Do You Remember

by Regina

Eriol Hiiragizawa

Tomoyo Daidouji

Chapter Nine:

The Engagement Party

"Hiiragizawa, you okay?" Syaoran asked him, elbowing him gently on the ribs. "Of course, I am! Why shouldn't I be, anyway?" Eriol asked back. Mostly to himself.

This is the day, which Tomoyo Daidouji would be officially engaged to Rei Hanabishi. And obviously, Eriol can't take it. He dreads this day. He dreads Clow's promise. And most of all, he dreads his cowardly act by accepting Rei as Tomoyo's husband-to-be. It was his fault, anyway. If only, Syaoran didn't fall for Sakura, then Tomoyo wouldn't have pushed Syaoran to confess. Then he wouldn't have given her the stupid ring.

"Eriol-kun, don't worry. If this lifetime don't work, you can always reincarnate again, right?" Sakura tried to comfort him. "But, Sakura-san, if I would do that, what do you think would happen the next lifetime?" Eriol asked Sakura. When she shook her head side wards, Syaoran took the hints that she never understood anything. "Sakura, it means, when he reincarnates the both of them again, then both of them would forget everything. Then who knows how they would find each other?" Syaoran explained. Sakura was seen with her mouth formed with an 'o'.

It was already 8:45 in the evening. And the engagement party was starting at 9:00. Who wouldn't dread this moment if the person you are in love with marries someone without knowing anything about what happened in your past? 15 minutes more…

"Ladies and Gentlemen! We are going to start a little early because of the parents impatient ness!" the mc started. 'Oh, great. I wanted 15 minutes to myself and all that happens is that it gets faster.' Eriol thought.

As Rei and Tomoyo came into view, Eriol watched with envy. And jealousy. While he gazed at Tomoyo grudgingly as the thought that they would never be together formed in his mind.

Tomoyo put the ring around Rei's ring finger.

While Rei…

He came close to Tomoyo, and as he looked at her so lovingly, Tomoyo didn't notice he was taking of the ring.

"I'm sorry. You'll have to say goodbye to this before we get married." He whispered to her ear. She froze in excitement, at the same time, fear at what might happen if that ring was taken off. She fought with herself whether to push Rei or let him take it off. But her curiosity got the best of her.

Unknown to other people, Eriol, seeing what was happening, ran out of the door of the hall in Tomoyo's mansion.

Tomoyo saw him and tried to run after him, but as she pulled away from Rei, the same thing happened to the ring. It was taken off from her finger.

As Tomoyo landed on her knees on the ground, people such as Syaoran, Sakura, Rika, Chiharu, Takashi, Yoshiyuki, the guards, and Tomoyo's mother, stood up and gathered up around her, worrying what would happen now. And Rei pretended that he didn't know what happened and gathered along as well.

'What's happening?' Tomoyo asked herself.

She saw it. The visions in her dreams. That day at the school. That kiss on her hand. Their talk in her garden. That day they went to the cherry blossom tree. The day she brought Kaho back to Touya because they loved each other from the start. And finally, she remembered, the day she found out she really was in love with her boy best friend. Eriol Hiiragizawa.

Remembering Eriol, she got up from her feet and ran towards the door, living everyone from behind. She stepped outside, wearing a traditional dress, in the rain. But she didn't care. She needed to find Eriol and have a talk fast.

She turned to the direction of the Penguin Park, silently praying that Eriol would be sitting in the swings. But when she got there, to her dismay, he wasn't there. Tears dropped, her heart longing, to hear his voice now that she remembers her one and only friend who understood her.

She sat quietly on one of the swings and sat down, slowly swinging herself. Then, she smiled softly to herself. "How long are you going to watch me, Eriol?" she muttered in the cold air.

A figure started to appear at the corner of her eyes as she watched him sit on the swing next to her. As soon as he sat, the sooner the questions came.

"Why did you do that?" she asked him. "Do what?" he asked her back, looking at the ground, for her not to see that tears have drained his face as well. But his voice stayed calm. He heard her chuckle. "You're smart, Eriol. I know you know what I mean." She said. Cold air washed through them as she waited for his answer. "Tomoyo, you should already know why. It was written on my last letter, right? It's because I caused the pain. And I wanted you to forget me. Anyway, everything turned out right, didn't it?" he asked her. When she didn't say anything, he looked up in the sky. It was so dark with the rain falling hard. You could almost see nothing, but thanks to the streetlight around Penguin Park, anyway. "Would you believe me if I tell you I loved you before you left?" Tomoyo muttered, but he heard. His head turned towards her direction and he stopped his swinging. " I knew that." He whispered. Her head turned to his direction as well, but she couldn't bear to look him in the eyes, so she looked at the ground. "Then why? Was it because you didn't love me back?" she asked him. "No. It's because, something else is written in Clow's plan." He told her. 'And that I was afraid that you would get caught with my problems. I have many enemies. And… I didn't know that Clow promised someone, which happens to be you.' He thought.

She sighed and stood up. "Well, I have Rei now. Do you have someone?" she asked him. "Yeah. And she have someone else." He said. "Oh." She said. "We might want to clean up. Everybody must be worried about you. Especially Rei." He said. "Yeah." She replied. But he can't help but feel a little envy and jealous again. And she can't help but feel a tug on her heart.

By the time they got back to the mansion, hugs were exchanged everywhere. Apologies, too, were said because of turning their backs on her for 9 months.

Sonomi handed Eriol something and nodded to him.

Eriol approached Tomoyo and showed her the ring. Everyone watched them, including Rei, with smiles on their faces.

"Do you still need this?" Eriol asked Tomoyo. She shook her head and faced him, again. "Not if it still has the spell on it." She said. "You want to remember the past?" he asked her. "Yes, I do." She said. Syaoran, Sakura, and Rei, watched as the ring started to glow.

"Is it safe now?" she asked him. He nodded and took her hand and slid the ring around her finger. Others thought it as romantic, forgetting about her real fiancée.

"Congratulations to the both of you!" Chiharu greeted them happily. Then suddenly, the others froze in their places.

No, no, no, no! This is a wrong picture. It's as if Eriol and Tomoyo are engaged instead of Rei and Tomoyo!

"Ah, no! I mean, congrats to the both of you but the other getting married to another. No! Uh… We're going home now, Tomoyo! See you tomorrow!" Chiharu said embarrassedly, and dragged the others away.

It was only Syaoran, Sakura, Sonomi, Rei, Eriol, and Tomoyo.

"Um, I'm going to my room. Nice seeing you again, Sakura-chan." Sonomi said, and went upstairs to her room.

"Eriol, do you have say something to Tomoyo before the three of us go?" Sakura asked him. "Nothing." He replied, and then, he paused a little. "What?" Syaoran said, annoyed. "See you in the wedding." Eriol told Rei and Tomoyo. And then he left the other four. "Wait, Hiiragizawa!" Syaoran yelped, dragging Sakura along.

And now, just Rei and Tomoyo.

"So, you remember him, now?" Rei asked her. "What?" Tomoyo asked him. "That person you said you couldn't remember 9 years ago. It was him, right?" Rei told her. "Yes." She replied, nodding. "Well, what kind of things do you remember about him?" he asked. "Well, I remember some things like, how we met, and other things about what happened in our past." She said. "So, are you satisfied?" he asked. "Of course I am! I finally remember what was forgotten long ago." She said. "Really?" he said. "Yeah." She replied. "And it was supposed to be forgotten." She muttered, hoping he didn't hear her.

But he did.