Because he had been delayed on the way, by the time Watanabe Tetsu entered the music hall, another private school's wind ensemble was already on stage.
He glanced at the audience seats. The hall could hold over five hundred people, but only a few dozen were scattered around.
"Where should we sit?" he asked Yuki Miki.
"Up front," she replied.
Miki strode to the front row and sat squarely in the center. Her crossed-leg posture and calm, expectant gaze made it clear she was the heiress of the Yuki family—every gesture radiated as if the entire concert had been arranged solely for her.
Of course, given her status, reserving the entire music hall for a private performance would have been trivial. If anyone should feel honored, it was the attending ensembles themselves.
After all, even the symphony groups they admired for their musical skill probably weren't worthy of playing for Miki Yuki.
Tetsu sat to her left.
In the far right corner of the front row, Rin Seino sat alone.
The seating choices already highlighted the difference in personality between the two young ladies.
Not long after they sat, the announcer appeared.
"The concert will now begin. Please remain quiet. Photography and running are prohibited. In the event of an earthquake, this venue can serve as a temporary shelter. The first piece will be performed by the Futaba Private School Wind Ensemble."
Futaba was another private school near Yotsuya Station. Their musical skills were average, so they hadn't been carried along by Kamikawa or the other two schools.
Though they looked inexperienced, their performance was not to be underestimated.
The piece resembled "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," but it was not a simple practice piece—short, easy to play, suitable for beginners.
"It's Masamichi Amano's Twinkle, Twinkle Variations," Miki Yuki said lazily. "Part of it uses the melody of Twinkle, Twinkle, but the first half is soft and serene, while the second half is grandiose. Their execution still has a long way to go."
"Cut them some slack. They're kids," Tetsu suggested.
"On stage, everything speaks through performance. When I go out on business, do others tell me their minimum expectations just because I'm young?" Miki countered.
"True, but this isn't a competition, and no money's involved—it's just a free concert," Tetsu said.
Miki turned her face toward him. "Are you trying to reason with me?"
Tetsu fell silent, took her small hand, and gestured that he would let her decide everything while they continued watching.
Miki glanced at her hand in his, gave a faint, indifferent smirk, and let him hold it.
After two pieces, Tetsu began to feel sleepy. It was almost time to doze off.
Just as he was about to whisper to Miki and nod off, a weight pressed down on his shoulder.
He turned his head. Miki had fallen asleep.
So even the heiress can't enjoy concerts? Tetsu thought, but seeing the faint dark circles under her eyes, he reconsidered.
It was probably jet lag.
He hesitated—should he wake her to adjust her schedule, or let her sleep?
Doing nothing is never wrong. Let her rest… he yawned quietly, keeping still.
One piece followed another, and finally, it was Kamikawa Private School's turn.
"The next piece will be performed by Kamikawa Private School's Wind Ensemble," announced the MC. Tetsu braced himself.
Immediately, his ears were assaulted by chaotic, unbearable music. The rhythm was off, the beat a mess, and the conductor's gestures were completely disconnected from the sound.
Even a layman like Tetsu could sense it was terrible.
He glanced toward the corner. Rin Seino, who had been focused since the concert began, now stared at the stage with a dark expression.
Muffled whispers and then snickers came from behind.
As the piece progressed, eventually only the tambourine and brass remained. The two clashed like mortal enemies, each trying to sound worse than the other.
Tetsu noticed Miki, asleep beside him, beginning to frown.
Oh no… it's going to be so bad it wakes her up!
But as the conductor's baton fell, the sound returned to smooth, beautiful tones—the special resonance of the baritone horn.
Tetsu turned to the stage and saw Mai Asuka, focused as ever in the middle of the ensemble.
Though the stage held fifty or more performers, she sat expressionless in the center, standing out like a lotus among reeds.
A sudden drumbeat rang out, only to vanish instantly, like a startled mouse at the sight of a cat.
A mistimed cue?
At last, Miki woke, her eyes blinking at the cacophony.
"Which school is on stage?" she yawned lazily.
Tetsu glanced at the nearby audience, who were enjoying the spectacle. Without saying "our school," he replied, "Kamigawa."
Miki scoffed, not even bothering to comment further—the performance was that bad.
From the mistimed drumbeat onward, almost all Kamikawa performers had turned pale.
No wonder they'd given up training.
At this rate, forget the Kanto Private Schools Competition—fooling the audience at their own school festival would be a challenge.
Miki lowered her eyelids. "You actually brought me to this boring concert?"
Not exactly your fault… Tetsu thought silently.
"Next time, I'll check in advance and find a perfect concert!"
Miki pressed one hand to her temple, tapping the armrest with the other. "I want you to play for me."
"Uh… I can't play."
"And that has anything to do with me?" she asked, smiling.
"All right. If you want to hear it, Miki, I'll learn."
Her lips curved upward. "By July, my overseas business will be done. By then, you must play to my satisfaction."
"Huh? Less than half a month? That's too short!"
"You said your brain is sharp and you never slack off… you're not…" Miki leaned closer, eyelashes nearly touching his, "…lying to me, are you?"
"No! How could I lie to you? I promise in July, I'll satisfy you!"
One concert ended, yet Tetsu was wide awake and startled.
Spanish lessons would have to wait.
Though he had 5,000 points to exchange for Master-Level Piano, he wanted to try on his own first.
If Miki wasn't satisfied, he could always redeem the points then. He didn't want to waste them unnecessarily.
Outside the hall, a black luxury car was waiting.
Miki yawned. "Boring. I'll head back first."
"Give me a ride too," Tetsu suggested. Safety first, and why not take advantage?
"And be my chauffeur?" she shot him a terrifying glare.
"All right… next time then," he said, letting her get in.
"Watanabe, are you free later? I need to discuss something with you," Rin Seino said, frowning as she emerged with the dejected low-brass members.
"No problem," Tetsu replied over his shoulder.
"Changed my mind," Miki's voice rang out. "You're getting in the car."