I am almost crying when I read this story.

It gave me a strange after-taste that I only receive when I read psychology or suspense or mystery genre of a story. With bitter end. It made me remembered CLAMP's works. Particulary Haruka's and Yuuko's to the point converstation with deep emotion and meaning. Then the heavy weight of a wish. It's beautiful. It's sad. It's perfect!

L. A.

Awe! So not fair. What a decisive guy Haruka is.

Wonderful. Everything you write works itself perfectly into my headcanon, filling in gaps and holes and molding it to fit. This explains so much, and I really do think that it deserves to be recognized as canon. I love all your xxxHoLic stories.

This was a really cool idea. I liked it.

*sniff* Wah!

Okay, emotions aside, this was absolutely brilliant. *huggles you to near death* You have made me so happy. I've searched for a good story to read for a while, and only recently returned to xHolic, praying for a miracle... you have given me light in darkness... and other poetical nonsense! Thank you so much!

This is some great "prequel" you've thought about. You have a good creative and imaginative head to have inferred this.

waw..this is something..out of the ordinary..well written,,..

Here again, here again. You are quite the acomplished writer. I love your xholic oneshots. They have a slightly dreamy wistful air... I cried on this one too. I don't know why I'm so emotional today. Maybe because I'm hungry. w

Whoa. God fic. A future where Watanuki dies together with his parents and Doumeki commits suicide at age 29 out of an empty life, how scary is that? The idea of Haruka being willing to loan the last ten years of his life to Watanuki so that he would have a chance to meet Doumeki... so sweet! and so very like Haruka!

I can so picture Yuuko and Haruka being friends, too. Although, Haruka being older than Yuuko may not be very accurate. Older in physical appearence, maybe, but I calculated, and if Yuuko was friends with Clow in the same world CCS took place, that makes her at least older than a hundred years, since that's when the magician died, give or take some some years. You can tell because they mention that his house (the one that Eriol stayed in while in Japan) was from that period. Though maybe that's where his being "both older and younger than she" comes into play? It fits either way!

Another thing: "The gun would be legal and in his hands." Err, sorry, but I don't think this is very accurate. Unless I'm very much mistaken, any sort of firearm is complitely forbidden for civilians in Japan. So Doumeki would have to have been a high-ranking policeman or be living in some other country at age 29 for the gun to be legal. Still, it coul happen. Or firearm regulations could have changed by that time.

Anyway, great fic! a really good read!

this story is so good! btw- i ned to ask your permission about this; may i use this story as a modal for my A-level coursework?

Wow. What an interesting take on Haruka's role in the fandom! I think that it's actually very possible for him to have done something like that to change hitsuzen for the better.

The idea of Doumeki comitting suicide simply because Watanuki is not present in his life is heartbreaking. To think that Watanuki had that big of an impact is just...wow.

Thanks for the awesome fic. I love the interesting concepts you have here as well as the ending! The calendar bit and the hints Haruka left behind that only Doumeki could understand is pure win.

This seemed to really fit in with the canon. Your idea was very intriguing. You have a wonderful style!

So, there may have been some incoherent keyboard-mashing when I read this earlier today. At the time I didn't have the occasion to sit back and take the time to write a real review. Now I do (even if it might turn out to be nothing but mushy gibberish.

This, I need to say first, is a fic I've been longing for in this fandom. Haruka and Yuuko, planning ahead and doing their best to smooth things over for the boys.

I like the feeling of the scene overall, with spring coming and the shop still being somewhat out of the rest of reality. The hint of a deeper relationship is lovely and understated (I tend to do a lot of squinting when Yuuko and Haruka are involved, yes.), and I feel so very sorry for Yuuko for having gotten to a point when she can just move on, be the puppetmaster no matter the situation.

As for the wish itself... I've often contemplated the thought that Doumeki would be lacking something very important without the purpose brought by Watanuki. But exposed like this, the idea that he would choose to kill himself out of sheer boredom with life, or even despair, because he never got to meet him... that's heartbreaking. (Although the shipper in me cheers at the idea of TRU LUV OTP FOREVA, of course.) One tiny nitpick I have with this part is that guns are very hard to come by in Japan, and a more traditional method might have been more appropriate. Although like I said: minor.

And the calendar. I have so much love for the calendar, for the subtle yet somewhat desperate hints left by Haruka, and that his grandson, in time, picks it up.

So in conclusion of all this tl;dr: thank you very much for sharing this, because in a bittersweet way it has made me very happy today.

Beautiful.

I'm speechless. It's just so... beautiful.

*sob* That broke my heart and made my day. :D