Standard disclaimer applied.
If I were the rain, could I connect with someone's heart, as the rain can unite the eternally separated earth and sky. -Bleach
-000-
The once blue sky turned to gray. The cold air made people wanted to sleep or cuddle with blanket and hot cocoa. Hino stared at the gray clouds outside. She wondered if it would rain right away. She hoped not for she didn't bring her umbrella. Sure, she didn't mind getting herself soaked, her violin was at home and she wanted to go home as soon as possible, besides she loves rain. Not long after that, she could see drops of water. It began as a drizzle but soon it became a heavy rain. Walking home without an umbrella was out of option if the rain was like this. Maybe she should wait for it to stop. She could wait inside the music room and maybe she also could sleep there or brought a cup of hot cocoa and some snacks. Now that she thought about it, it didn't sound so bad.
The teacher dismissed the class as the bell ring. Hino put her things into her bag quickly but when she was about to walk out of the class, someone called her.
"Kaho-chan! Where are you going?" it was one of her closest friend, Takato Mio.
"Don't you dare to walk home in this rain Kaho." That one was from her other friend, Kobayashi Nao. Hino gave them her smile and then proceded her walk toward the cafeteria to buy her desired hot cocoa.
-000-
"Kaho-chan!" she stopped walking and turned to face someone who called her. She saw Tsuchiura with Kaji beside him.
"Hello Kaji-kun, Tsuchiura-kun." Hino greeted them and gave each of them her smile. She wondered what brought them – Kaji, she corrected herself as she realized that he brought some boxes with him, to look for her. She hoped it was not something she thought it was. She didn't want to have something which reminded her of her failure.
"Look, Kaho-chan! I bring you some chocolates. You can take whatever boxes you want. Tsuchiura and I made them for you and the other participants."
"More like I made them and you eat them." Tsuchiura commented dryly.
"But you should be thankful to me Tsuchiura! If it was not because of me, you wouldn't be making chocolates for our friends!" Kaji tried to defend himself.
Before Tsuciura could say anything, Hino beat him into it in order to prevent any upcoming argument. "Can I take the blue box?"
The two male just stared at her. They seemed hesitant about giving the blue box to her.
"Actually," Kaji began "the blue box is especially for Tsukimori. We know that he don't like sweets, so I asked Tuchiura to make a black chocholate with less sugar than the others." He explained. "But if you still want it, you can take it. It's not like we can't give Tsukimori another chocholate." He added quickly after seeing Hino's expression.
"You can take it, Hino. I'm sure that ice cube will be happy not getting any more chocolate." Tsuchiura ensure her.
"No, it's OK Tsuchiura-kun. I'll take the red one instead. Thank you, both of you." She said and leave after bowing and gave them one last smile.
"Hey, Tsuciura."
"What?"
"The box Kaho-chan took, isn't it the one I made?" after hearing this Tsuchiura gave him a surprised and horrified look.
"You're kidding right?" he asked him, scared with the answer. Kaji just smiled and shook his head. Noticing the look in his friend's face, Kaji frowned. He's sure his chocholate is delicious and safe...isn't it?
-000-
Having got her desired hot cocoa, Hino went to her usual music room and pleased to see it wasn't occupied by others. She sipped her drinks, put her things on the table, and took out her violin. She wondered what she should play. She was not in the mood for Canon and she certainly not in the mood for practicing the songs she hasn't mastered. Without even thinking another thing, she began positioning her violin and before she knew it Ave Maria could be heard throughout the room with the sound of the rain as the background. After the song ended, she thought to herself 'How melancholic.'
She decided to put her violin in its case and take the not-so-warm cocoa and the chocolate. She sat on piano bench, put her cocoa beside her and began unwrapping the chocolate. "It looks delicious" she mumbled to herself. 'What the...?' she hurriedly spew out the chocolate she just ate in the nearest trash can. 'What kind of chocolate is that? The taste's horrible! I don't believe Tsuchiura-kun made this.' Just when she's about to throw the box to the trash can, the door swung open and it startled he so instead put it in the trash can, she hide it behind her back in fear the person who opened the door was Kaji. To her relieve and surprise, the one who came in was Tsukimori.
"Umm... Tsukimori-kun? Do you need something?" Tsukimori just put his index finger in front of his lips indicating that he wanted Hino to be quite. She just raised one of her eyebrow-the trait she learned from him, to tell him why he wanted her to not speak a word. Someone passed the door and she got a glimpse of the person. Tsukimori too saw it and he silently walked and hides behind the piano.
"Kaho-chan do you know where is Tsukimori? I'm sure he headed this way."
Now knowing why Tsukimori hide, Hino told the person-as innocently as possible "Sorry Nami. I didn't see him today, let alone knowing where he is."
"Geezz... that iceberg! Why's he running from me! What's so hard in smiling in front of the camera anyway!" she huffed and leave after saying thanks.
"Sorry about that and thank you Hino" Tsukimori startled her again when he spoke. She just nodded to give him her response. "Are you using this room? The other rooms are occupied because of the rain."
"NO! Err... n-not at all. You can practice here if you want but do you mind if I stay here?" an awkward silence hung in the air. "I-I m-mean t-the r-rain i-is s-still h-heavy a-and..." she shut her mouth immediately after noticing the way Tsukimori looked at her. 'Damn, I sound like Shouko-chan.' She cursing herself silently. Sighing, she decided just to grab her things and leave ASAP before she made a fool of herself again.
"You can stay here. I don't mind. You're here first anyway." Tsukimori said as he began readied himself to play his beloved violin. Hino smiled and took her seat on the piano bench. With her now-cold cocoa, she listened to Tsukimori's and Nature's music.
-000-
He didn't know how in violin's name he and Hino now chatting-more like Hino talking and he listening as they eating the box of chocolate Kaji forcefully gave to him. He didn't really pay any attention to what she said. If he's not mistaken she's talking about her friend's Tamino? Takima? Takami? Ta-whatever-it-is craziness about romantic, magical and poetic things.
"So, when Mio-chan told me about this... are you even listening Tsukimori-kun?"
"Sorry. What were you saying again?" Hino just pouted and didn't say anything. The talkative Hino gone and the silent Hino came. An awkward silence filled the room and it kinda made him feel guilty. He was not one to start a conversation so he let the silence take over.
"Ne, Tsukimori-kun..." Tsukimori gave her his usual 'hn' to tell her that he's all ears. "Do you think i-if... nah, never mind." Silence fall between them once again.
Feeling bad because he's the one who made Hino become all gloomy, he decided to be the one who break the silence "What is it? I promise I'll pay attention this time."
"B-but promise you won't laugh?"
"I promise."
"Umm... w-well, d-do y-you t-think i-if..." gulping as if gathering her courage she said the words steadily yet gently this time "Do you think if I were the rain, could I connect with someone's heart, as the rain can unite the eternally separated earth and sky?"
The question took him by surprise. "Where's that come from?"
"eeeh? I found it when I was reading Mio-chan's manga."
"No, I mean why'd you ask that?" Hino didn't answer his question. Sighing, he started speaking as he looked into her eyes "Hino, you didn't have to become the rain to connect to someone's heart. Your music has already touched anyone who heard it. Your music and just being you already connected you to everyone's heart. You connected to it, you touch it, and even you can change it. It already done so to me." He said the last part in the low whisper so that she couldn't hear it.
Hearing those words from someone like Tsukimori really mean something and making her blush as red as her hair. Even in that condition, she still manages to say something that ruin the mood "err... Tsukimori-kun, it didn't sound like you. At all."
Tsukimori just sighing and give her an annoyed expression. Hino's just giggling at him. Feeling irritated, he took a chocolate and put it in her mouth to silence her. "Stupid girl." He mumbled loud enough for her to hear. Hino just eat the chocolate happily without a care in the world.