Disclaimer: CCS doesn't belong to me, it belongs to CLAMP =(
Chapter Three: Stepping
It was a wet, soggy, spring morning. The rain clouds laid grey and thick over the little town of Tomoeda, drenching the cherry blossom trees that weren't in full bloom yet. Such a pity, I thought. What if the rain made the petals fall and it'd have to take twice as long to bloom? But that wasn't my biggest worry at the moment. I was clutching onto a notebook filled with my Chemistry notes. This was what I wanted to do today: to successfully get through my chapter test and past it with flying colours.
I threw the notebook onto my unmade bed, jumping in front of the mirror and taking my brush to comb out my shoulder-length hair. I stood there for a good two minutes and finally decided to leave it down for today. It did seem cold and I didn't want the back of my neck to feel cool against the morning air. As I ran to my closet to get my white knee-high socks, Touya's voice came calling from across the hall.
"Kaijuu, you've got five minutes to eat breakfast and get to school!"
I yanked on my sock a bit too hard, causing my toe to break through the fabric. "Hoeee," I sweatdropped, grabbing my notebook and bag, not minding the sock. "Onii-chan!! Don't rush me! Five minutes is fine...after all it's 300 seconds."
Onii-chan's head came poking out from behind my door, shaking his head as he muttered, "If you hurry I can drive you."
"Eh? Where's otou-san?" I asked while shoving my notebook into my bag and walking towards the door.
He stepped back to let me out, following me downstairs to the kitchen table before answering, "Meeting at the university."
I nodded and grabbed some toast from the table and hurriedly added some strawberry jam in big blotches. I frowned at the jam, wondering why it was all clumpy but decided that I really did have to hurry if I didn't want to be late. "Okay! Let's go!" I declared as I stuffed the toast in whole and darted towards the door to put on my shoes. "Grab an umbrella, okay?"
"Doushite (why)?" Touya questioned as he opened the closet to get his jacket.
"Because! I'm going to walk home since I have volleyball practice after school," I replied and opened the door. "Hayaku you slow bum."
"The only reason I'm slow is because I'm trying to find your umbrella," Touya's muffled voice said as he rummaged through the closet and finally pulled out a pastel pink umbrella. "Take it, kaijuu."
I smiled and ran after him towards the red sports car he drove. I got into the seat next to him as he started the car, the rain pelting down on the windows in quick succession. I really didn't like rainy days. They were so depressing and gloomy. Rainy days were always 'hard to get up' days, I don't see how Tomoyo-chan likes rain. The radio was going on about the weather, saying it would rain all of today and tomorrow. "Mou, why does it have to rain..."
"So that the world doesn't go dry and shrivel up," Touya muttered as he turned the car.
I pouted and watched the scenery go by in a blur of grey. Touya pulled up at Seijou High all too soon and I reluctantly opened the car door to get out. "Hoeee...wish me luck on my test," I mumbled miserably.
He made a face at me and snickered, "Good luck to you that you don't end up eating the test paper," he paused and made another face. "Kaijuu."
"Mou!! Onii-chan!!" I wanted to yell something back at him but he had already reached across to close the car door and was already driving off on the soaked pavement. I made a face at the slowly disappearing car and opened my umbrella. "Stupid onii-chan...I'm not a kaijuu..."
"Sakura-chan!!"
I turned around and saw a limousine parked behind me. I jumped back in surprise as I heard the familiar giggling of my best friend, Tomoyo Daidouji. She stepped out of the limousine followed by five of her bodyguards. "Ohayo Sakura-chan!"
I smiled and greeted my friend cheerfully, but looked pointedly at the bodyguards. "They still have to follow you to school?"
Tomoyo nodded sadly, "Hai...okaa-san is worried I might get abducted or something! She's very overprotective sometimes."
"Eh, Tomoyo-chan you didn't bring an umbrella?! Hoe!! You'll get all wet," I cried in alarm as I shifted my umbrella so it was over both of us.
Tomoyo giggled once more, "Daijoubu Sakura-chan! I like the rain, remember? Let's go before we miss homeroom and then our chemistry test!"
I nodded as we hurried into the building. I shook my umbrella dry before closing it completely, brushing off a weed that somehow had gotten into my hair. "Hoeee I don't think I'm ready Tomoyo-chan!"
"You'll do fine, you always do!" Tomoyo assured as we passed by rows of lockers. "Well...except for math occasionally. Demo, everything else is fine for the kawaii Sakura-chan!"
I blushed as we entered homeroom, waving to our other friends that were also in the same homeroom as us. "Ohayo Naoko-chan! Chiharu-chan!"
"Oh! Sakura-chan, Tomoyo-chan! Are you guys ready for the test?" Chiharu was gripping onto her textbook in panic. Naoko swatted her playfully and shook her head in disbelief.
"Chiharu-chan, you know you'll do fine! Stop worrying, you've been digging your nails into your poor textbook for the entire morning."
Tomoyo sat down in her seat and smiled at me, "See Sakura-chan! You're not the only one worried. You'll do fine."
"I know...but I think I forgot everything after spring break," I sighed as I sank into my seat next to Tomoyo's. "Demo! Let's think on the bright side, after this test we won't have another one until...erm..."
"Next week probably," Chiharu groaned. "You know what sensei is like."
I giggled and glanced at the clock. Oh well, I might as well take the test in a happy, genki mood since I've got to take it no matter what...unless I skip class, but I won't do that. I'm a good little girl...
As I got lost in my own silly thoughts, the class when silent as our homeroom teacher, Ina-sensei, came striding into the room. She always held that same leather briefcase filled with who knows what, and always the same pair of black high heels like clunked on the ground; even on carpet. I fiddled with an eraser bit on my desk, not really listening to today's announcements. All I heard was something about the sewing club meeting at lunch and all Gr.8's were to report to the auditorium; nothing to do with me.
"And something not to do with the announcements for today! We have a new student that will be joining Seijou High today, and most importantly, he will be joining our homeroom class, 11-2," that caught my attention as I lifted my head slightly. "Please welcome Yori Nishio," Ina-sensei waved a hand at the classroom door which promptly opened.
All heads turned towards the door as a male around 6'1" strolled into the room with a strange air around him. It wasn't exactly confidence...nor was it ignorance. It was more of a mysterious air that surrounded the teenaged boy. I glanced at his dark coffee brown hair and lean figure. He reminded me of somebody, but I wasn't very sure who...tentatively, I looked at his eyes which were a dark forest green. Just as I was about to look away, he turned and met my eyes. I jumped slightly in my seat, offering him a meek smile before hastily looking at my desk.
"Konichiwa minna-san," his voice was smooth and gentle. He bowed slightly, a ghost of a smile on his lips. I looked around me and noticed that most of the girls were staring at him in awe and interest. I shook my head skeptically and glanced at Tomoyo, glad that she was looking at her nails instead of Nishio-kun.
Ina-sensei nodded in acknowledgment while casting her eyes down at us. "Hmm...well, there's two empty seats. Why don't you take your pick, Nishio-kun? There's one empty one next to Chino-kun, and one in front of Eto-san," she paused as her eyes fell on me. "Oh, and one behind Kinomoto-san. May all three of you raise your hands?"
I swallowed and raised my hand hesitantly. I watched him sweep the room with his dark, mysterious eyes and saw him finally land on my raised hand. I didn't know why, but I was rather nervous about him sitting behind me...
"Hello, Kinomoto-san."
I blinked and looked up, meeting those dark green eyes that caused a shiver to run down my spine. I blinked once more before finding my voice and replying, "Oh! He-ello..."
He smiled and walked to the seat behind me, pulling back his chair and swinging his bag off his back. As I heard him settle down in his seat, I couldn't help but feel as if he could see through the back of my head. Ina-sensei continued to talk about welcoming Nishio-kun, and that we should voluntarily show him around the campus. Most of the females in the classroom looked at him hopefully. They might as well stick a piece of paper on their heads that say "Pick me".
"Um...can you show me around Kinomoto-san?"
I suppose I was imagining voices in my head...
Until I heard the voice cough slightly and repeat, "Uh, Kinomoto-san?"
I looked over my shoulder tentatively, catching Nishio-kun's gaze. "Hoe? Were you saying something to me?"
He leaned over slightly, his elbows on the desk, his eyes scanning my face. "Hai, I was wondering if you could show me around campus. When you're free of course. But if you can't, I can--"
"Oh! Um, sure! No problem," I answered lamely and laughed stiffly. "What's your schedule? I have a spare after Chemistry...or I could show you around at lunch if you're not free after Block A..." I trailed off and glanced at him. He simply nodded at everything I said. "Hoe?"
"How about after Chemistry?"
I stared and finally nodded, "Okay! I'll show you around after Chemistry. Hoe? You mean you have Chemistry after homeroom too?"
Nishio-kun looked thoughtful before rummaging through his bag and pulling out a crumpled piece of paper. "Um...let me see..." his eyes darted back and forth across the page and he finally smiled. "Yep!"
"Oooh you're lucky since you don't have to take the test!" I exclaimed with a tint of envy. "Neh, I wish I was new."
"A test?" He repeated and smiled mysteriously. "I think I'm taking it."
I blinked in confusion. "Nani? But you just came here! How will you know what it's about? Not to say you're stupid or anything, but what if you fail? That'll look bad on your report card and everything."
He simply looked amused before turning back to look at Ina-sensei just as the bell rung, signaling the end of homeroom. "Well, may you do the honour of showing me where we take chem?"
"Yeah, sure!" I smiled and looked over at Tomoyo-chan who was giggling and Chiharu-chan who was snickering...I frowned at their expressions but decided to brush it off. "And that's Tomoyo Daidouji, my best friend who giggles at everything," I introduced with furrowed eyebrows. "Then there's Chiharu-chan who's very nice...oh and there goes Naoko-chan, the girl with the glasses. I wonder why she's in such a hurry...hoe, she actually seems to want to take the test..."
Nishio-kun chuckled as he listened to me point out people walking by us. I pointed out another one of my friends, Rika-chan, who passed by with a wave. "She's very talented! She cooks as good as Tomoyo sings!"
"Oh? Daidouji-san can sing? I would like to hear her someday," Nishio-kun commented and looked down at me for he was awfully taller than me. "How about you Kinomoto-san?"
"Hoe? How about me what?" I queried.
"What do you like to do?" He asked casually.
I placed a finger under my chin in thought and smiled brightly, "I like to cook, but I'm not as good as Rika-chan...I like sports too! I'm in the cheerleading team and the volleyball team...I wanted to do basketball, but my onii-chan keeps on teasing me that I would get too boyish if you get what I mean."
"Oh? You have an onii-chan?" Nishio-kun questioned in interest as we entered Tarumi-sensei's classroom.
"Sadly, yes," I replied glumly and grinned. "Demo, he's not that bad I suppose."
Nishio-kun looked distant for a moment before mumbling, "I wish I had siblings."
"Nani?! Well, when you actually get one it's horror," I stated as I took a random seat. "Oh no, I'm starting to panic again."
"Relax," he assured and offered a smile.
Tarumi-sensei waited for all of us to settle down before handing out the test papers. I flipped through mine and groaned inwardly. Though it was just a chapter test, it was a pretty long one.
"Eh? You must be the new student, Nishio Yori?" Tarumi-sensei's voice brought me back from my revere. I looked over at Nishio-kun who looked steadily back at sensei and nodded curtly.
Tarumi-sensei nodded, "Then I guess you will be excused from this test."
"Iie, I would like to take it," he declared calmly with no tint of worry in his voice. Everyone else in the class stared in shock at the new student, wondering what he was playing at.
"Are you sure?" Tarumi-sensei looked unsurely at Nishio-kun who stared back at him unblinkingly.
"Yes."
Tarumi-sensei shrugged and handed him the test before moving on to the other desks. I looked at him with curious eyes. "What are you doing, Nishio-kun?" I whispered frantically.
"A test," he replied shortly and smiled. "Good luck."
I bit my lip and uttered, "Good luck to you too..."
A week later, I woke up squinting in bed at the bright sunlight shining through my thin pink curtains. I groaned and rubbed the sleep from my eyes, slowly getting out of bed while slamming my left hand onto my alarm clock. Alarm clocks...one of my worst enemies. Sitting up, I glanced at my calendar...
"HOE!!!!"
"Kaijuu, what the hell are you doing?!" Touya's head came popping into my room, a towl draped on his shoulders.
I glared at him but panic quickly washed over me as I jumped from one foot to the other. "Today we find out what we got on our chem test last week! Oooh I have a bad feeling about this..."
Touya rolled his eyes at me and shook his head, "Geez, all that screaming for a test result? You almost made me fall down the stairs, squirt."
"Onii-chan!!" I shook a fist at him. "If you do, that's your own fault for not knowing how to go down stairs properly. You hold onto the railing so you don't roll down, stupid onii-chan..." I grumbled and was about to say more when I realized he had already gone. "Mou..."
Breakfast was a blur of stomping my onii-chan's foot and stuffing fried eggs into my mouth. I hastily skated off to school and into the building towards my locker. Did you know that onii-chan lied to me all those years about human-eating lockers? That annoying brother of mine...
"Sakura-chan!!"
I turned and smiled, waving at Tomoyo-chan who's eyes were dancing with a mischievous light. I looked at her suspiciously, "There's something going on in that head of yours Tomoyo..."
"Ohohohoho, you know me too well Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo giggled and grabbed my arm. "I came extra early to visit Tarumi-sensei's class, and guess what?!"
"Let me guess..." I pretended to be in deep thought before answering cheerfully, "You got perfect!"
"Iie," Tomoyo replied, but she was still looking bright. "I got 99%!"
"Sugoi!!!" I clapped my hands together and hurriedly stuffed my roller-blades into my locker. "Ohh! I need to go visit sensei too...I hope I passed..."
Tomoyo's eyes twinkled as she said, "Oh, but you don't need to! I checked your mark too and you passed!"
I let out a sigh of relief and suddenly was frantic once more. "Oh no! Did I barely pass? 60%? Or was it 70%? Oooh Tomoyo tell me!!"
She giggled a bit more before finally declaring, "You got 89%!!"
I stared, letting it sink in before my lips broke out into a wide grin. "Honto ne?! Hanyaann!!" I felt my stomach flutter with pride while I took out my math binder. "Otou-san's going to be happy! And onii-chan...HA! He thought I would end up eating the test paper, but noooo I passed! I passed, I passed, I passed!" I repeated in a sing-song voice. "To-mo-yoooo, I'm going to be extra genki today!"
Tomoyo beamed, "And you're always extra kawaii when you're extra genki!"
I blushed in embarrassment just as I felt a tap on my shoulder. Turning around, I met Nishio-kun's friendly gaze. "Ohayo Kinomoto-san."
"Ohayo!" I greeted happily. I was practically radiating with happiness and relief. "You know what, Nishio-kun?! I passed my test! And I didn't barely pass either! Hoe," I suddenly remembered that Nishio-kun had also taken the test. "How did you do?"
He smiled, handing what looked like the test paper to me. I took it from him curiously and glanced at the top right hand corner of the test. "HOEE!!!"
"What is it Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo asked as she came to look over my shoulder. I could sense her eyes go wide as she also gasped.
"Nishio-kun! You got 100%! Look!" I pointed at the score written in red-ink.
He nodded sheepishly, "Yes, I know...I happen to have looked at it before you."
I blushed but quickly shook it off, staring at him in awe. "Sugoi Nishio-kun! You must be...extra, extra, super, smart neh? Naoko-chan's got some competition for highest marks now!"
He just grinned before saying, "You know Kinomoto-san...you've been really nice to me and all since my first day here at Seijou...and I'm really grateful, so uh..." he stuffed a hand into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. "This is just a small thank you gift...for your kindness."
I blinked rapidly, staring at him dumbly. "Nani?"
Tomoyo started giggling next to me while leaning over to whisper into my ear, "I think he has a gift for you Sakura-chan! Ohohohohohohoho!"
I turned ten shades of red before taking the box from him shakily. "A-Arigatou!! You really didn't have to...I mean, it's my job as a former student here to show a new one around right? Ehehehehe..."
"It's ok, open it," he said timidly.
I nodded and slowly opened the box, revealing a white cushion with a thin silver chain lying softly on it. In the middle was a solid silver 'S' with a crystal pink cherry blossom embedded to fit into the 'S' snuggly. I gasped and looked at it in awe. "How did you get such a thing Nishio-kun?"
"I have my ways," he answered mysteriously and laughed. "Here, let me put it on for you."
Tomoyo was still giggling, much to my annoyance, but I nodded and Nishio-kun took the necklace and placed it around my neck. The chain was cool against my skin, sending a tingling wave through my body. I felt my cheeks flush once more, and Tomoyo's giggling growing louder by the second. Someone walking by would have thought she was crazy.
"Turn around, I want to see how it looks on you," Nishio-kun's breath prickled the hair on the back of my neck.
I turned around, looking down at the pendant of the necklace. "Domo arigatou Nishio-kun...now I feel like I have to get you a present for being so nice!"
He chuckled, "The necklace looks beautiful on you. I bet it wouldn't look as good on anyone else."
I flushed once more, Tomoyo's giggling nearly killing my ears. "Tomoyo-chan!!"
"Ohohohoho I can't help it Sakura-chan, it's just too kawaii! Too bad I forgot my video camera..." she sighed sadly but brightened once more. "Demo, I'm sure I'll get many more chances to get kawaii footage of Sakura-chan and Nishio-kun!"
"Tomoyo!! What's that suppose to mean?!" I guffawed and pouted.
Little did I know that what Tomoyo meant was exactly what she meant...
From the beginning of high school, and even before that, I got my first crush. At least, I thought it was a crush. In fact, I thought it was more then a simple crush. It was love at first sight. And it was to my onii-chan's best friend, Yukito-san.
Well, that was two years ago until I finally ended that silly faze. I was fourteen when I finally decided to say something to him, obviously with onii-chan not around. I was straightforward and simply blurted it out as fast as I could, not wanting to look up at him. The floor in my kitchen was much more appealing to look at when I had confessed. That was when Yukito-san had crouched down to tilt my head up, telling me that he wasn't the one for me. That I would find my ichiban in the near future.
At that time, I didn't want to find some other person. I wanted to be with Yukito-san. But I simply nodded, wanting him to think I understood, to make him think that I was mature enough to simply accept it. My mature reaction to the situation? I cried that night in my room as quietly as I could.
But you know what? I don't think it's that big of a deal anymore. Life moves on, and I can forget. I can be strong and stand up again, ready to take on life's challenges once more. A little refusal shouldn't nag at me forever, right?
The next morning I had gotten up bright and early, stretching as I stood up. My eyes fell on a little jar sitting in the corner of my desk, with dust collecting on the top of it. I had walked closer, wondering what on earth it was. Bending closer, something clicked in my head like a light switch. It was a jar. Filled with pretty pink paper stars.
Given to me from Syaoran.
Li Syaoran...that name brought back many memories; all very memorable. Demo, it seemed like a life time ago since I had met that boy from Hong Kong. That morning, I had wondered what he was eating, what he was saying, what he was doing at that very time I thought of him. I could only picture a blurry image of a grown up Li Syaoran, but I failed miserably and decided to simply imagine him as an eleven year old.
It was then that I realized I still missed him. I wasn't sure how much, but that feeling was there. I hadn't forgotten him, my childhood bestfriend. I also came to realize that he seemed to be the nicest guy I had ever met in my entire life. He had been such a caring friend. He really was a good-hearted person.
And even now, with me standing here as a sixteen year old, Li Syaoran is still ranking first on best guys I've ever met. But now, there's Nishio-kun. He seems nice enough. In fact, too nice.
Its been a month or so since he's been attending Seijou. He still continues to hang out with Tomoyo and I, occasionally with some of our other friends. He's a typical guy; awfully smart, and awfully charming. I suppose that isn't too typical...he's kind of...special. One of a kind.
Yori Nishio isn't boastful like most of the male population. Nor is he hot headed. He isn't too shy, and he isn't someone who doesn't know how to have fun. Isn't that a wonderful guy to know? But in Seijou High, most of the girls don't want to just know him. They want him.
Tomoyo has been saying lately that there's got to be something going on with Nishio-kun. Why he's always so nice to me compared to other females...demo, I think she's just thinking too much. That's the Tomoyo I know. She's usually one step ahead of everyone. Or maybe it's just me.
But...just yesterday, Nishio-kun came up to me with that blank expression on his face that he usually has. It's the face that makes the girls swoon, of course, minus me since I think of Nishio-kun as a great friend, not my so called 'target' like the others. Yet, he asked me something I wouldn't have guessed...or maybe it's just my slowness again...
"Kinomoto-san...would you like to go to the upcoming dance with me?"
And...and I said yes. And I really don't know why, because I've never wanted to go to dances before. I thought they were silly and pointless, and I refused all offers from anyone who had asked me to go with them. Until yesterday.
Tomoyo just kept on giggling, almost as if she knew why I agreed. Demo...
How would she know why I accepted if even I, myself, didn't know?
AN: Dense Sakura...anyways, *ducks bananas, tomatoes and cherries* EEEK, yesh you're all like "AH where's the S+Sness in this fic?!". But I assure you that this is an S+S fic, okay? Not Sakura and some stranger new dude. Since I don't want to drag on the whole developing relationship between Yori and Sakura (since that is utterly painful to read for faithful S+S shipperz), I might jump around a bit to speed things up so that our luffly Syaoran can come into the story =)! But by then...things would have gone bad. -_- I shall say no more for now...R+R ^^