The third Saturday of October. At the gates of Tomoeda Middle School, a grand arch decorated with colorful flowers had been erected. The words "Hanabira Festival" glittered in the morning sun. From the gymnasium came the sounds of the brass band rehearsing for their stage performance. On the school grounds, tents for each class's mock shops stood in neat rows. The smell of yakisoba sauce was already drifting all the way to the school gates. But Kinomoto Sakura's feet had stopped dead. "[whispers] ...I have to go." At the chest of her uniform, her small clenched fist trembled. Inside her school bag, Kero-chan's plushie. Bringing a stuffed animal to the culture festival was weird, but this morning, he had absolutely begged her to take him along. "[whispers] Today... I have to choose one of them." Syaoran-kun, or Eriol-kun. It had been spinning round and round in her head, for so long. One deep breath. Two. Her chest hurt. No—it ached. "[scared] Ho-hoe... It's okay. It's okay." She told herself that, and stepped through the school gates. —That was the moment. "[excited] She's here!!" "[excited] Kinomoto-san! You have to tell us today!" "[excited] Syaoran-kun or Eriol-kun—which one do you like!?" Three girls from her class burst out from both sides of the gate. It was practically an ambush. They clung to Sakura's arms, peered into her face, and fired off questions rapid-fire. "[scared] Eh, ah, w-wait...!" Sakura stepped backward. One step, two, three— —CRASH!! "[scared] Hoeeeeeh!?" She spun around. There was her class's mock shop preparation area. Sakura's elbow had magnificently swept through a neatly stacked tower of paper cups. A hundred cups scattered across the floor with a spectacular noise. White cups, rolling, rolling. "......pfft" After a moment of silence, the surroundings erupted. "[laughing] Ahahaha! Kinomoto, what are you doing!?" "[laughing] Five minutes into the culture festival and you've already made a legend!" Sakura turned bright red, all the way to her ears. "[crying] I-I'm sorry! I'll pick them up, I'll pick them up!" She crouched down and desperately started gathering the cups. Her fingers trembled; no matter how many she picked up, she felt like she'd drop them again. "[whispers] ...Why are you apologizing?" She looked up, and Syaoran was standing there. His dark brown unruly hair shimmered softly in the morning light. His amber eyes were gentler than usual. Syaoran crouched down wordlessly and began picking up cups. His large hands carefully stacked them, one by one, then another. "[whispers] ...You didn't do anything wrong." "[surprised] Syaoran-kun..." Deep in Sakura's chest, a warmth spread. No—it was hot. Her heart was racing. "[gentle] My, my." Before she knew it, Tomoyo was standing right beside her. Her silky black hair, reaching down to her waist, swayed in the breeze. In her hands, of course, was a video camera. The recording light glowed bright red. "[gentle] I've captured such a lovely scene this morning. Sakura-chan, Li-kun—would you both like to see your expressions just now?" "[scared] I-I don't need to see that!" "[angry] Delete it." Their voices overlapped perfectly. Tomoyo wore an angelic smile. "[gentle] I will, of course, be saving it." Sakura felt like crying. —A short distance away, a boy watched the scene unfold. Hiiragizawa Eriol, his elegantly curled, deep indigo hair tied back in a single tail. His mystical blue eyes, which seemed to see through everything, gazed steadily at Sakura and Syaoran. "[whispers] ...As I thought, the two of you are so natural together." His voice was so small, no one could hear it. ◇ The bustle of the culture festival filled the entire school building. The calls from the mock shops. The footsteps of students running through the hallways. Somewhere, someone was singing. Weaving through that clamor, Eriol walked along the edge of the corridor. In the dim shadows of the connecting walkway to the gymnasium—he stopped. "[gentle] Daidouji-san." Tomoyo turned around. She still held the video camera in one hand. "[gentle] Hiiragizawa-kun, what is it?" Eriol wore his usual smile. But his blue eyes were more serious than they had ever been. "[serious] I will tell only you, Daidouji-san." From further down the hallway came cheerful laughter. But in this spot alone, a different atmosphere hung in the air. "[serious] The reason I have continued to play the role of Sakura-san's destined person all this time." Tomoyo said nothing. She simply gazed at Eriol quietly. "[serious] It was to draw out Syaoran-kun's jealousy. To fully awaken their memories—he had no choice but to put his feelings into words. That is why I have continued playing the role of a romantic rival, all this time." "[serious] However." Eriol's expression shifted, just a little—just the tiniest bit—into a troubled smile. "[serious] Partway through, my own romantic feelings became real as well. That was... outside my calculations." A moment of silence. Tomoyo smiled gently. As if she had seen through everything all along. "[gentle] Hiiragizawa-kun. I've had a vague sense for a while now that my footage served that purpose." "[surprised] ...Is that so." "[gentle] Yes. Today's stage—recording the greatest moment is my job, after all." Tomoyo readjusted her grip on the video camera. "[gentle] I'm properly recording you as well, Hiiragizawa-kun. Including your true feelings." Eriol's eyes widened slightly. And then— "[whispers] As expected of you. ...I am thoroughly beaten." With just those words, Tomoyo began walking toward the gymnasium. Watching her retreating figure, Eriol murmured quietly. "[whispers] Fate is always full of surprises." ◇ Afternoon. The main stage in the gymnasium. The audience seating, with a capacity of six hundred, was nearly full with students and parents. The spotlights on stage shone with dazzling light. In the wings. Li Syaoran stood with his fists clenched. "[whispers] ...I'll say it." He murmured quietly, as if telling himself. From behind him, quiet footsteps approached. "[gentle] Li-kun, will you be able to say it properly today?" Tomoyo stood there, holding her video camera. "[serious] ...I'll say it." "[gentle] Something about being able to become a magic staff?" "[embarrassed] ...I won't say that." Syaoran turned bright red and hung his head. Tomoyo laughed softly. "[gentle] So you realized that yourself, too." "[angry] ...Shut up." "[gentle] I believe Sakura-chan has already properly made up her mind. All that's left is for you, Li-kun—" Tomoyo readjusted her camera. "[gentle] —to put it into words properly." Syaoran let out a heavy breath. Near the front of the audience. Sakura sat in a row with her classmates. But her heart was restless. On her lap, she clutched Kero-chan's plushie, which she had secretly taken out of her school bag. "[whispers] Today's the day, Sakura." The plushie murmured in a very small voice. "[whispers] ...Yeah. I know." Sakura replied in an equally small voice. —Just then. The emcee's announcement rang out. "[excited] Next up—Class 2-1, special presentation! Li Syaoran-kun's... um, free presentation!" The venue buzzed. "What's a free presentation?" "Li-kun? That quiet guy?" Amidst that, Syaoran walked slowly from the wings to the center of the stage. The spotlight illuminated only him. Dark brown unruly hair. Amber eyes. Shoulders trembling just a little. But his stride was straight and steady. Syaoran stood before the microphone. The venue fell completely silent. Syaoran looked out over the audience. The faces of the spectators looked blurred. But—Sakura's seat alone, he could see clearly. Sakura was leaning forward. Her eyes were fixed straight on Syaoran. Syaoran gripped the microphone tightly again. "[serious] Kinomoto, Sakura." The audience grew even quieter. "[serious] I have something to say." Sakura held her breath. "[serious] I—" Syaoran steadied his breathing for a moment— "[serious] I've been protecting you since long ago. Even if the form was different, I was always by your side. And from now on, I'll always protect you." In one breath, without stumbling, he said it all. The venue erupted in murmurs. —In that instant. A flash of light raced through Sakura's mind. A sky from a different world. A sky dyed purple. An elaborate magical girl costume. In her hand, a pink magical staff adorned with a small bird ornament. Beside her, Syaoran standing with his sword at the ready. Golden light cards. The word "protect," exchanged over and over. Everything, everything— It came flooding back. No. This wasn't like the fragmentary memories from before. It was all connected. Me, as a magical girl. Syaoran-kun, who protected me. —All of it. Tears spilled from Sakura's eyes, one after another. "[surprised] Sakura-chan...?" Tomoyo, holding her camera at the corner of the audience seating, held her breath. Sakura stood up. The classmates around her looked up in surprise. But she couldn't stop anymore. "[crying] I—!" Her voice trembled. "[crying] I want Syaoran-kun! Since long ago, always, I want Syaoran-kun!" Her voice echoed throughout the gymnasium. A moment of complete silence. —And then. "WHOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAA!!!" Deafening applause enveloped the venue. Whistles. Cheers. Someone shouted, "Well said!" Sakura was smiling through her tears. She couldn't stop. The tears, the smile, everything. On the stage, Syaoran murmured quietly. "[whispers] ...Finally said it." His face was redder than anyone in the audience. But the corners of his mouth were definitely smiling. Syaoran jumped down from the stage and began walking toward where Sakura was. In the corner of the gymnasium, Tomoyo peered into her camera monitor and wiped away tears. "[crying] The greatest moment... Sakura-chan, Li-kun." The video camera's recording light remained glowing bright red the entire time. —At the entrance of the gymnasium. Eriol had watched the scene to its end. His long indigo hair swayed in the gentle breeze. His blue eyes, which saw through everything, seemed just the slightest bit wet. "[laughing] ...Ahh, I lost." He laughed, and said that. Then he quietly pushed open the door and stepped outside. The October wind gently swayed Eriol's hair. Inside the gymnasium, the applause still rang out. Amidst the crowd of people, Sakura and Syaoran, their faces bright red, still kept their eyes locked on each other, smiling. Tomoyo's camera continued to record all of it, vividly. —A miraculous moment of the Hanabira Festival. ◇ Dusk. As the cleanup of the culture festival began, Sakura stepped outside the gymnasium. She had felt like someone called her. There was no one there. But on the ground, a single envelope had been placed. Sakura picked it up. On the back, in elegant handwriting, were the words: "To Sakura-san." "[surprised] ...Eriol-kun?" She opened the seal. Inside was a single message card. "Fate is always full of surprises. But the real surprise is yet to come. Please, treasure what lies beyond those memories. —Hiiragizawa Eriol" "[whispers] ...Beyond the memories?" When Sakura looked up, beyond the school gates, she could see long indigo hair slowly receding into the distance. The sunset dyed Tomoeda Town in shades of orange. Today, Sakura had put her feelings into words for the first time. But—what Eriol meant by "yet to come"... what exactly did that mean? Sakura didn't know yet.