I'm alive! And I decided to finish this chapter. Hope you guys enjoy it. It's roughly two thousand words, so it shouldn't be so hard to read. View in either 1/2 or 3/4, depending on the screen size. :)
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"Who loves Kahoko?" Len asked again.
I stared at the two (supposedly) close blue-haired relatives who were glaring at one another.
Fuyuumi-chan grinned mischievously at her brother. "Azuma Yunoki."
--
In my mind, I was already imagining a scene that would be the outcome from what Fuyuumi had just stated. And I really, really hoped that that was what had happened…
"Fu-Fuyuumi!" I sputtered the words with haste from my mouth—but it was too late. She said it. It was wrong! I don't like Azuma-senpai! Not one bit! And I knew how evil he is in actuality, too!
"You love Azuma-senpai?" Len looked at me with something in his eyes that I couldn't decipher. It wasn't pure sadness, neither was it hatred. But what was it? "You love the idiot?"
"Azuma-senpai is not an idiot, onii-san!" Fuyuumi quickly defended for me, who—I believe—didn't at all need any defending. I mean, I may be clumsy and even whimsy, but I'm pretty sure I can handle myself on my own.
"Still; Kahoko loves him." He clenched his fists, showing how angered he was at that obviously false statement. Indeed, I was enjoying it (for my benefit, I mean).
"Someone's bitter?" Fuyuumi smiled lightly and elbowed me. "See, Onii-san does like you!"
"And I like him too!"
Hold up, hold up. That is not what had happened. Let's go to the reality part of this dream.
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"Azuma-senpai? You love Azuma-senpai? Why would you love someone like him?" Len merely threw me a look of disgust as he said those. Imagine, those beautiful eyes looking down at you as if you were some kid hitting the violin hard on the floor. I'm pretty sure he would hate that, so that's the best comparison I could think of—if I could think at all, I mean. His gaze was pressurizing enough. How about you add those cold and harsh words?
…
So naturally, you'd say things you don't really mean when you're provoked, right?
"Well, what if I do? Isn't it none of your business or something?"
And so, I'm starting to write my own eulogy as I say these words to the infamous Len Tsukimori.
"You're right; it isn't." He huffed and resumed his place on his oh-so comfortable lounge chair. "But mind you, Kahoko, he's a lousy musician if he won't even fight for his music." He got a mug on the table beside his chair and took a sip of what appeared to be coffee. "It's cold, but it'll have to do," I heard him say quietly as he took another sip.
"It's not like he has a choice with that!" I argued, throwing my hands on my side. It's true, isn't it? He didn't have a choice. His family is pressuring him, that's why—
"Everyone has a choice—it's all in the person." He took another absent look at me. "And Azuma-senpai is an idiot for giving up so easily."
"He's not an idiot! I thought you respected him!"
"I do. I just don't respect his attitude towards music."
"You don't understand!" I furrowed my brows as I glared at him almost intently. "Len, you're so—"
"Annoying?" Fuyuumi cut me off, throwing herself idly to a long couch. She took out a magazine and said with a yawn, "Tell me about it."
I breathed in heavily. "Fuyuumi-chan, not now, please." Not now, not ever. I want to go back home already. I want to wake up and find myself laying comfortably on my futon with my friends still sleeping around me.
"Are you two having some sort of lovers' spat?" Fuyuumi peeked from beneath the magazine she was holding. "Because if you are, I'll gladly leave. As in, really. I'm pretty sure that there are other better things to do, but watching you two is quite entertaining at the same time, so—"
"No, we're not." I said venomously, glowering at the blue-haired devil. "He's just being an inconsiderate jerk!"
"You should breathe, Kaho-chan. A young lady like you shouldn't be like this in the early morning."
I peeked to my right shoulder and saw a teal-haired woman who had a thin frame, a pale face with a warm smile… "Misa Hamai-san?" It was her.
"It's not really early," Fuyuumi easily contradicted, sitting down on the couch properly. "It's like, nine or something."
"Good morning to you, too, Fuyuumi." Misa Hamai said sweetly—yet you could feel the heavy sarcasm—to her, err, daughter.
Fuyuumi chuckled a bit as she scratched the back of her head with her right hand. "Ohayou, Okaa-san." She greeted, smiling sourly .
"Mother?" Len looked shocked to see his mother standing in front of him. Weird how he would simultaneously stand up then bow down so formally to his own mother. But then again, he's Len Tsukimori; what would you expect from him but the best? And apparently, this was his best behavior.
"O, Len," Misa Hamai giggled lightly like a schoolgirl. "You're still so formal with me. Would you care for some tea? You seem a bit angry, dear." She asked, obviously concerned. "You too, Kaho-chan. Maybe you two would like to calm down a bit?" She held out two cups filled with what I had guessed was chamomile tea—the not so tangy aroma was already giving it away.
"Yes, please, Misa Hamai-san." I kindly accepted her offer and one of her porcelain teacups. They were cute, but I don't think that Len would be able to drink from something that would diminish his so-called manliness.
"Kaho-chan?" She looked at me in bewilderment. "I insisted that you call me Okaa-san already! I see you as my daughter already—or maybe even as my daughter in law?" She winked at me, covering her mouth with the back of her hand as she giggled. Daughter in law? That sounded tempting, but I can't admit that, now can I?
"H-Hai, Oka-a-san," I began to stutter. "But as your daughter in law? Len over there has more chances getting married to his violin." I scoffed, crossing my arms against my chest.
"Ooh! She dissed you again!" Fuyuumi-chan pointed out, laughing loudly. "See, you really have no chance with Kaho-senpai now!"
"Fuyuumi, don't be like that with your brother." Misa Hamai scolded. "As much as I'd like to agree with Kaho-chan's statement…" She muttered almost thoughtfully. At that I joined in Fuyuumi-chan's laughter.
"Misa-san, Tsukimori-san, Shouko-san, and Hino-san." A maid entered the living room and bowed down. "Ano, breakfast is served."
"We'll be there!" Fuyuumi-chan said loudly, jumping up and down excitedly like a child. Now my confusion is on another level. Was this girl really Fuyuumi-chan?
"Fuyuumi, has Amou-san not taught you anything?" Misa Hamai scolded again, almost grunting—but that was too unladylike for her to do.
"Amou-san's a teacher?" I asked, baffled. But after seeing the looks on the two teal-haired ladies, I quickly withdrew what I said. "I-I mean, Amou-san's a great teacher!" I fumbled again, laughing at my idiotic mistake.
"Right." Fuyuumi smiled sarcastically.
"Amou-san's summer seminary for young ladies like you helped, at least. You met Kaho-chan there, right?" She smiled lightly at her daughter and then turned her motherly gaze to me.
"Oh, Kaho-chan, my dear, I think Fuyuumi would still be that shy wallflower if you hadn't influenced her with your contagious happiness!" She smiled exuberantly and clasped her hands together. "And Len here was also influenced don't you think?"
"Okaa-san!" The two siblings shouted at the same time.
"And she taught me how to make those delicious pancakes!"
…ugh.
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After the awkward late breakfast, Manami-chan was already waiting outside of the dining hall for me. "Get changed, Hino-san. Yunoki-sama will be arriving any minute now and surely you do not want your host to get a wrong impression," she said teasingly, as if there was something I needed to decode in her simple statement. Ha, how am I supposed to play along with this?
So I simply did what she told me to.
After a few minutes, Azuma-senpai did arrive. And oh Kami-sama, why was I nervous? Was it because he was standing inches away from me? Or was it because he had kissed my hand upon seeing me? Eek! What to do, what to do? I was already panicking inside, could he see it? I hope not—
Why am I so conscious? I mean, I don't like him or anything. Why am I getting so flustered, too? What's wrong with me? Someone help me, please!
"Let's get going, Hino-san?" He looked at me kindly and smiled. "Or would you like to go say goodbye to them first?" I was waiting for him to go into his evil mode or something since we were alone—I think—at the front porch. Usually, he would do that, right? Say something teasing or go tell me off?
"Well? Are you still debating in your mind? Or are you waiting for something to happen?"
The latter, please, I answered in my mind.
"Maybe I should just leave? I'll see them when we go to school, right?" I said questioningly.
"Of course you will. You're already welcome in the Music Department; I don't see anything that could possibly hinder you from going to see your friends there, do you?" Apparently, he never tore his gaze away from me. And he was just there, smiling as if only pureness was in his heart—a quite scary thought, since I do know about his other side…
"Then let's go?" He held out one hand as he took a step down. My trolley was already inside his car, so there couldn't possibly be anything I'd worry about, right? Expenses? Well, Mio and Nao should be covering me, I guess. Food? Sure enough the Yunokis would handle that. The people? I think their household is generally nice—besides Azuma-senpai's grandmother, I mean. Well, what was it then?
Nothing.
"H-Hai, Azuma-senpai!" I said energetically. I took his hand and he led me inside his car. He sat beside me and told his chauffer to go to Le Jardin? Did I hear right? He wants me to go to some fancy restaurant with him—again—dressed so informally?
"Azuma-senpai! We're going to eat?" I asked.
"Is there a problem? You're not hungry?" He looked at me worriedly.
"I—err, I just ate breakfast."
"Is that so?" He raised a pensive brow at me and smiled again. "If you say so." Then he ordered his chauffer to head home instead. "You really are quite troublesome, aren't you? If you get hungry later, just ask for food from one of the servants." He laughed and tucked a stray strand of his lavender hair behind his ear.
I just smiled and looked outside the window. This is just the beginning, isn't it? More things are bound to add up to all this—this confusing state of mind I must be in right now. And soon enough, I'd find myself waking up, right? Just a little more time, maybe.
But for now, I'll be playing along.
I'll prove to all of you that Len-kun is the biggest jerk there is.
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(End of Chapter Two)
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Reviews / Constructive Criticisms are welcome. :)
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