Chapter 11: The Ocean's Whisper

Coffee.

Desserts.

Damn fucking hot weather.

Spring is almost ending.

I'm in a typical pastry shop but I have no idea what the fuck am I even doing here.

"Alright, so this is Seiichi-kun and his sister Saika-chan, huh?"

An old woman asked as she and her husband smiled warmly at the both of us. Arima and Arima-sensei was there as well; standing near us. It seemed like they were acquainted with the old couple.

Three days had passed since I was discharged from the hospital though I was still not allowed to take off the cast from my left arm. Also, I've heard that our uncle had already been sent to jail, unfortunately though, we can't keep our house which we stayed in for almost fourteen years. That's probably why we're here in this pastry shop—we had to find part-time jobs.

"Oh, I forgot to introduce ourselves!" The old man this time spoke to us and bowed a little. "I'm Miyazono Hideki and this is my wife, Miyako, we're Kizuna-chan's grandparents."

I was quite taken by surprise. Arima's grandparents…then…they're probably the parents of her Mom.

"A-ahh…N-Nice...I mean, it's a pleasure…to meet you…! I'm Shiihata Seiichi and this is my sister, Shiihata Saika…" I stuttered for a while and barely held myself up as I spoke with the two of us bowing down immediately as Saika rolled her eyes at the pathetic job I managed to do.

"So as I was saying, could these two work here part time and rent a room upstairs as well…?" Arima-sensei almost begged in front of the old couple to let us stay here. It was my first time seeing him again in weeks due to the fact that he despises hospitals very much so and failed to visit me.

"Well, indeed we are lacking manpower…we could have them work as a waiter and a waitress, however, only one spot is available right now…" the old man—Hideki-san scratched the back of his head in disappointment.

"Please let me do it!" Saika suddenly volunteered and all of us immediately looked at her.

"But, Saika! You've been working all this time, let me do it instead…!" I tried to talk her out of it and let me prove myself that I'm not some worthless brother who only knows how to indulge in his mistakes.

"That's precisely why I'm doing this, you have zero work experience so I'm more appropriate for this job and you have a broken arm, you can't carry a lot of things at once," she replied and I sulked due to the fact that she's very much correct.

I slouched my shoulders in frustration and looked at the polished wooden floor.

What can I even do anyway? I'm handicapped plus I have no skills at all…

"Ojii-san! Seiichi-kun can play the piano!" Arima suddenly exclaimed and I immediately looked up.

The old man was nodding his head up and down as if agreeing with her.

"The piano outside has become more of a decoration than an instrument so it is indeed better to let someone play it…"

WAIT. YOU GUYS GOTTA BE KIDDING ME! HOW CAN I EVEN PLAY? WITH ONLY ONE FUCKING FUNCTIONAL ARM?!

"It's decided then! Do a good job, Seiichi-kun, Saika-chan!" Arima-sensei made a thumbs up sign as I could hardly believe what was happening.

"We will be in your care from now on, please take care of us!" Saika cheerfully bowed down before the old couple as I followed suit as well.

"It's nice to have you two here," Miyako-san patted both of us on the shoulder and smiled warmly like the late afternoon sunshine. I could see where Arima inherited that sort of smile.

Immediately after that, Saika took off to work as I was left standing in front of the upright piano placed at the side of the room.

I don't think I'm even ready for this…

Removing the lid of the keyboard, I glided my fingers on top of the ivory and ebony keys. It was clean and not a speck of dust could be seen. I guess they take care of it properly, huh?

Every single time I glance at the piano, all I could remember was that certain snowy November night and it weighs me down even more. I can't help the unbearable pain in my chest as the dread in me grows over time. My conscience has become the image of the piano and it torments me continually. Yet, ironically, the piano is the only thing I have left of myself, I keep on grasping for it, seeking for it but it hurts me every time I do so.

Holding my tears back, I sighed heavily and placed the lid of the piano back. However, a hand stopped me from completing my action.

"Still can't do it, huh?" a familiar voice greeted me which made my head turn to the side.

He had the same dark hair, the same thick-rimmed glasses and a rather foolish smile to top it off. Though he had a respectable aura and a lenient façade, he's one hell of a fucking slave-driver.

"It's fine, if you feel that way. No one can get rid of that feeling immediately, so there's no need to rush at all," he smiled again at me but my frown only worsened as I glanced back at the piano's open keyboard.

This won't do.

"Arima-sensei and Arima as well…please stop spoiling me already."

It took me some courage to say it, but I have to. I know there are a lot of people who are willing to help me. But…but…I have to face this battle without the fear of getting hurt because I am very well aware that I will absolutely feel as much pain as I have caused.

"Let me suffer. That way, I can learn and stand up again on my own two feet…"

He looked surprised but then smiled as if he understood something.

"Then, wanna go for a round?"

I nodded as I narrowed my eyes and smirked; accepting his challenge. "So you know, even if you're my sensei, I ain't gonna lose,"

"Let's see about that."

With that both Arima-sensei and I were like a newly-released tidal wave; a whirlwind, a storm—fresh and unparalleled in the keyboard of the piano inside a dainty pastry shop in some small wayward town during the almost over spring season.

Chopin Etude Op. 25, No. 12 in C minor—

Ocean.

Dark, deep and heavy. Uncharted and mysterious. It was a total description of what my life is from now on.

However, in just a span of a few months, though he had some shortcomings as a teacher, no actually, "shortcoming" is an underestimation—he made some very big, terrible and ungainly decisions… but despite all that, to me, he was someone I look up to.

His presence doesn't strike as a role model at all. He doesn't look cool or awesome, he was geeky and unrefined, with messy dark hair and thick glasses. But thinking about the fact that he raised Arima alone to be the girl she is now, it was something to be respected.

I respect him as a student, as a musician, and…

As a son to his father.

"It's true, isn't it Arima-sensei?"

"Huh? What is?"

I immediately asked as we finished the three minute Chopin etude. It was a lingering question ever since I regained my memories during that gala concert and there came a moment that I refused to believe in it.

"It's true that I was a child prodigy, right? That I enrolled to the same piano school I'm currently attending, a few years ago?"

Arima-sensei, upon hearing it made a sorrowful smile and glanced at the piano keys.

"That's…right. You are a prodigy, even now, I can't deny you're incredibly talented," He took a pause and breathed in a few huffs of air and continued. "And also, it's true that you were enrolled at the piano school I manage, but that time, it wasn't just me who was the teacher, I asked a friend to help me out, so this is really my first time teaching you, Shiihata-kun."

"I-I see…"

"It seems like you're still hesitating to move, Shiihata-kun. You're in front of two roads, this is the right time to decide which way you'll go," Arima-sensei continued but it caught me rather my surprise.

"Wait! I'm not hesitating at all!"

"Even though you keep on denying it, it shows at how you play. You're still afraid and playing the piano still brings you pain…if it's because of Kizuna that you're still continuing, I know she's very forceful, but I want this to be of your own volition,"

I crumpled my fist and looked away. He was dead-on…did I really play it like I was pain? But…but…

"It's…it's true that it was because of Arima…" I swallowed the saliva in my mouth as nervousness crept up to my spine. "But it is my own decision…I-I…I want…to…I…um…!"

"Alright! Alright! I get it!" Arima-sensei suddenly cut me off and patted me on the shoulder. "It's weird to be confessing to the father before the girl, you know?"

"H-h-h-huh…?! I don't mean it like that!" All the blood in my body went up to my head in a split second and fervently denied the allegation.

However, Arima-sensei simply looked at me as if I said the most unbelievable story in the world. But, hey, it's true that I don't have those kinds of feelings for Arima, she's…she's just…someone…I…

LET'S LEAVE IT LIKE THAT FOR NOW.

"Just fucking cut it out, sensei. I told you, it's not like that..!" Annoyed, I grumbled and grunted as I made a face enough to kill but he simply laughed at me, much to my chagrin.

"DAD! We have to go! Let's just leave Seiichi-kun and Saika-chan to work!" Arima suddenly shouted as she left the kitchen with a piece of canelé stuck between her lips.

"Ah, time to go! Well, if that's your decision then…" He fixed himself up and then unexpectedly paused to face me.

"Would you like to come with us to Prague?"

I froze.

What?

"DAD! Hurry up! Or else, they can't work!" Arima irately cried while leaning on the doorpost of the shop's entrance.

"Oh well! See you next time, Shiihata-kun! If you can come by to a decision, please tell me!"

With that he and Arima left the small pastry shop with me still frozen in place.

Wait. Prague.

WHERE THE FUCK IS THAT?!

That whole afternoon, it was the only thing I could think of.

Prague. Prague.

"Would you like to come with us to Prague?"

Is that a foreign country?

I was still playing with the piano, though they are just pieces from music sheets I found underneath the piano seat. Of course I had to make do, with only my right hand I simply recomposed all the way.

"Ughhhh! Where on earth is Prague?! Fuck this shit!" I vented out my frustration and slammed hard on the keys.

"It's in Europe, my boy!" Some old man, who was rather out of place in a pastry shop filled mostly with women, suddenly answered my question and I couldn't help but avert my gaze towards him.

"Huh?" I voiced out my surprise as I saw that the old man was a foreigner, evident with his complexion and body built (well, duh?) and I couldn't help but stare at him some more.

"So tell me, that piece you're playing is Scriabin, right?"

Scria—what? How the fuck would I know who or what the hell is Scriabin or something?

"Uhhh…I guess so?" I replied, shrugging off my shoulders.

"Ohh! That's great! Good! You're good!" He clapped his hands as if he was another kind of stupid and I simply sat there looking intently at him. "Well boy, I think you'll do just great in Prague if you wish to go there!"

"Hmm. Really? Greaaaaaaaaaaaat…" I replied, totally disinterested and turned back to my piano.

"Japanese people are so talented~ I happen to know someone who lives around here!"

"And who might that be?" I asked as I continued the piece with my right hand.

"He's a really great pianist! His name is Arima Kousei,"

I stopped playing and turned around to face the old man again.

Did he just say Arima-sensei's name?

Who the hell is this old man?! How come he knows who sensei is?

A/N: Alright. This was short and I really am very impatient in writing the MC play again since he had a lot of troubles to go through since the few previous chapters haha and I am as well having troubles myself with college and the piano, so I couldn't really find the time. But here it is~

Please review~! Thanks for reading!

(They actually motivate me to write more xDD)