The day of the School Festival had arrived, and it was now Saturday. In the morning of the day, the members of the Drama Club met up in their club room. They were all sitting together with interconnected desks in the middle of the room, with the exception of Nagisa who was sitting at the side near the windows.
"Uwahh..." Sunohara yawns, "I'm sleepy..."
"You have no sense of nervousness, do you?" Kyou uttered.
Ryou looks over at Nagisa, "Is something wrong?"
"She's just nervous about the show, right?" Tomoya remarks, but Sunohara noticed something different.
"Hey." He says in a whisper. "She's acting odd. Did something happen?"
"Yeah, something happened. But act normal around her, okay?"
Sunohara got up walked over to her. "Hey, president, let me teach you a charm of wisdom. All you do is write a character on your three times and swallow it. Person, person, person."
"Sunohara-kun. That says 'enter' not 'person." Kotomi corrects him.
"It's the thought that counts!"
"Youhei." Kyou added in. "If you can't write characters then don't even try."
"C'mon. I'm just trying to give her some help."
"How can you help someone if you can't even spell?"
"I'm doing this to lighten up the moment. Stop making me look like a complete fool!" Sunohara exclaims, leaning forward and glaring at her.
"Hey, the performance is this afternoon. Want to walk around for a while?" Okazaki asks the club.
"Oh right, I'm gonna go check on my little sister." Sunohara says.
"Well, I guess we're on our own till the performance." Kyou proclaims. The group then went their separate ways. Sakura had followed Sunohara out of the old building and found Mei on the first floor, near the shoe lockers, looking at a sign.
"Mei." Youhei calls her. Mei turns to the voice and saw her brother and Sakura.
"Ah, it's you guys!" Mei said as she walked over to them, excitedly, "It's nice to see you again."
"It sure is, even though it's only been weeks since you came here." Sunohara said.
"It sure has been like that," Mei looked at the brunette, "But it's not the same for Sakura-san!" she said with a grin, "I'm so excited to see you again!
"I feel the same," Sakura smiled placing her head atop of Mei's head, "We didn't really get to talk that much last time." Sakura removed her hand from her head.
"Well, let's go check around." Sunohara suggests, taking out a pamphlet, "Where do you guys wanna go first?"
"Oh, let's go try and play some of those games up stairs." Sakura suggests, moving near Sunohara and pointing at a spot on the pamphlet.
"Sure, let's go." Sunohara went and lead the way.
"So, with you guys being able to perform at today's festival, it must've meant that the basketball match worked." Mei said.
"Not exactly." Sakura replies.
"What do you mean?"
"The match did convince the Choir Club, to share. But then the Student Council didn't allow the sharing of advisors." Sakura explains.
"So what happened then?"
"Well, a lot happened actually..." Sunohara responds, looking at Sakura nervously.
"Yeah..." she laughed for some reason. Telling Mei about Okazaki getting suspended sure ain't something to say, she thought. "But to put it into simple words, your brother and Okazaki helped their friend, Sakagami Tomoyo, in becoming Student Council President by aiding her in sport matches, similar to the basketball match."
"I see." Mei looks at her brother in admiration, "To know you were able to do something, is just fascinating!"
"..." Sunohara turned to face his sister, "I was thinking you'd say something more kind."
The three head up stairs to where their classes were at. Class E and D seemed to have combined again, and with the two acting as game booths. They enter Class E and see that they had target shooter, and the ammunition was soft plastic bullets, and there was a three tries per person. "One try please." Sakura took a gun and shot at the targets. All three however, missed. "W-what was that...?!" She turns back to the siblings. "I think these are just generic..."
"I think you just suck at it." Youhei affirms with a smirk.
"Oh yeah?" Sakura handed him the gun. "Here, I wanna see you try."
"Heh, watch and learn." Sunohara went up and shot the targets. They all hit each one of the targets, but none of them fell down, "What's with this game?"
"So, Youhei." Sakura was now laughing, "When am I gonna start learning?"
"Don't give me that! You saw me hit the targets." Sunohara detests, pointing at the targets.
"You. Did. Not. Knock. Them. Down. Though." Sakura asserted, saying each of the words slowly.
"May I see it?" Mei asks, taking the gun. She steps up and takes three shots, and each of the hits knocked down the targets. "Yay!" She cheers. "I got it!" The childhood friends were just shocked.
"Looks like your sister has better aim than you." Sakura mutters, laughing.
"...I'm not gonna argue..." Youhei says.
After playing the other games in the class, they leave out into the hall. "So how about we go and get some snacks or something?" Sunohara suggests, walking over to the window and looking down. There were multiple food booths down in the courtyard.
"That'd be great, but let's check something first. Let me see the pamphlet." Sunohara hands it to her, "All right, let's see... Ayame's class is doing something."
"You mean Tajami-san?" Mei says.
"That is right. Let's check out her class." Sakura says, and they start walking. As they came a stop in front of Class B, Sakura saw that what her class was doing was a haunted house. "...So this is what it is, huh...?"
Above the curtained entrance was a sign, reading 'Haunted House' with cartoon ghosts and mummies drawn on it. The three were given flashlights and entered the classroom. It was dark, quiet and tightly spaced. Cardboard acted as the walls. Some painted, some weren't.
"Wow, this sure is spooky." Mei commented, nonchalantly.
"You sure don't sound like you're scared at all." Sakura says.
"...To be honest, I kind of am. Which is why I'll be going first." Mei gave them a devious smile and went off ahead.
"Wait, Mei! ...How does that even add up? It's as if she wasn't scared at all." Sakura let out a nervous laugh, and turned to Sunohara.
"Right. Let's just go on ahead." He says, leading the way. After getting past the first part, it lead out of darkness and to a red lighted corridor. "...Nothing has happened yet..."
"I know..." As they walked even further, the lights all around them suddenly turned off.
"Ah?!" Sakura screeched.
"What?!" Sunohara turned to her, "Don't scream all of a sudden!"
"...But it's scary..." She said, struggling to keep a straight face while looking at him.
"It's a haunted house, it's supposed to be scary. Hurry, lets go and bring you to safety." Sunohara giggled and started walking.
"W-Wait..." Sakura quickly caught up to him and grabbed his left sleeve, "...You know, I'm not good with stuff like this, right?"
"You aren't, are you?" Sunohara looked forward, "And I'm sure I'm not the only one who knew." Mei, left on purpose, he thought.
"...So please, don't go ahead without me."
"Let's go, then."
"...Okay..." Sakura kept her hand on his sleeve and followed him.
"Am I going to fast?" He looked back and saw Sakura just keeping her eyes on the ground.
"No, you're fine..."
Sunohara could sense it. She was truly uncomfortable with the situation. "...Hey, doesn't this remind you of back then?"
"...Back then?" Sakura looked up at him.
"Yeah. Back when we were young, you'd sometimes get hurt or lost, and I'd help guide you back to safety."
"...I can remember a bit." Sakura gently smiles, "...Just being able to remember parts of that makes me happy. I guess Mei-chan isn't the only one who you helped, huh?"
"Well, she isn't the only one I care about."
"Er—" Sakura any words she thought of speaking get caught in her throat.
"Something wrong?" He looks back.
"No, no... I'm fine." Sakura averted her eyes.
"If you say so."
"So you are here." A voice said, ominously.
"What was that?!" Sakura tugged on instinct, tugged on Sunohara's arm.
Suddenly, someone - a female figure popped out from a curtain. "You are here after all!" the figure shouted, startling Sakura, and Sunohara.
"What, what?!" Sakura ended up hiding behind Sunohara, similar to how Kotomi would hide behind Okazaki. Sakura looked and saw that it was Ayame, dressed in typical white clothing along with some makeup on her face that mimicked blood.
"Ahahaha, that was hilarious." Ayame laughed as she met the Sunohara siblings and Sakura outside the class. She was already out of costume and was back in her uniform.
"It's not funny." Sakura retorted, "You scared me!"
"Why do you think it's funny?"
"It sure was nice, wasn't it?" Mei said, looking at her brother and Sakura.
"How did you get out so quickly?" Youhei questions.
"Hehe." Mei grinned. "It wasn't easy, but I managed to do it. I sure hope it helped."
"No, it didn't, Mei-chan." Sakura looked at the blonde, "Sorry...if I was causing any trouble for you."
"Don't worry about it." Sunohara reassures.
"Oh, right, we have a performance." Sakura noted, checking the time on her phone, "We have like an hour left now until we have to go the stage."
"Oh, right." Sunohara looks down the courtyard, "Hey, so do you want to go and check out the stalls now?"
"Yeah. Let's go." Sakura turns to Ayame, "Want to come?"
"Sure."
After eating some foods and desserts from the various stalls, they went around the school, checking the many other classrooms, and seeing what games they had. Soon their time was coming to an end, and the Drama Club had met back at the gymnasium. They dressed up in their crew uniform which was consisted of a black shirt and pants.
The Choir Club had just finished their performance, and the Drama Club's performance was announced to be next.
"So Botan is here, huh?" Sakura remarks, seeing the little creature in Kyou's arms.
"Yup." Kyou goes to Ryou who was nearby, "Hey, look at Nagisa," she whispered. They all turned to Nagisa who was sitting down. She was dressed in her costume, but seemed dejected.
"Let's go and greet her." Sunohara says and they all head to her while Tomoya was checking over the controls.
"Nagisa." Kyou pats the actress of their play, catching her attention.
"Our time's finally here." Sunohara says with an excited tone.
"It'll be fine." Said Ryou.
"It'll be a hit." Kotomi added in. "Just do it like how we usually do in rehearsals."
"Don't be so tense, try to have some fun." Sakura remarks.
Even with all their sayings, Nagisa still looked despondent. She went down the show stage, and Tomoya lifted up the curtain with a press of the button. They gave her a 'go' signal, but she stood there on the stage, not starting the play.
"Nagisa-chan?" Sunohara noticed it, along with the others.
"Strange..." Kyou mutters.
"Is she having some stage fright?" Kotomi asks.
"What do we do, Okazaki?" Youhei asks. "Lower down the curtain for a bit?"
Tomoya looked down at the button, and looked down at the stage where Nagisa stood. "Don't worry, she'll be fine."
Suddenly, Nagisa began to cry.
"Wait, is she crying?" Sakura stood up from her chair, "Nagisa...what is wrong?"
"Forget it, Tomoya. Just lower down the curtain." Kyou says. With his eyes closed, Tomoya hesitantly moved his index finger towards the stage button. But just as he was about to press it, a voice yelled through out the gymnasium.
"Make your dream come true, Nagisa!" At the main entrance of the gymnasium stood Akio. Everyone in the gymnasium turned his way.
"What was that?" Kyou wondered.
"Is that the old man?" Tomoya said.
"Nagisa!" Akio yelled. "Are you an idiot?! A child's dream is the parents' dream! You can just go and take a hold of it! We've dreamed of you realizing your dream! We didn't give up our dreams! Our dreams became yours! That's what parents are! That's what family is! Ever since that day...always baking bread! We'be been waiting for this moment! If you fall apart here, it'll be in vein! You hear?! You have to do this! You hear?! Sanae, you're here to, right?! Say something, too!"
"Nagisa, do your best!" Sanae shouted from the crowd.
Tomoya ran from the controls and down the stage. "The same goes for us, Nagisa!" Tomoya shouted. "You're achieving what Sunohara and I couldn't! You're carrying our burden on your back!"
Nagisa looked over at Tomoya, the others at the controls, her mother, and her dad. She then wiped the tears off her face and with a deep breath, she started the play.
"Shall I take your hand?
"Shall I take you away?
"To the place in this town, where dreams come true?
"This is a world that has ended.
"A world where there is no one else.
"In this room is a small table and a chair.
"A wasteland lays beyond the window outside."
Nagisa finished the play that afternoon, the Drama Club was credited with their play, and after them, another performance went on by another club. The members of the Drama Club along with Misae and Mei were having a small celebration in their club room, but the only people they were missing is the actor, and the director of the play.
"I'll go and find them." Kyou volunteered and left the room.
"The play was quite sad, wasn't it?" Mei said.
"I can say that it was, but..." Sakura trails off.
"The Big Dango Family put an awkward end to the play, but I still found it great." Sunohara says.
The actor and the director soon arrived, and the club celebrated their play's success with confetti. Later as the day went by, the school gathered around the field of the school as a bonfire started.
Sakura approached the site with the Sunohara siblings. She stared at the fire with a smile. "Today's been a fun day."
"I can agree with that." Sunohara said, grinning at her.
"It looks like the students are starting a stroll around the school." Mei pointed to the group of students, among them was Nagisa and Tomoya. Mei moves closer to the brunette and speaks in a whisper. "Why don't you go do that with him?"
"You think I should...?" She asks, looking at the other students. "But I don't think—" She felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and saw that it was Sunohara.
"May I have this walk?"
"...Sure..." She reached for Sunohara's hands and stepped in front of him.
"Good luck!" Mei said to them as they walked off.
"Things have really changed for you, huh?" Sunohara said, holding Sakura's hands, and began walking with her.
"...Yeah..." As Sakura walked with Sunohara at that moment, she felt really happy, but nervous. Her heart was beating fast, and she couldn't think of anything else. She knew that what she was feeling was real.
Later in the day, after the school festival ended, Sakura found herself and Youhei seeing Mei off at the station. "Hey, are you sure you didn't want to see Okazaki and Nagisa?"
"I already did before we ended up leaving." Mei replies, "But make sure to give them my regards later."
"Leave that to me." Sunohara gave her a thumbs up.
"It was sure was fun today." Mei giggled, remembeting the haunted house. "I hope I can visit again."
"I sure wouldn't mind having you visit again." Sunohara says in a modest tone.
"I sure would like that too." Mei said, nodding and then looking at Sakura, "I wonder though how things will be by then. Please watch over him, Sakura-san."
"M-Mei...!" Sakura stammers.
"So, it seems like our roles are switched now." Sunohara chuckled, "Who would've known?"
"Good luck, guys." Mei steps onto the escalator. As she got to the top, she waved one last time before leaving their sight.
"Well... There she goes." Sunohara said, distantly, then looking at Sakura. "...It's been quite a day, hasn't it?"
"It sure has..." Sakura softly says, rubbing her left arm and looking around. It seemed they were the only ones there. "Hey... I was just thinking that I really enjoyed my time today hanging out with you Youhei... And it most fun I've had with you all this time."
"That's great to know." Sunohara beamed, "I've had a lot of fun too."
"...And it wouldn't have happened if it weren't for you. My time here at this school... wouldn't be this much fun..." Sakura brought her head down.
"What's wrong?" Sunohara, concerned, walked closer to her.
"...I've had these feelings lately about you. I was unsure at first... But now I know my place. And it's being with you. I-I love you, Youhei." Sakura confesses, placing both her hands on her chest.
"Sakura..." Sunohara looked at her in surprise as he blushed a deep shade of red. He was at a lost of exactly what to say to something so sudden. It usually had been him making the flirtatious comments and making moves, so having Sakura suddenly confess was just a shock. "I feel the same way about you..."
Sakura quickly went and hugged him, "...I am really glad to have met you again..."
Saturday, July 6, 2003.
Hey Makoto. It's Sakura. I'm writing you this writing you message because many things have changed for me at this city. You could say that my youth has been spent rather usefully, I guess. On the day I write you this letter, I was a part of a club performing at a festival with friends, and it might be a surprise...but I feel like I can just remember how it happened. How I met him, my special one from the past.
It's surprising with all the years that has passed by... With all that has happened back then... He still remembered me. I know it wasn't all happy and friendly when I first arrived and met him, but I begun to see how much a nice guy he is, and of how much we've grown close. From the time you receive this, Makoto, I'll be going through the rest this school year with Youhei as more than just friends.
- Sakura