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1 Author’s notes: Hello, minna-san! ^-^ This is a short story that I
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2 wrote in one night, so I apologize if it jumps around too much. ^^;;;
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3 I wrote this after someone mentioned that I should write another
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4 fairy tale based CCS story. I thought that Cinderella would fit
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5 perfectly. ^-^ As always, the story didn’t always go where I intended
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6 it to. ^^;; But I’m pretty happy with how it’s turned out. ^-^ I
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7 don’t own these characters, but if I did, I certainly wouldn’t have
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8 left poor Tomoyo without her Sakura, so that’s why I’m writing these.
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9 ^-^ If you have any comments, please e-mail me. ^-^ I hope you like
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10 it!
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11
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12
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13 If the Shoe Fits
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14 by Amazoness Duo
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15 amazonessduo@hotmail.com
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16
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17
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18 “Hurray! Hurray! Tomoeda!” schoolgirls chorused together, batons
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19 whirling in the air above before landing in deft hands. The sun beat
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20 down on the group of cheerleaders, the heat of the warm spring day
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21 taking away most of the cheer and exuberance of the girls, leaving
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22 their chants somewhat lifeless. But still the pressed on, the
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23 oppressive heat taking its toll on the weary students. They had a lot
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24 of practice left to do in order to have some of their routines ready
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25 for the next school game. Their timing would have to be perfect in
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26 order to captivate their audience. But for the time being, they
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27 needed only a single cheerleader to delight their audience of one.
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28 Tomoyo watched the cheerleading practice from the grass a short
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29 distance away. Her dark skirt fluttered lazily in the meandering
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30 breeze that brought the only relief to the afternoon sun. Her
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31 attention rested solely on a cute brunette who was still struggling
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32 with the last bit of the routine. Camcorder in hand, the pale heiress
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33 dedicatedly recorded her best friend’s every move on videotape. The
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34 better to watch and rewatch it all later, of course! She didn’t often
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35 get a chance to watch Sakura’s cheerleading practice what with her
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36 own choir practice at the same time. But her choir teacher was sick
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37 for the day. Rather than going home early, Tomoyo was happy to stay
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38 and watch Sakura’s practice. The way Sakura moved was simply
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39 breathtaking. Every twirl of the baton, every cartwheel, every swish
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40 of pompoms fascinated the dark haired girl. Sakura moved so lithely,
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41 so gracefully. And more than that, Sakura genuinely enjoyed such
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42 things. Tomoyo had decided that it must give all of Sakura’s energy
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43 someplace to go, which was why Sakura always seemed happy while she
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44 was being athletic. The auburn haired girl was a sight to behold at
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45 whatever she was applying herself to, whether it be track or
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46 cheerleading or soccer. Well, except when she got distracted. Which
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47 Sakura was prone to doing. Then she’d often lost track of what she
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48 was doing. But even that was incredibly cute in Tomoyo’s eyes.
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49 Shifting on the dry grass, Tomoyo felt the hot sun against her pale
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50 skin. She was vaguely concerned about getting sunburned, not because
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51 it would be painful but mostly because she knew it would concern her
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52 lovingly overprotective mother if she found out. She knew she should
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53 probably move, but she was reluctant to give up such a perfect spot
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54 to videotape her beloved Sakura. Setting her school hat on her pale
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55 thighs, the dark haired heiress continued capturing her friend on
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56 film. Zooming in on Sakura’s content face, Tomoyo let out a blissful
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57 sigh. While most of the other girls were ready to quit, Sakura was
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58 enjoying the chance to move her body, even under the merciless sun.
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59 It was just one of many things Tomoyo loved about her best friend.
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60 And besides, Sakura made such a cute cheerleader. Every little
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61 beautiful movement by the Cardmistress made Tomoyo’s heart dance.
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62 Resting a hand on her cheek, she followed Sakura as the other girl
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63 went into a cartwheel. From the rustle of skirt to Sakura’s legs in
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64 the air to her tousled hair as she returned to her feet, Tomoyo
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65 captured it all. Her favorite part of all was the small, sweet smile
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66 of success on Sakura’s lips as she finished. Sakura wasn’t out here
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67 to compete or to show off. She was out here to have fun. She liked
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68 being able to see what she could do. And Tomoyo loved being able to
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69 watch.
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70 ‘If only I could videotape Sakura-chan all the time. If I could
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71 catch every precious second of her life on videotape, then I could
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72 treasure every shining moment forever,’ the dark haired girl thought
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73 with a sigh. ‘But then if I was videotaping every second of her life,
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74 I would never have time to watch it all. Hmmm... I’d have to watch it
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75 while she slept,’ Tomoyo decided at last. She continued to follow
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76 Sakura as the brunette got into formation with Rika and Naoko. Taking
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77 a moment away from her assigned task, Sakura waved her fingers at
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78 Tomoyo, a cute smile on her lips. Tomoyo returned the smile warmly,
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79 her heart lighting up at the small gesture. She waved back, panning
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80 out to get a better view of Sakura. Though she did love choir, Tomoyo
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81 was grateful to have the day off to record Sakura’s practice. No
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82 matter how much she loved singing, it couldn’t begin to compare to
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83 her love for the auburn haired girl. “You can do it, Sakura-chan!”
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84 Tomoyo called to her friend as Sakura prepared herself. Sakura may be
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85 the one cheerleading, but Tomoyo was Sakura’s personal cheerleader.
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86 She was there to support the auburn haired girl through everything,
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87 to give her the confidence she needed to overcome anything. She was
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88 always there to help her beloved Sakura.
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89 Looking more sure of herself, Sakura took a few steps back to get
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90 ready for her running start. Tomoyo watched quietly, eager to see
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91 Sakura succeed. Even if she failed, Tomoyo knew that Sakura wouldn’t
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92 give up on it. It just wasn’t the brunette’s style. Sakura had a
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93 burning determination within her that just waited for the right times
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94 to come out. And it always thrilled Tomoyo when she could see it make
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95 its way to the surface. It burned with an emerald fire in Sakura’s
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96 eyes. Sighing again, Tomoyo raised the camcorder to get a good
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97 glimpse of Sakura’s face. ‘Sakura-chan is so beautiful,’ she thought
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98 dreamily, tracing the athletic girl’s face in her memory as she
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99 lowered it back to prepare for Sakura’s movement.
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100 Sakura was everything to Tomoyo. She was a beautiful, gentle
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101 princess. She was a brave and courageous prince. She was a fun and
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102 energetic best friend. She was Tomoyo’s one and only true love. The
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103 dark haired girl had fallen in love with Sakura shortly after first
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104 meeting her. It was almost a love at first sight. And what had
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105 started out as tentative feelings for this genki girl who had
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106 befriended her grew stronger and deeper with each passing day.
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107 Everything they had been through had made the heiress love her friend
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108 ever more and more. Sakura was Tomoyo’s most cherished treasure, her
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109 heart’s single desire. Whether it was fate that she fall for the
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110 daughter of her own mother’s lost love or if it was simply an amazing
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111 coincidence, Tomoyo knew that she had fallen deeply in love with her
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112 energetic best friend. And it was something that held Tomoyo
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113 helplessly caught in its strength. But even with her whole heart
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114 singing to her beautiful best friend, she could not yet speak it to
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115 the brunette. Sakura wouldn’t yet understand her feelings, wouldn’t
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116 begin to comprehend how she felt. So she would wait for now. Someday,
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117 somewhere, she would explain her heart to the Cardmistress. Maybe
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118 after Sakura was happily married or maybe when she would ask Sakura
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119 out herself if things didn’t pan out with Syaoran. But for the time
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120 being, she would live her life as one huge ‘I love you’ to Sakura.
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121 The brunette might not hear the words, but Tomoyo put her love into
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122 everything she did. And someday, maybe Sakura would hear the song
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123 from her heart.
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124 Girls clapped cheerfully as Sakura landed lithely on her feet.
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125 Smiling, the brunette put a hand behind her head. She smiled over at
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126 the girl who was videotaping her. She always felt like she could
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127 accomplish anything when Tomoyo was around. Tomoyo always gave her
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128 that extra little bit of encouragement she needed. Just knowing that
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129 the dark haired girl was around made her feel like she could do more
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130 than she could on her own. Maybe it was because Tomoyo had so much
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131 confidence in her. Or maybe it was because she knew that she had all
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132 of Tomoyo’s support behind her, no matter what she did. Whatever the
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133 case, Sakura was grateful for it all the same.
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134 The coach finally called an end to the days practices, sending the
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135 gathered girls holding pompoms and batons on their way. Sakura
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136 hurried over to her pale friend, still smiling happily. She had been
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137 trying to get that last jump right for the past week. “Arigato,
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138 Tomoyo-chan! Thanks for staying to watch!”
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139 “You were amazing, Sakura-chan! You moved like a beautiful jungle
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140 cat, so graceful on your feet,” Tomoyo replied, slowly getting up and
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141 smoothing out her skirt. “I was happy to watch you, Sakura-chan. I
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142 wish I had the chance to more often.”
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143 “You already watch Sakura-chan almost all the time, Tomoyo-chan,”
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144 Chiharu added, followed by Rika and Naoko.
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145 Tomoyo sighed, a hand resting on her cheek as she gazed longingly
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146 at Sakura. “Almost all the time isn’t enough. I want to watch Sakura-
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147 chan all the time.” The gathered girls laughed while Sakura blushed a
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148 dark red, sweatdropping. Tomoyo merely smiled sweetly, Her stormy
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149 blue eyes never leaving her cutely blushing beloved.
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150 “Tomoyo-chan... Why do you want to watch me all the time, anyway?
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151 There are lots of more interesting things out there,” Sakura
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152 ventured, holding her pompoms behind her head. It always embarrassed
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153 her to hear Tomoyo say such things. She always thought it was sweet
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154 of the dark haired girl, even if it was strange. But she’d known
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155 Tomoyo was a little strange for nearly as long as she had known her.
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156 What she didn’t know what why Tomoyo thought so highly of her. She
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157 couldn’t quite understand it.
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158 “Some people go to movies, some people read books, other people
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159 watch sports. They do these things because it makes them happy. I
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160 watch Sakura-chan. That makes me happy.” Tomoyo placed her camcorder
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161 in it’s carrying case and smiled as she turned back to Sakura. “And
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162 there isn’t anything more interesting to me than Sakura-chan.”
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163 “I wish Yamazaki-kun was that loyal. I don’t even know how he feels
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164 half the time because he’s always making up stories.” Chiharu
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165 frowned, her hands on her hips.
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166 “So you’d rather Yamazaki-kun talk about you all the time like
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167 Tomoyo-chan instead of telling tall tales?” Rika teased.
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168 “That would be much better than him spending all his time lying
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169 about everything. Then I’d at least know he liked me. I’m tired of
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170 having to guess all the time.” Sighing, Chiharu scratched the back of
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171 her leg with her shoe. “So who are you going with to the masquerade?”
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172 she asked curiously.
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173 Rika blushed faintly, smiling nonetheless. “Oh, I’m not going with
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174 anyone. I think I’m just going to help Terrada-sensei with the food
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175 and drinks and all.”
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176 “I’m not going with anyone either. I’ll just go by myself. Maybe
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177 I’ll meet my prince charming there,” Naoko answered. “You never know.”
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178 “What about you, Sakura-chan?” Chiharu asked, turning to the
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179 puzzled brunette.
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180 “Hoe... Masquerade? When is that?” Sakura asked in confusion. She
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181 couldn’t remember anything about that. When had all this happened?
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182 “You didn’t know? Terrada-sensei mentioned it this morning,” Rika
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183 supplied, pushing back some hair from her eyes.
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184 “Sakura-chan was catching a quick nap. She was up late last night
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185 so I didn’t want to wake her,” Tomoyo answered, smiling softly.
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186 “Oh. Well, it’s this Sunday at the school. I heard it’s going to be
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187 romantic. It’s supposed to be for couples, so there’s going to be
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188 dances and games and things. I’m going with Yamazaki-kun.” Chiharu
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189 glanced around for the boy in question, but her boyfriend didn’t seem
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190 to be anywhere in sight. She sighed, frustrated. She would just have
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191 to call him that night. Ignoring her frustration, she turned her
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192 attention back to Sakura. “So who are you going with?”
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193 “I don’t know,” Sakura answered, suddenly feeling overwhelmed by
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194 the whole situation. It wasn’t fair that they spring something like
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195 this on her at the last moment. And even worse, she didn’t have
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196 anyone to go with. What was the good of having a nice romantic
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197 masquerade ball when she had no one to go with?
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198 Tomoyo watched Sakura thoughtfully, a hand on her chin. Sakura
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199 didn’t look too happy about this turn of events. And she certainly
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200 couldn’t blame her. It would be too sad for Sakura not to be able to
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201 go to the ball. Her mind worked quickly. There had to be something
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202 she could do for Sakura.
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203 “What about Li-kun, Sakura-chan? You could always ask him,” Rika
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204 suggested hopefully.
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205 “He’s already going with Meiling-chan,” Tomoyo said absentmindedly,
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206 her mind still puzzling over the matter. “She got him to promise just
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207 after the announcement.”
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208 Chiharu giggled, grinning. “She probably threatened to hurt him if
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209 he didn’t take her.”
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210 “That’s probably what you’ll do to poor Yamazaki-kun if he doesn’t
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211 go with you, too,” Rika added, giggling herself.
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212 Chiharu ‘harumphed’, crossing her arms.
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213 “I have to get home. It’s my night to make dinner,” Sakura said,
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214 feeling a little dazed. The other girls waved to her as she got her
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215 bag, heading out past the front gate. A nice romantic ball. And she
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216 had no one to go with. Her shoulders slumped at the thought. There
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217 was always the hope that someone might ask her, but who would? It
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218 wasn’t like Yukito would ask her to a dance at her school.
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219 “Sakura-chan, are you all right?” Tomoyo asked concernedly,
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220 startling her auburn haired friend.
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221 “Tomoyo-chan... I didn’t see you there. Gomen nasai.” Sakura smiled
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222 weakly, the smile fading quickly. “I don’t think I’m going to the
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223 masquerade. It sounds like fun, but I don’t have anyone to go with.”
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224 Sighing, the brunette, blinked back the wet sting of tears. She felt
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225 Tomoyo take her hand, the dark haired girl’s gentle fingers entwining
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226 with her own. She wasn’t feeling well at all. Her heart had dropped
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227 after finding out about the ball. It reminded her too much of how she
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228 didn’t have anyone to be with. Everyone else was falling in love, but
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229 she was all alone. Where was her prince?
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230 “I’m sorry, Sakura-chan. I really think you should go. I think
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231 you’ll have fun. You may not have anyone to go with, but I know
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232 you’ll meet someone there who would be more than happy to spend some
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233 time with you,” Tomoyo offered, squeezing Sakura’s hand softly. It
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234 was horrible to see Sakura like this, to see her genki spirit so sad.
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235 Sakura was very emotional, so everything affected her greatly. And
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236 Tomoyo always watched the rise and fall of Sakura’s heart. It hurt
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237 her to think of Sakura being sad for long. Even seeing Sakura near
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238 tears now was like a painful stab to her heart. She stopped where she
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239 was, still holding Sakura’s hand. “I know you will. So please don’t
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240 be sad. It makes me sad to see you like this, Sakura-chan. I want to
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241 see you smile. I want to see your eyes sparkle.”
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242 Sakura looked down for a long moment. She wiped at her eyes with
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243 the back of her hand. Smiling slowly, she looked up to meet Tomoyo’s
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244 pretty indigo eyes. Yes, Tomoyo was right. This wasn’t anything to be
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245 sad about. And maybe she would meet someone while she was there. Like
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246 Naoko had said, you never know. “Un. You’re right, Tomoyo-chan. And
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247 you’ll be there with me, so even if I can’t go with the one I love,
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rlm@0
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248 we can at least have fun.”
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rlm@0
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249 Tomoyo shook her head, her long, dark hair swishing from side to
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rlm@0
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250 side. “Gomen, Sakura-chan. I won’t be able to go that day. I need to
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rlm@0
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251 help mother with something.” She caught Sakura’s eye before Sakura
|
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rlm@0
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252 could look down again. “But please go, Sakura-chan. I know you’ll
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rlm@0
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253 have fun. I promise. I’d love to go with you more than anything, but
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rlm@0
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254 I can’t this time.”
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rlm@0
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255 Sighing, Sakura nodded. “If you say so, Tomoyo-chan. But I still
|
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rlm@0
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256 don’t think it’ll be any fun without you there.” She squeezed
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rlm@0
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257 Tomoyo’s soft hand back. If Tomoyo thought so, then she would go,
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rlm@0
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258 even if she was doubtful. She sighed again, brushing back her hair.
|
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rlm@0
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259 “Tomoyo-chan, you’re so lucky that you haven’t fallen in love with
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rlm@0
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260 someone who didn’t love you back. I still feel bad about Yukito-san.”
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rlm@0
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261 Tomoyo hugged Sakura warmly. “I know exactly how you feel, Sakura-
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rlm@0
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262 chan. It’s a lonely feeling, isn’t it? You want to be with them with
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rlm@0
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263 all your heart, but you know you can’t. All you can do is pray for
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rlm@0
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264 the best for them. And love them with all your heart.” The young
|
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rlm@0
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265 heiress slowly pulled away. “Arigato, Sakura-chan. Please enjoy
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rlm@0
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266 yourself. And if someone asks you to dance, please do.” Tomoyo smiled
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rlm@0
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267 brightly before letting go of Sakura’s hand. Her limousine was
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rlm@0
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268 waiting back near the school. “Bye, Sakura-chan!”
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rlm@0
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269 Sakura blinked in confusion, waving to her eccentric friend. “Bye,
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rlm@0
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270 Tomoyo-chan!” She didn’t know what Tomoyo was suddenly so
|
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rlm@0
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271 enthusiastic about. Well, she better hurry home to finish dinner.
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rlm@0
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272 Shaking her head, she went about deciding what to make for dinner.
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rlm@0
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273
|
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rlm@0
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274 “Hmmm...” Sonomi took a step back from her daughter, looking at the
|
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rlm@0
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275 younger girl thoughtfully. With a sigh, she set the needle she was
|
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rlm@0
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276 holding down. “Tomoyo-chan, you do not make a very good boy. You’re
|
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rlm@0
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277 just too feminine to make a decent boy.”
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rlm@0
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278 Looking down at her mother’s handiwork, Tomoyo shifted a bit. “I
|
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rlm@0
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279 think you’ve done a wonderful job, okaa-sama. I don’t think Sakura-
|
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rlm@0
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280 chan will notice.” She smiled appreciatively, looking back up at her
|
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rlm@0
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281 mother.
|
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rlm@0
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282 “If she needs a date for the dance, I don’t see why you can’t take
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rlm@0
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283 her as a girl. You would look so much prettier in a nice dress
|
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rlm@0
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284 instead of a tuxedo.” Picking up the needle again, Sonomi knelt in
|
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rlm@0
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285 front of her daughter, going back to her sewing. It was difficult for
|
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rlm@0
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286 her to see Tomoyo as a boy even in the outfit. She tried to tell
|
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rlm@0
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287 herself that it was simply because she had known Tomoyo for the
|
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rlm@0
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288 younger girl’s entire life, but she doubted it.
|
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rlm@0
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289 “I’d rather go in a dress, too. But then Sakura-chan would just
|
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rlm@0
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290 think it was us going as friends. I want her to have a nice, romantic
|
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rlm@0
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291 ball that she’ll remember forever.” Tomoyo clasped her hands
|
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rlm@0
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292 together, looking off into the distance. A soft sigh escaped her as
|
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rlm@0
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293 she came back to the present. “Sakura-chan’s lonely now. She needs a
|
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rlm@0
|
294 nice romantic moment to spark the love that’s held deep in her heart.
|
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rlm@0
|
295 And I can’t do that if I go as myself. Sakura-chan doesn’t understand
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rlm@0
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296 about girls liking girls yet.”
|
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rlm@0
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297 Sonomi chuckled softly, pulling the thread through again. “I didn’t
|
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rlm@0
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298 understand it myself back when I was her age. All I knew was that
|
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rlm@0
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299 Nadeshiko-chan was the most wonderful person I could think of. I knew
|
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rlm@0
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300 I felt very strongly about her, but I didn’t know that I was in love
|
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rlm@0
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301 with her back then.” Sonomi sighed, her eyes closing as she brought
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rlm@0
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302 up an image of her beautiful cousin, a perpetual smile on her
|
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rlm@0
|
303 eternally young face, as if she had been frozen in amber.
|
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rlm@0
|
304 “You didn’t understand back when you were our age?” Tomoyo asked
|
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rlm@0
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305 curiously. She had heard stories of her aunt, her mother’s only love,
|
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rlm@0
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306 for her entire life. But she had always assumed that her mother had
|
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rlm@0
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307 always known of her love for the other woman. Tomoyo herself had
|
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rlm@0
|
308 known rather early on that she was in love with Sakura. It was a
|
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rlm@0
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309 surprise to hear that it had taken her mother a while to understand
|
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rlm@0
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310 what these feelings were. Those beautiful feelings of love. The most
|
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rlm@0
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311 lovely torture imaginable. Tomoyo had always held them close to her
|
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rlm@0
|
312 heart, cherishing the love she had for Sakura.
|
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rlm@0
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313 “We’re not all as perceptive as you, Tomoyo-chan. It took me a
|
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rlm@0
|
314 while to find out what those feelings were. So I wouldn’t be
|
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rlm@0
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315 surprised if it takes Sakura-chan a little while to figure it out
|
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rlm@0
|
316 herself. She reminds me a lot more of myself than of Nadeshiko-chan,
|
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rlm@0
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317 even if she is Nadeshiko-chan’s daughter.” Sonomi finished her
|
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rlm@0
|
318 sewing, stretching as she stood up. ‘Hopefully Sakura-chan will
|
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rlm@0
|
319 figure it out before it’s too late. I know that I didn’t. Maybe if I
|
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rlm@0
|
320 had...’ Ending that thought, the businesswoman smiled at her
|
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rlm@0
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321 daughter.
|
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rlm@0
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322 Tomoyo tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. It had taken her
|
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rlm@0
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323 mother some time before she had understood her feelings for her
|
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rlm@0
|
324 cousin. Could the same be true of Sakura? She knew that Sakura was
|
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rlm@0
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325 too young to understand her feelings for her, but did this mean
|
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rlm@0
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326 Sakura may not understand her own feelings as well? Sakura did often
|
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rlm@0
|
327 get confused about such things. She was very emotional, but the poor
|
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rlm@0
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328 brunette often had a difficult time understanding her own heart. The
|
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rlm@0
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329 possibility left Tomoyo’s heart weak at the prospect of being the one
|
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rlm@0
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330 to make Sakura happy. If only...
|
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rlm@0
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331 “It’s so cute. Most girls fall for people like their father. Now my
|
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rlm@0
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332 little girl’s falling in love with someone like her mother. How
|
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rlm@0
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333 sweet.” Sonomi grinned, brushing back some of her daughter’s hair.
|
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rlm@0
|
334 She didn’t get to spend much time with her darling daughter because
|
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rlm@0
|
335 of her job, but she was always happy when she got the chance to be
|
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rlm@0
|
336 with her. She didn’t get nearly enough time to tease the younger girl
|
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rlm@0
|
337 about Sakura. Of course, she understood exactly how Tomoyo felt about
|
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rlm@0
|
338 the brunette. It reminded her so much of herself and Nadeshiko when
|
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rlm@0
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339 they had been younger. Which is why it always pained her to see
|
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rlm@0
|
340 Tomoyo ready to let someone else be with Sakura. Her daughter had
|
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rlm@0
|
341 told her that it was so Sakura would be happy, but Sonomi could think
|
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rlm@0
|
342 of no one better suited to that job than Tomoyo. No one knew Sakura
|
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rlm@0
|
343 better than Tomoyo. None of them had a better understanding of
|
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rlm@0
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344 Sakura’s heart, not even Sakura herself. If anyone could make Sakura
|
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rlm@0
|
345 happy, Sonomi was sure it was her daughter.
|
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rlm@0
|
346 Tomoyo giggled in response. “She even runs like you. And she’s so
|
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rlm@0
|
347 cute when she does. She has this beautiful determined look in her
|
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rlm@0
|
348 eyes.” Sighing deliciously, Tomoyo stepped down from the pedestal she
|
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rlm@0
|
349 was standing on while her mother had fixed her outfit. “How is it?”
|
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rlm@0
|
350 she asked, turning around.
|
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rlm@0
|
351 “You look like my precious Tomoyo-chan in a tuxedo,” Sonomi
|
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rlm@0
|
352 answered truthfully, raising an eyebrow. “But I guess that can’t be
|
|
rlm@0
|
353 helped. I wouldn’t want you to look like anyone else anyway. If you
|
|
rlm@0
|
354 keep your hat on, then you should be able to pass for a boy at least.
|
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rlm@0
|
355 Hopefully Sakura-chan won’t notice that it’s you. Or maybe she will
|
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rlm@0
|
356 and she’ll still spend the night dancing with you.”
|
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rlm@0
|
357 “Arigato, okaa-sama,” Tomoyo said at last, taking a look in the
|
|
rlm@0
|
358 mirror. Closing her stormy blue eyes, the young heiress clasped her
|
|
rlm@0
|
359 hands together. “This is perfect. Even if it’s for only one night, I
|
|
rlm@0
|
360 can try to make Sakura-chan happy.”
|
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rlm@0
|
361
|
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rlm@0
|
362 Sakura sighed inwardly, leaning against the wall. She wanted to
|
|
rlm@0
|
363 apologize to Tomoyo. Here she was in a gorgeous ball gown Tomoyo had
|
|
rlm@0
|
364 made for her, and she was spending the whole time just watching the
|
|
rlm@0
|
365 other couples enjoy themselves. It felt like such a waste of Tomoyo’s
|
|
rlm@0
|
366 beautiful gown. She really hadn’t wanted to go at all, but she had
|
|
rlm@0
|
367 promised her best friend that she would. And seeing the gown that
|
|
rlm@0
|
368 Tomoyo had spent so much time working on made sure she couldn’t back
|
|
rlm@0
|
369 out of it. But now that she was at the ball, she just wanted to go
|
|
rlm@0
|
370 home. She didn’t even have Tomoyo to talk to. It just made the whole
|
|
rlm@0
|
371 thing feel pointless. She didn’t know if she could take another
|
|
rlm@0
|
372 friend walking by and asking if she was having fun. Rika was dancing
|
|
rlm@0
|
373 with Terrada-sensei at the moment and even Naoko was dancing with
|
|
rlm@0
|
374 someone. She tried not to watch as Meiling and Syaoran danced by.
|
|
rlm@0
|
375 Oddly enough, she didn’t really mind that Syaoran was there with
|
|
rlm@0
|
376 Meiling. She seemed much happier to have him, really. But it was
|
|
rlm@0
|
377 exactly that type of love that left Sakura feeling so desolate. She
|
|
rlm@0
|
378 didn’t have that, not even with Yukito anymore. She didn’t like not
|
|
rlm@0
|
379 being in love. It was too lonely. It was like living life without a
|
|
rlm@0
|
380 dream in one’s heart, no light at the end of the tunnel.
|
|
rlm@0
|
381 The doors to the gym slowly opened, a boy Sakura didn’t recognize
|
|
rlm@0
|
382 entering the room. She couldn’t say what caught her attention, but
|
|
rlm@0
|
383 only that there was something different about him. Pushing up the
|
|
rlm@0
|
384 small mask around her eyes, she took a closer look. He was very pale,
|
|
rlm@0
|
385 with some dark hair showing from underneath his hat. He worse a mask
|
|
rlm@0
|
386 like everyone else at the ball, so it was difficult to tell if she
|
|
rlm@0
|
387 knew him or not. He did look familiar, though she couldn’t place him
|
|
rlm@0
|
388 exactly. She looked away when she saw his eyes meet her own, a faint
|
|
rlm@0
|
389 blush on her cheeks. She felt embarrassed to have been caught
|
|
rlm@0
|
390 staring.
|
|
rlm@0
|
391 “Hello,” a soft voice said, catching Sakura’s attention.
|
|
rlm@0
|
392 Looking up, Sakura saw the pale boy in front of her. He smiled a
|
|
rlm@0
|
393 warm, soft smile, his eyes closed as he did. Sakura felt herself
|
|
rlm@0
|
394 relax in his presence, not feeling as embarrassed anymore. “Hi,” she
|
|
rlm@0
|
395 replied, pushing her mask back up. She still didn’t know who he was.
|
|
rlm@0
|
396 Her mind hurried to figure it out. He was pale and had dark hair. Was
|
|
rlm@0
|
397 it Eriol? But didn’t he need glasses? Maybe he was wearing contacts
|
|
rlm@0
|
398 or something. But it didn’t feel like Eriol.
|
|
rlm@0
|
399 “Would you like to dance?” the mysterious boy asked, holding out an
|
|
rlm@0
|
400 ivory hand to the Cardmistress. He blinked his stormy blue eyes open,
|
|
rlm@0
|
401 watching Sakura’s hopefully.
|
|
rlm@0
|
402 It took Sakura a moment to realize she had accepted. By the time
|
|
rlm@0
|
403 she did, they were already hand in hand, headed for the dance floor
|
|
rlm@0
|
404 with the other students. She forced away a faint blush that darkened
|
|
rlm@0
|
405 her cheeks. This was just one dance. She didn’t have to feel
|
|
rlm@0
|
406 embarrassed about it. But she couldn’t help but be a little nervous
|
|
rlm@0
|
407 as they passed the other dancing, costumed students. Why wouldn’t she
|
|
rlm@0
|
408 be? Some mysterious boy had just asked her to dance. As if it wasn’t
|
|
rlm@0
|
409 bad enough just to be asked to go dancing in the first place.
|
|
rlm@0
|
410 Glancing over at him again, he smiled softly, taking away Sakura’s
|
|
rlm@0
|
411 worry. She returned the smile as they reached the dance floor.
|
|
rlm@0
|
412 Slowly, the two began to dance, moving about the dance floor in
|
|
rlm@0
|
413 tandem. Sakura was amazed by the boy’s grace, his movements drawing
|
|
rlm@0
|
414 her along fluidly. She quickly lost herself to their dance, a
|
|
rlm@0
|
415 beautiful dream of swirling and movement that captured her soul. All
|
|
rlm@0
|
416 nervousness she had had earlier fled as they moved about together.
|
|
rlm@0
|
417 She didn’t know what it was about him that put her at ease, but it
|
|
rlm@0
|
418 certainly did its job. She found herself enjoying the dance
|
|
rlm@0
|
419 immensely, fluttering about in the beautiful gown Tomoyo had made for
|
|
rlm@0
|
420 her. They moved fluidly together, as if their thoughts were one.
|
|
rlm@0
|
421 Sometimes he would lead and sometimes Sakura would lead, switching
|
|
rlm@0
|
422 every so often as they did.
|
|
rlm@0
|
423 The other students faded away as they danced, becoming nothing more
|
|
rlm@0
|
424 than part of the backdrop of the dance. The lights receded into the
|
|
rlm@0
|
425 barest hints of stardust, swirling around them as they continued to
|
|
rlm@0
|
426 dance. Sakura watched him as they swayed about, finding herself at
|
|
rlm@0
|
427 ease even so near to him. His eyes were warm, his smile so charming.
|
|
rlm@0
|
428 It wasn’t like Syaoran’s scowl at all. In fact, it was almost like
|
|
rlm@0
|
429 Yukito’s smile, soft and caring. But there was something else in it,
|
|
rlm@0
|
430 too, something that Sakura couldn’t quite put her finger on. It made
|
|
rlm@0
|
431 her feel happy and content. As if it filled her up with some unknown
|
|
rlm@0
|
432 energy. She couldn’t quite understand what it was, but she liked it.
|
|
rlm@0
|
433 She sighed happily to herself.
|
|
rlm@0
|
434 When the next song finally ended, Sakura got ready to take the lead
|
|
rlm@0
|
435 again. She was a little disappointed when he smiled apologetically at
|
|
rlm@0
|
436 her. She felt ready to dance the night away. It was so much fun,
|
|
rlm@0
|
437 letting her body move about in time with the music, following and
|
|
rlm@0
|
438 leading this mysterious boy. “Gomen nasai,” he said in his soft,
|
|
rlm@0
|
439 musical voice. “I would love to dance with you forever. You’re so
|
|
rlm@0
|
440 cute when you’re dancing. But I think I need to take a break for just
|
|
rlm@0
|
441 a bit. My feet need a short rest.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
442 Sakura blinked herself out of the dreamy haze she had been lost in,
|
|
rlm@0
|
443 focussing on the pale boy in front of her. A slow ache worked its way
|
|
rlm@0
|
444 from her own abused feet and sore legs. Just how long had they been
|
|
rlm@0
|
445 dancing? She smiled in response and nodded. “That’s a good idea. I
|
|
rlm@0
|
446 could probably use a break, too.” She felt silly for having been so
|
|
rlm@0
|
447 lost in their dance. How could she have lost track of everything like
|
|
rlm@0
|
448 that? But somehow it didn’t really seem to matter with him. She
|
|
rlm@0
|
449 followed the dark haired boy outside, the realization of the pain in
|
|
rlm@0
|
450 her feet suddenly making it much more acute. Stepping outside, she
|
|
rlm@0
|
451 took a seat next to him. To her surprise, the moon was out, the stars
|
|
rlm@0
|
452 shining brightly. They had been dancing for hours. No wonder she was
|
|
rlm@0
|
453 so sore. Slipping her shoes off with her feet, she rubbed them
|
|
rlm@0
|
454 together through the stockings she was wearing.
|
|
rlm@0
|
455 “You’re so pretty in the moonlight,” The boy said happily, his
|
|
rlm@0
|
456 stormy blue eyes watching Sakura intently. “Especially when you
|
|
rlm@0
|
457 smile. You don’t know how glad I am to have seen you smiling
|
|
rlm@0
|
458 tonight.” His stormy blue eyes sparkled in the dim light, his hand
|
|
rlm@0
|
459 lying on top of Sakura’s.
|
|
rlm@0
|
460 Blushing faintly, Sakura looked down at her feet. It was
|
|
rlm@0
|
461 embarrassing, but she liked hearing him say that. It made her feel
|
|
rlm@0
|
462 good inside. Somehow, she knew that he meant every word of it. She
|
|
rlm@0
|
463 graced him with another smile, looking back up at him. “Thank you,”
|
|
rlm@0
|
464 she replied. She wasn’t concerned with who he was anymore. That was
|
|
rlm@0
|
465 in the back of her mind by now. She was just happy to be spending the
|
|
rlm@0
|
466 dance with him. She had to remember to thank Tomoyo when she saw her
|
|
rlm@0
|
467 later. She had been right, as always. “I had a lot of fun tonight.
|
|
rlm@0
|
468 You’re a really good dancer. I didn’t know dancing could be so much
|
|
rlm@0
|
469 fun.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
470 He paused for a moment, looking thoughtful. “Dancing is a wonderful
|
|
rlm@0
|
471 thing. It lets you lose yourself in the music, to move along with it.
|
|
rlm@0
|
472 It really helps the music to touch your soul. It’s a lot more fun
|
|
rlm@0
|
473 when you can dance with someone you like.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
474 Sakura blushed brighter at his words. Looking down at their hands,
|
|
rlm@0
|
475 she took a deep breath. She felt so nice with him. It made her feel
|
|
rlm@0
|
476 special, magical in a way that the Cards couldn’t make her feel. This
|
|
rlm@0
|
477 boy made her feel like she was a treasure to be cherished. She loved
|
|
rlm@0
|
478 that feeling. It made her feel dizzy and ecstatic. She didn’t feel
|
|
rlm@0
|
479 awkward with him. She liked talking to him, liked seeing him smile at
|
|
rlm@0
|
480 her. “Do you like me?” she asked, looking down immediately, her
|
|
rlm@0
|
481 cheeks burning. That was what he had implied, right? But maybe she
|
|
rlm@0
|
482 shouldn’t have said anything. She didn’t even know who the mystery
|
|
rlm@0
|
483 boy was. But that didn’t seem to matter. There was just something
|
|
rlm@0
|
484 about him. It felt so familiar, but she couldn’t quite put her finger
|
|
rlm@0
|
485 on it.
|
|
rlm@0
|
486 The boy blinked for a moment as if taken by surprise. The surprise
|
|
rlm@0
|
487 quickly went away though, and he smiled. “Yes. I like Sakura-chan
|
|
rlm@0
|
488 very much. I don’t see how anyone couldn’t.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
489 Looking up quickly, Sakura’s emerald eyes caught with his own
|
|
rlm@0
|
490 indigo ones. She found herself captured by them, frozen in their
|
|
rlm@0
|
491 gaze. She hadn’t known what to expect as his answer, but it shook her
|
|
rlm@0
|
492 nonetheless. At the same time, she couldn’t really imagine him saying
|
|
rlm@0
|
493 anything else. It just felt right. She felt like she had known him
|
|
rlm@0
|
494 for years. Which she may well have. Whoever he was, he made her feel
|
|
rlm@0
|
495 so special, like a real live princess. She smiled happily, but she
|
|
rlm@0
|
496 felt another wave of embarrassment hit as she ventured forward. “I..
|
|
rlm@0
|
497 I like you, too,” she replied, surprised to find that no blush came
|
|
rlm@0
|
498 to her cheeks this time. Perhaps it was because she knew she had no
|
|
rlm@0
|
499 reason to worry. His eyes held onto hers with a loving care. He would
|
|
rlm@0
|
500 hold her heart preciously. There was no fear of offering it to him,
|
|
rlm@0
|
501 of him rejecting it. It was surprising. She finally met the boy she
|
|
rlm@0
|
502 liked and she didn’t even know who he was. She had to have met him
|
|
rlm@0
|
503 before, but which boy in her class he was, she wasn’t certain. But
|
|
rlm@0
|
504 she couldn’t help how she felt. Sometimes one’s heart and mind
|
|
rlm@0
|
505 weren’t always in the same place. For Sakura, her heart was much more
|
|
rlm@0
|
506 important than her mind.
|
|
rlm@0
|
507 This seemed to stun the boy much more than Sakura’s previous
|
|
rlm@0
|
508 question. He watched her for a long moment, his stormy blue eyes
|
|
rlm@0
|
509 almost afraid. He stood up quickly, bringing up Sakura’s hand with
|
|
rlm@0
|
510 both of his own. “Thank you very much, Sakura-chan. I’m so glad you
|
|
rlm@0
|
511 had fun at the dance. But you don’t even know who I am. You really
|
|
rlm@0
|
512 shouldn’t say that,” he explained, looking down into her emerald eyes
|
|
rlm@0
|
513 worriedly. The worry faded away behind a soft smile, as if it hadn’t
|
|
rlm@0
|
514 been there at all. So familiar. Just like... Sakura still couldn’t
|
|
rlm@0
|
515 place him.
|
|
rlm@0
|
516 Shaking her head swiftly, Sakura watched the mysterious boy. “No, I
|
|
rlm@0
|
517 do. I know I do. I feel like I’ve known you forever. You’re so sweet
|
|
rlm@0
|
518 and kind. You make me feel happy. I like being with you. I like you,”
|
|
rlm@0
|
519 Sakura repeated, looking up at him hopefully. “It doesn’t matter who
|
|
rlm@0
|
520 you are. I’ll still like you, no matter who it is. You must know me
|
|
rlm@0
|
521 pretty well, but I can’t tell who you are. But that isn’t important.
|
|
rlm@0
|
522 Right?”
|
|
rlm@0
|
523 The boy looked back down into Sakura’s pleading eyes. He smiled
|
|
rlm@0
|
524 more, placing his hands on her cheeks. “Sakura-chan, I’ll always love
|
|
rlm@0
|
525 you. If you still feel that way about me when you know who I am, then
|
|
rlm@0
|
526 that would be the sweetest dream come true. But I can’t tell you who
|
|
rlm@0
|
527 I am yet. I don’t think it’s the right time. I don’t know if you’re
|
|
rlm@0
|
528 ready. But you’ve given me a wonderful gift tonight. Hope. That hope
|
|
rlm@0
|
529 will burn brightly in my heart as I wait for you, Sakura-chan. I’ll
|
|
rlm@0
|
530 always wait for you.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
531 Sakura placed her hands on top of his, lost in his deep indigo
|
|
rlm@0
|
532 eyes. She felt her cheeks flushed against his hands, but she could
|
|
rlm@0
|
533 only look up at him. She wanted to protest, to tell him it wasn’t so,
|
|
rlm@0
|
534 but she could only meet his gaze. Slowly, he leant towards her. The
|
|
rlm@0
|
535 brunette’s heart started pounding faster in her heart, a sweet
|
|
rlm@0
|
536 longing overtaking her as the soft lips brushed her own. Silky lips
|
|
rlm@0
|
537 touched gently against her own, leaving her with a petal soft kiss.
|
|
rlm@0
|
538 She could only sit and watch as he pulled away, the kiss lingering on
|
|
rlm@0
|
539 her lips. It was so delicate, but she could feel its aftereffects
|
|
rlm@0
|
540 throughout her body and soul.
|
|
rlm@0
|
541 “I love you, Sakura-chan,” he whispered, smiling at the dazed
|
|
rlm@0
|
542 Cardmistress as he let his hands drop from her cheeks. Turning, he
|
|
rlm@0
|
543 headed towards the parking lot.
|
|
rlm@0
|
544 ‘He kissed me,’ Sakura thought, her fingers moving to her lips. It
|
|
rlm@0
|
545 was much softer than she would’ve imagined, just a delicate little
|
|
rlm@0
|
546 thing, but it was infinitely more powerful than anything she could
|
|
rlm@0
|
547 have dreamt of. Closing her eyes, she could still feel the soft kiss
|
|
rlm@0
|
548 against her lips, could feel the spark in her heart. Blinking
|
|
rlm@0
|
549 quickly, the brunette forced herself out of her daze in time to see
|
|
rlm@0
|
550 the pale boy’s retreating form. ‘If he leaves now, how will I ever
|
|
rlm@0
|
551 see him again? How will I know who he is?’ Sliding on her shoes
|
|
rlm@0
|
552 quickly, Sakura ran after the boy. “Wait! Please don’t go yet! You
|
|
rlm@0
|
553 have to tell me your name! I know I’ll like you, whoever you are!”
|
|
rlm@0
|
554 She called after him. But the boy didn’t stop. He looked back
|
|
rlm@0
|
555 apologetically and climbed into a black car. Sakura hurried to him,
|
|
rlm@0
|
556 hoping to reach the car in time. But obviously the car was in a hurry
|
|
rlm@0
|
557 of it’s own, zipping past her.
|
|
rlm@0
|
558 Sakura slowed to a halt, her heart drooping in her chest. Her
|
|
rlm@0
|
559 shoulders slumped as she watched the car fade into the distance. She
|
|
rlm@0
|
560 didn’t even know his name. When school came the next day, she
|
|
rlm@0
|
561 wouldn’t have any idea which of the boys he was. She was stuck. She
|
|
rlm@0
|
562 was back in love, but she didn’t even know with who. She couldn’t
|
|
rlm@0
|
563 tell if that was better or worse than her earlier predicament of not
|
|
rlm@0
|
564 being in love at all. She sniffled, alone in the moonlight. How would
|
|
rlm@0
|
565 she find him again? She just wanted to be with him, to talk to him,
|
|
rlm@0
|
566 to know he was there. But now she was lost.
|
|
rlm@0
|
567 Just when she was about to give up hope, something caught her eye.
|
|
rlm@0
|
568 A shoe lay on the floor near where the car had been parked. A surge
|
|
rlm@0
|
569 of hope flooded through her. He must have lost it before getting in
|
|
rlm@0
|
570 the car. He hadn’t been able to retrieve it because Sakura had been
|
|
rlm@0
|
571 right behind him. He would have had to stay if he had waited to get
|
|
rlm@0
|
572 the shoe. She picked it up quickly, holding it tightly to her chest.
|
|
rlm@0
|
573 It was her only possession of his, her only clue. The small shoe was
|
|
rlm@0
|
574 her only proof that he had been there at all, that her mystery boy
|
|
rlm@0
|
575 had been more than just a dream. But what could she do with it? How
|
|
rlm@0
|
576 could she find out who he was with this simple hint?
|
|
rlm@0
|
577 ‘Onii-chan!’ her mind supplied frantically. Her older brother had
|
|
rlm@0
|
578 worked every part-time job known to man. He would know about the
|
|
rlm@0
|
579 shoe! He had to. Pulling out her key, Sakura flew home. There was no
|
|
rlm@0
|
580 reason to stay at the dance anymore. Her prince charming had fled and
|
|
rlm@0
|
581 she had to find him.
|
|
rlm@0
|
582
|
|
rlm@0
|
583 “Onii-chan! Onii-chan!” Sakura called out, nearly tripping on the
|
|
rlm@0
|
584 long gown as she pushed through the door. Her eyes quickly scanned
|
|
rlm@0
|
585 for her older brohter, desperate to find him. “Onii-chan!!” she
|
|
rlm@0
|
586 called out, frustrated. He had to be around somewhere. She didn’t
|
|
rlm@0
|
587 feel like waiting. Her heart was still beating rapidly, her mind
|
|
rlm@0
|
588 still stuck on her mysterious love. Love. Yes, that was it. She did
|
|
rlm@0
|
589 love him. She hadn’t felt this way about Syaoran. Or even Yukito.
|
|
rlm@0
|
590 This was stronger than her crushes in the past. This left her head
|
|
rlm@0
|
591 over heals, her whole soul longing to see him again. He made her feel
|
|
rlm@0
|
592 complete. Whoever he was. “Onii-chan!!!”
|
|
rlm@0
|
593 “What is it, monster? This better be good. You’re going to wake up
|
|
rlm@0
|
594 the whole neighborhood with your wailing,” Touya said exasperatedly
|
|
rlm@0
|
595 as he made his way downstairs. His younger sister hurried to his
|
|
rlm@0
|
596 side, holding up a shoe in her hands. He smiled inwardly. She really
|
|
rlm@0
|
597 was growing up. She wasn’t just a little girl anymore. She actually
|
|
rlm@0
|
598 looked pretty in the gown she was wearing, nearly grown up. But he
|
|
rlm@0
|
599 would never tell her that, of course.
|
|
rlm@0
|
600 “I need you to tell me about this shoe. It’s very important that I
|
|
rlm@0
|
601 find out who it belongs to. This boy..” Sakura trailed off, blushing.
|
|
rlm@0
|
602 “I just need to know about it.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
603 “About a shoe?” he replied, skeptically.
|
|
rlm@0
|
604 “Please, onii-chan?” Sakura begged, clasping her hands together.
|
|
rlm@0
|
605 She was desperate. She usually wouldn’t bother with Touya, but she
|
|
rlm@0
|
606 needed his help. She had to find the pale boy again. She needed to
|
|
rlm@0
|
607 tell him that nothing would change her feelings, that she just wanted
|
|
rlm@0
|
608 to see him again. That she couldn’t be happy without him.
|
|
rlm@0
|
609 Touya was surprised by Sakura’s eagerness. He nodded slowly, taking
|
|
rlm@0
|
610 the shoe before sitting down. “Let’s see..” He frowned, turning it
|
|
rlm@0
|
611 over. “Who’s shoe did you say this was again?”
|
|
rlm@0
|
612 “Some boy from the dance,” Sakura replied quickly, pressing her
|
|
rlm@0
|
613 fingers together in embarrassment. The last thing she needed was for
|
|
rlm@0
|
614 Touya to play the concerned big brother and worry about some boy she
|
|
rlm@0
|
615 met.
|
|
rlm@0
|
616 Shaking his head, Touya looked back at Sakura. “This is a girls’
|
|
rlm@0
|
617 shoe, Sakura-chan.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
618 “So he has dainty feet!!” Sakura said angrily, kicking her brother
|
|
rlm@0
|
619 in the shin. She crossed her arms, glaring at him as she waited for
|
|
rlm@0
|
620 him to continue.
|
|
rlm@0
|
621 Gritting his teeth, Touya rubbed his leg. If only Sakura wasn’t so
|
|
rlm@0
|
622 athletic, maybe it wouldn’t hurt so much when she did things like
|
|
rlm@0
|
623 that. It wasn’t so bad when she was a kid, but now he was seriously
|
|
rlm@0
|
624 starting to reconsider taunting her. Of course, this time he was
|
|
rlm@0
|
625 being serious, so it wasn’t even his own fault. “Alright. So he wears
|
|
rlm@0
|
626 girls’ shoes. That’s not my problem.” He gave his younger sister a
|
|
rlm@0
|
627 stare of his own before moving on, looking back at the shoe. “It’s
|
|
rlm@0
|
628 pretty small, so he has to have small feet. A little smaller than
|
|
rlm@0
|
629 yours, actually. It doesn’t look like it’s been used much, so I’m
|
|
rlm@0
|
630 guessing it was bought recently. Other than that, there’s not much I
|
|
rlm@0
|
631 can tell you.” He looked back up to see Sakura storm over and swipe
|
|
rlm@0
|
632 the shoe from him. He let it go, raising an eyebrow. Apparently
|
|
rlm@0
|
633 whatever this was had affected Sakura pretty badly. He wanted to ask,
|
|
rlm@0
|
634 but he didn’t think this was something she’d want to tell her older
|
|
rlm@0
|
635 brother. “Don’t stomp on those stairs so much, monster. Do you want
|
|
rlm@0
|
636 the whole house to collapse?” Her only reply was to slam her door.
|
|
rlm@0
|
637 Sighing inwardly, Touya rested his head back against the couch.
|
|
rlm@0
|
638
|
|
rlm@0
|
639 Sakura slumped on her bed, cradling the shoe in her arms. So much
|
|
rlm@0
|
640 for that avenue. All she knew now was that he had small, dainty feet.
|
|
rlm@0
|
641 But who could match that description? Syaoran? No, he didn’t fit. And
|
|
rlm@0
|
642 he had been dancing with Meiling anyway. Yamazaki? He should have
|
|
rlm@0
|
643 been with Chiharu the whole night, and he was actually pretty tall.
|
|
rlm@0
|
644 Eriol? No, Sakura still didn’t think it was him. But then who could
|
|
rlm@0
|
645 it belong to? She couldn’t think of any other boys that would match
|
|
rlm@0
|
646 her mystery boy either.
|
|
rlm@0
|
647 Lifting the shoe up in the air, Sakura turned it around, looking at
|
|
rlm@0
|
648 it thoughtfully. It was the only thing she had left from the pale
|
|
rlm@0
|
649 boy. There had to be something she could do with it to find out who
|
|
rlm@0
|
650 he was. But what? It was too bad he didn’t write his name in it or
|
|
rlm@0
|
651 his address. Then Sakura could show up with it, giving it back to him
|
|
rlm@0
|
652 and explaining that he had no need to worry because she still liked
|
|
rlm@0
|
653 him. But she wasn’t that lucky.
|
|
rlm@0
|
654 “Nice shoe,” Kero commented, looking up from his video game. “Looks
|
|
rlm@0
|
655 expensive.” Pausing the game, Kero lifted up, floating over to
|
|
rlm@0
|
656 Sakura. “How did the dance go?”
|
|
rlm@0
|
657 Sakura rolled onto her side, still clutching the shoe. A faint
|
|
rlm@0
|
658 blush colored her cheeks. “It was fantastic. I had so much fun, Kero-
|
|
rlm@0
|
659 chan. I danced and danced and danced. And there was this really sweet
|
|
rlm@0
|
660 boy there that..” She trailed off, holding the shoe to her chest
|
|
rlm@0
|
661 again.
|
|
rlm@0
|
662 “Ohhhh.. So you met a boy you liked there, huh?” Kero asked,
|
|
rlm@0
|
663 grinning from ear to ear. “Who was he?” His curiosity piqued, the
|
|
rlm@0
|
664 Seal Beast landed next to Sakura, poking her in the side with a
|
|
rlm@0
|
665 stubby paw. “You have to tell me.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
666 Sighing, Sakura rolled onto her back again, her legs held up
|
|
rlm@0
|
667 against herself. “I would if I could. But I don’t even know his name.
|
|
rlm@0
|
668 I just know that this was his. But I can’t even give it back to him
|
|
rlm@0
|
669 because I don’t know who he is.” Sighing miserably, Sakura set the
|
|
rlm@0
|
670 shoe next to her bed, staring up at her roof. She kept seeing his
|
|
rlm@0
|
671 smile, warm and gentle. It taunted her every time she closed her
|
|
rlm@0
|
672 eyes, making her miss him even more.
|
|
rlm@0
|
673 “Hmm.. That is a problem,” Kero said thoughtfully, flying down to
|
|
rlm@0
|
674 inspect the shoe. He prodded it with one of his feet, watching the
|
|
rlm@0
|
675 delicate thing shift on its side.
|
|
rlm@0
|
676 “I know. But it’s all I have of his. It’s the only thing that I can
|
|
rlm@0
|
677 use to find out who he is,” Sakura lamented, hugging a pillow to
|
|
rlm@0
|
678 herself. She felt miserable. And alone. She wanted to be with him
|
|
rlm@0
|
679 again, dancing and smiling and laughing. Her emerald eyes fell
|
|
rlm@0
|
680 closed, her mind half daydreaming about seeing him again. She hugged
|
|
rlm@0
|
681 her pillow closer, pretending it was the pale boy. “I miss you
|
|
rlm@0
|
682 already,” she whispered to it.
|
|
rlm@0
|
683 “I’ve got it!” Kero called out, popping up right in front of
|
|
rlm@0
|
684 Sakura’s face and very nearly startling the poor girl. “You have his
|
|
rlm@0
|
685 shoe, right? You know he’s from your class, right? Just try it on
|
|
rlm@0
|
686 every boy in your class until you find him.” The Seal Beast crossed
|
|
rlm@0
|
687 his arms, proud of himself.
|
|
rlm@0
|
688 Sakura blinked at the absurd thought, still holding tightly onto
|
|
rlm@0
|
689 her pillow. What a plan, going from boy to boy and trying on the one
|
|
rlm@0
|
690 shoe she had of her mystery boy. It was laughable. And yet, it was
|
|
rlm@0
|
691 all she had. And it made sense. If she could find the boy that fit
|
|
rlm@0
|
692 the shoe.. “Thank you, Kero-chan!” Sakura said happily, dropping the
|
|
rlm@0
|
693 pillow as she got to her knees. She squealed happily at the thought,
|
|
rlm@0
|
694 taking Kero’s small hands in her own. “Sugoi! I’ll get to find him
|
|
rlm@0
|
695 after all! And I’ll prove to him that I like him just the same, no
|
|
rlm@0
|
696 matter who he is!”
|
|
rlm@0
|
697 “I knew it would work. I’m full of good advice. You should turn to
|
|
rlm@0
|
698 me more often,” Kero said matter-of-factly, crossing his arms.
|
|
rlm@0
|
699 Sakura picked up her little pink cell phone, ready to call Tomoyo.
|
|
rlm@0
|
700 For some reason, she had the strongest urge to call the pale girl, to
|
|
rlm@0
|
701 tell her everything that had happened that night. This wasn’t
|
|
rlm@0
|
702 particularly unusual because she always talked to Tomoyo about
|
|
rlm@0
|
703 everything. But it was already late and Tomoyo was probably in bed.
|
|
rlm@0
|
704 Sakura had the urge to call anyway, to wake her up despite it just so
|
|
rlm@0
|
705 she could hear her voice, so they could talk it all out. She wanted
|
|
rlm@0
|
706 to hear Tomoyo at the moment. She knew it would make her feel better.
|
|
rlm@0
|
707 It always did. Or she could even fly to her house. It wouldn’t take
|
|
rlm@0
|
708 long. And then Tomoyo would probably get her some tea and they would
|
|
rlm@0
|
709 sit and talk all night long. But there was so much she needed to do
|
|
rlm@0
|
710 tomorrow. And she would feel awful if she did wake Tomoyo up, even
|
|
rlm@0
|
711 though Tomoyo told her she always could if she needed to. Working up
|
|
rlm@0
|
712 the will, Sakura finally put the phone down. She would just tell
|
|
rlm@0
|
713 Tomoyo all about it the next day. Slipping out of her gown and
|
|
rlm@0
|
714 pulling on some pajamas, Sakura quickly got ready for bed, though
|
|
rlm@0
|
715 sleep would be long in coming.
|
|
rlm@0
|
716
|
|
rlm@0
|
717 Tomoyo stirred as light filtered into the Daidouji home, slowly
|
|
rlm@0
|
718 pushing away the sleepiness that clouded her mind. She had to be up
|
|
rlm@0
|
719 to get to school on time as she always did. Shifting around she found
|
|
rlm@0
|
720 that she wasn’t in bed. Her head slowly pulled up, sleep blurred eyes
|
|
rlm@0
|
721 blinking tiredly as they struggled to come into focus. She was on the
|
|
rlm@0
|
722 couch. A hand in her hair told her that she wasn’t alone. She sighed
|
|
rlm@0
|
723 softly, resting her head back on her mother’s lap. She must have
|
|
rlm@0
|
724 fallen asleep after telling her mother the whole story the night
|
|
rlm@0
|
725 before. And her mother had stayed with her all night long, even in an
|
|
rlm@0
|
726 uncomfortable sitting position. She smiled softly, glad to be near
|
|
rlm@0
|
727 her mother, even if for only a short time before school.
|
|
rlm@0
|
728 Memories played back through the young heiress’s mind as if they
|
|
rlm@0
|
729 had been recorded on one of her videotapes, each image crystal clear.
|
|
rlm@0
|
730 She could remember dancing the whole night with Sakura, could
|
|
rlm@0
|
731 remember Sakura telling her that she liked her, could remember the
|
|
rlm@0
|
732 deliciously soft kiss they had shared. She blushed, a hand going to
|
|
rlm@0
|
733 her cheek as she replayed that memory again and again. Now only if
|
|
rlm@0
|
734 she could have gotten that memory on videotape.
|
|
rlm@0
|
735 All in all, the night had been very nearly perfect. She had
|
|
rlm@0
|
736 accomplished what she had set out to do. Sakura had had a nice,
|
|
rlm@0
|
737 romantic night. She had healed some of the loneliness in her best
|
|
rlm@0
|
738 friend’s heart. But the only problem that lingered was Sakura’s
|
|
rlm@0
|
739 profession of love. That hadn’t been part of the plan at all. Tomoyo
|
|
rlm@0
|
740 was supposed to go to the ball as a boy. Check. She was supposed to
|
|
rlm@0
|
741 make sure Sakura enjoyed herself. Check. Then she was supposed to
|
|
rlm@0
|
742 leave, giving Sakura renewed confidence that she would find love.
|
|
rlm@0
|
743 That one was now a little more confusing. She had left Sakura with
|
|
rlm@0
|
744 the renewed confidence that she had found her love then and there.
|
|
rlm@0
|
745 But where did that leave Tomoyo? Sakura didn’t even know it was her.
|
|
rlm@0
|
746 And how could she tell Sakura that it was? Was Sakura even ready for
|
|
rlm@0
|
747 that? She had left in the hopes of quelling such problems, but the
|
|
rlm@0
|
748 dark haired girl doubted they would go away so easily. Oh well. Maybe
|
|
rlm@0
|
749 this meant Sakura could like her after all, that maybe she could
|
|
rlm@0
|
750 actually make Sakura happy. In a few years, maybe she could even tell
|
|
rlm@0
|
751 Sakura how she felt. Yes, there was always hope. Now more than ever.
|
|
rlm@0
|
752 Smiling happily, Tomoyo slowly sat up next to her mother. “Okaa-
|
|
rlm@0
|
753 sama, it’s time to wake up,” she said softly.
|
|
rlm@0
|
754 The older woman stirred, blinking herself awake. Sonomi stretched,
|
|
rlm@0
|
755 her body sore from sleeping so awkwardly. She smiled sleepily at her
|
|
rlm@0
|
756 daughter, the younger girl still wearing the shirt from the tuxedo.
|
|
rlm@0
|
757 “Good morning, Tomoyo-chan.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
758 Tomoyo leant forward and kissed her mother’s cheek. “Thank you for
|
|
rlm@0
|
759 everything, okaa-sama.” Standing up, the pale girl hurried towards
|
|
rlm@0
|
760 the stairs. “I have to hurry if I’m going to get to school on time. I
|
|
rlm@0
|
761 want to see how Sakura-chan is doing.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
762 Sonomi watched her daughter disappear off to her room. Smiling to
|
|
rlm@0
|
763 herself, the older woman finally got up herself. It was so nice to
|
|
rlm@0
|
764 see her daughter in love. It did her pained heart good to watch
|
|
rlm@0
|
765 Tomoyo so enraptured by Nadeshiko’s daughter. She only hoped Sakura
|
|
rlm@0
|
766 would take good care of Tomoyo’s heart. It was a precious gift and
|
|
rlm@0
|
767 one that Sonomi tried her hardest to protect. But that was something
|
|
rlm@0
|
768 that was ultimately up to Sakura to hold onto.
|
|
rlm@0
|
769
|
|
rlm@0
|
770 “Ohayo, Sakura-chan!” Tomoyo called out, waiting by the gate at
|
|
rlm@0
|
771 school some time later. She smiled pleasantly as the auburn haired
|
|
rlm@0
|
772 girl skated up to her. She could tell that Sakura looked much
|
|
rlm@0
|
773 happier. That, in turn, made her own heart shine. “You look much
|
|
rlm@0
|
774 better today, Sakura-chan. I trust things went well at the dance?”
|
|
rlm@0
|
775 Sakura nodded enthusiastically, pulling off her rollerblades. “It
|
|
rlm@0
|
776 went perfectly, Tomoyo-chan! You were right. Thank you for getting me
|
|
rlm@0
|
777 to go. It was so much fun!” The brunette sighed, her hands on her
|
|
rlm@0
|
778 cheeks as she walked towards the school building with Tomoyo. “I met
|
|
rlm@0
|
779 this wonderful boy. He was just.. hanyaa.” She blushed at the thought
|
|
rlm@0
|
780 of him. Shaking her head, she smiled over at Tomoyo. She had been so
|
|
rlm@0
|
781 anxious about the whole thing the entire night before, but now that
|
|
rlm@0
|
782 she was with her best friend again, she felt infinitely better. It
|
|
rlm@0
|
783 was strange how Tomoyo managed to do that. She made Sakura feel
|
|
rlm@0
|
784 better about herself, about everything. Her simple presence was
|
|
rlm@0
|
785 enough to do that.
|
|
rlm@0
|
786 “So Sakura-chan met a boy she liked?” Tomoyo asked curiously, her
|
|
rlm@0
|
787 hand on her chin. “It definitely sounds like it went well. I’m glad
|
|
rlm@0
|
788 you met someone, Sakura-chan. It only shows that your fairy tale
|
|
rlm@0
|
789 romance is waiting for you. One day your prince will come and hold
|
|
rlm@0
|
790 you close forever. Sakura-chan deserves nothing but the best.” The
|
|
rlm@0
|
791 dark haired girl sighed happily, images of Princess Sakura filling
|
|
rlm@0
|
792 her mind. Yes, this is what she lived for.
|
|
rlm@0
|
793 Sakura sweatdropped, laughing nervously. “Tomoyo-chan..” Tomoyo was
|
|
rlm@0
|
794 always so concerned about her happiness, about Sakura in general. It
|
|
rlm@0
|
795 was always comforting to know that some things would never change.
|
|
rlm@0
|
796 “But I know that my prince is out there somewhere. I just need to
|
|
rlm@0
|
797 find out who he is.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
798 Tomoyo tilted her head to the side, thoughtfully. Sakura seemed
|
|
rlm@0
|
799 awfully determined. It took all Tomoyo had not to swoon at the sight.
|
|
rlm@0
|
800 Sakura was always so adorable when that determined look burned in her
|
|
rlm@0
|
801 eyes. It was one of the many, many things that Tomoyo loved about the
|
|
rlm@0
|
802 brunette. But why was she so determined all of the sudden? “What do
|
|
rlm@0
|
803 you mean, Sakura-chan?”
|
|
rlm@0
|
804 Fumbling through her backpack, Sakura pulled out a single black
|
|
rlm@0
|
805 shoe. “This was one of his shoes. He accidentally dropped it last
|
|
rlm@0
|
806 night. Kero-chan thought I should try it on everyone here to find out
|
|
rlm@0
|
807 who he is.” Sakura sweatdropped as she explained her plan. It sounded
|
|
rlm@0
|
808 awfully silly. But Tomoyo merely nodded, watching her.
|
|
rlm@0
|
809 “That’s a good idea, Sakura-chan. But I’m a little worried. What if
|
|
rlm@0
|
810 your prince doesn’t turn out to be a prince at all?” Tomoyo asked,
|
|
rlm@0
|
811 walking alongside Sakura. The auburn haired girl looked back at her
|
|
rlm@0
|
812 in confusion. Tomoyo smiled and rephrased her question. “What if he
|
|
rlm@0
|
813 isn’t who you want him to be?”
|
|
rlm@0
|
814 Sakura shook her head, clutching the shoe determinedly. “I don’t
|
|
rlm@0
|
815 care who he is. I know I love whoever it is I met last night. I’ve
|
|
rlm@0
|
816 never felt that way before. It was just.. just..” Sakura trailed off,
|
|
rlm@0
|
817 unable to come up with words to match the storm of emotions in her
|
|
rlm@0
|
818 heart. Her hands clenched in front of her, as if she could drag the
|
|
rlm@0
|
819 words out of thing air. "It was perfect. I felt so happy with him. So
|
|
rlm@0
|
820 peaceful. And for once it didn’t have anything to do with magic. It
|
|
rlm@0
|
821 was just him. He was what made me feel that way. I don’t care who he
|
|
rlm@0
|
822 is.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
823 “That’s so sweet!” Tomoyo exclaimed, a hand on her cheek. “Sakura-
|
|
rlm@0
|
824 chan is so cute, lost in her thoughts on love. You really are
|
|
rlm@0
|
825 perfect, Sakura-chan. You’re willing to do whatever to you can to be
|
|
rlm@0
|
826 with your love again, ready to sacrifice what you have to in order to
|
|
rlm@0
|
827 see him again. You’re so romantic.” Letting out a sweet sigh, Tomoyo
|
|
rlm@0
|
828 watched Sakura lovingly.
|
|
rlm@0
|
829 Sakura sweatdropped. “Arigato, Tomoyo-chan.” She should have known
|
|
rlm@0
|
830 Tomoyo would react that way. But somehow, it gave her more
|
|
rlm@0
|
831 confidence. It made her feel better about her plan. Tomoyo thought it
|
|
rlm@0
|
832 was sweet of her, romantic. So it wasn’t just some crazy idea after
|
|
rlm@0
|
833 all. Nodding to herself, Sakura hurried into the school, Tomoyo right
|
|
rlm@0
|
834 behind her.
|
|
rlm@0
|
835
|
|
rlm@0
|
836 “Maybe if you curl your toys up more,” Tomoyo offered helpfully,
|
|
rlm@0
|
837 standing next to a kneeling Sakura as she tried to place the small
|
|
rlm@0
|
838 black shoe on yet another boy.
|
|
rlm@0
|
839 “Oww.. This thing is too tight. I don’t even know what this is all
|
|
rlm@0
|
840 about,” the boy complained, rubbing his foot after he pulled it out
|
|
rlm@0
|
841 of the shoe.
|
|
rlm@0
|
842 Sighing, Sakura sat back, her hands resting on the ground. “We’ve
|
|
rlm@0
|
843 tried just about every boy in class, Tomoyo-chan. I don’t know who he
|
|
rlm@0
|
844 could be. It hasn’t fit on any of them. I’m starting to worry. What
|
|
rlm@0
|
845 if I don’t find him?” The brunette was suddenly overcome by worry.
|
|
rlm@0
|
846 Her plan has seemed so great earlier that day, but now she felt
|
|
rlm@0
|
847 hopeless. There weren’t many boys left to try, and none of them
|
|
rlm@0
|
848 seemed like good candidates for the mystery boy. The thought of not
|
|
rlm@0
|
849 seeing him again was almost physically painful. Sakura sighed,
|
|
rlm@0
|
850 holding the shoe. She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. Looking,
|
|
rlm@0
|
851 up, she saw Tomoyo smiling gently down at her. Her worry ebbed away
|
|
rlm@0
|
852 slowly as she looked up into loving stormy blue eyes.
|
|
rlm@0
|
853 “It’s all right, Sakura-chan. I know you’ll find him. Just don’t
|
|
rlm@0
|
854 give up hope. It doesn’t suit you. Remember, you can do anything.
|
|
rlm@0
|
855 Everything will always work out,” Tomoyo said softly, giving Sakura’s
|
|
rlm@0
|
856 shoulder a gentle squeeze before pulling her hand away. She was
|
|
rlm@0
|
857 rewarded with a soft smile from Sakura.
|
|
rlm@0
|
858 “Un, you’re right, Tomoyo-chan. I just have to keep trying. He has
|
|
rlm@0
|
859 to be out there somewhere. And I know he’s in the class. He was so
|
|
rlm@0
|
860 familiar. I just couldn’t quite remember who he is.” Shaking her
|
|
rlm@0
|
861 head, Sakura looked back down at the shoe. There was still a chance.
|
|
rlm@0
|
862 They hadn’t tried all the boys yet. Just almost all of them. She
|
|
rlm@0
|
863 sighed softly.
|
|
rlm@0
|
864 “That’s my shoe!”
|
|
rlm@0
|
865 Sakura looked up rapidly, her heart pounding. Who was the shoe’s
|
|
rlm@0
|
866 mysterious owner? Where was he? Had she finally found him? Locating
|
|
rlm@0
|
867 the source of the voice, she spotted Yamazaki approaching her.
|
|
rlm@0
|
868 “Yamazaki-kun? This is your shoe?” she asked in surprise. Could it
|
|
rlm@0
|
869 have been him the night before? Was he her mystery boy? The one who
|
|
rlm@0
|
870 had so effortlessly captured her heart?
|
|
rlm@0
|
871 “Yeah, it’s mine. I always like to wear girls’ shoes. They let you
|
|
rlm@0
|
872 hear girl’s thoughts that way. The ancient Aztecs knew this. That’s
|
|
rlm@0
|
873 why they invented girls’ shoes back during the 1500s,” Yamazaki
|
|
rlm@0
|
874 explained. He pulled the shoe on, the small black shoe reaching
|
|
rlm@0
|
875 slightly past half of his foot. “See? Perfect fit. I always wear my
|
|
rlm@0
|
876 shoes like this.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
877 Sakura blinked in confusion, looking back up at the taller boy. She
|
|
rlm@0
|
878 watched as he got bopped in the head by his frustrated girlfriend,
|
|
rlm@0
|
879 Chiharu.
|
|
rlm@0
|
880 “Why do you always have to make things up?” Chiharu sighed, dragging
|
|
rlm@0
|
881 him off, leaving Sakura alone with her shoe.
|
|
rlm@0
|
882 Sakura knelt down next to the shoe again, sighing. “Tomoyo-chan,
|
|
rlm@0
|
883 what if I don’t find him? What if I look forever for him and he never
|
|
rlm@0
|
884 shoes up? What if he was just a dream?” Sakura was on the verge of
|
|
rlm@0
|
885 tears. She felt awful. Her last chance was slowly slipping away from
|
|
rlm@0
|
886 her. If she couldn’t find him with his shoe, she didn’t know how she
|
|
rlm@0
|
887 could ever find him again. It was her only clue and it didn’t seem to
|
|
rlm@0
|
888 be working at all.
|
|
rlm@0
|
889 Watching Sakura sadly, Tomoyo stepped closer, trying to figure out
|
|
rlm@0
|
890 what to do. Sakura seemed so sad. There had to be some way she could
|
|
rlm@0
|
891 help. But what if it only made things worse if she told Sakura? What
|
|
rlm@0
|
892 if Sakura couldn’t handle finding out her mystery boy was really a
|
|
rlm@0
|
893 mystery girl? “The most important things are worth waiting forever
|
|
rlm@0
|
894 for, Sakura-chan. Some things are worth searching an eternity for.
|
|
rlm@0
|
895 You just have to find out what these things are. They aren’t always
|
|
rlm@0
|
896 where we look. So we have to keep looking, always holding out hope
|
|
rlm@0
|
897 that it will be there.” She smiled softly, brushing back some of
|
|
rlm@0
|
898 Sakura’s hair from the kneeling girl’s eyes. “He wasn’t a dream,
|
|
rlm@0
|
899 Sakura-chan. I know because every time I’m with you, I think ‘Sakura-
|
|
rlm@0
|
900 chan is so amazing. She’s so wonderful. I have to be dreaming.’ But
|
|
rlm@0
|
901 you’re always there when I wake up. Maybe that’s why I videotape you
|
|
rlm@0
|
902 so much. As proof. Evidence that you’re really real.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
903 Tomoyo’s gentle words soothed Sakura’s frightened soul like a
|
|
rlm@0
|
904 lullaby, playing through her mind again and again. Her musical voice
|
|
rlm@0
|
905 calmed Sakura’s worried heart, taking away the pain she felt. It was
|
|
rlm@0
|
906 so soft, so gentle. It played through Sakura like a song. Her emerald
|
|
rlm@0
|
907 eyes slowly went to Tomoyo’s feet, up her pale legs. An idea struck
|
|
rlm@0
|
908 with sudden ferocity. Hope bloomed in her heart, followed by the
|
|
rlm@0
|
909 intense fear that she might be wrote. But she had to try. Scooting
|
|
rlm@0
|
910 forward, she took Tomoyo’s leg so suddenly that the pale girl almost
|
|
rlm@0
|
911 toppled over. “Gomen, Tomoyo-chan,” Sakura apologize, the words
|
|
rlm@0
|
912 barely escaping her breathless mouth. With trembling fingers, she
|
|
rlm@0
|
913 pulled off Tomoyo’s shoe, letting it fall to the floor. Her heart
|
|
rlm@0
|
914 pounded in a staccato beat in her chest, her mind focusing on this
|
|
rlm@0
|
915 last attempt. It all seemed to lead here, even if it spun Sakura in
|
|
rlm@0
|
916 circles to think it all through. She slowly slid the shoe on, waiting
|
|
rlm@0
|
917 for it to get stuck or for it to be too big.
|
|
rlm@0
|
918 The shoe fit perfectly. Sakura could only blink in surprise as she
|
|
rlm@0
|
919 moved Tomoyo’s foot around in her hand, amazed at the fit. It was
|
|
rlm@0
|
920 almost too good to be true. She had found him. He had been right
|
|
rlm@0
|
921 there, all along, watching her try it on all the others. Her heart
|
|
rlm@0
|
922 pounded in her chest, as she slowly looked up. Tomoyo was looking
|
|
rlm@0
|
923 down at her, stormy blue eyes sparkling just as they had the night
|
|
rlm@0
|
924 before. “Tomoyo-chan.. It’s you.. You’re him! I mean.. her. I..
|
|
rlm@0
|
925 Tomoyo-chan..” Sakura trailed off, unsure of what to say.
|
|
rlm@0
|
926 Smiling down softly, Tomoyo helped Sakura back up. “Gomen nasai,
|
|
rlm@0
|
927 Sakura-chan. I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t want to cause any
|
|
rlm@0
|
928 trouble for you,” the dark haired girl apologized, looking into
|
|
rlm@0
|
929 Sakura’s eyes. She still wasn’t sure how Sakura was taking it, how it
|
|
rlm@0
|
930 was affecting the other girl. She nearly shrank back at the
|
|
rlm@0
|
931 frustration that briefly flashed in Sakura’s eyes.
|
|
rlm@0
|
932 “You were right there all along and you didn’t even tell me? I spent
|
|
rlm@0
|
933 all day touching people’s feet just so I could find you and you were
|
|
rlm@0
|
934 right there?” Sakura darted forward, hugging Tomoyo tightly. To her
|
|
rlm@0
|
935 pleasant surprise, it was much more enjoyable than hugging her
|
|
rlm@0
|
936 pillow. “If you didn’t want to cause me trouble, you could have told
|
|
rlm@0
|
937 me this morning that it was you I was looking for.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
938 Tomoyo giggled softly, her indigo eyes falling shut. Whatever
|
|
rlm@0
|
939 concerns she had held earlier dissipated like a fine mist. Sakura
|
|
rlm@0
|
940 wasn’t angry with her. She wasn’t even in shock about the whole
|
|
rlm@0
|
941 thing. And she seemed to be taking the fact that her mystery prince
|
|
rlm@0
|
942 was a princess rather well. “I’ll remember that next time, Sakura-
|
|
rlm@0
|
943 chan.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
944 “Hoe.. There won’t have to be a next time, will there?” Sakura
|
|
rlm@0
|
945 asked, feeling exhausted. She had enough searching for her love for
|
|
rlm@0
|
946 any number of lifetimes.
|
|
rlm@0
|
947 “Not if you don’t want there to be, Sakura-chan,” Tomoyo replied.
|
|
rlm@0
|
948 She sighed, resting against Sakura. “But I still found it incredibly
|
|
rlm@0
|
949 romantic that you would look for me with such cute determination. I
|
|
rlm@0
|
950 always knew that Sakura-chan could be incredibly romantic at heart.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
951 Sakura blushed, still holding onto Tomoyo. But that just furthered
|
|
rlm@0
|
952 to relax her. The dark haired heiress always had been good at making
|
|
rlm@0
|
953 her blush, after all. And making her feel loved. She smiled happily,
|
|
rlm@0
|
954 holding onto her newly found princess, who just happened to have been
|
|
rlm@0
|
955 there all along. “I love you, Tomoyo-chan,” she whispered softly. “I
|
|
rlm@0
|
956 told you I didn’t care who you were. I should have known it was you
|
|
rlm@0
|
957 all along.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
958 “Oh, Sakura-chan..” Tomoyo replied, her heart nearly bursting with
|
|
rlm@0
|
959 joy. She hugged the other girl tighter, reveling in the sound of
|
|
rlm@0
|
960 Sakura’s beautiful words in her mind. “I love you, too, Sakura-chan.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
961 Sakura sighed happily, not wanting to relinquish their embrace.
|
|
rlm@0
|
962 Slowly, she blinked her eyes open. “Ano.. Tomoyo-chan? If you didn’t
|
|
rlm@0
|
963 want me to know it was you, why did you kiss me last night?”
|
|
rlm@0
|
964 Tomoyo smiled, her hands on Sakura’s shoulders as she pulled just
|
|
rlm@0
|
965 inches away. “Because Sakura-chan looked so cute, but a little
|
|
rlm@0
|
966 lonely, too. You looked like you needed a kiss. Just like now.” Using
|
|
rlm@0
|
967 Sakura’s blush as her cue, Tomoyo leant forward and gave Sakura
|
|
rlm@0
|
968 another soft kiss. This time, however, Sakura responded. Tomoyo
|
|
rlm@0
|
969 blushed herself as she felt Sakura return the kiss with her whole
|
|
rlm@0
|
970 genki spirit. Closing her eyes tightly, Tomoyo let the world melt
|
|
rlm@0
|
971 away as the kiss took her to the brink of heaven. Maybe the dance
|
|
rlm@0
|
972 hadn’t gone exactly as planned, but she was more than happy with the
|
|
rlm@0
|
973 outcome. If Sakura thought she could make her happy, then she would
|
|
rlm@0
|
974 just have to try her hardest.
|
|
rlm@0
|
975 Sakura held onto Tomoyo with all that she had as they kissed. It
|
|
rlm@0
|
976 was even more magical than the one the night before. It filled Sakura
|
|
rlm@0
|
977 with a swirling typhoon of feelings that threatened to sweep her
|
|
rlm@0
|
978 away. But she didn’t care. She would be happy to lose herself in
|
|
rlm@0
|
979 them. She felt so happy, so ‘hanyaa’, just to be with Tomoyo, to have
|
|
rlm@0
|
980 found her prince. Or princess, as the case may be. Tomoyo had been
|
|
rlm@0
|
981 right. Some things were worth searching an eternity for. But she was
|
|
rlm@0
|
982 incredibly grateful that she had found it now. |
