Chapter 21

Lo Ti do La Tua Liberta

I was running in that same unending road, but I felt heavy. I was wearing a long white gown tainted with a scarlet-red liquid, blood. I was gasping for breath, the air was stained with salty rusted smell, blood. I was tired from that endless run. My heart was fluctuating abnormally. I could feel the cold breeze dancing under my feet and then I slipped. I tried to stand-up and go back to running but I was glued on the floor as though I was cemented there.

'Kaho! Kaho! Where are you, Kahoko?' I recognized the cold voice. I looked up and saw him, bathed in blood as well. I smiled; my cold-hearted blue-haired violinist.

'Len!' I called out. It was the first time. I addressed him that way. But it was as though, he did not hear me nor did he see me on the floor. He just passed by. 'Len!' I called again, but this time I'm not even sure if something escaped from me. For all I know, my tears were running down from my eyes to my cheeks.

'Kaho! Where are you?' I heard Len's voice growing fainter and more distant. And then he was gone together with the floor that held me. I was falling down to nothingness fast. 'Aaah…' I cried but I was certain no voice came out from me. My throat was hurting but my voice was trapped. I closed my eyes. Death.

When all my hopes were gone and I had stopped falling, I opened my eyes. There I saw him and his golden hair. Kaji Aoi. 'I told you, I'll catch you when you're uncertain where to fall.' I smiled, happy but then. [Bang!] Someone shot him. He perished and I fell on the floor. Blood splattered all over me. I looked at the assassin, my heart beating nervously.

'You are mine…' It was the man with an 'oni' mask. He had that same hush voice. He walked nearer me and the danger grew. His tapping footsteps were the only sound I heard in that empty place.

He was an inch near me when a bullet came out of nowhere, hitting his mask [Crack…]

"Kahoko, Ohayou Gozaimasu! [Kahoko, Good Morning!]" It was Kaho's sister. They arrived three days ago for the preparation of Kahoko's wedding. "It's your big day, today!" With her eyes still closed Kaho sat on her bed. "Ohayou!" She uttered lazily, yawning.

"Oh come on! Are you not excited? Isn't this like a fairytale? You'll finally have your happily-ever-after." Her sister uttered; dreamy. She was more excited than Kahoko was.

'Happy-ever-after? I never thought of that.' She told herself in her mind.

"Or maybe a love story in a novel! This is true love!" She swept Kahoko out of her bed and waltzed her around. They both giggled.

"Fine. I get your point. I'll go and take a shower first." Kahoko lazily made her way to the restroom. She walked slowly like she really did not want to get out of bed.

She did not want this day to come, not yet. She felt like she still needs more time to think about things over and over again. It is true that she has feelings for Yunoki but it was not the same as before. Yunoki had always been her dream, her happy ending but he never was the man she truly loves. She that deep inside her heart, Tsukimori Len was the man she wanted even when they were high school students.

[Flashback]

It was when Kahoko was introduced to the other concours participants in their high school years. Kahoko's eyes were caught by the bleak and expressionless, Tsukimori Len. This was the same man, she heard the other day when she passed by that practice room, the same man who played the violin beautifully. However, he was harsh and cold to Kahoko specially.

"Watashi namae wa Hino Kahoko desu." She introduced herself, beaming with a sweet smile. She held her hand out to Tsukimori but he looked just looked at her from head to toe, scrutinizing. He snubbed and went out without saying a word. "What's wrong with him?" She whispered to herself.

"Don't mind him,Hino-chan." Hihara uttered. "He's really like that." Kahoko smiled at him and nodded.

Starting that day, she could never take Len off her head no matter what. She even kept dreaming of him while he plays the Ave Maria.

[End of Flashback]

It was already the day of her wedding, but she was still not sure what her heart would want her to do. She sighed; she knew she entered a cave with no exit.

"You could still back-out." His grandmother entered his room.

"You already know my reasons. Do I have to lay it out to you again for you to fully understand it, oba-sama?" Yunoki uttered, playing with his pen.

"I know and I understand it but…"

"Oba-sama, this is what I want." He uttered, his eyes staring out of the window. 'There is no other girl more worthy than Kahoko.' His grandmother sighed, knowing that she could not change his mind anymore.

Their wedding was held at a butterfly sanctuary; one of the biggest and well-structured sanctuaries in Japan. It was the home of many rare kinds of flowers and butterflies. It was Yunoki's request and of course, he always gets what he wants. Kahoko's heart was fluctuating and her stomach was tickling; it was as though the butterflies all went into her stomach. She took a deep breath in and asked herself, 'Why are you feeling like this Kahoko? Is it because of joy? Is it because of anxiety? What am I feeling right now?' And then tears started flooding out of her eyes.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when Tsuchuira on the piano and Shimizu in his cello played 'Runaway'. Kahok walked down the red-carpeted aisle with rose petals showered on her. 'If only you knew I'd run away with you, Tsukimori-kun, would you be here with me instead?' Her tears continued rolling down her eyes.

Yunoki kissed her hands gently when she reached the end of the march. "Hold your tears." He ordered. Then they were asked to give their vows to each other after the rings were presented to them.

"Azuma Yunoki, you've chained me. We have gone to so many ups and downs; we've had our rollercoaster adventures… For all the years we've shared and we will share, I give you my deepest gratitude. Take this ring as a symbol of our eternal love and may we live life together till eternity. Take me, I am yours." Kahoko vowed as she slipped the ring into his ring finger. She wanted to take back all the things she said and she felt so guilty. This was unfair to both of them. Kahoko knew she was lying, to herself, to Len, to Yunoki and to everyone. Her tears flooded, her eyes melancholic.

"Hino Kahoko, you've always been mine. I've always been selfish, not allowing others to pry on you because you are only mine." His eyes were fixed on hers, those deceiving eyes that was now full of sorrow and longing. His hands felt cold against her warm hands. Color was starting to escape his face as though he was sick. She sensed something was wrong, she just does not know what it is. "Kahoko, there's only one thing you have to remember…" But then [Boogsh!] Kahoko's eyes widened in shock.

"Yunoki!" Kahoko heard Miyabi and his grandmother shout in horror and pain, they knew what was happening. Both rushed to Yunoki as Kahoko fell weak and dropped to her knees beside him. Then a blue butterfly rested on Kahoko's right shoulder. Then the image of the man with an 'oni' mask flashed in her thoughts.

Out of nowhere a bullet hit the oni-masked man's mask. The mask cracked and was halved. I saw the face of the masked man. I could not believe it. Then another bullet came; it hit his head and blood splattered. 'Lo fara libera, Hino. [I set you free]" It was Yunoki Azuma.

"Yunoki…" I kneeled beside him. "Gome Nasai."

"No… Te Amo, Kahoko. Il rimorso mi pungeva la conscienza. Hino, lo ti do la tua liberta.[I love you, Kahoko. Your remorse pricked my conscience. Hino, I give you your freedom.] " He uttered. He kissed her hand and closed his eyes never to open it again.

"Yunoki Arigatou." She uttered, holding his hand tight.

[Ding-Dong] Tsukimori heard the church bell ring three times as he walked down a street in Venice. 'I guess your smile could never be mine.'

Thank you for reading everyone. Special thanks to all those who reviewed this story. I would also like to extend my gratitude to those who added my story to their favorite and alert list. Thank you so much. Please don't forget to drop a Review after reading this; it really means a lot to me.