Author's Note: My deepest gratitude for Priestess of Groove who corrected me on NUMEROUS mistakes and for the encouragement and support which make this story possible.

Disclaimer: I do not own La Corda D'Oro in any way or form.

Chapter 1

"Hino!!"

The shout came out before he realized consciously what he had done as he ran forward, propelled by half a dozen emotions: anger, fear, hopelessness, regret and one that he couldn't name at that moment. And that surprised him; the Tsukimori Len that everyone knew was always composed, thoughtful and calculating. Everything he did, everything he forsook was for one purpose: to further his technique on the violin, to expend his knowledge in music, to uphold the Tsukimori legacy. But that was before he met Hino Kahoko.

At first he thought she was just another Music Education Department wannabe and possibly an admirer. He regarded her with contempt when she was "spying" on him during his daily practice session. But he would be lying if he said he wasn't swayed by her praising.

The sparkling of her eyes, the brilliance of her smile touched something deep within his heart that he did not want to deal with. Although she was a beginner, her ability to play the violin intrigued him (he could not prove it, but he thinks Hino was able to play well with that particular violin of hers before the strings snapped.) As he witnessed her struggle with a new violin, saw the time and effort she put into practice, he had begun to recognize her as a legitimate competitor in the Concorus Musical Tournament. Her sheer passion and honesty for music had moved him more than he was willing to admit. If he was ever confronted with the question, he would fault that to simple human curiosity. Hino Kahoko was able to worm her way into his world through her kindheartedness— and sometimes clumsiness to his defense — and in turn allowed him to experience music, and enjoy playing violin like he never did before.

He was surprised when his right hand release the handle on his violin case of its own accord, in favor of smoother and faster stride. The violin that his parents bought him for his 8th birthday, the violin that accompanied him through so many contests and performances had, in essence, became a part of his body.

Was it worth it? Part of his brain demanded.

He didn't have time to come up with an answer as he raced through the morning crowd and the case clattered to the ground. He didn't even spare a backward glance to examine the potential damage to his beloved violin. His heart pounded loudly in his chest, his lungs burned with exertion, and his arms and legs labored feverishly to fly over the ground. He was not an athlete; sports activities had seemed like a perfect waste of energy when he could use it to practice his violin. Through his now blurred and tunneled vision, Hino stood frozen on the cross-walk a third of the way from the curb as a four-door sedan barreled through the Pedestrian Buffer Zone.

Why don't they pull her back?! Why were they just standing there?!

He cursed silently at her two female friends standing behind Hino, watched in disbelieve as the sedan rolled closer to its unintended victim.

Just a little closer…

"Hino!! Get out of the Way!!"

He heard another cry to his left and he saw Tsuchiura Ryoutarou out of the corner of his eye, running toward Hino.

Although a star soccer player and a very talented pianist, Ryoutarou only noticed the imminent danger to Hino when he heard Tsukimori's scream to his right and the commotions caused by the run-away car at the front of the interaction. He tossed his carrying case to the side as he started running after Hino. He was shocked when he noticed Tsukimori had discarded his violin.

He had never liked Tuskimori. He saw him as an over confident and egoistical violinist. His foul attitude with regard to Hino certainly did not earn him any respect, but his techniques with violin were impeccable. Sometimes even Ryoutarou admired him in secrecy.

What really annoyed him was not Tsukimori's musical ability but Hino's affection for the blue-haired music student. At times Tsukimori would say the most insensitive things to Hino, but she would always dismiss it with a smile. If Ryoutarou looked closely, all his comments were to prod, in either encouragement or provocation, into a response but she continued to stay in music. Even after the devastating incident with her violin at the Third Concours Selection. To this day he still didn't know what Tsukimori had said to Hino, but she bounced back more energetic than ever before, in pursuit of her passion to play the violin.

Ryoutarou saw him as a competitor for Hino's affection more than one in musical performance. He still remembered like it was yesterday how his heart pinched when he witnessed a teary-eyed Hino telling him that she did not want to disappoint Tsukimori with her performance. He had wanted so badly to grab onto the guy's lapels and beat of him for putting her in such a distressed state. But those were only afterthoughts as he too raced to save Hino.

Len was almost upon her now. His eyes were burning from the perspiration on his forehead, but he didn't dare blink for fear of losing his stride.

If we get out of this somehow, I will scold you everyday for this stupidity until the day I die. Who in their right mind would stand in the path of a car?! He growled to himself, knowing perfectly well that either she or the both of them will be struck by the moving car if he could not get her out of the way in time.

He shelved the thought aside with seconds to spare, as his ears picked up the honks of horns and the screeching from the tires of the oncoming vehicle. The car was now perhaps ten yards away from mowing Hino down and he was within arms reach to her. Within a flash of nanoseconds, he brain was able to play through several scenarios and without hesitation his motions conformed to its solution. Amazingly, through his eyes, everything begun to move in slow motions – his overly extended arm caused his body to lean forward, reaching for any articles on her that would give him a firm leverage.

Eight yards…

Just as his right hand begun to claw down on the fabrics of her uniform jacket, his right eye picked up movements in the car, and through the windshield. He saw a wide-eyed elderly lady, her mouth open in horror, knowing exactly what would happen in the next few seconds. And that further enraged him.

Oh, no you don't! You will not hurt my Kahoko! Wait a second, my…Kahoko? What does it mean?

The sudden realization confused him. Nevertheless, He began to swing his hips out, building more momentum using his right leg as an axis, preparing to throw her away from the car. His middle, index and ring fingers made contact with her jacket and curled around the sleeve.

Five yards…

Hino flinched at the sudden contact off her shoulder. She couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from the vehicle and fully expected to be struck by it. She acutely heard the warnings from her friends, but her limbs were petrified by fear as soon as she realized what was going to happen. Her throat went instantly dry, her breath hitched in her chest and she couldn't stop the tears from forming in her eyes.

This can't be happening to me, she thought as the car charged across the Pedestrian Buffer Zone.

Hino Kahoko started off her day like any other days. Her mother woke her up at the usual time while preparing a hearty breakfast for her. And she took her time with her usual manicure activities – she brushed her teeth, cleansed her face, applied a light base tone to cover some sunspots that just recently formed. The only thing difference was a light layer of pink lip balm she had applied. She had to convince herself that it was not a lip stick she was putting on but failed miserably. She blushed at her own image in the mirror and flustered even more when she remembered who caused this predicament…

Flash Back

"Hino?"

"Yes, Tsukimori-Kun?" They just finish their afternoon practice session and she was placing her violin back into the case.

"Take this." He shoved something in front of her face and she realized that it was a medicated lip balm.

"Why…?" She turned to him with confusion but he interrupted before she could finish.

"You have to stop this habit of biting down on your bottom lip, or they'll begin to swell and bleed. It will tarnish your performance," he said with his typical stoic manner.

It caused Kahoko to blush furiously and she immediately covered her lips with her hand and snatched the lip balm from him. Their fingers briefly touched in the process and that made Hino blush even more, unable to face him in fear of causing more embarrassments to herself. She turned her back on him, unable to think a response.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. She mentally smacked herself. He offered it as an act of good will! It doesn't mean anything else. Now stop acting like a silly middle schooler and thank him properly!

"Umm……….Ummm………." Try as she might, she couldn't seem to get the word out of her mouth.

Tsukimori rescued her when he said, "You can throw it away if you don't want to use it. There are other lipsticks that do the same thing."

Without another word, he secured the latches on his violin case and headed for the door.

Her fingers caught the sleeve of his white jacket without realizing what she had done, but she simply couldn't let this act of kindness go unanswered – especially coming from Tsukimori.

Tsukimori was probably the most socially inept person she had ever come in contact with. This in turn, earned him the nickname "ice prince." But she soon realized that under his cold façade was a ferocious determination in pursuit of musical perfection. He had forsaken his entire childhood for it, while children like herself merely concerned themselves with their social life. She understood and respected that. It was his music that first drew her to him, but it was the fact that he had never truly enjoyed life as he should. Yet he seemed to be saving her from distresses at the most opportune moments, influencing her desire to stay close to him—or as close as he would allow.

She had unknowingly professed her feelings to him the day before their amusement park "date" atop the academy roof. But what she told him was the irrefutable truth. She was conquered by his music that fateful day of the Second Concorus selection. Although she was envious of his performance, she was glad that she only had to share it with his mother. Its intimacy was beyond mere words.

"Thank you very much, Tsukimori-Kun. I will definitely use it." She blurred it out in one breath.

She said it with her head bowed down in appreciation and her eyes closed, bracing for a retort.

To her infinite surprise, she felt rather than saw his form turn to her from the door.

She opened her eyes cautiously and was graced with one of his rare smile—more like a leer if she had to answer honestly, but a smile none the less. And that made her heart flutter even more.

Their gazes locked for a brief moment and she instantly lost herself within those alluring golden hues. Her throat suddenly went dry at the sight of his free hand raised to her face, his slender fingers inching closer to her lips. He caught himself at the last second, realizing where he was and broke their eye contact, but he didn't turn his back on her.

"That is the same one that my mother was using. Um…it should be working well for you." He grunted. Now Tsukimori was the one looking uncomfortable with a tint of pink on his cheeks.

"Thank you very much, Tsukimori-Kun. I will definitely use it," she repeated numbly, unable to come up with anything else.

It was Tsukimori that broke the uneasiness. "So I will see you tomorrow at the same time, then?" He asked uncertainly.

"Of course, wouldn't miss it," she answered with conviction, now finally off the subject.

"See you tomorrow." He turned without hesitation and left the practice room.

Whew… Kahoko breathed a sigh of relive when she heard the door click shut.

Nice going, Kahoko, you just now discouraged him from doing anything similar ever again. Nicely done. Why don't' you slap him next time while you're at it? Argh! She couldn't stop berating herself long after he'd left.

When Kahoko finally acknowledged the outcome, she closed her violin case dejectedly and headed for home.

End Flash Back

"Kahoko, are you done? You have been in the bathroom for about 15 minutes, what about these cards on the table? Am I tossing these?" Her mother's cry brought her out of her reveries.

Oh no! I almost forgot about my English quiz at second period. She quickly pocketed the lip balm and headed down stairs, "I'm coming, mom, please leave my vocabulary alone."

Kahoko met up with Mio and Nao at the usual place and she had her eyes on the vocabulary card on their way to school. They were standing at the last intersection, vaguely listening to their idle chatters when she heard the audible beeps of the "Walk" signal from the traffic light. She peeked above her note to confirm the "Green To-Go" icon before stepping off the curb.

I had to do good on today's quiz, she thought to herself, or else Mom would not let me practice violin any more. She cringed at the thought. Maybe she ought to ask Tsuchihua-kun for help. He was pretty good with English.

She was about a third of the way on the pavement when a series of hideous noises caused her to look toward the source down the street. A car was careening toward her, smashed everything in its path: postal boxes, newspaper stands, parked bicycles, and even flower plants fell victims to the beast. It showed no signs of stopping. She stared in absolute terror as it continued towards the Pedestrian Buffer Zone.

She heard her name being called from behind, but she was not able to tear her eyes from her impending doom. She recognized the angry—terrified?—voice belonging to Tsukimori-kun and she could almost picture herself getting scolded by him for doing something so stupid, but she couldn't make her limbs move another inch.

Gomen ne, Tsukimori-Kun, I have disappointed you yet again. And she couldn't keep the tears from escaping her eyes, making her sight fuzzy. Would he be sad if I…?

Before she could conclude her self-loathing, her overly tensed body flinched at the force that brutally came down on her left shoulder. Her head turned on reflex, seeking the source of this unexpected occurrence. The corner of her eye caught a blur of blue and gray as her brain desperately worked to make sense of everything, but not before she was slammed bodily into the open arms of Tsuchiura Ryoutarou.

To Be Continue...

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Vocabulary:

Gomen ne: I am sorry