Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction ❯ the return ❯ More Than Just Reputation ( Chapter 5 )

The return

Chapter 5 - more than just reputation

By lunchtime all of the guys who had met Xiao Lang quickly learned that he wasn't a threat to their girls when they saw his reaction to the crowd around him. They were ashamed to have learned how the girls had felt every time Sakura walked by. Xiao Lang's good rep spread through the school very quickly.

Only Jing hated Xiao Lang because of how quickly and easily he had warmed up to 'his' Sakura. 'He's just some new kid. It must be beginner's luck.' He thought to himself.

But Xiao Lang had more skill than luck. In his second class he wowed his music sensei with his fantastic talents on the piano and playing the flute. Through his teachers his reputation spread to the teachers, too.

In the staff room at lunch, teachers were passing around gossip about the new kid, too. Everyone was thrilled that he had aced every class for the past ten grades.

"Can you believe that I heard that he 'volunteered' to help Sakura in MATH! If he can even help a tiny bit, then he'd be a hero in my books." One teacher said.

"Yeah, well he's the best piano player I have ever seen in all my life." Crowed Suzuki-sensei, who was his music sensei that morning.

When the principle walked in with Li-kun's schedule among other papers they crowded him to see if they would be teaching him at all.

~~

When lunchtime arrived for Xiao Lang, he instantly longed for the hearty, home-cooked meal he was too rushed in the morning to make.

'I knew there was something else I forgot other than training…oh! Training, I totally forgot.' He mentally cursed himself for once again forgetting. Luckily he had left a few bucks in his wallet.

As he inched his way towards the cashier he had a nagging feeling that he had forgotten something really important but after a few minutes of hard concentration he finally gave up and pushed the thought from his mind and paid for his lunch and walked into the large cafeteria.

A small waving hand near the back caught his eye. Sakura called out for him to eat with her and her friends.

"Konnichiwa." He said politely to the group as Sakura moved over to let him sit beside her.

"Arigato." He added humbly to Sakura as he looked from face to face.

"Oh, it's no problem." Answered the girl across from Sakura, he recognized from his first class.

"I'm Miko Nagata. Xiao Lang Li, ne?" she added lightly.

"Yeah." He answered glad to see that making new friends here was easier than he had thought it would be. Then Miko went on making introductions.

"The guy beside Sakura-Chan is Xun Lu, and beside me is his girlfriend Saurei Ch'en and last but definitely not least this is my boyfriend." She concluded snuggling up to the guy on her left in front of him.

"His name is Sashi Tsau." Whispered Sakura. Xiao Lang looked at Sashi and noticed the alikeness of him and Sakura. 'Wow, they're like twins.' He thought.

"So…" Miko seemed full of conversation that day. "What were you and Sakura-Chan doing last night? I wonder…" she asked changing the subject quickly, and looking suspiciously at Xiao Lang then transferring her gaze to her friend and back to him.

Luckily Sakura was quick to answer and came to his aid.

"Oh we were just talking, nothing else, just talking. The opposite of what you were implying." she said defensively looking to Xiao Lang for back up.

"Yeah we met in the park and just started to talk. Why? What else did you think we did?" he asked totally oblivious to Miko's meaning and then, "oh! NO! I-I'm not like that! Honest!" he exclaimed waving his hands up in protest once he caught on, making Miko laugh at his nervousness.

~~

In his next class, physical education, the sensei explained to the class that they would be learning about different martial arts training as a change from the regular program and would be working with the girls in the next class, which happened to be Sakura's gym class.

Jing had made a great reputation for himself for his skills in the martial arts and was called upon to lead a demonstration. While he was showing off, the sensei walked over and showed the girls class in.

Xiao Lang turned to wave at Sakura, Miko and Saurei but caught the unwanted attention of Jing who quickly challenged him to a battle.

"Ah! Li-kun. Would you like to volunteer to test your skills on me?" he asked haughtily, taking his fighting stance, not bothering with the usual tradition of bowing to his partner.

"Sure," he answered, standing up to face him, he never refused a battle. "But I don't think I'm at your skill level."

"On that, I'd have to agree." Jing laughed in response as Xiao Lang walked onto the mats. "Prepare to die." He added and took a swipe at Xiao Lang's head with his fist.

This is where all of his lifelong training came in handy. He quickly ducked and knocked Jing's feet out from under him causing him to land on his back.

"Yeah," Xiao Lang added. "I'm way out of your league."

This outraged Jing and with a quick leap he was once again he was facing Xiao Lang.

By now all of the girls were crowded around the pair along with the guys who had noticed the new guy's obvious skills and were staring speechless. But at the back of the gym the two teachers were talking.

"This must be that new kid everyone's been talking about. This'll definitely be a worthwhile fight." Whispered Mihara-sensei, the girl's gym teacher.

"I quite agree." Nodded Yota-sensei when he noticed Jing's red face and the steam that seemed to pour from his ears.

"Why do you hate me so much Chan-kun?" Xiao Lang asked while blocking his punches and kicks.

"You should know. Everyone else does. Sakura was supposed to be mine then you came along and spoiled my chances. I have the right to be mad." He growled loudly in response making Sakura, who had heard everything like everyone else, blush for the third time that day.

Jing kept kicking and punching and noticed that his opponent had neither answered nor attacked yet. But at the same time he realized the mistake he had made. He had tired himself out so much that finally he had no strength left to block any of Xiao Lang's attacks, which was exactly what he had wanted.

With a quick fluid motion, Xiao Lang jumped into the air, did a quick flip and landed squarely on Jing's back causing him to collapse with a sickening thud.

Just before the two classes applauded his performance, he exclaimed,

"I didn't take Sakura away from anyone. If she doesn't want you then that's not my fault or even my problem. That's yours. And Sakura is a person, not some object you have a right to own." He finished and stepped daintily off of Jing's back.

Mihara-sensei and Yota-sensei both walked up to the crowd and started to disperse the classes into their groups and start the lesson. They were about to begin teaching when something happened.

"What about us?" lei interrupted. "Why can't we fight Li-kun, too?" She asked getting the support of the rest of the girls. But she just wanted an excuse to get closer to him.

"Why not let us test our skills?" added Sakura.

After some coaxing Mihara-sensei agreed and asked if Li-kun would mind testing the girls too while Jing rested.

"No, I don't mind. In fact I'd love it. I can train like I had promised my mother when I left." He exclaimed with a grin.

One by one, girls lined up to try uselessly, to defeat him but one by one they all failed. Even lei landed embarrassingly on her back with a light thud.

"Is that it?" Xiao Lang asked with genuine interest.

"Sakura-Chan can beat him." Miko pointed out eager to see some interaction between the two, and getting agreements from almost all of the girls and looks of worry from the guys. Sakura had a fighting reputation that was much greater than Jing's.

"What a great idea, Sakura? Stand up for your fellow girls!" Mihara-sensei cheered with much enthusiasm.

"Ok." Sakura smiled and walked up to the fighting mats, taking the familiar fighting stance.

Without giving her a chance to think he back-kicked. But he was a few seconds too slow because a second earlier Sakura ducked and caught his from under him, knocking him flat on his face. Most of the class hadn't even seen what had happened but just saw that one minute he was standing then the next minute he was sprawled on the floor.

This had been the first blow anyone had delivered to him, that he hadn't been able to block or dodge, that hurt him in some way.

"You're actually true to your reputation, unlike grumpy over there." He nodded over to where Jing was muttering to himself in a corner, and smiled as he got back to his feet. Then, faster than the eye could see, he knocked Sakura to the floor some feet away.

After that, they matched each other's moves perfectly, finally causing both to collapse in exhaustion, declaring a tie.

~~

"So what extra-curricular activities are there here?" Xiao Lang asked, glancing towards the rest of the class, learning the martial arts.

"Well… there's cheerleading, if you're interested." Sakura giggled, light-heartedly.

"Ha, ha." He laughed sarcastically. "No, I'm serious. What sports does your school have?"

"Well, we have soccer tryouts this afternoon on the field. And then there's volleyball, basketball and I think we're starting a track team in the spring."

"The soccer sounds good. I think I'll try out for the team after school." He said turning to look at Sakura. She looked slightly worried about what he had just said.

"I thought you'd start tutoring me tonight!" she exclaimed.

"oh yeah." He remembered. "how about you wait for me and we can walk to my apartment.

"ok." She sounded relieved.

Jing looked over at the 'happy couple' who were chatting in the corner waiting for the bell to ring, and gritted his teeth in anger.

"I think we should start making our move on them by the end of the week." Lei whispered into his ear. He looked at her and nodded.

'just you wait, Li-kun. She'll be mine and you'll be left with NOTHING.' He thought to himself evilly…