Disclaimer: I don't own CCS. Oh, and since I put in excerpts from "Bring
Me to Life," (well, half of it, actually), I'd better say that it belongs
to Evanescence.
Hey there people. Sorry it took me a long time to update, but a lot's been going on. My computer got all screwed up somehow and I had to retype this whole chapter. Anyway...this story is almost over. Only about one or two more chapters to go. Oh, and this chapter takes place about a week after Sakura's encounter with Yue and, given the situation Sakura is in, I thought it might be cool to throw in the song "Bring Me to Life".
The Subconscious Message
It was Saturday night and Sakura was at the karaoke bar. She was sitting at a small table near the front, sipping a Coke, when she noticed Yukito standing over the table.
"Oh, Mr. Tsukishiro. What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Hey, I'm here to have fun. I can't be a teacher all the time now, can I?" he said.
"No, I guess not. Hey, you wanna sit here?" she said, waving at the empty chairs.
"Okay, why not?" he said, sitting across from her.
Sakura turned back to her half-finished soda.
"So, Sakura, I've noticed you haven't been yourself lately. Is there anything bothering you at all?" asked Yukito.
Sakura's head shot up, and she looked a little startled.
"Oh...no, of course not! I've just been overdoing it at practices and I felt a bit worn out. No biggie," she said.
"Yeah, I've been meaning to ask you. How come you participate in so many activities?" he said.
"Well...I don't really know. Keeps me busy, I guess. I mean, it's not like I have a family to go home to, right? And even if I did, I'm not one to just sit around in class all day and then go home and do nothing but homework," she said.
"But you also have really good grades," he pointed out.
"Yeah, but that's cuz I also study a lot," she said.
Suddenly, the lights dimmed. Sakura's eyes lit up as the bar owner wheeled out the karaoke machine while two other men set up the microphones.
"Aw, sweet! It's almost time!" she exclaimed
"Wow, you must like to sing, then," said Yukito.
"Uh-huh! Singing's my specialty," she said.
The bar owner stepped up to the mike.
"Alrighty, folks! It's karaoke time!" he said.
Sakura practically jumped up front.
"Well, if it isn't Miss Sakura. Good to see you again. So what would you like to sing for us tonight?" said the bar owner.
"I'd like to sing 'Bring Me to Life' by Evanescence," she said.
"Well, you heard the little lady. 'Bring Me to Life' it is!" he said to the DJ.
The DJ put in a c.d. Sakura grabbed the microphone and stared at the screen waiting for the words to appear. Yukito watched her. And then, Sakura began to sing:
"How can you see into my eyes like open doors?
Leading you down into my core
Where I've become so numb without a soul
My spirit sleeping somewhere cold
Until you find it there and lead it back home."
~Yukito! Did you hear what she just said?~ asked Yue
~Relax! It's only a song. Nothing to get worked up about.~ said Yukito in annoyance, having been startled.
But the chorus made him stare in shock at Sakura.
"Wake me up inside.
Wake me up inside.
Call my name and save me from the dark.
Bid my blood to run
Before I come undone
Save me from the nothing I've become."
~Okay, maybe you're right. It does sound like she's subconsciously calling for help~ said Yukito.
Yue didn't answer. Was she calling for help?
"Now that I know what I'm without
You can't just leave me.
Breathe into me and make me real.
Bring me to life."
~She's calling to us. I know she is~ said Yue.
~Yeah, but even if she is, how would we be able to help her? She doesn't remember who we are. And she didn't even know you existed until last week~ said Yukito.
~I don't think there's much we could do. She has to remember by herself~ said Yue.
~C'mon Yue, don't get all depressed on me. You have to be strong just as much as she has. Like you said, you'll know when the time comes~ said Yukito.
There was an outbreak of thunderous applause as Sakura bowed and returned to her seat.
"That was really good," said Yukito.
"Thanks. That's my favorite song to sing. Huh? What's wrong?" she added, because she saw that Yukito was looking at her with an almost sad expression on his face.
"Nothing. Nothing at all. You just remind me of a girl I used to know," he said without thinking.
~Oh, man. Stupid, stupid, stupid!~ he yelled at himself. ~Oh well, might as well tell her sooner or later. It might help jog her memory~
But he decided not to tell her the whole truth.
"Oh, really? Is she from Japan?" asked Sakura, interested.
"Yeah. She was my best friend's little sister. There was always a smile on her face, and everyone liked her. She was also good at sports too," he said.
"That does sound kinda like me, huh?" said Sakura.
"Yeah. She was also really cute too. She thought of me as a big brother. Her own big brother was really overprotective of her. I remember the time when she announced she had a boyfriend. Man, did he flip out," he said, smiling reminiscently.
"But her family loved her, right?" she asked.
"Yes, they loved her very much. And so did her friends. So that's why when she signed up for an exchange trip to come here six years ago, they were reluctant to let her go," he said.
"Oh, she came here? How did she like it?" she asked.
Yukito looked almost sad again.
"She never made it here. The plane from Japan crashed," he said, choosing his words carefully.
Sakura clapped her hands to her mouth.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," she said.
"Don't be. I don't think she's dead. You see, while the school in Japan did send me here to teach, I also came to look for her and bring her back home," he said.
"Then, I hope you find her, and I hope she knows how much you care about her," said Sakura, with obvious sincerity.
Yue smiled inwardly at her.
~Yes, she already knows~ he thought.
-1 hr. Later-
Sakura and Yukito were standing by their cars.
"Anyway, tonight was fun. We should do this more often," Sakura was saying.
Yukito raised his eyebrows.
"Should we really? I am a teacher, after all. And you're my student. People might get strange ideas," he said.
"Well, that's their own fault for having a sick mind. It's not like we're dating. We're just hanging out," she said.
"Yeah, I guess. Hey, it's about time we get home, right?" he said.
"Yeah, it is getting kinda late. I gotta practice this new routine I have for the dance team, so see ya," said Sakura.
They got into their cars, and Yukito drove away. Just as Sakura started her engine, she noticed that Yukito had dropped his wallet, which was now lying open, faced down. She opened the door and picked it up. Curiosity coursed through her, but she forced herself not to look. She drove back to her apartment.
-Inside-
By now, Sakura's curiosity had gotten the better of her.
~Okay, one small look can't hurt~ she thought.
She opened the wallet and saw photos.
~These must've been taken in Japan~ she thought. ~Damn, he's hot. He must've been my age in this picture. Ooh, this must be his best friend he was telling me about~
But then, she gasped. The picture of Yukito's best friend stared out at her. She'd seen him before, but where? A flash...the dark-haired boy standing next to his father.
No, it couldn't be...could it? Sakura flipped through the rest of the pictures. The boy with the green Chinese robes...the raven-haired girl...the boy with glasses...the golden beast...the silver angel...they were all here.
The last two pictures made her insides go numb: One was of her...yes, her, only a lot younger...standing with Yukito, his best friend, the raven- haired girl, the boy with glasses, and the boy with green Chinese robes. The other was a picture of the whole group, with her in the front, wearing a strange pink costume.
Sakura's legs gave away and she found it hard to breathe.
"No...what's going on? What can this mean?" she said aloud.
Could this be...her past? Could she be somehow connected to Mr. Tsukishiro and everybody else in her dreams?
Hey there people. Sorry it took me a long time to update, but a lot's been going on. My computer got all screwed up somehow and I had to retype this whole chapter. Anyway...this story is almost over. Only about one or two more chapters to go. Oh, and this chapter takes place about a week after Sakura's encounter with Yue and, given the situation Sakura is in, I thought it might be cool to throw in the song "Bring Me to Life".
The Subconscious Message
It was Saturday night and Sakura was at the karaoke bar. She was sitting at a small table near the front, sipping a Coke, when she noticed Yukito standing over the table.
"Oh, Mr. Tsukishiro. What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Hey, I'm here to have fun. I can't be a teacher all the time now, can I?" he said.
"No, I guess not. Hey, you wanna sit here?" she said, waving at the empty chairs.
"Okay, why not?" he said, sitting across from her.
Sakura turned back to her half-finished soda.
"So, Sakura, I've noticed you haven't been yourself lately. Is there anything bothering you at all?" asked Yukito.
Sakura's head shot up, and she looked a little startled.
"Oh...no, of course not! I've just been overdoing it at practices and I felt a bit worn out. No biggie," she said.
"Yeah, I've been meaning to ask you. How come you participate in so many activities?" he said.
"Well...I don't really know. Keeps me busy, I guess. I mean, it's not like I have a family to go home to, right? And even if I did, I'm not one to just sit around in class all day and then go home and do nothing but homework," she said.
"But you also have really good grades," he pointed out.
"Yeah, but that's cuz I also study a lot," she said.
Suddenly, the lights dimmed. Sakura's eyes lit up as the bar owner wheeled out the karaoke machine while two other men set up the microphones.
"Aw, sweet! It's almost time!" she exclaimed
"Wow, you must like to sing, then," said Yukito.
"Uh-huh! Singing's my specialty," she said.
The bar owner stepped up to the mike.
"Alrighty, folks! It's karaoke time!" he said.
Sakura practically jumped up front.
"Well, if it isn't Miss Sakura. Good to see you again. So what would you like to sing for us tonight?" said the bar owner.
"I'd like to sing 'Bring Me to Life' by Evanescence," she said.
"Well, you heard the little lady. 'Bring Me to Life' it is!" he said to the DJ.
The DJ put in a c.d. Sakura grabbed the microphone and stared at the screen waiting for the words to appear. Yukito watched her. And then, Sakura began to sing:
"How can you see into my eyes like open doors?
Leading you down into my core
Where I've become so numb without a soul
My spirit sleeping somewhere cold
Until you find it there and lead it back home."
~Yukito! Did you hear what she just said?~ asked Yue
~Relax! It's only a song. Nothing to get worked up about.~ said Yukito in annoyance, having been startled.
But the chorus made him stare in shock at Sakura.
"Wake me up inside.
Wake me up inside.
Call my name and save me from the dark.
Bid my blood to run
Before I come undone
Save me from the nothing I've become."
~Okay, maybe you're right. It does sound like she's subconsciously calling for help~ said Yukito.
Yue didn't answer. Was she calling for help?
"Now that I know what I'm without
You can't just leave me.
Breathe into me and make me real.
Bring me to life."
~She's calling to us. I know she is~ said Yue.
~Yeah, but even if she is, how would we be able to help her? She doesn't remember who we are. And she didn't even know you existed until last week~ said Yukito.
~I don't think there's much we could do. She has to remember by herself~ said Yue.
~C'mon Yue, don't get all depressed on me. You have to be strong just as much as she has. Like you said, you'll know when the time comes~ said Yukito.
There was an outbreak of thunderous applause as Sakura bowed and returned to her seat.
"That was really good," said Yukito.
"Thanks. That's my favorite song to sing. Huh? What's wrong?" she added, because she saw that Yukito was looking at her with an almost sad expression on his face.
"Nothing. Nothing at all. You just remind me of a girl I used to know," he said without thinking.
~Oh, man. Stupid, stupid, stupid!~ he yelled at himself. ~Oh well, might as well tell her sooner or later. It might help jog her memory~
But he decided not to tell her the whole truth.
"Oh, really? Is she from Japan?" asked Sakura, interested.
"Yeah. She was my best friend's little sister. There was always a smile on her face, and everyone liked her. She was also good at sports too," he said.
"That does sound kinda like me, huh?" said Sakura.
"Yeah. She was also really cute too. She thought of me as a big brother. Her own big brother was really overprotective of her. I remember the time when she announced she had a boyfriend. Man, did he flip out," he said, smiling reminiscently.
"But her family loved her, right?" she asked.
"Yes, they loved her very much. And so did her friends. So that's why when she signed up for an exchange trip to come here six years ago, they were reluctant to let her go," he said.
"Oh, she came here? How did she like it?" she asked.
Yukito looked almost sad again.
"She never made it here. The plane from Japan crashed," he said, choosing his words carefully.
Sakura clapped her hands to her mouth.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," she said.
"Don't be. I don't think she's dead. You see, while the school in Japan did send me here to teach, I also came to look for her and bring her back home," he said.
"Then, I hope you find her, and I hope she knows how much you care about her," said Sakura, with obvious sincerity.
Yue smiled inwardly at her.
~Yes, she already knows~ he thought.
-1 hr. Later-
Sakura and Yukito were standing by their cars.
"Anyway, tonight was fun. We should do this more often," Sakura was saying.
Yukito raised his eyebrows.
"Should we really? I am a teacher, after all. And you're my student. People might get strange ideas," he said.
"Well, that's their own fault for having a sick mind. It's not like we're dating. We're just hanging out," she said.
"Yeah, I guess. Hey, it's about time we get home, right?" he said.
"Yeah, it is getting kinda late. I gotta practice this new routine I have for the dance team, so see ya," said Sakura.
They got into their cars, and Yukito drove away. Just as Sakura started her engine, she noticed that Yukito had dropped his wallet, which was now lying open, faced down. She opened the door and picked it up. Curiosity coursed through her, but she forced herself not to look. She drove back to her apartment.
-Inside-
By now, Sakura's curiosity had gotten the better of her.
~Okay, one small look can't hurt~ she thought.
She opened the wallet and saw photos.
~These must've been taken in Japan~ she thought. ~Damn, he's hot. He must've been my age in this picture. Ooh, this must be his best friend he was telling me about~
But then, she gasped. The picture of Yukito's best friend stared out at her. She'd seen him before, but where? A flash...the dark-haired boy standing next to his father.
No, it couldn't be...could it? Sakura flipped through the rest of the pictures. The boy with the green Chinese robes...the raven-haired girl...the boy with glasses...the golden beast...the silver angel...they were all here.
The last two pictures made her insides go numb: One was of her...yes, her, only a lot younger...standing with Yukito, his best friend, the raven- haired girl, the boy with glasses, and the boy with green Chinese robes. The other was a picture of the whole group, with her in the front, wearing a strange pink costume.
Sakura's legs gave away and she found it hard to breathe.
"No...what's going on? What can this mean?" she said aloud.
Could this be...her past? Could she be somehow connected to Mr. Tsukishiro and everybody else in her dreams?