Chapter 1 Home for a Heartbreak

Chapter 1

The sun brightly shines in the sky. The leaves of the trees and plants sways with the breeze. The people in the shrine are all busy. Preparing for the summer festival.

A taxi stops in front of the shrine. The passenger came out with her suitcase.

I'm home.She thought as she walks towards the entrance of the "Tsukimine Shrine".

Holding her hat by her left hand so it will not go with the wind and pulling her suitcase with her right hand. The booths and tents are being fixed for the upcoming festival. She saw some people looking at her way as she walks. She doesn't know any of them, maybe they were hired by her parents.

She shrugs her head when she notices that the stares they gave her were one of….admiration?

She dismissed the thought and continue walking, never minding the people staring at her.

Her mother Kauri welcomed her in a tight embrace and so as her father Hotaro.

"You've totally changed my dear daughter. "her mother said as she looks at her from head to foot."But there's still sadness in your eyes."Kauri thought.

Kaho's hair was longer now, it reaches her knees with a soft curls at the ends. And the way she wears her dress was too different from before. If she can completely remember, her daughter never wear this kind of dress before.

She look stunning with this dress. She wear a dress that almost reach her ankles with frilly white laces adorning each hem. It's bodice fits perfectly on her curves. It's a plain yellow color that compliments her pale skin. And her neck adorned with simple necklace that has a small butterfly with red crystals in its wings that flickers in the ray of the sun as a pendant.

She smiled at her parents and said "No I haven't changed that much mother. Maybe my hair is a little longer than before and I changed the way I dressed. That's all and nothing more. And I'm really excited to tell you of what had happen to my life this past few years."she said with delight.

"But dear you look stunning and…and your aura seems to glow. And is it really nice that you will tell us what had happened to you." Her mother said.

She shrugs and walks with them in her cottage.

It was a long talk. She told her parents what had happened to her life in the past years. They were shocked when they knew that she stopped teaching and began designing dresses. She told them how she got herself in the field of fashion and told them the name of her friend that helps her through it. And she excitedly said that this friend of her will visit the country to meet them.

In the time she finished her tale she ask them how their life had been without her. And they happily told her that they had done fine and there have been a lot of changes in Tomoeda. They also told her that her friend Touya came once in a while to help in the shrine.

At the mention of the name she felt guilty. It's been a long time since the last time she communicate with Touya while he keeps sending her mails,e-mails and even calls her. But she did'nt return any answers to those.

"I need to apologize to him when we meet again. And maybe treat him to eat anywhere he want to compensate or anything he might like to do"she thought.

After long hours chatting with her parents they retire to their own cottage and let her take her rest.

Tomorrow is the festival and she's afraid of what might happen. She's afraid she can't face them. But she thought she had move on and can be civil to them. She will try her best not to dwell in the past when she encounters the people that was part of it. She can do it and with that she fell asleep.

"Summer Festival."she thought. How she hate this day. She hates to see people enjoying and exchanging laughter. Everyone was dressed in colorful yukata's so as she wears one. Greeting one another and skipping from tent to tent. She had seen her former students and co-teachers.

They were all surprise seeing me again, and told me that they are very glad to see me and well. Asked me questions like "are you staying for good? How are you doing? How's life? You seemed that you had changed a lot...etc..." it makes me irritated but I can't show them what I really feel so I was force to fake a smile so as not to answer those questions, she thought.

Its also something that change about her, her temper.

I shouldn't really be here. But my mother insisted that I should go home. I cannot refuse to her request this time, because I haven't been here for three years and they wanted to see me. Oh how I hate myself for feeling this way. She flea. And I thought I'm ready to face these people.

I thought I had move on. But why am I afraid to see them. I can't see them. She thought.

But fate is really deceiving her. The last happy couple she doesn't want to see anymore came into her view. She felt the urge of running away. But she can't do that; she might catch the attention of the people around.

She carefully put the sign "close for a moment" before she stepped out of the fortune booth and made her way to her cottage without anyone who knew her notice that she walked away, especially the couple who was the reason of this.

She made it to her cottage and she silently sit on her bed.

"Why did I go here?" she asked herself confusedly. "Am I supposed to be working there?" she blurts out and sighs. "Oh great! I'm turning insane because of my stupidity. I have move on, that's what I thought. But why am I feeling this way?" she said frustrated as she let herself lie on her bed and with her left hand on her forehead eyes close.

Without Kaho's knowledge her mother saw her walked back in her cottage.

Kauri asked her husband to relieve Kaho in the fortune booth and she followed Kaho onto her cottage.

She heard Kaho talking to herself. She can't help but feel sad for her daughter. She knew the first time she saw her again that Kaho is not yet ready to face the people on her past. A sad compassion is still written in her eyes. But she's hoping her daughter will release herself from this sadness.

Touya walks through the festivities. He heard that Kaho had been back since yesterday and he was wondering how is she doing.

He saw Kaho left the fortune booth and wanders why. He didn't get the chance to talk to her. He turned around and saw Eriol and Tomoyo in the candy booth across him. Now he knew why Kaho left. He thought that she had moved on, after three years away from here but he thought wrong."I wish I can take that pain away."

He just continues wandering around and hoping to see her again. Maybe she might go back in the booth. And they will enjoy the festival together. He decides to join Yukito and Nakuru.

Kaho decides to go outside her cottage and enjoy the day. She can't ruin her day grieving about her lost love life. After all she make herself believe that she had moved on. And she just felt this way because of her pride.

"Yeah. It's only her pride."she sigh.

She walks around the festivity and meet and greet some of her past students and colleagues. He wonders where Touya will be at this time. They haven't met since she arrived home. He is the only one she can talk to.That's what she thinks.

Since she don't look where she's going she bump into something that is hard. Before she hit the ground strong arms gripped around her waist to keep her from falling.

"Hey, watch out." a voice said. It turns out that she bump to someone.

"I'm sorry. "She said apologetically to the person she bump into. She looked up to see the person still holding her.

"Touya." she said surprised.

"Oh there you are. I've been wandering around for hours to see you."

"Hello to you too." she said smiling.

"So, how have you been?" Touya asked.

"I've been great if you don't know."she said playfully. She gained her balance and stand beside Touya.

"How was your stay abroad? You haven't called me when you're there. I thought you'd keep in touch? Touya asked.

"Hmmm...About that. I want to apologize for not answering your calls and not replying with your e-mail's. I've been really busy." she said seriously and looks at him in the eyes.

"Busy? Oh, you have a lot of explaining to do. You're the one who said to keep in touch but you don't even call once, even if it's to inform me that you're busy why you can't answer my calls and e-mail's." he said in a monotone voice. His expression is unreadable.

Her hands were fidgeting and she looks down as she think of an excuse to make amend to her friend.

Touya notices her reaction. His lips twitching as he suppress himself to make a full smile.

"Maybe..." he starts. Kaho raise her head and looks up to him. You should accompany me through the day. And the next few days?"

"I would love to." she said. Her face brighten up at the suggestion.

"It's settled then. You'll be my escort." Touya said grinning at her.

She hits Touya's shoulder playfully.

"nah.. At least I'm a beautiful escort." she snorts.

"Fine."

Then they laugh in their exchange of words.

They start strolling.

They moved from tent to tent. Take some pictures, eat and walked endlessly.

The conversation for lack of communication for the past years forgotten.

When the sun had finally set they rest in the shelter of the big tree far from the festivities going on the shrine.

Kaho sighed.

How she wish she'll be this comfortable and relax for the rest of her time here in Japan. She'll try her best to be what the new her is.

She'll be strong and kind as ever.