Dear Sakura

 by Amazoness Duo and G.P.

 amazonessduo@hotmail.com

 pearsong1954@yahoo.com

 

 Dear Sakura-chan,

 	How are you? I didn’t want to wait for our phone call this week so

 I tried to get back to you as quickly as I could. Though I’ll

 probably hear from you on the phone before I can get a reply anyway.

 But that’s all right because I’m just happy to write you. I like 

 knowing that as soon as I send this off it will be on its way to

 Sakura-chan’s door, that the letter I wrote will end up in her hands

 before too long. So I always have plenty of motivation to write you

 back. I’m writing this in my office at work while I’m waiting for a 

 phone call. I hope I can finish it all in one sitting. I have a

 picture of you in my office. You’re only eleven or twelve in the

 picture, but you have the cutest smile on your face. So I see you

 smiling with me at work while I try to finish Hanako-chan. Meishi-

 chan, a coworker, joked that you were my girlfriend because she has a

 picture of her fiancee on 

 her desk and because of how much I talk about you. We laughed for a

 bit about that. She’s getting married next month so we want to finish

 the project in time for her honeymoon. Hanako-chan still has a bit to

 go before she’s finished, so that means she’ll need extra hard work

 for the next few weeks. But I’m really happy with how she’s coming

 along. I finally decided on long violet hair for the doll so that

 little girls can style it however they want. I hope she gets the love

 of many young girls. I want them to have lots of fun with her, just

 like I had lots of fun dressing and videotaping Sakura-chan. If I can

 get even a portion of that fun into the doll, then I know it will be

 perfect.

 	Oh, Sakura-chan, I’m sorry things have been so hectic for you

 lately. I know how that can be what with all of the deadlines we’ve

 been having lately. It almost reminds me of when we were studying for

 the high school entrance exams. But I really enjoyed spending all

 that time studying with you. My camera tripod got a lot of use that

 year when we’d sit in your room and go over everything. I was so

 proud of you when it was all over. So sometimes hectic can be a very

 happy thing. I hope that your hectic life is like that or that thing

 slow down for you soon. Don’t work yourself too hard or poor Sakura-

 chan 

 won’t be able to show off all of the wonderful energy she has

 inside. It really does sound like you’ve been busy lately, so don’t

 worry about getting back to me or calling if you need the rest. So

 make sure that you get plenty of rest. That way you can still be the

 pretty, genki woman that I last saw. 

 	I’m so sorry for your mathematics teacher friend. That sounds so

 awful. To lose touch with your special someone like that after all

 that time has to be heart wrenching. I feel so sorry for her. I can

 see why she’s still hurt about it. When love grips onto your heart,

 it’s impossible to ever completely get rid of it’s tugging. Mother

 still thinks about Nadeshiko-san every day, so I guess she went

 through something similar to your friend. I wish that people didn’t

 have to go through things that painful, especially such sweet people

 as mother and your friend. I was really worried that we would drift

 after you married Li-kun as well. I thought that now that you have a

 new family and a loving husband and a life of your own that I

 wouldn’t be as necessary anymore. Now that Sakura-chan’s in Hong

 Kong, I’m not as much a part of her life anymore. Even with all of my

 videotapes and pictures of you, it wouldn’t be enough for me if we

 lost touch. The only thing that makes it enough to bear is the

 thought that you’re happy out there. So I know you’ll be all right

 with or without me. And I know everything will work out. So even if

 you’re so far away, I’m happy. 

 	Sakura-chan, I promise I will always be here for you as long as you

 need me. And I will always remember you. Nothing could ever take the

 beautiful memories of you from my heart. I promise. So please don’t

 feel sad. It makes me feel awful to know that Sakura-chan is sad. I

 promise that I’ll stay as long as you need me. I’ll always think of

 you as my very best friend. I can’t get Sakura-chan out of my mind

 for even a minute, so I don’t think I could ever forget my sweet

 Cardmistress. 

 	You must make a wonderful P.E. teacher. I’ll need to watch you some

 day when you’re teaching one of your classes. You should teach them

 all a little something about cheerleading someday, too. They could

 use a few lessons from the best cheerleader in Tomoeda. And it would

 be so kawaii with Sakura-chan giving lessons these days. But I’m sure

 that all of those girls are very lucky to have you as their teacher.

 Some must feel the same way about you that Rika-chan felt towards

 Terrada-sensei. It would be easy to enjoy learning from Sakura-

 sensei! I’m sure you make them all very eager for class. I would have

 loved to have you as my P.E. teacher when I was younger. And with

 your loving heart, you’ll be able to reach out to the girls and draw

 the best out of them.

 Thank you very much for the book, Sakura-chan. It’s very pretty and

 I’ve already gone through it twice. Its must be gorgeous to see it

 all up close in Hong Kong. The photography was really nice throughout

 the whole book. The Engrish can be a little tricky at times, but it’s

 still nice to go through. Flower has wonderful choices in gifts.

 Thank you 

 again for sending it. I think I like videotaping people dancing a

 little more than dancing myself because I love how cute Sakura-chan

 looks while she’s dancing. The look on her face is just adorable and

 the way she moves is very dreamlike. Dancing can be fun, too, but I’d

 much rather videotape it. The prom was fun, but I spent most of it

 videotaping Sakura-chan and Li-kun dancing. 

 	The tea set you bought sounds very pretty. And with you working on

 your tea making, I’m certain that it will be wonderful to have tea

 with Sakura-chan. I’m glad that it reminds you of me. But you really

 shouldn’t leave it just for me. I’m sure Li-kun and Ieran-sama and

 the others would enjoy it very much if you used it for them. But I

 would 

 love to have tea with you and the tea set when I come to visit.

 After I finish Hanako-chan should be perfect. I’ll have to ask mother

 about it, but I don’t see why not. Mother should know of some good

 hotels in Hong Kong because of all of her business trips, so I’ll

 need to start looking for information so I can come out and visit

 Sakura-chan. Maybe I could bring my camcorder with us while we went

 shopping and I could make sure to get lots of souvenirs of my trip to

 visit you. And here I thought that I would have to wait for Sakura-

 chan to have a baby to have an excuse to come see her. 

 	I’m very glad that you like the videotapes. I’ll make sure that I

 keep making more. If you ever have any requests, please just ask. We

 have a very well trained chef and she says that she would be more

 than happy to help me learn how to make whatever dishes I need to for

 my videos. I finished the cake with strawberries tape last night so

 I’ll be sure to add that to the package I send. I can even make

 copies of some of my old tapes if you would ever like to see your

 adventures for the past eight years. I’m so very glad that you think

 I look pretty in the cooking tapes. Thank you very much for saying

 so. That means 

 so much to me coming from you. And I’m glad you think I’m a lot like

 your mother. With all that my mother has said about Nadeshiko-san, I

 take that as one of the highest compliments I could receive. Mother

 said that you and I must have been switched at birth because I seem

 to take more after Nadeshiko-san than her. I’ll send a photo along

 with the letter, but it will probably be about a year old or so. I

 haven’t had many pictures taken recently. But I’ll be happy to know

 that I’ll be by Sakura-chan’s bedside, watching over her. 

 	Oh, I need to get going. It looks like I have to get back to work

 now that I know when the meeting is. And I can’t finish this right

 after work because I’m giving my mother’s secretary’s daughter

 singing lessons. But that shouldn’t be more than an hour or two, so

 I’ll finish this tonight and send everything to you as soon as I can. 

 

 	Hello again, Sakura-chan! I’m writing this in the limousine, so I

 apologize if my writing looks messy. Megumi-chan has a very beautiful

 voice. I’m very glad that she decided to take singing lessons. I

 think the only thing she’s lacking is someone or something to sing

 for. Once she finds that, she’ll be alluring to listen to. She’s only

 a little 

 older than I was when I started singing, so it’s interesting

 watching her as she works on her singing. Megumi-chan is very earnest

 about learning to sing. I wonder if there’s a special someone out

 there that she’s learning for. We have lessons on Mondays,

 Wednesdays, and Fridays, and every other Saturday.

 	I’m glad that your dream is slowly starting to reveal itself to

 you. I knew with time it would begin to unfold. It sounds like it’s

 still too vague for you to understand now, but I think that soon

 enough it will begin to make sense. I hope it means you'll be coming

 back to Japan sometime soon. And the person on the Tokyo Tower could

 be Sakura-chan’s daughter. I could be wrong, not being a magical girl

 and all, but I think that would all be a very nice way for the dream

 to turn out. 

 	I was pretty sure that it was Sakura-chan dressed in cute boy’s

 clothes. You’ve been so worried about me with not having a koibito

 and you’ve heard me talking about my special someone for a very long

 time. So you already saw yourself close to the situation. And what

 better way to see things end happily for your best friend than as

 Sakura-chan the boy? Then you get a perfect glimpse of things because

 you’re right in the middle of it all. So I thought that it was you.

 I’m sure you looked remarkably handsome. Hai, proposing must be a

 very difficult thing to do. It took Li-kun three weeks after buying

 your wedding ring to finally ask you to marry him and that was after

 quite a bit of convincing, so it must be very tough. I think the most

 frightening part of it all must be the thought of rejection. Whenever

 you bare your feelings to the world, you have a chance of getting

 hurt and rejected. Holding out your love to your special someone is a

 very dangerous thing. What if they don’t feel the same way about you

 or if it hurts them to hear it or if it changes things? So I can

 understand why he was so worried and why cute boy Sakura-chan must

 have been worried in the dream. But if my one True Love proposed to

 me, I wouldn’t hesitate for a second. And if I had to sacrifice

 myself for my love, as you said it, Sakura-chan, I would gladly do

 that, too. Sometimes it’s just safer to keep your love close to your

 heart, protecting it from the pain that rejection or the hurt could

 cause. So it’s very brave for Li-kun and you in the dream to propose.

 You really are a wonderful best friend, Sakura-chan, and you have

 never failed me. You’ve always saved me when I needed it with the

 Cards and have been so sweet to me over the years. I’ll always keep

 my love close to my heart, where I know it will be safe. I’ll always

 love my special someone. And please don’t worry. I don’t mind if my

 true love is with me or not. It would make me happy, but that’s not

 half as important to me as whether or not they are happy. And they

 seem to be, so I’m perfectly content. 

 	You have such a warm, loving heart that it’s always so sad for me

 to read about you in pain. I’m so sorry about the fight and that you

 almost got into another. I can see you sitting up sweetly, waiting

 for your love to come through the door. I don’t see how anyone could

 leave you waiting. You and Li-kun have been dating for years, but

 life as a 

 married couple is different. It must be the difficulties you’re both

 experiencing as you’re adjusting to it that’s causing the trouble.

 I’m sure that Li-kun knows that you care about him and love him very

 much. He just has a lot of trouble expressing his emotions sometimes,

 Sakura-chan. I’m glad you had Touya-san to talk to about it. He’s

 right, those 

 types of jobs often require a lot of socialization like that. If you

 ever need to talk like that again, you can call me at any time. I’m

 always here for you, Sakura-chan. It sounds like Li-kun is very

 protective of you. That’s a wonderful quality for your husband to

 have 

 because I know he’ll keep you safe. I know that he’ll protect you,

 no matter what happens. 

 	Sakura-chan, I’m very glad that you’re concerned about me, but I

 don’t ever want you to be sad for me. That just makes me sadder. I

 want to know that my Sakura-chan is happy. I’m sorry that I can’t

 tell you who my special person is. I want to. I would love to. But I

 can’t. I think you should probably stop looking, Sakura-chan. I think

 it could only make things more difficult if you found out and I would

 hate myself for ever causing you anything to worry about. Please,

 Sakura-chan... You’re my best friend. I don’t think you should look

 any closer. Just know that I’m happy as long as my special person is

 happy. 

 I’m sorry for my writing getting worse. We’re going over some tough

 road. But please, Sakura-chan, don’t worry about it. It really

 doesn’t matter who I love anymore. I don’t think I’m ever going to

 tell them now. It’s just not worth causing the trouble it would take

 to tell them. I'm happy with the way things are. I really am. It

 doesn't matter who they are because my love won’t change. But I think

 that it would be a bad idea to pursue it, Sakura-chan. You don’t want

 to know who it is. Please...

 	It’s not Touya-san. He’s a wonderful person and he really does look

 out for you. I think he and Yukito-san are a wonderful couple. They

 look so happy together. I think he knows who I love. We’ve talked

 several times and it sounds like he does. But even for all of his

 great qualities, they only serve to remind me of my beloved. And I

 always blushed when I watched him at soccer practice because he

 reminded me of you, Sakura-chan. You both have the same ears. It's

 very cute. Hai, it’s much better if I keep my love silent. Close to

 my heart, it can do no harm. It doesn’t matter if I have a wedding.

 They’re beautiful events, but I’m content being Daidouji Tomoyo as

 long as my love is out there with the one they truly love. Even if I

 have to keep my love locked away for all eternity, it will always be

 all right. You can’t force someone to love you. All you can do is

 love them. So doesn’t it make sense to let them love who they shall,

 always holding on to that warm feeling the thought of them causes in

 your heart? You’re right, I’ll be all right. I always have been. I’ll

 be just fine, Sakura-chan. Trust me. 

 	I’m sorry to end this so abruptly, but I really must go. Mother

 needs me to help with something. Sakura-chan, I’ll always treasure

 the time I got to spend with you. You were the best friend I could

 possibly have. Thank you for that. I hope everything is well in China

 and that this letter gets to you safely.

 

 

 All my love,

 Daidouji Tomoyo

 

 

 

 

 Dear Tomoyo-chan,

 

 I was so excited to read in your letter that you will be able to

 come to Hong Kong soon to visit. Did you ask your Mother yet? When do

 you think Haneko-chan will be done? She sounds very lovely, by the

 way. I am planning on taking her to school, so that my students can

 see the beautiful work my best friend does in far away Japan. When I

 read that you were looking for a hotel, I went to Ieran-sama, to beg

 her to let you stay here. The house is quite large, and there are

 several guest rooms. I was afraid she would say no, but when I told

 her she actually smiled and said it would be an honor to have you

 stay. I asked her if I could prepare your room, and she said yes.

 It's a beautiful room overlooking the garden, and I am already fixing

 it up special just for Tomoyo-chan. There is a lovely red and gold

 brocade Chinese rug in the room, which Ieran-sama says is very

 ancient. I have been dusting and cleaning, thinking about you while I

 work. After reading that you might come soon, I can barely sleep at

 night. Waiting for you makes every day seem so long. 

 

 I am so very happy that you have a picture of me on your desk at

 work. One reason I was always smiling was that you were so close to

 me. I always felt good when you were around, sort of peaceful and

 content. Everything just seemed so right when we were together.

 Please tell Meishi-san that your girlfriend in the picture sends

 congratulations on the upcoming wedding. I hope and pray she will be

 very happy. I hope Haneko-chan is finished in time. So Meishi-san is

 another reason for the doll to be finished quickly, and then you can

 come to visit. Oh, but I do not mean to rush you or anything like

 that. I am sure you are under great pressure as it is, so I hope

 everything goes well. Designing a doll sounds like a lot of work, but

 I'm sure it will be delightful when it is finished. I think you made

 a good choice with the hair, and am certain little girls will have a

 wonderful time playing with it. I know that I loved brushing and

 braiding your beautiful lavender hair when we were young. It's kind

 of funny, but I dreamt of this not too long ago. We were back in the

 5th grade, and you were sleeping over at my house. We were both in

 our nightclothes in my room, and I was brushing your hair with long,

 careful strokes. Only the little nightlight was on, but your hair

 glistened in the soft, pale glow of the moon. You were silent, and

 sitting away from me, so I couldn't see your face. The only sound was

 the soft swish of the brush. Then I made two long braids, and tied

 them together with pink ribbons. When I finished, you started to turn

 around, and my heart beat faster. I felt such an intense love for you

 that it woke me up. And sitting in bed, with Sayoran-chan asleep next

 to me, I missed you so much. My heart ached for you to be with me so

 I could hold my Tomoyo-chan close again.

 

   I talked with my sensei friend yesterday and told her about

 missing you so much. She smiled, and said she looked forward to

 meeting you. She said no matter what we do or where we are, our

 special person follows us like a gentle little ghost haunting our

 hearts. She quoted from a poem in English, and translated it for me.

 It was:

 

 "Parting is all we know of Heaven,

 And all we need of Hell."

 

 She said that is how she always feels about her special person being

 gone. She said that person is still with her, and that there is no

 pain greater or sweeter. I feel very sad for her, and for your

 Mother, and for my Father. I guess it's something you can never get

 over.

 

 I'm glad you liked the book on local flowers. We can go and see some

 of the gardens and wildflowers on the islands when you come. I told

 Flower you liked the book, and she was very pleased. When I said her

 you were coming to visit, she said she wanted to dance with you. I

 think that would be a very sweet to see. Oh, and the tea set is for

 you, a "Welcome Back to Hong Kong" present, I guess. Sorry it's not a

 surprise, but I was so excited I couldn't keep it secret. It is in

 the room now on a little mahogany table, waiting for you. And thank

 you for the videotapes. The strawberry cake was a bit of a problem.

 It was so good there was none left over for Kero-chan, and he was

 quite put out about that. I had to promise to make one just for him.

 Tomoyo-chan, you looked so beautiful in that video. I loved the

 costume you wore, and the apron with little strawberry designs was so

 kawaii. And thank you also for the lovely picture. I bought a little

 silver frame so now I can see your smile every night. It really makes

 me feel so much better to have you there, and to know that maybe you

 are thinking sweet thoughts about me from far away.

 

 I liked your ideas about cheerleading at the school. Cheerleading is

 not as popular in Hong Kong as back home, though it is catching on.

 Some of the girls I talked with were very enthusiastic and want to

 start a club. I told them I would be happy to be their advisor. A

 father of  one of the girls is a tailor, and offered to make the

 uniforms for a good price, but said we need some sort of design. I

 told the girls about the outfits you designed for me, and they got

 very excited. I know you are busy with Haneko-chan, but would it be

 possible when you are finished with the project to design an outfit

 for the club? We would not need the design until late summer. Of

 course, I know you are very busy with work, and do not want to impose

 on you, so please tell me if it would at all be a bother. Of course,

 we would pay you whatever you thought a fair price for the work. The

 girls are already planning ways to raise money. They really are very

 cute.

 

 One of the girls reminds me of you, Tomoyo-chan. She is very quiet

 and sweet, and one of the best students in the 4th grade. She has

 long hair that curls at the end, and is as pretty as can be. She is

 not particularly athletic, so I have worked with her extra so she can

 pass all of her tests. Sometimes she comes after school for practice,

 so I stay and take a later bus. In return, she insists on helping me

 with my Chinese, which is just like her. I noticed that she is always

 looking very dreamily at one of the other 4th grade girls, but that

 the other girl does not seem to notice. It is so kawaii to see her

 all -hanyaan-

 

 Tomoyo-chan, please don't ever think that you are not an important

 part of my life anymore, or not necessary, or that I would be all

 right without you. It's really the very opposite, because I need you

 more than ever. Or, maybe, I just never realized before how much my

 best friend meant to me. I love Sayoran-chan so very much. But, I

 can't really talk with him about many things. He is very busy, and

 even when he is home he is such a private person. We are not together

 as much as I would like, but then, I guess we never could be, since

 there are not enough hours in the day. But for the first time since I

 met you, I feel lonely. 

 

 When it started, I thought I was just homesick, and missed

 everybody. And I do miss everyone, in a way. But not the way I miss

 you. Not being with you hurts me. I don't want to make you sad, so

 please don't worry. But Tomoyo-chan, not having you to talk with, to

 see, and to hold is so much more painful than I ever thought. It's

 like breathing. You don't think about the air until it's gone, and

 then you are desperate. When I was with you, I felt that everything

 was all right. I -knew- it was. Tomoyo-chan, I don't think I feel

 that way anymore. I feel so apart from you, and sometimes I miss you

 so much I just start to cry. I don't understand this at all. I am

 with the man I love in a beautiful new place on my life's adventure.

 But I feel so sad. I feel just like sensei, like my special person is

 far away. And I don't want to tell you this, because it makes me so

 ashamed, but when you told me that Oniichan was not your special

 person, part of me was happy. I hate myself for feeling that way, and

 am so, so sorry. But I had to tell you, because I do not want to keep

 any secrets. Part of me was happy that you are not with your special

 person. I -hate- that part of me. I do so want you to be happy, and

 would do anything I could for you. So why do I feel this way? I

 should be happy if you could be with your special someone. It's so

 sad you are not, and that your love must be kept deep within your

 heart. But if you were with someone else, I would feel farther away

 from you than ever. It's almost as if you -were- my special person,

 which of course must be ridiculous. But it's just how I feel, no

 matter how many times I tell myself I don't. Gomenesai, Tomoyo-chan. 

 

 Last night something strange happened. It was the dream again, the

 one in Tokyo. It was so windy that I could barely stand. I was

 straining to see the figure on Tokyo Tower. The figure on the tower

 was still vague, and I do not know who it was. The wind howled, and

 almost knocked me off the roof of the building we were on. In fact,

 just then a real wind woke me up, and I was surprised to find I was

 not in my bed at all. I had wandered in my sleep, and awoke on the

 edge of a steep cliff overlooking the ocean. I was facing east,

 toward Japan, and the moon was setting over the water. I was scared,

 and then very embarrassed, being in my nightgown outdoors.

 Fortunately nobody was around so I was able to sneak back home. On

 the way back I ran into Kero-chan, who noticed I was gone and came to

 look for me. I told him about the dream, and he seemed quite

 concerned. He said I should tie a string around my finger when I

 sleep and attach it to a little bell or something so I don’t wander

 in my sleep anymore. But that seemed silly, and I would probably just

 get all tangled up. Fortunately, Sayoran-chan slept through the whole

 thing. 

 

 I have been visiting with the Cards a lot lately. I had a long

 conversation with Light-sama and Dark-sama Sunday night. Tomoyo-chan,

 they are so sweet together. I never knew. They are a beautiful

 couple, and even though they are so different, they are very much in

 love. Dark-sama is more quiet and shy, but very tender and gentle.

 Light-sama is funny sometimes, though she is always very dignified. I

 talked with them about many things, and felt so much better

 afterwards. I told them you are coming to visit, and they both looked

 very pleased and wish to meet you. Tomoyo-chan, I also asked them

 about you, and your special someone. Dark-sama almost seemed to

 blush, and Light-sama laughed in her Lady-like way. They said I

 should trust more in my special power, and then everything will be

 all right.  

 

 Gomenesai, Tomoyo-chan. I will stop asking about who your special

 person is. I had no right to try and find out. I would never, ever

 want to hurt you. Even though a part of me would miss you so very

 much, I do wish you could be with your beloved. I know you are happy

 for him, and I do hope that makes you happy, too. I have never known

 anybody quite like you, Tomoyo-chan. You are kind, gentle, loving,

 and caring. You were always the smartest person I ever knew. Even

 though Naoko-chan read more books, you were smart about -everything-,

 like sewing and people and tea. And you are so beautiful. Seeing you

 in those videos sometimes takes my breath away. I read in a magazine

 once that angels are celestial visitors who come to Earth. They bring

 love and peace to all the fortunate people they touch. It's funny,

 because when I read this, I thought of you. I thought, maybe Tomoyo-

 chan is an angel, because she is not like anyone else. She is so

 special. So, I believe that someday, somehow, you will be with your

 special person. Everything -cannot- be all right if you are alone. If

 I could have one wish, it would be that you and your love would be

 together, forever.

 

 

 Love,

 

 

 Sakura

 

 

 PS- Kero chan says thank you for the strawberry cake recipe, but

 please make the recipes bigger next time. He made me write this.

 

 PPS- Syaoran-chan says hello.  

 

 PPSS- I have enclosed some more pictures for you. One is of the

 school from the front, and one is of the gym where I teach. Fanren

 took the picture of me baking the strawberry cake. It looks a bit

 messy, but the cake really did turn out well. 

 

   

 

 Dear Sakura-chan,

 	I’m sorry that it’s taken me so long to reply to your 

 wonderful letter. I always love hearing from you and writing to you 

 makes me very happy. But the past week and a half have been very 

 hectic. Hanako-chan is just about finished. It took a lot of work, 

 but I’m very happy with her. I think she’s a doll that young girls 

 will be able to love dearly. It’s my gift to all of the poor little

 girls out there who don’t have their own Sakura-chan to dress in cute 

 costumes and play with. We had a lot of meetings lately so that we 

 could solve all of the problems with Hanako-chan so that she would 

 come out smoothly. I have one of the prototypes for her on my 

 desk right now. I’m going to send her to you along with this letter. 

 I really hope that you like her. I know that she’ll be happy to be 

 with Sakura-chan. 

 	Meishi-san had her wedding early, so I went to that several 

 days ago. It was a beautiful ceremony. She and her husband are 

 very much in love. I’m very happy for them to be spending the rest 

 of their lives together. They had an enormous cake that Kero-chan 

 would have loved to see. I would get the recipe, but it looked too 

 big for me to bake. The wedding reminded me of Sakura-chan’s, so 

 I thought of you throughout the ceremony. I think Meishi-san and 

 her husband are already planning on children. She’ll make an 

 excellent mother. The smile on her face looked so joyous. It was 

 the same as yours at your wedding. It must be such a wonderful 

 feeling to know that you will forever be with your true love. I’m 

 very happy for the both of you. Meishi-san asked me when I was 

 going to ask my girlfriend in the photo to marry me. She’s always 

 joking about those sorts of things. I told her I would as soon as I 

 knew she would say yes. We laughed a bit and went back to the 

 party. Meishi-san left for her honeymoon that night, so she’s still 

 gone right now. After all of the hard work on Hanako-chan, she 

 deserves the rest with her beloved.

 	I’ve been practicing longer with Megumi-chan after work. 

 She really has a lovely voice. And she certainly has the 

 determination to be a very good singer. All she needs is a little 

 patience and it will come perfectly to her. I brought up her singing 

 in a competition a short time ago, but she seemed a little nervous. 

 She asked me about the awards I’d won, but I told her that that was 

 never what mattered to me when singing. Singing lets you express 

 the feelings in your soul. It lets you serenade your one, true love, 

 even if they can’t hear you. Singing is a way to say what you cannot 

 with simple words. Megumi-chan seemed a little surprised by that, 

 so I asked her why she wanted me to teach her to sing. She 

 couldn’t answer right away so I told her to think about the answer 

 until our next lesson. When our next lesson finally arrived, she came 

 out to meet me in front of her house. She smiled a very sweet smile 

 and told me that she wanted to sing because she always loved to 

 and that she wanted to sing like an angel for her special someone. 

 I’m very proud of her. I think before long, her angelic voice will 

 reach out to whoever it is she’s singing for.

 	I’ve spoken with my mother and I have my flight information ready.

 I should be leaving for Hong Kong late next week. Please tell me if

 that’s a bother at all. I can always book a different flight. Now

 that Hanako-chan is done with her design phase, mother said it would

 be perfectly all right for me to take a break and go visit Sakura-

 chan. She tried to convince me to go with her on a trip to the

 mountains instead, but I had to refuse. I know she has the best of

 intentions, but I would like to see Sakura-chan again in her new

 married life. Mother sends her love, even if she can’t deliver it

 herself. Are you sure that it’s all right if I stay at the Li house?

 There are several hotels around there that I could check into. Though

 if Sakura-chan has gone through all the trouble, I would most

 graciously accept your hospitality. Thank you for going through so

 much trouble just for me, Sakura-chan. The room sounds lovely and it

 will be very nice to look out on the same garden that Sakura-chan

 wanders through. I’m sorry that your days seem longer because of

 this. I’ll have to come out there very soon so that you won’t have to

 worry anymore. And I would absolutely 

 love to have tea with you and the wonderful tea set while I’m there. 

 Please tell Flower that if she would love to dance, I would be most 

 pleased to. It has been a very long time since I’ve last danced. 

 	Sakura-chan sure has been dreaming a lot lately. I’m always 

 very happy to hear about your dreams. There’s always a very sweet 

 quality about them. Maybe it’s the air in Hong Kong that’s giving 

 you so many of them. Or your new life. But they seem very nice. I 

 remember you braiding my hair like that. I was very happy to have 

 you doing that for me. It’s completely different having Sakura-chan 

 do your hair. Not at all like fixing my hair myself. Your hands were 

 so gentle and warm. You were so careful with your brush strokes. I 

 wish I had caught that on videotape, but I’m pleased to hold the 

 memory in my heart for as long as I can. I’m really glad that 

 Sakura-chan remembered it. You were so sweet that night. We 

 stayed up late talking about all kinds of things. And I was so happy 

 when you agreed to fix my hair. Thank you so much for that, 

 Sakura-chan. You don’t have to worry about missing me anymore. 

 I’ll be in Hong Kong soon enough and we can spend some time 

 together like we used to. Of course, I don’t want to interfere with 

 your new life, so I’ll be very careful about that. But 

 there’s no reason to be lonely, Sakura-chan. You have many people 

 who love you very much. And you don’t have to miss me. You’re 

 always in my thoughts and you always have my love. I’m very sorry 

 that you’ve been feeling so lonely lately. I’ll be happy to try and 

 cheer Sakura-chan up while I visit. I’m very happy that you always 

 felt good when I was around. I always wanted Sakura-chan to be 

 happy, so it was a spectacular award to see you smile. I wanted to 

 make you as happy as I could, so that Sakura-chan wouldn’t have 

 to worry. But now that’s Li-kun’s job, so I should be glad that it’s 

 in good hands.

 	It is so horrible that people like your sensei friend and my 

 mother and your father all have to go through so much pain. It must 

 hurt unbearably to lose your special someone. But your sensei 

 friend is right. Even if you are far apart or separated, they will 

 forever dwell in your heart, the impressions of their soul always 

 bringing back the sweetest of memories and the deepest of regrets. 

 But I think as long as you know you have that sliver of their soul, 

 and that your love can encompass it with a warm glow, then you 

 have nothing to fear. No matter how much it hurts, you will always 

 carry slivers of their soul. 

 	Your students sound eager and determined just like their 

 sensei. It just seems like fate that Sakura-chan would help them get 

 into cheerleading. I’m sure they will all be adorable. And with you 

 helping them, it will turn out wonderfully. I stayed up a little

 late a 

 few nights this week and worked on the designs for the uniform. I’ll 

 send it along with this letter. I hope that it works well enough. I 

 think Sakura-chan’s students would look very kawaii in it. Please 

 don’t worry about paying me. As long as Sakura-chan takes some 

 pictures of her students practicing in the uniforms, I’ll be very 

 pleased. Seeing some of your old costumes gave me inspiration for 

 the design. I wanted to make sure that everyone who sees them will 

 know that they’re Sakura-chan’s super cute cheerleaders! I think 

 it’s fitting that the last costume I made for you was your wedding 

 dress, but I’m very glad to be able to help with this. I’m very 

 excited about their efforts. 	

 	Thank you very much for helping out the girl that reminds 

 you of me. I would have been so thrilled to have Sakura-sensei’s 

 help back in P.E. so I’m certain that she is in good hands. She’s 

 very lucky to have a teacher like you. It sounds like the girl who 

 manages to capture her attention reminds me of someone else. 

 That’s so sweet to hear. I hope that she can improve with Sakura-

 sensei’s help and that hopefully the other girl will notice the way 

 she looks at her. 

 	Sakura-chan, please know that I’ll always be here for as 

 long as you need me. If you ever need someone to talk to or if Li-

 kun’s just not around or for any reason, you can always talk to me. 

 I don’t want you to ever have to feel lonely. I’m sure that as time 

 goes by, Sakura-chan won’t feel so lonely anymore as she gets new 

 friends and grows closer to her new family. Please don’t cry over 

 me. It makes me sad knowing that my best friend is sad across the 

 sea. Sakura-chan, I always wanted to comfort you as best I could, 

 to make sure that you knew that everything would be all right. But 

 that was never my doing. Things are all right because I believe in 

 you. And they’ll continue to be. Just believe in yourself. I’ll

 always 

 be your friend, but you don’t need me to know that things will 

 work out. Everything will always work out for you. I know it will. 

 Please don’t be sad. We’ve been best friends for a very long time. 

 And you’ll always remain my best friend. You shouldn’t feel like 

 sensei when your special person is right next to you. Maybe you 

 need to spend some more time with Li-kun to get your mind off of 

 your worries. Someone needs to cheer you up and if I can’t, then 

 someone else will have to. Sakura-chan, please don’t feel bad about 

 being happy that Touya-san isn’t my special person. If you’re glad 

 for that, then I think that’s a good thing. If it worries you about

 me 

 being more distant if I did get with my special person, then there’s 

 nothing to concern yourself with. I’m happy as long as they are, so 

 I’m quite content on my own. With Sakura-chan’s friendship and 

 okaa-sama’s support, I know I won’t be alone. You’re the most 

 important person in my life, Sakura-chan, so you don’t have to 

 worry about me putting anyone above you. If I were your special 

 person, then I would want very much for you to smile and laugh 

 again. I would be a very lucky person if I were your special 

 someone. Just like Li-kun. 

 	I never knew that Sakura-chan was a sleep walker. It must 

 have been very cute to see you walking around with your eyes 

 closed out there. I’m sure Li-kin would worry if he found out, but I 

 don’t think you would be any danger from that. It’s probably part 

 of your dream. I’m definitely starting to think that it’s pointing to 

 Japan, but I don’t understand why. Maybe there still is some 

 unfinished business with the Cards. My camcorder would be so 

 happy to go back to videotaping Sakura-chan’s adventures! Even if 

 it was only for a short time. But the dream is slowly unfolding to 

 you. I’m sure soon enough it will be clear. 

 	I really wish I could tell you who my special someone is, but 

 I think that it would be much better if I didn’t say their name. But 

 I’m very lucky to warrant Sakura-chan’s concern. That’s extremely 

 sweet of you to worry about me like that, Sakura-chan. You make 

 such a perfect best friend. But don’t let it worry you, because that 

 will only make me sad. I need to know that you’re smiling for me. 

 And you don’t ever have to feel lonely over my special someone. 

 Nothing could take you from my thoughts. You’ve burned your 

 cute image into my mind forever. Thank you so much for all of the 

 kind words, Sakura-chan. Hearing you say all that was very 

 flattering. I’m makes me very happy to know that you think about 

 me that way. And it does make me happy when my special someone 

 is happy, so you don’t have to worry about me. If I were an angel, I 

 would want to be Sakura-chan’s guardian angel, to watch over her 

 forever and to take care of her. I heard a sad story some time ago 

 about how angels cannot fall in love with humans because their love 

 could never be. But what a beautiful love it is. As long as the angel 

 can feel that love for the human they gave their heart to, does it 

 really matter that they can’t be together? Even if the red string of 

 fate isn’t wrapped around your finger, it doesn’t mean that you 

 can’t love with all your heart. You may not get their love in return, 

 but you get back so much just being able to have experienced them 

 in your life. So I have no regrets. I wouldn’t take away a single day 

 that I got to spend in the presence of my beloved. And my love will 

 flourish in memories and dreams. Everything can still be all right if 

 I’m alone. Because I am blessed to have been able to touch my 

 special person’s life in some small way. Thank you so much for 

 everything, Sakura-chan. I love you very much. You are my sweet, 

 genki best friend. 

 

 I’ll see you soon,

 Daidouji Tomoyo