Chapter II

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As time passed, Sango and Kuronosuke became closer. Sango's father had even offered to teach the young lad how to play the violin. After discovering that his fingers failed to coax the beautiful sounds out of its strings, Kuronosuke quickly gave the violin up, and came to the obvious conclusion that he was 'musically challenged.' Through the years, the de Baka quickly found that Daddy Youkaitashi's fairy tales of the North had brightened his childhood just has it had blessed Sango's. However to Kuronosuke's disgust, his childhood sweetheart still held that special place in her heart: for the Angel of Music. He had argued about the topic many times before, but Sango still refused to believe the fact that this angel was only something lingering in her imagination. So she continued talking of it with desire that made Kuronosuke sick in the pit of his stomach. Eventually, the boy matured into a man, and the older he got, the less he came to visit. Soon, he stopped coming all together.

Sango was devastated at first, but slowly got used to it. Her father kept her occupied with her dancing and singing. When she got lonely, Kirara would curl up into a comfortable position on her lap, and her father would read them stories about their Angel.

At age fifteen, Sango still strongly believed that her Angel of Music was real. At night, the cat would whine, because she hated seeing Sango in such a saddened state of mind. The girl would cry rivers into the fabric of her pillow, and clutch it tightly to her chest. Why wasn't her Angel coming? Had she been naughty? For angels don't shed their grace on naughty children. Yuudai tried his best to assure his daughter that her Angel would come, and he meant it more than anything. It was only a matter of time. She must be more patient.

"Remember Sango, if he hasn't found you before I die, I will send him down to you. This I will, and this I promise.

She looked up at him with glassy eyes. "I know father, perhaps I'm just waiting too hard. I mean, my angel will probably appear at the most unexpected of times, right?" Sango pet Kirara, gazing down at her, "I just hope I don't wait too long. I want this more than anything."

"Don't worry so hard, Sango. He will come." Her father leaned forward and pressed a light kiss atop her forehead. "Now get some sleep, it's late."

She shut her eyes and snuggled into the warmth of Kirara's fur. "I love you, Father. More than anything."

"And I you, my Little Lotte."

Over the next year, Yuudai Youkaitashi's health slowly became weakened. However, he went on with his daily life, thinking nothing of it.

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For her sixteenth birthday, there came a call that the de Baka carriage was waiting outside the door. Sango was ecstatic, blew her father a kiss and rushed outside to Kuronosuke.

Kuronosuke tried his best to put on a smile. He knew something Sango didn't. While Sango was dumbfounded to the fact that he had come to visit, Yuudai had taken him into a sound proof room, and informed the young man that his time on this earth was thinning, and he was terrified that Sango would be alone in this world. To which, Kuronosuke replied: She has me. Quickly, he sprinted out and pretended to knock on the door again; leaving Sango unaware that he had any other business in the household.

Sango was disappointed and very much shocked to learn that she didn't like Kuronosuke nearly as much as she believed she did. Something about him had changed something she couldn't quite place her finger on. It seemed that he cared more and more about that boring family business and not the memories of their childhood together. The things he used to enjoy had been put up onto a dusty shelf within his heart. Every time she tried to bring up the old stories, he got an annoyed look on his face and told her not to speak so childishly.

Kuronosuke was upset that this beautiful young woman still believed in fairy tales. He put up with it for a bit, but as soon as she started on that—The Angel of Music—he stopped her. Never did he wish her to be silent more than that moment. Right now wasn't the best time to bring up that tale, nor was it ever. He couldn't believe it, but it actually annoyed him beyond all reason. His gentlemen disguise was wearing away, as Sango pressed on. She wanted to discuss the Angel with someone so badly—she was worried that she had offended her Angel in some way, and that he decided her not worthy to come to.

Kuronosuke was insanely—and, even he admitted, foolishly—jealous over her obsession with this Angel, and suddenly he burst out, "There is no Angel of Music!"

Sango stopped and stared at him, the deep hurt showing crystal clear in her eyes. Kuronosuke immediately regretted the previous statement, but regretting didn't take back what he said.

"You…You don't truly believe that, do you?" She asked him. He couldn't bear to meet her eyes. They were wide, surprised, and confused. How could her childhood friend betray her beliefs like that?

"I…" Kuronosuke looked up at her, preparing to tell her that yes, he did indeed believe that, and that the Angel of Music was a foolish children's tale made up to put young girls to sleep, but he found he couldn't. "Of course I don't, Sango, forgive me."

Sango nodded, however she found herself no longer talking about her Angel with him.

When Kuronosuke left her that day, pressing his lips to her cheek, he decided it was best if he not return for a while. At least until Sango got some sense knocked into her, to rid her of the childish notions in her head.

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Yuudai watched the de Baka carriage pull out of the driveway, and sighed. He could guess what had happened, for he knew how different the two were now.

Kuronosuke had grown up quite a lot since he had last visited, and had expected Sango to be as sophisticated and mature as he was.

However, his dear Sango had remained the innocent girl she always had been.

Yuudai came out from his office after Sango had gone in her room, and found a bouquet of flowers in the waste can. Flowers from Kuronosuke. He sighed, picked them out carefully, and placed them in a vase on the desk outside his office. Sango would eventually come around, but now, he thought it best to just leave her be.

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The time came when Sango's father's sickness had taken him, leaving Sango distant with a lonely look in her wide hazel eyes. She was forced from the death bed, tears dripping down her fragile cheeks, screaming.

Her father did love her dearly, she knew that. Sango just wished that she had realized he was ill. She felt so stupid, and after a half-an-hour of letting tears flow, she brought her head up from Kirara and whispered, "I love you, father."

After all, tears are the first step to recovery…