AN: So many reviews! I love you all! *hugs her reviewers* Thanks for all of your enthusiastic praises. For all of you that think it is a bit depressing, I am sorry about that. I wanted drama, so that's why. But the depression won't be forever I promise. Also, I hope I hadn't offended anyone with the Christianity thing in the last chapter. Not all Christians are like that. I have seen one or two fanatically religious people, and that's what I based my character on.

And for all of you that eagerly awaited Kai's chapter. Here it is! Read, enjoy and review!

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Finding and meeting Kai was completely coincidental, and it came as a sweet surprise. I was in New York, for some brief business. I arrived in the morning, and by lunchtime, I had finished doing what I needed to do. For the afternoon, I wandered in New York, looking through various electronics shops and the new products they had. When I am finally tired of walking, I decided it was time to find a hotel for the night and order the next day's airplane ticket. I went into the subway—despite its infamous reputation, it is really the fastest transportation in New York.

I was down in the subway station, waiting for a train to come by, when I noticed an advertisement on the wall. It said,

"Russian Spring, Works composed by the Award-winning Russian composer Kai Hiwatari. New York Philharmonic, conducted by Richard Stevenson, featuring violinist Tala Petrov, and cellist Alexandra Nicholas. Thursday, April 23, 7:00 pm"

I think my glasses were about to fall off again. This isn't an advertisement you would see everyday, not for me anyway. Kai was listed as composer, and Tala, that cold cyborg, a violinist? Borrowing Max's phrase, "Will wonder never cease?"

I checked my watch, realizing the concert is today, in fact, starting in no more than 40 minutes. I turned around and boarded the train heading to the Metropolitan Concert Hall. When I arrived there, the concert was about to begin. I found myself a balcony seat, and was ready to enjoy the music.

I am a fervent classic music fan, and I usually have very high standard of music. Not every contemporary composer can impress me. But I think I was impressed that night. The music was excellent, classic in style, yet with such fresh and wondrous new sounds intertwined within. The two soloists were glorious beyond comparison. I can't believe I am saying this about Tala, but his music was so soulful it can wring tears from anyone. And yes, I know how weird that sounds. The cellist was wonderful too, though her style was leaning on the Baroque side, and her music sounded pleasantly antique and archaic. When the last note of the music sounded, there was a long standing-ovation with passionate applause.

When at last people began to scatter I headed towards the backstage. I was eager to meet Kai and ask him how he has chosen a career in music. The first person I met was the cellist Alexandra Nicholas. She was looking at me inquiringly.

"Hello, my name is Kenneth Taylor." I walked up to her introduced myself, and hoping that's what people do when they meet their favourite musician, "Congratulation on the concert. It was a most splendid performance."

She smiled at me. Now that I was much closer I could see her clearly. She was tall and slender, and pale as ivory. Her hair was so light, almost a silver colour, and her eyes were grey. She was wearing a long dark gown for the concert that contrasted her complexion nicely. She was very beautiful, in my opinion.

"Thank you for the compliments." She said to me as she shook my hand, "It is nice to meet you, Mr. Taylor."

"It's nice to meet you too." I replied politely, and then I asked, "I wonder if Mr. Hiwatari is here? I hope I can meet him."

She answered me swiftly, "He is indeed here, but he said specifically he doesn't wish to be disturbed." Then with another smile, "Mr. Hiwatari doesn't like meeting people much."

I almost rolled my eyes. Guess Kai is still the loner he was, huh? So I said, "Can you please just let me see him, or maybe tell me that I am here? I am a very old friend of his."

She looked at me dubiously, hesitant for a second. But just then a low voice said, "He is indeed a very old friend of Kai's, Alex."

We both turned and saw Tala walking towards us. He still had those flaming red hair, and a pair of ice blue eyes. But his outfit changed somewhat. Instead of the strange, astronautic white suit that I am so accustomed to see him in, he was wearing a black tux with bow tie. Yes, yes, I know, funny image indeed. Even as I said "Hello" to him I was trying not to snigger.

Tala threw me a glare and said icily, "I see someone's manners have not matured over the years."

"Hey!" I rebuked, "No matter how musically gifted you are now, my first impression of you was still that cold, obnoxious, villainous character that we are trying to defeat. That image tends to stick."

I saw Alexandra's eyebrows arched elegantly, and there was a confused but amused expression on her face. Just then another voice, this time a rich tenor, said, "Are you two quite finished with the adoring fans?" It was no other than Kai, and I could barely contain my excitement at seeing him. And thank God, he wasn't wearing a tux. Just then Kai saw me, there was a pleasantly surprised expression on his face, and a small smile surfaced.

"Chief. What a surprise. It is good to see you." He said rather monotonously. Sure, Kai doesn't display his joy and excitement as readily as Tyson and Max, but I know he was just as happy as any of them to see me.

"It is good to see you too." I said with a smile, "I saw the advertisement in a subway station, and you can imagine my shock when I saw your name on there.

Kai nodded and said thoughtfully, "Knowing Tala, he probably didn't introduce you properly." He turned to Alexandra and said, "Alex, this is Kenny. And Kenny, Alexandra, my fiancée."

My jaw must have dropped at that. I stared at Kai, all the while hastily pushing my glasses back. First Kai became a composer, and now he is engaged? All three of them were looking at me with amused looks, and Tala said with a wry smirk, "Yes, very hard to believe. He found a girl before I did." Oh dear, did Tala just make a joke?

"Is everything alright, Kenny?" Alexandra asked me with concern in her voice.

"Oh, it's nothing. I am just surprised." I muttered, then seeing her mildly sceptical look I added hastily, "If you knew Kai ten years ago, and seeing him now, you would be surprised, no, more like shocked, as well."

Kai dismissed that with a wry smile and shake of his head. He asked me, "So what brought you to New York, Chief?"

"Business." I answered, "Rather brief things. I am finished already, that's why I had the leisure to show up at your concert."

"You can come and stay at my place if you like." Kai invited, "Since you have come anyway, I as well play host."

I replied, "Sure, if that's not too much trouble to you."

So we left the concert hall, Tala heading to his own abode somewhere else, while I went with Kai and Alexandra. It was a long drive up north. Slowly the metropolis faded behind us, and the scenery slowly changed into climbing hills and undulating forests. Finally we reached Kai's house atop of a high hill, overlooking the water. Wait, did I say "house"? No, it was rather a mansion. It was a huge Victorian styled manor, flanked by handsome and exotic gardens. I was staring again, rather dumbly.

"I didn't know composers make such money?" I said.

Kai shook his head, "It is the fortune inherited from the Hiwatari family."

Since the subject touched on Kai's grandfather, I decided not to pursue it further. That is not good topic for daily discussions, especially not with Kai. We quickly entered the mansion. After climbing a rather long flight of spiralled stairs and twisting our way between crisscrossing corridors, we finally reached the parlour. Alexandra left for a while and returned with some coffee.

"Caffeine before sleep, excellent." I joked.

She laughed and looked at Kai pointedly, "For someone, yes."

We all had some of the coffee before I ventured to ask, "So how did you become a composer, Kai?"

Kai had a slightly distant look, "If there was one thing I liked as much as beyblade, that would be music. I enrolled in the Moscow Academy of Music, and to my surprise, finding my old friend Tala there too."

I nodded. I heard Kai ask, "What about you? And the others, if you have words from them."

"I am fine. I work in Erzentech now, doing AI works on computer." I said somewhat distractedly, "Tyson is the chief designer and engineer of this beyblade manufacturer in Japan, and Max is in LA, working for Triton BioCorp as their leading bioengineer."

"Designer? Bioengineer." Kai said mockingly, "What has the world come to?"

I laughed, "Good times, hopefully."

Kai smiled and shook his head again. We spoke no more that evening, for it was getting very late. I settled in a guestroom and went to sleep. It was a rather tiring day. I woke up next morning late. I washed up and dressed hurriedly. It took me a good five minutes to find my way around Kai's maze like mansion. I finally landed in the kitchen. The curtains were pulled wide open, and the morning sunlight that poured through the windows vigorously were blinding. It took me a while to adjust. When I was finally able to see again, I saw Alexandra sitting by the table, and Kai was nowhere to be seen.

Alexandra turned a smile at me and asked, "Is toast okay for you?"

"Er, sure thing. Thank you very much." I replied distractedly, still trying to orientate myself.

A few seconds later a small plate of buttered toast was placed in front of me, along with a glass of juice. "Thank you, thank you." I mumbled and picked up the toast. Alexandra returned to her own seat, where a book was laid open before her. But she didn't go back to her reading; instead she was watching me with those soft, amiable grey eyes. She was trying to act like a hostess and strike up a conversation.

"Beautiful morning, isn't it?" She asked with a charming smile.

"Quite." I said, going along the flow, "So where is Kai?"

"Oh he is off to work." She replied, "He has an appointment with his contractors today."

"I should have imagined." I said, smiling, "Kai was always a morning person. I would actually be surprised to wake up in the morning and find him still sleeping."

She laughed at that, it was a musical sound that was very pleasing to the ears. "So how come you are not at work?" I asked.

She answered, "My work doesn't require me to go anywhere."

I looked at her and asked with puzzlement, "I thought you were a cellist?"

She tilted her head a little and said thoughtfully, "Not entirely. I love music, but I am really not interested in pursuing a musical career like Kai. I am not contracted with any orchestra or anything. I only play for selected invitations." She shook her head slightly and went on, "I am a writer actually, though my literary career is not quite launching full force just yet." She laughed some more at her own words.

"Impressive." I murmured and steered for another question, "So how did you meet Kai?"

"The Philharmonic Moscow invited me to play the solo for Kai's first major instrumental work." She answered with another smile, flashing her neat, pearl like teeth, "I almost turned it down. My style usually doesn't flatter any contemporary composers. But I am glad I didn't. Kai's music is too good to miss."

I nodded in assent, "True, from what I heard yesterday, his composition can stand equal headed with many contemporary masters." I shook my head a bit, laughed, and then continued, "Everything was just so amazing. Kai turned out to be a composer, and is engaged. And all those time we thought he was incapable of loving anyone." The last sentence was said in a teasing manner.

Alexandra looked at me with those grey eyes of hers, and played a strand of silver hair between her fingers. Finally she said airily, "He doesn't love me."

I nearly fell off the chair. Damn it! A guy can only take so many surprises! I hurriedly straightened myself and pushed my glasses back. Then I stared at her, waiting for her to go on.

"Don't get me wrong, Kai is well capable of love." She said with a light smile, "He just doesn't love me." Strangely, there was no resentment or bitterness in her voice.

"I am not sure I understand you." I said timidly.

She laughed, "I don't know why I am telling you this, but here is the story. Kai only loved one woman in his life, and that woman is not I. He loved, and most likely still loves, Catherine Gursche, a Germen singer."

I am trying hard to hide my unbelieving frown. "That sounds...unlike Kai." I said lamely.

She shook her head and said, "It's not what you may imagine. It's not a boyish infatuation on Kai's part. He really loved Catherine, and he has more than enough reasons to. I don't know Catherine that well, but I know that she is a beautiful, intelligent and sophisticated woman. But unfortunately, Catherine just doesn't return his feeling."

She said all this in a perfectly normal tone, like telling the story of some person unconcerned rather than her soon to be husband. I never thought any woman is capable of this kind of generosity. One learns something new everyday.

I asked tentatively then, "What about you then?"

"Me?" She laughed again, "I am Kai's friend, a confidant, nothing more. I may be his fiancée, but I am not his girlfriend or lover. There is a subtle difference."

I was very tempted to ask, "There is?" but thought better than that and stopped myself. Instead I ventured another question, "Then do you love him?"

She looked at me quizzically, but finally she said, "Of course not. If I loved him, I would probably die in misery. This is a much better arrangement for both of us."

I stared at her, long and hard. I don't know whether to feel puzzled, shocked, indignant or happy. Finally I said, "But you two are planning to get married. It seems strange to me that two people can come to that point without ever loving each other. I suppose most people would find it strange too. That is definitely not what the society teaches you to do."

She didn't reply, only shrugged, a most elegant gesture on her part. She wore a faint smile of nonchalance, and an amused and delighted light was in her eyes. We spoke no more on that subject.

I stayed in Kai's mansion until the next morning. I had an enjoyable time exploring that maze like structure and Alexandra was very willing to show me around. Kai returned around 5 in the afternoon. I spoke some more with him, but not that much, and certainly not about his love life. After dinner I was going to sit a while on the balcony, but only to realize it was already occupied by Kai and Alexandra. They were speaking softly. I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I heard part of their chat nonetheless.

Kai asked his fiancée, "I take that you had a nice day with Chief? What kind of things did you tell him anyway? He looked a little unnerved."

Alexandra laughed and replied, "I told him you don't love me, nor I you."

"You don't love me?" Kai said mockingly, "Ah, my little Alex, my Sasha, I am wounded!"

"Oh get serious, Hiwatari." Said Alexandra, "Don't pull that on me." After a while she said in a softer voice, "You are my best friend, and I am your truest confidant. Isn't that enough?"

"It's more than enough, Sasha." Kai said, in the tenderest voice I have heard from him. There was long, blissful silence. I smiled contentedly, and quietly walked away. I still don't think I understand the relationship between those two, but I am sure whatever it is, it's something most wondrous and beautiful.