Chapter 18

E' vietato calestre l'erba [Keep off the Grass]

"I love you but I could not have you." I heard myself say. In front of me stood my cold-hearted violinist, his golden eyes glaring at me. "Why, Kaho?" He asked coldly as his hands wrapped me around his arms, pulling me closer to him. "If only it was not too late, I would have… If only." I felt dampness on my cheeks and for a second there, I thought he was crying but then, I realized it was I who was crying all the while. He caressed my cheeks, wiping the tears away. Then I felt his cold lips crashing to my lips. He kissed me and I kissed him back. Time stopped running, the world stopped turning and my heart stopped beating. It was the most wonderful feeling that I ever felt.

Then I heard a laugh, that familiar evil laugh I would always here but my cold-hearted violinist seems not to notice it and I did not mind it. However the laugh grew louder and louder and then suddenly…

[BANG!] Blood splattered. I stood there, motionless. My face and hands painted with the blood of my cold-hearted violinist. His lips formed a smile as he dropped on my shoulder, dead. Behind him, the man with the oni-mask was pointing a gun at me. Then I shouted, "Aaaaaahh…"

Kahoko woke up, gasping. Her alarm clock had been ringing furiously and the sun had entered her room. Still with her eyes closed, she pressed the snooze button. She groggily stood up and made her way to her bathroom. She let water run to her face, the coldness of the water reminded her of Tsukimori. She had been waiting for his call last night, wondering, "Would he even call me? Would he walk me home tonight or fetch me here so that we could go to the school together? Gosh, Kaho, stop romanticizing… But why am I even thinking about these stuffs? I mean…" Suddenly her phone was ringing and she answered it giddily without even checking the caller id, thinking it was Tsukimori.

"Hello." She greeted sweetly.

"You seem in to be in a good mood today, Kahoko. Is it because I called you so early to greet you good morning? Or did you just dream about me last night?" She knew the voice right away. She could not understand why, but when she heard his voice she felt all her happy thoughts drained. "Tsukimori-san, Ohayou!"

"I'm off early today. I'll fetch you at 5:30 this afternoon?" Yunoki said.

"The concours…" Kahoko was ready to decline, thinking that this was another fancy dinning.

"Precisely. I would want to see what magic my fiancé did." He uttered. "See you later." Then he hanged up. Somehow, Kahoko was happy. It was as though the old not so busy Azuma Yunoki was back and he's making it up to her but still somewhere deep down, another name had been occupying.

The school's auditorium was unexpectedly full tonight. The school was well-lit with beautiful lanterns hanging and poshly designed with fully-bloomed flowers. At the gate more and more visitors were arriving in their best formal attire; excited for the night's event.

Tsukimori was in his black American tuxedo with his violin clipped on his right. He moved his eyes around upon entering the backstage, looking for Hino Kahoko.

"Oyasumi Nasai, Tsukimori-sensei!" The participants greeted respectfully, bowing down before him. They were scared, anxious and nervous; their hands trembling and Tsukimori saw this. However, he does not how to deal with this, the way Kanzawa-sensei and Ousaki-sensei dealt with participants of the conocurs during his high school.

"Oyasumi." He uttered bleakly. The only solution he thought of was Kahoko. "Where's, Hino-sensei?"

"She has not arrived yet, sensei." Mizuumi informed.

"I see…" He said. "Go and prepare yourselves then, 30 minutes from now, we'll start."

"Hai, sensei." They saluted and went to their own dressing rooms. Tsukimori peered through the curtains and saw the growing number of audience. Somehow, his stomach lurched and he could feel it going up. He could not understand why he was feeling that why or what was that feeling for. He slumped himself on a stool and sat there, staring blankly on an open space.

Everyone looked their way as the couple elegantly entered the auditorium in their glamorous formal dress. He clasped his left hand with her right, pulling her closer to him.

"Don't be nervous, Kaho." He whispered, his minty breath traveling to her nostrils as he flashed that signature smile of his. Somehow, that mad Kahoko more nervous.

Kahoko then smiled," Thank you Azuma-san." She then left him as usherettes showed him to his seat, a V.I.P. seat. Kahoko joined the crew at the backstage, however they were too busy to even notice she has arrived or to even hear her greeting.

She saw Len sitting alone at a corner, his violin leaning on his stool's legs. He was the only one lax in this area, as though nothing special was going to happen tonight. "Oyasumi Nasai, Tsukimori-kun." [Good evening, Tsukimori] Somehow, she found the connection once more, specially after last night.

Len, recognizing the voice immediately, looked up with his shy smile painted across his face. "Oyasumi Nasai, Hino-san." He greeted back, his aura lighter than the usual.

'He smiled… It wasn't just a dream after all.' She thought as she approached him. She could not take her eyes off him and she had to look at him from head to toe to see to it she was really standing in front of her smiling cold-hearted violinist.

"Where are the students?" Kaho asked.

"In their dressing rooms." Len answered briefly as usual.

"Should I call for them now?" Kahoko aksed.

"Yes, you should." He uttered.

As Kahoko walked away towards the hall of the dressing room, Len managed to say, "By the way you look beautiful tonight." It made Kahoko stop. She blushed, she just could not believe she actually heard it from Len's mouth. She took a deep breath and the most genuine smile escaped her lips. Wearing that smile, she looked at him, their golden orbs meeting.

"Arigatou, Tsukimori-kun" She thanked him. 'He actually said that… Wha…' she blushed scarlet red again.

The concours started with an invocation which was the instrumentals for "The Prayer" performed by Len and the concours participants (Mizuumi, Keisuke, Nanako and Rai). It was solemn, serene and holy. The ambiance as perfect and somehow, it made some of the audience cry.

Then the performances of the participants followed.

Nakashi Mizuumi (violin): Antonio Vivaldi's Four Seasons

Takenaga Rai (flute): Sergei Rachmaninov: Vocalise.

Yukushi Keisuke (violin): Michael Bolton's That's What Love is All About

Haji Nanako (cello): Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata

"Hino-san, the guest performer could not come. She's jammed in the traffic right now and she could not make it on time." The principal uttered.

"So we ask Tsukimori-kun to play?" Kaho asked. It was the only solution she saw.

"I couldn't. Hino-san. I'll be preparing for the grand finale with the participants so you'll have to do it." Len said what the principal wanted to tell Kaho. He then left without hearing her side.

"Nanako-san will be finished in five minutes, that would give you enough time to retouch your make-up." The principal ordered.

"But…" Nobody heard her out, everyone was too busy. 'I could not play it properly, yet. And people should not know I'm playing it again, no, specially not Yunoki.' She thought as those images of smashing her violin in front of Azuma Yunoki came rushing to her heads as though there was a replay of what happened that day. However, the smile of Len flashing out of nowhere in her mind made things lighter, it gave her confidence. She took a deep breath and got her violin that was laying down on a table.

After Nanako's performance, Kahoko entered the stage. Her heart was beating really fast and her hands turned cold and clammy. Her eyes looked around the audience and realized all her high school friends were there, from that of the music department to that of the normal group. She smiled, masking the anxiety. She played Etude No.3. It was an okay performance. But then suddenly, someone descended from above, joining her on stage. It was Tsukimori Len, the cold-hearted violinist. 'I thought he was going to prepare… Maybe he did not like my performance so he was forced to enter the stage to make them all wow.' Tsukimori's appearance the made all the meaning of the song piece.

'For me there is no other love but you. Nothing, no one could compare to the mirth you bring mirth.' Kahoko thought, closing her eyes reverently. However, she opened it again, feeling the stare drom Len's golden eyes and then their gazes locked. It was a magical stare.

Their duet was amazing and the two got a standing ovation. Kahoko and Len held hands and bowed before the crowd.

Azuma felt the mutual feelings the duet shared and it was no ordinary friendship, even if the two wouldn't recognize it or admit it to themselves.

'You've just stepped on the grass with a keep off the grass sign, Tsukimori-kun. That's very rash of you.' He thought, his hands clenching into a fist.

Kahoko was leaving for the backstage but Len did not let go of her hand, clipping her to the stage.

"What are you doing?" She whispered, trying to pull his hand away from him without the audience noticing it.

"We're going to announce the winners together." Len uttered silently as he moved towards the center, dragging Kahoko with him.

"The finale comes right after this without any pause, I would not…" Kahoko complained behind her smile but she was too late they were already in front of the microphone.

"You will be in the finale with us." Len uttered softly. The results were then handed to them inside an envelope.

"I know it was a tough and close fight. Each participant had performed really well before everyone else and that these kids are all gifted. However, the judges have decided and we will only be calling two names tonight, the runner-up and the champion." Kahoko started, trying to look into everyone and still not see them.

"The first name to be mentioned would be the runner-up and that's no other than…" Len uttered in his cold usual voice. Drumroll.

"Nakashi Mizuumi…" Len and Kaho chorused. Mizuumi cried, not expecting the place she got. This was a step closer to her dreams of becoming an Internationally-acclaimed violinist just like the prodigy who taught in her school. She received a plaque and a medal from her mentor, Hino Kahoko, who was crying too.

"And the champion is…" Kahoko said, wiping the tears with her white handkerchief. Drumroll.

"Haji Nanako." They chorused and everyone applauded. Nanako received a trophy, a plaque and a medal with a scholarship that would cover her college in the music academy.

Suddenly, the lights turned off. The people hushed, wondering what had happened. The grand finale started with perpetual motion. Lanterns emerged one by one on top of the audience as though these lanterns were floating. Their mouths dropped open. Mizuumi continued with the perpetual motion when the others played "Brand New Breeze" The candles were then lit on the ground. It was a magnificent view, a work of art. It created a tranquil ambiance and a beautiful aura. Right after the finale and all lights were on, everyone who listened and saw the production stood up, awe-struck and were united in their clap.

"Sensei, Arigatou Gozaimasu." Mizuumi gave her deepest gratitude to Kaho as she hugged her tightly. "I owe you a lot of things, sensei. You might not be as great as the prodigy, Tsukimori-sensei but your music is still beautiful in its own sense and I still idolize you."

"No I should thank you, Mizuumi. I'm glad you got to be the runner-up; I'm happy for you." She smiled sweetly.

"Sensei, I just want to ask something though. This is a question that has been bothering me eversince, would you mind if I ask it now?" Mizuumi asked, feeling that she might not be able to see Kaho again.

"No…" Kahoko smiled.

"Why are you here, Azuma? Hino-sab is at the back of the stage no in my room." Len said, his back facing Yunoki.

"Of course, I already know that. I came to see you." Azuma said with his signature smile. He helped himself down on a chair and his eyes lingered nastily around the small room. "By the way, congratulations, the concours was beautiful. Imagine that, you manage to make a cheap school auditorium to a classy and elegant operah."

"Surely, you did not come here to congratulate me and ask for my personal autograph." Len sscowled, his brows meeting at the center and his eyes narrowing fiercely.

"Let me get this straight then." Azuma stood up and approached Len on the mirror. "Stay away from Kahoko." Azuma ordered. Len did not answer, instead he just passed by Azuma, going out of the door but Yunoki had gripped his wrist painfully. He let Len face him and gave him a glare, the words "KEEP OFF THE GRASS" painted boldly on his golden orbs. Luckily, Len managed to take his hand before Azuma crumble his wrist.

We went out to the back stage with Azuma behind him. Well, Yunoki was going to see his girlfriend. Just as Len passed by Mizuumi and Kaho, who were conversing, Len heard Mizuumi's question, a question he himself would want to hear the answer.

Azuma heard it too.

"Sensei, who is Tsukimori-sensei in your life? Is he your cold-hearted violinist? The man you always talked about in class?" Mizuumi asked. The question took Kahoko aback, even Mizuumi's memory took her aback. She blushed furiously, knowing the answer pretty well.

"well… Uhm… Tsukimori-kun's a good and old friend." She uttered and with that answer Len left without hearing the rest of what she has to say to Mizuumi. "And ever since before, I already had a crush on him up until now but Azuma, well he's my fiancé already and..."

"Sensei, is Tsukimori-sensei your cold-hearted violinist? Is he your prince charming? Is he truly the man you are deeply in love with?" Mizuuumi asked the questions once more. Kahoko knew how persistent this girl was and that she would never drop the subject, unless you gave her an answer. Kahoko sighed, "Yes."

As soon as Azuma heard the answer, he immediately knew he was second choice and he had always been second choice even when they were still in high school. Kahoko knew that too, but she had been pressing her feelings for him, telling herself she loved Azuma Yunoki more than she ever love Tsukimori Len, even if it was a lie.

Thanks for reading everyone and I hope you liked it. Finally, I got to post a new chapter of this story. Sorry for the delay everyone. To all those who reviewed, those who added my story to their favorite list and story alert, I give my deep gratitude to everyone. See you in the next chapter, I'll be updating soon.