Why must departures be painful?
If I had realized it earlier……
I wish I could have more time…more time to be with you---
As Kahoko Hino finished the last note of her piece, she was relieved. It was not about stage fright or anything, it was more about how to make herself upholding the quality of the final concour. In the eyes of the audience, Hino's thinking or reasoning would not have mattered anyway; after all, she is just someone from the General Studies department and it is not expected that she will be playing at the level of other fellow contestants---not even Ryotarou Tsuchiura---another contestant in the same department as herself. Although Hino was really happy that she tried her best, it did not take too long for her to realize that she won the last place once again.
"Well, I tried……" She told herself and remembered all the joy and happiness of the days when she was practising and conversing with others in the concour group. "Even though I am still doing poorly," she smiled as she was putting away her instrument, "I really like violin."
"Kahoko Hino……"
Hino looked around and found a small glowing light hovering above her – it was Lili, the Fata who brought her into the world of music.
"Lili……" Hino greeted her small companion.
Lili lowered herself into the palms of Hino and smiled, "I'm impressed, you've worked really hard." As Lili finished her sentence, Hino felt a sudden sense of guilt growing in her conscience. Even though Lili was the one who forcefully dragged her into being a participant of the concour, Hino knows very well that the only one who she can blame for this miserable result is none other than herself.
"No…I'm sorry Lili……" Hino whispered quietly, trying very hard not to break into tears. "I couldn't do a great job at the end……How embarrassing of me. I am sorry." She lowered her head in shame and maintained the posture so that Lili could not see her expression.
"What are you talking about?!" Lili couldn't hold back anymore. She looked at Hino with her amethyst coloured eyes. At that moment Hino realized how serious Lili is with her words. While Lili is fully aware that Hino joined the concour involuntarily, she also knows that Hino tried very hard practising day and night. How could Lili – let alone anyone – consider that a failure? If anything, it is only a matter of time until Hino can fully grasp the intricacies of the melodies and the techniques of the violin. "You don't have to apologize! There is no need for you to apologize at all!" Hino looked surprise at Lili, she could not believe what Lili had said. "I am really pleased, so you really don't have to apologize!"
"Thank you, Li---" Just as Hino was about to raise her hand to comfort her friend, Hino felt a small droplet of water on her finger – it was a drop of tear from Lili. "What is going on? Lili?"
"There was a time when I had lost the hope and failed to let others appreciate the joys of music, but you, Kahoko Hino, have brought all the joys and hopes back to me." Why must it be so difficult when these are the things that Lili wanted to say to Hino for a long time? "Even though with full knowledge, knowing that people are talking behind your back, your optimistic attitude towards music brought back the hopes to me. You pursued it…and eventually able to play a piece all by yourself." There was a moment of silence from Lili, and she knew she has to say this to Hino. It's now or never. "I'm here to bid you farewell, Kahoko Hino." Lili breathed hard making sure her own voice does not betray her and she spoke again, "I have completed my task." She tossed the confused high school girl a bitter yet content smile. "Thank you so much, Kahoko Hino…You went through all these trouble for me. It has been a pleasure knowing you. I enjoyed your melodies……"
Little did Lili know that these smiles and appreciation that she displayed makes Hino even more confused. "W-wait Lili? What is the meaning of this?" Hino could not fathom what would entail had Lili been more honest with her earlier. Hino raised her hand in the air again trying to touch the drifting transient figure of Lili. "Can't we see each other again?"
Lili closed her eyes gently and shifted her head towards Hino's hand as though she was cherishing the last warmth from her human friend. "I'll always be…with…you---"
"No, no!!! Please, Lili, please!" After realizing Lili was gone, pristine tears started falling gently down her cheeks, she could not stop her own tears from flowing. Hino cried in a way that she has never imagined she is capable of. It was as though her heart was being cut away and torn apart from her. "What will I be able to do without you, Lili?" She whispered quietly to herself a few times and opened the violin case which she closed earlier. She looked her violin and then she remembered, everything since the first day she met Lili.
"Hi, I'm Lili! You're the 6th contestant in the concour!"
"You can do it, Kahoko Hino! I have faith in you!"
"Hmm, what should you wear to the concour?"
"You're practising? I'm impressed Kahoko Hino!"
"It has been a pleasure knowing you. I enjoyed your melodies……"
"Lili…" Hino shook her head. "I must be strong." She started wiping tears off her face. "I had nothing before I met Lili……" Hino reached for her violin and removed it from the case. "Through her, I was able to enter the world of music…and because of that, I gained the most important thing in my life……" She placed the violin onto her shoulder and started playing the first song she got from Lili – Ave Maria. "Lili, I don't know if you can hear it…but thank you…… Thank you for everything, I will continue on with violin. If I do, someday, we will…meet again. We will……"
Outside, a figure is walking down the empty hallway. Upon hearing the melodies, he paused and closed his eyes as though he was trying to search for the name of the piece. "Ave Maria……" He knew someone is in the room where the music came from, but he did not see the need to go in there. While he does not know who is the one using the practice room, somewhere in his mind, he already labelled this person as incompetent. Surely, even a first year student in Seiso could not be as horrible as whoever it is in the room. Then again, it would not have mattered much to him, because this is not his priority – at least not for now. Just as he started walking again, he remembered the significance these melodies. It was the very first song that he could play on the violin. But with whom? For whom? He shook his head to clear himself of the thoughts, after all, it is a part of the past that he does not wish to relate to – a past which he himself condemns it so much that he curses his blood and his lineage myriads of times. "How unpleasant……" was the comment he gave as he took his leave.
Author's Notes: Thank you very much for reading^^! I am really sorry if my English grammar is really poor, I hope that didn't make it too distracting to read ._. This is my first time writing a fic, a fic that doesn't focus on the popular Tsukimori x Hino pairing. I want to bring you guys something new and hope that people would understand the reasons behind this new character. This chapter is the last portion from chapter 45 of the manga, and this story will be a mix of the game/manga/anime. The only difference in the manga compared to the anime/game is that, Lili is gone at the end of season one, and this is what my fic will follow. Since Lili is a Fata and their gender remains ambiguous, for the purposes of this fic, Lili is a 'she'. Again, thank you so much for reading up until this point. I am sincerely looking forward to the feedbacks^^