Disclaimer: I don't own La Corda D'oro or any of its characters.
Summary: Kahoko's lover/s?
Chapter I: Len's Strawberry Short Cake
He counted patiently the minutes and seconds till the plane was to land. It was only a few more moments till he was about to be reunited with his Kahoko. "his Kahoko" those words were so foreign to him whenever he'd say them. For he knew he had no right to call Kahoko "his" he had no right to call her by Kahoko not after breaking her heart three years ago when he decided to pursue his music career and leaving her behind. Thinking back that was probably the worst decision he made.
"Sr. your order." A stewardess said as she placed a piece of strawberry short cake on the foldable table. Tsukimori Len was never surprised at how Airlines would often bend over backwards to accommodate the first class passengers. He looked at the stewardess in his usual stoic expression to which she responded by graciously smiling. After the woman left he brought his attention back at the cake. He never really liked sweets. He never really like strawberries but he did like rather love its color.
Thinking back he remembered his first date unofficial as it was he still considered it a date. He didn't notice the time as he practiced his violin when he finally realized it, it was already getting dark and as hurried home his luck seemed to get worse when it suddenly began raining on his way he saw a girl drenched in rain who smiled at him. "Stupid" he thought to himself as his lips unwillingly made a very small smile which you wouldn't have seen if you weren't close to him. The red hair girl that was holding her violin case close to her chest waved at him and signaled him to take cover at the nearest shop. Both of them soaking wet went in. They were a little embarrassed for entering dripping with water but when the owner smiled at them they knew it was fine. As it turned out Kahoko is a well liked patron of the shop. She along with her two female friends would visit the shop every weekend thus ended up befriending the owner.
Although he detested the menu which was mostly of sweets he felt slightly indebted to the owner for letting them stay in the shop and not order anything so he did. He ordered what Kahoko ordered which as it turned out was her favorite cake, a strawberry short cake. He remembered how he watched Kahoko devour the cake unlady like but still cute. When finally Kahoko realized he was staring at her he made a retort and said "you eat like Hihara-senpai." which caused the poor girl to blush with the embarrassing comment. She didn't make eye contact till the rain stopped which was actually an advantage for Tsukimori since he was able to stare at her for as long as he wanted without being interrupted with her beautiful yet piercing eyes. He loved the color her cheeks would become whenever she felt embarrassed. He loved her porcelain skin that was the cause of her easily detectable blushes. He loved her lips although it wasn't as red as her hair he often wondered what it would be like to kiss them he'd deny those thoughts to the death of course but…. What he wondered most of all was how it would feel like to play with her hair? How it would feel to stroke her hair the way he would stroke his violin. How it would be like to brush her hair from her ear and whisper "mine"? He really did love the color red and he really did love that cake shop.
That sacred place became their little rendezvous point when they'd get together. It was a place that always made Kahoko happy it was a place that always cheered her up. It was theirs and it was also there where both their hearts got broken.
Tsukimori Len aside from being a cold man also had a tendency of being selfish. He was leaving for Europe to pursue his career as well as his education in music. He was given a four-year contract to perform with a renowned orchestra plus a degree in music at a prominent university it was an offer he couldn't refuse the only down side was leaving Kahoko behind. A chance like this only came once in a lifetime he was going to be able to advance his music in a way he only dreamt about as a child. Obviously just like in his childhood he had forsaken everything except violin including his childhood. Having a girlfriend tag along with him would only mean less time for his violin so what was he to do you can't have your cake and eat it too or maybe you can. So he devised the most selfish plan that couldn't go wrong but did. He proposed to her in this shop after four years when he returned they'd get married in the mean time they'll be engaged.
(flashback)
Tukimori Len opened the small box and placed it on the table. It was his family's heirloom. It was passed from his great grandfather to his grandfather to his father to him to give to a woman who was worth more than the ring. Kahoko stared at him and bowed her head and tears began to fall from her cheeks at first Len thought it was just tears of joy but as he tried to console the girl he knew the tears was much deeper when she finally began to speak she simply said "I can't… I have to tell you…" Tsukimori didn't need any further answer. He didn't need an excuse the fact is he already had his answer nothing else mattered and so he immediately left taking with him the ring.
At first he was heart broken by her decision but as time went by his broken heart healed unfortunately the new found heart became lonely and finally began to seek the red haired girl once again. Later on he finally realized how selfish it was for him to ask her to stop her life and wait for him as he continued his. And now he was back four years later in the same cake shop with the same ring in hand… patiently waiting for the red haired girl. He wondered what where his chances with her. Four years after her rejection he made no contact with her but he did however buy any and every magazines and newspapers that featured her. It was his way of knowing how she was doing. It was also the way he found out she was getting a divorce from her husband of three years Yunoki Azuma who she shares a son with. Than again the information he got wasn't as reliable as he would have liked but still if there was a chance that he could win her back he'd take it and so now he waited. He waited patiently for his Kahoko.
Of all the concour participants he wondered why she ended up with him and not with Tsuchiara than again Tsuchiara left four years ago as well to pursue his music career in America. There were a lot of thing that happened to the woman she loved. At first he thought she found her happily ever after she got married had a baby but than in a cruel twist of faith is now getting a divorce or something like that. Than again her life wasn't all bad for although he had made great strides the same could also be compared to Kahoko. She got her Bachelor's degree in music and also became a respectable violinist in her own right in Japan. Although she wasn't as famous as him her name also had value in the music industry.
"Tsukimori-kun." A voice said as it interrupted his thoughts. "Tsukimori-kun." He thought to himself back to the formality again he guessed. "Have a seat." Tsukimori said in a monotone voice which had a hint of an order not really the best strategy to win a woman's heart.
There she was seating across the table from him. In the four years he was apart from her she became an even lovelier woman. Her hair was longer reaching to her back the layers where no longer there it was now completely straight. Her figure became more womanly and her movements became more graceful. Her beauty could be said that it commanded attention for when she entered the room several men's head turned to her direction.
The conversation where mostly initiated by Kahoko time and time again she'd bring up past memories of him and her of the Concours. She'd begin a story that made her reminisce the past as she recollected her high school experiences. Len of course almost didn't par take with the conversation he wasn't really a talkative man. He did however engulf every word she said. Among all other things what he missed the most was her voice. How it would be warm and full of life just like her music.
"Kahoko!" Tsukimori said as he interrupted the girl's ramblings of the past. She smiled in response. That smile of course captivated the man once again he almost didn't want to go through what he was going to say….
A few minutes passed by and the intent stare of Len was already making Kahoko uncomfortable so she decided to speak again. "Do you remember the first time you proposed to me?" Kahoko said in a monotone voice as she sipped her tea feeling the icy glare he was giving her. "Yes you rejected me." Len said in monotone trying to keep his cool but only ended up looking a little annoyed. "Nope that was the second time you proposed to me." Kahoko said teasingly. With that comment Len couldn't help make a quizzical expression.
"The first time you proposed to me was when you got drunk." Kahoko humorously said. He remembered that day.
(Flashback)
He remembered during his senior year at Seisou he and Tsuchiara were dared to steal and drink Kanazawa-sensei's beer. It was a stupid and a silly challenge instigated by Amou but neither the two could back down for the prize was a chance to get a date with Kahoko to watch a concert she was dying to see. Since it wasn't a classical concert but a pop concert his connections wouldn't do him any good plus the concert was sold out so he had no other options but to comply. But why did he comply he hated pop and disliked almost all kind of music that wasn't classical which included rnb hiphop and especially rap?
In the end both students drank a can of beer since both of them performed the task Amou decided upon herself to break the tie by creating a new challenge wherein the one to drink more beer wins. Tsuchiara won that round and he silently cursed himself for losing and being tricked by Amou especially since she got candid shots of them while and after drinking…
As he was going home unaccustomed to having alcohol in his body he ended up dizzy and almost falling for every step and of all the people to see him on his way it had to be Kahoko. He truly felt ashamed of what he was conned to do by Amou and of course Kahoko being Kahoko ended up lecturing him about drinking in school to the point of almost yelling at him. Kahoko decided to bring him in the cake shop and get him coffee to calm his nerves. As she returned with a hot cup of coffee Len being disoriented with the events he instantaneously stood up surprising Kahoko and spilling the coffee in her hand. With her hand slightly burned Len immediately went to her side and grabbed them seeing there were no serious injuries he took his tie and wrapped it around her slightly hurt hand and softly said "Gomenasai." Kahoko smiled at him and simply said "Well at least I didn't break the cup" as she pointed to the cup on top of the table how she managed to get it there he couldn't remember.
She ended up escorting him back to his home as she left he whispered to himself "Hino Kahoko five years from now I'm going to marry you and that's a promise." Up to this day he wondered why he said that maybe it was the alcohol talking but still there was never a promise he wasn't willing to keep. Although he knew Kahoko never heard that pledge he felt constrained by that oath.
"Well, where you too drunk to remember?" Kahoko said still humorously yet a little bit irritated. "Yes." Tsukimori said flatly. "Yes you do remember or Yes I don't remember." Kahoko said now with a serious voice. "I remember." Tsukimori answered warmly which caused a small smile. "Do you remember what I answered you when you said Hino Kahoko five years from now I'm going to marry you and that's a promise.?" Kahoko asked. Tsukimori only answered with another question. "How could you have heard that I remembered I was whispering when I said that?" Tsukimori asked a little stunned. "Yup you were whispering you whispering in my ear." Kahoko said "Well do you remember what I answered you or not?" Kahoko added. Tsukimori only shook his head. "Of course you already passed out!" Kahoko said jokingly.
"Tsukimori Len I said…"
Author's Note:
So what do you think? Please give me some comments uhm by the way the title is Kahoko's lover/s? So on the next chapter the pairing is going to change I'm planning all five of them to be paired with her. This isn't a oneshot rather it will be a continuity but after the four other pairing I'll get back to Len and Kahoko's answer.
Oh by the way to all those KahokoxLen pairing I said he married Yunoki and the tabloids, magazines and newspaper said it's Yunoki's baby. I the author didn't say it was Yunoki's the story said it was him.
I the author am saying read the next chapter to find out my reasons why they got married…
Time line:
So Len already proposed the first time during senior hence five years
The next time presumably after graduation hence four years
Just in case you're confuse…