I left off at the part where Sakura has just left to go on her date with Syaoran. Fujitaka goes back into the house to cook dinner, while Touya goes back into the house to find his mother's time capsule. Without further ado, I give you part two.

Time Capsule

Part 2

"I'm home!" Sakura called as she stepped into the living room, flushed and warm. She left the door open upon arriving home and made Touya close it as he was crossing the rooms. Touya let out a testimonial growl of distaste. He really wanted to punch something that should have brought his sister to the door. These two were smart kids.

"How was your date?" Fujitaka asked kindly. He was looking at his angelical daughter with laughter in his eyes.

Sakura blushed as she clasped her hands over her heart. "Wonderful. Syaoran's like a dream come true."

Touya snorted earning him a seething glare from his younger sibling.

"On a side note… Syaoran wants to take the family out for lunch tomorrow. Otou-san, can you come?"

"Actually, I have a deadline for Monday. I was going to take my work to the park, so I can clear out some questions. Sometimes working in a confined office suffocates the brain and that need to step outside becomes too strong to resist. I can accompany everyone to the park."

Sakura whined. "Are you sure you don't have even an hour to spare? We are going to catch a movie afterwards."

Fujitaka chuckled. "As tempting as that sounds, I'm afraid I really have to finish the paper. I'm sorry, Sakura, but maybe next time."

Touya huffed behind them. "You said the gaki wanted to take the family out. You haven't asked your onii-chan, yet."

Sakura crossed her arms irritably and mumbled, "Only if you invite Yukito-san."

"Even if I didn't invite him, it's not really up to me. Yuki likes to weasel his way into my business."

Sakura snorted. "Of course. Your business is his business. Someone needs to keep a tight leash on your barbarity otherwise you'd be attacking all our neighbors and friends."

"The one who needs a leash is that idiotic boyfriend of yours. Yuki caught you making out with the gaki between the lockers. No, Yuki didn't tell me—I had to squeeze it out of him when he failed to bring you home last Wednesday."

Sakura turned beet red. "That's not what we were doing!" She cried.

"Maybe not. I can't imagine him groping a shrimp like you." The thought of the gaki groping his little sister was maddening. He should not have conjured up the idea by bringing the incident up.

"I don't like where this talk is heading," Fujitaka snapped, his eyes flashing behind his spectacles.

Seething silence settled between the siblings.

Fujitaka broke it by saying, "Touya, you will invite Yukito-kun to lunch with Sakura and Syaoran-kun. I will walk with the four of you until I get to the park. No more bickering tonight."

"Now that Otou-san has settle tomorrow's business, I have an announcement to make," Touya spoke flamboyantly. He moved to the center of the room his hands held behind his back as he swiveled around the pieces of furniture. Then, with a vibrant "ta-da", he brandished out the tin box he held behind his back. "Behold Okaa-san's time capsule!"

"You found it!" Sakura shouted in excitement. She could not stop clapping and hopping on her two feet.

Fujitaka went around her to open the lock that held the cover over the box. "Where did you find it?"

"In the attic behind some old boxes of magazines."

"You aren't completely blind and inept after all," Sakura sneered.

Touya's stare darted on her. And he froze. "What the hell is that?"

Sakura snapped a hand over her neck. "What's what?" She smiled meekly.

"That is a hickey!" Touya spat as he strode forward and snatched her shielding hand away from her tender skin.

Sakura was embarrassed, but she was not going to lie now that she was caught with a love mark on her. "Hickey, blemish, whatever." She pulled away from her brother and joined her father. Instinctively she grabbed for her father's arm.

"Hickey? Blemish? Whatever?" Touya repeated stupidly.

Fujitaka was too busy staring at the first thing that was stacked in the open box of history. He was so distracted by the photograph that lay on top of everything else; he was actually missing every word exchanged between his children.

Fujitaka threw his head back and laughed. He laughed so hard tears burst from his eyes and started trickling down his cheeks. Sakura pealed away from him and Touya was staring at him as if he had sprouted a second head.

"What's so funny?"

"I don't find this humorous, Otou-san…"

Fujitaka waved the photo in front of his children. "This… This… This… Hahaha." He was cracking up before he could form a sentence.

Touya and Sakura bent their heads to study the photograph of younger versions of themselves. Touya was on the floor face down, grimacing, as a baby, sucking on her pacifier, sat on his back and pulled his leg in a death twist. She would have made wrestling professionals around the world proud.

Sakura joined the laugh, but Touya was none too happy. He was trying to point out how his child self was only acting when even he remembered none of it was acting. Who was he trying to kid? His sister always had him in knots even though she was not aware of it.

Sakura fell to the floor snorting. She eventually knocked Touya to the ground in a mock imitation of the photograph.

Touya grounded out her name. Then, he said to his father, "You think this is funny."

"I would have stopped it a long time ago if I didn't find it amusing… There are so many photographs in here that I don't remember ever seeing. I think I will make a scrapbook for them… Oh, but here, Nadeshiko already started one… This I'll name Sibling Rivalry; when Baby Triumphs."

"Kaiju! I'm still going to punch your boyfriend silly! I haven't forgotten about that bruise on your neck."

Sakura gave a pat to his shoulder and rolled her eyes at him. "Oh, Onii-chan… Syaoran and I only kissed. Nothing happened."

Touya looked skeptical. "Try to keep him focused on the face if he's going to do that. He leaves any visible marks on you again; he'll be pulp the next time he comes around."

Seeing how hurt Touya actually was, Sakura hugged him from behind. "There, there, Touya-bean. You'll always be Number One Onii-chan no matter how much Syaoran means to me."

The young man smirked. "And you're Number One Kaiju-plum."

"You're right," Sakura muttered with a frown. "Don't use the nicknames Okaa-san made up. It sounds utterly detestable coming from you."

"Glad we can finally agree on something, Kaiju."

Fujitaka spoke up to interrupt them. "Guess what else I found?"

The three of them found sea shells, rocks, costume jewelry, teeth (Sakura and Touya's baby teeth), locks of hair, and nail clippings (again from Sakura and Touya's baby bodies), and an assortment of embarrassing things a mother could keep.

Touya and Sakura stepped back as Fujitaka went through the memorabilia of his children. A bit disturbed and annoyed, the children withdrew for the night.

As they were going upstairs to get ready for bed, Fujitaka could hear the beginnings of another squabble.

Sakura was saying "… Bring it on, you big oaf!"

"You might win someday… Big nose, duck feet and all…" Touya taunted.

There was some banging and name calling, but it died eventually. The noise died as Fujitaka reached the bottom of the case and pulled out a small red book. Etched in the cover in gold swirls was the word Diary.

Fujitaka's fingers trembled as he pulled back the cover and lamented over the first page. He felt an uncontrollable tremor through his body as he gazed at his beloved wife's elegant handwriting.

March 3, 1976

He smiled at me when I participated in his lecture

March 3, 1976

At the end of class, he handed out all the corrected exams. Myra-chan got a 62 and was glad she was barely passing, whereas I received a hand on my shoulder and a comment that melted me inside out. He said to me "well done!"

March 4, 1976

Today, I think he looks stunning in his sky blue T and black slacks. The way he tilts his head at a slant as he speaks is so riveting. A.N. + K.F. = forever

March 4, 1976

His smiles are rare and I wish they were solely mine.

March 4, 1976

Sonomi-chan and I went for ice-cream after school. I thought I should try something new in response to my newfound love. I tried garlic flavored ice-cream and loved it!

The first few pages of her diary contained short entries of her first crush and only love. Fujitaka hardly believed there was actually someone out there who studied him as well as Nadeshiko did. Fujitaka frowned and thought that this should not be such a great surprise to him. After all, Nadeshiko was the one who had the courage to pursue and sustain their love. She had always understood him more than he could understand himself.

He did not know when he started drifting off, but it was getting late and he could not quite keep his eyes open. As he fell asleep, his last thought was of a bell tree standing in the middle of a courtyard and a young girl sitting under that tree. She was hard at work, writing in her little red notebook.

Fujitaka awoke the next morning to the smell of coffee. He wandered listlessly into the kitchen and met his offspring and Yukito sitting around the dining table.

"Ohayo!" His daughter was the first to greet him cheerily. The rest followed with a little less energy.

"Is it truly 10:30 already?" Fujitaka sputtered at the microwave clock as he had his cup of coffee.

"Late night for you," his son murmured a droll look on his usually bored face.

Fujitaka waved at him dismissively and snatched a bagel from the centerpiece on the table. "I'll take this to my study and gather all my necessary material before we head out."

"Otou-san!" Sakura huffed as she placed her hands on her hips and tapped her foot.

Frazzled, Fujitaka answered her, "Yes?"

She glared and made quite a cute sight so late in the morning. Touya coughed up a laugh.

"Oh! I nearly forgot to bring a coaster up with me! We wouldn't want to leave unattractive marks on the mahogany desk I just bought."

With a satisfactory smile, Sakura nodded. "Maybe you should keep one there just in case. I always have Kero bring an extra snack on excursions just in case. This is another one of those 'just in cases'."

By the time Fujitaka washed up and gathered everything in his bag, it was already noon. As he promised, he walked the children halfway to their destination before he found a spot under a cherry blossom tree in the park.

"Are you positive you can't come?" Sakura questioned again.

"Sorry, Sakura."

She sighed before running off to catch up with the boys who were already ahead of her. "We'll see each other when we get home. Take care!" She called over her shoulder.

Fujitaka settled in and grabbed everything out of his pack. The final item he pulled out was actually Nadeshiko's diary. He wondered how it had gotten in with all his other books, notebooks, and papers. He flipped to where he left off last night and found a more comfortable reading position.

April 21, 1976

There is a possibility that he likes me. After what happened today I have trouble shaking off this feeling that I know he likes me. In class today, I was doodling a picture of him and me, so I had no idea that the bell had rung and my classmates had all left. I heard him call me and I went over. By the tone of his voice, I knew I was in trouble. He caught me by surprise when he just gifted me with his smile and spoke of my brilliance or such. I barely heard him as I was drawn to the look in his eyes that reminded me of the painting of a sunset in Grandfather's office. I swear the beauty of that painting would never hold a candle to the colors of his eyes. He has a look of intensity that melts me to the floor.

He is the only one who cares. He has also offered to help me in math even though it is not his forte. Sensei can do anything and everything. He can tackle any subject and still keep his humanity unlike other teachers. I truly respect him and admire him for who he is. I will make sure I succeed, so I can deserve his acknowledgement.

This entry had Fujitaka all choked up. He wished Nadeshiko knew that without a doubt he had liked her a lot back then. He wished he could just tell her that there was no one more deserving of his acknowledgement than her. "My acknowledgment is insignificant compared to what I wish for you Nadeshiko. I only wished I could have given you more than what you had when you were alive…"

Out of no where a soccer ball collided with his chest. He gasped and looked up to see a child running up to him. "I'm really sorry, Mister! My friends were aiming for the goal, but they overshot!"

"It's okay," he said, picking the ball up from his lap and handing it back.

As the boy left, Fujitaka looked up to the heavens. "My mistake, Love. I didn't mean to degrade myself in your presence again. How can I forget how that made you felt?"

A breeze stroked his face and he closed his eyes. It almost felt like a touch.

When he opened his eyes, he was on a different page of the diary.

May 1, 1976

I cannot believe what I have done! I climbed a tree to investigate what all the commotion was about in the headmaster's office. Sonomi kept protesting, but I was curious as to what the topic of the argument was. When I reached the top and hid behind the branches of the tree, I could make out a couple of the teacher's faces and the headmaster's face. Toei-sensei's face was the reddest and he was still yelling, completely drowning Sonomi's protest from below…

"You can't let him do this. He just graduated. He hasn't got the kind of experience we have!" Toei screeched.

"Even supposing so, don't you think it's only reasonable to give Kinomoto's ideas a spin. It wouldn't hurt to try," Utada, one of the few young teachers who actually had the nerve to stand up to a tenured teacher, spoke up. "Right, Suma? For someone who sits right next to Kinomoto and undoubtedly experienced the other teacher's devotion to his work and intellect in his subject, you sure are a man of few words."

"I don't think it's my place to change the headmaster's mind about this," the math teacher grunted. He shrugged at the concept the same way he shrugged at the students he cared little for. "Who am I to speak for one man?"

"It's too early in the day to be arguing over this, anyway. Many of us have not even gotten to school, yet, and that does not exclude Kinomoto. It's best Toei, Kinomoto, and Headmaster spoke on private grounds later. I believe such a disagreement can be resolved, then," said one of the female teachers.

Suma puffed up his chest. "That's an idea for you. I still want to give my opinion right now, though."

Utada smiled sardonically. "Speak, then. I have a feeling what you say will have a strong motion on the final decision."

"Change is a scary thing," Suma eyed his colleagues warily. "It just might disorient the system if we allow this change to take place. That's all the input I have."

"I'm afraid that's what I'm worried about as well," said the headmaster grimly. "I didn't bring that to mind until Toei spoke on the subject."

"Nadeshiko, I think a teacher's coming!" Sonomi's urgent whisper caught Nadeshiko's attention. She leaned down to catch Sonomi pounding on the trunk of the tree. "Get down!"

She immediately started climbing down even though Sonomi was changing her mind and saying, "No, no, no. Stay…"

Nadeshiko felt her toe slip from the branch below her. As she fell and the air swept at her, she could still hear Sonomi shouting. "Nadeshiko!" A little later after she fell, she heard her cousin gasp, "Kinotmoto-sensei!"

She thought she was dead. When she realized she was not she wished she were. She only saw splotches of light after she slammed into something hard. Something that was wearing maroon silk. She had landed right on top of a man. Not just any man, but a teacher. Moreover, not just any teacher, but her one and only; Fujitaka Kinomoto.

"Amamiya-san…" He groaned from beneath her. He sounded like he was in pain and he sounded like he was teetering on the edge of patience. She had crossed the line this time. Horrified, Nadeshiko watched her cousin run back into the main building of the school. Her only thought was running, too, but a steady hand on her shoulder and beautiful chestnut eyes that stared at her with gentle concern, kept her awkwardly still. He definitely seemed more worried than angry, though; the look in his eyes told all. She almost forgot he even had an angry bone in him if it were not for the next thing he said to her.

What did she expect? She landed on her teacher. She had been caught eavesdropping on a faculty meeting. There was no way she could justify her actions today. The only course was detention. Detention would not be as bad with Kinomoto-sensei. He was one of those people she trusted. He was one of those people who listened. He was also one of those people she wanted to spend more time with together.

After finally confiding her feelings for her teacher to Sonomi, her cousin told her that her feelings were that of a person facing her first love. They were 'cute' and 'ephemeral'. Those were Sonomi's precise words. These words were hard to believe, especially after Nadeshiko herself faced the full affects of her feelings. If this were something that was short-lived and seemingly pointless, why would anyone do something so immorally wrong for the experience?

In Nadeshiko's case, she did something uncharacteristic; something that would have disappointed her wonderful teacher or something that would have gotten her expelled. She did not consider the consequences of her act of a common criminal that one time, but what she did was wrong and she could never bring the courage to tell anyone, especially him.

It was right before detention and she was practically skipping to Kinomoto-sensei's classroom. Nadeshiko had anticipated her punishment all day, but she merely stopped now as she overheard the teachers arguing—yet again. The first one to draw her attention was Toei-sensei. Toei-sensei's shouting penetrated the headmaster's office door. He sounded furious. Only out of pure curiosity, she moved closer to the door. As she pressed her ear to the door to differentiate the voices, she heard Fujitaka using his soft-spoken tone. It was outrageous the way Toei-sensei demeaned a noble colleague. He had no basis calling Kinomoto-sensei incompetent. And now, the argument the teachers were having in the headmaster's office just the day before made perfect sense. They had been arguing over Kinomoto-sensei's plans for an academia revolution. Nadeshiko did not understand much about math and school in general, but her history teacher's interest in education had to be critical. He aimed to aid students achieve their aspirations. That was what she loved about him.

Yes, love. It was not just a cute, short-lived crush she was hanging onto everyday she encountered him. It was something deeper and more powerful than any other force of nature. Love. There was no other name to call her feelings for this man. That meant she would do anything for him even if it meant sneaking into Toei's office and stealing his written exam. Here was her chance to prove her love for Fujitaka and at the same time, teach Toei a lesson on teamwork. The teacher was as uptight as her grandfather at times, except unlike her grandfather, Toei lacked a heart to feel and an ear to listen.

The school was a shambles the following day. The only regret she had was causing Fujitaka further pain and embarrassment. Everyone, including some of the people she used to call friends, claimed he was guilty. Where was the concrete evidence that he was the one who stole the answer key to the exam? They were basing their accusations on word of mouth that probably started with that arrogant Toei-sensei! Nadeshiko, however furious she was with the student body and teachers, still directed her outrage on herself. The anger she pinpointed on herself was more potent than the anger she felt when she was caught writing in her red diary at the time Fujitaka called on her. The exasperation due to shame that day had been strong enough to make her blush, not that Fujitaka had noticed. Now, this new anger at her self went beyond knowing her disgrace. It hit the spot for seeing her favorite mentor carry on in a hampered style tore her to shreds. It was not her imagination when she saw that he walked through campus with shoulders that sagged more than before and his beautiful eyes downcast. It was not her intention to make him feel the way he did or change his outward appearance.

She intended to make him realize that at least one person in the world adored him. So what if she was insignificant in his eyes? He needed to know.

Thus, on the day of one of their tutoring sessions, Nadeshiko spoke up. "Sensei, I need to tell you something," Nadeshiko said, her muscles tautening.

"I also have something to tell you," he said, with a warm smile that touched his gentle eyes. "But, you may go first."

"I appreciate you as a teacher." She felt as red hot as a chili pepper and probably took on the color of it as well.

Fujitaka seemed to pause in shock, treating what she said like a bombshell. Were compliments from his students intermittent? He was speechless for so long that Nadeshiko thought he had lost his sense of speech. Her words could not have been that insignificant that he deemed it unnecessary to respond to her.

"Is Suma-sensei giving you a hard time? Did you not do well on your last assignment?" He suddenly asked after a breadth of silence.

"No and no. Sensei, what makes you think that?"

He looked thoughtful as he tapped his pen to his jaw. "It's just that I can't put a frame over why you would say something like that."

"To you? You're a great teacher Kinomoto-sensei. No matter what others say, you would never do something as vain as steal from another teacher."

"You're very sure about that, Amamiya-san," he said, tilting his head to look at her critically. "And you are very honest."

It was not possible for Nadeshiko to take on a permanent red color, but around him, anything was possible. She wished she could just crawl into a hole and rot there for her sin. He probably had a suspicion…

"… I also appreciate your diligence and effort, Amamiya-san."

"You do?" This time she sounded surprised. During this entire conversation, she was certain that they were definitely two peas in a pod. They were definitely a match made in heaven. They were definitely made to fit each other as a shoe would fit a particular foot.

He chuckled as he bent his head in a nod. "Your words mean a lot to me. I am proud to say you are my prized pupil."

She jabbed at him a little. "I'm sure you have other prized pupils."

"I hope I will find some in the near future. Great pupils find themselves before any teacher claim to have known them. Amamiya-san, I will remember you always… As a student… My best student…"

The way he hesitated and the way he took on this resigned tone had her rocking on her heels. "You said there was something you wanted to tell me."

He shook his head, clearly to rid of unwarranted thoughts in his mind. "Oh, yes. I wanted to let you know that the sister university offered me a job. I've always wanted the opportunity to travel and teach. It is possible for me to travel as a university professor."

Nadeshiko froze. Her heart skipped a beat, too. "This is your dream."

"Dreams change as we grow up, Amamiya-san. This used to be a dream of mine, but now it's just a very tantalizing option I have no intention of passing up."

She managed a genuine smile for him. "You deserve all the options the world will give you."

"And so do you," he replied with utmost sincerity.

"That's wonderful. Good luck, Kinomoto-sensei," she told him before turning on her heels and heading out the door. It did not matter that she did not get the chance to go over some math questions with him because she was delighted that he got the wonderful job. She was brimming with joy for her mentor throughout the car ride home. Then, why was her face washed with unnecessary tears of sorrow when she got to her room?

Sonomi-chan caught the tears when she walked in on her, but Nadeshiko never told her the true reason she cried. She told her cousin it was another bad test grade that was probably the boot that would kick her off the track team. Everyone in the household knew how much track meant to her. Sonomi knew better than to believe a blatant lie coming from Nadeshiko. It was not the first time Sonomi had seen her bring tears back from school, but she was not going to press out the true reason for the tears. Maybe their grandfather could figure it out better than she, why the girl that was like a sister to her could sob in such anguish.

Her family would never find out how much her teacher had meant to her at the time until later on in the future. Even she would not fully grasp how much he meant to her until after her epiphany. The epiphany would come to her in a way that all surprises came after us in some critical point of life.

Fujitaka did not know he had the power to seduce this sixteen-year-old into loving his smile, compassion, and humility. The sound of his voice shook her to the marrow of her bones. That was the kind of force he had over her. Thus when she did hear him call her, she jumped at the opportunity to meet him again.

She could not remember what they had studied that late afternoon. The date was all she had in mind—if she had a right to call it that—in which Fujitaka told his life story to her. He was like the energizer bunny. He just kept going and going and going.

He told her, "I was raised by my grandmother when my parents died in a car accident. My grandmother passed away just when I turned sixteen. It wasn't until the university accepted me that I turned my life around and changed myself. I decided I wanted to be a teacher and give back to all the people who did care about me. Maybe a part of me also wanted to prove that I was strong enough to move on. Maybe another part of me just wanted to show everyone that I am not who they think I am."

"Who? Who do they think you are?" Nadeshiko had asked over her steaming cup of cocoa.

He shrugged, "Not much, I guess."

Every muscle seemed to tense in the girl's shoulders.

As if not seeing how her posture completely altered, Fujitaka rattled on. "I finished college and started tutoring for a year and a half before I applied for the job to teach at your school. Your headmaster was wonderful. I thought he had hired me for the reason of changing your school for the greater good. Maybe I shouldn't think that change is for the greater good. Maybe change would be too much for those who are used to what is common and safe."

"No, change is good," she cut in.

"I still can't help, but consider how it's always been and respect that. You know, my favorite color is green and I like to drink coffee with an English muffin." At this, he looked directly into her eyes and stared. His gaze was filled with warmth and adulation before it shifted.

"When I was eight, I had this dream of becoming a jet pilot. Then, I turned nine and decided that being a garbage man would be a lot of fun. As children, I guess we would all have fickle dreams. I think my favorite movie at the time was Peter Pan. It was the first play I watched with my father before he passed away. My mother bought me the Disney soundtrack on my fifth birthday before she passed away. I still have the ticket stump and I still have that cassette. There are just some things that I cherish so much; I lock it up in a safe. When I'm done teaching, I usually like to settle in the living room and just splay every item from work all around me. Seeing every book and paper scattered around just makes the job a little less overwhelming. It's fun to go on those trips for research and projects sometimes. The trips remind me of why I chose to become a professor…"

"Why?"

He blinked at her. "To be blessed with the chance of meeting people like you."

She blushed. She also wished that a day could be longer, so she could stay with him long after her curfew. The highlight of that afternoon they spent together had to be the moment he took her hand and placed it in his pocket to keep her warm. For the first time in all her blossoming sixteen years, she was glad that she had missed her train.

The months would pass on by as fleeting as the seasons. The letters and long distance phone calls between them were never few. After their first date they made a silent pact that, they would devote their fondness to each other. Nadeshiko kept all his love letters under lock and key; she always wore the key around her neck.

On the day that Fujitaka was to return to Japan from one of his excavations, Nadeshiko could barely hold in her excitement.

"You seem more jubilant than usual," said Honda Takamaru, her friend and long time study buddy. "Not that you aren't always a ray of sunshine in everybody's life, but it's just today seems special."

Nadeshiko jumped and grabbed his arm in her excitement. "Yes, you're absolutely right. Today is special." Ever since she found out that Honda-kun had an older girlfriend, she was comfortable talking to him about relationships. In that sense, she and her classmate were kin.

"Do I need to guess?" He asked wryly as he escorted her out the front doors.

"No, but he's back."

"Then, I would have guessed correctly. I'm happy that you're happy."

"Thank you, Honda-kun."

Just as she turned her head to the side and broke eye contact with Honda Takamaru, she thought she saw a familiar profile retreating away from the school gates. It could not have been whom she thought. She went home and got to the phone right away to confirm Fujitaka's return.

"Moshi Moshi." It was like listening to the hum of a brand new car engine. His voice always had that lulling effect.

"Ah, Sensei! You're finally home. How was your trip? We need to catch-up probably this weekend," Nadeshiko said in a rush.

"Amamiya-san we should end this." His tone was low. Brisk. Hesitant.

"What?" She asked breathlessly.

There was a long pause. "I'm just very busy," he finally said.

"Oh, then, I'll call you at a better time."

"No… I'll be busy everyday. Stop calling and don't write anymore letters to me." With that said, he hung up.

It did not make sense at all. He did not want to hear from her anymore.

"Sonomi-chan, am I a nuisance?"

"You can be when you want to be," her cousin said without looking up from her reading. After a minute of silence and still no retort or smart word from Nadeshiko, Sonomi turned in her seat.

Nadeshiko was lying on her back in Sonomi's bed with her hand over her brow. Her muddled green eyes gazed blankly at the ceiling.

"You're supposed to come back with a "you're no better" or "at least I'm not a bookworm"!

Disregarding Sonomi's worried voice, Nadeshiko said softly, "That's the only reason why he won't see me if it's not about being busy."

"What?" Sonomi snapped. She bounded toward the bed and jumped.

Flopping like a dead fish, Nadeshiko sighed like a love-struck teenage girl.

"Is this about a boy you like?"

Nadeshiko pressed her face into the bunched up sheets near her head and gave a muffled, "yes."

"Why don't you just ask the guy why he doesn't want to see you anymore? He's obviously chickened out on you. Sometimes the girl needs to wear the pants in a relationship."

"You know, I hope you don't say that to your boyfriend. He wouldn't appreciate it."

"Tough love."

After that, Nadeshiko actually went to see Fujitaka under her cousin's advice.

Her attentive, calm, and ever doting professor sat on the green grass of the school campus ground. The earth spanned around him as it consumed him and his many books and papers. Fujitaka was perfect in his element. As an educator, of course books, students, and possibly, other love interests surrounded him. She was only a grain of sand in the limitless desert. She could never catch his eye no matter how much she attempted to doll herself up. His essence eclipsed her in every possible way.

Disheartened, Nadeshiko almost made a turnaround. The only thing that actually stopped her was her cousin's harsh words. Sometimes the girl needs to wear the pants in a relationship. Squaring her shoulders, Nadeshiko marched right over to her mentor and greeted him lightly.

She sensed how he immediately tensed. A string of his excuses accompanied the reaction she caused in him. "I'm busy." "I'm older than you…" It did not matter what he said to her. She was deaf to his excuses because she deeply admired and deeply adored this man. It was a love for his kindness, encouragement, and even sometimes coldness if it came with the package. Love was unconditional. Who cared what others thought? They did not matter at all when only two people were involved.

No matter how furious Nadeshiko was with him, he still managed to ignore her and give her a cold shoulder. It was easy for Fujitaka to dismiss her. Discard her. Stomp on her still beating heart. Throw her in a disconcerting world, where she could not tell the difference between heaven and earth. The world was actually spinning as she heard him say his goodbye with finality, a finality that had the edge of a knife blade for a clean cut.

As Nadeshiko ran passed the college students and the gates, she did not see the rush of the world in front of her. She only pictured a man in a desolate area far behind her. He was near impossible to reach now that she was running the other way. Yet, this was what his tone of voice and posture had told her, 'run and don't look back.'

Nadeshiko did not look back, but she also did not look ahead. Ahead were the life and the future to be. It all flashed before her eyes in the moment that she almost died. Running into the street and into oncoming traffic opened her eyes to a lifetime that brimmed with both joy and sorrow.

In the moment that the side of a car swiped at her, she saw the universe collapse and encapsulated within a black box. In the center of the black box, there was an explosion of sparks that eventually slowed and halted in the dark spaces. During this bang of luminescence she envisioned a little boy with hair as dark as hers and eyes as bright as Fujitaka's eyes. She also envisioned a baby girl with hair like her father's hair and eyes that were hers. She saw flashes of their lives as they grew up and she aged. Then, at the last instant, Fujitaka's gentle expression popped to the forefront. His face was a picture of hurt and profound love.

There is a limit to life. Nadeshiko realized this immediately after waking up in her own room with her cousin's arms around her neck, her aunt pecking her face with a wash of kisses, and her grandfather crying silently by her bedside. It took courage to take one's life and use it to pursue one's greatest desires because, eventually, the hourglass would run out. Eventually one runs out of that limited life to pursue unlimited love. Nadeshiko was not about to waste anymore of her time. Once Nadeshiko was well enough to walk again and face the daily routine of life, she sought out her life, her future, and her love. After all, he was only a telephone call away.

They met at the bell tree grove. As the leaves fell and twirled a dance around him, he felt awestruck by the scene. He arrived half an hour early just to get the seat at the bench. He did not expect her early, too.

"Fujitaka, how long have you been here?" She sounded surprised.

Fujitaka looked down the path and saw her in a yellow floral dress. She held her face at a slant as she looked at him.

"You're early!" He called back. Somehow, he had gotten off the bench and was now standing in the middle of the path.

She shook her head and quickened her pace towards him. Her walk steadily turned into a sprint. When she reached him, she just collapsed into his embrace knowing that she had finally returned to the home she knew she always belonged.

"I have missed you dearly. Aishiteru," he murmured into her hair, before he could catch his own mistake. The phrase just fell out before he could rescind.

"Really?" She pulled her head back to look at him. He remained speechless, his mouth slightly open.

"Baka…" She whispered and slanted her face to kiss him full on the mouth. "You should also know… Aishiteru yo and I always have and I always will." The determination in her eyes and her tone fiercely bolstered her tender words.

He moved back an inch, feeling doubtful. "I'm older. I'm a part time professor, full-time archaeologist. I might not be able to give you all that you need… Your happiness is most important to me."

"Baka!" She took his head between her hands and shook him. He felt somewhat dizzy. "Fuji, are you blind? I am most happy when I am with you. I smile so much when I'm with you; my face is beginning to hurt."

He took her face in his hands, too. "I wish to see you smile forever."

"Then, tell me something to make me do just that."

Again, he folded his arms over her shoulders. "I am yours forever."

She trembled in his arms. "Tell me the other thing again."

"Aishiteru yo," he whispered against her lips. He promised her with the touch of his kiss.

Fujitaka snapped to attention when he heard a familiar voice call out to him. "Otou-san!" The memory broke off and he was back on Earth.

Fujitaka looked up and saw four familiar people waving at him.

"Otou-san, you're still here?" Sakura asked in surprise.

Fujitaka rubbed his eyes. "I guess I am. Gee, time really flies nowadays."

"A bit of light reading?" Touya inquired, picking up his mother's diary in the grass. He tucked it in Fujitaka's hands again.

"Yes," Fujitaka answered dazedly.

"It gets chilly late in the day. We should really head home soon," Yukito suggested over Touya's shoulder.

"I agree." The older man got up and dusted his pants.

"I can help with dinner."

"That would be wonderful, Syaoran-kun! Yukito-kun should also stay for dinner." Fujitaka smiled at all of them.

"Sugoi!" Sakura shouted, already dragging her boyfriend down the sidewalk.

Yukito and Touya followed, but Fujitaka was slow to come.

Fujitaka.

He heard his name.

Always yours.

Fujitaka touched his jaw where he felt warm fingers trail. He felt her and mouthed, "Aishiteru yo, my Nadeshiko." The touch slowly ebbed away.

"Otou-san, are you coming?" Touya called impatiently.

Smiling, Fujitaka jogged over to the small group with that diary tucked under his arm. His family circled him worriedly. To them he must have been acting out of character of late; he was obliged to amend their thinking. He laughed it off and told all of them everything was fine.

Everything was just right.

I hate saying 'The End'. But I said it. I only say it to put a wedge in between where I'm going to end it and where your imagination begins. I will update my other Card Captor Sakura fiction when I get the chance. I don't prioritize anything, so let's all just go with the flow. Don't forget to review.

Much Love,

MistyWing