So dear readers, here comes chapter 1. Hope you enjoy it.

Like I said before, it's rated M due to the mature contents. It's not very notable yet in this chapter, but I thought I should warn you from the beginning ^^

This chapter was still betaread by Nerizu =)

Disclaimer: La Corda d'Oro belongs to KOEI and Kure Yuki. I only own the food in this chapter, gyahahaha... =p

Chapter 1: The Unknown Side

Hino heard the entrance door being slammed, and she almost jumped from her semi-laying down position on her bed. She was reading and almost dropped her book from the shock.

Hino wondered. She only lived in that apartment with her boyfriend, Shimizu Keiichi. And Shimizu was hardly a hot-tempered person. He was as gentle and adorable as a man could be in whatever he did. Sure he had his impatient side when he urgently wanted something. And a mysterious aura when he was quiet and didn't want to say anything. But slamming doors was nothing she knew he would do.

She was starting to be afraid, not knowing who might have caused such a ruckus. She quietly got off of her bed, tip-toeing to the closed door of the bedroom to take a peek. She opened the door slightly with caution not to make a sound, and as she positioned her eye to the small room between the door and the jamb, she saw the cause of the sound and let out a sigh of relief.

It was Shimizu after all. He was there, sitting at the entrance, quietly and slowly taking off his shoes.

Hino came out of the bedroom to greet her boyfriend.

"Welcome home, Keiichi. God, you had me scared there," Hino said as she stepped toward him.

Shimizu turned his head toward Hino from his sitting position, and gave her a tired smile.

"Sorry, I put too much energy there," he answered with that soft voice of his.

Shimizu stood up. He walked toward Hino with his bag and suit jacket in a hand, and loosening his tie with the other. As he reached to her, he gave her a quick peck on her cheek.

Hino smiled. She then took the jacket and bag from him, and followed him to their bedroom.

"What's for dinner today?" Shimizu asked as he unbuttoned the sleeves then rolled them up to his elbows.

"Chicken katsu," she answered with a smile while hanging the jacket behind the door.

"Hmmm... Sounds good," he murmured.

Hino laughed. "Go take a shower first. Dinner will be ready by the time you finish. I only need to fry it now," she said then walked out to the kitchen.

They dined in silence.

Shimizu was being overly quiet all the time, while he drove his food to his mouth, and chewed it in almost slow motion. His half-sleepy gaze to nowhere in particular seemed to show that his mind was flowing elsewhere. He looked familiarly calm, yet something about it was so out of place.

Hino didn't dare to interrupt whatever thoughts he was having. She had learned from experience that if she said or did something to gain his attention, he wouldn't hear nor see anyway. She had to wait and let him come back to reality on his own.

But something about the way Shimizu behaved the last few days had been bugging her. He would suddenly become very quiet, like in that very moment, his blue eyes were radiating something she couldn't comprehend. In other random moments, he would drop whatever he was holding. Be it in purpose or not, Hino'd never know. But after dropping those things, he would suddenly be wide awake and collect them to resume whatever he was doing with them.

And at night, when they were sleeping, Shimizu would suddenly jolt, turn brusquely to his sides and murmur some series of implausible words, from whispering tones to practically shouting. All causing Hino, who was sleeping soundly beside him, to wake each and every time in surprise.

Whenever it happened, Hino would shake his body to wake him, or at least, make him return from whatever nightmare he was having. It was effective though, since he would calm down afterward, although still deep in slumber. But when Hino asked him in the morning if he was having nightmares, he wouldn't remember anything except from waking up covered in sweat and feeling unusually tired.

Moreover, when he played his cello in the evening before going to bed, he sounded... different. Hino couldn't describe what she heard with words. And when she made a comment about it to him afterwards, he would only blink innocently, chuckle and say that she was being paranoid.

In short, Shimizu wasn't being himself.

Hino sighed. And there she was, thinking she had understood Shimizu much better after almost two years of relationship. She guessed she was mistaken. After all, Shimizu still had layers of mysteries like those that she yet had to uncover.

"Kaho," a soft voice called her, snapping her out of her reverie.

From across the table, Shimizu faced her with a small smile curved on his face. His eyes were twinkling with such positive vibe, reflecting his optimistic way of life, and his face was practically glowing with a peaceful aura. And Hino felt her heart was thumping louder, as that was the look that made her fall in love with him to begin with, and it still made her fall over and over again until that day. She slowly felt her cheeks getting warm.

"Your food will get cold if you keep daydreaming, Kaho," Shimizu said with a soft chuckle. Back was the usual Shimizu.

Hino laughed sheepishly. How come he could still catch me off guard so easily after allthis time, she asked herself with her heart still beating fast.

She pretended to act normally despite her warming face and continued eating, but apparently failed, as Shimizu put his bowl and chopsticks aside. He leaned his elbows on the table, intertwined his fingers, and leaned his chin on them. He was observing her with an amused look.

Hino realized this a bit later, as she was busy trying to calm her heart. She blinked. "Um, what?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Can you tell me what you're thinking about, Kaho?" he asked with that ever soft voice of his. His curious gaze on her had a glint of a mixture between persuasion and flirt.

That was something Hino just learned when they started dating. That Shimizu could be quite seductive in his own quiet manner. It had surprised her, but she found herself liking it a lot. And it made her crave for more of whatever Shimizu was willing to give her. Especially in many things related to bed.

"Nothing," she managed to say with a grin. An attempt of it, actually. And she felt like a fool for being caught off guard.

"Nothing," Shimizu repeated, smiling meaningfully.

Hino knew it was a sign that Shimizu was having something in his mind, and that he will deliver it to her later. Not that she minded, though. After all, she had always blissfully enjoyed it, if not returning the favor in at least the same amount, and even more...

Hino tried to shake her little naughty thoughts away. It wasn't the time. Not yet. She shouldn't get carried away. If one of them lost control, they could simply do it then and there. But really, bodies covered in food going to waste, wasn't her idea of making out.

Shimizu laughed at the sight of Hino's face turning into different shades of red.

"Keiichi... Stop looking and laughing at me already," Hino said in a desperate tone.

"But you look so cute when you're flushed," Shimizu answered innocently. He had not moved a muscle from his watching position.

Hino pouted in response. "Keiichi, if you keep on teasing me, I won't be able to finish my dinner. And you neither."

Shimizu gave up, a smile still plastered on his face nonetheless. "Alright," he said, then grabbed his chopsticks and bowl to resume his dinner.

Hino sighed, and resumed eating too.

"How was work today?" Hino asked casually, changing the subject to calm her heart and mind.

What she witnessed after her own seemingly harmless question, was nothing she in her whole life had ever thought possible. And she wished she hadn't asked.

Upon hearing her question, Shimizu went suddenly rigid, chopsticks stopping in midair. His face clouded, his eyes turning into a darker shade of blue. His lips were literally forming a straight line, his jaws were tightening. He looked... scary. Gone was the adorable Shimizu Keiichi. Hino was so shocked as she could only watch, gaping.

But everything happened so fast, that she wasn't ready for what came after that. Shimizu suddenly stood up, eyes never leaving hers, and walked toward her in unusually fast moves.

Before Hino could think or react, she felt her cheek being slapped really hard, sending her together with her chair flying, until she felt her back crashing hard against the wall behind her...

(to be continued...)

A/N: What do you think? Unexpected? ^^ I couldn't believe it myself. I guess I was just inspired by a story I heard a little too often a while ago.

Anyway, will be awaiting your reviews! =)