Kahoko Hino, also known as the red-headed clumsy girl is both my neighbor and friend. She's only a year older, but she doesn't mistreat me at all. Our relationship isn't like the original "Bossy Toilet Washer" & "Annoying Scrub" combo.- Never! Ever since I moved into this neighborhood, she's been the one to comfort me as if she were an older sister.
The school we attend is known as the musical Seiso Academy. There are two apartments of the whole sort; One for the music-devoted students, and the other for the "normal students". I belong to the musical class. Kahoko goes to the other.
What do I play? The famous stringed instrument- The violin! I've been playing ever since elementary, and love it very much. Of course, during some years, I've switched to the other orchestra units such as the viola and cello. It's hard to choose which one is my favorite, though.

The violin plays light and high-pitched melodies, as the viola does plays the low-pitched tunes. Cello and bass are the larger instruments that can be pleasantly plucked on, releasing numerous lovely notes. The wind-instruments like the flute and trumpet are what I rarely play. I'm basically more of an orch dork than a band geek.

Now I know what you're thinking; "Yumi, is your house crammed up with thousands and thousands of musical widgets?"
I'm going to reply truthfully, and I really mean it... No, but it does take up two whole rooms.

Anyway, never mind my bragging (I'll do that some other time, promise). You came for a story, right? Everything began with an actual fairy (or pixie? brownie? I'm going to need to brush up on my mythology) magical being named Lili. I know it sounds really unbelieving, but you could ask the school founder himself. Well, Lili didn't grant me a wish or anything, but I did get to experience the best thing in my life-
The Concours.

-

Yumi tried to excuse the hallucinations she'd seen earlier that morning when she and Kahoko ran in late for school. She sighed, and decided to blame it on studying so late the night before. After all, she was a straight A student. That incident this morning only proved that she would need to treat herself to a facial after school… To relax and blow the stress away!

She looked around the classroom smugly, wondering what the teacher was thinking when he put up those hideous decorations.

'I know my standards are high,' Yumi thought crossly, 'but that doesn't give him an excuse to hang those repulsive beige curtains.'

Finally, her eyes were drawn to the blond boy sleeping next to her. His head was seemingly glued to his desk. She looked away quickly, turning red, but she couldn't help but to sneak another peek at him. His curly hair reminded her of a cute fuzzy sheep, but it was his face that made him so… beautiful.

After the warm up (which was such an easy practice of defining musical terms, Yumi finished in a matter of seconds) and a few lessons about sight reading notes, the intercom was activated.

"Good morning!" The principal began. His voice was always so kind and cheerful, "I apologize for interfering with your classes today, but an important manner has come up."

The teacher with no taste of style stopped what he was doing and hushed the class. Yumi tried her best not to peer over her shoulder to look at the handsome classmate. This announcement was the sole thing she had been anticipating since she came to school.

"I will be calling out the names of this year's musical competition!" His voice seemed to echo and bounce around the silent classroom that gave Yumi a burning eyesore.

She straightened herself up, arching her neck high to listen carefully. Any minute now, he might call her name. If she missed the chance, she would have to deal with the failure and disappointment for the rest of her life. All that hard work in the past few months would amount to nothing. The principal took a few seconds to clear his voice, and the final moment of truth came.

"Azuma Yunoki & Kazuki Hihara from class 3-B" he declared proudly.

A wave of sighs exited out the room.

Yunoki was the popular upperclassman.
He had long flowing hair and a caring smile.
'I can never go for a man who's prettier than I am,' Yumi often told her friend who had a long term crush on him, 'And that's why I don't dare worship the ground he walks on… I should worship the ground I walk on.'
Yumi was joking, but she wasn't exactly… kidding.

Hihara was the chatter-y type. Often, Yumi would find him with another boy who had the exact same personality as he did. He was funny, loud, and sociably outgoing. Hihara sempai was fun to be around, but that was just it. He was only there to amuse and entertain. Also, his grades weren't very high so, Yumi careful not to spend too much time with him.

"Len Tsukimori from class 2-A..."

Of course Len would make it, she thought. Len was a second year student who talked less and less the more she saw him. The first time they met, they'd do duets for small concerts in school—Len being the first violin, of course. He was someone to really look up to, and even though it was hard for her to admit, Len was better than her.

"Keiichi Shimizu & Yumi Tagashi from class 1-A, Shoko Fuyuumi from class 1-B"

'Why did I ever doubt myself?' Yumi scoffed to herself. She held her head up high and smirked when the class clapped for her, the teacher nodding and acknowledging her wonderful achievement.

"And finally, Kahoko Hino, from class 2-2 of the regular department."

'What? Kaho? This has to be a dream! Kahoko doesn't even play an instrument! She's not even in the music department! What's going on?' A small gasp came from Yumi, as her hand covered her mouth in shock and thought intensely, 'Maybe he was mistaken. It has to be…'

Taking one more glance at the blond sleeping next to her, she caught a glimpse of his name on his desk.

Shimizu, Keiichi

She reached out to him, and shook his back lightly and carefully, giving out her best polite effort to wake him from his slumber.

"Shimizu-san... Shimizu-san... You've been chosen to be in the music concours," His eyes slowly opened, revealing his gentle and calming eyes.

'He's very charming...' she thought to herself.

-

As Yumi walked around the hallway after class, she turned to the stairway that led up to the meeting of the concours. But, a voice stops her before setting her foot on the second step.

"Excuse me... you're... Tagashi-san, right?" A voice asks her from behind. She turned around and once again, sees the pretty boy from her class. Smiling, she nodded and waited for him to catch up with her.

"Are you also in... the concours?" He asks in a lazy tone, which seemed normal for him. Nodding once more, he closed his eyes and yawned.

"Let's go, then. Although I think you already know my name, I'm Keiichi Shimizu."

Her smile grew slightly wider and held out her hand in greeting. "It's nice to meet you… Shimizu-san."

He stared at her hand and shook it slowly.
"It's a pleasure to meet you too..."

His eyes closed once more, and it looked like as if he was going to drift back to sleep, just like in class- but then apparently, he did end up sleeping. As he was about to hit the floor, Yumi then quickly panicked and grabbed his arms, trying to lift him up. Although the weight did not have a large quantity of heaviness, she had a difficulty saving him from the dreadful drop.

"Shimizu-san! Please, wake up!" Yumi exclaimed as she struggled to save him. He sure took time to open his eyes!

"Ah, gomen nasai, Tagashi-san..." He said as he stopped himself to yawn once more.

'Charming, but lazy,' She thought to herself and sweat dropped.

"Let's... Get to the meeting before you doze off again, Shimizu-san..." She laughed halfheartedly.

"Mmm..."

His eyelids drooped and covered more than two thirds of his green dainty eyes, the hypnotizing eyes that Yumi can't seem to avoid.