A/N: So this little prelude is going to be focused on Rei and Ichirou (better known as Rou) and their past together. It will most likely skip over some months or years and tell little stories about how Rei affects Rou and his life, making him a better person. Enjoy and please review!
The area backstage was dimly lit, a majority of the light pouring in from beyond the black curtains, from the stage. The girl sat in a chair beside a table on which her violin case was placed. Her long silky dark brown hair flowed down her back, stopping just past her waist, dead straight. Her attentive Irish green eyes, always thought to be too intelligent for an eight year old, scanned the room impatiently.
She was dressed in a china white dress, the skirt pooling out around her and a large red bow tied around the waist, on her feet were shiny black buckled shoes. Rei Fujioka was her name, the youngest daughter of the deceased Kotoko Fujioka. She still had her father; Ranka Fujioka as he liked to be called and her year older sister Haruhi but sometimes she wished her mother was still with them.
A man with 'stage crew' written on his black shirt beckoned her to come forward and Rei eagerly lifted her polished violin from its case and walked over to him. He explained that she was about to go on. Not that she didn't know that already, and she nodded silently. He walked away to organize the other few performers waiting backstage.
Rei hated people like him, people treating her like a child. She often got people mistaking her for someone younger with her cute little face and they'd coo and ask in ridiculous voices, "Do you need help finding your mummy?"
"No, my mother is dead, please stop bringing up bad memories, thank you." She'd reply and walk away, leaving the person staring dumbstruck on the sidewalk.
She didn't care, she only worried for her dad and sister, they were everything to her, oh and her music. To her, sometimes music felt like the only connection she had left to her mother, she had been four years old when she passed away and clung onto every little memory of her she could find.
She gripped the neck of the violin tightly and walked with dignity out onto the stage, the beams of light hitting her and bouncing off her shiny shoes. She stood like a small porcelain doll in the middle of the stage, took a small breath and slid her bow across the strings, a magnificent melody being made. There was only her, no one else but her and her violin. She lost herself in the music, let it take her over and tousle her hair affectionately.
A warm comforting feeling spread through her and her heart sung with joy to the sweet tune. Whenever she played her instrument it was like the walls separating the living and dead fell down and her mother was standing next to her, softly singing along with her harmonious voice. They performed, mother and daughter, a sweet angelic sound that touched the hearts of the people watching in the audience.
And then, like many times before, tears in Rei's eyes, happy tears as her soul wept for her mother to really be there. Reality would strike her down, her tune turning sorrowful like the young girl performing up there was longing for something more. The song came to an end; the last note lingering in the air and applause erupted from the audience. Rei gave a sweeping bow and strode off stage unable to control the eye-to-ear grin on her face.
I hope dad and mum liked it! She thought happily and didn't watch where she was going, bumping into another performer.
"Oh! I'm so sorry!" She apologized and rubbed where her shoulder had hit.
She had run into a young boy who looked to be about her age. Standing taller than her with a slim figure and porcelain skin. Perceptive caramel coloured eyes stared into hers and she blinked in surprise. The head of thick ash coloured hair cocked to the side as he assessed her and the instrument in her hand. He was a good-looking young boy, already so grown up in his smart but simple attire. He was also holding a violin in his hand, his richer red-brown than Rei's.
His eyes bore into hers. "You were the one who just performed now?" She stared but nodded without a word. He pondered over this silently before speaking again.
"Very amateur." Rei gave him a look to see if he was kidding but his solemn face gave off no humor.
"Excuse me?" She decided to ask in case she had heard him wrong.
Those caramel eyes watched her, "You heard me. Amateur. Unskilled, whatever you want to call it."
She glowered the boy with a scowl, "How rude! You are…. You are…. A big-headed stupid!"
The boy raised an eyebrow and smirked, "That's the best thing you could come up with? You're even worse than I thought."
Rei's fingers curled into fists and she pointed towards the stage. "How about you go out there and do better?"
He gave her a charming smile. "Oh if you insist."
The boy was standing where Rei had been only a few minutes ago on the stage. Rei resisted the urge to drop her violin and placed it on the ground, keeping her eyes trained on the stage where the Ash haired boy was playing. His melody, his sorrow, everything. Rei knew it from the first note he played, she couldn't compare to him in the slightest. He was amazing, professional and elegant. She was…. just an amateur.
She hated being wrong but all the evidence was against her. Disheartened, she looked down as she listened to his louder applause, feeling stupid and embarrassed. There were soft footsteps and she knew he was walking past her. The steps stopped just behind her and his quiet voice came.
"I'll help you. With the violin I mean, I can make you better." Rei turned in shock and met the boy's eyes. They weren't cold this time. They were gentle. He gave her a small smile, angelic beyond words.
"You may not have professionalism but you have something the other people here lack, pure passion. You have a deep connection with your instrument and I'm guessing its a link to someone dear?"
Rei nodded once and his smile remained, he held out a hand. "Ichirou Yoshida."
Rei smiled back at him and took his warm hand. "Rei Fujioka."