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1 Cardcaptor Nadeshiko
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2 Chapter Zero
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3 by G.P. and the Amazoness Duo
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4
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5 On Sonomi’s tenth birthday it rained hard all day. Mother cancelled the party, leaving her
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6 daughter with the dreary prospect of being cooped up indoors. Like most girls her age Sonomi
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7 was active and easily bored, so being shut in by the weather left her edgy and irritable.
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8 Frustrated, she prowled the house like a restless animal, looking at the birthday decorations
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9 with a pitiful disappointment. Surprised by a knock at the front door, she was opened it and
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10 heard the rushing roar of the heavy rain. There stood her cousin Nadeshiko, drenched by the
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11 downpour, smiling sweetly as always. Stunned, Sonomi silently ushered her in, then frantically
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12 began yelling for her mother to bring all the towels in the house, and quickly. Her mother rushed
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13 to the hallway, spied the dripping wet girl, shook her head and laughed,
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14 “Oh, my goodness! Nadeshiko-chan, you look like something that the cat dragged in.”
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15
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16 Sonomi blurted out indignantly, “Mother, it’s not funny. She could get pneumonia or something!”
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17
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18 Mother regarded her worried daughter with a smile. Then, as mothers ever have, she began to bring
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19 order out of chaos, “Sonomi-chan, get the big red blanket from the hall closet. Nadeshiko-chan,
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20 lets get you out of those wet clothes and into a hot bath right away. I guess you can wear some
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21 of Sonomi-chan’s clothing”.
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22
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23 Nadeshiko chimed in brightly, as if all the bedlam concerned her not in the least, “Thank you,
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24 Oka-sama, but I brought clothes for the party I can change into afterwards.” Smiling proudly, she
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25 held forth a large package carefully wrapped in plastic.
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26
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27
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28 Sonomi’s mother smiled indulgently, “All right dear. Let’s get you in the tub straight away.
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29 Sonomi darling, please get me that blanket.”
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30
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31
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32 Suddenly remembering her appointed task, the red-haired girl leapt up the stairs and hurried to
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33 the hall closet. Her birthday forgotten, she felt a sickening knot in her stomach as she fretted
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34 about her precious cousin. Grabbing the heavy woolen blanket, she dashed to the bathroom.
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35 Entering, she heard the sound of running water, and her mother’s voice calling out, “Sonomi-chan,
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36 please get that blanket around Nadeshiko right away.”
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37
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38
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39 Sonomi stepped over a heap of damp clothing, and then saw the girl hugging herself for warmth,
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40 naked and shivering in the cold, October air. She looked like some bedraggled fairy, her long,
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41 silver-gray hair a wet and stringy shawl draped over her slender body. Sonomi quickly wrapped her
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42 up and hugged her tightly, as if to give her own warmth to the trembling girl. Looking at her
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43 cousin with glistening, grateful eyes, Nadeshiko spoke in her whispery, musical lilt, “Thank you,
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44 Sonomi-chan.” Burying her head in her cousin’s chest, she waited patiently for the bath to fill.
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45
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46
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47 Later that afternoon, the willowy girl sat on a chair by the window, staring out at the dark,
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48 ragged clouds scudding across the steel gray sky. Enraptured by the jagged lightning illuminating
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49 the thunderclouds, Nadeshiko listened eagerly for the distant rumbling and booming to follow.
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50 Clapping her hands in delight, she ooh'ed and ahh'ed with each brilliant burst of light like a
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51 fireworks display at a festival. Simple things intrigued her, and this showy display of Nature
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52 filled her with an indescribable joy. For the odd nine year-old, the world was an endlessly
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53 fascinating place. Sometimes, she would sit still and quiet for hours, watching an ant laboring
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54 mightily with an enormous crumb, or a delicate spider weaving her web with silent dedication.
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55 Oblivious to the stares and whispers that followed her peculiar behavior, she dwelt in a solitary
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56 world inhabited only by herself and the current object of her fascination. Thus it was to be
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57 expected that, enthralled by the crashing thunderstorm, she was quite unaware that her equally
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58 enthralled cousin was staring at her.
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59
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60
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61 Sonomi perched on the edge of her bed, watching intently. Nadeshiko had changed into the outfit
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62 she had brought in the package, and now wore a frilly, flouncy dress of pure white taffeta that
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63 made her look like a fairy tale princess. This was no doubt her Mother's doing, as she
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64 invariably dressed the lovely child in the cutest manner possible, like some rare and precious
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65 doll. Her flowing hair, a curious shade of silvery-gray, was loosely tied with bows of light blue
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66 ribbon. She wore white shoes and lacey anklets, her crinoline crinkling as she swung her feet
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67 back and forth. Sonomi gazed at her with an aching heart, a longing she felt but did not
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68 understand. Yet the joy that bubbled up inside her was tinged with sadness, as if all her
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69 happiness rested on a perilously fragile foundation. It was more than a girl just turned ten
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70 could fathom, so she spoke out almost irritably, struggling to put her confused and distraught
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71 feelings into words,
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72
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73 “Nadeshiko-chan, why did you go out in the rain like that?”
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74
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75
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76 Literally lost in the clouds, her cousin failed to respond. Sonomi sighed, and reflected on this
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77 craziest of birthdays. After a warm bath and hot tea, Nadeshiko had defied all Sonomi’s worries
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78 by appearing perfectly fine. Mother broke out the party hats, colorful napkins, and all the
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79 birthday regalia that had been consigned to the closet. At first it seemed quite foolish, this
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80 party of two, but Nadeshiko’s innocent enthusiasm soon swept away the birthday girl’s lingering
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81 inhibitions. After luncheon, Nadeshiko insisted on singing Happy Birthday in as rousing a chorus
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82 as she could manage with her gentle voice. Sonomi blushed during the song, and after when her
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83 cousin hugged her with delirious abandon. Now, clad in her birthday party best, the silver-haired
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84 girl seemed oblivious to Sonomi’s edgy concern. Clearing her throat, the auburn-haired girl
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85 spoke up in a voice loud enough to get her distracted cousin’s attention,
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86
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87 “Nadeshiko-chan!”
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88
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89
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90 Startled, the girl turned around. Sonomi, unable to hide her gnawing worry, said,
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91
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92 “Nadeshiko-chan, why did you come like that in the rain? You could have gotten terribly sick.”
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93
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94
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95 Tilting her head and smiling brightly, she replied, “Nadeshiko would have felt terrible if she
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96 had missed Sonomi-chan’s wonderful tenth birthday party.”
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97
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98
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99 Exasperated, Sonomi declared, “But didn’t your parents tell you the party was cancelled? I can’t
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100 believe they let you go out in weather like this.”
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101
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102
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103 “Oh, they told me the party was cancelled. But that would have made Sonomi-chan too sad on her
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104 special day. Sonomi-chan being sad would have been worse than any cold I could catch.” With that,
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105 she giggled conspiratorially and whispered,
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106
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107 “Mother and Father didn’t know I was coming. But I left them a note for when they get back, so
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108 everything is all right.”
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109
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110
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111 As if that settled the matter, Nadeshiko went back to sky gazing, leaving Sonomi more perplexed
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112 than ever. But suddenly, the silver-haired girl leaped up, clasping her hands and blurting out,
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113 “Oh!”
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114
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115
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116 Sonomi felt her heart racing as she exclaimed, “Nadeshiko-chan, what’s wrong?”
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117
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118
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119 Nadeshiko bolted for the door and sang out, “I’ll be right back. Stay there, and no peeking!”
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120
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121
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122 In no time she was back, holding two rather soggy presents wrapped in pink paper and bows. She
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123 bowed and smiled apologetically as she merrily offered the first one to her startled cousin,
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124
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125
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126 "Happy Birthday, Sonomi-chan!"
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127
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128
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129 Sonomi took the package, looked at it, then stared at Nadeshiko. Smiling, she shook her head and
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130 began to undo the ribbon. Thoughts of her crazy cousin gave way to a child's curiosity as she
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131 carefully undid the ribbons, then ran a finger through the seam of the paper. It was skillfully
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132 wrapped, which led her to believe that Nadeshiko's mother had done it. Finally the paper shook
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133 loose, revealing a scrapbook with a hand-written title, "Sonomi-Chan's Precious Memories." The
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134 script was labored and unsteady, as if her cousin had spent an inordinate amount of time trying
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135 to get it just right. The cover was gaily decorated with hand-drawn hearts and flowers, and odd
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136 little animals and faces. She opened it, and saw the blank pages had little marginal notes and
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137 drawings written in a familiar, childlike scrawl. She looked up and saw Nadeshiko's expectant
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138 face, and struggled to keep her own tears in check as she spoke,
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139
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140
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141 "Thank you so very much. It's beautiful."
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142
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143
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144 The silver-haired girl smiled with glee as she bounced up and down , "Open the other one! Open
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145 the other one!"
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146
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147
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148 Sonomi carefully placed the hand-made scrapbook on her desk. It was typical of Nadeshiko's
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149 presents. Despite a lack of skill or craft, her little gifts were imbued with an innocent love
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150 that deeply touched the heart. Sonomi took the next package, which was a small rectangle.
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151 Carefully opening it, she saw a box for a camera kit. With a puzzled glance at her cousin she
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152 asked, "What is it?"
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153
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154
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155 Nadeshiko could scarecely contain herself, "Open it, Sonomi-chan, open it!"
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156
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157
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158 What on earth did she put in this box, Sonomi wondered. Cookies? Candies? Undoing the tape on the
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159 lid, she pulled out a cardboard liner wrapped around a small, black camera. Stunned, she gaped
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160 open-mouthed as Nadeshiko hopped up and down, her face alight with excitement, "Do you like it?
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161 Do you like it?" The girl asked eagerly.
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162
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163
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164 "It's...it's wonderful," Sonomi stammered, "But how did you...it must have been so expensive."
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165
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166
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167 Nadeshiko's grinned hugely, " I saved up all my birthday money, and the money grandfather gave me
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168 for Girl's Day. The man at the store said it was a very good camera. You can buy new lenses and
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169 everything."
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170
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171
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172 Sonomi ran her finger over the cold metal trim and the bumpy black body of the amazing
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173 instrument. She had always been fascinated by photography, by the ability to capture a moment out
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174 of time forever. But this was too much. She couldn't accept such a costly gift. Yet one look at
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175 Nadeshiko's ecstatic face and she knew it would break her heart to refuse it. And that was
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176 something she could never, ever do. Carefully placing the camera down on the desk, she wrapped
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177 her arms around the long-haired girl. Hot tears ran down her cheeks as she hugged tightly,
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178 whispering thank-yous. Finally, reluctantly, she pulled back, wiping away the tears, and said,
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179
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180
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181 "Well, the first picture should be of my most precious memory for my beautiful scrapbook. May I
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182 please take your picture, Nadeshiko-chan?"
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183
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184
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185 Her cousin bowed and answered in mock solemnity, "I would be honored to serve as the first
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186 subject of the future famous photographer, Amamiya Sonomi-sama."
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187
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188
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189 Giggling, the two girls examined the camera and began to read the complicated instructions.
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190
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191
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192 II.
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193
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194 On the way home in the car as her mother gently chastised her, Nadeshiko's mind wandered. Her
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195 walk in the rain was great fun, dodging from tree to tree, helping the poor little worms to keep
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196 from drowning, and dancing in the streams and rivers that gurgled down the storm drains. The
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197 warm bath and hot tea had felt so good, and the love of Sonomi's mother had washed over her like
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198 a gentle wave. The magnificent cake was so pretty, with curlicues of pink and green frosting
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199 around the edges, and little sugar decorations that looked like rosebuds. The look on Sonomi's
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200 face as she unwrapped her presents had been so adorable. Nadeshiko's heart beat faster at the
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201 thought of her precious cousin. She smiled, feeling the love swirl inside her heart.
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202
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203
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204 And the pictures! Posing for the camera had been almost like dancing, gliding and moving like
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205 liquid, her body infused with light, shimmering and transparent. Sonomi-chan was so cutely
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206 flustered at first, but soon seemed determined to take the perfect shot. All that afternoon
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207 Nadeshiko posed while Sonomi fussed with the camera. Finally, Nadeshiko's worried, apologetic
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208 parents swept her away to home, where a comfy bed was waiting. By the time the car arrived at her
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209 house, Nadeshiko had slipped into the land of dreams. Her father carried her to bed as she
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210 danced with Sonomi under a purple moon.
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211
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212
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213 The days that followed her birthday were an agony of waiting for Sonomi. On the way home from
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214 school she stopped faithfully at the drugstore to see if her pictures were ready. Finally, on
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215 Friday, the clerk saw her coming and smilingly placed a neatly wrapped brown packet on the
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216 counter. Sonomi eagerly paid and ran home. At first she was crestfallen. Some of the shots were
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217 blurry, or washed out, too light or too dark. She frowned, realizing only a dedicated effort
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218 would bring the skill she needed to be a real photographer. But one came out just right:
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219 Nadeshiko standing, holding a straw hat on her head, framed by the gray storm clouds in the
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220 picture window. She looked carefree and natural, as if the camera did not even exist. Sonomi
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221 always felt self-conscious when pictures were taken, but not Nadeshiko. In a way, the picture was
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222 oddly disturbing, as if her cousin was blithely unaware of the furious storm that raged all
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223 about her. But the anxiety Sonomi felt was eased by the sheer beauty of the photograph. Nadeshiko
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224 looked like something from a storybook, a beautiful princess or a magical spirit. Sonomi felt a
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225 hot, crimson blush on her cheeks, but could not stop looking at the ethereal image. All that day
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226 she kept it with her, finally falling asleep under the covers, gazing at her beautiful cousin by
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227 flashlight. In the morning, worried about the picture being crumpled, she carefully placed it in
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228 her kawaii little scrapbook before going to school.
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229
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230
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231 Then, and forever after, Nadeshiko would be her most precious memory.
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232
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233
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