Sakura at 18
A Card Captor Sakura fanfic
By Michael Hopcroft

Part 5: Presents

For Chiharu and Takashi, it was an annual ritual by now. They didn’t have to give Sakura a big present, but they always felt they had to get her
something.

“You know the legend about the Princess’s birthday?” Takashi said.

“Yes,” said Chiharu. “I know all about it. And you don’t need to go telling anyone else.”

“Why not? It’s a great story!”

“We need to get something for Sakura. I pick it out and you help pay for it. That’s the deal.”

“AH yes, barter. The ancient arrangement of exchange of goods and services. Even kings and queens used to barter their crowns in exchange
for armies and navies…”

Chiharu shrugged her shoulders and lightly grabbed his shoulder. “Hai, hai. Ust get in the store.”

The store in question was Twin Bells. It had first opened in the Tomoeda neighborhood seven years before when Chiharu was still in elementary
school, and even though she had grown up a lot since then it remained a favorite. Little girls were hanging out there constabtly, of course, but
some of the older girls frequented it as well. A teenage girl in another school’s uniform was carrying a bag on the way out. Takashi stared at her
a little too long as she passed, and received an elbow for his trouble.

The lady who ran the store greeted them by name. “So, Chiharu-san,” she said, “what brings you here today?

“Present. Kinomoto-san’s birthday.

“I owe a lot to Kinomoyo-san. Maybe I can help you select something.”

Chicharu and the owner spent the next fifteen minutes looking through suitable items. Takhashi just watched. He would never understand this
business of presents for friends. For him to be able to choose a present, it would have to be for someone really special. For some reason, the
only one he could buy for was Chiharu.

It was obvious why. Chiharu would walways make a show of complaining about his weird selections, like the space penguin dolls he kept buying
her. Or that she would eat the strange foreign foods he bought – like the time he brought a foul-smelling fruit to school. Nobody else would go
anywhere near it, but she had some. She even proclaimed the fruit delicious, but said she;d have to wash up after eating it to avoid offending the
rest of the class. He hadn’t even tried the fruit, but she had insisted he do so and indeed it was quite tasty.

Then there were so many times…. For all the times Chiharu had hit him or scolded him or otherwise reacted to him doing something
embarrassing, eh still couldn’t resist being around her. Maybe there was a reason for all of it after all. For some reason he couldn’t fathom, he
just couldn’t imagine himself with another girl. Ever. And watching her negotiate through the presents was fascinating to him now.

‘Yamazaki-kun!’ the store owner finally said. “We need you here.”

Takashi was snapped out of a very nice daydream and came over. It was time to pay the piper.

“First time in a jeweler’s store?” asked the girl at the sounter.

Li Syaoran blushed a little. “Yes. I’ve never been in one before.”

“Then maybe I can help you out. What kind of present are you looking for?”

“It’s a birthday present, and….” Syaoran suddenly found himself unable to speak.

“Oh,” said the salesgirl, “it’s THAT kind of situation.”

“What kind of situation?”

“I think you know. This is for the really special person in your life, isn’t it?”

“Yes, I suppose you could say that.”

“A pity such a cute guy is so shy. I bet she must be really frustrated by now.”

“Frustrated? How?”

“You need to express your feelings to her.”

“I do. It’s just that….”

Well, a nice gift will do wonders. That’s why I got into this business, After my fiancé bought me that diamond, nothing was ever the same again.”

Syaoran had to think for a moment. A stranger being so forward was very un-Japanese, but she may have been right, Syaoran had bought
Sakura gifts before – clothes, food, books, tapes, video games. He took her to movies, took her out to dinner and saw her a lot. But he had
never bought her jewelry before. Maybe it wass because that seemed like such a big step. Was he ready?

Maybe he was.

Touya was working on the last box when the knock came on the door.

“I’m busy, kaijuu.” He said.

“I promised I’d help pack, and now you won’t let me. You’re so mean, Oniichan.”

Touya reluctantly opened the door. Sakura was standing with what looked like a teddy bear under her arm. But it wasn’t the bear she always
called Syaoran-kun after that brat. It looked different.

“Come on in, then.” He said. “If you want to help, ckose up those boxes.”

Sakura made short work of the boxes and helped Toya finish packing the rest of his books. Then she helped him fold and packs his clothes in
suitcases. “Otousan is on his way to pick up the van.” She said. “He’ll be back in a little while. All the other arrangements made?”

“As if it were your business. But yes. Yuki’s gonna meet Otousan and I at the house and he’ll help get evenrything moved in.”

“What about the furniture?”

“tt stays. I won’t need it in the house; there are already enough desks, chairs, and…” Touya’s voice trailed off.

“Beds?” finished sakura.

“Shut up.”

Sakura hmmphed. “Oniichan, before Otousan gets here there’s someone I want you to meet.”

“Meet?” Touya was genuinely puzzled. Is that why you brought in that – toy?”

“He’s not a toy.”

“I know.”

Sakura facefaulted. “You – you know?”

“I’ve known all along – Card Captor.”

Sakura was stunned. She had worked so hard to keep everything a secret from Touya, and he’d known all along? How was this even possible?

“It took a while for me to figure it out; why you were out at night all the time, why all those strange things were happening all around you. I figured
you didn’t want anyone else to find out, so I kept quiet. And no, as far as I know Otousan doesn’t know. You know what the hardest oparrt of it
all was? That I wanted to stop you, stop the whole thing. But I knew I couldn’t. Something told me that what you were doing was too important.”

“Thank you for not stopping me, Oniichan. The disaster would have been too much to bear.”

Kero listened to all of this with interest. He’d spent so much trouble hiding, freezing, and tryiong to conceal his presence from Touya, and now he
elarned his efforts have been for naught.

“So, that thing – it talks?” asked Touya.

“Yes it does. Say something, kero-chan.”

“I don’t want to. I’m insulted.” Said Kero-chan. Touya shook his head.

“Arigatou, Kero-chan.” Touya said. “Thank you for protecting this kaijuu. I only wish I could have been there with you.”

Kero-chan suppressed a smile.

“What will you do now?” Sakura said. “everything si going to be all right, isn’t it?”

“It’ll be fine. Between us Yuki and I will have no trouble supporting ourselves. Yuki has a good job now, and my graduate studies are almost
finished. By the end of the year I’ll be ready to teach at the university, and if they won’t let me for any reason I’ll do something else. I feel kind
of bad about not being able to be a parent like Otousan, but I’m sure we’ll be all right.”

Sakura reached over and hugged her brother. “In spite of everything you do to me, I’ll miss you, Oniichan.”

“I’ll miss you too, imouto. Good luck with that brat.”

“He’s not a brat!”

“If he ever hurts you, I’ll be there. If ANYONE ever hurts you, I’ll be there for you.”

TO BE CONTNUED