This story was done for a friend and fellow TsuchiMori shipper, jervaulx :3

Official Disclaimer: I do not own La Corda D'Oro or any of its characters. The story that you're about to read is in no way connected to the original plot, which I also DO NOT OWN.

*AU setting just to bring things out of high school for a bit ;)*

Title: Red Lace

Chapter 1: Different Paths

[O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O]

Today certainly bit the big one off the good week streak.

Manami Mori crossed her slender legs and tried to pay more attention to the newspaper she held in her hand rather than the couple canoodling in front of her. On the scale of 1-10, 1 being the least favorable as where 10 would mean the most, this day could not have been any better than a -4.

Just this morning, she found her 3-year boyfriend (well, ex now) sexing it up at his office with her supposed best friend (now her worst enemy) at work. Her (ex-) boyfriend, being her boss, had the initial nerve to fire her after their argument over the matter at the pantry. Right after that, she went shopping to relieve her from that stressful fiasco and ended up paying for everything in cash because her company card was blocked and denied at every store she walked into. And to make matters worse, she had received an eviction notice from her landlord concerning the three months of rent she "forgot" to pay for last week.

She was now jobless, penniless, and was soon to be homeless. The reason why she was lodging at a posh lobby like this was because she was waiting for that one friend she had that she could turn to no matter what problem hit her way… including the ones that needed immediate financial support.

"Manami! I'm sorry I'm late!" Manami looked over her shoulder and found a redhead rushing towards her with her coat still on. Kahoko Hino was always like this; rushing as if she were running for her dear life when she was only a few minutes late. Manami waited for her to settle down at the seat in front of her, completely blocking out the disgusting couple that was relentlessly shoving their faces up each other's necks. Sickening.

"It's no big deal," Manami said, consoling her friend for the lost minutes. Kahoko heaved and smiled, trying to recover from her mile-long run. "I thought you left," she said in between heavy breaths before straightening her back at the cushion. "I'm sorry for your loss," Kahoko comforted her as if she'd just lost her grandmother. Manami dropped the newspaper by her coffee and propped her arms over her knee. "He wasn't exactly what I'd peg for as loyal but it kind of hurt seeing him with my friend," she elaborated as Kahoko nodded, listening to every detail. "I mean, I dunno… maybe all those years were just strictly for business."

"Oh but honey, Aoi had sex with your friend. They weren't just together for tea," Kahoko spoke before cueing for a waiter, "and you never had sex."

Emphasis on never. As harsh as it may have sounded like, Kahoko was telling the truth. Manami felt her original rate of a -4 turn into a -7. She could feel her insides turn in realization. It wasn't like she needed the physical attention. She was a virgin, for crying out loud. What would she want with his manhood? But the mere fact that Aoi had never even dared to try and get under the hood created a bit of a thought that she might even not be worth it.

As the waiter placed Kahoko's house tea on the table, Manami decided to shrug the thought off and start talking about more important things. "He could have her all she wants but that doesn't change the fact that I'm still renting a flat I can no longer afford," she blurted out just as Kahoko's phone started dancing on the table. Kahoko quickly grabbed it with anticipation.

"Is that Mr. Hot Shot?" Manami smirked, lifting her cup of coffee to her lips. 'Mr. Hot Shot' was the term she used to describe Len Tsukimori, Kahoko's 2-year fling. Len Tsukimori was a world-renowned businessman that was into car dealership and real estate. He wasn't much before but Kahoko saw him through. His business now expanded into an empire and the money just kept on rolling in. He hired Kahoko as his partner and the media claims that Len was soon to officially ask her out.

Kahoko rolled her eyes and placed her phone back down on the table. "It's just this guy who's been itching to grab dinner with me ever since I've started working with Len," she said without much interest. She instantly went back in track. "So why not find a new job? It should be easy enough considering your good company record."

Manami sighed and felt every inch of hope drain out of her fragile body. "Aoi won't release my records. He wants me to apologize for creating a scene at the office."

"So go," Kahoko casually replied as she removed her coat.

"Publicly."

"It can't be that bad."

"In front of the media during the 7 o'clock news."

Manami slumped back her seat and pursed her lips like a 5-year-old kid. Kahoko thought it'd be best to find a quick solution to her friend's problem before they both thought on it to hard. She quickly took her checkbook out of her bag and wrote the amount of Manami's 3-month rent plus extra for the next month. "This is the only problem you have that I could give a sure solution to," she said as she signed her name and ripped the form off her book. "Next month's rent will be the very least of your problems now."

The blonde reached over to take the check and slumped back at the chair. The couple canoodling at the table behind Kahoko now got ready to leave. Manami let her eyes follow them until they reached the door as she wondered how Aoi was feeling right now. If that sly dog will ever go around to apologizing tonight, she might just forgive him. She did miss having someone to cuddle with at times like this one. The rain started pouring outside the moment the couple stepped out, but they seemed warmer outside than how Manami was feeling inside of the lobby. She mentally took note of how miserable her life was going to be now without someone special to share it with.

"Anyway," Kahoko snapped her out of her zone with a loud clap, "I'll see you at our opening?" Manami blinked twice, an action Kahoko took in for a yes. The redhead stood up with a gleeful smile, her phone in one hand while the other reached for her bag and coat. "I'm sorry I can't be with you the whole night tonight. It's just that I've got some things to take care of before the opening." She turned on her heels and walked towards the door, a hand carrying her thousand dollar bag waved in the air. "I'll see you then!"

What to do… Manami let her eyes survey the room. The life of the rich and famous was utterly boring. Some fat businessmen were rounding it up at one of the gambling tables as their wives (or concubines) topped out glasses of blood mary at the bar nearby. The waiters were standing stiffly by each column, awaiting an order and a tip. The rest of the people in the lobby were sitting down, talking about ledgers and income, while she was just there drowning in her own misery.

Enough's enough. Manami stuck her heels down on the floor and tucked the check inside her pocket before grabbing her bag. Really, why would she sit around a derogatory place when she could just slump back and relax at her already paid-for flat?

[O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O]

You have reached my voicemail! Unfortunately, you won't be able to reach me at the moment so why don't you just leave a note for me after the beep? *BEEP*

"Voicemail. Again."

He sighed as he pressed the disconnect button and straightened his back. It was pouring outside and he couldn't be any more worried. The fog against his two-story glass caught his attention, and he raised his hand and placed it against the cold material. It was cool to the touch, unlike his heart burning for what he wasn't going to get any time soon.

Ryou walked over to his mini bar to serve himself up a drink. The hardwood was cool beneath his feet as he moved through the house, past the big wooden archway and into the kitchen. He sat hard on the stool and lazily poured himself a glass of gin. Normally, people would moderate their intake of gin by pouring it into shot glasses but he thought he needed more than just a few shots. Tonight was another one of those nights where he realized just how long it's been since he first asked her out.

He dryly looked at the glass and decided to plump a bit more alcohol into it before heading over to the fridge. Grabbing a sliced lime from a ready plate and a salt shaker from its place at the bar, Ryou marched up to his bedroom without caring to put not even a single light on. Tonight, he decided that he was going to make things different the day after. He was going to move.

The day after tomorrow was Kahoko Hino's business opening. Sure, it was given that Len Tsukimori was going to be there but he'll be sure to hook up some deals before he settled beside her. He'd give him at least two hours to get all the deals done before he can place his arm over Kahoko's shoulder. Two hours is long enough to make him execute his plan.

Plan: the moment he stepped in the ballroom, he'd dart towards her and act sophisticated. They'll chat a little about how her business is doing just to start things up. He'll slowly move his way into flirting by dropping off compliment bombs here and there until he finally gets to buy her a drink. He'll take her for a walk outside and engage her in a deep conversation about life and love. After that, he's going to offer her a ride home and she'll step out of a car saying she had a wonderful night. In goes the dinner invitation and he wins.

Ryou took his coat off and tossed it on a chair beside his bed. The moon's radiant light poured into his floor-to-ceiling windows and gave light to him as he shook off his clothes. Naked, he crawled into his king-sized bed and pulled his sheets just above his torso. He sat up and leaned his back against the headboard.

The cold cotton sheets touched his bare skin as he settled in. Salt. Shot. Lime. The gin ran coarsely through his throat but he didn't mind. It was better to taste the bitterness of alcohol than the bitterness of unrequited love. He loved Kahoko and he wanted to be with her. Even after college, he still had feelings for her and her alone; he just didn't know how to tell her without coming out as a needy friend. He couldn't afford to make a mistake, especially when Len was just around the corner.

Both he and Kahoko were older now, wiser, more successful than how they were before. Maybe they've changed a bit. Maybe, just like him, Kahoko has nurtured feelings for him and is just trying to avoid confrontation. Maybe, just maybe, after his plan works a day from now, she'll be more open with her feelings with him. There might just be hope.

He sucked up at least two more quick tilts of his glass before laying it down on his side table. All he could do now was rest and get ready just before the big night.

I know, I know... I'm starting yet another chaptered story with my other story hanging but you guys have to understand the heart of a fangirl. It's unstoppable T.T

So let me know what you think so far and hit me up with reviews! Lemme know what you think, love! 3