Twinkle Twinkle
Kaorin hurried past the students. She didn't want to be late for
astronomy club, and embarass herself in front of Nozomi-sensei. The
last incident etched painfully in her mind as she remembered herself
stumbling into the dark mini planetarium, causing a nearby pedestal to
fall and ...
* WHUMP *
Kaorin doubled over slightly as she wondered whether she had bumped
into some furniture again. Opening her eyes, she was surprised to see
a dazed Chiyo-chan peeking out from a pile of paper.
"Chiyo-chan, are you ok?" Kaorin reached out and held Chiyo-chan to
her feet. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you." Kaorin felt her face redden
with embarassment. (Why am I such a klutz?)
"Umm, I'm ok, Kaorin-chan." Chiyo replied as she rubbed her bruised
behind. Her eyes fell to the floor. "The surveys!" She frantically
gathered the scattered papers around her.
Kaorin reddened some more when she realizes that she might be the
cause of Chiyo's frantic state. "Here, let me help." She started
picking up the scattered papers. While handing them to Chiyo, she
read the words "Future Career Choices" near the top of the paper.
Smiling to herself, she remembered how indecisive she felt while
filling out the form in homeroom. She had started to write
"Astronaut", but later erased it. (I wonder what Sakaki-san wrote
down?) Kaorin handed some sheets to Chiyo and picked up some more.
While picking one up, she spotted the name "Sakaki".
Kaorin swallowed hard and feigned to pick up more papers as her eyes
hurriedly flew across Sakaki's survey.
Choice 1: Veterinarian
Choice 2: Florist
Choice 3: Stuffed Animal Shop Owner
She read it again.
"I think this is all of it. Thank you so much for helping
Kaorin-chan." Chiyo beamed her girly smile and her pigtails bobbed as
she tilted her head.
Reluctantly, Kaorin handed her the papers she picked up. "I didn't
see you Chiyo-chan, so it's really my fault."
Chiyo shook her head and her pigtails swayed in the air. "Um, no, I
wasn't paying attention, so don't worry about it." She stood up and
clutched the papers tightly. "I have to go. Sensei is waiting for
me. Ja ne!"
"Take care Chiyo-chan!" Kaorin waved a farewell. She watched her go
for a few moments. Then she whipped out her notebook. Hastily she
wrote, "Sakaki - Vete ... Pet doctor, Florist, ..."
(Ano, what was the third one?) She scratched her head. (Ah!)
"Stuffed toy seller".
She carefully tucked her notebook away and skipped to Astronomy club.
------------------------------------------------------------
Later that evening, Kaorin's mother was surprised to see Kaorin with
her head carelessly craddled in her arms, apparently napping on the
living room tablae. Around her were piles of books. Her mother
glanced at some of the covers:
Ikebana, The Ancient Art of Flower Arrangement
Dr. Misuno's Guide to Animal Biology
Build A Bear
Idiot's Guide to Doll Making
Flora and Fauna
Common Pet Ailments and Home Remedies
(Hmmm. She must have a book report due. But it's no good for her to
sleep here.) She leaned toward Kaori's ear, and took a deep breath.
"Kaori!!!"
------------------------------------------------------------
Later that week, Kaorin doodled absentmindedly in the cafeteria.
(What to do, what to do...) "Arrgh!" She crumples the paper into a
ball. (Now that I have all this information, what do I do with it?)
She tosses the the paper towards the waste bin, but it bounces off
Osaka instead. Osaka picked up the paper and began to unfold it.
(Eeee!) Kaorin scrambled from her seat and rushed over. Osaka read,
If only I could show you ...
How do I count the ways?
How will you know?
Kaorin grabbed the paper. "Gomen, Osaka-san, I was aiming for the
trash can."
"It's nothing. Besides, I like reading poetry."
(What?) "Umm, what do you mean?" sweatdropped Kaorin.
Osaka pointed to the crumpled paper. "Weren't you trying to write
some haiku?"
"Uh, yeah, I guess so." (I better just go along with her.)
"So, why did you write it?"
"Eh?"
"Weren't you inspired to write it? I read that a lot of poets write
from inspiration."
"Umm, it just came up, and it didn't sound so good, so I decided to
just throw it away."
"So, it came from nothing?"
"Well, not exactly."
"So where did it come from?"
Frustrated, Kaorin blurted out, "I was just trying to figure out how
to tell someone I like them!"
"Oh, so why didn't you say so?"
Chiyo came up to them and handed a small book to Osaka. "My favorite
book of impromptu haikus. I hope you enjoy it."
"Thank you Chiyo-chan."
"So what are you talking about?"
"Oh we were just talking trash." replied Osaka casually.
"Yeah, just trash. Er, I have to go now. Bye." Kaorin quickly
exited the cafeteria.
Chiyo-chan watched Kaorin leave. Intrigued, she asked Osaka, "How did
your conversation with Kaorin start?"
"With trash."
"Umm, could you be more specific?"
"Well you know how you want to say something, but don't know how to
say it?"
"Uh-huh."
"Because you don't know how to say it, you try to say it anyway, but
it doesn't make sense. So to make sense, you write it like poetry, so
it looks better. But it doesn't sound better, so you don't want to
say it. Since you don't want to say it anyway, you just throw it
away."
Chiyo just nodded her head throughout Osaka's explanation. Her
pigtails pumped the convoluted information into her brain.
"What did she want to say but couldn't?"
"How much she likes someone."
"Ah! She was asking you for advice!"
"No, she threw poetry at me."
"Eh?" Then the bell rang. "We got to get back to class, Osaka-chan!"
"Okay."
------------------------------------------------------------
Later that afternoon, the girls were talking during PE. Chiyo had
been mulling over what Osaka said. Her preadolescent brain could not
fathom why it would be such a problem to tell someone that he/she was
liked. She was so engrossed on the problem that she didn't notice
Tomo and Yomi.
"Hey Chiyo-chan." Tomo lightly tapped her on the arm. "Chiyo-chan!"
"Eh? Oh, hi Tomo. Hi Yomi."
"What's got you spaced out?"
"I was just wondering how you would tell someone you liked them."
Tomo and Yomi looked at each other and grinned.
Tomo beamed a smile. "Well, Chiyo-chan. If it were me, I'd go right
up to them and say it."
Yomi snorted. "Yeah, right. I remember the last time you tried to do
that. You went up to him and couldn't say a thing. Then ... mmmphf!"
Tomo had cupped her hand over Yomi's mouth. "Ahem, so how about a
letter?"
Yomi yanked Tomo's hand away. "Ha! I remember the last time you
tried to do that! You couldn't even sp... mmmphf!"
Tomo had cupped her hand over Yomi's mouth. "Err, so how about a
gift?"
"A gift?"
Yomi yanked Tomo's hand away. "A cute gift with a little note
attached to it."
"That sounds like a good idea! But what kind of gift would you give?"
Tomo and Yomi looked thoughtful. "I dunno."
"How about cookies?" suggested Yomi.
"Cookies would be good. Anything else?"
"Hell, why not octopus puffs? They're real yummy. But it has to be
hot."
"Baka, it has to be something better than that."
"So what's good enough to be a gift?" Chiyo asked.
"Hmmm." Both girls fell silent as they tried to think of something.
Just then Kurosawa-sensei blew the whistle. "Prrrtttt!!! Time to hit
the showers! Everyone get in line!"
"We'll have to get back to you about this Chiyo-chan. Don't worry
about it too much, ok?" Yomi gave Chiyo a wink.
"Yeah, we'll be back so you can tell us your first crush and...
mmmphf!"
Yomi had cupped her hand over Tomo's mouth. "Let's get going before
sensei yells at us."
Chiyo watched as Yomi dragged Tomo away. (She's stronger than she
looks.) thought Chiyo as she got up and made her way to the line.
------------------------------------------------------------
Tomo and Yomi sat in homeroom. Chiyo's question lingered in their
minds.
"Any ideas?" asked Yomi.
"I dunno," shrugged Tomo. Just then, Sakaki entered and sat at her
desk. "Let's go ask Sakaki."
"Hey, Sakaki." Sakaki looked away from the window and stared at
Tomo and Yomi.
"What kind of gift would you give to someone you like?" Yomi asked.
Sakaki crossed her arms in front of her and stared at her desk. She
sat like that while Tomo and Yomi stood patiently.
"It's the thought that counts." Sakaki said after some thought. She
looked at Tomo and Yomi who both wore confused looks on their faces.
Her eyes softened as she explained, "The value of the gift shouldn't
matter as much as the effort put into giving the gift." The girls
stared back. "Tomo, what is it you like most?" Sakaki asked. Tomo's
face brightened into a smile. "I like to run! And be the best that I
can be! Just watch me!" That said, Tomo starts running around the
classroom.
"How about you Yomi?"
"I like books." Yomi noticed a pencil on the floor to her left and
picked it up. "And I like looking after people I care about."
Suddenly Tomo skidded to a halt to Yomi's left. "How was that huh?"
She waved a thumbs up at Sakaki. "I won't lose to you next time!"
"Calm down Tomo, it was just a race." Yomi chided. "No, it's a
challenge!" responded Tomo.
"If you don't calm down, Sakaki-san won't give us her answer."
"Aww, alright. So, whaddya mean about the thought stuff?"
"Well Tomo, if a friend gave you 2 tickets to a race, would you be
happy?"
"Hell yeah."
"Even if the seats were far away?"
"It doesn't matter! It's a race!"
"And Yomi, if you received two books as gifts, one really expensive
book of a dry subject and the other is one you really liked, which
book would make you happier?"
"The one I like, of course." Yomi replied.
"Why?"
"Because it seems like my friend really thought about me." Then the
idea hit Yomi in the head like a stack of books. She blushed slightly
at the idea. "Oh." She whisphered.
"I still don't get it." Tomo rubbed the back of her head
absentmindedly. "Maybe if you gave some examples."
"I think I understand." Turning to Tomo, Yomi said, "Don't worry,
I'll explain it to you."
"Ok. So what do you like Sakaki-san?"
The question came so sudden that Sakaki flinched. "What do I like?"
The two girls stared at her like dogs waiting for scraps.
"Umm, I like animals and flowers. I like stuffed animals too." She
blushed.
"Oh, really, I'd have never thought." said Tomo. Sakaki looked up
with pleading eyes. "Please don't tell anyone."
Yomi was silently surprised at Sakaki. (There's more to her than
meets the eye.) "Don't worry, we won't tell anyone. We're sorry to
bother you. And thanks for the advice."
"Mm-hm. It's alright. See you later."
"Later!" Tomo and Yomi waved a curt farewell. Sakaki watched them as
they walked away.
(And I wish I had someone to care about too.) Wistfully, she stared
out the window.
------------------------------------------------------------
Later, that day Chiyo and Osaka were discussing a haiku from Chiyo's
book of poetry when Tomo and Yomi came up to them.
"Oy, I have an answer to your question Chiyo-chan." Tomo beamed a
wide smile.
"Eh? About what?"
"You know, about how you would tell someone you liked them."
"Oh, yeah. So what do you do?"
"All you have to do is think about it. It's the thought that counts."
Tomo smiled proudly while Yomi face-faulted. Chiyo-chan wore a
confused expression on her face.
"That's not how it is!" Yomi scolded Tomo.
"Let me start from the very beginning. You may give any gift you
want, but the gift has to come from the heart. However, the gift can
be more meaningful if it is something that the receiver values highly.
The gift is an expression of your thoughts, and your innermost
feelings. So with any gift, it's the thought that counts."
"Ooh..." Tomo, Osaka and Chiyo-chan's faces wore impressed looks as
they digested Yomi wisdom.
------------------------------------------------------------
The next day, Kaorin was finishing up her bowl of curry noddles, when
Osaka stood by her table.
"May I sit here?" asked Osaka.
"Please do, there's no need to ask." Kaorin replied. "Let me move
this first." Kaorin moved a pile of notes and books to make room for
Osaka.
Osaka puts her tray down and sits. Her wandering eye glanced over
some of Kaorin's notes.
My dreams are restless
Soft lips whispering my name
Mother is calling
"Ah! You're still writing poetry!"
Kaorin turns a shade of red. "It's nothing really! Just doodles! I
was about to throw it away." She absentmindedly flips the sheet over,
revealing another doodle.
Beauty in motion
Protect me from enemies
Joy on a white horse
"Wow, that's pretty deep, Kaorin. I wish I was as inspired as you."
(Ergh.. I better change the subject.) "Osaka-san, do you write poetry
too?"
"I tried, but it hurts my nose."
"Eh?"
"Sometimes I fall asleep and I hit my nose on the kotatsu." <Author's
Note: It's that square coffee table in Chiyo-chan's room.>
A sweatdrop formed on Kaorin's temple. "Did you ever manage to finish
one?"
"No, it's too warm under the kotatsu." Osaka replied sadly. "That's
why I like reading poetry."
Kaorin stared at her, confused. Then Osaka's face lit up.
"Ah! I have an answer for you."
"You do?"
"A gift to the one you like. A gift which carries the weight of your
thoughts and feelings. A gift of your heart. That's the way to do
it."
Kaorin stared again, this time in awe. "So that's it." she
whisphered.
The rest of the converation with Osaka seemed like a silent movie as
Kaorin's thoughts glossed over this awe inspiring bit of Osakan
wisdom.
------------------------------------------------------------
A week of so later...
Classes were over for the day, so Sakaki headed over to the shoe room
to change her shoes. She put her bag down and took out a small platic
bag. She inserted the rim of the bag beneath the door of the shoe
tray. Then she opened the door. A small stream of letters and notes
poured out. Sakaki sighed as she tied up the bag, and then reached in
to get her shoes. He hand felt the shape of something like a box.
Curious, she looked in and saw a small box wrapped in pink with a bow.
Her neck, then her cheeks started to feel hot, so Sakaki quickly
stashed the box in her bag. She put on her shoes and calmly walked
out of the school yard. At the nearest public trash can, she
deposited the plastic bag.
When Sasaki reached home, she went to her room and took the contents
of her schhol bag and placed them on her desk. When she picked up the
box, she examined it for a note and finding none, proceeded to unwrap
it. Inside was a cute pink box. She flipped the lid and gasped. Her
cheeks burned. "It's... it's so cute." she whisphered.
Inside the pink box was a Nekoconeko necklace. The image of
Nekoconeko was embossed on a plate of gold. She lifted it up gently
and examined it. She noticed a small latch, which she gently pressed.
The image of Nekoconeko flipped up to reveal a small frame in which a
small photo might be inserted. The frame was empty.
"Oh... how wonderful!" she finally blurted out.
She played around with the locket. The radio played songs in the
background as she traced the outlines of the locket.
Why is my heart waiting so much for that tender-hearted someone?
Tell me a wonderful future MOONLIGHT,MOONLIGHT SLEEPIN'
(I wonder when I would meet someone like that?)
My heart is always honest, a quiet greeting of sleep
Because it is a secret wish HOLLY,HOLLY WHISPER
(I wish I knew who gave this.)
The song soon faded in the distance as she fondled the locket. Sakaki
was so engrossed with the locket that she didn't notice the time pass
until she felt a slight grumble from her stomach. She looked up and
noticed the sunset and smiled. (The sunset is nice today.) She undid
the clasp on the locket and wore it around her neck. Then, like a
giddy schoolgirl, she skipped to the kitchen to make some dinner.
------------------------------------------------------------
A week or so later...
"Camping?"
"Hai. My aunts have offered to take me and my friends camping this
spring break. Do you want to come, Kaorin?"
"I'd love to, but the Astronomy club has a star viewing trip."
"Oh. Ok. Maybe next time." Chiyo took out a pad. "Let's see, so I
have ... "
Kaorin stepped away and slowly closed the door to the classroom.
"Yomi, Tomo, Kagura, Sakaki, Os-"
Suddenly, the door opened, and Kaorin leaned towards Chiyo's face.
"Sakaki is going?!" Her voice pitched to a slight shrill.
"Uh, yes."
"Can I come?"
"But I thought you already had plans."
Kaorin sweatdropped. "Um, I just remembered the trip might be the
weekend after."
"So you can come?"
"Hai, please count me in." (Oh please do.)
"Ok." Chiyo wrote on her pad. "That makes 7 of us! It'll be so much
fun! We're meeting at my house tomorrow morning at 7 am." Chiyo
scribbles quickly on her pad, and tears off the top sheet. "Here's
my address and number."
"Thanks, Chiyo-chan! I'll see you there!"
------------------------------------------------------------
She survived the ride, the trek up to the remote camp and the
insufferable Tomo who ruined her panoramic shots. The birds were
chattering in the the trees, and Kaorin resigned any attempt to sleep
further, so she wriggled out of her sleeping bag. She got out of her
tent and wandered aimlessly around the camp. She massaged her sore
muscles. (I wish I had done more sports at school.) As she rounded a
bush, she noticed Chiyo-chan and Osaka by a makeshift table in a small
clearing.
"Hey Chiyo-chan, Osaka!" she called as she approached them. "What are
you up to?"
"Ah, Kaorin! Maybe you can help." replied Osaka.
"Eh?"
"Osaka-chan gave me my first friendship bracelet. But it got caught
on a branch and the clasp broke." Chiyo-chan eyed the broken bracelet
sadly. "We've been trying to reattach the clasp for the past 20
minutes."
"Oh, may I see?"
Chiyo-chan placed the bacelet on her palm and held it up to Kaorin.
Kaorin looks at the clasp and the torn threads near it. "Ah, this
should be simple to fix. Can you come over to my tent? I will need
to use my tweezers to fix it."
So the girls went to Kaorin's tent. Kaorin fished out a small pair of
scissors and tweezers from her first aid kit. Chiyo-chan gently laid
the bracelet on a book on the sleeping bag. Kaorin bent her skill
onto the bracelet, and presented her work to Chiyo-chan.
"Wow, that's awesome!" exclaimed Chiyo-chan as she examined the
repaired clasp. "Look, Osaka-chan!" Chiyo-chan held up the bracelet
for Osaka to see.
"It looks nice Kaorin. How can you make knots like that? It looks
realy fancy."
"Erm, just practice, I guess."
"Thanks so much, Kaorin!" Chiyo-chan put the bracelet on.
"You're welcome, Chiyo-chan."
"Osaka and I are going to get some flowers to press. Would you like
to come?"
"Sorry, I was thinking of reading my book on the hammock. I haven't
had a chance to try it yet."
"Well, go for it then, before Tomo wakes up."
"Yes, I will! Have fun!" Kaorin waved to Chiyo-chan and Osaka as
they left. Then she quickly pulled out her book and pillow. As she
crawled out of her tent, she heard a rustling noise and then Tomo's
loud voice. "Ho! The hammock's empty!"
"Noooo!" Even as Kaorin rushed to the hammock, she knew it was
useless.
------------------------------------------------------------
The night seemed to last forever as Kaorin listened to the incessant
chirping of crickets. Her sleeping bag wasn't very comfortable, and
her left leg seemed to be getting numb. Aching and restless, Kaorin
crept out of her tent. She stretched her leg and noticed that
Sakaki's tent flap was open. Cautiously, she peeped into Sakaki's
tent and saw that the sleeping bag was empty. Kaorin gulped at the
thought of finding Sakaki alone tonight, and her body trembled as she
grabbed her flashlight from her tent.
Kaorin wandered about and saw Sakaki sitting by the pond near the
campsite. Sakaki was sitting on a bench and looking up at the starry
sky. Kaorin walked over to her.
"Sa-sakaki... -san..." she called out.
Sakaki sat a little upright. She wasn't expecting anyone so late at
night. She turned towards the voice and saw Kaorin.
"Kaorin-san." She looked at her carefully.
"Ummm, I wasn't sleepy, so I... ummm... what are you doing up? It's
late."
Sakaki looked up at the sky. "I didn't know stars could be this
bright."
"That's because the lights for the city make it hard to see the really
faint ones."
"Oh. I didn't know that."
"To see the faint ones, you need to use a really good telescope. But
here, there's no city lights, so everything is easier to see."
"You seem to know a lot about stars."
"Oh no, not really! I'm a member of the astronomy club, so I learn a
little bit about stars there. For example, that big bright one over
there? That's the North star. And if you connect the North star with
that star and that star, and that... erm, wait a minute... let me draw
it."
Kaorin grabbed a nearby twig and knelt in the sand in front of Sakaki.
She started doodling in the sand with the twig. "So here's the North
star, and here are the stars around it. When you connect these
together..." Kaorin traced the twig in the sand. "It looks like a
dipper. This set of stars is called the Big Dipper." Kaorin looked
up to see if Sakaki was listening and was surprised to see Sakaki's
face about six inches away. She was absorbed in her explaination that
she didn't notice Sakaki move from the bench and kneel next to her.
She averted her eyes and stared at the rough sketch in the sand.
Sakaki watched Kaorin sketch out the dipper. She noted the position
of the adjacent stars. After a few moments, she looked up into the
sky and traced the dipper.
"Thank you, I can see it now."
"Really?"
"Mm." Sakaki noded. "Your drawing really helps."
"I'm glad it did!" Kaorin rubbed the back of her head in
embarassment.
Sakaki looked up in the sky again. Kaorin looked up with her. For a
while, they stood there looking at the stars. Finally, Sakaki spoke.
"That one." She pointed at a part of the sky. "That looks like a
cat."
Kaorin blinked and scrutinized the stars that Sakaki pointed to.
"Those could be the ears, those the legs. The tail is over there."
Kaorin followed her gestures and traced the pattern in the sky. "Oh,
so it is!" she exclaimed.
"Do you know if it has a name?"
Kaorin paused thoughtfully. "I don't think so. At least I don't
remember seeing one like it."
"Neko-no-ten." Sakaki smiled to herself. "How about 'Neko-no-ten'?"
"Neko-no-ten?" repeated Kaorin. "Ah! Cat of Heaven! It's a cool
name, Sakaki-san."
"Really?"
"Really." Kaorin turned to look at Sakaki and became even more
concious of the fact that Sakaki was kneeling next to her and even
looking at her. Or the fact that Sakaki's eyes seem to sparkle under
the pale moonlight. (Oh, I could die right now, and not care.)
"Are there any more animals in the sky?" Kaorin couldn't break away
from those eyes even if she wanted to. And she didn't want to.
Sakaki was still looking at her! (Eee, she's waiting for my answer!)
"Well, in Chinese astrology, there are constellations for each of the
animals in the zodiac. I could show you where they are if you like."
"Mm." Sakaki nodded. "Please do."
(Kami-sama! Thank you! Thank you!) Then Sakaki stood up. "Is it
okay if we sit on the bench?"
"Sure." Kaorin tried to stand, and her numb leg folded under her.
"Ah!" She reached forward with her hands and braced herself for a
fall. A fall which didn't come as Sakaki deftly caught her.
Instinctively, Kaorin clutched Sakaki and attempted to balance
herself. Concerned that she might fall again, Sakaki held Kaorin
closer. Kaorin blushed at being so close to Sakaki and leaned
slightly against her. (Kami-sama, Kami-sama, Kami-sama, Kami-sama,
she smells so nice...)
"Are you alright?" Sakaki looked down at Kaorin.
"I... I think my leg fell asleep. I'm sorry."
"Uh-uh. You were telling me about the stars. Can you walk to the
bench?"
"Yes."
So Sakaki helped Kaorin walk to the bench. Kaorin sighed as she sat
down.
"Are you hurt?"
"No." Kaorin shook her head. "My leg falls asleep from time to
time." Kaorin extended her leg slowly and rubbed her thigh. "I just
need to stretch more often."
Sakaki sat down next to her. Kaorin blushed some more, and kept her
attention on her leg. She was all too aware that Sakaki was watching
her. (What should I do now?) Kaorin kept rubbing her leg and slowly
stretching it.
Sakaki watched Kaorin in silence. (Her pajamas are so cute.) Sakaki
watched the little multicolored stars and rainbows on Kaorin's
pajamas. (It fits her so nicely. I wish I had a cute, small body
like hers.) Sakaki felt her cheeks warm up, so she turned away
slightly to look at the horizon.
Finally, Kaorin felt her leg warm up and tingle. She stopped rubbing
and sat up. Then she snuck a glance at Sakaki, who still seemed to be
looking at her. She sat there and endured the silence until she
eventually blurted out, "My leg is fine, now."
"Mm. That's good."
"Umm, if you want, I can tell you about the stars now."
"Are you sure? I don't want to trouble you."
"It's no trouble at all. I'm happy to tell you about the stars!"
(Eee, maybe I said too much.) Kaorin looked for one of the
constellations and began to describe its pattern in the sky.
Sakaki listened intently. (I didn't know there were animals in the
sky!) Sakaki asked a few questions and Kaorin always seemed to have
an interesting answer. (She's like an expert.) Sakaki marveled at
how Kaorin described one constellation after another.
(Cons-tel-la-tion. She uses such complex words.) Sakaki was about to
ask why the Cat constellation wasn't in the original zodiac when she
felt a slight shower of raindrops on her bare skin. Kaorin seemed to
notice it too, since she paused for a moment. Then Sakaki noticed the
tiny ripples in the water.
Sakaki held her palm up. "It looks like it might rain."
"Seems like it."
"Maybe we should head back."
"We should get some sleep anyway."
"Mm. Can you walk now?" Sakaki got up first.
Kaorin gingerly stood up. "I'm fine. See." She held her arms out to
her sides to prove it.
"Then let's go." Sakaki lead the way. "Thank you for telling me
about the stars."
"Oh, it's nothing. I always like to talk about the stars."
"Mm. Is it alright if..."
"If?"
"If we talk some more tomorrow?"
"Of... Of course!"
"How about some time after dinner?"
"Sure!"
They walked to their tents in silence. Before going in, Sakaki turned
to Kaorin. "Good night, Kaorin-san."
"Just Kaorin is fine."
"Mm."
"Good night, Sakaki-san. Sleep well."
"You too Kaorin." Sakaki ducked into her tent and pulled the flap
closed.
(She called me Kaorin!) Kaorin floated into the tent. She closed her
flap and snuggled into her sleeping bag. (Thank you Kami-sama!) Then
she replayed the night's conversation until she fell into a deep
sleep.
------------------------------------------------------------
For the next two days, Kaorin breezed through the day and spent the
night talking about the stars with Sakaki. That night, they saw a
shooting star. They both stared in awe for a fe moments. Then Kaorin
spoke up.
"Did you see that?"
"Mm." Sakaki nodded. "So what did you wish for?"
"Ummm... I wished that your wish would come true."
"You gave up a wish for me?"
Kaorin's gaze locked on the stars as she rubbed the back of her head
absentmindedly. "Ah-ha-ha-ha, I'm such a ditz! I didn't know what to
wish for, so I just wished for that. So what did you wish for,
Sakaki-san?" Despite pretending to watch the stars, she watched
Sakaki from the corner of her eye.
"I wish I knew who had given me this gift." She pulled out the
NekocoNeko locket from underneath her shirt and held it in her palm.
Kaorin stiffened slightly.
"Umm, Why?"
"So I can at least say thank you. And..."
"And?"
"And, I would really like to meet him. His gift is very thoughtful,
it's as if he knew what I liked and took the time to pick out this
gift." Sakaki blushed a bit. "If I meet him, he might be someone I
would really like."
"Oh, I understand." Kaorin bit her lip. (She thinks it's from a guy.
What should I do?) "Umm, I'm sure you'll meet him someday. I'm sure
of it."
"Mm. I'm sure I will." She nodded her head and smiled to herself.
She admired the locket in her palm. Its little eyes seem to sparkle
in the moonlight.
Kaorin was at a loss on what to say next. There was a tightness in
her heart. She simply stared into the sky and clasped her hands on
her lap.
Sakaki sighed and slipped the locket in her shirt. She looked at
Kaorin who seemed to be watching something.
"So, what's up?" she asked. It was a feeble attempt at a pun.
Kaorin was jolted from her thoughts. "Err, I was just thinking what a
nice night it is."
"Mm. Yes it is." Sakaki waited for Kaorin to respond. She waited
for a bit. Kaorin seemed absorbed in the stars. Sakaki scanned the
skies. She pointed her finger at a bunch of stars and said, "That one
looks like a rabbit."
Kaorin looked at to where Sakaki was pointing and stared at stars.
"Hmm, yeah, it does."
Sakaki lowered her hand. "Kaorin, is something bothering you?"
"Eh? Oh, no. I'm not bothered at all."
"But the Rabbit constellation is over there. You told me yesterday."
Kaorin's cheeks flushed. "Well, it sort of looked like a rabbit."
Sakaki looked at the stars she first pointed to. "Kaorin, I'm not
good at making friends, but if there's something that's bothering you,
or if there's something you want to talk about, you can come to me,
and I will listen."
Kaorin's heart wrung like a wet towel. (Sa-sa-kaki-san! You are too
kind!) "Thank you, Sakaki-san."
"And you don't have to call me Sakaki-san all the time. Sakaki is
fine too."
"Sakaki... (I said it, oh Kami-sama!) A lot of people like you. Is
there someone you like?"
Sakaki's right hand unconciously went to feel the locket under her
shirt. "No, not really."
"What kind of qualities do you like in a person?"
"..." Sasaki's cheeks flushed. She didn't know how to answer these
sort of questions. She bowed her head, and thought really hard. She
realized that during all those times she wished for someone to care
about, she never really imagined what she wanted them to be like.
(Perhaps that's it. Perhaps they don't have to be anything.)
Kaorin was embarassed to have asked the question. Furthermore, she
was embarassed to have asked Sakaki at all. (I hope she's not mad at
me.) "I'm sorry. I asked something too personal. I'm really sorry."
Sakaki looked up and gently held Kaorin's gaze with her serious eyes.
"Don't be sorry. It's an honest question. It deserves an honest
answer." She sighed.
"The truth is, I've never thought too much about that. There are
people I like and people I don't like. And there are people I like
more than others. I like my friends, for instance. You, Chiyo-chan,
Osaka, Tomo, Yomi and Kagura... I like you all. My friends are who
they are, and I like them the way they are."
Kaorin hoped that she would say more. (I want to know what you want
Sakaki. Won't you tell me?) "I like you too, Sakaki. And I like
being your friend." (I have to try!) "But I wonder, what sort of
person would make you fall in love?"
"In love?"
"Yes... but it's okay if you don't want to tell me. It's okay."
Sakaki's fingers gently traced the locket underneath her shirt. "I
don't know. I don't like any of the boys in school."
Kaorin's heart quickened. "You don't like boys?"
"I mean, the boys in class are just classmates, and some are just
friends. But I don't think I really like them the way that girls do
in manga or movies."
Kaorin sighed. (Maybe I have a chance.)
"But sometimes, I wish I could meet a prince." Kaorin felt her heart
stop. "He would say, 'You are my true love, for thou wearest the sign
of the cat'. And he would point to my locket. Then he would sweep me
in his arms and take me to his castle." Kaorin twitched.
"And he and I would save all the homeless cats in the world." Kaorin
sweatdropped.
"Then we would live happily ever after." Kaorin felt her world
swirling around her. (She likes boys...)
Sakaki sighed. "How about you?"
Kaorin suddenly stood up. "I... I feel a little chilly. I'm going
back to camp." Kaorin started a dead run. "Good night!" she yelled.
"Kaorin!" Sakaki stood up and took a few steps after her. "Was it
something I said?" she whisphered. Sakaki walked hurriedly to camp.
She knelt by Kaorin's tent and whisphered.
"Kaorin." She listened for a response. "Kaorin, If it was something
I said to upset you, I'm sorry. If it was, tell me and I will make it
right." She listened again. "Good night, Kaorin." Sakaki went to
her tent.
Kaorin huddled in her sleeping bag. When she heard Sakaki's footsteps
fade away, her heart burst and tears filled her eyes. (Would you like
me better if I were a boy?) She wept into her pillow and suppressed
the sobs that rattled her frame. Kaorin didn't sleep well that night.
------------------------------------------------------------
Sakaki was confused. Not only was Kaorin not paying attention to
their activities all day, she also seemed to avoid her. Whenever she
tried to start a conversation with her, she gave short responses or
made some excuse. (I shouldn't press her.) Sakaki stopped after the
eleventh time. She tried to immerse herself in the hike and the
canoeing, but her thoughts strayed to Kaorin's behavior. It bothered
her that she might have done something wrong.
Later, after dinner, Sakaki wanted to ask Kaorin to go star gazing,
but Kaorin announced that she was tired and was going to sleep early.
Despite that, Sakaki went to the bench by the pond anyway and sat
there. This time, she felt an emptiness around her. She closed her
eyes. (Now, I think I know how the Cat felt when he was left out.)
Sakaki lost track of how long she sat there, until she heard the sound
of approaching footsteps. She opened her eyes and turned around.
"Kaorin?"
"Good evening, Sakaki-san!" greeted Chiyo-chan. "So this is where
you are!" Chiyo-chan carried a bright lantern with her.
"Mm. You're still up?"
"Yeah." Chiyo-chan sat down next to her. "I haven't had a chance to
explore at night, so Kagura-san lent me this lantern."
"It's really bright."
"Yes, I like it. I'll save my allowance so I can have one for
myself."
"Mm. That's good."
"What are you doing up, Sakaki-san?"
"Stargazing."
Chiyo-chan looked up. "Wow! The stars are bright tonight!"
Sakaki noticed a bracelet on Chiyo-chan's wrist. It had small
caricatures of cats and dogs. The cats looked like Nekoconeko or
Otou-san. "What a cute bracelet!" Sakaki exclaimed.
"Oh this?" Chiyo-chan lifted her wrist to Sakaki. "Osaka-chan gave
it to me. Isn't it neat?" Chiyo-chan undid the clasp. "Here."
"Mm." Sakaki examined the bracelet. (I want one too.) And then she
noticed something familiar. "The knots near the clasps don't match."
"That's because it got caught on a branch and one of the knots broke.
Luckily, Kaorin was able to fix it."
"Kaorin?"
"Yes. I think she knows how to make things like these because she
mentioned having a lot of experience fixing them."
Sakaki took off her locket and compared the knots near the clasps.
Chiyo-chan watched her with curiousity for a few moments.
"Sakaki-san?"
Sakaki turned to Chiyo-chan. "I would like to show you something.
It's not as fancy as yours, though."
"Oh, how cute."
"Is it?"
"Yes, it really is. Where did you get it."
"I don't know. But I will find out."
"Eh?"
"Someone left it in my shoe locker."
"Wow! But why was it left there?"
"I don't know. That's why I want to find out."
"Hmm... a mystery, it's just like a mystery. And Sakaki-san is the
detective."
Sakaki returned the bracelet to Chiyo-chan. "Thank you for letting me
see this. It's very nice."
"You're welcome!" Chiyo-chan slipped the bracelet on.
They sat there for a moment and looked at the stars. Sakaki pointed
to a constellation. "That one looks like a cat."
"Yeah, that's the cat constellation from the Chinese zodiac."
"Oh, you know about stars too?"
"We have a telescope at home, and my father tells me where the
constellations are."
"Your father?"
"Yeah. He even got me several books and a mini planetarium
projector."
"That's so cool!" In her mind, Sakaki could just imagine Chiyo-chan's
father. His big grin and slitted eyes dominated her vision.
"Chiyooo-chan", he slurred. He stood near a telescope.
"Yes, Otou-san!"
"Lets look at the staaars."
"Yay!" He scooped Chiyo-chan in his string like arms and let her
peep through the telescope.
"Otou-san! The stars look like you!"
"That's riiight!"
"Uh, Sakaki-san, are you alright?"
"Eh? Mm. I was just thinking how knowledgeable your father is."
"He is. He's taught me a lot of things." Chiyo-chan looked up and
pointed at the sky. "For instance, he showed me that this
constellation is called Orion. It looks like a man with a bow"
"The Mythic Hunter."
"Oh, you know about it?"
"Yes. Kaorin told me. She knows a lot about stars too."
"I know she's in the astronomy club. She must study stars a lot.
She's also in theatre and band."
"Really?"
"As class respresentative, I sometimes hear about what activites our
classmates are involved in. Kaorin isn't in any sports, but she has a
lot of after school activities."
(And I just go home.) Sakaki sighed. "It must keep her busy."
"She has activities almost everyday, and sometimes on weekends."
"Which days?"
"She has band on Monday, Astronomy on Wednesday, Theatre on Thursday
and Art on Fridays."
"What does she do in band?"
"She plays the flute."
"In theatre?"
"She helps with special effects."
"What about Art?"
"All sorts of stuff. Sometimes they paint. Other times they do
pottery or costume jewelry." Chiyo-chan paused. "Hey, maybe that's
where she learned how to fix my bracelet."
"Mm. You're probably right."
Then Chiyo-chan yawned. "I guess I must be tired. oh, and thanks
again for carrying some of my stuff."
"No problem. It was a long hike."
"It sure was!" Chiyo-chan stood up and picked up her lantern. "Good
night, Sakaki-san!"
"Good night." Sakaki watched Chiyo-chan leave. Then she turned her
attention to the stars. (I hope it's not too late to be friends with
her again.) She sat there for a few minutes. (I guess she's not
coming tonight.) Sakaki stood up and went back to camp.
------------------------------------------------------------
For the rest of the trip, Sakaki did not get a chance to speak with
Kaorin alone. Kaorin seemed distant. She resolved to understand why.
When school resumed next week, Sakaki spent some time observing her.
When Kaorin caught her gaze, she would look away. When Sakaki tried
to find her alone, she always seemed to be meeting someone or is in a
hurry to get somewhere. After a week of this, Sakaki decided she
needed a little help.
"Chihiro-san." Sakaki sat down at a desk near Chihiro.
"Ah, Sakaki-san. How is it going?"
"I'm doing well, thank you. And you."
"I'm doing fine too."
"Chihiro, I came to ask you a favor."
"Sure, if I can be of any help. What is it?"
"I would like to talk to Kaorin."
"She should be in homeroom right now. We can go there if you like."
"Well, if possible, I would like to talk to her alone."
"Oh." Chihiro looked thoughtful. "Hmm. In that case, meet her after
theatre. She's with the props crew, and they usually leave last
because they have to put things away."
"That's Thursday, right?"
"Right. And if I were you, I would wait by the east gate around 6 pm.
You must meet her before she passes the gate."
"Okay. Thanks, Chihiro-san." Sakaki stood to leave.
"And Sakaki-san," Chihiro held her thumb up. "good luck!"
"Er, thanks." mumbled Sakaki. (Good luck? For what?)
------------------------------------------------------------
Sakaki stood behind the bushes near the gate. It was a little after 6
pm and the it was a clear night. Quite a few theatre members had
already left, and she still had not seen Kaorin. (I hope she didn't
leave early.) At last, her patience was rewarded when she saw Kaorin.
She was carrying what appeared to be props and a bag of clothes.
Sakaki stepped in front of her.
"Kaorin. Do you need any help?"
"Sa-sakaki." Kaorin looked left and right. The path to the east gate
was hemmed with bushes and trees. The only way out was to go back.
Sakaki stepped forward and took hold of the bag's handles. "Let me
help you with that." Their hands touched.
Kaorin's hear speeded up at Sakaki's touch and felt her will to run
fade. She let go of the bag and hung her head. "Thanks."
"Kaorin, if it's not too much to ask, can we talk?"
"Well, my mother is waiting for me."
"Please, only for a few minutes."
"Well, alright. But only for a few minutes."
"Thanks." Sakaki smiled. "Why don't we set these down first.
There's a bench over there."
Sakaki led Kaorin to a bench under a cherry blossom tree. She put the
bag down and bade Kaorin to sit. Kaorin put the props down on the
bench. And sat on the bench at an arms length from Sakaki.
"So what did you want to talk about?" Kaorin steeled herself.
(Sakaki just wants to be friends. We should just be friends.)
Sakaki took a deep breath. (Here goes. Heaven help me if I'm wrong.)
Sakaki faced Kaorin fully.
"My wish came true Kaorin. And I have you to thank. So from the
bottom of my heart, thank you."
"What... what wish?"
Sakaki took out the locket. "This locket lead me to you."
"..." (How did she figure it out?)
"I've been watching you, Kaorin. I realized that it might be you when
Chiyo-chan showed me the bracelet she fixed. I went to the Art room
and asked about your recent works. I even found the mold for the
necklace. It had to be you."
Kaorin sighed. "Yes, it was me." Kaorin stood up. "You're welcome
then. I hope you like it. I think I have to go now." She bent to
pick up her props.
Sakaki stood up. "Wait, Kaorin." She put a hand on the props. "I
also realized one more thing."
"What?"
"I realized that you love me."
Sakaki's words rang in her ears. Her heart pounded in her chest.
"What do you mean?"
"Again, the locket lead me to you. While I was examining it, I
removed the frame by accident. There was something etched under the
frame. It read 'I love you, Sakaki-san.' You made this locket, and
you wrote those words."
Kaorin spoke slowly. "Sakaki-san, you told me that you were waiting
for a prince."
"No, Kaorin. I was waiting for you."
(How do you mean it, Sakaki?) Kaorin felt her knees buckle, and she
tottered to the side. Sakaki reached out and steadied her. Kaorin
looked up and swallowed hard. "How do you mean it, Sakaki-san?"
"I don't know how to say this, Kaorin. But I do know that have wished
to meet the one who gave me this locket, because it might be someone I
might like. That has come true, and I realized that I do like you,
Kaorin. I may not like you as much as you like me, but I do like you.
All I can ask is for a chance... to get to know you more... to be
with you." Sakaki held Kaorin's gaze. "Will you give me that
chance?"
Kaorin was speechless. Then tears sprang from her eyes. She nodded
slightly.
"Is that a yes?"
"... yes!" croaked Kaorin.
"Then why are you crying?"
"Because I'm so happy!" Kaorin had involuntarily stepped toward
Sakaki. Her arms were in the position of hugging her, but she
stopped. However, Sakaki noticed this, and smiled. She took Kaorin
into her arms and held her close. Then in a soft voice she sang.
Don't cry any more GOOD BYE SADNESS
The words on the mysterious door read Soramimi cake
WONDERLAND! Welcomes you FAIRYLAND! It's the magic of love
LOVE'S ALL THE WAY! Every day, the temptations of wheat, so fluffy
CAKE FOR YOU! Eat, for tonight is TEA FOR YOU! A tea-party in the
constellations
The chorus of angels at the window is to you, just your ear
playing
tricks? The voice saying "I love you, I love you"
Sakaki held the trembling Kaorin for a few moments. (She's so small.
But she's cute like that.)
Then there was a rustle in the bushes. Sakaki turned and was blinded
by a flash of light. As she blinked the flash away, Kaorin broke
slightly from her embrace.
"Chihiro! How long were you there?"
"You can thank me later, Kaorin." Chihiro grinned widely. She
pocketed her camera. "Gotta go. As for you two, get a room!" Then
Chihiro broke into a run and left by the east gate.
Kaorin sweatdropped.
"I wonder what she meant by that." Sasaki's voice sounded so soft
near her ears.
"Oh it's nothing! Don't worry about it. I'll get even with her
tomorrow."
"Mm. Are you feeling better now?"
"Yes, much better."
"That's good." Sakaki picked up the bag. "I'll help you with these."
"Thanks, Sakaki-san." Kaorin picked up the props. "I'm ready."
"Let's go."
------------------------------------------------------------
Sasaki looked out the window of her new apartment. She sighed. (Only
a few more days before class starts at the veterinary college.) She
glanced over to Maya who had made herself a bed among a pile of
pillows and stuffed animals. Sasaki smiled and stepped out to the
small balcony. Then she took out her locket and clicked it open. She
looked at the picture inside. A familiar voice called from below the
balcony.
"I'm home."
Sasaki lifted her eyes which softened in greeting.
"Welcome back."
"Are you looking at that again?"
"Mm. It's your fault for giving me such a nice picture."
"You're embarassing me on purpose, Sakaki."
"You're so fun to tease, Kaorin."
Kaorin glanced at Sasaki and the sky that framed her outline. "The
stars are bright tonight."
"Want to join me?"
"I thought you'd never ask."
Kaorin entered the apartment and Sasaki came back inside. The lights
in the apartment dimmed, and the stars winked brightly in the sky.
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