The Melancholy Schmaltz

•••

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: What Love Does

•••

"You have to eat." Yunoki told her for the nth time.

"I'm not hungry." Kahoko went back to bed and rolled to her side, facing her back at him.

Yunoki just looked at her. She had gone a bit cold the night after she had broken up with Tsukimori. She was avoiding his gaze and she seemed to be avoiding any conversations with him. She was acting too affected and Yunoki couldn't understand that.

He walked to the foot of her bed and pulled away her blanket. "Get out of there!"

In great surprise, Kahoko turned to him in wide-eyes.

"Don't stay there as if someone died!" He was angry.

Kahoko slowly sat down. She stared at his eyes. "You know how hard this is for me?" She asked calmly.

He doesn't. As pain is subjective. He could not feel what she was feeling. He understood that what she had gone through was hard, but he couldn't afford looking at her like that.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to break the heart of the man who loved you with all his heart?" She was angry at him, at his insensitivity. "Do you even know that he asked me if I had ever imagined a life with him? If I loved him and if there was a difference if he had me first and not you." She was crying. "I feel so cruel!"

Yunoki do not wish to think. This was hard for the both of them, but someone had to sacrifice, someone had to be hurt for them to be together or they will never be with each other.

"Why don't you go back to him instead?" Yunoki said with no emotion written on his face. Kahoko was surprised at what he had said. He then turned around.

"If you're just going to lay down there as if life had crumbled at the your very feet, go back to him." His tone was dead serious. "There's no point in fighting for this love if you had actually given up." He went to the door and held the knob. "I don't even know if what we have is love... or I'm the only one assuming that it is?" He went out and closed the door. He had decided to leave. There was no point in staying there. He was mad and it was not good. It was not right. He felt like an idiot.

He was no out of the building. He had entered his car. He sat there and tried to think of what he had done. She was his hope, his love but she seemed to still be in doubt despite being with him. He felt like perhaps everything had already changed. He closed his eyes and sighed. He had to seal his thoughts for they're far too bothering. When he opened his eyes, he started the engine and road off.

•••

Upon Yunoki's exit, Kahoko cried. How hard was it for him to understand her? Her guilt was eating her up and there he goes... walking out of her. Telling her to go back to Tsukimori and had verbalized that he was in actual doubt if she loves him. She loves him She do. She always has but he's too selfish. How come she loves him? Perhaps love entails no explanation. She loves that despicable man.

•••

"We'll have it exported." Tsukimori told the board.

"But its far too risky." One of the board of directors said. "The Yunoki Corporation is bound to export their new products."

"That's why we must move fast and export before they do." Tsukimori was fixed on it. He's willing to gamble. "We will never succeed if we don't compete with our best competitor." He looked at the faces of the board. "And by the way, I've made arrangements. We have buyers."

"How many buyers do you have?" Mister Oyama questioned.

"More than enough." Len answered. "Gentlemen, as you can see... the market loves a new product. New products attracts costumers. And that means, profit."

The board looked at Len. He was very determined. Very surprising for someone who is new in the business field.

"Well then. We shall have it." Len's grandfather announced. "Len, you handle the operations."

"Yes, grandfather." He nodded.

When the meeting was finally over, Len's grandfather asked him for his presence.

"Len, would you mind if I ask why you're too determined?" He said.

Len turned to him with no emotion in his face. "I want to be the CEO. I want to succeed."

His grandfather was certain that there was something behind everything since when Len was told during his high school if he's willing to take over the company, he strongly refused since he wanted to pursue music instead.

"Grandfather, is it bad if I want to become the next CEO?" Len asked.

"It's not that." He shook his head. "I'm actually wondering on why you are targeting the Yunoki Corporation."

Len diverted his gaze. "They're our biggest competitor."

"Is there anything else?" He wondered.

Len secretly clenched his fist. "No grandfather. There's nothing but plain business."

His grandfather doubted. "I see." He smiled. "I was just wondering." He patted Len.

•••

"The sales dropped by 20 percent." The sale's manager declared.

Yunoki leaned back on his seat.

"How come the sales dropped?" Suzuma tossed the files on the table.

"The Tsukimori Group is penetrating." Suzuki said. "Say something Azuma!"

"They're targeting us." He said.

"Targeting us?" Suzuki's gaze tightened. "Don't tell me you've done something?"

"Done something? Business is business. It's a battle ground brother." He smiled. "Besides, its actually challenging."

"Azuma, you're the one responsible in this area now. Please don't allow more of this to happen." Suzuma said as he stood up.

"I will." He nodded politely.

"Don't let us down." Suzuki left the room.

•••

"What?" Leina stared at Suzuma in surprise.

"I'm quite sure that everything had something to do with that Hino." Suzuma tilted his head.

"What's the connection of Hino-san to all this?" Leina was puzzled.

"She and Azuma seemed to be together now." He answered.

"And?" She curiously asked.

"Her ex-boyfriend was Tsukimori Len." He calmly said.

Leina gaped. "You're must be joking me for I am very bored and-"

"I don't joke." He said with a straight face.

"Like seriously?" She still couldn't believe him. Suzuma merely sighed.

"They had just broken up and its because of Azuma." He placed crossed his legs.

"How come you knew about these stuffs?" She eyed him suspiciously.

He pulled her back. "I'm his brother. He's somehow my responsibility."

"Wait, wait, wait." She struggled against his hold. "So you mean to say, that Tsukimori heir is targeting the company because of Azuma?"

"Perhaps... perhaps." He said.

"That's sad." She shook her head. "Hmm, Suzuma?"

"Yes?" He wondered.

"If I were to break up with you and go with someone else, would you try and bring my family's company down to in revenge?" She looked at him.

"No." He returned her gaze.

"What will you do instead?" She wondered.

"Kill the guy and toss him over to the Pacific ocean." He calmly said. Leina gulped. "Are you even planning?"

"Nope. Not at all." She awkwardly smiled.

"Good." He merely said.

"I love you." She whispered.

"I know." He said nonchalantly.

"If you respond that way, I might consider finding another." She threatened.

He looked at her, challenging her. "Try and he's assassinated."

Leina finally sat back and leaned on him. "You're way too bad."

"Because I love you." He whispered to her ear. "I'd gladly hand you over if I don't."

She held his face with both her hands and smiled sheepishly. "I love you to the moon and back."

"I love you more than that." He kissed her fervently.

•••

Tsukimori was staring at his violin. He was looking at it and he remembered her. Her face, her smiles, her frowns, her ups and down. He remembered her towering love for the violin. Even if the room was empty, can can remember the sound of their first 'Ave Maria'. The way she beamed in smiles when she first heard him play as if he was the most incredible music player who had ever graced the earth. That smile which could melt his heart. That smile which never fades even if he does not return it back to her. Her determination in playing the violin... not because she wanted to become the best but because she loved how it sounds. It seemed to him that its the reason why he plays the violin.

"Kahoko..." He found himself whispering her name.

She was the only girl who caught his eyes and his heart. She makes his heart melt. Her smile could brighten up his day and her presence makes him look forward to the future. But everything had changed. The girl who melts his heart had turned his heart to stone. Her smile that could light up his life had brought him darkness. And the girl who made him look forward to future... made him imagine loneliness ahead of him.

'I love you.' He thought to himself. He was hurting. He was pathetically hurting. He wanted to hate her. But he can't. He let her go like it was nothing. He had no expression on. He loves her but he wasn't even willing to fight for it. He's not the type who would chase a person. To force someone because he's madly in love with her. He's not selfish. But somehow, he wish he fought. He wish he begged her to stay with him.

He slowly picked up his violin, went up to his balcony and started to position himself. He wanted to go and connect himself with him. Somehow he wish that with his melody, he could connect to her heart. He wanted the wind to convey his music to her. Somehow he's hoping that she would hear it...

And he was playing 'Ave Maria' by Schubert.

'After everything, are you even thinking about us and the way we used to be?' He thought. He knew he's not the best lover. He's not sweet. He's shy. He's sealed. But he tried loving her the way he can.

•••

Kahoko was looking at her violin. It was the violin which he bought her. She traced its sides. It was beautiful. Exquisitely made. As she looked at it, her eyes mistied. She felt so bad.

So cruel.

It's sad but true that some people don't care who they hurt as long as they get what they want.

She had to hurt him to be with Yunoki. To be together with him. But she felt miserable to know that Len loves her that much.

'I liked you first.' She said as she thought of Len. 'I liked you first but he made me fall in love with him first.' She took the violin and embraced it. 'To you I must be cruel... but I loved you too.'

•••

Yunoki was working on some documents. He's obsessing himself with work to forget about things. He had to counter the Tsukimori's emulation. He knew that the emulation wasn't merely because they're businessmen but because they love one girl.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: :( I'm sorry my dear readers if I am kind of mean to Tsukimori. I love him, I really do and it doesn't feel good to hurt him that way but he must be hurt. Because he will be hurt more if everything continues that way. As we have read, Kahoko had made love with Yunoki and she loves him and not Len who obviously was very much in love with her. But trust me, in this story, she loved Len.

Please don't get mad at me or with how I portrayed every character. :(