Chapter 37: Challenge of Friendship

Release date: November 9th, 2001 

Word count: 19,301

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Thoughts: I'm back on Sakura's birthday as promised! Not only did I finish Every Day, but I read its companion Another Day as well. Melanie also completed Love and Lyrics and I highly recommend checking  it out since it makes some winks at New Trials. 

The chapter begins with Meilin calling from Hong Kong and this really resonates with the beginning of the Clear Card episode 10 when Sakura invited Akiho over to her place.

Erika realizes that she no longer has The Veil. There's a Dark Force that's not going to pop up for another year in NT time. 

The Star-Crossed gang dropping by was a fiasco. The incidents were Sakura is caught wearing house clothes and Syaoran pretending to use a baton for martial arts has to be the funniest moments and I'm glad that there's fanart! Miho is such a brat as she gives a full report of all the girly things she found in the bathroom and all of the guests are a real pain when they beg Syaoran to cook for them.

I forgot that Syaoran salvaged the embroidery by cleaning and mending it. It's back on his wall!

The summer adventure has been fun, but I do look forward to getting back to the school routine. Star Crossed is around the corner too! 

Arc 3 happily bumps Kaitou up from recurring to regular character now that he's joined Sakura's class and became Syaoran's neighbour. Though it's an obsure fact, I still remember that "Mizuki Kai" was a mistake by the administration because he originally wanted his last name to be "Magiki" (close to magician). Kai adjusting to student life was hilarious.

“Nice to meet you, Mizuki-san,” Miho said politely. “You too, Tanaka-san,” Kai replied. This has to be the most underwhelming sibling reunion ever, but that's because Kai had a hidden agenda. If it wasn't for the fact that Kai was gone during his puberty years, Miho would have recognized him for sure.

Though The Riddle warns Sakura that people are not who they seem to be, the turn in Tomoyo's character was abrupt. But I guess there can't be any lead up when The Phantom decides to strike. Their confrontation in the music room when Tomoyo admitted to everything and even scars Sakura's hands with her nails has to be one of the most chilling moments in NT so far.

Syaoran plays piano after eavesdropping on Sakura's true feelings for him after Tomoyo wrenched it out from her. Another CC-NT coincidence confirmed!

Syaoran was aware of Sakura's depression and said, "I am there for you. You can count on me. I won’t go anywhere. I promise." Naturally, I started tearing up. I am never going to be ready for the end of Arc 3. 

Tomoyo is ultra dark under The Phantom and the sad part is that the negativity that the force is amplifying is definitely coming from somewhere.

This chapter ends with Syaoran hugging Sakura in the rain. It seems like unless there's a fanart to memorialize it, I can't seem to commit all of the hugs to memory! I vaguely remember Sakura's confession that was drowned under a passing bus that showered mud over them though.

Welcome back to Tomoeda, Eriol! 

Fanart spotlight: There is so much fanart for Chapter 37 that I contemplated featuring multiple fanarts, but that would negate the idea of a spotlight. I chose Sakura and Tomoyo (The Phantom) by Mesaku18 because is really captures Yandere!Tomoyo (not sure if I used it correctly), which is a rare occurrence in NT. This is the first time I featured Kamaku, who is an artist that contributed many wonderful fanarts. I especially like this fanart because it represents the current division between Sakura and Tomoyo very well.