Static… Static… Bzzzzz… *blip* Oh, I'm back.

Chapter 2 – Staged-Kiss

Being inside Seiso Acadamy's concert theater felt strange under this dim lighting. With a lot of room and lack of occupants settled on the seats her shoes echoed loudly against the concrete stairs cascading downwards the stage. She didn't imagine that the concert theater can house this much audience. As she passed rows after rows of seats she thought she had more reason to be nervous backstage. She smiled when she finally caught a sight of the so called violin virtuoso who promised her his tutoring help to polish her amateur skills. Maybe, if she thought better she didn't need to go on all of these practicing with him to 'get her in the mood'. But maybe, it was he himself who's going to get her in the mood. Maybe, just maybe.

She checked her wristwatch, she had come too early and figured she would watch him warm up his violin. She wondered what would be like being the audience and rather than the performer. She sat down on one of the seats and watched Len's serene face as he swished and swiped his bow to his violin.

The music was very different compared to the last time he played alone on that stage. She snapped her eyes up as notes quickly climb to crescendo and the melody coursed from her ears throughout her body making her body tingle in amazement.

She closed her eyes and let the music engulf her. The notes were perfect, he played as if he played this piece thousands of times already. Some people were born to play and some people simply learns how to and she was the latter. The music died softly and she waited for his closing gesture for him to bow proudly and she in turn would give him a standing ovation and clap both of her hands proudly, if the world was perfect and if she could play her violin upside down with her ankles all tied up all the way to the ceiling. But it's not, so as if she haft expected it to happen, though it was the very opposite of her thought, she heard her name being called up in an irritated manner and she winced at the condescending tone it carried.

He raised an eyebrow, letting the irritation dissipate in his head. "You're early…"

She glanced everywhere but him before settling her eyes submissively on the sheet stand beside him. She watched him gather the musical sheet on its stand, rearrange it and replaced it with another. He was probably placing the piece she's going to play. Far easier than the one he played a while ago.

"I figured that you like people to come early, rather than on time." She bit her lip. Well, it's true anyway since she didn't have any reference on how he wanted people to be punctual and partly because she knew that if she didn't come early she will be late, never on time.

"Oh," he said as if he was surprised by what she implied and then he snorted, reiterating what she just said only this time it was thrown back to her. "Cause I figured that people like you always come late, rather than on time."

She stuck her tongue out to him. "You enjoy getting on my nerves, do you Len?"

He turned around, he didn't say anything. He swore if she doesn't stop that habit he'll figure out some way to snatch that tongue of hers and he's already having ideas about how to do it. Damn.

He tapped the sheet stand with his pen. Kind of like the tapping of a conductor's stick to start the show. "Let's begin."

When Kahoko saw that unresolving gaze of his she smacked her inner conscience. This is going to be long and winding afternoon.

x

"Stop."

Kahoko must've not heard him. He sighed and repeated it louder this time.

"I said stop! Stop."

The music was cut off almost immediately.

What's the matter now… Kahoko's knees slackened, she wanted to break down on the middle of the stage. How many times did Len hold out his hand to stop her. She won't even go as far as playing more than five to seven notes and he stopped her again. She looked at him pleadingly.

Sitting on the front row, he shifted his weight from one hip to another, resting his chin over his hand admiring the current expression on her face. "You know, you're making this hard for yourself." He shrugged.

"From the top."

She groaned but didn't had any choice. She raised her violin, tiredly now, this routine of starting over and over is starting to take its toll on her. Her music once again graced her ears, the familiarity of it seemed to stick with an annoyance in the air, the nagging feeling it carried. She knew she had perfectly memorized all the notes already but still constantly playing it imperfectly.

She stopped at her own accord. Clenching both of her hands and teeth now. Tears started welling on her eyes now but she didn't let Len notice it.

"Do you need to take a break?" Len inquired knees ready to spring up from his seat.

"No." She stated coldly.

She heard the cushion of his seat flopped back with a thud against the backrest, his shuffling footsteps, the clicking of the soles against the wooden-planked floor of the stage, stopping just in front of her, the rustle of both cloth and hair as he placed both on his hands on her shoulders.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded. "Let's start again."

Len's hands slid from her shoulders to her arm stopping her from positioning her violin midway. "What's the matter?"

She looked at him numbly and when she met his eyes she knew that he knew that something was wrong. She clenched both of her hands, about to retort that there wasn't any problem like what she always did.

But a lot of things happened instantly. And the time that he tugged her chin upwards to him she was aware that there wasn't enough room to react or there wasn't any room at all on the little space that they were sharing.

The modest brushing of two lips went fast as if an air just barely blew a breeze to it and she wondered if something magical happened because suddenly it sparked a little fire that was now smoldering slightly inside her.

His heart pounded, louder than the acoustics of the concert theater. He kept on thinking what made him do something so unprecedented. He smiled, more on the sardonic side. Somehow it left him with an unnerving urge to want more. Whatever it is he has done…

He mustered all what's left of his self-contained façade. And with one finger laid on the piano key he managed to summon both of them out of the daydream and back to the stage.

"As you said, let's start again. On your cue."

Somehow the concert theater was less dimmer and she wanted to throw a timid and appreciative smile back at Len. She bit her lip, took a stance, more of to Len's direction and began to play subtly this time.

Her violin and him accompanying by the piano. It made all the difference to the world.

x

Somewhere, on a pillar's ledge Lili couldn't help but to squeal to his little matchmaking success, partly. It's not over till the curtain falls.

x

When the end of the afternoon session came, nobody dared to utter a word. Two weird crooked smiles with a blush hovering on each cheek kept them silent.

"H-how was it?" He cursed himself, he knew that his voice would falter at the start of a conversation.

"It… was good, a bit unexpected. But I guess its… Uhm, I'm just happy." She massaged her temples self consciously did she just make an indirect innuendo? Of course she was just harmlessly pertaining to her violin performance. Not some other things, stuffs...

He grunted. Women. Good? Does she have any idea how much courage it took to do that? He crossed his arms and walked right pass her.

"Len…" She inquired, she might have hurt him. She didn't mean to, after all that he's done. "Len, thanks. I appreciate it, you, accompanying me, I didn't know that you play the piano. I couldn't help but to think of a similar incident." She thought of a certain green hair pianist for a while.

He glared at her and she was taken aback. He hated how innocent she looked when both him and Ryoutaro has an underhanded rivalry because of her. And his pride won't let the other guy get the upper hand.

He held his chin, walked back towards her. "Tsuchiura, accompanied you on this stage,"

There was no mistake in his tone. He was pissed.

"I accompanied you and kissed you!"

x

Review? Please? Haha. No just read. I guess, a part why I updated late was because I only get 1, one! Review last time. And don't mind me, God bless you, Miss/Mister, but I'm pretty sure Miss Anonymous reviewer, at least I have you. I will forever treasure your review in the biggest chamber of my heart… The left ventricle. Hahaha. It really is, the left ventricle is the largest of all four chamber because it's the chamber that drives all of the blood out of the heart and why we have blood flow in the first place. Err… Enough medical stuff. Haha. I mean, I guess, I have to get rid of the fact that I need reviews to update. If I kept on thinking that way, I won't finish any fic. I will write because I wanted to write, and because I am inspired to. (Now you know why I don't update my other fics)

So see yah, yep there's still a chapter 3. Originally this was a one-shot/two-shots, but I'm going to attempt three-shots. (Attempt? Of course I will finish.)

Anyways, if you're still not over that left ventricle thing forget that I said that.

Reviews? You can flame… That will also be treasured. lol

ikr? The hits and visits on this page are enough. See you.