The Sound of Music
"HINO-SAN?"
A woman in her mid-twenties, flaming red hair messily done up in a bun held with two Number 2 pencils, looked up from her desk.
"Yes, Nakamura-sensei?"
"Principal Kaito wants to see you before you leave for the university. I don't know what it's about, though..."
"Arigato, Nakamura-sensei," Hino smiled. "My classes don't start for another two hours, anyway. I'll go see him now."
Hino Kahoko, now an adult living in Tokyo, was an elementary school music teacher who studied music at the university after her classes. Fresh out of college, Hino still burst with energy and charisma, her positive nature and endearing clumsiness making her a favorite among both her students and coworkers at the school. In fact, some male teachers and students had already developed crushes on her in just a few weeks after her arrival. She still played the violin well; considering the stress college was on people, it was a miracle she had still found the time to practice. Sometimes Hino, or Hino-sensei to her students, would play them a song or two as a treat, or tell them stories of her days in the concourse at the famous Seiso Academy. Their favorite was always Ave Maria. The girls would immediately beg her to play that when she asked them what song they wanted. The boys would groan, complaining about the "sappiness", but they'd listen intently all the same. Of course, they also wanted to hear stories of what the famous Len Tsukimori and Tsuchiura Ryoutaro used to be like in their teenaged years; it highly fascinated them the way their music teacher was a schoolmate those famous musical stars.
Tsukimori and Tsuchiura, surprisingly, often collaborated for concerts. The shows they gave were always full, concert halls packed with musical connoisseurs and amateurs alike. No one would have believed that the two were, in fact, bitter rivals in their high school years. Hihara was now a celebrity in Japan, starring in dramas and movies and commercials. Yunoki was, as expected, working for the family business, while Fuyuumi and Shimizu were both seniors at Julliard, the famous performing arts college in America.
Hino briskly knocked on the door of the principal's office and was ushered in by his secretary.
"Hold on please, Hino-sensei, Principal Kaito is just finishing up a call."
"Is that Hino-sensei, Amane-san? Please send her in," a deep voice called from inside the room.
"You can go in now, dear," the secretary said to her kindly, with a look that vaguely resembled pity. But why?
"Ah, Hino-san. Please, have a seat." The principal cleared his throat.
"Is anything the matter, sir?" Hino asked as she settled into the chair facing Principal Kaito's desk.
"Well…Hino, as you know, our music program is being funded by the government. Our school had been one of the lucky few chosen to participate in the experimental music program," the principal said. "Well, recently, due to the, er, global economic recession…budgets have been cut."
Hino's heart sank. Clearly, this was not good news.
"Due to this…er…lack of funding…we've been forced to let go of some…staff. I'm sorry, Hino-san."
Hino Kahoko discovered, there was, in fact, a place lower than rock bottom—abyss of hell. She felt as though she had been punched in the stomach. Her job! "I-it's—I understand, Principal Kaito."
"Your last day is at the end of the month, in a week from now, Hino-san. I'm quite sorry."
Hino walked out of the school, still reeling from the news. Her job! What was she going to do now? Scratch the first part—Hino Kahoko, now an adult living in Tokyo, was currently unemployed.
Hino's university classes that day passed in a blur. She had been scolded by her professors for not paying close attention several times now, and all her classmates noticed the change in her as well. She told them, of course, and they were all sympathetic, but no one could give a definite solution. Classes had already been going on for a semester; no school would be looking for a teacher this late in the year, and with budget cuts, who knows how she was going to find a new job?
It was already quite late when Hino finished up at the university, and as she quickly packed up her music scores and violin, all she could think about was the nice, warm bath that awaited her at home. She walked briskly down the halls, partly due to anticipation and to ward off the autumn cold that threatened to seep in if she didn't keep moving. Hino was just about to reach the doors of the building when a voice called from behind her.
"Hino?"
It was one of her music professors, sticking his salt-and-pepper head out of his office. "Would you come here a minute?"
Sigh. Hino turned around and walked back to the yellow-white glow seeping out the glass of the door to her professor's office, wondering what he could want with her.
"You called, Sensei?"
"Yes, have a seat, Hino," he gestured to the chair in front of him.
This feels incredibly like déjà vu…after what happened today, I won't be surprised if he were to start reprimanding me on my lack of focus and kick me out of college.
"So. I hear you lost your job?" He raised an eyebrow at her and twiddled with his pen.
"Yes, sir," Hino heaved a sigh. "I'm sorry I've been so out of it today, I was just worried about it. I promise I'll do better tomorrow."
"Now, now, Hino, there's nothing to apologize about. It's completely normal for that to happen. I was actually looking to help you."
Hino looked up from the loose thread she had been pulling off the chair, bright eyes lit up with hope. "Really, sensei?"
"Yes. I was just on the phone with Kanazawa—he was a teacher of yours in Seiso, am I right?"
Hino nodded and the professor continued. "Well, he's been keeping tabs on all of you since you graduated—don't look at me like that, Kanazawa DOES care, you know," he chuckled.
"So, as I was saying, Kanazawa was telling me that he heard Tsukimori and Tsuchiura were coming back from Europe to live in Japan again."
"Oh? Tsukimori-kun and Tsuchiura-kun?"
"Yes. And, as you know, Tsukimori has 2 children, right?"
"Yes…"
"How would you like to nanny his kids?"
Tsukimori, during his studies in Europe after the concourse, had met someone. She was quite a beauty, a Eurasian girl with yellow hair and sea green eyes shaped like almonds. Named Michiko, she was a year older than Len and studied the viola. They had hit it off immediately, and were soon going out. Right after college, their respective careers in music flourishing, Tsukimori and Michiko got married in a small but talked-about ceremony in a church in Paris. Soon after, a bright-eyed girl with deep blue hair became the newest addition to their family, and 3 years later, a boy followed. Unfortunately, Michiko died in a plane crash just a year after. She had been on her way back from a concert tour around Asia. Tsukimori drew himself and his family back from the public eye after that. He was rarely seen out, always practicing for concerts. It was during this time that Tsuchiura, also a famous pianist, proposed to him that they perform together. They had been at it for a year in Europe, and were now coming back to Japan. Permanently.