Yes, this did take an awful long time to get out. I'm sorry. Beware of Treesa!Nakuru.
Chapter Two
The next week's post brought two letters: one with an English stamp, the other with a stamp from Hong Kong.
My dear Daidouji-san,
Several days ago, I received Sakura-san's letter and invitation to her wedding. Since I know for a fact that my house has been destroyed and a fairground built in its place, we will have nowhere to stay in Tomoeda when I arrive. Would you happen to have some advice on a nice hotel in the area we can stay in? I would not wish to cause the bride stress by having to arrange accommodation for her guests as well.
Tomoyo wondered if this was a subtle request that she provide accommodation for Eriol and company at her own house, but quickly decided the thought was unworthy of her. Eriol was surely too much a gentlemen to request lodgings in such an underhand manner.
Yeah. Right.
I am very pleased that Sakura-san and my relative are finally committing to each other. Just as you are, I'm sure.
She winced.
I assume you will be designing the wedding clothes and organising the filming? I look forward to seeing what you have come up with.
Oh dear, the filming... She had assured Sakura that she didn't want to be in the wedding party, she just wanted to be behind the camera, capturing Sakura's perfect day. Unfortunately, she could tell that Sakura wasn't entirely happy with that.
She wondered if she had somehow hurt Sakura with her insistence that she didn't want to be involved.
I can't help but wonder why you are doing the filming when Sakura would be overjoyed to have you in the wedding party.
Damn that Eriol, anyway. She skimmed through the rest of the letter quickly, pulled out a fresh piece of writing paper and began composing her reply.
Dear Hiiragizawa-kun,
I know this lovely hotel not far from where the wedding is to be held. I will send you the address and phone number along with this letter.
Thank you for your concern. I assure you, I am perfectly fine.
Sincerely,
Daidouji Tomoyo.
She wondered if she'd perhaps been a little too short with him.
Putting the letter aside for a moment, she tore open the other envelope.
It contained a single slip of paper, with the words "Call me" written in Meiling's familiar scrawl. Tomoyo smiled and reached for the phone. Her mother wouldn't mind her making the call. It wasn't like she telephoned Hong Kong every day or anything.
"Tomoyo-chan," her friend informed her as soon as she got on the phone, "you are an idiot."
"Meiling-chan!" she protested, surprised.
"Well, really!" said the other girl. "Sakura-chan is not going to end your friendship just because she's married! It's the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard."
"It is not ridiculous! I have no right to be her best friend!"
Meiling was silent for a moment. "What on earth do you mean?"
"She still wants me to be in the wedding party! Me! And she has no idea how much this is hurting me! What kind of best friend doesn't want to be at her friend's wedding?"
"Well, seeing her happy makes you happy. Isn't that what you've always told her?"
"Yes, but she didn't know I was talking about her!"
She could almost hear Meiling's smile. "Oh, be serious. Even Sakura isn't that dense."
Tomoyo paused. "Would you like to bet on that?"
There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment. "Fine, maybe she doesn't know. But I don't see why that means you can't be her friend."
Tomoyo was silent for a moment. "Well, that is..." Because I don't want her to get married and I know that's not a worthy thought for Sakura's best friend to have.
She didn't say that out loud, though. Meiling had a very piercing shriek, even over the phone.
"There, see?" said Meiling, obviously taking her hesitation as an indication that she couldn't think of a reason.
Tomoyo sighed. "Did you just ask me to call in order to tell me off?" she asked, in mock irritation.
"That, and a few other things. Firstly, I'd love to stay at your place for the wedding. My family and Syaoran's are both coming over and staying in a hotel, but I can't think of anything worse than being cooped up with Syaoran's sisters."
Tomoyo smiled at the memory of Syaoran's sisters. "I can understand that. I'll ask my mother."
"And the blue sounds lovely, although I thought it would be kind of cute if we dressed Syaoran in his ceremonial gear and you got Sakura to dress in one of your famous battle costumes..."
She thought about that for a moment. It would be awfully cute...
"...but I think they'd both kill us if we tried."
Darn, thought Tomoyo. "I think you're right."
They chatted about the wedding plans for a few more moments, and then had to end the call.
Tomoyo sighed. "When did we grow apart so much?" she wondered out loud. There had been a time where Meiling had understood everything she was going through.
Maybe the difference was that Meiling didn't seem to be in love with Syaoran any more.
The last item on her agenda was written on pink paper, and had been included in the letter from Eriol. She thought she knew who that was from.
Darling Tomoyo-chan,
I was Ever So Delighted to hear about Sakura-chan's impending Wedding, but of course my first thought was Of You. I do hope you are all right. It must be Very Difficult for you.
But nevertheless, I think you should Not Give Up being a part of your best friend's wedding. You would be a Compliment To The Wedding Party and I'm sure Sakura-chan would Adore Having You There.
Besides, you Can't spend the Whole Day behind a Video Camera. It just Wouldn't Be Right.
I cannot express in words How Much I am looking forward to Seeing You All Again. In particular Touya-kun (do you know if he is still dating that repressed moon angel?), but of course the Ever So Cute Sakura-chan. And, of course, You Yourself.
Be cheerful, okay?
With my Dearest Wishes,
Ruby Moon.
She had to put the letter down on several occasions to wipe the tears of laughter away. Maybe she would put Eriol and his companions up, after all. It wasn't like they didn't have the space. And she'd need a good laugh.
Am I really being so silly, though? she wondered. Does everybody think I'm being unnecessarily stubborn about this?
She wondered what Sakura thought her real reasons were.
In the end, Sakura proposed a compromise. Tomoyo would video Sakura before and after the wedding, but she would allow her mother's team of video camera ladies to film the wedding itself. Sakura had been so earnest about it that Tomoyo couldn't find it in her heart to refuse. Sakura's smile when she agreed was almost blinding.
Sometimes she wondered if Sakura knew the power she had over Tomoyo.
TO BE CONTINUED...
And I hope I'll have the next part done a lot quicker than it took me to get this one out, too. >.
The next week's post brought two letters: one with an English stamp, the other with a stamp from Hong Kong.
My dear Daidouji-san,
Several days ago, I received Sakura-san's letter and invitation to her wedding. Since I know for a fact that my house has been destroyed and a fairground built in its place, we will have nowhere to stay in Tomoeda when I arrive. Would you happen to have some advice on a nice hotel in the area we can stay in? I would not wish to cause the bride stress by having to arrange accommodation for her guests as well.
Tomoyo wondered if this was a subtle request that she provide accommodation for Eriol and company at her own house, but quickly decided the thought was unworthy of her. Eriol was surely too much a gentlemen to request lodgings in such an underhand manner.
Yeah. Right.
I am very pleased that Sakura-san and my relative are finally committing to each other. Just as you are, I'm sure.
She winced.
I assume you will be designing the wedding clothes and organising the filming? I look forward to seeing what you have come up with.
Oh dear, the filming... She had assured Sakura that she didn't want to be in the wedding party, she just wanted to be behind the camera, capturing Sakura's perfect day. Unfortunately, she could tell that Sakura wasn't entirely happy with that.
She wondered if she had somehow hurt Sakura with her insistence that she didn't want to be involved.
I can't help but wonder why you are doing the filming when Sakura would be overjoyed to have you in the wedding party.
Damn that Eriol, anyway. She skimmed through the rest of the letter quickly, pulled out a fresh piece of writing paper and began composing her reply.
Dear Hiiragizawa-kun,
I know this lovely hotel not far from where the wedding is to be held. I will send you the address and phone number along with this letter.
Thank you for your concern. I assure you, I am perfectly fine.
Sincerely,
Daidouji Tomoyo.
She wondered if she'd perhaps been a little too short with him.
Putting the letter aside for a moment, she tore open the other envelope.
It contained a single slip of paper, with the words "Call me" written in Meiling's familiar scrawl. Tomoyo smiled and reached for the phone. Her mother wouldn't mind her making the call. It wasn't like she telephoned Hong Kong every day or anything.
"Tomoyo-chan," her friend informed her as soon as she got on the phone, "you are an idiot."
"Meiling-chan!" she protested, surprised.
"Well, really!" said the other girl. "Sakura-chan is not going to end your friendship just because she's married! It's the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard."
"It is not ridiculous! I have no right to be her best friend!"
Meiling was silent for a moment. "What on earth do you mean?"
"She still wants me to be in the wedding party! Me! And she has no idea how much this is hurting me! What kind of best friend doesn't want to be at her friend's wedding?"
"Well, seeing her happy makes you happy. Isn't that what you've always told her?"
"Yes, but she didn't know I was talking about her!"
She could almost hear Meiling's smile. "Oh, be serious. Even Sakura isn't that dense."
Tomoyo paused. "Would you like to bet on that?"
There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment. "Fine, maybe she doesn't know. But I don't see why that means you can't be her friend."
Tomoyo was silent for a moment. "Well, that is..." Because I don't want her to get married and I know that's not a worthy thought for Sakura's best friend to have.
She didn't say that out loud, though. Meiling had a very piercing shriek, even over the phone.
"There, see?" said Meiling, obviously taking her hesitation as an indication that she couldn't think of a reason.
Tomoyo sighed. "Did you just ask me to call in order to tell me off?" she asked, in mock irritation.
"That, and a few other things. Firstly, I'd love to stay at your place for the wedding. My family and Syaoran's are both coming over and staying in a hotel, but I can't think of anything worse than being cooped up with Syaoran's sisters."
Tomoyo smiled at the memory of Syaoran's sisters. "I can understand that. I'll ask my mother."
"And the blue sounds lovely, although I thought it would be kind of cute if we dressed Syaoran in his ceremonial gear and you got Sakura to dress in one of your famous battle costumes..."
She thought about that for a moment. It would be awfully cute...
"...but I think they'd both kill us if we tried."
Darn, thought Tomoyo. "I think you're right."
They chatted about the wedding plans for a few more moments, and then had to end the call.
Tomoyo sighed. "When did we grow apart so much?" she wondered out loud. There had been a time where Meiling had understood everything she was going through.
Maybe the difference was that Meiling didn't seem to be in love with Syaoran any more.
The last item on her agenda was written on pink paper, and had been included in the letter from Eriol. She thought she knew who that was from.
Darling Tomoyo-chan,
I was Ever So Delighted to hear about Sakura-chan's impending Wedding, but of course my first thought was Of You. I do hope you are all right. It must be Very Difficult for you.
But nevertheless, I think you should Not Give Up being a part of your best friend's wedding. You would be a Compliment To The Wedding Party and I'm sure Sakura-chan would Adore Having You There.
Besides, you Can't spend the Whole Day behind a Video Camera. It just Wouldn't Be Right.
I cannot express in words How Much I am looking forward to Seeing You All Again. In particular Touya-kun (do you know if he is still dating that repressed moon angel?), but of course the Ever So Cute Sakura-chan. And, of course, You Yourself.
Be cheerful, okay?
With my Dearest Wishes,
Ruby Moon.
She had to put the letter down on several occasions to wipe the tears of laughter away. Maybe she would put Eriol and his companions up, after all. It wasn't like they didn't have the space. And she'd need a good laugh.
Am I really being so silly, though? she wondered. Does everybody think I'm being unnecessarily stubborn about this?
She wondered what Sakura thought her real reasons were.
In the end, Sakura proposed a compromise. Tomoyo would video Sakura before and after the wedding, but she would allow her mother's team of video camera ladies to film the wedding itself. Sakura had been so earnest about it that Tomoyo couldn't find it in her heart to refuse. Sakura's smile when she agreed was almost blinding.
Sometimes she wondered if Sakura knew the power she had over Tomoyo.
TO BE CONTINUED...
And I hope I'll have the next part done a lot quicker than it took me to get this one out, too. >.
