~April 2nd~

"An ocean...it was like falling down deep into a dark ocean as my fingers moved. I knew the sounds that should be ringing through my ears but all I could hear was the thick glump as my fingers stroke the keys..."

I slowly moved my eyes up from under my glasses in a panic my body becoming rigid as I hit the keys harder...and harder and harder!

"Why!"

Why was it that no matter how hard I hit the keys and no matter how many times still the sound was drowned out...This...it was my punishment.

My name was Arima, Kousei and this was my last year of junior high school. I brought my gaze up slowly, watching as the flowers and we leaves blew around the trees with a gust on wind. Another day just like most of the others before it.

With a sigh I let my bag fall from my shoulder after class and sat down at the wooden seat. I simply stared down at the piano in the music room. I carefully brought my finger up and held it above one of the keys. I swallowed hard as I brought it down towards the ivory. The sound ringing through the room as my finger struck the key.

I continued bringing it across another and then another but soon just as it always did...the sound stopped and I sat in the middle of an ocean...a dark sea as the water rushed all around me blocking out the sound of the keys.

My eyes moved over to look at the foggy figure in the distance of the water as it whispered my name...no...no...

I took a deep breath standing up from my seat and stepped back falling to the ground lightly with a sigh. I guess it couldn't be helped...It had been two years now and still I couldn't hear the sound...

I closed my eyes and brought my hands up into the air silently. Moving my fingers in the motions that they where so used to going in. If I thought about it enough I could almost hear the sound that I knew the motions should be playing this way. This however was the best that I could do and I had accepted this long ago. I opened my eyes as I began to hear the sound of a whirling or something...

"Hmmmm?"

I blinked looking over toward the window and then watched as the window shattered something smashing me in the head.

"Hey i'm sorr...Kousei! aye, are you alright hey!"

I groaned as something shook me and slowly rolled over bringing my hand up to my head and feeling the sticky substance on it.

"Hmmmm? what happened?"

"Phew! I thought that I was going to have to hide your body or something!"

I blinked looking over to see Tsubaki. I should have already known that it was her. I sighed looking over to her.

"Tsubaki not again...we just got the window fixed from the last time that you broke it..."

She laughed throwing up a hand sign and popping her hips as she winked.

"Sacrifices have to be made! I've already made up my mind. This year i'm bringing home the championship for our team for sure. It's our last year of junior high after all."

Tsubaki was a baseball player for our girls team and she was very good. He had been dealing with things like this with her for years now. The two of them had been child hood best friends for as long as he could remember.

"Yo!"

Watari grinned as he walked into the room looking down at Kousei with a confused expression. He kneeled down tilting his head to the side and laughed.

"You alright there man?"

I simply sighed standing up and wiping at my head as my other child hood friend spoke.

"Yeah, yeah i'll be fine it's the window that is the problem."

Tsubaki kept her eyes locked on the boy in front of her fixing his glasses. She frowned a bit as she watched him looking from the piano to him.

"Hey Kousei...? where you playing the piano? I thought that I might have heard you?" she asked.

I just looked at the ground as she spoke and then quickly looked up with a shake of my head.

"No not really just going over some things for the karoke shop."

Tsubaki frowned. Ever since that day two years ago Kousei hadn't really played the piano. That horrible day...

The scene re played in her mind of that day when a younger Tsubaki sat on stage in front of the grand piano. the crowd filled with people as his fingers stroked the keys perfectly as they always did. Never missing a note or going out of tone or rhythm. The boy that was known as a child piano prodigy. However suddenly...he froze.

Tsubaki shook her head snapping back into things and smiled.

"Well anyway are we going to walk back home together or what. You guys wanna do anything?"

Watari leaned back crossing his hands behind his head and chuckled.

"I'll catch you guys tomorrow i've got a date with that girl from the swim team I think her name was ugh..."

Tsubaki sighed covering her face lightly with her hand.

"Ayumi?"

Watari laughed snapping his fingers and nodded.

"Yeah! that's it! but i'll see you guys later" he waved as he headed off.

Tsubaki rolled her eyes watching their friend leave.

"Pig"

Kousei smiled lightly waving to Watari and then looking at Tsubaki.

"That's Watari."

"Bye!"

I watched Tsubaki head off as we neared her house waving. I waved back before turning around and staring at the ground as I held my bag over ym shoulder with a sigh. I opened the front door to my house and walked inside closing it behind me.

Dropping my bag to the floor I walked toward the back room and slowly opened the door looking inside at the clutter filled room. My eyes however stayed locked on the piano sitting in the middle of the room. Covered in books/magazines and dust. I simply crossed my legs underneath me sitting down in front of it and staring at it.

This was my punishment.

~April 3rd~

I tipped the brim of my glasses up as I reached down to pick up y things as the bell for the last class ended. I looked up as someone rushed into the room breathing heavy.

"Tsubaki?"

Tsubaki took a deep breath and laughed holding her bat on her shoulder.

"Hey! I have to hurry and get to practice but I needed to ask you. A new friend I met that just moved here I set up with a meet with Watari and me. Can you come with us?" she asked.

My eyes winded and I sighed looking at her.

"Why would I do that?"

She laughed.

"Weeeellll...It will be really awkward if it is just me her and Watari. If you come it'll be perfect!. Oh and she is also into and plays classical music just like you! so you will have something to talk about."

I blinked just moving my gaze down to the floor. She played classical music ?

"You know that I don't play piano anymore though Tsubaki."

She shrugged.

"Yeah but still. Just do it meet us near the playground after school okay! seeya!"

"Tsubaki wait!"

I sighed covering my face with one hand. I hadn't agreed to this...

~April 4th~

I sighed as I walked down the street sliding my hands into my pockets. The light breeze playing through the air and blowing the flowers and leaves around. I can't believe that I let Tsubaki talk me into this... I was going to be a fourth wheel for a date between Watari and some girl that I did't even know?

I shook my head as I walked heading toward the spot I was told but stopped hearing a sound off in the distance. I narrowed my eyes as I tried to listen more closely to it.

"What?"

I followed the sound that was radiating through the air.

Music?

I could hear it coming from the direction that I was supposed to be going to meet the others and couldn't help but feel almost entranced by it. I stopped as a picture came into view.

I blinked mouth opening a bit as I watched. Long blonde hair flowing through the air as the music she played echoed through the air. A girl that I had never seen before holding a instrument as she moved atop a piece of equipment on the playground. Children down below her playing instruments as well. They weren't exactly in perfect unison but for some reason it still sounded amazing...

The girls body swayed lightly as if it was moving with the wind as her blonde locks blew around her. I took in the music watching her and the younger kids unable but to smile a bit. There was just something about the group that was entrancing.

I took out my phone wanting to get a picture of the scene. I tilted my head to the side a bit as I noticed a few streaks going down the blonde girls face from her blue eyes down her cheeks.

"Tears?"

Was she crying? but why? It didn't make sense.

I just stared at her and then put the phone up and got ready to snap a picture.

"hmmmmm?"

Kaori blinked away the tears in her eyes as a stronger gust of wind blew her dress up a bit and she glanced over to see a boy who she had noticed watching them but had been to into the music to actually look his way for the moment. She watched as the boy in glasses snapped a picture with his phone. She just looked at him for a moment getting an odd feeling about him almost as if he somehow connected with the music. He also looked familiar for some reason. She then remembered in an instant the strong gust of wind and her eyes widened looking down at the boy.

"Hey! you pervert!" she squealed covering herself up and jumping down rushing toward him.

"Huh...wha...no!"

Kouseis eyes widened realizing what had happened and waved his hands up in defense toward the blonde girl.

"It"s a mistake you see I was just trying to."

"A mistake how!?"

"Listen to me for a second and i'll explain!"

"Explain what! how your a perv! how dare yo..."

The two of them stopped glaring at each other as someone else walked that way.

Tsubaki smiled walking up with Watari following close behind.

"Oh hey guys. What's going on?" she asked.

Kaori blinked looking between the boy in front of her and then Tsubaki and the other boy which she assumed was Watari.

"Oh nothing nothing! so your the friend that Tsubaki was bringing with us today?" she smiled sweetly

"huh?"

Kousei looked between everyone confused and then stopped in the blonde girl. She was the new friend that was meeting with them today?"

Tsubaki nodded and smiled.

"Oh Yeah sorry. This is my other friend Kousei and Kousei this is Kaori."

Kaori stopped for a moment being taken a back at the name and then looked the boy in glasses over quickly. Now she knew why he was so familiar to her. Now that Tsubaki had said the name and she remembered her mentioning him playing classical music. This was the famous piano prodigy Arima,Kousei that had vanished from the scene two years ago.

She quickly leaned in towards him with a happy look and laughed.

"Oh yeah just a misunderstanding. we met just now!" she laughed leaning in closer and giving him a look that looked like satan himself.

"Say nothing about this...you got it friend A?"

Kousei gulped nodding.

"The devil..." he muttered quietly to himself.

Tsubaki looked between them not really getting what was going but smiled and laughed.

"Let's go."

Watari grinned giving Tsubaki a nod. Yes yes!

This is a cute on indeed Tsubaki. You did well.

"Yes i'm Watari nice to meet you there lovely." he gave a wink shaking her hand seductively.

Kaori couldn't help but giggle more out of thinking that it was funny than anything else and nodded with a laugh and smile.

"I'm Kaori."

Kaori huh...Kousei just watched them and then followed behind as they started walking. He couldn't help but keep his eyes locked on the blonde girl. The images of her playing with those kids going through his mind. He remembered Tsubaki telling him that she played classical music.

He looked up having been staring at the ground and blinked to see the girl staring at him.

"Huh..." he swallowed nervously but relaxed as she immediately looked away and smiled walking inside the cafe. Maybe he had just been imagining things.

Next Chapter 2- The Prodigy.