Alright! I am back. Happy Thanksgiving to my folks from the US. I hope you guys enjoy a much-deserved break.
This is probably the second longest chapter I made for this fic.
Now, music is a part of this chapter once more. I suggest you guys listen to it so you can probably relate a bit more. I mean I tried my best to describe, but it'll be easier for everyone to listen to it after all.
Tchaikovksy Violin Concerto in D Major – I suggest listening to David Oistrakh or Hilary Hahn's rendition. Both are great to listen to. From first movement to third movement… just wow.
Anyway, that's it, basically. I am not doing this for sponsorship. This is not a paid work, only made purely for entertainment purposes. I do not own the music described as well as the characters from Fruits Basket and Nodame Cantabile, just the plot. Do enjoy this chapter.
Kyo looked around her apartment as he sat down on the couch with a cup of tea in his hands. Life seemed to have been good to Tohru, and he was honestly glad to see that she was doing quite well.
From his seat on the couch, he had a view on the end table which sat beside one of the couches Tohru had, and one of the framed photos which adorned it. Her features glowed, frozen in a laugh along with his tall, blond cousin whose hand was posed in an angle which looked like he had taken the picture himself, one of those selfies which is very popular nowadays.
The picture stung him, much to his own surprise. If he hadn't been so consumed of being able to find his own happiness and see the world, he wondered, would that be him and her?
Unknown to him, Tohru was very unsure as to whether she should open the door or not earlier. She had not been expecting him, had not even thought about him all the years past, had cut off all forms of communication with him. It had been a decision she had made in order to give herself the chance to move on. To see him standing outside her apartment door earlier was something she had not certainly expected.
How had he even known where she lived?
She wondered if she should make a run for it, leave him alone in her apartment if need be as she plated the madeleines she had baked the other day to go with Kyo's tea. But that would bring no solution. Not to mention, it would be very immature of her to do so. She had already pulled that trick on him back in high school. She was no longer a kid who was running away from her first love. She was an adult who had a whole life ahead of her now with the man she loved beside her, with a goal for herself.
If he just wants to talk, then so be it. It didn't have to take too long anyway. She didn't want to be rude so as to turn him away. Failed or not, she and Kyo did share some good memories together.
"Here." She placed the plate of madeleines in front of him, but remained standing.
Kyo looked up to her, sighed, and placed the cup of tea down. He could see that she was dressed to go out, most probably with the rabbit. She looked incredibly… breathtaking. Tohru had always had this innate beauty in her, something that he had seen even before they had started dating. But the woman standing in front of him looked not as naïve when he had first known her – she looked confident, sure and… very much in love. "I don't plan on staying long. I'm sorry if my being here was making you uncomfortable. That was not my intent."
Tohru sighed as well, rubbing her forehead as she finally sat down. "What was the intent then?"
"Only to say hi to you." He replied, finally deciding to take a sip of the tea. "I was in the area and thought I should drop by. I begged Kisa to tell me where you lived. I just wanted to see how you're doing."
She could not imagine Kisa volunteering that information herself, but if the former cat indeed begged, she could understand Kisa doing so. "I'm very happy."
"With Momiji."
"Yes." She said, looking at him. It had been just a few months since she and Momiji had officially started going out, and until this afternoon, the feeling was that she had still been floating on cloud nine. Probably the only downside to it was that the local media had gotten wind of them, which meant that they were interested in the violin virtuoso's relationship. Momiji had spoken to some of his friends in the media though, and asked them to let them spend their days in private, reminding them that he was nothing but a poor musician and not a celebrity they should focus on.
"Momiji… I should probably be surprised but I guess I'm not. That kid has always had feelings for you, even back then. Not the most likely choice for you."
Tohru stared at him, unsure as to where he was proceeding with this. She probably shouldn't even be surprised that he had known all along. "Neither were you."
"True. You could have chosen anyone else before." He acknowledged, sipping the tea, giving him an excuse to look away from her.
She chose not to respond, still staring at him expectantly.
Kyo, probably deciding to no longer beat around the bush, looked up once more to her and returned her stare. "What makes you think you and him would work out where you and I didn't?" His tone was neutral, even though the question can be taken as an offense.
Tohru knew that she didn't have to explain herself to him. Still, she had lived with him for years – as a schoolmate and friend before living with him together right after graduation as his girlfriend, his support. Perhaps that entitled him to some answers. Whatever the reason was, she answered him anyway. "Because he's Momiji, and you're you." At his expectant glance, she continued. " Kyo… you needed me for support, for affection, for acknowledgement. I on the other hand, saw you as a lifeline, someone who has made me realize that it was okay to just be me and love others, aside from my mom. Someone who could always be there for me. I held on to that lifeline, I loved who I thought you would be. We fed off each other for a while like that. Eventually you grew up, you were able to become happy on your own," here she smiled at him genuinely, "and I realized you could truly be who you want to be, chase your own dreams now without needing the acknowledgement from anyone, even me. Momiji is... well, he's different. He's someone who can move forward alone and still not lose sight of me. He can do whatever he wants and I would still be by his side, and him by mine, and I do not have to watch him doing it alone."
Kyo stared at her for a few more minutes, as if trying to see the conviction behind her stare. She didn't avert her gaze from him, and he finally nodded. "I wish you nothing but happiness, Tohru." Then he smiled. A genuine one as well. "That goes for you… and Momiji."
Tohru returned it. "As I do you too, Kyo-kun. Good luck, and I wish you happiness."
They were both humming the theme of the Mogeta film they just watched, walking along the park conveniently near the theater. Lately, it has become a habit of theirs to take walks together. It didn't have to be only when they go out to date. They could just meet up and take a walk together. It was a great way to decompress after a long day, and they could do it together.
"You really have cold hands." Momiji commented, rubbing both her hands together, smiling teasingly as he stopped for a bit to do so.
Tohru looked sheepish. "Are they uncomfortable to hold? Sorry."
The blond clucked his tongue at her. "I like it. It gives me more reason not to let go of them, you know." He chuckled as she blushed her response. "And, I've seen couples do this everywhere. I've been dying of envy – now I can finally do it with the woman I love."
So saying, he winked at her, taking her left hand, entwining his right fingers with hers before stuffing them to his coat pocket. She glanced at him, then laughed quietly at his unapologetic silliness. "You've been wanting to do this?"
He nodded, chuckling once more. "I know, I'm mushy that way. Some clichés are fun to do – I was so green with jealousy seeing couples I know do this. Usually you do this when only one of you has gloves though. We don't have those now, so we'll have to make do with our remaining hands in our other pockets." He saw her thoughtful expression. "You just realized how weird I am now, haven't you?"
She shook her head. "No. If you think I'm going to run away from you because you think you're weird, then that would really be weird of you to think so." She looked up to the clear night sky then back to him, smiling fondly. "You were never afraid to just be yourself, Momiji-kun. Never afraid to do one thing, to jump. That devil-may-care attitude of yours has been something that I wished I could show once in a while."
"Not all the time." He said, as they continued walking forward once more. "This carefree, laidback, devil-may-care attitude does not work all the time. Besides… being laidback probably wouldn't suit Tohru." He added, watching her look at him in question. "I do not mean anything bad with it. I just think that being carefree would never make you comfortable."
"Am I… uptight?" She asked, hesitantly.
Momiji looked thoughtful. "No. When I first met you I almost thought you were but no. You weren't too carefree either. I'd say you were somewhere in between. I think that's better than being on either of those two opposite ends."
He may be right, and she nodded, smiling a little to herself.
Silence hang in the air for a few minutes, before she decided to break it. She didn't want to hide anything from him. "Kyo is in town. He came earlier to visit me."
Momiji missed a step and his head whipped towards hers, eyes wide and she thought she saw uncertainty lurking in the topaz irises. She squeezed his hand tenderly, to calm him down and give him some form of reassurance. Before she could comment on it though, he looked away, averting his gaze from her. "Really? How was he able to find out where you live?"
"Apparently he was in the area and decided to ask Kisa." She said, now watching his expression more closely, which was a bit difficult to do sideways. "He showed up, said he wanted to say hi and see how I was doing."
Just as they reached a quite-deserted park streetlamp with a bench beside it, Momiji stopped and turned to face her fully, her hand still curled up with his in his pocket. His topaz eyes bore into hers, unblinking and serious. Tohru met his gaze straight, serene. Nothing else had happened after all.
"Should I be worried?" Momiji then asked softly, his eyes still locked with hers. That did it, that small uncharacteristic slip of vulnerability did it.
Tohru released her hand from his so she could slip her arms around his neck, uncaring if there were other people around, which, instinctively, she knew there weren't, and nothing would stop her from taking advantage of this opportunity. "No. You don't have to worry about anything. Ever." So saying, she stood on her tiptoes and reached for his lips. Knowing what she wanted, he bent towards her, catching her lips halfway, simply unable to resist the woman who held his heart in her hands.
She decided to ignore the slight embarrassment still lurking somewhere inside her as she took the initiative, letting her lips speak for her, opening her mouth a little to invite his sweet tongue in. Momiji readily complied, letting his tongue twirl around hers in a much slower dance compared to their second kiss, his leisurely pace seemingly making every sensation he was causing her to be magnified, shooting off sparks of pleasure deep within her as he tasted every crevice of her mouth. She sought to let him know that he is the only one for her, that he had nothing to worry about Kyo. She loves him, and she will never confuse her feelings with another again.
Feeling the need for air, Momiji felt compelled to release Tohru first, her message well-received and clear as day. He opened his eyes and pressed his forehead against hers, feeling their breaths mingle with each other's as Tohru opened hers as well and smiled – the most glowing, beautiful smile he had seen on her.
"Momiji…" She began, her gaze tender upon him. "It's you. It's just you. Always. Are we clear?" Her tone took on an authority that left little doubt to him of what she truly felt.
He chuckled, still shaky and feeling as if he was floating on cloud nine. "Crystal."
They lowered their arms from around each other smiling all the while. A thought crossed his mind, and a light bulb seemed to have gone somewhere off his head. "I see. This is what Hanajima-san meant."
"Hmm? Hana-chan?" Tohru asked, as they started walking once more, enjoying the night breeze. "Did she say something?"
Momiji is unsure as to whether he should tell her, the unsettling implication alone behind it may cause Tohru to worry. Still, he couldn't exactly keep it from her. "Something about Kyo completing an unpaid debt before."
Tohru fell silent, as he waited for her to say something to what he had told her. "They would probably talk to him." She eventually said, sounding thoughtful rather than worried. "He'll be fine."
"They would probably get a little rough with him." He said, a little worried even for his cousin.
"It's Kyo. He'll be okay." She responded, calm and not the least bit worried. "He's trained all his life, if they do get a little rough with him, he'll be fine."
Momiji chuckled, deciding to accept the fact that Tohru seemed fine with the fact that Kyo may be having a black eye and smoky clothes if Hanajima and Uotani encountered him. "I hope he'll be."
Tohru smiled inwardly, not wanting to think about anything else at this point but just focus on loving the way her hand was curled once more around his in his pocket. "Shall we go home so you can practice a little bit and maybe… teach me a bit on the violin?"
His topaz eyes lit up. "I love that idea. You are a genius, Honda Tohru."
She reached up to kiss him on the cheek. "I look forward to it."
Nothing but fun and sweet, sweet relaxation were what the remainder of their night entailed. Momiji practiced a little of one of the songs he was bound to perform for the concert, but didn't play the rest of it so as not to spoil it for her. She had wanted to listen, and she was even more excited since Momiji just gave her the 'teaser'. She couldn't wait to watch him perform live, which will be already be by the coming weekend.
They both enjoyed her violin lesson. He taught her some of the basics – how to hold the bow and the violin itself, taught her on the pegs and chords, even showed her what they musicians call 'tuning'. Momiji was a very good teacher, something she had not quite expected given all the restless energy she knew he had and had loved about him, but as he did mature, it seemed he had learned to channel the restless energy to his violin playing instead. Still, every once in a while he would have that bounce in his step, and she would be happy to see it. By the end of her little violin lesson she already knew all about correct bow placements and could even play the first chords to open When You Wish Upon a Star, and Momiji, in reward, had given her the onigiri keychain he had bought when he was still in Paris complete with a kiss. How in the world he was able to find an onigiri keychain in Paris is probably something she wouldn't ever know.
Eventually everything quietened down, Momiji's exhaustion finally seemed to be catching up with him. They ended up in front of his fireplace, an electric one, he said, though he wished it was a real one, but it would be difficult to maintain and this one is less hazardous and more practical. She loved it all the same.
Her back was against the settee as she sat on the carpeted floor, while Momiji was sprawled on the said floor himself, his golden head resting on her lap, eyes closed, breathing evenly as his body eventually succumbed to his exhaustion. She urged him to take a nap, after seeing his eyes drooping close several times as they watched another of Studio Ghibli's famous works – Howl's Moving Castle – even if he had mentioned that it was one of his favorite movies and wanted to share it with her. It was how they had ended up in front of his fireplace.
Tohru knew she ought to be exhausted as well, but she couldn't bring herself to sleep. She stared into the fire in dreamy contentment, her fingers absentmindedly toying with Momiji's golden locks. She couldn't ask for a better night to spend with. Her body, soul, heart and mind are all in peace. Every single day she spent with Momiji had seen to her falling for him even harder, and she could tell that he was the same. Such happiness is something rare, and her eyes watered at the thought of thanking all the deities who happened to be listening that this man had not given up on her. A lesser man would have already done so years ago after all, and if he ever did, she would never hold it against him. Nevertheless, she thanked her lucky stars at the extraordinary strength of mind and heart that this man possessed.
"Momiji," Tohru whispered, letting her gaze fall upon her beloved as she continued stroking his hair lovingly, tenderly. "Anata. I cannot give you the world, and I am sorry if this is all I can give you, but I love you." Tears fell down her cheeks, recalling to mind his familial situation. It hurt to think that here she was, missing her parents who had both passed and she can no longer be with, while here was her boyfriend, family very much alive and healthy and yet he was estranged to them. Fate can be cruel if she wanted to be, something which had been very much clear to her years ago. And yet she can also be generous when she wanted to be, as evidenced of her and Momiji finally being together. Still, it all felt as if the pain they had experienced had been a payment of sorts for this kind of happiness.
As if in response to her whispered confession, Momiji turned towards her, burrowing further into her warmth by pushing himself almost to her belly, reaching blindly for the hand she was stroking his hair with and holding it against his chest – against his heart.
It was as if he had reassured her that everything will be alright, that as long as they were together, they would be able to face anything. She felt her heart swell with so much love that it almost hurt, and she couldn't resist bending down to place a kiss on his forehead.
As she continued to stroke his hair with her other hand, she was startled when her phone that she had placed on one of the pillows vibrated. Looking over, she saw that she was receiving a call from an unfamiliar number. She was thankful that it was on vibrate mode, lest it woke Momiji up which is the last thing she wanted to happen when he needed the rest.
Curious, wondering who on earth was calling her at a late hour, she unlocked it and swiped the green icon. Knowing that she wouldn't be able to move with Momiji lying practically on her lap, she carefully lifted the phone to her ear.
"Moshi moshi?" She asked tentatively. It was quite weird after all, to receive a call from an unknown number this late. Scammers and illegal marketing flashed across her mind, but she willed herself to focus on the person at the other end of the line and not let her thoughts get away from her.
"Moshi moshi… Honda Tohru-san?" a girl's voice responded with equal hesitancy.
"Yes, this is her. May I know who's on the line?"she probed, now wondering why a girl happened to be calling her at this hour.
"This is Sohma Momo." She nearly dropped the phone she had been holding as the girl introduced herself. Momo? How did she…"Honda-san… are you alone or are you with Momiji?"
Her hands were trembling. She couldn't believe that she was actually calling her of all people. How in the world was she able to get her contact number anyway? "I'm with him." So saying, her gaze automatically lowered to the blond who was still asleep peacefully. A fond smile bloomed on her lips at the sight of the angel still taking a nap on her lap.
"Thank you," Momo responded, voice shaky, relieved and nervous all at once. "I will not keep this long. Tohru-san, please. I need your help. You are the only one I can call."
"What is it?" She kept her voice low, not wanting Momiji to suddenly wake up.
Her eyes widened at her next words:
"Please, I want to meet Momiji. I want to meet my brother."
The concert that weekend would be taking place in Suntory Hall in Tokyo, widely considered as one of the finest in the world for its acoustics, according to Momiji. "Me performing there with the Tokyo Philharmonic is a treat, even for myself." He had told her, topaz eyes alight with happiness. "I consider it a dream come true to even be able to perform there… and having you there to watch made that one the bonus instead."
It was adorable, the way that his eyes lit up and it felt like the sun had come out of the clouds. She basked in that warmth, feeling it seep into her well-being. Nothing made her happier than to see him happy. Add to that the fact that she was nearing her graduation for the crash course, and Momiji surprised her by bringing her to meet the person he was in talk to who may need her help in the kitchen – who turned out to be none other than Sohma Ritsu.
It was with excitement that she and Ritsu caught up with each other, and she learned that the former monkey of the zodiac was planning on opening a café of his own and is looking for someone to manage baking and cooking. "I was surprised when I received a call from Momiji-kun, saying he has someone in mind," Ritsu told her, smiling giddily the entire time. "and I'm just so happy that it was you! I think you're going to be a perfect fit, if you agree to work with me."
"Wait, you're already considering me?" She couldn't believe her ears. What kind of good fortune is this?
Ritsu laughed. "Why not? Your cooking and baking skills are legendary – I cannot forget when I ate that strawberry shortcake you made for me when you heard I was sick. That aside, you're also about to earn a certification for being a chef with the capacity of being a patissiere, and I think it's a done deal. The timing is so perfect, I think the universe wanted it to be this way."
Neither of them mentioned more regarding the timing. They both knew why she could do all this now instead of years before.
"I don't know what to say, Ricchan-san… it all feels that this is too good to be true." She said honestly, smiling a little worriedly. But Ritsu merely shook his head.
"Think of it that this is merely the result for all the kindness you've shown me and my family." Ritsu said, a little more seriously. "Good things always happen to good people after all."
She was a little teary-eyed as she heard him say it. "Thank you so much, Ricchan-san. You're too kind."
He shook his head. "No, Tohru-san. You're the one who's kind." He smiled at her, happy that he was able to get back into contact with her once more. Momiji had impeccable timing, and he was amazed. Perhaps they are each other's good fortune. Momiji and Tohru never said anything about a relationship, but only anyone blind and with half a brain would not see it. Even someone like him who lacked a bit on the observation department saw the way they looked at each other before Momiji left for his practice session for his upcoming concert. He was nothing but happy for them, though he felt a little sorry for Kyo. He hoped that the ex-cat would also find the one for him, eventually. "Momiji-kun mentioned that you are also considering opening a food cart, but I hope you'd really choose to work with me. Do you want to see the shop? It's nearing completion."
She was so happy, she nodded. "Yes please, I would love to."
As she saw the interior of the shop, she immediately fell in love with it, making her think that this is the one. It had cemented her decision to agree, much to Ritsu's delight. "I am looking forward to your cakes, Tohru-san!"
She was happy as well and couldn't contain her excitement. "And I look forward to baking!"
Weekend finally came, which meant that it was the weekend for Momiji's first ever Japan concert. Since he had to be in the venue earlier than most to prepare, he regretfully informed her that he would have to go first and that he would see her in the venue instead, and she assured him that she would be there, especially since Uo and Hana would be coming to watch as well.
As before, the girls, now including Kisa, had all agreed to gather in her apartment to prepare. This would be fun! Kisa said excitedly, once she learned that they would all be attending the concert. Indeed Tohru would have to agree. It would be equivalent to a girls' night out, except that this one happened to be more formal, on a national scale and they would be attending a performance of the country's current pride.
Soon they were all dressed formally – Uo in her heels and charcoal gray pantsuit, Hana – who was satisfied at finding an event where she can really wear an all-black tulle dress which stopped just below her knee, Kisa in her swingy sleeveless deep burgundy dress. It seemed that they really put the emphasis on dressing her up instead, placing her in a blue dress which stopped an inch below her knee. It was of a lovely midnight blue shot silk color with a sweetheart neckline. It also came with a matching wrap, and they convinced her to put her hair up, leaving tendrils hanging down, drawing attention to her neck. Uo did her makeup, placing emphasis on her eyes, lining them with smoky gray kohl pencil and putting subtle glitter on her eyelids. Blue crystal drop earrings paired with a thin gold bangle on her wrist finished her look.
"I think you would give Momiji a heart attack."
She flushed, in spite of herself. "I somehow feel like I'm overdressed."
"Of course not, Tohru-kun. You just happen to stand out with that beauty we emphasized." Hana assured her, smiling as all three of them surveyed their handiwork.
Hiro showed up an hour before the concert starts with Yuki and Machi who smiled brightly upon seeing them, glowing in her forest green lace dress. It was pure luck that they were already done and ready by the time they came, which Tohru was thankful for. The men were both dressed in suits, even though Tohru knew neither of them were inclined to wear formal clothing, but they looked incredibly handsome in their attire anyway. Hiro couldn't even seem to keep his eyes off Kisa, who seemed to be having a similar issue for him, which made her smile knowingly to herself.
"It's better to go early." Yuki explained, as they all prepared to go out. "Traffic congestion is gonna be a battle alone. Everybody in the country seems to be out tonight."
"It's Momiji-nii, I'm sure they would be." Kisa commented, excited as they piled in to Yuki's Lexus, which were big and roomy enough to sit all seven of them. "Is Kureno-jiisan coming too?"
"Yep. He'll be meeting us in there as well." Uo said, smiling. She had always had a soft spot for Kisa, Tohru observed. Well, she wouldn't be surprised, nobody would be able to resist Kisa's soft personality.
Once they were able to settle, Yuki started up the engine and they drove off to Suntory Hall.
Upon arriving, Tohru almost couldn't believe her eyes. The grounds and the lobby were packed with people. Well, not packed to the point that there was no room for movement, still there are a lot of people there.
"Seems like every Tom, Dick and Harry were out tonight, indeed." Yuki observed, as he helped Tohru and Machi out of the car.
"Wow. Seeing all this made me realize I'm really cousins with the violin virtuoso." Hiro added, assisting the three other girls out as well. "You think they're all here for the bunny?"
"I would wager as much." Hana replied, much to Hiro's surprise. "Even without my waves I could tell your cousin seemed to have earned the admiration of the people here."
It was true. They all seemed to be gushing at the fact that they would be seeing Henry tonight in person, the first time he would be performing publicly in Japan. Many were engaged in excited chatter as they walked past the groups of people who were dressed to the nines, the air around them charged with excitement and just all-around good mood.
Tohru looked around, trying to see if she would find another familiar face. When her eyes landed on the beautiful dirty blond-haired girl who stood with her parents some distance from them, she smiled in relief. If nothing else, she hoped that this night would work out for them both.
"Hey, looks like everybody is here already." Kureno appeared from behind Uo, smiling as she leaned over to his arm when he wrapped hers around his and he kissed her hair.
It was like another reunion for the Sohmas. Most of them were in attendance, with the exception of Kagura, Shigure and Akito. Rin looked radiant in her silver dress, Mine had traded her maid uniform for her own version of Audrey Hepburn's little black dress, and the Sohma men looked all swoon-worthy in various suit and tie ensembles. Tohru honestly couldn't blame the people who were craning their necks around just to look at this beautiful group of people – it was like they have their own spotlight, in spite of it being night time. Nobody could resist the temptation to take at least a glimpse.
Ritsu waved to her as they approached enthusiastically, which she returned. "You look divine, Tohru-san. I almost didn't recognize you."
"Thank you." She said, still a bit embarrassed, but happy at the same time. The group proceeded to enter the main hall so that they could already get to their seats. Apparently, the cousins informed Momiji they would be coming so the blond arranged for them to receive the tickets which happened to be in the best acoustics area of the venue, something Kisa had told Tohru earlier. "Momiji-nii really takes care of you, Tohru-neechan." Kisa said in all innocence, making Tohru stammer and blush madly.
A few minutes after they were able to find their seats and sit down, the houselights dimmed. The concertmaster entered, to the sound of applause. As they began tuning, she looked at the copy of the programme she held.
"So it's classical for the first half, then we have the Studio Ghibli and Final Fantasy pieces at the second? That's interesting. Combining classical music with animation and game original soundtracks. " Ritsu, who was seated to her left, murmured. "I wonder if that has ever been done before?"
"I think it hasn't been common. However, this concert aims to bring people, of all kinds and ages, closer to music. Momiji said it wasn't easy though." Tohru recalled Momiji's explanation of how strict and traditional the classical music world can be up to this day. "But he is determined to let people know that music is, and can be fun."
Ritsu can see the smile Tohru has as she thought of Momiji, and couldn't help but smile himself. It was pleasing to see Tohru so happy. "I can't wait to see Momiji-kun play."
Tohru agreed. "Me too."
"You haven't seen him today yet?"
"No. He did want to drive me himself, but he didn't want to make me wait and spoil the music for me, so we had to go separately. It's just as well, we girls decided to help each other dress up." She explained, smiling. "I'll come see him by the intermission." And I hope it all works out.
Eventually, two figures from the right entered the stage, and the applause intensified as soon as the audience recognized the tall blond handsome figure who walked a few meters ahead of the conductor. Tohru's heart nearly stopped – Momiji in an all-black tailcoat ensemble is a sight to behold, and she wasn't the only one to think so. Gasps can be heard from the majority of the females in the audience, with a few snickers along, mostly from the men. He bowed, and as Momiji straightened up, Tohru saw his eyes immediately stray to her direction, and a smile which she knew was for her formed on his lips as their eyes met.
It felt like time stopped, and she was surprised when she realized she was frozen on her seat. Momiji gave a nod to the conductor who then gave the first beat, and they were off.
Tchaikovksy Violin Concerto in D. Major – Allegro Moderato. Tohru sat in excited apprehension as the orchestra began playing at first, which quickly turned into wondrous astonishment as soon as Momiji began playing the solo.
"He's singing." Hana-chan commented, with a touch of fondness on the other side of her and Tohru couldn't agree more quietly.
The audience sat, enraptured, as gradually, Momiji's transitions turned faster and increasingly passionate, and she couldn't help but be in tears as she watched. Soloist and orchestra exchanged responses thru music in a harmonious display of synergy and chemistry, until Momiji entered the part of an extended solo they call a cadenza, as Tohru learned later. Momiji displayed the reason why he had won two major competitions in a row – even for someone like her who was not a musician and could be considered an outsider at best, seeing the hand movements he is making made her realize that it was by far one of the most difficult solos to be played. Finger placements and the bow movement proved to be difficult, and she could see that, even for someone like her who just happened to be listening.
The second movement, Canzonetta, started off a bit more melancholic, and more song-like than the first solo of the first movement, bringing to mind warm memories of a happy place. Here the music was more gradual which grew warmer and eventually built off to what Tohru recognized as the first theme of the first movement.
Momiji and the orchestra built the momentum as they reached the third movement Allegro Vivaccissimo. He and the orchestra began racing off to the exhilarating coda of this movement, displaying amazing grace and concentration from Momiji's part due to the speed and the chords alone, and as he raised his bow for the final note, the audience were on their feet on a standing ovation in a thunderous applause with a chorus of bravuras. Momiji merely smiled and bowed in acknowledgement, then shook hands with the conductor and the concertmaster, staying on the stage for a few more seconds as the applause showed no signs of dying down. He stared at Tohru and her tear-stricken cheeks, nodding fondly at her before finally turning and exiting, as the applause began fading away, signaling the start of the intermission.
When she went to find him, the cousins let her do so alone, asking her to tell him instead that they will come see him after the concert, knowing that they would need time alone. Knocking on the door of his waiting room, she opened it to see two other men talking with Momiji. Upon seeing her, they grinned, clapped Momiji on the back, then excused themselves, greeting her politely as they left.
Momiji's eyes widened as he was able to see her clearly and in full light for the first time that night. His jaw didn't drop, thank goodness for that, but he felt like he couldn't breathe. Tohru… looked, well he found the word for it: breathtaking.
"Good evening, my gorgeous lady." He greeted, and she stepped forward a bit, looking hesitant and smiling shyly.
He couldn't stop himself from crossing the room in three strides, reaching for her just as she reached for him, lips meeting hers in a soft kiss. It was brief, and very, very sweet, conveying to Tohru just how beautiful she is and he couldn't help marveling at the fact that this woman is his and he was thankful for it.
As they broke apart – both mindful that somebody could just come in anytime – she looked up to him, aware of how distracting Momiji is even more to look at now that she was in the same room with him. As she had gotten a closer look at him, it was then she realized that Momiji's tailcoat wasn't actually black but also in midnight blue. They were once again a match, the color serving to bring out the blond's hair. She couldn't stop herself from raising a hand and brushing away the few strands of hair which had fallen over his eyes.
Her angel. Not the little, playful kind, but the grown, drop-dead gorgeous one.
She flushed. "I – I don't know what to say, Momiji-kun. Except… that that was very enlightening and electrifying." Tohru said, now calmed down now that she was in his arms, smiling at him serenely in spite of her flush.
He raised an eyebrow, smiling as well but a little more mischievously. "My performance or the kiss?"
Tohru couldn't stop the blood rushing to her cheeks, suddenly becoming so embarrassed. She felt at a loss of words, merely unable to look away from Momiji. He stared at her for a minute more, then groaned audibly.
"Don't look at me like that, Tohru. You make me want to kiss you again." He said, a little more seriously this time which made her blush even harder, as he raised a hand and caressed her fiery cheek. She nodded, clearing her throat, trying to ignore how incredibly flattered she was at his words. He smiled at her fondly, taking her hand and kissing the back of it tenderly. "Thank you for being here."
Her answering smile spoke a lot, but it faltered. He wondered why. "It's not just me who had wanted to see you."
He was confused, to say in the least. "I'm guessing not the entire Sohma clan yet?" He joked, chuckling.
Tohru was nervous, though she didn't know why she had to be. She hoped she wasn't being too intrusive or interfering with what she did – what she was about to do. "No, they'll be here after you perform though."
The blond looked at her expectantly, but she sighed. "I'm sorry. I just hoped you wouldn't be too mad at me." Then she called behind her. "Please come in."
The door opened, and Momiji's eyes widened when a very familiar figure walked in. It couldn't be. What was she doing here? Should she even be here?
"M – "
"Konbanwa, Momiji-san." Momo greeted formally, but her voice quivered with barely suppressed emotion. "Or should I call you onnichan?"
Now, here's the thing. My office is starting to implement a three-day back in the office work week, and I have lesser time to write. We only have more or less two more chapters plus an epilogue to go (from my estimation, but I'll know in the next few weeks) so as early as now I regret to tell you I may be late in updating the next chapters. I'll try my best to update on time though.
Anyway, let me know what you think, as usual. Whoever does may even have the next chapters dedicated to them. Love you guys!
Love,
Michiko