The Cherry Blossom Tree
By Rhapsody Moonschild ƒ♪ Rhapsody: Hi!!! I’m Rhapsody! **waves at you** **smiles**
Rhapsody: This should be shorter than my other ‘fics. Those in favor of short ‘fics say ‘aye!’
Everyone: Aye!
Rhapsody: Anyway… Here’s the deal…
**drumroll…**
Rhapsody: Despite my appearance here, these are the facts: (1) I’ve never had more than $50 at one time. (2) I’ve can’t draw CCS to save my life. And (3) I don’t speak Japanese except for the words in this story. Hmm… that’s so depressing… **begins to cry**
Starsong: (white cat guardian) **sweatdrop** What my mistress means is that CCS belongs to CLAMP, not her. In fact, this is probably because they have money, they can draw, and they speak Japanese. **to Rhapsody sharply** Rhapsody-sama! Pull yourself together. Remember, at least the storyline is yours.
Rhapsody: **stops crying** **smiles brightly** Starsong, you’re right. Now, to begin…
**Scene fades...** ƒ♪
CHAPTER ONE: THE TREE
Syaoran’s POV “…Kept Christmas… best of any man… the end.”
Young-sensei’s voice stops and I am jerked out of my doze. She closes the book with an audible snap and I nearly jump out of my seat, surprised.
Young-sensei is our new Literature teacher. She came from England, like Hiiragizawa, and she loves for us to read English classics like this one, “A Christmas Carol.”
“For homework: compare one character in the story to someone like them in real life. Keep it short, please.”
Everyone groans. Another essay…
I sigh. As if I don’t have enough homework already…
The bell rings and we head outside for lunch. As usual, I climb a cherry blossom tree to think.
I don’t eat lunch. Instead, I spend the time perched in my usual tree and think about the person named for the tree…
Sakura…
My thoughts are interrupted by voices beneath my tree. What else can I do? I listen.
“Young-sensei gives us too much homework,” Daidouji complains. I lean closer. Who is she talking to?
“No kidding,” her companion sighs. I know that voice very well…
I peek through the branches. Yes, it is who I think it is: Kinomoto Sakura! The girl who haunts my dreams (and occupies most of my waking moments, as well).
Daidouji grins. “I’ve got an idea already, though… I’m gonna compare Li-kun to Scrooge.”
*Not amusing,* I think.
Sakura laughs, her green eyes sparkling. She tosses her long glossy hair back. She is so beautiful…
“Surely he doesn’t seem that mean to you,” she says. Sakura sees the good in everyone.
Even me.
“Well, he’s always nice to you,” Daidouji replies, voice full of meaning.
“I don’t think—“
“Hello,” says a voice right next to my ear quietly. “Eavesdropping again, I see?”
I turn angrily. Hiiragizawa is in my tree!
“What are you doing here?” I hiss.
“This,” he replies, smiling his creepiest smile.
He pushes me out of the tree.
I land hard on my back, the wind knocked out of me. I look ridiculous, I’m sure.
Right in front of the girl I want to impress.
“Syao-kun, are you okay?” Sakura asks, concerned. She hurries to my side.
Daidouji clearly loves it.
“Fine,” I gasp, and also curse Hiiragizawa vehemently in Chinese. Of course he’s already disappeared.
I sit up and find myself gazing into concerned emerald eyes a few inches from my nose. I feel myself turn red.
“Kawaii!” Daidouji yells.
I recover my breath and pull back, rising and angrily brushing dust off my clothes.
“What were you doing in that tree?” Sakura queries curiously.
“Yeah, Li-kun. Spying on Sakura?” Daidouji suggests mischievously.
“No,” I answer coolly, recovering my dignity.
“I was thinking. I always sit up there and think,” I mutter.
I turn to walk away but Sakura catches my arm.
“Syaoran-kun, why don’t you eat with us? We can share,” she says nicely.
For a moment I stare at my hand in her grasp, then come back to myself.
“No, thank you,” I reply, bowing slightly. I am going to find Hiiragizawa and do something unpleasant to him.
She lets me go reluctantly.
“If you’re sure…”
“I’m sure,” I answer, and head off.
When I am out of their earshot I stop to think. I could’ve stayed with them. Hiiragizawa could have waited…
Well, ‘no use crying over spilled milk,’ as the blue-haired gaki says often. And also ‘don’t get mad, get even…’
I storm off into the courtyard, searching for London Boy. I pause behind a tree and find something else: another conversation.
The voices are those of Yamazaki and his girlfriend, and also some new boy.
“Wow, she’s kawaii!” the new guy is saying. I suppose he points to the girl he means.
“Daidouji Tomoyo is definitely taken. Eriol-kun, you know, the blue-haired guy? She’s his girl, and I don’t think he’d take it kindly…”
“Well, what about the other girl?”
“Worse than Daidouji-san,” Yamazaki says quickly. “You’re in our homeroom, right?”
The boy voices assent.
“Well, remember the scowling guy who sits in the back behind her? That’s Li Syaoran, someone you definitely don’t want to mess with.”
*I’ve got a reputation.*
“She’s got a boyfriend, too?”
“Not exactly… But everyone knows he likes her, except, strangely enough, Sakura-chan herself. And if you get past Li-kun with the minimum of broken bones, she’s got a way-too-overprotective big brother. Say, did you know…?”
Yamazaki is off on one of his loony tales again and I lose interest in the conversation.
*I’m that obvious?*
I shake my head and move on, searching for Hiiragizawa.
Smart for once, the boy decided to make himself scarce. However, I find him back by the school, staring up into another tree.
“Going to bother someone else?” I say angrily, stepping into view.
He smiles his creepy smile again. I hate that grin… It means he’s up to something.
“No, not at all… You are a special case, Li-kun,” he says, answering my question.
“What does that mean?”
“You are very stubborn, my descendant. You refuse to tell Sakura-chan, so
Tomoyo-chan and I try to trick it out of you.”
I bristle at the descendant remark. The other is old news.
“Refuse to tell Sakura-chan what?”
“You know… You won’t even say it to yourself, will you?”
He shakes his head.
I turn away. “No,” I mumble.
Damn! He’s got to me again!
“Why not?” he says, and loses the smile. “You can’t keep it bottled up inside, Li-kun. One of these days you’ll just explode.”
I take a deep breath and for the first time in my 16 years decide to trust Hiiragizawa.
Well, sort of.
“Your girlfriend isn’t hiding somewhere with that damn camera, is she?”
His eyes glitter with amusement.
“Tomoyo-chan is still talking with Sakura-chan, Li-kun.”
“You swear?”
“I swear on my grave.”
There aren’t many people in the world that can do that.
“All right then. I’m in love with Kinomoto Sakura! Are you happy?!?”
He nods and plasters that ridiculous smile over his face again. “Don’t you feel better now?”
I do, but I’m not about to tell him that.
“Actually, I feel like pounding you into the ground for knocking me out of my tree, but I’ll let it go,” I growl.
The bell rings and I stalk off to class.
To be continued...