Hey there! Oh, geez, it really has been a while now, hasn't it? More than half a year, in fact! And even though I've been such an ass, there are still really nice people still reading and reviewing on this fanfic. I must apologise, seriously. I can't thank you guys enough for continuing to read my fanfic even though I haven't updated it for so long. My deepest apologies, seriously. Anyways, I must not keep you all for too long. I should let you guys feast your eyes on my new chappie. xD
Before we start, I'd like to give my thanks to all these people who have reviewed my 11th chapter.
Special thanks to;
Gypsy-Airs-haha, well, I've given Len a chance to get his head on straight in this chap. Just you see xD
chris3169512- Rofl! No, no, he's not crazy. At least, I hope not. xD Well, jealousy is a trait when you're in love with someone lol xD
cres-cres- Well, I'm not so sure about that. Possibly, yes. xD But, I hope this way is also quite interesting for you. HOPEFULLY. xD
Wings of Fidelity- Hahaha, well, you're just going to have to see about that. xD And no, no, it's alright. I don't mind if you imagine Arashi as Suzaku. Everyone has the right to imagine! xD
Kuran Juuri- Tsuboshi? Well, hmm... I'll reveal that soon. xD And no!! Not a triangle! Like an octagon or a nonagon or something, rofl! xD
laDy ruLebrEaker- Tsukimori? HMMM. xD Find out in this chappie.
Saikono-san- Well, I haven't decided, lol. I haven't really decided on a pairing. When the time comes, I might have to have everyone vote. Eheh. Why were they singing 'Always be my baby' by David Cook even though they're Japanese? That's an easy one. Arashi has been studying in England for a while now so he can speak English fluently. Kaho, on the other hand.... Well, that's why she's just the back up. xD
kaho14belle- Haha, yeah, Arashi's sweet, eh? xD Well, you'll find out what punishment Kaho'll get in this chappie. XD
L0veCurry- Haha, SORRY! I didn't really update that soon. Dx I still hope you'll read this chappie!
Nikooru-sama- Interesting, eh? That's a coolio way to put it! Thanks! xD
Wasurerarenu Hitomi- Umm... Well, I haven't decided whether to make it AzumaxKaho yet. But I'll see! I'm not too sure about the pairings yet so... At one point I'm going to have to make a voting lol xD
kechii- Heh, yeah, dark Yunoki makes a spark in the anime, eh? xD Hmm, Tsukimori? Find out in this chap, my dear! xD
NAO-chan33- Hahaha, then here's more xD
Barbieblair- And here's the punishment you wanted to see xD Haha, I'm sorry for not updating that often. But I'll try to do so! I really will!
.miss- I'm glad you're loving it! Well, here's the update... Although it wasn't exactly... Soon. I'm sorry! xC
animearchitect- Thankyou so much! Well, here's my updated chapter, please do read it! xD
Kayrabelle- I think I had replied you recently, so I'll just leave it at this; Please read this soon! xD
Trust
A forest stood under the blazing hot sun, sheltering anything that stood under it with green leaves and maroon branches. There were many being protected by the shadows of the forest—birds, rabbits, deer, insects—namely two people, one male, one female, who stood at the very bark of a tree. The male had the female caged in between his arms, one hand used to tilt her face upwards to meet his while the other hand used to keep her caged. The male human had a dark aura around him, yet somehow at the same time, it was a tease. There was amusement in his eyes, watching each and every reaction of the crimson-haired girl who stood abashed in between his arms.
Kaho spoke first. "Y-Y-Yunoki-senpai, I—umm… I mean, Azuma-senpai,"
"Hmm?" he murmured as he leaned in further, his face only 5 centimetres away from hers. His body was lightly pressed against hers and his hand was lifting her chin so she couldn't turn away from him. The extremely close proximity was making Kaho's mind go mad. "What is it?" he smirked. His breath blew onto her face, making her blush a violent red. She could smell his breath; mint.
"I-I-I-I—" she stuttered uncontrollably. She pursed her lips and squeezed her eyes shut, unable to take the feeling of embarrassment inside her. She remained that way for at least 2 more minutes, unable to move.
"Kahoko," he whispered loud enough for her to hear, "open your eyes."
Yunoki's voice which had a touch of demand made her obedient enough to follow his order even though she didn't really want to. Her eyes opened slowly, her eyelids lifting slightly, revealing a pair of golden eyes that gazed at the flutist like a puppy which was unfamiliar with its owner. Yunoki's eyes widened slightly for a brief second at her cuteness. This girl… She really has affected me. He smirked and leaned in closer; careful enough to make sure their faces didn't touch.
Kahoko squeaked with a small voice and flinched, trying to get back as much as she could. She really is… Cute.Yunoki dropped his smirk, looked at her seriously and spoke. "Do you really want me to back away?"
"Pl-Please do." Kaho was blushing violently. Could her cheeks be any redder?
Yunoki smirked once more. "Then I won't." He leaned in slightly closer, pressed against her slightly harder.
"E-Eh?!" the crimson-haired girl whimpered.
"This is your punishment," he murmured into her ear. "Or do you want more?" Yunoki's lips lightly brushed her ear, making the female violinist squeeze her eyes shut and her cheeks to blush a deep red. His hot breath blowing onto her ear wasn't exactly helping either. The two of them stood there, unmoving for at least 5 minutes.
"Y-Yes," she whispered, almost out of breath.
Yunoki stood there, shocked at the girl's answer. He blinked for a moment, stunned. When had she been so… Lustful? He regained composure quickly, backed away from her ear and smirked. "Really?" he asked as he leaned in towards her face instead.
She pursed her lips and tried to turn her face away but failed. "B-But if I say no you're probably going to do so." She looked like an embarrassed small child trying to make a point when she couldn't.
Yunoki chuckled lightly at this. "Smart girl," he said, a small smile forming on his lips. However, Kaho couldn't see it considering she had her eyes tightly shut. Slowly, he backed away from her, releasing her chin and making his proximity further. "That's enough punishment," he whispered with a touch of malice in his voice, "for now." With that, Yunoki walked away silently with a smirk of satisfaction on his face.
When the purple-haired figure had left, Kaho's weak knees gave in, causing her to slide down the bark of the tree. She sat down on the ground, leaning on the tree bark; her face flushed crimson red, her heart racing at an abnormal pace. She was panting and her body felt oddly heated up. How was it he could easily make her body feel as if it were melting with merely a few stares, words and touches?
Kaho wondered if her body was reacting like that because it was Yunoki but she still had no clue. After all, he had to be something more than a friend, right? No guy would do things like that unless the girl was girlfriend, right? Right? The crimson-haired girl had no idea. She couldn't tell if the flutist was really her boyfriend or not. Arashi had denied it. But she still wasn't confirmed. Unless, of course, the flutist was just teasing her—which could definitely be the case referring to his attitude. However, it didn't seem like Yunoki showed the 'dark' side of him to others except for her. Well, of what she's observed so far that is. That was also why she had never questioned his attitude in front of others. But still… He was such a mystery. Could it be that he—?
"Hino?"
Kaho snapped her head towards the direction of the voice—Tsukimori. He was standing in front of her, about five meters apart. How long had he been there? She hadn't even noticed his footsteps. Did he see Yunoki? Did he see Yunoki p-pressing up against—?
The crimson-haired girl's face flushed a deeper red after thinking about the incident earlier. She shook her head, dismissing those thoughts. Slowly, she took in a deep breath and exhaled. The blush from her cheeks faded. Then, she looked up at Tsukimori again. She got up and stood and took a step forward towards Tsukimori. "Yes?" she replied.
"Just now... Were you...?" Tsukimori paused and looked away for a moment. He kept quiet and soon turned to look at her again. "Never mind," he muttered softly. "Where's Tsuboshi?"
"Eh?" Kaho flinched. Was she what? Oh no, did he see Yunoki pressing up against her and everything? Or...Could he have seen Tsuboshi and her together? Could he have heard her telling her childhood friend that she had lost her memories? Many questions jumbled up in her mind but she dismissed them. No, I can't be too sure of that. He never said anything of the sort. He just asked where Arashi-kun is. There's no meaning in it... I hope. "He's back at the beach." She pursed her lips and strained a smile to Tsukimori. "I came looking for you since everyone said that you came looking for us." She couldn't smile properly now. She had way too many things on her mind.
"You came... Looking for me?" Tsukimori asked, bewildered. He shifted his eyelids slightly and faced her again once more. He felt something odd creep up to him; an emotion. Joy? He wasn't too sure. He quickly got rid of any emotion he felt and shrugged it off. "Thanks," he mumbled, "but I'm fine. You..." He trailed off and kept quiet again.
Kaho looked at him with questioning eyes with traces of anxiety in them. Did he really see her and Yunoki? Or...Tsuboshi? A lump formed in her throat and her heart rate sped up. She was getting worried if he had seen anything she didn't want him to. Tsukimori was oddly sharp when it came to those kind of things and that trait of him didn't please her too much as she didn't want anyone to know of her missing memories. "W-What is it?" she asked cautiously.
The blue-haired boy looked at her with a worried pair of golden eyes. He couldn't comprehend why she was so distressed these days. Despite his questioning, she had always avoided him... But it seemed to be like she could somehow show Tsuboshi her sadness. Didn't she trust him? He felt a sharp pain penetrate his hard, cold figure. It was so vividly shown that he was worried for her. However, blinded by her anxiety, the female violinist couldn't tell. Slowly, Tsukimori spoke with utmost carefulness to make sure she wouldn't shut him out completely. "No, it's just... You... Just now, with Tsuboshi... You were crying?" he asked her.
Kaho felt a sudden feeling of shock run through her body, making her shiver. Her eyes widened, her heart pace increased and her pulse becoming louder. She started to break out cold sweat and could feel perspiration trickle down her spine as she stared at him blankly in shock, not knowing what to say. All she could think of was the fact Tsukimori had definitely seen her crying, and she wasn't sure if he had heard her conversation with Tsuboshi. She wondered if he was going to leave her as she feared, or even tell the rest about her condition if he really had heard their conversation. Her mind spun with all her inner questions and anxiety slamming down on her at once. Then, Kaho's mind went blank after all the confusion, not knowing how to respond. It was as if her body had shut off for momentarily with her just standing there, blankly staring at the male violinist in front of her.
Tsukimori eyed her suspiciously as she was merely staring at him, motionless. He wondered if it was a scene she didn't want him—or anyone to see and if she had really told Tsuboshi what was troubling her. Somehow, this made him slightly ticked off; knowing that she couldn't trust him even though he was really worried about her and had bluntly asked her about her condition. He sighed with irritation, knowing that his inner questions were getting him nowhere. Then he decided to call her as she didn't seem to respond in any way. She was standing so still that it seemed that she had even stopped breathing. He looked at her anxiously, wondering if she really wasn't breathing. "Hino-san?"
Kaho flinched, regaining all her senses in one swift jerk. She blinked, her hands twitched and she started to breath with evidence again. "Eh?" she breathed. She looked at Tsukimori with terror in her eyes. Worried for her, the blue-haired boy reached out to the scared girl and touched her shoulder. She jerked back quickly, breathing heavily. Tsukimori looked at her, slightly shocked because of her sudden jerk. He withdrew his hand and apologised.
"I didn't mean to surprise you," he murmured as his gaze dropped to his hand which she had rejected. "I just wanted to check if..." He trailed off for a few seconds. "Are you alright?"
"H-Huh?" Kaho asked, still stiff in her frightened reaction. "Y-Yeah," she replied stiffly, "I'm fine." She dropped her gaze. "I'm fine," she repeated. She stood there for a moment, trying to pull herself together and remember what Tsukimori had asked her again. She was filled with so much anxiety that it caused her to forget what he had asked her, and if she didn't know, she couldn't answer him now could she? Then she remembered; he had asked her if she had been crying in the presence of Tsuboshi. Seemingly, he had seen them so she couldn't lie now... Could she? She had no idea what to say as an excuse and her stalling for too long would only make the male violinist more suspicious. "Yeah, I was," she blurted out quickly. "You were watching?" she asked, trying to make it sound like an accusation so he wouldn't ask why she was crying.
"No," he replied calmly. "As you said, I merely was looking for the two of you." He walked towards her until he stood in front of her. His eyes which never looked away intimidated her; that wasn't good. She wouldn't be able to lie to him so easily with him being able to watch her face properly. "You happened to be crying when I found you two so I just walked away."
Kaho's gaze rose to meet his. "But you didn't go back to the beach?" She looked at him, puzzled. Then she remembered the question she wanted to ask him the most. "Did you stay on and listen to me speak to Arashi-kun?" she asked accusingly.
Tsukimori studied her curious look on her face before answering. "No," he replied, "I didn't listen to the two of you." Although, it seemed like it would've been a good idea to him now, because that way, he'd have gotten to know what was up with her odd attitude recently. But he didn't tell her that. Instead, he shrugged it off as it was too late to do anything of the sort now. He sighed, when he saw that Kaho didn't seem to believe him. "I thought it would be nice to walk around and get a few things off my mind."
Yes, it's working, Kaho thought. Kaho's questions were drifting him away from finding out why she was crying. To know that he hadn't eavesdropped made her feel much more calm too. But then again, she didn't know if he was lying so she still had to be on her guard. Hopefully, he'll just forget about trying to find out what I was talking about to Arashi-kun. She subtly smiled to herself about this fact. "Like what?" she questioned. "What things?"
Tsukimori sighed. "I've been trying to get them off my mind, haven't I?"
"O-Oh," Kaho mumbled. "S-Sorry." She cursed inwardly for her insensitiveness by not realising he obviously didn't want to talk about it. And to think she just asked him to get her own benefits... How rude could she get? She sighed and apologised once more. "I was being insensitive—I'm sorry."
The blue-haired boy just stared at her. "So why were you crying, anyways?" he asked.
Oh shoot. Not that one. Kaho cursed at herself this time, for forgetting to be cautious. She gulped as her eyes started to show fear in them. "I-I... I..." She pursed her lips and gulped another lump in her throat. "I don't want to t-talk about it right now..." She mumbled and dropped her gaze to the floor. Silence engulfed the two after the crimson-haired girl had spoken.
"You don't trust me?" Tsukimori asked in a mumble. It sounded like a disappointed scoff, yet somehow so sad. Kaho's head rose and stared at him, worried. Had she really upset him so deeply? She couldn't see the male violinist's expression as he had turned his head away.
"N-No, it's not that!" Kaho exclaimed quickly. "I-It's not that I don't trust you, I just..." She trailed off. Who was she kidding? He was right. She didn't trust him. At least, not as much as she trusted Tsuboshi as she truly remembered her childhood friend. She didn't remember the male violinist except for a few scenes where he played the violin with her and she couldn't trust him just like that. He didn't seem to be the nicest person she'd known either, so she wasn't too sure if it was alright to trust him or not. She bit her lip and lowered her gaze once more. Her mind was spinning as she was thinking and worrying about too many things at one time. Her gaze was suddenly becoming blur her mind was hurting. She leaned against the tree gently, trying to regain her focus again.
"Hino, look at me," Tsukimori demanded. Kaho slowly lifted her head and stared at the blurred figure. She heard him sigh. "You're pale, Hino," he murmured. "Forget about it for now, I think you should go get some rest."
"Y-Yeah," she mumbled. Suddenly, her head spun uncontrollably and felt a sharp pain strike her mind. The blur images she saw started to swerve and spin. The next thing she knew, she was being held by Tsukimori who was kneeling on the ground. She heard her name being called by Tsukimori. His voice sounded really worried; sincerely worried. Was she imagining things? She wasn't too sure. Her mind was hurting so much that she couldn't tell anymore.
"Hino?!" Tsukimori called again. He watched her worriedly as her face started to turn even more pale. He couldn't understand what was wrong with her. She wasn't eating much lately, she got frequent headaches and now she collapses from time to time? What was wrong with this woman? He bit his lip and places his hand onto her forehead, checking if she had a fever. She didn't. "Are you okay?" he asked her, worried.
"M-Mm. Yeah," she mumbled and closed her eyes. "I-I'm just a bit tired I think." Kaho heard him sigh; she couldn't tell if it was in relief or annoyance. "I'm sorry," she apologised, just in case.
"Don't apologise," he said to her. "Come." Slowly, he turned her around, and lifted her onto his back. "Hold on." The crimson-haired girl did as she was told and rested her head on his shoulders as he carried her. She shut her eyes and focused on getting her mind clear again. "I'll get you back to the villa." Then, he started walking through the path of the forest.
"E-Eh?" Kaho jerked slightly, alarmed.
"Don't move," Tsukimori ordered her instantly. Kaho did as she was told and rested her head on his shoulders once more.
"Shouldn't we go back to the beach and tell everyone else first?" she mumbled.
Tsukimori smiled at this. She hadn't been herself lately, but she was still always worrying about others as always. Knowing that she was still somehow herself made him feel relieved. "Don't worry about it," he said softly. "It's more important to get you to the villa so you can rest first—I'll explain everything to them later on."
"Mm...Okay." Kaho perched on his back and relaxed. She started to drift off, until she suddenly remembered something again. She tensed up and quickly asked, "But what about Arashi-kun? He'll be worried—"
"I'll go back after I drop you off and explain everything to all of them then, okay?" he said, cutting her off.
"Y-Yeah," she murmured, starting to relax again. "Okay then."
The blue-haired boy carried the female violinist through the silence towards the villa. Soon enough, Kaho drifted off into a peaceful slumber, relieving her from the pains in her mind. Tsukimori carried her, questioning himself if the crimson-haired girl was physically or mentally disturbed. There definitely seemed to be something odd with her. He wondered if it could be mood swings or possibly something medically wrong with her condition. However, it seemed like her attitude was odd as well. Her getting worked up about singing and... Everything. He wasn't too sure but he would definitely ask her again about what she was crying about when she was more calmed down and her condition was better.
Finally, they arrived at the villa. Tsukimori carried her into their room; Room 4. He gently placed her onto the bed and pulled the covers over her after he had done so. He stroked the side of her cheek softly, sitting at the edge of the bed, watching her. Then, he jerked his hand back in surprise when he realised what he was doing. What the hell am I doing? He questioned himself. Was he going insane too? He sighed, and rose from the bed. Suddenly, he felt his hand being tugged and spun around to see a semi-conscious crimson-haired girl looking at him with a weak pair of eyes. Her mouth moved slightly. He could make out the word she had just said.
"Stay."
Tsukimori stared at her, stunned. Why was the female violinist asking him to stay? Wasn't she the one who was worried about everyone else who was at the beach? He sighed and sat on the other bed which was nearby. "Alright, I'll stay." Kaho's eyes grew softer and a small smile formed on her face. She seemed to feel safe and shut her eyes. Tsukimori then decided he would go back to the beach and explain the situation to everyone else when Kaho fell asleep. He watched her peacefully falling into a slumber as she held his hand. A small smile formed on his lips as well as he watched her peaceful figure. Then, he looked outside the window, watching the breeze blow the leaves off the trees and the clouds slowly moving. The peaceful scene made him feel better. When Kaho finally completely fell asleep, he got up and placed her hand onto the bed. Then, Tsukimori headed out of the villa to return back to the beach.
I really hope you liked this chapter! I will be updating soon. This time, for sure. I'll be updating soon. I'd really appreciate it if you leave a review. I love reading reviews. They REALLY give me the motivation to update. xD So please do so! I'll be waiting to read on what you think of my fanfic. xD ANYWAYS, I'll leave it here for now, and in case I don't make it on time to tell you guys;
HAPPY HALLOWEEN! XD