Hi there, here's a note. Maybe…just maybe, my way of writing might change, but I hope you still enjoy this. It might change because I don't know how to proceed about. Imagine, rivalry appears in a life so peaceful. Though…I'm used to writing triangles….hahaha. .
Thanks for the following reviewers :D
rennatanaka, artaddict, gAm3fr3Akal, Rainbow Concerto, Neko Meow, Hanisakura, empatheticsympatheticpathetic
Disclaimer: I don't own La Corda D'oro
As You Wish Ojou-sama
Chapter 4
"Len?" Kahoko called at the silent hallway of the music rooms. She walked along the hallway, peeking into room after room. An irritated Len poked his head out from a room far down the hallway and motioned her to enter the music room he was using.
Kahoko smiled and entered. Only to receive a full lecture from him about being able to keep silence because she might distract the other students who are practicing.
Kahoko nodded, not really listening. Len noticed that and sighed. He brought his hand to his face in dismay, but as he glanced at Kahoko, seeing her happy face, he shook his head slightly and smiled to himself.
"Kahoko!" the Hino mansion was suddenly lively.
Kahoko walked out of her room, still with the signs of just waking up. She rubbed her eyes, but all that disappeared when she saw the person in front of her.
"Mother!" Kahoko gasped as she ran to hug her mother.
"Kaho dear!" her mother smiled, hugging her daughter back.
"How was the tour in France!" Kahoko asked excitedly, wanting to hear all about her mother's adventure and trip as a famous singer.
"Great! The fans were all lively. How have you been! Oh, you look well Len-kun," her mother said, seeing Len walking down the hallway.
Len gave a low bow, "Welcome home."
"Still the charmer, I see." She smiled.
Kahoko giggled as she saw Len's cheek redden a little, then she looked at her mother animatedly, "Your trip mother?" she prompted. "I want to hear every detail."
"Mistress, your guest has arrived." A butler said, Len's father, who was Kahoko's mother's personal butler.
"Oh! Great!" Kahoko's mother clapped her hands like a child, "Do tell him to come straight here. I can't leave my little darling's side yet." Looking at Kahoko with adoring eyes.
"Yes," the butler bowed and left to fetch her guest.
"First, tell me about you." She said, looking at her daughter. "I haven't seen you in…8 months! I heard your father transferred you! To a public school no less! Was it dreadful?" her mother asked suddenly in sympathetic mode.
Kahoko smiled and swiftly looked at Len before looking back to answer her mother, "It was, at first. But Len studies there, so I have him by my side. And I have more time to perfect my violin. Len is very talented at it!"
"Oh, really?" her mother said, looking at Len with suspicion.
Len shifted uncomfortably, but they were disturbed when her 'guest' arrived.
Kahoko froze and Len looked at her, worried. But when he turned to look at the guest, he, too, froze.
"Kahoko."
It took time for Kahoko to unfrozen, but when she did, her face broke into a full smile. "Kyaaaa!" Kahoko squealed, running to that person. She hugged him, pushing him a few steps back. "Ryou! I missed you!"
The green-haired teenager chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "I missed you too."
"When did you get back! Oh my gosh! You're already so tall! When was the last time I saw you! Ten years ago? You have got to be kidding me!" she squealed excitedly.
Ryoutaro let her go and took a good look at her. He breathed and sighed deeply. "Really, where did all those years go?" then he saw Len, "And I see you're still by her side."
Len bowed a nod. "Yes. It's nice to see you again Master Tsuchiura."
"I told you to call me just Tsuchiura or Ryoutaro. There's no need to be so formal." He smirked.
Len close his eyes for a while as if mustering all the calm he could, before he looked at him and nodded, "Tsuchiura." He tried to hold off any venom in his eyes, ever since, that guy always got to his nerves.
Ryoutaro nodded a can-do nod. "Thank you for taking care of Kahoko, and anyway," he said, facing Kahoko again, "Let's go out. I have a special place in mind."
Kahoko smiled, "So early? Wait! Did you just arrive today?"
Ryoutaro just grinned at her, "Are we going out?"
Kahoko laughed a musical and excited laughter, "Okay, but please, let me prepare."
"You youngsters go enjoy." Kahoko's mother, who was watching the event, smiled.
"Do you want to join us auntie?" Ryoutaro asked, though you could tell he wanted to be alone with Kahoko.
Kahoko's mother laughed. "Oh, no. You two should use this time to catch up to lost time."
Kahoko smiled and ran to her room. "Pick me up by lunch!" she called to Ryoutaro as she entered her room.
Ryoutaro chuckled and said, "Okay,"
"No running!" Kahoko's mother called after her.
When Kahoko and Ryoutaro left, Kahoko's mother looked at Len, who was frozen on his ground. "I know you are important to Kahoko. But you have to remember the boundary between the two of you. It's a wall you can't break since it's in your blood already. You can't do anything about it."
Len watched the Lady of the House look at her with hard eyes, "You shouldn't get too close with Kaho. Remember your place." And with that she left in a huff.
Len sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, "So the Lady called that bastard to come here all the way from Vietnam just to stop this growing relationship I have with her daughter…" he shook his head and walked towards his Mistress' room to help her prepare for her day.
"How do I look?" Kahoko asked, emerging from the bathroom. She twirled around in front of the full length mirror with Len behind her, sitting on her bed.
"I don't know why you have to dress up so much just because you're having lunch with him." Len muttered but it was still enough for Kahoko to hear.
Kahoko sighed and walked over to Len, "I missed him." She said fervently, so fervent that Len felt something aching inside his chest.
"I know." He said, standing up, "You look great." He said giving her one last look before he left the room, "You look so beautiful…" Len said as soon as the door was safely closed behind him.
Kahoko stared at the closed door. "What's wrong with him," Kahoko said, puffing her cheeks. She looked at the mirror once again.
She did looked beautiful, her hair was temporarily curled, the kind of curl that is big and goes down, the curl which models usually have. She was wearing a cream turtleneck sleeveless dress, it had a silky look to it. On her waist, she placed a gold chain as a belt with a few charms dangling to it. The belt gave her waist a more feminine look as to pronounce her shape. She had on a pair of white strappy sandals.
"Too plain?" she wondered to herself, "But adding more and I'd look overdressed. Just where is that Ryou taking me?" she smiled to herself, and then sighed.
She placed a hand on the mirror as she leaned her forehead on it. "What's wrong Len?" she noticed that he had been silent the whole time he was inside her room. What could've happened?
"You look wonderful Kaho!" her mother gushed as soon as Kahoko went to the living room where Ryoutaro was talking to her parents.
"Really?" Kahoko blushed.
"You look gorgeous Young Miss." Len's father commented, standing at the entrance of the room.
"You look like you're going on a date," her father commented.
"Father! Please! It's not like that!" Kahoko immediately defended, her father chuckled.
"You look beautiful." Ryoutaro said shortly, smiling at her and gesturing the empty seat beside him.
Kahoko blushed a darker shade, Why couldn't Len say something like that? She sat beside Ryoutaro. "What were you talking about?" Kahoko asked, when she entered the room, they seemed engrossed in a conversation.
"A secret!" her mother smiled, gently clapping her hands.
Kahoko's eyebrows scrunched up. "What, are you guys keeping secrets from me now?" She pouted and looked at her father, knowing her father can't resist spoiling her.
"It was Tsuchiura-kun's idea." Her father said, immediately washing his hands of the 'crime'. He smiled guiltily at her daughter. Beside him, Kahoko's mother poked her elbow on his ribs. "Hey." her father said.
Ryoutaro chuckled, "Don't worry, you'll love it, but it's not yet time to tell you." he gently poked her cheek to release it from the air she sucked, which let her have puffed up cheeks.
But Kahoko still pouted like the spoiled child she is. "You're mean Ryou." she stared at him some more before asking him excitedly, "So…where are you taking me?"
"Someplace. And your attire is fit for the event." He said, smiling at her.
"An elegant choice of clothes my darling." Her mother said.
"Thank you, Len had it prepared for me." Kahoko said, and speaking of Len, she turned around. He was nowhere to be found. Her mood dampened a bit from that.
Everyone noticed the change in her aura, and Len suddenly entered the room. Len froze when he saw two pair of eyes glaring at him. From his father and Kahoko's mother. Len didn't know what to do. Heck, he didn't even do anything.
Kahoko looked up and saw him, "Len!" she said, she was about to say something when her mother forcibly interrupted her and eyed her to take her seat again. Kahoko wanted to disobey, but her mother's glare was just too much.
"You two should get going, remember not to come home so late." Kahoko's mother said, trying to sugarcoat the venom in her voice.
"Yes, I promise," Ryoutaro said, standing up and taking Kahoko's hand. "Let's go," Ryoutaro smiled at her.
"Are we walking?" Kahoko asked, she eyed him suspiciously.
Ryoutaro chuckled, "No, princess. We have a car." He pulled her out of the room, passing Len.
Kahoko looked back at Len, but he wasn't looking at her, she frowned. Usually he would say "Have a good day Ojou-sama", or something like that…didn't he care anymore?
"You should really forget about him,"
Kahoko jumped from her seat. She looked at Ryoutaro who sat beside her in the car, and wondered how he picked up things from her mind, or was she just too transparent?
"What are you talking about?" she still asked.
"You're thinking about your butler. Kahoko, tell me. Are you falling in love with him?"
Kahoko blushed at that, "Wh-what are you talking about! Of course not! You know that our social standing is so different. It would be like defying gravity. He can't provide things I need. You know I'm too spoiled." As the words flew out of her mouth, deep in her heart, she felt something wrong.
"You're right." Ryoutaro chuckled, looking outside the window.
When he looked away, Kahoko stared at her hands which were on her lap, with great sadness. How could she have brushed everything off just like that? Shouldn't she be fighting for her feelings? Why did her resolve suddenly weaken?
"Why…" Kahoko began.
"Hm?" Ryoutaro asked, looking at her.
"Why did you suddenly return?" she asked quietly.
"Aren't you glad? We haven't seen each other in years."
"Why did you suddenly come back?" she asked again, "When we were small, didn't you choose your soccer over me? Now why did you suddenly come back?" Kahoko looked at Ryoutaro, her eyes dampening a bit.
He looked at her, "Kahoko, we were just kids back then, I didn't know what I was giving up."
"You knew," Kahoko said, "You knew what you were giving up. You knew that taking that chance would require you to live at Vietnam already. You knew that it would just get into the way of our friendship. I begged you to stay and you didn't listen. Why did you come back?"
"Why? Then tell me, why are you suddenly questioning my return?"
"Because! I thought I was so sure of what I wanted, of what I believed in! But you suddenly came back and my resolve came crumbling down!" she stared at him with great sadness.
"What resolve?" he asked softly, despite Kahoko's rising voice.
Kahoko looked away, "I don't understand myself…"
Ryoutaro sighed. "I came back, I came back because I realized the most important thing I was losing."
Kahoko looked at him, "Realize? And what is that? I doubt it very much you knew what it was, you're just too selfish...just like me..." she whispered the last words.
Ryoutaro sat closer to Kahoko and took her hand, "I know. I know what I am losing." Then he brushed her hair, "You."
Kahoko's breath hitched and her heart clenched then started to beat rapidly. "Ryou..." she didn't meet his eyes. "I don't mean anything to you." She murmured.
"That's where you're wrong."
When Kahoko looked at him, Ryoutaro recognized her expression. She was ready to argue with what he just said.
"When we were barely even speaking, we were already together. We were never apart, even when Len came into my life, we were always together—"
"Why are you including that—"
"Don't interrupt me." She said abruptly, "You were precious to me. But then, this…this offer to Vietnam came and you threw everything away. You threw me away."
"That's not—"
Kahoko raised a hand in front of his face. He could see that she was about to cry, he stayed silent. Kahoko closed her eyes and breathed deeply. I won't cry. I won't be weak.
"You don't even know how much it hurt when you left. How much your words hurt me back then."
Ten years ago…
A six year old Kahoko pulled a nine year old Ryoutaro by the arm. She was crying.
(And yes, Ryoutaro is older than Kahoko by three years. Len is older that Kahoko by one year even if they're on the same level. He just enrolled later. So presently counting, Kahoko – 16, Len – 17, Ryou - 19).
"Kaho." Ryoutaro said softly, prying her fingers away from his arm.
"You can't leave. I don't want you to leave. Don't leave me." She pleaded, not letting go of the sleeve of his shirt.
"I have to. I want to."
He said it in a hard voice that Kahoko was shock, letting go of him. She stared at him unable to understand why he wanted to go so much. "Why?" she asked.
"Soccer is the only thing, the only memory I have of my father. The only memory I can remember about him which always made me smile. When I play soccer, it's like he's still alive. You won't understand Kahoko," he said bitterly, "You have a happy family. I grew up for two years without a father now. You don't know how hard it is. I see pictures of him, I hear others telling me about him, but I don't want that. It's like someone telling me about a stranger and I hated it."
"Ryou…" Kahoko said shakily. This wasn't the usual Ryoutaro she knew. This Ryoutaro was starting to scare her.
"The only thing that lets me know, lets me feel that my father really existed is soccer." He said softly.
"But what about me?" she asked. "Don't you like playing with me?"
Ryoutaro sighed, "This is more important."
"You're leaving forever?"
"If that's what it takes."
"Don't you care what happens to me?"
"Len is your butler. He has a duty to protect you. You'll be fine."
Kahoko looked at Ryoutaro, confused. She didn't understand what he was saying at all. "Duty?"
Ryoutaro sighed frustratedly, "You're so spoiled that you can't even understand these simple things. I'm leaving Kaho. I won't be coming back for a long time."
"Ryou…" Kahoko said in a pleading voice, her tears flowing.
Ryoutaro looked at her with a pained expression. "Don't do this to me." This time, he was the one begging. "Don't make me choose, because if you do, it's not you."
Suddenly Kahoko was crying. Ryoutaro was surprised. He reached out to touch her face but Kahoko looked away. "Why do I have to remember that." She cried, wiping away her tears.
"I'm sorry." Ryoutaro murmured.
"It's too late for that." Kahoko said, "When I saw you earlier, I wanted to break down and cry and get angry at you for back then, but, I don't know why. When I saw you, I was just so happy." Kahoko said.
"Was it Len? That made you break down now?"
Kahoko looked at Ryoutaro and knew it was already futile to lie to him. "Yes."
"You know that it's impossible for the two of you." He said darkly.
"I don't care." Kahoko said, "Like you said, I'm spoiled. I want him even if it's wrong. I will have him."
"Do you even understand what you want? Right now, you're talking like he's your toy."
"You understand perfectly what I want. I made a promise with him that we'll always be together. I promised to be his bride."
Ryoutaro was speechless. What? Do they even know what they're talking about? What this will mean?
"This is wrong." He said.
"You said it yourself back then, Len will be by my side. He will be the one to protect me. You've turned your back on me,"
"You don't understand. He's protecting you because he has to. He was born with that will already in mind. I won't turn by back on you again. I told you, I already knew what I was losing, and I can't bare it if I lose you forever."
"You're the one who doesn't understand. I—"
"I love you Kahoko."
Kahoko froze. What did he just say? Is he serious? Ryoutaro realized what he had just said, he pushed himself away from her, now that he realized how close they were seated to each other. He watched her, still shocked. This pained him even more. How blind could she be?
"I love you. That's why I don't want to lose you. It took me time to realize, it even took others to let me realize. But as soon as I realized my feelings for you, I vowed to do everything to be with you. If you want me to, I'll give up soccer, as long as I can be by your side. I don't want to lose you, Kahoko. Not to Len, not to anybody."
"What are you talking about?" Kahoko asked, already blushing at his bold statement.
"I'm not blind as you are, Kahoko." When Kahoko was about to argue, Ryoutaro ignored it and continued to talk, "I know that you think you're in love with Len Tsukimori, but that's all an illusion. You were just devastated when I left you. And aside from me, he was the other person staying by your side. You don't want to lose him too. I'm sure you made that promise of being his bride when you were barely able to think for yourself."
"What is that suppose to mean?" Kahoko asked, angered. It seems like he was looking down on her.
Ryoutaro raised both of his hands in defense. "Think about it Kahoko. Do you really love him? Or is it just because you don't want to lose him, that's why you think you're in love with him? As for him, are you sure that he's in love with you or is the reason why he's this close to you is because he has a duty to fulfill?"
Ryoutaro could see that his words were sinking into Kahoko. She was considering things. That means that he wasn't quite far off the mark. That means, they haven't really established a relationship yet. Slowly, he leaned towards her. Kahoko knew what he was about to do, but she didn't know what she was suppose to do. This will be her first kiss…
"No!" she screamed, accidentally pulling the handle of the car door. It opened and since Kahoko was leaning back, she fell.
"Kahoko!" Ryoutaro shouted in surprise.
Thankfully the car wasn't running fast and they were in some place quiet, like a park maybe, there wasn't even a lot of cars. When Kahoko fell, she rolled a few meters away as the car screeched into a stop. Ryoutaro was about to run towards her when suddenly one of the chauffer ran towards her first. Ryoutaro was about to call out that he will take care of her, when he recognized who was running towards her.
"Are you alright, ojou-sama?"
Kahoko flinched as she recognized that voice, she tried to look up, but a part of her hurt and she groaned in pain. "Len," she said weakly.
"Don't move too much," he said, examining her. When he got to her shoulder, Kahoko protested in pain. "Sorry," Len mumbled, "I think you broke your shoulder." He slid his arm and the back of her knees and the other under her neck as he lifted her.
"I'll take her to the hospital." Ryoutaro's voice came from behind him, Len turned around and saw his hard eyes.
"I'll take care of her." Len said in a cold voice, "You might just make everything worse."
"You don't have the right to talk to me like that."
"And you don't have the right to force yourself onto her." Len brought Kahoko to his chest, carrying her bridal style, he signaled a cab and gently placed Kahoko inside, as he was about to enter the cab, he saw Ryoutaro glaring at him from his spot.
"Who made you the spokesperson for my feelings?" Len said, sliding into the passenger seat.
As the cab rolled away, Ryoutaro realized that Len heard their whole conversation. But, how did Len get into the car? How did he get hold of the uniform that was made personally for the Tsuchiura employees?
"She's mine." Ryoutaro said to himself, clenching both his hands.
A/N: please review! .