La Corda D'Oro: prompts #5-8

[runiclore]

More fifteen minute tragedy + copious use of what I call the 'car cliche.' I might try to write a real fic now. I'm starting to run out of nonsense scenarios. (I know, I know, what kind of fic writer am I? Sometimes I wonder too.)


Series: La Corda D'Oro
Characters: Yunoki Azuma, Hino Kahoko, Takashina Ayano
Words: 1623 (total)


.....

Prompt: competition
.

"Ah, Hino, there you are."

Kahoko jumped at the sound of Yunoki's voice. The handle of her violin case rattled. She took a deep breath, pushed her shoulders back, thought about quickening her step and pretending she hadn't heard - but the plaza around Lili's statue was dead empty she could hear the tap of his shoes on the flagstones getting closer and closer. The sun was already setting behind the music building, washing her in gold and gleaming on a pair of brass fairy wings; his car was waiting at the gate. She slowed, stopped, but didn't turn around. He never wanted anything good when he ambushed her after school. Not that he'd ever hurt her, just--

"For a minute I thought you were going to ignore me," Yunoki said, appearing at her shoulder with a smile that was only a curve of the lips. His eyes had that half-lidded look they took when he thought he was going to deliver a particularly clever insult. "Are you free?"

Kahoko looked up at him and frowned. "Why?"

The smile disappeared. "Does it matter?" He grabbed her arm and pulled her forward. "I'll give you a ride home."

"W-wait a--" her toe caught between the cracks and she stumbled into his back. "Geez, hold on! I can walk, you could at least ask nicely--"

"Isn't that what I just did?" He pulled her upright, a line creasing between his thin brows. "You seem to have no problem allowing Kaji to handle you in whatever way he pleases," Yunoki said, lowering his voice. His fingers dug into her arm, his hold so tight she felt his nails through her jacket. "And here I am, offering to drive you home, asking nothing in return, while you insult my generosity."

She stared up at him, and saw herself reflected in his eyes - shoulders hunched, flinching away. Kahoko made herself relax and stand up straight, his grip preventing her from drawing her away. She could smell his shampoo and wanted to breathe in more deeply. "I never asked him to do that," she said.

Yunoki narrowed his eyes. "You didn't tell him to stop, either."

.

(18 min., 374 words)

.....

Prompt: selfish
.

Azuma poured tea for Ayano first and placed the cup in front of her with both hands, withdrawing quickly. He remembered the day she'd tried every trick in her pathetic arsenal to touch his hand - it wasn't that long ago she practically snatched tea from his hands in an attempt to brush her fingers over his knuckles or touch his wrist, peering at him from beneath her thick fringe of bangs. Red spread from her cheeks to her forehead, but she had the discipline not to look up, this time, while he poured his own cup and held it steady on his palm. "It's the first flush," he said, noting the tremble in her hands when she picked it up and breathed the scent in. She was too young or too naive to hear the pun, at least, though he knew it wasn't accidental on his grandmother's part. "I thought you might like to try it."

"You've always been so thoughtful of Ayano." He wanted to snort, maybe laugh. If it were Kahoko sitting in front of him, he would have. Ayano breathed in with her eyes mostly-lidded, almost closed, and her fingers pressed on the earthy porcelain of her cup. "Is it true? Have you really chosen me?"

Her voice trembled on the last note, just as her hands had earlier, and Azuma sat back on his heels, placing his cup on the table. What expression would paint her face if he told the truth - if he said yes, but only because doing so would satisfy his grandmother and keep her out of his hair when he made public his decision to take up the flute again and play in the prefectural orchestra? She would be too busy taking her new granddaughter in hand, as if Ayano would ever defy her. Poor, stupid girl. She would be happy just to share his room. Take as many mistresses as you want, she said. I would never complain.

If his grandmother had heard that little exchange, it would have been Ayano's last. Azuma smiled slightly. "Yes, my grandmother should be speaking to your father now. It will be official as soon as we choose a ring."

We. He made his smile widen to meet Ayano's gasp. I'll make you happy, Azuma-- I promise I'll--

--spoil him? That was the only perk in this arrangement. She had better treat him like a prince.

.

(15 min., 421 words)

.....

Prompt: quirky
.

The car always smelled new to Kahoko, even though she was positive it was the same vehicle that Yunoki offered to drive her home in the first year they met. It was hard to tell; the leather upholstery was well-worn, but there were no stains, creases, or cracks, nor was the cream color dirtied from years of dusty uniforms and school bags. She sighed, sat back, and watched him in her peripheral vision, while the driver took a turn that would lead them downtown; there was no point asking why, since he wouldn't tell her anyway.

Are you free, Hino? I need to borrow you again.

This was the third time. No, was it the fourth? For someone with a pristine reputation to protect, he had a terrible habit of yanking poor, innocent girls into his car for nefarious purposes.

He'd removed his jacket, folded it over the middle of the seat between them; he sat with his chin propped in his hand to watch the scenery go by, though his reflection flicked its eyes toward her. "Yes?"

Kahoko rolled her eyes. "You call me clueless."

He smiled, narrow-eyed. "What does it matter what you're here for? I'm going to spoil you - be grateful."

She didn't bother to hide her snort, and she just waved him off when he murmured that making sounds like that was unattractive. If he wanted someone pretty or graceful, there was always Ayano - she was tempted to tell him that, but kept her lips pressed closed. That-- that might actually make him angry. "Who are you trying to insult this time?" Kahoko asked instead, spreading her hands on her knees. Her nails were dirty. Ugh. He just had to choose today. "Not Hihara again, I hope."

"I wouldn't do that." Yunoki's smile was gone when she glanced over.

Kahoko let her head tilt back onto the headrest. "Look, I'm not trying to sound ungrateful--"

"Marry me," he said, still facing the window.

Her face went blazing hot. "W-wh--" She choked on the word. "What?"

Azuma's reflection watched her from the window, one eyebrow slightly raised - and then his expression broke, and he barked a laugh, bending against his seat belt to double over, his dark hair streaming over his shoulders to curl on his lap and over the seat. J-just kidding--

.

(15 min., 402 words)

.....

Prompt: collection
.

Azuma took Kahoko's gift home without opening the box. He'd already given half of his chocolate to Miyabi, and the cookies to Hihara, and still he had a shopping bag brimming with sweets collected from the music department girls, most of whom he couldn't have named if his life depended on doing so. His face hurt from the smiling, the thank-yous, and his shoulders were stiff from a day of straining not to let them hunch. Poor Azuma, Miyabi said when she got home, rubbing his back, combing his hair with her fingers. I'll go get a heating p-- oh? What is that? He stared at the gold-flecked rice paper wrapping, the rosy pink ribbon. The box was wide, flat, bigger than his hand, and rather out of character for fiery Kahoko, whose ideas of subtlety were-- lacking. Did she really have to squeal and jump five feet the moment he said her name? It wasn't as if he'd tried to sneak up on her.

Miyabi was still gone; crickets chirped outside, and red sunlight painted the shoji screens over his window. He unknotted the ribbon, slit the tape securing the paper with his thumbnail, folded it open. Cedar scent tickled his nose. The box was thin wood, unpolished, but smooth. Azuma worked it open and pulled the silk padding aside. His heart skipped a beat.

Which do you think is most beautiful? he remembered asking Kahoko, gesturing to a display of tiny plates at the antique shop. It was weeks ago; he took her because the shop keeper notified him of the arrival of a new collection, but it was just the two that caught his eye: the cherry blossom round, with petals whose delicate pink had yellowed, either from time or mistreatment, and the blazing fall maples.

He pulled the plate from its nest by the edges, holding it with just his fingertips. Thin, precise brush strokes painted the veins of fall leaves. Sunlight might have been shining on them, if the plate were a photograph - the thin yellow of the membranes contrasted with the deep red at the edges, and he remembered saying, they both symbolize impermanence, but I've always liked autumn better than spring. The fall of these leaves implies the deep satisfaction of a life lived to its fullest.

Azuma thought later he'd made an idiot of himself in that shop. How could he possibly know she would go this far - be this thoughtful?

.

(19 minutes, 426 words)

.

Comments

[imanewme.livejournal.com]

Ah.... you did all this in 15 minute stints? Amazing.

It's easy to tell you favor the boy. I could slap him for how he plays Ayano. Ayano gets on my nerves, to tell the truth. It's sad she's so devoted. I can't imagine the 180 he does on her if they actually marry. (shudder)

I enjoyed reading these.

[runiclore.livejournal.com]

Thanks! There're some fairly bad mistakes up there, but that's what this is for... >_>;

It's sad how much I like him. I almost don't want to write about anyone else, but I'll probably get over that; Fuyuumi is so adorable, and Amou is a lot of fun, so I want to do some girl time fics or something.

Heh, I do wonder what Azuma would do if he married Ayano - or any of his apparent candidates. I think it's 50/50 whether he would keep up the mask, since we don't know all that much about how he interacts with his family.

[imanewme.livejournal.com]

I think Azuma would be terrible in some way to Ayano. He's in high school and already a walking bottle of pressure. It can only get worse when he starts adding the stress of taking on a job he doesn't like with a wife he doesn't want to serve a grandmother he has a lot of contempt for.

I'm imagining that if he makes it all the way to his grandmother's death before exploding, then he'll act out in some way just after the funeral. Unfortunately, domestic abuse doesn't seem out of the realm of possibility for him. If he doesn't turn his anger out, it will continue to stay in and with that the mildest of all reactions would be illness of some kind.

Whoa... um.. taking it too seriously... oops. :)

**evil laugh** Doesn't it make you want to write that scenario, though? Hell, I'm almost tempted to start a story scenario where he's married to Ayano and working a job he hates. I'd start it at Grandma's funeral, too... because there's so many ways to go. Is he alcoholic? Does he let Ayano go quietly? Does he freak in some kind of midlife crisis thing thinking he wasted his life to pleas a now dead woman?

Why? Why do these questions appear? XD It must be an illness.

[runiclore.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think he'd be an ass, probably; he's the type to abuse with words, and I'm sure he can do worse than what we see in the series if he's determined. However-- funny you're asking these questions because I thought of a few things myself:

1. business in Japan involves a lot of working late, drinking with one's coworkers, and, if you're important enough, entertaining other business associates, possibly with escorts.

2. it also involves going abroad, probably, for someone in his position.

3. he could easily get himself a mistress - several, probably, with that pretty smile of his.

4. if he wanted to be a real asshole, he could just have her live in the same house as Ayano. :D

So, I obviously favor a pairing with Kahoko... and while I think it would be OOC for her to agree to that, nobody said he has to tell her until it's too late. XD

[imanewme.livejournal.com]

...nobody said he has to tell her until it's too late. XD

Hehe... from the looks of things, nobody's going to tell her anything until it's too late.

To spin things around, it's difficult to determine which pairing would be the best from Kahoko's point of view. Working back from that angle points to the piano player, IMHO. :)

[runiclore.livejournal.com]

I'd say, in terms of personality and outlook on life, and even economic, it's either Tsuchiura, like you suggest, or Hihara. Those two seem best suited to her from an objective standpoint. I think she could do wonders for straightening Azuma's outlook on life out, but right off the bat he's not the best choice. Neither is Tsukimori. In fact, both Yunoki and Tsukimori present a difficult scenario for her in an emotional sense, and they would require some adjustment of her lifestyle, never mind the potential for having to move abroad and leave her family - in both cases.

It's funny, the anime doesn't take a stance on the "true pairing" for Kahoko, maybe because the game will let you choose any of them - as a result, settling on one boy will alienate fans of the other pairings. The end of the series allows almost all of them to treat her to a special performance of their music, hence my interpretation of the designers' intention.