A.N: Hello, everyone! Here is my entry for Day Six of Saimatsu Week 2022! The prompt for today is Talentswap! Please enjoy!
Day Six: Just Us, Slightly Different
"Akamatsu! Will you please focus on your paperwork for more than a minute...? What are you daydreaming about again...?"
The young woman gulped. It appeared she had let her mind wander away from her case files again. Who could blame her, though?! That was the most annoying and tedious part of her job! There are days she would trade it with whoever made a good enough offer!
"N-Nothing! S-Sorry, Boss!" Ultimate Detective Kaede Akamatsu stammered, her cheeks turning red. N-No, I wasn't thinking about my boyfriend's piano recital tonight! N-Nope! N-Not me!
Her boss shook her head with a sigh. Her piercing violet eyes stared at Kaede disapprovingly. "Well, whatever it is, please focus on your work, Akamatsu. The taxpayer would prefer their money not to be spent on your reverie, wouldn't you agree...?"
Well, that was a... cold way of putting it, but Kaede knew better than to argue with her superior. She gave an intimidated nod before forcing herself to go back to her work. She grabbed her pen and resumed reading her file.
The victim was one Mika Takabi, aged 22... She was struck on the head by a miniature replica of the famous statue of "The Thinker"... We've arrested Masashi Yahari, her boyfriend, even though anyone with half a brain cell will have realized that the actual murderer is the sole witness, Hoshio Yamano...
Kaede sighed. She meant no disrespect to her colleagues, but cases like this were child's play to a former Ultimate of Hope's Peak Academy. If only her boss could see things this way, too... It's not as if she was the original Ultimate Detective, either!
It's so much more exciting for me to think about his piano playing! Much more entertaining than these rookie-level murder cases! The detective thought, unintentionally letting her mind wander once more. Ah, I can't wait to be tonight; I'm sure it's gonna be amaz-
"Akamatsu! What did I just say about daydreaming?!"
Kaede sweatdropped. It appeared she would need to wait until after work to think about her boyfriend's music, even if that promised to be easier said than done...
I-I'm so nervous... I-I've been playing the piano for over twenty years, so why do I still have stage fright before every recital...?
Shuichi fiddled with his thumbs, trying to recoup. Ever since his first recital as a kid, the Ultimate Pianist had always been nervous before taking the stage. No exception. No matter how much training he got, how much freaking yoga he did to relax, he couldn't help but be nervous.
"Hello, Saihara-san. How are you doing?"
The young man turned around, noticing one of his friends and fellow pianists smiling at him. "G-Good evening, Arima-kun," Shuichi greeted. "I-I am fine, t-thank you!"
"Um..." The younger pianist sweatdropped, giving his elder colleague a look that was enough for Shuichi to understand how credible that sounded. "You do not sound that fine to me, Saihara-san," Arima pointed out. "I'm sure you'll be okay, though. You are a great pianist, after all!"
T-That somehow makes me even more nervous... Shuichi thought, his hands shaking, pins and needles getting to his fingers. "T-Thank you, but I don't think I could be as good as you are, Arima-kun, e-even if I tried... N-Not everyone has their signature song like your Chopin's Étude Op. 25, No. 5..."
"Liar!" Arima jokingly said.
On paper, Shuichi was supposed to be one of the top piano players in Japan, if not the world. There was a reason he was a Hope's Peak Academy graduate, after all. During training or at home, his playing was nothing short of superb. Anyone who had heard it would tell you that.
However, the Shuichi Saihara who walked on stage had never been quite the same. The poor young man wondered if he would ever be able to triumph over his chronic nervousness when it came to playing for an audience.
Though that didn't mean he sucked, either. He was still an elite pianist. But it frustrated him that he couldn't play to his full potential.
"Do not say that, Saihara-san," his friend advised gently. "By the way, will you have someone to impress in the audience tonight?"
P-Please do not put it like this... I-I know I'm blushing hard right now... Indeed, he was. It didn't take Shuichi a detective's mind to understand what Arima meant with that question. "Y-Yes, Kaede will be there... T-That's why I'm even more nervous than usual, actually..."
"Heh," Arima laughed. "I know the feeling, don't worry." He slapped the Ultimate Pianist on the back supportively. "Well, good luck out there, Saihara-san. Give it your best, okay? One's beloved should always get to hear the best music."
With that last piece of advice, the younger piano prodigy left Shuichi's box. Curtain time was getting closer and closer, but his nervousness levels weren't showing signs of going down any time soon.
L-Let's just hope I can pull it off...
"Esteemed audience, we thank you all for coming. Our first performer tonight shall be Shuichi Saihara-san. Please give him a round of applause and enjoy the performance."
The lights inside the music hall turned off, leaving only the stage lit up. There, a sole black piano stood, drawing the eyes of everyone in the crowd. Among them was Kaede, whose excitement could barely be contained.
I even got the best seat in the front row! This night's gonna turn out to be even better than I first thought!
The Ultimate Detective watched with fondness as her boyfriend appeared on stage, dressed in his best stage outfit. He wore a black suit accompanied by a tie of the same color, underneath which was hidden a white shirt. Kaede thought he looked absolutely handsome – even more than usual.
Once he arrived in the middle of the stage, his eyes crossed with Kaede's. They exchanged a quick smile filled with cute nervousness on Shuichi's side. He was so adorable that the detective thought her heart would melt.
He gave a bow to the audience before walking over to the piano. Kaede observed as he sat, adjusting the height of his seat. Finally, he unbuttoned a single button of his suit, preparing his fingers for his first piece.
As he took a deep breath, so did Kaede. She closed her eyes and crossed her fingers.
I believe in you, Shuichi, so you should definitely believe in yourself! Show everyone here what you're made of!
And then, he hit the first key. It didn't take anything else for the audience to be his.
The Ultimate Pianist's skilled digits began dancing over the keys, producing a series of beautiful sounds that followed one another so poetically. All around the music hall, ears were captivated by the succession of notes that reached them.
There's no doubt... This is Clair de Lune by Debussy...
Kaede opened her eyes again, and gone was the stage. It was only Shuichi and her, standing on a midnight beach, the Moon gently shining upon them. Her boyfriend's concentration was at its peak as he gracefully played his piece to the beating of Kaede's heart.
Shuichi...
Tears appeared at the corner of Kaede's plum eyes. Of course, it was far from her first time hearing her boyfriend's playing. Nonetheless, the Ultimate Detective found herself rediscovering her other half's preferred piece as if she had never heard it before.
Every note was perfectly in-tune. Not an instant was wasted. Not a single key was missed.
You're so beautiful, sweetheart...
All alone on the stage he had made his, the Ultimate Pianist was showing the whole extent of his grandiose talent. Not a single soul inside the music hall was left indifferent. At this point, gone was the nervousness. Shuichi played a flawless piece that showed just how much passion he poured into his instrument.
Admittedly, Kaede was a little jealous.
For minutes that were both too long and too short, Shuichi played piece after piece, filling the hearts of the aficionados inside the hall with joy. At last, he hit the final key, plunging the room into silence once more.
This was... absolutely wonderful, Shuichi...
The pianist panted, sweat dripping from his forehead and aching fingers. He stood up and walked to bow to the audience. The earlier silence was cut short by the sound of the audience's applause and clapping, with Kaede enthusiastically leading the way.
The two lovers exchanged one more smile that carried so much joy and pride. Because, yes, Kaede was so proud of him. So proud to share her life with someone so excellently talented. So proud to call someone who could fill her ears with those beautiful sounds her special someone.
"This was Shuichi Saihara-san. Our next performer tonight will be Kousei Arima-san. Please give him a round of applause."
With this, the Ultimate Pianist walked off the stage. Kaede grinned, catching sight of a smile on his lips. For the umpteenth time, his playing had taken her breath away.
Without a doubt, Kaede knew she loved him even more now.
Shuichi sighed. This wouldn't get any less stressful soon, would it? Well, at least it was behind him now. And, if anything, the Ultimate Pianist was pretty satisfied with his performance.
Arima-kun captured the audience's heart again, but I think everyone is used to that now... He thought amusingly, trying to relax in his chair. He stared at his own reflection in the mirror of his box, noticing the bags under his eyes. I was so nervous I couldn't sleep properly for a few days... Good thing I had make-up on...
*knock* *knock*
"Hm?" As it knocked, Shuichi turned towards his door. "Yes, come in!"
The door opened, revealing a familiar blonde on the other side. In less than a second, a broad smile graced Shuichi's lips. Just what the doctor ordered.
"Shuichi!" Kaede exclaimed happily, running to her beloved. "Your performance tonight was so goooooood!" She wrapped her arms around him, embracing him tightly. "You totally rocked, as usual!"
"T-Thank you, Kaede..." the pianist whispered, embarrassing him slightly. Not that this was unusual for the Ultimate Detective. Shuichi had learned to evaluate the quality of his performances based on how loud and exaggerated Kaede's praise was. I guess I must have done pretty well, then...
"I should be the one to thank you! This was so beautiful! My heart hasn't fully recovered yet!" Kaede said, making Shuichi roll his eyes. She had heard him play thousands of times. He still wondered where all that surprise came from. "I wish I could play the way you do... It looks so easy when you do it!"
I-It really isn't... Shuichi thought, scratching the back of his head.
"Actually, I had a theory the other day! Do you think it's possible that, in a parallel universe, I am the Ultimate Pianist while you're the Ultimate Detective?!"
The young man stared at his girlfriend confusingly. She had asked him weird questions before, but this one undoubtedly took the cake. "U-Um... what?"
"Yeah, like in an alternate timeline! They have those in video games and stuff!"
Shuichi shook his head and laughed. "You say silly things sometimes, Kaede... I would absolutely suck as a detective, you know that. I'm nervous in front of a piano, so imagine me investigating crimes..."
"Hey, it's not silly!" The detective pouted, faking grumpiness. "You just haven't given it proper consideration!" she argued, crossing her arms. "I'm sure I'm right!"
Ah, what would I do without your crazy theories, Kaede... Shuichi wondered amusingly, his smile widening. "Well, let us focus on our current careers for now... It might, uh... be a little late to learn another Ultimate talent, don't you think...?"
Kaede nodded. "Yup! And for the record, I wouldn't want things to be any different from what they are now! I love my handsome and awesome pianist boyfriend!"
The pianist's cheeks blushed. He rested his head against his girlfriend's body, appreciating its softness.
"I-I love you, Kaede," he said shyly.
"Aww..." She smiled at him. "I love you more, Shuichi."
Kaede leaned closer and pressed her lips against his in a tender and romantic kiss, plunging the box in complete silence. Nonetheless, the sound of Debussy's Clair de Lune still echoed in both their minds, marking the end of yet another special night for the two lovers.
The End.
A.N: I hope you enjoyed this entry! Please leave a review, and I hope you all have a nice day :)