LOVE SPELL
By Treasure
Chapter 5
25.09.2012
Disclaimer: I do not own Nodame Cantabile
'Ring . . . . Ring ... 'the number you dialled is unattended or outside the coverage area.' 'The number you dialled is unattended or outside the coverage area.'
"Baka! Why isn't she answering her phone?' Chiaki is getting frustrated as he repeatedly trying to call Nodame for the nth time. Frustrated but not deterred, Chiaki tried a different strategy this time.
'Ring . . . ring. . . . .'
"Hallo" can be heard from the other end.
"Frank, this is Shinichi, is Nodame with you?
"No, I left her at the conservatoire. She was with Professor Auclair and some other people. She told me that it would be an important meeting, so I went ahead without her. Didn't she tell you about that meeting?"
Trying to save face, Chiaki lied. "Oh, the meeting, I've forgotten about that. Thank you for reminding me. Goodbye!" He quickly shut the phone before Frank could make another comment.
"Tsk, tsk. That hentai, she's making me worried for nothing. Maybe I should pick her up before completely forgetting our dinner night." He started walking towards the conservatoire.
Chiaki reached the school grounds just in time to see Nodame and a few others, including her professor, at the main building lobby, apparently saying goodbyes. Professor Auclair shook hands then wave ahead of everyone going his merry way.
"Nodame!" Chiaki called the pianist when he was only about several feet away for the remainder of the group. Her back was at him.
"Sempai! What brings you here?" She was surprised to see him on their campus.
Sensing that the others were wondering about his person, Chiaki prodded the girl "Maybe you would like to introduce me with your acquaintances?"
"Oh, right. Gomen. Ano . . . . Madam Von Braun, Madam Tomolva, Akutagawa-san, Hajime-san, I'd like you to meet a friend of mine, Chiaki-sempai. He's the resident conductor of the famous Roux Marlette." The introduction was simple and very formal, just like what Chiaki was accustomed. But something was not right here, with regards to Nodame. Where is "this is my husband" or "the love of my life" or "the very talented". Was it because of this Hajime guy, who looks like he's Madam Akutagawa's son? Is she trying to down play their 'relationship' to have a fling with this guy; who is quite good looking because he has the right mixture of Asian and European blood? Tall, lanky, dark hair, chiselled nose, fair skinned and Asian eyes and looks younger than him.
"How do you?" Chiaki bowed to the old ladies as a sign of respect, as he tried not to lose his composure, he even shook the hand of the other guy.
"I forgot to mention that they are hiring me to do a recital at their ballet school three weeks from now." Nodame beamed with pride. "They said a friend who had watched me during my St. Malo recital had recommended me to their affair." She narrated as the introduction was going.
"Ah." Now, a fact was revealing itself.
"That's true! And we believe that she was a good pick as she played fabulous Mozart for us a while back." Akutagawa-san was beaming with nice words for Nodame.
"I'm glad to hear that. I know Nodame would please all your guests." Chiaki agrees, not passing on a chance to see what the young Akutugawa Hajime would react.
"I do believe too. She has this power to make music touch one's heart!" Hajime voiced out as his focus was on Nodame. Chiaki was not happy with the look on the younger man's face.
"I'm sorry to shorten this meeting, but I need to borrow Nodame due to a prior appointment." Chiaki announced.
"Oh, I guessed we should be going too." Madam Von Braun announced. "We are happy to expect you on the 15th, Nodame." The group started at the parking lot while Hajime fall behind a few steps, planting a kiss at Nodame's hand. "I'd be happy to pick you up at the train station, Nodame!" Hajime followed the ladies, not waiting for her reply.
"Sheesh. He won't need to, I'll drive you there myself!" Chiaki smirked as he gently grab Nodame's wrist towards the conservatoire's gate. "We need to go; we need to buy kani (crab)."
While cooking the crabs, Chiaki asked Nodame to play what she has played for the group as a sample of her musical prowess. She indulged him; after all he was feeding her tonight.
While having dinner, Chiaki decided to interrogate the pianist, more like in a subtle way; he wanted to bombard her with probing question but he doesn't want Nodame to notice that he was prying too much. "Was that Hajime character earlier a part of the ballet thingy with the old ladies?"
"I don't know. He doesn't speak much during the meeting. It was Professor Auclair and the madams that did the arrangement, consulting me once in awhile. We agreed on the number and music pieces I will play and of course my talent fee. They said I could bring along a friend or two and we could stay in the estate for an extra night. They've said that there are nice orchards of plums and olives in the next town, vineyards are accessible too. I've never been to one." She cast her eyes on her plate. "Hajime-san said he could escort me and my friends . . . . ."
"I could come; I will come with you on your recital. I will be your moral support. Let's bring my car so we could move around." Chiaki said out loud without batting an eyelash.
Nodame was suddenly all over him, forgetting her resolve to treat Chiaki as professional as she can. "Thank you sempai, thank you very much!" She even planted kisses on his cheeks like an excited child. "Nodame!" He called out when he nearly chocked from her embrace.
Nodame stopped what she was doing as if being awakened from a trance. She's back to her resolve. "Gomen, ne! Nodame got carried away." She tried to straightened Chiaki's shirt and her dress too and walked back to her side of the table. "Maybe I should go now." She was expecting a scream of reprimand from Chiaki for what she did, her heart was beating too fast, she was thinking of a quick escape.
"Thank you for the food." She bowed and was ready to get her things and leave when Chiaki put his hand on her shoulder and turned her around to face him. "I think you should stay for the night, it'll be safer." Chiaki embraced her lightly and kissed her forehead. She was getting giddy. 'Don't get your hopes too high.' She reminded herself.
Chiaki asked if Nodame could play at least one of the songs she would play at the ballet special but Nodame said that it should be a secret and he could hear it on the day of the recital itself. "I could play Rachmaninoff for you sempai." What she said brought a smile on his lips. "That would be nice, Megumi." It sends chills to her bones when he called her by her first name.
The kitchen was sparkling clean after the song has ended, and the chief conductor was behind her feeling the resonance of the last note. "Maybe we should play a song together? A happy song would be appropriate. I'll go and get my violin."
They played two more songs when Nodame remembered that one of her recent favourite anime would be aired tonight, she tried to be coy about it but old habits are hard to die, so she asked Chiaki if she could watch the film from his telly. "Okay, fine. But you need to shower first." Shower was fine and had become a routine for her, but she was flabbergasted when she remembered that she had no spare clothes. Chiaki read her expression and declared "No need to worry, you've left a street wear once, I've wash them clean. You can wear them tomorrow. And as for your sleep gear, you can use my spare shirt." Chiaki went to his room and got her one of his shirt and a towel.
'Me, in his shirt? Wow! How could anyone be as lucky as me?' The pianist gets a euphoric feeling out of all the things happening right now, as if she was in the fantasy land.