My Husband's Wedding- Chapter Ten

My Husband’s Wedding

Witch-Mistress-Animaru

10: The Mystery: Part I

As Sakura slept in a bed due to exhaustion, Touya stared at his sister’s serene face, his own features grim and tired at the same time. He had rushed to her aid when she had fainted, and now, she was safe on a bed in her house. After reassuring Xiao Chen that Sakura is all right, he sat down beside her bed, thinking of how much trouble her husband caused; even more than he’s worth. That guy was lucky they didn’t meet that day, or else, he might have earned himself a punch in the face. When he bore witness to the two’s wedding years and years ago, almost reluctantly, he only had Sakura’s best interests at heart. He never dreamt that this would happen…They were very much in love then, very much in love…

Unknown to him, however, Sakura was revisiting the past…walking down the memory lanes of yesterday…

Sakura waited impatiently for Tomoyo, her best friend since childhood, underneath a cherry tree in the campus grounds of Tokyo University. Eighteen years of age, with smiling emerald eyes and fiery auburn hair, she is two years her best friend’s junior; she had been accelerated twice in the past, being extremely smart and witty. Now a senior, she will be graduating with a degree in BA Journalism next summer. She has lost her liking for writing a year ago, but her father, an accomplished archaeologist and a college professor, refused point-blank to fund her studies if she shifted to Interior Designing. He didn’t want to waste money on such a ‘basic’ and ‘common’ skill and knowledge, according to him. Tomoyo, however, was studying Fashion Designing. She’s having the time of her life, while Sakura dully waited for her under the cherry blossoms in a heated afternoon.

“Sakura!” A honey-laced voice she knew and abhorred so well called her. She didn’t bother to turn around as Xi Keira, her stepsister, walked towards her. Keira was a year younger that she is, but is only starting college herself. Even though she isn’t even Fujitaka’s daughter, she has been her father’s favorite, and is studying ‘Modeling’ in Okinawa State University, a good few miles from Tokyo. It was much nearer to Tomoeda, and though Keira isn’t dumb, she isn’t bright either, and had failed the entrance test to Tokyo U. Sakura silently envied her for being able to study her chosen course, no matter how impractical it is. Fujitaka was willing to waste thousands of yen on this girl for ‘basic’ and ‘common’ knowledge, as he had refused to do the same for Sakura.

“Keira,” She said with utmost dislike, not bothering to face her. “What brings you here?” There is a deeper reason for her resentment of Keira. She was the biggest phony Sakura had ever known, and she fed Fujitaka lies about Sakura and her whereabouts. Fujitaka assigned her to check on Sakura every now and then, with Touya working abroad on some big company. Keira always tells their father that Sakura dated, partied all night, and gets home drunk every other day. Fujitaka, unfortunately, always believed the coal-eyed girl who can never do anything wrong in his eyes.

Of course it wasn’t even true; Sakura would even get lost still in Tokyo if you left her alone. Aside from being dreadful in directions, she rarely goes out of the dormitory where she and Tomoyo stayed. Keira knows a lot more about Tokyo, since she was the one who went to wild parties almost every night, and even though she wasn’t staying in Tokyo, Sakura knows she’s almost always around. But she never bothered telling Fujitaka this; for him, Keira was the sweet, modest and perfect ‘little girl’ of his.

He never really used to distrust Sakura so. It all started when Sakura caught Keira making out with her then-boyfriend, Kakashi Fujiyama.

…Sakura heard distinct but almost inaudible moans come from Keira’s room beside hers. She was studying Calculus, and wanted some peace; she has exams the next day. She went outside her room and rapped the door hard, preparing to reprimand Keira as soon as she opened the door; but Sakura got the shock of her life instead.

Keira was almost naked except for her panties; she held her bra on one hand. Then a man’s voice floated from her bed.

“Keira, who’s that? What’s taking you so long…C’mon, hurry up, I can’t wait to get inside you…” Said the voice obscenely. Sakura clapped her right hand over her mouth, horrified. She wanted to throw up right then and there; the indecency of this girl!

“W-What are you doing, K-Keira?” She managed to stutter out, though what Keira was doing was quite obvious.

“Oh, sweet little stepsis,” Keira answered coolly, not bothering to cover herself up. She knew why she’s this brave, as Fujitaka was on an out-of-town convention. “Nosy now, are we? Why, are you really that naïve? It’s quite obvious! Hic!” She hiccupped, and Sakura knew she was drunk. Then Kakashi stood up from the bed, completely naked, and Sakura stared, wide-eyed, as he French kissed Keira. Then, he began sucking Keira’s breasts, and to her amazement, Keira giggled.

She took a step backward in disgust.

“Father will know about this, Keira, I assure you,” She warned. “He’s coming home tomorrow, you wait.”

“Dying to squeal, aren’t we, Sakura?” She said in between moans, as Kakashi removed her panties and entered her from behind. “Oh…Kakashi, you’re killing me…Stop…S-stop, onegai!” Her body lengthened and arched as her boyfriend began to thrust inside her… “Wait!” He stopped, but remained inside her. “But he’ll know, Sakura, he’ll know! Don’t worry…” She said, and Kakashi began thrusting inside her again. Indecent moans filled the house.

Horrified, Sakura closed her eyes and ran away.

“Perverts!” She shouted as tears streamed her face. “Liberated exhibitionists!” She added and entered her room. Before she could lock it, though, the two were after her.

“Want to join in the fun, dearie?” Keira asked softly, as Kakashi barged into her room. He ran towards her, and Sakura thought she knew how a monster must look like.

He jumped to her bed, and started to kiss her all over. Keira only laughed in the doorway. He began to undress her and Sakura shuddered in disgust. She was powerless, powerless…He began kissing her neck, and Sakura pushed him away from her. But he was a big man, and soon enough, she was naked, except for her panties. She didn’t notice that Keira was already dressed. She thought she was going to be violated completely as Kakashi poised himself above her and prepared to enter her, when a man came bursting inside her room. No tears came down her face anymore; she was too shocked to feel anything. She felt numb…numb…

“What’s this all about?” It was Fujitaka, and his eyes were merely slits. He looked furious, but Sakura did not care. She was safe…safe… “I left for a convention and this is what I see in my return? How long has this been going on? I trusted you, Sakura!”

“F-Father…” That was when the tears started to fall. How was she to tell him she was nearly raped, and that he only arrived in time?

“And Keira’s own boyfriend, too! Have you no decency, my child?” He said in fury. “The poor girl’s crying on her room, telling me how you seduced her drunken boyfriend, and how she could only watch in your sexual displays!” Slap. Before she could say anything to defend herself, her father had hurt her already. “Get dressed! Get dressed, you slut! Are you even my daughter? As for you, boy,” He spat out at Kakashi, who was cowering in a corner. “Never set foot in this house again, you hear? And you leave Keira well alone!”

Sakura followed her father’s orders, but before she could reach her bed to sleep, all thoughts of Calculus forgotten, everything went black.

…

And Touya was the only one who believed her. Touya managed to get back at Kakashi for nearly raping her and the one to comfort her when he got home the next day and found out what happened.

Keira’s voice brought her to the present.

“Father wants you home,” She spat the words out as if they were poison. “Touya’s coming home this weekend, he wants you there.” Keira never called Touya ‘oniichan.’ And Sakura knew why; Keira was 12 when she came to Japan and was adopted, and she had a big crush on Touya. She even went as far as deliberately seducing him. Touya only scoffed at her and ignored her; he also hated her for doing things that made Fujitaka hate his real daughter.

Sakura’s face lightened up.

“Oh, no need to force me, I’ll come home,” She said brightly. Keira stared at her with dagger eyes before she turned and left. Sakura was glad to see her back turned at her.

“Sakura!” A voice called down from the stairs of the main building, and Sakura turned. An amethyst-eyed, raven-haired girl was descending the steps, accompanied by a bespectacled blue-haired young man she had not seen before. He had to be around 22 or 23, and he was definitely a student. All lonely thoughts forgotten, she went and met them halfway, a small smile on her lips. The blue-eyed man was smiling too, and Sakura noticed that he also had eyes of dark blue. She stared at her best friend, who was blushing lightly and looking quite embarrassed.

“Hello, Tomoyo-chan,” She said when she reached them. She was grinning slyly, but Tomoyo did not meet her gaze. “And I don’t think we’ve met, Mister…?” She turned to the man, and offered him her hand, which he took with a smile.

“Eriol Hirigazawa.” He said, “And you are…?”

“Sakura Kinomoto, Tomoyo’s best friend.” She said. “You’re not a student here, are you?” She asked softly, and Eriol laughed.

“No! I already work. I was driving my way to work, when…I, er, splashed a water puddle on Miss Daidouji accidentally. I felt responsible for her mess.” He paused, smiling more widely. “I guess I should be going. Can I offer the lovely ladies a lift?” He asked with a small bow.

Before Sakura could say anything, Tomoyo blurted out, “No!” Then she blushed. “Uh, I mean…We can manage, but thanks for the offer, Mr. Hirigazawa.” She added quickly.

“Oh,” He was clearly disappointed, but he nodded. “Well, then, I shall be going. And please do think about my offer, Miss Daidouji.” Then he turned to leave.

Once he was out of sight, Sakura elbowed her friend and gazed at her questioningly.

“Well?” She demanded when Tomoyo did not say anything. “What was he talking about?”

“Oh, Sakura-chan! He’s just sooo kind,” Tomoyo piped up, “I was out early since my last subject instructor didn’t turn up, and I was waiting under the tree…Then his car came rushing past by, and I got splashed…It rained earlier, didn’t it? But instead of walking away, he offered me help! Then…” Tomoyo paused dramatically and Sakura wanted to kill her.

“Don’t kill me with suspense, Tomoyo-chan!” She nearly shrieked the words out.

“After a few minutes’ chat, he invited me to a dinner date!” Tomoyo was nearly skipping. “Only, it’s a double date, so I told him I’d think about it. So, will you come with me, Sakura? Please, pretty please?”

“When is it?” She asked cautiously. If it’s on Saturday, she’ll have to decline, since she needs to come home.

“Friday night,” Tomoyo said. “But if you don’t come, I won’t come, too!”

“Oh…I guess…Why the hell not?” She answered with a grin on her face. Tomoyo smiled brightly then hugged her.

They let go of each other, staring at each other hard. Then they both laughed like crazy.

Hmm. Not a bad day. Not a bad day at all.

Friday Night

“Oh, Sakura, aren’t you nervous?” Tomoyo asked, twiddling her thumbs. “I’m all fidgety!”

“Relax, Tomoyo-chan! For the nth time, you look great!”

They were half an hour early. Eriol and his ‘friend’ will come at 8:00, and it’s only 7:28.

Sakura supposed she’s also nervous, but only because she didn’t know what to expect of Eriol’s friend.

She sighed, and tried to fix her hair again.

---

Meanwhile, as Sakura lay asleep, one soul remains restless.

Syaoran stared at the wine glass in his hand. It was his fifth, and the newly-opened bottle of tequila was now half-empty. But still, sleep wouldn’t come…

“Eriol, I told you, I can’t come!” He protested to his cousin. He wore a resigned lopsided grin as Eriol shook his head.

At the age of 23, he, Li Xiao Lang, Syaoran to friends and family, the executive vice-president of LGC, and the next-in-line leader of the Li Clan, is a certified playboy. He just refuses to be serious about anything at all. He has never fallen in love, but he isn’t a virgin anymore. He doubted if there was 23-year old virgin in the world nowadays.

“No can do,” Eriol said, laughing. “Enough of this fake sulking just because some girl refused to go to bed with you!”

He was talking about Lizzy, a girl he met at some bar who refused him point-blank when he asked for a date. That sure deflated his oversized ego.

He scratched his chestnut brown hair irritably at the memory of his shame. But his amber eyes twinkled with mischief just the same. Maybe going out wasn’t such a bad idea.

But Eriol saw the look in his eyes.

“Now, no fooling around, though, I just like you to meet the charming friend of my girl-to-be, so don’t go around breaking anyone’s heart tonight.”

Syaoran sighed. Now here he sat in a limousine, Eriol all clammy and fidgety beside him.

“You look great, okay, Eriol? Enough!” He said and shook his head in a carefree sort of way.

Half an hour later, they stopped at a dorm near Tokyo U. Syaoran’s jaw dropped.

What, we’re dating college students?

Eriol went out of the car and his sinking feeling didn’t stop. He followed Eriol almost reluctantly. He liked sophisticated girls, and not kids!

But he forgot all these when two pretty ladies emerged from the doorway. His jaw literally dropped.

One had amethyst eyes and raven hair, but she wasn’t the one he was drawn to. It was the other girl with auburn hair and bright green eyes who caught his attention.

Now he knew what an angel must look like.

He hoped silently that Tomoyo-Whoever was the raven-haired girl, or else…

Then Eriol escorted the amethyst-eyed girl down the stairs, and he felt his breathing ease.

The three approached him, but he didn’t notice it. He continued gaping at the girl like an idiot.

Then, Eriol cleared his throat loudly.

“Huh?” He said stupidly, blinking hard.

“Hello, I’m Sakura Kinomoto,” Said the girl-angel who offered him her hand. He stared at it stupidly, until Eriol cleared his throat again. He turned to look at his cousin’s face, and saw that he was having silent fits of laughter inside. Annoyed of his own actions, he turned to Sakura. Instead of shaking her hand, he took it to his lips and kissed it lightly. It was smooth and creamy. He wondered how it must feel to be caressed by…

Urgh! Quit it, you horny school boy!

The girl looked taken aback, but smiled just the same.

“A pleasure to meet you, Miss Kinomoto. Li Xiao Lang at your service, but you may call me Syaoran.” He said softly, smiling as he let go of her hand.

“Oh,” She said, and smiled serenely. “If that’s the case, then you may call me Sakura.”

Not a bad beginning, he thought, grinning widely. Not at all.

And I won’t regret this night. Never. Ever.