A/N: "Romance Oublieé" is a famous piece by Franz Liszt composed specifically for viola and piano. A viola is an instrument in the string family played on the shoulder like a violin, but lower in range. It is the alto voice of the strings, if you will. Please do look up this wonderful piece! As both a pianist and a violist, it is one of my favorites.
Romance Oublieé - Part 1
It was a Saturday after practice as usual. Miki played the piano as Juri continued to stretch and plan new exercises for the fencing team. It was also Miki and Juri as usual, Miki glancing at Juri, then quickly looking away, blushing, and Juri finding herself staring at Miki when he got lost in the music. The only song he didn't play anymore was "The Sunlit Garden", but then, neither of them missed it. It remained a slight chord in their memories, sweet and sad, but a memory nevertheless. What Miki did play were various selections of Scarlatti's sonatas, in order, of course. His vigor and happiness held the same intensity of the mournful pieces he used to play every day, but were such a contrast in their bright love of life. It made Juri proud.
What was unusual is when Miki began to play an odd piece, one that echoed his earlier sentiments, with forlorn melancholy. Juri stopped stretching to listen. It was strange, as it sounded like Miki was playing more harmony than melody. As the piece reached climax, Juri stood up and went to the piano, playing a hand on Miki's shoulder. He hit a wrong note and froze, the vibrations disappearing quickly.
"What's wrong, Mickey?" Juri asked softly, looking into his eyes. "You haven't played like that in a while. And a song so strange…"
"It's alright!" Miki said quickly. He looked down at his sheet music, then offered it to Juri. "See? It's an assignment for my new music class. We're learning accompaniment, and this is the first piece I chose. 'Romance Oublieé' by Franz Liszt. I like it. It reminds me of a time past, although I'm not entirely sure why."
"Oh." Juri accepted the music. "For viola and piano. It's French? 'Forgotten Romance'."
"Well, Liszt was Hungarian," Miki replied factually. "But he lived in France." He played a chord musingly.
"It's beautiful. Who's playing the viola part?" Juri said. "Your teacher?"
"No. We have to find a musician willing to play the part for our final performance exam." Miki returned the music to the piano and began playing quietly. "I haven't found anyone yet. I'm a bit worried, because it's so hard to find a violist. But I wouldn't want a violinist to transpose the piece. It wouldn't retain the integrity of Liszt's intentions." Juri chuckled lowly at Miki's earnestness.
"I'm finished, now," Miki announced. "Ready for lunch?" Juri nodded, gathering her bag and notebook as Miki did his everyday polishing of the piano. "To honor the instrument," he always said. In an odd way, Juri was sort of jealous. Playing music with another is a very close bond. Whoever stepped up as Miki's partner would be lucky.
That night, Juri paced around her dorm. She tried in vain to think about Student Council matters, fencing team problems, family goings-on. But the piano part of Romance Oublieé played on loop in her mind. Finally, she stopped in her tracks. This was ridiculous. Why was she so obsessed over the fact that Miki would be accompanying someone else? She wasn't a violist, nor a true musician since middle school when she left the violin for fencing. Juri loved fencing. The singing of the rapier, the delicate aggression. Now, though, she missed music. Did she still have her violin tucked away somewhere? Probably.
Her mother had always wanted her to pursue music as well. For a girl, no, a woman of Juri's station, well-roundedness was required, not just encouraged. Music, academia, sports, all were imposed on Juri. It was a testament to Juri's willfulness that she decided to pursue fencing above all, eschewing music and anything above perfect in school because those factors were not of her own desire.
Those pursuits had never been her own. Juri could make them her own, though. How hard would it be to switch from violin to viola, anyways? Rifling through her drawers, peering into the mess that was her closet, Juri searched. And searched. Until she found, under piles and piles of old fencing gear and awards, a violin case.
Unclipping the sides, she opened the case to find the violin nestled inside. The musty sweet scent of rosin rose up. Juri plucked the A string, and winced at how out of tune the instrument was. That would have to be fixed. She took out her tuning fork and tuned the A just as her teacher had taught her forever ago, then D, then G, then E. The tuning pegs were loathe to move, but Juri patiently tuned the instrument.
After rosining the bow, she set it on the A string and pulled. The same clear tone rung out, mimicking the A Miki played every time before starting practice to check tuning. Then she played a scale. Her bow was too slow, her fingers unaccustomed to the speed. The violin felt too delicate in her hands. Juri took a deep breath and tried to play the scale again. Now she was the one out of tune, missing notes, forgetting how to switch strings quickly enough. Frustrated, she set the violin to the side on her desk. This was why she had quit violin. It never responded to her, never loved her like other instruments loved their owners. Instead, it laughed a her lack of skill.
Promising herself to put the whole silly idea out of her head, Juri got ready for bed, brushing out her perfect curls, donning her silk nightgown. She watched herself in the mirror, remembering something she had said of Miki once. That he looked better at the piano than with a sword in his hands. Was Juri meant for all the aggression he lacked? Or did she, too, have that other, gentle side?
"Don't be stupid," Juri told herself. "You're not a musician. You're a fencer. You chose already, and that is that." Satisfied, Juri went to bed. However, she dreamed of "Romance Oublieé", of Miki's hands caressing the keys and her bow livening viola strings.