Reckoning Arc: The Art of Music

It was nice to wear loose clothing. The less the fabric rubbed against her closed wounds the better she felt. She did, however, feel bare without her weapons. It was an extension of her uniform. One she had worn every day without fail since she became a genin. Always being prepared for a moment's notice.

Yuina walked into the small koto shop. She had wanted to find a teacher to get tips on how to choose a koto, but she had given up hope of finding someone to teach her. She would have to make do on her own. She wondered what Sakumo's response would have been if she asked to play with her mom's, but avoided the topic. She was still scared she would wreck it somehow. It would have needed to be re-strung anyhow, and it wasn't like she couldn't afford one. Buying a new one was simply the best course of action.

The shop had four rows with three koto on each row. A girl a little older than herself lightly grazed a string horizontally, from one end to another. There was an area curtained off, the bottom raised from the ground. There were two pairs of feel standing side-by-side back there.

The girl turned. She had long, brown hair. Her bangs were pushed back by a light pink headband. Her eyes were as dark as her hair. "I haven't seen you before."

Yuina was confused. "I was looking to buy a Koto."

"Hmmm." The girl tilted her head. "You're kind of old to be starting now."

Yuina stared. She didn't have an answer to that. She hated how often she was called young, but she had never been called old. She was seven. That was hardly old.

"Does it matter? Anyone can learn to play." Yuina didn't understand why the girl seemed so uptight. Couldn't she mind her own business?

The girl's face slacked into a gap. She gripped her head as it spiraled. "Does it matter? Does it matter?!" She shook her head. "Of course it matters! Every year late is another year you can't catch up." She puffed out her chest and placed a hand on it. "Sometimes you'll come across someone special, but that's super rare." She moved her hand from her chest to rest the back of her wrist on her hip. "You'll never catch up or impress anyone with that attitude."

"That's fine. I'm looking to play as a hobby, not make a career out of it." Others must have been trying their hardest to get noticed. Yuina had no need for that. "I'll figure it out on my own."

"A hobby? On your own?" Her voice squeaked. The girl began muttering to herself. She slapped her cheeks several times. "It's not something you just pick up. How do you plan to learn songs?" She tapped picks to her fingers to play a segment of a song. It was fast, intense, and dramatic, mirroring the girl's emotions.

"Are you trying to scare by business away?" A large burly man entered from the back.

"But Old Man Asobu, wannabes give us a bad name. It's not even the difference between a street performer and a court performer. It's the complete disrespect for the art." She crossed her arms.

"Oh? Am I disrespecting the art, then?" A young man followed Asobu in from the back. "I told you not to let your ego get to your head, Mariko."

Mariko took a step back. She took a stab to her heart in shame. She lowered her head a little. "Sorry, Rei."

"Shouldn't you be apologizing to someone else?" Rei crossed his arms and tapped his foot.

Mariko turned to Yuina, swallowed then frowned. "Sorry," she mumbled out. It didn't sound sincere, but she hung her head in defeat.

Yuina wanted to break the last of the lingering tension. "You have lovely phrasing. You probably worked really hard to become that good. It's natural to take pride in that."

"Phrasing?" Mariko tilted her head.

Yuina wondered whether they had another term for it. "How you express the sequence of notes for expression?"

"Did you hear that term from someone?" asked Rei.

"I—" Yuina started coughing. She grabbed the handkerchief from her pocket as she coughed up phlegm. It was a common post-surgery symptom. As much as it was annoying it, she was fine as long as it didn't contain blood. It felt a little strange to have three strangers stare at her, though.

"Excuse me."

"You alright kid?" asked Asobu.

Yuina waved him off. "As well as I can be." She wasn't going to talk about her medical details with strangers. "I know the music theory. I just need someone to show me how to play it. That and buy one."

Mariko opened her mouth to say something, but Rei cut her off. "How much theory do you know?"

Yuina blinked. "The standard: the ledger lines, the staff, the clefs, measures and time signatures, rhythm, meter, scales, key signatures, interval chords, dynamics and articulation, timbre… am I missing anything?" It had been a while, and it wasn't something people typically listed off.

"Did someone teach you?"

Yes, but it wasn't anyone in this life. Couldn't exactly use her mother as a cover either, considering her premature death and lack of learning books among her sheet music. "It's math. It's easy enough to figure out." Yuina hated calling music math. It wasn't wrong, but it also ignored the inspiration and artistic aspect or creation and interpretation.

"Are you sure you want to be a hobbyist?"

The questioning left Yuina on edge. There was something others knew that she didn't? This was why it was better to keep her mouth shut until she learned a topic well enough. "Yes." Her answer was definite. She needed to become stronger, and that was her priority. Music was something for the side to take pleasure in. "I want to play for myself." There was one exception. "Well, myself and my dad. I want to learn a piece my mom used to play for my dad. She died, but music was a big part of her life."

Mariko uncrossed her arms and looked at Yuina with sympathy.

"Music is best shared with others," said Asobu.

"Perhaps, but the starts aren't in alignment. I have a different future ahead of me. Still, I want to enjoy playing, so I don't see why I shouldn't add it to my life. A lightbulb went off in Yuina's head. "I have the money. It's not a question of affordability." Though, she reevaluated her decision to come alone. The kotos were easily 50cm longer than she was tall.

"That still doesn't change that you need to learn from someone." Mariko brought a finger to the edge of her lips.

"It's not like I haven't tried. Everyone is busy enough. It's hard finding a teacher. I have a little too much free time now of days though, so there's no better chance to start than now."

"You don't have to worry," said Rei. "Asobu is a skilled craftsman." Asobu puffed out his chest. "He also has perfect pitch, so there's no better place for tuning."

"And don't you forget that," said Asobu like he was in the middle of a sales pitch, which he sort of was.

"I'll keep that in mind then." Yuina nodded. "If I may ask a question, would any of you know someone who may be willing to teach me?" It didn't hurt to ask. A lot of opportunities were known within circles but not widely known to the public.

"Before that, can I ask your name?" Rei stared down at Yuina.

Did it matter? Was it so he could ask around on her behalf? "…Yuina."

"Then Yuina, how would you like to be my student?" Rei wore a pleasant smile while Mariko gawked in the background, horrified.

Even Asobu gave him a side eye. "Aren't you busy enough?" he asked.

"Mah, it will be fine, so what do you say?"

It didn't matter why. He could be a complete amateur and it wouldn't matter as long as she could learn how to properly use the picks to pluck the strings. How to move the bridges. How to play with proper form.

"I'll be in your care." Yuina bowed.