And because she asked...CCS fans can go check out sango-catkilala's story, but don't give her any bad reviews or she'll review YOUR story and bash you right back.
Mariko: Manami will get punished soon!! Calm down!
FromDayOne: If you assign a number to each letter of the alphabet (A being 1, Z being 26, etc.), and replace it with Manami's code, then you'll get SAKURAKI. Or was it SAKURAKO? I can't remember, but Sakura's name was in it for sure!
SamSam111: Thanks for all your reviews!
mimika: thank you!
alyssa: I won't be answering any more of those questions, as it is quite obvious that if I do, I'll spoil everything. Since you're a new one, I won't yell at you. Rynx-Too-Genki: Yes, you're another reviewer, but you're all important!!
And everyone else: DON'T ASK FOR THE ENDING!!
Warning: This mainly focuses on my OCs and has a bit of Sakura at the end.
CinderSakura
By: Lotus Dreams
Chapter 11: Turned Inside Out
Korin gave the man at the counter a sheet of paper.
"Hello, I'd like to find out as much as possible about this girl."
The man frowned. "Are you a relative of hers?"
"Yes. I am the father of her third cousin fourth removed."
"ID?"
Korin flipped his ID quickly. Luckily, the man wasn't paying attention, and said, "Please come back in one week's time. Thank you." Korin thanked him back, and paid him handsomely. Then he leaned forward.
"I'd like this job to be done a little quicker please. If you know what I mean." He added an extra ten thousand yen.
The man's eyes widened. "Hai." He gave him a receipt.
Manami walked into Mr. Kinomoto's study, wearing yet another revealing outfit.
"Ojii-chan..."
Mr. Kinomoto looked up and frowned. "Do you have to wear that even when you're at home?"
"Well, it's really hot, you know!"
"Whatever. Hai?"
"Ojii-chan...remember the family I lived with before you took me back to the Kinomoto mansion? Well, they've raised me for 10 years, and treated me like their own daughter..."
"So?" said Mr. Kinomoto, scribbling something down on a piece of paper.
"So...I feel so sorry for them, they have to live in dirt while I live in a big mansion and they have to save up all their money, while I have all the money I can possibly want, and--"
"I get the point." Mr. Kinomoto's voice was awfully cold. "And?"
"Well, I just want to give them some sort of reward for being so kind to be for so long...do you think you can arrange these things?" She handed him a long piece of paper which stated the following:
1. A nice, big house
2. A nice, big restaurant so they can make money
3. New furniture
4. New clothes
5. Plasma-screen TV
6. Cellphones for each
7. A black, sleek, new computer with all the functions the greatest computer in the world should have
8. A dishwasher
9. A Mercedes-Benz
10. A HUGE bed
11. A maid
12. New kitchen utensils
Mr. Kinomoto raised his eyebrows. The list went from 1 to 41, including an en-suite bathroom, as well as the newest Sony DVD Player and latest Siemens cordless phone model. He put it down.
"Do you know how much all of this costs, Sakura?"
"Of course," said Manami, "I totted it all up and it doesn't cost a thing."
"Oh really? Tell me."
"Altogether it only costs..."
(2 seconds later)
"One thousand yen? No way..."
"Iie," said Manami crossly. "You didn't hear me right. It costs..."
(2 seconds later)
"One HUNDRED thousand yen?!"
"Ojii-chan, listen properly this time," said Manami. "I SAID, it costs..."
(2 seconds later)
"ONE MILLION YEN?!"
"Hai," replied Manami happily, "isn't that great? And right now, all of these are onsale, so if we had bought them at regular price, it would be six million yen!"
Needless to say, Mr. Kinomoto felt EXTREMELY dizzy.
"Go out," he commanded. "I...I need some time to think." Manami bowed respectfully.
"Hai!"
As she went out, Touya came in. He smiled at Manami and said, "Did Sakura ask you for something, ojii-chan? Ojii-chan?"
Mr. Kinomoto tossed him the paper. "Look at all this. She wants me to buy this for her former 'family', who has no connections to her. LOOK at all this junk!"
Touya read through the list. His raised an eyebrow. "This is hardly surprising. Ten years. They should deserve something, shouldn't they?"
"I was already planning on giving them 10 thousand yen," said Mr. Kinomoto sharply. "But...now it looks like I will have to give them 1,000, 000 yen, to satisfy Sakura."
His eyes popped out.
"1,000,000 yen?!"
"Is your sister obssessed with money or something?"
Touya punched his head repeatedly. "No...she was never really a big spender...maybe the family that had raised her before were really poor and brainwashed her into thinking rich thoughts?"
"Ha, ha," said Mr. Kinomoto dryly. "I hope Korin hurries up."
Korin returned a couple of days later. This time, it was a woman at the counter, and she looked at his receipt. "Ah." She walked into a secluded room for a moment, and returned 5 minutes later with a thick package of papers.
"This, I believe, is your information." Korin nodded.
"Arigatou gozaimasu."
"Do itashi mashite," replied the woman. "Anytime."
Korin left, the papers tucked underneath his arms. When he was safely in the car, he commanded the chauffeur to drive off, then flipped open the papers. Beside a profile picture was:
Name: Katsatsu Manami
Date of Birth: 1984.04.13
Current Age: 20 and 11 months
Mother: Katsatsu Makiko-1956.12.23
Father: Katsatsu Matsuo-1955.04.03
Graduate: No
As he scanned down the sheet, his frown grew deeper.
The girl in the profile picture was the exact same one as the girl who claimed to be Sakura. Yet, the information did not lead to anybody resemblant to Kinomoto Sakura.
Therefore, the real Sakura was yet to be found.
His mouth a grim slash, Korin told the chauffeur to drive faster.
"NANI?!"
"Hai," answered Korin. "She is not in fact Sakura, but she is actually just another fake."
"Iie," breathed Mr. Kinomoto. "Touya was tricked once again?!"
"I'm afraid so, Kinomoto-sama," said Korin, his voice heavy. "Mr. Touya also told me that you promised to spend 1,000,000 yen to supply Ms. Katsatsu's family?"
"Hai, I did," replied Mr. Kinomoto. "I cannot believe this."
"The problem is though, Kinomoto-sama, not Ms. Katsatsu herself...it's how Mr. Touya will react."
Manami's cell phone rang. She hurriedly flipped it open and said, "Moshi moshi?"
"Manami, you stupid idiot!" cried Makiko. "Where's the new stuff?"
"Don't WORRY, okaa-san," said Manami, "It's FINE. Ojii-chan just promised me he will spend 1,000,000 yen on helping you guys. You guys get a TON of new stuff. You know, a computer, maids, cell phones--a ton of stuff! And ojii-chan said they would arrive by next week!"
"Good," said Makiko approvingly. "Is anyone listening?"
"Iie, this is my CELL PHONE. And besides, ojii-chan doesn't know anything! I'm such a good actress, maybe I should--"
But Makiko never knew what Manami should have done because she was, apparently, such a great actress, because at the moment, Manami's phone dropped to the ground.
"Manami? Manami?" came the muffled and frantic voice of Makiko.
"O-O-Ojii-ch-chan," stammered Manami.
Mr. Kinomoto was standing right behind her. His old and lined face was creased in fury, and his eyes were full of hatred. He looked down at the cell phone.
"Talking to your mother, Katsatsu Manami?" he asked coldly.
"I-Iie..."
"LIAR!" he shouted. He slammed the door of the room they were in behind him. "You pretended to be my granddaughter just to get a rich life, right? Just wanted a taste of what it was like to have money? I don't blame you for it, really, Katsatsu. But the fact that you lied to Touya, you lied to Korin, you lied to ME--that is what I am angry about!"
Manami cringed.
"Katsatsu Manami! I demand you to answer me now--do you know where the REAL Sakura is?"
"I-I-Iie," whimpered Manami.
"THEN HOW DID YOU GET THAT RING THAT GOT TOUYA BELIEVING THAT YOU WERE HIS SISTER?" bellowed Mr. Kinomoto. "EXPLAIN!"
"I--I found it," faltered Manami, "It--It was lying on a sidewalk and I took it and it said Nadeshiko Kinomoto and--"
"Enough." His eyes were fiery. "I ask you again--do you know where the real Sakura is? Otherwise, where did you get that ring?"
"I--don't--know--where the real Sakura is--I found--the ring--"
"Don't try to lie to me again!"
Manami fell to her knees. "I swear," she choked out. "If--If one word I say is lying then--then you might has well kill me!"
Mr. Kinomoto sighed heavily. "Forget it then." Then he threw her an envelope.
"Wh-What's this?"
"Money."
"Money? For what?"
"Listen to me now, Katsatsu Manami," said Mr. Kinomoto in a low and dangerous voice. "Touya has been looking for Sakura for ten years. I don't want him to be brokenhearted again; you don't know what it's like. But since you are already here, I want you to do one thing, and one thing only--continue on to being Sakura. That way Touya is happy, I'm happy, you're happy, and your parents get all the greedy things they want. Deal?"
"Pre-Pretend?"
"That's right. You still keep your room and your money and your clothes. I don't want Touya to know about this, clear?"
"H-Hai," stammered Manami.
"Now go." His voice became cold.
She went, alright. When she reached her room, she was trembling. "Pretend to be Sakura?" she looked at herself in the mirror and laughed shakily. "No problem..." her eyes were beginning to fill with tears.
When Nadeshiko grabbed her morning coffee, she was confronted by the boss's grandson. She bowed respectfully.
"Ohayou gozaimasu, Kinomoto-sama." He frowned at her slightly.
"Ohayou, Kinomoto-san. Why are you here so early?"
"Oh, just to make sure I haven't forgotten anything. I always come early and leave late. After all, it does do me some good. I found out that it usually helps." With a tight smile, she left.
Touya felt something strange stir up inside of him. It was just like Sakura--the ten-year-old one--to come early and leave late...she used to do that all the time when she was going to school. Always the smartest. Always the earliest. Always the last to leave in her class.
But you've already found your sister, haven't you? Touya told himself. You can't have two sisters.
So why did he feel such a strong connection to Nadeshiko? It wasn't right...
"Kinomoto-sama. KINOMOTO-SAMA."
"Nani?!" snapped Touya, coming out of his thoughts. Syaoran Li was standing there impatiently.
"I'm sorry, Kinomoto-sama, but have you seen Nadeshi--I mean--Kino--I mean, Nadeshiko Kinomoto today?"
"Yeah," said Touya vaguely, "She's...she just passed actually. She was heading to Office 5."
"Arigatou gozaimasu," thanked Syaoran gratefully, and hurried off. Syaoran had been asking about Nadeshiko for quite some time.
When he reached Office 5, he found Nadeshiko making photocopies again and sticking them neatly into a folder. He pushed open the door. Nadeshiko looked up, and seemed startled. She bowed, however.
"Ohayou, Li-sama," she said politely. "Haijimemashite?"
"Fine, thanks," replied Syaoran. "And you?"
"Good," answered Nadeshiko, her voice slightly shaky.
For a while he just stood there, and she continued making photocopies.
"What's wrong?" he asked finally. "You seem so...upset."
"Because I am." The words came out before she could control herself.
"Naze?"
"Just because."
"Is it because of me?"
She paused for a moment. "Will you go away if I say it's you?"
Syaoran grew angry. "Nadeshiko, for the last few weeks, you've been avoiding me, driving me away, and hiding from me as best as you can. What is going on? I even tried to talk to you when I took you home but you still got angry and didn't even saying anything. What's wrong? Why can't you tell me? Look at me!" He grabbed her shoulders and spun her around.
"Nadeshi--"
"Fine, you want to know?!" Nadeshiko was trembling. "The reason I'm so upset and avoiding you, driving you away and hiding from you is because--because I just can't stop thinking about you!"
Syaoran blinked. He was speechless.
"Your stupid gifts, your stupid jokes, your stupid hair, your stupid eyes...I can't go to sleep because you haunt my dreams. I can't even talk when I'm around you. I don't get this at all! You're always being so nice to me...you buy me gifts, my favourite outfit, you get me a job...I can't...I...please...just...leave me alone." She looked away. None of her words made sense. It was just a string of words, meaning not nothing, but something confusing. She put a hand on his arm to take it off.
However, what he did next was so astonishing she didn't even have time to react. (A/N: Wow, can you guess what it is?)
He kissed her.
And at the same time, Manami arrived.
OMG! Manami arrived!! Uh oh! Sakura aka Nadeshiko is in trouble...read and review people! Yeah, I know the ending is kinda corny, but naturally, that's usually what happens. If you don't like it, then get lost. See ya!
