Chapter 14 – Practice Makes Perfect

As the group was leaving an idea popped into Takeshi's head and she dragged Emi off to side. "What are you doing?" asked Emi, she was clearly just as annoyed and disappointed as he was by the results which in that moment worked in his favor.

"I have an idea on how we can compete with Kousei and them," whispered Takeshi, "but I need your help."

"Well, hurry up and spill it then."

Takeshi looked at her and couldn't hold back the smirk anymore. "We're going to do a duet!"

The rest of the group went their separate ways, with Kousei and Kaori going back to his house to get started on practicing for the second round as soon as possible. However, their moods were not in the right place and it translated in their playing. "Kousei!"

"Y-Yes?"

"Stop playing like you are depressed!"

"Am I?"

"Yes! Cheer up, even though we placed fourth, we still gave a great performance. One that we should be proud of as musicians. Plus you're the one that said we shouldn't give up yet."

"You're right…It's just that my mind has been on something else."

"What are you thinking abou-" She gasped. "You aren't thinking about your trip to Italy with Aurora are you?"

"You still don't trust me?!" Kousei sighed. "No it's not that. I'm just trying to figure out what differentiates us and Shusui. I find it hard to believe that he simply puts in more effort than us, and I refuse to accept that he's better just because he's some kind of prodigy."

"Hmm," Kaori thought about it for a second. "Why don't you just ask him?"

"Yeah I should just as- WAIT WHAT?!"

"Just ask him, 'What's the difference between me and you?' Simple."

"Do you think he'll give away his secrets that easily?"

"He was pretty talkative before the competition," said Kaori as she shrugged. "Since it's bothering you so much we should get it sorted out."

"We?"

"Hey, it wasn't just Shusui, Aika was pretty boss on the violin too."

"How are we going to find them?"

"Ah who cares?" said Kaori as she grabbed his arm and dragged him to the door. "We'll figure it out somehow."

"Excuse me?" asked the event director.

"We want to perform a duet for the second ro-" said Takeshi before he got interrupted.

"Wait you idiot! I haven't even agreed to this yet!"

"What? I thought you said you wanted to do this."

"I said I was going to listen to your idea not follow through with it."

"Oh c'mon, this idea is genius. We'll be combining our strengths, it'll be like adding my points with yours."

"That's not how a duet works!" said Emi as she pinched the bridge of her nose. His naivety was giving her an even bigger headache than before.

"What's happening?" asked Akira (Takeshi's teacher) as he and Yuriko (Emi's teacher) came over due to the commotion.

"We're doing a duet for the second round," explained Takeshi, leaving both the teachers speechless.

"Stop including me as if I've already agreed to it!"

"Is that even possible? Also WHY?!" asked Akira. "You gave a brilliant performance today, with some more practice I'm sure you'll perform even better for round two. There's no need to do something this drastic."

"Yes there is!" yelled Takeshi which silenced everybody else, he turned over to Emi. "Are you satisfied with 8th?"

"Well…no bu-"

"Well me neither! I want the same spot as you, not just above Kousei and Kaori but above everyone else. To be the best, to be number one! But I can't do it alone, not yet. Kousei, Nash, Shusui, they've all found something within themselves that have propelled them as musicians. I'm not that smart and I don't think I can find that something in just a week so please. Help me." He looked at her straight in eye and she knew that he meant every word he said.

She sighed. "How can I say no to that?"

"You're going along with this Emi?" asked Yuriko completely stunned by her student's decision. "Although both of you are great solo players, it does not mean you two will make great duet players!"

"Ochiai-sensei is right," said Akira. "Please think it over Takeshi."

"I've already thought it over, I rather have a shot at first then be guaranteed something like 5th or 6th." He turned back to the event director. "So is it possible?"

"Uh, this is quiet unusual. We've never had a request like this before…" The man thought about it for a bit then finally shook his head. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to say-"

"Yes," said an old man as he walked up to the group.

"But Sakimura-san, that would be most abnormal. In the history of music concerts, we've never seen two contestants team up after the first round!" explained the event director.

"Haruto," said Sakimura as he addressed the event director's concerns, "I do believe I'm the one who owns this hall and I'm the one who funds this competition."

"Yes, sir."

Sakimura then turned his attention to Takeshi and Emi. "It would be most interesting to see how two of our best will perform together. I look forward to it." After resolving the issue, both the owner and event director stepped away leaving the group in awe.

"That just happened," said Emi.

"Alright, it's all good. Now, let's go home and practice!"

"I guess we're doing this…" said Yuriko as she turned to Akira.

"I guess we are…"

"So how did you know this is where they lived?" asked Kousei as he and Kaori stood outside a big mansion. Kaori simply avoided his eye contact as she began to whistle innocently. "Kaori…"

"I…may or may not have looked at the sign up list that the event director left lying around."

"Isn't that stuff personal information…"

"Stop being so serious," Kaori said as she pushed him up to the front door.

"Do you really think this is a good idea?" asked Kousei, his shy personality resurfacing.

"Hmm, maybe," said Kaori as she rang the doorbell.

"W-wait I'm not read-" But before Kousei could object, the door swung open with Aika standing in the doorway.

"H-hi," said Kousei meekly.

"Umm…can I help you?"

"Who is it Aika?" asked Shusui from inside.

"Uh…it's…Kousei and Kaori…"

"Hey, we're just here to talk. Mind if we come inside?" said Kaori cheerfully.

"We don't really have to…" said Kousei quietly but at this point there was no backing out now that Kaori had the reins.

Aika thought about for a moment. "Sure why not."

The two walked inside the fancy house, it was mainly made out of oak wood and had that ancient, prestige feel to it. "Sorry about the lighting," said Aika as she went and turned on a couple of lights. "It's…well…"

"Yeah," said Kousei, it didn't take a genius to figure out that a blind person didn't need lights on around the house.

"I'll go get him," said Aika.

"It's okay," said Kaori as she have her partner a nudge. "He'll go, after all he's the one that wanted to ask Shusui something."

"You're leaving me?!" said Kousei as he whispered in her ear.

"You'll be fine, I believe in you," said Kaori as she gave a quick peck on his cheek.

'Unfair,' thought Kousei, he could never truly resist her if she was like that.

"You guys are quite cute," commented Aika, once Kousei had left the room.

"Thanks," said Kaori, blushing slightly. "But the reason I came here today was to talk to you."

"Hmm?"

"How are you so good?" asked Kaori bluntly. "Both you and Aurora are on such a high level, kinda frustrating to be honest."

Aika laughed a little. "I heard Aurora issued a challenge to you guys."

"Yeah! She said she would take Kousei away if she beat us in this competition!"

"She's always been like that, I wouldn't give it too much thought if I were you."

"But I do!" insisted Kaori. "I don't want to think…I don't want to think Kousei would be better off with another violinist."

Aika got silent for a moment, before finally saying, "I don't think that's the right mindset." She then smiled sadly. "I'm actually quite envious of you and Kousei…"

When Kousei walked into the piano room, his rival was sitting there calmly as he glided his hand across the piano, simply feeling each individual keys. "I would ask you why you're here, but I would be lying if I said I didn't already know why. You seek to know how to evolve as a pianist, am I right?"

"Yes."

"I have already told you the answer the first time we met. Pianist like us evolve through loss. The pain of losing someone dear to us, the bitterness of defeat…and the horrors of an accident."

"Is that really it? Then are we as musicians only meant to be put through torture again and again?!"

"Have you listened to your performance back then?" asked Shusui.

"Back when?"

"Back when you were about to lose her, your partner."

"No," said Kousei dryly as he began to recall the painful memories.

"Then let's start there," said Shusui as he pressed play on the recorder beside him.

Kousei could hear it. A desperation, a fullness, and a maturity in his play that has never been there before. Back then when he was playing, he wasn't thinking about it but now that he's rehearing it for the first time, it was extraordinary and transcendent.

"Do you understand now?" asked Shusui. "That pianist was one that could move hearts and make his mark onto people's lives. The play you do now is but a temporary gag, a child's performance compared to the one before."

"What are you getting it?"

"I'm not getting at anything. The truth of the matter is,loss is what evolves us. Yet none of us wishes for painful losses. To want to evolve withoutloss is naïve and childish. Just look at all of the great composers back then. Which of them lived comfortably and without trial?"

"He wasn't always like this," said Aika. "Truth be told he was a lot like Kousei back then. A bit shy, a bit self-conscious, but so very talented. Back when he still could see…"

"What happened…?"

"An accident. A fire. He lost both his parents and on top of that he lost his sight as well. Our families were close friends so we took him in. It was a big loss to him and for weeks he would refuse to do anything. One day, in an attempt to make him feel in anyway better. I convinced him to try playing the piano. So he did. And after that, it was all he did. He got lost in the music, maybe he was trying to get some kind of answers from it. In the end, the only way he could rationalize it was to think that it was the way for him to evolve as a pianist."

"Was it?"

"I don't know, but who was I to try and tell him otherwise? He got better, or at least, he got over the trauma. But now, all he can do is get drawn deeper and deeper into the music, and away from everything else. If that is the price to be the best…" said Aika as she grabbed Kaori's hands, "it is not worth it."

"What about you?"

"I'm all he has left and he was never one to settle for stagnation. So please…show us another way."

"If I have to trade Kaori to be a better pianist, then I won't do it!" said Kousei. "I will find another way, a better way."

"Then our talk is over and the next time we speak will be through the words of our songs."

Kousei walked out of the piano room and back into the living room where Kaori was. He gave her a sight nod signaling that his talk was done. "Thank you for having us," said Kaori as she got up. "We'll pay you guys back by beating you in the competition."

"What an interesting duo," said Aika to herself as she watched the couple leave.

"ARGH, TAKESHI PLAY IT RIGHT!" yelled Emi as she stopped.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN?! IT'S YOU THAT'S NOT COMING IN AT THE RIGHT TIME!" retorted Takeshi.

"This song is gentle, and soft! You can't play it so fast!"

"What? This song should clearly be played fast and confidently!"

"Guys!" yelled Akira. "How are we going to make any progress if we can't even play such a simple duet song?"

"I knew it, their styles differ way too much. It'll be hard for them to synch up," said Yuriko.

"Let's battle it out Emi! If you win, we'll play it your way and if I win we'll play it my way!"

"Deal!"

"Wait, wait, wait, that's not what we're here for…" But before the teachers could intervene, the battle was already underway. And suddenly, an idea popped into both of their heads.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking Akira?"

"I think so."

*Author's Note: For those who are still here, welcome back and thanks for sticking around XD I haven't been working on this fanfic a lot since I've been so obsessed with my new project "Sword Art Online: Re" but it felt unfair to you guys who've been so loyal and kind. I'll try my best to wrap this fanfic up this summer, to give you guys the ending you deserve!

Response to Reviews

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