LOVE SPELL
By Treasure
Chapter 6
03.19.2013
Disclaimer: I do not own Nodame Cantabile
Chiaki was happy that he still can see traces of affection – restrained though – from the hentai pianist. And why he had felt different when he was introduced as a colleague and a senior rather than the usual lie, of him being her husband? It was the right and formal introduction and it was also his way when introducing her, but why it felt constricting and irritable at that moment?
He would ask Nodame about it in the morning. No, he should not or the weirdo sleeping in his sofa might get a notion that he's jealous – wait – jealous? Where did it come from? Nah, this feeling is nothing like it, it's just . . . . It's just that I'm already used of being introduced as her husband, yeah that's it. Something of a private joke, yeah – our private joke.
Chiaki was still convincing himself in the middle of the night when winds started blowing and making the air colder. He remembered that he had only given Nodame a thin blanket and he doesn't want his guest to get cold, so he decided to wake Nodame.
"Nodame why don't you transfer in my bed, it will be too cold here before the morning." And like a zombie, Nodame walked to his room without complaint, leaving him to pick-up the pillow and blanket from the sofa. He too did not complain when her arm almost smacked his chest and her leg crossed his when she shifts in her sleep like she's the only one occupying that bed. Chiaki just move to face her, place his arm on her waist and his head on her shoulder – when did she start to smell lavender –was the question he had when he drifted to sleep.
Nodame did not try to seek for another part time job at the meantime, as she became busy practicing for her recital. Chiaki also told him that she could practice at his apartment if the dormitory becomes too noisy when the other student tenants would be practicing at the same time. He tried not calling her but always asking her whereabouts, at dusk trying to see her in his or her apartment.
"I don't think I'll be able to drop by at your apartment today, sempai. Professor Yoda, err I mean, Professor Auclair asked me to stay for an hour or so, he wanted to see my progress with regards to the playlist I had for the upcoming recital." – Her text message content.
Chiaki got frustrated with the message. He was conjuring a tuna menu for them tonight. If she's going to be late, maybe he could just stay behind the Marlette office to study some score, then drop by at her apartment, maybe by then they could share a heated can of asparagus soup, slices of baguette and some cheese. He sigh, he needs to be productive while passing the time.
Chiaki left the Roux Marlette office when the clock strikes half past eight. He had calculated that it will take him thirty minutes to reach the grocer, seven to ten minutes to ring the canned soup, bread and some spices; and another ten minutes to reach Nodame's apartment. Food will be done not more than twenty minutes, still hot at her arrival.
The soup had gone cold but no hentai pianist appeared. Chiaki had grown weary, not sure where his kohai had gone. He tried calling her but her phone was off. Then tried calling his apartment, maybe the girl decided to go to his place instead. But his phone kept ringing, meaning no one was in.
"That's it! I need to check if she had left the conservatoire!" Chiaki took his coat, lock Nodame's apartment, hailed the first cab he sees.
The cab was halted at the school gates. The guard says that everyone left the grounds. Undecided to where he would like to go, he dialled her mobile phone one last try.
"Hallo"
"Baka Nodame! Where are you? It's late and you're nowhere to be found! I'm here outside your school gate!"
"Yay Sempai! I forgot to tell you, I'm dinning out with Kuroki-kun. Where? Three blocks from the conservatoire, a place called Morph. Hello, hello! Why did he hang up on me?" She looked back at Kuroki who was munching fried tofu.
"I think he's on his way here." Kuroki dipped his tofu into a teriyaki sauce.
It didn't take Chiaki ten minutes to spot Morph. He paid the cab and went straight in the restaurant, with too much restraint on his face. He was ready to give a piece of his mind to Nodame when he saw the whole company. Madame Aktugawa, her son Hajime and Professor Auclair was there beside Koruki. Professor Auclair was leaving.
"Ah, Maestro Chiaki, Kuroki-san was right! Why don't you sit down and join us for coffee. Have you had your dinner?" Madam Aktugawa invited.
"Yes I just had dinner." Chiaki lied. He took the chair the professor left.
"Nice to see you again, maestro." Madam Aktugawa extended her hand to shake with Chiaki. Chiaki also shook hands with Hajime and Kuroki. He glared at Nodame.
"I didn't know you've met Aunt Valarie and cousin Hajime, Shinichi." Kuroki said.
"I've just met them through Nodame, and I didn't know they are relative of yours, Kuroki."
"We were also surprised to see him at the conservatoire this evening. It has been a long time, about ten years since we last saw him in Kyoto. We didn't know that he'd be a musical prodigy." Hajime was proudly saying about his cousin. "You would be playing too at the recital, right?"
"I've already said yes, didn't I?" Kuroki was tapping his chest to confirm again.
"Yes, Kuroki-kun is also considered as musical samurai." Nodame piped in. "He's famous with girls, especially back in Japan." That comment came with a giggle, which irritated Shinichi.
"So my cousin is a local heartthrob in Japan, ne? I hope you didn't fall for him, Nodame-chan? Hajime teased the pianist with a million dollar smile.
Annoyed with the flirtatious theme, Shinichi cough a bit and reminded everyone that the last train will be due in a couple of minutes. "See you at the recital." Nodame said after wishing everyone goodnight.
Back at Nodame's apartment after an hour of travel
'Krugggg, growwwwwl' "Is that your stomach sempai?" Nodame is in panic mode. "I'll make you tea." Although Shinichi doesn't eat much, she knows it makes him grumpy and irritable when he's hungry, and she knows she's the reason he missed dinner on time.
"Never mind the tea, just heat the soup and put some butter on the bread. I don't want them to go to waste." He was pouncing the throw-pillow as he spoke to her.
"Hai, hai!" She quickly turn on the stove then gather the bowls and saucers; put some butter and garlic powder on the sliced baguette the slide them on the oven toaster. She served them perfectly on the table as if she always does it like that. "Ano . . . . Sempai . . . soup is ready!" She called him with the sweetest smile she could give.
"Why are you not eating?"
"I just had dinner with Madam Aktugawa didn't I?"
Shinichi rolled his eyes. When did Nodame refused to eat his cooking? When did stopped feeling hungry? Oh yes, this is canned soup, she always thought that eating canned food/serving her canned food is a form of bullying. "Suit yourself!" He frowned and the crease on his forehead increased.
When it registered to Nodame that Chiaki made an effort to make this soup better and he was waiting for her hours ago to have dinner with her, she mentally scolded herself, then grab the second bowl and pour some soup in it. "I think I'm hungry now." He coughed and a smirk came on the side of his mouth. "I'll spend the night here; it's late to travel back to my apartment."
The Aktugawa estate is quite big, an orchard to be exact. Madam Aktugawa's parents are fruit grower; she's a third generation farmer. But the love for classical music goes hand in hand in their family, actually Madam Aktugawa can play the flute but not astute as well practiced musician.
Kuroki was already in the estate when Nodame and Shinichi arrived a day before the actual concert. Hajime was planning on bringing his cousin and new friends around their orchard and the vineyard next to their estate, then to their small town centre after dinner.
Nodame barely talked to Shinichi during the entire orchard and vineyard tour. She was fascinated with the plants and fruits she sees, some even only for the first time. She loved how they taste and how they are growing and the care that was given to each and every bush, shrub or tree. Her eyes and ears are focused only for the past two hours to Hajime. That handsome guy that keeps flashing his million dollar smile over the length of the tour to our beloved pianist.
"How did you like the tour so far?"
"Awesome! Nodame haven't seen anything like this so far. Those fruits are marvellous. I didn't even know their names until now. Their flesh and taste were all wonderful! And the winery and the cellars, oak barrels, corks" She was all too giddy.
"I'm glad you enjoyed our farm tour. Wait till you see our town centre. I've heard that there are some gypsies performing there tonight.
"Gypsies? Nodame haven't met anyone like them, it would be amazing!" She's now holding Hajime's arm in excitement. A large sweat drop and angry icon was showing above Shinichi's forehead.
Hajime had gifted Nodame a shawl before they left that night for the town centre. "I've heard it will be windy tonight." "Thank you very much, Hajime –san." She draped it on her shoulders and hugs the ends tightly before sitting next to Hajime who drove them to the town centre. All this never escaped Chiaki's attention, as if watching a soap opera – his soap opera where he was losing someone who was dear to him but can't do anything at the moment.
The town was bustling with lots of activity. There are shows, this and that products for sale, produce – fruits, wines, juices, jams, jelly, cakes, tarts. The gypsies have their own booth – caravan, selling cloth, beads, skirts, bandanas, tarot card readings and a lot more.
They decided to look around themselves and agreed to see each other after an hour and a half to a designated place. Before Kuroki left Hajime, he asked his cousin "I've noticed that you are getting a lot closer with Nodame-kun, I'd like to remind you that she's head over heels in love with Chiaki."
"You mean Shinichi?" Hajime confirming as Kuroki nods. "I don't think so. I think it was the other way around. During our tour, I don't think she barely remember that that guy was with us."
"But you don't know their history. The reason why Nodame was here in France is because of Shinichi-kun. She willed herself to be with him. Why do you think he came down here with her if they don't have something between them?" Kuroki emphasized, remembering how his own interest in her waned because of the same fact.
"Cousin Kuroki, thank you for telling me those facts. I may lay-off from her but not yet, as long as I don't see her sending interest to him. Maybe things are over between them."
"It's your choice. Just don't tell me I didn't warn you." Kuroki tap his cousin's shoulder. "Let's go and join them." And went on their merry way to explore what's in the town square.
Shinichi could not believe what he just heard. He had no intention spying on the other guy, he just double back to the parking lot so he won't get lost. 'So, that Hajime has personal intentions with MY Nodame! My foot!' But then he reflected on what the other guy did say. Nodame barely did acknowledge him during the orchard and vineyard trip, only spoken to him by a word or two.
'No, this can't be!" Yeah, she's weird and a hentai and all that, but he can't have her attention. He didn't want TOO MUCH attention from her, but to be ignored by that baka hentai is unacceptable.
He needs to find her and teach her a lesson or two. He walked on the direction that Nodame took, trying to figure out which shops would attract her when he saw that small word in a neon window sign 'perfume and potions'. 'If things won't go on my way, I might need plan B, a love spell would be good.' Shinichi was now frequently talking to himself now. "Darn, what am I doing now?" He paused for a second, but entered the shop anyway – "Love potion number nine?" He asked from the store keeper.
A/N – thank you so much for choosing this story as one of your favourites. I wish I could update faster, but I'm too much occupied by my day job, hope you'll understand.
Thank you for all the reviews I got. It keeps me motivated and inspired. This chapter is my birthday gift to myself, wishing that you would like it too. Please keep posting your reviews. Domo arigatou.