Diamond Sky
Chapter Three: Realize
-
More than a week had passed ever since Eriol had returned from England.
-
Things hadn't changed much, noted the dark haired youth with mild delight after he had explained that he was back in Tomoeda for good to try and live as normal a life as was possible. There wasn't any need for any more card capturing adventures as Sakura had so thought.
He had endured on coming love notes from girls in their year AND from the senior girls from the upper years. Eriol had also taken, with much calmness and slight amusement, threats and challenges from various members of Tomoeda High's male community. This included Li Syaoran at times as Eriol STILL hadn't lost his touch at being especially gallant and charming around Kinomoto Sakura. This caused more reactions of male anger and female disappointment since Sakura had quite unexpectedly gained a reputation for being a girl whom guys couldn't resist trying to date even if she had politely yet firmly told everyone she was involved with Li Syaoran and no other attempts would work.
-
(Of course these would-be suitors would then have a rather unpleasant encounter with something known as 'irate-boyfriend-syndrome'. Suitors would come back to school, frightfully polite to "Kinomoto-san" and would NEVER speak to her unless she spoke first. Ever again.)
-
The girls' disappointment was obvious: the most eligible 'bachelor' (so to speak) had a love interest. That is until they saw that Sakura and Eriol were merely old friends and Sakura paid his 'flirtations' no attention thus deeming him fair game once more.
Nevertheless, Syaoran who cut a rather imposing figure with his numerous growth spurts over the span of five years, still couldn't beat Eriol at anything. Even at speed eating. And Eriol just maintained his innocent smile as he joined in Yamazaki's lying fests much to Chiharu's chagrin.
-
"Honestly, Eriol-kun, I don't know WHY you egg him on like that!" complained an exasperated Chiharu.
Eriol smiled a little apologetically. "Force of habit, I'm afraid."
-
For two days, Tomoyo and her friends grouped together during break with Eriol as they had always done. It was nice, noted Tomoyo, to laugh and talk with friends again over lunch.
But on the third day, Tomoyo decided she needed to give the couples some space since Naoko had returned to the library and Rika had slipped off to the school's home economic class once again to cook something new for Terada-sensei.
So, giving the normal excuse again, Tomoyo had slipped off to the roof after making sure Syaoran and Sakura were in their normal place by the sakura tree. After eating her lunch, she'd finished sketching out a new design before putting it away. Staring up into the cloud filled sky, Tomoyo felt light hearted enough to sing. She closed her eyes, undoubting that no one would disturb her here. Niji no Taiyo no Oka was always a good song to sing on a day like this: just cloudy enough to hide the sun's hot rays but not so cloudy as to make it seem gloomy.
The melody of the cheerful song poured from her lips like rain. Every note was in tune and perfect in rhythm. If there were anything Tomoyo allowed herself a little pride in, her voice was one of those things. Her mother, busy as she was, always beamed in pleasure whenever Tomoyo hummed or sang.
Who needed nightingales, Sonomi had said onceas she hugged her daughter, when you had Daidouji Tomoyo?
-
Now that was something that made Tomoyo smile a genuine smile that reached her eyes.
-
Oozora ni furimuku chikara to yuuki Mochitsuzukete…"
-
"So… this is where the choir holds vocal practice for its lead singer…?"
-
Tomoyo jolted and abruptly broke off from her singing. Turning around, her eyes widened a little to see a smiling Eriol standing with his hands in his pockets.
"H, Hiiragizawa-san. How did you…"
"Forgive me if I'm intruding." He walked towards where she was sitting and sat down as well, crossing his legs. "But I couldn't help wondering if the Tomoeda High choir really does hold practices up on the roof."
Tomoyo couldn't help but let a corner of her lips tug upwards at that innocent sounding explanation. "…did you follow me?" She asked, knowing very well he had trailed after her without her realizing it.
Eriol bowed his head. "I apologize. I'll leave if you wish to be alone."
Not a trace of guilt on his face, noticed Tomoyo with a smile. "No, that's all right."
Eriol smiled then noticed the sketchbook lying beside her. "May I see what you've drawn?"
"Oh, certainly. But it's only clothes… not anything like what you draw, Hiiragizawa-san." Tomoyo held out the sketchbook, a small tremor of nervousness fluttering in the inner recesses of her stomach. She had seen Eriol's paintings and works of art before. They always turned out beautiful and Tomoyo had often tried to apply the same sort of enthusiasm and beauty into her designs.
It was one thing to show Sakura, Naoko, Rika or Chiharu. It was another to show Hiiragizawa Eriol, thought Tomoyo as he just smiled and took the book.
"Clothes are also works of art, Daidouji-san. So long as it was created or made with one's imagination to express something, it is considered art."
Several quiet minutes passed by with Eriol flipping at a moderate pace through the sketchbook as Tomoyo looked on, waiting for any sort of reaction. Finally, he looked up and smiled.
"If I were Sakura, I'd feel compelled to pay you a fee for each outfit you make."
Tomoyo's eyes widened once again as she took the sketchbook back. "How did you know… those clothes were meant for Sakura…?"
"Well for one thing… your spirit clearly states these clothes were meant for Sakura to wear. And for another," he tapped the book with one finger and a slight grin. "Most of them were pink, Sakura's favourite colour."
"Good detective work, Sherlock-san."
He chuckled lightly in return. "Thank you. But there is something even I find rather puzzling."
"Which is?"
"Why do you come up here instead of spending lunch with Sakura and Li-san?"
Tomoyo smiled slightly. "Ah… that. Well… you've seen them as they are now. I know that Syaoran-kun wouldn't appreciate me barging into their time together like that."
The dark haired youth watched her eyes carefully. "It's only lunch, Daidouji-san."
Tomoyo shook her head. "It isn't only lunch to Sakura-chan. It's something more. I know every minute she spends with Syaoran-kun is more precious to her than any jewel in the world. I can visit her any time but this time is important to her."
"…I see." He slowly said, still watching her expression. "But there is something more to this… isn't there?"
Tomoyo's small smile remained. "It happened two years after you left. It was during lunch in junior high that Syaoran-kun gave Sakura-chan her first kiss." She turned to face him. "We weren't supposed to know of course, but well, when Syaoran-kun finally gathered up enough courage, we thought it best if we were there to give him moral support."
Eriol chuckled. "So that is the only reason why you tell your best friend that there is choir practice every day?"
Tomoyo pinched the end of her uniform skirt in between her thumb and index finger for a few seconds before looking up again. "I really can't explain it, Hiiragizawa-san… but… I've heard you say that nothing appears to have changed while you were away. Well… some things have changed. In a way… so have all of us." She smiled suddenly. "I seem to have developed a love of being alone and doing things on my own… I don't know why."
She looked up at the sky again.
"It's like a mother bird letting her baby learn to fly, sort of. I guess I'm learning to let Sakura fly on her own. And… I'm alright with that because she has someone who can fly just as fast as her, who can keep pace with her so she'll be okay."
-
Tomoyo turned back to Eriol, the smile never wavering. "Funny, isn't it, how even after a couple of years, you're still learning to let go."
-
Eriol shook his head. "Not funny at all. In fact… it's perfectly normal, taking a long time to let go of someone."
-
Tomoyo tilted her head a little at Eriol's sudden turn of expression. "…is there something wrong?"
"No, nothing," replied Eriol with his smile. Just then, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. "There's the bell. Shall we?"
Before Tomoyo could speak, he had scooped up her sketchbook and her neatly wrapped bento in its kerchief in one hand. With the other, he helped Tomoyo to her feet.
"Thank you, Hiiragizawa-san. Um… before we go… may I ask you a favour?"
Eriol nodded. "Name it and I'll do my best."
"Please don't tell any of them about this." Tomoyo's eyes grew worried. "I know Sakura worries that I'm sad or lonely."
Eriol thought about this. "Well… I can't exactly lie to Sakura…" Tomoyo blushed a little.
"So I suppose I shall just have to check on your practice once in a while." Eriol smiled. "It'd keep the others from getting suspicious which I suspect, they're starting to be at the rate you keep disappearing without any choir member in sight. Is that alright with you?"
Tomoyo laughed gently. "You certainly have a way with words no one else has." As they walked down the stairs from the stairs, she nodded.
"Yes, Hiiragizawa-san, that's perfectly fine with me. And… thank you. Again."
-
Funny isn't it, how even after a couple of years, you're still learning to let go.
-
Blue eyes sparkled behind his glasses. "Daidouji-san, it's my pleasure."
Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura (c) CLAMP.