Your Lie in April- Carried Summer
Kousei had never done anything like this. He was on a plane flying to America. He would land in Los Angeles at around 9pm his time and nice and early morning in American time.
Kousei wasn't even sure why he'd agreed to the trip in the first place.
He stared at the picture in his hand.
That's right, that's why he'd agreed to this. He was going to meet her; he was going to meet the sister he'd just learnt Kaori had.
Her death was still fresh in his mind, and his heart was still so in love with her.
He'd improved drastically; in fact he'd even been booked into a concert hall in the city. The reason his father thought he was coming here was to perform. But that's not why. He needed to meet with the girl. The girl he so desperately felt the need to meet.
It took him a few months—closer to a year— before he felt ready to pursue the idea after reading Kaori's letter. Kousei had to get over his grief first, his best friend Tsubaki had suggested this might be the closure he needed.
Kousei was starting high school soon, a music school in Japan. He'd applied to schools in Europe and Los Angeles as well, but he wasn't sure what he'd do yet. His English wasn't amazing, but it would be enough to get by while on his trip. Still this was the only time he would probably be able to meet her.
"Attention passengers, we will be landing shortly," the captain announced over the loud speaker. "The local time is 7:45 am, and on behalf of United we hope you enjoyed your flight."
Kousei took out his earbuds. He'd been listening to Chopin symphony number 6 in g-minor. Out of habit his fingers mimicked the keys on the tray table stationed up right in front of him. The person sitting next to him eyed him uncomfortably.
Kousei brought his hands back, putting his music player away in his backpack.
After the plane landed and Kousei got through customs, a representative from the hotel he'd be staying at met with him. The sponsor for the concert hall he was playing at would be paying for all his accommodations.
"The rest of the people preforming already arrived, though you're the youngest," the representative said walking with Kousei to his car. "There are nine others, each coming from different countries— it's supposed to be a multi-culture symphony."
Kousei nodded his head as he got into the passenger seat of the car.
"But Japan, wow you must be a prodigy to come so young. You win any major competitions?"
Kousei frowned. "Ah yeah a few." He didn't feel the real need to be talkative, or really any reason to divulge such information to a stranger.
"Well I'm Dan by the way." Dan dropped down the window, letting in the heat of LA air. "Well it's kind of early still; but do you want to see anything in LA before we make our way to the hotel?"
Kousei licked his lip. He thought about the girl, the girl he came here to meet. He hadn't scheduled anything, and he hadn't even done much work to find out anything about her. But he did have a name, and he did have the name of her school.
Kousei reached into his pocket. "This school," he handed the piece of paper to the driver. "I have a friend I want to visit."
At the stop light Dan looked over the paper. "Oh that's that famous art school Argentum. Of course a big shot like you would have a friend there." He laughed awkwardly. "Sure we can stop by there, but it's a Saturday, I'm not sure if anyone will be there."
Kousei frowned, he forgot that American schools were different then Japan where they didn't come to use the club facilities on weekends. Still Kousei felt that visiting the school now would be appropriate.
"It's fine I just want to see the school." Dan nodded and said he'd head over in that direction.
When the two of them arrived Dan let Kousei out and said he was welcome to walk around the campus well Dan went to go get his third coffee, saying he'd pick Kousei up in fifteen minutes.
The Argentum School was pretty, freshly cut lawn, and palm trees around every corner. The building was a nice red brick, older, but still vibrant. Kousei could see that the building was probably full of life every weekday. But today it just looked kind of lonely.
"Hello?" a girl in torn up jeans and a black sleeveless t-shirt called from a window. She was on the bottom floor of the building, looking a bit lost in her own thought. "Are you lost?" she asked, fixing a cap on her head.
Kousei frowned. Perhaps the campus was supposed to be closed on weekends.
"No, I was just looking around." His voice sounded a bit shallow, but the girl nodded so she probably could hear Kousei.
"Well do you mind helping me?" she asked from the first floor window.
Kousei tilted his head. "Ah sure…" he answered.
"Awesome, just climb through the window."
Kousei gave her a look like she was crazy, but the girl just smiled.
"Come on just come through!" She held out her hand and Kousei walked forward to take it. With the girls help Kousei made it through the window. He was out of breath once through.
"Sheesh you sure had trouble with that." Now that Kousei was inside he could see the girl up close. She looked familiar. He hair done back in a ponytail and wearing a cap backwards. She had paint on her face, and once Kousei was in safely he watched as the stranger reached for a paint brush from a corner filled with them.
"I just need you to hold something for me," the girl said, handing Kousei a bouquet of flowers. "You see they're for my painting, don't worry you won't be in it."
Kousei gripped the flowers, a bit unsure of how he was supposed to hold them. The stranger adjusted them in his grip. "Just like this."
The girl went behind the easel. It seemed Kousei had stumbled into an art room, and a small one at that. There were only a few easels, but papers of art work were all hung along the walls. Most of the art work following either the theme of flowers, or music.
"Do you play music?" Kousei asked while holding the flowers.
The girl looked distant for a quick second but sighed before giving off another smile. "No not really, piano a bit as a kid, but now I just paint—though apparently not in time for due dates, as this painting was supposed to be handed in yesterday."
Kousei let his grip loosen on the flowers. "So you just paint it," Kousei said. He wasn't used to speaking as much, but his voice seemed to flow naturally here.
"Not lately, not really feeling inspired to paint these past few months." The stranger looked at the flowers, the scent filling the room. "Flowers are easier to paint, their fragrance is just. . .like an illuminating symphony."
Kousei looked at the girl behind the easel, his recognition already far beyond what he wanted his mind to see. But still he held onto the bouquet of multi-coloured flowers. They did have a nice fragrance, a pretty one, something he could smell all day.
Kousei watched the girl paint, the colours changing one after another on the brush.
"Flowers and music, do they remind you of someone." His voice was quiet, he wasn't sure if the stranger would understand or hear, but she did, and she looked up in a bit of shock at the question.
"Yeah, actually they do, or they did." Her motion of painting slowed. "Sorry I'd rather not talk about it."
Kousei could have stayed quiet, but his anger and his frustration and just all his sadness, well that part of him wouldn't allow it.
"Is there a reason…" his voice dragged a bit unsure if his mind was willing to take him that far, but he knew he'd never get answers otherwise.
"Look it's not really your business stranger, can you just stand there in silence? I don't want this to get awkward."
None of his business hurt, as he'd been much more involved in Kaori's life then this girl ever had put the effort into. She'd stayed behind, hadn't even shown up to the funeral, and all Kousei had been left with was a photo of her and this girl with him in the background.
"I'm sorry," Kousei said a bit overwhelmed. "But I find it my business when someone's own sister doesn't even bother to show up to the funeral."
The girl dropped her paint brush, green paint splattering on the floor.
Guess it'd just been Kousei's luck she'd be here, of all the people to be painting on a Saturday.
"You?" her voice sounded hollow, broken almost.
"She was dying and I found out to late. But you would have known for months, yet you weren't even there when she was trying everything in her power to stay alive." Kousei crunched the flowers.
Kaori's sister bent down to pick up her paint brush. She hadn't been prepared for this conversation, probably ever.
"I-I…"
"Did you even care?" Kousei asked, his eyes straining a bit.
"Shut up! You don't understand, it wasn't…you have no business in my family."
"Kaori was my friend, and the girl I loved, I have every right to track down this last moment for her!" Kousei realized he'd raised his voice, and that the flowers he'd been holding had become flat and tired like. Kousei went and put the flowers on a stool beside him. "All I want to know is why," he said in a last attempt to break through to this girl.
The girl sighed, taking off her backwards baseball cap. "It just didn't feel right. I left a few years ago to get away from the family drama, not going back home because I couldn't stand the idea of being there when she was sick." The girl took a seat at her easel again. "I wanted to, but I just never found I could find the courage to. I'd been avoiding her for so long and then I found out she died…I thought there'd be more warning, there'd be something." She wiped her tears, probably getting the closure she needed as much as Kousei did.
"I'm sorry."
Kousei went over and tapped the girls shoulder. "It's alright," he said, unsure if that was the thing he wanted to say, or if he'd come here to say at all.
Kousei reached into his jacket and pulled out a ticket. "There's a concert tonight, many musicians will be there preforming, and so will I." He handed the ticket to the girl. "I hope that you'll show up, my song, the piece of music I'm preforming, I'm playing it for Kaori."
The girl took hold of the ticket, if not a bit slightly or unpleasantly. But she took it none the less.
"Thank you," she said her voice quiet.
"I hope you'll come," Kousei said. "As I think you need to get closure from this, more so then I do."
Kousei went back over to the window, deciding on the window instead of the door to an unfamiliar hallway.
Running back to Dan who was waiting in the car, he goes back inside through the passenger door, a cold coffee cup waiting for him.
"Took you awhile man." Dan started the car, driving away from the art school.
"So, you meet her?" Dan asked as they got a little further down the road.
Kousei nodded, feeling a burden off his shoulders a bit. "Yeah."
"Alright, and it's not even 9am." Dan honked at the wheel, cars in front not seeming to notice. "We should go do something touristy before appearing at the hotel, you only need to be there by 4, so let's go."
Kousei nodded. "Sure sounds fun." His voice was perkier now, and his pocket was lighter, having given away his one spare ticket to the concert.
Kousei looked out the window, the bright sun having a bit of colour to it now.
Kousei wondered if Kaori could see this sun— that she could smile as he went to go preform a piece intended for her. Would Kaori smile, as her sister watched him play, play in memory of Kaori's beautiful and enlightening smile.
Her presence its own symphony.
Fin
So this story steamed to when I finished the manga many months (years) ago and thought the picture at the end was of Kaori's sister. Watching the anime (more then once) I now realize that girl was probably just a friend she came to see at the concert Kousei was preforming at, but anyway the idea for this fic never left me. So here I am finding the inspiration to finish it.
Thanks for reading, probably won't continue it unless there is a high request, but if I think of a new idea I will be posting soon XD
Also if you're interested I do Amv's and the link to my channel is in my profile. Even done one for Your Lie in April!