A Small, Insignificant, Tiny Love

A La Corda D'Oro fanfiction

Summary: A meeting between two people, both unlikely to meet in any of the likeliest circumstances. A meeting that causes the most unlikely bonds between them to exist in their hearts, no matter how different they wished it to be, no matter how much Len wanted it to be.

Past

Len: 17 years old

Kahoko: 5/6 years old (which ever take your pick.)

Present

Len: 34 years old

Kahoko: 23 years old

Disclaimer: I do not own La Corda D'Oro. The copyrights of the game, anime series and franchise rightfully belong to their respective owners.

I apologise. I had forgotten a tiny detail, which was that when Len and Kahoko first met, the age gap between them.

Chapter 1: Memories

Vibrant.

That was the word he could use to describe her.

No, there were many that he could use, but, it was that word that could truly fit with his image of her in mind. She was wonderful... Spectacular... Stunning... And he was could only watch, like a moth drawn to that singular light source. Only, unlike the moth which would be drawn to many, this singular source of brilliance would captivate him and captivate him it would, for all of time...

~~~~~~~~.~~~~~~~

He felt particular out of character that day. Why, you might ask. Well, he was a withdrawn person and here he was, having a peculiarly weird conversation with a five-year old (turning six!) or... That's what she told him excitedly with a wide smile and cute baby milky teeth he recognized in an instant. He couldn't even recall how that happened. He was a logical person who strove nothing but perfection. He strove perfection in all he did, it was a way of life for him. It was a way, a way to move from his parents' shadows.

Well, clearly he was getting side-tracked. Like he said, Len, felt troubled. As he tussled and messed up his own neatly combed hair in confusion in his own thoughts, he was staring down at the curiously and strangely bubbly creature in front of him. Ah... Right, he was playing a particular technically driven piece in the park, getting his daily hours of devoted practice to the violin... When this lithe little creature bounded up to him, thus, causes him to jerk from his seemingly drunken stupor of enchantment into music perfection.

"Ne, ne, Onii-chan! What are you pwaying? It sounds really reaaaaalllly petty!" The little red head jumped up and down, her childlike voice catching his attention as well.

"Hn. It's Polonaise Brillante No.1, Op.4." Len answered curtly and awkwardly, he had no idea how to hold a conversation with a little kid… Though he was sure she was just saying the piece was pretty. As he told her rather rudely, he was hoping, rather, wishing she would go away and play with her friends.

She stood there and pestered him on, "ne, onii-chan! Could you pway it again? Kaho-chan wants to hear it again." Her eyes widened as she realised her own boo-boo. She wasn't supposed to talk to strangers. But, but, this onii-chan looked really nice… Right?

Len hesitated, not to mention he was getting rather annoyed. He wanted to practice. He needed to practice if he ever wanted to overcome being his parents' shadow. But he felt himself stop before he even spoke; it was inbred in him to be polite, to women, children and the elderly. Not to mention if his mother found out he would have her looking at him disappointedly; and that annoyed him too.

The little firebrand continued to pester Len as he was silent, tugging at his pants, "ne, ne, onii-chan! Could you pway it, petty pwease?"

Len simply nodded, he played the song once more, the little girl disappearing from the depths of his senses and all was alright in the world again as he could only feel and hear his bow masterfully coax the music from his violin, as perfection played its song once more.

As the song ended, he could hear sounds of repetitive claps and coos of excitement as the little girl in front of him was applauding. As he returned to his conscience, regretfully, he looked up towards the orange-streaked sky, it was getting late.

He looked to the little tot. The said little red head looked at him mesmerised and wide-eyed from the earful she got. Len did something unexpected yet again, he bent down to her height and spoke to her softly, "Chibi. Where's your mother? What's your name? How old are you? Shouldn't you go home now?"

The little girl replied to him cheerfully, seemingly not noticing how dark it was getting. "Mommy's at home cooking! Nee-chan's at school! She was supposed to pick Kaho-chan up here! I'm Kahoko! I'm six!" She rose out six fingers at him. She continued chattering to him, "ne, ne Onii-chan! Onii-chan! What is that?" She pointed her pointy finger at his violin.

Len smiled and told her, "it's a violin, Chibi."

For some unknown reason, the little girl nodded and her eyes lightened up even more, causing Len to stare at her in surprise. She waved at someone behind him, "Nee-chan! I'm here!" She smiled at him once again, showing her shiny baby teeth. "Bye Onii-chan! Nee-chan's here!"

What was even more surprising was… The little kid hugged him, whispering softly in his ear, "I wanna pway with you too Onii-chan!" As soon as she did so, she ran off to a figure further away. He never did notice. He was just shocked beyond belief that a little tot invaded his own personal space.

And that was how he met her, his unique muse.

~~~~~~~~.~~~~~~~

And now that he thought about it, that was the start of everything. The start of him meeting someone so starkly different from himself, someone so... Unique.

~~~~~~~~.~~~~~~~

"Len! Len, welcome home!" The once little firebrand he once knew was now a blooming twenty-three year old, a beautiful young lady whom he cherished so much more than anyone else in the world. Hino Kahoko looked at him with a bright smile as he visited his parents at the family mansion. With the years gone by, she had become a familiar sight beside him while he went everywhere. His parents were, very often, amused when the little tot of a little girl had followed him around in admiration of her 'hero'.

Little Kahoko had stepped into the thresholds of his family and into the hearts of his parents whom loved the little girl he knew from so long ago like the little daughter they never had. And in turn, Kahoko regarded them as her loving aunt and uncle even if they were not related. Their families had become close when Kahoko, with her little loving heart and abundance of charm, closed the gaps of awkwardness between them. She was like a refreshing spring breeze.

As she rushed forward and dragged him closer to his smiling parents, both so proud of what he had achieved in Europe to become the internationally acclaimed violinist to do, the little red head (as he would always call her) would beam and listen to their compliments as if she was given such praise too. But Len knew, he knew that she was simply happy for him and proud of the man that she had always known from most of her life, the one that was like her other older brother to her.

~~~~~~~~.~~~~~~~

Len sat at the café nearby the town area of his neighbourhood, he looked around cautiously, slightly exasperated, a little frustrated. However, his eyes held affection, deep affection for the person he was waiting for. Same old Kahoko, he thought with silent amusement and a curl of his lips. She was always late but that was what he liked about her - the look on her face that was apologetic, her cute sounding pants, the redness of her cheeks – it made him fantasise, even if only for a little while, that it was because of him that she would do so. But he was a gentleman and he refrained from such thoughts, even if when he gave her a gentle rebuke afterwards and she became adorably angry. Len simply waited in content, for the child-girl-woman whom he had grown so used to for seventeen years of his life.

And as she came, in her typical lateness, "I'm really sorry I'm late, Len!"

He simply hid a smile yet again, in affection and amusement of her long unchanged habit even after six years, "yet again."

She simply pouted and Kahoko glared at him, "I did say I was sorry, Len."

He simply waved his hand, as if he was also waving the matter aside, "now, what was it you wanted to meet me for, Kahoko? You know that I am very busy now."

She looked at him and smiled mockingly, "ah. I see. You have not even time left for your most favourite person in the world huh? Being famous has made you even more annoying, Len."

Len snorted as he looked at her, "really. I'm sure you enjoyed being away from me for six years then."

She simply grinned as she ordered to the waiter for some tea, "nope. Six years have made me longing for some snappy and brusque comments from you again. And now, you're back!" She simply walked over to him and hugged him lightly, knowing he hated physical contact with a vehement awkwardness. She whispered lightly in his ear, "I missed you, onii-chan."

As Len felt her hug, he couldn't help but stiffen. Six years of no contact from her was stifling and he could truly and really feel how starkly different she was from then and now. He had to remind himself that she was no longer seventeen, no longer five where he could hide his feelings away. She had grown up. And as he heard what she said, he felt himself shrivel away inside as well.

"Len." As she sat back down at her seat, sipping her tea lightly, not realising the effect she had on him, she paused as she looked at him intently with a light blush on her face, "I'm getting married."

Ok. I'm sorry. I couldn't resist writing a sad story between these two cute little young ones. Not that I'm that old to begin with. :P Alright, moving on…. This song inspired me to write a bittersweet fanfic about these two. Len and Kahoko. I figure a cute tiny Kahoko is a really squealing kind of thing, seeing that Kahoko probably would have gone with another guy if she was the older one. But truly, this story had difficulty coming out. It somehow didn't flow the way I wanted it to.

More will be written too. This was done for a request for my little sister, whom wanted a teacher/student relationship, well, it comes up in the next part I guess. Do feel free to give me any feedback.

Inspirational Muse Alana