).
It was spelt in Roman letters below.”
Amatsu Kominato Town in this fic vanished when it was merges with the adjacent Kamokawa City on February 11, 2005. This fic refers to the old name of the town since the plot is going on in June of 2004.
Composed by Keisei Limited Express for Sakura
Translated by Tyki Neco
The party were staying at Kominato New Grand Hotel Tenkai, a hotel isolated from the residencial area of town of Amatsu Kominato on the Pacific coast of Boso Peninsula. This hotel, for which Naoko’s sister in law, Chiyoko, worked, featured the chapel with a gorgous sea view. The owener of the hotel had had an attention on the 100-year old western house in the acre which had been reserved for the amusement park moved from Tokyo, and had decided to remodel it as the chapel four years before.
“Surfside Morning, brought to you by Pacific FM; this is Joe Suzuki presenting a live from the Chiba quarters station,” the FM radio program said.
Rika and Yoshiyuki, who woke up at 6:30, were enjoying a cup of coffee in a wicker chair listening to the radio. The TV set didn’t work properly, seemingly out of order. Rika ascertain Yoshiyuki about what she just remembered, “You’ve prepared it for tomorrow evening?”
“Hey, do I really have to make a speech?”
“Of course. The bridegroom should announce something; it’s the style,” Rika insisted, “It’s good nobody’ll be able to see you speak, because it’s the radio.”
“What’s what you say...” he put on a perplexed look.
You readers might wonder what they were talking about. It’s that the local FM radio station schedule the live broadcast of the wedding of Rika, the daughter of a famous actor (See the Chapter 1); there was one more reason which is mentioned hereafter. The following paragraph is the commercial message on the radio.
The live broadcast on June 26, at 8:00 p.m., Pacific FM “June Bride Sweet Wedding Special at Kominato New Grand Hotel Tenkai” the 2-hour live broadcast from the ballroom Seicho of Kominato New Grand Hotel Tenkai, where next day the wedding ceremony of Rika Sasaki whose father is the famous actor Hidekazu Matsumoto will be held. That program invites Yurika Matsukawa, a singer; Los Angles Fukuda, a comedian; and the singer of the beautiful voice—you know who, stay tuned to listen up who it’ll be. The host will be Naoto Otsu, and me Joe Suzuki, the program will be brought to you June 26 at 8:00 p.m. Stay tuned.
Meanwhile, a night train was running on Japan Railway Toukaido Line, which was a sleeper express Ginga. The train left Osaka at 10:22 p.m., and arrived at Tokyo at 6:42 next morning. It was full of passengers since it was the earliest sleeper bound for Tokyo, and because of the weekend. When most of the passengers were office workers, the passengers in the rearmost car (number 8) was totally different—six pretty women, including a high school girl and women in their twenties to forties. As you readers know, they were the party from Li family: Meilin, the hyper-active four sisters, and the mistress Yelan. They accidentally had to take that train, because their reservation flight had been bound for Osaka, not Tokyo, by the airline company’s mistake. They had arrived at Kansai Airport at 9:10 the night before, rushing into the Ginga with few vacancy in the nick of time.
“I slept enough!” Meilin said with a yawn.
“You did? I couldn’t sleep well because the bed is strangely hard,” Suehua complained with sleepy eyes.
“Neither could I,” Huanglian agreed brushing her sleepy eyelids.
“Need some more sleep, but an experience is worth a thousand words,” Feimei added.
“She’s right. This might be the first and final experience,” Fuhua succeeded in the persuasion, “Japan is not a place we visit from time to time.”
“Girls, are you ready to get off?” Yelan said coolly.
“Yes, Mom.” “Uhh, not yet!” “Feimei, that make-up set is mine!” the five girls replied at a time.
On the other hand, in the car number one, the foremost car, Sakura’s father Fujitaka was with his colleague Sakamoto, on their way home from the dinner (perhaps, drink party in fact) following the conference held at Osaka. That sleeper train was convenient for him, too, since he had planned to take a highway bus that would leave Tokyo station at 7:40.
“Mr. Sakamoto, we’re nearly there,” Fujitaka shook his colleague awake.
“Huhh... Oohhh... I’m light-headed,” Sakamoto woke up with his hand on his forehead, “Mr. Kinomoto, are you all right? I know you drank so much sake last night.”
“I’m fine,” Fujitaka smiled.
“You’re a strong drinker, Mr. Kinomoto”
Ginga arrived at Tokyo Station at 6:42 right on schedule. Apart from Sakamoto who was to change trains, Fujitaka looked for a place where to have breakfast.
When he was going into the restaurant he found in the underground shopping area, he noticed passers-by are looking into the restaurant. The reason was clear, inside the restaurant he found six women mismatching the place sitting at the counter. One of whom noticed and called, “Hi, Mr. Kinomoto!” It was Meilin.
“Hi, you’re Sakura’s friend...” Fujitaka stuttered.
“You are Sakura’s father,” Yelan said.
“Yes.”
“Nice to meet you. I am Yelan Li, Syaoran Li’s mother,” Yelan introduced herself.
“Oh, Sakura’s boyfried’s mother,” Fujitaka smiled.
Only 30 minutes before his bus departs, he ordered his breakfast not continuing the conversation with his daugher’s boyfried’s mother.
The local train Sakura’s gang took, which departed Machida bound for Katase Enoshima, arrived at Fujisawa Station of Odakyuu Enoshima Line at 7:21.
“Thank you for riding. Fujisawa, Fujisawa. Beware your belongings with you. Please change trains here to JR Line or Enoshima Line,” a station staff announced. Even if it was Saturday morning, there was a crowd of people on the platform when a train stopped. Sakura and the others went out of the ticket wicket among the crowd. For the information, the party consisted of Sakura, Tomoyo, Chiharu, Naoko, and her sister in law named Chiyoko.
“Manami and Rei should be waiting in front of the ticket office,” Chiyoko said.
“No kidding? Rei Tachibana, you mean?” Naoko rolled her eyes.
“That Rei Tachibana, the champion of the sprinters of Tomoeda Elementary?” Chiharu asked.
Rei Tachibana, famous among CCS fans, who had lived in Tomoeda till her junior high school days, moved to Fujisawa, the same city where her older sister Manami who lived on her own. She participated in the national representing Kanagawa Prefecture and won the championship, which was quite possible to look back of the performance she made in her elementary school days.
“Hey, Chiyo! Over here,” a girl was waving her hand.
“Sorry, we’re late, Manami,” Chiyoko replied, “and here’s Naoko’s friends.”
“Hi, Sakura!” Rei greeted.
“Long time no see, Rei,” Sakura answered.
“You’re much prettier than I remember, Sakura,” Rei continued.
Sakura blushed at the words, sighing “Hoeee...”
Ninety minutes later, a train bound for Chiba on Sobu rapid line that had departed Yokosuka was crossing the Edo River, the border of Tokyo and Chiba. On the train was the party of boys (Syaoran, Takashi, Kamio, and Koichi), and Yukito and Touya, who had joined the girls at Tokyo Station.
“That brat is hanging out with Sakura again,” Touya clenched. He glared at Syaoran sitting the seat across the aisle next to Sakura. She’s in sleep, and Syaoran kept silent, though he would exchange glare every time the same thing happens. That was because he was watching by Tomoyo holding her camcorder, and Chiyoko and Tachibana sisters with curiousty thinking, “They were the famous lovely couple in love Naoko talked about.” Furthermore, Koichi took out his cell phone equiped with a camera (supporting videoclip), and waited for the timing. Chiharu and the others didn’t pay any special attention, since they were used to it, except being confused by Touya in fury. No matter how cool-minded, Syaoran felt uneasy when he was being watched by so many people at the same time; “Leave me alone,” he shouted in his mind.
The train arrived at Chiba Station before Syaoran could get over the unseay feelings. They were to change trains to Sotobo Line to head for the pacific side of Boso Peninsula. When they get to the platform, a train of four cars, mismatching the urban scenery with tall department stores and the monorail track above them, was waiting. There was a crowd of people on the platform.
“What is that?” Touya stood on the tiptoe, and found a familiar woman with sunglasses, with a woman with glasses were kept the crowd from stepping closer.
“Is that Youko?” Yukito identified the woman in the center of the crowd.
“Hey, Manami, that’s gotta be Youko Nakagawa, the model, doing a play in a theater in Shibuya,” Rei excitedly tapped her sister on the shoulder.
AN: Youko Nakagawa was a famous model in this fic, also busy with her theatrical activities. She was one of the biggest names out of Seijo High School.
“Hey, Touya and Yukito,” Youko noticed her friends and ran up to them. The woman with glasses was her agent.
“Oh, you’re hanging out with Sakura?” she said.
“Yep, we’re going to the town of Kominato,” Touya replied.
“No kidding, that’s where we are going,” Youko exclaimed.
“Hey, who’re your friends?” Kimiko, her agent, asked.
“Yes, they were my classmates in high school...” she then turned to her friends, “and this is my agent, Ms. Kimiko Sugawara.”
Touya and Yukito greeted Kimiko with a slight bow, before rushing into the train not to be disturbed by Youko’s admirers gathering all around.
Tohoku Shinkansen Super Express “Hayate 4” was about to arrive at Tokyo. There were outstandingly happy passengers on the second car.
“Finally, Yoshiyuki gets married,” Mr. Terada’s father, Kouji, said in Touhoku accent.
His wife, Hatsue, replied, “He’s old enough.”
“He said he’d bring a woman as pretty as Cleopatra, and she turned out to be a high school girl,” the elder son, Kazuhiro, mentioned.
“And, it was amazing that she’s the same age as Honoka and Kenich,” Yoshiyuki’s sister, Fujie Iizaka, said in the same accent.
“You accepted his marriage, because I got friends with Rika, right?” said Honoka Iizaka, Fujie’s daughter, smirked.
“Besides, I’ve known of her before...” Kenichi Iizaka, Fujie’s son interrupted, “By the way, Kazu, he said she was like Cleopatra, but I’ve never met Cleopatra.”
This party was from Terada family: Mr. Terada’s parents and the second son’s family (2 + 5 people) from Hiraizumi, the eldest son’s family (5 people) from Oma at the tip of Shimokita Peninsula, Aomori Prefecture, and the eldest sister’s family (4 people) from Sendai—16 people in total. The Hayate 4 arrived at Tokyo at 10:24 right on schedule. Kanako, Rika’s mother was waiting at the ticket gate.
“Thank you for coming all this way,” Kanako greeted.
“It’s nothing. It’s our pleasure to see you again,” Hatsue replied.
Kouji looked around and asked, “Iyo and Chuuichiro are not here? Where are they?”
“She’s picking him up at the hospital by taxi. We’ll meet them at the hetel,” Kanako answered.
“I am sorry for him,” Hatsue nodded, and continued, “This place is busy, so let’s get on the train before having a talk, shall we?”
“You’re right. We don’t have much time,” Kanako agreed.
They got on the express train “Wakashio 7” bound for Awa Kominato, which departed Tokyo Station at 11:00. They would have two hours of journey to Awa Kominato along the coast line after getting out of the undergrond tunnel.
A car was running southward on the toll road along Kujuukuri Beach (famous Surfer Street), in which Eriol’s party were seated. “Good this rental car’s equipped with car navigation system,” Kaho sighed.
“It sure is. With you driving, it would take one and a half hours to get to thirty or fourty minutes’ distance. In England, you used to take 30 minutes to travel the distance worth only ten minutes,” Eriol smirked.
“What do you mean?” Kaho pouted.
“You said it, Eriol. If it weren’t for the navigation system, we would have no idea where we are,” Nakuru joined him.
Kaho would be home in her Christmas holiday every year, but Eriol was in Japan for the first time after the Void Card had been activated four years before.
“It’s almost hard to believe that Rika is getting married,” Eriol said.
“She was involved when Sakura transformed the Watery Card,” Spinel mumbled.
“True, you remember well, Spinel,” Eriol chucked.
“They said the company that ran the swimming pool had gone bankrupted,” Kaho said, “I passed by the place the other day, there was a supermarket and an apartment building.”
“No kidding! That swimming pool was gone, you mean! I wanted to go swimming in the pool again,” Nakuru groaned in depression. “Hey, Suppi, don’t open the bag!”
“Why not?” Suppi replied still looking into the grocery bag, “I want to take a candy we bought at the airport. Don’t worry. I’ll take the mint, sugarless one...” He unwrapped a candy and threw it into his mouth, “Ugh...”
“Uh-oh... that’s not a mint, but a pineapple...” Nakuru sweatdropped.
“How sweet! Gimme more sweets!” Suppi was switched to the uncontralable mode.
“Dah... not again,” Eriol put his hand over his face.
“Hold him tightly so he can’t move uncontrably!” Kaho shouted driving the car.
“Hey, he jumps toward you, Eriol,” Nakuru called for attention.
Their car turned left at the end of the Surfer Street into the Route 128 heading for south, in which there was a chaos made by Suppi who was totally drunk.
Meanwhile, Sakura’s gang were on the train on Sotobo Line running parallel to the Route 128.
“Those stations, the name was wrtten in difficult patterns of kanji characters I can’t read,” Syraoran commented, “The name of the station we just passed was one of them. What was that, something Ichinomiya?”
“You mean Joso Ichinomiya?” Kamio explained, “That’s Torami
().
It was spelt in Roman letters below.”
“You know a lot about those station names,” Koichi was impressed.
“Dad was raised in this area. That’s why I can read most of the
place names,” Kamio snorted proudly. As he said, those stations
on the Line were named weirdly difficult to read, such as
Honda (
),
Toke (
),
Taito (
)—some
people from Tokyo don’t
know how to pronounce them.
“Hey, that’s the ocean!” Sakura exclaimed.
“It sure is,” Chiharu replied to see the ocean, which was seen right after their train left Katsuura Station.
“Even though this line is along the coast line on the map, we hardly can see the ocean along the way,” Youko commented looking at the ocean.
After a while, the train arrived at a rural station with a wooden building; it was Awa Kominato Station, the central Amatsu Kominato. It was just a rural station in a glance, but over the platform was hung a banner which read:
The girls and boys were astounded by the banner.
“What? Child actress? Rika is...?” Naoko opened her mouth.
That was not all. Around the station, along the street to the highway facing the ocean, and every where they go, they saw banners saying the same thing.
“Mom rented a video of that movie the other day,” Chiharu said with her eyes widened.
“I can’t believe my classmate was such a big name,” Kamio heaves a sigh of surprise.
“Tomoyo, do you know that?” Sakura turned to look at her best friend.
“No, I don’t either.”
“The movie was created 10 years ago; correct me if I’m wrong,” Takashi said taking the information out of his stock of knowledge.
“Then, she performed at the age of five or six,” Syaoran mumbled his calculation.
“It’s hard to believe... It’s impossible...” Koichi rolled his eyes.
Twenty minutes’ walk from the station brought them to the desination: Kominato New Grand Hotel Tenkai. There was a familiar look of an old western house, next to the eight story building in Japanese style, when Syaoran felt a strange aura.
“Psst, Sakura? Are you sensing something?”
“Yeah, it’s like Clow Reed’s presence.”
“What are you two talking about,” Touya irritatedly interrupted.
“Nothing special,” Sakura replied with a nervous smile, “Yes, there’s something attracting my interest, so I’ll be back!”
“Hey, Sakura, don’t pull me,” Syaoran barked at his girlfriend who pull him for the spot where she sensed the strange presence—to the skeptical western house.
“Hey, Syaoran... this must be...”
“Yeah, this must be...” The two teanagers gulp their exitement.
“Yes, belongs to me... Clow Reed.”
Hearing the answer, the two turned to look with gasp, they saw familiar people back from the far-off country England.
“Sakura and Syaoran, long time no see,” Kaho whispered.
To be continued...