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May the 5th
By Louann1
Chapter 1: Falling Cherry Blossoms
From all across the world people have gathered to this place of reckoning. A new mystery had been discovered. This new mystery though, is said to be caused by a past victim. Through all my years of experience in the journalistic field nothing can even compare to the horrors I've seen and heard here in Tomoeda. A murder of not one but 4 people has happened. I am determined to get to the bottom of this. As far as I'm concerned these people, these victims are innocent but their murderer certainly is not. There is less than 24 hours before the next victim's life would be taken. But to understand what I am talking about I'll start from the beginning...
It began 4 days ago, May the 1st, I had arrived in Tokyo, under the impression that a small town nadeshiko festival was to bring superstars. Apparently, the term 'nadeshiko festival' was used loosely and that it had grown more than a simple fund raising festival. This was a tip-off that I'm a bit skeptical of receiving. As I left the airport nothing seemed strange or peculiar until I found a dying person under the name of Samantha M. Kytori in the corner of the airport. I took her pulse but with every minute that passed it slowed and slowed gradually slowing to a stop. Her lifeless body was limp and pale. There were no signs of a homicide, she looked like she was suffocating but she looked healthy enough. Her blue eyes stared at me even after her death, I pitied her that her life was so short lived, she looked no older than me. I closed her eyelids and sighed. My story hadn't been the one I'd expected, but at least I had one. (What does this mean)
I made my way to the small town of Tomoeda. It was where the festival was to take place and so I felt that if I was close, then possibly I might actually get some work done. Not that I haven't before. My job takes time and skill, a trait that not many people have. I have to socialize with people up to the extent of friendly conversation, anything more and my ass would get a burning. I love my job, don't get me wrong, it's hard but not as hard as living to the expectations of my mother. But that's another story
The journey there was far from pleasing. The taxi smelt sickly and the driver was good at neither driving nor conversation. The town was spotless, white walls, perfectly trimmed hedges and clear blue skies. It was too perfect to be true, which was when I began to get suspicious. The death of Ms Kytori was still on my mind. The police that collected her seemed to brush it off but somehow I felt that there was more to it than that. I handed the driver a bill and he drove off. Getting change wasn't high on my priority list at that particular moment.
I needed somewhere to stay. I was told that there weren't any hotels in the area by my college but then again he always did tell lies. I was meant to come here fifteen years ago. A mission my mother found most interesting, but I never did.
With my suitcase I went around the fairly friendly town looking for accommodation. I had to admit it was much more... Perfect, than I imagined. I had been told that it was the Stepford of Japan but I realised that that statement was true. The grass was velvety, the trees were all the same, none had green leaves but all seemed to be almost suffocated by the masses of cherry blossom. At that time of year it was the changing of seasons, and so the petals were beginning to fall.
I looked up at the tree to my left. It seemed to have more flowers than the others. I continued to peer up at this particular tree. I'll admit it wasn't something that I usually do. I guess it must have looked a bit weird to those that passed me, but to be quite honest I didn't care. Something about that tree was intriguing, captivating, it was different, that's for sure. But why? My legs began to ache but I felt compelled to continue watching... And now I am glad that I did... Sort of.
A clump of petals fell from the tree and all I could see was a young woman. She was unusual, and unique. I couldn't tell her age because of the distance between us but I was sure she couldn't be much older than me. She was sitting on a branch and seemed to be admiring her surroundings. Either that or she was bored. I'm not much of a ladies man, on the contrary, I'm quite the opposite. I somehow managed to get my cousin to break off our engagement. Don't get me wrong, I love her and all, but not in that way.
The young woman swung her legs forwards and backwards. She had short auburn hair that reached her shoulders and seemed to dance in the breeze. Her eyes were the most deepest green I had ever seen. Her complexion was pale and complemented her eyes. I walked closer... I had to know who she was. Her lips were so... Whatever! She saw me and jumped down. If you ask me, it was a pretty good jump. She was pretty high up; she must have done gymnastics or something like that. One minute she was up in the tree, the next she was right next to me. It was odd but when she jumped I almost got the sense that she had flown down, descending on me like an angel from heaven. Who am I kidding? She jumped!
" Hi..." The girl smiled and showed a perfect set of teeth, bright and pearly. It was magical. She spoke calmly even though she didn't even know me. Things were kind of awkward, after all I had been staring at her for quite some time. " Are you here for the festival?" Her voice was so calm and engaging.
" Uhh... Yeah..." I hesitated in reply. This made her giggle, I couldn't help but loosen up.
" I suppose you have nowhere to stay," She was extremely upfront, she drew her slim, perfectly curved body close to mine (not a position I find myself in usually) and began to pick out the petals that were in my hair.
" That is correct."
" You speak awfully old fashioned Mr...?"
" Syaoran Li," I told her my name. I'll admit it was a little unorthodox, but there was something in her eyes that compelled me to tell the truth and I am positive that it wasn't my own reflection or an eyelash. No it was something else; something I found almost disturbing..
" Well... Mr Li. I, Sakura Kinomoto, on behalf of my family, I ask you to be our guest," Her approach was very...Convenient. Perhaps too convenient, I still can't tell.
I could feel myself flush. She caressed my face with her soft hand with a sentimental touch. I'll admit, I've ever been touched like that before.
" Uhh... Well..."
" That settles it!" She was quite charming at this point and no longer upfront. I know I should be glad she gave me accommodation... At this moment in time though not four days ago but now, half of me is overjoyed and the other half wishes I had never met her.
" I must thank you Miss Kinomoto," I told her. She rose her eyebrow and gave me a skeptical look, the type I only save for special occasions, and asked me,
" Why did you call me 'Miss'?"
" I noticed that your ring finger on your left hand has no rings," I lifted up her hand.
" What made you think that I didn't just take them off?"
" There would be a marking of some sort and I imagine that if your were betrothed to someone that, that very lucky man would want every living male within a 5 mile radius to know that you were already betrothed to him unless..."
" No!" She hit my arm playfully. " Your job must include having an eye for detail."
" Hehe..." I laughed weakly. " You certainly know how to compliment."
" I get enough of them... I pick up a few, once or twice," She began to fix my hair, she obviously had messed it up and was reorganizing each strand as fiddled with my hair between her fingers. " So... What do you do?"
" Huh?"
" You never told me about what you did," She took a step back to admire her effort. She smiled at me and repeated her question. I didn't know what to think about what she had done with my hair. " So... What do you do?"
" I'm a journalist," I told her straight. I thought about feeding her a cover story but I couldn't help it.
" Interesting... Tomoeda could do with some publicity," She took my hand and we began to walk through 'Perfect Town'.
Now, that I think about it, it is a bit ironic. I mean... Tomoeda did get that publicity it needed, but I don't think that was exactly what she meant….
I know that I haven't called 'her' by her name yet...and even though I have known her for a few days I don't want to say her name yet. I can't get close. And saying her name means getting close. She won't be known by anything but Miss Kinomoto. I promised myself.
About 10 minutes later we arrived at her home. It was of American structure with white brick walls and a red slate roof. I have to admit it's a pretty nice house. I know that say those kind of things a lot y'know like 'I have to admit' and 'To tell the truth' but those are things that I have been taught to say - I know its a bad habit but you can't blame me. Write by journalistic rules, live by them.
I met 'her' family. It was inevitable really, seeing as I am going to be a guest in her home. They consist of only her father, Fujitaka and her brother, Touya. She never told me about her mother. I just presumed that she had died. I'm sure of that, almost. Around their house are many pictures of a woman with long hair. She's very pretty. Most of them are of her in different clothing, not many are with her children, so I guess she died when they were young.
She showed my to my room. Most of it was green, my favorite color! Great isn't it. There were green walls, green carpet, green duvet. The only things that weren't green were white. Whether that was a coincidence or not, I don't really know. You never know with her, never.
This family... It seemed too perfect, just like everything in this town. The father, kind and loving, the brother, over protective but the daughter...? She's something else. She's different. They're too perfect for their own good, if you ask me.
Everyone has secrets, including me; some peoples' secrets just get out before others.