The Confession
A certain blue-eyed man was walking down a path surrounded by Sakura blossom trees after school. The flower's petals were constantly hitting against his glasses, hindering his view, yet he still liked walking there, especially when he wanted to be alone to think.
"Eriol-kun," he heard a female voice call him. He turned around and smiled when he saw a raven-head beauty approach him. He chuckled when he saw her carry various bags with clothing and cloths inside.
"Hello Tomoyo-san." he responded. "It's certainly rare to see you leaving school so late." As soon as she was next to him he took most of the bags, leaving her only with two from the original five.
"I was doing a dress for Sakura-chan," she explained. When Tomoyo got inspired at school she usually stayed until late. It rarely happened and, when she did, it was usually in the morning.
"Did you call your bodyguards to pick you up?" he asked. She shook her head.
"I was hoping you could walk me home," she said timidly. "I have something I would like to speak to you about."
"Well, Tomoyo-san, seeing that it is so late, I'll walk you home. I would also like to keep up my gentleman status," he said, adding the last part as a joke.
Tomoyo laughed. "I'm pleased that you're walking me home but I was hoping you would say I kept you good company," she told him, joking.
"Oh, you certainly never fail to amuse me," he said with a smile.
"Glad to help," she responded and started walking slowly, signaling that they should start their journey or else it would get dark.
They walked silently through the streets of Tomoeda, but it was a comfortable silence. Tomoyo was the first to break it.
"Eriol-kun," she started.
"Mm?" he responded absentmindedly as he gazed up at the sky.
"I have something to ask you," she said.
"As long as it's not something too embarrassing or weird to answer, or do, I'll definitely do your bidding."
"Do you think I'm pretty?" Tomoyo immediately asked.
Eriol was bewildered. How could she even doubt that when she could practically have all Seijou High boys at the click of her fingers? But he understood that every human had his insecurities.
"As pretty as this sunset is," he said pointing up. Tomoyo looked up and was relieved to find that the sunset was certainly one of the prettiest she had ever seen.
She gazed into Eriol's eyes for a second and was about to talk but he beat her to it.
"Actually, I must correct myself. I think, and most of the other men in town must think so too, that you are 100 times more gorgeous than the most beautiful sunset." At this Tomoyo blushed.
"Thanks," she said simply. Any girl's confidence would rise up to the heavens with that type of compliment.
But Tomoyo wondered. What would Eriol say to his girlfriend, when he got one that is. The thought didn't last long as she was soon shaken out of her reverie by Eriol.
"Was that all you wanted to ask me, Tomoyo-san?"
"No," she stated simply. "I have a favor to ask of you."
"And I state the same conditions as I before offered."
"Reasonable conditions they are," she said mysteriously. "Eriol-kun, I wish for you to," she paused.
"To," he urged after some seconds.
"Matte, I think I need to set up some conditions of my own."
"But... You are the one asking for the favor. If I accept, after you tell me all the details, I would still need to do almost your every wish until the favor is fulfilled," Eriol protested.
"It's not exactly a condition," Tomoyo said. "I would just like to ask you not to laugh of my favor as it would not only be un-polite, it would also make me feel bad and you would not be considered a gentleman anymore." Tomoyo blabbered, a cute pout on her face with the intention to make Eriol do her bidding.
Eriol was, once again, bewildered. He had never seen such an expression on Tomoyo's face and had never seen her this nervous.
"Alright, I won't laugh," he said, giving in to the pout.
Tomoyo certainly looked relieved upon hearing this and her face immediately lit up with a smile.
"Okay, so this is my request," she said before walking a bit ahead of him. She stopped in front of Eriol so she could face him. "I wish for Eriol-kun to help me confess to the guy I like," she said with all of her effort.
Eriol had the urged to laugh, but not at the favor she had just asked him to so. It was because she thought he would laugh over something as serious as a young girl's love. He wasn't that sadistic, right?
"Hmm, I would like to request something before I give you my reply, if that is okay with you Tomoyo-san," Eriol said.
"Sure," she said simply.
"Actually," Eriol said after a moment. "There are two requests. The first one is for you to briefly tell me what helping you means exactly."
"I had already thought of that," Tomoyo interrupted.
"And the second is that we stop at Penguin Park so you can tell them to me and I can think out my answer," Eriol said. "Oh, and so we can eat some ice cream," he added after a pause.
"I'd be delighted to," Tomoyo said with a smile on her face.
"Well then, let's head over there," Eriol said and they both turned left at the next street to head to Penguin Park. It was a quiet and short walk, during which there was a comfortable silence.
When they got there, they found out that the park was almost empty, as it was almost 6 and mothers had started to pick up their kids.
They sat on a bench that was underneath a Sakura tree. The sight, just as the one at school, was breathtaking, like always. The Sakura petals had covered part of the bench and made it look pink instead of brown.
Eriol kindly swept some of the petals away to make space for them to sit. After saying a small thanks, Tomoyo sat down.
"I'll be right back, I'll go over and buy the ice creams," Eriol said.
"Why thank you, Eriol-kun. That's very kind of you," Tomoyo said with a calming smile, polite as ever. Though, inside her nerves were a wreck.
"Vanilla, right?" he asked with a tiny smile of his own.
"You know me too well, Eriol-kun," she responded.
"That's what time does," he said with a shrug and walked off to the small ice cream stand at the opposite end of the park.
"Good morning. One vanilla and one chocolate please," he said to the ice cream seller, who later on introduced herself as Yui.
"That's a lovely young lady you've caught there," Yui said. "Better give her everything she wants or she might just run away."
"Oh she is not one to run away, I am," Eriol told her jokingly, though it was partly true. He was the one who had left for England, not her. But at the end, he always went back to the place fit enough to be called 'home.'
"Ah, young people these days have changed so much from the ones from before," Yui said and sighed. At simple view she seemed like a person in her late thirties, maybe forty exactly. But as Eriol being as perceptive as he is, he noticed that she had various wrinkles, more than a forty-year old should have. She had probably been a real beauty when in her 20s, yet she knew how to keep her beauty up.
"They certainly have," Eriol said knowingly after she passed him the ice creams. They said their goodbyes. As Yui saw him walk towards the girl, she couldn't help but feel as if they were she when in her youth.
She sighed. "Young love, how I miss those days. Oh how I remember those summer days with Eiichi. How much I miss you my dear husband," she said as she turned her marriage ring around and around her finger. She hoped the young couple didn't have to go through the hardships she and her husband had to endure.
Eriol walked back to Tomoyo with a bit of a hurry. It was hot and, much to his disgrace, part of the ice creams was melting into his hands.
"Here you go," he said as he passed the already melting ice cream to Tomoyo.
"Oh my, Eriol-kun. Let me get you a napkin or your hands will stay sticky," she said as she stood up. She felt a finger on her arm. Confused, she turned around.
"The rest of my fingers are dirty," Eriol explained. "Sit back down, please; I already have napkins and my handkerchief."
"Oh, if you say so," Tomoyo said and complied with his wish.
They ate their ice creams silently, admiring the Sakura petals falling around them. Some had fallen on the top of Tomoyo's head, and no matter how much the wind shook, they refused to get blown away.
Eriol lifted his now not sticky hand up and took the petals out one by one. Halfway through his work, Tomoyo interrupted him.
"Thank you Eriol-kun, but you do know new ones will settle in and build a home once again, right?" He chuckled at her choice of words.
"Of course I do," he said.
Tomoyo glanced up and noticed he also had some petals on his hair.
"Wait a second, you've got some too," she said as she lifted her hand to ruffle his hair. The petals were freed but just as soon as she lowered her hand, five more petals moved in.
"Thank you, but you do know new ones will settle in and build a home once again, right?" he said, mocking her. They both laughed at the joke. When their laughter died down, they noticed how close together they were. Even though they weren't as shy as the dense couple, they still turned to face the front and finished eating their respective ice creams.
"Want to head over to the swings?" Eriol asked Tomoyo when he noticed the swings were empty. The sun was setting and all but two kids were gone.
"Of course, but you must promise to push the swing for me," she said with a smile on her angelic face. A smile that is, usually, secretly sadistic.
"Only if you promise to help me tease Li-kun," Eriol negotiated.
"It would be my pleasure," she said. They shook hands both with a smile on their faces. To anyone it was just a friendly smile, but anyone who knew better would've shaken with fear. Tomoyo and Eriol smiling always meant someone was about to get caught up in one of their elaborate plans.
They stood up and walked to the swings. Tomoyo sat down and Eriol went around her to push the swing for her.
"Not yet Eriol-kun," she stopped him when she felt his hands on her lower back. "I want to tell you about my plan first," she told him.
Eriol sat down on the swing next to her and waited for her to speak.
"Well, you already know that I want you to help me confess," she started. She saw him nod from the corner of her eye. "I want you to help me come up with a plan to confess and give me moral support and help me prepare," she explained, her fingers twirling a strand of hair, signaling she was nervous.
"And may I know this lucky man's name?" Eriol asked.
"No," Tomoyo said immediately, her eyes defying him to ask more. "And if you try to find out who it is, by any means possible, I promise you that I'll take out the blackmailing tapes I have of you and show it to the whole school," she said all this with a serious and menacing face, yet, at the end, she gave him her most angelic smile.
Eriol felt the urge to shudder. Instead he simply said, "Always a step ahead of me aren't you?" He got up and started pushing the swing at a slow, steady pace. It was so slow and unnoticeable that Tomoyo barely moved.
"How else could I gotten you to agree with my past and future deals if I'm not prepared for a struggle?" Tomoyo told him suspiciously, indicating that she had more blackmailing devices other than the tapes.
"Alright then. I, Eriol, promise to not try to find out the mysterious man's name possible, unless Tomoyo-san tells me who it is."
"You can't even think about it," Tomoyo warned.
"And I won't even think about trying to find out because if I do, I will strongly regret it and will be profoundly embarrassed."
Tomoyo turned her head around a little and smiled widely at him. "Perfect. And I even got it on tape," she said as she showed him a tape recorder she had hidden in one of her million secret pockets.
Eriol sweat dropped and barely managed to push the swing again.
"I would like you to go to my house on Saturday at 10:00 A.M. to make our plans," she told him. "If you agree, that is," she added.
"I'll think about it and tell you tomorrow, Tomoyo-san."
"Alright," she looked back and smiled at him. "You may push the swing faster now, if you like."
"Your wish is my command," Eriol pushed the swing harder. Tomoyo also moved her legs up and down when needed to making her to go really high. Eriol went and sat down on the swing next to her and started pushing himself until he was as high as Tomoyo.
"This is fun!" Tomoyo said. "I haven't done this in so long," she closed her eyes, recalling the times when she and Sakura used to ride the swings.
"Want to jump?" Eriol asked, tearing her away from her thoughts.
"Sure," she chirped before they both jumped off their swings, simultaneously.
They landed perfectly, Tomoyo a bit farther than Eriol. Seeing this, she smiled.
"I won Eriol-kun," she was grinning.
"And I guess this means I have lost," he replied.
"Yes you -" Tomoyo stopped. She grabbed Eriol's arm with a death grip. "I see Sakura-chan and Syaoran-kun. They seem to have date clothes."
"I sense a plan to follow them already formulating in your head," Eriol guessed, partly.
"Yes, I am. And it includes you."
"Me?" Eriol asked, dumbfounded. He rarely participated in Tomoyo's taping sprees.
"Yes, you, Eriol-kun. It's always more fun to tape with someone else than alone," she took Eriol's hand and started pulling him into a run with her. "Come on, we're going to lose them!"
"But, Tomoyo-san," Eriol tried protesting. "The bags are being left behind," he told her calmly, waiting for her reaction.
Tomoyo stopped and took her cellphone out. She dialed a number and started talking.
"Mia-san, please come to Penguin Park and pick up some bags with clothes that I left there. I forgot them there and they're too heavy to carry by myself. I suggest you take another person with you."
Eriol heard a faint "Of course, Tomoyo-sama," through the other line.
"Thank you. Bye," she hung up the phone. "Let's go, we already lost a lot of time," she said to Eriol before they started running after the dense pair again.
Eriol's Manor
"ERIOL!" he winced when he heard Nakuru's cry. "HI! Where were you so late?" she chirped. She had been waiting for him all day to play games but he did not come home until almost eleven in the night.
"I was with Tomoyo-san."
"ALONE!" Nakuru shrieked. Eriol covered his ears, but he still felt as if he lost a bit more of his hearing.
"No, not really," he wasn't exactly lying.
"And what's that supposed to mean?" she asked suspicious.
"We were following Sakura-san and Syaoran-kun around. I got caught in Tomoyo's little escapade."
Nakuru was shocked. So shocked she couldn't comment on that. For two seconds.
"So you were kind of in a date with Tomoyo?" she teased.
Eriol sighed and walked over to the kitchen to get some tea. The pestering probably wouldn't stop for at least ten minutes. "No. I was actually dragged like a rag doll around Tomoeda because Tomoyo-san thinks videotaping is more fun when it's not done alone."
"Oh, it certainly is," Nakuru chirped.
"How do you know?" it was now Eriol's turn to ask.
"I don't know, I just do," she said with a shrug. She had followed Eriol into the kitchen and was now sitting on the counter, inviting herself for some tea. After some seconds of comfortable silence, which is something very rare around Nakuru, she asked. "Well, was it?"
"Was what what?"
"Was the videotaping 'date' fun?"
Eriol perused in his mind for a while. They went to see a movie, a horror one, much to Sakura's annoyance. Then they went to Piffle Café and chatted for a while and ate a bit. Finally, they went to a clothing store. That was when Tomoyo went crazy and nearly ruined their whole plan. Eriol had to grab her by the waist to keep her from throwing clothes at Sakura. He chuckled at the memory.
"Yes, it was fun," he decided in a trance-like state.
"Eriol, Eriol?" Nakuru said after she noticed Eriol wasn't listening to her. Eriol had a weird look on his face while she talked to him, and she did not like it one bit. She waved her hand in front of his face. Nothing. She sighed and inched closer to him and put her mouth next to his ear. "ERIOL HIRAGIZAWA!"
Eriol nearly fell off the stool he had been sitting on. Nakuru chuckled while Eriol tried to make it seem as if it never happened.
"What do you want Nakuru?" he asked exasperatedly when he noticed his attempts were failing.
Suddenly, Nakuru changed from laughing her head off to glaring at Eriol.
"I was telling you that today I almost got Suppi-chan to get into the tub to take a bath. By himself. But it turns out he was just tricking me," she pouted at the memory. "And he splashed me! He completely soaked me!" her expression changed again when she remembered what happened next. Her expression showed an evil glint. "But, I was already prepared for it!" she said triumphantly, not missing a beat. "I had waterproof clothes and when he noticed it, he made a dash for the door but I caught him!" she had a triumphant smile. "And then I almost drowned him in the tub," she added with a sheepish look.
"You what!" Eriol asked. He never expected Nakuru to be an almost killer, except when she hugged Touya.
"Yes, and now he's mad at me and he won't eat anything I make!"
"He never did before," Eriol reminded her.
"Yes he did! He ate some of it. Sometimes. When I forced him to usually…" she bit her lip. "Okay! Almost never. But this time I was just trying to make him feel better and he made me sad and mad!"
"And your point is?" Eriol asked. He already lost interest long ago.
"Well, even if he was mean, I want to make it up to him. So, I was wondering if you could take us out on Saturday, shopping or eating."
Eriol smirked. He had seen through her lie. "You don't want to make it up to him."
"Of course I do!" Nakuru protested.
"You want to go shopping to buy that dress you saw in a catalog the other day. You know Spinel Sun hates shopping, maybe as much as I do."
"Okay, you win," Nakuru sighed. "But I really want that dress. Please Eriol, would you come with me?"
"Can't."
"WHYYYY?" Nakuru whined.
"I am going to Tomoyo's house," he told her. He had not decided but at least he was getting out of the trouble of carrying Nakuru's bags all day long.
Nakuru's jaw dropped to the floor. "You're going to whose house? For what?"
"Uh, yeah. I'm going to Tomoyo's house. I'm helping her prepare for a presentation," he lied swiftly. He didn't even want to imagine what would happen if he told anyone about the real plans.
"Well then, I hope you have a great time," Nakuru went over and poured some tea into two cups and took one. "I'm going to sleep now," she said while grinning.
"Good night," Eriol called.
"Night," he heard faintly.
As soon as he heard the door bang shut, Eriol slumped into a chair. He drank his tea quietly, recalling the day's events. Suddenly, he recalled something.
He and Tomoyo had their hands together almost the whole day. Looking at his hand, he felt a small tingle run through it as he imagined holding hands with Tomoyo again.
"I'm overthinking this," he said before putting the cup in the sink and heading up to sleep.
