Chapter 13:Under the Moonlight
"Kami-sama!" groaned Eriol as he stared at the overheated engine of his car in dismay.
Tomoyo peered at the engine. "I see. We just need water and a piece of rag here."
He reddened. "I don't know how to troubleshoot it. I-I merely call a mechanic when in need."
She laughed merrily. "Oh heavens, the first man I know that actually admits that he doesn't kow how to fix a car!"
He frowned. "Go on and make fun on me."
She rolled the sleeves of her blouse up. "Let me handle this." Using the rag, she unscrewed the scorching cap of the water tank and filled it with liquid coming from Eriol's reserve gallon of mineral water kept in his car.
Eriol wtched her admiringly. "You're amazing. The first woman I know that actually fixes a car!"
She flipped her hair over her shoulders. "All in a day's work, my friend." She went into the driver's seat and restarted the engine.
He, on the other hand, continued gazing at her. A few minutes ago, they were just two streets away from the bar they were suppose to go to when the car overheated.
He blinked when the engine roared to life. Tomoyo gave him a thumbs-up.
Smiling embarrasedly, he went back to his seat. "Thanks," he mumbled. "Surely, right now you think I'm a.."
She smiled back. "..sissy?"
He blushed hotly.
"Nah, masculinity is not measured with that alone," she said kindly. "For me, the essence of manliness has a more profound meaning than being good with cars, having a lot of women to play with, or beefing up muscles."
His eyes softened. "You know what? I hate it when you act so sweetly."
"Care to tell me why?"
He stared at the steering wheel. "I'll hate myself if I do that." He started to drive again, ignoring Tomoyo's quizzical look. In his mind, he added, "If you won't hate me first."
"Wait, Eriol!" Tomoyo pointed at the jovial lights of the nearby amusement park. "Why don't we go there instead?"
"Huh? But why?"
She simpered. "It's been quite a while since I last visited that place."
"Very well." He turned right towards the park.
After a couple of hours, Eriol and Tomoyo were walking happily, enjoying their ice cream.
"I think we've been to every ride in this place!" said Eriol.
She giggled. "And I have defeated you in every game in the video arcade."
"I let you win because I'm a gentleman," he countered. He finished his ice cream and pointed at the ferris wheel. "Come on, let's try that last ride then we'll go home. I'm beat!"
She nodded and finished her ice cream too, then they joined the queue.
Soon the ride was moving smoothly. The couple had a great time enjoying the majestic view of the entire park from the window.
The carriage was on the very top when suddenly it stopped. Immediately, the lights of the ride went off.
Tomoyo looked down, puzzled. There she saw several workmen struggling with the ride's engine.
"What happened?" asked Eriol.
She sighed. "Would you believe that it's another car failure? First, your car, now the ride. Are you a jinx?"
He laughed. "I like to believe I am not."
Tomoyo groaned. "OK, we're stuck here."
"Then let's chat to keep ourselves from getting bored," he suggested. "The ride will be fixed soon, don't worry."
As she searched her mind for conversation topics, she remembered Terada's visit. Her face then turned serious.
Eriol noticed her sudden change of mood. "Is there something you want to tell me, Tomoyo?" he asked gently.
She inhaled deeply before she spoke. "T-Terada-sensei dropped by awhile ago."
He was shocked, to put it mildly. "Terada?!!"
"And he doesn't know that Kaho-sensei is gone already," she continued.
His eyes blazed. "It's none of his damn business."
"Eriol, it is his business," she said in a subdued tone. "He and Kaho-sensei had an affair..and there is proof."
He was speechless.
"Rose.. she isn't your daughter, is she? You are not her biological father." Her voice was awaiting confirmation.
He nodded slowly.
"Why didn't you tell Terada-sensei about his daughter?" she wanted to know.
"Rose is mine!" he said fiercely.
"Eriol-"
"He had already stolen Kaho away. He couldn't seize my daughter too!" he said, his voice rising.
"But you're being unfair. Rose deserves to know who her father is, and vice versa."
"He had already disowned Rose when he left despite the knowledge that Tomoyo's pregnant."
She sighed. It was useless talking to an emotional person. "Look, let's drop this."
"You were the one who brought it up."
"I just pity Rose and Terada-sensei."
Eriol exhaled sharply. "And you don't pity me?"
"Pity you?"
He looked at her piercingly. "Don't tell me Terada didn't tell you that I'm impotent?"
"He did."
Silence.
"Life took dso much away from me already.. a lifetime friend, a normal life and a part of my human nature.. I don't want to lose Rose too," he said, his voice breaking.
"I understand, but I just don't want you to deprive Rose and Terada-sensei the right to know each other," she explained placidly. "If you really love Rose, you have to think of her welfare first..her happiness."
"I'll think about it," he said quietly. He then nopticed a tear escape from her eye. "Tomoyo?"
She wiped it away quickly. "Sorry. I just remembered that I was in the same situation as you are. I had to set Sakura free because she would be much happier with another person.."
"Li Syaoran."
She nodded. "It was so hard.. she has been my favorite person since third grade. To give her away to a stranger was the most difficult decision I have ever made in my entire life."
It dawned on him. "Just like me.. only in this case, it's my daughter and Terada."
"But you see, I love Sakura much much more than myself. I would rather suffer than see her sad..so..so I left Japan..to try to get over the pain.." Another tear streaked down her cheek.
The warm moonlight was bathing them, and Eriol could see how vulnerable Tomoyo was. Beneath her cheerful face and smart-alecky words was a tormenting eddy of grief, frustration, sadness and miserable loneness. It was scaring him a little because her blithe vivacity was his pillar of strength in starting his new life over. No, he didn't want her to break down in front of him. He would lend her all the strength in his soul just not to see her cry. Her anguish was killing him too.
He moved beside her and gave her his handkerchief. "Don't cry," he begged softly.
She looked at it gratefully and took it.
Their fingertips touched. They both looked up at each other at the same time and for the first time found themselves unmasked. Both could see through each silent sufferings and woes, and despair and mute mournings. The things they tried so hard to hide all their lives were gaping in the open.
Eriol lost his last ounce of self-control. He tipped Tomoyo's chin up and gazed deeply at the eyes of the only girl he loved his whole life. he allowed himself to drown in her endless lilac.
He then slowly bent down to kiss her.
**to be continued**
"Kami-sama!" groaned Eriol as he stared at the overheated engine of his car in dismay.
Tomoyo peered at the engine. "I see. We just need water and a piece of rag here."
He reddened. "I don't know how to troubleshoot it. I-I merely call a mechanic when in need."
She laughed merrily. "Oh heavens, the first man I know that actually admits that he doesn't kow how to fix a car!"
He frowned. "Go on and make fun on me."
She rolled the sleeves of her blouse up. "Let me handle this." Using the rag, she unscrewed the scorching cap of the water tank and filled it with liquid coming from Eriol's reserve gallon of mineral water kept in his car.
Eriol wtched her admiringly. "You're amazing. The first woman I know that actually fixes a car!"
She flipped her hair over her shoulders. "All in a day's work, my friend." She went into the driver's seat and restarted the engine.
He, on the other hand, continued gazing at her. A few minutes ago, they were just two streets away from the bar they were suppose to go to when the car overheated.
He blinked when the engine roared to life. Tomoyo gave him a thumbs-up.
Smiling embarrasedly, he went back to his seat. "Thanks," he mumbled. "Surely, right now you think I'm a.."
She smiled back. "..sissy?"
He blushed hotly.
"Nah, masculinity is not measured with that alone," she said kindly. "For me, the essence of manliness has a more profound meaning than being good with cars, having a lot of women to play with, or beefing up muscles."
His eyes softened. "You know what? I hate it when you act so sweetly."
"Care to tell me why?"
He stared at the steering wheel. "I'll hate myself if I do that." He started to drive again, ignoring Tomoyo's quizzical look. In his mind, he added, "If you won't hate me first."
"Wait, Eriol!" Tomoyo pointed at the jovial lights of the nearby amusement park. "Why don't we go there instead?"
"Huh? But why?"
She simpered. "It's been quite a while since I last visited that place."
"Very well." He turned right towards the park.
After a couple of hours, Eriol and Tomoyo were walking happily, enjoying their ice cream.
"I think we've been to every ride in this place!" said Eriol.
She giggled. "And I have defeated you in every game in the video arcade."
"I let you win because I'm a gentleman," he countered. He finished his ice cream and pointed at the ferris wheel. "Come on, let's try that last ride then we'll go home. I'm beat!"
She nodded and finished her ice cream too, then they joined the queue.
Soon the ride was moving smoothly. The couple had a great time enjoying the majestic view of the entire park from the window.
The carriage was on the very top when suddenly it stopped. Immediately, the lights of the ride went off.
Tomoyo looked down, puzzled. There she saw several workmen struggling with the ride's engine.
"What happened?" asked Eriol.
She sighed. "Would you believe that it's another car failure? First, your car, now the ride. Are you a jinx?"
He laughed. "I like to believe I am not."
Tomoyo groaned. "OK, we're stuck here."
"Then let's chat to keep ourselves from getting bored," he suggested. "The ride will be fixed soon, don't worry."
As she searched her mind for conversation topics, she remembered Terada's visit. Her face then turned serious.
Eriol noticed her sudden change of mood. "Is there something you want to tell me, Tomoyo?" he asked gently.
She inhaled deeply before she spoke. "T-Terada-sensei dropped by awhile ago."
He was shocked, to put it mildly. "Terada?!!"
"And he doesn't know that Kaho-sensei is gone already," she continued.
His eyes blazed. "It's none of his damn business."
"Eriol, it is his business," she said in a subdued tone. "He and Kaho-sensei had an affair..and there is proof."
He was speechless.
"Rose.. she isn't your daughter, is she? You are not her biological father." Her voice was awaiting confirmation.
He nodded slowly.
"Why didn't you tell Terada-sensei about his daughter?" she wanted to know.
"Rose is mine!" he said fiercely.
"Eriol-"
"He had already stolen Kaho away. He couldn't seize my daughter too!" he said, his voice rising.
"But you're being unfair. Rose deserves to know who her father is, and vice versa."
"He had already disowned Rose when he left despite the knowledge that Tomoyo's pregnant."
She sighed. It was useless talking to an emotional person. "Look, let's drop this."
"You were the one who brought it up."
"I just pity Rose and Terada-sensei."
Eriol exhaled sharply. "And you don't pity me?"
"Pity you?"
He looked at her piercingly. "Don't tell me Terada didn't tell you that I'm impotent?"
"He did."
Silence.
"Life took dso much away from me already.. a lifetime friend, a normal life and a part of my human nature.. I don't want to lose Rose too," he said, his voice breaking.
"I understand, but I just don't want you to deprive Rose and Terada-sensei the right to know each other," she explained placidly. "If you really love Rose, you have to think of her welfare first..her happiness."
"I'll think about it," he said quietly. He then nopticed a tear escape from her eye. "Tomoyo?"
She wiped it away quickly. "Sorry. I just remembered that I was in the same situation as you are. I had to set Sakura free because she would be much happier with another person.."
"Li Syaoran."
She nodded. "It was so hard.. she has been my favorite person since third grade. To give her away to a stranger was the most difficult decision I have ever made in my entire life."
It dawned on him. "Just like me.. only in this case, it's my daughter and Terada."
"But you see, I love Sakura much much more than myself. I would rather suffer than see her sad..so..so I left Japan..to try to get over the pain.." Another tear streaked down her cheek.
The warm moonlight was bathing them, and Eriol could see how vulnerable Tomoyo was. Beneath her cheerful face and smart-alecky words was a tormenting eddy of grief, frustration, sadness and miserable loneness. It was scaring him a little because her blithe vivacity was his pillar of strength in starting his new life over. No, he didn't want her to break down in front of him. He would lend her all the strength in his soul just not to see her cry. Her anguish was killing him too.
He moved beside her and gave her his handkerchief. "Don't cry," he begged softly.
She looked at it gratefully and took it.
Their fingertips touched. They both looked up at each other at the same time and for the first time found themselves unmasked. Both could see through each silent sufferings and woes, and despair and mute mournings. The things they tried so hard to hide all their lives were gaping in the open.
Eriol lost his last ounce of self-control. He tipped Tomoyo's chin up and gazed deeply at the eyes of the only girl he loved his whole life. he allowed himself to drown in her endless lilac.
He then slowly bent down to kiss her.
**to be continued**
