Tune for the Heart
Chapter 3
Hallo Panda-Chan again! Thank you, again, to those who have reviewed the previous chapters. For a couple of days work they seemed to have gone on quite well! Okay, so enough of my blabber-mouth...over to chapter 3....
It was lunch and Kahoko was in the canteen, sitting at a table with Mio and Nao. Once again she wasn't paying the least bit of attention to what they were saying as she was too wrapped up in her own thoughts. Her teachers had all complained about her lack of focus in lessons so far and each time she apologised saying that she hadn't gotten enough sleep. It was the same excuse she had used thousands of times before but no-one had ever questioned her further, as the bags under her eyes were enough evidence for anybody.
"Kaho-chan?" Mio called her name.
"Hmm?"
"Doesn't Tsukimori-Kun seem to be pushing you a bit too much on your violin? I mean, I know how much you must want to be taught by Tsukimori's sensei and the only way of getting that is to get better at playing...but...don't you think your working over-time?"
"Yeah! Mio and me have been worrying day and night over you! You turn up at school looking like a zombie and totally blank out!" Nao added.
"Oh...well thank you for worrying about me but you don't need to. In fact, if you're going to worry about anybody it should be Tsukimori-Kun. I'm the one who asked if he could not take it easy on me..."
"Well, if that's the case, then we're going to be even more worried about you Kaho-chan!" Mio exclaimed. "If you're pushing yourself so much that even Tsukimori-kun is finding time for you then you must be over-doing it!"
"But....!" She didn't manage to finish her sentence however, as a voice behind her interrupted.
"Oooh...what's this eh? The legendary Tsukimori 'Freeze-Bone' Len is finding time for our little Kaho-chan? My, this is scoop indeed!"
"Amou-chan!" Kahoko cried.
"Hello...! So tell me...what's this all about?"
"Nothing...Nothing at..." Kahoko began saying, but it was useless as Mio and Nao had already begun an account of their conversation.
But Amou-chan being Amou-chan, hyped it up even more. Thinking that the reason that Mr Freeze-bone was being so nice to her was because he was falling under the 'Violin Love' legend.
Mio, Nao and Kahoko all squealed at Amou-chan's outrageous remark. Mio and Nao because they thought it was such a romantic idea and Kahoko because she really thought it was outrageous.
"I mean face it. He must care at least an eeny-weeny-tinsy-winsy bit for you! Otherwise how else would it explain all the trouble he's going through? He could easily refuse to teach you, anytime he likes!"
"Well...actually I asked him that once, why he just didn't stop teaching me if he's so annoyed at me, he simply replied that if he's going to do something then there's no way he's going to quit right in the middle of it." Kahoko shrugged her shoulders thinking it was a reasonable answer.
Apparently not.
"Tut-tut." Amou waggled her finger at Kahoko. "That is such a pathetic excuse! Okay sure, he's a boy, but boys are so naive these days! They can never really tell what they really feel inside, you know? And when they do...well. Some, when faced with opposition, get very protective and vicious." Nao made a face and started growling like a lion, her hands curled like claws, taking a swipe at Kahoko.
She giggled.
"And others back away, scared they don't stand a chance against the rivals" Amou continued. Mio then grabbed one of her school books and pretended to hide behind it, looking shy and flustered.
Kahoko couldn't help but laugh at her friends' acting skills, but then the happiness faded slightly as she re-called what Amou had just said.
"So...remind me...what has this got to do with Tsukimori-kun and the fact he still wants to teach me?"
"Well, Tsukimori is neither of those. Why? Because he's far too unsociable to reveal any definite emotions to anyone. Especially not to a girl." Amou-chan raised a perfectly arched eye-brow.
"Exactly. So why would you say that he likes me then?" Something happened then, that made her heart skip a beat. She wasn't sure why but somehow her heart just didn't seem to want to calm down.
"Uh! Hino-Chan pur-lease! How he reacts around you, it's about as emotional as anyone has ever seen him before! You're both as bad as each other! He's making up lame excuses and so are you! What's the point?! You know you're going to run out of them sooner or later! And trust me, I vote for sooner..."
Kahoko rolled her eyes.
"I'm in for it now...Amou-chan has gone into 'Drama Mode'...oh well...it can't get any worse..."
She suddenly grimaced as Amou abruptly gasped and stood up, sending her chair flying. Then, not caring that practically everyone in the canteen was now staring at her, gave a delighted squeak and skipped over to where Mio and Nao were sitting on the opposite side of the table.
"I spoke far too soon..." Kahoko flinched.
Amou then started franticly whispering in Mio's ear. There was something in the way Mio's eyes kept glancing at her with a twinkle in them that made her feel uncomfortable. She felt even more so when a huge grin spread across her face.
"Mio?" Kahoko asked.
"Don't worry. Nothing major!" Mio replied, flapping her hand in the air as if swatting a fly away.
She sighed again.
Her discomfort however, remained un-noticed as Mio had travelled off to her own dream world and Amou-Chan was now busy whispering to Nao.
"Why do I have a very bad feeling about this??"
Amou and Nao giggled loudly and then both turned to face Mio. By then Mio had snapped out of it and looked back at the two of them with a mischievous look on her face.
"What are you miscreants planning? You look like a load of pirates that have just discovered treasure!" Kahoko said, getting edgy.
"Pirates and treasure? He he...rightly so! But we haven't found it...more like just about to begin our perilous journey looking for it..." Amou replied, giving Mio and Nao a sly grin, which they returned.
Kahoko sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time today, only this time for a different reason.
"Well, if you've had enough of winding me up I'm going to practise. See you back in lessons." And with that she strode out the canteen without a backward glance at her giggling friends.
Walking towards the rooftop, violin and bag in hand, Kahoko began to wonder whether Amou-Chan could have actually been talking the least bit of sense. When she thought about it, she could see why Amou-Chan might have thought so...but her point about Tsukimori-Kun being softer or more willing to show his emotions around her? Well, that came as a shock. She hadn't really noticed before...but now that she had mentioned it...she sort of did see...He did seem to be willing to say a lot more to her than he used to...but wasn't he like that to everyone now? Hmm...perhaps not...
She had finally reached the top of the stairs leading to the roof, when she paused in front of the door. She could hear someone playing...a cheery, pick-me-up tune coming from what sounded like a trumpet. She waited a while until the song had finished and when it did she slowly opened the door.
She waited for her eyes to adjust to the bright sunshine then gave a friendly smile to Hihara-Sempai, who had turned around to see who had arrived.
"Oh! Hello Kaho-Chan!" Hihara greeted her. "Came to practise did you?"
"Hello, Hihara-Sempai! Yeah, I did. Sorry if I've disturbed your practise time."
"No, not at all! Don't worry about it!" He walked over to a nearby bench and sat down, beckoning to Kahoko to do the same. She took the invitation gratefully and came to sit next to him on the bench, her eyes closed and head tilted towards the sky basking in the warm glow.
"Hihara-Sempai, what was the tune you played just now?"
"Just now? Oh that was 'Trumpet Voluntary' by Clarke."
"It was..." She couldn't find the right word to describe it. "...nice!" She decided.
"Thank you!"
"Is that what you're playing for the concert, Hihara-Sempai?" Kahoko asked, opening her eyes and turning to face him.
This time, Hihara was the one looking up at the sky.
"Concert? Hmm...well...now that you mention it...I guess it is a possibility...I might... Have you thought of anything to play Kaho-Chan?"
"Umm...no actually...I might ask Tsukimori-Kun about it later..."
At the mention of Tsukimori's name Hihara's eyes snapped open as if he realised something but then quickly closed them again, either because he was blinded by the sunshine up above him or he realised it would be a wrong reaction to give in front of Kaho-chan.
"So you're still having lessons with him then?" Hihara asked offhandedly, placing his trumpet back into it's case.
"Mm hmm...until he leaves...to go..." but she couldn't finish her sentence as something had clogged up in her throat, and she couldn't manage to say the word 'abroad'
"Abroad?" Hihara finished for her. "Um, is something the matter Kaho-chan?" He asked, glancing at her face and seeing the colour drain from it rapidly.
"No, nothing's wrong..." She mumbled. She knew how bad she was at lying and now was no exception. She also could tell that Hihara wasn't buying it either.
"Okay...but just so you know...if ever you need someone to talk to...I'm here...you know...fellow ex-contestants and all..." He gave a small half-hearted chuckle.
At that moment Hihara reminded Kahoko very strongly of Tuschiura and the time when he had said pretty much the exact same thing to her. The exception was that instead of 'fellow General Department students' it was 'fellow ex-contestants' instead.
She smiled.
"Yes, I know..."
For the last 5 minutes of lunch the two of them sat in a companionable silence, neither daring to say anything in case it became awkward.
Finally when the bell rang signalling the end of break, they got up and together walked down the steps. At the bottom they waved goodbye and trudged along through the jam-packed corridors to their lessons.
For Kahoko, the lessons passed far too quickly and pretty soon it was time for her lesson with Tsukimori-Kun. All the things she wanted, or needed, to ask him came at her like a flood and she was struggling to keep them under control.
Without noticing herself, her feet had taken her directly outside the practise room. She looked inside to check if Tsukimori was already there but there was no-one inside.
She pushed the door open and then closed it softly looking around at the familiar room. Placing her violin case on top of the grand piano, she took out her violin and stroked it like a much-loved pet.
"Thank you Lili, Thank you so much." She murmured.
She gazed through the window that was facing the boundary walls of the school. It reminded her of the time when she had first heard Tsukimori play, how sweet and beautiful it had sounded.
Subconsciously her fingers were playing the notes from 'Ave Maria'. Her fingers delicately placing each of the notes, as if worried she might break the strings again.
The door slowly creaked open, and she heard someone carefully walking in. Still facing the window she said,
"Seems I'm the one that needs to complain about punctuality, huh?"
Tsukimori made a 'tsk' sound behind her.
"I'm not late. You're just simply early." He replied coolly.
Looking at his reflection in the window Kahoko could see him looking back at her, his expression slightly puzzled.
"Well? Have you done anything since you arrived so early?" Tsukimori enquired, a hint of annoyance in his voice.
"No, actually...I wasn't that early. In fact, I had only managed to unpack my violin until you arrived." It wasn't a great start to the lesson but she doubt it was going to get better, if she was actually going to find the courage to ask him the questions that is.
She turned round and walked over to her violin case, getting out her bow and scores. From the other-side of the room Tsukimori was un-packing his own violin.
"Have you thought of any pieces to play for the charity concert?" he asked.
"Ah. Good. That's one question I don't need to ask then." Kahoko thought.
"Well no actually...I was hoping you could help me with that..."
Tsukimori shrugged his shoulders lightly.
"Naturally... Well...lucky I was one step of you huh?"
"What?" Kahoko swivelled round to face him.
Tsukimori produced 3 scores and held it out to her.
She took them and read out loud the titles of each.
"Czardas by Monti...Non Giova Il Sospirar by Donizetti...and Meditation by Massenet..." Neither of those pieces or composers meant anything to Kahoko, so she asked Tsukimori whether he could play a snippet of each piece for her to listen to, as the score was still pretty much Russian to her.
Reluctantly he complied but instead of playing a small section of the pieces, he played all of it.
"There's no point in listening to only a small section of it. You'll never be able to enjoy the whole piece that way." Tsukimori explained.
The first piece Czardas, had an almost dark first section, it then got slightly lighter, then suddenly flew into a flurry of notes, furiously fast and clipped, then more fast notes and then really high notes that vibrated around your heart like a fluttering butterfly. The way that Tsukimori-kun played those notes, they almost sounded like a flute it was so light and breezy.
The next piece, Non Giova Il Sospirar, was soft and light, like a feather blowing in a summers breeze. It was shorter than the previous piece and it wasn't as engaging, Kahoko thought, but the plus side was that it sounded a lot less harder than Czardas.
Finally the last piece was one she recognised immediately. It was the one Yunoki-Sempai had played during the second selection of the competition. But it sounded completely different played on the violin. Almost...you could feel your feet firmly planted on the ground and feel the warm sound seeping through every part of your body. With the flute you were floating on clouds, but the warmth you felt was lost in the air.
Tsukimori finished playing and opened his eyes to study Kahoko's reactions. She seemed deep in thought deciding what piece to choose.
"Well...they're all very beautiful pieces...but to actually play them...when it comes to the practical side I think Czardas is a big no-no...then Non Giova-whatsit...it's a pleasant piece...but not as engaging as the others...then Meditation...the fingering doesn't seem too hard...beautiful to listen too as well...but would people say I'm a copy-cat by playing the same piece Yunoki-Sempai did?"
"I would think by your reaction to Meditation that it's probably the one you like the most...but you're worried people may say your copying Yunoki-Sempai if you play it at the concert..."
Kahoko gasped, shocked. Tsukimori had pretty much read her mind.
"Hm. I take that a yes then. Well, I could ask Yunoki-Sempai whether he would be prepared to do a duet with you as well as his solo..."
"WHAT? Yu-Yunoki...?!" Kahoko stuttered.
Tsukimori held up a hand to silence her.
"Yes, Yunoki-Sempai, who else? Why? Do have anything against him?"
"Yes. Yes in fact I do. He's a lying, mean, evil, sparkly poofball." She felt like saying, but she restrained herself.
"N-Nope. Of course not!"
"Well, then. The next time I see him I'll ask." He gave Kahoko an odd look.
"Umm...Tsukimori-Kun...you don't need to do all this..."
Tsukimori interrupted her again.
"That's where you're wrong. How would I look if my student came to a concert playing such amateur pieces even after teaching her? Please, if you think that I care that much then think again. I'm only making sure my image and dignity stays intact here."
Kahoko felt strangely disappointed and hurt by Tsukimori's words but to avoid meeting his gaze she just stared at her violin and ran her fingers up and down the strings gently.
Tsukimori coughed lightly.
"Well? Do you want to start practising it then?"
"Okay..." Kahoko said faintly, placing her violin on her shoulder, still not looking at Tsukimori.
"That's where you're wrong. How would I look if my student came to a concert playing such amateur pieces even after teaching her? Please, if you think that I care that much then think again. I'm only making sure my image and dignity stays intact here."
Tsukimori regretted saying those words as soon as they had left his mouth. Looking at Kahoko's wounded appearance; he felt something slowly turning again in his heart. It was like the rusty and unused clogs called 'emotions' had suddenly starting turning again and although it hurt slightly, a sense of relief passed through him.
But then the relief had vanished as quickly as it had come. Still looking at Kahoko's face, the feeling of despair washed over him.
Her expression was almost as bad as the time when she announced she was giving up the violin, her usual liveliness completely gone. He spun round so he had his back to her, trying to get the picture out of his head. When he couldn't he hissed in frustration, causing Kahoko to turn towards him for a split second, thinking he was hissing at her. Her face fell further.
"Do you want me to play the piece again for you?" He asked weakly, his back still towards her.
"Okay..." Kahoko said again, her voice monochrome.
He started playing the first couple of bars but he kept on wavering, his vibrato uneven and the notes just slightly out of tune.
He groaned inaudibly.
"Why can't I concentrate? This is hopeless! If I keep this up I'll never be able to play any piece! Let alone teach someone! Urgh. And just because I looked at her. I'm pathetic." But his question was answered when he couldn't help but turn his head slightly to look at Kahoko.
And silently wished he hadn't.
She was staring at the wall ahead of her, her face as deadpan as Tsukimori's usually was and her breathing un-even and shallow.
Tsukimori bit his lip and distractedly looked around the room.
After what seemed like hours, Kahoko finally spoke up.
"Do you mind if I go home early, Tsukimori-Kun? I...have things to do at home..." Kahoko requested, but she needn't have asked as she was already packing her violin away and Tsukimori seemed to be unable to speak for the time being.
"Oh...yes...I mean no....no, I don't mind." He said after a while.
With her violin packed and scores tucked safely away in her bag, Kahoko gradually made her way to the door and opened it.
"Thank you Tsukimori-Kun..." She said softly, walking out and closing the door behind her.
"I doubt she meant it..." He mumbled, running his fingers through his royal-blue hair.
Kahoko ran out of the practise room as fast as she could, tears streaming down her cheeks and Tsukimori's insensitive words ringing in her head.
"If you think I care that much...that much....than you can think again...I'm only making sure my image...image....and dignity....dignity....stay intact....stay intact..."
She shook her head from side to side as if trying to shake away her tears and the stinging words but the only result was strands of hair sticking to her face.
"Why?? Why won't I stop crying?? He...he was just being Tsukimori-Kun! So why am I getting so worked up about it? WHY?!"
She must of said the last bit out loud as passers-by gave her a strange look, but the look would turn from strange to pitiful when they noticed her crying.
As soon as she reached home she ran straight up the stairs to her bedroom, not bothering to greet anyone as she went passed.
Locked up in her room lying on her bed, she stayed there long before she had finished crying.
Moments of when she and Tsukimori had shared flashed in her mind.
The competition, when he had walked all the way from the Music Department building to hand her the leaflet, the lessons...and of course the most magical moment...when they played together at Fuyuumi-chan's family home.
"Grr! Stupid, stupid, stupid!" She yelled, whacking her pillow with her fist.
"Kahoko? Is everything alright in there?" A voice asked from outside her door, her mother.
"Yes, Ma. Fine. Just fine!" She shouted, her face buried in her pillow.
She waited a while listening for her mother's dying footsteps.
Kahoko turned over so she was facing the ceiling, looking up at the glow-in-the-dark stars her Father had helped her stick on when she was 6.
"Whenever you need cheering up,and there are no stars in the sky, look up at your own stars and make a wish!" He had said.
"I wish...I wish that I didn't have to go to school tommorrow...that I don't have to see Tsukimori-kun and that he would just leave me alone..." She whispered softly, closing her eyes and falling into a light and troubled sleep.
For the rest of the night she woke up, rolled around on her bed, tried to go to sleep and whenever she did she was suddenly awoken again by a noise. It was a long night.
The next morning she had woken up again. Only this time it was to the sound of her Mother opening her bedroom door, and slowly walking towards her.
"M-mum?" She whispered sleepily.
"Oh, honey. You look like you didn't get much sleep last night. Hows about you stay in bed for the rest of the day hmm? Seems you need to catch up on a lot of lost sleep, dear." Her Mother said, placing a hand on her daughters cheek.
"St-stay? In bed? Sounds good..." Kahoko mumbled, her voice getting more quiter as she spoke.
"Alright then. Sleep well." Her mother whispered, planting a kiss on her daughters forehead.
"Thanks Mum..." And with that Kahoko was soon fast asleep.
Taking a step back, Kahoko's mother looked at her daughter properly and frowned slightly.
Kahoko was still in her uniform having forgotten to change clothes last night, her face was mainly relaxed but from time to time she would frown and mutter something too quiet for anyone to understand what she was saying. But sometimes, it almost sounded as if she was just about to say 'Tsukimori' but then stopped half-way.
"Tsukimori huh? The infamous violist at Kahoko's school...hmm...wasn't he also the one in the competition, son of Misa Hamai the famous pianoist? My oh my...I wonder what my Kahoko has got to do with him?" Kahoko's mother wondered.
With a final look at her sleeping daughter she tip-toed towards the door, quietly shutting it behind her.
Kahoko rolled in her bed and muttered something.
If anyone was in the room they would of heard exactly what she was saying.
And this time, she said it all.
"Tsukimori Len..."
Okay then! That's it for the third installment for Tune of the Heart! Forth chapter will be up shortly!
Just a quick something I thought I'd mention:
The reason that the pieces for Kahoko are so precise is NOT, I can tell you because I searched it all on the internet. (Trust me, I am far too lazy to anything as constructive as that...lol...^^) Nope! It's because I'm a violinist myself! And yes, all three of those pieces I have played before. (Even though I'm grade 6 I'm rubbish...and exams for me are just a killer...*shudder*) Anyways, I just thought that would be an interesting thing to say...^^
Sooo....leave me a review peeps and hopefully the next time you'll check, chapter 4 would have been uploaded!!
Toodles!
Panda-Chan.