Chapter 29: Piano Lessons

I'm sorry for uploading late. My back acted up and I needed to lie down, and I could not type for a prolonged period of time.

Note: to appreciate the music, please listen to Rachmaninoff Vocalise Op 34. No. 14, Four Hands

A piano piece written for four hands involves two players playing on the same piano. The person playing the higher parts/keys is the Primo, while the person playing the lower part is the Segundo.


"How about we play together?"

The raven-haired starlight was waving the piano piece on his one hand. Haruka chuckled again. "Rachmaninoff? That's a very difficult piece for a beginner," Raising an eyebrow at him, Haruka stood up and grabbed both empty bowls of ice cream and placed it on the kitchen countertop.

"I'm not a beginner," he laughed quite loud at that.

"I've played this one before. It's not only Taiki who knows how to play the piano. In Kinomoku, I took a lot of classical piano classes and we had copies of classical pieces from across the galaxy. But I didn't fall in love with the piano as much as I did with the guitar."

"Huh. Interesting." The wind senshi reconsidered. After all, she has seen a small electronic keyboard in his house. But mostly, the leader of the Three Lights was more known for his powerful vocals and his guitar skills. Rachmaninoff though, was particularly known for some very difficult to play and interpret pieces. He went on his way to the grand piano, placing the piece on the top of the piano's music stand.

Rachmaninoff Vocalise Op 34. No. 14, Four Hands, the title said.

"I noticed that you skipped movement 2 in Moonlight Sonata." It sounded much more awkward that he wanted it to be. If he was the one who was told that, he'd probably be annoyed.

"Mm, you my piano teacher now?" she scoffed but chuckled right after, placing her arms across her chest as she headed toward him. She sighed.

"Are you sure you want to play this piece?" there was a tinge of doubt in her tone.

"Why, it's not your best song?" he taunted with a sided smile, sitting down as Primo. Frankly, he was a bit nervous, since he has not played classical piano in a very long made a face at him.

"Not really, but I've played this a couple of times in Vienna," she said, sitting down beside him, but giving him the side-eye. Looking at him, she signaled the tempo with her left hand before letting him begin. It was going quite well for the first few lines.

She winced as his tempo sped up, making it hard to accompany him. "Wait, wait, you're running off in that part," she said. He scratched his head. "Oops, sorry."

And that, they began playing again. It was going quite well until he fumbled at one part. He sighed as he lifted his head.

"I'm sorry, I'm a bit nervous, plus I haven't played the piano in more than a decade."

"It's okay," she said gently.

"May I show you how to play that part?"

He gestured for her to go on ahead. She moved a bit closer to him and she leaned over so that she can reach the other side of the piano.

"In this part, you go louder, you might have missed the forte part written on that piece, and then…" she continued playing keys, showing him how to play it with much patience, giving him glances to make sure he was getting it, much like the piano teacher that she was.

A sweet, delicate scent breezed through him as she reached over, the mid part of her side brushing lightly against his torso. It was something he remembered growing accustomed to, during her dark days, when she needed him to comfort her in her sleep. Now that it's not that situation, it was pleasant to him.

"Got it?"

"Okay, I'm sorry. I promise I won't mess up again," he said.

"Pffff, don't be pressured. You're the Seiya Kou," putting emphasis on "the". He quirked an eyebrow.

"Are you patronizing me?" he said between gritted teeth.

"No, I'm saying you don't normally get nervous in these situations. You can do this. And you know how to read these pieces. Just make sure to read and not improvise. Or we can choose another piece that you're more comfortable with." She was unaware that he was a bit annoyed, and she said it so nonchalantly, smiling as she placed her hands on the piano, waiting for him. He stopped himself from getting annoyed.

Haruka the teacher is another side that he has not seen before. Patient, gentle, firm, and clear. His heart stirred with her instruction and encouragement.

"All right. Let's do this."

He started playing again, following the initial tempo. It had all gone well according to the piece, but then unknowingly, he slowed down a little in one section.

Haruka raised an eyebrow then smirked, shaking her head lightly. He was playing emotionally, as she was just a while ago before he arrived. Following his pace and tone, she played Segundo with ease.

No, he wasn't throwing the piece away, but it wasn't textbook either. He was intently reading, following the cue points, but for some reason, his heart flowed with the piece, adding very small variations. And she followed, reading into him. For some reason, it felt like a love song? Overflowing and full of soul. She held her breath as they continued. Her heart seemed to have skipped a beat at this point.

As she followed his lead, she found herself caught in the same wave of emotion that he was in. This was quite weird to her but, was he telling her something? Or was this just him interpreting the song?

They've reached the climactic part of the song. They were both playing perfectly, pushing and pulling through the notes. And when he crossed his arm over hers, she risked a look into his eyes. Although it was brief, there it was. Full of curbed passion, longing. Looking away, her heart feeling like it would explode any minute. She felt his breath brush the nape of her neck, as his arm crossed over to play a chord, and instantly, it sent goosebumps up her spine.

As the song wound down, nearing a close, her shoulder almost touching his, the attraction, the tension between them was inevitable. It's been there for a while, but this song seemed to have revealed his cards, much as she has discovered her own.

They both just sat there in front of the piano for a while, silent.

"Haruka," he whispered lowly, turning to her. Just the sound of his voice saying her name like that was enough to send another wave of goosebumps across her body. She let out the breath that she unintentionally held for a while now, and slowly turned her gaze towards him.

He leaned in toward her, slowly moving his face closer to hers. She knew what was happening, but she can't seem to move away. Frozen in place, her eyes wide open, staring into his. His eyes closed, briefly pausing as the tips of their noses slightly brushed against each other.

Now or never, he thought to himself as he narrowed the gap between their faces for a kiss.