Chapter 4. Don't Phunk With My Heart

Kahoko had heard what Len had told her before he left. It was the first thing he said that indicated he knew her from the past. Without really knowing why, she smiled and resumed her practice. The piece was really only for fun. She chose it because it reminded her of Len then from out of the blue, Len Tsukimori himself walked through the door of the room and was able to hear her play it. Kahoko gave a wry smile as she continued to swing her bow across the strings of her violin.

Len walked out of the University and headed for his black Mercedes S55 AMG in the parking lot. When he got inside his car, he rested his hands on the wheel whilst staying immobile for a few moments and contemplated his last words to Kahoko.

"Hino, you've gotten better."

Len sighed exhaustedly and put his key into the ignition while he wondered whether he would ever find any peace of mind. On top of the fact that he had not gotten any sleep after his arrival in Tokyo, the music festival was bringing him troubles. As the engine of his Mercedes roared to life, he remembered the sensation of Kahoko's soft skin on his fingertips. He quivered. He hated the feeling of excitement he had felt when they touched. Then again, everything will be fine, so long as they both remember to keep their meetings strictly business. Len had no wish to let her lead him on and let her break his heart again. He recalled the way he felt when she started to break up with him the last time they saw each other. Their relationship had become rocky, very rocky, but he never counted on her breaking up with him. He felt as though he had been cheated on.

"Len, we need to talk" were her exact words.

How could he not have seen it coming? Those were the classic words that were used by everyone to begin ending a relationship! Their relationship had been ripping apart at the seams at the time, so Len had absolutely no idea how he did not expect her to break up with him. He drove through traffic and went to his parents' house. He had promised to dine with them that evening. When he arrived, his parents were waiting for him at the dinner table.

"Len, honey!" Misa Hamai rose gracefully when her son entered the room and moved to hug him. "How nice to see you again!"

"Hello, mother," Len said uncomfortably. His father nodded to him from behind his mother and Len nodded back. When his mother released him from her elegant arms, Len sat down. His father signaled to the cook -who stood in the corner- to bring the meal out.

"So, Len, how are you?" Misa asked her son.

"I'm fine, mother," Len said stiffly.

"You are very popular these days," his mother said. "How are things going with your work?"

The cook brought the food and Len replied to his mother's comment. "Everything is fine," he briefly answered.

"You must be working so hard."

"I am, mother."

"Have you been looking after yourself? Have you been eating right, resting enough?" Misa Hamai looked over to Len.

"Yes, mother," Len replied. He was, of course, lying. He had not been resting very much at all. He worked extra hours at night and came into work early in the morning. Nights were the worst. On the nights that he dreamed of Kahoko –which was more often than not- he would get out of bed and get her out of his head by working, practicing his violin or writing a new composition while a glass of red wine would sit on a table waiting for him to sip its contents at random intervals. By the end of such nights, Len's fatigue grew and the wine glass was usually empty before sunrise. In spite of this, Len was not going to tell his mother. "I'm able to take care of myself."

"Alright then, Len," his mother replied. "If you say so…"

"Where are you staying, Len?" his father asked.

"I'm staying at a hotel."

"Why don't you stay here, at home?"

Len didn't have an answer for that.

"Cancel your reservation at that hotel right away. You are going to be staying with us during your time here. It will cost less and we will be able to spend more time with you. We'll have your old room ready by the end of the night," his mother insisted. Len couldn't disagree with that.

A silence stretched out as the family finished their dinner. After dessert, Len excused himself from the dinner table and went up to his old room. It was now ready for him to inhabit during his month long visit. Len looked around. It hadn't changed much over the years he'd been gone. In reality, it's pretty much been untouched. He hasn't stepped in that room since he was nineteen years old. Len remembered the last time he was in there.

Len slammed the door when he entered the house and stomped upstairs. When he got inside his bedroom, he slammed this door much harder so that the sound rang throughout the mansion. He stomped around in his room with his head in his hands and barely resisted the urge to pull out his hair. He picked up his phone and called his school in Austria. His vacation was over now. He was going back to study. After calling an airline to get his plane ticket, he sat down on his bed and looked straight ahead, at nothing in particular. They had broken up. It was over.

At that time, Len remembered thinking how now that Kahoko was out of his life, maybe he could pursue his studies in music without any distractions and achieve the level of perfection he strived for. How very wrong he was. The first few months after Kahoko willingly took herself out of his life, he never stopped thinking of her.

But these days were different. Len's relationship with Kahoko would be nothing but business. After the festival, everything would return to the way it was during the past five years. And that was the way Len wanted it.

Kahoko ran across campus to get to the music building. She had just been spending some time with a journalism student and friend from Seiso, Nami Amou, when she realized that she only had less than ten minutes to meet with Len (or as he ordered her to call him, Mr. Tsukimori) at a practice room in the music building. This was the first time she had seen Nami in months, so she felt awful that she had to leave so soon. But the arts building was on the other side of campus from where they were and Kahoko mentally calculated that it would take her about twenty minutes to get there on foot and less than ten minutes by bus.

"Nami, I have to go. I have to meet someone in ten minutes! I'm about to be late!" Kahoko said and hurriedly rushed out of the restaurant, leaving Nami in the dust. I'll have to make it up to her later, she thought as she saw the bus from a block away and started to sprint. Carrying her violin case made it difficult to run, so she desperately hoped that the bus driver would hear her if she called him.

"Stop, please!" she yelled. Luckily, the driver had heard her and paused to wait for her. She thanked him and sat down in relief. She wouldn't be late after all. Upon arriving at the music building, Kahoko ran up the stairs.

"Sorry!" she yelled back at the professor she had knocked over in her haste.

"That's quite alright, Miss Hino," Professor Watanabe said, dazedly.

Kahoko came to the door that led into the practice rooms and stopped for a few seconds to catch her breath. She peeked into each one looking for Len's lean form, and found him inside the last room. He was playing his violin; no doubt warming up. Kahoko's heart started to beat uncontrollably from anxiety. She inhaled, and then exhaled slowly, to steady herself, only entering once she was composed.

Len turned her way when she came in.

"You're late, Miss Hino," he said sternly. "I said 4:30 sharp."

Kahoko looked at the clock on top of the doorway. "I'm right on time." she said indignantly.

"No you're not. It is 4:32."

Kahoko gave Len a strange look. "Two minutes don't make a difference."

Len turned around and shuffled the papers on the music stand. "Every minute makes a difference. Had you been on time, you would have been warming up right at this moment. Instead, here you are arguing with me."

Kahoko took out her violin and began to practice some scales. The grand piano was in one corner and two music stands were set out in the center of the room. A chair stood across from the window seats. Kahoko set her music on the unoccupied music stand and began to practice a part of the first movement from the sleeping beauty waltz by Tchaikovsky. As soon as Kahoko was satisfied, she turned to Len, who was rummaging around in his pack.

"What now, Mr. Tsukimori?" she asked, and then added. "By the way, what piece are we performing at the music festival?"

Len took out several folders and set them on top of the grand piano.

"Today," he started, without looking directly at the redheaded woman. "I will be testing your skills. After that, we shall play through some of the music I brought and we shall also decide on a piece to perform."

Kahoko nodded. Len asked her to play specific scales and sight read music that she had never seen or heard before. Occasionally, he joined her in playing. Their practice was somewhat dull. Len refused to try to converse with Kahoko and did not encourage her when she attempted to make small talk.

"Mr, Tsukimori, I assume you travel often?" Kahoko asked to break the silence when Len went to rummage around in his pack for a second time.

"Yes," was the only response she received.

"So… what is your favorite country to visit?"

"I don't have a particular preference. I would like to remind you that we had reached an agreement about not speaking about our personal lives." With that, Len ended their conversation and urged Kahoko to sight read another piece.

Len did his best to avoid contact with Kahoko and Kahoko did not attempt to make small talk again. It was a lengthy and quiet two hours. Occasionally, Kahoko pointed out a piece she was particularly fond of and Len ignored her comments. They continued to go through the music he brought.

"Which piece would you prefer to play for the festival?" Len asked Kahoko before practice ended.

Kahoko looked at him in surprise. "You're letting me choose?"

"Only if I approve of your choice."

"Why?"

"It would be pointless to play a piece half-heartedly. Practicing something you don't want to play is a waste of time. We have to be able to perfect the music in only a month." Len explained almost impatiently.

Kahoko looked at the music he brought. She and Len went through them all. They were all wonderful, but terribly difficult as well. Kahoko had trouble sight reading most of them.

"Which do you like best?" Kahoko asked, unable to make a choice.

"I don't particularly feel an inclination for any of them," Len retorted with an icy tone.

Kahoko supposed that it didn't matter to him which one she picked. That's right- he could probably play all of the pieces. She turned back to examine said pieces. They were quite long, which made her wonder how she was going to be able to keep her arms up to play her violin for such a long time. In the end, she narrowed her choices down the piece that she enjoyed the most.

"I like this one," Kahoko held the music in her hand for Bach's "Concerto in D minor" for Len to see.

Len looked at the piece. "Concerto in D minor?"

"Yes," Kahoko replied. Len handed her the second violin part for the concerto while contemplating an issue they would need to resolve shortly.

"It's a little late to put together an orchestra to accompany us, so I guess I'll have to find us a pianist to accompany us instead."

"We could take one of the students from the university," Kahoko suggested.

"I'll think about it," Len said. "Don't be late tomorrow." He left the building with Kahoko in silence. The rain brutally hit the ground that night as it poured ruthlessly upon the heads of the two adults who exited the arts faculty. Without uttering even a small goodbye, Len went to the parking lot to his Mercedes and left Kahoko to make her way to the subway station, alone in the rain.

A.N.

So so SO sorry for the late - extremely late - update!

Thanks to everyone who reads and reviews! I totally appreciate all of your feedback!