Track 8

Raito-san, congratulations on winning the "Audience Choice Award"!

Haha. Thank you. I fell short of winning first place, though.

Well, obviously. I can't fathom why you won an award at all.

Raitin's performance hit me right in the feels~ It was soooo peak!

For real..... It was incredible, especially for a beginner.

Your performance completely captured the hearts of the audience, allowing you to win the award. I felt the Big Love.

A...haha.

That aside, the Hamamatsu Wine Cellar certainly is remarkable. I believe this was originally an unfinished railway tunnel? Repurposing it like this was an ingenious move.

(Raito-san won the award, but he doesn't seem too excited about it.....? Maybe it's because he didn't win the competition?)

Apparently, they maintain the optimal temperature and humidity in the cellar throughout the year. Without the use of electronics, too. Is that correct, Chief?

Ah, that's right. It's a 100% natural environment, perfect for aging wine! It's an amazing place!

Inside the tunnel, you can find all sorts of wines. From affordable options to ultra-premium sake. Not only can you taste and buy those, you can also store your own wine!

Well-known vintage wines are like financial assets. If they age well, then their value will increase. So you could say they are both safe investments.

Investing in wine....? Sounds kinda complicated, but I guess it's goated.

Soooo likeeee, we can drink a bunch now, right?

Don't drink too much, though. You turn into a hug monster when you're drunk.

But you'll take care of me anyway cuz you're a heavyweight, wont'cha Taotao~!

Chihiro, I will only drink non-alcoholic beverages, so I can take care of you. Feel free to drink without worry.

Kinyariiii~ Wuv you!

Master, please feel free to drink as well. I will take responsibility and look after you too.

Hehe, thank you, Kinari-kun.

Since this wine cellar is for aging, I suppose it'll mostly be red wine? Personally, I prefer white wine, which is usually young in comparison.....

One of the staff members told me that some white wines only reach their true potential after maturing for 10 to 30 years, and some take even longer.

.....I see.

Speaking of which, I was given a sample earlier. We're celebrating today, so please have some, Raito-san!

Haha. I'm very happy to receive a gift from a comrade. Thank you. Let's see.....

(.....! What a complex and deep flavor. I've never had white wine like this before.)

(..... Maturing, huh?)

.....By the way, Kuguri-san's not here. He's also the star of today's celebration, and yet...

I think he's lone-wolfing right now.... I saw him go inside the tunnel, but.....

(Since yesterday, I've been really worried about Kuguri-san. He looked like he was about to cry… But if I ask him what's wrong, I think he'll only feel worse.....)

(This feature tour's main host is Kuguri-san. I want to help him, but I haven't been able to do that at all.....)

.....I'll go after him.

.....! Are you sure?

There's something I want to talk to Kuguri about..... And I think... there are things only I can talk to him about.

(That note..... It wasn't mine.)

(So this tunnel was left unfinished halfway through construction, huh.....)

(That note is stuck in my head. It won't go away.)

(I won't ever touch that again. I swore from my heart. So why did I...)

How unpleasant.....

.....

Aren't you going to drink with us?

.....I'd rather drink alone.

.....I see.

What are you doing.....

This place is wonderful. There's water trickling down the walls. Perhaps it's the rain water from last night. It looks like it's getting filtered as well.....?

.....I'd much prefer to be alone here in the darkness than on that terribly bright terrace.

....Are you drunk?

What do you think?

(There are quite a few empty bottles at his feet..... He's saying things he wouldn't normally share, so he must be pretty drunk.)

I just happened to like the selection of wine here.

(The fact that he's even talking to me..... Yup, he's definitely drunk right now.)

.....The climax passage. Was that your doing?

......

That time with Nayuki too..... You helped him with some sort of power, didn't you?¹

A servant is supposed to refill their master's glass once it's empty, remember?

Haha..... You're right.

There you are, m'lord. A glass of wine, poured with love.

.....Hmm.

.....*Sigh*.

(When he's drunk..... He's a bit more honest.)

—

I acquired it during my rehab.

?

If I imagine it strongly enough, "that" happens.

.....! The glass started floating in mid-air.....?!

Could you possibly make me float like that, too? Or send me flying, like when you saved Nayuki.....!

It's exhausting, so I don't like doing it.

Considering that it cost me something more precious than my own life, it's an utterly laughable power.

(.....There it is again.)

(It's like a child striking the keys without knowing their own strength. It just... won't leave me alone.)

.....I see. So I was right, that note was from you.....

(To tamper with someone else's performance, especially during a competition..... Is utterly unforgivable, no matter who the performer is.)

(Even if Raito gets angry, I'm entirely to blame for this one.... Not that I have any intention of apologizing.)

.....That means I still failed in the end. Not only did I fail to win the competition like I promised, I didn't deserve the audience award either.

.....Precisely. Fall into despair and lose that arrogance of yours already.

No..... Kuguri, thank you.

.....?

You taught me more than just the piano.....

You taught me that experiencing loss or failure is important. That pain allows people to learn.

I've learned a bit more about what I can and cannot do. And I feel like... I've gotten just a little closer to you.

.....

.....What I wanted the most was to peer into your heart. I may not have won the competition, but I achieved my original goal, and that alone brings me the utmost joy. I hope I can continue to do so from now on.

Always spouting such selfish things. Looks like that conceited attitude of yours will never disappear, no matter what you learn.

Haha. Still... I came to realize something.

.....

People mature beautifully once they confront what they've lost. They become stronger, kinder, more profound....

I should have had those opportunities, too. And yet... haunted as I was by my prophecy and my feelings of inadequacy toward love, I lived in a hurry. I failed, endured loss, and had regrets, but not once did I confront any of it head-on.

Because I kept throwing away my past.... I've gone through my life as a flawed, shallow person..... Just like you said. I'm only realizing that now.

.....

Kuguri, you really are the complete opposite of me.

You've matured beautifully..... That's why you can imagine things I would never see.

.....You must have endured despair beyond my comprehension, but with how you are now... I'm sure you can turn any kind of wound into something beautiful. At the very least, that's what I think.

(Any kind of wound.....?)

.....What an odd thing to say.

Really? I thought it was rather accurate.

I haven't matured much since the day we played that duet together. Perhaps the two of us aren't a good match.

If I really were to die in a few years... I think I'd die without even coming close to the level of maturity you have. I can't wrack up too many mistakes in such a short amount of time, after all.....

.....It's frustrating.

.....Pft.

Ahaha. Ahahahaha!

.....?

That's right. You'll die as a half-baked, immature person who was never able to change.

.....You laugh when I suffer, don't you?

Exactly. Nothing brings me greater delight.

Well then, that makes all my suffering worth it.

It'd be perfect if you just kept that to yourself.

......

Use those overflowing pockets of yours to buy the best-scoring wine here. Then leave it with me.

If that's all you need, then I'd be happy to.

I'll open it at your funeral.

.....You'll attend my funeral? Thank you.

What are you smiling for? You really are a buffoon.

......

.....That singular note you made. It was just so.....

Beautiful.

—

A pure and primitive note. Your life will begin anew with just one note, and I'm sure it'll go on long after my funeral.

That is... what I hope for.

You turn your pain into beauty… So I always knew that you'd play the piano again one day, Kuguri.

.....

.....Your words are nothing but a curse to me.

.....Kuguri.

(Perhaps I got a little carried away.)

(But... even if that hurt Kuguri... I wanted to tell him.)

Ev3ns members, and to Domeki Kuguri-sama and his apprentice, thank you very much for coming.....!

Thank you for everything! The piano you lent us for the tour is absolutely wonderful..... Thank you very much.

We'll be sure to make this collaboration tour a success.

The project proposal was very easy to read! Domeki-san will be the host, correct? We're looking forward to it!

That I will. Stop by if you'd like.

(Raito-san wrote the entire proposal by himself, though..... W-Well, I guess it's fine.)

Domeki-san.

.....Madame. Have you come to bid us farewell?

I wanted to amend something with you. Yesterday, I listened to your apprentice's performance.....

.....

I've changed my mind. Though I may have a prosthetic finger now, it's precisely because of it that I can still touch the piano. With the fingers I have now, while I can no longer create the same sound as I did before—

I will still bring that piano back to life, and create a different sound that is just as beautiful.

This is for no one else, but myself.

.....Is that so.

(I wonder what Kuguri-san and Hibiki-san are talking about.....? His eyes are downcast... and look like they're wavering.)

You've nurtured a miracle of a performer, that's now gone on to win the expert category. Could you tell us how you did it?

But of course. You see, I'm quite used to raising geniuses.

I heard that your son also had his student compete in the amateur category.....

.....What did you just say?