Chapter 07: Why She Vowed Never To Sing Again

"Tomoyo, are you awake?" a voice asked as she opened her eyes weakly.

She tried to sit up, but collapsed back to bed.

"Don't move too much, Tomoyo," said a voice that he now recognized as Eriol's.

She then remembered what happened in the rose garden. Due to extreme nervousness, she lost consciousness.

"Maybe you're working too much," continued Eriol as he sat down the bed beside her. "So your body broke down."

"W-What time is it?"

"It's seven in the morning," he replied. "Tomoyo, perhaps you should consider resting for awhile. Leave the flower shop to someone else so you can concentrate on the soap opera."

"Maybe you're right," she said, sighing defeatedly. Just so she wouldn't have to think of a lie regarding the reason for her sudden fainting.

"What would you like for breakfast?" he asked.

"Anything's fine," she croaked.

Her heart jumped when she felt his hand touch her bare shoulder. She suddenly regretted wearing nothing but her nightgown underneath her robe last night.

"Don't ever do this again," he said.

"Do what?"

"Make me worry," he answered. "When you fainted, I really panicked. I didn't know what to do," he admitted.

She speechlessly stared at him.

When he received no reply, he stood up to get her breakfast.

She hugged herself as his words echoed in her mind.

Don't ever do this again.

Make me worry.

When you fainted, I really panicked. I didn't know what to do.

His words touched her heart peculiarly.

It has been quite awhile since somebody confessed to her truthfully that he was worried about her.

"OK, from the top. Lights, Camera.. ACTION!!!" barked Walters.

Eriol watched as Tomoyo, posing as Carmela, conversed with the "butler".

"She's fantastic!" gushed the Señora. "She's a natural!"

"Yeah," he answered absent-mindedly.

"Are you alright, querido?" she asked.

He shook his head. "I'm worried about Tomoyo. Last night, while we were talking, she collapsed."

The old woman's eyes widened. "She's pregnant?!! Why querido! You are a quick one!"

His face turned red. "No, I didn't do anything to her!"

"Of course. You two live under the same roof. You are an eligible bachelor and she is a very attractive single Of course no sparks are going on between the two of you," said the old lady, winking.

"We are just friends, and nothing more," he said.

"And cut!" Walters clapped his hands. "Take five, people!"

Tomoyo sat down her seat and browsed through her script.

And Eriol and the Señora continued staring at her.

"I've known her since elementary. We were classmates, in fact," he said.

"Really?" said the Señora.

"She's the nicest girl in the classroom. In fact, she's one of the first people to warm up on me. Unfortunately, I had to leave for London," he continued. "But I never forgot her. " He smiled to himself. "She was a kind friend."

"Hiiragizawa-kun?"

He turned and saw Tomoyo looking at him quietly. He sighed. "Did you come here to castigate me about hiding my identity to your best friend?"

She shook her head. "Oh no! I came here to thank you."

"For what?"

"For not hurting Sakura all the while that you were giving her those tests," she said. "And I also hope you would take care of Mizuki-sensei. Sakura-chan loves her very much."

"No problem," he said.

"Write back so we'll still know what's going on with your life even if you are far away from us already."

"Sure."

"What are you going to do there anyway?"

He frowned thoughtfully. "I don't know. My main purpose is to deal with Sakura, and now that it's done, I don't have any more purpose in this world."

"That's not true!" Tomoyo said vehemently. "Your purpose here in Earth is not given out by someone but it's something you discover yourself." She smiled. "You are gifted in music. Maybe someday, you will be a great composer."

"A composer?"

"And I will be your biggest fan," she promised.

He couldn't help but smile at that. "And you will be a great singer too in the future. You will be the toast of Japan."

"We'll do a collaboration, right?" she asked.

"Right!"

Tomoyo blinked when she felt Eriol's steady gaze on her. She looked away. He was making her feel self-conscious! She then gasped when she saw Eriol walking towards her.

He sat down beside her. "How would you like to do a collaboration with me, Tomoyo?"

"Huh?"

"A collaboration," he said, emphasizing the last word.

"C-Collaboration?" she stammered. "What kind?"

"I have my composition already, and all I need is a singer." He nodded. "I think you will fit the bill adequately."

"Me?" She smiled sadly. "I haven't sung for years."

"Liar. I heard you sing in the garden, and your voice is still great," he said.

"I don't want to!" she said stubbornly.

"Oh come on, you promised! It was even you who proposed to do this."

She looked down. Of course she knew that.

But she didn't want to sing anymore.

It would only bring back the ghosts of the past that she tried to run away from by escaping to Spain with her teacher.

"I don't want to," she said in a tone of finality.

His face fell. "OK, I won't force you anymore."

"Sakura-chan, I won! I won!" said Tomoyo happily.

"That's great! Syaoran-kun, Aunt Sonomi and I are going there to fetch you!" her cousin replied enthusiastically.

"No, don't bother anymore. A storm is coming. Why don't you just wait for me there?" she asked, glancing at the weather forecast on the news. She was away with her choir in the mountains to compete and perform for the Ministry for Children of the church.

"You can't stop us! We're already on our way there!" laughed Sakura. "Besides, we already know about the storm. It's pouring cats and dogs here."

"Sakura-chan!" she whined.

Her cousin's laughter then turned to a scream of horror.

"S-Sakura?" she called, beginning to feel nervous.

Collective screams nearly shattered her eardrums.

"Sakura? Sakura!"

"The road..it's really getting slick here.."said Sakura, voice breaking.

"Tell the driver to stop the bus-" her words were cut by the climax of screams and what sounded like a big crash and an explosion.

"Tomoyo?"

She blinked. "Y-Yeah?"

Eriol gazed at her worriedly. "I'll tell Walters that we'll shoot tomorrow. You must rest first."

"I'm sorry…it's all my fault," she murmured, eyes welling with tears.

"Ah no, it's ok. The important scenes were wrapped up already-"

"It's all my fault…" she whispered, voice tight.

His forehead creased. He knew she wasn't talking about the taping anymore. "It's ok. It's ok, Tomoyo."

"No, it's not," she said. "I killed Okaasan. I'm the cause of Sakura's handicap. It's all my fault," she said.

He had no idea what she was talking about. He heard about the accident of Sakura and Syaoran, but Sonomi Daidouji's death? And how did it become Tomoyo's fault? But it didn't matter anymore. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her to his chest. "No, you didn't do anything wrong," he whispered. "Don't cry, Tomoyo. Don't cry."

"May I please speak with Sakura?" asked Eriol politely over the phone after he took Tomoyo to her room.

The male voice on the other end of the line was enraged. "Don't you dare make fun of my daughter!"

He blinked. "Fujitaka Kinomoto?"

"Yes!" the voice snapped.

"This is your daughter's friend, Hiiragizawa Eriol. I have no idea what happened to her that's why I called. I also want to know what happened to Daidouji-sama."

"I see. They didn't inform you," he said quietly. "My daughter, Sakura, lost her ability to speak in that accident, so no, she couldn't talk to you. Daidouji-sama on the other hand…" His voice saddened. "She died in the accident."

"Good Lord!" he exclaimed. "P-Please tell me how it all happened."

He sat down weakly as Fujitaka proceeded to narrate what happened.

Tomoyo was staring at the ceiling when she heard the door open. Eriol came in, face grim.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know," he said softly.

She tucked her knee in. "You didn't kill them. I did."

"No, you didn't." He sat down beside her. "It was all an accident."

"But if it weren't for me, they wouldn't be riding that bus. If it weren't for me, then my mother would still be alive, or that Sakura and Li are still living normally."

"Don't blame yourself, Tomoyo. It's not right."

"What do you know?" she snapped. "Everyone I love leaves me!"

"I know, Tomoyo. I know because I've felt the pain of losing someone I love too. I lost Kaho. We both lost Kaho. But am I blaming myself? No!"

"You do not care about her at all then!"

"No, listen to me!" He held her shoulders. "I do love Kaho, but would blaming myself bring them back? No! No matter how much I cry or punish myself, she won't come back! So what I do is to take care of the remaining loved ones I have. You may have lost your mother, but Sakura is still alive. Li Syaoran is still alive. You still have them!"

"Syaoran-kun is alive?" she asked between sniffs.

"He just woke up from his coma today." He smiled. "Kinomoto-san told me."

"Is he..mad at me? Is Uncle Fujitaka angry with me?" she asked.

"No. In fact, he was asking how are you. He hopes that you come visit Sakura again. She misses you."

"But I can't!" she said, guilt evident in her voice.

"She wants to see you already," he said.

"M-Me too," she said finally.

He smiled. "That's my girl! After the taping of the entire soap is done, we'll pay them a visit, ok?"

"Eriol-"

"Oh, one more thing. Sakura was asking if you can send her a tape of the soap so she can watch it. She loves to see you act," he said.

She nodded, eyes shaking happily. "I'll tell the Señora."

"And I promised Sakura too that you will sing the telenovela's theme."

She nodded. "I will sing it then." She smiled gratefully at Eriol. "Domo arigatou."

"Doo itashimashite."

"I feel much better," she admitted.

"That's great."

"I'm still sad…and guilty though."

"But at least you feel better."

"Sharing the pain lessened my burden." She looked up at him smilingly. "Thanks again."

Eriol hugged her tighter. "No problem."

tsuzuku