06. The festival
Five years ago, when Sakura, Syaoran, Mei Lin, Eriol and I bragged during summer that we were about to be 8th grade students, my best friend announced that her older brother had just been accepted into college.
"In six years, we'll have a doctor in the family." Sakura had announced, during an afternoon we had spent on an amusement park.
That simple sentence was enough for me for not to be able to concentrate on anything else, for the rest of that week. Touya was studying to become a doctor. A medical professional. A person who would devote himself to the health and well-being of his patients. And me? I was worried about passing maths that year, and that the PE classes wouldn't reveal my new body curves when running.
During that summer, I kept thinking about what had been the reason why Kinomoto Touya had decided to study medicine. At first sight, he didn't give the idea to fit into something like that. He was a very athletic boy; one would expect that he would enter some professional football team, or basketball team... something related to sports.
It was at that moment that I realized that Touya was something more than a simple athlete. And again I wondered, why a doctor? Did he crave the knowledge of medicine? Did he want to help others? Discover the cure of some strange disease? At that moment I realized how little or nothing I knew about him.
For the next five years, when I visited Sakura's home, it was strange to see Touya around. It seemed as he was studying in a boarding school, 'cause he was at college during all day, even late at night. If he wasn't attending classes, he was at the clinic, in the library investigating, or studying for an exam. It was as if the school had completely absorbed him.
Adding the fact that during that time Eriol and I seemed to be the perfect match, I didn't have much time to think about him either. However, in my mind there was always present the absence of that person who during my first years of elementary school had caused me panic and anxiety attacks, knowing that if I would set foot in that yellow house, I would be able to see him, even for a couple of seconds. Now it was as if there was something missing in the Kinomoto household. That's why I actually never expected to meet Touya that night when Eriol dumped me. It was simply impossible for him to be at home. My mind had (somehow) blocked his presence from that place.
And likewise, considering that this was his last year at college, and he would be too busy to eat or sleep, or do anything other than attend school, I never expected anything of his enigmatic comment about offering to pay the next date. That was something that was just never going to happen. I didn't know if that was good or bad. Did I wanted to go out with him again? His company hadn't turned out to be so bad, but at the same time I was still afraid of what might happen between us. Especially if he had referred to our last dinner, as a date.
And then there was the matter of "considering". Consider what? To go out with Touya? That maybe he does also have feelings for me? Was he trying to make me understand that he wanted us to try to be something?
Trying not to think about it, I spent the next week immersed in my own affairs. Really busy with school, due to having missed almost all the previous week, I didn't have too much time to think of anything other than designing various garments, a pair of high heels, and choosing a range of colours for a formal dinner theme, among other details of being a fashion student.
After those marathon sessions in the workshop, drawing, planning and designing in general, I was really happy that the weekend had come. That Friday, like every other Friday, I would go and take lunch with my friends, and before Syaoran could open his mouth, I would get Sakura for us to be out all Saturday doing shopping at the mall. I had been so busy with other matters that I needed to spend quality time with her. I missed her too much.
So that afternoon, as I left the Academy, I drove to the usual cafe, and parked the car on the sidewalk across the street. Sakura and Syaoran were already at one of the tables at the back. I rushed to join them and sat next to Sakura.
"Mei Lin sent me a message, she says she'd be a little late; she seems to be doing a team project." Syaoran says, before I can even ask.
"Shall we wait for her before ordering lunch?" Sakura asks, a little distressed. "It's just that I'm starving."
"Me too." I hurry to add, and so Syaoran smiles and says:
"I don't think it will matter to Mei Lin. I'm sure that if she were in this situation, she wouldn't have even asked."
We don't discuss that statement, for it was true after all. And so Syaoran hurries to call a waitress so we can order something to eat.
"Do you have plans for this weekend?" Sakura asks me, when the three of us finished ordering what we would eat, and the waitress has already left.
At once, I smile excitedly. I'm anxious to tell her my plan to go out for the weekend on a girls' afternoon. Maybe we could even invite Mei Lin, and end the day with a slumber party at my house.
However, I'm unable to say a word, 'cause at that moment, my cell phone begins to ring and vibrate. I make a sign to Sakura so to tell her to hold that thought, and I begin to look inside my purse until I finally find the device. However, when I look at the call ID, the smile wipes from my face, and I become nervous.
It's Touya.
"Give... give me a moment..." I say, trying to hide the cell phone from the curious eyes of my friends. I get up from the table and walk away, while the cell phone kept ringing and vibrating in my hand, making me even more nervous. As soon as I was out of the cafe, I connect the call, trying not to think about what's waiting for me.
"Good afternoon, Touya." Is my initial greeting, with which I do my best so to sound casual and not paranoiac at all.
"Good afternoon, Tomoyo." Listening to him say my name makes my heart skip a beat, which makes my brain confused. Why does that simple action of hearing him say my name affects me that much? "I was wondering if you'd be free tomorrow afternoon."
"Tomor..." Instantly the nervousness and emotion vanishes, and opens the way for confusion. Was he planning something? "Do you have something in mind?" I ask, still trying to keep my casual tone.
"Only if you're available."
I bite my lip. I hadn't yet made any plans with Sakura, so yes, I was technically available, but... did I really wanted to be?
"Sure." I say finally. "What's the plan?"
"I'll see you in the Penguin Park at two in the afternoon. Is it ok with you?"
"Of course." I whisper.
"By the way, Tomoyo. Please, don't wear heels. We'll walk a lot."
And in his usual way, he cuts off the call without saying goodbye.
I stand there, holding my cell phone in my hand, wondering what I had just gotten myself into. We'll walk a lot? If I wouldn't be able to wear heels, was there any other dress code for the place he intended to take me?
I could have spent hours wondering what to wear, if it was not for Mei Lin, who had just arrived, and woke me up from my daydreams, cheerfully greeting me, as her usual way.
"What are you doing outside?" She says as she adjusts her backpack so it wouldn't slip from her shoulder. I show my cell phone.
"I was answering an important call." I say, and to keep her from asking any more questions, I hurry to add. "Let's go inside, Sakura and Syaoran are already there."
"Perfect." She says, not suspecting of my bad intentions, and my dark secret. "I'm starving."
I couldn't help laughing.
The next day, I woke up early so I could be able to spend a couple of hours inside my dressing room, wondering what the hell to wear for this "date". The heels were already discarded, but that made me wonder if I should opt for sneakers, sandals or even ballerinas. And as I considered my shoes, I could begin to define whether it was better to wear a dress, skirt, jeans, or shorts. And from there, if I once again discarded out the first option, I had several types of shirts, blouses and t-shirts to choose from. I curse the moment I accepted this "date" without knowing what I was getting into.
By one o'clock in the afternoon, I had decided on a nice pale pink polo shirt, black shorts, and black sneakers with a pink tone very similar to the shirt, which together gave the idea that I thought to go out to run a marathon or something like that. Following that concept, I held my hair in a tall, long ponytail, and I make up myself in natural tones. As I stepped out the door, I made sure to take a long black bag (which hanging from my shoulder, crossed my chest and came down to my waist), and sunglasses. This autumn day had come with a more summer feeling, for the weather was perfect to do something related to outdoors. I hoped Touya had planned something like that.
I hopped into the car, and drove all the way to Penguin Park, a kid's playground famous for the huge statue of a king penguin (literally crowned) that worked as a slide. It took me only twenty minutes to arrive. So I park the vehicle under a tree (which, despite having already begun to lose its leaves, still offered a good shadow), and head for the king penguin's statue, the most logical place to wait for Touya because of its considerable size. However, when I got there, I didn't have to wait for him, since he was already there. Leaning against the concrete structure, Touya was wearing a pair of jeans, a navy blue polo shirt, and dark running sneakers. I was glad that at least in those last two details we thought the same.
"You're early." I greet him as I arrive, so he pulls himself away from the king penguin's slide, and thrust his hands into the pockets of his pants, staring at me.
"It wouldn't have been right to make you wait. You ready to go?"
"Go where?" I ask, but he ignores me.
"Come on, sunlight hits hard."
He begins the walk without waiting for me, and as I have been petrified by the lack of information and tact, I have had to run so to reach him. When I finally manage to catch him, we proceed to walk side by side, saying nothing, for about five blocks, heading north. And then, we stop in front of the doors of the Tomoeda Elementary School, which are wide open. Inside, in the main school yard, a sea of people walking lively can be seen, while they hold snacks, balloons, stuffed animals and other things in their hands. In the perimeter of the patio, there are endless food stalls and games.
"A festival?" I ask confused. "How did you know about this?"
"You'll see." Its his simple reply. "Let's go inside." And without a warning, he takes my hand, and pulls me so we enter the school. I'm glad he didn't look back, or he'd see my face blushing.
We walk in front of several stalls. Some of them sell candy, others sodas of all flavours, a couple of stalls offer caramel apples and even there are some where one can catch fishes, and play target shooting.
"So cute!" I say softly as I look at a little white rabbit plushie that rests on one of the prize shelves of the target shooting game. Touya stops, and looks at it as well.
"Do you like that one?" I smile and nod. I look like a fifteen-year-old girl on her first date.
Touya lets go of my hand, and proceeds to look for something into his jeans pockets. After a short time, he retrieves several coins, places them on the desk of the stall, and says to the man:
"I want to try."
The man gives him a rifle, ten rubber bullets, and explains the simple procedure of knocking down five figurines. Touya seems to ignore him, and simply puts the rubber bullets inside the rifle, aims... and shoots.
Just as I saw him stop in front of the stall, I knew I would have that plushie in my hands. In all the festivals I had attended with Sakura during elementary school, whenever my best friend expressed the slightest interest in a stuffed animal, her brother would get it for her, no exceptions.
So, after knocking down the five figurines, and the man gave him the white rabbit, Touya places it in my hands, and so I hug it, while looking at it, spellbound. After so many years seeing how Sakura received those prizes, my inner girl was screaming with happiness to the fact that finally it was me the one who received one.
"You like it?"
"I love it." I say in a low voice, a bit embarrassed. I even blush when I see the shadow of a smile on Touya's face. That makes my heart beat like crazy once again. "Thank you very much."
"It was nothing." He says in his usual disinterested way. "Let's continue then. And if you want something else, just ask."
I rush to take his hand again, before he could hide them in his jeans' pockets. He stops, and looks at me, but says nothing. And so we set off again.
We walk around the yard for another half hour. We stop several times in different stalls, watching other people play (I didn't want to keep asking for stuffed animals or I was going to faint from happiness) and even stop twice, to buy water and candies to eat while we continue walking around the place.
"In the backyard there will be a series of sports competitions." He says, as we had been a couple of hours, walking aimlessly. "Do you want to go and see?"
"Sure." I say as I hold my rabbit with one hand, and with the other, I hold Touya. It was no longer just taking his hand, now I was hugging his whole arm, and since he didn't seem to complain, I couldn't stop smiling.
So we went around the main building, and headed to the athletics track, where several stands have been placed so people could appreciate the competitions. However, we don't climb these, as we continue walking among the elementary students who were preparing to compete. And so, I can see where we are headed. In front of us there's a small tent with a Red Cross sign. It's an improvised doctor's office for any student who got injured in the competition, or for anyone in general who felt unwell during the festival.
"Yuki!" Touya says when we were a couple of steps away from the tent.
Immediately, a tall, pale-skinned boy with gray eyes and hair, dressed in a white doctor's robe, turns to see the person speaking to him.
"Touya, hi!" says Tsukishiro Yukito, in his usual soft and calm voice.
I haven't seen Tsukishiro in so many years. He and Touya had been best friends since before Sakura and I had even met. They had always been together, despite the fact that in the last few years he'd no longer visit the Kinomoto household. I always thought it was because Touya was no longer at home 'cause of college, and they had stopped seeing each other. Now I could see that, in fact, they were still very close, since apparently they were studying the same career. I would bet my car that both were actually in the same class.
"Tomoyo?" He asks as he approaches us. "Is it really you? You've grown so much! How many years has it been since I don't see you?"
"I think it's going to be six years, Yukito..." I reply in a shy voice, as the pale boy leans over to give me a hug and greet me with a friendly kiss on the cheek. I answer the gesture, standing on my toes so I can be at his same height. If I was wearing heels, this wouldn't have happened. "You haven't changed at all. It's as if time does go by on you."
Yukito merely smiles and nods happily.
"It's the genes." He says casually, and turns to look at his best friend. "I invited Touya to come with me to work on the first aid at the festival, but he told me that he couldn't 'cause he would be busy with something else. I didn't know that the important matter was you."
"I didn't know either." I tease. I didn't miss the fact that Yukito had already seen the rabbit and how he looked at Touya with a mocking smile.
"Are you two having fun?" He asks and I hurry to nod, cheerfully.
"It's been an interesting date." Touya replies, and I can't help but open my mouth. A date? Weren't we supposed to be just friends?
But I so notice that I'm holding a plushie that he has just given me, and I'm hugging his arm. We totally look like a happy couple. I instantly feel my cheeks blushing, and I hurry to close my mouth so I don't look like an idiot.
"Good, good." Yukito smiles, pretending he didn't notice my expression of surprise and embarrassment. "I hope the rest of your day keeps going just as good. If you excuse me, I must retire." He points behind him. "I must take care of the wounded and sick. I'll see you later Touya. A pleasure to see you again, Tomoyo."
"A pleasure to see you too, Yukito." I say, smiling.
Yukito walks away and enters the tent; we take our time to watch him stop in front of an eight year old boy, who has a scraped knee.
"So it was Yukito who told you about the festival in Tomoeda Elementary School." I ask as we finally turn around to look for a spot in the stands and watch the competitions. Touya nods.
"This year Yukito and I will finish the general medicine grade. The next two years we'll have to do the internship, but Yukito is already worrying about what will come after that."
"After the internship?"
"Yukito has already chosen his specialty. Do you know what it is?"
I look around. The place is full of children and adults, although it was obvious that the first group was way bigger.
"Paediatrics?" Touya nods again.
"Look, this is a good spot." He says, pointing to a couple of empty seats, a couple of steps higher. We climb the last steps and sit side by side.
"And you?" I keep asking. I was extremely curious about it. "Had you choose a specialty?"
"Neurosurgeon."
I can't help but open my mouth, astonished, though I hurry to close it again. Not only Touya's plans seem amazing, but it also surprises me how much I've learned about his life in just ten minutes.
"How about you? Sakura told me that you're studying at a fashion academy."
I'm surprised that he knows that about me. Trying not to give it much importance, I hurry to answer:
"I just started this year, but I'd love to specialize in haute couture."
Touya is about to say something else, when a female voice from a nearby loudspeaker interrupts him, announcing the start of the next and last race. I turn around in my seat so that I can no longer see Touya, and focus on the track, where the boys and girls are already in their positions at the starting line. He does the same.
We didn't talk much as we watched the kids run, pass the baton on the relay race, and run over the obstacles. Actually, we didn't say anything when we came down from the stands, went back to the main school yard and walked through the streets of the city, towards Penguin Park. It isn's until we stop by the slide that Touya finally turns to look at me and says:
"I hope you had fun today."
"I had a wonderful time." I say smiling, as I hug my white rabbit, and to make it less awkward, but still annoying, I add. "It was much better than last dinner."
Touya couldn't help but chuckle, so I smile even more. It was the first time I'd hear him laugh, and it was charming.
"I hope, in a certain way, this was enough to outcome my actions from last week. Although a first impression is never forgotten, and less one like that."
I can't help but frown.
"What happened last week was not my first impression of you, Touya. That was twelve years ago. And anyway, what happened was both's fault. Do not take all the responsibility, you don't need to be the hero in this matter."
"And how was your first impression of me?" He asks, changing the subject. I can't help but think he's a little smug. I cross my arms, still hugging the rabbit, and pretending that his question made me angry.
"I hope you're not expecting me to say it was love at first sight, 'cause..."
"'Cause it was." It isn't a question, it's more of a statement. I look away from his eyes, and sigh. How superb.
But the moment I look at him once again, I can see how he approached to me, just a few inches from my face. Now I look at him half surprised and confused by that audacity, although I must admit that I make no attempt to move away.
"I hope you accept me a next date, that counteracts what I am about to do."
"What…?"
I can't even finish what I'm about to ask. Touya bents over me, and holding me by the waist, pushes me against his mouth, and kisses my lips. I felt a burning sensation from this skin contact, all over my face, my chest, arms and legs, and I feel myself melt and turn into a cotton cloud.
I can't help but close my eyes, and let myself get carried away by this feeling. My brain has emptied completely, freeing itself from every thought, emotion and sensation, and now the only thing that exists is this moment. This moment I wish would never end.
Hello everbody! I hope you had a nice week, and that you enjoyed this new chapter. After all the drama that we had during past chapters, it was about time to see something cute and romantic (?) Still within the personalities of Tomoyo and Touya, of course. I also hope you liked Yukito's appearance, although it was short, I can tell you he'll appear once again in next chapters.
Talking about chapters, just to more and we're done :) Hope doesn't look so hurried, and also hope you keep up until the end.
Anyway, thank you for your reviews, likes and follows, and hope to see more of them. Have a nice weekend, see you next saturday.
XOXO, Ribonette.