Chapter 4: Time (Miki)
The melody rippled like a wave, washing over me and cleansing my mind of all but the image the music created. This music was my hope, my dreams, the blood flowing in my veins. The same blood which I share with my twin. I wondered to myself how we could share so much and yet be so different. Somewhere along the line, we had split ways. . . Or rather, I kept going the same direction I always had, while she wandered off the road and decided to make her own path in the unknown. To this day, she hasn't told me why she made that decision.
My fingers danced over the keys independently, as the thoughts of my sister persuaded them to play my. . . no, our most well-known piece. I closed my eyes and imagined the garden where Kozue and I used to play this song together. Kozue sat on my left, playing the harmony, and every once in a while a giggle would escape her lips as she struggled to put her foot down on the correct pedal. We had both started learning piano before our feet could even reach them.
The warm yellow sun light up her smiling face, but hearing her music and laughter resonating in the garden, I had the feeling she would have shone just as brightly had there been no sun at all. We neared the end of the song, and I finished the piece with a flourish.
A burst of clapping broke my reverie and I was back in the Ohtori music room. I turned my head and saw a lone girl applauding me from the doorway. "Hello, I'm Rankaku Robin. I hope you don't mind my listening to you, but that piece was brilliant." Her eyes dropped suddenly and I could have sworn I saw her shiver, even though it wasn't cold indoors.
"Thank you very much, Rankaku-san. My name is Kaoru Miki. Would you like to come in? I don't mind having company when I play," I replied with a smile. I didn't recognize her; she had to be one of the new students this year. Her uniform was not the standard girls' uniform for Ohtori, but one of a duelist. . . She nodded in thanks and sat next to me on the piano bench. I began another song, a famous piece by Mozart.
Her hands rested in her lap. I noticed with some surprise that she was not wearing a ring with the rose emblem. That was a relief. . . It must have just been coincidence. Only Student Council members like myself dressed that way, but maybe it was becoming popular these days.
"I'm not exactly a piano connoisseur, but I'm not familiar with the song you were playing as I came in," she said. "Did you write it yourself?" I nodded. "My sister and I composed it together many years ago."
"Wow, you and your sister must both be very talented. It takes a lot of skill to play an instrument the way you do. I can clearly hear your soul in your music," she replied. I blushed slightly. My soul? I didn't have the right touch to play like that anymore. My shining candle had been snuffed out a long time ago. I decided to change the subject. "Do you play any instruments, Rankaku-san?"
She laughed, a light tinkling sound that sounded musical in itself. "Please, call me Robin. You're probably younger than me. . . but I don't really care for courtesies like calling people by their last names. . . It sounds so cold and distant. Well, I do play a little harmonica now and then, but I usually spare other people the annoyance of listening to me."
I stopped playing abruptly and turned to look at her. "I'd love to hear you play, Rankaku-sa. . .I mean, Robin- There aren't many musicians in this school." It felt very odd to call somebody by only their first name.
"Trust me, it's nothing worth hearing," she replied, turning her gaze to the ground again. This time I was sure, she was trembling. "Are you cold?" I asked her. "I think there's a blanket in the closet back there. . ." She shook her head, and fumbled for something in her trouser pocket. "I just forgot to take my pills," she replied, taking out the packet and popping two into her mouth. I didn't even have a chance to ask her if she needed a glass of water. . . "They're for my low blood-pressure," she added before I could question. "Nothing serious, I only need to take them three times a day." I nodded and resumed playing the piano.
"I'm sorry to hear about that. It must be very bothersome to put up with." I noticed out of the corner of my eye that she was putting back two packages of medication instead only the one I had seen her take out. "What are the other pills for?" I wondered aloud.
Robin looked up at me and blinked. "I changed my mind, would you like to hear me play a little harmonica?" she asked suddenly. "Sure!" I exclaimed happily. Her harmonica was kept in a small, old fashioned cardboard box. It must have been handed down to her from her grandparents, judging by the beautiful red and gold designs of the package. They just don't make things like they used to nowadays. She opened the box and took out the metal instrument, which was also fairly old, but kept in very good shape.
She lifted the harmonica to her lips and began playing a light, jazzy tune, but after a few seconds she stopped. "I'm a little embarrassed to play in front of someone who's so much better than me. . ." she admitted reluctantly.
"Please, don't stop! It's wonderful!" I pleaded. I meant it, too. She hesitated a moment, then continued to play. The song was bouncy and cheerful, and every once in a while she would add a little flourish to the notes. I could tell that she become more confident towards the end of the song. True, there were some mistakes and off-beats, but she really got into it and that was what made it so uplifting. When she finished I clapped just like she had for me earlier, making her blush prettily. "Now you're teasing me," she laughed, as she slipped the harmonica back into her pocket.
I clicked my stopwatch. "Not at all, you have your own style. I really enjoyed it!" I replied sincerely. "You play very well for. . . wait a moment, I don't recall what grade you said you were in. . ." I mused, as I checked the time.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you. I'm in the tenth grade." she replied. "Tenth grade??" I echoed incredulously. And the whole time I had thought she was my age!! "Well, I do look younger than I am, don't I?" she laughed, reading my mind.
I blushed in embarrassment. "Rankaku-sempai. . .I'm sorry. . ." She shook her head. "No, don't call me that! Real friends aren't so polite." Her eyes sparkled when she said it.
"W-well. . . Ok. . . Robin." I replied awkwardly. It suddenly struck me that she probably thought I was just a nerdy little boy. I clicked my stopwatch.
Robin checked the time on her own watch that she kept on a chain in her breast pocket. "Lunch break is about half over, and I haven't eaten yet . . . Would you like to show me to the cafeteria?" she asked, standing up and walking to the door.
I jumped up as if somebody had shoved a hot poker down my pants. "Ok! I haven't eaten yet either!" I lied, rushing over and opening the door for her. Gosh, now that I think about it, I really am a nerd. . . Tenth grade. Wow.
The melody rippled like a wave, washing over me and cleansing my mind of all but the image the music created. This music was my hope, my dreams, the blood flowing in my veins. The same blood which I share with my twin. I wondered to myself how we could share so much and yet be so different. Somewhere along the line, we had split ways. . . Or rather, I kept going the same direction I always had, while she wandered off the road and decided to make her own path in the unknown. To this day, she hasn't told me why she made that decision.
My fingers danced over the keys independently, as the thoughts of my sister persuaded them to play my. . . no, our most well-known piece. I closed my eyes and imagined the garden where Kozue and I used to play this song together. Kozue sat on my left, playing the harmony, and every once in a while a giggle would escape her lips as she struggled to put her foot down on the correct pedal. We had both started learning piano before our feet could even reach them.
The warm yellow sun light up her smiling face, but hearing her music and laughter resonating in the garden, I had the feeling she would have shone just as brightly had there been no sun at all. We neared the end of the song, and I finished the piece with a flourish.
A burst of clapping broke my reverie and I was back in the Ohtori music room. I turned my head and saw a lone girl applauding me from the doorway. "Hello, I'm Rankaku Robin. I hope you don't mind my listening to you, but that piece was brilliant." Her eyes dropped suddenly and I could have sworn I saw her shiver, even though it wasn't cold indoors.
"Thank you very much, Rankaku-san. My name is Kaoru Miki. Would you like to come in? I don't mind having company when I play," I replied with a smile. I didn't recognize her; she had to be one of the new students this year. Her uniform was not the standard girls' uniform for Ohtori, but one of a duelist. . . She nodded in thanks and sat next to me on the piano bench. I began another song, a famous piece by Mozart.
Her hands rested in her lap. I noticed with some surprise that she was not wearing a ring with the rose emblem. That was a relief. . . It must have just been coincidence. Only Student Council members like myself dressed that way, but maybe it was becoming popular these days.
"I'm not exactly a piano connoisseur, but I'm not familiar with the song you were playing as I came in," she said. "Did you write it yourself?" I nodded. "My sister and I composed it together many years ago."
"Wow, you and your sister must both be very talented. It takes a lot of skill to play an instrument the way you do. I can clearly hear your soul in your music," she replied. I blushed slightly. My soul? I didn't have the right touch to play like that anymore. My shining candle had been snuffed out a long time ago. I decided to change the subject. "Do you play any instruments, Rankaku-san?"
She laughed, a light tinkling sound that sounded musical in itself. "Please, call me Robin. You're probably younger than me. . . but I don't really care for courtesies like calling people by their last names. . . It sounds so cold and distant. Well, I do play a little harmonica now and then, but I usually spare other people the annoyance of listening to me."
I stopped playing abruptly and turned to look at her. "I'd love to hear you play, Rankaku-sa. . .I mean, Robin- There aren't many musicians in this school." It felt very odd to call somebody by only their first name.
"Trust me, it's nothing worth hearing," she replied, turning her gaze to the ground again. This time I was sure, she was trembling. "Are you cold?" I asked her. "I think there's a blanket in the closet back there. . ." She shook her head, and fumbled for something in her trouser pocket. "I just forgot to take my pills," she replied, taking out the packet and popping two into her mouth. I didn't even have a chance to ask her if she needed a glass of water. . . "They're for my low blood-pressure," she added before I could question. "Nothing serious, I only need to take them three times a day." I nodded and resumed playing the piano.
"I'm sorry to hear about that. It must be very bothersome to put up with." I noticed out of the corner of my eye that she was putting back two packages of medication instead only the one I had seen her take out. "What are the other pills for?" I wondered aloud.
Robin looked up at me and blinked. "I changed my mind, would you like to hear me play a little harmonica?" she asked suddenly. "Sure!" I exclaimed happily. Her harmonica was kept in a small, old fashioned cardboard box. It must have been handed down to her from her grandparents, judging by the beautiful red and gold designs of the package. They just don't make things like they used to nowadays. She opened the box and took out the metal instrument, which was also fairly old, but kept in very good shape.
She lifted the harmonica to her lips and began playing a light, jazzy tune, but after a few seconds she stopped. "I'm a little embarrassed to play in front of someone who's so much better than me. . ." she admitted reluctantly.
"Please, don't stop! It's wonderful!" I pleaded. I meant it, too. She hesitated a moment, then continued to play. The song was bouncy and cheerful, and every once in a while she would add a little flourish to the notes. I could tell that she become more confident towards the end of the song. True, there were some mistakes and off-beats, but she really got into it and that was what made it so uplifting. When she finished I clapped just like she had for me earlier, making her blush prettily. "Now you're teasing me," she laughed, as she slipped the harmonica back into her pocket.
I clicked my stopwatch. "Not at all, you have your own style. I really enjoyed it!" I replied sincerely. "You play very well for. . . wait a moment, I don't recall what grade you said you were in. . ." I mused, as I checked the time.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you. I'm in the tenth grade." she replied. "Tenth grade??" I echoed incredulously. And the whole time I had thought she was my age!! "Well, I do look younger than I am, don't I?" she laughed, reading my mind.
I blushed in embarrassment. "Rankaku-sempai. . .I'm sorry. . ." She shook her head. "No, don't call me that! Real friends aren't so polite." Her eyes sparkled when she said it.
"W-well. . . Ok. . . Robin." I replied awkwardly. It suddenly struck me that she probably thought I was just a nerdy little boy. I clicked my stopwatch.
Robin checked the time on her own watch that she kept on a chain in her breast pocket. "Lunch break is about half over, and I haven't eaten yet . . . Would you like to show me to the cafeteria?" she asked, standing up and walking to the door.
I jumped up as if somebody had shoved a hot poker down my pants. "Ok! I haven't eaten yet either!" I lied, rushing over and opening the door for her. Gosh, now that I think about it, I really am a nerd. . . Tenth grade. Wow.