The door bell rang.
"Len, could you get that, please?" A female voice was heard, coming from the kitchen.
'Kaho, I'm helping Lyna with her bath, she's messing around with water again....no, no, no, .......don't touch that, honey,......." the rest of the male's words were drowned, Because a loud 'splash' of water was heard, from the bathroom upstairs , along with a lot of child-giggles.
Kahoko smiled, while placing the fresh-baked cake on the dish and closed the oven-door. This has become a regular routine since Len volunteered to help his daughter with her bath. It was kind of amusing to see her husband, the world-famous violinist, getting harassed, wet from head to toe every time he gets in there with his 4 years old little girl.
It's sometimes hard to understand which one was supposed to take bath at the first place once they get out of there.
"Alright, Len , I'll get it. Lyna, don't give your dad a hard time." throwing the last sentence to her daughter, she approached the living room to get the door, still with her apron on her, drying her hands with a napkin.
She passed the grand piano on her way to the hall and placed the napkin on it. She turned the door-knob and opened the mahogany door slowly.
The delivery-man with red uniform was standing impatiently and considering the thought of pressing the bell-button again, when the door opened and he found a beautiful red-haired woman in her mid-twenties standing in front of him, with one hand on the knob.
'Afternoon, maam, Are you Mrs. Tsukimori Kahoko?" Seeing her nod in reply, he said, "You have a package here.' He motioned the rectangular box in his left hand and showed the place on the form with his other hand where she was supposed to sign.
Kahoko returned the hall after thanking the man and closing the door behind her, one hand clutching the box and the other one removing the tapes on it. Once she removed them all, she found a black envelope inside. She tore the opening and started reading from the top.
"Lyna, how many times have I told you not to turn the shower on me like that? Look, you got daddy wet again." a very wet Len entered the room, talking to his daughter( who was grinning broadly at her father's disastrous posture) , He was drying off his blue hair with a towel in his hand, when he noticed Kahoko, standing in the middle of the room, staring at the piece of paper in her hand.
"Daddy, can I watch Tom and Derry?" he felt a little hand tugging the edge of his shirt before he approached to Kaho.
"You can, but don't watch from too close, ok, honey?" he wasn't paying very much attention to Lyna as he grew worried seeing Kaho like that, but he didn't ask her anything before Lyna was out of earshot.
"Kaho, what's wrong? Who was that on the door?" he asked once he neared her and saw the blank expression on her face, getting more worried.
Kaho, still dazed though, seemed to notice him just now, looked at him and then slowly gave him the paper.
Len clasped it in his right hand and saw that it was a letter, with the familiar emblem of Yunoki Group on the head. He glanced over it until he stopped at these words-
We are sorry to inform you with heavy heart
the news of the untimely death of Yunoki Azuma, the third grandson of Mizuno Yunoki and the owner of Yunoki Glass Company.
In his will, he bequeathed a certain box and its contents with you,
Mrs. Tsukimori Kahoko, that we,
as his solicitors, sending you herewith.
He glanced back at Kahoko, who was also looking at him, a little perplexed yet he could see the tears slowly forming in her eyes. He took the box from her hand, then put an arm around her and slowly led her to the sofa.
Once they sat, he put the box on the table and opened the lid only to find a slender, long case , which was still familiar to him, even after all these years. He stared at it for a moment, then passed it in Kaho's hand, and then dug more into the box and found a bundle of letters at the bottom( while watching Kahoko's reaction with the corner of his eyes).
Kaho slowly brushed her hand on the smooth edge of the box. Then taking a deep breath, she opened it, knowing too well what was inside, still she felt an uneasiness to look at that long instrument, nestling on the velvet underneath.
She looked up at Len, who was staring at her in a manner as if he was trying to weigh her feelings with his eyes. Then she noticed the bundle in his hand, watched him to pick one and then look at her, with question in his eyes.
She closed her eyes and gave him a nod.
He started –
Dear Kahoko,............................................
Same way it will remember you.
As he pronounced the last sentence, he looked up at Kahoko, who had her eyes down at the flute in the box on her lap, like she did throughout the whole letter, thinking about the music it once created, and the owner of the lips who created those. Sighing once, Len picked up the next one.
She returned her glance back at Len, as he was putting the letters on the table, one by one, glancing over every one of them. When he put the last one down, he answered her query eyes.
'They all have the same thing, written over and over again." He managed a steady voice. Hearing him say so, she hesitantly picked all of them from the table and examined them. Once she was finished, she felt a rock throbbing on her chest, as she found something in them.
I know, Len thought, it's about the date.
There were ten in total, each was dated June 18th, one in each of the past ten years.
I wonder what's so special about that day.....
"It's his birthday." He found Kahoko saying, probably picking his trail of thought, in a slightly trembling voice. When he looked into her eyes, he understood, they were on the verge of tears. He pulled her towards him and hugged tightly, softly patting her back, while she cried on his chest silently.
"I never knew.....,"she let more tears fall on his already wet shirt, ' I never even imagined,.....he,.....of all people,.....and now this......" she couldn't finish the sentence as more tears formed and she choked.
Len patted her gently, slowly rubbing her back, while his mind lingered on her words.
I know.
I know you never knew it.
And I also know that I knew it all along.
The sound of the phone ringing startled them both as they broke the embrace. Len went over to the small table and picked it.
'Yes, It's me." ..." Yeah, we heard about it.".........."You're all there?" .....".When's that"
"Alright, we're going as well." Listening to his words Kaho couldn't guess who it was on the other end.
"We'll leave first thing tomorrow morning." Finished Len placed the phone back at its place and turned to face Kaho's puzzled look.
"It was Hihara." The rest was understood easily with this, except the last part.
"You said, 'we're going'." Her voice sounded a little hoarse, because of crying earlier. "Where are we going?"
Len walked towards her and sat by her on the sofa again. He put his hands on her shoulder, gave a small press as he uttered the words, trying to sound as casual as possible.
"His funeral."
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Len's POV
Yunoki, you're a jerk.
I thought it for the fourth time during the funeral as I watched famous faces from the Yunoki Family giving their speeches, sharing their memories with Yunoki and prayed and sheding tears for him.
As if they knew him.
As if they knew what his life was really about.
I jerked my head to throw off this thought. You're making it sound like you knew him better than them, I told myself, while leaning against the trunk of an ancient-looking chest-nut tree, watching the last flock of guests passing through the entrance of the family graveyard of Yunoki Group from a handsome fifty feet distance.
You weren't even his friend, my inner self started again.
True, yet truer is that I knew what he wanted in his life most, probably who he wanted, more than anyone in the world.
'Course you know, but doesn't that make him your rival?
The word 'rival' rotated my head towards Tsuchiura, who was talking to the priest at the entrance. Beside him, Hihara and Miyabi, Azuma's sister, were bidding farewell and thanking the last of the guests for coming. The ground was almost empty now, with only a dozen people including us.
I assumed those two as my rivals.
But him? Never.
As if feeling my eyes on him, the green-head raised his eyes at my direction, and then nodded in recognition. I returned it the same way, while my mind engaged on the information I heard earlier from him.
The medical report said he had been using excessive hypnotizing medicines, some for stress relieving, that too for a very long period. That's the reason....
No wonder, I thought, preparing to call him 'jerk' again, when a flash of memory of a conversation that took place ten years ago came swirling in front of my eyes.
It seems just like it happened yesterday, so clear, so vivid, yet after all those years.
"What do you mean by that?" I practically barked at him, when he didn't even flinch at the acid in my voice, though I knew very well he could feel it perfectly.
"I was just curious to know how serious you are about your relation with Hino, that's all, no need to get mad, you know." I got even more irritated at that patient tone he used.
"Why do you bother? That's none of your business."
"You wanna know? I don't think it'd be wise do so, it can ruin your goodnights' sleep." I felt like thrusting him on the wall, that was easy since we were alone in one of the sound- proof practice rooms in SEISO.
"Listen, then, don't flatter yourself feeling that you won it having no rival at all, If I had come down the field, it would've been much different, not suited to your liking, if I may add." He had his back at me, I couldn't see his expression, but I could feel the hiss as a realization started to sub side my vexation.
But I wasn't weak, so I snapped back, "O yeah, you think so, then? Why don't you try telling that to her?" Finding him silent for words, I pushed more, "Or are you afraid that she might reject you?"
He startled me as he spun around and retorted, "Don't you dare say that." He paused, as if suddenly realized his action and closed his eyes. I waited impatiently. I wanted to sort this thing right here, right now.
When he spoke, it was back to its usual calmness, his composed face also returned, but eyes still closed. "You should understand, Tsukimori, you, among all others. Come to think of it, I now realize that we are so very much alike, always being wrapped up with our family expectations. Maybe....." He chuckled sadly, "Maybe, that's what led us to this situation, we both seem to be so eager to hold on to the person who's likely to bring color to our life."
I stared at him incredulously; I had to admit despite my displeasure that he was right, almost right about that one. As I found myself mentally agreeing with that guy my brows frowned without my knowledge.
"Then what's holding you up, huh? You aren't the typo to sit with your arms folded, when you know of your chance for sure." I asked, this time with less irritation, some how I suspected the answer that was coming.
"Tsukimori, for me Hino's happiness is far more important, and as long as that's concerned I can't guarantee who she'll be happy with. I can only be sure of my unfathomable love for her," I winced slightly at the passion he said it with, " But in order to be happy in my family, that's not enough, I know that very well."
"And since she seems happy with you, I can't expect more for her. But I'm determined to make sure that your feelings towards her is unique and sufficient for the rest of her life, that's all that matters now."
"Are you so easily going to let go of her?" I can still remember my tone back then, irritation completely vanished, what left there was utter surprise and disbelief.
He startled me as he chuckled again. "Do you take me to be so very selfish, that I'll drag her in my world when I perfectly know there's barely a chance for her to survive there? Admitted that I do have some selfishness in me, but that's not so sheer that I'll forget where her greater benefit lies."
He moved his gaze back to me. I looked directly into his eyes and found that both our gazes softened a little.
"So Tsukimori, rest assured, I'm not ever going haunt your life with her as long as I know you two are happy together. She'll never know about this, I guess it's better this way." His voice sounded a little melancholic, but he kept on, more firm this time, "I leave her in your hands only for this life. The next life and every life after that, keep in mind that you won't even stand chance."
He started walking towards the door, with my glaring eyes on his back. He halted at his step out of the door and added with face invisible to me, in a almost hissing voice "And while she's with you, dare you ever hurt her, I'll personally make sure you regret for that."
I snorted on his back and he disappeared.
I snorted just like I did that day. Stupid Yunoki. Who did he think of himself? It was he who lost it, but he was pretending like he was acting martyr, doing me sort of favor. And it was his idea to keep this off ground. Now dead or not, why did he have to bring this up to her? Did he think he'll linger in her memory for eternity, if he confessed like this? I felt like cursing him looking up in the sky. Cheater.
I heard light footsteps nearing me from behind. I looked back and my eyes found Fuyumi's small figure standing right behind me. When our eyes met, she gave me a small nervous smile.
'Don't you think you should be over there?" I followed the direction she pointed with her head and saw Hino, standing by the coffin, alone, her back on our direction.
"I think she needs you there." I looked back at her eyes and I got the answer immediately in there.
She knows about him.
I nodded to her, then straightened myself from my momentary comfort of the tree-trunk and started patiently taking strides towards her frigid silhouette. With each taken step, I could feel a feeling processing inside my chest.
Yunoki, you sure are a total stupid jerk. You shouldn't have let her go. You should've fought, fought for your claim for her. Win or not, you should've given it a try.
But I gotta admit, you are not so selfish after all. In fact, if it's between the two of us, I guess, I am the obnoxious, more selfish one.
If I were you, I could've never left her, no matter how important it was for her life, for her happiness. I would never have the heart to be away from her, once I'd known my freedom is only inches away. So selfish of me.
The life she can give me, is just too good, too tempting to let go.
But you had it, you'd done it.
You sacrificed your happiness for her sake.
So, not because I was afraid that you'd take away her, I really doubt that you could ever do that. She was never yours.
Not because I'm happy that you are now out of the picture.
I closed my distance from Kaho slowly silently, as she stood still, with her back on me.
Still, I can say as truthfully as I vow everytime Tsuchiura visits our place that I won't try to knock his head off his shoulder
I can say as blissfully as I say to Kahoko that I love her.
I could not see her face, but my experience of being with her for the past ten years told me she wasn't crying.
Thank you, Yunoki.
I silently took position by her side and took her hand in mine.
For loving her, for caring for her so much.
She took the rose from my hand and embraced me, putting her head deep into my chest.
Thank you.
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Kahoko stood there, by his coffin, she couldn't look at him, she didn't want to.
She felt like crying for him, mourn for him. But she wasn't sure why she wanted to. She hasn't lost anything, for the past years he wasn't even a part of her life, they rarely spoke on certain occasions. But now, suddenly it felt like he was someone important.
But still she couldn't cry for him, she felt no tears coming own her cheeks, as if her eyes are out of water.
So she stood there, just stood there; numb, blank, confused, gloomy, lonely.
That's the least she could do.
She felt some one's presence by her, she recognized the scent. The person took her hand. It filled her with warmth and calmness. Her senses returned to her, as she felt the man putting something on her palm.
She looked into his eyes and found her answer.
She leant closer to the long coffin and gently placed the rose on his chest.
A droplet of water came down from her eyes, slowly found its way onto the rose, nestling on his chest.
Some where far from this world, a soul was rested in peace.
His words reached her, at last.