Hello! panda-chan here! Yes, people this is my first EVER FanFic so I appologise in advance if it's rubbish. Please remember to review afterwards, critism and positive comments both welcomed! In fact if you have any advice, say whether I should bother making a second chapter please let me know! Right enough of me! Over to the story!!
Tune For The Heart
Chapter 1
Tsukimori Len stood in one of the many practise rooms at Seiso Academy. He was waiting for his 'pupil', General Studies student and 2nd year Hino Kahoko, to arrive for her violin lesson. He glanced at his watch for what seemed to be the fifth time in the past minute.
"She's ten minutes late" He murmured to himself. "I wonder what's keeping her this time..."
Hino Kahoko ran out of the classroom, quickly shutting the door behind her with a rushed farewell to her teacher. She was already ten minutes late to her lesson with Tsukimori-Kun
"What's the point in being late for the lessons that you yourself wanted so much?" She remembered him asking her the last time she was late.
Run down one corridor, turn left, run some more, turn left again, run, turn right, run...run....run....
"Sorry-pant- I'm late!" She burst through the practice room door, revealing a startled yet annoyed Tsukimori.
"What's the excuse this time?" He asked, eyebrows raised and a frown on his lips.
"I-pant-was-pant pant-kept behind-cough-because I-cough-um..."
"Don't tell me. You fell asleep during class. Again?" He looked almost amused. This was unusual for Tsukimori at any rate.
Kahoko could feel herself turning red, and gave a small nod.
She heard Tsukimori sigh.
"You shouldn't push yourself so hard. I'm here to teach you, remember?" He almost sounded concerned.
She looked up in surprise.
"Well? What are you just standing there gawping for?"
The moment passed, and she couldn't tell whether he actually was concerned before, as his face was once again back to the cold and expressionless mask.
"Get your violin out and start practising!"
"Hai!"
For the next couple of hours Kahoko played her piece of music again and again, listening to whatever advice Tsukimori had to give her and following it prompt. Even so, Tsukimori-Kun still found things to get her to work on. And work on it she did.
"Keep your elbow tucked in! You look like a bird having a fit!"
"Bow straight! Straighter!"
"Now play near the bridge....more force....now soften......softer....light as feather...feather not rock, Kahoko!"
Finally, after noticing that Kahoko looked as if she was going to drop-dead any minute, Tsukimori decided to call it a day.
Kahoko immediately slumped against the wall, her legs stretched out in front of her and her beloved violin resting on her lap. She closed her eyes for a few minutes and when she opened them again she found herself staring at the back of her tutor.
She could see that he was looking at the score for her piece again, and although she couldn't see his face she guessed that he was probably re-reading the whole piece again.
"Hmph. Probably looking for a dozen other things to correct me on." She thought to herself.
She closed her eyes again and started to doze...
"Kahoko, are you planning on leaving anytime soon?" She heard Tsukimori ask. His voice sounded closer than where he seemed to be...
...She opened her eyes only to have them widened further as she realised why Tsukimori's voice sounded so close. It was because he was in fact closer, crouching down only a metre away from her, his eyes locked on hers.
She gasped in shock and could feel herself redden at him being so unusually close to her.
"Gah! Why am I turning red?! In front of Him of all people! WAAH!"
Tsukimori stood up and started walking towards the door picking up his violin along the way.
"Well?" he asked, his hand on the door handle.
"Hmm...?" She was still in shock.
"Are you planning on leaving? If you are, I'll escort you home, it's the middle of winter and it's already dark. If not then I'll be leaving you now." His back was still turned towards her.
Finally, Kahoko composed herself and hurried to pack her violin back into her case. She stuffed the score into her bag and walked towards Tsukimori.
"Umm...yeah. I'm, uh, leaving now."
Tsukimori moved to the side to allow her to pass, while still holding the door open for her.
"Oh. Um...arigato..." She mumbled.
She was too distracted about Tsukimori-Kun's uncharacteristic gentlemanly act to notice her face grow hot again.
The walk to her house was quiet, but she was used to it now, but the thought didn't cross her mind however, how she could have gotten used to it in the first place.
Unknown to the two of them Tsuchiura Ryoutarou and Hihara Kazuki were walking on the other side of the road, returning home after a tough game of basketball. Which, to Hihara's delight and Tsuchiura's annoyance, Hihara had won again.
"Hey, Tsuchiura?"
"Hm?"
"Isn't that Kaho-chan and Tsukimori-kun?"
"Huh?"
They both looked to the other side of the street to see Kahoko and Tsukimori walking side by side in the opposite direction to them. Kahoko was staring at her feet looking almost uncomfortable yet trying not to show it, while Tsukimori was staring straight ahead, expressionless.
Neither appeared to be saying a word.
Hihara on the other hand looked uncomfortable AND frustrated and didn't bother in the slightest to conceal it.
"Eh? What's Tsukimori-kun doing with Kaho-chan?" He questioned, almost to himself.
"He's probably just escorting her home after their violin lesson. After all, he is teaching her...though that's quite unusual for Tsukimori to be so...thoughtful." commented Tsuchiura, turning his gaze towards his companion. He felt a small smile creep onto his lips as he saw the expression on Hihara's face.
He looked like a small boy whose ice-cream just got knocked onto the floor, yet refused to make a fuss, however much he wanted to, because certain people were around.
"I'm guessing by certain people that would be Hino-chan..." He smirked.
Hihara didn't notice the smirk or Tsuchiura looking at him as he was too immersed in his own thoughts.
"What's she doing with him?! Him of all people!! Gak! She looks so uncomfortable...Well then why is she still hanging around with him?? Ah, what's it got to do with me? I'm not Kaho-chan! Gah, but she is! This is absolutely..."
"Yo, Hihara?" Tsuchiura interrupted his thoughts. "I'm going left from here and you're going right aren't you? So, see you tomorrow at school yeah?"
Hihara was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't realise that they had already reached the end of the road and that Kaho-chan and Tsukimori-kun were far, far behind them.
"Oh. Uh, Yeah! See you tomorrow Tsuchiura!" He put on a cheerful smile and waved goodbye.
Tsuchiura turned and started walking again, raising his hand in farewell.
Long after Tsuchiura had gone from his sight, Hihara was still standing there, leaning against the railings staring at the passing cars. After some more quiet thinking, he finally decided to get moving and return home before his elder brother went ballistic.
All too soon they had reached the gate leading to the front of the house.
"Arigato Tsukimori-Kun." Kahoko said, bowing at Tsukimori.
"No problem."
Kahoko straightened herself and turned her head in the direction of her front door trying to find something to say.
"Well then, see you tomor-Huh?" When she turned back round Tsukimori had already gone without so much as a good-bye or anything.
She shrugged her shoulders,
"Well, that's Tsukimori I suppose..."
Upstairs in her bedroom lying across her bed in her pyjamas, Kahoko was fingering the notes from her piece over and over again.
"What was it that Tsukimori said again? Oh yeah, keep elbow in, bow straight and keep an eye on the pressure of the bow at different places..."
She closed her eyes and drifted off into a peaceful sleep, her tune playing in a continuous loop in her head...
Right! That's it so far! Just like to say a big Thank you to Sera-chan for inspiring me to start writing with her awesome stories! Be sure to check them out too!
Panda-Chan ^^