A/N:This fiction was written in response to the March Holiday HC of Scribe's Faction :)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own La Corda D Oro. This awesome manga belongs to Kure Yuki and the its other legitimate owners.
~From Me to You~
Tsukimori Len stood inside one of Seiso's practice rooms. With his violin resting in between his chin and shoulder, and his bow ready to glide on the strings, he was ready to play. However, something held him back… a memory of the fourteenth of February.
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.
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"Tsu—Tsukimori-kun…"
Len heard a small soft voice call out from behind him when he had his hand reached on the knob of a door. Of course, he turned around to look.
"Hino."
"Ah… ano…"
Somehow, Len found it irritating when the girl was unable to speak. He has something else to do and this redhead seemed to be wasting his time. He wanted to be angry, but seeing how Kahoko was so shy, he could not bring himself to. Instead, he made an effort to soften his perfect features.
"Hino, what is it?" he asked in a gentle way.
Slowly, Kahoko raised her head up and when she met his gaze, a pink flush showed on her cheeks. So she bowed her head again and instead, mustered all her courage to give the box of chocolates she was hiding behind her.
"Ah… here," she finally said with all the courage she could muster without making her voice shake.
Although he wasn't supposed to, he felt his heart skip one beat. Shock was registered on his face upon the girl's sudden action. Could this be…
"I guess I wanted to thank you for… for helping me at the concours."
Helping her at the concours? Not quite the reason he expected. After all his anticipation, his small hopes have been broken down, thanks to those words.
.
.
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Len sighed at the memory. He ran his fingers through his hair, feeling disappointment spread throughout his entire body. And now he's tied to a dilemma that he has to respond, not because of feelings but because of the obligations evoked to him by Kahoko.
The blunette looked at the calendar hung by the window. March 13, a few more hours and its tomorrow.He needed to make a decision fast, or it's all over before he even knows it.
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.
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"Kaho-chan!" Mio called out to her friend who was dazed on her seat. When she didn't turn, the latter called out again. "Kaho-chan!"
"Ah, Mio. Sorry, as you were saying?"
"Eh? Kaho-chan, it's today! Aren't you excited?"
Kahoko looked up at her friend who was so fired up. Obviously, she was too anxious to think about anything else, for there was only one thing constantly nagging her mind… the words she said to Len Tsukimori on that fateful day of February fourteenth.
'I guess I wanted to thank you for… for helping me at the concours.' She reminded herself once again. Everytime it echoes in her mind, she can't help but feel like burying herself in the soil and never bother showing up again.
"Kaho-chan? Are you alright?" Mio asked, seeing how fast the expressions on Kahoko's face changed so easily from one thing to another.
"I. Am. An. Idiot." She gave off as a response and thumped her head on her arms resting on the table. Indeed, she was feeling stupid. She told herself that she would confess, yet those were the words that came out of her. How she regretted it! Her one—and perhaps only—chance came and she blew it. Because of the words she said, Len might get the wrong idea that it's all out of duty, and she'll never be able to get her feelings across.
If only she had the courage back then, she'd accept his answer even if it was a no. But facing the reality, her chances are from zero to none at all.
"Hey, what's that music student doing in here?"
"He's that cold violinist, right?"
"Gosh! He's so handsome!"
Hearing the sudden commotion by the door, Mio immediately shook her best friend to her senses.
"Kaho-chan! Look, isn't that Tsukimori-kun? I think he's looking for you!"
Kahoko raised her head slowly to see if it her friend was saying was true. And turns out that she was. Shock registers throughout her face.
"Tsu—Tsukimori-kun."
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.
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"Here, I wanted to give this to you." Len said as she handed her a box of white chocolates, to which Kahoko felt slightly reluctant to receive.
"A—arigatou, Tsukimori-kun…" she replied feeling happiness overwhelm her entirely. "But Tsukimori-kun, what's this for?"
Len got stricken by her question. Now that the time has finally come, when she asked the question herself, should he tell her the truth about his feelings? His feelings. What a crazy idea. Len suddenly felt insecure. What if it was really out of pure thank you? Then, he'll probably succumb in embarrassment, thinking of the rejection for his entire life. That he, Len Tsukimori, got dumped by the girl that he ever liked.
"I heard that it's White Day today, and as a response to your thank-you gift, here it is."
Kahoko felt her smile slowly start to vanish upon hearing the response from Len's lips. As expected, she got a thank-you present in return. But being earnest and humble as she was, she squeezed out her smile once again. "Oh. Thank you, then."
She left Len without another word, fearing that her voice might only break with the tears she was holding back.
Regrets. That was what the two hearts were feeling.
Seeing the girl already at a distance, he can't help but feel his chest tighten. To let Kahoko go just like that, was it the right thing to do? Len gathered all his courage and manage a step forward… but it was futile. He stood frozen just like that.
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"Kaho-chan, how did it go?" Mio's voice crept into Kaho's ears.
"C'mon, Kaho. Spill!" Nao said and nudged the suddenly quiet Kahoko.
"Huh? Ah… no, nothing happened." She said in return and got lost to her thoughts again. Usually, she'd always be energetic every time she goes home with her pals. However, today was different. Yet knowing that she was going to be taken to a cake shop by her friends, she might as well enjoy.
"Kaho…" Nao suddenly called out. Kahoko stopped all at once. She looked back at her friends and noticed she was walking ahead of them. When she looked in front to resume her steps, she got caught up in a stare with the person standing at a distance from her.
"Ja, Kaho-chan! We'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Mio caught up with her and smiled.
"We'll take you to the cake shop some other time," Nao said and grabbed the other by the hand, her voice slowly fading. "Let's go, Mio!"
By the time Kahoko was able to make sense out of everything around her, both her friends have left. The only thing that she was able to catch up on was Nao mouthing 'Gambatte!' and gave her a playful wink.
At last, she's all alone again with the blunette violinist. Feeling all too nervous, and despite the many words she wanted to say, the only thing that came out of her was, "Tsukimori-kun…"
Len's eyes were immovably fixed at her. The shy expression on her face, her current fragile state, and everything else about this girl got him thinking. Just as he was about to speak, the fidgety and uneasy Kahoko spoke first and hurriedly excused herself after that few seconds of silence. "J—ja! See you tomorrow, Tsukimori-kun!"
Before she could sink in her embarrassment, Kahoko hurriedly left. What's with this? She wasn't ready to face him yet after all that. Perhaps tomorrow would be okay. But this, him standing at the gate… was he waiting for her? No, he couldn't be. That'd be impossible, Kahoko thought. With the way she was now, she knew she couldn't face the man who unknowingly rejected her.
With her abnormally fast-beating heart and the mixing sea of emotions in her stomach, running away was the most sober thing she could come up with. However, she was taken aback when she felt a hand grab her wrist.
"Kahoko…"
At long last, Len Tsukimori was finally able to say what he truly felt. He could no longer hold it in anymore. The white chocolates that he gave her earlier, he admitted, wasn't out of obligation, but out of his feelings for her. He didn't know when it all started, but it has been his desire to call her by her name and make her his.
Surprised with what she heard, Kahoko slowly turned and looked at Len, who was still staring at her intently. He stared directly into his eyes and saw how they were playing with emotions. Feeling her heart skip a beat, Kahoko turned her gaze away.
"N—nee, Tsukimori-kun… m—my hand…"
Being brought back to his senses, Len let go of his grasp in just let his hand dangle to his side. There was silence now… a deafening one. And with neither of them able to look, Len decided to turn his back. Meanwhile Kahoko, who thought that he was about to leave, called out to stop him.
"Tsukimori-kun—"
"Sorry…"
"Eh?"
The two people were once again surprised with their actions. Len, wanting at least a small part of his feelings to get across, says in a gentle voice. "Next time, if it's alright… would you like to go out with me, Hino?"
Feeling happiness overwhelm her once again, Kahoko brings a smile on her lips. And feeling secretly happy just behind Len's back, Kahoko manages an answer that's sure to confirm every lingering doubt between them.
"It's not Hino, Len. But… Kahoko."
~From Me to You||END~
A/N:It's not much, but I hope you liked my first one-shot. I sort of had a difficulty with my ending, so I thank my classmates and friends for their ideas, especially eienflower and junpon =)