Sakura at 18
A Card Captor Sakura fanfic
By Michael Hopcroft

Part 4: A Nice Little Chat

Sakura took off her shoes at the door and slipped on her house slippers. She had just gotten home from school and was still in her siajou
uniform, even hungrier than usual. She hoped it wasn;t her turn to cook, or nobody else in the family would get any food.

She took a look at the well-worn chore bored and was relieved that she had dishes duty tonight. Touya was scheduled to cook, so she looked
into the kitchen.

Touya wasn’t there.

She looked at the board again. No engagements. He should be there. Sakura wondered what was going on. That’s when she heard the voices
coming from the den. She crept up and put an ear to the door.

“I hope you realize just what you’re asking me.”, she heard her father say.

“I know” was Touya’s muted response.

“This isn’t America. You two are going to go through some very hard times if you do this. You may niot get that University job you wanted.”

“That’s tupid!”

“I know it’s stupid, but those are the facts. Your reputation will plummet once you commit to this. I’m not saying I disapprove – I don’t. I think that
for your personally it’s the best move you can make. But I want you to be aware of the consequences.”

“And what will Saku –“

“This isn’t about Sakura. This is about you. If you’re worried about what Sakura will think, ask her.”

Sakura decided she didn’t want to eavesdrop on any more of this cnversation. She moved away from the door and quietly climbed the stairs to
her room.

Kero-chan was there, of course. He did not have full run of the house, and usually stayed in Sakura’s room sleeping or playing on the Playstation
3 while she was at school. Just as she walked in the character in the game he was playing had died a particularly nasty death. She hardly ever
used the Playstation herself – Kero-chan was the real fanatic.

“Curses!”, he said. “I can never get past that boss!”

“I see you’re enjoying yourself..”, replied Sakura blandly.

Kero-chan looked at her. “Sakura-chan, what’s wrong? You look glum.”

“It’s Oniichan. He’s about to do something.”

“What?”

“I don’t know. Move out, maybe.”

“Great! That means I won’t have to pretend to be a stuffed animal as often!”

“KERO-CHAN!”

“Gomen, gomen.” Kero gave her a curious look. “You really are worried about him, aren’t you?”

“I don’t know why. He teases me, he calls me a kaijuu even after all these years, he keeps threatening to do bad things to Syaoran. I shouldn’t
even miss him when he goes. But….”

“But he’s your brother and you love him in spite of everything.”

“Kero?”

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Kero flew to the bed and went into toy mode. “Hai, hai!” said Sakura as she went over and opened the
door. Sure enough, Touya was standing there with a drawn look on his face. “Oniichan?” she said. “Is something wrong.”

“Otousan said we needed to talk. Sit down.”

“But… what do we need to….”

“Sit.”

Sakura reluctantly sat down on her bed. Touya took a seat at Sakura’s desk and turned the chair towards his sister.

“How much of my business do you know?”, Touya asked.

Sakura thought back to listeining in on the conversation downstairs and gulped.

Touya smiled. “You don’t need to answer that. I’ve tried to keep some secrets from you. I probably couldn’t, but I tried. I came to tell you about
my secret.”
“Your secret?”

“Yukito and I – we’re not just friends. Did you know?”

Sakura paused for a moment, thinking about what to say. How could she avoid hurting his feelings? Still, she did know. Anything else would be a
lie.

“Yes, Oniichan. Yes I know. I figured it out years ago. I just didn’t say anything.”

Touya had a sad expression on his face as he continued. “Yuki – Yukito and I have been seeing each other for eight years now. I’d have been
very surprised if you’d said you ddin’t know.”

“Yukito told me as much when I confessed my own feelings to him seven years ago.”

Touya raised an eyebrow. “Your feelings?”

“I had a massive crush on Yukito for the longest time. That was before I realized I was really in love with Syaoran. I finally got up the nerve to tell
Yukkito how I felt and he told me I wasn;t the one he loved best. You were. Even then.”

“Kaijuu.” Sakura heard the word she hated so much, but she could detect a tone of affection to it this time.

Sakura spoke up. “You’re an adult now, Oniichan. If you two love each other, why aren’t you together?”

“You mean living together in one house?”

“Yes, that’s right. Why are you atill here if that’s how you feel?”

“Yuki asked me the same question. The truth of the matteer is I worry. I worry about the future. And I worry about what will happen to you if –“

“Don’t worry about me, Oniichan! Please! I can take care of myself now. And if I need protection there’s father and there’s Syaoran. I know you
don’t like him, but he;s the one –I- love best.”

“Are you saying you – you don’t need me?”

“You’ll always be my Oniichan, and I’ll always need you. But I’ve got to get a chance to grow up, and you deserve a chance to be happy. You
and Yukito deserve that much.”

“And you don’t mind that your brother is… is…”

“Homosexual? No. I admit it took some getting used to, but I’ve accepted it. It won’t change what I think of you.”

“It will change what the world thinks of me. I’m worried about that.”

“The world will always find something to disapprove of. Oniichan, you’re stronger than they are. You don’t have to lie to yourself or anyone
else. And yes, I really believe that.”

Touya sat silently. He had not expected this level of maturity, this level of tolerance from Sakura. He had expected her to be naïve, to need to
have everything explained, to cling to the old ideas of him.

“Maybe you really have grown up, Sakura.”, he said.

“Well, don’t just sit there moping!” Sakura said. “Doesn’t someone want to hear your decision?”

“Someone?”

“Look, I’ll even help you pack up if you like. Go to him! If it were me I wouldn’t hesitate. Go! Call him already!”

“Hai hai. Arigatou, Sakura-chan.”

“Arigatou, Oniichan.”

Sakura went with him to the phone, then walked away as he made the call.

The phone rang at Yukito’s house and was picked up right away. “Moshi moshi?” asked Yukito.

“Yuki?” asked Touya. “Are you ready for my decision?”

“Decision? On coming to me here?”

“All right, Snowbunny, I’ll do it.”

“You talked to your father? To Sakura?”

“They both want me to. And I want to.”

“I’ll make sure you never regret this, To-ya. Everything is ready when you are.. Thank you. Thank you very much.”

“I – I love you.”
“I know. It was so hard for you to say that the first time. Did they hear you?”

“I don’t care.”

“Progress, To-ya. Progress.”

“Because Sakura believes in me.”

TO BE CONTINUED