Cardcaptor Sakura: The New Trials (Wish-luv)

Chapter 44: Like A Child

 “The Li Council has voted to remove Syaoran as the Chosen One if he doesn’t return to Hong Kong immediately,” Meirin said.

This produced a prolonged pause from Kai, who took time to process the significance of Meirin’s words. Finally he asked, “Is that necessarily a bad thing?”

Sighing in exasperation, Meirin retorted, “You never know how to take things seriously, do you? Stupid of me to try to tell you this.”

“I guess it does matter to Syaoran a lot,” Kai commented blandly. “After all, he is completely caught up in the whole family honor business, which I personally believe is very useless. Anyway, is being removed from the position of Chosen One a really bad thing?”

“Yes, it is the greatest disgrace imaginable in the Clan. It’s saying that Syaoran is not competent as the representative of the Li Clan, that he has dishonored his family, disobeyed the Clan codes, and that he will be stripped of all the titles that he had received from all the tests that he had passed.”

“Whoa, that’s a little extreme,” Kai said. “Just because he refuses to return to Hong Kong? What does his mother and his uncles say?”

Shaking her head, Meirin replied, “It’s a rather complicated business, many things piled up on top of each other. But such a thing wouldn’t have happened if the Great Elder—the Head of the Li Clan—is in good health, but since the Great Elder is very ill and confined to bed right now, Syaoran’s eldest uncle has taken charge of the Clan. As you know, he dislikes Syaoran immensely. Since Syaoran’s eldest uncle is the second most prominent member of the Clan, he’s taking charge right now. Even Aunt Ieran is helpless against him. She sent a letter explaining the situation with me, but she wanted me to break the news first.”

“So you’re not even going to give Syaoran the letter?” Kai asked. “Isn’t it better to just tell such an important thing to him and get over with it? After all, he has the right to know.”

“He’s finally settling down to find his true heart’s desires. I won’t want him to have to waver and be stressed again,” Meirin said.

“But he’s going to find out some day. And better through you then anyone else,” Kai replied, sitting up from the chair. “It’s not up to you to decide whether or not Syaoran can handle the news. If I were you, I would trust Syaoran’s decision-making skills.”

Meirin sighed. She knew Kai was right. Yet, she had no will to convey such disheartening news to Syaoran.

******

“Since Mizuki-san is not here, you two supervise in the children’s playroom,” Touya told Syaoran and Erika when they arrived in the intern office after school on Friday. “There are many more children than usual because many parents who were injured in the earthquakes didn’t have anyone to take care of their children, so they placed them in the playroom.

“Yay! The scary onii-san is not here today!” the children cheered upon seeing Erika and Syaoran enter the colorful room instead of the intimidating, bullying Kai with his sunglasses.