Kousei couldn't sleep that night. Kaori's violin tortured his dreams. The last time he had felt like this was the night before Kaori's surgery. He woke up and walked over to his piano. He didn't play anything though. He just looked at the music that Jun Maeda had given him after the recording session. It was music for another song in the anime. Jun accidently gave him both the piano music as well as the lyrics. Kousei was going to return it tomorrow.
Some impulse drove Kousei to take out his phone. He dialed Tsubaki's phone number, but she didn't pick up. It didn't surprise him, really. His clock said that it was one o'clock in the morning. No one reasonable is up that late.
Kousei's phone rang. That's when Kousei remembered he wasn't dealing with a reasonable person.
"You called?" Tsubaki asked.
"I'm sorry if I woke you."
"Did you call to apologize for calling?"
"No!"
"Then what is it?"
Kousei realized that what he was about to ask sounded insane, "A-are you f-f-free?"
"Yeah... Why?"
Kousei swallowed, "Can you come over here?"
"This late at night?"
"Yeah."
"Should I be wearing clothes?"
Kousei froze up, "What?"
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding." Tsubaki said between bouts of laughter, "I'll be right over."
And with that, Tsubaki hung up. Kousei took deep breaths to slow his heart. The clothes thing had sent it into over time. When the doorbell rang, Kousei almost fell out of his chair. He had forgotten that Tsubaki was headed over to his place in the first place. Kousei opened the door to see a familiar face. He hadn't seen Tsubaki in a few months. Both of them and Watari had gotten together to catch up over some tea. But Kousei still felt that he had fallen out of touch with his friends from the spring of his fourteenth year.
"Hello?" Tsubaki asked, snapping Kousei out back into reality.
"Hi. You should probably come inside."
"Yeah, I'll be honest, I don't exactly trust this part of town. I'm surprised you can live here."
"I don't like it either, but it's what I can afford, and still fit the piano in." Kousei replied. He lead Tsubaki through the piles of clothes and musical scores litered about the floor, until they reached the pristine area around Kousei's piano.
"You know, this clutter is one of the reasons why I've worried about you living by yourself." Tsubaki said.
"I take care of myself just fine." Kousei replied.
"Changing topics, why'd you invite me over? Because I know that a booty call from Arima Kousei is not a normal occurrence."
"I want you to sing this." Kousei handed Tsubaki the lyrics to Jun Maeda's song. She read through it.
"You know, I'm not disappointed, but I still had not entirely thrown out the possibility that I was getting laid tonight."
"Why do keep bringing this up?"
"I'm just saying" Tsubaki said as she put her hands up in defense, "just wondering, haven't you made any friends who singers?"
"I don't really talk to the other musicians much."
"That makes so much sense."
"Can you do it?"
"Yeah, I'll do it. It wont' be great, but I'll do it."
"Thanks."
Kaori didn't know why Iwasawa called her into the practice room so early in the morning. It was so early, the sun hadn't come up yet. Kaori had wanted to get some sleep, but she couldn't say no to a request from Iwasawa.
"Evening." Kaori said as she entered the practice room. Iwasawa was writing something down at one of the desks, but she looked up to greet Kaori.
"Hey."
"So, what are we doing?"
"I just wanted you to help me with something." Iwasawa handed Kaori some sheet music, "I was working on a new song, and I thought that a violin accompaniment would work better than my guitar. Think you could help with that?"
Kaori's face lit up, "Of course!"
"Thanks."
Kaori took out her violin and set up the music on a stand. Iwasawa cleared her throat.
Kousei played the opening chords. Tsubaki started to sing.
There's no curtain call
There's no point in life at all
If each day ends and this bent heart of mine cannot heal
I can't see a darn thing but it could be
That the gray clouds that I have loved completely blinded me
Kousei and Tsubaki kept singing, but they noticed a strange noise in the background. There was another voice. And a violin.
They're souls like me and you
Who aren't aware of what they do
Always laughing in the face of danger and truth
Can't they see
Right through their hazy glee?
That nothing good comes of rushing in blindly
Kaori and Iwasawa definitely heard a piano and another voice singing the same song. It came from near the window, but Kaori couldn't quite look because the sunrise was too bright.
I'll keep moving on
No matter what may come my way
And I'll sing, not fearing what they say
Kousei and Tsubaki could've swore that they heard the additional music coming from Kousei's piano. Not that Kousei was making his piano sing, or sound like a violin. Tsubaki looked down at the top of the piano, and almost lost track of the song. She could see Kaori and some other girl in the piano's reflection. She looked up at Kousei, but he had clearly seen it too. Anyone else would've stopped playing, but Kousei's hands moved automatically. They didn't even stop for the tear drops falling on them.
Deep in my heart I know for sure
That you are hurt, feel insecure
And surly crying because you are only human
Kaori finally looked up into the light from the sunrise. It wasn't as blinding as she expected. In fact, she saw Tsubaki looking down on her through the glass window. Iwasawa also noticed the phenomenon, but didn't look anywhere as overjoyed as Kaori.
These tears of mine are screaming out: "It's not a lie"
And I cry as I want to thank you
For showing me what I can be
I won't let go
I thank you so
When the song finished, Kousei rushed over and looked down at the reflection of the piano.
"Kaori?" He shouted. Kaori smiled. They were both crying.
"We finally got to play together a second time. Didn't we?" Kaori replied.
"We did."
"You look much older." Kaori said with a small laugh. Tsubaki couldn't help but laugh too.
"It's been 10 years. Yeah I look older. Whereas you don't look like you've aged a day."
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but who are you?" Iwasawa said. She had grown too confused about the whole situation to just stay silent.
Kaori turned around, "Oh, I'm sorry. this is Kousei and Tsubaki."
"That's not helpful."
"Kousei is the boy that..." Kaori blushed, "that I talk about sometimes."
A look of understanding came over Iwasawa, "Ooooh. I'll let you carry on then."
"Kaori?" Kousei asked, "Do you want to do one last duet?"
"I assume you don't need me for this one?" Tsubaki asked.
"Not unless there's vocals to Chopin's Ballad in G minor."
"You could've just said no."
Kousei just smiled back as he played the first few chords. Kaori joined in on the other side. The piece was magical. Kousei hadn't enjoyed the piano that much in ten years. Tsubaki and Iwasawa could not believe what they were hearing. It crescendoed and graziosoed and virtuosoed. Kaori and Kousei felt like they were flying. The notes rushed by them like wind 10,000 ft above sea level, where airplanes flew, and clouds stretched for miles and miles.
As the piece came to a close, Kaori felt herself let go of something. This moment, right here, playing a song with Kousei, was the one thing she wanted since she died. And now, she had it.
The song was punctuated by a final note drifting out of the piano, and the sound of a violin hitting the ground.
"Kaori?" Tsubaki asked, as she looked back into the piano. Kaori was gone. Only her violin remained.
"Oh crap. Damn it damn it damn it." Iwasawa cursed, "Yurippe's going to kill me."
Tsubaki started to panic, "What happened to Kaori?"
"She's in a happier place." Kousei said. He got up from his piano, still smiling and walked toward his room.
"Are you ok?"
"I'm feeling just fine Tsubaki. Just fine."
Later that day, Iwaswa gave Yurippe a magnificent account of how Angel got a hold of Kaori. How they struggled, but in the end, Kaori was obliterated. Yurippe bought it, and beat Hinata for losing another member of the SSS. Not that it was his fault. But Iwasawa wouldn't help but feel like she lost something. If anything, the violin brought a new vibe to Girls Dead Monster. And Iwasawa liked Kaori. Actually, who was she kidding. Iwasawa missed Kaori.
Kousei walked back into Jun Maeda's recording studio. Jun smiled.
"So, you're going to record the other songs?"
"Of course." Kousei replied, "I kind of play the piano for a living."
I won't let go
I thank you so