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Heartstrings: A KALS Short [Short Story]

Ferocia Coutura
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Ferocia Coutura Riskbreaker

† Ferocia Coutura

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Kurohima Satsuka has played the violin since she was five. Finally, after all of her hard work, she gets accepted into the most elite music school in the world, Heartstrings Academy for the Musically Gifted. After moving into the school, she quickly realizes that she is not as good as she thought. Struggling to cope with the truth, she tries to find all the help she can get to be the best of the best in time for her senior recital, which is in three short years, and ends up falling in love with he tutor. This romantic short follows the life of Kurohime as she discovers how sometimes life brings you love at all the wrong times, and sometimes, with the wrong people.

This is an original KALS work. KALS is the group dedicated to renewing and reinvigorating Kametsu's ailing Art and Literature section. We will be posting a wide variety of original shorts. In some cases, if the strory is popular we will introduce character sign-ups where you can post your own character for a continuation of the short. So..... PLEASE COMMENT!

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Ferocia Coutura Riskbreaker

† Ferocia Coutura

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Year 1, part 1

September 30, 2019

“Ms. Satsuka, stay after class, please,” Mrs. Strega announced before strings class finished.

“Shit,” Kurohime whispered under her breath. This was the third time she was called after class since she started here at Heartstrings Academy for the Musically Gifted in September. I wonder what it is this time, she thought. Was I out of tune, dragging the music, or simply untalented. Kurohime was starting to get agitated with herself. Why couldn’t she just be better?

Mrs. Strega looked dead into Kuro’s eyes, her cold, Russian stare sender shivers down Kuro spine, leaving goose bumps on her body. The young Russian coughed, and then proceeded to speak across the desk. “Ms. Satsuka, I called you after class to, in so many words, open your eyes to the reality that is now your life. You have been accepted into the world’s most elite music academy, where all of the greatest music scouts come to find the next greatest musician. You, however, do not seem to be taking this opportunity seriously.”

Kurohime’s blood began to boil while the teacher continued. “All class period, you missed that Bb in the piece. You also could not comprehend the meaning of Staccato in the third movement.” The Russian looked away from Kurohime, thought for a moment, and then began to speak again. “If you do not already know this, I am the one responsible for deciding who performs at the graduate’s recital. Only 30 students will be performing, and of the 40 in your class, you are at the bottom of the list. If I were you, Ms. Satsuka, I would consider one of two things. Either you get with the program and practice that, violin, what do you call it, Silvermyst, or, you can leave the academy, and pursue another career. Because, quite frankly, Ms. Satsuka, I don’t want you wasting my time in this class”

Kurohime felt the sting of tears as she fought back the urge to cry. Why was she so stupid to think a little girl from rural Japan could make it in the midst of the elite? Kuro finally stood up, grabbed her violin, and looked back at her teacher. “Will that be all, Mrs. Strega?” she said, trying as hard as she could not to throw herself on that skinny, boney bitch.

“Yes, I believe so, Ms. Satsuka. Just think hard about what I said. Remember, there is no shame in leaving a place where you do not belong.” And with that, Mrs. Strega dismissed Kurohime. The Japanese girl spun around, and almost ran out of the building to her dorm, tears streaming down her face the entire time.

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DuLake Brave Companion

DuLake

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Good job! I liked the prose and the story itself is very empathic. I feel bad for her already! A few more details on the setting and character appearance might have been nice, but it's a very tantalizing opening. I can't wait to see where you go with the rest of the story!

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Ferocia Coutura Riskbreaker

† Ferocia Coutura

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Year 1, part 2

March 18, 2020

Sharra Baltheer stared at Kurohime with disbelief from the seats in the auditorium. How the hell did she get so good in a matter of months? Sharra just couldn’t comprehend it.

She stood up and walked up on the stage until she was directly in front of her. Obviously, Kuro didn’t know she was listening, because she looked pathetically surprised.” What the hell was that?” Sharra knew something was up. No one improves THAT drastically in a few months. Not even if she locked herself in her room and practiced non-stop. The little skank would need a tutor, which she could never afford.

Kurohime looked up at the girl who was currently at the top of the class. “What are you talking about, Sharra? You know that that was the first movement of The Devil’s Trill. You played it just two months ago for your Finals Exam, silly!” Kuro knew what Sharra meant, but she had to avoid that conversation. She didn’t want to let anything slip.

“Look, bitch. I know something’s up. No one gets that good without a

tutor. And I doubt little-miss-scholarship-farm-girl can afford one of those.”

Kuro picked up her violin and began to leave the auditorium. “Look,

Sharra, what were you even doing listening to me practice, anyways? Don’t you have anything better to do?” Kuro was getting nervous. Sharra needed to stop asking questions, because Kuro was not good under pressure.

Sharra crossed her eyes and began to leave through the other entrance.

Before she left, though, she yelled, “By the way, Kuro, your form was horrible. You can get as good as you want, but no one is going to want to hire a hunchback violinist.” And with that, Sharra left. And Kuro did the same.

Kuro walked into her new apartment. Now that she attended Heartstrings for a whole semester, she was now allowed to move out of the dorms. She couldn’t afford one on her own, but her new boyfriend was gracious enough to let her move into his for no rent at all. She just agreed to cook and clean for him, and help around with chores. In her mind, that was a bargain on her end. She put the violin underneath her bed and went into the kitchen to start fixing dinner. Her boyfriend, who was still at work, would be getting off in about an hour.

“Hmm, what should I make for dinner?” she asked his pet cat, Aloe. “Maybe some tuna salad? Does that sound good?” The fat white cat bumped against her leg and purred graciously. Kuro giggled slightly. “Alrighty, Aloe, tuna it is!” Kuro opened up a couple of cans of tuna and began to mix then with fat-free mayonnaise while the lettuce drained over the sink.

As she put the last of the tuna on the lettuce, tomato, and cucumber blend, she heard the lock on the apartment door click open. Aloe quickly woke up and sprung to the now-open door, falling into a pair of arms. “Kuro, I’m home,” the red-haired man called. “Ah man, is that tuna! It smells good, Kuro,” he said as he walked into the kitchen of the apartment, dropping the cat onto the coach on his way there.

“Hey, honey,” Kuro said happily, kissing her boyfriend on the lips while she poured him a drink. “So, how was work?” she asked, giggling at her question.

He looked at her and grinned slightly. “Same old, same old,” the red head said still grinning. “Although, it would have been better if you were there!” Kuro looked at him and smiled playfully. “Oh, really now? It would have been better?” She sat him down on the couch, playfully unbuttoning his dress shirt. “What would you want me to do with you at work, Dragon?” She kissed him passionately, and he kissed her back even harder. Kuro could feel the sexual tension between them, but she knew if they didn’t eat now, Aloe would get to the tuna before they could even eat any of it.

Kuro pulled back and smiled, hopping off of the coach in the process. “Go get cleaned up for dinner!” She could hear him get up from the coach and walk to the bedroom. After a couple of minutes, he came back out wearing a pair of pink boxers and a muscle shirt. “Well, don’t you clean up nice?” she said coolly. He stuck his finger into the tuna and tasted it, smiling. “Delicious,” he said in a very sexy tone of voice. “I can’t wait to see what you made for dessert.”

Kuro blushed, handing him a plate. Six months ago, she would never have imagined talking to such a sexy guy like this way. She was always too shy and quiet. In her opinion, Dragon definitely brought out her confidence, which was another reason why he was such a god tutor. He not only knew his way around a violin, he knew how to give her the confidence to succeed in her music.

After they finished eating, she went get her violin so they could practice. Dragon came behind her and pulled the bow up against the strings. He whispered coolly to her. “Remember, Kuro. Keep your posture up and always keep your elbows like this.” He grabbed her arm and lifted it into the perfect position, fixing her posture in the process.

“Alright, play Mendelssohn in E Minor for me. I want to see how it’s coming along.” Dragon eyed Kuro calmly, trying his best not to make her nervous, though he knew she was. She was just a naturally nervous person when it came to her violin, probably because she’s under so much pressure.

Kuro inhaled slowly, adjusting her fingers to make sure that first note is played perfectly. She swiped the bow across the strings, the sound of the violin echoing throughout the apartment. She closed her eyes as she swept her fingers across the bridge, note after note sounding even more magical than the last. She felt her confidence rising with each crescendo, and she knew that she was on a roll. She held out that last note, pushing the strings to add more effect.

She opened her eyes and saw Dragon staring at her with a completely blank face. She got instantly worried. “Uhm, uh, did I play it wrong?” she almost whispered. He walked towards and circled around her, staying completely silent.

Finally, he looked at her and smiled the biggest smile he had ever had. “That was perfect, Kuro! Absolutely perfect!” He looked at her for a moment, and then kissed her suddenly. This kiss was filled with so much passion, Kuro nearly dropped Silvermyst, her violin. She pulled back for a moment to put the violin on the coach, and hurried back into his arms. They kissed hard and with so much force it left Kuro breathless. He took off his shirt, and as Kuro leaned against him, she felt his heart beat through his chest. As they moved into the bedroom, Kuro though of how lucky she was to have him. He was the only reason she was excelling as much as she was, and she knew that she loved him.

And that night, Kurohime Satsuka made love to her boyfriend, her tutor, and her secret, Dr. Dragon Greyback, Strings Professor at Heartstrings Academy. And not once that night did she worry about the future. Because when he held her in his arms, nothing in the world could possibly go wrong. But in the back of her mind, she knew one thing and one thing only.

It could.

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Kinara Uzumaki Riskbreaker

Kinara Uzumaki

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Oh, btw guys, all of the violin pieces I mention in this story are real pieces of music. I highly encourage everyone to go liten to them. They are all so very beautiful, and it never hurts to add a little cultural spice in your life, does it! ;P

The only violin piece I've loved is the one called Broken Sorrow by the brothers known as Nuttin But Stringz. When they played it for their Top 40 performance in America's Got Talent Season 03, it was EPIC to me. I felt like crying.

Your story's going great!!!! Would love to see how it progresses in the future :)

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