Disclaimer: I do not own CCS.
FIRST LOVE
Formerly known as "Of Dreams & Aspirations"
Genre:
Romance, Drama
Summary:
An aspiring photographer left for Japan to pursue his dream.
There, he met an aspiring painter and begins to fall in love.
Character Sketch:
(Arranged in accordance to appearance)
Syaoran Li – aspiring photographer
Takahashi Yamazaki – Li Syaoran's assistant in photography
Tomoyo Daidouji – aspiring singer
Eriol Hiiragizawa – aspiring music producer
Sakura Kinomoto – aspiring painter
Acknowledgement:
To God – for everything, it's because of Him that I'm able to write.
The idea of using a media company, general manager and director position is inspired by the old series "A Promise of Love at the Dolphin Bay." I also would like to thank the creators and English translator/s of the song "Seed of Kindness." The name "Kanata" is inspired by Daa Daa Daa's Kanata Saionji and "Hiwatari" is inspired by Kirarin Revolution's Seiji Hiwatari.
Lastly, I thank you for reading this now.
Enjoy ^^
Chapter One
A Fresh Start
It was in the middle of November, three days before the start of the second semester. The place was one of Hong Kong's wealthiest, the Li clan. Despite being pureblooded Chinese, the Li Clan has become accustomed to different cultures to the extent that only a third of the 500, 000 hectares of their estate reveals Chinese antiquity designs. Western and European architecture combined compose the exterior from the gigantic walls, the Greek fountains, the British lamp posts, to the world record breaking gigantic maze garden filled with different kinds of flowers in front of the main palace. The story begins at midnight in the main palace when the silence of the night has filled the estate. A young man with messy amber locks glistening under the moonlight came out followed by an old white haired man in his early sixties. The young man was dressed in jeans, and plain white shirt topped by blue leather jacket, a Nikkon camera hanging around his neck. In front of the palace and at the back of the maze garden was a taxi cab, the only source of light aside from the well lighted lamp posts surrounding the area.
"Is this what you really wanted young master?" The old man asked, opening the backseat door but blocking the way with his body. The young man kept silent with his head bowed. The old man kept his stare on him, his eyes starting to water. It was only when he wiped them that the young man spoke.
"It's for the best. But I'll be happier if you'll come with me. You can still change your mind Wei." His eyes looked pleading. It made the old man smile. He was after all, the one who has been taking care of him since he was two months old. Having to continue the remaining days of his life without him wasn't something he dreamed and never will.
The old man sighed, opening his arms to which the young man gladly responded, giving him a warm hug. "I'll miss you." He heard him say. His master may be eighteen years old in appearance, charming and very attractive. But if there's one thing about him that doesn't go with these descriptions, the old butler knows it was his heart, the heart that belongs to a little boy seeking to live a dream of his own.
"I'll miss you more." He patted his back and pulled him away facing him. "Take good care of yourself Syaoran." He said and the young Li was pleased.
"Smile for me Wei." He said, holding up his camera to his eye level. The old man did as told and let him take his last shot of him. The little boy was growing, and he needed to be free.
The young Li entered the cab, and the old butler didn't stop him this time. The taxi driver took his silence as a sign and drove off, following the road out encircling the maze garden. He kept his eyes on the road, but couldn't help taking a glimpse of his passenger from the rare view mirror. He saw him open the backseat windows and taking a few shots of the estate, one after the other. He couldn't help but feel star struck, even if he was only seeing his reflection in the mirror. It was an honor for him to be chosen by a Li, much more the one heir to the Clan. When he saw him closed the window and slumped in the backseat, he saw something that made him rub his eyes. He pinched his cheek just to be sure, but when he glanced at him in the mirror again, the sparkling liquid he thought was in his eyes was no longer there. Convinced, he focused in his driving this time without looking. Maybe, just maybe, it was a short hallucination in his part.
-Japan 6:45 am
"Riiing! Riiiing!"
The sound of the alarm clock resonated throughout one of the largest rooms in the Kinomoto residence. Normally, at cold days like this, the smell of pancake would have woken up the sense of a sleeping auburn haired girl. So much for that, because as Touya Kinomoto could have guessed when he entered her room and saw oil paints and crumpled sketch papers messing his younger's sister's room, he knew it would take more than his cooking to wake her up.
"This Kaiju really." Touya sighed, sitting beside the sleeping figure and started shaking her.
"Kaiju! Kaiju! It's the first day of the second semester. Didn't you say Yamazaki's coming back today?" He said but received no reaction from her.
Thinking of a better plan, he grinned and walked his way towards the door, but before he set a foot outside her room, he turned around to see her again, and yelled, "Sakura, wake up! Eriol's here!"
"Whaat?" The sleeping figure, as if automatically, opened her eyes and rose up before Touya could even breathe normally again after yelling.
When she saw him laughing beside his door, anger fueled inside her. "Touya! Gosh, seriously, what did I ever do to you oniichan?"
Touya kept laughing though. He was already having so much fun before leaving the house and her sister was all to thank. "Don't blame me. Nothing I do would wake you up, so you left me no choice." He smirked, this time, really intending to leave.
Sakura Kinomoto was left pouting at how stupid she felt for believing him. Just the sound of that person's name practically made her want to get up from any dream. And as she let her thought wander into daydreams with him in it, she found herself smiling, and her smile widens with every additional second she thinks of him. She looked at the table beside her bed, grabbed the picture frame with a photo she knew all too well she could paint it anytime without having to look at it.
It was a picture of her and her two best friends since elementary. Tomoyo Daidouji, her girl best friend was leaning on her back, Sakura's upper body bent forwards because of Tomoyo's weight, and he, Eriol Hiiragizawa, her crush for three consecutive years since high school, was there in Sakura's right standing, as cool as ever. It was taken in front of Tomoeda Arts University when they were still freshmen. She remembered being thankful her blush wasn't seen in the photo. That would mean she was already into him ever since their last year in high school. For Sakura, it has to be the real deal.
She was about to sleep more if she didn't hear his brother yell, "Kaiju! You do realize you only have three minutes to prepare, don't you?" Sakura gasped as she looked at her clock, horrified. It was 6:57, and normally she leaves the house at 7:00 because it takes her thirty minutes travel to get to the said university.
"O gosh!" She jumped, leaving her bed unfixed and hurriedly ran to take a bath.
When settled, she finally went downstairs, running.
"Good morning Touya! Where's dad?"
"Good morning kaiju. He was already gone when I woke up."
"I see." She disappointedly bowed her head. Touya must have noticed as he patted her back, gentle this time unlike when he was teasing her.
"Don't worry. You know grandpa doesn't bite."
Sakura smiled. "I know that." Touya rarely got the chance to meet him and Sakura only met him once before he went to Hong Kong. Masaki Amamiya, their great grandfather just returned from Europe and would like to speak with their father, Fujitaka Kinomoto. About what? They didn't have a clue. Fujitaka seemed to, but wouldn't speak of anything subject related to them. Sakura was just a bit worried of the seriousness of his grandfather's reason for coming back.
"Hey, Kaiju! You're late!" She snapped out of her thoughts as Touya reminded her. Sakura thanked her brother and once again, ran her way to the bus station.
'Sometimes, he can be a cool brother.' She thought.
-Tomoeda Arts University 7:03 am
Tomoyo Daidouji, only daughter of Sonomi Daidouji, president of Daidouji Toy Company, came earlier than normal. Usually, she'll be there by exactly five minutes early, but this time she intentionally woke up a few minutes early to practice her singing in a vacant music room.
A new semester after all would mean a new project. To students of TAU, these projects mean life and death. They aren't given any quizzes, neither tests nor recitations. Though they have a couple of ungraded practical for practice and art exhibits for students outside the Music Department, the grading system is merely based on the said projects. The theme will be announced in the first class and that's everything a student needs to know. Of course, professors are there for assistance and lectures but the actually project depends fully in the student's own creativity, so for that, everyone has to give their all.
"I knew you'd be here." She almost jumped and would have hit the chair if a certain dark blue haired future music producer didn't catch her.
"You sure get surprised easily." Eriol chuckled, helping her stand properly.
"Jeez, don't do that again!" She hit his arm, trying but failing her attempt to hide a smile. He grinned.
"I know. I know. I won't do it again, I promise." he rose his hands in defeat, but she knew better. It's Eriol Hiiragizawa and knowing him for years made her used to the fact that he can't stand to live a day without teasing her.
"Sakura's late again, as always." She wanted to change the topic to which he immediately followed.
"Well, what do you expect?"
"I want to seat beside her again. You know, us three. Anyway, our first class is the only class we're together. I thank God for Arts 101!" She grinned, turning her back from him and walked towards the window. They were in their so called, "private room," hers, Eriol's and Sakura's. Though it was in the Music Department, they finally got Professor Terada's approval to let even Sakura, a student taking BFA Painting, share it with them.
Eriol nodded. He went to sit in front of the piano, and positioned his hands. "Shall we practice one song before the bell rings? Seed of Kindness?" [Note: Seed of Kindness – Yasashisa No Tane]
She nodded and gave him a sweet smile, preparing herself as she walked closer to him, stopping when she's three steps away beside the piano. Eriol nodded to her as signal, and began playing.
"When I am lonely, I search for warmth
I follow my precious memories into the distance
A mother, holding her beloved child in her arms
Sings a lullaby in the sunlight
On the cheek of a child off playing in a dream
A fairy places a dimple of happiness
Even when awoken from a dream, a smile is left behind
Such a seed of kindness is in all our hearts
When a tied down heart is set free to fly
It'll sow a single seed of kindness
Before long a sprout will come, and a bud will open
If one has such a beautiful place in their heart
Someday, everyone will fly freely
as high as they can, in the clear blue sky
Fly freely, making flowers bloom in their hearts..."
-Tomoeda Arts University, Front Gate 7:23 am
A yellow taxi cab stopped in front of TAU. Students were passing by but everyone's hyped up talking about their semestral break to care about the passengers. Yamazaki Takahashi, a young photographer stepped out of the cab carrying two camera bags and a tripod.
He stopped beside the cab and waited for his companion. Another young man his age with messy amber locks got out after him, handing the driver more than enough for payment.
"Keep the change." He said and the cab went off. Then looking to Yamazaki before he let his eyes roam around to check the place, he asked.
"So this is it?" It sounded like a question but Yamazaki knew it was more of an expression.
Syaoran Li, his boss, was already well informed about the university even before he left Hong Kong. They've been planning his arrival ever since a month ago, and now that he's here, all that's left for him to memorize were the people in Tomoeda, faculty, students, and some additional outsiders.
"Welcome to Tomoeda boss!" Yamazaki grinned. If he could he would have opened his arm acting like a good tourist guide but considering he's loaded, it's just not possible. Not that he'll complain carrying their things. It's always like this working for his boss/childhood friend, plus he gets paid more than average. Not to mention the attention girls give him by just being around his boss.
Syaoran Li grinned seeing the school sign. He once again got hold of his camera just hanging around his neck and prepared to shoot for the first time in Japan.
With one eye closed, the other eye focused on the cam, and with a flash was about to take a shot.
"1, 2…"
~Tomoeda Arts University, Front Gate 7:23 am
Meanwhile, Sakura Kinomoto came running towards the gate of TAU. First scene to greet her was of course the front gate, followed by the Cherry Blossom path, the path to any building in TAU. She was panting. Her books almost falling from her bag as is she wasn't aware she left it open. Soon enough before they fell, she realized, stopped and zipped it close. Then once again, she hurriedly ran with the hope of at least arriving to her first and only class with Tomoyo and Eriol before their professor does.
When she was about two miles away from the gate…
"Sakura!" she heard a familiar male voice. Looking to its owner, she saw Kanata Hiwatari, one of those as Tomoyo calls, "Sakura's top admirers," in fact the number one in the list despite him not yet confessing to her. Kanata was renowned by TAU's magazine as the most popular male in the campus, to which of course, Sakura was the most popular female, followed by Tomoyo Daidouji.
"Good morning Kanata." She greeted.
"Hi, ahm, look, can I have a minute?" He asked, offering to carry her things. Sakura would have agreed but considering the time, even the one minute he's asking her was precious.
"Ahm, sorry Kanata. I can't now, maybe on lunch break or after school? I'm really sorry." She said hurrying and left him, half-smiling to himself.
'She's really clueless, isn't she? And I actually thought I can confess to her before the first class.'
-Tomoeda Arts University, Front Gate; 7:26 am
'Click!'
Both photographers were surprised with the sudden additional character to the view. Yamazaki gave out a soft, "E?" while Syaoran looked more surprised without a word. The moment the photo was out, Syaoran gave a soft sigh.
"Would you look at that Yamazaki?" He noted in sarcasm, holding the photo in a way that both of them can see. "If it isn't lady luck, my first shot turns out to be the back of a running female student."
Yamazaki chuckled. "A girl in plain white dress, might I add. But if I must say, it's a good photo boss, like it conveys some sort of a story."
Syaoran smiled. He realized it too, but was a bit pissed because it didn't turn out as planned. The photo was supposed to show the Cherry Blossom walk with random students, chatting, walking, laughing, everything you see for the first day after the semestral break. It wasn't supposed to have a center, and more, a girl whose face he didn't even see. A helpless case, but to both photographer's amazement, they both knew, it actually turns out better than intended. It was just her back, but it showed so much, it was like it was intentional.
"Yeah." Syaoran said, staring at the very spot where she was when he took the shot.
"The story of a girl running late." He smirked this time. 'And based on my shot, it wasn't just because she's late for class.'
A/N: I revised the first part and did some editing. Reviews are highly valued. Thanks for reading!
