HEAVEN KNOWS
(a prologue to Hope)

She's always on my mind
From the time I wake up
Till I close my eyes
She's everywhere I go
She's all I know

"Oh dear,it's that girl again,right,lil bro?"One of Li Syaoran's sisters interrupted his thoughts.

"Go away!"He snapped.

She grinned devilishly."I knew it!You're in love!"

"Do I have to spell it out for you? G-O-A-W-A-Y!Leave me alone!!"he furiously shouted at her.

"Hey girls! We're having a sister-in-law soon!"she called out to their other siblings. "Fantastic!" "Cool!"

"Somebody actually liked our brother?"

Everyone but the boy burst into giggles.

He rolled his eyes.PIcking up his portable radio,he left his sisters who were laughing their hearts out.

"Imagine,we'll have an MIJ member in the family!"the eldest said.

"MIJ?"asked Li.

"Made in Japan!"everybody cracked.

He angrily stomped out of his room that his sister trespassed."I hate to leave your marvelous company but I need peace and quiet!"he told them sarcastically.

Outside he saw his mother who was obviously eavesdropping on her children's conversation.She smiled at him knowingly.

He felt his face burn in embarassment.His sisters ganging up on him is one thing,but his own motherjoining the forces of evil..

Syaoran walked out of the house.The problem is,there are too many women in the house!They are ruining his brain,destroying his ear drums,trying his patience..

He took a deep breath,enjoying the gust of wind minus his sisters' perfume.Finally he got rid of all those troublesome women for the moment. Or did he?

He can still see in his mind a pretty girl with emerald eyes and hair the color of rich earth whose sunny smiles brighten up his days.

He sat down on a makeshift swing set he built just days ago.Somehow he feels this place will serve as the memorial of that never-to-be forgotten day when Yukito rejected his feelings and that girl turned to him for a shoulder to cry on.

My friends keep telling me
That if you really love her
You gotta set her free
And if she returns in time
I know she's mine

"Is this seat taken?"a voice said from behind.

He nooded."Go ahead,Meiling."

His cousin sat down on the other swing."You really miss her,don't you?"

He groaned."Oh no!Not you too!"

"Huh?"She looked puzzled.

"Join the club.My mother did."he said.

She laughed."But it's the truth!"

"Is not!She can marry Hiragizawa for all I care!"Syaoran told her angrily.

"Of course you would.After all,she is the girl you love the most.."her voice shook.

He glanced at her cousin worriedly."H-Hey.."

She looked up at him,beaming."Don't worry about me!She deserves you much more than me."

He fell silent.Yesterday,Meiling told him she broke their engagement already.He was shocked,to put it mildly.But she told him it's unfair for both of them to be miserable for the rest of their lives because they aren't spending their lives with the ones they rightfully love.

"Hello?Anybody there?"Meiling waved her hand infront of the boy's face.

"Huh?!What?" She let out an exasperated sigh."Lovesick people are hopeless!I said,let's go on a vacation in Japan!"

He almost fell off his seat."A VACATION IN JAPAN?!"

"Man,Syaoran!You make Japan seem like a country of cannibals with the tone of your voice!What is so shocking about a country you've stayed in for almost a year?"she teased.

"Knock it off!You know the reason why I don't want to return to that place!"Li said crossly.

"Oh yeah,because Sakura didn't-"began his cousin but he interrupted her."I said,knock it off!!"

She stood up in a huff."Gee,you're so grouchy!I'm not going to allow myself to be shouted at like this."

His face softened."I'm sorry.It's just that she loves Yukito too much to notice me..and she only considers me as a friend and nothing more.She..."he paused.

And all the time I act so brave
I'm shaking inside
Why does it hurt me so?

"...can't reciprocate what I feel."he finished.

"You're afraid of getting hurt,is that it?"

He turned to her,dumbfounded."I..I guess I am."

"But don't you think she's worth the risk?Why can't you try fighting for your love?"she demanded.

"Because I'm a coward."he mumbled.

"No you're not!"Meiling shouted,then looked at him in the eye."On second thought,maybe you're right.You are a coward.Isn't it amazing you're not afraid of catching all the clow cards or facing Eriol and his minions,but you can't get your act together to tell someone you care for her."she said before leaving Syaoran stunned.

Minutes later,Syaoran buried his head in his hands,confused."Sakura Kinomoto,you're driving me crazy!"

Damn!He loves this girl so much it hurts!His mind is screaming her name and his heart is longing to be with her.

He suddenly remembered their old times:from the first day they met in school,when they captured the thunder card;the cave,the Sleeping Beauty play,the arrival of Eriol,the teddy bear,the elevator,the shrine,the swing..

"Sakura,Sakura,Sakura.."He didn't realized he was calling her name out loud already.

Meiling,his sisters and even his mother watched him with smiles on their faces.They looked at each other meaningfully.

All of a sudden,Syaoran stood up to go in his house.He has a plan.

"I'm going to Japan."he decided with finality.


CARD CAPTOR SAKURA THE MOVIE 2 BEGINS