July 15th, 2002
Hello. Such a simple word, yet it has changed Anju's life entirely.
A little over a month has passed by since that very fateful day, when curiosity killed the cat and she found herself being introduced to a mysterious, unseen figure by the name of Ryuzaki. She was greatly concerned for her own safety at first; how could she not, when a complete stranger was live streaming on a laptop meant for her. But, in just a few seconds, that concern faded.
Ryuzaki was a rather odd individual, she quickly came to realize. It was like he could sense her discomfort through the screen, although it likely could have been her facial expressions that gave her away. He went on a very long, intellectual explanation that, by the end of it, she was too flabbergasted to be afraid anymore.
She was only able to comprehend the gist of it. The older gentleman she'd been somewhat interacting with, the same one that saved her from getting soaked in the pouring rain and having her groceries damaged, he, apparently, was related to Ryuzaki; his name was Tari. And he was the reason Ryuzaki learnt of her existence; the CDs she'd made that he'd bought. As it turned out, Ryuzaki was something of a fan and the random gifts she'd been getting had actually come from him, through Tari.
Anyone else probably would have become very concerned again; the whole thing practically yelled stalker behavior, which was usually enough to be a major red flag. However, she remained unbothered after the explanation; sure, it was strange that she got gifts from a stranger who knew where she lived before she'd stated it aloud, and, okay, thinking that made her realize it was extremely unusual, but something about the manner in which he spoke just gave off vibes that he wasn't dangerous, just curious. And maybe anti-social.
On occasion, ever since that day, she and Ryuzaki have been communicating through the laptop, with him always seeing her and her never seeing him. They didn't talk everyday, however; Tari would always let her know when to next expect a call from Ryuzaki, who was a very busy man. A very busy man who decided to give up some of his rare freetime to talk with her.
A lot of their conversations consisted of small talk; the weather, how their days went, that sort of thing. Anju didn't mind, and she found it easier to talk to him the more they conversed. It really was quite strange, her being so comfortable talking to someone who didn't show his face or use his real voice, but something in her said that she could trust him, and her gut feelings were usually never wrong.
And, so, in the current day, Anju rambles on and on about her passion for music, a hobby that literally came out of thin air during troubling times, to which she is eternally grateful because it's so relaxing. Ryuzaki listens in silence, never interrupting, likely contemplating; it's moments like this where she wishes she can see his face, so she can have an idea of what he's thinking.
Her voice drones on. "It's hard to believe how expensive musical instruments can get. The violin and bow alone really put a dent in my savings, and the piano, too. It's kind of ridiculous, to be honest, but it also makes a lot of sense because people worked really hard to make them perfect."
She pauses for a moment, staring at the dark screen of the laptop. A contemplative hum escapes Ryuzaki, indicating that he's still listening.
So, she continues talking. "…You know, I never really knew my father; I was very young when he passed away. One of the things my mother used to always tell me, when she wasn't…a bit offstandish with me, was that he loved classical music." She smiles sadly, gazing downwards. "Then, without realizing it, I started being drawn to classical music, too. Maybe that…enjoyment passed down to me, or maybe I became interested in it because my mother said something about it. I don't know. But sometimes, when I am playing, I kind of feel like he's there with me. Like he's proud I've gotten this far."
Ryuzaki hums again. And, then, speaks, though it's not quite what she expected. "You're crying."
Anju blinks in surprise. "Huh?" She reaches towards her cheek; sure enough, she feels a few tears streaming down. "Oh! I'm sorry!" She wipes her face. "It's just difficult to talk about him, sometimes…" She starts rambling on again. "I've tried, many times, to have conversations with my mother about him, trying to get more information than just the music, but she'd always interrupt me mid-sentence and change the subject… I guess she only wanted to talk about him on her own terms… So, I just left it at that…" She sniffles, wiping more tears. "I'm sorry for crying."
"Your apology is unnecessary," Ryuzaki comments. "It is only natural for you to be upset."
She smiles softly; he's so considerate. Then, she sighs, looking off to the side. "I haven't talked much with my mother since I arrived here; maybe every now and then, we try to contact one another for life updates but because of the time distance, it's a bit difficult to schedule a good time to chat." She sighs again. "Not that we've ever been close…" She trails off, not wanting to go into details about it. Mostly because she can't; it would mean revealing her secret.
"Is that in relation to your words from earlier?" Ryuzaki contemplates. "When you briefly mentioned she was distant with you at times?"
She nods shortly. "…Yeah, but, uh…" I don't want to go into detail about it.
"I understand," Ryuzaki answers. "I merely wished for confirmation of my thought."
"Your thought, huh…?" she questions softly. She smiles a little again. She speaks about her own thought process. "Are all men in England this considerate?" She gestures at the screen. "You with…what just happened and Tari with assisting me on a rainy day…" She blushes sheepishly. "I-I could just be reading too much into it, sorry! I just… Maybe I'm not used to these kinds of interactions quite yet?"
"You are a perceptive woman," Ryuzaki answers, after a moment has passed. "To answer your question, no; as with every country, there are those who aid and there are those who destroy. That is the fact of life."
If she could see his face, she'd be looking upon him with admiration; honestly, she still might be doing that, technically, just with the laptop's screen. He has such a way with words. "I suppose that's to be expected." She briefly pauses to think. Then, she speaks again, out of curiosity. "Do you have a favorite piece of…the music I've made?" She looks down at her hands, messing with her fingers. "…I'm quite proud of "Twilight of Inamorato"."
Ryuzaki is silent, contemplating again. He doesn't speak for a while. Then, he says something. "…I rather enjoyed "Nocturnal Hailstorm" and "Shadows of the Forest"."
Pride fills her; he'd liked two of her darker, sadder pieces. "I'm glad you enjoyed them." She yawns loudly. Embarrassed, she covers her mouth. "S-Sorry! I guess it's getting pretty late…" She yawns again, against her palm this time. "I need to get some rest, Ryuzaki." She stares apologetically at the screen.
"I understand," he answers. "Goodnight, Anju. We shall speak again soon."
She smiles softly. "Goodnight, Ryuzaki." Gently, she closes the laptop.
July 30th, 2002
Life in England continues.
As to be expected, Anju has been enjoying, well, existing, particularly in this country. For starters, she has friends; well, she technically does have a friend in Japan but he's quite some years younger; her friends here, Ryuzaki and Tari, are closer to her age (well, one is quite older but even so, it's a bit…less awkward, honestly).
Secondly, and lastly, the music program is beyond excellent. Anywhere else, she likely wouldn't be where she is today; standing in a recording studio, ready to work on her next classical album. Her fourth, to be exact. The previous ones dealt with sadness, upbeat melodies, and calming themes; this one specifically focuses on romance.
And, quite frankly, she's pretty sure Ryuzaki is her muse; her special kind of inspiration. She's even in the middle of writing a piece specifically for him; Luminescent Sagacity.
Thus, her freetime days have become recording sessions. And, for the first time, this newfound project isn't solo; a small group of equally gifted musicians, all from her school, have joined in. Just because she asked; she'd felt that the music would touch people's hearts even more if more instruments were included.
The recording studio, in which Anju and her temporary music group stand within, is a large room with two way windows connecting to a secondary room, which holds the electronics they need for the songs they'll be recording.
Anju takes a seat at the piano, the essential instrument for the piece she's creating for Ryuzaki. It may not be completely finished, but with this rehearsal, perhaps the rest will come to her naturally. Guitar, drums, bass guitar, tubular bells, organ, and synthesizer; all equally essential in creating this masterpiece but are mostly to be recorded separately, as they don't have but so many musicians on hand.
She takes a deep breath, envisioning the song within her head. Then, she begins to play. And within a minute, the others begin to join in with the instruments they've chosen to stick with this session. As she plays, she finds herself thinking about Ryuzaki again. Her fingers flow with the music in a delicate and graceful manner. She smiles, briefly closing her eyes, as she figures out where exactly she wants this song to go.
August 2nd, 2002
Late into the night, a few hours until midnight, Anju enters her apartment with such a huge smile on her face. For most of the day, she'd been at the recording studio with the others and their session was such a success; she finally completed the piece meant for Ryuzaki. Sure, there's about eleven more songs they need to complete before they can fully release the album but it still brings her much joy that the one specifically for him has been finished.
Having half an hour to spare before Ryuzaki contacts her again, as Tari informed her this morning, she takes a quick shower and eats a little snack, to mildly relax herself before she explodes from all the excitement she feels.
Quickly, the time comes for her to open the laptop, which she does. Like clockwork, the chat (or whatever it actually is that always appears when they conversate) reveals itself. She smiles slightly, containing her remaining cheerfulness as to not give away the surprise she has in store for him. "Hi, Ryuzaki," she greets him happily.
"Hello, Anju," he responds back almost immediately, his altered voice filling the void of silence. "Has something occurred? You appear more contented than usual."
She makes a small noise, further indicating her excitement. "Well, my next album is in the works! I've got a small team with me this time and we've already finished one of the melodies! Just eleven more to go, then all that'll be left is some technical and legal stuff!" She claps her hands together in excitement. "I'd say it'll be released within the next six months! I'm very excited about it!"
Unexpectedly, she hears Ryuzaki softly chuckle; at least, that's what it sounded like. She softly gasps upon hearing it, her cheeks flushing; she can only imagine what it actually sounds like, when his voice isn't being altered. "What wondrous news."
She smiles brightly. "Mhm! I'm so proud of the team! They're all so talented, I hope this album helps paint their futures in this art!" He softly chuckled again. She smiles wider. She glances down, becoming a bit sheepish. "Uh, enough about me; how did your day go, Ryuzaki?"
He goes silent, not an unusual occurrence whenever they speak. She assumes he's just contemplating again, thinking about how to explain it, as per usual. Only, his response is unexpectedly short. "Enervating."
She frowns, suddenly deeply concerned about the "faceless" man. "Oh, I'm sorry. We can call it a night, right now if you want, so you can rest; it must've been a long day, too." She feels a bit guilty for not thinking about this possibility; she was so lost in her own accomplishments, she didn't stop to think about what he'd be doing and how he'd be feeling.
He answers immediately. "I fully intend to uphold my commitment to you."
She blushes deeply at his wording, sensing some sort of profound meaning behind what was otherwise an innocent statement. I'm just reading too much into it, she thinks. She shakes her head gently and smiles again. "Only if you're sure."
"My wellbeing is adequate," Ryuzaki answers. "May I hear more about your upcoming music?"
She nods eagerly. "Of course!" And so, for the next hour of their conversation, she passionately speaks about her new music before turning in for the night. And, as she lies in bed, about to drift to sleep, she wonders why Ryuzaki keeps avoiding talking about himself.
August 18th, 2002
Life for Anju continues as it normally does. Still, she does her freelancing, performing at the store and selling her albums before shopping there; it remains her way of making money. On the days she used to relax, she goes to the recording studio to work on the newest album with the others; she'd gotten very lucky, not needing to pay for anything, as this comes along with the music program (for those talented enough to be considered for it).
The only thing that's any different is she's been thinking a lot. She should be thinking about her upcoming album; thus far, it's about ten percent completed. Instead of focusing on that, her mind has been occupied by thoughts of Ryuzaki. She hasn't heard from him since the 2nd. While that's not unusual for him, since he's likely a very busy man, she still misses him and has been worried about him for the past couple of days.
However, with her concern and longing comes suspicion. She's been thinking, really thinking, about past conversations with Ryuzaki; he barely talks about his life, always cleverly deflecting the conversation back towards things pertaining to her. Finally realizing that she's learnt nothing about his hobbies, yet has a decent picture as to what his personality is overall, she feels hurt. Doesn't he trust her? She's told him just about everything, minus the seeing ghosts bit. Sure, he seems like a private person, considering she doesn't know what he looks like or how he actually sounds, but they've been chatting for a while now. Surely, that's enough time for him to have opened up a little.
Honestly, maybe he's just not the kind of person she strongly believes him to be. Maybe he's just been messing with her this whole time. Maybe it was some prank from a classmate. She really doesn't know what to think about this anymore.
She just wants to know the real Ryuzaki.
Luminescent Sagacity is the made-up name we've given to L's theme. You're welcome. ;)
Keep in mind that we're following both the manga and anime's timeline, but mostly the anime.