Tomoyo saw Eriol staring at the faculty members splashing each
other with water.
Her heart constricted. She knew at once who he was looking at.
The sexy strawberry-haired woman dressed in melon-colored two
piece bikini.
Kaho Mizuki,who else?
She looked down at her own swimsuit and suddenly felt
insignificant and childish. Her body wasn't curvaceous enough to
wear the things Kaho wear - those dresses that can make even the
devil blush.
She didn't have the gorgeous eyes of her teacher, and her silky
scarlet hair.
She tucked her knees in and sighed. She had never felt so uglier
in her whole life.
That night, Tomoyo was in the bathroom, already showered. She
wasn't dressed yet though. She was just staring at the
mirror,scrutinizing her appearance.
"Am I pretty?" she touched her cheek. Her complexion
was fair and silky-smooth,but she didn't like it. Kaho's tan was
much sexier.
She next looked at her eyes. Her lilac eyes were like beautiful
amethysts, but she wanted the beautiful twinkle of Kaho's eyes.
She stroked her lips,but she wanted not her soft cherry-pink
lips. What she wanted was Kaho's fire-red lips that could melt
Eriol's insides with a single provocative curve in her mouth.
Trembling, Tomoyo applied her make-up,but minutes later, she
threw it down in disgust. She looked more like a party clown! She
was sure she would only look pathetic next to sophisticated Kaho
Mizuki, and no amount of artificial make-up could disguise the
fact.
She was just a kid.
She noticed a few cleaning agents in the cabinet. She decided to
clean the place up already.
She stood up,ignoring the tears streaming down her cheeks.
"What's the use of trying to look gorgeous for Eriol? I can
never be beautiful for him..because I'm not Kaho."
***********************
This is going too far.
If only Daidouji-sama knows what's happening between me and her
little princess.
She trusted a scoundrel.
A lowlife.
I'm afraid she is going to see another Nadeshiko Kinomoto again,
this time in Tomoyo. If I don't check myself,I might do what
Fujitaka did - take away the bright future of the girl to
imprison her in an eternal prison.
Yes, I am crazy about my little Kiddo. Right from the start, I
wanted her badly, only I couldn't admit it out loud. Even if I
tried to distract myself with Kaho, I couldn't forget her. The
kiss confirmed it.
I tried to treat her like a temptingly beautiful sin - something
I must renounce, push away and avoid.
I knew my job. I was requested by Daidouji-sama to look after her
and to make sure that she prioritizes her studies above
everything else,including love.
I was asked to keep her company, advise her in times of
confusions and protect her from all kinds of harm.
But to like her romantically, however, isn't part of my job
description.
I am like a priest under the vow of celibacy thrown in an island
of hundreds of seductive Eves.
So I must stop this foolishness now before it intensifies. I must
supress these feelings before they deepen.
It isn't right. I'm cheating both Sonomi and Tomoyo.
AND TOMOYO..
What if it's just plain infatuation that she feels for me? She is
still young, and what she's feeling for me might be just.. hero
worship. I will still be the loser in the end.
Maybe if I go somewhere REALLY far, then I might just forget her.
If I stop seeing her, my feelings will eventually fade,right?
Right?
***********************************
Eriol looked at his wristwatch. Tomoyo was 15 minutes late
already, so he decided to check on her.
He was just about to knock on her door when he heard something
break inside. He frowned,"Tomoyo?"
All he heard was the sound of crying inside.
"Tomoyo!!!" Eriol tried the doorknob, but it was
locked. He cursed silently. "Tomoyo, I'm coming!!" He
pushed the door with all his might, and it gave way. He hurried
towards the CR.
"No,don't come in! Don't look at me!!" wailed Tomoyo
from inside the locked CR.
Eriol panicked. What was happening? He frantically used his magic
to open the door.
He saw the smashed sink mirror first. He slowly looked down and
saw a can, bits of smashed glass and a crying Tomoyo covered with
something red.
His heart leapt to his throat. "Tomoyo, are you ok?" He
knelt down beside her quickly. "W-Why are you
bleeding?"
Tears streamed down freely from her puffy eyes. "No,I'm ok.
T-This is only wax."
He looked shocked. "What?Why did you put red wax on your
hair?"
"Because I want to look like Kaho Mizuki!" she cried.
"Because maybe if I become her, you would take me seriously!
You would stop treating me like a kid! And you would love me
back!"
He froze. He could feel the deep anguish and sorrow in her voice.
He wordlessly hugged her and kissed her eyelids and the salty
tears flowing down her cheeks.
They were like this for a very long time, unmoving. No one dared
to speak and break the trance.
But Tomoyo knew she delivered the final blow on their friendship.
She confessed to him her very un-platonic feelings.
"I ruined everything, didn't I?" she asked in a small
voice rough as a sand paper from crying.
"Hush. Rest now, Tomoyo." he whispered.
"I.. I still want to go to the prom with you."
He smiled sadly. "The prom will be over in 10 minutes."
He pointed to his wristwatch.
Her heart fell. She had been waiting for this school event since
sixth grade, and because of her stupid stunt, she blew her
once-in-a-lifetime chance to be there. She wanted Eriol to escort
her into the dance floor when the last dance comes up, and
pretend that they were a real couple even if it's only song-long.
He pulled her up and looked deeply at her eyes. "It's ok,
Tomoyo. You will have another chance next year."
She smiled forcefully.
He squuezed her hands. "Come on, Tomoyo. Let's dance."
She blinked. "Right here?"
"Right here." he repeated. He placed her left hand on
his shoulder and the other he held. He placed his hand on her
waist and started to lead her to a slow dance step.
"Whenever I'm weary from the battle that rage in my
head..you make sense of madness when my sanity hangs by a
thread.." he sang softly to her ear."I lose my way but
still you seem to understand. Now and forever, I will be your
man.."
She pressed her head on his chest contentedly.
Yes, there was no confetti or balloons. No fancy clothes and
buffet, but she didn't mind. She was in bliss.
She was in the arms of the person she loves the most, and nothing
in the world is wrong for her.