view old/stories/dearsakura-03.txt @ 4:69f0191c9016 moonlitnights tip

added error.log and access.log
author Robert McIntyre <rlm@mit.edu>
date Tue, 22 Jun 2010 13:42:35 -0400
parents fc00894c1d4a
children
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1 Dear Sakura
2 by Amazoness Duo and G.P.
3 amazonessduo@hotmail.com
4 pearsong1954@yahoo.com
6 Dear Sakura-chan,
7 How are you? I didn’t want to wait for our phone call this week so
8 I tried to get back to you as quickly as I could. Though I’ll
9 probably hear from you on the phone before I can get a reply anyway.
10 But that’s all right because I’m just happy to write you. I like
11 knowing that as soon as I send this off it will be on its way to
12 Sakura-chan’s door, that the letter I wrote will end up in her hands
13 before too long. So I always have plenty of motivation to write you
14 back. I’m writing this in my office at work while I’m waiting for a
15 phone call. I hope I can finish it all in one sitting. I have a
16 picture of you in my office. You’re only eleven or twelve in the
17 picture, but you have the cutest smile on your face. So I see you
18 smiling with me at work while I try to finish Hanako-chan. Meishi-
19 chan, a coworker, joked that you were my girlfriend because she has a
20 picture of her fiancee on
21 her desk and because of how much I talk about you. We laughed for a
22 bit about that. She’s getting married next month so we want to finish
23 the project in time for her honeymoon. Hanako-chan still has a bit to
24 go before she’s finished, so that means she’ll need extra hard work
25 for the next few weeks. But I’m really happy with how she’s coming
26 along. I finally decided on long violet hair for the doll so that
27 little girls can style it however they want. I hope she gets the love
28 of many young girls. I want them to have lots of fun with her, just
29 like I had lots of fun dressing and videotaping Sakura-chan. If I can
30 get even a portion of that fun into the doll, then I know it will be
31 perfect.
32 Oh, Sakura-chan, I’m sorry things have been so hectic for you
33 lately. I know how that can be what with all of the deadlines we’ve
34 been having lately. It almost reminds me of when we were studying for
35 the high school entrance exams. But I really enjoyed spending all
36 that time studying with you. My camera tripod got a lot of use that
37 year when we’d sit in your room and go over everything. I was so
38 proud of you when it was all over. So sometimes hectic can be a very
39 happy thing. I hope that your hectic life is like that or that thing
40 slow down for you soon. Don’t work yourself too hard or poor Sakura-
41 chan
42 won’t be able to show off all of the wonderful energy she has
43 inside. It really does sound like you’ve been busy lately, so don’t
44 worry about getting back to me or calling if you need the rest. So
45 make sure that you get plenty of rest. That way you can still be the
46 pretty, genki woman that I last saw.
47 I’m so sorry for your mathematics teacher friend. That sounds so
48 awful. To lose touch with your special someone like that after all
49 that time has to be heart wrenching. I feel so sorry for her. I can
50 see why she’s still hurt about it. When love grips onto your heart,
51 it’s impossible to ever completely get rid of it’s tugging. Mother
52 still thinks about Nadeshiko-san every day, so I guess she went
53 through something similar to your friend. I wish that people didn’t
54 have to go through things that painful, especially such sweet people
55 as mother and your friend. I was really worried that we would drift
56 after you married Li-kun as well. I thought that now that you have a
57 new family and a loving husband and a life of your own that I
58 wouldn’t be as necessary anymore. Now that Sakura-chan’s in Hong
59 Kong, I’m not as much a part of her life anymore. Even with all of my
60 videotapes and pictures of you, it wouldn’t be enough for me if we
61 lost touch. The only thing that makes it enough to bear is the
62 thought that you’re happy out there. So I know you’ll be all right
63 with or without me. And I know everything will work out. So even if
64 you’re so far away, I’m happy.
65 Sakura-chan, I promise I will always be here for you as long as you
66 need me. And I will always remember you. Nothing could ever take the
67 beautiful memories of you from my heart. I promise. So please don’t
68 feel sad. It makes me feel awful to know that Sakura-chan is sad. I
69 promise that I’ll stay as long as you need me. I’ll always think of
70 you as my very best friend. I can’t get Sakura-chan out of my mind
71 for even a minute, so I don’t think I could ever forget my sweet
72 Cardmistress.
73 You must make a wonderful P.E. teacher. I’ll need to watch you some
74 day when you’re teaching one of your classes. You should teach them
75 all a little something about cheerleading someday, too. They could
76 use a few lessons from the best cheerleader in Tomoeda. And it would
77 be so kawaii with Sakura-chan giving lessons these days. But I’m sure
78 that all of those girls are very lucky to have you as their teacher.
79 Some must feel the same way about you that Rika-chan felt towards
80 Terrada-sensei. It would be easy to enjoy learning from Sakura-
81 sensei! I’m sure you make them all very eager for class. I would have
82 loved to have you as my P.E. teacher when I was younger. And with
83 your loving heart, you’ll be able to reach out to the girls and draw
84 the best out of them.
85 Thank you very much for the book, Sakura-chan. It’s very pretty and
86 I’ve already gone through it twice. Its must be gorgeous to see it
87 all up close in Hong Kong. The photography was really nice throughout
88 the whole book. The Engrish can be a little tricky at times, but it’s
89 still nice to go through. Flower has wonderful choices in gifts.
90 Thank you
91 again for sending it. I think I like videotaping people dancing a
92 little more than dancing myself because I love how cute Sakura-chan
93 looks while she’s dancing. The look on her face is just adorable and
94 the way she moves is very dreamlike. Dancing can be fun, too, but I’d
95 much rather videotape it. The prom was fun, but I spent most of it
96 videotaping Sakura-chan and Li-kun dancing.
97 The tea set you bought sounds very pretty. And with you working on
98 your tea making, I’m certain that it will be wonderful to have tea
99 with Sakura-chan. I’m glad that it reminds you of me. But you really
100 shouldn’t leave it just for me. I’m sure Li-kun and Ieran-sama and
101 the others would enjoy it very much if you used it for them. But I
102 would
103 love to have tea with you and the tea set when I come to visit.
104 After I finish Hanako-chan should be perfect. I’ll have to ask mother
105 about it, but I don’t see why not. Mother should know of some good
106 hotels in Hong Kong because of all of her business trips, so I’ll
107 need to start looking for information so I can come out and visit
108 Sakura-chan. Maybe I could bring my camcorder with us while we went
109 shopping and I could make sure to get lots of souvenirs of my trip to
110 visit you. And here I thought that I would have to wait for Sakura-
111 chan to have a baby to have an excuse to come see her.
112 I’m very glad that you like the videotapes. I’ll make sure that I
113 keep making more. If you ever have any requests, please just ask. We
114 have a very well trained chef and she says that she would be more
115 than happy to help me learn how to make whatever dishes I need to for
116 my videos. I finished the cake with strawberries tape last night so
117 I’ll be sure to add that to the package I send. I can even make
118 copies of some of my old tapes if you would ever like to see your
119 adventures for the past eight years. I’m so very glad that you think
120 I look pretty in the cooking tapes. Thank you very much for saying
121 so. That means
122 so much to me coming from you. And I’m glad you think I’m a lot like
123 your mother. With all that my mother has said about Nadeshiko-san, I
124 take that as one of the highest compliments I could receive. Mother
125 said that you and I must have been switched at birth because I seem
126 to take more after Nadeshiko-san than her. I’ll send a photo along
127 with the letter, but it will probably be about a year old or so. I
128 haven’t had many pictures taken recently. But I’ll be happy to know
129 that I’ll be by Sakura-chan’s bedside, watching over her.
130 Oh, I need to get going. It looks like I have to get back to work
131 now that I know when the meeting is. And I can’t finish this right
132 after work because I’m giving my mother’s secretary’s daughter
133 singing lessons. But that shouldn’t be more than an hour or two, so
134 I’ll finish this tonight and send everything to you as soon as I can.
136 Hello again, Sakura-chan! I’m writing this in the limousine, so I
137 apologize if my writing looks messy. Megumi-chan has a very beautiful
138 voice. I’m very glad that she decided to take singing lessons. I
139 think the only thing she’s lacking is someone or something to sing
140 for. Once she finds that, she’ll be alluring to listen to. She’s only
141 a little
142 older than I was when I started singing, so it’s interesting
143 watching her as she works on her singing. Megumi-chan is very earnest
144 about learning to sing. I wonder if there’s a special someone out
145 there that she’s learning for. We have lessons on Mondays,
146 Wednesdays, and Fridays, and every other Saturday.
147 I’m glad that your dream is slowly starting to reveal itself to
148 you. I knew with time it would begin to unfold. It sounds like it’s
149 still too vague for you to understand now, but I think that soon
150 enough it will begin to make sense. I hope it means you'll be coming
151 back to Japan sometime soon. And the person on the Tokyo Tower could
152 be Sakura-chan’s daughter. I could be wrong, not being a magical girl
153 and all, but I think that would all be a very nice way for the dream
154 to turn out.
155 I was pretty sure that it was Sakura-chan dressed in cute boy’s
156 clothes. You’ve been so worried about me with not having a koibito
157 and you’ve heard me talking about my special someone for a very long
158 time. So you already saw yourself close to the situation. And what
159 better way to see things end happily for your best friend than as
160 Sakura-chan the boy? Then you get a perfect glimpse of things because
161 you’re right in the middle of it all. So I thought that it was you.
162 I’m sure you looked remarkably handsome. Hai, proposing must be a
163 very difficult thing to do. It took Li-kun three weeks after buying
164 your wedding ring to finally ask you to marry him and that was after
165 quite a bit of convincing, so it must be very tough. I think the most
166 frightening part of it all must be the thought of rejection. Whenever
167 you bare your feelings to the world, you have a chance of getting
168 hurt and rejected. Holding out your love to your special someone is a
169 very dangerous thing. What if they don’t feel the same way about you
170 or if it hurts them to hear it or if it changes things? So I can
171 understand why he was so worried and why cute boy Sakura-chan must
172 have been worried in the dream. But if my one True Love proposed to
173 me, I wouldn’t hesitate for a second. And if I had to sacrifice
174 myself for my love, as you said it, Sakura-chan, I would gladly do
175 that, too. Sometimes it’s just safer to keep your love close to your
176 heart, protecting it from the pain that rejection or the hurt could
177 cause. So it’s very brave for Li-kun and you in the dream to propose.
178 You really are a wonderful best friend, Sakura-chan, and you have
179 never failed me. You’ve always saved me when I needed it with the
180 Cards and have been so sweet to me over the years. I’ll always keep
181 my love close to my heart, where I know it will be safe. I’ll always
182 love my special someone. And please don’t worry. I don’t mind if my
183 true love is with me or not. It would make me happy, but that’s not
184 half as important to me as whether or not they are happy. And they
185 seem to be, so I’m perfectly content.
186 You have such a warm, loving heart that it’s always so sad for me
187 to read about you in pain. I’m so sorry about the fight and that you
188 almost got into another. I can see you sitting up sweetly, waiting
189 for your love to come through the door. I don’t see how anyone could
190 leave you waiting. You and Li-kun have been dating for years, but
191 life as a
192 married couple is different. It must be the difficulties you’re both
193 experiencing as you’re adjusting to it that’s causing the trouble.
194 I’m sure that Li-kun knows that you care about him and love him very
195 much. He just has a lot of trouble expressing his emotions sometimes,
196 Sakura-chan. I’m glad you had Touya-san to talk to about it. He’s
197 right, those
198 types of jobs often require a lot of socialization like that. If you
199 ever need to talk like that again, you can call me at any time. I’m
200 always here for you, Sakura-chan. It sounds like Li-kun is very
201 protective of you. That’s a wonderful quality for your husband to
202 have
203 because I know he’ll keep you safe. I know that he’ll protect you,
204 no matter what happens.
205 Sakura-chan, I’m very glad that you’re concerned about me, but I
206 don’t ever want you to be sad for me. That just makes me sadder. I
207 want to know that my Sakura-chan is happy. I’m sorry that I can’t
208 tell you who my special person is. I want to. I would love to. But I
209 can’t. I think you should probably stop looking, Sakura-chan. I think
210 it could only make things more difficult if you found out and I would
211 hate myself for ever causing you anything to worry about. Please,
212 Sakura-chan... You’re my best friend. I don’t think you should look
213 any closer. Just know that I’m happy as long as my special person is
214 happy.
215 I’m sorry for my writing getting worse. We’re going over some tough
216 road. But please, Sakura-chan, don’t worry about it. It really
217 doesn’t matter who I love anymore. I don’t think I’m ever going to
218 tell them now. It’s just not worth causing the trouble it would take
219 to tell them. I'm happy with the way things are. I really am. It
220 doesn't matter who they are because my love won’t change. But I think
221 that it would be a bad idea to pursue it, Sakura-chan. You don’t want
222 to know who it is. Please...
223 It’s not Touya-san. He’s a wonderful person and he really does look
224 out for you. I think he and Yukito-san are a wonderful couple. They
225 look so happy together. I think he knows who I love. We’ve talked
226 several times and it sounds like he does. But even for all of his
227 great qualities, they only serve to remind me of my beloved. And I
228 always blushed when I watched him at soccer practice because he
229 reminded me of you, Sakura-chan. You both have the same ears. It's
230 very cute. Hai, it’s much better if I keep my love silent. Close to
231 my heart, it can do no harm. It doesn’t matter if I have a wedding.
232 They’re beautiful events, but I’m content being Daidouji Tomoyo as
233 long as my love is out there with the one they truly love. Even if I
234 have to keep my love locked away for all eternity, it will always be
235 all right. You can’t force someone to love you. All you can do is
236 love them. So doesn’t it make sense to let them love who they shall,
237 always holding on to that warm feeling the thought of them causes in
238 your heart? You’re right, I’ll be all right. I always have been. I’ll
239 be just fine, Sakura-chan. Trust me.
240 I’m sorry to end this so abruptly, but I really must go. Mother
241 needs me to help with something. Sakura-chan, I’ll always treasure
242 the time I got to spend with you. You were the best friend I could
243 possibly have. Thank you for that. I hope everything is well in China
244 and that this letter gets to you safely.
247 All my love,
248 Daidouji Tomoyo
253 Dear Tomoyo-chan,
255 I was so excited to read in your letter that you will be able to
256 come to Hong Kong soon to visit. Did you ask your Mother yet? When do
257 you think Haneko-chan will be done? She sounds very lovely, by the
258 way. I am planning on taking her to school, so that my students can
259 see the beautiful work my best friend does in far away Japan. When I
260 read that you were looking for a hotel, I went to Ieran-sama, to beg
261 her to let you stay here. The house is quite large, and there are
262 several guest rooms. I was afraid she would say no, but when I told
263 her she actually smiled and said it would be an honor to have you
264 stay. I asked her if I could prepare your room, and she said yes.
265 It's a beautiful room overlooking the garden, and I am already fixing
266 it up special just for Tomoyo-chan. There is a lovely red and gold
267 brocade Chinese rug in the room, which Ieran-sama says is very
268 ancient. I have been dusting and cleaning, thinking about you while I
269 work. After reading that you might come soon, I can barely sleep at
270 night. Waiting for you makes every day seem so long.
272 I am so very happy that you have a picture of me on your desk at
273 work. One reason I was always smiling was that you were so close to
274 me. I always felt good when you were around, sort of peaceful and
275 content. Everything just seemed so right when we were together.
276 Please tell Meishi-san that your girlfriend in the picture sends
277 congratulations on the upcoming wedding. I hope and pray she will be
278 very happy. I hope Haneko-chan is finished in time. So Meishi-san is
279 another reason for the doll to be finished quickly, and then you can
280 come to visit. Oh, but I do not mean to rush you or anything like
281 that. I am sure you are under great pressure as it is, so I hope
282 everything goes well. Designing a doll sounds like a lot of work, but
283 I'm sure it will be delightful when it is finished. I think you made
284 a good choice with the hair, and am certain little girls will have a
285 wonderful time playing with it. I know that I loved brushing and
286 braiding your beautiful lavender hair when we were young. It's kind
287 of funny, but I dreamt of this not too long ago. We were back in the
288 5th grade, and you were sleeping over at my house. We were both in
289 our nightclothes in my room, and I was brushing your hair with long,
290 careful strokes. Only the little nightlight was on, but your hair
291 glistened in the soft, pale glow of the moon. You were silent, and
292 sitting away from me, so I couldn't see your face. The only sound was
293 the soft swish of the brush. Then I made two long braids, and tied
294 them together with pink ribbons. When I finished, you started to turn
295 around, and my heart beat faster. I felt such an intense love for you
296 that it woke me up. And sitting in bed, with Sayoran-chan asleep next
297 to me, I missed you so much. My heart ached for you to be with me so
298 I could hold my Tomoyo-chan close again.
300 I talked with my sensei friend yesterday and told her about
301 missing you so much. She smiled, and said she looked forward to
302 meeting you. She said no matter what we do or where we are, our
303 special person follows us like a gentle little ghost haunting our
304 hearts. She quoted from a poem in English, and translated it for me.
305 It was:
307 "Parting is all we know of Heaven,
308 And all we need of Hell."
310 She said that is how she always feels about her special person being
311 gone. She said that person is still with her, and that there is no
312 pain greater or sweeter. I feel very sad for her, and for your
313 Mother, and for my Father. I guess it's something you can never get
314 over.
316 I'm glad you liked the book on local flowers. We can go and see some
317 of the gardens and wildflowers on the islands when you come. I told
318 Flower you liked the book, and she was very pleased. When I said her
319 you were coming to visit, she said she wanted to dance with you. I
320 think that would be a very sweet to see. Oh, and the tea set is for
321 you, a "Welcome Back to Hong Kong" present, I guess. Sorry it's not a
322 surprise, but I was so excited I couldn't keep it secret. It is in
323 the room now on a little mahogany table, waiting for you. And thank
324 you for the videotapes. The strawberry cake was a bit of a problem.
325 It was so good there was none left over for Kero-chan, and he was
326 quite put out about that. I had to promise to make one just for him.
327 Tomoyo-chan, you looked so beautiful in that video. I loved the
328 costume you wore, and the apron with little strawberry designs was so
329 kawaii. And thank you also for the lovely picture. I bought a little
330 silver frame so now I can see your smile every night. It really makes
331 me feel so much better to have you there, and to know that maybe you
332 are thinking sweet thoughts about me from far away.
334 I liked your ideas about cheerleading at the school. Cheerleading is
335 not as popular in Hong Kong as back home, though it is catching on.
336 Some of the girls I talked with were very enthusiastic and want to
337 start a club. I told them I would be happy to be their advisor. A
338 father of one of the girls is a tailor, and offered to make the
339 uniforms for a good price, but said we need some sort of design. I
340 told the girls about the outfits you designed for me, and they got
341 very excited. I know you are busy with Haneko-chan, but would it be
342 possible when you are finished with the project to design an outfit
343 for the club? We would not need the design until late summer. Of
344 course, I know you are very busy with work, and do not want to impose
345 on you, so please tell me if it would at all be a bother. Of course,
346 we would pay you whatever you thought a fair price for the work. The
347 girls are already planning ways to raise money. They really are very
348 cute.
350 One of the girls reminds me of you, Tomoyo-chan. She is very quiet
351 and sweet, and one of the best students in the 4th grade. She has
352 long hair that curls at the end, and is as pretty as can be. She is
353 not particularly athletic, so I have worked with her extra so she can
354 pass all of her tests. Sometimes she comes after school for practice,
355 so I stay and take a later bus. In return, she insists on helping me
356 with my Chinese, which is just like her. I noticed that she is always
357 looking very dreamily at one of the other 4th grade girls, but that
358 the other girl does not seem to notice. It is so kawaii to see her
359 all -hanyaan-
361 Tomoyo-chan, please don't ever think that you are not an important
362 part of my life anymore, or not necessary, or that I would be all
363 right without you. It's really the very opposite, because I need you
364 more than ever. Or, maybe, I just never realized before how much my
365 best friend meant to me. I love Sayoran-chan so very much. But, I
366 can't really talk with him about many things. He is very busy, and
367 even when he is home he is such a private person. We are not together
368 as much as I would like, but then, I guess we never could be, since
369 there are not enough hours in the day. But for the first time since I
370 met you, I feel lonely.
372 When it started, I thought I was just homesick, and missed
373 everybody. And I do miss everyone, in a way. But not the way I miss
374 you. Not being with you hurts me. I don't want to make you sad, so
375 please don't worry. But Tomoyo-chan, not having you to talk with, to
376 see, and to hold is so much more painful than I ever thought. It's
377 like breathing. You don't think about the air until it's gone, and
378 then you are desperate. When I was with you, I felt that everything
379 was all right. I -knew- it was. Tomoyo-chan, I don't think I feel
380 that way anymore. I feel so apart from you, and sometimes I miss you
381 so much I just start to cry. I don't understand this at all. I am
382 with the man I love in a beautiful new place on my life's adventure.
383 But I feel so sad. I feel just like sensei, like my special person is
384 far away. And I don't want to tell you this, because it makes me so
385 ashamed, but when you told me that Oniichan was not your special
386 person, part of me was happy. I hate myself for feeling that way, and
387 am so, so sorry. But I had to tell you, because I do not want to keep
388 any secrets. Part of me was happy that you are not with your special
389 person. I -hate- that part of me. I do so want you to be happy, and
390 would do anything I could for you. So why do I feel this way? I
391 should be happy if you could be with your special someone. It's so
392 sad you are not, and that your love must be kept deep within your
393 heart. But if you were with someone else, I would feel farther away
394 from you than ever. It's almost as if you -were- my special person,
395 which of course must be ridiculous. But it's just how I feel, no
396 matter how many times I tell myself I don't. Gomenesai, Tomoyo-chan.
398 Last night something strange happened. It was the dream again, the
399 one in Tokyo. It was so windy that I could barely stand. I was
400 straining to see the figure on Tokyo Tower. The figure on the tower
401 was still vague, and I do not know who it was. The wind howled, and
402 almost knocked me off the roof of the building we were on. In fact,
403 just then a real wind woke me up, and I was surprised to find I was
404 not in my bed at all. I had wandered in my sleep, and awoke on the
405 edge of a steep cliff overlooking the ocean. I was facing east,
406 toward Japan, and the moon was setting over the water. I was scared,
407 and then very embarrassed, being in my nightgown outdoors.
408 Fortunately nobody was around so I was able to sneak back home. On
409 the way back I ran into Kero-chan, who noticed I was gone and came to
410 look for me. I told him about the dream, and he seemed quite
411 concerned. He said I should tie a string around my finger when I
412 sleep and attach it to a little bell or something so I don’t wander
413 in my sleep anymore. But that seemed silly, and I would probably just
414 get all tangled up. Fortunately, Sayoran-chan slept through the whole
415 thing.
417 I have been visiting with the Cards a lot lately. I had a long
418 conversation with Light-sama and Dark-sama Sunday night. Tomoyo-chan,
419 they are so sweet together. I never knew. They are a beautiful
420 couple, and even though they are so different, they are very much in
421 love. Dark-sama is more quiet and shy, but very tender and gentle.
422 Light-sama is funny sometimes, though she is always very dignified. I
423 talked with them about many things, and felt so much better
424 afterwards. I told them you are coming to visit, and they both looked
425 very pleased and wish to meet you. Tomoyo-chan, I also asked them
426 about you, and your special someone. Dark-sama almost seemed to
427 blush, and Light-sama laughed in her Lady-like way. They said I
428 should trust more in my special power, and then everything will be
429 all right.
431 Gomenesai, Tomoyo-chan. I will stop asking about who your special
432 person is. I had no right to try and find out. I would never, ever
433 want to hurt you. Even though a part of me would miss you so very
434 much, I do wish you could be with your beloved. I know you are happy
435 for him, and I do hope that makes you happy, too. I have never known
436 anybody quite like you, Tomoyo-chan. You are kind, gentle, loving,
437 and caring. You were always the smartest person I ever knew. Even
438 though Naoko-chan read more books, you were smart about -everything-,
439 like sewing and people and tea. And you are so beautiful. Seeing you
440 in those videos sometimes takes my breath away. I read in a magazine
441 once that angels are celestial visitors who come to Earth. They bring
442 love and peace to all the fortunate people they touch. It's funny,
443 because when I read this, I thought of you. I thought, maybe Tomoyo-
444 chan is an angel, because she is not like anyone else. She is so
445 special. So, I believe that someday, somehow, you will be with your
446 special person. Everything -cannot- be all right if you are alone. If
447 I could have one wish, it would be that you and your love would be
448 together, forever.
451 Love,
454 Sakura
457 PS- Kero chan says thank you for the strawberry cake recipe, but
458 please make the recipes bigger next time. He made me write this.
460 PPS- Syaoran-chan says hello.
462 PPSS- I have enclosed some more pictures for you. One is of the
463 school from the front, and one is of the gym where I teach. Fanren
464 took the picture of me baking the strawberry cake. It looks a bit
465 messy, but the cake really did turn out well.
469 Dear Sakura-chan,
470 I’m sorry that it’s taken me so long to reply to your
471 wonderful letter. I always love hearing from you and writing to you
472 makes me very happy. But the past week and a half have been very
473 hectic. Hanako-chan is just about finished. It took a lot of work,
474 but I’m very happy with her. I think she’s a doll that young girls
475 will be able to love dearly. It’s my gift to all of the poor little
476 girls out there who don’t have their own Sakura-chan to dress in cute
477 costumes and play with. We had a lot of meetings lately so that we
478 could solve all of the problems with Hanako-chan so that she would
479 come out smoothly. I have one of the prototypes for her on my
480 desk right now. I’m going to send her to you along with this letter.
481 I really hope that you like her. I know that she’ll be happy to be
482 with Sakura-chan.
483 Meishi-san had her wedding early, so I went to that several
484 days ago. It was a beautiful ceremony. She and her husband are
485 very much in love. I’m very happy for them to be spending the rest
486 of their lives together. They had an enormous cake that Kero-chan
487 would have loved to see. I would get the recipe, but it looked too
488 big for me to bake. The wedding reminded me of Sakura-chan’s, so
489 I thought of you throughout the ceremony. I think Meishi-san and
490 her husband are already planning on children. She’ll make an
491 excellent mother. The smile on her face looked so joyous. It was
492 the same as yours at your wedding. It must be such a wonderful
493 feeling to know that you will forever be with your true love. I’m
494 very happy for the both of you. Meishi-san asked me when I was
495 going to ask my girlfriend in the photo to marry me. She’s always
496 joking about those sorts of things. I told her I would as soon as I
497 knew she would say yes. We laughed a bit and went back to the
498 party. Meishi-san left for her honeymoon that night, so she’s still
499 gone right now. After all of the hard work on Hanako-chan, she
500 deserves the rest with her beloved.
501 I’ve been practicing longer with Megumi-chan after work.
502 She really has a lovely voice. And she certainly has the
503 determination to be a very good singer. All she needs is a little
504 patience and it will come perfectly to her. I brought up her singing
505 in a competition a short time ago, but she seemed a little nervous.
506 She asked me about the awards I’d won, but I told her that that was
507 never what mattered to me when singing. Singing lets you express
508 the feelings in your soul. It lets you serenade your one, true love,
509 even if they can’t hear you. Singing is a way to say what you cannot
510 with simple words. Megumi-chan seemed a little surprised by that,
511 so I asked her why she wanted me to teach her to sing. She
512 couldn’t answer right away so I told her to think about the answer
513 until our next lesson. When our next lesson finally arrived, she came
514 out to meet me in front of her house. She smiled a very sweet smile
515 and told me that she wanted to sing because she always loved to
516 and that she wanted to sing like an angel for her special someone.
517 I’m very proud of her. I think before long, her angelic voice will
518 reach out to whoever it is she’s singing for.
519 I’ve spoken with my mother and I have my flight information ready.
520 I should be leaving for Hong Kong late next week. Please tell me if
521 that’s a bother at all. I can always book a different flight. Now
522 that Hanako-chan is done with her design phase, mother said it would
523 be perfectly all right for me to take a break and go visit Sakura-
524 chan. She tried to convince me to go with her on a trip to the
525 mountains instead, but I had to refuse. I know she has the best of
526 intentions, but I would like to see Sakura-chan again in her new
527 married life. Mother sends her love, even if she can’t deliver it
528 herself. Are you sure that it’s all right if I stay at the Li house?
529 There are several hotels around there that I could check into. Though
530 if Sakura-chan has gone through all the trouble, I would most
531 graciously accept your hospitality. Thank you for going through so
532 much trouble just for me, Sakura-chan. The room sounds lovely and it
533 will be very nice to look out on the same garden that Sakura-chan
534 wanders through. I’m sorry that your days seem longer because of
535 this. I’ll have to come out there very soon so that you won’t have to
536 worry anymore. And I would absolutely
537 love to have tea with you and the wonderful tea set while I’m there.
538 Please tell Flower that if she would love to dance, I would be most
539 pleased to. It has been a very long time since I’ve last danced.
540 Sakura-chan sure has been dreaming a lot lately. I’m always
541 very happy to hear about your dreams. There’s always a very sweet
542 quality about them. Maybe it’s the air in Hong Kong that’s giving
543 you so many of them. Or your new life. But they seem very nice. I
544 remember you braiding my hair like that. I was very happy to have
545 you doing that for me. It’s completely different having Sakura-chan
546 do your hair. Not at all like fixing my hair myself. Your hands were
547 so gentle and warm. You were so careful with your brush strokes. I
548 wish I had caught that on videotape, but I’m pleased to hold the
549 memory in my heart for as long as I can. I’m really glad that
550 Sakura-chan remembered it. You were so sweet that night. We
551 stayed up late talking about all kinds of things. And I was so happy
552 when you agreed to fix my hair. Thank you so much for that,
553 Sakura-chan. You don’t have to worry about missing me anymore.
554 I’ll be in Hong Kong soon enough and we can spend some time
555 together like we used to. Of course, I don’t want to interfere with
556 your new life, so I’ll be very careful about that. But
557 there’s no reason to be lonely, Sakura-chan. You have many people
558 who love you very much. And you don’t have to miss me. You’re
559 always in my thoughts and you always have my love. I’m very sorry
560 that you’ve been feeling so lonely lately. I’ll be happy to try and
561 cheer Sakura-chan up while I visit. I’m very happy that you always
562 felt good when I was around. I always wanted Sakura-chan to be
563 happy, so it was a spectacular award to see you smile. I wanted to
564 make you as happy as I could, so that Sakura-chan wouldn’t have
565 to worry. But now that’s Li-kun’s job, so I should be glad that it’s
566 in good hands.
567 It is so horrible that people like your sensei friend and my
568 mother and your father all have to go through so much pain. It must
569 hurt unbearably to lose your special someone. But your sensei
570 friend is right. Even if you are far apart or separated, they will
571 forever dwell in your heart, the impressions of their soul always
572 bringing back the sweetest of memories and the deepest of regrets.
573 But I think as long as you know you have that sliver of their soul,
574 and that your love can encompass it with a warm glow, then you
575 have nothing to fear. No matter how much it hurts, you will always
576 carry slivers of their soul.
577 Your students sound eager and determined just like their
578 sensei. It just seems like fate that Sakura-chan would help them get
579 into cheerleading. I’m sure they will all be adorable. And with you
580 helping them, it will turn out wonderfully. I stayed up a little
581 late a
582 few nights this week and worked on the designs for the uniform. I’ll
583 send it along with this letter. I hope that it works well enough. I
584 think Sakura-chan’s students would look very kawaii in it. Please
585 don’t worry about paying me. As long as Sakura-chan takes some
586 pictures of her students practicing in the uniforms, I’ll be very
587 pleased. Seeing some of your old costumes gave me inspiration for
588 the design. I wanted to make sure that everyone who sees them will
589 know that they’re Sakura-chan’s super cute cheerleaders! I think
590 it’s fitting that the last costume I made for you was your wedding
591 dress, but I’m very glad to be able to help with this. I’m very
592 excited about their efforts.
593 Thank you very much for helping out the girl that reminds
594 you of me. I would have been so thrilled to have Sakura-sensei’s
595 help back in P.E. so I’m certain that she is in good hands. She’s
596 very lucky to have a teacher like you. It sounds like the girl who
597 manages to capture her attention reminds me of someone else.
598 That’s so sweet to hear. I hope that she can improve with Sakura-
599 sensei’s help and that hopefully the other girl will notice the way
600 she looks at her.
601 Sakura-chan, please know that I’ll always be here for as
602 long as you need me. If you ever need someone to talk to or if Li-
603 kun’s just not around or for any reason, you can always talk to me.
604 I don’t want you to ever have to feel lonely. I’m sure that as time
605 goes by, Sakura-chan won’t feel so lonely anymore as she gets new
606 friends and grows closer to her new family. Please don’t cry over
607 me. It makes me sad knowing that my best friend is sad across the
608 sea. Sakura-chan, I always wanted to comfort you as best I could,
609 to make sure that you knew that everything would be all right. But
610 that was never my doing. Things are all right because I believe in
611 you. And they’ll continue to be. Just believe in yourself. I’ll
612 always
613 be your friend, but you don’t need me to know that things will
614 work out. Everything will always work out for you. I know it will.
615 Please don’t be sad. We’ve been best friends for a very long time.
616 And you’ll always remain my best friend. You shouldn’t feel like
617 sensei when your special person is right next to you. Maybe you
618 need to spend some more time with Li-kun to get your mind off of
619 your worries. Someone needs to cheer you up and if I can’t, then
620 someone else will have to. Sakura-chan, please don’t feel bad about
621 being happy that Touya-san isn’t my special person. If you’re glad
622 for that, then I think that’s a good thing. If it worries you about
623 me
624 being more distant if I did get with my special person, then there’s
625 nothing to concern yourself with. I’m happy as long as they are, so
626 I’m quite content on my own. With Sakura-chan’s friendship and
627 okaa-sama’s support, I know I won’t be alone. You’re the most
628 important person in my life, Sakura-chan, so you don’t have to
629 worry about me putting anyone above you. If I were your special
630 person, then I would want very much for you to smile and laugh
631 again. I would be a very lucky person if I were your special
632 someone. Just like Li-kun.
633 I never knew that Sakura-chan was a sleep walker. It must
634 have been very cute to see you walking around with your eyes
635 closed out there. I’m sure Li-kin would worry if he found out, but I
636 don’t think you would be any danger from that. It’s probably part
637 of your dream. I’m definitely starting to think that it’s pointing to
638 Japan, but I don’t understand why. Maybe there still is some
639 unfinished business with the Cards. My camcorder would be so
640 happy to go back to videotaping Sakura-chan’s adventures! Even if
641 it was only for a short time. But the dream is slowly unfolding to
642 you. I’m sure soon enough it will be clear.
643 I really wish I could tell you who my special someone is, but
644 I think that it would be much better if I didn’t say their name. But
645 I’m very lucky to warrant Sakura-chan’s concern. That’s extremely
646 sweet of you to worry about me like that, Sakura-chan. You make
647 such a perfect best friend. But don’t let it worry you, because that
648 will only make me sad. I need to know that you’re smiling for me.
649 And you don’t ever have to feel lonely over my special someone.
650 Nothing could take you from my thoughts. You’ve burned your
651 cute image into my mind forever. Thank you so much for all of the
652 kind words, Sakura-chan. Hearing you say all that was very
653 flattering. I’m makes me very happy to know that you think about
654 me that way. And it does make me happy when my special someone
655 is happy, so you don’t have to worry about me. If I were an angel, I
656 would want to be Sakura-chan’s guardian angel, to watch over her
657 forever and to take care of her. I heard a sad story some time ago
658 about how angels cannot fall in love with humans because their love
659 could never be. But what a beautiful love it is. As long as the angel
660 can feel that love for the human they gave their heart to, does it
661 really matter that they can’t be together? Even if the red string of
662 fate isn’t wrapped around your finger, it doesn’t mean that you
663 can’t love with all your heart. You may not get their love in return,
664 but you get back so much just being able to have experienced them
665 in your life. So I have no regrets. I wouldn’t take away a single day
666 that I got to spend in the presence of my beloved. And my love will
667 flourish in memories and dreams. Everything can still be all right if
668 I’m alone. Because I am blessed to have been able to touch my
669 special person’s life in some small way. Thank you so much for
670 everything, Sakura-chan. I love you very much. You are my sweet,
671 genki best friend.
673 I’ll see you soon,
674 Daidouji Tomoyo