Track 2

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.......

(Aaahh~..... Things have gotten so tense.... but w-we've got to proceed with the meeting somehow.....)

R-Raito-san! Let's not get ahead of ourselves, putting aside whether we'll accept or not, how about you share the details first?

Alright, I'll send the details over to everyone. Please listen while looking through the proposal on your devices.

Apparently, HAMA Tours had already been contacted regarding their request. But they also sent the proposal to me directly since I had connections from when I bought one of their pianos a while back.¹ I thought I would take the chance to explain it to everyone.

Wh... Why didn't you ask first....

Firstly, just as I had mentioned earlier, the company that reached out to us is a world-renowned piano manufacturer based in Hamamatsu — 88Keys.

The name matches that of a distinguished JPN piano manufacturer, whose instruments are often selected to be used in international competitions.

Right. One of their esteemed makers will be unveiling a new grand piano that's been in the works for 5 years. It looks like they'll be holding a commemorative competition alongside the grand reveal.

Commemorative competition? So like, a piano one?

Yeah. The competition has both "amateur" and "expert" categories, with the winners getting the chance to perform in a concert using the new grand piano.

They said that if anyone from HAMA Tours wins the competition, then they'd even lend a piano to us. How about it? Pretty good deal, right?

.....Uh, um.....

(Hamamatsu is known as the "city of musical instruments" since it's home to several world-class piano manufacturers. And so, the Hamamatsu International Piano Competition is regarded as a stepping stone for pianists who are active worldwide....)

(Collaborating with this manufacturer definitely sounds like a great idea! But, this offer.....)

The proposal specifically requests Domeki Kuguri's participation in the competition.

Plüss, be quiet.

(No matter how you slice it... this'll be too hard on Kuguri-san, won't it?)

(Now I get why Nayuki-kun said the job would be harmful to Kuguri-san..... It's a tempting offer, but we can't force him to do it..... After all, Kuguri-san's arms are.....)

Back in the day, your piano-playing truly captivated me… It was perfect, flawless even. Yet, the way you played Liszt felt like it could break the second anyone touched it.

The monochrome memory I lost… was you.

....How annoying. ²

(That time… Those words re-opened a wound, didn't they, Kuguri-san?)

Raito, are you urging Kuguri to participate in the competition?

No. I'd be delighted if Kuguri were to compete, but I can't force him to do that.

Ah, that's good. You're right.

Tao, that's not good! Just think about what Kugurinu's feeling right now.

Eh. M-My bad.

I was intending to join the competition myself. As Kuguri's apprentice, I'd become his arms. How about it, Kuguri?

................ Heeeeh.......

My... arms.....?

Yes. I made a promise to you, didn't I? That I would peer into your heart, and come to understand it.

However, I haven't made much progress on that yet.

So I want to get to know you better, and face you head-on. Once I've properly peered into your heart, perhaps these feelings could turn into love.....

.....

WAAAH!! KUGURINU'S CHOKING RAITIN OUT!!!!

WHA, K-KUGURI-SAN STOOOP!!!

HOLD IT! Committing murder in the office is unacceptable! We need to separate them—!

Shut it. I'm going to end this man's life right here and right now.

(A-Aaahh..... What do we even do....?)

*Sigh*..... You went too far this time, Raito-san.

I had to increase my power output to 100% in order to forcibly separate you from Kuguri.

Haha. My apologies. But I just couldn't give in.

Um..... Raito-san, we still don't know how Kuguri-san feels about playing piano. So I think getting him to agree to this collaboration would be a long shot.

.....Of course, I'm aware of that. I brought it up, knowing fully well that Kuguri might try to kill me.

Eehh..... But, why is that?

I want to love Kuguri properly.

*almost chokes..... COUGH COUGH!*

Tao, are you alright?

(G-Good thing Kuguri-san isn't here right now. Someone might've seriously died just now.)

What connection is there between loving Kuguri and participating in the piano competition?

.....The truth is, Kuguri and I played a duet together when we were kids.

At the time, we made a promise to play a certain song together someday.

.....! Woah, for real?

Yes. And once we met again, I made another promise to Kuguri.

I want to fully understand Kuguri's feelings, as well as his desire to break me. But the thing is, I still haven't been able to do that.

(.....So they made a promise like that. This must've happened when Nayuki-kun got injured. and Kuguri-san disappeared for a while.)

Well, that promise may have been one-sided on my end, but... it made Kuguri come back to Ev3ns, so I don't want to lie about it.

However... as you all know, Kuguri always avoids me, so we haven't had the chance to have a proper conversation just yet. If I were to die soon—

Raito.

.....Raito-san!

......

Haha, you all look so scary. Please don't look at me like that. I still intend to live properly. .....Though, I'm happy you're all angry on my behalf.

.....Please don't be happy about that.

I'm sorry. But as long as I haven't found a solution to it, I'll always have to keep my lifespan in mind. And when I think about that.....

I feel like I've wasted too much time hesitating with Kuguri, since I didn't want to hurt him. However, in order to understand him, I must proceed. Even if it means causing him pain.

I'm sure that playing the piano is essential to understanding Kuguri. Acting as his sub-host will surely give me more chances to talk to him. I just... want to understand him even a little before I die.

That's probably the most I can do for him. I don't want to have any regrets.

(.....I don't like how he's talking about his death as if it's set in stone.)

(But I think his feelings must be true.)

(If Nayuki-kun heard this, he'd probably get angry and call him arrogant again. But I get what Raito-san is feeling. I don't think we have the right to stop him from trying to understand someone else.)

.....

(Raito-san's cool as always... He's got no brakes... or well, considering how he is, I guess it's more like he's been stepping on the brakes when it comes to Kuguri-san this whole time?)

Kugurinu, waaait waaiit wait wait waiiit~!!

Nyuszi, step aside. I don't feel like listening to you today, even if you sing a cute song.

Domeki-san..... Please allow me to apologize on behalf of my foolish, arrogant, and irrefutably stupid excuse of a brother. I'm truly sorry.

.......

I had been intending to turn down that offer from the start. This is all because one of his acquaintances decided to tell him about it..... I'll convince him to drop it.

.....*Sigh*. Going on about entering the competition as "my apprentice".....

He probably thinks he can get anything he wants if he just tries. Whether it be an award..... or me.

Is he looking down on me?

That's exactly it, he's a naturally-born arrogant idiot who knows nothing about respect.

Woah, Nayuuki..... R-Raitin had good intentions, I'm sure.

As always, he's a malignantly good scumbag.

.....Haha. We might as well just let him participate and reap the consequences. We can pin the blame on him for everything.....

Nayuuki, you're turning to the dark side! Bad!³

.......

—No. That might just be a good idea, don't you agree?

Eh?

Hey there, naked king. I've come to have a chat with you.

.......

.....! Kuguri! You came to have a chat with me?

(Huh? Kuguri-san... looks like he's in a good mood?)

(Woah now, is this really ok? There's no way Kuguri-san's going to give in to Raito-san this easily.)

I have detected a sharp spike in Kuguri's mood.

You said that you wanted to compete in that competition as my apprentice, didn't you?

.....! Yes, I did.

And as my apprentice, you'd do whatever I'd ask of you, right?

Of course.

I see. Then I'll allow it.

(Did Kuguri-san seriously just offer Raito-san a handshake?!)

! Yeah!

(.....Raitin, you poor soul. He didn't even let the handshake go through. It's like watching a puppy be rejected by his owner, so sadsies.)

Then you must agree to the following conditions. Firstly: My orders are absolute. As my servant, you'll handle all my work as host. Oh, you'll still be the sub-host of course.

(Wha....?! Is he forcing Raito to do all the work by himself?!)

Secondly: As my apprentice you must win the competition. Also, this agreement may last for life if I so feel like it.

If you agree to these conditions, then I'll cooperate.

That's all you ask? If that's all you'd need from me, then there's no problem at all!

You fool.....

It appears they came to an agreement in the end.

Kinyari~..... Chii's worried. Both Kugurinu and Raitin could get hurt from this.....

.....Is that so?

But I don't think we can stop them anymore. They're like two trains that have gone off the rails..... It's a battle of wills now.

Kuguri, I'm so glad you've accepted. What should I do first?

......

(There's simply no chance an amateur like you could win, not even one in ten thousand. Go on, keep dreaming.)

(You're at my mercy now. You won't achieve even a single thing. I'll make you waste that precious time of yours, and taste true despair.)

(The most important thing to you is your "time"..... When you realize that you've spent it so meaninglessly, you'll surely fall into despair.)

N-Nayuki-kun, aren't you going to stop them? Don't you think that making him into Kuguri-san's servant and winning the competition are both too much.....?!

Chief......

.......

.....I wonder which of them will break.

Eh?

It's nothing. For the time being, let's just wait and see.