Chapter 8: Sheet Music Education
In A Class, the announcement of the upcoming recording test had everyone excited. Everyone clamored to get a look at the partner-list that Ringo-sensei had on the chalk board. Haruka felt like her heart could jump out of her chest at any moment.
How am I supposed to know how to write music all of the sudden? She thought. What would she do if it was her fault the person she was paired with failed? Looking up at the list, she scanned for her name, "I'm with…Ittoki-san?" Haruka looked at the redhead in question, whose seat was close to her own.
"Alright!" Ittoki exclaimed, jumping out of her seat, "I'm paired with Nanami! Let's do our best!" She added, bowing slightly to Haruka. Her energy was contagious, and Haruka felt some of her anxiety ease away as she responded in kind.
Ringo-sensei clapped her hands to gain the class's attention again, "For reference, let's listen to the first place tune from last year. Accompanying on the piano will be… Nanami Haruka-chan!" Stunned, all of Haruka's nervousness was immediately back…
"M..me?" She stuttered, wide-eyed. Ringo nodded, and moved over to the piano. Unable to comprehend what was happening, Haruka's body moved on its own from her desk to the piano bench.
"Start from the letter A and…" As Ringo began speaking to Haruka, it was as if this were French class rather than Music. The papers covered with lines and unfamiliar symbols were a conformation of her shame…she couldn't read sheet music. Over her years being taught by her grandmother, she had played by ear and memory. Haruka repeated the last thing her teacher had said, in a failing attempt to decode it.
"Where the repeat sign is…" Sensing Haruka's confusion, Ringo-sensei asked if she would prefer a chord sheet.
What should I do? I don't understand it…
"Maybe she can't read music." Haruka heard the whisper of one of her classmates like it was an arrow through her heart. This set of murmurings throughout the class room of disbelief.
"Seriously?"
"I can't believe it."
"Does she even know how to play the piano?"
At that one, Haruka stood up to defend herself, "I know how to play the piano! My grandmother taught me!" She hadn't considered that this would make it worse. The classroom conversations got louder and more indignant.
"She isn't studying with a professional teacher?"
"Then how did she get in?"
"She must have gotten in through connections."
"Hey, that's not true!" Ittoki jumped up in defense of Haruka, "Don't listen to them, Nanami-san!" Before Haruka even had time to feel grateful, the class scoffed at her kind friend.
"You're the one who's in trouble."
"Getting teamed up with that girl, how unlucky…"
"That's out of line!" Ittoki-san responded.
Haruka stared at her classmates. She felt so much shame and humiliation, and at the same time it was like she wasn't even there. She was the victim of a car crash, watching her own fate unfold without being able to even speak in her own defense.
It was then that the class bell for lunch rang, stunning everyone in the classroom into silence.
"We…well," Ringo-sensei coughed, visibly shaken. Before Haruka could hear the finishing thoughts, she took off. Finally able to move again, she started running as fast as she could.
Nanami ended up running outside to the pond, finding an empty bench. Not that there was anyone out there, the sky was dark grey and raindrops had begun to fall. Haruka found the rain comforting in her current mood. It was as if the sky was also having a hard day.
Before today, Haruka had never once been embarrassed about her music. She had thought, naively, that everyone here would be at the same level as her – beginner. The fact that she had been taught by her grandmother had never even crossed her mind as something that would set her apart from her classmates…
Something warm dropped onto Haruka's slightly wet shoulders. The pink-haired girl looked up in surprise to see Ittoki-san. Haruka's classmate was starting to get wet, and Haruka realized the warmth had come from the other girl's jacket. Rather than her usual cheerful grin, Ittoki-san had a kind, soft expression that made Haruka want to cry like a child.
"Come on." The red-head said, gesturing towards the covered pavilion where Haruka had met Ichinose Tokiya. And without saying anything the two girls took shelter from the rain.
Ittoki-san amazed Haruka, this was the third time the girl had come to Haruka's aid in a matter of weeks. She's really kind…
"Reading music, composing…if you study from here on out, you can definitely do it." Ittoki broke the silence.
"But I've never composed before…" Haruka surprised herself by voicing her doubt. The energy suddenly changed as her classmate stood directly in front of her, confident and beaming.
"I'll let you in on a secret," she said," I've never written lyrics before, either. I'm a complete beginner."
"Then you're the same as me, right?" Haruka felt the pressure on her shoulders lift enormously, just from knowing that she wasn't the only person at Saotome Academy who didn't know what they were doing.
"Yep, we're both totally new at this." Ittoki laughed, then said, "Nanami-san, you came to Saotome Academy to achieve your dream, right? So, you can't give up." Haruka stared at her new friend in awe, who then turned to look out towards the water.
"I've been singing for as long as I can remember," she said. "Even if I'm really upset, singing cheers me up. When I'm a singer, I hope someone is encouraged by my songs." Laughing slightly, as if embarrassed by her own seriousness, she continued, "Anyway, for now my goal is to write one verse by tomorrow."
Haruka was struck by how amazing her peer was, despite how little they knew each other. The person in front of her was trying her hardest to accomplish her dream, despite being a beginner. That meant that Haruka could do at least that, and work towards composing songs like she had always dreamed of.
"I'll study music scores and composition!" Haruka declared, energized. Together, the two new friends declared that they would both do their best. And Nanami felt something special in that moment.
