Disclaimer, dedication, and notes can be found in part one.
Tomoyo turned the matter over several times as she headed for her bedroom.
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On one hand, Hiiragizawa-kun's total obliviousness to the situation, his complete lack of curiosity, was suspicious. She knew very well that she and Sakura-san had not been acting normal once they realized that Kero-chan was no longer tied up. She was also aware that Sakura-chan was a terrible liar and she, herself, couldn't act. Hiiragizawa-kun was not blind, nor was he stupid. Even Li-kun would have noticed something was amiss.
On the other hand, she had no proof.
She was irritated with herself for not leaving the camera behind when she and Sakura-chan had gone upstairs. But it hadn't occurred to her until she was in the car that she should have been watching Hiiragizawa-kun more closely. At first she'd been too relieved that he hadn't, apparently, noticed anything unusual. Then she had been too happy to tape Sakura-chan changing two more cards, and so very proud that her friend hadn't even felt a little sleepy after that.
But Kero-chan said he didn't know how he'd got loose. He liked to brag, so if he'd managed it on his own he'd have slipped and said so.
And her ribbon was gone.
It was possible that Sakura-chan would find it somewhere in her room that night. It could be that they'd missed some corner or forgot to check under a pillow or book. She doubted it because Sakura-chan had a small room, but it was possible.
What was troubling her as she changed into a nightgown and brushed her hair was why he'd kept it.
It was likely that he could have put it back the same why he'd got it out, completely unseen by her and Sakura-chan. If he'd had to take it out instead of just unwrapping Kero-chan and leaving the ribbon on the pillow, that was. Really, all he would have had to do was untie the knot and Kero would have done the rest. It didn't make sense.
He couldn't give it back to her. What would he say? That he'd found it downstairs? Outside? He couldn't just leave it in her desk or locker. Mailing it back to her was almost out of the question. Besides, how could he explain that he knew it belonged to her? Unless he watched Sakura-chan even more closely than Tomoyo did (and the only one who had managed that so far was Touya-san) he couldn't know that Sakura-san didn't wear such long ribbons. She'd already called him on that; he knew that she was aware of just how closely he did, and didn't, watch Sakura. She knew he really was a gentle person, that he cared for Sakura-chan very much, but she hadn't figured him out completely yet.
It was giving her a headache. By taking the ribbon, he'd have to keep it. He hadn't needed to take it. But he had taken it, and he had it now, and he had to keep it. Hiiragizawa-kun was a clever boy, a careful planner. What he'd done was an unnecessary risk, even if he wasn't aware of how closely Tomoyo followed his movements.
Perhaps he'd been too hurried, she thought tiredly. She'd given him very little time, inviting him to join them on a whim. With such short notice he might not have had time to think things through the way she was doing now.
That simply didn't harmonize with what she'd come to expect from him, though.
She felt like she should know why he'd kept her ribbon. It was somewhere inside her, in the back of her head, on the tip of her tongue. She just couldn't seem to bring it into the light of day to get a good look at it.
Well. Well, the thought would come when it would. She would understand his motivations when she was ready to understand. Chasing it in circles, she told herself as she shut off the lights, and losing sleep would be pointless. She needed to have her wits about her when it came to Hiiragizawa-kun, and she could not allow a single little red ribbon to throw her off. She had more, he was a friend, so it was okay if he kept one.