"Final Resolution"
By:Na-chan
Disclaimer: I don't own CCS or its characters. They are being borrowed without permission.
Author's Notes: Read Complicated Life before you read this one since this is a SEQUEL. There
are OCs in this fic since it's AU so you won't understand who's who if you didn't read the
other fic. Got it?
Chapter 2
Three days. Seventy-two hours. Four thousand three hundred twenty minutes. Two hundred fifty-nine
thousand two hundred seconds.
It had been too long since she had gone outside.
She had decided to hide. To hide from the world, to hide from HIM.
Tomoeda was the perfect hiding place. It was home--it was safe. She needed time to think,
time alone, away from him. She never answered his telephone calls to her cellular.
He was putting a whole continent between them.
It was awful.
***
Ring
Ring
"Moshi moshi? Daidouji residence," Someone answered. It was probably a maid and instantly Eriol
felt sorry for her. She would be shouted at or asked to lie in a few minutes. If she was lucky
though, he would be the object of distaste being shouted at.
"...good afternoon. May I speak with Daidouji Tomoyo?" Eriol's deep voice contained hesitancy...or
was it fear?
"Who is this?"
"...a friend."
There was a pause, "I'm sorry but Tomoyo-ojousan does not accept anonymous callers. Please state
your name."
He smirked despite the negative answer. Tomoyo would always be Tomoyo. "Hiiragizawa Eriol." He
knew Tomoyo wasn't going to take the call but it wasn't bad to hope.
"She will be down shortly." The maid laid down the receiver and proceeded to walk up the stairs.
Upstairs, Tomoyo was staring up at the beige colored ceiling of her bedroom. She was still in her
silk peach pajamas and the time on her wall clock read 11:34 AM. She heard a soft knock. "I'm not
hungry!"
"Tomoyo-ojousama, there is someone on the phone for you."
"Tell him I'm not home!"
"But ojousan--"
"I AM NOT HOME. Got it? Tell that to anyone who calls except mother." Tomoyo rubbed her aching
temples.
"H-Hai, ojousama." The maid scurried down the hallway and back to the telephone.
"Gomen nasai. Tomoyo-ojousama is not here."
Eriol let out a sigh of disappointment. "Oh. Thank you. Goodbye." He brought the receiver down in
its cradle.
"Eriol? Is there something wrong?" His mother's dark head popped out from the living room. Her
long hair was a lighter shade of Eriol's and her eyes were bright green. Despite being a few
decades older than her son, Fennis had remained a youthful glow to her personality.
He shook his head and forced a smile. "Everything's fine." He glanced at the phone briefly.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, mother. I'll make the tea you requested now."
"Do you need any help?"
"No."
No, everything's all wrong.
***
"Are you sure this was a good idea, Masashi?" Fennis asked, her brow furrowing. "I mean...Eriol
seems a bit too cheery lately. Maybe we should have just sent him a letter. He's hiding something
from us."
"It's natural, dear. This is the age when boys keep secrets from their parents," Masashi
Hiiragizawa replied, shoving the issue aside.
"Eriol's twenty-one. He's way past boyhood."
"...that's why we're here."
Fennis stood up from her sitting position on the couch. "He seems to like it here." She eyed her
husband sadly.
"Who wouldn't? Japan is a very nice place." Apparently, he was not interested on the topic. He
instantly steered the conversation towards business and the current events. She, however, was not
paying close attention.
"Hmm. Yes." She nodded absently. Her thoughts were deep--all about her son. Eriol sounded so happy
over the phone a few months back. Now, false cheer had replaced the genuine mirth in his strangely
deep voice. He had mentioned a girlfriend to her once and Fennis could tell that she was the
reason behind all this.
His smiles, his laughs were all for her.
His tears and sorrows just the same.
What was her name again?
She remembered smiling after hearing the name and commenting on how beautiful it sounded. Her eyes
strayed to the picture frame on the side table beside her. It was a picture of Eriol and a girl
with long-haired tresses and startlingly amethyst-colored eyes.
Why hadn't she noticed this photo before?
Her thoughts were jolted when Eriol had joined them in the living room, bringing in a tray of
steaming hot tea. He sat down across the two, and placed the tray on the coffee table. "So, what
are your plans for today?" He handed a cup to his mother.
"Thank you," She replied and tilted her head towards her right. "Ask your father." She sipped her
tea. "Mmn. This is good."
"I agree." Masashi nodded in satisfaction after he too drank from the cup. "Where did you find
such a wonderful brand in Japan? I never liked tea around here."
"It's from Tomoyo-san." The words flew out almost automatically.
Tomoyo. So that was her name.
"A friend of yours?" The older Hiiragizawa asked. His eyes were closed while sipping but Fennis
could tell the obvious interest in his voice. It wasn't every day that the most important two men
of her life could talk without thinking about time constraints.
"Yes," Eriol said hesitantly. It was true, she was his friend. No, she was more than that. But
he'd lost her...
A smile tugged on the corners of his mother's lips. "You mentioned her in one of your calls.
She's the pretty girl in the picture, am I correct?" She motioned towards the frame.
He nodded. "She lives next door." He was hoping they'd close the topic while it didn't hurt yet.
"A classmate of yours?" Fennis was most adamant on prying it out in the open. And when it came
to prying things out of her introverted son, it was something she did best.
He nodded once more, still keeping his emotions at bay. "We both go to the same university. We
have some classes together." Some was quite an understatement.
"Hmm. I see," She said. "Maybe we could meet some of your friends one of these days." She knew
that he would never refuse to such a demure request such as that. It wasn't like she was asking
for him to pack up and leave Tokyo this very moment. Which was technically, their middle term goal.
Meeting his friends was the short term one and getting him back to England and shaping him into
a successful individual the long-term.
"Certainly," He replied. It was pointless anyway.
***
In another place, another mother was contemplating.
Sonomi hated it when her daughter was away for college for she was unable to see the girl's face
for a long period of time. However, Sonomi hated not seeing Tomoyo cry and let her feelings well
up inside more. It was unhealthy to do such things. It had happened before too when her husband
had left them. The poor dear merely smiled sadly--no tears. Maybe it was for Sonomi's sake or
maybe it was for Tomoyo herself. The younger Daidouji was strong, stronger than her mother in
fact. Though Tomoyo had cried on this event, her tears were gone almost immediately. As if she
had moved on. But the girl on the upper landing wasn't ready to move on yet.
Daidouji Sonomi had done nothing the first time, just accept. But this time she knew she had to
interfere. For Tomoyo's happiness and for hers.
She knocked on the cream-colored door. "Tomoyo, may I come in?"
There was a muffled response then Sonomi overheard an audible sigh.
"All right, come in."
***
The door was opened gently, cautiously. There was practically no sound coming from the action
due to the carpeting her room sported. If Tomoyo hadn't heard her mother knock or the words she
had said, she would have not noticed at all. She was too absorbed in her paranoia.
"You're wasting your vacation staying up here." Sonomi had preferred to stay by the door rather
go near the bed. She looked around the room, surveying the place. The beige ceiling, the
cream-colored door and the white walls
Tomoyo stood up from her position on her queen-sized bed. She was silent, her eyes trained on
her mother's.
Sonomi did not blink. "You know as well as I do that time is precious. I don't want to see
you wasting away. There are more fish in the sea, dear." She approached the bed and sat near its
edge. "I know about Hiiragizawa-san."
Tomoyo was the one who blinked. "How did you..?" She asked, but in her mind she knew Sonomi
already knew something was amiss the moment she stepped into Tomoeda.
"Considering how you've spent your hours these past few days, it was obvious. I'm not going to
ask if you don't want me to."
She shook her head. "Iie...it's all right." It was time she told Okaasama. She knew her mother
hurt when she hurt. And Sonomi deserved an explanation since it was her Christmas spirit Tomoyo
was ruining. "I should start from the beginning..."
After Tomoyo's brief narration of the events that transpired, Sonomi sighed. "It's natural for
you to react that way. It's okay to cry," She continued, "I'll be here to wring Hiiragizawa's
neck after you're done."
Tomoyo stifled a giggle. Suddenly her lips quirked and a genuine smile appeared on them.
Sonomi noticed almost immediately and the mood in the room went from bleary and depressing to
happy and carefree. "Now that that's settled, why don't we head over to the mall and go shopping?"
"I'd like that very much."
It was time to move on.
***
The Hiiragizawas ate at a French restaurant that night. They had just given up their menus and
ordered when Fennis spoke. "This place is nice. How did you find it, Eriol?" She looked around
the room just to show her curiosity. Their table was situated near the east window and Fennis had
a good view of the whole enclosure. Several couples littered the tables, most of them about her
son's age.
"I..." Eriol began but stopped abruptly. This was the restaurant he had his first anniversary with
Tomoyo. It was new establishment back then and the reservations had taken him hours to get. In
the end, all went well. He even remembered that their table was at the western most corner which
was now currently empty.
"Well?" Fennis conceded.
"I heard about it from Ikegami," He replied. It was true enough except that he had only believed
the credibility of the place when he himself had eaten there. He wouldn't tell his mother about
that though.
Fennis accepted the answer he gave her, not feeling suspicious about it. It was a stage Eriol was
going through and though he was not a pubescent teenager anymore, he still was fresh from it. Masashi,
on the other hand, either did not notice at all (which she highly doubted) or knew but ignored
the fact. He was currently not seated at the table and was outside, talking to yet another business
associate. She had to practically drag him away from his office and into a plane headed for Japan.
"Okaasan, what do you think of Japan? Tokyo in particular." Eriol asked, out of the blue. He was
genuinely curious of his mother's reaction to the city. She had never been to the orient, much
to Japan.
She gave him a smile. "It's a lovely place. A bit too busy for my taste though. England was less
polluted," She remarked.
Eriol nodded in agreement. "It is isn't it? It's a good thing Obaasan found me an apartment near
the university or I would have been late for class." He chuckled.
"How is Hokuto these days?" Fennis asked, making idle talk. She, of course, knew of her
sister-in-law's condition. She had met the latter while Eriol was out meeting his friends the
day after she and Masashi had arrived. Her son didn't know this though.
They continued talking on things of less importance when the door to the restaurant opened. In
came Masashi looking flustered and irritated. When he neared their table he sat down hastily,
rubbing his temples.
"Is something wrong, dear?" His wife asked, concern replacing the laughter in her eyes a few
moments before. This was about business again, she was sure of it.
Masashi's eyes looked downcast but he managed a reassuring smile. "Something came up. It's nothing
big but I have to check my e-mail account. It's important." He stressed the word important
unconsciously like he had had this conversation millions of times before.
Eriol nodded in understanding. "It's okay with me." This had happened before, there was no point
in making it bigger. "I can eat your share too." He said good-naturedly. It was common knowledge
that when 'something came up' Masashi would be gone for hours.
The older man looked undecidedly at Fennis as if he needed a final sign to go.
She sighed. "Just make sure you don't overdo it, all right? We still have to go shopping tomorrow.
It is Christmas Eve."
"Thanks for understanding. See you tomorrow." Masashi kissed his wife on the cheek and bade his
family goodbye. As he exited the glass doors, a couple entered.
The tall blonde was unmistakable and his companion, a short brunette was the same. Eriol recognized
them instantaneously and felt a bit of relief and a bit of dread manifest in him. Both of the two
had a weird way of appearing at times that were most uncomfortable. They also had an effective
way of sending him on a guilt trip especially when it involved Tomoyo. Despite of that though, he
felt a pang of envy slice through him. His two friends were both very happy with each other and
there was very little threat of either one leaving the country for a long time.
Unlike him.
They saw the dark-haired youth. A look of recognition passed Tsubasa's face when she caught a
glimpse of her friend's profile and Eriol caught it; he groaned inwardly. He always knew she had
perfect vision. She whispered something in Kazuma's ear and the man looked around the place, eyes
settling on the table near the east window. The blonde smirked.
"Eriol, the food is here." Fennis said, interrupting the male's thoughts. She was concerned. He
had been looking at the two people who had just entered as if he knew them, and he made no move to
do anything. He was emitting a strange and unfamiliar aura that was not often attributed to her
son. His eyes had that look of...
Jealousy?
Eriol snapped out from his trance-like state and replied almost absentmindedly, "Yeah. Itadakimasu."
He picked up his fork, pierced his food and proceeded to shove it into his mouth. After chewing
for a few seconds, "It's delicious," He remarked, a smile spreading on his pale face. It was back,
that air of collectiveness she had noticed missing. The unusual aura was gone.
Fennis mumbled an affirmative and busied herself with her food. He was acting rather odd ever since
they saw each other again at the airport. It had been two years, and letters and phone calls
were not very good substitutes for real life meetings. Maybe he had changed in a way. Maybe too
much in fact. She did not recognize him a few moments earlier even though his appearance was well
and the same.
"Sumimasen," The soft female voice came almost out of nowhere to Fennis but to her son, it was
about time. The speaker was Tsubasa.
"Konbawa, Hiiragizawa-san." Tsubasa continued and bowed politely to Fennis. "Konbawa,
Hiiragizawa-sama."
"A-ah...Shinobiki-san. Konbawa. I didn't expect to see you here." Eriol smiled his usual grin,
placing the food utensils down. It was the only thing he could do to stifle his sudden dread.
"Where's Ikegami?" He added, scanning the immediate vicinity.
"Over there." Tsubasa pointed at the earlier empty table by the southwest corner. The blonde was
busying himself with the menu while simultaneously translating the words from a pocketbook-sized
French dictionary. "He says hi."
"I see," Then Eriol shook his head, "where are my manners? Okaasan, this is Shinobiki
Tsubasa-san. She's a friend of mine. We go to the same college."
"Ah. Nice to meet you." Fennis shook hands with the younger lady. "I'm Eriol's mother.
Hiiragizawa Fennis." She beamed.
Tsubasa nodded. "I know. Hiiragizawa-san mentioned that you were coming to visit." The brunette
aimed a saccharine smile at the boy across the table.
"He did, did he? What else did Eriol tell you?" Fennis' interest sparked. This girl before her
knew her son more than she did. And that boy at the other table...Tsubasa's boyfriend no doubt.
Maybe they knew why Eriol was acting so...out of it.
"Nothing much. But Tomoyo-san knows him more than we do."
There it was. That name again. Tomoyo.
The curious parent watched her child with observant eyes. He managed to stay calm and composed but
she knew he was in deep contemplation. Eriol, really. When he looked at her briefly, she could
almost swear that his eyes were pleading her to stop this discussion now. Or maybe it was just
the light glinting on his spectacles.
There was a pause. "Maybe next time then," Fennis said finally.
Tsubasa was obviously disappointed. "Oh, all right. It was nice meeting you, Hiiragizawa-sama."
She bowed politely and scurried to their table, presumably to tell Kazuma of the latest
developments.
"That was a fine young woman, Shinobiki-san."
"...yes."
***
The phone rang ominously in the night. Eriol cracked an eye open and checked his bed side clock.
12:06 AM. He waited a while for it to ring again. It didn't. Maybe a wrong number. Five minutes
later, it rang again, and this time Eriol stood up from his bed to retrieve the noisy device
from the living room. He answered it with a polite greeting but he was feeling cranky inside.
"Hello? Who is this?" There was no answer.
Eriol tried again. "Hello? Look, if you're a prank caller..."
"...Eriol-kun." Her voice was unmistakable even if he heard it through a myriad of static.
"Tomoyo-san." He feared the worst.
~~~Tsuzuku~~~
Well, another chapter for this sequel. Just couldn't live with myself for breaking them up like
that. Only one more chapter to go. Review! I take full responsibility for the OOCness.
By:Na-chan
Disclaimer: I don't own CCS or its characters. They are being borrowed without permission.
Author's Notes: Read Complicated Life before you read this one since this is a SEQUEL. There
are OCs in this fic since it's AU so you won't understand who's who if you didn't read the
other fic. Got it?
Chapter 2
Three days. Seventy-two hours. Four thousand three hundred twenty minutes. Two hundred fifty-nine
thousand two hundred seconds.
It had been too long since she had gone outside.
She had decided to hide. To hide from the world, to hide from HIM.
Tomoeda was the perfect hiding place. It was home--it was safe. She needed time to think,
time alone, away from him. She never answered his telephone calls to her cellular.
He was putting a whole continent between them.
It was awful.
***
Ring
Ring
"Moshi moshi? Daidouji residence," Someone answered. It was probably a maid and instantly Eriol
felt sorry for her. She would be shouted at or asked to lie in a few minutes. If she was lucky
though, he would be the object of distaste being shouted at.
"...good afternoon. May I speak with Daidouji Tomoyo?" Eriol's deep voice contained hesitancy...or
was it fear?
"Who is this?"
"...a friend."
There was a pause, "I'm sorry but Tomoyo-ojousan does not accept anonymous callers. Please state
your name."
He smirked despite the negative answer. Tomoyo would always be Tomoyo. "Hiiragizawa Eriol." He
knew Tomoyo wasn't going to take the call but it wasn't bad to hope.
"She will be down shortly." The maid laid down the receiver and proceeded to walk up the stairs.
Upstairs, Tomoyo was staring up at the beige colored ceiling of her bedroom. She was still in her
silk peach pajamas and the time on her wall clock read 11:34 AM. She heard a soft knock. "I'm not
hungry!"
"Tomoyo-ojousama, there is someone on the phone for you."
"Tell him I'm not home!"
"But ojousan--"
"I AM NOT HOME. Got it? Tell that to anyone who calls except mother." Tomoyo rubbed her aching
temples.
"H-Hai, ojousama." The maid scurried down the hallway and back to the telephone.
"Gomen nasai. Tomoyo-ojousama is not here."
Eriol let out a sigh of disappointment. "Oh. Thank you. Goodbye." He brought the receiver down in
its cradle.
"Eriol? Is there something wrong?" His mother's dark head popped out from the living room. Her
long hair was a lighter shade of Eriol's and her eyes were bright green. Despite being a few
decades older than her son, Fennis had remained a youthful glow to her personality.
He shook his head and forced a smile. "Everything's fine." He glanced at the phone briefly.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, mother. I'll make the tea you requested now."
"Do you need any help?"
"No."
No, everything's all wrong.
***
"Are you sure this was a good idea, Masashi?" Fennis asked, her brow furrowing. "I mean...Eriol
seems a bit too cheery lately. Maybe we should have just sent him a letter. He's hiding something
from us."
"It's natural, dear. This is the age when boys keep secrets from their parents," Masashi
Hiiragizawa replied, shoving the issue aside.
"Eriol's twenty-one. He's way past boyhood."
"...that's why we're here."
Fennis stood up from her sitting position on the couch. "He seems to like it here." She eyed her
husband sadly.
"Who wouldn't? Japan is a very nice place." Apparently, he was not interested on the topic. He
instantly steered the conversation towards business and the current events. She, however, was not
paying close attention.
"Hmm. Yes." She nodded absently. Her thoughts were deep--all about her son. Eriol sounded so happy
over the phone a few months back. Now, false cheer had replaced the genuine mirth in his strangely
deep voice. He had mentioned a girlfriend to her once and Fennis could tell that she was the
reason behind all this.
His smiles, his laughs were all for her.
His tears and sorrows just the same.
What was her name again?
She remembered smiling after hearing the name and commenting on how beautiful it sounded. Her eyes
strayed to the picture frame on the side table beside her. It was a picture of Eriol and a girl
with long-haired tresses and startlingly amethyst-colored eyes.
Why hadn't she noticed this photo before?
Her thoughts were jolted when Eriol had joined them in the living room, bringing in a tray of
steaming hot tea. He sat down across the two, and placed the tray on the coffee table. "So, what
are your plans for today?" He handed a cup to his mother.
"Thank you," She replied and tilted her head towards her right. "Ask your father." She sipped her
tea. "Mmn. This is good."
"I agree." Masashi nodded in satisfaction after he too drank from the cup. "Where did you find
such a wonderful brand in Japan? I never liked tea around here."
"It's from Tomoyo-san." The words flew out almost automatically.
Tomoyo. So that was her name.
"A friend of yours?" The older Hiiragizawa asked. His eyes were closed while sipping but Fennis
could tell the obvious interest in his voice. It wasn't every day that the most important two men
of her life could talk without thinking about time constraints.
"Yes," Eriol said hesitantly. It was true, she was his friend. No, she was more than that. But
he'd lost her...
A smile tugged on the corners of his mother's lips. "You mentioned her in one of your calls.
She's the pretty girl in the picture, am I correct?" She motioned towards the frame.
He nodded. "She lives next door." He was hoping they'd close the topic while it didn't hurt yet.
"A classmate of yours?" Fennis was most adamant on prying it out in the open. And when it came
to prying things out of her introverted son, it was something she did best.
He nodded once more, still keeping his emotions at bay. "We both go to the same university. We
have some classes together." Some was quite an understatement.
"Hmm. I see," She said. "Maybe we could meet some of your friends one of these days." She knew
that he would never refuse to such a demure request such as that. It wasn't like she was asking
for him to pack up and leave Tokyo this very moment. Which was technically, their middle term goal.
Meeting his friends was the short term one and getting him back to England and shaping him into
a successful individual the long-term.
"Certainly," He replied. It was pointless anyway.
***
In another place, another mother was contemplating.
Sonomi hated it when her daughter was away for college for she was unable to see the girl's face
for a long period of time. However, Sonomi hated not seeing Tomoyo cry and let her feelings well
up inside more. It was unhealthy to do such things. It had happened before too when her husband
had left them. The poor dear merely smiled sadly--no tears. Maybe it was for Sonomi's sake or
maybe it was for Tomoyo herself. The younger Daidouji was strong, stronger than her mother in
fact. Though Tomoyo had cried on this event, her tears were gone almost immediately. As if she
had moved on. But the girl on the upper landing wasn't ready to move on yet.
Daidouji Sonomi had done nothing the first time, just accept. But this time she knew she had to
interfere. For Tomoyo's happiness and for hers.
She knocked on the cream-colored door. "Tomoyo, may I come in?"
There was a muffled response then Sonomi overheard an audible sigh.
"All right, come in."
***
The door was opened gently, cautiously. There was practically no sound coming from the action
due to the carpeting her room sported. If Tomoyo hadn't heard her mother knock or the words she
had said, she would have not noticed at all. She was too absorbed in her paranoia.
"You're wasting your vacation staying up here." Sonomi had preferred to stay by the door rather
go near the bed. She looked around the room, surveying the place. The beige ceiling, the
cream-colored door and the white walls
Tomoyo stood up from her position on her queen-sized bed. She was silent, her eyes trained on
her mother's.
Sonomi did not blink. "You know as well as I do that time is precious. I don't want to see
you wasting away. There are more fish in the sea, dear." She approached the bed and sat near its
edge. "I know about Hiiragizawa-san."
Tomoyo was the one who blinked. "How did you..?" She asked, but in her mind she knew Sonomi
already knew something was amiss the moment she stepped into Tomoeda.
"Considering how you've spent your hours these past few days, it was obvious. I'm not going to
ask if you don't want me to."
She shook her head. "Iie...it's all right." It was time she told Okaasama. She knew her mother
hurt when she hurt. And Sonomi deserved an explanation since it was her Christmas spirit Tomoyo
was ruining. "I should start from the beginning..."
After Tomoyo's brief narration of the events that transpired, Sonomi sighed. "It's natural for
you to react that way. It's okay to cry," She continued, "I'll be here to wring Hiiragizawa's
neck after you're done."
Tomoyo stifled a giggle. Suddenly her lips quirked and a genuine smile appeared on them.
Sonomi noticed almost immediately and the mood in the room went from bleary and depressing to
happy and carefree. "Now that that's settled, why don't we head over to the mall and go shopping?"
"I'd like that very much."
It was time to move on.
***
The Hiiragizawas ate at a French restaurant that night. They had just given up their menus and
ordered when Fennis spoke. "This place is nice. How did you find it, Eriol?" She looked around
the room just to show her curiosity. Their table was situated near the east window and Fennis had
a good view of the whole enclosure. Several couples littered the tables, most of them about her
son's age.
"I..." Eriol began but stopped abruptly. This was the restaurant he had his first anniversary with
Tomoyo. It was new establishment back then and the reservations had taken him hours to get. In
the end, all went well. He even remembered that their table was at the western most corner which
was now currently empty.
"Well?" Fennis conceded.
"I heard about it from Ikegami," He replied. It was true enough except that he had only believed
the credibility of the place when he himself had eaten there. He wouldn't tell his mother about
that though.
Fennis accepted the answer he gave her, not feeling suspicious about it. It was a stage Eriol was
going through and though he was not a pubescent teenager anymore, he still was fresh from it. Masashi,
on the other hand, either did not notice at all (which she highly doubted) or knew but ignored
the fact. He was currently not seated at the table and was outside, talking to yet another business
associate. She had to practically drag him away from his office and into a plane headed for Japan.
"Okaasan, what do you think of Japan? Tokyo in particular." Eriol asked, out of the blue. He was
genuinely curious of his mother's reaction to the city. She had never been to the orient, much
to Japan.
She gave him a smile. "It's a lovely place. A bit too busy for my taste though. England was less
polluted," She remarked.
Eriol nodded in agreement. "It is isn't it? It's a good thing Obaasan found me an apartment near
the university or I would have been late for class." He chuckled.
"How is Hokuto these days?" Fennis asked, making idle talk. She, of course, knew of her
sister-in-law's condition. She had met the latter while Eriol was out meeting his friends the
day after she and Masashi had arrived. Her son didn't know this though.
They continued talking on things of less importance when the door to the restaurant opened. In
came Masashi looking flustered and irritated. When he neared their table he sat down hastily,
rubbing his temples.
"Is something wrong, dear?" His wife asked, concern replacing the laughter in her eyes a few
moments before. This was about business again, she was sure of it.
Masashi's eyes looked downcast but he managed a reassuring smile. "Something came up. It's nothing
big but I have to check my e-mail account. It's important." He stressed the word important
unconsciously like he had had this conversation millions of times before.
Eriol nodded in understanding. "It's okay with me." This had happened before, there was no point
in making it bigger. "I can eat your share too." He said good-naturedly. It was common knowledge
that when 'something came up' Masashi would be gone for hours.
The older man looked undecidedly at Fennis as if he needed a final sign to go.
She sighed. "Just make sure you don't overdo it, all right? We still have to go shopping tomorrow.
It is Christmas Eve."
"Thanks for understanding. See you tomorrow." Masashi kissed his wife on the cheek and bade his
family goodbye. As he exited the glass doors, a couple entered.
The tall blonde was unmistakable and his companion, a short brunette was the same. Eriol recognized
them instantaneously and felt a bit of relief and a bit of dread manifest in him. Both of the two
had a weird way of appearing at times that were most uncomfortable. They also had an effective
way of sending him on a guilt trip especially when it involved Tomoyo. Despite of that though, he
felt a pang of envy slice through him. His two friends were both very happy with each other and
there was very little threat of either one leaving the country for a long time.
Unlike him.
They saw the dark-haired youth. A look of recognition passed Tsubasa's face when she caught a
glimpse of her friend's profile and Eriol caught it; he groaned inwardly. He always knew she had
perfect vision. She whispered something in Kazuma's ear and the man looked around the place, eyes
settling on the table near the east window. The blonde smirked.
"Eriol, the food is here." Fennis said, interrupting the male's thoughts. She was concerned. He
had been looking at the two people who had just entered as if he knew them, and he made no move to
do anything. He was emitting a strange and unfamiliar aura that was not often attributed to her
son. His eyes had that look of...
Jealousy?
Eriol snapped out from his trance-like state and replied almost absentmindedly, "Yeah. Itadakimasu."
He picked up his fork, pierced his food and proceeded to shove it into his mouth. After chewing
for a few seconds, "It's delicious," He remarked, a smile spreading on his pale face. It was back,
that air of collectiveness she had noticed missing. The unusual aura was gone.
Fennis mumbled an affirmative and busied herself with her food. He was acting rather odd ever since
they saw each other again at the airport. It had been two years, and letters and phone calls
were not very good substitutes for real life meetings. Maybe he had changed in a way. Maybe too
much in fact. She did not recognize him a few moments earlier even though his appearance was well
and the same.
"Sumimasen," The soft female voice came almost out of nowhere to Fennis but to her son, it was
about time. The speaker was Tsubasa.
"Konbawa, Hiiragizawa-san." Tsubasa continued and bowed politely to Fennis. "Konbawa,
Hiiragizawa-sama."
"A-ah...Shinobiki-san. Konbawa. I didn't expect to see you here." Eriol smiled his usual grin,
placing the food utensils down. It was the only thing he could do to stifle his sudden dread.
"Where's Ikegami?" He added, scanning the immediate vicinity.
"Over there." Tsubasa pointed at the earlier empty table by the southwest corner. The blonde was
busying himself with the menu while simultaneously translating the words from a pocketbook-sized
French dictionary. "He says hi."
"I see," Then Eriol shook his head, "where are my manners? Okaasan, this is Shinobiki
Tsubasa-san. She's a friend of mine. We go to the same college."
"Ah. Nice to meet you." Fennis shook hands with the younger lady. "I'm Eriol's mother.
Hiiragizawa Fennis." She beamed.
Tsubasa nodded. "I know. Hiiragizawa-san mentioned that you were coming to visit." The brunette
aimed a saccharine smile at the boy across the table.
"He did, did he? What else did Eriol tell you?" Fennis' interest sparked. This girl before her
knew her son more than she did. And that boy at the other table...Tsubasa's boyfriend no doubt.
Maybe they knew why Eriol was acting so...out of it.
"Nothing much. But Tomoyo-san knows him more than we do."
There it was. That name again. Tomoyo.
The curious parent watched her child with observant eyes. He managed to stay calm and composed but
she knew he was in deep contemplation. Eriol, really. When he looked at her briefly, she could
almost swear that his eyes were pleading her to stop this discussion now. Or maybe it was just
the light glinting on his spectacles.
There was a pause. "Maybe next time then," Fennis said finally.
Tsubasa was obviously disappointed. "Oh, all right. It was nice meeting you, Hiiragizawa-sama."
She bowed politely and scurried to their table, presumably to tell Kazuma of the latest
developments.
"That was a fine young woman, Shinobiki-san."
"...yes."
***
The phone rang ominously in the night. Eriol cracked an eye open and checked his bed side clock.
12:06 AM. He waited a while for it to ring again. It didn't. Maybe a wrong number. Five minutes
later, it rang again, and this time Eriol stood up from his bed to retrieve the noisy device
from the living room. He answered it with a polite greeting but he was feeling cranky inside.
"Hello? Who is this?" There was no answer.
Eriol tried again. "Hello? Look, if you're a prank caller..."
"...Eriol-kun." Her voice was unmistakable even if he heard it through a myriad of static.
"Tomoyo-san." He feared the worst.
~~~Tsuzuku~~~
Well, another chapter for this sequel. Just couldn't live with myself for breaking them up like
that. Only one more chapter to go. Review! I take full responsibility for the OOCness.
