Ultra A/N:
This is an alternate retelling of Bridging the Gap. It's uploaded here as it was meant to be read before I realized I was getting nowhere with this plot. This story ends at Chapter 8; I do not plan to continue writing it.
Chapter 6: The Morning After
A/N:
I'm really truly honestly thankful that I fell in love with La Corda d'Oro over the sembreak. If I hadn't discovered it with such good timing, I wouldn't have the motivation *free time, ehem, free time* to write this fanfic, which brings me great happiness. Aha.
Disclaimer:
I do not own La Corda d'Oro; the whole concept belongs to Kure Yuki-sensei.
Previously:
Chapter 5: Disaster at the Konbini
"I'm sorry for causing you trouble," she said, addressing the grey haired man with a deep bow. "I'll go find a towel, excuse me."
She turned to Tsuchiura's direction, feeling several pairs of eyes fixed on her back. As she took one step forward, however, the world titled to the right. The floor split into two and Tsuchiura's worried face blurred. Oh no.
Chapter 6: The Morning After
The sound of tires screeching. Her hair slapping against her face. Someone screaming in terror. The world tumbled and spun in an explosion of color, leaving her numb but at the same time overwhelmed by a mass of conflicting sensations. A loud crash, a final scream. And then nothing…
Kahoko's eyes flew open, her breathing labored and irregular. Feeling extremely disoriented, she put a hand up to her face, her fingers touching beads of sweat on her forehead. She exhaled and tried to steady her heartbeat, trying not to panic. It took her a while to realize that it was only a dream. Everything was just a nightmare.
Just a nightmare.
Sitting up gingerly, Kahoko found herself inside a sparsely decorated white room, where the only pieces of furniture were the bed she had slept in and a long cabinet spanning the entire wall to her right. To her left were large glass windows, covered by immaculate floor length curtains.
Where am I?
Getting to her feet, she realized she was still wearing the same outfit from the night before. While she slept, her hair had turned into a mess, and now unruly strands were sticking up in all directions. The shoes Erika bought for her were nowhere in sight.
Barefooted, she walked out of the room, still confused. If logic served her right, someone had taken her home after she passed out in the konbini. This room was unfamiliar, yet she had a feeling she had been here before. Disregarding Nami and Mio, whose bedrooms were like old friends to her, the only choice left was Tsuchiura. She was probably in his apartment.
Sure enough, when she opened the door, the smell of fried rice welcomed her. She resisted the urge to laugh. He used to cook fried rice for her all the time.
Unlike Len…
Sober, Kahoko found Tsuchiura behind a sleek marble kitchentop, cooking with a pale blue apron on. She was happy to notice that the kitchen looked familiar, even friendly. They had often baked pastries together, Tsuchiura fond of berating her every time she made a mistake.
"Good morning to you," he joked. "You look like you're still asleep."
"Hm," Kahoko acknowledged, sitting on a stool before him. "Thanks for taking care of me. And Nami and Mio, too, I presume. Did they leave early?"
"Yeah," he said, transferring the fried rice onto a plate. "Nami left before I even got up; she left a note saying she had a deadline this afternoon. Mio woke up about an hour ago, but she said she'd eat at home. So I guess you'll have to eat brunch with me," he said, pushing a plate of fried rice and steak in front of her.
"Thanks," Kahoko said. She felt her mouth water. "Itadakimasu."
Tsuchiura smiled as he sat on the stool beside her and began to eat as well.
"You're lucky Mr. Leather Jacket caught you," he said. "For a moment I thought you'd hit the floor for sure, but he was quite quick on the uptake."
"I have to thank him then," Kahoko said. "If we meet again, that is."
"Do you have an idea why you fainted?"
"Probably because I was hungry," Kahoko answered in between bites. "And stressed."
Tsuchiura played with his fork.
"I actually thought it was the shock of seeing Tsukimori again," he joked. "We haven't seen him since high school, have we?"
"Hmmm…" Kahoko agreed, pensive.
"You still like him," Tsuchiura stated, staring at his plate.
"This steak is really good!" Kahoko exclaimed suddenly. She had wiped out her entire plate.
"H-how did you do that?!" Tsuchiura wondered aloud, amazed.
"Can I have more?" Kahoko asked, holding her plate up.
"Y-yeah, sure…"
As Tsuchiura piled her plate with more food, Kahoko smiled and began to speak.
"Like you said, it's been six years," she said. "A lot of things have happened since then, and both of us have changed. He's not the guy we used to know, and I've changed as well. Simply put… we live separate lives now."
"That doesn't answer my question," Tsuchiura said, handing back her plate.
"That wasn't even a question."
"Stop changing the topic!"
Kahoko sighed deeply.
"I just want to forget him right now," she said honestly. "I want to move on. Besides," she added, a trace of bitterness evident in her voice, "he has."
They finished the rest of the meal in silence.
XXX
"Nothing's changed around here," Kahoko noted, drying her hands on a towel. They had just finished washing the dishes from their brunch, joking and catching up with each other's lives, and she was now observing his spacious living room.
Like his bedroom, the rest of Tsuchiura's high-rise apartment was painted in pristine white and sparsely decorated. In the middle of the living room was a long white couch facing a large plasma TV, the balcony overlooking the city lying in the background. In an area adjacent to the living room, Tsuchiura's baby grand stood bathed in shadows of the early afternoon.
Kahoko walked over to the far end of the living room, where a long glass table was decorated with trophies, medals and a couple of framed photos. Fingering Tsuchiura's gold medal for being MVP of the last soccer season, she bent slightly to be at eye level with the pictures on display.
There was a picture of the Seiso soccer club during their time, familiar faces in high school uniforms standing in an expansive green field. There was also a picture of a young Tsuchiura and his father, smiling at the camera as they sat on stadium bleachers. Beside that was a family portrait, taken candidly such that Tsuchiura, his parents, older sister and younger brother looked genuinely, offhandedly happy. Next to that was a photo taken some years ago, during the vacation Nami organized before Manami left for Canada; in it, Kahoko, Tsuchiura and their other friends were smiling happily with tall, snow-capped mountains in the background.
The smile on Kahoko's face disappeared as she saw the last frame facedown. She didn't think it would still be there…
Slowly, she righted the unadorned silver frame. It contained a photo of her and Tsuchiura in traditional Japanese dress, her arm wrapped around his. The picture had been their first as a couple; it was during a festival in their hometown when Kahoko finally agreed to go out with Tsuchiura.
She hadn't expected the picture to still be on display.
"You're right," Tsuchiura spoke softly from behind her. "Nothing's changed."
Returning the frame to its original position, Kahoko straightened up, her face burning. Tsuchiura was standing right behind her, his searching gaze causing her to flush even deeper.
"Since when have you been standing there?" Kahoko muttered in a low voice, hugging herself involuntarily.
Tsuchiura looked at his hands.
"I have something to say," he said, "and I'm only gonna say it once."
"Ryou…"
"I know you only think of me as a friend," he began in a low voice, "but to me, you never were and you never will be just a friend. Even though it's obvious that you're still in love with Tsukimori," he took a deep breath, "I just can't stop thinking about you."
He looked away, his eyes glazed over.
"That's why," he continued, "I've decided to keep liking you even if you don't feel the same way about me. I'm not going to force my company on you, but… if ever you need me, I want you to know I'm right here. If things don't work out between you and Tsukimori, I want you to know that I'm still waiting for you."
He met her eyes. "I won't pursue you because I want you to be happy," he said. "And because I don't want my sacrifice to go to waste, I wish you'd go after what you want. Allow yourself to love him again, Kaho. Fight for him, if you have to. Everybody deserves a shot at happiness."
Kahoko shuffled her feet.
"It's not as if he'd welcome me back with open arms," she muttered. "He's obviously moved on with his life…"
"That girl he was with?" Tsuchiura asked, thoughtful. "Yeah, they did seem pretty close. But, from the little I know of that man, he's still affected by your presence. You're not exactly easy to forget," he added in a whisper. "I should know."
Kahoko blushed deeply.
"Don't look so guilty!" Tsuchiura teased, laughing. "It's not your fault I like you, and besides, you're not in charge of other people's feelings. Just concentrate on trying to make yourself happy."
He ruffled her hair playfully.
"You might be doing someone else a favor."
XXX
Later that afternoon, as Kahoko stood at her front door waving Tsuchiura goodbye, she mulled over the things he said.
Everybody deserves a shot at happiness.
Kahoko groaned inwardly. She didn't want to hurt Tsuchiura anymore, but it wasn't as if she could do anything. Although he knew she was incapable of reciprocating his affections, he was still ready to support her. Flattered by his sincerity, but unable to erase her feelings of guilt, Kahoko felt the sudden urge to cry.
It was all too much.
As she lethargically fished in her purse for her house key, a car pulled up on the street behind her. Shocked, Kahoko turned around hastily, expecting to see a fuming Erika. Indeed, the instant she saw the emerald sports convertible before her, she began to panic, instinctively cooking up excuses to explain the incident at the konbini. Her shock transformed into great astonishment when it was not Erika who stepped out of the car.
It was Hihara Kazuki. He was hiding under a cap and sunglasses, but he was still glaringly conspicuous.
"Kaho-chan!" he greeted enthusiastically, grinning widely. "I got a new car. Pretty cool, huh?"
"Kazuki," Kaho exhaled, feeling slightly nauseous. "Yeah, that's a cool car. It's so…" she gesticulated wildly, trying to come up with a sensible adjective. "Green."
Hihara laughed.
"For my hair, see?" he said lightly, tugging his bangs to illustrate.
"I thought you'd be gone for a couple of days."
"I got a message from Yunoki saying he's back in town," Hihara said, his loud voice carrying across the street. "He's throwing a party next week, and he asked me to invite you. He seems to think we're… going out," Hihara explained, blushing.
Him and the rest of the world.
"And you're going, Kazuki-kun?"
"Of course!" he replied without hesitation. "I want to see everyone again; I think Yunoki's planning to invite some people from Seiso."
Which is the problem.
"D-do you want to go with me, Kaho-chan?" Hihara asked, relatively calmly, although his face was becoming redder by the moment. "U-unless you've got other plans…"
Kahoko looked up at his innocent face. She didn't want to hurt him but-
"I'm sorry, Kazuki," she answered softly. "I don't think I'll be going."
"But why?!" Hihara exclaimed loudly.
"I'm getting uncomfortable with the media," Kahoko lied, although it was partly true. "Everyone seems to think we're an item-"
"Then we can go separately," Hihara reasoned. "We don't have to go together. You shouldn't miss Yunoki's welcome party for fear of the paparazzi."
"No, really, I don't think I should go-"
Hihara considered her for a while, cocking his head to one side.
"Come with me," he said, suddenly grabbing her hand. "I'm taking you to Yunoki so he can persuade you personally-"
"Kazuki-"
"Then we could go for a spin-"
"No, Kazuki!"
She flung her hand out of his grip. Hihara stood frozen, staring at her.
"I-I'm sorry," Kahoko apologized. "I didn't mean to-"
"Kaho-chan…"
"Gomenasai, Kazuki," Kahoko said, bowing her head, "but I will not be attending that party. Please send Yunoki-senpai my sincerest apologies."
Having said this, Kahoko ran down the street, leaving an immobile Hihara staring after her. She didn't know where she was headed for, but at this point, she really didn't care. All she wanted was to be left alone, to be given some time to collect her thoughts.
He'll be at the party for sure. Yunoki will probably invite him, and it's almost guaranteed that Erika will force him to attend.
She didn't want to talk to him. She didn't know what to say if they ever had the chance to converse. Given a choice, she would rather be as far from him as possible, making sure that they'd never cross paths. She didn't think she could lie to him if he demanded some answers.
Kahoko ceased running, slowing down to a sluggish trot. If she were honest with herself, she would say she wanted to see him again. Meeting him in that karaoke bar, even at the worst possible moment under the worst possible circumstances… It made her heart somersault. Standing there in his dark slacks and elbow-length white shirt, he looked positively…
Hot, Kahoko admitted. There was no other word for it.
As if realizing the profundity of her surrender, she shook her head in frustration, as though doing so would erase the fact that she found Tsukimori Len tempting.
Fur Elise began to play suddenly. Erika was calling. Feeling apprehensive, Kahoko answered the call. "Moshi moshi?"
"Kaho-senpai?" came Erika's clear voice. It was serious this time. "Have you heard about Azuma's welcome party?"
"Yes, Kazuki invited me."
"Will you be going?" Erika asked.
"No, I don't think I should be there."
"On the contrary, you should be there," Erika said, surprising Kahoko. "This party is unlike any other, Kaho-senpai. It's an open challenge from Azuma to me."
"So why do I have to be there?" Kahoko asked, not understanding.
"Azuma thinks I made friends with you so I could turn you into a tool against him," Erika explained. "He thinks I'm using you to come between our possible engagement - emphasis on possible; it's different from probable."
"I really don't get it," Kahoko admitted.
Erika sighed.
"You are, without a doubt, the densest girl I've ever met," she said. "Nevertheless, my point is, because he doesn't want you caught between our families, aka he doesn't want you anywhere near his grandmother, he's going to try to prove that there's nothing going on between the two of you. So," Erika said, pausing for effect, "he's going to play matchmaker to you and Hihara Kazuki, and he'll make sure the whole world knows it. Hence, the welcome party."
"He's going to pair me up with Kazuki?" Kahoko asked, unbelieving. "He can't do that!"
"He can and he will," Erika guaranteed. "I'm not going to divulge his plans, but I'm telling you right now to accept Hihara Kazuki's invitation. Oh, and when you go outside anytime this week, make sure you look your best. Trust me on this."
"Right…" Kahoko asked.
"If you haven't got any other questions-"
"Hang on," Kahoko interrupted. "Why did Len come home? Is someone sick?"
Erika didn't reply immediately.
"It's nothing serious, really," she said. "Apparently, Hamai Misa-san wanted him to help out for his grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary. It's going to be grand, I think; they're planning a music fest theme. Len's been assigned with finding the right performers for the event, including choosing the songs to be played, so he came home to talk to his grandparents personally about the concept they had in mind."
"That's… unexpected," Kahoko said, although she thought odd was a more fitting adjective. "When is this event then?"
"November."
"But that's four months from now!"
"I told you it's a big thing," Erika said impatiently. "Listen, although I'd love to chat, I'm afraid I have to go now; I'm cooking dinner tonight. I'll see you in Azuma's party then."
And she hung up.
Frowning slightly, Erika put the phone back in her purse. Now she had to call Hihara and tell him she had changed her mind. She searched for her other phone, the one with her original contacts list, but she realized she had last seen it during the kidnapping fiasco. Sighing, she listlessly began to walk in the direction of Café Forte, feeling oddly depressed and hating it.
She had hoped he came back for an entirely different reason.
A/N:
Seriously, I was nuts to try my hand at romance. Conceptualizing the mood in my head is fun enough, but writing the dialogue is absolute suicide. I used to have a poor opinion of telenovelas, which are melodramatic soap operas ubiquitous in the Philippines, but now I'm slowly respecting their writers for coming up with such short, effective dialogue. Gah.
Next:
Chapter 7: Party People
"Yunoki-senpai sent a professional makeover team?" Nao marveled aloud. "I see he hasn't changed."
"I'm sorry, but I have other plans-"
"No, Kaho, go with her," Nao urged. "We'll meet you at the venue."
"But I promised Nami and Mio-"
"Nami and Mio don't exactly need fashion advice," Nao commented dryly. "Go on. You should never turn down the great Yunoki Azuma."
Chills running down her spine, Kahoko laughed nervously. How ironically true.