Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction ❯ Yamazaki Gets Romantic ❯ Yamazaki Gets Romantic ( Chapter 1 )

Yamazaki gets romantic

Eriol Hiiragizawa, Daidouji Tomoyo, Li Syaoran, Kinomoto Sakura, Yamazaki Takashi, and Mihara Chiharu were at the corner table, their favorite table, in their favorite fast food restaurant and after-school hangout. They were having a `group date' and had their banana splits and sodas/shakes in front of them all half empty.

"Princess, do you want the cherry on mine?" Eriol put an arm around Tomoyo's shoulder as she snuggled closer to him, blushing just a little producing a (no, not a tomato-faced Tomoyo) rosy cheeks effect.

"Why do you keep calling me `princess', Eriol-kun?" Tomoyo asked looking, she didn't seem bothered just plain old curious.

"Because it suits you…" was Eriol's simple reply. Tomoyo smiled.

"In that case, I'd call you my prince…" they smiled at each other completely oblivious of the fact that they were with their friends.

Yamazaki was staring at the two… he wasn't pleased… "Jeez… Li-kun could you tell Eriol to cut it out, he's making us look bad you know?" He turned to look at Syaoran who was beside him in a three-person-fast-food-type-sofa only to find out that Syaoran was doing the same thing to Sakura.

"Syaoran-kun…" Sakura smiled at Syaoran. Their faces were inches apart.

"What is it sweet angel?" Syaoran leaned closer to Sakura their lips now millimeters apart.

Yamazaki turned away. He refused watch a make out scene. Especially since it was Syaoran and Sakura, he'd seen them once in their `secret' tree spot. It was only for three minutes (he was planning on turning away immediately but he was so shocked he couldn't move for the full three minutes), but that was enough… they were pretty `demonstrative' with their attraction, er, affection with each other.

As fate would have it Yamazaki's eyes fell on his date and girlfriend, Chiharu. Chiharu was beside Eriol and Tomoyo; she was in the `window seat'. She was looking-gazing, rather very intently with some kind of expression on her face, at Eriol and Tomoyo who were all over each other. He gulped. Some date he was! It was at these times that he wished he were more `demonstrative'… in other words `romantic'. Nevertheless he tried to perk up the table by starting a conversation. And we all know just how Yamazaki does that, don't we?

"Did you guys know that in the ancient times all dates should be done in groups? In the Roman Empire the couples were supposed to ride on a chariot. But because of the thousands and thousands of couples and the lack of chariots they decided to build a mile long carriage known as the `Cupid's Chariot' or `Love Carriage'. The said carriage was drawn by a million and one white royal horses that has been donated by the Caesar of the time…" Yamazaki babbled on. He watched Chiharu's facial expression change from jealousy (from Eriol & Tomoyo) to confusion then to pure red-hot boiling point anger. The two couples didn't seem aware that Yamazaki was saying anything… that was before Chiharu made it known to them… and to everyone else at the restaurant.

"YAMAZAKI!!! WHY CAN'T YOU KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT??? CAN'T YOU STOP LYING EVEN JUST FOR ONE DATE?" Chiharu screamed, turning bright red with rage. That shut Yamazaki up. Chiharu looked V-E-R-Y angry… he'd never seen her like this before. "I've dreamt of having one- just one- romantic date with you! I thought with Li-kun and Eriol here I'd get that! That some `romantic-ness' would rub off to you hopefully! BUT NO!!! Instead of being sweet or at least trying to be sweet you lie! YOU LIE! GOD! What am I going to do with you?!?" Chiharu was now teary-eyed. She left the restaurant without another word…

But not after she tripped over the table leg…

And not after Eriol and Tomoyo got out of their seat to let her through…

Then she walked out of the door…

All the people stared at her then looked at Yamazaki and then went back to their own conversations. Figuring out that it was just another `lovers' quarrel'… it happens a lot. Besides, with Sakura's constant `HOOEEE!!!' they'd get used to some screaming from the corner table by now won't they?

Eriol, Syaoran, Tomoyo and Sakura looked at each other. Then they all shifted their eyes to Yamazaki at the same exact moment. The movement was so in sync that it looked like it was choreographed. Then they started firing question at Yamazaki.

"What happened?" the first question care of Kinomoto Sakura

"Why'd she walked out like that?" second question this time by Daidouji Tomoyo

"Umm… well- " the not so articulate Yamazaki

"Are you two having a fight?" Syaoran was not pleased.

"You see-"

"Yamazaki tell us what happened!" an earnest cry by Sakura

"Why is she mad?" calm statement by the cool Eriol Hiiragizawa

"Did you hurt her?"

Stone silence

"WHAT? NO! Why would I-"

"Yamazaki-kun! How could you?" complete with a facial expression that would kill you with guilt… again by our beloved Kinomoto Sakura

"Huh?" confused Yamazaki

"Yamazaki you shouldn't hurt a girl just like that!" lecturing from `the wolf'

"But I-" even more confused Yamazaki

"A girl should be treated with respect…" a `second the motion' to his descendant's lecture

"I know! Just-" Yamazaki's getting impatient

"I thought you loved Chiharu…" comes with the all the guilt-giving daggers, delivered by our delicate Daidouji Tomoyo

Again stone silence

"Why won't you say anything Yamazaki?" Sakura

"Yeah! Speak up, man…" Syaoran

"Tell us your side…" Eriol

"That's what I-" Yamazaki

"We have to side with Chiharu in this one…" Syaoran's conclusion

Everybody nodded in unison except, of course, Yamazaki `the silent one'

"WHAT???" guess who? Yup. This statement, um, word was said by Yamazaki Takashi so loud and clear that once again the people in the fast food chain were `forced' to give him a look.

An aftershock ordinary (not stone) silence

"You wouldn't speak up-" Sakura's explanation to her boyfriend's conclusion

"I won't speak up?" Uh oh. Yamazaki's ready to blow…

Syaoran, Sakura, Eriol and Tomoyo looked at each other.

"Well… we were trying to-" Tomoyo got interrupted

"YOU? TRYING? You guys weren't listening to me!" you guys know how the voice rises when you're angry? Yamazaki did that one decibel/pitch higher with each syllable/word… great effect, I tell you… the group fell into another one of their stone silences.

"Alright… what's the story?" Oh goody! Someone finally wants to listen to poor Yamazaki! And the lucky one is… *drum roll* Eriol Hiiragizawa!

"Well… I think there's this mood that comes to teenage girls when they're on group dates… I've read somewhere that there are some hormones that trigger a chemical reaction that causes… girls to… um… walkout… on um… er… group dates…" Yamazaki looked around him and saw his friends' impatient faces; a sweat drop formed at the side of his head he dropped the lie-in-the-making immediately, "Anyway… Chiharu has been complaining a lot recently." he stopped there. Again, his friends' faces told him something: he needed to elaborate the previous sentence. "Not the usual `stop lying' complaint… more on the lines of `be romantic'…" he frowned sadly them, "I mean, what can I do about that? I'm not a romantic person! I haven't even worked on her me-always-making-up-tales complaint, which is me then I have to change and be a romantic already?"

They all remained silent, digesting this. "So that's why Chiharu walked out left a minute ago?" Syaoran clarified.

"Umm…" Yamazaki realized that after all he had said he didn't really answer the main issue, "I guess… because I started lying again…"

Everybody sweat dropped… that one statement would have cleared everything up immediately… but they were with the ever big mouthed Yamazaki…

"By the way did you guys know that-" Yamazaki was about to start another long tale good thing-

"We'll help you Yamazaki-kun!" Sakura interrupted him with her big cheery smile.

Question marks appeared on top of Yamazaki's head.

"We'll help make you a romantic! Then you'll win Chiharu back! Right guys?" Sakura turned to the rest of the group.

"Hai! We'll help Yamazaki-kun out!" Tomoyo smiled brightly with a nod.

The two other boys looked at each other. They didn't like the idea. In a metaphoric simile semi-cliché explanation, teaching Yamazaki how to be a romantic would be like teaching water to mix with oil. Nope. They didn't like the idea.

"Uhh… Sakura-chan… I love you and all but… do I really have to do this?" Syaoran whispered to Sakura, putting his arm around her waist and using the undying, unbearably cute `puppy-dog-eyes' technique. He was not that opposed to idea. But he had this feeling… something was nagging him, telling him that somehow he'll end up doing things that he won't like nor would he proud of.

"Syaoran-kun…" Sakura's contented smile (from being held so close by her little wolf) changed to a tiny ("and cute" -additional adjective courtesy of Syaoran) pout. "You're the sweetest boyfriend anybody could ever wish for! You have to help our friend Syaoran-kun… onengai? For me?" Sakura pulled off her own version of puppy-dog-eyes… who could resist that? Certainly not the Syaoran we all know and adore…

"H-h-ha-hai…" Syaoran couldn't help himself. Darn it! Always the eyes! Always those darn beautiful emerald eyes!

Eriol watched delightedly as his `little descendant', the little wolf crumble down slowly in because of a certain cherry blossom. He turned to Tomoyo, his princess, he had given her that pet name when he confessed to her, and needless to say she said `yes' and the name stuck since then. It has been… what? Two months since that romantic walk on the beach after a candle lit dinner on the sand watching the waves. He turned on his full charm that night and he was so happy when she said she loved him too… he sighed at the memory. Tomoyo looked up at him, beautiful amethyst eyes and all…

"Eriol-kun… you'd help, right?" she asked in her delicate manner. The way that Eriol couldn't possibly say `no' to.

"Tomoyo-chan…" Eriol started the wheels in his head turning at warp speed, he had to find way he could refuse and still have the advantages. That was very tricky, "I'd have to be honest with you Tomoyo, I'd like it more if we could spent all that time together… alone…" Perfect. Making it seem that he would want to bail because of their relationship. It's classic. "Yamazaki-kun's-lectures would take just too much time…" Works like a charm all the time…

"That's so sweet Eriol-kun!" Tomoyo smiled at him gleefully. "We'd be together longer! And you know what that means-"

Uh oh. Eriol recognized that tone… this cannot be good…

"More time to film you!!!" she whipped out her video camera.

Did he just say that it works like charm all the time? Scratch that. He should've known… this was Tomoyo we were talking about! The girl with hidden mischief up her sleeves. This was a really big UH OH! Tomoyo had new favorite filming subject: Eriol. He had never liked it when the camera was focused on him. He always, always, ALWAYS squirmed under it.

"Umm… uhh…" Eriol started squirming. He had to think of way to get out of this one, fast. He did the only thing he could think of at that moment. "Maybe it would be better if we'd help Yamazaki-san… I mean, we can't be selfish can we?" he wanted to slap himself after that statement. He fell into the trap.

Tomoyo sighed as she kept her video camera, her face was concealed and Eriol knew that she was smiling… "If that's the way you want it…" she said then she looked up at him and smiled her cheery evil innocent smile.

Why did girls have to be so darn conniving, er, convincing?

____________________

It has already been three weeks after that fateful day in the restaurant… three weeks of coming to Yamazaki's place after school to `teach' him and stay there for three hours…

"Speaking of which did you guys heard that when-"

"YAMAZAKI-KUN!!!" the four yelled at him so loud that the whole house jumped. Take that literally.

"We've been telling you not to start any sentence with `speaking of which', `did you know that', `have you heard that', and all those opening statements of yours that starts a big tale!" Syaoran rubbed his face tiredly. Sakura instinctively put an arm on his back and started rubbing it, trying to relax him a bit… it worked.

"We've been repeating that for the last three full weeks!" Eriol frowned he stood at the corner of the room leaning against the wall glaring at the table. Tomoyo quickly stood up and went to his side. She hugged him and he put his arms around her.

"We've made some progress…" Sakura said quietly trying to lift the heavy atmosphere. Everybody looked at her; all were clueless. "Well… we've… umm… we've taught Yamazaki… umm… the pet name?" he smiled a little. Everybody sighed and looked away. It took them three weeks to teach Yamazaki how to use a pet name? Wow. Big improvement. Yeah. Uh huh. Sure. Need more approving words? Oh, one more? Nice.

"Face it guys! I haven't got a romantic bone in my body…" Yamazaki stared at his shoes worriedly, "Speaking of which-" everybody was ready to yell at him once again, "I don't deserve Chiharu…" whew! For a minute there they thought he was going to start again. Poor Yamazaki.

"Yamazaki-kun…" Sakura sympathized. Sakura put on a determined face, "You shouldn't say that! Chiharu loves you! I know it, you know it, we all know it! Onengai… you mustn't give up now… we've come a long way already! I know you can do it! Just believe in yourself…" Sakura's voice was slowly getting softer…

Yamazaki looked up to see Sakura's pleading eyes… He felt something tug his heart. Chiharu… he thought determination seeping into his system once again. "What are we staring at each other then? Aren't you going to teach me?"

Sakura brightened up together with the rest of the room. Eriol cleared his throat and started to enumerate once again what Yamazaki should do in a date. Yamazaki paid expensive attention to him. Sakura watched them with a smile, Syaoran suddenly appeared beside her. Sakura smiled at him. "You did a great job back there, angel…" Syaoran whispered staring at her in that sexy manner. Sakura immediately blushed in response she felt him leaning closer to her. Sakura's eyes were now focused on Syaoran's nearing lips, "Syaoran-kun…" she breathed. Syaoran kissed her gently then gradually deepening it… Sakura couldn't help the moan that escaped her lips as her hands found their selves entangling with Syaoran's hair as Syaoran's arms tightened around her waist, a hand running up and down her back… They were so engrossed with each other that they didn't notice that the other three were already staring at them.

Eriol looked slightly disgusted and partly jealous (because he can't do the same with his girlfriend) as he told Yamazaki, "That Yamazaki-kun, as you can see, is the most effective way of kissing a girl…"

Yamazaki rolled his eyes and stared at Eriol then said acidly, "I'm not that hopeless Hiiragizawa!"

Eriol had to laugh but in the process pulling Tomoyo down on him so she would sit on his lap instead of the arm of the sofa. He then kissed her, the same way Syaoran was making out with Sakura.

Yamazaki's frown deepened, "Great! Now my so-called mentors are having mush fest in front of me! All those lectures about dates and romantic-ness must have mounted too much testosterone! And I got a story about the origin of making out too!" he glanced at the couples, "Never mind… like they'd listen…" Yamazaki muttered standing up to get away from the two couples that were making-out like there's no tomorrow…

____________________

"I haven't seen Yamazaki lately…" Chiharu commented with a concerned frown. She was with Rika and Sakura at cheerleading practice. Tomoyo was nearby holding her video camera as usual, still filming Sakura.

"Sakura-chan… doesn't he hang out with you often? I always see you guys in the library…" Rika commented innocently turning to Sakura.

"Hoe?" Sakura's eyes widened. They've kept from everybody else about Yamazaki's on going `being-a-romantic-lecture'. It could get embarrassing if the whole school knows that Yamazaki was studying those kind of things since they were supposedly naturally there… besides this was high school after all, who knows how twisted that little piece of information can get?

"He's been hanging out with you Sakura-chan?" Chiharu asked looking a little puzzled.

"A-anou… hai…" Sakura mumbled looking down at her shoes

Chiharu remained quiet, studying Sakura's reaction. "Oh."

Rika looked back and forth at Sakura and Chiharu. She noticed how Chiharu's blank stare was starting to change ever so slowly into a glare. Sakura was still squirming for an unknown reason… and Rika could only guess what Chiharu, the girlfriend, would think about her friend hanging out with her boyfriend more often that her boyfriend hangs out with her… so much that they don't get to see each other anymore… Rika could only guess… so she decided to clear up some things, "What were you guys doing?" she asked in a light tone.

"We were- uhh… studying…" Sakura mumbled still looking down at her shoes.

Rika continued looking at the two. Obviously that excuse was overused and the way Sakura said it didn't make it any more convincing. If ever she wants to improve on that `delivery' she should really work on her posture then work her way up to `not stuttering'. She was squirming like she was hiding something and stuttering like she wasn't telling the truth. Chiharu wasn't blind not to see that…

Before Rika could even think of another way to lighten up the mood and stop Chiharu's sharpening glare a whistle signaled them that practice is about to start. Rika was more than thankful (but at the same time resentful) for the interruption.

____________________

The cheerleading practice had just finished and Sakura had hurriedly gone to the shower room. She was the first one to come and she was the first one who left. With all those years of practice hurrying so as not be late she had successfully avoided the crowd effectively avoiding Chiharu.

"You were fast today Sakura-chan…" Tomoyo commented as they walked home from school to Yamazaki's house.

"Hooeee… I was trying to avoid Chiharu-chan!" Sakura sighed exhaustedly, "It took a lot of energy too…"

"Why were you avoiding Chiharu?" Tomoyo asked.

"Anou… she had been asking about Yamazaki…"

"And?"

"Rika said she had seen him hanging out with me… a lot…"

Tomoyo blinked. "Of course! You were coaching her because you knew Chiharu better! You knew how she would want him to act if ever… not to mention you were trying to build his confidence regarding being a romantic…"

"Chiharu doesn't know that…" Sakura bit her lower lip, "I think that she's jealous of me…"

Tomoyo was visibly shocked, "But you have Li-kun!"

Sakura just sighed.

"Besides… you? You could never do that! Ever! You'd probably be the one who'd give up the guy for your friend! You'd never steal someone from anyone! You're never selfish!"

"Tell that to a loving, longing heart… who is currently blinded by jealousy…"

They already reached Yamazaki's house and Sakura pushed open the door after ringing the bell once. Yamazaki had given them the permission to come in and go as they like even without ringing the bell or knocking… at least after school while they were still doing the `Operation Yamazaki Gets Romantic'... as he would call it.

"We're here!" Sakura announced pasting on a cheerful smile.

"Hey…" Syaoran quickly stood up to help Sakura with her bag, "How's your day?"

"The usual…" Sakura smiled a 'thanks' to Syaoran as she sat down tiredly on the coach, "Exhausting cheerleader practice…"

Syaoran placed an arm around her shoulders, "That's all?"

Sakura raised an eyebrow at him, "Hai… should there be anything else?"

"I don't know…" Syaoran shrugged, "How about telling me why you're upset?"

"Upset?" Sakura's smile faltered for a minute but she placed it back on cheerful than ever, "I'm not upset!"

"Don't lie to your boyfriend Sakura-chan…" Syaoran playfully touched her nose, "Especially to your boyfriend who became your partner in card capturing, in a school play and even played the girl at that, who shared an infatuation with the same guy as you, your boyfriend who calls your so-called guardian `stuffed animal', your boyfriend who is a direct descendant of Clow Reed himself and who knows you better than an open scroll about the Li Clan…" Syaoran enumerated easily.

"Isn't that supposed to be `you know me better than an open book'?" Sakura asked blinking.

"I changed it a bit… after studying the scrolls about the clan all my life I would have surely memorized them by now, right? It seemed like a better metaphor to use… more appropriate." Syaoran quipped with a small smile then it changed to a frown. "That's not the point, though… you're changing the subject…"

Sakura giggled, "You're just a tad bit more talkative today…"

Syaoran smiled at the sound of Sakura's laugh. Then he glanced at Tomoyo, "Care to tell me what's upsetting my angel?"

"Chiharu's jealous of her…" Tomoyo pulled a way slightly from Eriol embrace, earning a low growl at tickled Tomoyo's neck… since he was getting busy there just before Tomoyo decided to push him away just a bit.

"NANI????" and enraged cry came from the kitchen, "Chiharu's jealous of who?" it was Yamazaki.

"Sakura…" Tomoyo replied fully expecting the reaction.

Yamazaki's jaw dropped to the carpeted floor. "That is part of the plan isn't it? I mean… making Chiharu enraged and jealous wouldn't affect my relationship with her for the worse… would it? That was part of the lecture thing, right? You guys planned that so I can easily practice my newly acquired skills on her… right?"

Tomoyo looked at Yamazaki plainly, still enfolded in Eriol's strong arms. Telling him more than words could tell. Like, `no it wasn't a plan', `are you crazy? How would an enraged jealous Chiharu have a good effect in your relationship?' and, `newly acquired skills? What kind of phrase is that? We're teaching you how to be a romantic! Not how to do cartwheels and jump a few meters high and other `skills' so you can save the world…'. Of course, Tomoyo didn't say that all out loud, she just stared at Yamazaki.

"Demo… Sakura has me…" Syaoran frowned a bit.

"Sakura had said and I quote: `Tell that to a loving, longing heart… who is currently blinded by jealousy…'"

Eriol whistled shaking his head gently, finally letting his arms fall from their place around Tomoyo, "That was poetic and unbelievably accurate…"

"I agree this is trouble…" Syaoran sighed deeply, his hands playing with Sakura's hair absentmindedly.

Sakura just watched them… "Gomen nasai…" she murmured filling the silence that had just came upon the room.

Syaoran looked at Sakura gently, "No need to apologize angel… you didn't do anything wrong… we'll just have to teach Yamazaki better and faster… nothing to worry or be sorry about…" Syaoran gently cupped her chin giving her one of his rare smiles… Sakura couldn't help but smile back.

"Will you guys stop getting all romantic!!! You're supposed to be teaching me! Not practicing it on each other!!! You always pick this time to have a mush fest when you're supposed to be working with me!" Yamazaki shouted, his voice had that `lunatic' tone in it.

They all stopped and stared at him, blinking at his outburst. He was right. They slowly disentangled themselves from each other and concentrated their full attention to Yamazaki.

"Gomen Yamazaki-kun…" Sakura apologized after clearing her throat.

Yamazaki pouted. "Iie… I was just- scared I guess… Chiharu was already mad at me! You have to understand… even if her cakes are a bit repulsing…" a stern look from Tomoyo made him stop to consider, "Fine… they're… tasty… but don't tell her I told you that!"

"Yamazaki-kun!!!" Sakura half-whined, "You're supposed to be romantic here!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah… I get it…" Yamazaki sighed then pulled on a serious face, "Let's get serious!"

"Shall we start then?" Eriol smiled. Yamazaki nodded.

"Okay… what flower is the most romantic on a date?" Eriol quizzed. Yamazaki opened his mouth. "No it's not that odorless flower from the Philippines called Gumamela." Eriol interrupted.

"I was going to say rose…" Yamazaki answered dryly.

"Oh… that's right then!" Eriol beamed at him.

"My turn! What kind of date is considered the most romantic one?" Tomoyo asked.

"Candlelit." Came Yamazaki's prompt reply.

"How many candles should there be?" Syaoran asked quite suspiciously.

"One to three, right?" Yamazaki smiled innocently. Once he had told them this tale about hundreds of candles in different sizes, colors and styles in a totally dark room with the tons of flowers on that stand thing that they usually use on funerals was the definition of `candlelit date' in some place. "And no flowers on stands…" he added a little sheepishly.

"You're getting better Yamazaki!" Sakura cheered. "Okay now you have figured out what to say to Chiharu right?"

"Uhh…" Yamazaki fidgeted, "That candles are from ancient-" they gave him a look and he stopped abruptly.

"Baka! You're supposed to tell her she's beautiful!" Syaoran said with his customary frown.

"Oooohhhh…" Yamazaki nodded looking very enlightened, "Ask her if she's wearing a new dress or if she had a haircut and stuff, right? Then tell her that everything's beautiful, right?"

"Yes. You're getting it…" Syaoran sighed.

The lecture went on, Yamazaki saying the right answers or seeming like such an innocent dumb jerk who can't even spell `romantic'.

"Yamazaki spell romantic." Eriol suddenly piped up causing everyone to turn to him.

Yamazaki blinked, face blank. "Umm…" he gulped and looked around him seeing faces with wide eyes (probably form disbelief) "r-o-m-a-n… uhh…" they were all staring intently at him, waiting for him to continue, "r-o-m-a-n-n-t-i-c-k?" he said uncertainly with a smile. Everybody sweat-dropped. "Nani??? You were all looking at me like the spelling was so complicated… so I thought it was complicated…" he tried to reason out as Syaoran started ranting loudly again in Chinese.

____________________

More jealousy encounters later… The group was now discussing the don'ts in a date.

"Just one thing Yamazaki. NEVER START A TALE!" Syaoran said, danger glinting in his eyes.

Yamazaki gulped and nodded meekly.

Sakura nudged Syaoran to make him lighten up. Syaoran took the hint and cleared his face. "Syaoran you scared him." Sakura whispered.

"Gomen." Syaoran apologized lowly.

Eriol sighed and tapped Yamazaki's shoulders. "Just remember what we have studied and you'll live through this." He said solemnly. Yamazaki's eyes turned almost-crazed.

Tomoyo's eyes widened and she suppressed a giggle. She kicked Eriol's shin, Eriol winced but didn't make a sound. "Poor choice of words, dear."

Eriol smiled, a crooked pained smile but a smile nevertheless.

Sakura cleared her throat and piped up cheerfully, "So you ask her out for a date this weekend, everything's okay right?"

Yamazaki nodded, still looking cautiously at Eriol and Syaoran.

____________________

After another week, the group had gathered again in Yamazaki's room for the last lecture.

They quizzed him and even prepared a practice date for him and a Chiharu doll for that last lecture. Yamazaki aced it, he tried to start another wives' tale for only three times and he immediately stopped himself.

"Yamazaki just do what you did on our practice date and I'm sure Chiharu will love you!" came Sakura's enthusiastic encouragement.

"Just remember don't tell lies!" started Sakura.

"That means no long tales too… even if they are true…" added Syaoran.

"Remember to compliment her…" said Eriol

"Don't say anything bad about her." Said Tomoyo

"Generally just pamper her and make her feel good." Sakura synthesized.

"Oh and give her the roses before the date." Tomoyo added.

"And kiss her goodnight." Eriol finalized.

"Don't mess up the kiss, okay?" Syaoran kidded getting a playful shove from Sakura and a laugh from Eriol and Tomoyo.

Yamazaki remained serious though. "Got it."

____________________

The next day, at lunch break, Yamazaki rushed to the group with a big smile on his face, "Chiharu said yes! We have date!"

Sakura smiled, "Great! When?"

"Tonight…" Yamazaki replied excitedly.

"So… you got everything planned right?" Tomoyo asked

Yamazaki nodded eagerly "Yup. Every little detail of it."

"Remember everything we told you." Eriol reminded.

Yamazaki was already skipping away happily. "Of course! You guys be there, alright? It's at the fast food chain!"

They all choked on their food.

"Fast food chain?" Sakura repeated panicking, "The fast food chain?"

"Shit! We forgot to tell him about the place of the date!" Syaoran suddenly blurted out.

Tomoyo started to panic too "We did not! How could we?"

"There's not use arguing about that now… he's already invited her!" Eriol said anxiously.

"But if we tell Yamazaki about it now…" Sakura suggested gesturing wildly.

Eriol shook his head, "Chiharu already thinks it's at the fast food chain."

"We could say that he has a surprise first!" Tomoyo piped up looking hopeful.

"Forget it guys! This is Yamazaki's date, let him do the decisions…" Syaoran stated firmly.

"He's right…" Eriol nodded.

They all sighed looking hopeless, praying everything would work out fine.

Tomoyo took a deep breath, "Let's just-relax… he told us he had every detail planned right?"

They looked at each other and nodded uncertainly.

"Let's just trust him." Sakura whispered worriedly.

____________________

Later at the date itself:

The group sat on their usual corner. They were all fidgety and worried about how the romantic date will go. They had worked hard for months and even though they doubted that Chiharu would really leave Yamazaki just the mere possibility of it made everything there so serious and tense.

"God, I hope everything turns out alright…" Sakura mumbled glancing at the door.

Everyone nodded mumbling incoherent words of agreement as they all glanced at the door anxiously waiting for Chiharu and Yamazaki.

When the door swung open, Yamazaki walked in with Chiharu on his arm. She was blushing and giggling at something he was whispering to her.

The group abandoned all fidgeting and concentrated on eavesdropping.

Yamazaki pulled Chiharu's chair as they sat at the corner table, a single red rose was in a slender vase at the middle of the table, beside a lighted candle. Step one was done. This was it. The date has officially started.

Yamazaki tried to calm down his heart as his mind raced through the steps that he had engraved in his mind. Thanks to my friends and few whacks on the head. Yamazaki added dryly in his head, Hey! That was funny! I've got to tell that to Chi-he opened his mouth to say that joke, Chiharu leaned closer noticing that he was about to say something and the eavesdropping group held their breath as Yamazaki starts the conversation. Then Yamazaki remembered that `joking around' wasn't part of the `Yamazaki gets romantic' plan. Besides Chiharu didn't need to know about all the lessons he had to go through, yet. He had to give Chiharu this one serious and romantic date… then maybe he could get back to his old self. He swallowed down the joke and closed his mouth again. But Chiharu was still waiting for him to say something and was starting to look puzzled when he closed his mouth. His mind raced again, trying to think about something to say. His first thought was to create a tale about red roses on romantic tales but he remembered that it was out of the plan too. Great… he bit his tongue and asked Chiharu if she was comfortable instead. The first rule was to make Chiharu feel that he cared for her.

Chiharu beamed at him and nodded. "This is really nice Takeshi…"

He just sat there in front of a made-up Chiharu. The candle `light was illuminating her face', stars shone in her eyes, the curve of her lips were-umm, his mind went blank. Shit! I need another nice object to cite so I can tell her how pretty she looks… he smiled at Chiharu, concealing his inner turmoil. Chiharu smiled back, "Thank you for asking me out today Yamazaki." She looked down, blushing a little, "To be honest I was getting worried you didn't want to be with me anymore."

Yamazaki raked his brain, looking through his lessons checking if they had discussed anything that would help him answer back that comment.

He gulped when he came up empty-headed, ahm, handed. Fucking shit… god almighty help me please! He took a deep breath and opened his mouth to say something. Chiharu bit her lip waiting expectantly to what he was going to say. Yamazaki was very tempted to launch into a story but he remembered Syaoran's menacing eyes Never ever tell a tale… it was haunting him, giving him nightmares, making his head pound. He could imagine Syaoran wringing his head after this date and Eriol stomping down at his body. He was sooooooo going to screw up. Then he remembered Sakura's voice trying to calm him down and encourage him. I need help… he whispered inside himself as he smiled at Chiharu again, she was starting to look weirded out…

The rest of the group were trying to inconspicuously watch what was going on with the date.

"She's blushing! She's blushing!" Tomoyo whispered squinting her eyes to see more, "Is that a good thing?"

"What did she say?" Sakura asked watching Chiharu's lips move.

Syaoran and Eriol were intent on watching Yamazaki's moves.

"So far so good. He hadn't spilled anything and from the looks of it he hadn't started a tale either." Eriol whispered.

"I hope he'll loosen up, he's really stiff" Syaoran commented.

"Yeah its so obvious, I just hope Chiharu doesn't notice." Eriol agreed.

"Or that she will find it `cute'." Syaoran muttered.

Eriol turned to him, "Cute?"

"Yeah. Sakura giggles a lot and tells me I'm cute when I'm really uncomfortable. I don't know whether to be annoyed or flattered." Syaoran shrugged.

Eriol paused and thought for a minute. Then he nodded, "Yeah, I know what you mean, Tomoyo likes to film me and yells `kawaii' all the time when I'm this close to melting with all the squirming I'm doing."

The two girls were glaring at them. They felt it.

The two guys looked at each other, muttering uh-oh's in their heads as they turned towards the girls to report how nice the date was going and to pamper them with romantic words, phrases and I-love-you's. The girls conceded and calmed down then told they weren't that stupid to always fall for all nice words.

Back to Yamazaki.

He took a deep breath and resorted to telling Chiharu how pretty she was. "Chiharu I should have taken you to a date like this a long time ago. The light is illuminating her face, I could see the stars shining in your eyes, and the curve of her lips are-" he fumbled, "A sight to behold."

Chiharu blushed again and giggled. "Thank you Yamzaki."

Yamazaki breathed a sigh of relief. He was safe. He discreetly glanced at the table where the guys and girls were. They nodded to him encouragingly and he felt himself tense up even more.

After eating. Chiharu excused herself from the table to go into the bathroom. Yamazaki pulled her chair out for her and the moment she was out of sight. He ran towards the group and asked them how he was doing.

"Great!"

"Keep it up!"

"Relax a bit though…"

"How was the conversation?"

"Umm… okay…" Yamazaki's eyes were wide. He was going to have a breakdown if he didn't calm down.

"Stop thinking too much… you can't even remember how smooth you were."

"Smooth. Be smooth. That's the secret of being romantic"

"Have you told her she's pretty?"

"Hundreds of times already!" Yamazaki blurted out. He was getting tired of repeating it over and over again. It was starting to sound insincere to his tired ears

"We love it when we're being pampered."

Yamazaki rolled his eyes, with the tension in his body he was ready to burst. "Yeah. But doesn't she get tired of it? Does she still believe it after the first fifty times? It's getting really annoying to hear it over and over and over and over and over again!!!" He sat down. This date was a very big deal. The whole group helped out and he didn't want to ruin everything for everyone. This was the reason he doesn't listen to teachers and just stuck with telling stories. The anxiety was killing him.

"Oh my God!!! Chiharu's coming out now! Quick run back there!!!" Sakura pushed Yamazaki away.

Yamazaki confusedly sprinted back to the table and tried to compose himself and look cool as he watched Chiharu's smiling face drift towards the chair in front of him. He smiled and decided to pour Chiharu a glass juice instead of telling her she looked pretty coming out from the washroom. He must not have been concentrating on what he was doing, not that the task was that complicated but the pressure must have fried his brain, because the juice that was supposed to go into the glass went straight to Chiharu's lap. It took five seconds for the table here and there to realize what had happened. "Oh shit!" Yamazaki said panicking with the tissues.

"Oh shit…" Syaoran and Eriol shook their head.

"Gahh…" Chiharu stood up, wide-eyed as the cold sticky juice seeped to the silk to her skin.

"Gah…" Sakura and Tomoyo grimaced.

"I am sooooo sorry…" Yamazaki apologized almost coming down to his knees to try and repair the damage.

Chiharu looked at Yamazaki and saw his expression. She laughed. "It's okay Yamazaki. I'll just go the comfort room again." She walked away, looked back then winked, "I'll be back"

Yamazaki grinned/grimaced and once she was about to turn to the comfort room he rushed back to Sakura's table.

"Sakura!!!!!" he wailed, "What am I going to do????"

"It's okay…" Sakura shushed him, "Relax. Breathe. Breathe. Count with me. One. Breathe. Two."

"I don't have time for that!" Yamazaki cut her off. "What? What?"

"Stop panicking!" Sakura looked at the others for help but everybody looked stumped.

Yamazaki went don't on his knees, "Sakura! I'll do anything! I'll be anything! Please just-" he stopped when Sakura's eyes widened and she wasn't looking at him. He looked at his back and saw an angry Chiharu. He quickly stood up and prepared an explanation in his head only to have it thrown out of him by a hard slap in the face.

"Asshole." Chiharu spat out near tears. She glanced a dagger, er, a big sharp two-meter sword-knife at Sakura and left the restaurant. Sakura's table and Yamazaki were speechless. That's what's so funny with life. One screw up messes the whole good stuffs completely. The rest of the people at the diner just went on eating and joking and laughing and doing their own business. They were used to that group's noise.

It has been over a week after that incident and Chiharu still hasn't talked to Yamazaki. And Yamazaki spent those days sulking around, against the advice of Sakura, Syaoran, Tomoryo and Eriol. "You guys helped enough already." Yamazaki had said in a blank voice. The group didn't know he meant that in a good way or in a bad way. Nevertheless they didn't bring it up or push any harder. Chiharu was probably the only one who could cure him.

"We should talk to Chiharu." Sakura whispered looking at nothing.

"You should but she'd probably walk away." Syaoran nodded once.

"Or scratch her." Tomoyo added with a little grin.

Sakura looked at them, "We have to do something."

"Maybe we don't." Eriol replied looking out the window of the otherwise empty classroom they were in.

Tomoyo, Syaoran, and Sakura came and looked out with him. They could see Yamazaki sulking under the tree. And Chiharu was approaching him.

"She's isn't going to pick up a fight with him, is she?" Sakura asked worriedly.

"Let's just watch." Eriol said firmly and glanced at Sakura almost apologetically, "They need to let it out anyway."

So the eavesdropping group just watched, with the help of a little magic they heard them too.

Yamazaki didn't even notice Chiharu approaching him. He was too busy being said to care about the world. Chiharu was his world and she's gone. Yeah, all the romantic bullshit and mushy crap. And yes Chiharu was approaching him.

"We need to talk." A familiar voice rang out to Yamazaki's consciousness.

He looked up and saw an angel. "Chi-ha-ru…-san" he added quickly when he saw Chiharu's not very amiable face.

"You…" Chiharu breathed trying to control herself, "give me a headache."

Yamazaki looked down, feeling hurt but hopeful at the same time. If she was willing to talk then that was a good thing. The problem was he was never actually good at talking… seriously that is.

Chiharu stared at Yamazaki, "You better start talking before I walk away."

"What do you want to know?" Yamazaki looked up to Chiharu, he panicked and his voice came out a raw and harsh with genuine emotion, a first.

Chiharu raised an eyebrow, "Why were you at Sakura's table?"

"I was asking her something."

"'Sakura! I'll do anything! I'll be anything! Please just-' doesn't sound like a question to me."

"You came in at the later part of the conversation."

"Later part? Conversation? We were on a romantic date for Christ's sake!!!" Chiharu was about to go on but she breathed in deep again, "Why in the world was she there in the first place?"

"It was… part of the plan…"

"Huh. Plan?" Chiharu bit back.

"Y-eah."

"Plan to what? To ditch me and get with her? I thought that girl has Syaoran! Or are you the one pushing yourself to her? Damn it, you were on your knees practically begging her, promising her yourself for-"

"You got it all wrong Chiharu."

"Let me quote you again `Sakura! I'll do anything! I'll be anything! Please just-'"

"It was all for you!"

"Huh?"

"I would anything for you. I'll be anything for you! If could, I tried, honest to goddest I tried and I failed. Failed so miserably that I just think now that… maybe I don't deserve you okay?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You were mad at me when you left the restaurant about a month ago? I dunno, so many things have happened already. The guys told me to do what you said-be more romantic with all the chariots in the roman times, cut off my great tales that I use to fill in boring conversations… They gave me lessons, and it felt kind of like I'm to live in Hanalililuwow island-in-the-middle-of-nowhere and I have to learn all the customs and traditions and laws there! Well… except the group taught me all the things about being romantic. The candles, roses, kisses… damn they were just using that as an excuse to make out in my living room. Then I asked you to that date, remember? I screwed up with the setting but how was I suppose to know a fast-food place wasn't romantic!?!" Yamazaki looked so distraught Chiharu was tempted to laugh. Her good old Yamazaki, cutting off his long stories to bite sized fun facts in the middle of his confession/explanation. "So I got you there told you you were pretty about a million of times-"

"You didn't mean that?" Chiharu butted in.

"Yeah I did, the first couple of times but the next times I just didn't know what to say. Romantic dinners are so stressful! I don't know why people don't drop dead and die of heart attack in the middle of it! God knows I almost did."

Chiharu couldn't suppress a small giggle. Yamazaki looked at her and felt hope shine through him. She had laughed with him or at him or whatever. God is good! God is real! Go God!!!

"I just panicked and when you went to the comfort room I asked them for advice. That was why they were there. That was why I was at their table. That was why I was on my knees begging Sakura. She was the most approachable of them all." Yamazaki concluded putting on a serious face, the kind of face where you still couldn't see his eyes, just slits, but nevertheless as serious as Yamazaki's face could be. "Chiharu I'm sorry but this is just me. I can cut down the stories maybe but I don't think I can ever learn to be romantic."

Chiharu stared at Yamazaki knowing the guy was serious, sincere and ready to die any minute now. "I believe you. It was all for me huh?"

Yamazaki nodded.

"You went through all that just for me."

"You're my world. You're my angel. Of course I'd go through all that for you. Besides Eriol and Syaoran were really cramping my style."

Chiharu grinned. "You really don't need to change. I love you. I loved you for your stupidity, call me an idiot but I did. You can still call me an idiot. I might get a little insecure because yeah, Eriol and Syaoran are like near perfect boyfriends."

Yamazaki: sad face.

"But know what? You're perfect for me!" Chiharu smiled and hugged Yamazaki. He hugged her back. "Hey! Know what? I don't like being told I'm pretty a dozen times, gets boring and annoying. Once in a sincere while will do. And what you said before, that was nice… a little romantic."

"Which one?" Yamazaki asked in the middle of acting normal and nonchalant and excitement.

"You called me your angel and your world."

"Really? I heard a tribe in the southern-" Chiharu's eyes stopped him, "Okay. I just got that from a movie. Wouldn't it have been more fun and romantic to hear my story, though?"

"Whatever Yamazaki!" Chiharu smiled and leaned against him, "I love you stupid."

"You really are an idiot for loving me angel." Yamazaki sighed and Chiharu giggled. Yamazaki was starting to feel a lot better than he did about a month ago, "I love you too."