" Life, he realised was much like a song. In the beginning there is a mystery, in the end there is confirmation, but it's in the middle where all the emotion resides to make the whole thing worthwhile"~ Nicholas Sparks

~'~

"Happy birthday to you.. happy birthday dear Akane and Takumiii.. Happy birthday to you," Agnes and Jason sang, handing over at least twenty huge boxes of gifts. The both of them tumbled as they received it.

"So were we the first ones?," Agnes smiled.

Akane and Takumi looked at each other. "Nope"

"Oreki wished me first. Fidel wished him first," Akane replied.

Jason and Agnes sighed. "And they say they need some tips for a romantic love life"

~'~

Italy, Pissa:

The leaning tower of Pisa in Italy was a world famous free standing bell tower well known for it's unintended tilt.

"Why is it tilted again?," Akane questioned tilting her own head to see the white tower.

"The tilt, Ms. Asahina, is due to inadequate foundation on the ground which was too soft on one side to properly support the weight of this huge tower. It was stabilised in the late 20th and early 21st centuries though," the guide informed. "Come inside now"

Agnes and Jason smiled. The fun was about to begin.

They entered the white magnificent tower. Looking around, they started climbing the stairs which moved upwards in a spiral manner. As Akane stepped on the first stair, she heard a song out of nowhere.

It all started with one trip,

Where we met Akane and Takumi who had taken, in humour, a dip...

"Hey! What was that?," Takumi asked, looking around.

Agnes laughed. "Happy birthday you both. Climb the other stairs, the song will continue"

With an amused and surprised expression on his handsome face, Takumi climbed the second step.

They are responsible for every mess,

But we love them and without you our trip would be lifeless...

So today my friends we want to say..

That we wish you a very happy birthday!

We thank you for all you have done,

It's not the end, we still have rainbows to paint where there are none..

Happy birthday my dear friends,

We wish our friendship never ends.

They laughed as they heard the song, each line being sung as they climbed the spiral stairs. The song was so beautiful and mellifluous, so meaningful and deep that Akane had tears in her eyes.

"Akane, are you crying?," Agnes asked, embracing her.

"Nah, her eyes are sweating," Takumi sarcastically commented. Agnes gave him a light punch as Jason laughed.

The four of them reached the topmost floor which was apparently the most titled part in the tower and peeked down.

"Creepy," Akane said.

"I know right," Takumi replied. He tapped the floor with his foot. Suddenly the sound of an electric guitar engulfed the air like a blanket. People with a table, a huge pizza and four chairs fled into the leaning tower and set up the table.

"Woah," the both of them said. "Don't tell me everything we touch is going to be music today"

"You got that right," Jason grinned. "Now you may sit and eat your pizza. It's Italy after all"

Akane and Takumi were the biggest foodies. They munched onto their delicious thin crust pizza which tasted divine. Indeed it was the pizza of Italy.

"You guys are the best, you know?"

Agnes smiled. "Rome's still left, you know?"

~'~

Rome, Itlay:

The Colosseum in Rome was a large oval shaped amphitheatre. It was a huge monument with pierced windows at regular intervals.

"The Colosseum was regarded by Christians as a site of martyrdom of a large number of believes during the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire. However the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as animal hunts, executions and dramas on classical mythology. It could hold an estimated 50,000 to 80,000 spectators," the guide lectured.

Akane stood up on her toes and randomly touch the pierced window. Much to her surprise, a sound elicited from it, the one which elicits when a piano key is pressed.

"Hey!," Akane remarked smiling as she touched the windows in a rhythmic manner and music filled the air as if she was playing a piano.

"This is wonderful!," Takumi laughed, fighting with her to touch the windows. Jason and Agnes laughed at their eccentricities. Surely their plan hadn't been a failure.

They tapped the ground. The sound of a drum filled the air. They grinned and started jumping on the ground, letting the drum sound pierce into everyone's ears.

"Why don't you blow?," Agnes laughed.

They blew randomly in the air. This time, it was a flute. Akane and Takumi couldn't believe their ears! Everything they now touched or walked upon was a musical instrument! Never in their life had they experienced something so unique and original.

The both of them looked at Jason and Agnes with such gratefulness and love that Jason and Agnes could feel their emotions piercing into their hearts like needles. They smiled at them.

And so for about half an hour the four of them played an invisible musical band, stamping the ground, blowing in the air, falling and laughing like there was no tomorrow and they had to live it all today. The people around them were confused but were compelled to laugh in amazement when they saw the four kids in adult bodies.

~'~

"Now for the last surprise of the day," Jason said.

They opened the blindfold from Akane and Takumi's eyes revealing a huge dandelion field. The field was beautiful beyond comprehension- the small white dandelion flowers were swinging in the song of the wind. The dandelion were also flying in the air, occasionally touching their faces and resuming back to their journey of the outer world. Beyond the field were trees and vegetation of green.

A huge five tyre cake resided on a table in the middle of the field.

"Wow," the two of them said in unison as they walked towards the cake.

"Won't you make a wish?," Jason asked.

"But the candles?"

Agnes and Jason laughed. "Why do you think we bought you here? It is believed that dandelions fulfill your wishes. The entire field is your candle!"

Akane and Takumi grinned. They ran to one side of the filed and picked up at least twenty flowers at once and started blowing them like maniacs.

"Now that's a lot of wishes," Agnes laughed.

Agnes picked up a dandelion and blew it lightly. Jason looked at her. She was beautiful- internally. He realised how much he was drawn to her, how much she meant to him. He finally realised he liked her. No, loved her. Agnes smiled at him.

Only if he knew what she had wished. To be together until death did them part.

~'~

Akane and Takumi were sitting on the sofa at midnight, chewing onto their popcorn and watching a rugby match.

"Guys?," Jason said.

"Mhm?," they answered, engrossed.

"I love her"

"Oh," Takumi said, his eyes hooked onto the television. "WHAT?"

"OH MY GOD, BROTHER DID I HEAR IT RIGHT?"

"YEAH! GO CHECK THE NEWS AKANE!"

"Why the news?"

"You know, incase there's an earthquake anywhere," Akane replied.

"Ha-ha. Very funny," Jason said, annoyed.

"BUT SERIOUSLY! FINALLY!," they shouted.

"Yeah, now help me out!"

"Of course we will. No worries when we are here," they smiled. "And hey, Jason?"

"Yes?"

"This was the best birthday gift ever"

~'~

I hope this chapter didn't bore you! Next chapter: The proposal. (Yeah, finally :D)

~'~