Author note: I do NOT own Kiniro no Corda. These characters are all belong to Kure Yuki-sensei. What am I doing is just making these characters living along my crazy imagination and fangirlism.

~Second Chapter: A Date…?~

Etou Kiriya

After school. Kiriya walked home slowly. Somehow, he doesn't like to go straight home. The boy thought that going to somewhere else and have some practice outdoor were good. He turned from the path he'd usually takes and went the opposite direction. Not to far from the school, he found a nice place. A little park, seems to be nice, with a lot of trees, located near the sea. The boy thought it was a really nice place to practice his current pieces. But then, he saw a silhouette. A silhouette of someone he's familiar with. And of course, the sweet sound of violin.

"Oi! Practice here?"

That silhouette turned around. Yes, the boy was right. It's Hino.

"Ah, Etou-kun. What a coincidence!"

Hino smiled. Kiriya loves her smile, always, but he kept his thought deep down in his closed heart.

"What were you play just now?"

"Ah, just now? It's Ave Maria. You know it, right?"

"Ave…Maria…? Heh."

"Hm? What's wrong?"

"That one just now… similar to the voice of claws scratching the blackboard!"

"Wha— That's mean! I…I've been practicing a lot lately. I've improved!"

"Heh? Really? Then, why couldn't you performed it?"

"I— I can!"

"That wasn't a performance."

"The— Then… show me how should a performance be!"

"Okay then— ah, wait. No, no. I won't. If I played it, you'll be like 'hey, hey, play it again!' or 'hey, let's play together!' or 'please teach me how to do that!', right? Nope. I won't be tricked this time."

"No way! Please… please…"

"Nope. No, no."

"Etou-kun…"

"Hm?"

Silence. Kiriya won. Well, it'll be exactly as Kiriya said if he did perform in front of her.

"Then…please listen to mine once again!"

"Huh? Wait—"

She played the piece. Even though the boy didn't want to listen to it, somehow her sound tied Kiriya's heart and made him couldn't afford of listening to it. The sound of the violin was really gentle and kind, reflecting the performer's heart. Thought it was missed at some parts, this performance was wonderful. But please note that Etou Kiriya isn't that one of a kind and gentle teacher to praise this kind of performance.

"THAT?"

"Eh? I— I missed some parts but… It's fine, right?"

"FINE? Are you crazy? That's not some parts. That's most of the piece! You ruined this beautiful piece!"

"No way…I'm— am I that bad?"

"More worse than I could say by words!"

Ah, she's depressed. It's really a cruel way to say about her performance. The boy couldn't bear it, not her depressed face nor her half bad skills.

"Say…How should you stand while holding the violin?"

"Eh? Um… Like…this..?"

"WRONG!"

"Heh? Um… so, how should I do? Eh…like—"

"THIS!"

Kiriya stand close to her. He hold her hands and starts correcting her position of standing and holding the violin. Well, in short… maybe we can say the situation was like the boy was really close to her as if he holds— ah, no as if he hugs her. Of course, without further ado, she blushed.

"Oi! Are you listening?"

"Heh? Ah, um!"

"Hold that still and play again!"

"Yes! …sensei!"

"Ha? Sensei? What—"

And she performed once again. Maybe due to her good posture, as has been fixed by the boy, she could play the piece better.

"I did it!"

When her performance ended, Kiriya realize that somehow he was tricked to be her violin teacher again. Poor boy, thought it was funny that he unconsciously did it in his own will.

"Say, Etou-kun, how could I pay you? You've been a great help for me."

'With a hug…or a kiss…' that was popped up in his head. But he shook his head. He didn't intended to show his true feeling. Not like this, not right now.

"Let's see…a date?"

"Huh?"

"Okay, that seems good. Let's have a date."

"By date…you mean…"

"Oh, please. Don't tell me you didn't know what a date is."

"No, no. I know… but…"

"Len-san isn't here."

"Eh? Why did you mentioned Tsukimori?"

"Why… forget it. Then, it's decided."

"Wait! Etou-kun…"

"Sunday, 10:00 AM, in front of the station. Or do you want me to pick you up?"

"No, wait… Sunday?"

"No? Then make sure you're not late! I hate waiting in a crowded place."

"Etou-kun…"

"See you then!"

He left her. And she's standing there, couldn't move even an inch because of that word. Not because the date, at least that wasn't the real problem, but…Sunday.

Kaji Aoi

"Hino-san~"

Same old style, Aoi Kaji.

"Ah, Kaji-kun."

"Say, would you like to eat lunch together?"

"Eh? Well, I'd love to—"

*chatters* Eh? That's the girl from the competition…he's with Tsukimori, right? but I've seen him wondering around with Tsuciura and Kaji…Really? That girl…? *chatters*

"Then, let's—"

"I'd like to refuse. Sorry, Kaji-kun."

"EH? Why? Hino-san…"

And the boy started to think in his own…

"am I…cruel to you? Did I make a mistake? Hino-san…forgive me! Please!"

"N— no, no! I'm just… that's right! I wanted to eat lunch with Amou-chan and Fuyuumi-chan!"

"Ah…I'd like to join!"

"EH? No, Kaji-kun…I'm…"

"Let's meet them!"

He pulled her hand and they wandering around the school to find Amou and Fuyuumi.

"Ah~ I wonder where they are…"

"No, Kaji-kun…let's stop this search, okay? Let's eat lunch together."

"Really? But Amou-san and Fuyuumi-san will look for you, aren't they?"

"No…I will apologize to them later. Let's eat."

Well, against this kind of guy, no wonder she surrendered.

"Okay then!"

They went to the rooftop, as Hino asked to him since she didn't want anyone else to see them eat lunch together, and having lunch there.

"Hino-san, your lunch is cute!"

"Ah, thanks. But I didn't make it myself."

"…Hino-san… Sorry for forcing you to have lunch together…"

"Eh? No. it's alright."

"Really? I'm relieved then."

He smiled. The girl couldn't afford to think that the person beside her was so kind, gentle person, though he could be so annoying sometimes, but his smile…she like it. It's warm and pure, really comes from his deepest heart.

"Say, Hino-san, how's Tsukimori doing?"

"EH? How? Why did you suddenly…how should I know?"

"He didn't call you? Sent you an email or even…messages?"

"Hm…No."

"Eh? How cruel of him! Didn't he realized that Hino-san is worrying about him and thinking about him all the time?"

"wha— That's not true."

"That's TRUE. Am I wrong?"

"No… But still… if I called him or else, I can imagine Tsukimori-kun would go like 'if you have some free time to call me, why didn't you practice' isn't it?"

"That's— so Tsukimori-style…"

"Right? Then what should I do is practice more and more until he recognize me."

"Hino-san…"

"It's okay! I've been practicing more and more lately, so I'll surely catch up with him…someday."

Silence. But then…

"Hahaha!"

"Eh? What is it?"

"Hino-san is so funny. So cute. You're saying that optimistic phrases in confident, but… you add some pessimistic words 'someday' and that ruined all your confident you have there. Hahaha!"

"That's not funny! I'm— I realize that my way wouldn't be that easy…"

"Not easy…if you walk alone."

"Huh?"

"Let me walk beside you. I'll hold you whenever you're about to fall down, I'll support you with my life. I will."

The boy said it while looking into her eyes. She realized, his words are no lies. Those were all true. She blushed a bit. Wondering why this guy likes her, just a simple girl without any ability, so much.

"Thank you so much, Kaji-kun."

"You're very welcome. I'd always love to be able to support you, Hino-san."

They stared each other. Not for a long time though. Being stared for a while made Hino blushed that she turned her head. And Aoi though that Hino was so cute that he blushed a bit so he should turned his head down to avoid her eyes.

"Um…Hino-san?"

He has regained his courage to started the conversation.

"Ah, yes?"

"Here…"

He handed her a ticket. A ticket for entering a newly established pleasure park.

"If you'd like…to go with me."

"This— this is too much! I— I can't…"

"Well, if you couldn't come… it's alright. I just…want to go with you."

As have been stated before, who would win against this kind of guy? Kind, gentle, all the good things a girl would like to have in a guy.

"I— well, actually, I want to go there too."

"Really? Let's go together!"

"I'm— Uh, Kaji-kun?"

"Yes?"

"Is it okay…to go with me…?"

"It's a pleasure!"

"Well, then. I accept. Honestly, I like to go to pleasure park."

"Okay then! Hm…What I've got here are the tickets for weekends. When would you like to go? Saturday or Sunday?"

"Sunday would be nice. I have part-time job on Saturday."

"Okay. You need me to pick you up?"

"No, no! it's alright, I can walk."

"Then let's meet up in front of the station. 10:00 AM on Sunday. Okay?"

"Sunday 10:00 AM in front of station. Okay!"