Chapter 01
"Good morning, Sakura." The auburn-eyed girl woke up and stretched herself before turning her head to a girl with purple eyes sitting next to her.
"Ah, morning, Tomoyo," she said, rubbing her sleepy eyes.
"How was your sleep? Did you have any sweet dream last night?" the girl asked.
"Umm," she replied, "I dreamt of Yukito taking me for dinner, and then…" before she cupped her cheeks and blushed. "I can't tell it to you! It was too precious to be shared!"
The girl giggled and dragged her from the bed. "Stop dreaming, Sakura! You've got the gathering at the main hall to attend, remember?" she told her.
"Hoe!?" She abruptly jumped off the bed and rushed toward the bathroom. "Why didn't anyone tell me about it?! Argh, I'm gonna be late! Tomoyo, please help me!"
Kinomoto Sakura. 10 years old. Youngest member of Kinomoto Family, the renowned wolf hunter family in Tomoeda Town. Today, she was to attend a gathering at the main hall, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the family's successful wolf-hunting raid. As the youngest wolf hunter in the town, Sakura had always been respected by the residence for her unbelievable success despite her young age. They always compared her to Fujitaka, whom was regarded as the best wolf hunter the town ever had, and expected her to continue the legacy.
"Sorry for being late!" Sakura shouted as she rushed into the mail hall. The people were looking at her and ad lib among themselves. "I forgot to tell my brother to wake me up and…"
"Yeah, right," Touya, who was already there with Fujitaka, spoke and folded his arms. "You know you don't have to rely on someone else to wake up, monster."
"Brother, don't call me monster!" Sakura yelled and breathed heavily. Touya laughed and glared deviously at her.
"Now, now." Yukito uttered. "You know you don't have to treat your sister like that, Touya."
"Hah, like I care. She's a wolf hunter of not, she's still a monster to me." Sakura snapped and stepped toward him and gave him a hard stomp on his feet. "HEY! What are you doing?" Touya uttered and held his aching feet.
"I'm not a monster!" she exclaimed before looked at Yukito and smiled. "Right, Yukito?"
"Alright. Since Sakura is here, why don't we get the gathering started?" Fujitaka spoke and clapped his hands. The people nodded and sat on chairs, as the town mayor approached the stand and began his speech.
"Today, we gather in this main hall to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Kinomoto Family's success in the last wolf-hunting raid. As everyone knows, Fujitaka was among those who successfully eradicated all wolves and cleansed our land of their population. Despite this, their threat still exists until today – although in smaller scale; therefore this wolf hunting task has been done by Sakura, and she is by far the best wolf hunter after her father." The mayor looked at Fujitaka and smiled. "Mister Fujitaka, we're very proud to have a dedicated wolf hunter like Sakura."
"Well, say thanks to her, mister mayor," Fujitaka spoke and smiled.
"Your father is very proud of you, Sakura, because you have become the best wolf hunter this town has," Yukito spoke. Sakura blushed deeply and insisted that she was not as great as Fujitaka. Yukito smiled and patted her head. "What if I take you for lunch after this gathering?"
"You're serious about this, Yukito?" Sakura asked.
"Of course I am," he said. "I'll take Touya and Tomoyo along."
"Eheheheh…" Sakura sweatdropped and arched her eyebrows. "It'd be okay if you just take Tomoyo…"
"Why? Because you fear I'll finish your meal?" Touya asked. Sakura grunted and glared at her brother. "Don't forget. You're a monster, and a monster always finishes her meals in a rush."
"BROTHER!!" Sakura yelled out loud, that everyone in the hall looked at her. Some of them even giggled to see her reaction. "Err… I'm sorry, I shouldn't do that in public…" she spoke and frowned in embarrassment.
~*~*~
"WOW! These meals are very delicious," Sakura uttered and patted her full tummy. "I feel like I can't move right now…"
"A fat monster who finished eating always says that, though the truth is she wants to eat some more," Touya spoke and grinned deviously.
"Will you stop calling me that?" Sakura asked and poked out her tongue at him.
Tomoyo giggled and sighed dreamily. "This is like heaven, to see everyone enjoying their live," she spoke.
"It is," Yukito spoke, "unlike what we had to face when we were around your age." Sakura and Tomoyo looked at Yukito who soon frowned. "Wolves were everywhere and they attacked the people mercilessly. Children and women became their prey and… we, the men, had to fight against the wolves."
"Then Mr. Fujitaka saved the town from the wolves, right?" Tomoyo asked.
"He was our hope to drive away the wolves," Yukito said. "He became our hero…"
"You know you don't have to bee too sentimental, Yukito," Touya said while sipped the orange juice. "It's over now – and don't worry if they return to this place. Our wolf hunter is here." He spoke and glared at Sakura.
"What is it again?" Sakura questioned.
"Nothing," Touya replied and looked elsewhere.
Sakura grunted and folded her arms. "I really hate it when brother says this and that to me. If only mother were alive, she would have backed me up," she spoke and sighed.
"Ah, yes! I almost forgot something," Tomoyo exclaimed and jumped off the chair. "Come, Sakura! I've got to show you the newly opened boutique."
"Hoe? Tomoyo, I still got to…"
"It's alright," Tomoyo uttered and took her hand. "Come on!"
"Ah, Tomoyo, wait!" Sakura could not speak further when Tomoyo already pulled her and ran along the street.
"Say, Touya," Yukito called him, while finishing the last piece of the steak, "why you don't take over your father's place and give it to Sakura instead? She's still too young to become one."
"My father had decided it in the declaration, that Sakura would become the next wolf hunter. I had no other reason to object it, since the decision was agreed by the townspeople."
"Is that so…" Yukito uttered.
"Eh? Where's Sakura?" Fujitaka asked as he came with roasted chicken.
"Ah, she just left with Tomoyo," Yukito told him. "Say, isn't that my favourite?"
"Sigh, I've spent all my money to buy this," Fujitaka spoke and put the meal on the table. "Okay, you two can have it, but leave some for Sakura and Tomoyo."
~*~*~
"Sakura, you look so beautiful in the dress!" Tomoyo exclaimed. Sakura giggled as she whirled around in the dress she wore.
"Tomoyo, you have a great taste of choosing clothes for me," Sakura uttered.
"No, it's you who decide to choose it," Tomoyo spoke. "Why don't we buy it? You can wear it everyday."
"Eh! That's a very good idea, Tomoyo."
The girls laughed when they walked out of the boutique. "You know Touya will surely complain again if he found out about it," Tomoyo spoke.
"Hah! Who cares," Sakura spoke. "If he complains again, I'm going to kick his butt for sure! He always complains about this and that, and I hate that so much."
Tomoyo giggled and corrected the ribbon on the dress. "There, that should do it," she spoke. Sakura became delighted and thanked her. "It's my pleasure, Sakura."
"Stop, thief!" Both Sakura and Tomoyo looked at the front and saw a boy under pursuit chased by law officers. They boy ran past them and knocked Sakura off to the floor.
"Sakura! Are you alright?" Tomoyo asked and helped her to stand.
"I'm fine," she spoke while rubbing her head. "That's it! I'm chasing him as well."
"Eh? Sakura, but what for?" Tomoyo asked again but Sakura was too far to answer it. "Please come back, Sakura!" she shouted at her.
~*~*~
"Damn it! I just wanted to eat the steak, and they call me a thief?" he pondered as he ran away from the officers. He ignored several pedestrians in front of him and kept running.
The boy halted at the dead end. "Crap, now I'm trapped," he uttered and looked around.
"Okay, thief!" He turned around and saw the officers. "Now you won't get away from us anymore. We'll put you in the jail for sure."
"Now what should I do?" he pondered and squinted at the officers, who approached him closer. "Looks like I have no other choice but jump over them." The boy then crouched and leapt to the air, over the officers, and landed behind them.
"He's getting away! After him!" The officers chased him again. They, however, could not keep their pace and left far behind.
The boy slowed down his speed and looked behind him. "Heh, they won't overrun me for a while. I better get back to home before they catch me again," he spoke and walked down the aisle.
Out of blue, he collided with Sakura who happened to walk at the same aisle and fell to the floor. "Ouch, ouch! My butt hurts…" he complained and rubbed his butt. "Hey, watch where you are going!"
"You too!" Sakura replied and rubbed her butt as well. When she looked at the boy, she was surprised and pointed at his face. "Eh? Aren't you…"
"ARGH! You're among the officers as well!?" the boy exclaimed and quickly ran away before Sakura said anything more. She tried to stop the boy, but he was already faraway.
"What's wrong with him?" she asked. Then she found a medal on the aisle. She picked it up and checked it. "This belongs to the boy…" she whispered and held it tightly. "I must return it to him…"
"Good morning, Sakura." The auburn-eyed girl woke up and stretched herself before turning her head to a girl with purple eyes sitting next to her.
"Ah, morning, Tomoyo," she said, rubbing her sleepy eyes.
"How was your sleep? Did you have any sweet dream last night?" the girl asked.
"Umm," she replied, "I dreamt of Yukito taking me for dinner, and then…" before she cupped her cheeks and blushed. "I can't tell it to you! It was too precious to be shared!"
The girl giggled and dragged her from the bed. "Stop dreaming, Sakura! You've got the gathering at the main hall to attend, remember?" she told her.
"Hoe!?" She abruptly jumped off the bed and rushed toward the bathroom. "Why didn't anyone tell me about it?! Argh, I'm gonna be late! Tomoyo, please help me!"
Kinomoto Sakura. 10 years old. Youngest member of Kinomoto Family, the renowned wolf hunter family in Tomoeda Town. Today, she was to attend a gathering at the main hall, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the family's successful wolf-hunting raid. As the youngest wolf hunter in the town, Sakura had always been respected by the residence for her unbelievable success despite her young age. They always compared her to Fujitaka, whom was regarded as the best wolf hunter the town ever had, and expected her to continue the legacy.
"Sorry for being late!" Sakura shouted as she rushed into the mail hall. The people were looking at her and ad lib among themselves. "I forgot to tell my brother to wake me up and…"
"Yeah, right," Touya, who was already there with Fujitaka, spoke and folded his arms. "You know you don't have to rely on someone else to wake up, monster."
"Brother, don't call me monster!" Sakura yelled and breathed heavily. Touya laughed and glared deviously at her.
"Now, now." Yukito uttered. "You know you don't have to treat your sister like that, Touya."
"Hah, like I care. She's a wolf hunter of not, she's still a monster to me." Sakura snapped and stepped toward him and gave him a hard stomp on his feet. "HEY! What are you doing?" Touya uttered and held his aching feet.
"I'm not a monster!" she exclaimed before looked at Yukito and smiled. "Right, Yukito?"
"Alright. Since Sakura is here, why don't we get the gathering started?" Fujitaka spoke and clapped his hands. The people nodded and sat on chairs, as the town mayor approached the stand and began his speech.
"Today, we gather in this main hall to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Kinomoto Family's success in the last wolf-hunting raid. As everyone knows, Fujitaka was among those who successfully eradicated all wolves and cleansed our land of their population. Despite this, their threat still exists until today – although in smaller scale; therefore this wolf hunting task has been done by Sakura, and she is by far the best wolf hunter after her father." The mayor looked at Fujitaka and smiled. "Mister Fujitaka, we're very proud to have a dedicated wolf hunter like Sakura."
"Well, say thanks to her, mister mayor," Fujitaka spoke and smiled.
"Your father is very proud of you, Sakura, because you have become the best wolf hunter this town has," Yukito spoke. Sakura blushed deeply and insisted that she was not as great as Fujitaka. Yukito smiled and patted her head. "What if I take you for lunch after this gathering?"
"You're serious about this, Yukito?" Sakura asked.
"Of course I am," he said. "I'll take Touya and Tomoyo along."
"Eheheheh…" Sakura sweatdropped and arched her eyebrows. "It'd be okay if you just take Tomoyo…"
"Why? Because you fear I'll finish your meal?" Touya asked. Sakura grunted and glared at her brother. "Don't forget. You're a monster, and a monster always finishes her meals in a rush."
"BROTHER!!" Sakura yelled out loud, that everyone in the hall looked at her. Some of them even giggled to see her reaction. "Err… I'm sorry, I shouldn't do that in public…" she spoke and frowned in embarrassment.
~*~*~
"WOW! These meals are very delicious," Sakura uttered and patted her full tummy. "I feel like I can't move right now…"
"A fat monster who finished eating always says that, though the truth is she wants to eat some more," Touya spoke and grinned deviously.
"Will you stop calling me that?" Sakura asked and poked out her tongue at him.
Tomoyo giggled and sighed dreamily. "This is like heaven, to see everyone enjoying their live," she spoke.
"It is," Yukito spoke, "unlike what we had to face when we were around your age." Sakura and Tomoyo looked at Yukito who soon frowned. "Wolves were everywhere and they attacked the people mercilessly. Children and women became their prey and… we, the men, had to fight against the wolves."
"Then Mr. Fujitaka saved the town from the wolves, right?" Tomoyo asked.
"He was our hope to drive away the wolves," Yukito said. "He became our hero…"
"You know you don't have to bee too sentimental, Yukito," Touya said while sipped the orange juice. "It's over now – and don't worry if they return to this place. Our wolf hunter is here." He spoke and glared at Sakura.
"What is it again?" Sakura questioned.
"Nothing," Touya replied and looked elsewhere.
Sakura grunted and folded her arms. "I really hate it when brother says this and that to me. If only mother were alive, she would have backed me up," she spoke and sighed.
"Ah, yes! I almost forgot something," Tomoyo exclaimed and jumped off the chair. "Come, Sakura! I've got to show you the newly opened boutique."
"Hoe? Tomoyo, I still got to…"
"It's alright," Tomoyo uttered and took her hand. "Come on!"
"Ah, Tomoyo, wait!" Sakura could not speak further when Tomoyo already pulled her and ran along the street.
"Say, Touya," Yukito called him, while finishing the last piece of the steak, "why you don't take over your father's place and give it to Sakura instead? She's still too young to become one."
"My father had decided it in the declaration, that Sakura would become the next wolf hunter. I had no other reason to object it, since the decision was agreed by the townspeople."
"Is that so…" Yukito uttered.
"Eh? Where's Sakura?" Fujitaka asked as he came with roasted chicken.
"Ah, she just left with Tomoyo," Yukito told him. "Say, isn't that my favourite?"
"Sigh, I've spent all my money to buy this," Fujitaka spoke and put the meal on the table. "Okay, you two can have it, but leave some for Sakura and Tomoyo."
~*~*~
"Sakura, you look so beautiful in the dress!" Tomoyo exclaimed. Sakura giggled as she whirled around in the dress she wore.
"Tomoyo, you have a great taste of choosing clothes for me," Sakura uttered.
"No, it's you who decide to choose it," Tomoyo spoke. "Why don't we buy it? You can wear it everyday."
"Eh! That's a very good idea, Tomoyo."
The girls laughed when they walked out of the boutique. "You know Touya will surely complain again if he found out about it," Tomoyo spoke.
"Hah! Who cares," Sakura spoke. "If he complains again, I'm going to kick his butt for sure! He always complains about this and that, and I hate that so much."
Tomoyo giggled and corrected the ribbon on the dress. "There, that should do it," she spoke. Sakura became delighted and thanked her. "It's my pleasure, Sakura."
"Stop, thief!" Both Sakura and Tomoyo looked at the front and saw a boy under pursuit chased by law officers. They boy ran past them and knocked Sakura off to the floor.
"Sakura! Are you alright?" Tomoyo asked and helped her to stand.
"I'm fine," she spoke while rubbing her head. "That's it! I'm chasing him as well."
"Eh? Sakura, but what for?" Tomoyo asked again but Sakura was too far to answer it. "Please come back, Sakura!" she shouted at her.
~*~*~
"Damn it! I just wanted to eat the steak, and they call me a thief?" he pondered as he ran away from the officers. He ignored several pedestrians in front of him and kept running.
The boy halted at the dead end. "Crap, now I'm trapped," he uttered and looked around.
"Okay, thief!" He turned around and saw the officers. "Now you won't get away from us anymore. We'll put you in the jail for sure."
"Now what should I do?" he pondered and squinted at the officers, who approached him closer. "Looks like I have no other choice but jump over them." The boy then crouched and leapt to the air, over the officers, and landed behind them.
"He's getting away! After him!" The officers chased him again. They, however, could not keep their pace and left far behind.
The boy slowed down his speed and looked behind him. "Heh, they won't overrun me for a while. I better get back to home before they catch me again," he spoke and walked down the aisle.
Out of blue, he collided with Sakura who happened to walk at the same aisle and fell to the floor. "Ouch, ouch! My butt hurts…" he complained and rubbed his butt. "Hey, watch where you are going!"
"You too!" Sakura replied and rubbed her butt as well. When she looked at the boy, she was surprised and pointed at his face. "Eh? Aren't you…"
"ARGH! You're among the officers as well!?" the boy exclaimed and quickly ran away before Sakura said anything more. She tried to stop the boy, but he was already faraway.
"What's wrong with him?" she asked. Then she found a medal on the aisle. She picked it up and checked it. "This belongs to the boy…" she whispered and held it tightly. "I must return it to him…"