000 I was dreaming.
001 It was a fleeting dream I would forget the moment I open my eyes.
002 But it brought upon me a terrifying sense of reality, frightful enough to make me want to scream.
003 And I realized the fact that I was dreaming.
004 'If this is a dream, I want to wake up,' I thought. However, my wish wasn't granted.
005 ---It was the usual scene.
006 Someone was bidding me farewell.
007 I didn't know this person's name.
008 I couldn't hear this person's voice.
009 But I could feel this person's presence quite vividly.
010                                        'Farewell.'
011 Just that single word was so heavy, and cold.
012                      'I can no longer be by your side.'
013                                           'So---'
014                                        'Farewell.'
015 Eventually, the voice turned gentle, and soft. But it was of no use.
016 That tenderness only served to hurt me more.
017                        'There is no need to remember.'
018                                  'Forget about me.'
019                 'You really don't need to remember me.'
020 I don't want to remember
021 I have to remember
022 ---I didn't want to remember.
023 Right.
024 It was just as this someone said.
025 This was something I didn't need to remember.
026 ---Let's forget.
027 The time is not ripe for this yet.
028 With that thought in mind, I finally awoke from the dream.
029 ---I didn't want to remember.
030 But I had to remember.
031 I didn't know why, but I just felt I had to.
032 My heart was overcome with feelings of frustration, guilt and regret. I began feeling like everything had ceased to matter.
033 But... there was no more time.
034 It was time to remember.
035                                 I had to remember.
036 ---The soft sound of streaming water.
037 The sound of rain flowing through a zinc gutter.
038 Even though I had just awoken from that dream, the sound was making me depressed.
039 The few rays of light that managed to pass through thin clouds made for poor illumination.
040 I tried to get up and turn on the light, but when I noticed the presence beside my pillow, I stopped in surprise.
041 [Phorni]
042 "Good morning."
043 [Chris]
044 "... Good morning."
045 I only just woke up from a dream, so my memory was still a bit fuzzy.
046 [Phorni]
047 "While it's nothing new, your sleeping face looks like a child's,"
048 Phorni said brightly, as if trying to lighten up the gloomy atmosphere.
049 I probably should have given her a cheerful reply back here, but I didn't. Instead, I closed my eyes again and tried to remember the dream that was starting to slip from my memory.
050 The heavy sound of rain struck my ears as if it was attempting to erase those memories.
051 My frustration increased when I tried to remember, and chaos clouded my mind further.
052 I could only remember a few words.
053 'Farewell.'
054 'I can no longer be by your side.'
055 'There is no time.'
056 That was all.
057 [Phorni]
058 "Ah, you're falling asleep again. You've already woken up once, so man up and open your eyes."
059 [Chris]
060 "... Hey, Phorni,"
061 I queried after opening my eyes again.
062 I barely remembered anything concrete, but I was positive I'd heard at least those three sentences.
063 [Chris]
064 "Did you say something while I was sleeping just now?"
065 [Phorni]
066 "... Huh? I said you shouldn't fall asleep again... You mean you really did?"
067 [Chris]
068 "No, before that. When I was actually sleeping."
069 [Phorni]
070 "Nope, I never said anything. What's the matter?"
071 [Chris]
072 "... I see. Never mind, then."
073 [Phorni]
074 "Oddball. Anyway, do the usual, please."
075 Phorni flapped her wings a few times.
076 I picked her up and brought her to her favorite spot in front of the window.
077 She began staring outside while playfully swinging her legs around.
078 [Chris]
079 "What time is it now?"
080 [Phorni]
081 "A little past nine. A pity you hadn't slept a bit more, for this would've been a good occasion to play a prank on you."
082 I reached for the alarm clock on my desk and canceled the alarm.
083 Perhaps I'd grown accustomed to Phorni's rash ways of waking me. Nowadays, I seemed to be waking up naturally, even before my alarm went off.
084 Then again, since my sleeping hours were pretty regular, setting my alarm was just a precaution in the first place.
085 [Chris]
086 "Okay... I suppose I'll get changed."
087 [Phorni]
088 "Oh, by the way. Don't forget about the letter."
089 [Chris]
090 "I put it in my bag yesterday."
091 Phorni nodded approvingly and gazed at the rain outside, signaling the end of her talk.
092 [Phorni]
093 "What? It's raining again today?"
094 [Chris]
095 "As usual."
096 [Phorni]
097 "Great weather, huh."
098 [Chris]
099 "... As usual,"
100 I answered, and similarly glanced outside the window.
101 Neither the rain nor Phorni had changed over all this time.
102 However, I still felt an ineffable frustration in my heart.
103 'There is no time...'
104 Was this about the graduation recital?
105 But I'd never even thought about that until now.
106 In fact, I was pretty confident that it wasn't about graduation.
107 Then what was it about?
108 [Phorni]
109 "Hm? Is something wrong?"
110 [Chris]
111 "Ah... No."
112 Upon hearing Phorni's voice, I was suddenly reminded of our first meeting.
113 At the time, I had trouble getting used to the town, and always felt kinda down.
114 Perhaps that explained why I could hardly remember anything about that time anymore.
115 But now, everything suddenly came back to me clearly.
116 That I had caught a cold.
117 That at first, I had thought she was an illusion.
118 The first time we performed an ensemble.
119 The beauty of her voice back then.
120 ---Finally, my inevitable parting with Phorni sprang to mind.
121 Phorni had been in living in this room before even me.
122 What on earth would she do after I graduated?
123 I'd never talked to her about that before.
124 But we only had about three more months.
125 Had I been unconsciously avoiding that subject?
126 And that's what I saw in the form of that dream...
127 It wasn't totally unlikely, but it still seemed a bit far-fetched.
128 However... I had this vague feeling that I wasn't completely wrong in thinking that.
129 At the same time, I didn't feel like I was completely right, either.
130 [Phorni]
131 "... Chris? Isn't it about time for you to go?"
132 [Chris]
133 "Oh... Yeah, sorry. See you later."
134 I had been lost in thought for a while, but I still had time to spare.
135 That was because Mondays were the days I sent my letters to Ari.
136 The mailbox was on the way to school, so there wasn't really any reason to hurry.
137 It was just that I somehow always found myself going out earlier than usual.
138 As I inserted my letter into the mailbox, I was thinking about Phorni rather than Ari.
139 Although I was still worried about what she would do hereafter, this wasn't the time to be worrying about it.
140 Instead, I found myself reminiscing about Phorni, which I hadn't done for a while.
141 About trivial things... Like the things we did after we first met.
142 But those memories somehow soothed me.
143 At that moment---
144 A melody suddenly entered my head.
145 It'd been a while since I'd felt like composing something. It was probably the first time since that one piece I made for Ari - the one I often played in ensemble with Phorni.
146 Before I knew it, I was mock-playing on a Fortell keyboard with my fingers, imagining the sound it produced in my head.
147 Since I didn't have much time to waste, I played my imaginary keyboard while walking.
148 After completing the piece in my head to a certain extent, I began discovering points I wasn't completely satisfied with.
149 While it would be possible to write down what I had right now onto a score, I usually didn't do that until after a certain amount of time had passed.
150 I would think back upon the piece in a state close to unconsciousness - when walking through a corridor or when taking a shower, for instance - and keep making modifications here and there in my head.
151 Ultimately, I would transcribe it onto a score.
152 This way, I could get my work done without having to face unnecessary embarrassments.
153 ---As I let my thoughts run like that, I decided to expel the tune from my head for now and hurry along to school.
154 The soft sound of streaming water.
155 The sound of rain flowing through a zinc gutter.
156 The few rays of light that managed to pass through thin clouds made for poor illumination.
157 I started to get up and turn on the light, but when I noticed the presence beside my pillow, I stopped in surprise.
158 [Phorni]
159 "Good morning."
160 [Chris]
161 "... Good morning."
162 [Phorni]
163 "While it's nothing new, your sleeping face looks like a child's."
164 [Chris]
165 "... Are there sleeping faces that don't?"
166 [Phorni]
167 "Who knows? I've only seen yours. Anyway, do the usual, please."
168 Having apparently lost interest already, she gave me a satisfied look and flapped her wings a few times.
169 I picked her up and brought her to her favorite spot in front of the window.
170 She sat down and started to swing her legs around playfully.
171 [Chris]
172 "What time is it now?"
173 [Phorni]
174 "A little past nine. A pity you hadn't slept a bit more, for this would've been a good occasion to play a prank on you."
175 I reached for the alarm clock on my desk and canceled the alarm.
176 Perhaps I'd grown accustomed to Phorni's rash ways of waking me, since nowadays, I seemed to be waking up naturally, even before my alarm went off.
177 Then again, since my sleeping hours were pretty regular, setting my alarm was just a precaution.
178 [Chris]
179 "Okay... I suppose I'll get changed."
180 [Phorni]
181 "Oh, by the way. Don't forget about the letter."
182 [Chris]
183 "I put it in my bag yesterday."
184 Phorni nodded approvingly and gazed at the rain outside, signaling the end of that conversation.
185 [Phorni]
186 "What? It's raining again today?"
187 [Chris]
188 "As usual."
189 [Phorni]
190 "Great weather, huh."
191 [Chris]
192 "... As usual."
193 I quickly got changed and headed for the front door.
194 I didn't usually eat breakfast, and Phorni didn't eat at all.
195 So all I had to do before I left was wash my face and change my clothes.
196 As I opened the door, the first thing to reach my ears was the sound of rain spattering on the pavement.
197 Though it wasn't a loud sound by any means, it was a constant irritation to my ears, like earwax that couldn't be cleaned out.
198 ---The City of Rain.
199 It was hard not to be reminded of that name when you arrived here for the first time.
200 There'd been a time when the town was actually called the 'City of Rain,' and even the town's current name, Piova, originated from it.
201 However, nowadays, this town was known as the 'City of Music.'
202 The residents of the town all acknowledged this, and seemed to take pride in it.
203 I stepped underneath the eaves of a store along the street. These eaves were created long ago to provide people shelter from the rain.
204 I shook my head lightly and brushed the droplets off my clothes.
205 I could do that casually, which was a sign of just how accustomed I had become to living in this town.
206 Perhaps the residents, too, had become a little too used to the rain falling year round, since no one usually carried an umbrella.
207 It would be a week before I could hold Ari's next letter.
208 In my mind, I unconsciously pictured the way that I would spend the week, waiting for her letter.
209 This time that I had grown all too accustomed to.
210 This town that I had grown all too accustomed to.
211 This was just like any other week. But---
212 I just couldn't shake off this lingering uneasy feeling.
213 Like this town wasn't really my place to be---
214 A strange feeling.
215 I sometimes got the silly thought that if I didn't have Phorni, Torta, and the letters from Ari, time itself might just stop moving.
216 [Man]
217 "Excuse me."
218 Suddenly, a stranger's voice brought me back from my reverie. I turned around.
219 [Man]
220 "I'd like to send a letter."
221 [Chris]
222 "Oh, right. Excuse me."
223 [Man]
224 "Thank you."
225 After giving me a light bow, the man inserted his letter into the mailbox and left.
226 How long had I been lost in thought?
227 Torta and Phorni often told me this, but it appeared I really did have a bad habit of suddenly slipping into deep thought.
228 It would be bad if I caught a cold because I let myself get drenched.
229 I decided to stop thinking about it and began walking leisurely in the direction of the school.
230 I finally arrived at the campus. It was a little past ten.
231 Since I still had twenty minutes before my private lesson would begin, I took my time strolling toward the main building.
232 Students whose classes start at this time are rare, but they do exist.
233 You wouldn't see any freshmen or juniors, since their classes begin early in the morning. But most of the senior year course load is private lessons, which generally begin later in the day.
234 There was the option to have the private lessons in the morning, but since most students preferred doing it in the afternoon, it wasn't very crowded at this time of the day.
235 If I chose to have my lesson during second period, which starts at ten-thirty, getting up in the morning wouldn't be all that painful.
236 Combined with the fact that I didn't really like crowds, I chose to have my lessons during second period.
237 On foot, it took several minutes to cross the hallways lined with lecture halls, and arrive at the private classrooms.
238 As expected from a prominent musical institute competing on a national level, it was quite big.
239 I headed for my designated classroom while inhaling the fresh and slightly damp morning air.
240 Since language classes, harmonics classes, and, for freshmen, general education classes were all taught here, there were many people present in this area.
241 However, it was silent here because all the rooms were soundproof.
242 But then, in the afternoon, you could still hear the rustle of people in spite of that.
243 But I liked the atmosphere here in the morning.
244 The compressed air in the hallway muffled the sound of the rain, but I could still feel it in my bones.
245 [Chris]
246 "Excuse my interruption."
247 I had arrived over fifteen minutes before the appointed time of ten-thirty, so Ms. Cordell wasn't here yet.
248 She generally arrived here ten minutes early, but today I happened to be even earlier.
249 [Chris]
250 "Well, now."
251 I pulled out a chair and took my Fortell out of its case.
252 There was another Fortell in the room, but my own instrument still felt like the best one for me.
253 Concentrating on my fingers, I played a few notes.
254 After playing like this for a few minutes, I heard the door open behind me.
255 [Cordell]
256 "Good morning."
257 [Chris]
258 "Good morning, Madam."
259 I turned around and returned her greeting.
260 [Cordell]
261 "I don't mind. Please continue."
262 [Chris]
263 "Actually, I am done now."
264 [Cordell]
265 "Is that so? Fine then. Aren't you a little early?"
266 Ms. Cordell glanced at the clock, then she turned toward me for confirmation.
267 [Chris]
268 "Well, yes."
269 [Cordell]
270 "Anyway, I have something to talk to you about. I'm sure you can guess what I'm going to say."
271 [Chris]
272 "... About my partner, right?"
273 [Cordell]
274 "Exactly. It's not like you don't know of at least one candidate, right?"
275 [Chris]
276 "Well sure, but..."
277 [Cordell]
278 "Once you have decided on your partner, you will also need time to practice with them. So, there is no time to waste."
279 [Chris]
280 "It's still a few months away."
281 [Cordell]
282 "Make that two. Not what you could casually call 'a few months,' is it?"
283 [Chris]
284 "Ugh. So that's how long I have left."
285 [Cordell]
286 "I knew you were oblivious, but not to this extent."
287 [Chris]
288 "Since you know how out of touch I am, how about avoiding that topic?"
289 [Cordell]
290 "Because it's also my job. Now, are you searching proactively?"
291 [Chris]
292 "Well, yeah."
293 [Cordell]
294 "That's a lie."
295 It was just like Ms. Cordell to make such instant declarations.
296 [Chris]
297 "Why do you think that?"
298 [Cordell]
299 "Well, I have figured out some of your personality."
300 [Chris]
301 "... Then, why are you asking?"
302 [Cordell]
303 "What, was I right?"
304 She gave a weak smile as her hand combed through her hair.
305 I liked those gestures that Ms. Cordell made every now and then.
306 When it came to music, she was very strict and showed no mercy to her students, but that wasn't the only side to her.
307 Although it seemed most students couldn't see past her image of being a strict lecturer.
308 In fact, I used to be like that as well, until I started taking these private lessons.
309 [Chris]
310 "Yeah, bull's eye."
311 [Cordell]
312 "Hmm, I suppose very few singers can complement the quality of your sound. Compromises aren't good, either."
313 [Chris]
314 "Yeah, that's part of the reason."
315 I kept pretending with a weak smile.
316 Sometimes, I felt that she was overestimating my abilities.
317 Among all the lecturers in this school, Ms. Cordell, in particular, held my skills in high regard.
318 But I personally didn't really feel that way.
319 The Fortell was an instrument that required magic, and the player had considerable control over its timbre.
320 It was not like a piano or cembalo, where you could produce single notes by just pressing one of its keys.
321 Of course, it made different sounds by pressing it harder or by the way you used the pedals, but this was not how a Fortell differed between individual players.
322 You could say the variance of the sound itself was relatively similar to a wind instrument. However, it appeared to be most similar to a human voice.
323 And as it turned out, Ms. Cordell thought very highly of the sound I produced.
324 It had a lot to do with how the sound was perceived by others. The performer had no way to tell by himself.
325 It was like being told that something you found normal was actually something very unique.
326 [Cordell]
327 "Chris... Are you listening?"
328 [Chris]
329 "Err, well... no."
330 [Cordell]
331 "It's good to be honest. Just keep in mind that I'll take off points if you don't listen to me during the course."
332 [Chris]
333 "Sorry."
334 [Cordell]
335 "It's fine. Let's save that talk for later and get started with the lesson."
336 [Chris]
337 "Understood."
338 I took the score out of my bag and placed it on the music stand.
339 Ms. Cordell scanned the score over my shoulder.
340 [Cordell]
341 "The same piece as usual?"
342 [Chris]
343 "Yes. I know the piece depends on my partner, but this is the only one I have right now."
344 [Cordell]
345 "Oh well. Let's play it from the start, then. You can begin."
346 Having finished my performance, I turned around in anticipation of Ms. Cordell's critique.
347 [Cordell]
348 "That sounded pretty good. At this rate, there isn't much for me to worry about."
349 [Chris]
350 "Well... I suppose so."
351 [Cordell]
352 "Nonetheless, there is still much work to do. This doesn't change the fact that you still don't have a partner."
353 [Chris]
354 "So we end up on that subject again..."
355 [Cordell]
356 "If you don't find a partner, you won't be able to graduate. Of course, I will be sure to arrange something before it comes to that."
357 [Chris]
358 "'Arrange something'? Mind if I ask what that is, just in case?"
359 [Cordell]
360 "'Just in case?'"
361 She gave me a look of resignation, which soon turned into one of utter defeat.
362 [Cordell]
363 "I will decide for you by asking one of the students in the vocal department. We can't afford not to have a talented student graduate."
364 [Chris]
365 "... I see."
366 [Cordell]
367 "What a half-hearted response... Are you willing to do this at all?"
368 [Chris]
369 "Can't you tell?"
370 [Cordell]
371 "What about Tortinita? You know her well, so won't she do fine?"
372 [Chris]
373 "I'll take it into consideration. Anyway, let's just start practicing."
374 [Cordell]
375 "Okay. Though there aren't many, it's not like you don't have points to improve."
376 [Chris]
377 "Got it."
378 [Cordell]
379 "Then let's try again from rehearsal mark F."
380 [Cordell]
381 "Well, okay. I suppose you've passed."
382 [Chris]
383 "You 'suppose'?"
384 [Cordell]
385 "It was passable. Certainly far below your level. Something bothering you?"
386 [Chris]
387 "People have been berating me since yesterday."
388 [Cordell]
389 "Regarding the partner issue?"
390 [Chris]
391 "Yeah."
392 [Cordell]
393 "Tortinita did?"
394 [Chris]
395 "... Yeah, her too."
396 [Cordell]
397 "'Her too,' huh. Fine... I won't bring it up anymore until the crucial moment."
398 [Chris]
399 "I see... Thank you. But are you sure that's all right?"
400 [Cordell]
401 "If there are already others nagging you about it, it might end up having a negative effect. Besides, if worse comes to worst, I'll somehow manage to arrange something."
402 [Chris]
403 "'Arrange something'...? Can you really do that?"
404 [Cordell]
405 "I'll ask someone from the vocal department, in which case you will not have the privilege of choosing. We can't afford not to have a talented student graduate."
406 [Chris]
407 "I see..."
408 [Cordell]
409 "What a half-hearted response. Anyway, let's continue practicing."
410 [Chris]
411 "Ah... Okay."
412 [Cordell]
413 "I suppose we'll start from the beginning."
414 [Cordell]
415 "That was awful. You realize that, right?"
416 [Chris]
417 "Yes."
418 [Cordell]
419 "Good. It's no disaster to mess up during practice."
420 I wasn't sure what Ms. Cordell was thinking, but she gave me a weak smile.
421 [Cordell]
422 "Well, in your case, I suppose you lack a sense of purpose."
423 [Chris]
424 "What do you mean?"
425 [Cordell]
426 "It's not very smart to just keep practicing your song when you still haven't found a partner."
427 [Chris]
428 "... So we end up on that subject again."
429 [Cordell]
430 "I'm not saying this to pester you. This isn't the time to be even talking about this anymore in the first place."
431 [Chris]
432 "Yes, I... know that."
433 [Cordell]
434 "Then I'll take your word for it."
435 [Chris]
436 "Thank you."
437 [Cordell]
438 "You at least have a candidate, right?"
439 [Chris]
440 "Well, yeah."
441 [Cordell]
442 "Your friend Tortinita?"
443 [Chris]
444 "... Yeah, that's right."
445 [Cordell]
446 "She's graduating this year too, right? Isn't she perfect for the job?"
447 [Chris]
448 "I'll take it into consideration."
449 [Cordell]
450 "I see... Fine then. If worse comes to worst, I'll somehow arrange something for you."
451 [Chris]
452 "'Arrange something'...?"
453 [Cordell]
454 "I'll ask a student from the vocal department. If you haven't decided before classes end this year, I'll decide on someone for you."
455 [Chris]
456 "Meaning...?"
457 [Cordell]
458 "That you have no say in it. Besides, isn't it hard to be searching for a partner when you can't even play your piece properly yet?"
459 I replied to those words in a serious tone.
460 [Chris]
461 "It's not hard at all."
462 [Cordell]
463 "I see. In that case, I have faith in you. Decide on a partner for yourself soon."
464 [Chris]
465 "..."
466 ... I fell for it.
467 But when she smiled at me like that, I couldn't possibly talk back anymore.
468 [Cordell]
469 "Anyway, let's start practicing. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Let's go over it from the start again."
470 I remained in the lesson room after Ms. Cordell had left, to wait for the slight exaltation from my performance to fade.
471 I began thinking about the warning I had been given numerous times now.
472 It wasn't like I hadn't been thinking about the partner issue at all.
473 I was just still feeling a bit indifferent about it.
474 I knew full well that I was getting short on time, but I was somehow unable to motivate myself to take action.
475 'Piova Music Institute.'
476 This music institute, named after the town it resides in, was world-renowned for its production of many famous musicians.
477 It had a long history, and getting accepted into and graduating from it was considered a commendable feat.
478 Since I was a Fortell player, which not many people had the natural disposition for, the institute had been lenient with my enrollment.
479 I suppose that was the reason I was having a hard time now.
480 Not unexpectedly, to be able to graduate, a final assignment needed to be completed.
481 This assignment was a recital at the institute's concert hall.
482 At this event, we would be rated by graduate students from this institute, and active musicians from across the country.
483 Depending on the result, it was possible to have to repeat the year, although most students ended up being forced to drop out in this case.
484 Conversely, depending on the degree of success, you could be guaranteed a successful career as a musician immediately.
485 The bar was placed very high.
486 Even so, Ms. Cordell had assured me I had the qualifications to graduate.
487 Although she did remind me that I would probably be cutting it close.
488 For Fortellists, a recital was bounded by two regulations, and no matter how talented you were, there was no way to graduate unless these conditions were met.
489 First, the piece to be recited had to be original.
490 I happened to have one prepared, so this wasn't a problem for me.
491 The second, more problematic regulation was that the recital had to be done in accompaniment of a song.
492 Normally, this meant partnering with a senior vocalist.
493 For them, this would also be their graduation recital.
494 But as a general rule, it didn't have to be a student from the vocal department.
495 It didn't even have to be a student of this institute. It could be a regular citizen of the town, for instance.
496 Even so, partnering with someone who wasn't used to singing in front of a crowd might not yield a very good result. As such, I'd never heard of a student partnering with an outsider before.
497 Well, it wasn't like I didn't have a candidate.
498 It was just that a part of me was hesitant to partner with that girl.
499 The reason being... Actually, I was not even sure myself.
500 She was actually a pretty good singer. Plus, she was a childhood friend who I had known since I was small, and we still got along fine.
501 Then why? I have asked myself this question many times, but could never figure out the answer.
502 I was snapped back into reality by the sound of the bell announcing noon.
503 Although we hadn't made an appointment, I headed toward the cafeteria to meet said childhood friend/candidate partner.
504 Unlike this morning, the hallway was flooded with conversing students.
505 I slipped my way through the crowd and went outside.
506 The main building I just exited consisted of lesson rooms, lecture halls, as well as offices for lecturers and other staff.
507 The secondary building I was heading for housed a few lesson rooms and many small private practice rooms, as well as the cafeteria, the library and other miscellaneous facilities.
508 I passed the concert hall that was located between the two buildings and quickly headed inside to avoid the rain.
509 As expected at lunch time, the cafeteria was already full of people.
510 The cafeteria had the capacity to provide for around a hundred people at a time, and it was already about half filled up.
511 I left my bag at my favorite seat next to the window.
512 I randomly ordered some risotto and sat down after bringing it back to my table.
513 [???]
514 "Good morning."
515 As I was busy picking at the food on my plate with my spoon, I heard a familiar voice behind me.
516 [Chris]
517 "Oh, good morning."
518 Torta sat down in the seat next to me and slid the bag I had left there one seat to the side.
519 [Torta]
520 "Huh?"
521 [Chris]
522 "Hm?"
523 [Torta]
524 "This."
525 Torta was holding the score I had just been using and waved it in front of my eyes - it had probably slipped out of my bag.
526 [Chris]
527 "Something up with the score?"
528 [Torta]
529 "Is this the piece you're going to use for your recital?"
530 [Chris]
531 "I guess."
532 [Torta]
533 "Is it complete?"
534 [Chris]
535 "I guess."
536 [Torta]
537 "Hey... about that 'I guess' signature phrase of yours---"
538 [Chris]
539 "'---could you please stop that,' right? I'm working on it."
540 [Torta]
541 "You guess... right?"
542 Torta gave a resigned smile as she ended the topic with a joke.
543 [Torta]
544 "Hey, can I have a look?"
545 [Chris]
546 "Go ahead. I'll be having lunch in the meantime."
547 Glancing sideways as I proceeded to gulp down the now cooled down risotto, I saw her focusing on listening to the melody inside her head.
548 [Torta]
549 "Hmm..."
550 I finished my meal at the same time she finished reading the score.
551 [Torta]
552 "This is a pretty good piece."
553 [Chris]
554 "Thanks."
555 [Torta]
556 "For once, you did what you had to do, huh?"
557 [Chris]
558 "Did you think I was wasting my time?"
559 [Torta]
560 "Still, you haven't found a partner yet, right?"
561 [Chris]
562 "Not yet."
563 [Torta]
564 "No matter how good your piece is---"
565 [Chris]
566 "That's exactly what Ms. Cordell said earlier."
567 [Torta]
568 "Did she? Well, she's absolutely correct."
569 [Chris]
570 "But why are you two suddenly so obsessed about this?"
571 [Torta]
572 "We'll be entering December this week. You only have two more months, you know?"
573 [Chris]
574 "'Only'? You sure you don't mean 'still'?"
575 [Torta]
576 "... Damn sure."
577 [Torta]
578 "... *2Asigh*2A Oh well. I suppose I'll have lunch, too."
579 [Chris]
580 "Go ahead."
581 Torta unpacked her lunch box on the table.
582 [Torta]
583 "So, do you have anyone in mind?"
584 [Chris]
585 "Can't quite say I have absolutely no one in mind, I guess."
586 [Torta]
587 "In other words, no."
588 [Chris]
589 "...Don't make hasty judgments."
590 [Torta]
591 "I can tell at least that much."
592 [Chris]
593 "No, I really have someone in mind."
594 As she was stuffing her mouth with sandwiches, her face contorted in surprise, and she replied,
595 [Torta]
596 "Shershe---"
597 [Chris]
598 "Don't talk with your mouth full."
599 [Torta]
600 "Ngn... Certainly you mean someone other than me?"
601 [Chris]
602 "Yep."
603 [Torta]
604 "What? Do you really mean there is someone else?"
605 [Chris]
606 "You certainly sound surprised..."
607 [Torta]
608 "... So, who is it? Someone I know?"
609 [Chris]
610 "Erm... No."
611 I was kinda talking about that someone from the vocal department Ms. Cordell would arrange for me...
612 In the end, I was simply relying on Ms. Cordell, and not doing anything by myself.
613 As I was searching for the right words to explain it to her, fully prepared for the wave of complaints, Torta laughed and said,
614 [Torta]
615 "Well, what do you know. You really did what you had to do!"
616 [Chris]
617 "What I had to do, huh..."
618 [Torta]
619 "... What?"
620 Don't deny it
621 Properly explain
622 [Chris]
623 "Well, it's not like I've been wasting my time."
624 [Torta]
625 "Oh, I see. That's great. Girl?"
626 After spitting out a half-hearted reply, Torta shot me a rather incomprehensible question.
627 [Chris]
628 "Huh? What about a girl?"
629 [Torta]
630 "I'm asking if it's a girl. Do you know about the rumor? ... Well, I suppose you don't. You've never been in the loop about these things."
631 [Chris]
632 "You answered my question with a question... Oh, and please don't determine what I do or do not know."
633 [Torta]
634 "So? Is it a girl?"
635 [Chris]
636 "Well..."
637 [Torta]
638 "Ah, hesitation."
639 [Chris]
640 "Well, yeah?"
641 It hadn't even been settled yet, so I couldn't possibly answer.
642 [Torta]
643 "... Perhaps I should tell Sis about this..."
644 [Chris]
645 "Oh, come on... Ari has nothing to do with this, right? ... Ah geez, I get it already."
646 [Torta]
647 "So you're finally ready to come clean."
648 [Chris]
649 "Come clean, huh... That's a good way of putting it."
650 Torta curiously tilted her head, making me wonder if she understood the subtle subtext of my words.
651 [Chris]
652 "I said I had someone in mind, but it's actually not decided yet. Ms. Cordell said she would arrange a vocalist for me, before it's too late."
653 [Torta]
654 "... Wow. So in the end, you haven't found anyone yet."
655 [Chris]
656 "I guess."
657 [Torta]
658 "... But wait, that's no good!"
659 [Chris]
660 "I suppose not."
661 [Torta]
662 "You're acting as if it's none of your business."
663 [Chris]
664 "You could say that. I don't feel any great urge to do otherwise."
665 [Torta]
666 "We're already at the eleventh hour, you know?"
667 [Chris]
668 "Time is not important. Things often resolve themselves with time, do they not?"
669 [Torta]
670 "And if they don't?"
671 [Chris]
672 "I'll cross that bridge when I get there."
673 I wasn't particularly confident that everything would work out.
674 But if I didn't have other options, there was nothing I could do about it.
675 [Chris]
676 "Is that not good enough?"
677 [Torta]
678 "... *2Asigh*2A"
679 Torta sighed, and after a long silence, she finally produced a smile.
680 [Torta]
681 "Oh well. It fits you, I guess."
682 Ever since we were young, Torta would let me off the hook by saying things 'fit me.'
683 The roles of us three hadn't changed since we were children.
684 Torta was the younger sister of the Fine twins, who were born several months after me.
685 It might have been a bit strange for a girl around my age to talk to me in such a way.
686 It was just that Ari had always been the quiet type, and I have never been very attentive myself.
687 So Torta had always been the level-headed one, as if to compensate for us.
688 [Chris]
689 "Thanks for being understanding. Anyway, what about that rumor you mentioned earlier?"
690 [Torta]
691 "So you really didn't know after all."
692 [Chris]
693 "Guess not. So?"
694 [Chris]
695 "Well... I said I had someone in mind, but it's actually not decided yet. Ms. Cordell said she would arrange a vocalist for me, before it's too late."
696 [Torta]
697 "Huh? Oh... I see."
698 [Chris]
699 "'I see'? What did you think it was?"
700 [Torta]
701 "N-Nothing? Right... It's not like I was thinking that you believed the rumor and were about to fool around or anything, okay?"
702 [Chris]
703 "Hey now..."
704 [Torta]
705 "Just kidding, of course!"
706 [Chris]
707 "Oh... Well, whatever."
708 I let it slide to avoid further confrontation.
709 [Torta]
710 "... *2Agiggle*2A"
711 [Chris]
712 "Huh?"
713 [Torta]
714 "Oh, nothing."
715 [Chris]
716 "... Whatever."
717 [Torta]
718 "I think it's a good quality of you."
719 [Chris]
720 "What is?"
721 [Torta]
722 "That bit of nonchalance you have."
723 [Chris]
724 "What? That's not a good quality at all."
725 [Torta]
726 "You'd be surprised."
727 [Chris]
728 "... Okay... Well, whatever."
729 [Torta]
730 "But you know."
731 [Chris]
732 "What?"
733 [Torta]
734 "I think it's better for you to fix that attitude of yours."
735 [Chris]
736 "Why's that?"
737 [Torta]
738 "Ahaha. It's okay if you don't understand. Anyway, what were we talking about again?"
739 [Chris]
740 "The rumor, I guess?"
741 [Torta]
742 "What rumor?"
743 [Chris]
744 "That's what I'm asking you. Weren't you the one rambling about some rumor, infidelity, and stuff?"
745 [Torta]
746 "Oh, that rumor."
747 [Chris]
748 "Yeah. So, what's it about?"
749 [Torta]
750 "It's a pretty common story. 'A boy and a girl who hold their graduation recital together will be forever united'... is I think how it went."
751 [Chris]
752 "Ah. I guess any school has some kind of legend like that."
753 [Torta]
754 "True."
755 [Chris]
756 "Huh. You seem pretty indifferent about it."
757 [Torta]
758 "I guess. After all, people who match musically will fundamentally match on a personal level as well."
759 [Torta]
760 "After spending so many hours practicing with each other, it's only natural to start taking a liking to each other."
761 [Chris]
762 "Plus, you're working together with a common goal in mind."
763 [Torta]
764 "Exactly."
765 Torta nodded in understanding, then broke a little smile.
766 [Torta]
767 "So you don't care for it either."
768 [Chris]
769 "To the point where I haven't even tried to find a partner yet."
770 [Torta]
771 "And yet you're talking about it with such confidence."
772 [Chris]
773 "About what?"
774 [Torta]
775 "The psychology of love."
776 [Chris]
777 "... You said more than half of it yourself."
778 [Torta]
779 "And you sympathized with it. It doesn't suit you."
780 [Chris]
781 "You're one to talk. For the record, I do have a girlfriend."
782 [Torta]
783 "Sis doesn't count. You just started dating your childhood friend, after all."
784 [Chris]
785 "I don't need someone who's never dated before to lecture me."
786 [Torta]
787 ""And I don't need to be educated by someone who thinks he's a subject-matter expert."
788 Ending our quarrel on that note, we exchanged glances and started laughing.
789 Torta and Ari - I could still vividly remember the times I used to live very close to my two childhood friends.
790 A boy and two twin girls all born in the same year gradually became as close as family, partly because their houses were close together.
791 The boy happened to have the talent to play the Fortell; the younger twin sister had talent for singing.
792 However, the elder sister didn't have any special abilities.
793 Which is why both families' parents found the younger sister to be most befitting to the boy.
794 But one day, the boy started going out with the elder sister, which at least among the children became accepted as a matter of course.
795 The two children with talents left for the City of Music in pursuit of their dreams, while the girl left behind chased her own dream in the town she was born and raised.
796 The pair of lovers were tied by weekly letters back and forth, which was their only connection over the unbearable distance between them.
797 Considering one was in a town surrounded by the sea, while the other was in a town surrounded by mountains, this was all they could do.
798 A long tunnel dug straight through the mountains was the only means of leaving this place.
799 It took over half a day by train just to reach the next town.
800 Such was the degree of distance between the two.
801 [Torta]
802 "You're lost in thought again."
803 [Chris]
804 "... Oh, sorry."
805 [Torta]
806 "No, I don't mind... Anyway."
807 [Chris]
808 "Hm?"
809 [Torta]
810 "Find a partner soon, okay?"
811 [Chris]
812 "Got it. No, really."
813 [Torta]
814 "Really?"
815 [Chris]
816 "Really. Ms. Cordell said likewise. That aside, what about you?"
817 [Torta]
818 "Me?"
819 [Chris]
820 "Have you found anyone yourself?"
821 [Torta]
822 "Nope."
823 [Chris]
824 "... Listen, now---"
825 [Torta]
826 "Stop. Don't continue that, if you know what's best for you."
827 [Chris]
828 "Huh? What do you mean?"
829 [Torta]
830 "Vocalists can perform solo. But, since pairing with talented Fortellists translates to better evaluations, few would choose to do so."
831 [Chris]
832 "But do you intend to perform solo?"
833 [Torta]
834 "It's less stressful that way."
835 [Chris]
836 "Ah, I see."
837 [Torta]
838 "In addition..."
839 I already knew what she was going to say next.
840 That was how close Torta and I had gotten over the years.
841 [Torta]
842 "If a certain someone failed to find anyone, it'd be nice for him to have someone to fall back on, don't you think?"
843 [Chris]
844 "... Thanks."
845 [Torta]
846 "But that's no reason for you not to go searching, okay?"
847 [Chris]
848 "I know."
849 ---In a way, we were closer than lovers.
850 Which was exactly why it might be necessary to forcibly keep some distance.
851 [Chris]
852 "But you know."
853 Realizing the reason I had been unconsciously avoiding Torta, I added this in a light tone to interrupt the air of intimacy.
854 [Chris]
855 "Vocalists get the freedom of choice. Not very fair, don't you agree?"
856 [Torta]
857 "Absolutely not. After all, you're getting special treatment just because you have the talent to play the Fortell."
858 [Chris]
859 "It's not like I want that. Besides, I might be special, but I haven't been working for it. I was just born with it by chance, right?"
860 [Torta]
861 "That 'chance' is what's important in this case."
862 [Chris]
863 "I'm just a rarity, that's all."
864 [Torta]
865 "Ahaha, coming from you that probably wasn't humility - that's what you actually feel. Amazing, really."
866 [Chris]
867 "Is that supposed to be a compliment?"
868 [Torta]
869 "Maybe not."
870 [Chris]
871 "So which is it?"
872 [Torta]
873 "Pick whichever you prefer."
874 [Chris]
875 "Then it must not have been a compliment."
876 [Torta]
877 "Then we'll take it as that. Seeing everything in a negative light is very like you, after all."
878 Our overly close relationship inadvertently made me feel comfortable.
879 I had to sigh deeply to snap myself out of it.
880 [Chris]
881 "... *2Asigh*2A... Why do Fortell players have to pair with vocalists..."
882 [Torta]
883 "Because a human voice is what matches a Fortell best, of course."
884 [Chris]
885 "Ah... I have a feeling I've heard that somewhere before."
886 [Torta]
887 "'A feeling'? We learned it during class."
888 [Chris]
889 "Really?"
890 [Torta]
891 "In our first year. At the lecture on Fortell history."
892 [Chris]
893 "What are the chances that I never took that class?"
894 [Torta]
895 "... Zero. Let me ask you, what is your course of study?"
896 [Chris]
897 "... Fortell. Well, sorry."
898 [Torta]
899 "It must be pleasant to be able to survive in society on talent alone."
900 [Chris]
901 "Ah, you just made fun of every Fortell student at this institute."
902 [Torta]
903 "Nope. I was talking only about you, who never takes notes and gets by on practical skills alone."
904 [Chris]
905 "..."
906 [Torta]
907 "Okay, okay... Listen. Listen closely this time, okay?"
908 [Torta]
909 "A Fortell's sound is, for better or worse, controlled by one's individual disposition. By one's personality, you could say."
910 [Torta]
911 "Just like every individual is given a unique voice, a Fortell's timbre differs between individuals in a similar way."
912 [Torta]
913 "Also, it is easily influenced by the player's feelings and emotions at the time of playing."
914 [Torta]
915 "The Fortell conveys emotion especially well, so in accompaniment of a song that does the same with its lyrics, it makes for a great match. Understand?"
916 [Chris]
917 "Yeah... I understand most of what you said just now."
918 [Torta]
919 "Okay, good."
920 [Chris]
921 "But that isn't much of a reason why only Fortellists have to partner with vocalists, right? Isn't it still unfair that vocalists can go solo?"
922 [Torta]
923 "Huh? Oh, that's what you meant."
924 [Chris]
925 "So you went out of your way to give me an explanation, but the answer was completely off the mark. What's more, you did it in a patronizing manner."
926 [Torta]
927 "... Well yeah, I think that was called for."
928 [Chris]
929 "Huh? Wh... Why?"
930 [Torta]
931 "... If you did some thinking it should have been obvious. It's because there are only few Fortell students here. The vocal department has double that amount."
932 [Chris]
933 "... Fair enough."
934 [Torta]
935 "Did you finally come to understand, good sir?"
936 [Chris]
937 "... Yes, ma'am."
938 [Torta]
939 "Ahaha. Now that you fully understand, you know what to do, right?"
940 [Chris]
941 "Yeah, I know. I'll search for someone."
942 [Torta]
943 "Very well... Oh, want me to accompany you on your search? I could ask some people I know for you."
944 Just like me, Torta took classes in the morning as well.
945 Normally, we just parted ways after having lunch together here.
946 Request her help
947 Not today
948 Her proposal is definitely welcome.
949 [Chris]
950 "Then I suppose I'll take you up on your offer."
951 [Torta]
952 "All right, let's go do a round of the school."
953 [Chris]
954 "Sure. Do you have somewhere in mind?"
955 [Torta]
956 "I know for one thing that *2Ayou*2A don't. Just follow me."
957 [Chris]
958 "Uh... Alright."
959 at01_1
960 [Chris]
961 "Hmm... Not for today, I guess."
962 [Torta]
963 "You say that, but knowing you, you probably intend to do nothing at all today."
964 [Chris]
965 "That's not true. I just don't want to rely on you from the get go."
966 [Torta]
967 "Oh, that's an admirable thing to say."
968 [Chris]
969 "I suppose. Lots of people have been bugging me about it lately, after all."
970 [Torta]
971 "Did it hit home when Sis scolded you?"
972 [Chris]
973 "That's right. Though I'd be grateful if you didn't give her too much unnecessary information."
974 [Torta]
975 "If this was unnecessary, I wouldn't be going out of my way to write Sis about it. Your graduation is at stake, you know? Any objections?"
976 [Chris]
977 "... None."
978 [Torta]
979 "Very well. So, what did you mean by 'not for today'?"
980 [Chris]
981 "Ah, I meant I might ask you some other day."
982 [Torta]
983 "In that case, I'm always available. Just ask me during lunchtime."
984 [Chris]
985 "Got it."
986 [Torta]
987 "Anyway, I'll probably go after I finish eating."
988 It seemed we'd been talking for quite some time, as the number of people in the cafeteria had diminished considerably.
989 Realizing this, Torta quickly tossed the remains of her sandwich into her mouth, and spoke to me without bothering to swallow.
990 [Torta]
991 "Whaf hime if ih?"
992 [Chris]
993 "... A little past one-twenty."
994 [Torta]
995 "... Thanks. See you tomorrow, then."
996 [Chris]
997 "'Kay. See you."
998 Lunch break ended at one-thirty, so there was still time for her to make it.
999 On Mondays, close to the end of lunch break, it was not uncommon for the practice rooms to be flooded with students.
1000 Some music teacher had come up with the motto 'leave your instrument alone for one day, and your aptitude will fall back by three,' and many seemed to have taken it to heart.
1001 Although there was no school on weekends, few students spent their two days off playing around.
1002 I suppose it showed just how dedicated everyone was to music; unfortunately, I couldn't say the same for myself.
1003 That was why the practice rooms became packed with enthusiastic students from early in morning - especially on weekends without classes.
1004 Sometimes there would be no available rooms left.
1005 People like Torta and I who could practice at home had it easy.
1006 Of course, it wasn't possible to sing at the top of one's lungs, although it was accepted to a certain extent thanks to the ethos of the town.
1007 Furthermore, wind instruments were installed with mutes, so those students could manage somehow.
1008 However, the students from the piano department - the institute's largest - and string instrument players didn't enjoy that luxury.
1009 As a result, such students, unable to play either at school or at home during the weekend, would swarm to the practice rooms on Monday afternoons.
1010 I'm pretty sure that Torta practiced over the weekends as well - unlike me.
1011 I was always impressed by her efforts to practice day and night.
1012 But despite this, I never felt like following her example... Perhaps it was just a personality difference.
1013 [Chris]
1014 "*2Asigh*2A"
1015 With a light sigh, I scanned my surroundings once more.
1016 I was sort of limited in my options.
1017 I could take a round of the practice rooms, but since I didn't have acquaintances in the vocal department, it'd probably be pointless.
1018 The cenacolo, which students could freely use to socialize, might be a place to go.
1019 I suppose I could also go ask my friend Asino for advice.
1020 Or perhaps just walk around without a specific destination in mind.
1021 [Chris]
1022 "Well then, what shall I do now?"
1023 af01_1
1024 al01_1
1025 ax02_1