Disclaimer: I do not own CCS nor do I own the characters in the manga/ anime. The characters and events in this story are fictitious. Any similarities to real persons are coincidental and unintentional.

A/N: To new readers of this story, this was my first CCS fanfic. To returning readers, I've made some (really, really minor) changes (like fixing grammar/ spelling errors) to most of chapters 1-4. I hope you enjoy the story.


A Second Attempt at Love

-1-

It was a quiet morning in March. The sky was clear and the sun's rays were just beginning to light up the horizon. Much of Japan was still asleep and dreaming contently in their beds, but in the Kinomoto household, almost everyone was up… almost everyone…

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!

An electronic alarm clock rang inside the bedroom of twenty year-old Sakura Kinomoto, daughter of Japan's largest and wealthiest corporation owner. Upon hearing the annoying device ring, the young girl groaned and buried her head under the warmth and softness of her comforters. "Five more…minutes…" she murmured, trying to return to dreamland.

She heard a muffled giggle on her right and immediately popped her head out. When she managed to open her eyes fully, she was facing huge red numbers that read 6:30 am.

"Holy crap!" Sakura exclaimed, now fully awake. She had woken up late and was now scrambling to get out of bed. "Why didn't you wake me up earlier, Chidori-chan! I'm going to be late!"

Chidori was Sakura's personal maid, but she was treated more like a friend than a servant.

"Gomen ne, Kinomoto-san, but you see... I woke up late, too…" she smiled sheepishly as she handed clean clothes to Sakura.

The auburn-haired girl gladly took the clothes from her maid and shot her a sharp look before running to the bathroom. "I told you to call me Sakura, Chidori-chan! There's no one around to hear."

The young maid giggled again. "Hai, Sakura-chan! Gomen!"

After she changed and took care of her hygiene, Sakura rushed downstairs to the breakfast table where her older brother was currently eating.

"Good morning, Onii-chan." she greeted. Her face was flushed and she was breathing raggedly as she slumped down in a chair across from her brother.

Raising a brow at her appearance and actions, the jet-black haired man returned her greetings. "Woke up late again, kaijuu?"

The emerald-eyed girl chose to ignore the comment and asked instead, "Where's Otou-san?"

"Business meeting."

Sakura mouthed an 'oh'. Her face fell for a moment, but she quickly pasted a smile back on her face, hoping her brother didn't catch her disappointment… which he did, of course. Soon, silence filled the breakfast table; the only sounds audible were made by the clinking of silverware against china.

The chef, Mrs. Ito, was the first one to stir up conversation in the dining room when she suddenly popped out of nowhere carrying two platters piled with hotcakes, eggs and ham. A smile spread over her plump, rosy cheeks as she set the platter down in front of the two siblings.

"Morning, dears, how's your day so far?" the chef asked cheerfully. She didn't seem to notice the silence between Sakura and her brother when she entered the room.

The young girl gave the lively cook a smile in return. "Um, today's been good so far, hasn't it, Onii-chan?"

He nodded in reply, but didn't look up from the newspaper he was reading. Mrs. Ito didn't mind his curt answer, but continued on with her duties. She poured coffee into his half-empty mug and gave Sakura a glass of orange juice. Then, the cook turned to go back to the kitchen, but stopped when she suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, Touya, dear, I almost forgot to tell you that someone called for you," she said to Sakura's brother. "Ichigo said the call was made from the company office, so I assume that your father had something to tell you. You should go call them back when you're done with breakfast."

Touya thanked her and said he would do so as soon as he was done with his coffee. Sakura, on the hand, gave him a questioning look. Her father had always left him messages, but seldom in the early morning hours. In the end, she decided not to ask him about it, not wanting to be a bother.

After finishing most of her hotcakes and juice, Sakura excused herself from the table and went straight to her room. She sat on her bed for awhile; not knowing what to do, but then a knock at the door disturbed her thoughts. "Come in," she called. She was surprised when she saw who was at the door.

Standing in the doorway with his arms crossed was the one and only brother she had ever known. He looked strangely relax as he leaned against the frame of the door.

"I thought you were going to call the company?" she said, motioning for him to sit on the bench at the foot of her bed. He denied her offer with a shake of his head, assuring her that he was comfortable where he was.

"I just did," Touya said, waiting for his sister's cue to continue. "We're invited to the Kunishiros' annual spring ball. It's held in two days, so I'm just giving you a heads-up."

The emerald-eyed girl stared at him in bewilderment. "So what happened to the invitations?"

The older man shrugged. "Dunno. They said they were lost in the mail… Anyway, I'm gonna head down to the company to deal with some business, alright? Call me if you need anything."

Sakura nodded her head to let him know that she understood, and then reached for the cordless phone sitting on her table. She pressed the speed-dial button and waited for someone to pick up. A soft voice greeted her, "Sakura-chan?"

The said girl looked at the phone as though it had some sort of psychic power. "How'd you know?"

The voice on the other end laughed at her friend's density. "How do you think I know, silly? Caller ID, of course!"

"Oh," came Sakura's sheepish reply. "I-I knew that…"

The voice at the other end brushed that aside, "So, will you be attending the Kunishiros' ball?"

"Okay… Now that's reallycreepy! Maybe I should stop speaking altogether and let you fill in the spaces, eh, Tomoyo-chan?"

Stifled giggles were heard from the other line. When Tomoyo finally settled down, she chirped excitedly, "I take that as a yes, then. The Kunishiro family throws a spring ball every year, so I have pre-made dresses for you! See you in, say, an hour, alright? Bye, Sakura-chan!" With that, she hung up, leaving Sakura to listen to the dull dial tone.

"Right…" she mumbled, a bit shocked.

---

Ding-dong. The oh-so-original doorbell rang. Sakura, who was currently browsing a fashion magazine, dropped everything and ran to the door, shouting out, "I'm coming!"

She peered through the peephole to see Tomoyo with a thousand bags in her hands and immediately unlocked the door. "Hey, Tomoyo-chan, I didn't ex-" she greeted, but was cut off when half a dozen bags were thrown into her arms. "-pect you to come so early…"

Tomoyo walked in carrying the remaining bags and placed them gently on the Persian rug laid out in the foyer. "Oh, sorry about that, I just couldn't wait to see you try them on!" she squealed and pulled Sakura into a hug.

The auburn-haired girl laughed nervously; she couldn't and wouldn't be able to escape from this… Tomoyo have always had a passion for designing and making clothes, but her favorite thing to do was tormenting Sakura by making her model every single item she crafted.

"You're evil, Tomoyo-chan. Pure evil, I tell you," she mumbled incoherently, dropping the bags down next to the others. Tomoyo was studying the magazine that Sakura was browsing earlier, and was frowning at or criticizing every dress she saw.

"What was that, Sakura-chan?" she queried, now picking up another fashion magazine.

"Nothing!" Sakura squeaked. "Uh, do you want something to drink?"

Tomoyo's amethyst eyes left the page she was examining and landed on Sakura. "No, thanks, I'm ok. So, are you ready to try them on for me?" she grinned, and added, "Sorry I didn't bring them all, we'll have to work with these today." Then, wasting no time at all, Tomoyo reached for the stairs that lead up to the second floor where Sakura's bedroom was located.

I'm dead. The twenty-year-old girl with auburn hair thought before plastering on a fake enthusiastic smile. She took her time following her friend into her bedroom, but not before saying a small prayer to the gods above… at least, she hoped they were there…

---

"Oh my god! You look soo kawaii in that dress!" Tomoyo squealed for what seemed like the hundredth time in two hours. Sakura rolled her eyes and sighed heavily.

It was always 'Oh my god! You're so kawaii!' or 'Sakura-chan, you look like a celestial maiden sent from heaven!' or just simply 'Oh my god!' Those weren't the only comments Sakura had heard, but just three out of the many that she could decipher. The rest were harder to understand because it mainly consisted of squealing and high-pitched sounds.

"Tomoyo…" Sakura started. "Don't you think we should take a break? I mean, it's been over two hours and I'm starting to hate dresses."

The other girl looked disappointed, but being an understanding person, she agreed, but not without bargaining with Sakura. "Please? Pleeeeeeeeease?" she begged, stretching out the 'e'.

Sakura nodded in defeat. Surely ONE more dress wasn't gonna kill her if it'll save her from modeling them all at once. She dragged herself over to the bathroom and took the garment Tomoyo handed her.

It was made of pure silk and lined with soft satin. The dress was cream-colored and flowed around her ankles. It had a low neck line and spaghetti straps, but didn't reveal anymore than intended. Though the dress was lightly embroidered in silk, it had the look of simplicity.

When she came out in the dress, Tomoyo stood up from her chair next to the dresser and gasped. "You look…" she smiled.

"Let me guess… 'So kawaii!'" The emerald-eyed beauty suggested, rolling her eyes. She hadn't had a chance to look at her appearance since there was no mirror in the small changing room. Tomoyo grabbed her hand and dragged her to the full-length mirror in the corner, allowing her to see her image for the first time since she woke up.

Sakura was stunned. The dress was beautiful, like all the others she had modeled, but this one was more unique. It fitted to all the contours of her body and added an elegant glow to her. All she could do was just stare and admire all the work Tomoyo had put into this gown.

"I think it's the perfect dress for the Kunishiros' annual ball, hm? All you need is the perfect pair of shoes, earrings and a wrap to go along with it..." Tomoyo said cheerily and added, "On second thought… maybe a nice purse, too. Don't worry; I'll take care of it all."

Sakura nodded, a dreamy look donning her face. "I think I have the perfect earrings already, Tomoyo-chan…"

Sakura walked over to her dresser and took out a black lacquered jewelry box. It had an intricate design of birds perched on a sakura branch carved from mother-of-pearl on its lid. She ran her hand over the shiny surface, feeling the raised form of the flowers and birds.

Tomoyo crossed the room and stood next to her friend. "It's beautiful, Sakura-chan," she complimented, her eyes widening in wonder and admiration.

The auburn-haired girl smiled, then, she opened the box and took out a smaller one made specifically for earrings. Inside was a pair of pearl drop earrings. There were two pearls on each earring; one at the top and the other, at the bottom. They were held together by a solid line of platinum, but even in their simplicity, they looked absolutely stunning.

"It was a gift from Okaa-san; both the box and these earrings. They were her treasures, Tomoyo-chan…" she said, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. Tomoyo patted her back, trying her best not to tear up, too.

"Don't cry, Sakura-chan," the amethyst-eyed girl consoled. "Auntie would've never wanted for you to be sad…"

Sniffling and wiping away her tears, Sakura nodded, putting on a shaky smile. Suddenly, a low grumbling was heard. Sakura's cheeks took on a light pink glow and she began to laugh nervously.

Tomoyo joined along, adding, "Well, I guess it's time for that lunch break you were asking for. Let's go downstairs, Sakura-chan."

"Race you down the stairs! Last one down is a slowpoke!" Sakura shouted, rushing out of the room, forgetting that she was still in a dress… Let's just say that that wasn't the smartest thing to do when you're wearing a floor-length dress…


A/N: So, what did you think? I'd like to hear your comments/ suggestions for improvement. I know what some of you may think (not really), you think that authors won't really care what you say about their work, but we really do! We appreciate you taking your time to give us feedback and even praise! That's one of the many reasons why we keep writing--it's for you! So, what do you say about pressing that little bar down there? It's practically begging you to. =]

Whyte Lilac