Chapter 3: Ingredients

A few days passed and Sakura's father had announced that he wanted to make them all a big dinner. Tomoyo and Yukito both had been invited. Ecstatic to eat her father's fine cooking and see Yukito, Sakura offered to go to the market to buy all the ingredients. She was practically skipping through the street, saying hello brightly to everyone she caught eyes with.

Sakura was thankful her ankle had finally healed. It had been difficult, but she had stayed off as best as she could. It paid off too! She was feeling good as new. She opened the market door and happily said hello to the shop owner. Taking her list from her pocket, she began to collect the ingredients.

Upon doing so, she wasn't paying attention to where she was going and ran smack into another person. She heard the "oof" and the many thuds from the person's belongings falling to the ground.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry!" Sakura cried, dropping to the ground to collect everything.

"Would you watch where you're going?! You could have broken the glass phials!"

Sakura froze, her hand clasping onto a small phial that thankfully had not broken. That voice.

She hesitantly rose her eyes to meet none other than Syaoran. For some reason, God liked to make her embarrass herself every time she was around him. She gulped.

"I-I'm sorry, doctor. I-"

"Wasn't paying attention? Obviously. God, you're such a nuisance," Syaoran scoffed and snatched the phial from her hand before stomping off.

From the ground, she watched him leave with tears forming in her eyes. Why was he just so mean?

"Are you all right, miss?" another customer asked her, giving her a kind smile. Sakura looked up into their face and held back her sniff.

"Yes, thank you." She stood and adjusted her skirts to finish shopping. This time, with her spirits very low. She left the market dragging her feet and was still trying not to cry.

Now she knew for a fact that he hated her.

When she arrived home, she was thankful for the silence. Toya was out with Yukito and her father was at the school. She could wallow in self-pity all alone. She slowly began putting away the groceries. She had never had someone hate her before. She was kind to everyone and they were in return. It had always been like that her whole life. Maybe it was because she had never truly met someone outside of Tomoeda before. Sure, she had said hello to travelers and they had got on well enough. However, they would leave and with them, the need to communicate further.

Ever since she had met him, she had done nothing but cause problems. Maybe she needed to give up.

"But… if anyone can make someone open up, it's you Sakura." Yukito's words returned to her and she clenched her fists. She wasn't sure if Yukito was right. Perhaps the doctor was just destined to not have friends.

Sighing, she grabbed her empty basket to put it away but was caught off guard by a small container of what looked to be a root. She picked up it and eyed it, reading the label to be, "Valerian Root." Frowning to herself, she stared at it.

She hadn't bought this. Or at least, she hadn't meant to.

Gasping, she almost dropped the bottle at the realization. "Oh no!" her face turned bright red and she stomped her feet. "It's the doctor's! I must have accidently taken it when I ran into him!"

That meant that she would have to return it to him. She'd have to. What if a patient of his had been relying on it? Grumbling to herself, she pocketed the container and put her basket away.

"Stupid doctor. Stupid Sakura," she continued to grumble as she left the house. "Stupid, stupid, stupid."

"Oh, hey Sakura!"

With a scowl on her face, she snapped her daggered green eyes up but immediately recoiled when she saw that who it was. "Y-Yukito!" She quickly changed her expression into a smile, her cheeks blushing at the sight of him. "I thought you were out with Toya."

Yukito came to a stop in front of her, a heavy bag of food in his arms. "He had to take care of some business. I just went to the market to buy some groceries. I want to make your family something for tonight. You all have always been so nice to me."

Sakura couldn't control the love that swelled up inside of her at his words. He was so thoughtful and kind! "T-That's wonderful Yukito! I can't wait to see what you make!"

Yukito placed a hand at the back of his head with an embarrassed smile. "Thank you Sakura. What are you up to?"

Sakura's smile dropped from her face at the reminder. "I-I ran into the doctor at the market earlier and accidently took one of his ingredients home with me. I wanted to return it to him. I was worried it might have been important."

Yukito looked over in the direction of the doctor's office. "Oh, well that's nice of you. Have you become friends yet?"

"God, you're such a nuisance!" she heard the doctor's voice in the back of her head.

"Ahehe… not exactly."

Yukito gave her a reassuring smile. "Well, don't worry. It shouldn't take much longer. Just keep smiling at him Sakura. I'm sure he will come around!"

Sakura blushed at his compliment. "I-I hope so, Yukito."

"Well, I will see you tonight! I can't wait!" he said with a wave. She waved back then exhaled.

All right. Here goes nothing.

She marched up to the doctor's door and knocked on the door before she lost her courage. No one answered. She frowned. He wasn't there?

Sakura heard footsteps from behind her and she turned, seeing him there with a package in his arm. Frightened by his sudden appearance, she pressed herself back against the door. "Hoeee! Doctor! You scared me!"

He just glared at her and continued walking to his door. Coming to a stop in front of her, he turned his angry eyes on her face, sending a chill down her spine. "Move. You're in the way."

Sakura hastily jumped out of the way. She watched as he unlocked the door and as she tried to follow him inside, he cut her off by slamming the door in her face.

"All right, I deserved that," she muttered. She had slammed it in his face once before. Frowning, she knocked on the door.

"I'm closed!" she heard him shout.

Doctor's never close, she thought to herself. He is just being a meanie. She hesitantly opened the door anyways and walked in. She saw him over by his desk and he spun around, scowling at her.

"Do you not know how to listen? I am closed for right now. Get out."

Shaking in her shoes, she pulled the container out of her pocket and walked over to him. Looking up into his angry face, she shoved it into his chest. "I-I accidently took this home with me!"

Syaoran looked down at the container and sighed, swiping it from her hands. "Fine, now get out. I'm going to be expecting a patient soon."

"I thought you were closed?" she questioned after she got her wits back, but her hands were shaking promptly in front of her.

"I am right now. I won't be five minutes," he stated, crossing his arms over his chest. "So, if you're not injured or sick, get out."

Sakura felt hot tears spring to her eyes, not understanding his hostility towards her. Of course, she had made a few embarrassing mistakes, but it hadn't been anything to warrant his treatment of her. "Why do you hate me so much?" she whispered to him, hanging her head and staring low at the ground. She couldn't bear to see his furious amber eyes any longer.

Without saying a word, she heard him move across the room. She chanced a glance up at him and realized that he had left, disappearing into a random room in the building. Not being able to take it anymore, she ran out of the office and didn't stop running until she was safely inside of her bed with the covers pulled over her face.

She cried and cried, not able to stop seeing those hateful amber eyes.

Oo0oO

Later that night, Sakura opened her swollen eyes and realized she had fallen asleep. Hearing voices downstairs, she shot up from her bed. Yukito and Tomoyo were there already! How long had she been sleeping?!

Quickly, she threw on her dinner dress and fixed her mussed-up hair. She ran down the stairs and tried to compose herself as she walked into the dining room.

Tomoyo and Yukito were setting the table and Toya and her father were in the kitchen preparing the meal. "I'm so sorry! I fell asleep!" she cried, feeling horrendously guilty for not helping.

Tomoyo gave a smile from where she stood, wearing a cute purple dress. "It's all right, Sakura. Are you not feeling well?"

Sakura shook her head. "I'm okay, don't worry."

"You sure did sleep for quite a long time," Toya commented as he walked into the room with plates of food in his hands. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Sakura nodded, trying to reassure them all. She put her hands up with a wide smile. "I promise, I'm all right!"

"Would you like to help set the table, Sakura?" Yukito asked her and she blushed at the sight of him.

Nodding happily, she ran over to him and took the silverware. "I'd love to!"

Soon they were all gathered around the table and eating happily. Sakura had forgotten about the doctor for now and was enjoying spending time with the people that she cared most about. Who needed the doctor to like her anyways?

"Your eyes look a bit puffy, Sakura. Have you been crying?" her father asked out of the blew and Sakura placed her fingertips to her eyelids.

"Oh! No, I'm just tired is all!" She lied, giving him a smile. It seemed to make him relax for now, but Sakura wasn't sure how convincing she sounded.

After dinner, she and Tomoyo offered to help clean up afterwards. "It's the least I can do since I wasn't able to help with making dinner."

Toya snorted. "It's a good thing too. You're a disastrous cook!"

Sakura huffed up to her brother and promptly stomped on his foot. "Oof!" he grabbed his foot and rubbed it. He hadn't been wearing shoes.

"For a lady, you sure do stomp hard," he commented. She growled at him, forgetting herself. Then she spotted Yukito smiling at her. She flinched and quickly composed to herself into a what a lady should look like. Sweet and innocent.

"Ahehe…"

When everything was all clean, Tomoyo and Sakura made them all tea and they gathered in the sitting room to enjoy each other's company. It was at that moment, that her night of splendor ended.

"So how did your meeting with the doctor go this afternoon, Sakura?" Yukito asked her innocently. She felt everyone's eyes turn to her.

"Doctor?! You said you were okay!" Tomoyo asked her, alarmed.

Sakura placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm okay. It was just a mistake. I ran into him, literally, at the market this morning and accidently took home one of his ingredients. I had to go and return it to him."

Tomoyo looked relieved and Sakura smiled at her, appreciating the concern.

"I thought I told you to stay away from that guy, Sakura?" Toya narrowed his gaze at her.

"Why? Has something happened?" her father asked, looking between the two of his children.

Sakura looked down guiltily. "Well, I was trying to become his friend. I am worried he doesn't have any since he moved here, but I don't think it's going to work out between us. Today, he made it clear that he doesn't like me. In fact, I think he hates me."

Everyone stared at her with concern.

"What makes you say that, Sakura?" her father asked her.

Tomoyo sniffed. "How could anyone hate you, Sakura?"

Yukito frowned. "I honestly thought if anyone could be friends with him, it'd be you."

"You don't need to be friends with that guy. He's a complete loser." Toya was always the cheerful one.

Sakura sighed. "Any time I am around him, he seems angry. He won't talk to me properly. He has a habit of always disappearing when I ask him questions. I don't understand him and now… I think I'm going to give up."

Yukito and Tomoyo both looked sympathetic for her, which she appreciated. Her father was in thought. Toya, on the other hand, looked suspicious.

Once everyone was gone for the night, Toya pulled her aside before she could walk up to her bedroom. She looked up at him, startled by his grab on her shoulder.

"If that doctor does anything to you, I want you to tell me right away. Okay?"

Sakura stared up into Toya's bright brown eyes and felt the protection of her older brother. Feeling warm inside, she gave him a smile.

"I promise I will, Toya. Thank you."

He nodded and let her go. Once she was up inside of her room, she let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. She looked up at her empty room with contempt. Her eyes brimmed with more tears, but she held them back.

She shouldn't cry over the doctor. Honestly, she didn't know why it bothered her so much anyways.

She didn't have a reason to cry over him.

She had a wonderful family and amazing friends. She didn't need someone like him in her life.

Thank you so much for the support! ^_^