[Tohru-jisan stopped by earlier. I'll be a little late. Sumimasen.]
Kumiko breathed out, relieved that she was not going to be late after all. Then, she typed her reply on her phone:
[Ki ni suru na. Take your time. I'll wait for you at the café.]
She paused, staring at the words she had typed on her phone. She admitted to herself that the older Taki-sensei's visit to the Kousakas made her curious that she wanted to ask. But it had nothing to do with her or the school. 'Maybe she'll say something about it sometime,' she thought. Shrugging, she sent her reply and slipped her phone back into her pocket.
"Someone's heading out."
Slightly startled, Kumiko turned to her right and noticed Mamiko, arms crossed and leaning to one side of the surround of the living room entrance. The expression on her older sister's face annoyed her. "I see what you're up to," it seemed to read. Frowning, she turned from Mamiko and slipped on one sneaker, thinking of what to say.
"You know, you shouldn't wrinkle your face when you're going on a date," Mamiko said casually. "Unless… you want to look older."
"Damare!" Kumiko hissed at Mamiko, pausing and patting her forehead and cheeks with both hands.
Mamiko laughed, standing upright. "Look, if you're date's really interested, it's not going to matter," she said. "Just don't look bored, and you'll be fine."
Kumiko sighed. "It's not a date," she clarified frustratingly. "How many times do I have to tell you?" Again.
"A date is seeing someone and hanging out," Mamiko explained. "It doesn't have to mean anything."
Kumiko puffed her cheeks and picked up her other shoe. Mamiko had a point.
"Unless…"
Kumiko quickly tossed the shoe at Mamiko's direction. The sneaker bounced against the surround of the living room entrance, missing Mamiko as she had managed to dodge.
Mamiko stepped out, laughing. She lowered and reached for Kumiko's shoe. Then, she walked to the foot of the stairs, shaking her head as she handed it back to Kumiko.
Kumiko avoided Mamiko's stare as she took the shoe back and slipped it on. Somewhat bothered by guilt, she was relieved the shoe missed her older sister. That would have hurt.
"Eto…" Mamiko sat next to Kumiko. "It's nice to have special company you can walk through your days with. Nothing wrong with that, you know…" she trailed.
Kumiko said nothing. Again, her sister was right.
"Ah, yes! One of my friends in high school told me SNO-Q is here in Uji," Mamiko suddenly spoke after a moment of silence, switching topics.
"SNO-Q…?" Kumiko echoed. SNO-Q is a young, up-and-coming symphonic pop act known for collaborating with musicians of different genres and performing onstage in bohemian, flamboyant wardrobes. She was the front page figure in a band magazine just last month. Kumiko hardly believed what her sister had just said.
"She was in Rikka uniform," Mamiko added. "Mmm… of all places…"
"Geh?" Kumiko uttered, twitching. Rikka. The school's name pierced like an arrow through her head.
Mamiko's suddenly phone chimed from the background.
"That's probably confirmation for the club meeting tomorrow," Mamiko said. "I need to get that. Don't be out so late. Kiotsukette." She excused herself, standing up and headed up the stairs.
"Hai," Kumiko said, tying her sneakers.
"Oh, I almost forgot," Mamiko said, suddenly stopping midway. "A pretty girl stopped by this afternoon. You were napping, so we didn't wake you up."
"Pretty girl?" Kumiko said as she stood up and tapped her toes against the floor.
"Ee. She asked if you lived here and said she was a good friend of yours. She wanted to surprise you."
Kumiko thought of Reina or Sapphire. But both girls have already visited the Oumae residence and met her mother and sister. "What was she like?" she asked as she fixed her satchel.
"She was tall," Mamiko recalled.
'Tall?' Kumiko thought, coming to a halt. No, that could not have been either of them.
"Long hair, glasses... Wait. She left a name…"
"Asuka," the two uttered in chorus.
Kumiko's eyes widened as her face turned ashen to her horror.
"Who knows? I might just pop into your neighborhood and find my way to your doorstep."
She thought it was just a joke. "W-What did you tell her?" she asked.
"Eto… I said to drop by again sometime when you're not sleeping," Mamiko answered.
"Eeeeehhh…" Kumiko whined, slumping at the foot of the stairs, pressing her hands against her cheeks. She could not blame her sister after all.
"You can't lie about living here."
"I know that…"
"She said she has your number," Mamiko said. "But… in case you don't answer, she asked for mine."
"And?"
"Well, she is your friend, right?" Mamiko shrugged. "So I gave it to her."
"H-Honki desu ka?"
"Ee. Didn't look like she'd harm anyone. Why not?"
Kumiko gasped to a greater shock. "Onee-chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnn!" she screamed to the top of her lungs.
-0-0-0-0-0-
Kanon tossed her back against the bench. "Muzukashii…" she said, sighing and closing her eyes as she raised her head. The breeze felt cool against her face, as if lightening the load off her tired shoulders. She put her blue leather notebook aside, on top of her belongings, and inclined, resting her elbows over her knees and rubbed her cheeks. She glanced at the river ahead.
The river ran deep, reflecting the not only the city lights but also the shrouded, starless evening sky. It seemed to embody her thoughts.
"Are you joking?!"
"She'll never be as good as Kashiwagi-sensei."
"You're only here because of your mother."
Kanon hung onto the hope of proving critics wrong by accepting the offer to perform with the MLJ overseas. London was a different environment, needless to say. But it was there, she managed to perform without apprehension.
However, one of the maestros noted something in her during her first one-on-one session. And it has stayed in her ever since.
"You create and play with such color and intensity for your age, Kanon. Where does it come from?"
Where does it come from?
She aimed to for precision and impeccability, just as she was taught. She only did what she knew. The emotion and depth that channels through her music… she only thought about getting lost in a different dimension of herself. That, and nothing else… or so she believed. She closed her eyes, visualizing the maestro asking her that day. To this day, she has yet to come up with an answer.
Her phone suddenly rings in the middle of the deafening silence. Startled, she blindly fishes it from her pocket and answers the call.
"Moshimoshi."
"Kanocchi."
"Uwa!" Startled, Kanon immediately sat upward, her phone repeatedly sliding away from her hands like a wet bar of soap that she struggled gripping it with both hands. That gentle, girlish voice, her head signaled. It has been a while. "Emiko-san…" she said as she pressed her phone to her ear.
"I got your number from Kira. It's okay, isn't it?"
"H-Hai!" Kanon nervously, yet fervently answered. Of course. "Of course, it's okay," said her thoughts.
"It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"Ee…" Kanon nodded. How long has it been? She lost count. Her search for Haga Emiko was one of her secret reasons to accept the offer in Tokyo and in London. Only Kira knew of this, and it became their mission to find her.
"Eto… how have you been doing?"
"I'm doing okay," Kanon answered. "You? I haven't heard from you in a long time."
"I've been doing well after the soul searching. I learned Kira was here, so I dropped by Mishkin."
"Nani?" Kanon uttered, voice as flat as her narrow-eyed expression. Trust Kira for random moments of self-regard.
Emiko chuckled from the other end. "She told you otherwise, didn't she? That is typical for a Mishkin."
Kanon rubbed her temple. Yes. Yes, it is… Typical Mishkin? 'Wait,' her brain signaled, grinding to a halt.
"I learned you're studying in Kitauji. I heard Noboru has been teaching there."
"H-Hai!" Kanon felt a rush through her system upon hearing Taki-sensei's name. She thought Emiko would not mention him.
"How is he? Has he coped?"
"I guess so," Kanon answered. But she was not so sure. Ever since meeting him again, he has not mentioned anything about his depression, his recovery, or his late wife.
"I was in Tuscany when I heard the news. I wanted to go home to pay my respects, but…" Emiko trailed.
Kanon waited for Emiko to continue. But she somewhat knew it was all there is to say.
-0-0-0-0-0-
Haruka stepped out of Torajin, the candy store she, Kaori, and Asuka would sometimes visit after class. Like all of the other stores she visited in the arcade, it was out of free tickets to the Nishiyama Evening Event. She regretted not visiting at an earlier time. But like her friends, she was too busy with school. Taking her phone from her pocket, she decided to message her friends of the bad news. But upon unlocking her phone, she saw a notification that Kanon had messaged her over half an hour ago. She tapped on the notification to read Kanon's message:
[Hai. I'm at the riverbank.]
Kanon was their last hope, her mind echoed. Despite being friends with her, Haruka felt uneasy asking a favor. But she needed to try. Because Kanon's message was sent several minutes earlier and the urgency of her request, she decided to call instead.
Kanon's line was busy.
Haruka sighed. Riverbank, she recalled it was not far from the arcade. Kanon might have left already, she thought. But she decided to go to the riverbank, hoping she would still catch her.
-0-0-0-0-0-
Reina stopped stirring into her cup and glanced at the view outside the café window.
Just across the street was the Nishiyama Open Grounds. It has been open to the public since last Thursday, but the stage area is still closed. Builders would arrive late in the evening, resuming construction during closed hours.
Kumiko turned from the window next to them, sighing.
"Doushitano?" Reina asked.
Kumiko shook her head.
"Kumiko."
Kumiko raised her head. "Ah!" she uttered as Reina's finger suddenly pressed her nose.
"Boop," Reina said.
Kumiko stared at Reina, still stunned. The redness on her cheeks crawled all over her face.
"What are you thinking?" Reina asked again as she withdrew her hand.
"Just the concert," Kumiko immediately answered. "Aren't you worried?"
Reina shook her head. "It's a concert, not a competition," she said. "All we have to do is play and leave a good impression."
Reina's words surprised Kumiko. Reina took performing seriously, she remembered. Hearing those words seemed unlikely. "You're taking it lightly," she observed.
"It's not a competition piece," Reina said. "There shouldn't be so much pressure."
"Hm…" Kumiko nodded, lifting her cup. She remembered what Mamiko had told her earlier and decided to open the topic. "Eto… I learned SNO-Q is here in Uji."
Reina had already lifted her cup halfway when she suddenly put it back down. "News travels fast," she remarked.
"Wait… you knew?" Kumiko asked.
"Tohru-jisan mentioned it earlier," Reina said. "It's not really a secret. But… I was a little surprised." Again, she lifted her cup and took a sip.
"Are you friends with her?"
Reina shook her head. "I just met her through Kanon," she explained. "They were classmates in the program."
"They're from the same program?"
Reina nodded. "Tohru-jisan was disappointed, saying it's like manufacturing geniuses in Mishkin only for their managers to pimp them in the end," she said.
Kumiko's brow furrowed upon the harshness of the older Taki-sensei's words. "Pimp" is such a strong term.
"Tou-san cleared that not everyone from the program was pimped into accepting offers," Reina continued. "Not all schools are well-funded or sponsored. Ours isn't."
Kumiko was well-aware of Kitauji's need for stable sponsorship and funding. It was why not all of its plans go smoothly as intended. "What did he say?" she asked.
"He said he knew that, based on his experience," Reina answered. "But Rikka and some of the schools he knew have more than enough funding because of their status. It's easy for them to make bigger offers."
"Sou desu ka…"
"The rumors of SNO-Q accepting a hefty offer from Rikka are intense in the circles," Reina added. Circles, meaning the groups where musicians like Taki Tohru-sensei and Reina's father would formally socialize. "Whatever they offered her might've been hard to resist."
Reviews about SNO-Q's material have been generally positive. And as it seemed, she took every opportunity for exposure. Kumiko could see why. Those things… and of course, all the privileges that go with it.
"But there was one thing, though…"
"Nani?"
"Tohru-jisan learned from someone in Rikka that Kanon was given a much higher offer than SNO-Q," Reina disclosed.
"Ha?" Kumiko uttered to her surprise. "Sou desu ka?"
Reina nodded. "I was just as shocked when I heard it first," she said. "Considering Kanon isn't as known or noted as SNO-Q, it really makes you think."
"Sou ne…" Kumiko nodded. "But making real music doesn't come with a price tag, doesn't it?"
"Eh?" Reina uttered almost inaudibly and stared at Kumiko. She chuckled, suddenly turning less serious. She put down her cup and glanced out the window. Again, she turned to Kumiko, asking, "Would you like to visit the grounds after?"
-0-0-0-0-0-
"I need to head out for a while. I'm meeting a client."
"Matte kudasai," the words escaped from Kanon's lips.
"Hai?"
"Eto…" Kanon trailed, suddenly blocked by second thoughts that she simply shook her head. "…Nanimou."
"I'll see you soon. Okay?"
"Ha?" Kanon uttered inaudibly. Soon?
"I'll call you again. Ja!"
"Ja…" Kanon blankly responded, hanging up and pocketing her phone. Again, she rubbed her cheeks, suddenly feeling exhaustion.
"Kanon!"
Kanon shook her head to relieve herself and looked over her shoulder.
Haruka stood a short distance away from her, satchel over her shoulder and a bag in one hand.
"Haruka-san…" she uttered as she watched Haruka approach her and the bench. She shifted aside, making room for Haruka to sit next to her.
-0-0-0-0-0-
Kumiko and Reina stopped a few feet away from the concert field. Well-lit, but it was still unfinished, restricted by a set of barricades that isolated it from the rest of the open grounds. The empty audience seats could be seen through the barricades, but the stage itself was still covered by a high makeshift wall with hazard signs.
"The arch itself tells me they did a lot of work on it," Kumiko noted, admiring the stage's steel arch. It was even more beautiful up close.
"Ee," Reina nodded. She was also looking at the arch.
Kumiko turned to Reina. "You know, I'm actually more pressured playing at the evening concert," she confessed.
"Naze?" Reina looked back at Kumiko.
Kumiko shrugged. "Because it's not a competition."
Reina slightly tilted her head to the side. "Wakarimasen," she said, shaking her head.
Breathing in and puffing her cheeks, she ran her hand against the barricade before them. She shifted her eyesight from Reina to the covered stage, then to the surrounding seats. "Audiences in competitions are usually interested in the performances, and they actually paid for their seats," she paused for a few seconds. "Here, admission may be free… but I don't think everyone will be just as interested. Some might just see the concert because they were forced… or something, just to fill the seats."
"You think our band's boring?" Reina asked.
Kumiko shook her head. "It's not that," Kumiko said. "I mean, the people might just come for the free food, the other attractions… something like that."
"And… you think those things are going to distract them from watching the free concert. Is that it?"
Kumiko nodded.
Reina laughed.
"Eh? Why are you laughing?" Kumiko asked, feeling somewhat uncomfortable that she turned red.
"Because you said you didn't like so much attention?" Reina answered, still laughing.
"Ah…" Kumiko suddenly remembered. Yes, she did say that. But…
"But that is a step to being special, isn't it?" Reina said. "Catching people's attention to show them what you're capable of doing…"
Kumiko sighed, nodding. Yes. Yes, it is.
"Kanon will do a grand job doing just that, for you, for everyone…" Reina raised her head and looked to the arch again. "You'll see."
Again, Kumiko nodded as she stared at Reina. She remembered something. 'That part…' her mind echoed. Little by little, her thoughts built a speculation on their own. And it was something she has been meaning to ask. "Eto… Reina," she called out.
"Hai?" Reina turned to Kumiko.
Kumiko readied herself. 'Here goes,' she thought. "Do you mind if I ask you something?"
-0-0-0-0-0-
Haruka looked at the time on her watch before reaching into her pocket and taking out the key to her dorm room. She glanced about the hall, checking if the occupants who stayed over the weekend were still awake, including Kaori and Asuka.
"Rumor has it the second floor is haunted."
She suddenly remembered what a classmate told her some weeks ago. Haunted. While she has yet to encounter anything otherworldly, she shivered at the thought of it. Immediately shifting away, she fit her key into the keyhole to unlock her door. It was then she heard something knock over from beyond the door. Her pulse picked its pace that she swallowed hard and started sweating. She lightly nudged her door as she made her way in. Her room was dark, but she remembered leaving the night light on before leaving. She looked over her shoulder as she put her shopping bag down. Catching a glimpse of the light switch by the door, she flipped it open.
"Brainnnnssssss…" a gruff voice suddenly sounded across the room.
Haruka sighed as the thumping in her chest suddenly died. "Asuka…" she uttered under her breath as she pressed her head against the wall.
"Why do I have to listen to you and your ideas?"
"Eto… you wanted to surprise her too, remember?"
'Kaori,' Haruka thought. She was in on it too. Recovering, she closed the door and took her shopping bag with her as she approached her desk. "No wonder you two weren't answering my messages," she said, putting the shopping bag and her satchel on her desk.
"The surprise worked, didn't it?" Asuka asked playfully as she sat next to Kaori on Haruka's bed.
"Ah…" Haruka uttered, spinning her desk chair to face the two and took her seat. She preferred not to answer.
"Eto… were you able to get any tickets for the free concert?" Kaori asked.
"Hai," Haruka answered. "Not in Torajin, though." She took her satchel from the desk, placing it over her lap and opening it. "The clerk said they were out of tickets yesterday."
"Sou desu ka?" the two said together.
Haruka nodded. "But I was able to meet Kanon a while back," she said, taking the tickets out from her satchel's inner pocket. "Doozo." She handed the other two tickets to Asuka and Kaori.
"Arigatou," Kaori said, receiving hers. "Why does Kanon have so many tickets?"
"The concert organizers also sent three tickets to Kanon in Mishkin Tokyo," Haruka said. "Kira-san handed them over to Kanon. Kanon gave them to me."
"Arigatou," Asuka said, holding up her own ticket. "Sugoi! But... I'm going to owe Kanon something."
Haruka shook her head. "You don't owe her anything, she told me," she said, smiling. "She knows you want to see someone perform."
"No, she doesn't," Asuka instantly denied, pushing her eyeglasses and turning away from Haruka and Kaori as she folded her arms.
Haruka laughed with Kaori. Of course, they knew otherwise.
Kaori cleared her throat. "Eto… were you able to find what you were looking for this afternoon?" she asked.
-0-0-0-0-0-
Taki-sensei opened the door to the music room and stepped inside. It was empty. Strange, he thought as he approached the grand piano. Kanon would come in early to practice in the new music room before class, unless she had something important to attend to. He paused for a moment, placing his hand on the grand piano as he thought of places in campus Kanon might be in.
Kumiko emerged from the storage area. Her eyes came across Taki-sensei that she approached, stopping a short distance away from him. "Ohayou gozaimasu, Taki-sensei," she greeted.
Taki-sensei looked back at Kumiko. "Ohayou, Oumae-san," he greeted back. "Do you know where Aotsuki-san is?"
Kumiko nodded. "She and Reina are on the roofdeck, practicing," she answered.
"Ah, sou desu ka," Taki-sensei said. "Maybe I should listen to them." Kumiko's eyes reminded him of Emiko's. He did his best to conceal it, but sometimes, he would find himself either fixated or stealing glances at her. Kanon caught him more than once. And when he explained, she saw through him.
"I wanted to listen to them too, but…" Kumiko paused, then tilting her head and looking to the side. "I don't want Kanon to feel awkward," she continued with a softer tone, fidgeting.
Taki-sensei chuckled. "Did she say that?" he asked, stroking his chin. "She should be used to audiences by now."
Kumiko shook her head. "Kanon and I are friends," she explained. "I just… don't want her to feel awkward when she's doing her job as assistant band director."
"Ki ni suru na," Taki-sensei assured. "But if she does, tell me. I'll…" Pulling his sleeves, he trailed, mind suddenly blank about what to say next. "…make sure she gets her act together."
"Ehhh…" Kumiko uttered with a perplexed expression, then laughing uncomfortably.
Taki-sensei immediately noticed Kumiko had become uncomfortable. It was not his delivery but his choice of words. It was why some of his students think he was not very approachable, despite his calm demeanor. Matsumoto-sensei was right. And for it to come from someone like her, he wanted to change that, even just a little bit. "Eto… why don't we go and pry upstairs?" he offered. "If we get caught, I'll come clean."
Kumiko nodded eagerly as her eyes sparkled.
The two soon exited the music room and headed for the stairs at the end of the hall. Taki-sensei gestured Kumiko to go up first. Then, he followed after her. The sound of string and brass grew more and more audible as they covered more steps. By the time they reached the short walkway to the roofdeck door, it was loud and clear.
Taki-sensei paced ahead and stopped by the door. Then, he turned to Kumiko, raising his hand and signaling her to stop. Tempted as he was to go out of the door and listen to them closely, he opted otherwise and stayed on the side. He closed his eyes to feel through every note.
"Kirei desu…" Kumiko said softly as she stood just across Taki-sensei.
Taki-sensei opened his eyes and turned to Kumiko, nodding. The original arrangement was made for a trumpet duet. But Kanon played Yuuko's parts on violin, improvising, harmonizing and backing Reina's intensity. Like wind beneath soaring wings. Trumpet and violin do not go well together in duets. At least, it was what he knew. Though not as penetrating as the duet should originally be, it was unusually magnetic.
Kanon hid through layers and angles of her personality for someone so young. However, when she plays, she bares her heart. Taki-sensei smiled to himself.
"Eh? Doushite, Taki-sensei?" Kumiko suddenly asked.
"Ah," Taki-sensei uttered, rather startled. Kumiko had been looking at him. Immediately gaining his composure, he shook his head."Both instruments don't really go well in duets, " he admitted, shifting his attention. "It's unusual how both of them managed to make it work..." He paused for a moment, again, listening and observing the music beyond the door. Then, it hit him. "Kanon tries to highlight Reina's power instead of matching it," he continued. "Complementing, instead of paralleling…"
"…like marriage," Kumiko said with him.
"Eh?" Taki-sensei uttered and stared back at an equally-astonished Kumiko.
Kumiko had turned pale, staring, as if aghast, with a dropped jaw.
Taki-sensei turned from Kumiko, tilting his head and covering his mouth to muffle his laughter.
-0-0-0-0-0-
"Whoever said this piece was mellow?!"
Riko and Kumiko laughed as they watched Hazuki slump along the open window.
"It was good," Natsuki joined Hazuki by the window and stretched. "Just a teensy bit more."
"I'm already wishing for an extra pair of lungs," Hazuki tiredly expressed as her arms drooped down the window pane.
"You did well, Hazuki-chan," Kumiko complimented. "You made it through without mistakes already. Control your breath a little more, and it's perfect."
Hazuki turned from the window and sunk down to the wooden floor. "Let's take a break…" she said faintly as she curled against the wall.
"It's easier, compared to last year's choices," Sapphire said of the piece. "Maybe it's because Kanon-chan wanted us to learn it without so much pressure. But it's a little tricky at some parts, don't you think?"
Kumiko nodded. It was a suite. The suite represents the film, its pace and emotion varying upon every transition. She browsed through her parts before looking over Hazuki's. The accents and runs, she noted. For a learning player like Hazuki, it was going to be a challenge at first.
"I attended a lecture once," Riko recalled as she turned to Kumiko. "I learned that the East was known for precision while the West was known for passion. Kanon was trained in London for a year, wasn't she?"
Kumiko paused and turned to Riko, nodding.
"My initial reaction was to Kanon's choice was, 'Why on earth…?'" Riko confessed, chuckling. Then, she stopped. "I've watched the film and listened to variations of the suite. Kanon's version and arrangement are a little different, but…"
A knock suddenly interrupts their discussion.
"Ohairi kudasai," Takuya bade.
The door opened, revealing the clarinet section leader, Akagi Nao. Clarinet case on one hand, she entered and greeted the rest of the bass section.
The bass section greeted back.
Kumiko stared as Akagi Nao approached. She was beautiful and intelligent, just like Reina. But while Reina was sophisticated and somewhat distant, Nao was childish and friendly.
"Eto… I thought Kanon-san was here," Nao said, putting her clarinet case on the desk next to her.
"She was," Natsuki confirmed. "But she went back to practice with Mizore-san a while ago."
"Aw!" Nao childishly whined, holding up clenched hands. "I was hoping to catch her first before Mizo-chan does!"
"Akagi-sempai is looking for her Aotsuki-kouhai?" Natsuki teased. "Naze?"
Kumiko chuckled. The running gag about Nao's and Kanon's opposing surnames started after the selection of officers and staff. It spread from the clarinet section to the rest of the brass band. Nao and Kanon did not seem to mind though, she observed. Sometimes, they would play along with it.
Nao shook her head. "I was hoping to practice with her first," she said. "The piece isn't that hard, but some of my parts fall flat somewhere. I was hoping she'd help me."
"A little tricky, ne, Nao-chan?" Riko said.
"Ee…" Nao nodded. "I kind of thought it would be easy."
The primary clarinetist or, in their case, the club's clarinet section leader, serves as the head or principal instrumentalist of a wind ensemble, a level equaling the concertmaster's. Underneath the apparent eccentricity, Kumiko knew Nao's gift as well as the weight of her responsibility. She needed to play as precise and as gracefully as she could.
"Maybe it's not about technique this time," Takuya implied.
The others looked intently at Takuya.
Takuya pushed his glasses. "I watched a video of Kanon as concertmistress during Mishkin's Winter Gala last year, and I noticed some things," he said. "Like Taki-sensei, Kanon also has her own, unorthodox method, but it works more like a second nature than a body or method built from years of formal training…"
-0-0-0-0-0-
Reina wiped her hands and exited the wash area. She was supposed to see Matsumoto-sensei about the inventory while she and her fellow section members were taking a break from practice. Walking along the empty hall, she backtracked on hers and Yuuko's the trumpet duet practice. Tempo di lento poco a poco. Slower the first and second time, progressive after every successful attempt. She imitated the paces of learning progress by tapping her right fist over her left palm until she reached the actual tempo of their duet. Though playful and sometimes out-of-focus, Yuuko managed to play through all paces. But they were far from playing with the actual tempo, Adagietto. They still need to practice until they reach that level.
"…Though their styles seem alike, they're actually not."
Reina overheard Takuya's voice coming from the next room that she pulled to a stop. The bass section was on a break too, she noticed. From her point of view, she could see the bass section gathered in one spot, as if discussing something. She also noticed Nao was with them that she wondered why. She drew closer and paused by the doorway, hidden from view.
"Maybe because she has something Taki-sensei doesn't share," Nao guessed.
"Nan desu ka?" the bass section collectively asked.
Nao stood at attention, abruptly pulling a firm facial expression with puffed cheeks. Then, she formed a fist with her right hand and struck it against her chest.
Reina pulled to the side, covering her mouth as she snickered. Funny, yet accurate, she thought. Nao had interesting angles of her personality. She was intelligent, gentle, quirky, and lighthearted. But when they practiced and performed as a band, she would morph into a proper, veteran clarinetist demanding respect.
"Ne, Midori. Correct me if I'm wrong. But wasn't Kashiwagi-sensei a clarinetist before she became a composer?"
"Hai. She and Kousaka-sensei still play for Hachidori SNB, I remember."
"Does Kanon play the clarinet? I wonder…"
Nao's question somewhat stunned Reina. Kanon never volunteers to mention or discuss it. Not even with her.
"Mmm… I haven't asked," Sapphire answered.
Or it could be that.
Reina smirked, shaking her head. 'Midori,' she thought, recognizing that tone. Having enough of the eavesdropping, she stood up and headed back to the trumpet section's practice area.
-0-0-0-0-0-
It was the end of another day, another step closer to the evening concert. Taki-sensei suggested leaving some time before every practice session end, so the brass band could discuss and exchange inputs with him or with Kanon.
The club members gathered and settled into their respective sections, waiting for Taki-sensei or Kanon to enter the room.
Kumiko looked at the time on her watch and glanced about. They finished earlier today than usual, she noticed.
The door soon opened. Kanon emerged, notebook in hand, briskly making her way to the podium. Relaxing her breath and stepping onto the center, she glanced about every section of the band, ensuring everyone was present before beginning to speak.
The room suddenly quieted down.
Kanon looked exhausted and pale, Kumiko noticed.
"Sumimasen," Kanon apologized. "I needed to discuss something with Taki-sensei first before seeing everyone off." She paused for a moment. "After observing everyone today, I noticed that all sections have progressed significantly since our first day of practice. Is everyone ready for Saturday?" The coming Saturday will be the first time the brass band will all together practice the suite.
Nao raised her hand.
Kanon turned to Nao, gesturing her to speak.
Nao promptly stood. "If I may suggest, can you dedicate longer time running with the one-on-one practices with every section?" she said. "Also… as principal clarinetist, I want to observe while you practice with them."
Kanon stroked her chin, as if thinking.
"If it's okay…" Nao added.
"Naze?" Kanon asked.
"Eto… naze ikenai no?" Nao returned with a question, shrugging and smiling.
The rest of the room suddenly broke into laughter with teasing coming from the clarinet section.
Kumiko laughed loudly, then feeling the sudden urge to turn to Reina.
Reina seemed to have sunken into her seat, apparently upset. Yuuko, who was next to her, playfully nudged her and whispered something in her hear.
Kumiko scratched her head. She suddenly remembered that though Reina knew the interaction was all staged, she hated the Akagi-Aotsuki jokes flying about their club.
"I don't see where you're going with it," Kanon admitted with a confused expression on her face. "But since you're principal clarinetist, I'll let you watch."
Again, the teasing resumed. This time, the other sections joined in.
Kanon chuckled with the crowd for a while, glancing at Reina for a split-second. Then, she cleared her throat. "Would it be okay if members of other sections observe with you?" she asked Nao.
"Hai," Nao agreed. "I think it's a good suggestion."
Kanon nodded. "Anou… Yoroizuka-sempai, Kousaka-san, Oumae-san," she called.
"Hai," the Mizore, Kumiko, and Reina chorused in response.
Kumiko glanced at Reina and noticed how quick she recovered from her sulking as Kanon called her.
"Please observe with Akagi-sempai tomorrow," Kanon requested.
"Hai," the three nodded.
Kumiko only replied on impulse. But the truth is… she could not contain her hesitation. Schoolwork and practice already felt heavy on her shoulders.
"I will also be pulling out some members from the other sections to observe with Akagi-sempai in the coming days," Kanon informed the rest of the members. "Maybe a share of other constructive inputs will help us get ready ahead of time. Clear?"
"Hai," the members replied.
Again Kanon, lifted her stare and focused on the whole club. "We don't have much time left, as you know," she briefed. "I want everyone to have fun with the suite but not lose its essence." She paused, taking a deep breath. "In my eyes, the members of this club are not just students but young, learning musicians with, each, a different purpose. And like you, the suite as well as every piece has its own. That… is for all of you to take in…"
'Purpose…' the word resonated in Kumiko's head that she no longer heard the rest of Kanon's words.
"And that wraps it up for today," Kanon concluded, clasping her hands. "Kiotsukette, minna-san. Ja mata!"
-0-0-0-0-0-
And again, another day has ended.
"Oi, Kumiko!"
Kumiko looked over her shoulder, stopping.
Shuichi waved, zigzagging his way through the students in the lobby and stopping in front of Kumiko.
"Nani?" Kumiko asked. She thought Shuichi just wasted his energy trying to keep up with someone who was not rushing at all.
"Aotsuki-san handpicked you," Shuichi said. "Omodetou."
Kumiko shook her head. "That's nothing big," she said, thinking little of her selection. "She just wants us to observe other sections, that's all."
"That's kind of something a concertmaster should be doing," Shuichi said, walking next to Kumiko. "But… Akagi-sempai suggested it, after all."
"Sou," Kumiko agreed. "Maybe it's because we have little time left before concert night."
"Ah…" Shuichi nodded. "I can imagine the trouble Aotsuki-san is going through already. But… she's the type to work well under pressure, I've heard."
"So I noticed," Kumiko said. Kanon sat next to her in class. It was impossible not to see so.
The two suddenly fell quiet as they descended the stairs.
"Eto…" Shuichi said, trailing. "I know this is sudden, but… would you like to grab something to eat with me?"
"Eh?" Kumiko abruptly turned red, immediately wanting to reject him. But then…
"Kumiko-chan!"
Kumiko and Shuichi stopped and looked from behind.
Hazuki, Sapphire, and Reina were just a few steps away from them.
"Hazuki-chan, Midori-chan, Reina," Kumiko uttered, feeling relieved.
"We thought you headed home already," Sapphire said.
"I forgot something in the classroom," Kumiko explained. "Kanon wa doko desu ka?"
"Taki-sensei told her to stay after dismissal," Reina answered. "They were talking in the lounge before I left."
"Ah…" Kumiko uttered. 'Taki-sensei the culprit,' she thought.
"Do you want to eat first?" Hazuki suggested. "I'm a little hungry."
Kumiko saw a chance at Hazuki's suggestion. "Sure," she answered. "We can all go, ne, Shuichi?"
"E… Ee…" Shuichi nodded, hinting unwillingness.
"That's settled then," Hazuki said. "Same place?"
Kumiko, Hazuki, and Sapphire walked ahead while Reina and Shuichi tailed just behind them.
"I'm onto you, Tsukamoto-kun," Reina told Shuichi, sounding grim.
"Eh?" Shuichi uttered, fretfully looking back at Reina.
"You'd better not try to upset her again," Reina warned. "Okay?"
Shuichi stared at Reina, as if frozen. Then, he nodded.
-0-0-0-0-0-
It was a clear-skied Saturday, and practice is in less than an hour. Kanon sat under the covered waiting area, putting her notes on the side and cupping her face. She needed to go somewhere quiet and clear her thoughts before facing the brass band for practice. She had become accustomed to performing before bigger audiences in London. And she had led the MLJ a few times. But even before her first practice with the London-based ensemble, she was not as anxious… probably because the people there had been encouraging and accommodating.
The indirectly oppressive nature of some from the Mishkin Tokyo campus did leave marks on her, so it seemed.
"Ohayou, Kanon-chan," Hazuki greeted as she approached.
Kanon lifted her head. "Ohayou, Hazuki-chan," Kanon greeted. "You're early."
"Midori-chan and I met up and walked together," Hazuki said. "She's just upstairs, but she'll be here soon."
"Ah, sou desu ka."
"Is something wrong? You looked so absorbed when I saw you," Hazuki remarked as she took her seat next to Kanon.
"Nanimou, just looking back," Kanon said.
"Looking back…" Hazuki pressed her palms against the bench and swung her legs. "I'm not going to ask."
"Mmm… why not?" Kanon asked. She expected Hazuki's nosiness to suddenly shift gears. But surprisingly, it did not.
"Because if I'm right, you're not going to tell me anything," Hazuki answered, shrugging.
Kanon chuckled. Hazuki read right through her.
Hazuki looked over and noticed most of Kanon's fingers have been wrapped with bandages. "Your fingers must've been working nonstop," she said.
"Ah," Kanon simply nodded, lifting to glance at her bandaged fingers.
"You know," Hazuki said, softening a little. "I joined the brass band on a whim."
"Eh? Sou desu ka?"
Hazuki nodded. "I didn't know anything about being in a band or playing. I didn't even know the tuba until I matched a mouthpiece." She paused, laughing. "I wasn't able to play with them in the Regionals and the Nationals because I didn't pass the auditions last year. It's funny, though… because I'm still in the club, coping through it…"
Hazuki's words struck a chord somewhere in Kanon. She only knew of the optimistic Hazuki that does her best during practice, not the one that struggled within.
"Truth is," Hazuki continued. "When I got home and thought about the evening concert again, I realized it's actually a chance for me to play in front of people. Yeah, maybe I won't be competing, but…" She turned to Kanon, smiling. "I'll be playing… for real. Isn't it great?"
Kanon smiled back.
"Ohayou!" Sapphire greeted and waved from a distance, suddenly picking up her pace to join them.
"Ohayou!" Kanon and Hazuki greeted back.
'Midori,' Kanon thought, glancing at the time on her watch. Suddenly, she had an idea and looked at Hazuki. "Eto… Hazuki-chan?"
"Hai?" Hazuki responded, turning to Kanon.
"The old music room is empty," Kanon said. "Would you like to practice your parts first?"
-0-0-0-0-0-
Reina and Yuuko paused just after the sustained high note, lowering their trumpets and wiping the sweat from their foreheads.
Kumiko clapped as she sat on the bench a few feet away from the two. She thought they had done well.
Yuuko exhaled heavily, noting on her music sheet, and looked at Reina. "What do you think?"
"You held it well this time," Reina answered.
"Sugoi!" Yuuko exclaimed, pumping a fist in the air.
"Let's do it from the top," Reina said. "This time, we'll-"
"Chotto!" Yuuko interrupted, appealing and raising an open palm at Reina. "I haven't refilled my lungs yet."
"Okay," Reina shrugged casually, running through her sheet music. "We still have time for one or two runs. Then, we join the band for practice."
"Hai," Yuuko nodded. She jogged to her water bottle that was placed next to Kumiko on the bench.
"You did great, Yuuko-sempai," Kumiko praised Yuuko. "You've improved a lot."
Yuuko scratched her head, smiling. "I didn't want to disappoint by showing up unprepared," she said.
"Ah, you did practice with Kanon at the sports park last Saturday afternoon, right?" Kumiko recalled.
"She told you?" Yuuko asked, drinking from her water bottle and sitting next to Kumiko.
Kumiko shook her head. "Natsuki-sempai did," she answered.
"Ah, she was there too," Yuuko said. "Kanon wasn't busy then, so Natsuki and I took the opportunity. Reina tipped it to us after session ended last Friday."
"She did?" Kumiko uttered, watching Reina from a distance.
Reina had withdrawn next to her bag some feet away from Kumiko and Yuuko. She seemed to be writing something on her sheet music. The rays of the morning sun shone on her like a spotlight.
Kumiko remembered what Reina told her before classes started that Friday. That on Saturday afternoon, she was going to practice with Kanon. Kumiko wondered what suddenly made her change her mind.
"You know, she's changed a lot since last year," Yuuko said of Reina in the softer, gentler tone. She was looking at her as well.
"Mmm…" Kumiko uttered in agreement.
"To be honest, I first thought she was evil," Yuuko recalled.
"She isn't," Kumiko shook her head. "Just a bit of a case to crack, I guess."
"Sou ne," Yuuko admitted.
"She's a good person," Kumiko said of Reina. "She just… has a hard time expressing herself sometimes."
"Ah," Yuuko nodded.
The special bond they shared allowed Kumiko to know Reina beyond the formal character she projects in front of most people. Interests, dislikes, even the most insignificant details, she knew. However, there was one thing…
"I wish she could be more honest," Yuuko spoke after a brief pause. "Some people don't do well with hints."
Kumiko sighed. That. "I know what you mean," she said.
The two looked at each other and started laughing, unmindful that Reina was fast approaching them.
Reina stopped in front of them, sighing heavily at what she had just seen.
-0-0-0-0-0-
Gradual. Heavy. Haunting. The band played the first part of the suite, filling the atmosphere of the room. Kanon stood on the podium as she listened, eyes closed as one hand discreetly brushed through the melody. But partly through the flute solo, she suddenly gestured the band to stop.
The band immediately stopped.
Kumiko wiped her forehead as she rested her euphonium on her knee. "Flute…" she uttered under her breath while hearing the same word from someone just behind her. 'Midori,' she discerned as she looked over her shoulder.
Sapphire looked back in shock, covering her mouth.
Kumiko motioned her hand, gesturing it was all right. She was not the only one to notice the slight detachment of the flute solo from the band chorus. Then, she looked at Kanon.
Kanon turned to the flute and piccolo section leader. "Masa-sempai," she called.
"Hai," Deushi Masa stood as she answered. The sound of her voice told of disappointment.
"Ha?" Kumiko uttered softly as her eyes focused on Masa. She and Sapphire were actually right.
"Can you play on your own first?" Kanon asked.
Masa nodded.
"On your own time," Kanon said.
Drawing up her flute to her lips, Masa began to play.
With Kanon, the rest of the band listened.
Kumiko knew little about Masa. Natsuki once mentioned that she used to play the clarinet, but she shifted to the flute sometime before entering Kitauji.
Masa played until the transition to the second part, as noted in the sheet. Then, she stopped.
"Good," Kanon said, nodding. She approached the desk on the podium, taking her violin and fiddle from her case.
Kumiko watched as Kanon returned to where she stood. Immediately, she realized what she was about to do.
"Let's do it together," Kanon requested, resting the violin under her chin.
"H-Hai!"
Again, Masa started playing, with Kanon backing her on violin, playing improvised parts of the band chorus.
Kumiko listened intently, fixated on Masa and Kanon. The two seemed to connect so well as they filled the atmosphere with their entrancing duet.
Kanon finally came to a pause, watching on as Masa played until the end of the transition.
"Ah…" Kumiko uttered in awe.
"Doozo, Masa-sempai," Kanon said, smiling. "A little more confidence."
"Hai," Masa nodded, smiling back.
"Please take your seat," Kanon gestured and looked about. "Minna-san, from the top!"
Each member of the brass band positioned with their instruments as Kanon counted them in.
-0-0-0-0-0-
Practice session ended half an hour before noon. The club was told the day before to cut their session short to make way for the scheduled retake exams in the afternoon.
The bass section was tasked to tidy the new music room before leaving. Kumiko helped grouping the chairs with Natsuki and Hazuki, stacking them and carrying them to the left end corner. Sapphire swept the floor. Riko tidied the board. Takuya pushed the grand piano back in place before helping the other three fix the rest of the chairs.
Riko turned from the board, noticing a black leather notebook on the desk. "Eto… someone left a notebook," she said.
Kumiko paused, turning to the desk. She recognized the notebook. "That's Taki-sensei's," she said.
"He must've forgotten it," Takuya said as he lined the stacks of chairs. "He'll come back for it if he remembers."
"If he doesn't, I'll return it to him in the lounge," Kumiko volunteered. "Let's just finish up here first."
-0-0-0-0-0-
"You're leaving for Tokyo?" Reina repeated Kanon's words, hiding both surprise and frustration as she took out her shoes from her locker. She was already upset their first band practice for the evening concert had been cut short. She hoped she would be able to practice with Kanon as consolation. But she was leaving for Tokyo late in the afternoon.
"Hai," Kanon said as she slipped into her shoes. "Sorry I wasn't able to tell you right away. I only confirmed this morning."
Reina sat next to Kanon and lowered, taking off her indoor shoes. "Kira-san's orders?" she asked.
Kanon shook her head. "Emiko-san," she answered. "She wants me to meet her."
Reina suddenly stopped, looking up and staring back at Kanon. She has not heard that name in such a long time.
"Surprise, surprise, ne?" Kanon said. "Turns out she's been staying in Tokyo for more than a year already."
Reina frowned, turning away and putting on her shoes. Before Taki-sensei's wife, there was Emiko. At least, that was what Taki Tohru-sensei believed. Hotaka and Kanon said Taki-sensei and Emiko were very good friends, no more than that. "Why does she want to meet up with you?" she asked. Again, she stood, approaching her locker to return her indoor shoes.
Kanon shrugged. "She probably wants to catch up… or something," she answered, standing up and taking her indoor shoes back to locker. "She asked about you, actually."
"Me?" Reina uttered as she closed her locker. Unlike Kanon, she barely knew Emiko. She remembered not being too fond of her without any reason at all, something she was not too proud of that she treated it as one of her darkest secrets. Kanon was unaware of it.
"She also asked if you were coming," Kanon said, returning to her spot on the bench.
"Honma?"
"Sou."
"What did you say?" Reina asked, finding it strange. Again, she approached and sat next to Kanon.
"I told her I'll ask you," Kanon answered. "You hate surprises, remember?"
Reina sighed pressing her hands against the bench as she fell quiet. Yes, she does.
"I'll be back tomorrow afternoon," Kanon said. "I'll call you when I -"
"I need to run an errand for Kaa-san since she and Tou-san aren't back yet."
"Eh?" Kanon uttered inaudibly in response. "Eto…" She trailed but stopped, frozen and apparently confused.
"I'll just meet you at the station," Reina said. "Okay?"
"H-Hai…" Kanon fumbled as she nodded.
-0-0-0-0-0-
Kumiko neared the faculty lounge, clutching Taki-sensei's notebook in her hands. She glanced through the glass if anyone was inside, then noticing Shoda-sensei standing by Taki-sensei's desk. She stopped by the partly opened door and slid it a few inches more to make enough space for her to come into the lounge.
"Matsumoto-sensei said you were going to tell me something."
Kumiko stopped near one of the dividers upon hearing Shoda-sensei. She was suddenly curious. There were rumors flying about that the two were dating. But there was no proof.
"Ah… that…" Taki-sensei turned to Shoda-sensei.
"Nan desu ka?"
Kumiko lowered to keep herself hidden from view, listening intently to what Taki-sensei was going to say.
Taki-sensei began in a softer tone. He sounded hesitant at first. But he gradually gained composure in his voice as he progressed and ended.
Kumiko gasped, her eyes widening upon Taki-sensei's revelation. She heard everything, from start to finish. Clearly.
"I've always been wondering Noboru-kun," Shoda-sensei said. "I was waiting for you to say something."
"Have rumors been going about?"
"Not that I know of. But I do hope it doesn't get out of hand."
There were no rumors, as far as Kumiko knew. But if word reaches any student, it was going to start something again. No longer wanting to stay, she composed herself and quietly crawled her way to the door.