Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction ❯ Until There Was You ❯ The Accident ( Chapter 8 )

Hellmaster here. Disclaimer: All the CCS characters found in this fic belong to their respective owners. I do not own them in any way. This fan fiction was written for the enjoyment of CCS fans and will not be used for profit.

 

 

 

 

Until There Was You

Chapter Eight: "The Accident"

 

 

 

 

The streetlight flickered above him as the wind blew gently to rouse the dead leaves sleeping on the ground. Happy couples strolled by as the young man with gray eyes patiently waited for his companion.

 

"Daron..."

 

It was Sakura's angelic voice. He lifted his head and found himself mesmerized by her beautiful emerald eyes. Smiling inwardly, he returned her greeting. "Sakura... I'm glad you came. I hope I'm not too much of a bother..." The auburn haired girl responded with a bashful smile and slightly shook her head. "Iie. Not at all." She lowered her head a bit and blushed, fidgeting timidly with her small bag. Grinning at her embarrassment, Daron motioned for her to sit beside him.

 

After a while, Sakura decided to question their unexpected rendezvous. "Eto... What did you want from me?" Sakura tilted her head curiously at him.

 

His gray eyes widened for a moment, almost as if a lost memory came back to him. Sakura blinked at him. Daron suddenly found himself smiling for no reason at all. He looked away and said, "I just wanted to see you..."

 

Sakura blushed at this. "I-I see..."

 

Daron stood up and grinned at her. "Let's go take a walk." Unsure, Sakura gave him a small nod. "S-Sure."

 

 

 

 

His tawny eyes remained steady as Syaoran concentrated on the road. Warm yellow lights seemed to glide by him as he passed through the empty highway. There was just something about the open road that made him feel calm and relaxed. Maybe it was because he was the only one out in the streets. Ironically, although Japan proved to be the best in the world when it comes to manufacturing cars, only a few people actually uses one. Apparently, typical Japanese residents prefer using public transportation instead. Not that Syaoran minded. It was rather nice to have the road all to yourself for a change. Moreover, the traffic in Hong Kong is terrible. Driving used to be a chore to him, until now that is.

 

Syaoran leaned back into his leather seat without taking his right hand off the steering wheel. If anyone else had been in the car with him, they would probably go ballistic on him right now. The thought amused him for a while. It would be interesting to see how his mother would have reacted to his careless driving. Then again, she barely reacts to anything. 

 

His dark brows met in a pensive frown as he turned sharply at the corner. She never reacts to anything he does, anyway. At least not anymore. 

 

 

 

 

Daron glanced at Sakura from the corner of his eye. She was still blushing at his forwardness. He grinned as he returned his gaze to the pathway. It was nothing new. He always managed to embarrass her by throwing syrupy compliments now and then. He just couldn't help it. She looked so cute blushing like that.

 

Cute, but he liked Sakura much better as a companion so he decided to break the awkwardness between them by diverting her attention to another subject. Remembering how Sakura's brother had sounded on the phone, Daron had to know. "I hope your brother didn't mind me calling you out this late at night."

 

Sakura sweat dropped. "Never mind him. He's always like that to every guy I encounter." Those that he knows of anyway, she added in her mind.

 

"That's good," Daron whispered inaudibly.

 

Feeling a bit more cheerful, Sakura ran ahead of him. Daron looked amused but a bit surprised by her sudden change of mood. "What's up with you?" Sakura only grinned playfully at him. "I'll race you to the coffee shop!" With that, she turned on her heels and ran. Daron smiled gently as he watched her.

 

Sakura had already covered a fair distance when he finally called after her. "H-Hey! Wait for me!"

 

 

 

 

The narrow street seemed darker than it actually was, particularly because of the surrounding trees. Even though the streetlights were on, Syaoran could barely see what was beyond the shadows off road. He returned his gaze to the road just in time to see a girl running across the street ahead. Not wasting time, he immediately stepped on the brakes.

 

It was then Daron finally caught up with the auburn haired girl. He ran onto the street and found himself staring right into the glaring headlights of a car. There was an abrupt screech, then everything went black.

 

 

 

 

Meiling glanced at the clock. She turned her gaze towards Wei and asked, "Didn't Xiao-lang tell you where he was going? I need to ask him something." The old man shook his head. "I'm terribly sorry, young miss. The young master told me he needed to go out for a while, but I'm afraid he did not say where."

 

"Mou." The impatient girl stomped towards the couch and sat down pouting. "He'd better get back soon or I'll..." She was cut off by the ringing of the phone. Meiling picked up the receiver. "Moshi moshi! Meiling here." Her eyes widened. "What did you say?! What in the world happened? Where are you guys? Uh-huh. Okay, I'll be right over."

 

Wei looked concerned. "Is there something amiss?"

 

"Wei, I'm going to the hospital." 

 

 

 

 

Sakura shivered involuntarily at the coldness of the bleached hallway. Hot tears began to form in her jade eyes. Shutting them close, she willed them to stop.

 

"Is something wrong? Are you ill?" someone asked her. Sakura opened her eyes and was surprised to see Syaoran gazing down at her with concern. It was not something she was used to seeing. Suddenly uneasy, she looked away. "I-I'm fine..."

 

He sat down beside her and studied the auburn haired girl. Noticing the slight mistiness in her usually clear emerald eyes, he immediately knew what was bothering her. "The doctor said he's going to be all right." Syaoran glanced at the entrance of the emergency room. "I stepped on the brakes just in time. He only had a slight concussion from hitting the pavement when he suddenly lost consciousness."

 

"I-I know... but still..."

 

She let out a small sneeze and shivered. Without saying anything, Syaoran removed his jacket. Avoiding her confused stare, he handed it to Sakura. "Here. Wear this." 

 

Sakura blinked at him in surprise. She reluctantly accepted and placed it over her shoulders. A radiant blush spread on her cheeks. "A-Arigatou..." she whispered softly. 

 

Syaoran remained impassive, but something was bothering him. It was not exactly a gesture he usually did for just anybody. Save for Meiling and his immediate family, he was never this gentle with any woman. Puzzled, he glanced at the girl beside him.

 

"Sakura-chan! I came as soon as I heard!" exclaimed a breathless Tomoyo. She took Sakura's hand in hers. "Are you hurt anywhere?" Sakura smiled weakly at her best friend. "Iie... I'm doing fine, Tomoyo-chan." 

 

Seeing that he was no longer needed, Syaoran promptly stood up and walked towards the vending machine to get some drinks. Sakura tentatively followed him with her gaze. 

 

"So... what in the world happened to you guys, anyway?" questioned Meiling.

 

Sakura nodded and proceeded in recounting her evening to the two girls. After a few moments, they were called in by the doctor to see Daron, who was already transferred to his room. Sakura insisted to stay the night to look after Daron. The others understood her reason and did not question her. Syaoran, however, decided to accompany the auburn haired girl as long as he could, paying no heed to her pliant objections. The two girls decided to leave when Sakura had already fallen asleep. Syaoran escorted them to the entrance and offered them a ride home, but Tomoyo reassured him that she would take Meiling home safely. After all, her limousine was already waiting outside.

 

When he returned to the room, Sakura was still asleep. She was lying comfortably on the couch with his jacket spread over her. Careful not to wake her, he unfolded the blanket he took from the nurse's station and placed it over her. As he did this, the girl suddenly caught his hand and murmured incoherently. "Okaa san..."

 

Smiling, she snuggled into the blanket and placed her cheek on his palm. Taken aback by her affectionate gesture, Syaoran managed to collect his thoughts and realized that she was still sound asleep.

 

Relieved, he cautiously slipped his hand from her grasp. It was then he noticed the small address book inside her pink bag.

 

 

 

 

Fujitaka waited anxiously in the living room with Touya. It was already late at night and they still haven't heard from Sakura. The older man practically lunged at the receiver when the phone rang. Bringing it to his ear, he said with urgency "Moshi moshi. Kinomoto residence. Yes, this is her father. Who am I speaking to?"

 

Touya watched as his apprehensive father talked on the phone. Relief washed over him when Fujitaka eventually became somewhat appeased by what the caller had said.

 

"Arigatou, Li-san. I'm counting on your words." Fujitaka replaced the receiver and turned to his son. "Sakura's companion was in an accident and she wanted to stay at the hospital so she could look after him. His injury was not that serious but he needed to stay overnight at the hospital so he could be monitored."

 

Touya seemed suspicious. "And who were you talking to?"

 

"A Mr. Li Syaoran. He said that he was the one who initially caused the accident. He even apologized to me for putting Sakura in danger." Fujitaka paused for a while and continued, "I remember his name being mentioned in passing. I think he was the Chinese restaurant owner Sakura was telling me about the other day."

 

Still not satisfied, the younger man interrogated further. "Are you sure we could trust him? How can you be so sure that he wasn't lying?"

 

Fujitaka thought for a while. "Without proof, I really couldn't be certain that he was telling the truth. But I have a good feeling about that young man. Even though we have only spoken on the phone, I feel I could trust him."

 

Touya decided not to question his father's intuition. "Fine. If you say so. Well, I'm going to bed." Yawning, he went to his room upstairs.

 

 

 

 

Sakura drowsily woke from her slumber. Somehow, she had a restful sleep last night even with the hard cushion straining her back. Sitting up, she noticed the warm blanket draped over her. Because she was asleep the whole time, she had no idea where it came from. `Maybe it was Tomoyo-chan,' she thought sleepily. Letting out a yawn, she glanced at Daron.

 

He was still sleeping soundly on his bed. She went over to his side and watched him. His tousled dark hair was covering a part of his face. Sakura tenderly brushed the unruly locks away, smiling gently when she saw him stir. A slight frown suddenly appeared on his forehead, almost as if he was in some kind of pain. Worried, she managed to say his name softly. "Daron...? Is something wrong?"

 

His gray eyes snapped open. Sweat forming on his forehead, he surveyed the room and found Sakura gazing at him with worried eyes. "Sakura..." A small gradual smile appeared on his lips. "You're here... I'm so glad..." 

 

Sitting up on his bed, he asked "What happened to me?"

 

Sakura recounted to him the events from the previous night, not missing out on any detail. Daron listened attentively and fell deep in thought. "I see... Is Li around?"

 

She smiled sheepishly in response. "He's probably at home right now. I was asleep the whole time so I didn't notice him leave. And besides, the hospital allows only one watcher per room."

 

Daron grinned at her. "And you volunteered. Just can't get enough of me, can you?" He winked at her, making Sakura flush in embarrassment.

 

"I'm glad to see you're well," a feminine voice interrupted.

 

"Tomoyo-chan!" the auburn haired girl leaped from her position and went to her best friend. Tomoyo smiled and said, "I just spoke with the doctor." She turned to Daron. "You are in the condition to go home now. Meiling is already making the arrangements."

 

"Did you hear that, Daron? You're going home! Isn't that great?!" Sakura threw Daron a joyful smile. He returned it with a small grin. "Yes... It is."

 

 

 

 

Syaoran gathered his paper work and placed them inside his attaché case. "Wei, I'm leaving now. Look after Meiling." The old man politely shook his head and informed him that she left earlier that morning to pass by the small trinket shop before going to the hospital.

 

"I see." 

 

Nothing more was said as he continued to fix the pile of documents on his desk. He grabbed the CD marked 'Project Proposal' and went on his way.

 

 

 

 

Sakura waved goodbye at her best friend before the black limousine completely disappeared behind the corner. She turned towards the house. As she did this, something clicked in her mind.

 

Her eyes widened. "Oh no!" 

 

Because of all the excitement, she had forgotten to call home. Expecting the worst, she knocked on the front door. A few moments passed before Sakura had enough courage to enter.

 

"Otou san...?" she called in a soft, unsure voice.

 

Fujitaka emerged from the kitchen, smiling kindly at her. Upon seeing him, Sakura immediately threw herself in a deep bow. "Gomen nasai! I know I should have called home but a lot of unexpected things happened and I..." She was cut off by the reassuring words of her father.

 

"It's alright, Sakura-san. I already know."

 

His words caught her off guard, making her think. `Did I call home after all?' Uncertain, she waited for him to continue.

 

"Is Itsudouji-san doing well? Will he be staying long in the hospital?" her father queried.

 

Still overwhelmed, Sakura answered rather stiffly. "Daron is doing well. He was discharged from the hospital just this morning. His injury was not that serious so the doctor did not see the need to keep him there." She paused and added curiously, "Eto... how did you know about what happened last night?"

 

Fujitaka smiled at her clueless ness. "Mr. Li Syaoran called. He told me everything."

 

She was beyond shocked. "He... did?"

 

A bit surprised at his daughter's bewildered reaction, Fujitaka had to ask. "Why so surprised? He was there with you, wasn't he?"

 

Sakura gave him a small nod, then frowned. "No, it's not that... It's just... Well..." She struggled for the right words. "It really isn't something I'd expect from him..."

 

"As far as I could tell, he seems to be a reliable young man," Fujitaka remarked thoughtfully, admiration transparent in the tone of his voice.

 

Nodding absent-mindedly, Sakura excused herself to go to her room. She sat on her bed, quietly debating with herself. It was only proper that she thanked Syaoran personally for what he did. Finally making up her mind, she decided to visit the Li residence that afternoon.

 

 

 

 

Sakura stood in front of the 2-storey house bathed in a light taupe color. She approached the door and pressed the doorbell button. After a few short seconds, the door opened and she found herself facing an elderly man.

 

It took a moment before the auburn haired girl remembered his name. "Wei-san, isn't it?"

 

Wei only smiled in response.

 

Smiling back, she asked in an unsure tone "Eto... Is Li-san home?"

 

Knowing that the girl in front of him was already in casual terms with Meiling, he quickly assumed that she was looking for the master of the house. "I'm sorry, young miss, but nobody is home as of the moment."

 

"Oh... I see..." Shoulders slumping, she sighed heavily and thought, What should I do now...?

 

Wei smiled fondly at the disappointed Sakura. "The young master is at the office right now. The main building is not too far from here. Would you like me to give you the directions?"

 

Her face brightened noticeably. "Yes, please! I would like that very much!"

 

 

 

 

A tall man wearing glasses stooped down to peek inside the preheated oven. His light colored hair fell over his eyes. With a gentle movement, he tucked the strands behind his ear. He smiled to himself and placed the tray inside. Minutes passed and the tinkling of the store bells caught his attention. He stood up and automatically went to the cashier.

 

"Irasshaimase!" he greeted cheerfully.

 

A familiar voice greeted back just as energetically. "Yukito-san!"

 

"Ara...? Why, it's Sakura-chan!" Yukito held out his long arms as the girl came running to hug him. "What a surprise to see you here! How are you? What made you come by so unexpectedly?"

 

Sakura grinned. "I came to see a friend of mine. But when I realized where I was, I thought I should go visit Yukito-san's bakery first." She looked around the store thoughtfully and asked, "What would you suggest for a small thank you gift?"

 

"My lemon squares had always been the favorite. How about that?" suggested Yukito.

 

"Uhmhmm... Sounds delicious..." she murmured as she continued her search.

 

Her jade eyes set on a batch of dark chocolate chip cookies. Instinct told her that the young software owner would like them very much. "How much do these cost?"

 

"Don't worry, they're on the house."

 

Sakura shook her head firmly. "Iie. I'm paying for them. I want to. It is a present, after all."

 

"Okay then, if you insist." He paused to look at the sum. "That would be two hundred and eighty yen, please." With that, Sakura handed him the crisp bills, said her goodbye, and went on her way to the huge building three blocks away.

 

 

 

 

Daron stared at the framed picture of his childhood, touching the corners lightly with his fingers. His gaze rested on the pale boy with glasses, the one whom his younger self had his arms around. "What was it I needed to remember on my own?" he whispered as if he had directed the question to the pale boy in the photograph. Sighing heavily, he replaced the frame stand on his desk.

 

It had already been nine long years since the accident. He was only ten years old then. It occurred during the time his family was about to move away to Japan. Only a day before their departure, he was accidentally hit by a car and suffered from retrograde amnesia. Their departure to Japan was delayed until he recovered most of his memories. It took him almost three years to learn about and relive his forgotten past.

 

Daron chuckled to himself. `Ironic that it almost happened again.' He laid back on his bed and closed his eyes.

 

 

 

 

"Woah..."

 

It was all Sakura could utter as she gaped at the tall building in front of her. Standing at approximately a hundred and fifty feet high, most of its walls were made of thick fiber glass, which seemed to be durable enough to endure any natural calamity. The glass walls were tinted with a forest green hue mostly for the privacy it allows rather than the color it gives to the building. Although there was nothing extraordinary about its overall structure, the building seemed charming yet modern in its own respect.

 

The auburn haired girl slowly approached the entrance and was a bit surprised when it suddenly opened on its own.

 

As she entered, Sakura looked around in awe. Displayed randomly within the area of the ground floor were four metallic sculptures molded in an abstract form. Her amazement turned into tension as one of the security guards walked towards her.

 

"Do you have an appointment?" he asked in a gruff voice.

 

Sakura sweat dropped. Completely intimidated, she stumbled on her words. "I... er... uhm..." A nervous smile formed on her face. "H-Hoooeeeee..."

 

"... Sakura?! Is that you?" a familiar voice called her.

 

Relieved, Sakura smiled at the black haired girl. "Meiling! Am I glad to see you!" she exclaimed, making the security guard narrow his eyes at her.

 

"It's okay, she's a friend of mine." Meiling told him. The man bowed and went away. She turned to Sakura. "What are you doing here, anyway? I thought you went home already."

 

Sakura gave her a sheepish smile. "Actually, I'm here to see your cousin..."

 

Meiling blinked, then gave the auburn haired girl a sly smile. Her perceptive gaze wandered from the girl's flushed face to the bag of cookies in hand. "I... see."

 

Realizing what the other girl thought, Sakura quickly denied it. "Hooeee! I-It's not what you think! I just wanted to thank him for last night and I..." She was cut off by Meiling.

 

"So... you want to thank him for... last night?" She raised a brow. "Now I really see."

 

Having been educated on that sort of thing, the usually dense Sakura, surprisingly, understood the implied meaning of the other girl's words. She blushed three shades of red. "HOOOEEEEEE! That's not it at all!"

 

Meiling burst out laughing. "I was only teasing!" She winked at the crimson Sakura. "No need to get a nose bleed." She motioned for the girl to follow her. "Come on, I'll take you to his office."

 

 

 

 

It took a while before the two girls arrived at the office. Saying that she had something else to attend to, the girl from Hong Kong left Sakura inside the huge carpeted room with only the middle-aged secretary as company. The woman had a brooding look on her face and did not seem very friendly. Sakura opened her mouth to say something, but her meek attempt was nullified with a sharp answer to her anticipated question.

 

"He is at a meeting right now and will not be disturbed by personal affairs. I suggest you make yourself comfortable. It will be a while before he returns."

 

Sakura nodded and leaned back on the sofa. She stared at the clock, fidgeting with the bag of cookies in her hand.

 

Each minute seemed to stretch like an hour as the silence in the room began to make her feel queasy. A sigh of relief escaped from her lips when the door to the office slid open.

 

Syaoran looked surprised to see her, to say the least.

 

"...Kinomoto?"

 

Sakura stood up and smiled at him. "I wanted to thank you personally for what you did for me last night. Here." She held out the bag of cookies. "They're dark chocolate chip cookies," she added hopefully. At that, he reluctantly accepted.

 

Seeing that he was still puzzled about her sudden visit, she elaborated.

 

"You called my father last night when I was asleep to tell him what happened, remember?"

 

"Oh..."

 

"Anyway, I really have to go. Thanks again!" Before stepping out of the room, she gave him a sweet smile, leaving him a bit disoriented.

 

Syaoran stared at the now closed door. He stood there for an entire minute until his secretary cleared her throat and raised a brow at him. He blushed lightly and briskly walked towards his desk in the other room.

 

 

 

 

: We have now arrived in Japan. Please unfasten your seat belts and exit the plane in an orderly fashion. Thank you. :

 

Tilting his glasses a bit, the young man lifted his gaze from the book he was reading. He casually stood from his seat and took the small leather bag beside him. A small smile appeared on his lips.

 

`I'm finally here...'

 

Without a word, he walked out the exit and disappeared into the crowded passageway.

 

 

 

 

/=============//

 

Guess who got off the plane. ;-D

 

Anyways, I sped things up a wee bit because I felt I was lingering too long on the foreplay of Sakura's relationship with Syaoran. Did you like it or did it ruin the story for you? Please let me know! Thanks! XD

 

 

English meaning of mentioned Japanese words/ phrases: (according to my memory)

 

Okaa san - Mother

 

Gomen nasai - "I'm sorry!"

 

Irasshaimase - "Welcome!"