Chapter 20

Confessions

Tsukimori's flight arrived at Venice, Italy 8:00 the next evening. When he arrived at their mansion, his parents were not there, they were in a business meeting as usual. "Master Len … It's…" Their butler was surprised to see him there. No one expected him that night nor would they expect him in any other night. He then bowed down and greeted, "Bouna Sera, signor.[Good evening, sir]" Then all their servants stopped what they were doing and bowed down to greet him, "Benvenuti [Welcome Home], Master Len."

"Are my things still there in my room?" Len asked as he walked up the stairs with the butler trailing behind him.

"Yes, Master Len. Would you want anything, sir? We could call your parents…" The butler suggested but Len declined his offer before he could even finish. He then went up to his room. It was as how he left it, tidy and neat. He placed his luggage beside his cabinet and left the house, bringing his violin with him.

"I would not be home for dinner." He informed the butler before he left. This was nothing new to them, though.

Len rented a gondola just to be alone. He wanted to be drifted by the canals to wherever it will end. He did not care to what direction it will be, for all he knew he wanted to be away. He looked up the dark sky, the smile she'd always give him. He remembered the smiles, he wanted to own but would never be his. He remembered how her innocent simple joys melted his coldness. He remembered how she had changed a lot of things in his life.

'I went back to Japan and left my career to become a teacher for you but I don't regret that decision… I saw you that night in one of my concerts…' Len though, remembering what had happened two years ago, here in Venice.

[Flashback]

Just before, he went to the concert hall he strolled at the park downtown. As usual he was alone with his violin. As he sat at the fountain, watching the children feeding the pigeons, he saw a glimpse of a familiar red-haired lady. She was at the other side of the fountain. Tsukimori could not believe what he saw but he could never be mistaken. He did not want to take his gaze off of her but a flower vendor approached him. After a blink of an eye she was gone. 'Was that really her?' He asked himself.

As he was walking to the concert hall, he spotted her again. Then she disappeared amidst the crowd. 'Is she really here in Venice?'

He went up on stage and performed the way people would always want and the way he always performed; Perfectly. 'Could she be here too?' He thought as he lingered his eyes around his audience but at the end of his first piece, he did not see her. 'No, she is not. If she is in Venice, probably she would be enjoying the gondola ride at the canals.' He concluded. As he played the second piece for the night: Chopin's Butterfly Etude; he noticed a familiar red-haired lady at the back part of the audience. 'It is her, I could not be mistaken.' He wore that cold expression but it was lighter. She was the only person who had that effect on him.

She was very far but her knew it was her. The expression, so innocent and naïve was no doubt hers. The dreaminess as she watched his every stroke and as she listened to every note he creates with his violin was undeniably hers. They were familiar to him however he noticed something, something out of place. She was sad and lonely; you could read it through her golden melancholic eyes. He knew what he ought to do.

He followed the concert's next two pieces: Schubert's Serenade and Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake but he changed his finale. 'Listen to this music and may it blow your blues away. I'll play it just for you…' He uttered in his thoughts as he played the Ave Maria, serenely without any accompaniment. Through his half-closed eyes, he saw her smile and he was satisfied. This was the first time he felt this after a concert.

He was given a standing ovation and he bowed down before his audience. Immediately, he went off the stage to approach her but she already left. When he went out of the concert hall, she was not there anymore.

Tsukimori could not take her off his head after that day. He wanted to see her again, but he could not understand why. He went back to the concert hall where he saw her, remembering he left something there.

"Len, someone is looking for you." A staff there informed. Len sighed, thinking it was another reporter or another journalist who wanted to interview him and would just ask about his parents. He did not say anything to him; he just stared at him coldly. "She's at the lobby." When Len saw his visitor, he was surprised.

She looked at him, wearing her simple timid smile. "Tsukimori-san, Konnichi wa!" She greeted gleefully. Len did not say anything, he just stood there, looking at her. "I'm glad to see you again! I was here last night but I guess you did not see me. Are you busy? I was hoping you could join me for lunch."

'How could I not have seen you? You were the one I've been staring at, the whole night.' He told her in his thoughts, gazing coldly at her. "I guess you're busy, maybe it's not a good idea. I might be disturbing you, so..."

"Iko so.[Let's go]" He said bleakly.

'As usual.' She thought as she obediently trailed behind him. They ate their lunch at an Italian restaurant a few blocks from the concert hall. While eating, Kahoko talked about a lot of things, even her plan of becoming a teacher, her quitting in playing the violin and surprisingly, her break up with Yunoki. She felt comfortable telling him whatever she was feeling even if Len looked as if he was not interested at all.

"Am I boring you?" She asked. Len did not say anything, he continued eating his pasta. "I guess I am."

"No… I'm glad to have seen you again." Len uttered; he was expressionless as though he was just a radio playing a tape record. They said their goodbyes and separated ways. Tsukimori still could not take her off his mind.

The next day, he left Venice and went back to Japan to become a teacher.

[End of Flashback]

'I do not understand this feeling or anything I did just for you. If only you knew my heart beats for you would you tell me your heart is beating for me too? If only you knew I become so stupid because of you, would you paint your smile for me too? If only you knew the pieces I play were for you, would you play the violin for me too? If I tell you, I love you Kaho, would you marry me instead of Yunoki?' Len's blue hair glistened under the moon. 'Hino Kahoko…'

Tsukimori Len, the cold-hearted violin prodigy then played Claire de Lune. Under the moon, miles away from the woman he loved, Len had confessed his feelings for her.

"Hino!" Kahoko jerked when someone entered the room.

"Yunoki, why are you here? You are not supposed to see your bride wearing her wedding gown before the wedding day or else something will happen that would stop the wedding." Kahoko uttered. She was fitting her wedding gown.

"Isn't that what you want?" Yunoki smirked, walking towards his fiancé.

"H-how c-could y-you s-say th-that?" Kahoko stumbled. She was breathless specially now that Yunoki was an inch closer her, his arms wrapped around her waist.

"But of course no stupid belief could deprive Azuma Yunoki of what he wants… You are mine, Kaho and you will be my wife." Yunoki smirked, pulling her closer to him. Kahoko smiled, masking the emotions she had inside her. 'If only you knew what my heart really desires, maybe you'll let me go…'

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