Yours | La Corda D'oro

10: Yunoki's Interest

Azuma Yunoki's POV

Hmm.

That girl... Yui Utsugi, and Len Tsukimori still remained backstage, for a long time.

I glanced at my watch. 

It was easily 20 mins past the end of the first selections. Everyone had gone their separate ways home, but not those two.

You may wonder what's my reason for staying behind? 

Well, to put it simply, I wanted to talk to that Yui Utsugi.

Because... I just felt that she was an interesting one.

Anyway... the two of them must be talking; but for what purpose?

She had no business to deal with that Len Tsukimori, right?

I narrowed my eyes.

Something doesn't feel right.

Last week, they were seen together after that first meeting we had.

And now, they're talking again?

I felt uneasy. It was strange, because nobody has really thrown me off my internal balance... as much she did.

Whatever advances I did, whether it was as simple as putting an arm around her, she never reacted well to it. Funnily, no other girl has rejected me before. She was the first.

Well... I can't believe I'm actually entertaining a plain jane like her. 

I chuckled to myself. 

It was funny how so many ladies throw themselves to me but, I only care about knowing more about this particular girl.

Anyway, I was tired of waiting.

Being curious to find out more about their relationship, I returned to the backstage.

Just as I was about to open the door, it creaked open. 

Hmm... It was Len Tsukimori who opened it.

"Hey, Tsukimori." I greeted.

"Yunoki." Tsukimori said rather monotonously in response to my greeting.

But I could tell, he was slightly off compared to the usual Tsukimori I see in school. 

He was breathing pretty intensely, and there were nervous sweat drops on his forehead.

Hmm...

"Have you seen Utsugi-chan?" I asked innocently.

Pfffft. Faking my kindness again.

"Yeah. She's inside." Tsukimori pointed to the backstage.

I placed a finger on my chin curiously.

"So, what business did you have with her?" 

Tsukimori cleared his throat.

"Nothing. She was asking me about the violin."

"Oh?" I pretended to look amused. 

"It was strange though, you know?" 

Tsukimori gave me a side glance.

"When you were performing just now, she said some things that made me wonder whether she has actually played the violin before."

His eyes widened slightly in response. He did a fake cough.

Bingo. 

Len Tsukimori, you are terrible at lying.

"Excuse me," he quickly turned away from me. "I have to go off for some matters."

He immediately walked away to the direction of the exit, but I continued to fix my gaze on him.

My eyes narrowed sharply.

"Avoiding the topic, huh, Tsukimori." 

I said rather softly, but certainly, loud enough for him to hear. 

He ignored me, and continued walking ahead.

Tsukimori's pretty suspicious, I thought to myself wearily. 

He definitely has something up with Yui.

And Yui, was definitely not a simple one. There's certainly far more to her than meets the eye.

Which makes me wonder again, does she know how to play the violin?

I glanced back at the backstage door.

She's inside.

Should I be concerned about her? 

Or am I probing too much into matters?

...

I shrugged these feelings off. Whatever. I decided not to care anymore.

Because, why should I, Azuma Yunoki, be concerned about an ordinary girl like her anyway?

I turned away and walked off, using my cellphone to call my one and only, trusty private investigator.

"Hello?"

I placed the phone to my cheek and said in a deep voice, quiet enough so that nobody could hear me.

"I would like an investigation to be done on Yui Utsugi, of the general education department of Seiso Academy, Class 2-1."