One Last Chance (A Kamisama Kiss Fanfic)

Chapter 20

When Tomoe approached her later that day, Nanami thought he was going to ask for permission to skin the chameleon woman alive and chop her into tiny pieces, so when he opened his mouth, she stared up at him with a look of sheer surprise.

"What?" she asked, not sure she had heard him correctly.

Tomoe bit his lip as a faint blush appeared on his pale cheeks. "How do you cheer up a girl? Sakura is still acting really depressed and I can't stand it, but I don't know how to help her. What do I have to do to make her smile again?"

Nanami blinked in disbelief as she continued to stare at him for a moment, making Tomoe feel even more uncomfortable than he already did. Then, with a wide grin and a child-like squeal, Nanami leaped to her feet and threw her arms around his neck, making him flinch.

"You're so sweet, Tomoe! You really care about Sakura, don't you? That's so cute!" she exclaimed.

Tomoe's face went from slightly pink to fire engine red as he squirmed in Nanami's grasp. "S-Stop that! Are you going to help me or not?! If you're just going to waste my time then I'm going to go ask Hiromi for help instead!"

"Okay! Okay! Let me think." Nanami said as she released her familiar and tapped to her finger thoughtfully against her chin. "Hmm, when I'm upset, I feel better when I'm surrounded by people I know care about me. Cuddling with someone or receiving a nice hug is always good. Oh, showering her with little gifts is always a good idea, or you could pamper her with a spa day! Taking her out somewhere nice is also an option. You could also give her little treats like chocolates or pocky! Is that enough?"

"Yes, thank you." Tomoe replied, resting his fist against his bottom lip as he mulled over the options Nanami had presented. To his relief, none of them seemed particularly troublesome or difficult; in fact, if he planned accordingly, he could probably do a couple of the different suggestions at once. Slowly, a brilliantly romantic plan began to take shape in his mind, causing his lips to twist into a tremendous smile.

"Got something?" Nanami asked knowingly.

"Yes, but I'm going to need some help to pull it off."

"I'll get the others."

-------------------------

"Sakura, could you come here for a moment?" Nanami called.

Sakura set down the rag she had been using to wipe down the shrine's windows and wiped the sweat from her brow with her sleeve before scurrying into the house. It only took her a couple tries before she found Nanami seated in the livingroom, a large box on her lap. As the familiar entered the room, Nanami's lips curved into a frown.

"You're hiding your ears?" She asked.

Sakura's eyes narrowed. "Yes. Is that a problem?"

"No no! It's fine! You can do as you like!" Nanami answered quickly, eager to avoid a confrontation. Picking up the box, she held it out towards Sakura and gave her a warm smile. "Here, this is for you as a thank you for all your hard work!"

Raising a suspicious eyebrow, Sakura gingerly took the box and, after setting down on the coffee table, peeled back the flaps, her jaw dropping as she drew out at a beautiful kimono inside and held it up to the light. The kimono had a rich pink color that faded as it neared the skirt's hem, with designs of a sakura tree and its petals flowing in the wind etched into the fabric with gold thread. The robe was hemmed with a vibrant purple satin that would've made any king proud, and a belt of the same material, studded with specks of gold like stars in the night sky, hung around the waist. Sakura's free hand flew to her mouth as she stared at the outfit in wonder, not believing her eyes.