Disclaimer: We don't own La Corda d'oro
Title: Proposal
Authoress: A Pair of Queerness XD [Devilish Dream & NeKo Meow]
Summary: It was definitely not weird to propose to a girl on Valentine's Day, definitely not or maybe it was? Now that he thought of his action back then he didn't think of the consequence he would face once this news is out in public. –in response to HC-
Genre: Romance & Angst
Rating: K+
Pairing: Kazuki Hihara x Miyabi Yunoki
It was definitely not weird to propose to a girl on Valentine's Day, definitely not or maybe it was? The lines of sudden confusion could be seen on the young lad's forehead. He was pacing back and forth thinking over his action exactly 3 weeks ago on Valentine's Day. Now that he thought of his action back then he didn't think of the consequence he would face once this news is out in public, he crouched, his head between his legs and sit on ground fearing the embarrassment he would be facing and the wrath too. Kazuki was not a shy boy but when the depth of the situation got in his head he wished that the earth would eat him up.
"Kazuki?" he heard the name but knowing who was calling him he refrained himself from looking at him. "Kazuki?" the voice again called.
"Are you okay?"
The green head immediately shot up and looked at his best friend's face. 'Did he know?' he thought and searched in Azuma's smile and eyes if there was a hint of knowledge about the deed of his crime
"Kazuki? What is with you?" Azuma asked again.
The question relieved him from the agony he was suffering of Azuma knowing about his Valentine's Day proposal.
"Nothing, Azuma, why were you looking for me?" he stood up, putting a shy smile on his face.
"I want to talk to you, so will you join me for tea?"
The smile on Azuma's face alerted Kazuki to the extent that his nervousness was all back in his system and for the first few seconds he hesitated to accept the offer but eventually he agreed.
He can never know what a brother would feel when he knew that his sister is being proposed by his best friend, what a best friend would feel when his best friend has proposed to his sister. The feelings and emotions were too complicated for a simple minded person like Kazuki.
Truth to be told right now he was afraid of Azuma and his opinions about the relationship between Kazuki and Miyabi.
"Stop thinking about useless things, Kazuki." Kazuki head snapped and his face look like he was caught doing something he shouldn't be doing. But what made Kazuki feel the chilled aura was how Azuma smile.
"What is it, Azuma that you wanted to talk about?" Kazuki asked gathering all his courage.
"I heard few things back at my place and I must tell you I'm not at all pleased" he sipped the tea he ordered, within seconds Kazuki face paled.
"I'm sorry I really didn't intent to go that far…it was…I was…I'm so sorry, Azuma I didn't mean to, it just happen, you know when we met and suddenly there's a spark…" Kazuki blabbered nonsense making Azuma lightly laugh, amusement evident in his dark honey eyes. In the end, and much to Kazuki's chagrin, the flutist solely wanted to talk about their admission in a certain university.
It was embarrassing, but, at the same time, a blessing in disguise. A relief.
There was a hint that Azuma knew what Kazuki was hiding but as usual naïve Kazuki was not sure, neither he was aware of Azuma's dual nature. He usually felt creep whenever Azuma smiles at him after talking about Miyabi. Kazuki tried to interpret it like a code but always failing to do so, well one can say he was not really sure what was going on Azuma's mind.
On the other hand, he was still and eagerly waiting for Miyabi's response to his proposal, as whenever he is receiving a message from the said girl, he would often think of it as something connected to his proposal to her.
The problem now, if Miyabi accepted his proposal—heaven, may it be true—was how he would handle and confided the news to his best friend. Kazuki tried to formulate a plan to talk it out with Azuma; however it didn't go accordingly as Azuma was busy with his final paperwork the following week. Added to his anxiety was the delaying response from Miyabi.
But then, Kazuki wasn't a type of person who would indulge being pessimist all day if he could always view life as an optimist. Cheerfulness had been a part of his system, jolliness and a sense of hopefulness all together. He waited patiently for the upcoming 14th as he knew that it will be the day when everything would be clear to him and everyone involved.
"I have to talk to her, no matter what." Kazuki was walking back and forth thinking "because if I don't I will be trapped in this emotion hurricane forever"
He immediately dialled a number which was forgotten for past few weeks. He needed to talk to her as he couldn't just keep with this madness inside him now.
"Hello! I'm sorry," he said as soon as the phone was picked.
"Sorry? For what?"
"Calling this late…" he looked at his watch. " I mean early."
"Are you drunk or may be sleepy?"
"No, listen we have to meet"
"I'm little busy with some family gatherings"
"It's important, and this can cost me my life." the seriousness was not easily detectable in his voice.
"Impatient, are we…" It was neither a statement nor a question, it ended openly.
"Huh? No… no..." Kazuki's face turned red as he thought of all the possible meaning of that single sentence in a spilt of second.
"Are you there?"
Hearing Miyabi's voice from the other line, Kazuki snapped out of his split-second-fantasy and responded, quite out of his sense.
"I have to tell Azuma everything and in order to do that I want to meet you, hear me this time. It is just necessary."
There was a brief silence and for once Kazuki thought she has left the phone but he heard her voice again.
"Okay, on 14th of March at the shrine near the hill before fireworks."
"Okay, thanks."
"Bye, Kazuki."
"Byes" saying this Kazuki put the phone down, mind left to wonder what he will do next.
His mind was nowhere near in calm peace from past seven days as he was the kind not to hide anything from anyone and not to mention this was really important for his life which can affect his and Azuma's friendship. He felt that he was betraying Azuma by not telling him the truth so he decided that this will be the time to show all his cards and raise his hand. According to him everything will be perfect once he talk to Miyabi.
Kazuki was not able to see Azuma for next two days as the latter was busy with his university enrolment and to Kazuki that was relief. The 14th of March came soon and Kazuki was excited as well as nervous like hell to see Miyabi. It will be the first time he will see her since the day 'which started the entire thrill'
With school day on 14th time passed soon and before Kazuki realised it he was late for his meeting. He hurriedly walked toward the shrine not even bothering to change his uniform. He was late and he knew Miyabi won't be happy.
In order not to make Miyabi wait, he took two steps at a time on the stairs of shrine. The shrine was on top of the hill and sometimes Kazuki wonder why people made shrine in such high places with so many stairs to climb.
'It's better to ask Miyabi where she is now.' He dialled her number and heard the ringtone close by as if she was just there. He stopped and looked around, only to find her standing few steps away from him.
As Kazuki saw her he was speechless, he has never seen someone as beautiful as her, draped in white yukata with floral prints, her mahogany hair tied in a bun, leaving some strands of her hair flowing before her ears, and accentuating her symmetrical face with slight makeup to enhance her beauty. He was awed.
Kazuki's eyes twinkled with appreciation; he gave a slow and thorough glance over her face, the expression of her eyebrows, the sparkle beneath her honey eyes, and her teasing yet innocent lips. Kazuki halted. How could lips be tempting and innocent at the same time?
"You are late," the voice made Kazuki snap out of his admiration.
Noting that he had been giving longer attention on her lips, he blushed embarrassingly, waving his hands. "I...I wasn't looking at your...lips. I wasn't thinking anything! What?" by looking at him one can say he was gone being a teenage boy having some hormonal attacks.
She motioned toward her wrist indicating Kazuki that he was late.
Kazuki's mouth formed an o as he looked at her and smiled. "You look beautiful Miyabi"
"Thanks." she smiled and looked down.
"I have to talk to you, about Azuma." he took a step forward , which made Miyabi hold her hand in front of her motioning Kazuki to stop him from coming any further.
"What?" confused, Kazuki asked.
"You can't come further."
"Why?"
"If you want to come close you have to answer my questions, with each correct answer I will take a step forward and so will you, however if your answer is incorrect I won't be listening to you."
Kazuki was confused with Miyabi's sudden action, but he agreed to play the little game, anyway.
"Okay 1st question, why do fireflies glow?"
Kazuki never had thought of this question ever except now.
"In order to illuminate the path for travellers…?"
Miyabi smiled and took a step forward, satisfied with Kazuki's answer, as if on cue Kazuki took a step forward as well.
"2nd question what's the voice of air?"
He looked at Miyabi as if she was a weird schoolgirl coming just out of class after being fed of too much lessons.
He thought for few seconds and answered "of soul?"
He took a step forward before Miyabi could even say if he was right or wrong and without saying Miyabi took a step forward too.
Now there was a little distance between the two. Kazuki knew one correct answer and he will reach her.
"Last, what is my favourite color?"
"White," he said without thinking but then he looked at Miyabi's smiling face and he knew he was wrong.
"Wait! It's purple and I'm sure!"
Miyabi shook her head and turned towards the shrine.
"I thought we will meet there, at the shrine, but I guess we were destined to be here, in the middle of nowhere."
She turned towards Kazuki and took a step forward.
Now they were standing in the middle of the shrine stairs, not towards the shrine neither towards the end.
"About your proposal..." she paused and her white teeth gleamed before his sight. "I accept it. Yes." she muttered with a blush.
Kazuki paused from what he was supposed to do and looked at her, not believing what he just heard. He blinked twice, thrice; coercing his lungs to heave some air as it suddenly stopped functioning in a moment. His heart hammered in his chest he feared she could hear it. He was afraid that other people could hear it loudly and attract attention. The least he wanted right now was to gain spectators, more so, commotion.
"I—"
"My, it's a surprise to see you..." Azuma appeared all of a sudden, smile present on his lips. "...together." His smile darkened giving Kazuki chills.
"Yunoki!" Kazuki drawled out, panicking to the extent of forgetting his best friend's name and resorted to calling him by his surname. "It was a coincidence. I saw her and she saw me and we saw each other, and what am I saying...yes...ah I saw her...and she...saw me...and we saw you." he pointed at Azuma who in turn simply chuckled, nonetheless the gesture of amusement was more of a threat on Kazuki's perspective, where the thought came from was beyond his panicking mind could think right now.
There it was, the brother, the best friend. And there he was cowering, blabbering and tongue-tied. This was supposed to be the time to clear things out so as to free himself in this trap that was Azuma. Not it was Azuma's fault why he'd been feeling so constrained in the past days—weeks—it was him who created the barrier of doubts and fears around him, but then, at the same, he wouldn't have done it if it wasn't because of his best friend.
He couldn't enjoy being with the girl he likes because he was worrying about what would Azuma think and how the flutist would handle such. He was, unintentionally, placing himself in a cage where there he could only do so little, so restrained, calculated and limited. All he wanted right now was the taste of freedom, a breath of fresh air.
Kazuki heaved a deep inhale before facing Azuma. There was a hint of seriousness in his clenched jaws, and what Azuma saw, a glimmer of sincerity in his eyes. "Azuma, I have to say this once and for all…" he exhaled. "I like Miyabi and…if you're going to disapprove, even if you're my best friend, I'll fight for our relationship." He was blushing already, either because of the swell of emotion burst out from his heart or the adrenaline rush from his resolute declaration. Either way he felt relieve of something he had been keeping for so long. The sense of freedom came upon his announcement, and like tidal waves, shattered the cage trapping him in.
Azuma only did was smile, looking as his little sister gave the trumpeter a hug. "It took you long enough to tell me."
Kazuki inclined his head at his direction, question.
As if reading his mind, Azuma, again, chuckled. "I know about it for a long while now, Kazuki. Do you think I failed to notice your sudden closeness, and every time I'm seeing you together, you're getting closer and closer. I don't know if it is still even possible …" he looked at them regarding. "…to separate both of you."
Kazuki smiled at his friend. "Thanks. Thank you Azuma."
"But you know Kazuki, Miyabi is our only sister and we cherish her so much, if you did something bad or even make a single tear fall from her eyes, pray you can still walk to see the sunrise." Azuma smiled brightly and continued when he saw Kazuki blanched. "I'm just jesting, Kazuki."
They all laughed, and then Azuma stopped and said. "No, seriously." and laughed again before turning around to walk toward the shrine.
Kazuki gulped and looked at Miyabi who by that time suppressing a giggle. "Do you think he's serious?"
"We never know…"
As if on cue, fireworks started, embellishing the inky sky with glitters and crystal-like embers of fire. It ranged in various color; red, blue, yellow and green. Some would shape like a thing, and in Kazuki's view, abundant of petals of cherry blossom spread across in the horizon.
It was like seeing the light, the direction of where he was going to. If before it was uncertain, He now knew it was all true, not an expectation, not a wish nor hope but reality.
Authoress' Corner:
NeKo Meow: /plop on the bed dozing off/