UNFINISHED SONATA by Kim Robarts
Momogaoka Music Academy, March 7th, 2007
Chiaki stood in front of the orchestra during practice that afternoon, his mind immersed in the score rather than those around him as he closed his eyes to feel the music, his arms gesturing wide and his movements grandiose.
Shinichi Chiaki was a 22 year old, third year student at the academy, having spent his childhood in Europe after his mother and father separated. He was inspired by a famous conductor who befriended him and now he seeks the same in his adulthood. Every woman's heart in the academy beat a little faster when he walked by and every man's heart was filled with envy and awe. Though admittedly, for a select few of the males with female persuasion in their nature, hearts fluttered a bit as well.
With princely good looks and a haughty air, he spoke of being raised well. A rich mane of dark hair constantly fell in his chocolate-brown eyes as he talked to you. His full lips rarely curved into a smile, a blush an event upon his high cheekbones and his look was intense. Few crossed his path without a biting remark. Slim of build, he had a way of holding himself that was unmistakable. You sensed him before he came into a room. He wasn't approachable, yet everyone wanted to meet him. He knew what he was talking about when it came to music, but most just wanted to hear his deep, melodic voice rather than what he was saying. Often he would walk down the academy's ground and have a bevy of women following close behind, though he never seemed to take notice of it.
The sounds that afternoon from his orchestra were exquisite even for those only in their second year, they missed a beat here and there, he could sense it – but they were improving.
Then, there was a distinctive sour note.
Glancing up, he picked it out immediately as his timpanist in back – Ayako Noto who was struggling with the piece. She seemed to grimace with every note.
She'd been signed on to replace Masumi Okuyama – someone who never missed a beat unless confined to a small room and suffering from claustrophobia. But, Masumi had heard the call to study abroad – leaving for China to join the elite orchestra there and try out for professional.
The words 'abroad' made Chiaki pause in his words as he was about to scold Ayako for her error.
Nodame…
He suddenly stopped what he was doing, and held up a hand in protest.
"Chiaki?" his friend Mine exclaimed, as he stopped violin playing near the far left wall. He was the concert master and very rarely took his eyes off of him. He liked to think of himself as the conductor's shadow and special envoy. For a moment, the thought sent a smile to Mine's face.
Ryutaro Mine was somewhat younger than his friend Chiaki at age 20 and is a 3rd year violin student. With a rock and roll heart and classical training, his inspiration is an odd mixture. Deeply respectful of his father's business in owning his own restaurant near the academy, he too wanted to be a success of his own in music.
Seemingly taller than Chiaki – though admittedly it might be the hair – he often is seen sporting a Led Zeppelin T-shirt, eclectic 80s punk look and dark shark pants. A little gawky but cute, his bleached blond hair stood up at wild angles on top of his head, often held back with rainbow clips. He had an oval face with curious brown eyes and pouty red lips. His large ears jutting out from either side never seemed to stop the girl's noticing him as he walked down the street in the evenings – maybe that was because his dad was promoting the hell out of his son's orchestra/rock performances each week at his local restaurant. Proud of himself to a fault, he could bend over backwards to help a friend – easy to approach and always quick to be the life of the party.
Chiaki glanced over at Mine and said nothing, but there was something of disquiet in the conductor's dark-chocolate eyes. It was unmistakable.
Mine knew what it was – Nodame wasn't here. He'd seen it before. Chiaki would always be the last to admit how much he'd come to depend on the girl, but he could always tell.
"Alright everyone, let's call it a day!" Mine instructed, he stood up without hesitation and the orchestra stopped to look at him instead.
Chiaki was about to open his mouth to protest his one-up man ship, but in this in this instance he was grateful for the intervention. Nodding, he put down his baton and stepped down from his podium.
"Thank you everyone, we'll pick up tomorrow," Chiaki quietly confirmed and without another word spoken, he left the room.
Mine watched him for a time as everyone went about their own chore of putting away their instruments. It struck him that no matter how many people surrounded him – Chiaki always seemed perpetually alone. It was like a cloud hanging over him 24/7.
Casting his eyes to the floor for a moment, he then silently put his violin in his case and struck out for home.
(On the road leading to the small apartment suite called SWEET HOUSE on the edge of Tokyo where Chiaki lives. A small place tucked away in a corner of a street, but inviting nevertheless. We find Shinichi Chiaki walking home):
Lost in his own thoughts as the day turns into evening and the sky casts a warm glow on the horizon. He almost half expected to hear the pitter patter of tiny footsteps running up behind him on the pavement and the delicate arm intertwining with his own as Noda Megumi joined him in her boisterous but enchanting way.
Enchanting…Nodame…
Would he ever get used to it? He had accepted her into his heart.
He missed it now, he missed her confusion, her lovely chaos – he missed her, her touch, her presence, her smile and her laughter to his life.
Chiaki tried to take a deep breath and swallow a tear trying to find its way down his cheek, when he felt something vibrating in his coat pocket.
His cell phone!
Flipping it open, he saw a little heart beside the name Noda Megumi; it was a message from her! At last she had turned on her cell. She wasn't simply leaving a message – it was her calling him, as if she had read his mind.
"Hello?!" Chiaki exclaimed rather impatiently into the phone, he tried to hide his anxiousness, but failed.
"Senpai? Yes, it's me. I missed you an hour ago. Will you forgive Nodame? I'm enjoying Paris, it's so big here though, and people talking with things I don't understand. I also found that Schubert speaks the same language."
The sound of her little singsong rambling made him smile in secret.
"Are you practicing?" he replied quietly, and then kept walking. He had found his center again. He felt warmth spread through him.
"Hai! He's nice; he even did the fart song…"
"Nodame!"
"Hee hee, Senpai, it's nice to hear you too. How are you?"
He smiled again at her joke and then replied. "I'm fine, Eto has asked about you."
"Gyabo!" she exclaimed.
Now the tears started to flow from Chiaki's eyes as he heard that special word that was only hers – how he missed it.
"Senpai?"
Still no answer.
"Senpai?"
"I'm here."
"Are you lonely without me?" she dared to ask.
He could no longer hide the truth from her after all they'd been through together. "Yes, I miss you."
"Good!"
He looked up at the phone.
"I miss you too, Chiaki," she said. The confidence in her voice surprised him and what was more – she had referred him by name alone. Something she'd never done. "But, you are not alone – you have friends, you have your orchestra and you have me. I will be home soon."
The way she phrased the words really threw him. Was this the same girl?
"Hurry!" he whispered.
She giggled. "I will – Chiaki-senpai?"
"Yes?"
"I love you," came her gentle words.
"I love you too, Nodame-chan."
The words made her giggle. "Pink Mozart!"
"What?"
"When you talk in such words – it's like Pink Mozart – all soft and fluffy."
He rolled his eyes at her tender teasing. "Nodame."
"Bye bye, sensei is calling, I will call tonight to see what you are making to eat – make sure you eat enough and also, make sure to feed my little one."
He remembered the cacti she'd left to him. He grinned.
"I will."
Then the phone went dead, but not before he heard piano music. It was Nodame playing it for him in the background.
Stopping dead in his tracks, he stared down at the phone and cried.
(The next day at the Mine restaurant, a cheerful little place that always had a steady crowd of college students going about their day. Mine Ryuken, Ryutaro's father, would often serve an infusion of Western and Asian cuisine, dependent upon his mood that day):
In one corner near the counter sat the usual crew – Mine, Chiaki, and some of the concert members having a bite of spicy noodles and tea. Everyone seemed to talk animatedly about the practice for the day, but Chiaki was quietly contemplating his meal and not answering anyone.
Mine decided to coax him out of his shell a bit.
"So…" he said, leaning in a little too close for comfort to his friend's left ear, Chiaki could feel Mine's hot breath and jumped a bit. Mine laughed at his discomfort. Mine just loved to aggravate him at times, though most times it was unintentional. "What are we going to be doing next? What piece is on the agenda for tomorrow, Chiaki?"
"Umm…I think tomorrow we'll do Beethoven."
"Sounds good – Beethoven it is! I've actually been practicing a few violin pieces in hopes we'd get to it. I think it's time for my virtuoso! What do you think Chiaki?"
Mine's enthusiasm was unmistakable. He seemed to nearly be a puppy at times begging at Chiaki's feet – anything to please him. But, he also knew that Ryutaro Mine wasn't as simple as he looked, he could be as headstrong as he was at times.
"I'll – think about it!" muttered the conductor in slight impatience as he took a sip of his tea.
Mine made a cheering motion in the air. "And, I want to also…"
Chiaki shot him a dirty look as if he was pushing his luck just a little bit too much when Ryu's phone went off.
Mine plucked it from his vest pocket and looked down at it. When he saw who was messaging him he nearly did a double take – it was Nodame.
He was about to tell Chiaki but saw he was busy in conversation now with someone else.
Getting up from his seat he went to the other side of the cafe's service counter. His father shot him a contented grin and then Mine secretly glanced at his tiny display to see what the message was about.
'Mine-san, I need your help. I'm worried about Senpai, he's so lonely of late. Could you please make sure he eats and that he dresses right. Just try to be there for him. I know you will, you're a good person, Mine-san. And, if he needs any sort of comfort in any way other than what I wrote – you'll give it to him? Anything…'
He seemed a little flustered by what she had intended in her last texting, wondering if she did indeed mean that like he thought. Then he realized she was actually currently on the phone because another message chased the one he just read, so he instead picked up her line.
"Nodame? Are you there?"
"Hai, I'm here – hi Mine-san, how are you?" she asked pleasantly over the phone, as if nothing in the world was wrong. He could hear sounds in the background of people talking and of car noises – she had to be traveling to somewhere on foot.
"Chiaki is fine, he doesn't – need my – comfort…"
"Please, he needs someone to stroke his hair and to cook for him and…"
"NODAME!" Mine screamed into the phone, nearly shutting it accidentally in the process.
Everyone in the cafe took notice, especially Chiaki who sat up at attention to the sound of a familiar name; he glared directly at Mine in confusion. A little instant thread of jealousy apparent on his face.
"I'm not going to do that!" he hissed into his phone, glancing back at his friend across the room, a very obvious flush to his cheek.
"Hold him close to you, tell him it will be alright," she replied back, very nonchalant.
Mine continued to stare at Chiaki as she still went on describing his care and attention in his ear.
"Kiss his ear when he doesn't expect it, he's ticklish, it always makes him laugh. When you do, bite his neck a little. Then wrap your arms around…"
Suddenly there was a loud sound in the phone line and Nodame stopped talking. Mine pulled it away from his ear and looked down at the little cell in shock.
"Nodame?!" he cried, lifting the phone once more. "Nodame? What's going on?"
But, the phone call was over. Her line was gone. For a moment, Mine looked back to Chiaki with a thread of fear in his eyes. Chiaki could see Mine's expression and sensed something was wrong. He just didn't know what at the time.
(Two days later):
Chiaki was rushing around his apartment getting ready for class when he got the call. A call he'd never expected or wanted…
It was Nodame's father.
His first words were "Please, if you can – sit down."
He felt a feeling of needles running up his spine as his heart dropped. Something was wrong, very wrong – he knew it.
"What is it? What's going on?" Chiaki whispered, raspy into the line.
"It's Nodame, Chiaki – she's…she's gone. I'm so sorry."
"Wha– what?!" cried Chiaki into the phone, his grip on the mechanism was shaking as he felt his world suddenly seem to darken in the tiny room he was in. "Gone? What do you mean – gone?"
"She was walking along to recital the other day in Paris, a motorist took the corner too quickly, and she was struck. They took her to the hospital, we went there immediately – but she died before we could make it. God! Oh my God – my little Noda!!"
Her father broke down and cried openly over the phone.
Chiaki could not hear him any longer; he'd dropped the phone in shock on the floor…
(Later that day at the academy, practice seems to go on forever as the orchestra members awaited the arrival of their concert conductor, Shinichi Chiaki):
Mine looked up at the podium for several minutes, his bow raised in mid air above his violin. He couldn't help but think something terrible was wrong and finally he could take it no longer.
"I have to do something!" he shouted.
Standing up in front of the others, they all stopped what little fine tuning their instruments to see what he was doing. He seemed lost in deep thought for a few moments, a temporary look of confusion fogging his expression before his eyes lit up. Running back to his chair, he set down his violin and ran from the room without another word.
"What was that all about?" asked someone, but it was something no one seemed to be able to answer.
(Sweet House on the edge of town, where Chiaki has locked himself away after the news of Nodame's death):
Ryutaro Mine stood outside on the sidewalk looking up at Chiaki's apartment, he decided if he was the messenger that was sent to retrieve the conductor – well that was job in life as concert master – the show must go on. But, he hesitated.
Taking a deep breath, he was both fearful and uncertain what news awaited him after the incident the other day. He would be damned lucky if he would escape the wraith of Chiaki who no doubt Nodame had now claimed had been the one to phone her with illicit love messages about the two of them.
He laughed, but the sound was hollow as it left his throat. A look of silly panic upon his face. Dancing around in spot, his hands shook. She wouldn't do that…would she…?
But, this was Noda Megumi we were talking about.
Yet, for some odd reason, jealousy would be welcome to him, in place of it came thoughts of the other reason for her shortened call the other day. Horrible images of her face being snatched away, taken away by someone or something…he didn't know where the idea came from – but his instincts suddenly gave way as he ran the length of the pavement, up the stairs to the neighboring building to Chiaki's apartment.
Ringing his buzzer, he heard no reply inside, or any noise for that matter.
"Chiaki? Are you in there? We've been looking for you – you've missed practice today? We can't do anything without the conductor, if you don't hurry – I'll do it myself!" Mine shouted through his door.
Holding his ears to the door frame, he could still hear nothing.
"Umm…you know – that phone call the other day – we – we were just talking. She called me Chiaki! I swear! All she wanted to talk about was you! I'm not her toy boy or anything…Chiaki?"
Still, the inside of the apartment was more silent than a tomb. A cold fear washed over Ryu, it was chilling.
He laid his head again the door as if it was breathing and he could feel its pulse. Yet there was no life within.
"Chiaki – talk to me – what's going on? Something feels wrong – Chiaki?!" he whispered.
But, no one came to his beck and call.
Standing away momentarily, he stroked the door's texture with gloved hand before he gave up and left.
Maybe Chiaki had gone after Nodame again, but for once – he hoped it wasn't true…
(Three days pass, still no word of Chiaki from anyone in either the academy or his close friends, it was starting to look as if he'd deserted Tokyo completely. All except for Ryutaro Mine):
"Ryu!! It's time to get your lazy bones moving, boy!" shouted his father downstairs as Mine could hear the clatter of plates and silverware from the kitchen – as well as the enticing aroma of waffles and eggs being fixed on his stove downstairs, a few eggs sizzling pleasantly.
He tried hard to ignore his hunger as he turned over on his side and faced the wall in the darkness of his little room, his head covered with his pillow to shut out the light trying to find its way in a nearby window.
The guilt, the guilt ate at him like a plague on his skin and bones.
"RYU!!" his father yelled for him, even more insistent. "School!"
"I'm not going!" shouted Mine in return finally.
It wasn't but a few minutes later that he could hear the familiar footfall of his father on the creaky steps. He was coming to retrieve him.
"Dad, I'm warning you – I'm 20 years old, I don't need you to get me going. If I want to take the day off from my classes, I will."
"I didn't pay good money to have you lie around all day under a pillow, my fuzzyhead – get up!" Ryuken Mine said softness to his voice rather than anger. His dad loved him, he knew that. But, at times he frustrated him to no end.
"Dad, go away!" he warned and hit the wall with his fist.
His father had never seen him this way. Out of concern, he sat near him on the bed and looked down. His twisted sheets showing barely a trace that his son was even amongst them.
"What's going on?"
"Nothing!" snarled a voice from beyond.
"Ryu, I got a call the other day – it was from Nodame's father…"
The words roused the young man who slowly raised the pillow from his head; he looked up at his father near him with a thousand questions in his dark eyes.
"…I asked if they needed a delivery and then he told me the news. Ryu – that darling destiny girl that always hanging around here – she is no longer with us."
In terror, Mine's eyes grew bigger and he sat bolt upright.
"She's dead? Nodame is dead?! Oh…I did it! It's my entire fault!! Oh my God!!" he cried, tearing at his hair and pulling at his shirt.
His father grabbed for his hands to stop his maniac tirade.
"Ryu, Ryu – it's not! She died in Paris; you couldn't have caused this, boy! Calm down!"
But, Mine was already distraught he began to start throwing things on his bed across the room, shouting at the top of his lungs and crying at the same time.
His dad tried hard to hold him down, to get some sense into him, but it did little good.
"Where is this coming from, son? I'm as upset as you, yet this is uncalled for!"
Finally, Mine stopped what he was doing and buried his face into his pillow and cried some more. His whole body in fact was racked with tears.
Bowing his head in despair, his dad got up and left Mine to his grief. Somehow there was more to this than his on, but he decided not to press him at the moment. Had he had feelings for Nodame, other than friendship it never showed. No, it had to be something else…
As he stood near the door, he stopped for a moment and looked back at his son still sobbing on his bed.
"Ryu, I'm sure you're plenty upset over little Noda – but I would think Chiaki is hurting even more. Why you take him some food, I'll make up an omiya for you to take to him – I'm sure he's ready for some breakfast. But, you eat first – I'll be waiting for you downstairs."
With those kind words, his dad went back to his work.
Slowly, Mine regained his composure and sat up to mull things over. His heart was still heavy with grief and guilt – but her words haunted him even more…
"'Just try to be there for him. I know you will, you're a good person, Mine-san. And, if he needs any sort of comfort in any way other than what I wrote – you'll give it to him? Anything…'"
He knew now it was her dying wish and that it was his responsibility as her friend to uphold it. He would do everything possible to help Chiaki through this and comfort him in his lowest point.
(Just outside of Sweet House, the sun was starting to peek through the morning clouds):
Mine had a determined stride to his step as he approached the apartments – he had a goal and a heavy metal omiya with him filled to the rim with his father's delightful concoctions – if this didn't bring Chiaki out of his funk, nothing would.
His heart felt heavy as he thought about him, he couldn't even begin to imagine what he was going through – no one he'd known had ever died and now a dear friend had.
But, for Chiaki she was more than a friend – she had been a lover, a muse and a bright spot in his life for the last year and a half.
He hesitated for a moment, kicking the pavement with his sneaker. He couldn't simply walk up to him, act like nothing was wrong and talk about the weather. What was he going to say?
'No!' he thought to himself. 'This is my friend and so is Nodame. She needed me then, he needs me now!'
Gripping the omiya a little tighter, he walked up the stairs to the apartment once more. He knew he wasn't imagining things when the stairs seemed more numerous this time and the top was further away.
Sucking in his breath as he stood before Chiaki's door, he was about to ring his buzzer when he thought the better of it.
"I'll just leave it for him…" he muttered to himself.
But, how was he going to notice the omiya outside if he didn't know he was here? He didn't want his father's good food to go to waste.
Then, he devised a plan. Knocking lightly twice on the door, he bent over to where Chiaki had a newspaper slot and cracked it open a bit. Lifting the top off the omiya, he let the intoxicating aromas fill the air – hoping it would drift into his apartment.
Smiling to himself, he patted Chiaki's door and left for the academy.
(Later that day at the academy):
Mine was in the library pouring over books on conducting. He didn't know the first thing about it aside from watching Chiaki – but the S-Oke would folds it's tents if they knew their main conductor was missing in action. He would have to do it, but the thought terrified him – they'd probably laugh him out of the music class.
If only Stresemann were here!
That's when Mine spied the one man other than Stresemann who could help – well – calling him a man was a stretch by any imagination, but he would do.
Ookouchi Mamoru was busy hiding behind a few of the bookshelves on the outlook for his main rival – Shinichi Chiaki when out of the blue – one of his entourage jumped him from behind.
Small of stature, with a mousey face and trembling body, but remarkable similar in hair and style of dress as Chiaki himself. His name was never synonymous with Chiaki's but he was never far away, always trying to absorb his limelight and glory.
Now he covered his face in fear.
"No, don't hit me!" he cried, trying to move away from him.
Mine laid his hand on the little man's shoulder.
"What? No, no – you got me wrong! I'm not going to do anything to you, relax! You are studying to be a conductor, aren't you?" Mine asked his enthusiasm obvious.
Suddenly the squirrely guy lifted his shoulders and raised his head in pride. "Why yes, I plan to conduct the greatest orchestra on earth someday…and I…"
"Ah yeah, that's great – I just need you for the afternoon. What's your name?"
"Ookouchi Mamoru!" he said, with relish.
"Great, Ookoohi! Let's go to the music room to have you meet the others."
"It's – uh – Ookouchi!"
"Oh…uh…sorry Oookooouchee!" Mine replied, laughing a bit to himself.
"I frankly don't think my name is a source of hilarity!" muttered Ookouchi.
He followed the concert master between the tables of the spacious campus library, tripping over some girl's knapsack as they walked amongst the students.
Cursing him out, she lashed out by hitting Mine instead. He retaliated by kicking her knapsack across to another table and soon an incident had ensued.
The girl's boyfriend got into the fray and grabbed Ookouchi by the collar of his shirt, ready to hit him as the tiny student cowered in fear.
"Hey! Hey! What's going on, Maki put him down right now. That's right, down on the floor – nicely…!" shouted a woman's voice suddenly from behind the mayhem. Instead of saying the instructions to him in Japanese, the voice was clearly English.
She started to say the same thing in Japanese to get it across to the student and the boy put poor Ookouchi gingerly on the floor.
Mine did a double take as the woman came up to them. She was clearly American and looked very out of place at the all-Japanese academy, but she seemed to know her way around in both official languages.
She was older, seemed to be in her mid 30s. Her soft, reddish-brown hair fell to her shoulders and fell in loose curls around her heart shaped face as her dark brown eyes peered up at Mine in curiosity behind her glasses perched upon her nose. She smiled confidently at the pair. She was fairly tall, coming to the top of Mine's ear. She was a bit overweight, but still attractive.
'New instructor perhaps?' thought Mine.
"Hi, sorry about that," she said. "I mean – ogenki desu-ka? (how are you?)"
She touched Ookouchi's shoulder in concern and he turned to a pile of mush it seemed to have any woman's attention showered upon him.
"Genki-desu (I'm fine)," he muttered. "Arigatou! (Thank you!)"
"Good – goshinpai-naku (don't worry about it)," she replied and stroked his arm a bit to soothe the pain.
Mine giggled a bit. The woman didn't share his amusement.
"I'm sorry," he replied in his own tongue. "It's just such formal Japanese, it sounded funny – sumimasen (excuse me) – are you a teacher here?"
"Oh yes, sorry about formalities – my name is Katherine Eckhart, I'm the new concert instructor. I just started a month ago. Are you both studying music? Which fields? Maybe we'll run into one another if you take my class eventually."
"I'm a concert master for S-Oke and this guy here is a studying conductor…Oooki"
Ookouchi huffed a bit and snarled at him. "It's Ookouchi! How many times have I got to tell you! Ookouchi! I conducted you for that performance you did of Gershwin!"
"OHHHH – yeah, now I remember you!" Mine shouted and hugged the kid.
This just about totally freaked him, he pushed him away and looked at him as if he was nuts.
Katherine was laughing at the strange pair. "Well, I have to go to class. Ookouchi and – I didn't catch your name…"
"I'm Ryutaro Mine…"
"Mine," she said. "Nice to meet you both, see you in class…"