A/N: Heeey! I'm back again with the second chapter! FINALLY.

I swear I'm trying so hard for this to have a good and consistent plot. I searched around all internet how the hell violin competitions work, what pieces are played, etc etc. It won't be perfect but I'm trying to do the best I can anyway, I'm too ignorant of the world of music but couldn't leave this idea behind T_T And I also had to search for clothing vocabulary and stuff like that, because my main language remains being Spanish.

Anyway, enjoy!


Chapter 2: Getting to know you.

I slowly tried to open my eyes as rays of light that entered through my apartment's window made it all more difficult for me. Annoyed by it, I turned to the other side of the bed frowning and shutting my eyes strongly, grunting. I tried to sleep again but I didn't feel so sleepy anymore, so I quickly gave up on it.

The blankets of my bed covered me up to my waist, and I was wearing fairly revealing clothing as a pajama. I noticed I was feeling a little hot, thus I assumed it was a sunny morning. I wasn't that sensitive to cold since I got used to it in Russia, and now when it's just a little bit warmer than usual I have to immediately change clothes or take some off or else I'd start feeling dizzy, because I can't stand the heat.

I turned to the other side of the bed again, now letting the light reach my face, half-closing my eyes because of the sudden brightness I had to get used to. After a while I took a look through the window, where tiny grey and brown birds were chirping and setting flight to the sky or simply someone else's building. It seemed sunny and warm outside, unlike a few days ago when the weather was really cold.

I incorporated and sat on the corner of the bed, yawning. It was Sunday today.

Just after staying like that for a few more seconds I got up and got ready to prepare breakfast, putting on a simple black tank top, shorts and slippers, leaving my hair down. I made my bed, tidied up the room a little and opened the window, causing the remaining little sparrows to set flight all at once, making that soft flapping sound that somehow relaxed me and marked the start of a new day, which was indeed beautiful.

I thought it would be a waste to stay at home practicing the violin, even though the most important event of my life, and the reason why my music classes were gradually becoming more intense, would be arriving soon: The National Violin Competition of this year would be held in this country, in the capital, just a few hours from here by train, in five more months. The event was held every two years, for artist up to twenty five years old. I'd have to wait two more years to take the chance again if I failed, two more years of confused thoughts whether I really wanted to do this or not. But it was a fact that made my heart race with excitement, however at the same time I felt lost and insecure. My head was a mess of indecisive thoughts. I was decided to be number one but even that determination didn't felt totally pure.

"Is this really what I want to do?"

I shook my head and slapped me lightly with both hands in both cheeks twice, trying to escape from that abyss of thoughts that would just make me lose time and make me more upset. Thus, I concluded today would be just another day of self-practice and closed the window, now heading towards the kitchen to eat something.

As I opened my refrigerator to take out the milk which I planned to mix with cereal I heard my cellphone ringing. I turned away and closed the refrigerator with my foot, leaving the milk on top of the counter and walking fast to my room so I wouldn't miss the call.

My eyes opened wide when I looked at the screen and I felt my heart skip a beat, as well as my cheeks reddening a little.

"Khorosho…" I said before taking the phone to my ear. "Hello? Tojo?"

"Hey! It's been a while!" I felt a smile being formed on my face as I heard her voice. "How have you been?"

"Uh… Good and you?"

"Great, thank you!" She giggled a little. "Hey, I was wondering if you had any plans for today".

"Eh? Ah… yeah, I kind of… felt the need to practice" I said while walking around the room playing with a string of my hair or touching random things. "Why?"

"Oh, I just wanted to hang out with you for a while. You made me laugh so much the other day I wanted to see you again".

I brought my other hand to my mouth trying to stop a wild smile from forming, stopping in the room and feeling a little bit of heat rising up on my ears.

"Are you blushing now or do I have to keep going on like this?" I heard her tease me through the phone with a playful tone.

"Do you ever stop?" I groaned at her, but she just giggled as always. I continued to walk around the room. "But… I'm sorry I'm just too worried about the competition… I feel that if I don't practice harder than usual I'll blow it all up"

"Hmm… Then, let's get something to eat and after that go to someplace in the city to practice together!"

"Eh?"

"What? You heard me. If you keep going on like this you'll just end up blowing it up because of stress. The competition is five months from now, right?"

"Uh, you know about it?"

"Well, just because I told you I don't enter competitions and such it doesn't mean I'm totally ignorant to what goes on in the world of music, okay?" This time I was the one to giggle. "So, how about it?"

I smiled. "It sounds good to me"

"Yay! Then I'll be seeing you at one o'clock were we met the other day, okay?"

"Got it…"

"Okay, see you! Miss dork violinist"

"I swear when I see you I'll definitely slap you this time with my vio—" But I couldn't finish up my threat because she hung up the phone before I could say it.

"Geez… This girl" I thought to myself. But immediately that annoyed look was changed for one of satisfaction and amusement.

It has been a while since I've hanged out with a friend on Sunday.


"Over here!"

I searched for the voice with my eyes, until I saw the girl who I met five days ago waving at me in the distance. She was by the fountain of the other day, in which she gave her own personal and fantastic performance. As I walked towards her, I noticed she was wearing a flowery dress adjusted to the waist and a light blue jeans jacket, with tights that reached above her knees and low heels again. She had on her back the red case for her cello and her hair braided to the side like the other day.

She looked beautiful.

My face must have betrayed me because it seems she saw my thoughts as I approached her since she gave me another teasing look. I noticed she was also wearing a little bit of make-up.

"So, how do I look?" She asked me.

"You look okay"

"What? That's all?" She looked at me earnestly, waiting for a response.

I turned my gaze as I lightly blushed.

"…Okay, you look really good"

"Thanks, you look good too!" She chuckled. "Shall we get going? I know a restaurant around here that serves the best parfaits ever for dessert"

"Sure" I said giving her a smile.

"Oh and… I'll be the one to carry my own stuff now, okay prince?"

She grinned. I furiously blushed as I remembered that I carried her own instrument, practically snatching it away from her arms to her apartment because of an unknown reason and I just didn't know what the hell was I trying to prove at that time, but I realized it was really weird and awkward for a person to do that. Moreover I had just met her that day. I was no different than a random guy who tries to flirt with women. I felt so embarrassed I put my hand on my face, lowering my head.

"Ah… About that…"

"Hahaha, no worries. It was actually really nice of you" She gave me another one of her heart-warming smiles and took my sleeve with her right hand. "Come on, let's go!"


We had finished eating everything and were heading out of the restaurant. We talked about a lot of things, like what types of music we liked. But she was mainly interested about my life, so she asked me a lot of questions, like how was my stay in Russia when I was younger, my musical career or about my family. She even asked me if I was dating someone at the moment, and then, seeing through my reaction, started to tease me because of not having dated anyone at all until now, calling me a dork for the third time, for which I actually slapped her with a spoon, leaving some cream on her face that made her laugh even more.

I felt drawn to her; to her extroverted and joyful personality. I felt like I needed something like that in my life, which until now had been so strict and competitive, aiming to achieve a single goal without thinking or worrying about anything else.

Maybe I really needed someone like her in my life.

Suddenly, I felt a drop of water fell in my nose. I looked up to the sky, the same sky that just a few hours ago had been shining the most brightly and that now looked grey and cloudy.

"It looks like it's going to rain" I said, lifting my arm and opening my hand to see if any more raindrops fell on my palm.

"You're right"

Then, I felt her hand take mine. I turned and looked in surprise.

"If we run now to my apartment we may get there without getting soaked, come with me!" She said as she started running and pulling me to run with her.

"Eh? B-But what about practice?"

"What, you want to play violin in the rain? …Wait, that doesn't sound bad at all. It's kind of romantic, don't you think?" She giggled.

"If you think ruining your instrument is romantic, I guess so"

"Ugh, now I know why you haven't dated anyone yet… What a d—"

"I swear, if you say that word one more time I'll kill you"

She grinned at me and kept on running, now looking forward, without letting go of my hand.

I looked at her back, where she carried her instrument; her cello. And while looking at it and her purple, long braided hair moving with the wind, I felt a lot of gratitude for some reason. I felt a strong emotion rising up in my heart, excitement giving bright to my blue eyes, amazed and admired by the person that pulled me across the city escaping of the rain. And smiling uncontrollably, feeling the need to laugh like never before, I squeezed my hand into hers tightly, determined to never let it go.

When we finally got to her apartment, almost getting soaked because of the rain that started pouring down just a few seconds after we entered the building, she made me come in and offered me some tea, going directly to the kitchen after leaving her cello on the sofa at the living room.

I left my jacket on a wall rack at the entrance and my violin case beneath it.

I looked curiously at the interior of the apartment, which didn't look that old. More like it seemed she got here not so long ago. Also, it wasn't that decorated with stuff. It seemed kind of empty.

"You live alone too?" I asked as I leaned to the wall watching her prepare tea.

"Yeah, I moved here recently as well"

"Why?"

"Well, to be honest I was a little bit lost about what I wanted to do with my future" I blinked at that. She continued to prepare tea. "Sugar?"

"Ah, five tablespoons please"

"You like sweet things, I see" She smiled at me. I nodded.

"Anyway, up until now all I've done with my life is work on part-time jobs and play the cello on my free times".

"But… why haven't you studied music or…?"

"I thought about that but I wasn't sure" she passed me the tea and started stirring hers. "But now I've made up my mind and came here to study cello on college. Then I'll join an orchestra and be happy playing my instrument for the rest of my life" She took a sip of her tea and looked at me, smiling. I didn't know what to say so I did the same thing. "Ok, to say the truth…" she continued "I'm a little bit scared of recitals"

I saw her blush a little. 'So she really does gets embarrassed from now and then', I thought. I smiled.

"Why? You were playing so happily that day the crowd was so big I couldn't even see you at first"

"But that's different. People don't expect someone to sit by a fountain to play the cello nor expects of them to play it perfectly, unlike concerts and recitals. That's why I was a little bit lost. I love playing my instrument but I know that if I want to study it I'll have to face playing under that pressure in front of all those men and women that analyzes you completely and I just can't…"

The more she talked about herself the more she blushed, to the point of not looking me in the eyes anymore, turning a little bit to the side trying to hide her face. I couldn't help but keep smiling.

"Hey, stop that".

"What?"

"You're laughing of me inside your mind right now, I'm sure of it. Just look at your smile"

"Wha… I'm not laughing at you" I said starting to really laugh. "It's just… You're so red it's funny to see you like this"

"Come on! Don't laugh!" She exclaimed, making me burst out laughing even more. It was the first time I had seen her so embarrassed about something.

I wiped out a tear off my face, looking at her pout.

"But it's not so much like that, you know? Once you're a member of the orchestra you'll be one more person out of many others who'd be in the same boat as you"

"I guess so… But what if I blow it up and ruin everything?"

"You'd only end up blowing it up because of stress" I grinned at her. She glared at me. "Well, let me enjoy having the tables turned for a while" I giggled.

"You'll enjoy it outside in the rain if you continue"

"Hahaha, let's just get to practice, okay?" I said walking to the entrance to get my violin. I felt how she stood there still glaring at me, pouting with her cheeks lightly colored red before she headed towards the sofa to get her cello.

Once we were settled there in the living room we left the mugs with tea on top of the center table and tested the sound of our instruments.

"What song are we playing?" She asked me.

"Ah… actually, I haven't decided on one for the quarter-finals. But I've still got fifteen days left to choose"

"Hmm… what piece should it be? Have you thought of one?"

"I was thinking of playing something like Mendelssohn Concerto in E minor Op. 64. It has a lot of power and I think would make a good start"

"Then let's try that one"

"…"

"What?"

"You know how to play the cello part? Or…?"

"Hey, who do you think I am? Just so you know I had music classes, ok? I may not participate in stuff like you but I AM planning on going to study music in college. Now stop believing I don't know anything just because I told you I'm a street performer and saw me playing by a fountain in a plaza a piece made by myself, that by the way you loved—"

"Okay, okay, geez! I just wanted to make sure!"

"Do you really think I would invite you to my house so we could play together without me knowing anything just to tease you?"

"…To tell you the truth, I—"

"Okay, never mind. Let's play"

We looked at each other in silence for a few seconds and then started to laugh.

"Geez, Tojo…"

"…Don't call me that"

"Eh?" I looked at her and she was intensely looking at me, with serious eyes.

"Let's start calling each other by our names, okay Eli-chi?

"Eli-chi? That's not even my name…"

"But it sounds cute, doesn't it?" As she said that I blushed a little. "Now you call me by my name"

She was watching me vigorously with those emerald eyes of hers, leaning towards me a little because of the eagerness she felt for me to say her name.

"Come on, say it" She insisted.

"D-Don't be ridiculous and get your instrument ready to play…" I said turning away my head and closing my eyes, with my cheeks fairly heated up. Then I opened one of them to look at her, who was now grabbing her instrument and giving out a sigh. I gulped.

"Nozomi…"

This time, she turned to look at me again, with a huge smile in her face and shining eyes.

"Yes, Eli-chi?" She asked me happily.

"N-Nothing, I just said your name like you wanted me to…"

"Thank you, Eli-chi" She thanked me giving me another one of her adorable smiles. And I just looked at her for a while, amazed, feeling something strange in my chest that I couldn't describe or put into words. More when she kept watching me as well, looking into my eyes until she laughed out of awkwardness and told me to start playing.

And so we did. I swear I've never felt like I loved music so much until that day. The harmonizing sound of her instrument with mine, her sweet figure moving her fingers and arm, smiling while having her eyes closed, enjoying the melody; a love for music so much greater than mine, so much more admirable. I felt so glad of having heard her sound that day, to have had the courage to approach her and for her to have such a big cello that made me accompany her back to her apartment.

…It was the first time of my life I felt so glad of being a violinist.


A/N: And that's all for now.

I think the third chapter is going to take more time because I have some school work to do that I've been denying because of this sudden inspiration lmao. And I'm kind of full with it right now.

It's 4 am but I needed to finish this.

I hope you liked it! And thanks to the people who favorited, followed and reviewed my fanfic SO MUCH! You wouldn't understand how HAPPY I felt when I saw them. It was so motivating, I don't knooow.

I'll try to have the third chapter ready as fast as I can (:

Thank you!