Disclaimer: I do not own La Corda D'oro


~The Fate Acts~

A blue haired boy caught her attention. He was seating under the slide…crying. What could be the reason? How can this encounter bloom uncertain sentiments.


Hino Kahoko, the redhead violinist of Seiso Academy's concours, wandered around the park one day. She held her violin on her left hand while her right one blocked the sun's light that blinded her eyes. She wore the usual attire she typically sported on whenever she wanted to go out.

Kahoko looked for a place enough to give her sufficient shade. When she found a vacant bench, she decided to stay there for a while; she put her violin beside her and looked around. While her eyes were drifting through the whole plaza, she saw a boy crying under the slide.

The boy had dark blue hair and wore school uniform-like clothes. The redhead assumed him to be around four year old. Kahoko felt pity for the boy and walked towards him.

"Poor boy!" she pondered as she knelt to face the little boy. The little boy's head was bent on his knee and his dark blue hair was covering his face. Kahoko needed to brush it off before she could see the boy's face.

"Why are you crying little boy?" Kahoko asked as she brushed off a small amount of the little boy's hair. The boy raised his head and his teary golden eyes stared at Kahoko.

"Mommy, I know you'll come for me!" the boy exclaimed before hugging Kahoko.

Meanwhile, Kahoko was astonished and stuck in her position. It took her a while to regain consciousness.

"Huh! Little boy, you're wrong, I-" she stammered

"Mommy, I miss you so much," the little boy interrupted as he cried more.

"But . . . I'm not your mommy," Kahoko said as she held his rosy cheeks. She looked at the boy's face which was shaded with red because of crying.

"Yet you look like her," the little boy mumbled and started to blubber again. Kahoko panicked and tried to console him.

"Don't cry!" she uttered. The boy looked at her and sobbed.

"What's your name?" she asked patting the boy's head.

"Kouren," he said, still weeping.

"I see . . . . We will find your mother, ok?" Kahoko said to cheer him up. She stood up and reached Kouren's hand. The boy's free hand that wasn't holding onto Kahoko was used to wipe away his tears.

"But can I call you Mommy?" he inquired, looking up at Kahoko.

"Eh?" Kahoko blushed and looked at the kid. "I think I'd prefer sister instead," Kahoko demurred, chuckling sheepishly.

"You look like my mommy so I will call you Mommy," Kouren said, provoked. Kahoko just chuckled and sighed. They started walking to find the boy's mother. All this time the boy held Kahoko tightly.

The boy was quite nagging and frank. He would tell what he thinks. He was, at times, a spoiled brat and what he wanted should be followed.

"Where are we going Mommy? I want to go home, I'm tired!" Kouren began to complain.

"We're looking for your mother. Remember—I'm not your mother," Kahoko said patiently.

Her brows twitched when it came Kouren's so many complaints. It was not that long when they started walking and yet, when they got to the plaza, the boy began acting strangely.

Kouren complained so much without any reason. He said he was tired, he wanted to sit . . . how long would they walk . . . and he kept on calling Kahoko his mother.

"Why was I born to be so kind?" Kahoko cursed inwardly. Again, she heard another complain from the boy with her. She faced Kouren and looked at him with her smile, or it might show how she was clenching her teeth out of irritation.

"What is it Kouren?" she asked with the faux sweet smile.

"My, Kahoko, I never thought you already have a son," the mauve haired Azuma interrupted with his mocking smile.

"Hello, are you a friend of Mommy?" Kouren asked gazing at Azuma.

Azuma bent towards Kouren and smiled. He patted Kouren's head and mockingly looked at Kahoko.

"Kouren let's go," Kahoko grinned and grasped Kouren's hand.

"But Mommy!" the boy moaned, almost glaring.

"So your name's Kouren," Azuma said, observing the boy. Kouren let go from Kahoko's grip and ran towards Azuma.

"Right!" Kouren replied with a big grin. Azuma offered him an ice-cream and Kouren accepted while Kahoko sighed and followed the two.

"I see, you're looking for his mother," Azuma responded. Kahoko nodded. She had just narrated what really happened to delay any further misunderstanding.

"Mister! I want chocolate-flavored ice cream," Kouren interrupted, looking at Azuma with hopeful eyes.

"Ok," Azuma responded, smiling. "One chocolate, please," he said to the lady.

The lady gave the chocolate ice cream to Kouren and smilingly told them to come again. The three began to walk again until they got to a vacant bench.

"So, see you next time Kouren," Azuma said afterwards. He bid him goodbye and walked towards Kahoko.

"Bye sweetie," he whispered. Kahoko grunted and held Kouren's hand. They stayed in the bench for a while then Kouren started to nag Kahoko again.

"What is it again, Kouren?" she sighed. Kouren looked at her with a wide smile, his golden eyes shimmering. He was pointing at something; Kahoko looked by to what he was pointing at and gaped when she distinguished it.

"Mommy, look!" Kouren's cheerful voice sing-sang. Kahoko was still stunned.

There, not far from them, was a man busily surveying one of the prominent stores. He was wearing a neat white sleeved shirt—on the neck part was unbuttoned—and dark colored pants. He was holding a piece of paper, as if he was reading it to know what to buy. The wind blew his cerulean-colored hair and brushed some of the tresses covering his face.

"Daddy!" Kouren exclaimed. The man looked at him when he heard the loud exclamation.

"Tsukimori-kun!" Kahoko uttered as she stood up from her seat. Kouren ran towards him while Kahoko followed the boy.

"Daddy!" Kouren said again and when he reached Len, he held tightly on Len's sleeves.

"Who-" Len asked but paused, realizing who the person with the boy was. "Hino?"

"Kouren, he's not your daddy," she uttered, gasping for air.

"But Mommy, I know he is Daddy" Kouren protested. Pouting, he looked at Len again and his face was slowly adorned with his wide cute smile.

"Mommy?" Len inquired, puzzled. Kahoko looked at him and flushed.

"Sorry, Tsukimori-kun," Kahoko said and bowed, she grabbed Kouren's hand and began to walk. But Kouren didn't let go of Len's sleeves.

"NO! I want daddy to come!" he protested, starting to weep again.

"Hino, I have to ask you a question," Len began as he looked at Kahoko. Kahoko nodded and walked towards the two. When she got closer she looked at Len's eyes. They looked irritated and puzzled at the same time. When she going to tell Len, Kouren interrupted.

"Daddy, I'm hungry," Kouren muttered, Kahoko looked at Len.

The blue-haired man just sighed. His right hand grabbed Kahoko's hand and while his other arm was held onto by Kouren. They went to a food chain and sat on the chairs. Len ordered the meal while Kahoko stared at Kouren. They looked like a real family.

"Who is he?" Len began, turning to Kahoko for answers.

"Uhm . . . . He's Kouren and I . . . I found him at the park," Kahoko answered timidly, looking down at her fidgeting hands.

"And you brought him here," Len uttered a bit annoyed, since he misunderstood what Kahoko had said.

"No, he's looking for his parents and . . . ," Kahoko continued

"And you have been mistaken as his mother," Len interrupted. Kahoko nodded and bowed her head in embarrassment.

"What kind of reason is that and now I'm his father and we're his pa—" Len said and paused, a touched of pink shaded on his face when he saw Kahoko's face all red. A minute of silence echoed from the two of them; it felt a little awkward and unease.

"Mommy, look, Daddy will buy something for you," Kouren interrupted while looking at what Len was holding. The two looked at him.

"Come on! If we buy this already we can stroll the plaza together," Kouren insisted and pulled Kahoko's and Len's hands. They ended up at the place where they found Len—in a jewelry shop. They entered the shop and Len went directly to the sales lady.

"I would like to acquire the ring for Mr. Tsukimori," Len said to the sales lady. The lady nodded and brought a piece of paper.

"Sir, please fill up this form," the lady said. Len filled up the form as he was instructed. He handed back the paper after a while, looking at the lady.

"To whom will you address this, sir?" the lady asked, checking through the form.

"To Hamai Misa," he responded.

The lady nodded and went inside a room that seemed to be a private room for personnel. When she went out, she already wrapped the ring and placed it in a bag with a card saying, To Hamai Misa. She gave it to Len who gratefully accepted the item.

After doing so, Len began to walk but from the corner of his eyes, he saw Kahoko and Kouren enjoying the job of gazing at the jewelries displayed.

"Mommy, this looks better on you." Kouren grinned at the red-haired woman beside him, pointing at a certain jade bracelet. Kahoko smiled as if she was used of Kouren calling her Mommy.

"Wah! You're right, it's cute," she said, mesmerized to the jewelry. They both looked at Len when he gestured that they were going. The two went out first and waited for Len who stayed back in the shop for a short while—which was ironic as he had said they were going.

"Come on, let's go there," Kouren said and looked at Len when he got out of the store. Len stared at him with his cold look but Kouren kept on nagging him, while Kahoko was trying to stop Kouren. Len massaged his temples and heaved a sigh. Kouren smirked and walked as he knew that Len had given up and agreed.

"Thanks, Tsukimori-kun," Kahoko uttered and bowed, holding onto Kouren's hand while they walked. Len shrugged as he had no choice but to come.

"Why do I end up with these two?" he mused.

In the middle of their stroll a loud voice echoed behind them. A blonde haired girl came out from nowhere and grasped Kahoko from behind, smirking.

"Why are you two together?" Amou asked curiously looking at the two, wickedness evident in her eyes. Then Kouren went towards them and called Len.

"Daddy?"

Amou was puzzled at the boy's reference and was more than stunned when Kouren called Kahoko Mommy.

"You never told me you have a son," Amou mocked.

In unison, Kahoko and Len said, "No!" Their faces were blushing red, embarrassment obvious in their features.

"I'm just kidding! Who is he, anyway?" Amou said, laughing at the priceless faces of one of her friends and Len.

"He—"

"I'm their son, Kouren," Kouren interrupted. Amou's eyes widened. Without warning, she grabbed Kahoko's hand and distanced from the two boys.

"Seriously, who is that little boy?"

"Neh! Amou-san, I found him at the park . . . . He thought I'm his mom and well, we tried to look for his parents," said Kahoko before sighing in slight defeat. "It's a long story enough to be narrated."

"Geez, I thought—mou," Amou slightly stammered, utterly relieved.

"What are you saying?" Kahoko exclaimed blushing. Amou laughed furiously and patted Kahoko's back and the two of them went back to the Len and Kouren who didn't have any idea what they had talked about.

"See you again, Tsukimori-kun and Kouren! Bye Kaho-chan," Amou bade. "I'll just leave you two," she whispered to Kahoko before she completely left.

The three were left again alone. They went straight to the park where Kouren played in the slide and Kahoko with Len on the swing. They were watching Kouren enjoy playing on his own.

Kahoko chuckled as she continued watching the boy. "It would be nice if we'd have a son like him," Kahoko uttered unintentionally.

". . . H—Huh?" Len mumbled, a bit puzzled. He turned to look at Kahoko with his golden orbs widely opened.

"Anou! I—I mean—that—Uhm it's nice if in the future I will have a son like him but I did not say that you're . . . ," Kahoko stammered, waving her hand rapidly with her face shaded with pink. She excused herself and quickly distanced from Len to breathe in some air.

"W—why is my heart going nuts?" she mused. Talking to Len like that made her feel suffocated from the awkwardness.

"Kaho-chan!" a cheerful voice coming from the other side echoed. Kahoko turned around to find her senpai, Hihara Kazuki.

"Hihara-senpai!" she called. Kazuki greeted Kahoko happily but his happy face had been replaced by a pout when he saw Len and Kouren in the swing, where Kouren was waving his hand and calling for Kahoko.

"Mommy, look, Dad and I are playing!" remarked the boy at which Len shook his head for he wasn't really playing with the boy.

"E—eh? Uh—Uh . . . . Bye K—Kaho-chan . . . Tsu—Tsuki—Tsukimori-kun! I'm sorry if I disturbed your family bonding together!" Kazuki yelled, startled. He pointed at Kahoko and Len frantically and ran as fast as he could go with his face flushing.

"No, Hihara-senpai! You got it all wrong!" Kahoko exclaimed reaching for her senpai who was too far from her.

"So this is what I call my fun day, huh?" she pondered, sighing when she knew she wouldn't reach her green-headed senpai.

"Mommy looks beautiful, that's why daddy likes her," Kouren said in the distance as he gazed at Len innocently. It took some time before Len understood what the boy meant. Slowly and hesitantly, a petty smile registered on Len's lips and he nodded.

Meanwhile, Kahoko toddled towards them, miserable-looking. Kouren smiled at her sleepily that made Kahoko smile back.

"I'm tired," Kouren muttered, rubbing his weary eyes. Kouren walked in front of Len and gestured that he wanted to be lift up. Len was stunned but later on grabbed the boy and lifted him. Kahoko got the paper bags Len was holding and held it together with her violin.

"Is it alright for you?" Kahoko stated worried but no response came from Len.

"Come on," he said.

"Huh? Where?" she said puzzled

"Where going to the police station to report him," he explained. Kahoko, understanding what doing such action could do, nodded and followed Len.

When they got there, Kouren was quietly sleeping on Len's arm. They went straight inside, where they found a nun talking to one of the police officers.

"I already told you! He is a little boy who wears a school uniform," the nun said anxiously, frantic about something.

"But Sister, I'm here," Kouren mumbled while sleeping, and clung closer to Len.

The nun heard him and looked where he was.

"Kouren!" she exclaimed. Len and Kahoko looked at each other, raising their eyebrows.

"Do you know him ma'am?" Kahoko inquired politely.

"Yes, I'm looking for him ever since this morning," the nun explained. The police led them to the reception area to have a talk. Len put Kouren at the couch and sat in the other chair, while Kahoko sat on the seat beside Kouren while the nun was on the other side.

"Thank you so much," the nun began, looking at both Kahoko and Len gratefully.

"How did he come with you? He doesn't trust people easily," the nun added, puzzled

"Mmm . . . Mommy!" Kouren mumbled again but still sleeping.

"He thought I'm his mother. It sounds ridiculous but—" Kahoko explained, scratching her head.

"As you say that . . . you really do look like his mother," the nun interrupted as she got something from her pocket. She gave it to Kahoko and when she saw it her mouth hung agape. She turned to look at Len who was massaging his forehead.

In the photo was a picture of a woman and a man and it looked quite old. The woman had crimson locks and looked like Kahoko and, in the same time, the guy had blue hair and looked so much like Len.

"Those two are his parents," the nun said, looking at the sleeping boy.

"Oh . . . where are they?" Kahoko questioned, also looking at Kouren.

"His mother left him in the orphanage when he was just an infant—she keeps in touch with us but doesn't want to tell it to her son until now. She called us this morning, stating that she will get her son," the nun paused."When we're on our way to his mother's place, he ran away before we even got there. I can't find him because there were a lot of people that time. Maybe that's the time when you saw him. I already informed his mo—"

"Kouren," a lady interrupted as she ran towards the sleeping boy. She hugged the boy while sobbing.

"Miss Hamada . . . ," the nun said. The lady looked at Len and Kahoko. The two teens stared back at her; she resembled Kahoko but somehow had aged. The two stood and looked at each other.

"Miss Hamada, these are the kids who found your son," the nun said, referring to Kahoko and Len.

"Kitoru," Ms. Hamada uttered when she saw Len. "I'm sorry," she apologized and shook her head.

She got the picture and looked at it; she smiled a bit and stared at the two.

"This picture was taken when we're just young," she reminisced, chuckling. "That man in the picture is my late husband and, should I add, you do look like him." Miss Hamada turned to Len as that was said.

"This is the last picture I have with his father and the only picture I gave to Kouren when he was just a baby," she added and lifted Kouren up. Kahoko felt pity and bowed her head; Len realized it and pat her in the shoulder.

"Mommy, I know you'll come for me," Kouren lazily said when he opened his eyes. He put his hands on his mother face and slept again when he realized that he was protected from his position.

"Thank you so much," Ms Hamada said as she bowed her head, still carrying Kouren. They went outside the building and bid goodbye to each other. The nun joined Ms. Hamada and Kouren while Len and Kahoko walked in different direction.

It was almost dark and the sky was painted by the orangey light from the sun. The two were walking while Kahoko was still holding the bags. When they needed to part ways, Kahoko gave the two bags to Len but Len returned the other one.

"Tsukimori-kun, it's yours," Kahoko uttered confused, returning the bag to Len. Len only disregarded her and continued walking away, not sparing another look at her.

"What am I supposed to do in this bag?" Kahoko asked herself, pouting. She sighed and decided to give it to Len on the coming Monday. She went home, greeted her mom, and went upstairs to her room. In her curiosity, she hastily opened the bag and . . .

"What?" she muttered as she saw the jade bracelet—the exact one she was ogling earlier that day with Kouren—in the bag and the word Kahoko written beautifully in the card. With a smile, she stared from inside the room to the outside, where, in the horizon, she could clearly see the splendid setting sun.

"Thanks, Tsukimori-kun," she mumbled.

~*END*~


Authoress' Note: Wee, first story that had been beta read. I don't know how it was called… well anyway,thanks for sera-chan for beta reading this.

~ScribblerNeKoMeow [PusaMyaw]

©2010