Author's Note: I know I said this was going to be just a one-shot and I was absolutely determined to keep it that way. Honestly, it was so good, probably the most popular one-shot that I have ever written, that I was deathly afraid that any attempt at a sequel or continuation would ruin it completely and utterly. And yet here I am. The reader response demanding that I continue was tremendous and yet I was determined not to continue unless I was sure I wouldn't ruin it. I suppose I have to attribute this change of heart to my friend Nikki, my enabler (one of many actually), who lent me volumes 3-5 of La Corda D'Oro this weekend (which I promptly read immediately) since I've seen all the anime but not the manga. And then I was standing around in the shower the next day and I had ideas. Happens. So this chapter which follows this impossible long author's note (sorry) exists because of manga and showers and knowing that you would give me a shot if I made an attempt. I've got two ideas for chapters. The one that you will hopefully read if you don't want to already kill me for this long note and one that I will write at a later date. I believe that I couldn't possibly turn this into a story with any sort of real conflict and plot. Instead, it will be little episodic, hopefully funny, chapters all tied together by the ideas of Chapter One. Without any further delay, I give you Chapter Two, which probably isn't as good as the original, but oh well.

Chapter Two: OPERATION… HOLD HANDS IN PUBLIC?

Hino Kahoko breathed deeply, trying her best to steady her irrational nerves. Why on earth was this so difficult? The plan had been in place for quite a while and yet she could not settle her flipping stomach. It wasn't that she was nervous about Len. They had already done things together as a couple. Their first date had been horribly romantic and cute, the stuff that ended up in sappy movies about high school sweethearts in fact. They had spent time together and it was always so wonderful. True, they hadn't actually kissed yet, but it had only been a few weeks since that startling autumn afternoon in the park. Both of them were shy and nervous. And yet, Kahoko had certainly held her boyfriend's hand before and she didn't see why she was so nervous to do such a thing now.

They had kept their relationship private for the first few weeks, from everyone (which was exceptionally difficult when Journalism Club President Amou Nami was around). No hand-holding, no hugging, no public displays of affection of any sort. There were brief moments when they were alone, in a practice room or on the roof perhaps, that they lost all inhibitions of the public eye, but as soon as the door opened it was back to hiding their feelings.

But now all of that was about to change. They decided it was time to come out into the open and let the rumors and gossip come at them. After all, it frustrated Kahoko with a horrific burning jealousy when the first year fangirls gazed longingly at Len, whispered behind his back about his awesome likeness to a sex god, or, God forbid, flirted with him openly. She blatantly told him how much she disliked it. And it frustrated Len with a horrific burning jealously when Tsuchiura Ryotaro dogged Kahoko's footsteps like a loyal puppy. He did not confide this to her or anyone. And so they came to the conclusion that it would be best to tell the truth, and the easiest way, they decided, would be to simply hold hands in school. It was the tell-tale sign of a dating couple.

Kahoko walked nervously next to Len, her fingers wrapped in his warm gloved ones. She could just make out the gates to Seisou Academy and the flood of students swarming through them. They had encountered no one on their walk since Len had picked her up that morning. It was astonishingly sweet when he rang the doorbell, though Kahoko was mortified because he had glimpsed her walking through the hallway still in her pajamas. And as she had hurriedly changed into her uniform, she could hear her mother laughing and chatting amiably with Len.

Her mother hadn't liked Len at all to begin with. At first glance, she thought he was rather stuck up and snobbish and couldn't understand why her daughter, whom she thought was such an honest and down-to-earth sort of girl, would want anything to do with him. Upon further understanding, Kahoko's mother started to notice the subtle things about Len that made him truly extraordinary and approved from thence onward of her daughter's choice in first love.

Already ruffled for the day, Kahoko blamed some of her nervousness on Len's unexpected arrival. She had known that today would be the day that they would unveil their secret relationship, but she hadn't expected him to drive the point so forcibly home by walking her to school (though, she thought privately, if he kept the habit up, she would probably never be late again). However, she knew that such a walk couldn't possibly account for her nerves since Len's presence seemed to have a calming effect on her these days. He was probably preventing her from being even more nervous than she would have been.

Len squeezed her fingers gently as they drew closer to the gates. Already people were stopping to stare and take a second glance as they approached. Kahoko looked up at him. Len was smiling softly. It looked good on him—though she could see a soft glimmer of nervousness in his eyes (why would he be nervous?)—and she felt a small wave of relief wash over her. Who cared how people reacted if he would look at her like that every time she saw him? She smiled back and squeezed his fingers in reply and slowly they passed through the gates.

The hallway was an entirely different matter. Whole packs of people stopped to stare and the whispers of passersby seemed to resound with more volume in the closed room than they had in the open air of the courtyard. The hallway was so much more unfriendly.

"What is he doing with her?"

"Good God, Tsukimori-kun needs a real woman, not a red haired stick with a Jesus-complex!"

"I wish she would die."

Kahoko shivered and tried to ignore the whispers. It wasn't pleasant. She looked up and saw Ryotaro walking towards them, only to stop dead in his tracks, staring at their clasped hands.

Len struggled to keep a smug look off his face when he saw the depressed soccer player. It wasn't fair after all, and Len knew that if Kahoko found out she would probably stop talking to him for days or something else unspeakably horrible.

"When did that happen?" Ryotaro asked, no pleasant "yo, Hino."

"A few weeks ago," Kahoko said shyly. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Tsuchiura-kun, but we wanted to keep it a secret."

Ryotaro nodded. "Congratulations," he said softly and walked away.

"I hope he's alright," Kahoko said worriedly.

"Just a bit broken-hearted," Len replied.

"Huh?"

Len sighed. "Never mind."

They walked onward, Kahoko now too busy contemplating her down-hearted friend to notice the vicious whispers of the underclassmen. Before she knew it, they had made it completely down the hallway to her homeroom and now they stood outside the door.

"You're going to be late if you don't leave soon," Kahoko told Len.

"Yes, I know," he said, not moving an inch, but simply continuing to stare into her eyes. "Will you be in the practice rooms at lunch?" he asked.

Kahoko nodded.

He smiled again, making her heart melt. He truly was taking the studmuffin thing in stride. Kahoko almost laughed as that thought ran through her mind, but she held herself to a smile.

Then suddenly, Len lifted a hand to brush back a strand of hair that had fallen in front of her face, resting his fingers on her cheek bone. Kahoko's heart beat rapidly wondering exactly what he was up to. This was just Operation Hold Hands In Public, right? RIGHT???

Wrong.

She gasped as Len leaned in and brushed his lips up against hers. Before she knew it the kiss was gone, like the simple fleeting notes of his violin. "See you during lunch," he whispered softly in her ear (by far the best whisper she had heard all morning) and drew away.

Kahoko was left stunned for a moment and then she slowly began to realize why Len had also seemed nervous that morning. He hadn't been worried what people thought at all, which had struck her as strange since he never seemed to care what people thought. No, he had been planning to kiss her all along. That was why he was nervous.

She slipped silently into her homeroom, assaulted by Mio and Nao at once, begging to know the details of her violin romance and why they hadn't known it had been going on for weeks.

Kahoko had waited eagerly for lunch all morning. Violin securely in hand, she pushed her way through the crowd already an expert at ignoring the whispers that trailed along after her. When she arrived at their usual practice room, she found Len, not waiting wrought with anticipation as she expected, but sitting on the floor bemoaning the latest edition of the school newspaper.

"Len, what is it?" Kahoko asked, bending down on the floor next to him.

He shook his head and handed her the paper. The headline read: "Violin Romance Returns: The Secret Relationship Brought to Light" and below it was not simply just a picture of Len and Kahoko holding hands as she had hoped, but a vibrant and remarkably clear photograph of their first kiss.

Kahoko sighed. "Well, we knew this was going to happen. Amou-san is vastly interested in my love life."

"You're so calm?" Len asked.

"And you're freaking out?"

And suddenly everything seemed like a magnificently hilarious joke. Kahoko fell to the ground laughing, clutching Len for support. Finally the quieted down and Kahoko let her head lean against Len's shoulder. "So what's the verdict on Operation Hold Hands In Public, or was it really Operation Kiss Kahoko," she teased.

Len smiled. "Both were successful."

Kahoko nodded. "Want to come over tonight? You haven't met my brother yet and he's visiting home from the university."

"Of course."

She hugged him tightly and he stroked her hair. "So about Operation Kiss Kahoko as you call it," he said, "it's not actually completed yet."

"Oh, it's not?" she said coyly.

He shook his head vigorously.

"And how can I help you with that?"

"I could think of a few ways," he said.

Next Time In The King and Queen of Clueless: Granny Tsukimori, an old lady with her own brand of super-awesome ass-kicking power. Much nicer than Yunoki's granny ;)