Kahoko examined the music sheets quickly. Bellicoso was written throughout the sheets. Her eyes raised, she looked up at her tutor.
"What's bellicoso?"
"It means aggressive."
The blue-haired violinist looked at his student briefly as he said that. Not much, mind you. Just a bit. Len Tsukimori began to take out his instrument from his blue case in order to demonstrate how it should be played as.
Damn Halloween, the violinist thought to himself. I'd be able to leave early if it wasn't for Halloween and my student doing a performance.
He used his violin to express the emotions that the song should have. The piece wasn't exactly classical, some made up piece by someone in the choreography department. He shrugged when he saw the sheet music. It wasn't the best, but it would do for his student.
Kahoko closed her eyes and began to see a heap of dark, stormy clouds. The weather definitely wasn't good, and she could feel herself getting scared as the piece became more and more aggressive and war-like.
She hugged herself tightly. How was I going to play such a piece when I'm scared of it even though I'm just hearing it?
Upon seeing his scared student, he stopped playing.
"I thought as much. The music scares you, doesn't it?"
She nodded, and then wanted to take it back immediately. This was an opportunity for her to hone her skills, yet she had turned it down just like that. Because the music was scary. What a story this would make when I grow old...
"Try playing it though."
She looked at the sheet again, and placed her violin in her usual position. She began to play, and in the first 30 seconds Len Tsukimori could already count 5 mistakes.
"How could you miss that this is semi-quavers, and not quaver notes?? And you played the third note E instead of G! Are you even paying attention, Hino?"
She looked up at him.
"I won't ever be able to make it in time, will I."
Len gave her a perplexed look.
"We'll have to try to. Come on, back to work."
|~-~|
How many times had she played the piece? Enough that she could kind of get it, she guessed. By the way Tsukimori-kun was getting agitated with her each time, she felt kind of bad. He had offered to tutor her, but all she did was mistakes and he had to tell her off each time.
She was at home this time, using a portable music stand to look at the notes while she played on the violin.
She was adamant that there should be a lesson where he couldn't shout at her. She wanted so much of these lessons with him... because she knew, that soon, Tsukimori-kun would be leaving.
She slumped her shoulders. She seemed to be doing that a lot.
"Kaho, you've got to be focussed!"
She told it mentally to herself. Focus. Forget everything else, and focus.
She glanced briefly over to her wardrobe. Her Halloween costume was there, hanging up, waiting to be worn. She hadn't spent too much on the costume, choosing instead to do things herself. She had suffered endless physical pain as she sewed her witch's hat and the long cape. She had managed to nearly stick her fingers together with the hot glue that she used to create her carry jar.
She smiled. Halloween only comes once a year... once a year where I can go around and freely ask for treats! What would Tsukimori-kun want as a treat...
She thought about it, and realised. I should get this song done well! That's what he wants, right?
She grinned to herself, and got to work.
|~-~|
Aimlessly walking after school, he had somehow bumped into a shop selling costumes for Halloween. He had never been one to celebrate Halloween – in fact, he can't even think of when he did.
Regardless, he decides to go into the shop. Maybe there would be something there he would be able to bribe Hino with so that she would play the song well.
An old lady was standing behind the counter, and her face brightened up as she saw him come into the shop.
"You're here... for... a costume...?"
He shook his head politely. He backed away from her, nearer to the door, hoping to get out as soon as possible.
"Wait... boya... you would look good... as a vampire... come..."
With unprecedented strength the old lady dragged him from the door to the other end of the shop where the racks of clothes were. He looked at them, unimpressed.
"Why a vampire?"
"Your skin... so pale... your eyes... tell the story... you would be perfect... as a vampire"
The old lady had him kind of interested in dressing up for Halloween. Just for fun, he got the clothes she had laid out for him, and went into the dressing room to try them on.
As he looked at myself in the mirror, he could kind of see what the old lady meant. This would be... kinda fun.
"You... come out..."
She dragged me from the dressing room to show her.
"Yes... you look good... you buy, no?"
He could feel himself cringing.
"I don't celebrate –"
"No matter... celebrate or not... this is all the rage... for you teenagers... maybe your girlfriend... dress with you?"
Girlfriend? What girlfriend? The first girl he could think of was Hino. Would that girl dress up for Halloween? He had a feeling it would be yes. He sighed.
"I'll take it."
She took me to the counter where he paid for the costume.
"Good luck... boya..."
He left with an odd feeling that preoccupied him, even when he went out of the shop already. Although, once he stood outside the shop for a bit, he seemed to wake up. He looked at the bag of stuff he had bought for Halloween, shrugged, and walked home.
|~-~|
"Yay! Halloween is coming tomorrow! What are you dressing up as, Tsukimori-kun?"
She probed Tsukimori-kun, who shrugged.
"You'll have to see, won't you?"
It was after their last class before Halloween. After she delivered a good performance, he had told her that they didn't need to rehearse on Halloween day precisely. They would just meet on Halloween night.
She was excited. She had looked forward to this day since she finished the pile of sweets she had gotten from last year.
"Ne, you ever celebrate Halloween, Tsukimori-kun?"
"Usually, no..."
She grew silent as her eyes widened.
"WHAT? You've never..."
"I know what it is... I've just... never done it"
She grinned at him. Didn't this make tomorrow night even more special?
"Then I'll have to treat you, hmm?"
She had added in the 'treat' as a reference to 'trick and treat'. He seemed to get it, and smiled a bit.
"Just don't trick me. I'll be relying on it."
He had left her then, saying that he had an appointment to go to. Kahoko Hino was left puzzled, wondering what in the world Tsukimori-kun had meant when he said he'd be relying on it. Did that mean he'd be relying on HER? Her head spun just thinking about it.
|~-~|
It was HALLOWEEN NIGHT! Kahoko Hino had gotten to her class's Halloween exhibit early, and had already recorded her song onto a tape that could be played over and over.
Now, to find Tsukimori-kun...
"That was a decent recording"
Kahoko Hino jumped out of her skin to see a vampire all cloaked in black, with fangs, light blue hair and golden eyes.
"Tsu-tsu-TSUKIMORI-KUN?!"
"I'm the vampire Tsukijanes"
She tried to control her giggles. What kind of name was Tsukijanes??
"Good little girls have no place around here tonight..."
|~-~|
Len Tsukimori was really getting into the hang of acting as a completely different character. Tsukijanes, the vampire, was a random name he had just made up then.
I've got to remember that name... so that I don't ruin my alibi...
He looked at Hino the witch, with her witches hat and dress and cape. It suits her very well...
"I'm the witch Hinosuke. My potions use good little girls and boys"
He tried to stifle his laughter. Halloween was turning out to be a really fun night.
|~-~|
The vampire and witch walked side by side during Seisou's Halloween festival. All the other students, dressed up, looked at them.
"The witch must've summoned the vampire", one said
"No, the vampire must be the one the witch loves", said another.
Kahoko Hino could feel her heartbeat go faster as she heard that line. She spotted Nao and Mio wearing good girl's clothes.
"I see worthy ingredients to my left. Vampire, come with me."
She walked up to Nao and Mio. She then realised that they weren't dressed as good little girls, they were zombie girls.
"I knew I left you puppets around here somewhere."
"Who says we're your puppets? We zombies operate on our own, without need for master or mistress!"
Kahoko laughed evilly.
"Whatever you say."
|~-~|
Len followed Hino (the witch Hinosuke) to the girl zombies. Their makeup looked very realistic.
"These zombies obviously already have a master. Let us go, Mistress Hinosuke."
Hino nodded to Len, who guided her away from them.
|~-~|
The rest of the hours of the Halloween festival came and went. As soon as the sun began to rise, everyone instantly started packing up and getting out of Seisou.
Kahoko and Tsukimori-kun were sitting in the seats overlooking the soccer field, staring at the beautiful moon.
"Trick or Treat, Mistress Hinosuke"
Kahoko looked at Tsukimori-kun when he said that, who looked back at her with his golden eyes. She could feel her heart once again beat faster.
"Vampire Tsukijanes... I want your treat"
|~-~|
He had thought about it all along. If Hino said trick, he'd pretend to bite her on the neck and suck her blood like a vampire would. If Hino said treat, though... he hadn't really thought about it.
As he looked at her, looking at him, he realised there was only one thing. He cupped her chin with one hand, and touched her cheek with the other.
She stayed perfectly still as his face came closer to hers, and as their lips touched, he could feel his own heartbeat racing.
He kissed her softly, lightly, and broke it.
As she looked at him, slightly dazed, he knew what his answer was. He looked at the sky, and knew that day was coming.
"A vampire cannot walk in the sun, as much as he or she wants to. While we may live in two different worlds, I will long to see you again."
He stood up, and walked away.
|~-~|
"Kaho-chan!"
Nao and Mio had already gone out of their costume, and had run off to find Kahoko. They ran to the soccer field, and eventually saw her still in her Halloween costume. They ran to the chair.
"Nao. Mio."
They saw her look at them with slightly unfocussed eyes. Mio reached out her hand.
"Come on witch, it's time for you to be out of costume, too."
|~-~|
Once back in normal wear, Kahoko thought back to those last moments with vampire Tsukijanes – no, with Tsukimori-kun.
She blushed when she recalled how she said that she wanted "his treat", and blushed even more as she realised that she didn't just imagine the kiss between them.
A vampire cannot walk in the sun, as much as he or she wants to. While we may live in two different worlds, I will long to see you again.
"I will long to see you too, Tsukimori-kun..."
She smiled briefly. She then burst into tears, because she knew that it was his goodbye.