"Hey, Tai! You have a letter from home!" Jake, Tai's roommate at UCLA, said
as he walked into the dorm. He handed Tai the letter. It was from Sora.
After he read it, he smiled. He would've written a reply sooner, but he had
to get to class. All day he had been drafting his letter to Sora in his
head. Now that he was free for the night, he could put his thoughts into
words. He started writing his letter almost at the exact second he walked
into his dorm room.
Dear Sora, he wrote. Thanks for your letter. You have no idea how I felt when I found out your feelings for me. I was, I confess, somewhat happy to learn about your breakup with Matt. I just hope you weren't too hard on him, and that he didn't take it too bad. Tell Hotaru that I said congratulations on adopting Umi. She'll be a great mother. I think that law firm idea is great, by the way. The earliest I can come home is spring break. Tell Kari it wasn't your fault that I left. I needed to get out on my own, live my own life. Please write back soon, Sora. Ai tsune ni*, Tai
When Tai's letter arrived, Sora found herself falling even more in love with him for some reason. They exchanged letter after letter. Sora's dream stopped coming, and she found it easier to sleep. "Spring break is in 2 months. You don't have to wait all that long to see Tai," Hotaru remarked to Sora one day. "I just wish it was sooner." "I know. I felt the same way when my boyfriend Yashi left to go to UCLA." "Is he coming to visit?" "Yeah. He's coming on the same flight Tai is, I think." Hotaru had to leave then because Umi needed to go home and eat. Day followed day. Sora tossed and turned in her sleep. She worried constantly. What if Tai's plane crashed? What if something came up and he couldn't come? Hotaru and Mimi did their best to help her, but they both figured that the best thing to help her nervous condition was seeing Tai. Even though Sora said that she was waiting for Tai, boys at her school kept asking her out. "She said she doesn't want to go out with you! How many times does she have to say it before it sinks into your thick skull?" Hotaru yelled at a boy who asked her out one time in January. Sora personally felt that her friend was jealous of all the attention Sora was getting. No one asked Hotaru out anymore. She was scary. It was common knowledge that she trained in all styles of martial arts, was a wrestler, a star athlete, a champion fencer, boxer, and was a little scary because of these strengths of hers. Besides, even if a guy did ask her out, Hotaru refused. She had a lot of studying to do in order to become a good lawyer, plus she had to spend her spare time watching her sister's kids, and taking care of Umi. Sometimes it was a wonder that Hotaru didn't collapse from exhaustion, or her hair didn't turn gray from all the stress. On Valentines Day, both got gifts from Tai and Yashi. Sora's gift, the one from Tai, was a heart shaped locket with a picture of them in it. Yashi's gift to Hotaru was a heart shaped box of assorted chocolates and a jade bracelet. "Wow! Yashi must make a lot of money to be able to buy such an expensive bracelet," Sora said. "Yashi has a job at a jewelry store. The owner gives Yashi this stuff to pay him. He doesn't want to get payed with money until we're married. He gets by on his own." The big day came. Tai had called Sora to let her know which flight he was on and when he was coming. "Hotaru's boyfriend's coming too. Just thought I'd let you know so you can tell her." "Yashi told her he was coming for spring break," Sora said. "I have to go. Masaio and her husband came back and picked up the twins yesterday. Hotaru's gone to some karaoke bar with Mimi, and I'm baby-sitting Umi," Sora said. She hung up, and went to put Umi to bed. A week later, on the first day of spring break, Sora and Hotaru were at the airport waiting for Tai and Yashi. When Yashi came off, he had a tall, thin, blonde girl with him. "Are you Yashi's girlfriend?" the blonde asked as she looked at Hotaru. "Ex-girlfriend, actually!" Hotaru said as she removed her jade bracelet and flung it in Yashi's face. She turned and walked away, tears streaming down her face. Sora walked over to her friend and put an arm around her. "It's okay, Hotaru," Sora said comfortingly. The two girls walked off. Tai came out of the terminal just in time to see them walking away. Tai looked at Yashi and the blonde girl. It all fell into place. Tai walked over to Yashi and punched him for hurting his friend. Then, he turned and started to follow Sora and Hotaru. "I may not be in love with Hotaru, but she's my friend, and I will not let anyone hurt my friends," Tai said to himself.
*- Ai tsune ni is Japanese for love always
Dear Sora, he wrote. Thanks for your letter. You have no idea how I felt when I found out your feelings for me. I was, I confess, somewhat happy to learn about your breakup with Matt. I just hope you weren't too hard on him, and that he didn't take it too bad. Tell Hotaru that I said congratulations on adopting Umi. She'll be a great mother. I think that law firm idea is great, by the way. The earliest I can come home is spring break. Tell Kari it wasn't your fault that I left. I needed to get out on my own, live my own life. Please write back soon, Sora. Ai tsune ni*, Tai
When Tai's letter arrived, Sora found herself falling even more in love with him for some reason. They exchanged letter after letter. Sora's dream stopped coming, and she found it easier to sleep. "Spring break is in 2 months. You don't have to wait all that long to see Tai," Hotaru remarked to Sora one day. "I just wish it was sooner." "I know. I felt the same way when my boyfriend Yashi left to go to UCLA." "Is he coming to visit?" "Yeah. He's coming on the same flight Tai is, I think." Hotaru had to leave then because Umi needed to go home and eat. Day followed day. Sora tossed and turned in her sleep. She worried constantly. What if Tai's plane crashed? What if something came up and he couldn't come? Hotaru and Mimi did their best to help her, but they both figured that the best thing to help her nervous condition was seeing Tai. Even though Sora said that she was waiting for Tai, boys at her school kept asking her out. "She said she doesn't want to go out with you! How many times does she have to say it before it sinks into your thick skull?" Hotaru yelled at a boy who asked her out one time in January. Sora personally felt that her friend was jealous of all the attention Sora was getting. No one asked Hotaru out anymore. She was scary. It was common knowledge that she trained in all styles of martial arts, was a wrestler, a star athlete, a champion fencer, boxer, and was a little scary because of these strengths of hers. Besides, even if a guy did ask her out, Hotaru refused. She had a lot of studying to do in order to become a good lawyer, plus she had to spend her spare time watching her sister's kids, and taking care of Umi. Sometimes it was a wonder that Hotaru didn't collapse from exhaustion, or her hair didn't turn gray from all the stress. On Valentines Day, both got gifts from Tai and Yashi. Sora's gift, the one from Tai, was a heart shaped locket with a picture of them in it. Yashi's gift to Hotaru was a heart shaped box of assorted chocolates and a jade bracelet. "Wow! Yashi must make a lot of money to be able to buy such an expensive bracelet," Sora said. "Yashi has a job at a jewelry store. The owner gives Yashi this stuff to pay him. He doesn't want to get payed with money until we're married. He gets by on his own." The big day came. Tai had called Sora to let her know which flight he was on and when he was coming. "Hotaru's boyfriend's coming too. Just thought I'd let you know so you can tell her." "Yashi told her he was coming for spring break," Sora said. "I have to go. Masaio and her husband came back and picked up the twins yesterday. Hotaru's gone to some karaoke bar with Mimi, and I'm baby-sitting Umi," Sora said. She hung up, and went to put Umi to bed. A week later, on the first day of spring break, Sora and Hotaru were at the airport waiting for Tai and Yashi. When Yashi came off, he had a tall, thin, blonde girl with him. "Are you Yashi's girlfriend?" the blonde asked as she looked at Hotaru. "Ex-girlfriend, actually!" Hotaru said as she removed her jade bracelet and flung it in Yashi's face. She turned and walked away, tears streaming down her face. Sora walked over to her friend and put an arm around her. "It's okay, Hotaru," Sora said comfortingly. The two girls walked off. Tai came out of the terminal just in time to see them walking away. Tai looked at Yashi and the blonde girl. It all fell into place. Tai walked over to Yashi and punched him for hurting his friend. Then, he turned and started to follow Sora and Hotaru. "I may not be in love with Hotaru, but she's my friend, and I will not let anyone hurt my friends," Tai said to himself.
*- Ai tsune ni is Japanese for love always