Winds of Thyme
By Sakura Takanouchi
~*~ Winds of Thyme Chapter Sixteen: Broken Promises ~*~
Disclaimer: My Angelic Layer Fic is officially up! So, if you're into that, you can check it out. THIS JUST IN!!! I own nothing. That was quite anti-climactic but I don't care.
Sakura was calmly watching TV when the phone rang. She picked it up and put it to her ear. "Moshi Moshi," She greeted. "Oh, Koenma! How's it going? Ok, so what is it?" She listened while Koenma spoke now.
"It seems that you have no idea what I am talking about, do you? Well, on a mission I sent Yusuke and Kuwabara to several days ago, there was a mysterious masked figure seen there who had already infiltrated a secret base and tied up the demon we wanted. The thing is—That person looked exactly like you are with the cape and everything. Except we didn't get to see their face. All of us here except Kurama think it's you." Sakura stared in shock at the phone.
"Koenma, I'm in a wheelchair. I don't heal that fast, and besides, my cloak got totally ruined when I fell. I don't know where to get a replacement," Sakura explained.
"That's what Kurama said," Koenma told her. "I'd like you to come with the Tantei on their next mission to ensure that you are not that masked person."
"Oh, sure, except I'll still be in the wheelchair," Sakura said. "I can still throw shuriken around, so just tell me the time and I'll meet you at Reikai."
"Two weeks from tomorrow at 12:30PM," Koenma answered. "Well, duty calls, so I've got to go now."
Sakura hung up the phone. 'That so wasn't me,' she thought. She then wheeled herself to her room to get her school uniform on. The teacher gave her a several-hour absence from school, so she was due there in 36 minutes.
~*~ At school ~*~
"Sakura Sakura Sakura Sakura Sakura!!!" Yuzuriha screamed as she saw Sakura at her locker. "What in creation happened to you?"
"I fell down the stairs," was her weak reply. Then Kirameki showed up.
"I heard from Shuiichi that you're in a wheelchair, but… now you get out of gym and get to be late to all your classes! Can I hang around you for the rest of the day?" Kirameki asked.
Sakura laughed. "Sure," she answered. Just then, about 15 classmates ran up to them.
"Takanouchi-san, can we sign your cast?" They asked.
"Oh yeah! Can we, too?" Yuzuriha and Kirameki asked.
"Hai!" Sakura answered, and handed out pens to everyone. They all signed her cast. The day was going excellently.
~*~ After School ~*~
People wanting to sign her cast again surrounded Sakura. Five minutes later, they all left and it was the first time all day that someone didn't surround her.
"Do you need to be wheeled home?" A familiar voice asked her.
"Kurama-kun!" She said happily. "Hai. Also, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about all day."
He wheeled her out of the school building and onto the street. "What is it?" Kurama asked her.
"Well, Koenma called me this morning. He said you were the only one who thought that it wasn't me," she told him. "I appreciate that."
"I just went with the facts. Besides, why wouldn't I trust you?" He turned the corner.
"Why are we going this way?" Sakura asked as Kurama continued to push her down the street.
"We're still going to your apartment, but we'll be making a few detours on the way," Kurama assured her. Just then, they heard another familiar voice.
"Hey Kurama! Takanouchi! What's up?" Yusuke ran to catch up with them.
"Oh, konnichiwa, Yusuke. Kurama-kun's taking me somewhere, I'm just not sure yet," Sakura said a little untactful.
"Oh, I was just wondering if you want to hang out with me and Kuwabara. We're meeting at the arcade just around the corner. But if you're busy, then that's ok," Yusuke said.
"No, that's fine," Kurama answered. "But we can only hang for another half hour or so." They started walking in the direction of the arcade.
~*~ At the Arcade ~*~
"Whoa! You're awesome at these things, Sakura!" Yusuke praised as she got the high score at Pinball. She also managed to beat Yusuke at air hockey. Kuwabara had never shown.
It was clear that Kurama hadn't played pinball before, and he did well for a beginner, but Yusuke and Sakura beat him easily.
"Well, we have to go now," Kurama and Sakura said goodbye to Yusuke, who was busy at the punching game.
"So where are we going now?" Sakura asked as they left the arcade.
"I thought I'd take you to eat somewhere, and then we'd go back to your house," Kurama answered.
Sakura nodded and Kurama continued to push her down the street. They came to a part of a crowded street, and Kurama pushed her down a street that had restaurants on both sides.
"You can pick the restaurant we go to. There's plenty to choose from," Kurama said as they walked by more restaurants. (Well, really only Kurama walked)
"Why don't we try this one? It looks like a good place." Sakura pointed to a restaurant that looked like it had just opened. The words Nihon Ryoriya were on a sign above the door. There were only a few customers inside.
"Hai," Kurama said as they entered the restaurant.
"Konban wa, welcome to our nihon ryoriya, would you like to sit inside or outside?" A smiling waitress greeted them.
"Outside," Sakura decided. The waitress led them to a table close to the wall on a small outside deck. It was lightly raining, and no one else was on the deck. The waitress gave them their menus and left them alone to decide what they wanted.
She came back five minutes later. "Have you decided what you want?" She asked.
"Hai," Sakura ordered. "I'll have Sukiyaki and Tsukemono with steamed rice, onegai. And ocha to drink."
"I'll have some tempura and steamed rice with shoyu, onegai. Also, I'll have some ocha to drink," Kurama ordered. The waitress left to get their food ready.
The waitress came back soon after that with their drinks (ocha translates to green tea) and Sakura took a big sip of her tea. "ATSUI!!" She screeched, and quickly put the cup down. Kurama laughed good-naturedly at that. Then the waitress brought their food, and they both started to eat.
"This place should do really well, their food is excellent!" Kurama complemented the restaurant as they finished their meal.
"I agree," Sakura said. When the check came, Sakura insisted that she'd pay for half of it, and then they got up (well, Sakura didn't) and left.
Kurama pushed her wheelchair towards (I think you'd know by now) the park. They were at an area in the park where there was a big fountain and trees were surrounding the pathway from each side. "Sakura," Kurama started, "I have something for you."
He then walked in front of her and gave her a small white box. Inside was a sterling silver bracelet with rose quartz and regular quartz cherry blossoms set in the silver.
"It's beautiful," Sakura said while putting it on her wrist.
"So are you," he answered while smiling at her.
"But now I'm going to give you something," Sakura said.
"You needn't bother," Kurama then slowly started walking away from her.
"Kurama!" Sakura said, and as he turned around, she caught both him and herself by surprise by standing up and throwing her arms around him while giving him a kiss. Kurama's eyes widened, and then he shut them and wrapped his arms around her.
"That's enough of a present," He said, and gently kissed her back. That's when he noticed something.
"Sakura, your legs are healed?" He asked.
"Just the one without the cast," She answered.
"Well then, I'd better make sure you don't fall if you're going to walk the rest of the way there," he said with a smile, and put an arm around Sakura to help her walk. They left the wheelchair where it was.
When they got back to the apartment, Kurama gave a goodnight hug to Sakura, and she went into her apartment.
Sakura limped to bed right away and immediately started dreaming about future dates with Kurama.
~*~ At Kurama's House ~*~
"Is there something you'd like to tell me, Shuiichi-chan?" Shiori asked Kurama as he entered his apartment. "You seem unusually happy tonight."
"Hai," Kurama said. "I have a girlfriend."
"Shuiichi, this is wonderful. I'm so happy for you. Can you tell me her name?" Shiori asked.
"She's the same girl that was here several weeks ago," Kurama answered. "Her name is Takanouchi Sakura."
~A/N~
This chapter was kinda non-important, and the title only really had to do with the beginning of it, but… oh well. Next up is Christmastime! I know they're in Japan, and there isn't really Christmas, but… oh well. ^.^
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Sakura Takanouchi