Chapter 4 (which was in my head for a long time, but could only get typed up this week-end. *Sigh...*)
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Part 1: The stuff he can't handle
Kahoko looked out of the kitchen's small window at the dark silhouettes of the fir trees across the lawn and sighed contentedly.
"The days are getting longer Tomoyo-san! I'm really looking forward to spring!"
The old lady smiled gently at her, while stirring the red bean soup with a ladle.
"I thought your days were long enough already Hino-chan! I know that you started studying music scores as soon as you came back from town and later you'll be practicing your violin with Tsukimori-san... yet in between you still find time to help me with dinner..."
"Oh, but I enjoy cooking Tomoyo-san, and this kitchen is so warm and homely! I wonder why we don't have dinner here every night; it would be much nicer than eating in that dining room, don't you think?"
"I don't know if Tsukimori-san would agree, Hino-chan; he doesn't usually come here – a kitchen is not really the place for someone like him..."
Mmm... Tomoyo-san had a point: Tsukimori-san's place was clearly on a bright stage in a concert hall, but... surely even the most famous of violin prodigies had to eat!
"What if you and Matsuda-san weren't here; wouldn't Tsukimori-san have to cook his own meals?"
"Good heavens, no! I wouldn't advise him to try. He would probably make alternative arrangements, Hino-chan."
Kahoko giggled at Tomoyo-san's outburst.
"I suppose cooking would interfere with Tsukimori-san's violin practice, wouldn't it? You told me that he spends most of his day in the music room..."
"And most of his evening too! But that's his job, Hino-chan; he has nothing else to worry about, bless him!"
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Indeed, until Kahoko came along Len had nothing to worry about. Except for finding a decent accompanist when Ryoutarou was out of town, perhaps, and avoiding Nami Amou in the neighbourhood... but, all in all, he had led a rather uncomplicated life.
Now he had to worry about teaching someone who couldn't read a single score to save her life and who played the violin by trial and error or, as Kahoko would put it, "by feeling her way through any music she heard"...
Hmph! Playing the violin wasn't an experiment! You had to approach it the proper way... the correct way... Thank goodness, she was at least a diligent pupil: she learned and corrected her mistakes wholeheartedly. He could be grateful for that...
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"Hino, it's nine o'clock, we can end the lesson here for today."
Len got up and put away his metronome and violin. He looked curiously at Kahoko who hadn't moved from her music stand.
"Actually, would it be alright for me to practice a little longer, Tsukimori-san?"
"Don't you have to work tomorrow?"
"Yes... but I was just beginning to understand this part, and I wanted to try it again if you don't mind..."
"Fine, you may practice a little longer, but close that window properly, before you go on. I thought I told you to do so earlier! I don't need complaints from the neighbours..."
Eh? Kahoko blushed at his indirect reference to her unpolished playing. "I thought you didn't care about the neighbours..." she muttered somewhat reproachfully.
"I don't, but dealing with them would be more bothersome than closing the window..."
"..."
"Besides, you might catch a cold, which would delay your progress and lead to a waste of time, both yours and mine."
Kahoko sighed as he left the room. Tsukimori-san was always so... sensible... If only he could be more... sensitive...
She gazed at the stars for a minute and inhaled the crisp night air before closing the window completely and walking to her music stand.
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Alright! Practice! Practice! I can do this!
If she was to change Tsukimori-san's negative impression into a favourable one, nothing but practice would do, she thought. Her intention tonight was to play all the major and minor scales he taught her, concentrating on producing the notes as smoothly as possible. When that was over, she would reward herself with a fun piece or two, which she couldn't normally play in her teacher's presence...
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Her dedication lasted over thirty minutes, after which she took a break and let herself sink in her armchair, keeping her violin and bow on her lap.
Mmm... how nice it was to relax those aching shoulders and neck! She closed her eyes, and some images of her day at the bookshop popped up on her mental screen.
I'm sure if Shimizu-kun had an armchair like this one, he would never budge from it... It's so comfortable... moreover, just thinking of him makes me feel sleepy...
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At ten o'clock, Len closed his book and placed it on his bedside table. He reached out to switch off his reading lamp and laid down in bed thoughtfully. Another day had gone by... Would Kahoko Hino be ready to play at his mother's party at the end of March? If she kept up her steady practice surely...
Hold on! Did she come back from the music room?
He couldn't recall hearing her steps in the corridor, but she might have walked quietly... There was no way she could still be practicing... She wasn't so thoughtless now, was she? Len frowned and sat up abruptly.
Bother! He would just have to check on her before he went to sleep.
He grabbed his dressing gown from a chair and put it on quickly before leaving his room and going downstairs.
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Light was visible underneath the music room's door, but he couldn't hear any sound, so he turned the handle and stepped inside.
"Hino?"
Len's eyes widened when he saw her reclining figure. His first reaction was irritation; how could she fall asleep like that, oblivious to her surroundings? And, most of all, what was he to do with her now?
He came closer and pried her violin and bow from her fingers and laid them on the table.
"Hino!"
"Hino! Wake up!"
When there was no response to his urgent entreaty, Len considered his options. Should he call Tomoyo-san and Matsuda-san for help? They would certainly know what to do in such a situation... but at this hour wouldn't they have retired to bed already?
In that case, perhaps he could just shake her awake? That would most likely work...but why, he wondered, did it feel slightly wrong to startle someone who slept as peacefully as she did...
Still, what else could he do, really?
Len felt a drop of sweat on his temple... No, he couldn't... he couldn't possibly carry her back to her room now, could he?
Well, to be fair, she didn't look very heavy; Tsuchiura would probably have done it without hesitation... Len massaged the bridge of his nose and stared at the sleeping beauty before him.
Fine, he would just have to get it over and done with! One arm around her shoulders and the other underneath her knees, then lift off...
Acchhoo!
Kahoko sneezed... in her sleep...
Len's heart almost jumped out of his chest; he withdrew his arms and stepped back from her hastily. He had to cover his mouth to prevent himself from cursing out loud.
Damn!
At that moment he knew... he couldn't handle it... He couldn't handle her, and he wasn't going to risk another heart attack! It was all her fault for falling asleep in the wrong place to begin with! He wasn't to be blamed if she lacked self-awareness...
He made his way to the door but stopped momentarily at the threshold... The music room wasn't the coldest place in the house, but it wasn't the warmest one either...With a sigh, he removed his dressing gown and went to drape it over her. Hopefully she would wake up by herself at some point and go back to her room.
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Fortunately, Kahoko did manage to wake up – in the middle of the night – and looked around her in dismay. Eh? Why am I in the music room?
She looked at the clock on the wall and gasped. Oh no, I must have fallen asleep after my practice... I hope Tsukimori-san doesn't find out!
Noticing the soft dark-blue material covering her, she held it up. A dressing gown?
She blushed – it couldn't be... his dressing gown?
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The next day, Len's morning peace was disrupted by several knocks on his door.
"Just a moment Matsuda-san..."
He threw back his quilt and sat on the edge of the bed. He found his slippers but he couldn't see his dressing gown on the chair. Strange...
When he opened the door, he was taken aback to see his student bowing down to him.
"Hino?"
"Tsukimori-san... I'm so sorry about last night! I brought back your dressing gown. It is yours, isn't it?"
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Len took the neatly folded garment from her hands and suddenly remembered last night's incident.
"Yes..."
"I'm sorry for the trouble. It won't happen again..."
"It's fine, but you should be more careful Hino. To over-practice can be counter-productive..."
"Yes, I'll remember that, thank you. I hope you have a nice day Tsukimori-san, I'm going off to work now."
He replied with a nod and watched her as she hurried away.
"Hino! Don't run in the corridor!"
"So-sorry Tsukimori-san! I'm running late..."
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Len went back inside his room, shaking his dressing-gown before wearing it. He threw the curtains apart and allowed the sunshine to pour in.
Different...
His day felt different already, just like his dressing gown, but he decided it wasn't worth pondering over such things too much...
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Part 2: The thing she can't handle...
Kahoko loved her week-ends; she would escape from the Tsukimori household for a few hours at a time to go and chat with Nami Amou, or arrange to meet her friends Mio and Nao at the park... Such outings refreshed her mind and spirit, allowing her to face her lessons with her formidable teacher with more confidence.
That particular morning was just perfect for a stroll in the sun, Kahoko thought happily as she brushed her long hair in front of the mirror. She searched for her hair band on her dressing table but it was nowhere in sight. After a quick survey of the room, she hit her forehead with her palm. Of course! She left it in the bathroom...
Len's bathroom, which Kahoko had to share, was situated at the end of the corridor. She reached it and opened the door quickly. She now remembered putting her hair band on the shelf next to the wash basin before she went underneath the shower. Len kept all his personal items and cosmetics on that shelf, but Kahoko always felt it would have been inappropriate if she put hers there. Her pink lotions and girly products would have looked incongruous in a gentleman's bathroom, so they stayed on her dressing table.
Ah, here it is!
She picked up the hair band and tied her hair in a ponytail, her eyes drifting to the row of glass bottles on the shelf. Very stylish and expensive looking products indeed... but she wondered why there were so many...
Tsukimori-san wasn't the type of person who approved of profligacy and waste, so the presence of different brands of Men's Eau de Cologne was a mystery to her. Perhaps he secretly liked to collect them?
She read the names of each bottle: The One, Adventure, 4711, Intemporal, Eau Bleue, Sea Breeze, Destiny...
All of them looked untouched, except Eau Bleue which was half full. Kahoko picked up the slim bottle whose glass was an attractive shade of indigo blue.
Tsukimori-san must really like that colour.
She removed the top and had no trouble recognising the fragrance; she had smelled it quite a number of times actually, whenever Len happened to be near her in the music room. She could only describe it as subtle and refreshing, given her limited vocabulary on fragrances, but she had grown to like it.
Alas! Curiosity often kills the cat and as Kahoko acknowledged later, the mystery of Len's Eau de Cologne should have been left on the shelf...
"Hino?"
The redhead jumped at the unexpected sound of his voice and let go of the bottle in her hand.
Clang!
As the bottle crashed onto the bathroom tiles, it broke into numerous pieces, much to Kahoko's horror. There was but little consolation in the fact that it had only been half full...
The previously subtle scent - now turned intense - assailed her when she bent down to pick up a broken piece of blue glass. Len shouted for her to stop.
"Move away Hino!"
She looked up at him and spoke with a trembling voice.
"I'm sorry Tsukimori-san, I... I just wanted to pick up the broken pieces..."
Len came closer and reiterated his order firmly: "Don't touch them. You'll only be making things worse if you cut yourself. Go and ask Tomoyo-san for strong gloves and a mop..."
"Yes, Tsukimori-san, I'll go at once."
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Len ran a hand through his hair. How troublesome! He had lost his cologne and narrowly prevented his student from cutting her fingers. When would she learn to think before acting?
He spun round.
"Wait, Hino! What were you doing with my Eau de Cologne?"
Kahoko froze halfway through the exit. How could she explain it without further embarrassing herself?
"...I...that is... I liked the colour of that blue glass, Tsukimori-san..."
"..."
"Please don't tell Tsuchiura-san to pay for it. I'll buy you a similar one myself..."
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Len looked at Kahoko's flushed and pleading face and sighed audibly.
"Don't waste your money Hino. I'll just use one of the others..."
"Tsukimori-san..."
"And I won't ask Tsuchiura to pay for it, if that worries you."
Kahoko didn't feel relieved in spite of Len's words. The broken bottle hung like a weight on her conscience, and she decided to ask Nami Amou for advice.
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That beautiful lady made her feel welcome and listened sympathetically to her story while making tea.
Mmm... Eau Bleue?
She knew that a foreign brand like that was likely to be expensive.
"I wouldn't worry about it if he said so himself, Hino-san. It was actually gracious of Len-kun to waive off your offer; he must have realised you wouldn't be able to afford it without undergoing some trouble. Besides, you just told me that he has plenty of replacements on that shelf, right? So don't make such a sad face, darling!"
"But it was his favourite, Amou-san, and it was really nice too..." Kahoko explained as she drank her tea.
"Oh... Is that so?" Nami grinned to herself.
There might just be a way to help her friend...
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A few days later, Len's father returned from his business trip to Paris, bringing back some Eau Bleue for his son. Of course, the latter thought it was only mere coincidence since his parents often gifted him Eau de Cologne, but when Kahoko smelled the fragrance on him and saw the blue bottle on the shelf, she thought it was nothing short of a miracle!
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Part 3: The word he can't handle
Mr Tsukimori's gift should have been the conclusion to the cologne incident, but as it happened there was another epilogue...
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One morning, Len was leaving the bank, having completed some transactions, when he heard Nami Amou's voice behind him.
"Len-kuunnn!"
He pretended not to hear her and hurried to his car, but she managed to catch up in spite of her heels.
"Don't ignore me Len-kun, it's rude!"
"What do you want Amou?"
"I'm seeing your parents tomorrow; I'm sure they'll be pleased to know you offered me a lift home, won't they?" she asked slyly.
Len narrowed his eyes and ungraciously opened the door for her. She slipped in triumphantly, and out of habit he also took his place in the backseat.
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He looked at her; she was smiling sweetly at him which didn't augur well... Furthermore, she was invading his space.
"Ahem, I would prefer if you didn't sit so close Amou..." he stated coldly.
She let out a short laugh and moved away a little.
"Oh, I'm truly sorry, Len-kun. Is this distance better?"
Len didn't reply and turned towards the window.
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Pfufufu... He was so easy to tease!
"You know, I never noticed it before, but Hino-san is right about your cologne..."
"I beg your pardon?"
He gazed at her in some confusion while she paused for effect.
"She feels it's utterly... irrésistible..."
"..."
Nami rolled her 'r's but Len didn't need to speak French to understand her words. She bit her lips and the inside of her cheeks to repress her laughter, for she knew the outraged violinist would not hesitate to ask his chauffeur to drop her on the kerb if she dared to tease him any further.
So she wisely kept quiet the rest of the way, knowing that the memory of his violent blush would be enough to keep her amused for many weeks to come...
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However, from that day onwards, Nami Amou was officially declared persona non grata in Len Tsukimori's house, and Matsuda-san was given strict orders not to let her in. Seeing his master's unusual irritation, the old man enquired:
"Did something happen, Tsukimori-sama?"
Len's cryptic assertion did not throw any light on the matter...
"Women. Gossip."
^_^' Eh?
Matsuda-san scratched his head and made his way to the kitchen. Perhaps his wife would understand.
Tsukimori-sama's mood swings could be so confusing...
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(To be continued)
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Omake
That particular evening in the music room
Len (listening with eyes closed): Play it slowly Hino, but this time put more pressure on the strings...
Kahoko (starting again): Like this?
Len (focusing): Yes...
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[The piece is finished without mistakes...]
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Kahoko (with gleaming eyes): I can't believe I played this part right!
Len (equally amazed): Yes...
Kahoko (rushing enthusiastically towards him): I played it, Tsukimori-san, I played it!
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[She moves as though to grasp his hands.]
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Len (to himself): Why... Why is she getting so close all of a sudden?
Nami (inside Len's mind): Pfufufufufu... She feels it's utterly... irrésistible!
Len (to himself): Hark! Why I'm I hearing that pesky woman's voice!
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Kahoko (suddenly concerned): Tsukimori-san?
Len (blinking): ...Hino?
Kahoko (worried): Your face looks red, do you have a fever?
Len (abruptly): No, I don't! Just... just go back to your music stand and play the next part now, will you?
Kahoko (puzzled): Okay...
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Len (taking a deep breath): By the way, Hino, I would appreciate if you kept your distance from Nami Amou in future...
Kahoko (with a troubled expression): But Tsukimori-san...
Len (crossing his arms): She has an adverse influence on our lessons...
Kahoko (feeling confused): ...she has?
Len (vehemently): Yes!
Kahoko (puzzled): But how?
Len (with as much dignity as he can muster): I do not wish to discuss this Hino. Please begin the next part.
Kahoko (with a small sigh): ...Yes, Tsukimori-san... ^^''