Disclaimer: I do not own La Corda D'oro or any of its characters.
Égoïste
"Why won't anyone play with me?"
She laughed cruelly, "Because, you're weak and pathetic. Not get out of my sight before I have you thrown out!"
Sometimes, even he couldn't believe that this woman was his grandmother. The purple haired boy of six ran out of the main house, to his secret garden, where no one could get to him, and he sat and wept with his head in his hands.
But as soon as he heard something in the bushes he shot up, worried. A girl of his age emerged from the thick green leaves and his mind was put to rest.
She saw him staring and put a goofy smile on her face, "Hey there sorry to bother you, but I just got a little lost." She laughed nervously.
He watched her for a few more seconds taking it in. "You're annoying," he said at last, though half-heartedly, he didn't like being bothered.
"Aren't you a gentleman!" She retorted sarcastically, but then smiled at him again. She had noticed he had been crying and figured that she should be nice. "You wanna be friends?"
He sighed looking bothered again, running his hand through his shoulder length hair. All of a sudden he cracked a smirk, "Sure, I would like that. Name's Azuma Yunoki," he said.
She nodded, "Sayaka Ryuu."
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"Attention all passengers, we have arrived at London's Heathrow airport. Please secure all your belongings and have a pleasant day. Thank you for flying Air Japan," said the lady on the loudspeaker, bringing Azuma back to consciousness.
'That dream again,' he thought, a smile coming to his lips.
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Azuma Yunoki sighed as he exited to the waiting area pushing a trolley with his luggage. After such a long flight he hoped that Sayaka had at least gotten him a driver with a sign.
"Hey Azuma! Over here!" He heard a familiar voice.
Snapping out of the momentary shock, he walked towards the dark haired girl swinging her arms around, jumping up and down, and earning her strange looks for passerby.
'You haven't changed a bit Saya,' He smirked mentally.
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"Honestly, you didn't have to come and get me. I know how busy you are." He said to her in the limo.
"It's fine! Really, it's not everyday my best friend comes to England," she smiled at him, "It's gonna be so much fun when you move here."
He looked away guiltily, "Yeah, about that…"
"So what made you change your mind," she asked quietly, after he had finished telling her the plan.
"I met a girl," he said shrugging it off.
She gulped back the urge to gag, hoping that he didn't notice she was almost in tears. He probably wouldn't. Azuma never noticed, not anyone but himself.
"What's she like," she gave him her best fake smile. Always reserved for him, and only him… Had it been anyone else, she just wouldn't have bothered. But he was special, he was Azuma.
"Um, cheerful and almost as annoying as you," he laughed.
"Almost being the key word, right?"
"It's amazing how well you know me," he smiled.
"It's been over a decade, I should." She shot back.
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"Don't you have classes today?" He asked when they finally got back to her condominium.
"Nah, I canceled them all. Which is more than you'd ever do for me," she smirked.
"You know that's not true."
She rolled her eyes, they both knew her was lying.
He began making coffee, "So what are we doing today?"
"You're resting. I'm shopping."
He smiled, "It's almost you had this all planned out for a Spa day."
"You know me too well," she shrugged, "Unless you actually feel like doing something."
"Can't we just order Chinese and watch a movie? I'll even put up with a chick-flick."
"Wow, your girlfriend's really changed you."
"We're-"
Knock, Knock, Knock
"Hang on, gotta get that," she said running to the door.
"Say!" A male's voice exclaimed as soon as she opened the door.
"Oh, hey Micheal," She replied, at least to Azuma she didn't sound the least bit bothered that he'd bothered them.
"I was wondering if you wanted to hang out," he asked.
"Not today, man." Azuma answered, coming up behind her. "Now if you'll excuse us we have some catching up to do." He slammed the door in Micheal's face.
"Azuma!" She yelled at him, "That was just cruel!"
"Tccht. I get back, I want to spend time with you. You're boyfriend's just gonna have to wait."
Her face burned red, "He's not my-"
"Now come on, you pick the movie and I'll go order some Chinese!"
She sighed, 'I swear, this guy. He's always the same.'
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"Morning sleepy head!" She chirped, putting a tray of food on the table next to him.
"Oh, morning already? Guess we fell asleep during that." He motioned towards the T.V.
They started eating. "So tell me, what are these completions like?"
He pulled out his wallet, "Well, I have a picture of all of us."
She laughed looking at it. "It's like a rainbow room," she motioned towards their hair, "Is this Kahoko Hino?"
He nodded, "How could you tell."
Sayaka raised her head and looked at him. "She is…centered."
"Centered?"
She smiled at him. "Never mind."
"Tell you what, I'll take you shopping and pay!" He had to admit she had been acting a little strange since yesterday. Not that he blamed her; he had dropped something huge on her.
She smiled, "'Kay, thanks."
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"Saya?" He said as they walked around the boutique.
"Yeah?" She replied, in a daze of clothes.
"How about this one?"
She turned to look at a plain white summer dress. She smiled, "Good eye."
He shrugged "It is my money."
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"So do you love this Kahoko girl?"
"Yes."
She felt her heart smash. "Oh," putting that smile on again.
"What's the matter?"
She shook her head, "I just realized we, uh, never went to the jewelry store."
He sighed, "All you girls are so greedy!"
She smiled, sipping her chocolate milkshake. They were sitting in a restaurant, having their lunch.
"How long are you staying in London?" she asked after a period of silence.
"Well, I have to go to the office tomorrow so I think the day after that."
"So soon?"
"I have the Competitions."
"And Kahoko?"
He didn't reply.
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"Last day, huh?" She said, "I didn't realize you were going to spend the whole day at the office."
He smiled, "I'm sorry, I really am."
"Tomorrow morning?" She asked, ignoring him, though she already knew the answer. She had asked a hundred times already.
But he never seemed to get impatient. "Yes."
He suddenly embraced her. "A-azuma?
She closed her eyes and took in his scent. "Come back with me," he said, "To Japan."
She snapped out of her daze, pushing him back. "I can't. This is my life."
He closed his eyes. "If you ever change your mind, I will be waiting."
Her mind went blank, "W-what?"
"Don't you see, Saya? I'm not coming back, not ever."
She froze, "You're selfish." She turned around and ran to her room, not hearing his final words.
In barely a whisper, he said "When it came to you, selfish is all I ever was…"
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She didn't sleep, but didn't come out of her room when it was time for him to leave. He knocked, once.
'Bet he would have done more for Kahoko.' She thought bitterly.
With that, all she did for the next few days was eat, sleep, and run. Running, the only thing that she could do to ease her mind of him.
'I hate him.' She decided with finality.
She sighed walking towards her closet; maybe going out to dinner would be good for her. She went through her dress selection; there it glared out at her. The white summer dress.
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"Mommy, why are you leaving?" Sayaka's younger self asked.
"Dear, your father and I have some problems…"
"Don't you love daddy anymore?" She asked, tears coming to her eyes.
The woman looked at her daughter for a while, "No."
The five year old started crying, and the older woman sighed. She beckoned the girl towards her.
"Listen Sayaka, when you find someone you truly love you must go after him. If you wait, then you might miss your shot at happiness. You'll understand someday."
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She fell to her knees, and cried, with her head in her hands. Just like how she had met a vulnerable boy, way back.
She bit her lip; she really couldn't take it anymore. Pulling out her phone she dialed her father's number.
"Dad? It's me. We need to talk…"
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She pushed her trolley outside, motioning for a cab. Thankfully it came soon, she still wasn't used to the time difference it made her feel woozy.
"Where to Miss?" the driver asked.
"Daidouji Manor." She said without hesitation. After all she doubted there was anyone in Japan who didn't know where that was.
After about thirty minutes of complete silence the Taxi stopped in front of a ridiculously large house. The gate swung open and maids came to take her suitcases to her room.
'This place never changes…' She thought smiling at her new surroundings.
She paid for the ride and ran inside, straight to her room. To took a shower and put on her white summer dress. At least this way she wouldn't look like everyone else at the school. She looked at the clock, 2:30, the school let out till 3:00.
She sighed, and grabbed her black violin case and slipped on some shoes. There went her theory of walking there. She ran outside again to see if she could get a car. Unfortunately the only one she saw was the Stretch Limo.
'Oh god, there goes not making a splash!' She thought irritated.
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She got the right in time for school to be let out. As she stepped out everyone stared at her. Well, not that she could blame them…
"Oh my god! Isn't that Sayaka Ryuu?"
"No way! The violinist."
"Wonder what she's doing here…"
"Maybe she's here to see the winner of the Concerts."
"Len Tsukimori? Why would she?"
"To scope out competition?"
She smiled to herself, 'So Azuma didn't win. Len, huh. I have to meet this guy.'
Sayaka briskly walked to the main entrance, with people gawking at her. But a certain girl caught her eye, she grimace she really didn't want to do this, but…this is probably her only chance.
"Hino Kahoko?" She said, looking the girl in the eye.
She seemed to freeze, "Y-yes?"
Saya walked to her, she let out a sigh, "It's nothing of significance really, but…I hope you know how lucky you are."
She gave the red haired girl a smile.
"OH! Maestro Azuma!" She heard some girls scream, okay A LOT of girls scream.
She turned to look, and surely enough there he was.
"Kahoko," someone said and both of us looked at a blue haired boy.
"Oh hey Len," the red haired girl said happily.
"Tsukimori…" Saya said thoughtfully, "You're Misa Hamai's son."
He nodded, and she smirked at him. "Well good job for kicking Yunoki's ass."
She picked up a rock and threw it at the purple haired boy. Which he caught, but seemed surprised.
He turned to look at her direction and so did all the fan girls.
Saya smirked, "Hey pretty-boy! How's it hangin'?"
His jaw dropped and for a second it seemed like his world stopped moving. He made his way to her, and pulled her away from the immediate crowd.
"Did you just throw a rock at me?" Was the first thing he whispered, because even he was painfully aware that they were being gawked at like animals in a zoo.
"Kahoko seems nice," she replied, completely ignoring his question, "You picked a nice girlfriend."
He looked at her quizzically. "Kahoko's not my girlfriend."
"Yet you love her?" She rolled her eyes, "She's your crush, then?"
"I said love, not in love."
It was her turn to give him the quizzical look. "So…?"
"She's the like the little sister I never had, my muse if you will. You threw a rock at me."
"No shit. You're like one of those guys in CSI," she retorted sarcastically.
He frowned, "So did you come here to insult me?"
"You know what? I am sick. Sick, sick, sick, sick, of your shit, and when I'm not sick, I'm tired. I am sick and tired."
"Monster-in-law…" he said rolling his eyes, "So now you want me to play guessing games with you.
"See that's what I mean! You know me so well, and you still don't get I spend every hour of every day thinking about you. You just don't get it, that I keep track of how long we talk on the phone. Or that you give me butterflies when you talk or make me blush when you're too close-"
He put a finger to her lips. "Fool, it only takes three words."
She smiled, "I love you."
And that's when he kissed her, and she finally got her happy ending.
"I love you too, since the very beginning."
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"The name's Azuma Yunoki."
She nodded, "Sayaka Ryuu."
"Well Saya, I hope we become really good friends."
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A/N: Wow, this is definitely the longest one-shot or even single chapter I have ever written. Please do tell me what you think, criticism is welcome. Thank you so much for reading.