The soft sound of a piano filled the room below him, its tune slow and melancholic, romantic even. He paused to listen, surprised that anyone else remained in the building this late.
Well, there was one other who would be there as late as he currently was, but the tune being played was not familiar to him. It did not sound like his cousin's playing, either. His cousin's playing was more precise, crisper and cleaner in its delivery. The one playing allowed the musical refrains to linger a little longer than what he would have, but somehow it worked. It was all the better, the sad and haunting yet romantic music being played. Curious, he followed the sounds to their source, the unspoken words tantalizing him. Once there, he paused and listened as the player continued, his eyes resting on the lithe form standing behind the instrument.
A small part of him was surprised to see him behind the piano, and playing such a profound melody. When he had first seen the other man perform, it had been mediocre in style and delivery. Nothing about the other man's performance had reached out to him from a business standpoint, and he had sought out a better musician. The tune now reaching him and being played by this unexpected person was a slight shock.
However, the musician in him could not be bothered to be surprised. He knew, somehow, the younger man had always possessed this skill. It had always been a matter of finding the right key to unlocking the talent buried within. Idly, he wondered what had finally triggered this musical inspiration from the vocalist.
As Shuichi finished playing his song, his eyes met with Tohma's, and the world had somehow managed to slow down. An electric charge shot through Tohma as the last refrains played out, and he had to catch his breath. Then the vocalist was gone, as if he had never existed at all.
