Tune for the Heart
Chapter 2
Hallo again! Thank you to those who read my previous chapter and reviewed it! Shout out to the following who were the first handful to review and encouraged me to carry on writing!
-Sera-Chan011-
Aris-chan
PrayerSenshi
Nerizu
Right, I'll be quiet now so you can read the next chapter!
Kahoko was was playing her violin up on the rooftop, her favourite place to practice in the whole of Seiso Academy. She was playing 'Ave Maria', the first song she had played on her violin, and even though the violin's magical powers were long gone she could still feel the same joy and calm fall over her whenever she played.
Suddenly she heard a second violin join in with her. The sound was so familiar...it sounded exactly like the very first time she had heard the piece...so soft and delicate...so beautiful...
For what seemed like forever they played together in perfect harmony, just like when they played together at Fuyuumi-chan's family home. Only this time, Tsukimori was the one on the ground and she was the one up above.
She opened her eyes and looked down at Tsukimori.
He was looking straight up at her, his eyes twinkling with the magic that only musicians would know of...
...suddenly he stopped. Still looking at her, he placed his violin and bow on the ground in front of him. Then he turned around. He started to slowly walk away...away from his violin...away from Seiso Academy...away from her...
She stopped playing and shouted his name.
"Tsukimori! Tsukimori-kun!"
He carried on walking, and he seemed to be slowly fading into the distance.
"TSUKIMORI-KUN....."
Kahoko woke up with a jolt. She was breathing heavily and there was beads of sweat across her forehead, as if she had just ran a marathon.
"Why did I dream of Tsukimori?" She wondered to herself. "He was...he...was walking away from the school...well, he's going abroad, I suppose...so I know that already...but he was walking away from his violin too...does that mean he's planning on quitting the violin?"
She turned her head to face her alarm clock resting on her bedside table.
"WAAAH!? I've slept in!! Again!!" She yanked her duvet off and rushed into her uniform, not bothering to check whether she looked presentable, nothing could be worse than being late for school. She quickly brushed her teeth, washed her face and combed her hair into a ponytail then grabbed her violin, scrambling out through her bedroom door.
With a quick goodbye to her mother she rushed out of the house and ran as fast as she could down the road.
"This becoming a bit of a daily routine, running to school." She considered.
Looking ahead of her she could see hardly anyone on the pavement.
"If I run really fast I should be able to make it just on time!"
She sprinted round a corner nearly crashing into a flustered looking passer-by. She apologised quickly and turned her head to face forward again.
Just ahead of her she could see a tall, pine-coloured haired young man. The person seemed to be wearing the uniform of someone from the General Studies department of Seiso Academy, walking casually down the street as if there were no worries in the world. She had a pretty good idea who that person was.
"Tuschiura-kun!" She called.
He turned his head round.
"Hey, Hino-Chan! Late again?" he asked, giving her a friendly grin.
She nodded.
"You too?"
"Yeah. Seemed I might have practised for too long this morning." He gave a sheepish grin. "Um, Hino-chan. Are you late because you accidently slept in again?"
"Uh, yes actually...why? Can you tell?"
Tuschiura just coughed and pointed at a shop window.
She turned her head slightly to look at her reflection, and immediately wished she hadn't.
It seemed that not bothering to check her image before she left the house was a bad idea after all.
Her red hair was sticking out at awkward angles, making her look like she had just fallen into a haystack. Her school necktie was flung loosely around her neck, the buttons on her school jacket done up at the wrong holes and her shoes were on the wrong foot.
After a few minutes of just standing there gawking at her reflection, she quickly tidied herself up and asked Tuschiura how she looked.
"You look like Hino-Chan" Was all he replied. "Right. I think we should get a move on now, don't you?"
"Oh, Okay!"
Together they raced past startled pedestrians and up the steep hill to their school.
"You practising again at lunch, Hino-Chan?" Tuschiura asked, as they whizzed through the front gate and passed Lili the Fairy's statue.
Kahoko was amazed to see that Tuschiura wasn't out of breath at all, but then again he was on the school's soccer team. Herself on the other hand, was breathing as heavily as when she woke up from her bad dream just a few moments ago.
She just nodded as she still hadn't quite got her breath back.
"Okay then. Good Luck!" Tuschiura waved goodbye and jogged away.
"Oh why does it have to be me that has to run to the other side of the building?!" She moaned.
When she arrived she was relieved to find out that she wasn't as late as she thought she was, as she had bumped into her best friends Mio and Nao walking casually towards their form room.
"How was your lesson with Tsukimori-kun yesterday, Kaho-Chan?" Mio asked.
"O-okay. Same stuff." Thinking about Tsukimori reminded her of her bad dream, so she shooed away the thought quickly.
Inside the form room, seated at their desks, the girls were already deep in conversation. They began to discuss what they should do in the fast approaching summer holidays. Or rather, it was more Mio and Nao talking and Kahoko listening. Kahoko couldn't find anything to say nor did she want to think of anything, as the mention of the holidays always gave her a bad feeling though she wasn't sure why.
"I've got to ask him about it at our next lesson. Otherwise I'll never be able to concentrate! Hmm...But what if he thinks I'm just being nosey again? After all, it's got nothing to do with me if he wants to quit playing or not. But then again, when I announced I was going to quit he seemed...surprised, and almost upset, well...as surprised as Tsukimori Len can get, about it..." Kahoko thought to herself.
"Kahoko? Hellooo...earth to Kahoko..." She snapped back to the current conversation realising Mio was waving her hand up and down in front of her face.
"Eh? Yes?"
"You were spacing out again, Hino-chan. Is anything the matter?" Nao asked, definite concern for her friend showing in her voice.
As much as Kahoko hated lying to her friends, there was no way she could tell them about her dream, especially one with Tsukimori in it. They would probably start rambling on about that silly 'Violin Love' legend from the competition again.
"No, nothing's wrong. I'm just tired, that's all."
She could tell her friends were still suspicious but they resumed their conversation anyway.
Suddenly, there was a faint cackling sound and then a voice starting speaking from the over-head speakers in the room.
"Can all ex-competitors of the previous Seiso Academy Competition please come to the head-masters office now please. That's ALL ex-competitors please. Thank You."
There was another cackling sound and then silence.
Everyone in the room turned to look at Kahoko, curiousness etched across each of their faces.
"I suppose you'd better get moving, Hino-Chan" Nao said.
"We'll see you in our next lesson okay?" Said Mio.
"Okay. Um, see you two then!"
Fully aware that everyone was still watching her, she stood up, collected her bag and violin and walking as casually as she could, made her way across the classroom to the door.
Moments later she found Tsukimori and Tuschiura already outside the headmaster's office and she could immediately tell that they still weren't any closer to becoming friends, as the atmosphere in the corridor was tense.
Tuschiura looked up and smiled at her but otherwise didn't move from his position, leaning against the wall opposite the door, one hand in his pocket and the other holding his schoolbag, giving a distasteful look in his rival's direction.
Tsukimori was leaning against the opposite wall, right next to the door and, as usual, was expressionless. Except from the fact that his eyes seemed to be looking up and down the corridor as if he was waiting for someone to arrive. Other than that he didn't move a muscle, not acknowledging her arrival at all.
But before either of them could say anything, had they wanted to, Hihara had bounded up behind Kahoko and gave each of them a friendly greeting, which livened up the atmosphere greatly.
Kahoko and Tuschiura both gave a friendly hello back but Tsukimori, whether he was too distracted looking for that 'somebody' or just didn't want to say anything, just nodded in his general direction.
Minutes later a timid Fuyuumi-chan appeared round the corner, followed by a very tired, zombie-looking Shimizu-kun, both carrying their instruments.
"Hello Fuyuumi-Chan! Shimizu-Kun!" Kahoko greeted them.
"H-hello Kaho-Sempai." Fuyuumi quietly answered.
"Hello...Hino...sempai..." Shimizu replied, the lack of sleep showing in his voice.
"Ah, you've been working hard I suppose?"
They both nodded slowly.
Finally, Yunoki Azuma gracefully appeared from the other side of the corridor and by then it was so quiet that his footsteps were the only thing that anyone could hear.
Tsukimori it seemed, had been waiting for Yunoki and as soon as he noticed him approaching he straightened a little from the slouch he was in and nodded very slightly to him.
Yunoki nodded back in acknowledgement, then said to no-one in particular...
"My oh my, seems everyone had lost the ability to speak, hmm?" He tilted his head to the side a little and gave Kahoko one of his heart-warming smiles, his eyes playfully questioning.
She gritted her teeth.
"Each time he smiles at me like that it reminds me of how much of a liar and how fake he is. But then it reminds of how I used to be with my Magical Violin and it makes me even more determined to try harder at playing it properly..."
She gave him a forced smile back and turned just in time to see the headmaster's office door opening.
Kanazawa-Sensei's head poked through the door, looking round at each of them, checking they were all there, and when he was certain they were he stepped back and opened the door fully to allow them to pass.
As Kahoko followed in after Fuyuumi-Chan, she realised they weren't going to be alone. Apart from Kamakawa-Sensei, there was also Ousaki-Sensei present. She wondered though, not why Ousaki-Sensei was there, but what they were doing in the headmaster's office in the first place.
Kanazawa-Sensei wasted no time and went straight into explaining the matter.
"Well, it's good to see everyone all together again but, as you may have all gathered, this isn't just an emotional re-union."
He looked around the pupils for any reaction to his comment but finding none he continued.
"There's a particular reason it's you seven in particular that was chosen for this...In the last week of school there'll be a charity concert held here at the school. This isn't any old charity concert though. The charity its supporting is to help young kids in poor families who are interested in music, have a chance to play and engage in their interest. A chance they'll have no hope in if the charity isn't there to help them. It's a charity that's gradually spreading across the world and Japan is the most recent country to agree to it. Many major towns have already had their concerts and apparently it was a huge success..." he paused, waiting for the information to sink in.
Tuschiura sighed.
"And your asking us to perform in it, right?" He sounded almost bored.
"Correct."
"How long do we have to decide on pieces?" Tsukimori asked.
"2 weeks. Though I would suggest you be snappy because the performance is only in a month's time."
"Ah, that's all very well but your forgetting a very important point here Kanazawa." Ousaki-Sensei pointed out.
"Oh? And what's that?"
"They have to say yes first." He smiled.
"You mean we have a choice?" Tuschiura asked, his phase of boredom having passed for the time being.
"Of course! After all it is a charity concert, not a competition. All volunteer work!"
"Well, I'd be happy to take part in it, whether it's a charity concert or not!" Hihara exclaimed.
"Thank you, Hihara."
"Well...if no-one minds me playing in it...then I suppose I don't mind either." Kahoko said, staring at her feet.
"Of course no-one would mind! Thank you for volunteering Hino-chan."
Kahoko looked up and Ousaki-sensei gave her a reassuring smile.
"Well...if Kaho-Sempai is doing it...then I suppose..I will as well." Fuyuumi-Chan murmured.
"We appreciate it Fuyuumi-Chan...Anyone else?"
Tsukimori sighed.
"I might as well..."
"Thank you Tsukimori. I'm sure your presence there would be well received.
Tsukimori just nodded once.
"Yunoki? Tuschiura? Shimizu?"
"Yes...I...will..."Shimizu said.
"Hmm...well...it sounds like a very worthy charity..I don't see why not!" Yunoki smiled.
"Yeah...fine...whatever..." Tuschiura answered, glancing at Tsukimori. Who in turn, looked back at him with the same look which read, "Oh, think you can do better than me, huh? Well bring it on..." They looked away in opposite directions and looked as though they were both thinking of something to surpass the other.
"Thank you all."
"Well, they all seemed happy to do it anyway Ousaki, so your thoughtfulness wasn't that necessary after all huh?" Kamakawa said playfully.
"It would seem so!" Ousaki responded, taking it light-heartedly.
"Umm...one question..." Hihara raised his hand slightly.
"Yes?"
"What are we doing in the headmaster's office anyway? Has he got anything to do with this?
"Oh, well yes, but no. It was just that the music rooms all had something going on in them and the headmaster kindly suggested using his office as a meeting room. He does have a major part in the organisation of the concert obviously, but nothing that concerns us majorly."
"Oh."
"Well...unless anyone else has any further questions, I would say that you should all go on back to your lessons. We wish you luck in choosing your pieces, we'll be looking forward to you performances and we're sure you'll do well in them!"
"Arigato Sensei." Kahoko said.
"No problem."
"Performing huh? How weird...everyone performing again...on exactly the same stage too..." Kahoko smiled as she walked out the door and towards her next lesson.
She then heard someone calling her name. She turned around.
It was Tsukimori-Kun.
"Oh, Tsukimori-Kun! Um, you called me?"
"Just thought I'd remind you, do NOT be late after school. Otherwise I'll think of just cancelling the lessons altogether. Punctuality is vital." He raised an eyebrow, as if asking "Got it?"
"Hai....Sensei..." She murmured the last part like it was an insult.
"You said something?"
"Nope. Nothing" She turned around and started walking again.
Suddenly she felt very nervous about after school.
"Oh great...I have to ask him then...and I'll probably be late too as I won't be concentrating during class...aahh..."
She arrived to her lesson feeling very depressed.
Yey! Okay..I know that this chapter is pretty darn long but I hope you weren't totally bored to death..^^ Please remember to leave a review and yes criticism is still very helpful for me!
Arigato!
Panda-Chan