Another Conversation

[Narukami Akira]

Wednesday, May 14th
12:05 PM

The plan to ask her to spar with me two days ago ended up failing rather spectacularly. Did she think I was too direct and sudden? Well, looks like I have to change my method a little. Instead of rushing, I should take it slow this time, getting closer to her bit by bit. So, yesterday, I decided to send another letter to her shoebox, inviting her to have lunch together with me, and gives her the reason that I just want to get to know her more as a fellow student from the same year.

And now I'm in the courtyard, lounging under the comfortable shade of a big tree, and on a picnic mat. I somehow decided to make my own lunch this time, which means getting up earlier than usual. It's not a special lunch, per se, with rice, sausages and fried eggs. Just plain regular food. But having lunch like this really has a special feel to it. No wonder I frequently see a pair of twin sisters eating here.

However, I wonder whether she will really come, or just simply stand me up and eat somewhere else. She rejected me promptly the other day too. I can't wait to taste my very own homemade food, but I also want to wait until Sakagami comes. My stomach is getting impatient. Is she busy with something related to the student council? But since the festival is over, they should take it a little bit easier, right? Still, she did come as I asked twice before, to meet me face-to-face as I requested, so maybe I should have faith in her.

[Sakagami Tomoyo]

Sakagami Tomoyo
______________________________________________________

Tomoyo’s eyes flickered across the slip of paper held loosely between her index and middle fingers. With speed only attainable through the same manner of detached attentiveness she was so accustomed to granting to the most menial of chores, her gaze broke away toward the nearest trash can in a matter of seconds.

A tired frown formed on her features.

She hated it. She really did. Perhaps “hate” was too strong a word, but it irked her when people left their little hand-scrawled notes and invitations in her shoe locker. Moreover, discovering them so early in the morning was a bother, particularly when the invitations, written the day before, concerned the very same day she would receive them. She imaged that whoever had written the note would be left cold, waiting in some place for the girl who would never show.

With a sigh, she crinkled the note in her smooth fist and discarded it.

If there was anything she actually hated, she hated the fact that she hardly felt any guilt at all. In a distant time (which was actually only several weeks earlier, but it felt like forever), Tomoyo would worry about not being able to attend to those whom had so humbly invited her to places. It was a strange phenomenon, developing a tolerance to guilt.

Dusting off her uniform with a single sweep of her hand, she turned on her heel and headed to homeroom.

…

In the end, she ended up showing by pure coincidence. Like a dream, her memory of the note had faded significantly as the day dragged on, until it existed only as a vague remnant in the back of her mind.

Today, Tomoyo finally had the chance to eat casually with her friends -- a rare occasion in recent days. Laughing and and strolling along in the center of her all-girl friend group, she would have passed by Narukami without even noticing; that is, if he hadn’t called out to her first.

She paused and glanced toward the direction of the voice. Brown hair, expectant eyes.

Tomoyo looked toward her friends with an apologetic gaze. “Hold on, I need to deal with something really fast,”

[/color] she told them, as unnecessary as the mention was. They had already grown used to her being called over by various people at random.

With her silver hair gleaming in the sun, Tomoyo approached him, taking in the sight of the picnic blanket spread across the grass. He'd been waiting for her this whole time...

A twinge of pity urged her on. What did the note say again? She tried to remember.

"If this is about what you asked me last time,"[/color] she said, guessing about the details of the note she had so quickly skimmed over, "If I do it, will you stop asking?"[/color]

[/size][/blockquote]

[Narukami Akira]

So she does come here, after all. However, looks like she's already has company. And I seriously want to talk a bit to her, in private, even if it's just for a little while. I decide to call out to her anyway, just for her to notice me.

Looks like she can hear me, and finally decides to come over. She does not look too pleased though. Can't we really be friends? Even though Sakagami-san sure is beautiful, somehow I don't have the urge to check her out like other cute girls, or enjoy her beauty from afar like what I've been doing with Ichinose-senpai. I just admire her, for being such a strong girl, and have an aura of a strong-willed heroine like the legendary Tomoe Gozen. I just want her to be a friend, a close ally, nothing more. Besides, having a female friends have certain perks, and maybe I can ask her for some advice about dealing with the fair sex.

Well, that's why she has no problems making friends. Many students look up to her, including me. And everyone wants to hang out with such a cool person.

She gets straight to the point, too. "If I do it, will you stop asking?" It's still a bit sudden to me. I'm not sure how to reply right away, only giving her a sort-of compliment:

"You surely have lots of friends", while trying to hide any sign of disappointment or longing in my voice.

"Well, of course". I try to pick my words. "It will be my pleasure if you agree. You can go to the dojo I'm currently attending this weekend, if you like, and, well, anytime you feel convenient. As long as you say yes, I won't bother you anymore."

"But, Sakagami-san..." It's not like I'm asking her to go out with me, why does it feel so difficult to say? "Can we be friends? I just... I'd like to know more about you."

[Sakagami Tomoyo]

Sakagami Tomoyo
______________________________________________________

“You surely have lots of friends,”

[/b] he commented.

Tomoyo only nodded and glanced quickly toward her friends, thinking little of the situation. She, hardly being one to overcomplicate things, regarded his words sincerely and without suspicion. To her, the young man’s words were the result of idle observation (although she couldn’t agree that she had lots). Regardless, it was a simple statement, one sufficient enough to hide from her the young man’s disappointment.

In the back of her mind, a small voice strained to be heard. As she stood there staring down at her fellow second-year who had sat here waiting for her for who-knows-how-long, Tomoyo worried, with waning patience, about her dwindling and precious leisure time. The small voice in her head only continued to grow incessantly louder by the second. It told her she was forgetting something important, but what was it? As much as she tried to grasp at the answer, it eluded her.

“It will be my pleasure if you agree,”[/color] he said carefully. “You can go to the dojo I’m currently attending this weekend, if you like, and, well, anytime you feel convenient. As long as you say yes, I won’t bother you anymore.”[/color]

The president paused in consideration and crossed her arms. She wondered if she’d end up regretting her decision in the matter of a few minutes. She wasn’t interested in martial arts at all, but… apparently she’d promised him. Plus, this would be the last time… so she sighed, nodded her head and accepted, all the while thinking only about how bothersome this whole affair was.

“Alright, I’ll be there.”[/color]

He looked visibly pleased, but there was also something else lingering in his gentle brown eyes. Lingering dissatisfaction. “But, Sakagami-san…” he said. “Can we be friends? I just… I’d like to know more about you.”[/b]

The voice in her head that had been trying so hard to be heard slowly became clear. This was what she had forgotten.

That pleading voice of his. He only wanted to be friends. There was no fault in that.

A pang of guilt swelled deep inside her.

On her way to the top, she had forgotten about those who had helped her reach that place… she was brushing them aside.

It was no longer a question of what they did to exhaust her. She’d always blamed it on their endless demands and requests, their lack of knowing that she was too busy to deal with frivolous things. No, it was only surmounting evidence that she was growing disconnected from the very same people who had supported her. Now, she asked herself why she was tiring of them, those who had done no wrong.

She stood there, stunned, with her arms dangling at her sides. She felt… terrible.

And the corners of her light pink lips to rise in a small, apologetic smile. She wasn’t hiding her guilt; no, not at all. She was resolving to fix it.

“Of course,”[/color] the student council president said. “Let’s be friends.”[/color]
[/size][/blockquote]

[Narukami Akira]

Finally.

Some progress.

She has agreed to be friends with me. At least that will make things easier when I introduce her to sensei at the dojo. Still, I'm glad. I really am. My first female friend at this school is the student council president. Sounds cool, huh?

"Thank you, thank you very much". I can't hold back my excitement. "I'm sure sensei will be very thrilled to see a person with incredible talent like you... oh, he's the head of the dojo I'm attending. A friend of my dad's."

Then, I suddenly remember about my food, which I have made more than usual, then reach back, take one of the two boxes, and show it to her.

"Oh, here you are. I somehow just liked to cook a lot this morning. You can share it with your friends. Don't worry, you can return it anytime you like."

Even though I cannot have lunch together with her, but at least, it's a good start. Who says people of the opposite sex can't be friends? Still, I hope there won't be any wild rumors about us.

END