Chapter 49.5: Words We Couldn¡¯t
Say
(Christmas Story Prequel)
Li
Syaoran, former Chosen One of the notorious Li Clan of
Meanwhile,
his next-door neighbor was a former thief-turned-classmate, with the pseudonym
of Mizuki Kai. In fact, his ex-criminal neighbor was probably the greatest
source of nuisance to Syaoran. Not only did the former Thief of the Night
insist upon blasting hard rock music on his 5.1 surround sound speaker system
in the still middle of the night, but he also seemed to think Syaoran¡¯s
apartment was his second home, casually dropping in and out for mealtimes every
day. Somehow, Kai always knew when Syaoran had prepared a meal, and popped up
from the kitchen window with his pet parrot. Today, his naturally white parrot,
named by Meilin ¡°Perro-chan,¡± sported a crimson Mohawk. Leaning back on the
chair and tapping his foot impatiently, Syaoran glared at Mizuki Kai who like
every evening invaded his kitchen during dinnertime. Not only was Kai a
freeloader, expecting Syaoran to cook and feed him, but he never stayed long
enough to do the dishes.
Helping
himself to another bowl of rice as usual, Kai stated, ¡°How come you¡¯re not
eating? The vegetable stir-fry is delicious! Then again, I think you should
have some meat—we¡¯ve had vegetable all week. I¡¯m getting sick of it.¡±
Containing
his irritation, Syaoran said through gritted teeth, ¡°If you¡¯re getting tired of
my food, why don¡¯t you make your own meals?¡±
¡°Arf
arf!¡± echoed Wolfie-chan, yapping at Kai¡¯s ankles.
Kai
jumped up on the chair and swatted at the puppy with a rolled up newspaper. ¡°Shoo,
shoo.¡±
¡°Grrr¡¦¡±
Wolfie-chan growled.
¡°Syao-kun,
get this beast away from me,¡± Kai yelped, sunglasses skewed. ¡°Anyway, you know
I can¡¯t cook for the life of me. No matter what, Syao-kun¡¯s cooking is the
best, next to Mei-chan¡¯s. So now, good doggy. That¡¯s right. Good boy. Go back
to daddy.¡±
Wagging
its tail, Wolfie-chan trotted back to Syaoran¡¯s seat and jumped up onto its
master¡¯s lap. Absentmindedly, Syaoran petted the puppy¡¯s head.
Resuming
his meal, Kai asked, ¡°Anyway, has something been on your mind? You¡¯ve been
flipping through your account book and sighing a lot lately.¡±
Slant-eyed,
Syaoran remarked, ¡°Since when have you been so observant of my behavior? Is it
a new pastime?¡±
¡°Nay,
my friend. Only following Mei-chan¡¯s orders and keeping an eye on you,¡± Kai
replied, setting down his chopstick next to his clean bowl of rice and patting
his stomach. ¡°When she was here, Mei-chan was concerned about my constitution
and insisted upon feeding me a healthy portion of protein every day. She¡¯ll cry
when she finds out I¡¯ve been living on grass for the past weeks.¡±
¡°Ew!
Ew!¡± screeched Perro-chan.
¡°Heh,
then we can have fermented beans tomorrow,¡± Syaoran said crossly.
¡°Really?
I like fermented beans,¡± Kai declared brightly. ¡°Beans have iron in them, which
is good for replenishing red blood cells and¡¦¡±
Turning
green, Syaoran mumbled to himself, ¡°I forgot this is the guy who can drink spoilt
milk without realizing it has gone bad.¡±
¡°Mei-chan¡¯s
doing fine back in
¡°Uncle
Wutai?¡± Syaoran repeated in ill-hidden contempt. ¡°He¡¯d be pleased—he¡¯s been vying for that position for at least a
decade now.¡±
¡°On
top of that, the Inner Council needs to nominate a new candidate as the Chosen
One,¡± Kai said, looking up at Syaoran expectantly, over the bridge of his
sunglasses. ¡°Meilin told me not to say this, but you do know that your name has
been stricken from the Book of Li, don¡¯t you?¡± There was a deliberate pause.
¡°That¡¯s
nothing unexpected. Anyway, you seem to know a lot about the internals affairs
of the Clan,¡± Syaoran finally remarked, pretending to be disinterested.
¡°Well,
aren¡¯t you worried about it? With everything going on at the Clan; it was bad
timing, the Great Elder falling ill, you forfeiting your title, the global
economy in a decline, the busy holiday season coming¡¦¡± Kai trailed off, unable
to decipher Syaoran¡¯s expression. He¡¯s
shocked, definitely, yet he¡¯s taking it better than I expected. At least
pretend to be interested in what I¡¯m saying. ¡°You didn¡¯t even tell Sakura
yet, did you? That you¡¯re no longer the Chosen One.¡±
¡°That¡¯s
not important,¡± Syaoran replied, twirling a pen around his fingers and crossed
out the figures on a notepad. ¡°What¡¯s important is that I chose to remain here.
And I told Sakura so.¡±
¡°So¡¦
That¡¯s not what you were worrying about?¡± An eyebrow quirked and Kai leaned
back on his chair, stretching out his long legs.
Believe it or not, family matters are the
last of my worries these days. Good riddance, how does that former thief seem
to have so much leisure? Syaoran said, ¡°Kai, this is an odd question
to ask a thief, but where do you get your daily living from? You¡¯ve returned
most of the jewels you¡¯ve stolen, and hopefully you haven¡¯t sold the Five Force
treasures.¡±
¡°Ah,
I see now!¡± Kai clapped his hands together. ¡°Money problems! Why, did mommy cut
your allowance again, because she¡¯s mad at you for not coming home?¡± He
snickered, mimicking Syaoran, ¡°¡¯I only
joined the Best Couple Contest for financial reasons.¡¯¡±
¡°No,
it¡¯s not a matter of docked allowance,¡± Syaoran replied grimly. ¡°They¡¯ve cut
off all my credit cards and suspended my
¡°Ouch,
that¡¯s harsh,¡± Kai commented. So, the Elders were serious about punishing
Syaoran, after all. ¡°The Li Clan¡¯s loaded. No need for them to be so stingy.¡±
¡°I
need to find a job I guess,¡± Syaoran said, crossing his arms. When would he
find the time? He was already overbooked. And he was sure Sakura and her
friends would laugh, if they caught him working at the ice cream parlor,
wearing a pink and white shirt with a red ribbon around his neck. Not that this
was a time to be vain. If they thought he would return to
¡°You
can join the business—you did a fair imitation of the Kaitou Magician last
time,¡± Kai stated, whipping out a rose and throwing it up the air. The petals
showered down, then transformed into a top hat which landed on Syaoran¡¯s head. ¡°Code
name Kaitou Wolf.¡±
¡°Very
funny. I thought you¡¯ve retired from your ¡®business,¡¯¡±
Syaoran said, snatching off the top hat and picking out a red petal from his
tea disdainfully.
¡°Dear
Syao-kun, from what I¡¯ve seen in life, those who try to earn a living through
earnest means to do not get very far. All their life, they struggle, soak in
sweat and toil, but what for? It is always those who use crooked means, if not
blatantly dishonest, that survive in the end,¡± Kai stated, his cross-shaped
earrings glimmered. ¡°Fraudulence enables you to survive, never honesty and hard
work.¡±
¡°So,
how do you earn your living, besides thieving?¡± Syaoran asked dryly. ¡°As a con
artist or something?¡±
¡°That¡¯s
a simple question,¡± Kai stated. He slipped out laptop and placed it on the
table, facing Syaoran.
Skeptical,
Syaoran eyed the blue screen full of charts and graphs. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±
¡°Stock
market!¡± Kai replied as a matter of fact.
Coughing,
Syaoran demanded, ¡°That¡¯s it? You invest in stocks, and that¡¯s how you have
enough money to buy an apartment on your own, travel around the world and buy
all those ridiculous videogames?¡± Why am I
not surprised to learn that Kai would feel no guilt about living off others¡¯
losses?
¡°Excuse
me—the only means of surviving in this capitalistic society is through
investment and vision; it takes talent to do well with stocks,¡± Kai stated,
cracking his knuckles. ¡°And maybe this pro can teach you the knack of buying
and selling stock and analyzing the quarterly trend.¡±
¡°No
thank you,¡± Syaoran said. ¡°I think I¡¯ll stick to my honorable means of earning
a living, futile may it be. I don¡¯t plan to invest what little earnings I have
in my account for a venture that may collapse the next day.¡±
¡°So,
you think stocks are too complicated?¡± From his sleeve, Kai conjured up a stack
of cards, which he shuffled magnificently mid-air, then deftly caught them on
the palm of one hand. ¡°How about trying your hand in gambling? One lucky deal,
and you can secure yourself for the next decade. Viva
¡°Or
you can end up on the streets without a stitch on,¡± Syaoran muttered. Stupid of
him to ask Kai for advice. Either way, he had to pay the apartment rent, the
electricity bills and phone bills, not to mention the cost of groceries and
basic necessities. Furthermore, holiday season was approaching, and he wanted
to save up enough money to buy Sakura a nice present, yet at this rate, he
would be broke. He definitely needed to find a job.
Not
heeding to the fact that Syaoran was no longer listening, Kai rattled on, ¡°Or
you can work at a host club.¡± He leaned over the table and stared intently at
Syaoran¡¯s face. ¡°Even I acknowledge you¡¯re a bishounen, and ladies pay well at
host clubs, especially for such a cute boy like you. Of course, you can always
try your luck with modeling—that¡¯s a little harder. You might not make if far
because of the fierce competition, unless you go into the underground business
and—¡±
¡°Shouldn¡¯t
you be getting back?¡± Syaoran sighed, having reached his extent of tolerance
with Kai.
¡°Nah,¡±
Kai scoffed. ¡°I can stay for desert. Or you can try car racing— you put on
quite a show in Tokyo with the police cars chasing you—and the F1 models are
super hot, and if you gain popularity¡¦¡±
¡°There
will be no desert tonight,¡± Syaoran interrupted, eyebrows twitching in
irritation. ¡°Maybe I should start charging you for all the meals you freeload
off me. That will be a start.¡±
¡°Perro-chan,
it¡¯s time to go back!¡± Kai said, jumping up far too readily. ¡°Let¡¯s go back and
do some math homework!¡±
¡°Oui oui!¡± Perro-chan replied flapping
after its master.
¡°Finally
some peace,¡± Syaoran muttered, leaning over on the kitchen table after he heard
the door click. ¡°I guess it¡¯ll be the ice cream parlor after all, nee, Wolfie-chan?¡±
¡°Arng¡¦¡±
Sympathetically, Wolfie-chan rubbed his wet nose against Syaoran¡¯s hand.
¡°The
striped shirt is bad enough, but I really hate the red tie and matching visor,¡±
lamented Syaoran. ¡°Though I guess I¡¯m not in the position to complain.¡±
******
The
next day, Syaoran, one time foreordained future leader of the Li Clan, immediately
began his first job search in the real world.
¡°Excuse
me, is it necessary to wear that hideous pink-and-white striped shirt?¡± Syaoran
politely asked the manager of the 100 Flavors Ice Cream Parlor.
¡°Do
you want the job or not?¡± the manager barked back.
A
bell rang at the door, and Sakura, Tomoyo, and a bunch of their girl friends
entered the store.
¡°Ah¡¦
no¡¦¡± Syaoran replied hastily, ears turning red.
¡°Look!
It¡¯s Li-kun!¡± Chiharu exclaimed.
¡°Syaoran!¡±
Sakura waved, smiling. ¡°Did you come here to buy ice cream? Did you try the new
Strawberry Marshmallow Cloud Deluxe?¡±
¡°Eh?
Yes¡¦ Igottago¡¦¡± Syaoran dashed out of the store, leaving everyone puzzled.
¡°What¡¯s
wrong with him?¡± Miho asked, licking her orange flavored sherbet.
¡°He
used to do that a lot,¡± Sakura murmured, gigging as she licked her cone. ¡°I
thought he finally got over that habit.¡±
Holding
up her camcorder, Tomoyo stated, ¡°I¡¯ve more clips of him dashing off the scene
like that than making a cool appearance.¡± Tomoyo didn¡¯t particularly think the
ice cream parlor uniform was flattering; if Syaoran was searching for
employment, she hoped that he might as well find a place with a nice uniform.
Or maybe she could custom make him one.
Next,
Syaoran tried the local fast-food restaurant, Happy¡¯s. Their manager was rapid-talking, very excitable and
sprayed spit when he spoke. Carefully, Syaoran stepped back. This was a job he
wanted even less than the ice cream parlor job. It demanded long work hours,
was low-paying, and the kitchen reeked of cheap corn oil.
¡°You
can start working anytime!¡± the amiable Happy¡¯s
manager declared. ¡°We¡¯re always short of workers around this time of the year.¡±
Trying
his luck, Syaoran asked, ¡°And do I have to wear that hideous
red-and-white-checkered shirt?¡±
¡°Of
course, it is our uniform!¡± the manager declared.
From
a corner of the restaurant, Syaoran heard a familiar, haughty voice, ¡°And you
won¡¯t guess what Eron told me! He said that I can¡¯t date you because you¡¯re a
college student and too old for me! How old-fashioned! It¡¯s like he¡¯s my
grandfather or something, not my twin!¡± A girl and a guy burst into laughter.
¡°Oh
no,¡± Syaoran muttered, looking around rapidly for an exit. Good, Erika hadn¡¯t
noticed him yet—she was completely absorbed with a tall guy with glasses and a
pile of books.
¡°Here¡¯s
your shirt!¡± the manager said, thrusting a putrid checkered red shirt at
Syaoran¡¯s face. ¡°You can get changed and start working right away!¡±
¡°Ah,
I¡¯m sorry¡¦ I¡¯ll think about it,¡± Syaoran stammered, before rushing out the
backdoor.
¡°Eh?
But this beautiful uniform is free!¡± the manager exclaimed, waving it in the
air.
Syaoran
had a bit more luck at the convenience store. The owner was friendly and very
sympathetic.
¡°Nope,
there are no uniforms. The dress code is pretty relaxed here. A neat, clean
appearance is all that is required,¡± the owner stated. ¡°And the hours can also
be negotiated. The work shouldn¡¯t be too difficult; basically I would need you
to help with moving boxes, shelving, and managing the cashier. Hopefully, you
are proficient in accounting.¡±
¡°Math
is my favorite subject at school,¡± Syaoran replied. Finally a decent job!
¡°Great!
You can start working right away. Kinomoto-kun! Show the new part-time worker
around,¡± the owner called out to a tall young man stacking up cartons.
¡°Kinomoto?¡±
Syaoran¡¯s eyes rounded. No way¡¦ Out of all places! ¡°Ah, excuse me¡¦
Please let met think over this job. He bowed, then rushed out of the store. Out
of all places, Kinomoto Touya had to work at the convenience store! And here he
was, thinking that he finally found a decent job. So much for that!
Several
blocks away, Syaoran could finally catch his breath. He sighed; so much for
finding a job. What bad luck he had. Maybe he should just put aside his obstinacy
and return to the ice cream parlor.
Walking
out of the bakery, Yukito, carrying a cake box and a bag of pastries, spotted a
gloomy Syaoran. ¡°Li-kun, what are you doing here?¡±
¡°Good
afternoon, Tsukishiro-san,¡± Syaoran said sighing. He wondered how Yukito could
always look so happy. If only food could cheer him up like it cheered
Yukito-san.
¡°Are
you worried about something?¡± Yukito asked, tilting his head in concern.
Well, it¡¯s worth a try. Yukito-san knows a
lot about the job market, for he¡¯s had quite a few jobs over the past years. ¡°Actually,
I¡¯m looking for a part-time job, but I haven¡¯t had too much luck so far,¡±
Syaoran admitted.
¡°I
see. But you must already be overloaded with schoolwork, soccer practice, and
volunteer service at the hospital,¡± Yukito said, munching on a meat bun.
¡°Tsukishiro-san
and Kinomoto-san could handle multiple part-time jobs when you were in high
school,¡± Syaoran said.
¡°Let¡¯s
see¡¦ But I didn¡¯t have any extra-curricular activities back then¡¦ though we did
help out a lot in various activities. Touya did soccer too, now that I think of
it. Well, he was saving up money to buy a motorcycle. And I just took jobs
because Touya did. It¡¯s kind of funny how similar you are to Touya, now that I
think of it; he was always top of class and soccer captain too.¡± Yukito smiled.
Not to mention overly protective of Sakura.
At
the suggestion of any remote similarity between Touya and himself, Syaoran
scowled.
¡°I
know. There¡¯s a suitable job for you.¡± He fumbled around in his pocket for a
business card. ¡°You might want to try here.¡±
Syaoran
took the business card and read it. ¡°La
¡°Yes.
It¡¯s really selective in choosing waiters. But the wage is good, and the
working conditions are suitable. And you can only work in the evenings, right?
It¡¯ll fit your schedule,¡± Yukito replied. ¡°Actually, I work there right now, so
I can speak in your favor to the manager.¡±
¡°That¡¯ll
be great,¡± Syaoran said eagerly. This was better luck than he had bargained
for. ¡°Thanks a lot, Tsukishiro-san.¡±
¡°Any
time, Li-kun,¡± Yukito replied. He dug into his white paper bag for another meat
bun. ¡°Do you want a meat bun?¡±
¡°No
thank you.¡± Syaoran shook his head politely. The best way to show his
appreciation was to let Yukito-san enjoy his food.
Looking
rather relieved, Yukito bit into the steaming white bun with the seasoned,
juicy meat oozing out of the sides. He licked his lips. ¡°Food always cheers me
up!¡±
The
manager of La Seine was a menacing, plump man with a curling moustache,
and a booming voice. ¡°How old did you say you were, kid?¡±
¡°My
name is Li Syaoran, and I¡¯m¡¦¡± Syaoran stared at his feet; luckily, he wasn¡¯t
wearing his school uniform. With camel-beige woolen half-coat over dark brown
trousers and a beige cashmere scarf casually swung over his neck, he looked
older than a junior high student. ¡°I¡¯m a senior in high school.¡± He could pass
for one; he was tall enough.
¡°Eh,
you don¡¯t look 18,¡± the manager said, twirling his moustache. ¡°What work
experience do you have?¡±
¡°Umm¡¦
Modeling. Babysitting¡¦ Professional mercenary¡¦ Bodyguard, violinist, actor,
math tutor¡¦¡± Syaoran mumbled, still staring at his feet.
¡°Eh,
what did you say?¡± the manager asked, picking his ear.
¡°Uh¡¦
None,¡± Syaoran said, louder.
¡°Humph.¡±
The manager circled around Syaoran. ¡°You¡¯re good looking enough. Well, we¡¯ll
put you on trial for a week. Be prepared to be dedicated and civil. Remember we
are a restaurant of reputation and dignity, and we must always please the
customers. You can get started right away. Tsukishiro-san, show Li Shoaling to
the kitchen.¡±
¡°Li
Syaoran,¡± Syaoran corrected
underneath his breath. ¡°Oh, are there uniforms?¡±
¡°Uniforms?¡±
the manager snickered. ¡°You won¡¯t be needing no uniform yet.¡±
The
first night, Syaoran was stuck washing all the dirty dishes, mountains of
greasy dishes which didn¡¯t seem to diminish, as well as carrying out the trash
and mopping up the kitchen after working hours.
¡°Where
are the clean silverware?¡± barked the manager. ¡°Li-kun, hurry up with the
dishes!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t
they have dishwashers?¡± Syaoran grumbled, scrubbing harder. He had never seen
more dirty dishes in his life. This was worst than when his four sisters made
him wash all their clothes by hand when the laundry machine was broken.
¡°Do
I hear someone complaining?¡± questioned the manager asked, raising a bushy
eyebrow.
¡°No
sir, everything is washed,¡± Syaoran said, proudly presenting the neat, gleaming
stacks of dishes and bowls.
¡°Good,
now go sort the trash and take them outside,¡± the manager.
¡°Disgusting,¡±
Syaoran muttered, tying the smelly plastic bag and lugging the heavy load
outside to the dump. ¡°Is this really what I have to do to earn money?¡±
¡°It¡¯s
always hardest the first week,¡± Yukito said, patting Syaoran¡¯s back
sympathetically. Yukito was a waiter, so he hadn¡¯t been able to supervise
Syaoran as much as he would have liked to. ¡°It gets better.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
Syaoran said flatly. He reeked of the kitchen, his hands felt numb from all the
scrubbing, and since he hadn¡¯t eaten dinner, he simultaneously felt hungry and nauseous
from the stink of rotten garbage.
Syaoran
concluded that Yukito must have been kidding when he said the first day was the
worst. The next evening was definitely worse—he started off by being 5 minutes
late for his shift, because he had to run from after school soccer practice.
¡°You¡¯re
late, Li Shouting!¡± barked the manager. ¡°For every minute you are late, your
pay with be docked 5%.¡±
Soon,
Syaoran was put to doing more dishes. He was already exhausted from soccer
practice and suffered from sleep deprivation since he had to stay up all late
last night to study for the Japanese composition test today. It was probably
not his fault that one of the waiters collided into him while he was holding a
soapy dish, which slipped from his hand and shattered, but the manager blamed
him anyway.
¡°Li
Showa! Wage docked another 5% every time you break a dish!¡± the manager
shouted. ¡°Now pick up the pieces before somebody steps on it!¡±
The
other employees snickered.
Who
knew that working at a restaurant would be this hard? Syaoran wiped his sweaty
brows with the back of his sleeve.
¡°It¡¯s
just a threat. He doesn¡¯t really dock 5% of your wage,¡± Yukito whispered in
reassurance to Syaoran, helping him sweep up the shattered china. ¡°It¡¯s only
3%.¡±
As
if the day could get any worse, Syaoran heard a sickeningly familiar, high and
mighty voice. ¡°Actually, for most employees who work here, they¡¯re lucky if
they can retain 50% of their wage in their first month.¡±
¡°Touya,
you made it after all,¡± Yukito said, handing Touya a white apron.
Tying
on his bow-tie for the La Seine waiter uniform, Touya replied, ¡°Yeah,
the seminar at the hospital ended earlier than expected.¡±
Of course, why didn¡¯t I suspect before?
Syaoran thought darkly, sulking behind the sinks. If Yukito was working here, that
person would definitely be too. Speaking of the worst of luck.
¡°Brat,
what are you doing here?¡± Touya asked, finally having noticed the miserable
soap-splattered boy who was sending venomous glares his way.
¡°Li-kun
started working here since yesterday,¡± Yukito replied. ¡°When you had shift at
the convenience store.¡±
¡°Oh
yeah, I quit that job,¡± Touya said. ¡°It was too much to handle, and this job
has a higher wage per hour.¡±
¡°Li-kun,
are you feeling okay?¡± Yukito asked, walking over to Syaoran. ¡°You look rather
blue.¡±
¡°Heh,
don¡¯t tell me the Brat is really
working here?¡± Touya snickered, crossing his arms. ¡°Is he the delivery boy or
something?¡±
¡°Actually,
I introduced him to this job as a waiter,¡± Yukito admitted sheepishly. ¡°I thought
you would be quitting this job, not the convenience store one.¡±
¡°That¡¯s
right. If I knew you would be here, I would never have taken this job,¡± Syaoran
stated defiantly, stepping back.
¡°Li-kun!
Watch out!¡± Yukito called out. It was too late. Syaoran had bumped into a high
stack of plates near the edge of the table, and they all came crashing down.
¡°LI
SHENDONG!!!¡± shouted the manager.
With
the manager¡¯s chiding, Kinomoto Touya¡¯s malicious laughter, and shrieks of
remorse and amusement from the waitresses, Syaoran wanted to crawl into the
dumpster and simply cease to exist.
When
Syaoran returned home, he was greeted with Kai lounging on the couch as if it
were his own living room, munching on a bagful of microwave popcorn, which he
had messily spilled everywhere. Wherever he walked, Syaoran heard the crunching
of corn kernels underneath his slippers.
¡°Where
have you been these days? Why are you coming back so late?¡± Kai asked, looking
up, throwing up a popcorn in the air and catching it in his mouth. ¡°Eww¡¦ You
smell of grease.¡±
¡°Get
out of my house,¡± Syaoran said darkly, kicking aside a popcorn at his foot.
Kai
winced. ¡°Ouch. Got out of the wrong side of the bed this morning?¡±
¡°I¡¯m
warning you, I¡¯m not in the best of moods right now, especially after dealing
with him,¡± Syaoran said, kicking off
his shoes and tumbling towards his room. Still smarting from the humiliation
and degradation in front of Kinomoto Touya, he threw his soiled clothes into
the laundry basket, which was overfull—he didn¡¯t even have time to do laundry
anymore. ¡°Why is there color laundry in the white linen basket?¡± he muttered,
holding up a black boxer with red heard over it. Again, his expression
darkened. Kai¡¦
When
he came out of his room again, in even worse humor, Syaoran asked dryly, ¡°You
still here?¡±
¡°Aren¡¯t
you making dinner?¡± Kai asked, pouring the rest of the popcorn in the paper bag
into his mouth.
¡°It¡¯s
¡°Yeah,
and I¡¯m hungry,¡± Kai replied, wiping a crumb from his mouth. Crumbs dropped on
the carpet.
Syaoran
was about to snap, but realized that his stomach was rumbling.
Quarter
of an hour later, the two were eating tofu and eggplant lo-mein, watching TV on
the couch.
Slurping
up the noodles contently, Kai asked, ¡°Did you get a job?¡± Only Syaoran was able
to conjure up such a delicious meal in 10 minutes.
¡°Yeah,¡±
Syaoran replied.
¡°It¡¯s
tough, huh?¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
¡°Should
have listened to my advice,¡± Kai said, setting down his plate and leaning back
on the couch. ¡°People do crazy stuff for money. Because in this society, you
can¡¯t survive without money.¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
Syaoran found his stir-fry noodles rather unappetizing after spending all
evening in the kitchen. He hadn¡¯t started on any of his homework in four
subjects. Plus, articles deadlines for journalism class were approaching, and
he didn¡¯t even have a topic. Wolfie-chan jumped up to the sofa and licked his
plate clean.
¡°You¡¯re
not much of a conversation-maker tonight,¡± Kai commented, staring at the
flashing images on the television screen.
¡°I
guess,¡± Syaoran replied. He usually wasn¡¯t, anyway. The Elders had trained him
to obey wordlessly, and speak only when spoken to, and even then, only politely
and concisely. That¡¯s why it was so awkward when Sakura initiated all her
little, light-hearted chatter, like that first time they had a real
conversation, by the seaside on the school trip back in fifth grade.
¡°A
beginner magician is taught that skill comes with endless practice and
endurance. But success comes with thinking outside of the box, using charm,
beauty and the clever play of words,¡± Kai said, absentmindedly shuffling a deck
of cards with one hand.
¡°Well,
if you¡¯re finished eating, why don¡¯t you go back now?¡± Syaoran said crossly,
mostly because he was tired.
¡°Don¡¯t
overwork yourself. It¡¯s not worth it,¡± Kai replied, not offended.
¡°I¡¯m
not sure if it¡¯s because of what Meilin said, but you really don¡¯t have to be
overly concerned about my business,¡± Syaoran said.
¡°Don¡¯t
worry, I¡¯m not,¡± Kai said, getting up and scattering all his cards over the
carpet. ¡°It¡¯s just that when I look at you, I¡¯m reminded of a certain foolish
boy who thought he could solve all the problems of the world with his own two hands.¡±
It¡¯s strange. I should be more tired, but I
can swear that Kai looks ever more worn out than me. Syaoran
reflected, in his drowsy state. Can¡¯t
help wondering if it¡¯s mental or physical strain¡¦ ¡®Aren¡¯t you lonely living by
yourself?¡¯ Sakura had asked, that one night years ago by the seaside. She
looked at me with such inquisitive green eyes, so sincere, and I felt a warmth
that I never felt before. That¡¯s right, I don¡¯t even have time to be lonely
anymore. That would probably be thanks to Wolfie-chan, and that wretched boy
who needs more guidance than even myself.
¡°Truly,
when I look at you, Mizuki Kai I feel like my problems are quite trivial,¡±
Syaoran chuckled.
¡°My
sister will despise me, my mother won¡¯t recognize me, and I will only loathe
what I¡¯ve become—that is what my future holds,¡± Kai murmured, leaning against
the doorframe. ¡°You are very lucky; you know what you want, and you have chosen
to stay by her side over all else, to protect her with all that you have.¡±
Kai
was a surprisingly considerate guy at times, Syaoran realized. Albeit he didn¡¯t
pick up his cards before leaving.
******
By
the fifth day, Syaoran was no longer dropping any plates, and the manager was
not shouting at him every five minutes. He had learned to obediently do his
duties quickly and efficiently without complaining. So that he didn¡¯t have to
sacrifice sleeping hours, he learned to do his homework at school, during break
times, and he bought school lunch, so that he didn¡¯t have to wake up earlier to
make lunch. Luckily, Aki had been busy with basketball tournaments, so that
journalism club meetings had rather been lax lately. And as the soccer team
captain, Syaoran ended practice earlier now, blaming the cold weather. Still,
students complained that practices became twice as vigorous as usual, though it
ended half an hour earlier.
¡°Eh,
Tsukishiro-san couldn¡¯t make it today?¡± the La Seine manager demanded to
his employees. ¡°He was sent on an errand by some doctor? Then, we¡¯ll be short
on waiters tonight.¡± He looked around the kitchen with birdlike eyes. ¡°You.¡±
Syaoran
continued mechanically scrubbing the dishes in scalding hot water. There was a
silence in the kitchen. Then he looked up and around him. ¡°Me?¡±
¡°Yes
you. Li Shawping.¡±
¡°Syaoran.
Syao, the character for ¡®small¡¯ and Ran for ¡®wolf,¡¯¡± Syaoran corrected
half-heartedly.
¡°Put
on Tsukishiro¡¯s uniform. You¡¯ll be serving tonight,¡± the manager said.
¡°Eh?
But the only experience I have as a waiter is during school cultural day when our
class hosted a café,¡± Syaoran protested.
To
his relief, Syaoran found that waiting on tables was a lot easier than doing
chores in the kitchen. Balancing five dishes and seven drinks on the tray was
effortless compared to some of the training he had to undergo in the Li Clan.
The only difficult part was the occasional picky guests who took ages ordering,
canceling orders and spilled food all over the table.
¡°You
boy, smile more,¡± the manager said scowling. ¡°With that kind of expression, you¡¯ll
scare all the customers away. Be courteous and polite, respectful and humble.¡±
¡°You
don¡¯t happen to know the Elders, do you,¡± Syaoran muttered.
¡°Excuse
me?¡± the manager peered at Syaoran. ¡°And don¡¯t mumble to your self. Project,
and remember, smile!¡±
¡°Yes
sir,¡± Syaoran said, carrying out the dishes laden with food on a tray with one
hand.
¡°Don¡¯t
drop the food!¡± the manager called out.
¡°Don¡¯t
worry—this is a lot easier than balancing a log with a bucket full of water in
each hand,¡± Syaoran replied.
¡°Weird
boy,¡± the manager murmured. ¡°It¡¯s strange how all the female customers love him
and all the male ones are very wary of him.¡±
¡°Annoying
brat,¡± Touya muttered, swearing revenge upon Yukito for introducing Syaoran to
this job. Yukito just wanted to put us
together, I know it. To see my reaction.
¡°What
took you so long?¡± demanded a balding man dressed in a blue striped suit dining
with a lavishly dressed, plump lady.
Syaoran
set the food on the table quietly.
¡°I
bet the food is cold already,¡± the man continued, picking at his pasta with a
fork.
Without
bothering to reply, Syaoran headed over to serve the drinks for the next table.
¡°What
an impudent boy!¡± drawled the lady. ¡°I love his scowl though.¡±
Disdainfully,
the man poked at his pasta again. ¡°What is this? Is this seafood marinara
pasta? I ordered seafood carbonara
pasta! Hey boy, explain this!¡±
Eyebrows
twitching, creasing his brows, Syaoran said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you clearly
ordered seafood marinara sauce, not carbonara.¡±
¡°What
are you talking about? I distinctively remember ordering cream sauce, not
tomato sauce,¡± the man retorted, setting down his fork. ¡°I demand that you
bring what I ordered.¡±
¡°This
is what you ordered,¡± Syaoran
repeated, restraining irritation. Were all customers like this?
¡°That
rude, impolite waiter!¡± the man declared, voice rising. ¡°I¡¯m going to complain
about him to the manager. I refuse to eat this!¡±
The
famous temper finally erupted, and Syaoran burst out, ¡°Fine then, if you don¡¯t
want to eat it¡¦¡±
Before
Syaoran could finish his sentence, Touya came up behind him and kicked him in
the shin. Grabbing Syaoran¡¯s head, Touya made him bow over. ¡°I apologize for
the waiter¡¯s mistake. He¡¯s new, so he doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯s doing,¡± Touya
apologized hastily. Together, they bowed low.
¡°Humph.
I demand for him to be fired at once! He dared to talk back to a customer,¡± the
man stated, crossing his arms in satisfaction, glaring at Syaoran.
¡°It
wasn¡¯t my fault,¡± Syaoran hissed, struggling under Touya¡¯s iron grip.
¡°Bow
down lower,¡± Touya said through gritted teeth. ¡°And apologize sincerely. It is
not your place to complain.¡±
¡°But—¡°
Syaoran was cut off.
¡°Do
you want to lose your job?¡± Touya demanded. He bowed to the man and woman
again. ¡°You can count that dish on the house. If you still want the carbonara
pasta, we will have the chef prepare it right away.¡± He glared at Syaoran. ¡°Apologize.¡±
Reluctantly,
Syaoran bowed down and said through gritted teeth, ¡°I am sorry for my mistake.
I¡¯ll bring in your order of seafood carbonara pasta right away.¡±
¡°Humph.
It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll just have this.¡± The man sniffed.
¡°Again,
I apologize on behalf of this new, ignorant waiter,¡± Touya said one final time.
Trembling
to subdue his infuriation, Syaoran followed Touya to the kitchen.
¡°Are
you an idiot, talking back to a customer like that?¡± Touya demanded, once they
were out of earshot. ¡°What do you think you are, the Emperor of Japan?¡±
¡°I
told you it¡¯s not my fault!¡± Syaoran retorted. ¡°I did not hear wrong; that man
is lying.¡±
¡°I
know it¡¯s not your fault,¡± Touya said shortly.
Choking,
Syaoran sputtered, ¡°Then why—¡°
¡°As
a waiter, the customer is the king, and if they said you made a mistake, then
you made a mistake. Just swallow it and accept it. You can¡¯t go around in the
real world, thinking that you are always right, and that everything has to be
your way,¡± Touya replied. ¡°Idiot; you¡¯re just showing your ignorance.¡±