The Cherry Project - Chapter 8 "Held by the wings of an angel..." Originally appeared in Nakayoshi, May 1991. Written by Takeuchi Naoko. Translated by Alex Glover. Version 1.01, 2.98. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chieri clutches the crystal pendant hanging from her neck. "I can't be Tsuzuki's partner anymore..." She looks at Hiroshi and Canty. "It can't be... Why? Is it too late? W- Won't you... wait for me? Please... Please, Hiroshi, don't say that!" "We don't have time to wait," he says. "Tsuzuki will quit skating after he leaves junior high." "What!?" "The World Tsuzuki Group, headquartered in New York, with two thousand subsidiaries and assets of five hundred billion dollars. It's next leader will be Tsuzuki. When he enters high school, he will devote himself to studying leadership, and live to take over his father's business. He will be forced to stop skating. Tsuzuki has a year and a few months left." "In a year and a few months..." thinks Chieri, "Tsuzuki... will quit skating?" "So that's why he suddenly gave up his seat as world junior champion," thinks Canty, "and began looking for a partner..." "Tsuzuki's dream," says Hiroshi, "is to form a pair and, like he did in singles, take the Japan and, if possible, the world title. If there is no partner perfect enough to do that... Well, I've told you a lot of our hopes. Sorry." Chieri looks at him. "S- Saying that isn't..." "Hiroshi!?" says Kouichi. He enters the room with Tsuzuki. "Hiroshi..." Kouichi puts his arms around him. "You came to see Cherry too, right?" A board on the wall lists the names of those who have passed badge tests, and their level. A man adds the name 'Asuka Chieri'. "Gotta congratulate Cherry on passing, right Hiroshi?" says Kouichi. "After Tsuzuki, she's the second person to pass six levels at once." "What..." thinks Chieri. "Tsuzuki did too...?" "This guy was a little younger, though..." says Kouichi. "Cut it out," says Tsuzuki. He approaches Chieri. "What are your plans for tomorrow?" he says. "You don't have practice on Sundays, right?" "R- Right..." She looks down. "Oh god... I can't even look at his face." He watches as she leaves with Kouichi and Hiroshi. "Were you bullying her again?" says Tsuzuki. "I- It wasn't like that at all!" says Canty. "You're really cold and unkind. You never say anything nice." She walks away. "Anything..." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- "So!?" her dad says. Chieri grins. "You did it, didn't you! So, how about some French cooking to celebrate?" "But..." thinks Chieri. "Was it his influence...?" "Whatever you want to eat..." she says. She goes to her room. "I did too much today... I'm worn out." She lies down on her bed. "I was so happy when I passed the badge test, but... I'm not happy at all now. Next leader of the Tsuzuki Group? World title in pair skating? Seems like another world..." "Sorry..." Hiroshi said. "It seems stupid... I was only thinking of myself. Pair skating with Tsuzuki... From the beginning, my hopes were too high..." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- As Tsuzuki takes off his coat, the intercom buzzes. "Dinner has been prepared," the voice says. "Oh, all right," says Tsuzuki. "However, the master will be joining you." "Father? That's strange..." - Tsuzuki sits across the dining room table from his father. "I hear you've been going off on your own lately," his father says. "If this is about the rink..." says Tsuzuki. "I was skating in the festival, so I had a temporary rink built at school." "Skating, then? I don't know why you transferred schools, but why don't you return to your original school. It's odd to keep contributing even though you've transferred." "If this is about my grades... I'm still keeping at the top of my class." "This will not work. Anybody can skate on top of ice. But nobody but you can follow after me. I would like you to start preparing." - Tsuzuki slams the door to his room. "So I have to quit right away?" He throws his shirt at his dresser, knocking over his many skating trophies. "Damnit!" - His father picks up a portrait of a woman. "Masanori looks just like his mother..." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chieri prepares to leave. "The raspberry lipstick I like... And I'll put some rose potpourri in my pocket... And, my pendant... They say crystal has the power to restore the balance of mind and body, but... Ever since I got this pendant from Tsuzuki, I've been so confused... Ever since we all met outside for the school festival..." She goes outside and meets Yuni and the three boys. "Over here!" says Kouichi. "Where do you want to go, Cherry? Since today is a celebration for you, we'll do anything you like." "Oh, Kouichi-kun," says Yuni. "You're so sweet to Cherry." "Huh? Cherry, your backpack is really bulging." Chieri pulls out her skates. "Skating!" she says. "Let's go skating! I wanted us all to go together once." They go to the skating rink. "Cherry," says Yuni. "Will you be all right with that foot?" "I'm fine, I'm fine." Tsuzuki sits down with her. "Apply a sponge to it," he says. "It won't hurt." "Okay..." He puts a sponge on her foot. "I thought you'd say that," he says. "That you want to go skating." "But I couldn't think of anything but that," Chieri thinks. "I've wanted to skate with Tsuzuki." Yuni holds on to the handrail at the edge of the rink. "Oh, I'm scared..." "Yuni, you can't just polish the railing!" says Chieri. She starts skating. "Ah, outdoor rinks feel so good..." she thinks. "All the gloomy feelings in my heart fly away." "Cherry is eye-catching on the rink," says Kouichi. He watches her. "I still can't believe she's hindering her talent to be such a copy machine..." "I wonder if the three of us will be able to find someone that clicks well like Chieri," says Hiroshi. "There is no such person," says Kouichi. "It's a waste of time." "But we have to look," says Hiroshi. "For Tsuzuki..." "What are you doing?" says Chieri. "Come on, skate!" The three boys step out onto the ice. "Those three have kind of an unapproachable feeling," says Yuni. Chieri watches Tsuzuki start to skate. "Tsuzuki is sprouting wings," she thinks. "Oh, his pace is so quick. He's getting away from me. I was finally able to meet you... I thought I could follow you, we'd skart skating, and we could get closer. You're going to fly away again... To somewhere I can't reach... Take the hand of a girl with the same wings... Can't I follow you anymore? Tell me, Tsuzuki. Oh, my feelings are spilling out..." "Cherry!!" She crashes into Hiroshi, falling to the ground. "It's dangerous to skate without paying attention," he says. "What's wrong?" "Have you already decided on a partner for Tsuzuki?" says Chieri. "What kind of girl is she? I want to know..." "Huh?" says Hiroshi. "I promised I wouldn't talk to you about it, Cherry." "It's... a secret?" she says. Kouichi lifts her up. "Are you okay, Cherry?" he says. "It's becoming windy," says Tsuzuki. "Shall we get going?" She takes his hand. "Wow, Cherry..." says Yuni, looking at them. "You look like a princess with your three knights." "No..." thinks Chieri. "I missed my chance to be a princess." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Where's Cherry?" says Kouichi. They stand outside the rink. "She went to the locker to get her things," says Yuni. Chieri comes running to join them. "S- Sorry to keep you waiting!" "Cherry!!" says Yuni. "Your shoes, your shoes! Are you going to walk around the city like that?" "What!?" She looks down and sees her skates on her feet. "I forgot to change shoes..." "Do you usually forget!?" says Yuni. "Do you want to skate that much?" Tsuzuki smiles. He starts to chuckle, and is soon laughing uncontrollably. "Huh!?" says Chieri. "That's not nice! It's not that funny!" He smiles. "You're really a skating fool." Chieri grimaces. "Y- You're the skating fool, Tsuzuki!" "He's being mean to me..." she thinks. "He's someone I can't reach... But now, he's right in front of me... Tsuzuki, full of secrets... I want to know. I want to be closer to you." She runs to him. "I want to be at your side..." "Oh, are you really mad?" he says. "I- I'm not mad," says Chieri. "It's okay. I like skate shoes. I guess I just wanted to wear them like this." She looks into his eyes. "Tsuzuki...?" --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Canty stands by the window. She stares at a photo of her and Tsuzuki from the exhibition when they were younger. "Tsuzuki..." - Tsuzuki enters his house. "Oh, welcome home," says the housekeeper. "A guest has come to see you, Tsuzuki-sama." Canty stands waiting for him. "If it's me, I'll be helpful to you..." she thinks. She looks at him. "I have a request, Tsuzuki... Make me your partner." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Original manga copyright © 1991 Takeuchi Naoko. English translation copyright © 1998 Alex Glover. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Manga of Takeuchi Naoko | The Cherry Project | Volume 2