Day 14: Moonlight Sonatas and Tutoring Sessions
Summary: Arriving to Akashi's estate for a private tutoring session, Kuroko is amazed by a breathtaking, inspirational piano performance.
Kuroko can easily remember the 1st time he heard Akashi play the piano.
A peaceful twilight in the middle of a crispy September month. Kuroko was paying a quaint visit to the Akashi estate for a private tutoring session with said man. He knew from experience that Akashi was a beyond excellent teacher though it was highly unusual for the redhead to request a tutoring session within his own estate.
Kuroko had to admit that he had never set foot within the Akashi estate before. He heard that Akashi was rich though he still couldn't fathom the sheer size of his mansion from the moment he first laid eyes on it.
A ridiculously large western styled estate surrounded in thick autumn trees stood in front of the phantom's wide eyes. Covered in thick stone and solid brick, it was an estate unlike the middle-class houses of Japan, leaving Kuroko in awe. He was amazed by its beauty, but Kuroko wasn't here to stare at a house. The fate of his academic grades were more important than a house.
Kuroko stepped closer to the entrance to the house, noticing the large, royal looking door. A brass lion's door knocker covered the middle of the door but to his left, Kuroko could see a small, rather ordinary looking doorbell, contrary to the rich, expensive looking atmosphere of the entire estate. As much as Kuroko was stunned by the fierce looking door knocker, he wasn't sure if he could knock hard enough for someone in this huge estate to hear that someone was at the door.
Kuroko rang the doorbell instead and in no time at all, a butler appearing to be in his sixties opened the door, clad in a fancy suit and looking very traditional with a hint of class.
"How may I help you?" he asked, gazing down at the smaller male.
Kuroko, actually surprised that the man noticed his presence, cleared his throat before speaking.
"Hello. I'm Kuroko Tetsuya. Akashi-kun said that he was supposed to tutor me," he politely introduced.
The butler's eyes widen in recognition. "Ah so you're the Kuroko Tetsuya that Seijūrō-sama has spoken about. We've been expecting you. Come in and I'll show you to where you can find Seijūrō-sama."
The butler stepped aside, allowing Kuroko to enter the interior of the large estate. He was still shocked at how large and expensive everything looked. He didn't have much time to take in the sites as Akashi's butler chimed in.
"Seijūrō-sama is in the room at the very end of that hall," the butler mentioned, gesturing towards the elongated hallway to Kuroko's left. At the very end of that hall, Kuroko could see what looked like a very large and extravagant door but it was more than a couple feet away from him.
"Thank you," Kuroko replied, bowing to the butler with a smile on his face. With that he walked calmly in the direction of the door. The hallway alone was very extravagant and western, the tiled floor was sparkling and shining in cleanliness and each door he passed appeared to have been removed from a royal castle, the doorknobs golden and shiny.
Arriving at the end of the hallway, Kuroko came face to face with the extravagant door. The door was easily triple his size, the door handles long, curved and golden. Its brilliance and structure appearing like the gates from an old castle and Kuroko was in awe of its majestic appearance.
He swallows, trying to ignore the fact that he's awed by a door and he's supposed to be getting tutored right now, not fall in love with a door.
He gripped his hands onto the golden handles, pulling the door open just a tad, surprised that the door itself was surprisingly light and easy to open, especially for someone of his stature.
The first thing that he heard that echoed from the inside of the door is a sound that Kuroko will never forget. A sound that he holds forever dear in his heart and won't ever listen to in the same way again.
It was the melodic dancing keys of a piano. The keys were rapidly pounded, graceful strokes that turned into fast and light taps, reminding Kuroko of tap dancers.
Awed by the sound, Kuroko opened the door wider, entering the room. The room itself was a giant ball room, covered in black and white tiles and surrounded by giant windows to the left side, the right side maroon walls covered in famous paintings. What intrigued Kuroko though was that the origin of the sound came from a grand piano in the dead center of the room.
The sound continued gracing his eardrums, each note rapid, weighty and precisely short. Short and agitated, with tons of meaning. Kuroko wasn't the greatest at describing musical composition but the sound itself could only be described as rapid, like the notes being played were running at breakneck speeds, sprinting towards the end of the sound.
The pounding of the keys slowed, fierce bangs, keys being pounded mercilessly and it was over. Kuroko was stunned by the ferocity and swiftness of that sound. He's never heard a piano sound so ferocious in his life. He's used to hearing soft tunes akin to lullabies, graceful melodies that soothed him, not this pounding sound played in breakneck speed. Kuroko needed to know the true source of this sound.
He walked closer to the piano to get a closer look at the piano player, eyes widening when he caught the fiery glimpse of crimson red hair.
"Akashi-kun…" he murmured, surprised but at the same time not surprised at all. He remembered that the butler said that Akashi was in here and he also remembered Akashi saying once during lunch at Teikou that he plays the piano. Yet Kuroko wasn't aware that Akashi was this good at playing the piano.
"Hmm? Kuroko, I've been expecting you," Akashi responded, hearing Kuroko's earlier mumble. Said redhead stood up from his seat by the piano and turned towards his teammate. The captain was wearing a white dress shirt and black tie along with black slacks, appearing business casual and very professional for his age. It made Kuroko feel highly undressed, despite the fact that he was still wearing his school uniform.
"I didn't know you were so talented at playing the piano," Kuroko couldn't help but mention, causing Akashi to smile, turning his head towards the piano in admiration.
"I've been playing since I was very young, so it is expected that I've excelled in playing such an instrument," Akashi softly stroked one of the piano keys, his eyes lowering, as if lost in the past. Kuroko was admittedly surprised. That was a look not common in his captain. He usually doesn't dwell on the past and is more down-to-earth so this was very unlike him.
However it didn't last long, Akashi's gaze moving back towards the phantom with an inquisitive look.
"Do you recognize the piece I was playing, Kuroko?"
Kuroko shook his head. He knew of a couple famous piano pieces but he didn't know the names of them. Plus he's never heard this song before in his life so Kuroko was at a loss for words and guesses.
Akashi smiled. "I see. It's the 3rd movement of Moonlight Sonata by Ludwig Van Beethoven."
"I see." He murmured, placing his hand on his chin in thought. He wasn't sure how to compliment Akashi. That piece sounded very agitated? It sounds very erratic? Rushed? Those didn't sound right in terms of being words of encouragement but Kuroko wasn't sure how else to describe it.
He gazed back at Akashi, said man was staring back at him, a content smile on his face.
"The 3rd movement is said to the heaviest of the movements. The movement itself is designed to be played at breakneck speed, light lightning bolts."
Lightning bolts? That was something Kuroko hadn't thought of. Yet it worked, the pounding represents the thunder, the repetitive dancing of the keys like the rumbles of thunder, and the sudden changes in sounds like a lightning flash. It fits perfectly and it came from the mouth of Akashi, making Kuroko admire Akashi that much more.
It inspired Kuroko. It made him want to replicate that sound, that comparison that playing the piano, especially that piece, was like lightning. He didn't think that he was that interested in playing musical instruments but after hearing Akashi play that piece, he was tempted.
"You're really amazing, Akashi-kun. It makes me want to play the piano," he admitted, his baby blue eyes shining with inspiration. He noticed the redhead smile in content, a pleased and peaceful expression.
"I can teach you if you want."
Suddenly Kuroko became a bit modest. He didn't want to trouble Akashi, since he must have a lot of responsibility being in student council, being the captain of the Teikou basketball team plus his academics. If teaching him would be a burden, Kuroko would just find a tutor.
"A-Akashi-kun. You don't have to do that, I don't want to trouble you," he gazed down, avoiding Akashi's judging eyes.
Akashi was silent for a moment, instead Kuroko could hear him take a few steps closer to him, his footsteps echoing in the large space of the ballroom.
"Kuroko, look at me."
Reluctantly, he shifted his gaze towards Akashi, immediately met with crimson orbs and a serious expression.
"Teaching you to play the piano would not be an inconvenience to me, nor would it trouble me. If anything, I would be honored to call myself your tutor," Akashi answered honestly and wholeheartedly.
Kuroko was amazed that Akashi would so willingly do so much for him. Kuroko knew next to nothing how to play the piano yet the desire to play one has been fueled since listening to Akashi play. Now he was going out of his way, out of his busy schedule to teach someone with next to no musical experience how to play the piano. If it weren't so out of character for him to do so, Kuroko would kiss him right now.
"Akashi-kun. Thank you so much, I would be honored to be called your student," Kuroko confirmed, nodding his head in admiration and determination. He would make Akashi proud and himself proud.
"Then it's settled. To make things easier for the both of us, I can teach you piano during the same time that I tutor you in the subjects you need work on in school, you'll just have to remain here for a bit longer than what you'd expect, is that fine?"
"No problem, Akashi-kun." And with that, their tutoring sessions have been confirmed.
Ever since that day, Kuroko had been tutored by Akashi on how to play the piano ever since along with their private academic tutoring sessions. It started with the basics, from finger positions to simple scales and basic songs. And as the weeks and months passed, Kuroko's skills improved. Akashi had commented that Kuroko was a fast learner, being able to perform intermediate pieces with ease in just a few weeks' worth of tutoring sessions. Kuroko knew prior to that that Akashi was an amazing teacher; everything that flowed from his mouth was so easy to comprehend, it even made their more difficult practice sessions sound simple to understand. And Kuroko couldn't be more thankful of Akashi for that.
The duo bonded over not just basketball, but through their tutoring sessions, both academic and with the piano. Kuroko grew more and more familiar with the famous composers such as Beethoven, Mozart and Tchaikovsky and with their pieces. Eventually being able to perform duets with Akashi that impressed the redhead of the phantom's progress.
It was a time separate from the trauma that took place at Teikou. Here, they were in their own world, separated from reality and focused only on teaching and learning to master the great piano masterpieces in peace and contentment.
And that one piece, Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven that was performed by Akashi himself; that was the piece that Kuroko always kept close to his heart, because it was the piece that began his love for the piano, that brought him closer to Akashi in ways he never thought possible. It was the song that changed his and Akashi's life for the better.
Notes: If you wish to listen to Moonlight Sonata 3rd Movement while reading this fic, that's fine and also encouraged.
Also in case anyone was wondering why I add the Day's title into the fic itself when it becomes too long instead of just changing the title, its because this isn't the only place that I submit this fanfic. I also have an account by the same name on AO3 where I post my fanfics and I post this on my Tumblr blog so in order to keep it consistent, I have to keep the title the same. Since this is the 3rd time this has occurred, I'm sure that I'll be getting questions about this sooner or later so I felt it best to just answer it now.
Again as always, reviews and criticism is encouraged and appreciated! :)