Disclaimer: I most definitely do not own La Corda D'oro or the characters and will never own them. I do own my original characters of which I do not feel like naming at the current moment, but it doesn't matter anyways though because this is a disclaimer.

Author's Note: It took a little bit of time, but here it is! Alright, I have noticed that lately, I have been neglecting any good Hihara and Yunoki bits. So, to satiate this, I have devoted more of this chapter to them! YAY! I wasn't neglecting them because I don't like them as much, but my writing denied me the hole to put them in (I love 'em both a whole big bunch…especially Hihara!). So, without further adieu, I give you chapter 4!

"Surprise!!!"

Kahoko blinked at the scene before her. Colorful streamers as well as balloons lined the ceilings, walls, and tables. A number of people greeted Kahoko as she realized that this was a surprise birthday party.

"What do you think, Kaho-chan?" Nao said, putting a hand on Kahoko's shoulder.

Mio leaned on Kahoko's other shoulder. "Isn't it pretty?"

Kahoko felt herself get a little teary-eyed. "Mio…Nao…" she whispered. So this is what everything was about; the lunch thing, the concert…

"Hey, hey, hey!!" Nami said, while taking a picture. "You're not allowed to cry on your birthday!"

Kahoko smiled, knowing she was lucky to have friends like these.

Kazuki twirled his empty cup of punch on a table nervously. People were socializing around while pop music mixed in the background. A numerous amount of snacks were on the table (which Kazuki surprisingly did not totally engulf) and others seemed to be having a pretty nice time. Azuma walked up to his friend (again, detaching himself from fangirls), and with a small bit of amusement asked, "Hihara, what's wrong? This is a party; you're supposed to be having some fun."

Kazuki sighed. He was extremely nervous about giving Kahoko the gift he had bought for her; he had been watching people (during a majority of the party) give their presents to Kahoko (there were too many people there to have a time where people would sit around and watch her open presents one by one). The present he bought was nothing really expensive or anything, due to his low budget, but still…for him, it kind of meant a little something.

"Nervous about giving your present to Hino-san?" Azuma implored.

Kazuki jumped up in his usual manner of embarrassment as his face turned red. "Ahhh! Right on the nose! How did you know?!"

Azuma chuckled a little bit. "Well, Hihara, we are friends; I know you better than you think I do."

Kazuki scratched his head a little bit. "Yeah, I suppose so."

For a moment, they allowed for there to be a little interlude while music and the bits of others' conversations traveled the room; Kazuki continued to twirl his cup nervously. One conversation caught Azuma's ear; it regarded the rumors of Kahoko's relationship with Ryotaro.

"I can't believe they won't just come out with it already! It's so, absolutely obvious that those two have something."

"Oh please, Hino and Tsuchiura are way too shy in matter of this kind of thing. Do you really think they would parade it around?"

"Yeah, yeah, I guess."

"Man, I'm soooo jealous of Hino, though! Because of the concours, she got to hang out with so many hot guys!"

"Especially Yunoki-senpai!"

At this part of the conversation, Azuma tuned out while the girls continued their giddy conversation about him; he didn't care to listen to any more stupidity. He knew both Kahoko, and even Ryotaro, well enough to know they couldn't be going out; especially since Kahoko was so dense (which made it all the more enjoyable to tease her). However, even with this knowledge, Azuma still felt himself feel a little uneasy with all these rumors spreading around like wildfire. One could say that he was possibly a little jealous, but he'd also never admit that out loud. He looked over to his friend, Kazuki. He was getting bored already; perhaps he could try stirring up a little something…especially since there was still something that caught Azuma's inquisitiveness. Usually in this type of thing, he preferred to keep Kazuki out of it just out of respect. Nevertheless, Azuma's curiosity bested him.

"Hihara, can I ask you something?"

Kazuki stopped twirling his cup. "Sure, what?"

"Have you ever thought about telling Hino-san how you feel?"

Azuma let the question hang in the air while Kazuki proceeded to turn several different shades of red (many of which Azuma wasn't sure if he had seen on a person's face before).

"I…uh…er…well…haha…um…why? Wait…I…nyah…" Kazuki babbled. Azuma inwardly admitted that he thoroughly enjoyed this. He liked watching people squirm when asked an uncomfortable question, however, he decided to lighten up a little bit.

"It's alright if you don't want to answer. Don't worry about it, Hihara," Azuma smiled.

Kazuki calmed down a little bit. He thought to himself that he was lucky he had a friend who wouldn't force him to answer something he didn't want to. Still, Kazuki did need to let this one off his chest, and who better to tell than his best friend?

"I…I tried once before…today actually. But…I got interrupted…and…scared…I don't think I should tell her anything…but at the same time, what if I regret it? What if she doesn't feel the same? What if it ruins our friendship? What if we never talk again? What if-" Kazuki proceeded to talk faster and faster with the endless possibilities of bad outcomes. Azuma finally stopped him before the poor guy ran out of breath.

Kazuki almost fell over. He liked Kahoko; he liked her a lot. He maybe even loved her.

Azuma felt himself get a little tense. He always felt this tenseness whenever he saw Kazuki acting this way around Kahoko. While Kahoko was fun to tease and play with, he never questioned his feelings about her. He saw her as Kahoko: his plaything. Right? Anyways, he knew at this moment, he needed to turn on his "Polite and good friend" mode for Kazuki.

"Hihara, if you really have feelings for someone, you'll regret it more if you don't tell them anything. Because, something is bound to happen that will make it impossible for you to ever have a chance to tell them ever again." The last part, Azuma admitted he said a bit darkly, but of most of these kinds of situations, it was the truth.

Azuma surprised Kazuki with the darkness of the last part of his advice, but Kazuki knew that what Azuma said was true. Kazuki would regret it more if he never told her, wouldn't he? It'd be worse. Kahoko wouldn't hate him for expressing what he felt; she wasn't that kind of person. Kahoko was definitely a more understanding person than that; of that, Kazuki was positive.

Kazuki smiled at his friend. "Thank you, Yunoki. I'll take those words to heart." Kazuki bounced away in his usual activeness leaving Yunoki open for another swarm of girls to get a chance to talk to him.

Let's see what happens…

"Kahoko-chan!"

"Eh…Okaasan? Oneechan?" Kahoko looked curiously at her mother and older sister who stood before her with an envelope.

"Kahoko-chan," said her sister. "This is your birthday gift."

Her mother handed Kahoko the envelope. Kahoko opened it and pulled out a brochure as well as other papers and things. Tickets maybe?

"We're giving you a trip for your school vacation!" her mother said.

Kahoko, Nao, and Mio all looked at Kahoko's mother and sister in shock. "What?!"

"Yup, you're brother, sister, and I all pitched in a bit. We decided to give you this! The trip is a couple days at a beach area. The hotel isn't exactly five stars, but it isn't a motel either. You can bring along 9 people with you! Doesn't it sound fun Kahoko-chan?"

Kahoko still had her face in shocked. "Okaasan, you spent so much money on me? Just for a birthday gift? How…why…so much??"

At this, her sister chimed in, "Well, lately...actually… for the past year, we've been noticing you locking yourself up in your room more often and stressing out and working really hard! We just want you to have some more time to relax and have fun!"

Kahoko felt herself laugh a little bit. It was at this time she noticed that she never officially declared to any of her family members that she played an instrument. Oops…

"We always wonder what you do after school so often and things! It worries me!" Kahoko's mother dramatized.

"Eh? You didn't know?" Mio said.

"Kaho-chan plays the violin," Nao explained.

0.o

The realization hit both family members like a ton of bricks, however, it was much better this than other guesses the two had imaginatively created (which ranged from drug dealing to a boyfriend). Kahoko's mother hugged her with relief.

"You're brother will come later to wish you a happy birthday," her mother said.

Kahoko sighed. She got the feeling that her mother had probably assumed something outrageous about her staying after school and in her room all the time. Still, that was her family.

"Erm…Hino-chan?" Kazuki said nervously to Kahoko at the small moment that she was alone.

"Yes, Hihara-senpai?"

Kazuki flinched a little bit as he looked at her smiling at him; why did her smile have to be so…cute?

"Well, I bought this last minute but…I…" He held up his present. The wrapping was slightly messy, but as was many things that Kazuki did; Kahoko respected that.

"Thank you so much, Hihara-senpai. I can't wait to open it later."

At first, Kazuki felt relieved that she wouldn't be opening it in front of him so that he wouldn't have to deal with the nervousness first hand of her reaction to his gift, however, how would he know how she felt if he wasn't there to see her open it?

"Uh...later?"

"Yes…you see, I'm not opening my presents until later…when the party is over and everyone is gone. It's a little easier for me that way to just open them all at once, but without making people wait for me to open them. Y'know?"

Kazuki nodded, with his usual slight tone of red he always got when he was around her. "Yes…I…I guess so." He smiled at her and ran off. "I'll see you at the cake-cutting, Hino-chan."

Kahoko looked at him strangely; he always had the most abrupt exitings.

"Hey! Tsuchiura and Tsukimori are here!" Nami announced.

And indeed, Ryotaro and Len came into the house with Ryotaro bearing a white box (obviously a cake).

"Finally! What in the world took you two so long?!!" Nao reprimanded.

The two guys gave each other one last glare before sighing from tiredness and simply handed the box over to Mio who took it to a large table. After almost an hour and another counter girl taking in a second line for the rest of the customers, the first counter girl forced for them to choose something before she had to kick them out. Neither was happy about having to compromise; but considering the circumstances, it was needed.

Kahoko went up to the two smiling. "I'm glad you two could come!" she exclaimed. She was especially surprised with Len's presence. She didn't think that parties were really something he did.

"I was glad to come," Ryotaro said, smiling back. Len on the other hand simply nodded; he walked past the two and went off somewhere else. "Pshh.." Ryotaro said, frowning at Len's back. "Figures."

"No, no," said Kahoko. "It's alright. He's always like that, you know him." Kahoko understood that Len's response could've been much worse than simply walking away and nodding. He could've done it ever more coldly if he wanted to; usually, she felt a shiver go up her spine whenever he walked past her, but not this time.

"Cake!!!!!!!" Mio yelled as she opened the box and put it on a large cake plate.

People gathered around the table with Kahoko at the head. Mio and Nao were at her sides; Nao put candles in the cake and lit them while someone else dimmed the lights.

"Make a wish, Kaho-chan," Mio grinned.

Kahoko nodded happily. She shut her eyes, took a deep breath, and blew with all her might. Everyone cheered. Kahoko proceeded to cut the cake; the cake was two flavors: the top half was vanilla while the bottom half was chocolate. Kahoko really loved these kinds of cakes; even though she normally didn't favorite things, she really liked these two flavors. Especially when they were together. After the cake was all cut and everyone had their piece, people circulated more and talked more. Kahoko couldn't help but think it was the best cake she had ever eaten.

Additional Notes: This chapter wasn't as long as 2 or 3...but oh well. That's how it was. That's how it is. I haven't started Chapter 5 yet, but I hope to get it in before I leave.