao—" Just when Sakura opened her mouth to say something, a loud crash was heard from the corner of the restaurant as two sides of men clashed together into a fight. Screams were heard from the restaurant's manager and securities as they tried to break the fight up. Everyone else sat at their table and watched patiently, waiting for the disruption to be over so they could go back to enjoying their dinner.
Before anyone could predict what was going to happen next, consecutive firings were heard throughout the restaurant. Sakura didn't know what was going on around her as people ran from their tables and scattered all over the place, seeking for the exit. Things were whirling through Sakura's mind in the matter of seconds.
She faintly saw Syaoran throwing himself in front of her when the gunshots were fired as the glass of wine he was holding shattered into pieces, red stains tainting the white, marble floor. Sakura looked at the floor in horror as she held Syaoran in her arms. They ordered white wine... the red wine couldn't have been theirs, but where did it come from?
Sakura shivered in fear when she felt something wet on Syaoran's back. She slowly looked at her hand. Red. She saw red.
"Syaoran, no..." she whispered, her voice barely audible. "No... No. NO! SYAORAN! SYAORAN, WAKE UP! Don't... don't."
His breath was faint, and blood continued to flow out of his body.
"Someone call an ambulance!" Sakura cried out. "PLEASE!"
She held onto him tighter. She wasn't going to let him go—she refused to let him go.
"Syaoran, don't leave me like this," she cried. "You still have to see me skate at the Worlds. We've worked so hard. Syaoran, I'll never forgive you if you don't see me perform. Never. I want you to see me... please."
Don't go.
x-X-x
January 25, 2009 -
Sakura was sitting in the darkness of her room, gazing desolately at the computer screen. Images of her past performances flashed across the dim monitor and the music started playing, bringing tears to Sakura's eyes.
She missed him.
Syaoran was taken to the hospital from the restaurant, and his family were immediately notified in Hong Kong. Sakura never left the waiting room as she waited for the doctors to come out with a relieved smile, telling her that he was going to okay. That her Syaoran was going to be okay.
She had hoped.
"We tried our best," was what they had said when they came out of the ER. "There's a possibility that he might not wake up from the coma, but there's also a risk of him dying. We advise you to prepare yourself for the worst to come."
The Li family came to take him back to Hong Kong, claiming that the Japanese doctors were pathetic. And just like that, he was taken away from her.
"Sakura, how are you feeling?" Her father stood in the doorway with a worried look on his face.
"I'm fine, Otou-san," she lied. "I just can't fall asleep."
"Syaoran will be okay."
Sakura smiled. "That's what I am hoping. Don't worry about me, Otou-san. You should go rest."
"Don't stay up too late, Sakura. You have to catch an early plane tomorrow."
"I will go to bed soon."
"Good night, sweetie."
"Night, Otou-san."
Sakura waited for her father to leave before turning to the computer screen again, watching as the clip slowly came to an end as the images faded into pitched black darkness. She clicked on the play button as everything started all over again.
She wished life was that simple.
To start everything over with the click of a button.
They met exactly two years ago. Two long years had passed.
Sakura remembered what she had asked him on their last night together.
"Syaoran, why are you doing these things for me?"
"Sakura, I already told you a long time ago when we first met."
Sakura didn't understand what he had meant back then, but now she knew.
The answer had been staring at her in the face all along. She was just too frank to see it.
"Syaoran..."
And for the thirtieth night that month, Sakura cried herself to sleep as she dreamt of soft amber eyes.
- - - - -x-X-x- - - - -
Los Angeles, California; March 30, 2009 -
"Sakura!"
Sakura snapped out of her thoughts.
"I've been looking all over for you!" Tomoyo said. "The free skating competition is starting soon. What are you doing out here?"
Sakura looked at the small pond. "This pond reminds me of the spot in Tomoeda when Syaoran and I first met."
"Sakura..."
"I'm okay, Tomoyo." Sakura said. "I just need to clear my mind a little before the competition." She paused. "After all, he's here with me."
She gently touched the necklace around her neck. She hoped—no, she knew for a fact that he was going to come back.
"Let's go."
Sakura looked at the pond one last time before walking away.
Later...
Sakura felt a nervous pit in her lower stomach as she listened to Meiling's scores being announced on the intercom. They were all nearly perfect 6.0's. She looked at the doorway as Meiling walked back from her performance, obviously satisfied with the scoring. After the performance, Meiling took first place from Sakura on the scoreboard. Sakura needed to have a perfect performance in order to take back the lead.
"This is the moment we've been waiting for," the Chinese girl said to her.
Sakura nodded. "Yeah."
"Good luck."
"Thank you."
"You'll shine." Meiling walked away, leaving wonders in Sakura's head.
The girl's words reminded Sakura of what Syaoran had said to her once.
"Don't worry. You'll shine."
Sakura walked towards the door, taking off her skate guards, and skated towards the center of the ice with a smile on her face.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the ice—Kinomoto Sakura," the announcer said on the intercom.
Applause filled the stadium as the spotlight shone on Sakura, who was standing in her starting position. Sakura began skating to the rhythm of the music when the song started playing.
I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,
May you never take one single breath for granted,
GOD forbid love ever leave you empty handed,
Letting out a small sigh, she started to do crisp backwards crossovers. Then applause filled the stadium again when she successfully landed a perfect triple flip. Sakura continued with a toe loop jump, and then a salchow jump, preceded by a mohawk turn. She arched her head back and pulled her leg into a backward spin position. Sakura picked up her speed, and jumped into the air, performing a half Axle and then a full Axle, earning another applause from the audience.
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.
She listened to the lyric of the song as she started to think of Syaoran again. He choreographed this program for her using the same song that he'd used in the clip he made her. He wanted her to feel confident about herself. He wanted her to know that he was there with her.
As the performance went by, Sakura seemed to forget all about the competition. She didn't want to think about anything else; she just wanted to skate only. For him.
I hope you dance...I hope you dance.
She flew around the ice effortlessly, landing all of the required elements and jumps needed. She touched the necklace around her neck as memories of him played before her eyes.
"Do you believe in love at first sight, or do I have to walk by you again?"
I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin' might mean takin' chances but they're worth takin',
Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth makin',
"I naturally don't believe in 'love at first sight', because it is such a silly thought—but we just keep meeting each other like this all the time, it's hard not to become a believer."
Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter,
When you come close to sellin' out reconsider,
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.
"My Christmas present from Santa Claus came early this year."
I hope you dance...I hope you dance.
I hope you dance...I hope you dance.
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along,
Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone.)
"Like I'm still here with you."
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.
"I promised you I would come back, didn't I?"
Dance...I hope you dance.
Sakura implemented a seamless double Axel and, stunningly, a triple Axel right after it.
"Just want you to be happy, Sakura."
A soft sigh escaped her lips as she held onto the necklace for strength, anticipating for what was to come next.
"Syaoran, this is for you." She whispered softly before pushing herself into the air, pulling herself together into a spin.
I hope you dance...I hope you dance.
I hope you dance...I hope you dance..
The stadium rumbled with cheers and applause as cameras flashed everywhere when Sakura landed flawlessly onto the ice. Sakura knew she had done it. She knew that she had captured the breaths away from everyone as she—Kinomoto Sakura—became the first figure skater in history to execute a quardruple Axel.
"You can call it something else."
"You'll figure it out soon."
Sakura slowed down into a camel spin, and then a sit spin as the song gradually came to a gentle rhythm.
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along
Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone)
"It's cause I love you."
Sakura pulled into a stop position, and applause filled the stadium again.
It was over.
Finally over...
Sakura walked back to her bench, surprised to find a bouquet of flowers sitting there. She looked towards Tomoyo, who only shrugged her shoulders slightly before pulling Sakura into a congratulatory hug. "You were wonderful," the girl said.
"Do you think it's enough to get back into first place?" Sakura asked, not really expecting an answer.
"Congratulations, kaijuu." Touya came up to them. "Everyone watching you at home right now are very poud."
"Thanks, Onii-chan. But I had help from someone."
"Who?" the other two asked, confused.
Sakura smiled. "Someone special..."
"Shh! They're announcing it right now." Tomoyo exclaimed excitedly, crossing her fingers together.
Sakura couldn't help but giggle. She listened attentively to the intercom as her scores were being announced. With each passing score, the applause seemed to the getting louder and louder until the stadium erupted with cheers and Tomoyo were smothering the life out of Sakura.
"Kami-sama..." Sakura said with bated breath. "I can't believe it."
"I'm going to call Otou-san!" Even Touya was excited as he ran off to use the phone.
Tomoyo was having a very hard time containing her tears of joy together. "My kawaii best friend just won the gold!"
Sakura laughed. "Tomoyo!"
"OH MY GOD! I forgot my camcorder at the hotel!"
Before Sakura could say anything, the other girl already ran off at the speed of light, leaving her very baffled. Sakura smiled politely as some of the other skaters came to congratulate her. After they all left to mingle with one another, Sakura sighed heavily and sat down on the bench when she saw Meiling approaching her.
"Hey," Sakura greeted.
"Come here and give me a hug!"
Sakura giggled nervously, not used to being so close with the black head. "T-thank you."
"Sit down and wait here. I have a present to give you," Meiling said and started to walk away.
Sakura wondered what the girl was up to.
She sat down as she silently watched the people around her. Everyone had someone to talk to or share their excitements with.
All the people Sakura wanted to share the moment of her glory with wasn't there, and the one person she wanted to share the moment with most couldn't even see her perform.
Sakura reached up and touched her necklace again.
She slowly looked at the bouquet lying beside her. "Peony..." She thought it was weird.
Didn't people normally give roses or something like that?
"Excuse me, Miss Kinomoto—but do you believe in love at first sight, or do I have to walk by you again?"
Sakura froze.
That voice.
She looked up shakily as emerald met amber.
"I promised I'd come back," he said.
Sakura latched her arms around his neck. "Syaoran!"
"Didn't the flowers give you a hint?"
"Li Syaoran, don't you ever leave me like that again!" Sakura cried. "Don't ever leave without saying goodbye cause I won't know when you will come back."
Syaoran wrapped his arms around her waist tightly. "I won't leave again," he whispered.
"P-promise?"
"I promise."
Sakura smiled. She looked into his eyes tenderly. "Syaoran, I figured it out."
"Figure what out?"
She pulled him into an affectionate kiss.
"I love you, too."
ஐ The End ஐ
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