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Post by nakano on Jan 21, 2012 23:52:48 GMT -6
Day: Tuesday, May 13th 2003 Time: Around noon - - - - «Are you still playing, Naoki? くコ:彡 <= Below (以下 "ika")»
Those words, although unsaid, echoed inside his mind. Earlier in the morning, to his surprise, he had received yet another text message from Momoka. What surprised him was not the reception of the message per se--it was something he and his sister often shared their respective news to each other--but there was something about its contents that awakened that faint feeling of nostalgia Naoki had learned to suppress since her departure.
Although the meaning of that sentence could be considered vague because of the lack of subject, Naoki knew what Momoka meant by 'playing.' She was probably talking about the piano that he once played to her back when they were in middle school. The boy sighed as he remembered about those times, flipping his cellphone back open to read the text once again. After reading through the short message, Naoki's gaze stopped on the emoticon she inserted at the very end.
"... Wrong."
The boy started a response as he made himself comfortable on his seat. The only sound one would hear in the room Naoki was currently located in was the clicking/tapping noise the cellphone made.
~click, click, click~
«You're using the wrong characters for squid (いか "ika"), sis.»
After sending his response back to his twin and placed his cellphone on the table right beside him, Naoki swept the room from under his spectacles. As expected, the music room was completely void of people because of lunch hour. He sighed, again.
'What was I thinking when I was coming here, anyway?'
It wasn't like him to ditch his usual reading spot in the courtyard in favor of going to a place he rarely went to, especially during lunch time. He eyed the instruments with uncertainty, stopping at the old piano beside him. Ever since he read that text, Naoki felt the urge to play what he didn't do since his depression; he wanted to feel the texture of a piano's key once again, if only for a minute or two.
He replaced himself on his seat so he could face the center of the keyboard. The boy sat, idly wondering about what he should play. There were so many titles that passed through his thoughts, each having a distinctive style and sound, from an easy difficulty to a hard one. Mozart, Bach, Beethoven... Their names, among many others, were murmured by the introvert.
'I have decided.'
What he had chosen was something that was, hopefully, unknown to the crowd. It was an original, although very incomplete, composition made by Naoki himself back when he was in middle school. He had stopped working on it once Momoka left the house along with his father and he hadn't laid an eye of it since then, but some parts were still fresh in his mind, although a little fuzzy.
Naoki cracked his fingers, his face showing concentration. After pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose with his index, the student's hands were guided toward the keyboard... And then he played the first note of the yet untitled song.
Because it had been a long time since he last played, Naoki's skills at the piano were rusty. Combined with the fuzzy memory of his composition, he probably looked like a complete amateur, searching for the right keys and the right tempo.
It would be embarrassing if someone were to enter the room on him, now.
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akane Guest
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Post by akane on Jan 22, 2012 11:06:40 GMT -6
"There is an over-abundance of stupid in this cafeteria." Why don't I just sleep during class? I think that I'd be learning the same amount anyway. It was safe to say that the usually sorta-happy looking girl was not in a good mood that tuesday. Even the people she didn't know seemed to sense it, and kept their guard up. A visibly angry Akane was a rare Akane, and therefore she didn't take kindly to people trying to talk to her...or look at her...or think of her. She was irritable and exhausted that day. It wasn't even lunch yet! It seemed her condition would only worsen throughout the day. Not even food appealed to the girl. She had good reason to be angry too. Her family, as close as they were, decided to video-call with Eri this weekend. And look how that turned out... It didn't work out well for either party involved. Especially Akane's end. They were all excited at first to see how Eri had changed or not changed since she studied-abroad to France. It was a culture shock for her, to say the least. Japan being so different from France, they expected for Eri to change a bit...maybe even dye her hair a different color. They didn't expect her to start drinking. The drinking age in France was 18, two years lower than Japan's 20. Now, Eri had turned 20 while she was in university, but so focused on her studies that she didn't go out for a beer at all. They all thought that she'd never do such a thing, as all of the Uesugi kids had a good set of morals. They all had seen how drinking can ruin families, like a family friend back in the old town they lived in. They saw how it could change things. No one ever thought for one second that since getting to France, Eri would drink! It was like world war three at her house. There was a bunch of yelling from her mother who was obviously distraught, as well as from Eri, who seemed just a little bit... under. It wasn't illegal for Eri to drink, but by the family's standards, it was a shock to say the least. When her father got home from his second job, her mother told him of what was going on and he took it upon himself to call Eri and give her a piece of his mind. Ensue more yelling. It was up to Akane and Masumi to take the younger siblings away from it all and entertain them with a videogame in the back bedroom. Suffice it to say that things were stressed for them all weekend. Akane tried to be positive for the younger ones, and silently kept her anger inside. Her parents had taken to relieving their stress on Akane and Masumi, yelling at them even though they were stressed at Eri. The two sisters had been shackled to chores, yelling and trying oh so hard to keep everything perfect for their parents all weekend. Masumi didn't seem as fazed about it, though Akane, being close to her, could tell that se was upset. Akane on the other hand, exploded monday night. She practically had a yelling match with her mother, who usually she was close with, causing even more tension in the house. After voicing her opinion on the matter and the weekend, Akane left her house and walked to Yeagura's; he was her private lessons teacher and had a piano. He let her in, seeing all of her emotions plastered on her face like a painting, and let her play on his piano. Piano was a stress-reliever for Akane, as well as anything instrument wise. He knew her well enough to know something had gone down that night, so he fixed her some tea and let her play piano until her mind was clear. After that he made her go home and apologize. So she went home at Yeagura's request, but she didn't apologize for her actions. Tensions ran high in the house all that night, with Akane not being able to sleep and hearing her own mother mutter things about her insolent daughters. This shook Akane a bit, but she kept up the tough facade until leaving for school in the morning. She didn't talk to Masumi and was silent the whole walk there. At school her irritableness from not having any sleep and the condition of her house shown through. So that was the predicament she was in now. A fuse already lit, ready to see who she'd explode on next. It seemed she was highly volatile. She didn't listen in any of her classes that morning and made snide remarks in her head about everything. Akane was just in a bad mood again. She needed something to calm her. When the bell rang, she thought that maybe food would be the answer. Food did have a tendency to calm some people. She had skipped breakfast this morning too, not wanting to be at home more than necessary. Grabbing her things, she quickly left the classroom and instead of talking to people like the normal Akane did, Anti-Akane ignored everyone as she walked to the cafeteria. The scent of food was both noxious and inviting to her. "There is an over-abundance of stupid in this cafeteria."When she entered the cafeteria, her headache instantly got worse though. It was a normal lunch to most people, but to Akane it looked like everyone decided to be extra loud and obnoxious; yelling and talking and laughing. Everyone so disgustingly happy. Her mind couldn't take it. There was no way that the third eldest Uesugi girl could eat in the cafeteria today. Or maybe eat in general. She had brought her lunch, so she decided she'd go somewhere else. Somewhere she could maybe punch a wall and be alone. She'd go and play piano. It seemed like the most logical choice for the girl. She had been in the music room so many times that it was practically her favorite room in the whole school. No one would be in it because of lunch, so she'd be alone to pound away at the keys and maybe toss in a few less than exemplary words at her situation as she cleared her mind. The prospect of touching some keys made her perpetual frown lesson a bit, so she set off in search of the music room and clarity. It didn't take long to get to the room, even though she was thinking hard about her situation and what to do with it. She didn't hear the soft song coming from said room. Her headache was lessening, if only for a bit, so she figured that she made the right choice in coming to the music room. Akane pushed open the door and took the scent in of instruments. She also took in the sound of a song. Wheeling around on her heel, Akane realized that in fact, there was someone in the room, and that person was playing the piano. her piano. He seemed younger than her, with blonde hair and glasses. He was playing the piano, but seemed unsure of himself. Oh how Akane just wanted to make him get off the bench so she could play, so she could live through the keys. She didn't though. No matter how mad she was, there was no reason for one musician to stop another from making music. No matter how precarious and careful he seemed about touching the keys. She'd wait, because that was what Yeagura taught her to do in a situation like this. You can't stifle creativity and work like that. It was like, the musician's code of conduct. So Anti-Akane waited until he noticed her before saying anything. "That was original, yes? I haven't heard it before." Akane exclaimed before walking towards him and looking down at the piano. "If you don't mind my input, I think it sounds very nice, but it you want more of a profound effect on the listener, you've got to crescendo right about....here." Akane exclaimed, reaching down to play the melody she'd heard with a couple of mistakes (she wasn't perfect), but mostly okay. She had been watching his hands. Instead of keeping the dynamics the same, Akane started to increase the volume near the end, which would lead that phrase into the next one. "You don't have to increase the volume," Akane said quietly before looking at the boy to finish. "but I think it sounds quite nice like that." She stood up from being bent over the piano and took a step back. Even hearing the piano, despite not playing it herself, calmed her just a bit. Maybe talking to another person who played piano would alleviate some of her stress as well. "Excuse my interruption though. I shouldn't have intruded when someone else needed the piano, maybe more than I."
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Post by nakano on Jan 22, 2012 20:37:10 GMT -6
As soon as he fingered that last note with his touch, Naoki almost regretted losing himself into his music. Snapping out of a daze, the boy immediately took notice of that small yet important element that wasn't in the room earlier. His whole body became tense, his hands almost slamming on the keyboard by reflex.
While he was too busy concentrating on remembering that incomplete composition of his, someone--most likely another student--had entered the room without him noticing the subtle change in atmosphere. He didn't like this.
Unmoving from his bench, Naoki slightly turned his neck to the right and took it upon himself to identify the intruder from the corner of his eye. He couldn't see her perfectly because the angle he was looking at her with didn't allow him to look through his glasses, but from this distance Naoki could only confirm that it was, indeed, another student. A girl, with black hair, was standing at the door and was looking straight at him.
"That was original, yes? I haven't heard it before."
He didn't bother answering the inquisitive voice, opting to face the keyboard in an attempt to ignore the girl. He thought that ignoring that presence would make it leave him alone, just like everyone else that tried to 'befriend' him.
~Tap, tap, tap~
His eye twitched as the light sound of footsteps echoed throughout the room and ears, getting louder as they approached him. It was a few moments later that he could practically taste the inherent presence that loomed behind him. He couldn't let that person disturb his moment of solitude for another second. Naoki started to get up from the bench, but once he lifted himself off the cushion-
"If you don't mind my input, I think it sounds very nice, but it you want more of a profound effect on the listener, you've got to crescendo right about....here."
The girl spoke again, this time complimenting his awkward performance and trying to give him advice. He felt her presence come even closer to him as she bent over the piano and started playing that same melody he played earlier, adding parts here and there in an attempt to make it sound better.
And it did, frankly. Naoki mentally noted that, for a bubble-burster, that person wasn't half-bad as a pianist.
'... Too close. Way too close.'
He wasn't extremely comfortable with such a short distance away from basically touching another human being, whether male or female. The only one he gave that kind of contact to was restricted to Momoka, and Momoka only. Naoki looked away, his gaze fixated on the girl's fingers while she made her explanations.
Once the girl was done with adding her input, Naoki couldn't help but try to replicate what he had heard. This time, the task was easier because of his earlier practising, and the fact that he watched the girl's fingers helped a lot either.
She finally drew away from him, taking a step back as she did so. Relieved, Naoki let out a satisfied sigh, regaining a little more comfort than before.
"Excuse my interruption though. I shouldn't have intruded when someone else needed the piano, maybe more than I."
He couldn't really ignore her any longer, especially since she took the time to give him some advice. Furthermore, she was also a fellow pianist, which raised his... respect... for her a little bit.
Naoki finally turned to face the girl and took her appearance in mind. His gaze was first drawn to her chest, not in a way that made him look like a complete lech, merely identifying the color of the badge that adorned her breast pocket. Second year, probably. An upperclassman. Otherwise, her black hair and her green eyes gave her a somewhat dignified appearance, she looked like she was about as tall as he was, she wasn't neither fat nor skinny... That was pretty much it.
'Not cute at all' or something like that was Naoki's final opinion.
"It's fine." He finally spoke up in a tone that indicated his indifference. "It's not like I own the room or anything."
He paused for a while, thinking over what the girl had just said. What was with that 'needed more than I did' part, he wondered.
...
His thoughts ceased as, somehow, Naoki felt like he had to say something to the black-haired upperclassman that still looked at him. He sighed, again.
"It's an original composition, yes." He said, responding to her earlier question. "Thank you for the input, Senpai, I guess."
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akane Guest
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Post by akane on Jan 29, 2012 19:34:04 GMT -6
If it wasn't for Yeagura and the musician's code of conduct that was largely made up by herself, she probably wouldn't taken over the piano when she first touched the keys. It was so hard to just play what he had, when she really wanted to add more embellishments and really make it her own. Or anything really. She wanted to create. Create to forget. It was how she got through most things; a piano to play on and a problem to solve. The boy's song was good, and though he looked a little lost while trying to remember it, she knew that there was probably more she didn't get to hear. After all, he was a pianist now, whether he was before or not. So she needed to respect that. She could take his melody apart at home and mix up the fragments before putting it together as something completely new and hers. Just...just not now.
She wasn't as angry and mad as she was before entering the room, but some it still lingered. When the piano died away, she felt the feelings of anxiety and anger return to her, causing her eyes to unfocus and refocus rapidly for a second. Get ahold of yourself okay? You don't want people to think you can't control simple emotions! Come on! Akane said to herself caustically inside of her head. Last thing she needed was someone to explode on her once again because of how she was acting.
"It's fine." The younger boy exclaimed with that air of indifference that both soothed and annoyed anti-Akane. "It's not like I own the room or anything." Of course you don't own the room. The school owns it, dipwad. That extremely rude part of Akane thought to herself as she walked further into the room. She had been there many times on her own before. Sometimes with other music students of the school. It was natural, like Yeagura's humble home. She walked around with ease, straightening up some sheet music a string quartet left out after their morning practice she supposed.
"It's an original composition, yes." The blonde boy exclaimed, and Akane glanced over at him as she walked over to a filing cabinet filled with different instrumental solos and ensembles. She could borrow these and show them to Yeagura, if she wanted. He'd have great input on what sort of ensemble she should be a part of for competition. And going to Yeagura would also help her feel not so angry all the time. He was like her therapist, lessons teacher and best friend all rolled into one. Opening the filing cabinet, she started rifling through the music until she got to instruments she was considering and spoke to the boy.
"I think original compositions always sound better when you play them alone. You can get lost in the music that way, letting it take you wherever it wants." Akane exclaimed, pulling out a woodwind trio piece for a clarinet, bassoon and oboe. Unfolding the folder, she tapped her foot slightly to the suggested beat and followed what would be her line. It was too easy. The bassoon part was just the bass of the song. Sighing, she folded it and slid back into the filing cabinet. Generally speaking, it wasn't okay to go rifling through the cabinets, but at this point, she didn't care.
"Thank you for the input, Senpai, I guess." The boy exclaimed, like he really wasn't thanking her because he genuinely wanted to, but more out of habit. She knew, because she perfected how to cover it up long ago with her parents. She thought that the boy was just thanking her out of necessity, yet he showed no sign of leaving so she could have the piano to herself.
"I know why I'm not in the cafeteria, but why are you not...if you don't mind me asking." She bit in the parts she didn't want to say outloud. Is the piano an escape for you too? Do you find that sometimes you're so messed up that the only thing that can fix you is music? Questions like that drifted around in her mind as she pulled out what seemed to be a harder-leveled woodwind quartet piece. It seemed decent enough and she would get a good technical workout from it. Pulling her phone out, she quickly texted the title and compose to Yeagura to see if he could get a copy.
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Post by nakano on Feb 5, 2012 20:26:18 GMT -6
Instead of leaving like he expected her to, that black-haired upperclassman was still imposing him with her presence, walking around the room and examining instruments as if she was inside her own abode. She was still inquiring about his reasons to be in the music room. Naoki clicked his tongue. Beside the gratitude he practically forced out for the sake of appearance, the blonde thought he had made it obvious that he had no intention to have someone provide him with half-hearted company. He had ignored her. He had given her a serpentine glare, which usually happened to be enough to drive people away from him.
It wasn't enough, apparently. Maybe he shouldn't have spoken to her. It was, however, too late to rewind this regretful action. A sigh escaped his thin lips as he crossed his arms.
He watched her move left and right, slithering between instruments and appraising them like a window shopper. He watched her pull out her cellphone, flip it open and start texting to some nobody. It was as if she bore no interest in the lad, like she had forgotten about the unfinished question she imposed him with.
Naoki considered the option of telling her off and that his reasons were none of her business, just for that. He didn't, choosing to stay quiet until her attention was on him. He might as well humor her, he dryly noted. The freshman opened his mouth to speak:
"I want to be alone." He spoke, emphasizing the present tense in his words. "The cafeteria's no good for that." Too much people. Too much noise. You are part of them. Leave me alone. His thoughts weren't translated into dialogue, surprisingly. Maybe he didn't want to offend her.
Yeah, right. He sardonically took back his excuse. Maybe he should just leave the room himself and go back to the courtyard at his special place under the tree instead of waiting for her to leave on her own.
I should.
A cracking noise echoed through the music room as Naoki pushed himself off the cushionned surface of the bench he had been sitting on for the past moments. He moved his feet along the floor with the sliding door as his destination.
Sliding the door open with a fluid movement, Naoki turned his gaze toward the girl for one last time, aloof. He spoke no word, his icy blue eyes telling her that he was leaving the music room.
He closed the door behind him as he left, and went straight for his classroom to get his lunch.
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