Update. Almost a hundred reviews. Wuu~ Anyway, I updated! [: Read and review!
Cheers for the reviewers of the previous chapter: Ayamiko95, Annalisemarie99. Emjhey, Xiayra., Pathetic Rainbow, IceDollSayaka, Ariadne-chan, Saiunkokulover, Asianpearl, Bychuu, Maripas, Saikono-san, Barbieblair, Denisce, .miss, Momoko Vesperina Hashimoto, and Snake's Tavern. Hugs!
Disclaimer: La Corda isn't mine. :(
Kahoko was stressed out when she arrived their house. The ride home a while ago was quiet. It's usual for Len. Kahoko, however, wasn't in the mood to talk about things. She just agreed to spill everything to Len. That was one thing she never wanted to happen, but she didn't have enough choice.
Len saw their pictures. And those pictures didn't look like nothing. The two violinists looked comfortable with each other's company. When Kahoko saw the last picture, she wanted to run away or just disappear from where she is. They were kissing there!
She ran to the practice room beside her room. She locked the doors, placed her violin case at the ground, sat at the corner and cried her heart out. The pressure was overwhelming. As she replayed what happened to her and Len today, she remembered one horrible memory.
Kahoko was sitting at the waiting room, her eyes puffy, her face tear-stained. She was wearing some fresh clothes. It's been three weeks since she saw Len look at her with those golden eyes. The more she think about it, the more tears fell form her face.
Why are tears still there? They should've dried already after weeks of crying? She thought. Waiting for Len to wake up was heartbreaking. After slipping to coma, the doctors said there's a small chance for him to survive. If ever he'll survive, her might be paralyzed or he may have amnesia.
"Kahoko." The cold voice of her grandmother rang in her ear. She quickly wiped the tears in her face before bowing to her grandmother. The elder didn't have to see her this fragile.
"Yes, obaa-san?" She was still looking down, afraid of the elder's expression. If her voice sent chills down her spine, what more could her face express?
"Look up, Hino Kahoko." She commanded. Kahoko followed. Raising her head and meeting her grandmother's eyes, she saw the anger and hatred. Kahoko gulped silently.
"Do you know that a simple wrong can cause a big problem? Then that problem will affect someone's life greatly." The elder started, circling around the red-haired girl. Kahoko may not notice, but from the other side of the wall, Azuma and Aoi were listening.
"H-Hai." She replied in a tiny voice. No need to raise her voice.
"Do you know that one person can ruin more than one life? Have you ever felt something holding you back from reaching your dream? Do you know how it feels to fail?" The voice was louder now, venom dripping in every word. Kahoko winced, and nodded.
"Answer this question. Do you know what Tsukimori Len's dream is?" Kahoko's grandmother asked, her long, slender finger lifted Kahoko's chin. The girl almost shrunk at the elder's glare. She nodded again.
"Can you please share to me his dream?" The voice was now sickly sweet. Outside, Azuma was straining Aoi from kicking the door and yell to their grandmother.
"His d-dream. He wants t-to be s-successful like h-his parents. He w-wants to prove h-himself to the world. He want to m-make his o-own name in the m-music industry." She stammered, breathing heavily.
"What's your relationship with this fine young musician?" The boys outside were having a hard time controlling themselves.
"We.. W-We're good f-friends." Kahoko answered. Her grandmother didn't believe though.
"How good is your friendship?" The question hit Kahoko hard.
"W-We're t-together." She wasn't just scared. She's more than scared. Her grandmother knew something, and she wanted to verify it by asking the person involved.
"What 'We're together?'. Please enlighten me about this statement." Her grandmother snapped her fingers in front of her.
"H-He's my boyfriend." She whispered the last part.
"Okay. He's your boyfriend. Well you see dear, because of you he got in that accident. If it weren't for you, he's in Austria now. If you didn't enter his life, there'd be no one to pull him back. Because of you, he was here in the hospital fighting for his life! Don't you know what it means Kahoko?" She said menacingly. Kahoko stepped back.
Of course she knew what her grandmother wants to put in her mind. She was the one pulling back Len from his dreams of being a successful musician. She was the reason why he was still fighting for his life. Kahoko knew that her grandmother want Len dead rather than barely living. She knew that her grandmother didn't want her to have any affair with anyone, because she's going to arrange someone to marry her in the future.
"I know what it means obaa-san." She was ashamed. Kahoko knew that she loves Len with all her heart, but that love wouldn't be enough to reach his goal in life. Being with her wasn't really the best thing. She should've known better. Her grandmother would destroy anything that comes along her way. Her relationship with Len was one of those.
"You're a disgrace Kahoko. Make one more mistake, and you, your mother, and her family will be disowned." The elder warned, pointing her finger in Kahoko's face. The door suddenly banged, and a pair of arms surrounded Kahoko.
"Enough of this obaa-san. You don't have the right to control Kahoko's life. She is not the reason why Tsukimori-kun's here. She didn't do anything!" Aoi shouted to his grandmother. A slap followed, making Kahoko bury her face deeper to someone's chest.
"You don't have the right to shout at me. I am your grandmother. I am the head of our family. Better respect me Aoi, or do you want to be like Kahoko there?" Kahoko could imagine her grandmother's face, her glare intense. Then Aoi was shaking with anger.
"I don't care. Me and Azuma, we don't care if you want to disown us!" Aoi yelled again. Kahoko was expecting another slap, but nothing happened. It seemed like the people in that room were frozen. After a while, someone talked.
"We will appreciate it if you will not do anything harsh. This isn't the right time, obaa-san, to talk about this things." Azuma explained calmly. Kahoko was passed to Aoi. The blond took Kahoko outside. When they're already far away from the room, tears rolled down Kahoko's pale cheeks.
"I'm sorry. I didn't so anything. I'm sorry, Len. I love you." Kahoko started to mumble, clutching Aoi's sweater tightly. Aoi settled her down at the bench at the hospital's garden. He let her hold him, wiping her tears.
"Kahoko. Shh. You didn't do anything. Len is a strong guy. I'm sure he'd be a snob to those with him right now, and they'd let him return." Aoi talked to her like she's a child. Kahoko's sobs were hurting Aoi. Even if those tears weren't for him, it still pained him to watch her suffer.
"Come here." He removed his sweater and wrapped it around Kahoko, rubbing circles in her back. Her breathing slowed down, but the sobbing didn't.
"I don't know what else to do." Kahoko whispered before sleep took over her.
The memory made her cry more. All this time, she still blamed herself for what happened. That year of trying to avoid him and get over their past, it didn't help her a lot. It just made the pain dull, but it's still there, waiting to rip the hole in her broken heart anytime. It happened that the time was now.
Arms cradled Kahoko's small body. She didn't hear the door open, or the footsteps approaching. She was there physically, but her mind was shut. She didn't want to think, to feel, to move. Those things weren't worth anything.
---
"Kahoko. Calm down. Try to control your emotions." Azuma whispered to Kahoko's ear. When he came to school today, they said that she was excused all day. He tried to look for her, and his source informed him that Kahoko was with Tsukimori-kun at the beach. It also said that they ate lunch, and Tsukimori showed some pictures. Those people he hired were smart enough to take some pictures.
When the pictures arrived, he couldn't help but narrow his eyes because of anger. That Tsukimori was so insensitive, only thinking about himself. He didn't know anything, and he had the nerves to ask the one person he shouldn't have about it. The purple-haired bishounen wanted to take care of him, but his dearest cousin wouldn't want it.
The classes passed like a blur to him. As soon as the bell rang by the end of the day, he ignored her screaming fan girls and rushed to the car, not looking back. Azuma knew well that Kahoko couldn't handle this thing. He was there for her when she was still recovering from the shock. He was the one she cried to during those times when she remembers him. He was the one who held her in his arms when she was too tired about the problem.
"Len. Don't leave me." Kahoko mumbled. She looked in pain even if she's sleeping. Azuma cupped her face, touching her eyelids. She looked paler than before. Kahoko's mother told him already that she wasn't taking care of herself. No need to tell to him. Azuma knew everything about what's happening to Kahoko.
"A-Azuma nii-chan." Kahoko's bullion eyes were looking at him. She looked puzzled by his presence, but relieved at the same time. Azuma help her sat down.
"G-Gomen for being annoying. You didn't have to come here. I look wasted." Kahoko quickly covered her face with her small hands. Azuma pried them and placed his finger in her chin.
"Don't hide that beautiful face from me, Kaho-chan." He was holding her hand. Being cousins didn't change Azuma's feelings for this girl in front of her. You do not know how broken this angel is, Tsukimori Len. Kahoko blushed.
"Now. Tell me. Why are you sulking here and crying?" Azuma may not sound serious, but he really is. He just wanted to lighten up the mood.
"He.. He wanted to know everything." She whispered. Azuma's hand was clenched in a fist behind him. Of course that's her answer.
"So. What are you planning to do now?" He stood up and helped her stand. Her legs were numb, so she almost fell, if it weren't for Azuma's hands in her waist.
"I.. I don't know what to do." Silence. Azuma was thinking of ways on how to help her. He wanted so bad to knock some sense to Tsukimori-kun, but he never did. He knew that telling him the truth wasn't his place. Now that Kahoko looked prepared enough, he thought that Tsukimori-kun should know everything.
"Well. Tell him everything." He said casually, leaning at the wall. Kahoko raised an eyebrow.
"It wouldn't be that easy." She walked around, thinking of what to say. "Y-You know that if I revealed to him everything and it reaches grandmother, we'll be disowned and that woman will make sure that we'll suffer more than what we're going through now. Then she'd ruin his family's life, then everyone else follows. Do you know that if I tell it to him, I'm risking everyone's lives?" She explained, trying to make Azuma understand. He already knew that. He knew the key to Kahoko's problems.
"I know. Just trust me." He assured her, placing his hands in her shoulders and leaning to her shoulder.
"Trust you? Why? Is there anything you could do if I trust you?" She was unsure. Azuma was known to manipulate things and set them according to his plans. Kahoko was afraid that he was just kidding her, or he's really on their grandmother's side.
"Trust me, and this is going to end."
good or not so good?
More from Azuma. I think I should post this part. :) The next chappie will be the 'moment of truth', like Momoko Vesperina Hashimoto said. Thanks to you and to Denisce, another anonymous reviewer. I still have to tutor my ever annoying and talkative 6-year-old cousin about math. Review, please? It'll make my day.
Stay tuned for mooooooore~ :]