Disclaimer: I own nothing, sadly. I'm just a hobo with a computer. (Just kidding. :D)
WARNING: EXTREME OCCNESS. YUNOKI IS SO UNPREDICTABLE, AND KAHOKO GAINS NON-DENSENESS. ._____.
Serenade
One thing that Hino Kahoko was absolutely, positively sure of was that her senpai, Yunoki Azuma, was incredibly refined.
She didn't realize at first, because his 'nice' personality dazzled her so much that she couldn't see how refined he was. Then, his 'dark' side scared her so much that she couldn't see his refinement.
But then he graduated, and she went a year without seeing him again.
However, Miyabi transferred to Seisou Academy, a first-year Music Student. The Yunoki Guard reformed to protect the younger sister of their former exalted flutist. So Kahoko still received news of Azuma now and then.
When she graduated, it turned out that the college she had been accepted to was also the one Azuma was in. Coincidence? She thought not.
After all, Azuma had interrogated her thoroughly through Miyabi's cell phone about what college she wanted to go to right before she filled out the application forms. They were in all the same classes, oddly enough, and Kahoko spent several hours a day wondering if he used some of that 'Yunoki family money' to place himself in her schedule. In fact, they sat next to each other…
The man occupied her thoughts almost all the time. When she played the violin, when she took her classes, when she did her homework…
Even now, as Kahoko looked up several musical terms in her music dictionary for her musical theory class, her thoughts were filled with her senpai. She was in Miyabi's bedroom, doing her homework as the second-year did hers. (The college she and Azuma attended was rather close to the Yunoki Estates, but a little distant from her house, which was on the other side of town. She lived with the Yunoki family, and now that their nasty grandmother died a few months ago, there were no objections.)
"GAH!" She growled in frustration when her eye caught a definition. "Serenade?"
"A complimentary performance of vocal or instrumental music in the open air at night, as by a lover under the window of his lady." Someone smirked from the door.
"S-S-SENPAI!" Kahoko yelped, and Miyabi looked up from her homework.
"Ohayo, Nii-san." Miyabi smiled. "Why are you here; You rarely come to my room."
"I thought to help Kahoko with her homework." Azuma smirked. "I had a bit of trouble with it, and figure she would be the same."
"I'm perfectly fine!" Kahoko huffed. "A-And…"
"Hey, look at the time!" Miyabi said hurriedly. "I'm late for my date with Kazuki!"
"You're dating Hihara/Kazuki-senpai?" Azuma and Kahoko said in unison.
"I wish." Miyabi said, wilting. "He's just helping me with my P.E. grades…They're horrid, and Kazuki's just helping me."
"Then why call it a date?" Kahoko asked.
"Study date." Miyabi said, grabbing a tennis racket. "I'll be back around five."
They watched as Miyabi rushed from the room, leaving her brother and best friend behind. Azuma looked at Kahoko, who had turned back to her homework. He strode over to her quietly, and leaned next to her, eyes scanning the sheet.
Her golden-brown eyes were bright with…determination. Her long, red hair was twisted into a messy bun, strands framing her face. She wore a lavender sundress, perfect for the September weather. Around her neck was a gold locket Miyako, the eldest child in the Yunoki family, had gotten her for her birthday.
"Adagio is…?" Azuma whispered into her ear.
"Gah!" Kahoko shrieked, surprised.
"C'mon." Azuma sighed. "We have a test on Monday; You need to know this."
"In a leisurely manner; slowly." Kahoko whispered, turning to face him. She was astonished to see how close their faces were.
"Correct." Azuma chuckled. "Adante?"
"Q-Quickly." Kahoko stammered, blushing. "S-Senpai, you're too close…"
"'Senpai'," Azuma repeated mockingly. "It's not class you know; I'm not your senpai when we're at home."
"A-Azuma…" Kahoko blushed. "…san."
"That's too informal for someone you're…" Azuma leaned even closer to Kahoko, who had blushed even darker. "…living with."
"A-Azuma…kun?" Kahoko asked uncertainly.
"That's better." Azuma smirked, and Kahoko could smell a scent that had her heart racing.
It was like rose hinted with lemon, with a slight aroma of lilies, and something that smelled simply divine…
"What are you doing?"
Kahoko blushed, realizing that she had been sniffing the air. "Um, there's something…in the air…Do you wear cologne?"
"No."
"Aftershave?"
"No."
"Perfume?"
"No."
"…Do you have shampoo or something that smells like roses, lemon, and lilies?" Kahoko asked desperately.
"….What, just because I have hair like a girl's means I have to smell like one too?" Azuma scoffed. "My 'shampoo or something' just smells like vanilla."
"…..Isn't that a girl smell?" Kahoko pointed out.
"It's actually a sea breeze that's supposed to smell like someone's brought vanilla extract to." Azuma grumbled.
"Pfft…" Kahoko choked back a laugh.
"What?" Azuma snapped.
"Nothing." Kahoko laughed. "Let's get to studying; You said there was a test, right?"
Azuma rolled his eyes. "Nice change of subject."
---
"You know," Kahoko began as she grabbed a handful of popcorn. "Any sensible girl would never do that."
"Do what?" Azuma asked, taking back the giant tub of popcorn.
The two were sitting on the couch in the living room, remodeled after the death of Azuma's grandmother. The giant plasma-screen was currently showing a romance movie about a struggling college girl that struggled to stay in her college on her full scholarship while juggling AP classes and a high-school sweetheart that broke her heart and was stealing it again.
"Mizuki," Kahoko was referring to the leading lady. "Is an idiot."
"I quite agree." Azuma admitted. "But I still don't understand what you're talking about."
"Ryou broke her heart in high school, and went out with countless women, practically flaunting them in her face." Kahoko snapped. "She's finally over him, and he shows up in her life again, ready to earn her love."
"He changed." Azuma pointed out.
"Yeah, but he's still the same as he was in high school." Kahoko growled. "Mizuki's stupid. She should obviously go for her best friend, the one that's been waiting for her to realize that he's the one for her!"
"You seem quite passionate about this." Azuma smirked.
"Of course I am! She's so dense!" Kahoko threw her hands up in defeat. "Sure, he's always teasing her and mocking her and berating her, but he really does love her!"
Azuma rolled his eyes. "Honestly, Kahoko?"
"Yes!" Kahoko exhaled deeply. "What an idiot."
Yes, you are. "Maybe what this movie's based on can be applied to real life." Azuma tried to explain.
"Huh?" Kahoko blinked.
"…….." Azuma rolled his eyes. "You idiot."
"Azuma-kun!" Kahoko squealed with fake-anger, throwing a pillow at him. (Luckily for him, they had finished the rest of the popcorn earlier.)
Azuma caught the pillow with one hand easily, and laughed. He tossed his long, purple hair over his shoulder. "Stupid."
Kahoko pouted, and mock-slapped his shoulder. "Azuma-kun, you're so mean…"
Azuma laughed, and Kahoko realized the position they were in. Oh, it wasn't something that would've been able to be mistaken for something else, but it was rather embarrassing to Kahoko. Her face was less than an inch away from his, and the strands from her messy bun were tickling on his face.
"Ka…ho…ko…" Azuma breathed, phrasing her name as if it were three separate words.
"H-Hai?" Kahoko whispered nervously.
She didn't notice that they were leaning in until their lips met. It was as if a fire had been lit between them, a gentle fire rather than a roaring one. It was gentle and loving, rather than the mocking kiss she thought he would give.
Someone coughed, and the two broke apart immediately.
It was Miyabi and Kazuki, who were chuckling slightly.
"Were we interrupting something?" Miyabi asked at the same time Kazuki said, "I knew you two would end up together. Kaho-chan is just too dense!"
"W-We're not together!" Kahoko protested, and Azuma's heart felt as if it had been torn from his chest and trampled. It was worse than the pain he felt when he heard Aoi Kaji had kissed Kahoko's hand in front of the whole class and she had not yanked her hand away.
"It was just a kiss." Azuma said coolly. "Nothing more."
"If you say so…" Kazuki rolled his eyes, noting that Azuma's liquid-gold eyes were colder than usual, as if he had willed them to be so.
"Nii-san, my mile time is so much better now!" Miyabi said cheerily, seemingly oblivious to the tense atmosphere in the room. She was trying to ease the tension, Kazuki knew.
"That's right." The green-haired trumpet-player said as cheerfully as the brunette beside him. "It's gone from fifteen minutes to thirteen. It's still a long way from an A on the mile, but we've got some time until the first mile of the year."
"I'm glad to know that." Azuma said serenely, and Kahoko shivered slightly from the venom that crept into his voice. She was pretty sure he wasn't angry at Miyabi or Kazuki about his sister's mile time…
"Kazuki's going to teach me how to play basketball tomorrow!" Miyabi said, her voice strained with the amount of joy she was trying to inject into her voice. "Isn't that great?"
"That's going to be awesome!" Kahoko said as happily as Miyabi. "Kazuki-kun is really good at basketball. Maybe you can call Ryoutaro-kun to help too."
Azuma bristled when Kahoko mentioned both males by first name and complimented their basketball skills. "That's right. They're really talented."
"Kaho-chan," Kazuki was trying to mend the obviously unfixable situation. "Did you know Yunoki's really good at basketball too?"
"Really?" Kahoko asked coldly. "I was under the impression he didn't play any sports because of his delicate health."
"Obaa-sama's lie." Miyabi said bluntly. "She didn't want him focusing too much on sports. Nii-sama is actually a lot better than Ryoutaro-kun at basketball, since his main focus is soccer."
"Miyabi." Azuma's tone warned her. "Kazuki."
"Then why isn't Yunoki-san helping you with your P.E. grade rather than Kazuki-kun?" Kahoko asked, glaring at the purple-haired man.
"Nii-sama's dotes on me." Miyabi laughed awkwardly. "Hehe, he'll tell me I do everything great and let me take rests all the time."
"Oh." Kahoko glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's almost six. I guess I'll go visit Ryoutaro-kun."
She practically stomped out of the room, and Azuma stayed on the couch in selfish defiance. A flicker of pain had crossed his handsome features when he mentioned Ryoutaro, but it disappeared almost as quickly as it had come.
A few minutes passed, although to Kazuki and Miyabi, it felt like years.
"Um, I think I should go now." Kazuki said.
"I'll escort you out!" Miyabi said quickly.
They exited the room, leaving Azuma in the room alone.
"Whew." Kazuki pretended to wipe away sweat. "That was really awkward."
"I know." Miyabi said. "I've never see Nii-sama that angry."
"He's jealous." Kazuki said bluntly. "It's obvious. Did you see the way he looked when Kahoko said she was going to visit Tsuchiura?"
"Yes." Miyabi admitted. "I think she's trying to make him jealous on purpose."
"…I know…" Kazuki said after a moment's thought. "Hey, I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
"M'kay." Miyabi waved to Kazuki. "Bye!"
---
"I just hate him!" Kahoko cried.
Ryoutaro patted her back in a comforting gesture. "It's okay, Kaho."
"He's just so infuriating!" Kahoko yelled. "He's so vain and mean and…so jealous!"
"…" Ryoutaro shook his head like a father indulging his youngest daughter, and hugged her. "It's alright, Kaho."
"Does he honestly think I'm that dense?!" Kahoko raged. "I've known that he's in love with me since I was a second-year!"
"Kahoko-chan…" Sakimoto Mizue handed her a cup of tea. "It'll calm you down."
"Oh, I'm sorry for crying all over your boyfriend." Kahoko apologized. "I'm so sorry…"
"No problem!" Mizue assured her, laughing. "As long you don't take Ryou-kun away from me, I'm fine! Even if you kiss him on the cheek, I don't mind!"
They all laughed, though Kahoko gave a weak chuckle.
"UGH!" Kahoko growled. "He's so insensitive, and he treats me like a toy! I really do hate him!"
Mizue stifled a chuckle, and Ryoutaro patted her back. "Kahoko, he really does love you…"
"I don't care!" Kahoko cried. "He's the worst person ever! I hate him!"
"Kahoko, you've been here for hours, maybe you should go home before Azu—Miyabi starts to worry?" Ryoutaro suggested. "It's almost midnight."
"Yeah.." Kahoko whispered.
"I'll drive you home." Ryoutaro suggested.
"Here." Mizue handed Kahoko a packet of tea. "This will soothe you."
"Thanks." Kahoko bowed deeply. "You're the best, Mizue-chan."
On the ride home, they were silent. Kahoko just kept crying, and Ryoutaro offered small words of comfort.
When they reached the front door of the Yunoki Estates, Kahoko tiptoed to kiss Ryoutaro on the cheek.
"Thanks for listening, Ryoutaro." Kahoko offered him a small smile. "Can you pass that on to Mizue-chan too?"
Ryoutaro chuckled. "No problem."
Kahoko entered the door, unaware that Azuma, unable to sleep, had been staring out his bedroom window and had seen the whole thing. The bad thing?
His bedroom was on the second floor, and he was out of hearing range.
---
Kahoko tiptoed up the stairs. Mentally, she cursed the fact that her bedroom was down the hall from Azuma's, and as she slid the tatami door open, Azuma's did too.
"Kahoko?"
Kahoko mentally cursed, and turned around slowly. "Yunoki-san."
Azuma rolled his eyes. "Where were you?"
"Ryou-kun's house, as you very well damn know." Kahoko scowled. "What are you, my mother?"
"Did you…" Azuma paused. "Nevermind."
"Did I what?" Kahoko asked. "Kiss him?"
Azuma nodded hesitantly.
"Yeah, I did." Kahoko neglected to mention it was on the cheek. "So what? I like him, so I kissed him."
Azuma scowled, then turned around and slammed the tatami door behind him. "Good night."
Kahoko rolled her eyes. "You're being a baby."
And she slammed the door to her own room.
---
The next morning, Azuma was roused by Miyabi.
"Nii-san, have you seen Kahoko-onee?!" Miyabi asked in panic.
The sun was streaming in through the closed binds of his window, and birds were chirping happily. Azuma had one hand thrown over his eyes, and he was sure that if it weren't for Miyabi in his room, fully dressed, it would've looked like any normal Saturday morning.
"No."
"Oh, so we're doing mono-syllables now? You're just jealous of Tsuchiura-kun." Miyabi hissed. She stomped out of the room, and Azuma felt the weight of her presence in the room. "Why don't you just grow up, Azuma?"
It was the first time Miyabi had ever lost her temper with him.
Satoshi and Shoutaro? On a daily basis. Miyako? Every time Miyako spent obscene amounts of her husband's money on extravagant gifts. Grandmother? Everyday, but never to her face. Their parents? Everyday for not standing up against her grandmother.
But never Azuma.
It was also the first time she had called him by his first name alone.
He had always been Azuma-nii or Azuma-niisan or Nii-san or Nii-sama or Azuma-niisama. Never Azuma. She always looked up to him, and never lost her temper with him. She was the obedient little servant. She never spoke against him. In a silent argument with Grandmother, she always took his side, even when the consequences for her were scary.
They had always been best friends.
But now, Miyabi had told him, the brother she worshipped, to grow up.
And what hurt the most wasn't that she had called him by his first name, or that she lost her temper with him.
What hurt the most was that she was right about him needing to grow up.
---
"Ryoutaro, is Kahoko with you?" Miyabi asked urgently, and she relaxed when he said yes.
"Kaho asked Mizue if it was okay that I pretend to be Kahoko's boyfriend for a while." Ryoutaro said suddenly. "Mizue said it was okay, but nothing past making out."
Miyabi laughed. "That's weird."
"Yes it is." Ryoutaro said. "I used to like her in high school, but now, it's going to be awkward…"
"I think cheek kisses are okay…" Miyabi shrugged. "Did she tell you why?"
"Well, Mizue says she doesn't want to know that I'm—" Ryoutaro was cut off.
"Not that!" Miyabi rolled her eyes. "Kahoko's boyfriend scheme!"
"Oh, to make Azuma angry…or something?" Miyabi practically see him shrug. "She was vague on details."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, and she'll be coming home acting all giggly and stuff about us 'dating', so act surprised, okay?" Ryoutaro asked. "And she says to make sure Azuma's in the room."
"I will." Miyabi promised. "Thank you for helping out Kaho, Ryoutaro."
---
Kahoko's eyes brimmed with tears as she ran into the living room. "M-Miyabi!"
"Onee-chan!" Miyabi said theatrically, and though Kahoko rolled her eyes momentarily, Azuma (who was seated on the couch channel surfing) didn't notice how fake his sister sounded. "What happened?"
Kahoko grasped Miyabi's hands with both of her own, and giggled nervously, yet excitedly at the same time. "Ryoutaro…"
"Yes?" Miyabi pressed, and Azuma's eyes looked up from the TV when she mentioned the green-haired pianist.
"He asked me to be his girlfriend!" Kahoko choked out. "Isn't that great?"
"Oh my gosh!" Miyabi cheered. "That's great!"
"I know!" Kahoko cried. "I'm going to call Mizue-chan and tell her!"
Miyabi turned to go to the couch, and noticed Azuma was looking at the TV so intensely, it was as if he was glaring at it…
On the screen, a green-haired pianist that looked extremely like Tsuchiura Ryoutaro (but wasn't) was banging out Beethoven's Fur Elise.
The video ended, and the footage zoomed out to the top right hand corner of the TV screen as an attractive reporter commented on the player. "And that was Tsuchiura Ryuuki, age fifteen."
"Yes." Her companion said. "He later became a world-famous pianist, having died after the birth of his second son."
"Today is his birthday and next week the anniversary of his death." The first reporter said. "He is missed greatly in the world of music, and his family misses him much as well."
"He would've been forty-nine today." The second reporter said remorsefully. "And here is a clip of Tsuchiura-san playing the piano version of a song in the American film, Anastasia, called 'At the Beginning.'"
An older Tsuchiura Ryuuki appeared on the screen, seemingly seventeen or so. "Iie, Mina, do you really need to film me?"
"Hai, Nii-san!" 'Mina' said off-camera. "Now play!"
"Mina, you're so odd…" Ryuuki said in exasperation as he sat down on the piano bench and began to play a very familiar tune to both of the Yunoki siblings.
"Nii-san…" Miyabi said, tugging at her brother's sleeve. "Isn't this the song you used to play all the time when it was just you and me in the house?"
Come to think of it, it's September 15th, when Obaa-sama used to leave to visit Ojii-sama's grave because it was the anniversary of his death three days later…and Mother and Father left to visit a grave in the local…cemetery…for a passed-away pianist…It was always Septemeber 15th when Nii-san and I were the only ones at home…
"Mm-hm." Azuma nodded, eyes on the screen.
"Is this on every year?" Miyabi whispered.
"Yes."
They were quiet until the special on Ryoutaro's father ended.
"Now if you'll excuse me." Azuma said coldly, walking to the grand piano in the living room. "I have to pay my respects."
And he began to play the same song that had been on the TV moments earlier.
"I…I'm going to train with Kazuki-kun…" Miyabi whispered softly.
---
"Is that piano in the background, Mizue-chan?" Kahoko asked.
"Mm-hm." Mizue said from the other end. "Ryou-kun's taping the special about his father; It's on the news every year on September 15th."
"Why is there…" Kahoko trailed off.
"It's his father's birthday." Mizue said softly. "He passed away almost fifteen years ago."
"Oh…" Kahoko breathed. "I'm so sorry."
"Is that 'At the Beginning' I hear on your end?" Mizue asked in puzzlement.
"Hm, I guess, although I don't know who could be playing it. Miyabi doesn't play the piano, and…everyone else that plays the piano is already married off."
"Could it be Azuma?" Mizue suggested.
"I doubt it." Kahoko growled. "He only 'dabbles' in it because he was forced to quit early."
"He could be a prodigy." Mizue offered.
"….Are you trying to make me feel bad?" Kahoko grumbled. "It could be the special you talked about."
"It ended like, five minutes ago." Mizue coughed. "Maybe it's Azuma."
"…Yeah, maybe." Kahoko said, her mind wandering back to the scheme it had cooked up. "Mizue, I dunno if I have the guts to go through with it."
"He really cares about you, you know?" Mizue said suddenly. "He's just too damn prideful. I mean, back when I was dating him—"
"You dated him?!" Kahoko shrieked.
"Momentarily!" Mizue assured her. "Only for a month or so, and he wouldn't ever call me by my first name, like Ryou-kun."
"…"
"He didn't even call me by my last name!" Mizue complained. "It was always, 'Sakimoto-san'! I mean, even Ryou-kun called me 'Sakimoto'!"
"Does this story have a point?" Kahoko asked.
"Er, not really…" Mizue said, and Kahoko saw her in her mind's eye, scratching her head in nervous embarrassment. "Here, Ryou! You talk!"
"What? Why me?" Kahoko heard the brunette's boyfriend call in the background. After a few moments of hearing struggling in the back ground, Kahoko was ready to hang up when a breathless voice said, "Kaho?"
"I…I don't know if I can go through with it…" Kahoko admitted. From the living room came the beginning of the same song. "Ryoutaro, do you know why Azuma's playing 'At the Beginning' over and over?"
"Respect?" Ryoutaro shrugged. "He used to tell me at school that he was sorry for my loss every year. 'At the Beginning' was the last song my father ever played on the piano."
"Really?" Kahoko asked, regretting that she had brought up the subject.
"Yeah." Ryoutaro said, a hint of sadness creeping into his voice. "He played it for my mother the night she came home from the hospital. The next day, he boarded a train to Kyoto for a concert, and…he never made it to Kyoto. The train crashed."
"I'm so sorry." Kahoko gasped.
"I used to remember tugging on my mom's skirt, asking when Dad was coming back." Ryoutaro admitted. "She would break down crying, and I learned not to ask. I learned when I was thirteen that she had taped all the specials on my father that was ran since his death. She let me watch them, and I learned what happened to my dad."
"And you tape it now?" Kahoko asked.
"I gotta." Ryoutaro said. "It became a habit. I want to tape it for my mom, because she never got to tell him that she loved him one last time."
"…" Kahoko was quiet.
"So it's okay with me if you want to stop 'being my girlfriend'." Ryoutaro said. "Tomorrow, you or Azuma could be dead in some sort of accident, and he'll never know how you truly feel about him."
"…You're right." Kahoko whispered. "Bye, Ryoutaro."
"Bye."
"Wait!"
He waited.
"You can keep the ring."
And they hung up.
---
"Did you get to keep your reward for helping her?" Mizue asked after Ryoutaro filled her in. "What was the reward anyway?"
"This." Ryoutaro smirked, placing a silver band with a ruby heart between two smaller, circular diamonds.
"It's beautiful!" Mizue smiled at him. "Where did she get it?"
"From me." Ryoutaro admitted sheepishly. "I gave it to her in our third-year, because I was sure I couldn't find someone special, even though my mom told me to give it as an engagement ring."
"An engagement?"
Oops.
"Yeah…" Ryoutaro said, blushing slightly. "I guess if you don't want then…"
"OF COURSE I WANT TO MARRY YOU, IDIOT!" Mizue yelled tearfully, jumping into his arms. "I love you!"
Ryoutaro hugged her back. "I love you too…Mizue darling..."
Tsuchiura Ryoutaro's top five most embarrassing moments:
Number Five: He came home one day from the park on a girl's bike. A blue-haired girl, later revealed to be a boy, had taken his by accident when bringing home his cousin's bike from the park.
Number Four: The day his aunt used him as a model for her designs. Her girl's designs. And the blue-haired boy's cousin turned out to be another one of her models. So the blue-haired boy was there to watch Ryoutaro walk around in dresses for two hours.
Number Three: He and Tsukimori Len, the blue-haired boy, in a…compromising position after being accidentally pushed by a middle schooler.
Number Two: He and Tsukimori Len kissing after being pushed again by a different middle school a week after Number Three.
Number One: Admitting his love to Sakimoto (Soon-To-Be Tsuchiura) Mizue.
Oddly enough, almost all of his embarrassing moments involved Len. He wonder what that meant…
---
Kazuki stared at Miyabi, who had broken down crying in his arms a few minutes earlier in front of the Yunoki Estate. They were now in his car, heading towards his flat because everyone on the street was glaring at him as if he was the one that made her cry.
"I…I'm such a bad sister to Nii-san!!" Miyabi sobbed. "I…I don't deserve to be his sister!"
"Miyabi-chan…" Kazuki laid one hand on her shoulder. "It's…it's okay, He knows you didn't mean to be lose your temper with him."
"N-Not that…" Miyabi hiccupped. "F-For falling in love with his best friend."
Kazuki paused. "…..You're in love with me?"
"H-H-Hai!" Miyabi wailed. "I'm sorry, Kazuki-kun, I didn't mean to!! But that day when you thought that an orange came from my apple tree—!"
"I love you too," Kazuki said awkwardly. "But how do I say this…You're a minor…"
"…So once I'm eighteen…" Miyabi asked hopefully.
"We can start dating if you like." Kazuki offered.
Miyabi smiled at him. "Aishiteru Kazuki-kun!"
"Ai…" Kazuki blushed. "Aishiteru, Miyabi."
Miyabi burst into laughter. "Look, I really am a horrible sister to Azuma-nii."
"I'm a horrible best friend." Kazuki laughed. "When are we going to tell him?"
"Right after he and Kahoko-onee patches things up." Miyabi decided. "But perhaps we should say 'are thinking of dating once I'm eighteen'…instead of dating, m'kay?"
"…That's a good idea." Kazuki said, thinking of the last guy that had dated Miyabi.
(He had only began to see Azuma's dark side in the past seven months.)
---
The last notes of the piano faded away as Azuma's hands left the piano.
"Azuma-kun!" Someone yelled from the doorway.
He looked up to see a breathless Kahoko, her a mess and cheeks stained with tears. "Kahoko?"
"'m sorry!" Kahoko cried, throwing herself into his arms. "I was stupid, I was trying to make you jealous by pretending to date Ryoutaro-kun, and I love you?"
Azuma patted her back awkwardly. "I love you too?"
"I'm sorry!" Kahoko cried. "It took Ryoutaro-kun coming clean about his father's death to realize that I love you."
"I'm sorry for being jealous." Azuma sweatdropped, patting her back soothingly.
Kahoko realized that she was sitting on Azuma's lap, and practically leapt out of his arms. "G-Gomen!"
"It's okay." Azuma chuckled; He pulled her back on his lap, and began to play the piano around her. "Recognize this?"
"Drigo's Serenade?" She asked. "From Summer Camp?"
"Hai." Azuma chuckled. "And what's Serenade?"
"A complimentary performance of vocal or instrumental music in the open air at night, as by a lover under the window of his lady." Kahoko blushed.
"Exactly." Azuma said, and they kissed.
-
Well, I just found out my house has termites, so…probably no stories until the extermination's done. I deeply apologize…-sweatdrop- I just can't concentrate. I'm kind of surprised I'm not more worried…
And I found my elective sheet, which is weird because I thought I turned it in…I wonder if I can still get into orchestra; I already tested for it…
So this is a sequel to 'The Orange From the Apple Tree', taking place three years later. I hope you review! :3