Disclaimer: I do not own La Corda D' Oro or any of its character.

Epilogue

After receiving her music degree at Tokyo College for music students [4 years after Yunoki's death], Kahoko was offered to join the Italian Orchestra residing at Venice, Italy. They saw her performance at their school concours the other year and saw that Kahoko was a good violinist in the making. She was a violinist who placed so much emotion in the pieces she performs.

'Azuma-kun, I'm going to Venice to fulfill my dreams and hopefully see him once more.' She said silently, standing in front of the Azuma shrine where Yunoki's ashes resided. The cold breeze wrapped around her and she remembered the day he died.

[Flashback]

His eyes were fixed on her, those deceiving eyes that are now full of sorrow and longing. His hands felt cold against her warm ones. Color was starting to escape from his face. She sensed something was wrong.

"Kahoko there's only one thing you have to remember…" But then [Boogsh!] Guilt and sorrow now resided in her thoughts and heart. She wanted to be with someone else, she did not want to marry him, she wanted to get away from him but she did not want to end his life. Yunoki was important to her as well.

"Yunoki!" Kaho heard Miyabi and her grandmother shout in horror and pain, they obviously 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.

"Yunoki…" Her tears were flooding vehemently. She knew she's going to lose him the second time around and this time it was forever. "Gome Nasai. [I'm sorry]"

"No, please don't… Te Amo, Kahoko. Il rimorso mi pungeva la conscienza. Lo ti do la tua liberta Hino." [I love you, Kahoko. Your remorse pricked my conscience. I now give you your freedom, Hino.]" He kissed her hand and closed his eyes never to open it again.

"No…" She cried, holding his hand and not wanting to let go of it.

The next day after a short service, his body was cremated and was placed at the Azuma shrine together with his other dead relatives. That night, his grandmother and Miyabi visited Kahoko.

"Oyasumi Nasai, Azuma-san,Miyabi-chan." [Good Evening, Azuma-san, Miyabi-chan] She bowed down respectfully. She was wearing her mourning attire; she was in a black strapless bubble dress accessorized with a choker, headband and a black high-heeled shoes. Her eyes were sullen from crying.

"Oyasumi. How have you been doing?" Miyabi kissed her cheeks and hugged her as a greeting. "We're really sorry we barged in and have to deal with things right away."

"Dosh'te? [Why?]" Kahoko asked; her voice was so soft that it almost sounded like a sigh.

"You know that I don't like you and I am against my grandson's wedding with you, but what can I do?" She looked at Kahoko from head to toe. "Well, I'm not here to talk about my sentiments; it's something more important." She handed her papers as she sat down on the sofa.

"What is this?" she asked. Yunoki's grandmother looked Miyabi's way and she called someone outside as though her grandmother had just given her an order through mental telepathy. Then a man in black suit came in with Miyabi. From the looks and the way she stood, he was a lawyer.

"Shall I begin then?" He asked.

"Yes." The grandmother approved. "But before that, can I have some tea, Hino-san?"

"I'll give you tea and how about you, sir? Miyabi-chan?" She looked at her other guests who seated themselves on the sofa as well. "Coffee." The man requested. "Dark, please."

"I'll have some tea. Would you need help?" Miyabi offered, but Kahoko declined the offer.

When Kahoko left, Yunoki's grandmother made her eyes travel around the house, scrutinizing it. She got a blue album on top of the other albums. She flipped it open and the first thing she saw was a picture of all the seven concours participants with their two senseis [Ousaki and Kanazawa] She flipped some more pages and saw the pictures of Kahoko and Yunoki together. She sighed, knowing that in these pictures Yunoki was not wearing his usual scripted smile. This was true. She returned it back to where it was before Kahoko came back.

When Kahoko came, she was bringing a tray of cupcakes with three cups of tea and a coffee.

"I do not understand anything." Kahoko uttered as she served them their drinks.

"You see, you are part of Yunoki's last will and testament." She uttered casually as she gently placed her cup back on the saucer after taking a sip. Kahoko's eyes widened; she looked at Miyabi and then the lawyer.

"I shall start then." Taking that as a que, he started reading aloud what was written on the paper while Kahoko read with him silently with her eyes.

'5,000,000 pounds? A villa in Italy? A letter and a flute… What in cow's name am I going to use these for?' She thought, her mouth gaped wide-open.

"I won't accept these… maybe I could have the letter and his flute but those material things, I just could not accept them. I did not work for them." She uttered.

"He knew you would say that. May I play this then? These are evidences that you worked for these." He uttered as he placed a disk on the player. It showed Kahoko and Yunoki talking to British investors. They were complaining about something and Yunoki was dumbfounded; it was Kahoko who convinced the British investors that everything was okay and that the problem would be solved right away. While Yunoki explained business to them in the conference room, Kahoko was busy solving the problems being related and the deal was closed. 'I did not know that was worth 5 million pounds.' She uttered, still not able to believe it.

The villa on the other hand was a gift for Yunoki from the 'Italian Ambassador to Japan' . He gave it because he liked the mini-concert Kahoko performed before he left Japan.

"So you actually worked for it without your knowledge though." The lawyer uttered. "And he also said in this legal document that you can't return it to the Azuma's because they're yours or else you'll face some legal issues…"

"Since when did returning an inheritance to a family member become illegal?" Kahoko complained, still not believing the news she just received.

"Since the day Azuma Yunoki said so." The lawyer uttered.

She used some of her money for college and the rest were kept in her bank, used it to finance on some kids who wants to play classical instruments but do not have the money to do so and the rest were kept in her back still unsure on what to do with it. [End of Flashback]

'I have not read the letter and it would be okay with you if I don'tm right? I placed it on a glass box with your flute and my broken violin.' She sighed. 'You know that I did love you but no matter how much we deceive each other we both know for whom my heart truly beats. And I give you my deep gratitude… Sayonara, Azuma Yunoki.' Kahoko uttered in her thoughts, bowing down respectfully. She then left. She was flying to Venice on that day.

Three months later…

Len had just finished another beautiful concert and as he was walking out of the concert hall, he saw a familiar red-haired girl in a white dress.

'I'm imagining things again.' He thought, walking passed by her.

"Chotto Matte Len![Wait a minute Len!]" He recognized the voice. He knew it was her and he was certain. Len did not look at her but he stopped.

"What is it?" He sternly asked, still with his back facing her. 'I can't look at you, I just can't…' He thought.

"Len, tell me what do you feel for me? What am I to you?" She asked boldly, bold enough that she herself was surprised. Tsukimori was shocked too but not a flinch of his muscle moved, he remained stiff.

"What does it matter to you?" He uttered insensitively.

"I…I…" Kahoko stammered, all the words she practiced and all the sentences she's been composing all drained down. He could hear her voice shaking. It was always like that when she would talk to him.

Guilt was now running through every vein of his body. 'What are you doing, Tsukimori? What's wrong with you?' He scolded himself.

Kahoko was now crying. "Len, please look at me and tell me that you do not care about me because I want to know what is really running there in your mind… I care about you, I like you and I love you…" Her tears were vehemently rolling down her eyes.

His golden orbs widened in surprise but still he refused to look at her; he was scared. 'I am a coward… I am scared to face you because I'm scared that I would lose you, that when I look into your face you would suddenly vanish…'

"Len I do not know why I still have the urge to do this even after this rejection. I know you would not want to see me but…" Kahoko said.

'No… that's not it, If only you knew…' This time he looked at her and realized she was already kneeling down before him.

"Tsukimori Len, will you marry me?" Kahoko held out a ring before him.

He dipped his hands into his pocket, feeling a small box in it.

"I guess the answer's a no." Kahoko stood up; ready to leave but then Len got her arms.

"I want to marry you." He finally said the words he'd been keeping. "I've waited for this day to come… this day that I'll tell you how much I love you."

She looked at him, this time it was her turn to be surprised. Her tears still came rushing out of her eyes. His golden orbs were melting her.

"Let's get married now." He uttered, dragging her to the church. He also tagged along two tourists to be their witnesses.

'We are both wearing white but how about the rings… there's only one ring with me right now.' She thought, looking at the one she was bringing. When she was about to tell that to Tsukimori, she realized he had already talked to the priest.

Len played: Schubert's Serenade for Kahoko's wedding march. 'I know that this isn't your dream wedding, but I'm tired of waiting.'

Kahoko was smiling with her tears dropping from her eyes. The thought that Len was serenading her beautifully made her cry with happiness. This was her dream wedding, her happily ever after.

"Tsukimori Len, do you want to take Hino Kahoko as your wife?" The priest asked.

"I do." Len answered, holding Kahoko's hand tighter.

"Hino Kahoko, do you take Tsukimori Len as your husband?" The priest turned to Kaho.

"I do." Kaho answered, glancing at Len. Then they presented their rings to one another.

"Len, take this ring as a sign of my eternal love for you. I promise that from this day forward I will prove to you that I am worthy to be your duet in every piece you play. I promise that you will be the only man in my life and I will love you forever." Kahoko promised as she slipped the ring on his finger.

And to her surprise Len took a ring out. "This ring had been waiting for you to wear, I've always been carrying but I never had the courage to give this to you. Now take it and with that ring comes my promise that I will forever be your duet and you would only be my duet." Len vowed.

"Now I pronounce you husband and wife." The priest said. "You may now kiss the bride." Len looked through her golden eyes and slowly they came closer and closer. Then their lips touched; it was the most magical kiss one could ever witness. And the bell rang gleefully three times.

"Se Tu Sappessi…" He breathed.

"No, I already know." She smiled. Finally, Len had owned her smile and she had owned his.

And they live happily ever after, I guess…

Author's note: Finally, I've reached the final chapter of my story. It's hard to say but I have to end it here and I hope you enjoyed this. To all those who read and reviewed my story, thank you so much. To all those who added this in their favorite and alert list thank you so much. Please do continue giving wonderful comments and constructive criticisms, I would be thankful for all of those. See you in my upcoming stories.