"So how did you which ones were the right ones for us?" Hanji suddenly asked as they slowed to a stop at a red light.
"Not a word to anyone," Mike twisted in his seat to look back at them "believe it or not, I can actually tell which instruments are better based on what the wood and varnish smell like. Probably comes from past experience." He sniffed "I used to live by the forest, so I guess that's how I developed the ability to distinguish quality wood."
"Why did you sniff me earlier then? Like some damned police dog. And I'll say it now. NO I have no damned drugs on me, no matter how much I look the part." Levi glared at Mike.
"It's an old habit of mine, but I'll have to say that you smelt like a clean-freak." He looked back at Levi again "Now that you've said it, you DO look like one of those loan sharks or drug traffickers. Especially with that hard, cold glare of yours." He chortled "Maybe I should try learning to sniff out drugs, though I don't think the career would be good! Plus I might actually wind up getting hooked onto them!"
Hanji and Levi didn't know what to make of this revelation, so they just exchanged glances behind Mike and shrugged.
It was silent for a while as Hanji looked at the scenery whirling past out the windows. The silence was broken when Levi muttered softly "Shitty Glasses, stop leaning on me."
"It's not like I can help it, this is a small car cluttered with stuff. And there are so many turns." She muttered back. What was his problem? He keeps on picking on every single thing for no reason at all.
"Go lean the other way then. Tch."
"I've been told that my hearing's almost as good as my nose, by the way." Mike said casually. Hanji stiffened a little when he suddenly spoke. His voice was normal but she could tell that he was trying very hard not to laugh.
"Mn." Levi grunted in response. But after that he remained silent and the rest of their journey passed without incident.
30 minutes later, they arrived at an unexceptional-looking building. It was like all the others in the area: tall, gray, clear glass windows, and no outstanding distinguishing features like the rest.
"Ignore the outside, like many of the fellow musicians that come here to practice or perform, this building isn't all it seems to be."
Stepping inside, they walked past a wooden receptionist's table and took the lift up to the top level. When the doors opened, Hanji was not prepared for what she saw. They arrived at a pristine, gleaming hallway whose walls were hung with numerous portraits of esteemed artistes and several posters of past performances. Several corridors branched off the main hallway, leading to different studios. This place is so different from what we get back in the orchestra.
Mike led them down the hallway, third on the left, second on the right, followed by another left, before arriving at a thick oaken door. At one side, there was a board that had said: Studio 4, Erwin Smith, Mike Zakarius, Nanaba, Hanji Zoe, and Levi. Mike took out a set of keys from his pocket and separated one from the rest, and unlocked the door. "We shall begin with a warm-up then." The walked over to a small drawer in a corner and pulled out a sheath of papers "The both of you have a look through and decide what to play for today, while I'll check the tuning of all the instruments. By the time we're done, Erwin would probably have arrived." He thrust the papers at Levi and lifted their violins off their backs. "Don't worry about us when selecting the song! We've pretty much played through every single piece in there, so just select something that the both of you are familiar with or are interested in playing." With that said, Mike sat down by the side and took out Levi's violin and began tuning it, plucking the strings experimentally as he tightened them.
"Levi, how's this one?" Hanji pulled out a score titled 'Fall's Approach'.
"We should look through the rest first," Levi replied evasively. It wasn't like he didn't know how to read sheet music "maybe there's something in there that's better suited." It was just that he was more confident playing something that he had heard before several times.
"Hn, I assumed that since Mike gave us these to choose from, they'd all be suitable."
"Whatever," He continued rifling through the stack.
"Pachelbel's Canon? It's pretty popular and well-known." Hanji suggested after they had spent a few more minutes looking through the stack. She pulled it out "It seems manageable but it isn't really a walk in the park." She gave a reminiscent smile "I haven't played it since that incident 4 years ago…"
"What incident?" Levi's curiosity got the better of him, even though he was pretty sure he didn't want to know the answer.
"Oh, uhm- haha…" She laughed sheepishly "I accidentally jabbed the guy next to me, Keiji, in the face with my elbow during one of the rehearsals." She looked at his face "I don't do that now! Like I said, it was 4 years ago!"
"I already have my doubts about playing alongside you…" Levi groaned.
"No harm in just trying it," Mike called over from his corner before they could start squabbling again "That's what warm-ups are for anyway. Levi! Yours is done, why don't you give the Canon a try while I finish off Hanji's here."
Levi got up and straightened his shirt before walking over to Mike "I haven't heard much from Erwin, but he did mention that you're nothing short of a prodigy." He shrugged and handed out the violin to Levi "I'm not so sure about that, but I can tell thet you have something that sets you apart from Hanji over there. And it's nothing to do with your cleanliness."
Levi didn't reply, but silently took it from Mike. It was very different from the one he had always used, hidden away in that old concert hall he always frequented. It almost seems to have been made for him. He took up the bow and rested it lightly on the strings, fingers ready by the fingerboard. "Canon it shall be then." He took a deep breath and slowly released it in a sigh before raising the bow and drawing it across the strings to play the opening chords of the Canon. He didn't notice the stares of Mike and Hanji as they watched him play or when Mike handed Hanji her finally-tuned violin to play. He heard Hanji join in halfway, the higher notes lilting along with his melody. Another melody joined theirs and glancing around, he saw that is was another woman next to Hanji whom he assumed was Nanaba. She was still wearing her office attire and her bags were placed at one side by the door.
Hanji's eyes were gleaming brightly as she played, though Nanaba's and Mike's faces had a look of surprise on them and he belatedly realized that his secret wasn't going to remain hidden anymore because he had forgotten to take the scoresheet along before he had started. So all along he had been playing based on memory alone. Well done, Levi. He growled at himself in his head. Now everyone will probably ask how you managed to play an entire shitty piece without even looking at the sheet. If it were something simpler it would have been fine, but this is Pachelbel's. Damned. Canon that you're playing.
It was Nanaba that spoke up first after the last note died out. "You've memorized the entire score?" Her blonde hair was cropped short and she had a slight tan. "That's impressive; I've never seen anyone play such a long piece without referring to the scoresheets before."
"I've played it several times before, and there were many mistakes." He said, trying not to sound defensive. He didn't want anyone knowing more about him than he could help unless he could trust them more.
"Those weren't glaring mistakes. If I weren't as familiar with it as I am now, I wouldn't have noticed anything."
"Don't pressure him, Nana. He'll tell us about it when he's ready." Erwin suddenly appeared behind Nanaba.
She shot Levi a calculating glance before conceding "Alright, it's your call after all, Erwin."
"I'm slightly surprised Hanji didn't to rush everyone halfway through." Mike spoke from his corner at the side of the room. He hadn't moved at all from his original spot "She did show signs of wanting to, though." He chuckled "Levi here held up just fine."
"Then it's all good to go, Mike! How are things on their end?"
"It's all fine and good! I'm just glad you managed to find 2 new players in time! It would have been a big blow to our pride to have to withdraw the application!"
"I told you to have faith, didn't I? I wouldn't have submitted our names if I wasn't confident."
"You win again, Erwin. Our one and only undefeated Captain Eyebrows –Mike wiggled his eyebrows- I'll get the rest of the paperwork finalized then."
"So what's going on?" Hanji finally asked after listening to their conversation.
"The reason I asked the both of you to join us is because we're going to participate in the annual Fall Music Celebration that's in 2 weeks' time and to make things interesting, the top 2 groups from last year have agreed to bring in new players. Thus the both you."
"And then you're just going to get rid of us once the fun is over, old man?"
"Of course not. Erwin would rather have the both of you remain with us. He never leaves anyone behind at all." Nanaba spoke up loyally "No one forced you to join and no one's ever going to make you leave. We're all reasonable people here, though sometimes I think Erwin may be a little bit crazy." She whispered the last sentence into Hanji's ear.
Hanji grinned "I'm staying!" she cried "I might only have known you guys for a few days but the feeling I get with everyone here is warmer than when I was with the orchestra. And I was playing with them for several years already." She had a sheepish look on her face as she whispered softly "Finally a new beginning with new people, no fears and no worries…" Levi looked at her. Her eyes were gleaming with joy, but he had heard the sadness in her voice when she had said that last sentence.
"Levi?" Mike asked, the four of them turned to look at him.
"I'll stay too. It was my choice to join and it shall remain my choice to stay."
Writer's note:
I'm trying to update these weekly. But since I type it all on my phone first, and then once again on Word before transferring it here, it may take some time.