Chapter 46: "Checkmate"
Caterina Kanazawa had seen to tucking in her 'girls' after an adventurous night of fun and primping at making oneself beautiful for romantic dreams they each no doubt had in store. She had grown to like the young women-each for their individual selves and love lives they had confided in her, as if she was an older sister-or even mother...
Caterina was sad to think that this lively bunch of vivacious loving-life girls who embraced their fantasies and futures filled with music and the boys that made that wondrous music play, would be leaving soon, going back home to Japan, where she'd never see them again. She'd never discover if all the dreams and hopes they shared with her would come true or be fulfilled.
The woman from Holland wanted to embrace them all, and help their dreams come to pass. For she knew now that this was their moment of blossoming love, and she knew personally well that they'd never have this chance again to do it right in the first place from the painful experience of her own misspent youth.
She wanted to get to know her Hiroto's 'kids' more-his 'boys' as well as these lovely young ladies. She had an idea to give them every opportunity to see those romantic ideals realized, if she could just tweak things a bit...
"Hiro?" Caterina whispers to the man seated across from her, over the chessboard on the coffee table before the roaring fireplace in the 'club room' that had been the scene of chaos and frivolity, singing and dancing, gameplaying and cooking, and laughter- so much laughter-, but an hour ago.
"Yes, my dear?" It was now quiet as Kanayan answers, somewhat distractedly. He was so totally engrossed in plotting her white Queen's demise that he wasn't much on conversation to his real life 'queen.'
"Your boys are all very dedicated to their music, aren't they?" She queries quietly, her fingers elegantly toying with the black pawn and one black rook she had already captured.
"You could say that." Kanayan rubs his stubbly chin as if that action would give him a solution to the sticky chess scenario before him. After a minute of her silent scrutiny, the former teacher gazes up and about the room at the sleeping bags and couches filled with his 'boys,' all littering the extremely messy room primadonna Caterina had only marginally tidied up once she had returned from her own party for a friendly visit with her husband.
"Aren't you frightened that they are too dedicated to za music and not enough to their hearts?" She asks, in a low whisper, cocking her head closer to him, as she scans the passed faces around the room, and speaking even softer when a pale golden head on the pillow nearest to the fireplace stirs for a moment before returning to a blissful slumber. No one had had the heart to awaken Seiso's 'sleeping beauty' from his dreamland on the stone floor, they merely stuffing some fleecy blankets under his passed-out noggin.
"Huh?" Kanayan was at a loss. He thought this was only a friendly game of chess, and not the inquisition from his other half, especially at this late hour of night.
"They are all at a certain age, when decisions they make today will lead them down different paths-and I'm afraid some of those paths may turn out lonely, if they aren't careful. I know that all too well myself." Caterina touches a dramatic hand to her heart, for she was inherently an actress. But just one look into her beautiful purple eyes, told him it was heartfelt as well.
"As do I, my love, as do I." Kanayan tears his eyes and mind from the chess match to reach across the board and take his lady's hand, nuzzling it to his lips.
"I have been speaking to the girls-they are such wonderful young ladies. I do like them, very much. Nao-chan and Mio-chan, too! I am so pleased they joined our little party tonight." Caterina smiles proudly, thinking about the young, noble members of her sex that she'd become more closely acquainted with as of late.
"Yeah, they're a pretty decent lot. They've been working hard, too, I hear, for a certain redhead." Kanayan considers the youthful females who dreamed up this crazy excursion. He knew some better than others, being their music teacher. Hino Kahoko's face flashes through his mind in the end, followed by a smile.
"And they all deserve to be rewarded for that friendship and goodness for a fellow sister! Don't you agree? They each have a dream of love of their own. I vant to give each of them the chance to a fairytale ending, if it's in my power." Caterina whispers passionately. By now, she had sidled over to her hubby and was leaning against his chest as both gaze at the blazing fire's flickering flames.
"That sounds like you have hatched a plan already, Fairy Godmother. Is the Grand Duke to be in on your magical fairy dust spell, Kind Benefactress?" Kanayan cuddles her to him, back into his Rigoletto role again, playfully bantering back. He knew when his wife had a plot brewing.
"Only if he promises to convince the magnanimous 'King'/Director to play along with this Fairy Godmother's hopeful plans for all the 'Cinderellas' to attend the ball!" Caterina wheedles in verse, her coy fingers running up her husband's chest and neck, to land upon his puckered lips.
"Aww, man, do I have to get him involved? Believe me, when it comes to this kind of thing, that guy can be such a $%* -"
"Hiro! The children!" She halts her husband's ill-mannered words against his best friend, with one angel's sleepyhead, safely in dreamland, not five feet away, at the foot of the mantle, in mind.
"Ohhh, come on, Cat, I really don't-" Kanayan begins to protest when his wife leaves his embrace, going back to her side of the coffee table to resume the chess match. In one swift move in four, she takes her turn to 'check' four of his most valuable pieces-the knight, then rook, then queen to king.
"Check...and mate." She announces triumphantly, turning to smile, her point made, in his face that already knew the answer.
"All right." He sighs. "Explain me the 'magic' again and I'll go wake up Kira now." Kanayan sighs again, then smiles, knowing it was futile to argue with his determined wife-of-a-gifted-soprano, or a beautiful philanthropic fairy godmother either...
He kisses her forehead as he slips on his slippers to leave the room to pay the piper...
Poor Kira Akihiko hadn't had a good night of sleep for days now. At last, he'd finally been allowed a Fata-free night, for the blasted multitude of creatures had itchy wings to spread their inspired music around the world again, leaving him to this new extra room alone, praise be.
And now, here was Kanazawa-senpai and his wife, knocking down his door at what time in the morning? Although moody Kira was at first enraged at his so-called friend's untimely, unceremonious and inconsiderate awakening of one exhausted man, Kanayan had only to utilize the threat of his ace-in-the-hole-one equally exhausted real fairy Lili-who had just come back from seeing off his relations and was currently asleep on Kira's pillow, appearing who-knows-when in the night, unbeknownst to the tired 's when Kanayan had arrived, knocking on the bedroom door to rudely wake him up.
"Well..." Kira keeps a quiet watchful eye on the snoring Fata, to stay out of his decisions for once in his life, as the married couple explain their outlandish plan. Kira was too fatigued himself to fight anymore. Besides, the students all did an excellent job at the concert, and didn't embarrass him-in fact, quite the opposite by everyone's glowing reviews. Perhaps they did deserve some spoiling.
Indeed, they're a credit to the school, their teachers, to me...to Mari...
Kira still sees Tsuzuki Mari's elegant face smiling contently as she sat beside him, up in the private balcony box they had shared during 'Rigoletto' and his annoyed, hardened heart softens again.
"Why not? I suppose if you have the consent of 'your friend' already, Kanazawa-okusan, who am I to stop you?" Kira relents with a resigned sigh, knowing something he wished he didn't, and never feeling quite so powerful in his night robe, standing in front of a tall, imposing lady who enjoyed being called 'Kanazawa-okusan' very much.
"Good man, Kira." Kanayan pats Kira's shoulders. "You know these kids deserve a reward for what they accomplished tonight."
"Kids? Hmph!" Kira sourly smirks at the thought of the little wretches.
"Don't you like children, Akihiko?" Caterina asks, somewhat out of the blue, Kira conceding her Western style of address.
"Children? I-" Strange contortions cross Kira's face. "No, I don't." He finally answers bluntly, in truth.
"A pity." Caterina says thoughtfully, her brows knitting sadly for the lonely director.
"Well, I for one love my kids and they love me back. And I'm gonna do my darndest to do the best I can for them. Right, Cat?" Kanayan directs the first half of his sentence to Kira and the second half of his statement to Caterina, hugging an arm around her sagging shoulders at Kira's deflating comment.
"You are my angel, my Hiro..." She whispers, inexplicably on the verge of tears as she throws her arms around her husband's neck.
"Wow...I wouldn't go all that far, but you can, if you'd like. Don't let me stop you" With a chuckle, Kanayan enjoys her tender embrace, giving his disinterested audience of one a countering devilish grin.
"Beat that, old man." Over his shoulder as he leans a hand against the wall, his eyes glowing with pride, Kanayan shows off as Caterina plaintively coos up at him.
"There, there, kitten. All settled." And her significant other pays significant attention to his 'Cat', petting the crown of her head. She stands up from her seat to leave, her smiling mouth twitching expectantly as her husband's handsome face draws intimately closer...
Kira rolls his disgusted eyes at the flirtatious married couple who intruded on his precious sleep, as Lili continues to thankfully snore, blissfully unawares of the magical plots mere human beings were hatching tonight...
