Title: One More Day
Author: Feit
Site: http://atare.com
E-Mail: hawk_witch@hotmail.com
Quote of the Chapter:
"Self-confidence is the first requisite to great undertakings."
Samuel Johnson
Disclaimer: Not even my cute little kitten owns CCS. CLAMP keeps a grip on them. Darn the
luck, ya know? Who'da thought they could have resisted such a kawaii chibi neko....
(AN: Japanese Translations are at the bottom.)
Sakura: How long do you think this story will be?
Feit: Why?
Sakura: You write too fast, I get no break.
Feit: I just took a break from writing! You LAZY!
Sakura: No I'm not!
Feit: Yes you are!
Sakura: No I'm not!
Feit: Yes you are!
*argument continues... you know how it goes*
-- Chapter 6 - The Apartment --
The school bell rang, and Sakura gathered her books and shot for the door. She had had enough
of people asking her why Syaoran hadn't come. She didn't know! All she knew he was gone, and
probably forever.
She left through the gate of the school, but a hand rested itself upon her shoulder.
"Sakura? You ok?" It was Chiharu.
Sakura turned, sighing deeply. "Yeah, I guess so."
"I don't believe that for a second, you know."
"Hoee?"
Chiharu nodded silently. "You've been down for the past few days. I know it has something to
do with Syaoran, but it almost seems more than that. What's wrong, Sakura?"
Sakura looked down at her feet as she heard footsteps running toward her. Looking up, she saw
Naoko, and smiled at her. "Hey, Naoko."
"Hey Sakura! Do you mind if I drag you and Chiharu off to the deli? I wanna celebrate! I got
straight A's, my mom will be so happy!"
"That's great, Naoko," Sakura said, feigning happiness. She caught the side glance Naoko gave
Chiharu before she spoke again. "But I'd rather not. I hope you understand."
"Of course, Sakura!"
Sakura turned towards home, leaving Naoko and Chiharu speaking quietly. Sakura sighed. It
wouldn't suprise her if the whole school was talking about her.
Sakura had gotten halfway home before she decided to turn around. She found herself walking
in the gutter, her shoes kicking up water from someone's driveway. Her eyes turned up, tears
brimming as she spotted Syaoran's apartment. She stood there, feet slowly becoming soaked by
the water cascading down the gutter and into the sewer behind her. Wind picked up her hair
and played with it as she faced that fact that Syaoran was gone, and it was the only thing
she could think of, but she knew she'd have to shake it off and get over it. But she didn't
want to. Stepping forward, slowly at first, she headed towards Syaoran's abandoned apartment.
She let her chin fall to her chest as she picked up her speed and ran, trying to get away
from everything that was haunting her. The cat in the road, the kitten, the letter, the
preminition, Syaoran's one word message... everything was tearing at her and she couldn't
stand it any longer. Tears slipped down her cheeks, silently marking her path. The shadows of
the apartment complex crawled onto her skin, and she looked up at the balcony Syaoran used to
stand on as he watched her leave, so many times he had done so. She pulled out a key he had
given her a long time ago, when they were still fighting the Clow Cards. She looked at the
number etched into the key, and headed into the building.
The desk stood empty, as did the lobby. Three payphones stood by the doors she had just come
through, and couches and chairs littered the lobby. The carpet of the room was a worn brown,
and the walls a yellowish tan. The desk stood at the back, with the stairs and elevator to
the side. Sakura made her way to the elevator, watching the button glow as she pressed it.
The doors opened almost immediately. 'Strange,' she thought. 'It's almost as everyone left
and abandoned everything.' Her face fell. 'Just like Syaoran.'
The bell made a 'ding' sound and the doors slid open on Syaoran's level. She walked to the
door she wanted, and slid the key into the lock. She almost sighed in relief. The landlord
hadn't changed the lock. The door swung open quietly, and Sakura let herself in. The things
that had once been here had been cleared away, leaving empty furniture stand appearing almost
ghostlike, with no one for their purpose. Sakura slid her hand along the soft fabric of the
loveseat facing the TV. She sighed as she recalled how she would lean against Syaoran as they
watched movies, with her falling asleep most of the time. She couldn't help it. His heartbeat
and his warm hold always managed to lull her to sleep. She smiled sadly at the memory, and
looked over the apartment. It seemed cold with no one living in it, to give it warmth.
Sakura walked to the balcony, and peered over the edge to the sidewalk below. For the
afternoon, it was suprisingly quiet. A bird fluttered nearby, and Sakura watched it before it
flew away once more. Sakura turned her gaze back to the city. It was a beautiful view, and
she could spot so many areas where she and Syaoran had fought and captured Clow Cards. Sakura
skipped and turned back into the apartment as she pulled out her cell phone. She hit the
second speed dial button. The first one would probably never be used again.
"Moshi Moshi." Tomoyo's voice rang out musically.
"Hey Tomoyo."
"Hey Sakura! What's new?"
"I'm moving."
"Really? Where?"
"Syaoran's old apartment."
"Sakura..." Tomoyo's voice had the slightest hint of disapproval.
"I know it seems eccentric, Tomoyo. But I just can't see anyone else coming in here and
living here. It still even smells like him. I don't want to forget the memories, Tomoyo. He's
never coming back, but I'm not about to let go of the memories."
"Your memories will always be with you, Sakura. Always and forever. I'm alright with you
moving into Syaoran's old apartment. However, I think Touya will go ballistic, and you know
that."
"I know, but I'll feel... closer to him... if I move here."
"Hai."
Silence stung the air for a while, and Sakura welcomed it. She closed her eyes, and smiled as
she sensed Syaoran's magic as it lingered in the air, destined to disappear within a few
days.
Suddenly, and loudly, the door opened revealing an angered landlord. "If you wanted to look
at the apartment you could have waited for someone to show it to you! And how did you get in?
I locked the door!"
Sakura dismissed Tomoyo and put her cellphone away before speaking to the landlord. "I'm here
to rent this apartment."
The landlord blinked a few times, trying to make sense of what she just said. "And the
downpayment?"
"I'll get it to you tonight or tomorrow."
"Uh.. okay then. Now would you please tell me how you got in here?"
Sakura dangled the key she had used to open the door in front of her. "A key." She smiled
gently, pressing the key into the confused man's hand as she shouldered by him and out of the
door. Now she had to ask her father. She sighed, and hoped Touya wouldn't be home.
She jogged the entire way, full of energy all of a sudden. It would seem going to Syaoran's
old apartment would have upset her more, but it hadn't. She felt worlds better instead, as if
he was holding her like he used to. They acted like a couple, and yet never admitted to it.
'And of course, I only noticed after he left.'
Sakura opened the door to her home, kicking off her shoes and stepping into her house
slippers. "Hello? Anyone home?"
"Hello, Sakura. Where've you been?" Fujitaka came from the kitchen, smiling at his daughter.
"Hey, Dad! I've been scoping out apartments. Is Touya home?"
"No, he isn't." Fujitaka turned, then paused. "Scoping out apartments?"
"Yea!" Sakura said, excitedly. "If you don't mind, I'd like to move into an apartment.
Syaoran's old apartment is still empty, and you know it's not far away. Please, Dad?"
"Let me think about it over dinner, ok, Sakura?"
"Great!" Sakura replied with a beaming smile.
Fujitaka returned to the kitchen, calling out as his form disappeared around the corner.
"Dinner will be ready in fifteen!"
"Ok!" Sakura called back as she climbed the stairs and dived onto her bed, smiling. Li
greeted her, meowing inquisitively as he tickled her nose with his whiskers.
"Well that's the first time in days I've seen you smile, Sakura! What's the good news?" Kero
asked, hovering over Sakura's face beneath the small ball of fur that inspected it.
"I might be getting my own apartment!"
"I don't know about that, Sakura."
"What's so bad about it?" Sakura asked, rolling over and resting her chin on her folded arms,
forcing Li to jump off the bed. Li proceeded to hide under the bed, waiting for ankles, his
prey, to show themselves.
Kero started a bit, and looked hard at Sakura. "I really don't know. It just seems like a bad
idea."
"You've been hanging around Touya too much, Kero."
"I guess so. I can't think of any reason why it'd not be a wise decision. I mean, you'll have
freedom, and everything. And silence for studying."
"Yea..."
A quick pause ensued as Sakura dodged kitten paws, sitting in her chair and turning on her
computer.
"Hey, Sakura?" Kero began, sitting on the monitor. He didn't continue til he heard her
acknowledging hum. "Now that I think about it, what will you take in college?"
"I'm not sure, really. Anything that doesn't have to do with math, I suppose."
"You'll have to take some math, you know."
"Yea, I know. But if I have my own choice on the class, it will not have math in it." Sakura
started up her Winamp, and clicked on her soundtrack playlist. There wasn't much there, but
there was a few songs. The first song that keyed up was 'Live Your Dreams' from the movie
'Save The Last Dance.' Sakura leaned back in her chair, listening to the lyrics. Somehow,
someway, that's the line of thinking she had to follow. She had to live her dreams.
"DINNER!" Fujitaka called up the stairs. Kero flew from the room, shouting joyously. Sakura
shut off her Winamp, closing the door, keeping the kitten inside her room. Her heart almost
raced as she awaited her father's answer, and she noticed Touya still hadn't arrived home.
'He must be at Yukito's,' Sakura thought. She sat down silently, and besides Kero's babbling
and noisy efforts of stuffing his face, dinner remained just as quiet.
After the meal was over, Sakura took her dishes to the sink and sat back down, looking at her
father expectantly. He smiled at her. "I've decided..." He began slowly, "You can have your
apartment."
Sakura squealed joyously and hugged her father, almost causing him to fall out of his chair.
"Arigato," She whispered.
- End of Chapter 6 - The Apartment --
Japanese Translations:
------- Hoe -------------- Sakura's signature word, pronounced 'Ou-ehy'.
------- Hai. ------------- Yes.
------- Arigato. --------- Thank you.
Sakura: FREEEEDDDOOOOMMM!!!
Feit: Did you sip my tea?
Sakura: That was YOUR tea? Hooeeeee...
Feit: Uh oh. Not good. Not good at all.