[That night, you gazed at the stars together. At Toru Kitahara's childish suggestion, the two of you even sang Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star in unison.]
Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are...
[He sang while looking up at the glittering sky, and under his lead, you seemed to forget all your worries. All that mattered was to enjoy that endless canopy of light.]
[You were intoxicated by his talent, lost in the tender atmosphere surrounding you. The autumn wind failed to break the bond between you; if anything, it only made it stronger.]
[After that night, something faintly ambiguous began to grow between you.]
Inside the simulation, emotions were developing too quickly, and Kita Ikuyo felt shy about it.
But she couldn't deny it either. Toru Kitahara carried a strange, mysterious charm like a siren's song. Even knowing it could be dangerous, she still couldn't help but draw closer.
Speaking of which...
"That song... it was beautiful."
Kita recalled the improvised tune she had just heard in the simulation, wishing she could listen to it once more.
[Unfortunately, Toru Kitahara had said afterward that he would never play that piece a second time.]
Wait... did that mean he had played it only for her?
That wasn't good. This dude really knew what he was doing.
If this continued, she might actually start to fall for him.
[A few days later, another member of the Astronomy Club, Gotoh something, found out that you two had gone stargazing without her. She raised her voice, demanding to know why you hadn't invited her.]
[Had she known, she would have skipped her sister Futari's birthday party just to sing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star with you.]
Gotoh-san, that's too much. Really.
There was no need for that.
[After venting all her frustration, Hitori Gotoh covered her face and, through sobs, cried that her life was over, that her future would be nothing but failure.]
…?
Gotoh-san sure had a tendency toward pessimism.
Kita couldn't help but laugh softly. Gotoh-san's tearful outbursts were oddly endearing.
[You knew that Hitori Gotoh liked Toru Kitahara, so you quickly explained that nothing had happened between you two.]
[Even so, Hitori Gotoh's gaze remained full of doubt. In the end, it was Toru Kitahara who calmed her down, assuring her that the two of you were only friends, always the best of friends.]
Always?
That word didn't sound so pleasant.
Kita turned over in bed and kept reading.
[You felt a slight discomfort in your heart. In truth, over the past six months, you had grown fond of Toru Kitahara.]
[There was no denying it.]
[He really was an extraordinary person.]
[But fondness was just that, fondness. It would take a long time for it to become love. For now, you remained friends, nothing more.]
In short...
More than friends, not yet lovers?
[It was a painfully delicate stage of feelings. One wrong step, and the balance could crumble, leaving both sides divided.]
[Before the school trip, your piano skills had hit a standstill, and you couldn't move forward. Restless, you found it harder and harder to stay focused during practice.]
[Toru Kitahara suggested that you join him in music competitions across Japan, to help you cultivate a performance style of your own.]
[All this time, Toru Kitahara had been your shadow and your teacher, which caused your playing to grow increasingly similar to his, until you had nearly lost your individuality.]
[You asked the members of Kessoku Band for their opinions, and they all agreed that band practice could wait, since there were no upcoming live performances anyway.]
[After the school trip, you followed Toru Kitahara's plan and began accompanying him to various piano competitions. You were in charge of his accompaniment.]
[Your first stop was the preliminaries of the Fujiwa Music Competition, a national violin contest held across Japan.]
[The preliminary round would take place in early December, with the finals scheduled for April.]
[Playing as an ensemble was far more difficult than performing solo. The two of you struggled to synchronize, and after a month of practice, the piece was only roughly in shape, far from perfect.]
This competition must have been important, right?
Was it really okay for him to choose me as his accompanist?
Kita couldn't help but worry.
A national-level contest was nothing like the "small competitions" Kitahara-kun had mentioned before.
[The moment of truth came quickly.]
[In the preparation room, there was still some time before you were called on stage.]
[You sat on a bench, nervously flipping through the score. Your fingers pressed against the air again and again, trying to recall the notes, hoping that would ease your tension. Toru Kitahara noticed and spoke softly, telling you that even if something went wrong during the performance, he could bring everything back on track.]
[His confidence was contagious. It eased your nerves considerably.]
[Then came the staff member's call, it was time to go on stage.]
[Under the dazzling lights of the grand theater, Toru Kitahara stood tall in his suit, brimming with energy, his sharp eyes radiating absolute confidence, as if nothing in the world could stand in his way.]
[While you adjusted the piano bench, you caught whispers among the audience.]
[They were astonished by how young you both were. The judges, meanwhile, were surprised that Toru Kitahara had changed accompanists. Before you, his partner had been a long-time acquaintance, a pianist of master-level skill.]
So the judges all knew Kitahara-kun?
Of course they did.
He had already made a name for himself in the violin world.
[During the performance, your piano did not shine. To put it bluntly, it didn't match Toru Kitahara's level at all.]
[The dry air and faint dust in the theater made it hard to breathe. You couldn't keep up with his rhythm; it felt like sinking deep into the ocean, seawater rushing into your nose and mouth, filling your ears until you could no longer hear the piano's sound.]
[Like a hollow body without a soul, you continued to press the keys mechanically, playing a melody that had lost its life.]
[The judges sighed one after another. You had become an unnecessary ornament; if the piano were removed, Toru Kitahara might have performed even better. Still, at your current level, it was enough to pass the preliminaries.]
[Before the competition, you had believed your skill was enough to keep up with him. But his style of performance was full of freedom, unbound by the notes on the staff. Every sound he made carried its own intention.]
[You admired that freedom... it was as if he was freedom itself.]
[But Toru Kitahara replied,
"Wrong. It's the music that's free, not me."]
[At those words, you only half understood. Something stirred within you, yet it remained hazy, just out of reach.]
[At sixteen, you had dreams and a mentor you trusted. You believed your future stretched wide before you, and no momentary confusion could shake that faith.]
[If only things had stayed that way.]
[Just as you were filled with hope for what lay ahead, Toru Kitahara suddenly collapsed in the waiting room. He had been running a fever all day, but still insisted on performing with you. Now that it was over, his body relaxed, his consciousness blurred, and he could no longer hold on.]
[Half an hour later, he was taken to the hospital.]
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