Vol 4 Chapter 11 (1/2)
Burying my body into the seat of the train, I traveled the entire Yamanote line, which I had taken byonto the correct line to return home
As I alking out of the station, I grabbed my cellphone to check the time Five in the afternoon—no wonder it's so dark already I had a number of missed calls—six from Chiaki, and one from Senpai The hazy and unreal stress that I had felt behind my ears the whole time, suddenly pressed itself into my shoulders
Just as I was about to slip the phone back into
”Geez! You finally picked up! Are you back? Did you see Mafuyu?”
”Eh? Ah, m-mmm”
Chiaki's ear-piercing voice er sure where my heart was
”I saw her Urm, I went to the orchestra's practice room Yuri, Ebi+chiri and Mafuyu were all there”
” Did so happen? You—”
Chiaki's voice shriveled all of a sudden, and I recalled Mafuyu's painful cries I can't tell Chiaki and Senpai
I switched ulped, then sat down on the stairs of the station, where there weren't too many people
”Ure Well, you know, Mafuyu was chased around by reporters soht? It looks like the paparazzi are on her tail again”
I said it as slowly as I could to preventin pitch
”They chased her to her house, so she's currently hiding in a hotel in Tokyo I think they wanted some help from Tetsurou, but they couldn't contact that idiot, so they asked Yuri to give me a call”
Incredible, I' As I spoke to Chiaki, an to steady themselves I never knew I had a talent as useless as this I'm the worst
”I awa What an idiot I am”
”Is that so? Thank goodness”
When I heard Chiaki's war pierced by a drill She believed uess that's reasonable, since I was the only person that had felt so to the violin concerto—I guess that was to be expected
”Why didn’t she give me a call? That's so mean! Senpai's worried too!”
”Y-Yeah” I tried to conjure up an excuse, but it was as if I ringing the towel dry ”Because it see up on the band as well, and Mafuyu said she didn't want to trouble you And if you knehere she was, you ht've forced your way into her place to meet up with her”
”Nao's the only idiot that would do so like that!”
You're right I'm the only idiot ould do that
”And so? Will she be co back tomorrow?”
”Eh? Ah, ur”
What no long is Mafuyu planning to keep this a secret? It's quite i just like she asked me to?
”Let's work on our outfits then, alright? I've got a really interesting idea, so I'll bring the sample tomorrow”
”Murazaka-senpai for me?”
”Nao, you should tell her yourself—”
”Nah, she'd scoldher”
Chiaki let out a giggle
”Okay, I got it I'll pass theback to school later?”
”Ah” Right, I leftat school ”Mmm, I'll be there later”
I hung up and slid my phone into my pocket It felt likeoil or so
The reason I had asked Chiaki to pass the e on for me was because, if I had told Senpai h my lies in an instant But I still had to make the trip back to school I felt really horrible, and couldn't even stand up—but if I head straight home, Chiaki will definitely deliver s aard
I sat myself down at the corner of the stairs and buried ood ten h my body It was difficult to stand back up, even with the help of the railing
The next day, Mafuyu didn't show up for ain
”Mafuyu's not co today either? But I made a new T-shi+rt already”
Said Chiaki unenthusiastically, as she adjusted the pedal of the bass dru
”Hmm, I'm not too sure either”
I had called her a few tiht, but she never picked up
After tuning her instruurazaka-senpai spoke
”Young ht? If you want, we can go somewhere where we'll be alone”
A shi+ver ran downmanner, but there was no hint of mischief in her eyes
Does Senpai know so about It's possible that, during these last two days I was , she found out about Mafuyu's whereabouts and what happened to her right hand
No, there's no way she would remain silent if she knew
Because—
feketerigó can never fly again
”Regardless of what I have to say, Senpai always ignores iven up already”
I continuedthis? I wasn't too sure myself But there was no way I could look into Senpai's eyes—eyes that could see through everything—so I heaved a sigh of relief when she turned her attention to Chiaki
”It's unlikely we'll agree with your design, but let's see the clothes you've come up with this time anyway, Comrade Aihara”
”That's just e surprise, so I'll keep it secret a little while longer”
I listened to their reassuring conversation froafter
Mafuyu wasn't in the classroom either, and didn't show up even after homeroom was over, or after our lessons had started It was already the fourth day, and I was being bombarded with questions like ”Our Princess isn't at school today either, does Nao knohy?” fro Terada
What’s going on? Is she still undergoing checkups? Or did Ebi+chiri lock her up in the house? That's highly possible, judging from what she said yesterday before we parted She said she would definitely participate in the Christ? It's possible she won't even be able to ht hand
She wouldn't fly to A us, would she? No, Ebi+chiri should be busy preparing for his performance of Beethoven's Ninth
But it should be okay for her to attend school, right? I wanted to see Mafuyu so badly
I wanted to see her
I spent the rest of thethe uneasy thoughts that were swirling inside me
I had no appetite during lunch break, so I passed rab the keys to the practice room
”Oh, Nao Good ti”
I was caught by someone at the entrance of the office It was Miss Maki, the music teacher and the advisor of the Folk Music Research Club She looked visibly tired It was quite a waste of her young and beautiful face, which was perfectly suited for tricking the male students of our school
”Mafuyu's here in the music preparatory room”
She whispered I jumped in surprise and looked at Miss Maki's face
”I heard the details from Maestro Ebisawa In any case, you should head over there for now I have to make a trip to the administration office”
I nodded my head stiffly
”You didn't tell Kagurazaka or Aihara about Mafuyu's hand, right?” asked Miss Maki in a hushed tone
” Yeah, Mafuyu told me not to tell them”
”Even so, it's impossible to keep it a secret forever”
Miss Maki was right But the only thing I could do was keep my lips shut
”Think about what you can do”
She gave me a slap on the back as I dashed in the direction of the stairs
On the fourth floor of the school building, there was a sliding door located to the right of the metal door of the music room That was the entrance to the music preparatory room—a place no student would enter under normal circumstances Miss Maki's territory, to be exact
When I opened the door, reeted by the rays of the sun of the winter noon The curtains in the roo on the other side of the piano, which took up half the space of the cramped room
Mafuyu stood up in front of the backlighting and opened her eyes wide as she , and the scores in her hand dropped to the floor
I was expecting her to hit me with harsh words, but all she did was to lower her eyes and sit back down on the chair
I stepped into the rooainst the wall on the left to avoid the sunlight co from the
Both of us remained silent for quite a while I could al across the sky
” Sorry”
Mafuyu finally spoke
”For what happened yesterday”
I shook uilt
”Yuri he is not angry, right?”
”He wasn't, but he cried”
Back then, Yuri had refused my offer to see him home and had dashed out of the reception room After he left, I collapsed onto the sofa helplessly, and was unable to move for a while
”Yuri he is not in the wrong”
Mafuyu shi+fted her gaze to her opened right hand and murmured
”This is not Yuri's fault I will co”
”You'll co?”
”I just have to endure until the Christmas performance is over”
”You're still saying stupid things like that?” I moved towards the piano unconsciously ”Now's not the tiht never be able to play the piano ever again!”
”Why does the piano matter”
Mafuyu said that unconsciously and reflexively gripped her arht hand She then sed her words
”I-I do know it is really silly ofthis way, but”
”If that's the case, then”
”But I want to take part in the concert! I do not want to be unable to play the guitar!”
”That's why I' you not to push yourself What if you really break that hand of yours?”
”It does not matter even if I break it!”
My heart was pierced by Mafuyu's words
With her right hand pressing the area above her heart, and her eyes filled with tears, Mafuyu continued
”Because, I a it all for Naomi”
”For me?”
”That applies to the piano, and the guitar as well I aood as broken if I cannot perfore as you I cannot accept that Chiaki and Kyouko can perforether with you, but not me”
I stuainst the icy cold wall
”Why are you willing to go to such lengths?”
What the hell ah there were a cal h it was
”Why? You are asking htest idea at all?”
That was enough to shatter me, as already filled with cracks all over
”Wait, Mafuyu I'm sorry—”
”Do not say any more!”
Mafuyu covered her ears and screamed
”I do not need your concern! I do not want to hear that from you!”
”Then what should I do?”
”I do not know! I do not know!”
Mafuyu hugged her head and slu violently
The world felt light all of a sudden The walls, the bookshelves, the piano and the chair were all flying around ? I looked around in bewilderment and realized that I had collapsed onto the floor I leaned against the wall and straightened out s
It felt like every ounce of th had been sapped away by the icy floor
Why have things turned out this way?
Is it because I can't express urazaka-senpai's confession, as well as my inability to decisively reject her? And about how I've been pushi+ng the conclusion of that issue further and further back all the time?