Capítulo 63: Chapter 53
(Overdosed with this Maki's scenes.)
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Someone approached them from behind. The person got surprised seeing Hiroto here. The person was one of Takahiko's informants. The uncle whispered something to Takahiko before leaving with a bow and salute. Takahiko got amazed at the revelations as his eyes lit up and looked at Hiroto in an appraising manner. Takahiko approached his mother and spoke to her before she nodded and said.
"I will visit someone over there, I'll return when the event started." Mamako raised her hand while she looked at a distant table where a group of old people was sitting next to each other, Mamako walked there leaving Hiroto and Maki behind with Takahiko who had an interesting expression. Her fans saw her leaving the table, they quickly approached her to interview.
Takahiko casually approached Hiroto and Maki. "What a surprise, to think you got your mom's talent. I just heard that you're popular on the internet." Takahiko nodded as he appraised him with understanding.
"Eh?" Hiroto wasn't surprised as he nodded.
He approached Hiroto before he put his hand on his shoulders.
"How about shifting school to our music school? You're free to transfer there, your girlfriend can come too!" He chuckled as he looked at this interesting couple. The son of a pianist mother and a daughter of a workaholic father who only loves his family and his hospital.
Takahiko already knew that even if he asked, they would not accept his proposition willy nilly, even if Takahiko's reputation was added. Hiroto didn't even know him before while Maki was only interested in romantic pianist masters and other masters so she didn't know this guy. Meanwhile, Takahiko was an orchestra conductor of one of the best orchestras in the country.
Takahiko heard from his personnel that Hiroto was a person on the internet musical live streamer with increasing popularity, his viewership had already had a spike while his streams trended in the platform social as it made so much attention that piano master also had to see and it bewildered them with as they saw his magnificent performances.
He performed new compositions that they haven't heard before, and Takahiko was a person who heard this news over a month already. He thought Hiroto's pieces were linked to the existing ones which soundly identical based on what his relatives said. But after hearing one of the music, it didn't click on his mind what type of piano piece was playing and thought, the person was just using many techniques that piano masters usually do and confirmed that it was original. While he wasn't able to recognize this teenager since he used a mask during his live stream nowadays but after hearing it from his informant, he instantly knew.
His compositions can be counted as new romantic compositions already. The masters weren't able to copy the piano pieces before they found out that he already copyrighted every original piece he performed. He was fast and he understood the industry well. With his mother's connection, he got some nice umbrella to protect him.
'You're very lucky to have a genius mom.' Takahiko slightly squinted his eyes before returning to normal. Takahiko wasn't jealous of his ability since he knew where it came from but was jealous because he didn't get a son as talented as him.
"I don't plan on going to any musical school since the piano was just a hobby of mine." Hiroto plainly said. Takahiko looked at him with some weirdness.
"If you said that to piano masters while knowing your identity, they might have smacked you in your head already." Takahiko felt slightly irritated with his tone. He sighed helplessly before he said.
"Ah! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend anyone." Hiroto bowed.
"It's okay and you can visit the school anytime you want and teach some students there." Takahiko raised his business card to him.
"Don't think about the information there, we'll entertain you if you want." Takahiko smiled while he rubbed his chin.
"I'll think about it, thank you." Hiroto accepted his business card as he held it in his hands. Hiroto looked at the business card and got wide-eyed seeing that Takahiko is the president of the school.
Takahiko looked at Maki before he gave one as well.
"Thank you.." Maki said with a lower tone.
"It's nice to see talented youngsters, so show us a good performance that can make me feel emotions." Takahiko waved his hand before giving a thumbs up. He already heard his performance in the past so he looked forward to the two's display later. Takahiko left them while he put a bottle of red wine on their table.
Maki pinched his waist since he said something bad during their talk. He held her hand to stop her pouting expression.
"Takahiko-san left a wine, should we try some?" He asked Maki who was looking at the other tables before she heard his question, she looked at him with refusal.
"No, we still have a performance later and you mustn't as well, we have to be in perfect condition so that we can show the best of we can," Maki whispered to him which he nodded with an understanding. Though he can perform even if he had any beverages since his tolerance will be probably high. Based on his stats, he supposed. Maki found his wry smile.
"But you can drink some after the performance." Maki found him smiling after she said that before she lightly blushed.
"You don't want to?" Hiroto smirked at her.
"Just so you know I don't want to drink, I easily get dizzy just trying out one," Maki said with a low tone while she quickly found a glass of water before she sipped while looking slightly to the side.
"If you say so, but you must try the food later, I'll bet it will be good." Hiroto at her capricious behavior, he chuckled as he suggested. Maki leered at him before she thought,
'Maybe, not as good as you're cooking.' Maki didn't want his ego to float upwards since she might get teased again.
"You're mom, said that the event was starting right?" Maki asked him with an inquisitive gaze.
"I remember that she said that the event was starting but it seems that there were still people being waited." Hiroto looked around and spotted individuals that were welcomed with earnest and smiling behaviors.
Maki felt slight disgust on persons at what she saw, she had dealt with persons like this in their hospitals. She also doesn't like crowds and liked to be alone but it had changed for a bit because Hiroto comes to her life.
Maki understood that she was a certified loner and even though she didn't mind his boyfriend's presence since she liked being with him but being in an event hall like this with many people and their looks were getting on her nerves. Moreover, they had to perform later, she didn't have stage fright and she had some experience of performing speech and performances in stages like this. She just doesn't like crowds but she can perform on a stage even if a crowd was looking at her. She will leave right away to avoid the crowd or audiences fawning and their asking faces was a scary thing.
Now that she was going to be an idol, normally talking to fans should be an easy thing for her. Although she was already practicing for some time, they haven't had the chance to perform on stage. The first term was already nearing and they had to perform again so that their group would be more popular and to save the school, it was ingrained in her mind after hearing it from the bubbly Honoka every day, morning and evening.
"Are you troubled with something?" He saw her troubled face but she saw his worried face, she thought that her worry was irrelevant. She sighed for a bit before she turned her expression to a normal one.
"Nothing, just thinking about the next performance of the group..."
"You're being worried about the group already." Hiroto chuckled.
"Of course, I'm part of the group already you know.." Maki leered at him before she harrumphed before she looked at the other tables.
"..."
"I wonder what the other participants will perform, do you have an idea?" Maki questioned him since she was interested in the topic.
"I asked my mother about that but she said that there will be many types of instruments players that perform every year she participated, maybe it would be like that during this event." Hiroto tipped the glass cup that had some water in it.
"Mhmm, I wonder if they will give us a challenge," Maki said with a harrumphed, he heard her arrogant attitude as he smiled.
"You sure are confident aren't you?" He looked at her in a joking manner.
"Of course, If I wasn't why do I need to participate, besides I knew my talent well.." Maki rolled her eyes at him.
"You have a good voice after all and with our synchronization, other participants could only eat dust." Hiroto tried to joke as he looked at Maki. Before they laughed while they held their hands on their mouth.
Mamako returned to the table as the host appeared on the stage, with a spotlight on him and announced the event had been started officially.
"Who did you visit Mom?" Hiroto asked curiously, Maki's ear perked up as well.
"Well, my fans are usually the older age, they liked to hear my performance and had been frequenting in my visits to the other cities." Mamako smiled.
Hiroto nodded, before listening to the speaking host. After a moment of discussing some things about the industry and the household things, it was time for the main event.
Like what happened in the past years, this event's purpose was to see the selected people perform while some elderly with a high musical background would grade their performance and announce the award to the top placers. Age was limited to middle to young ones and it would be an honor to get the first place, this was an annual event. What you're winning will be the connection to other musical talented people, albeit Hiroto and Maki didn't want them.
"Let's give a round of applause for our opening performance by the top pianist, Ms. Tamaki Mamako." The audiences clapped with some etiquette before Mamako raised from her seat and walked to the stage with style.
Maki got excited as she looked at his mother with an interesting expression. Hiroto found her cute and adorable before pinching her lovable cheeks.
"What are you, that's so sudden." Maki rubbed her cheeks.
"You didn't talk to her very much, are you still shy at Mom? you should be like this in front of her not when she's away." Hiroto looked at her. He knew how much of a fan she is, but seeing her close, she wasn't able to rationalize her thinking
"Th-That's!.." Maki poured like she did so many wrong things before they heard the host telling her to start.
"Don't make noises now, she's starting," Maki said excitedly as she slightly raised her butt and looked at the stage with enthusiasm.
'I guess she's still overzealous until this point.' He had performed with her every day at school but she rarely praised him, seeing her like this with his mother's performance made him think if his skills were malfunctioning or Maki was just a butt. (AN: Tsundere Girls will always be stubborn and with a hard change mindsets.).
Mamako performed greatly and that made the audience clap hard while some people raised from their seat and praised her while shouting a few words.
Maki had stars in her eyes and looked at him and beamed, "She had a piano skill to you, I guess that's what made you two why a family." Hiroto smiled at her comment.
The opening event finished before the host announced the start of the main event. It was the 'friendly' musical performance battle with the other talented ones. With the call, the performance started. There were many variations during the performance as Maki intently watched every interesting performer with uncommon instruments. A band who played rock and a modern one. There was the choir who performed well. Some performances were able to hype up the audiences to stand but no encores. The heavy music instruments were already in place in the stage, everyone didn't have to be tedious to move it around and just push it in the side before the performer started and the stage was wide for many people on stage.
It was their turn, Hiroto and Maki stood up as they made their way to the stage.
"Good Luck!" Mamako raised her hand and waved her hand. They walked to the stairs at the side.
He asked the host to set up a piano and vocal before the assistants got to work and moved the things professionally. In just a moment they were already done, Maki was amazed at their fast work but she snapped out of it and calmed herself down before she positioned herself at his side, the piano was pointing to the west of the stage. They can easily be seen and so the host announced their names that some got surprised, Tamaki Mamako's son also participated, isn't that awesome? Some were happy while others were nervous.
They also had another question in their mind and that was if the carmine haired girl were related to the Nishikino's General Hospital and couldn't help but asked the nearby persons on their table. Everyone knew the name of the hospital's since it was a piece of public knowledge, some happened to see her father on televisions and stuff while Maki wasn't known. Albeit, only selected people knew that the owner of the hospital had a daughter. If so even if she wasn't a 'Nishikino' she was still a talented singer that will eventually reach a high place. They got eager to talk to the couple as introducing themselves to have some connections with them.
Hiroto tested the piano, while he heard some performance earlier with this piano, he couldn't help but feel it first. Before he sat on the piano bench gracefully and looked at Maki who was standing beside him, he smiled at her before he nodded as a cue to start.
He began playing the piano intro as he played it gently and slowly. Meanwhile, Maki closed her eyes as she waited for the right time to sing.
She opened her eyes and looked at the crowd before she began singing.
[Furuete iru Watashi no te ni
Hajimete Kimi ga furete
Yasashii kimochi atata kasa ni
Yatto kizuita n da
My hand is trembling
The first time I touch you
This warm, gentle feelings
Finally, I realized]
[AN2: Taiyou no Uta by Kaoru Amane]
The audience stared at Maki, not because of her appearance but her voice also, she perfectly syncs with the momentum of the piano.
Hiroto smiled at Maki's perfect vocals as he played the piano with great enthusiasm and released his emotion based on his understanding of the song. His piano complimented her performance as it turned the whole stage into an illusion, a dream world of performance.
Maki sang with her intentions, strong but gentle, as if she was telling a story about her life meeting Hiroto before she met him when she was like a princess in a cage yearning for a prince to save her and now, more alive wanting to be more strong because he pushed her out of her cage.
'The feeling that I sense in the song… the piano that assisted the song… I feel this is the true music that I am wanting to reach….' Maki thought as teardrops flowed on her cheeks before she raised her head and looked at the spotlight as if like a sun that was hiding in the tree leaves.
She had a vision, in a picnic as she sat on the ground while his head on her lap sleeping with a comical face as she looked at the children playing around with innocent smiles on their faces.
Half of the audience could not help but unconsciously stand as they heard the most shocking performance on this day. As if paying respect to the singer that was giving her best singing full of emotions and telling a story about how lucky she when she met her partner. Meanwhile, they couldn't help but credit to the synchronize piano performance of Hiroto since he made it balanced as he tried to pave a way for Maki to show her full potential.
Takahiko looked at the couple's performance on the stage and nodded, 'Looks like I was right and they had a great combination.'
Meanwhile, curious people near Mamako asked her some details about her son, and that girl and she couldn't help but smile at their performance as she teared up as well.
'Maki-chan is so good at singing and my son is already grown up..' She put out her tears with her handkerchief before going back to her usual smiling expression. Sometimes events like this could make a grown-up woman tear up and cry.
[Arigatou tsutaetai ima nara ieru yo
Sugoshita kisetsu mo wasure wa shinai yo
Himawari yureru taiyou no shita de
Watashi no uta kimi wo terasu yo
I want to say thank you if I can tell you now
I will not forget the season we spent together
Sunflowers are swinging like the sun
My song will shine on you
Staying the same way as I am, and you, and you...
Lalalala...]
At the end of the song, Maki finally came to her senses and looked at the crowd before smiling. She removed some watery bits on her face with her handkerchief. Hiroto wryly smiled at the audience's expression.
Everyone was in a daze during the performance and until someone clapped that it broke the silence. The others followed suit as they clapped with an amazed and smiles on their face as they approved the performance they did. Few females were in tears thinking as they reminisced about the most precious day of their first love, some looked at their husbands before kissing them and held their hands as they showed a helpless smile.
'Their performance had this effect?! looks like the winner has been decided already.' the old judges nodded at each other. Their performance brought them back to their oldest of old memories and it was a therapeutic experience. They were just that good that other performers turned irrelevant in their hearts.
"Encore, bravo this couple must give an encore!" One person wanted them to perform again to experience the trip again. The other audience thought the same before joining him.
Encore!, Encore!
Everyone wanted to hear another song from them.
"Just like the plan, good?" Hiroto smiled and asked with a gentle smile.
Hiroto looked at Maki before she nodded with a smile. "Un, let's perform the other song.."
Hiroto nodded as he looked to the host to see if it's okay to do another performance. The host was worried if they didn't have another song but it seems his worry was for naught since they had that confidence, he gave the signal before introducing them again with some amazement in his tone.
Hiroto once again looked at Maki as he gave her a signal. The crowd saw it and became quiet almost instantly. It was an eye-opener seeing so many inarguably classy and fashionable people who were so united at one time.
Hiroto began playing the intro, the same gentle tune of the piano sound but had a longing tune almost like a lullaby. At the same, Maki started singing as her smile from before disappeared and was replaced with a longing emotion. Something like a regret not telling someone what you meant to do, before regretting it.
[Mou anata kara aisareru koto mo
Hitsuyou to sareru koto mo nai
Soshite watashi wa koushite hitoribocchi de
Ano toki anata wa nante itta no?
Todokanai kotoba wa chuu wo mau
Wakatteru no ni kyou mo shite shimau
Kanawanu negaigoto wo
I will never again receive your love
Nor will I ever be needed
And that is how I find myself all alone
What was it you told me back then?
The words that won't reach me dance in the air
And though I know better, today too I end up
Wishing for things that won't come true ]
[AN2: Guilty Crown Ending Departures.]
The crowd felt another stirring emotion as goosebumps crawled over their bodies and tried to nibble them with a freaky and looming emotion. Her voice was so captivating that the judges stood up even though their feet hurt but it was worth it. This couple was so talented that they didn't mind breaking a bone or two.
Hiroto began to play a powerful tone to match the lyrics her emotions displaying.
Maki felt Hiroto's back supporting her at the back and smiled inwardly.
While Maki sang with really strong emotions this time. She looked at him who was playing as she wanted to embrace his warmth but she couldn't or wasn't allowed, it was too late and everything had already happened.
She walked to the front stage as she put one hand in front of her chest. Her face turned gloomy as her eyes became teary-eyed again, she felt the stirring emotions as she sang the lyrics.
Many married ladies began tearing up. Their husbands embraced them as if they understood what their wives wanted.
The song was so emotional that it made the audience tear up, even though Hiroto wanted to embrace Maki's lonely back right now, he wouldn't even care if he stopped the song in the middle, but he didn't do it.
[Hanasanai de
Gyutto anata ga suki
Mou ichido datte waratte kurenai no
Anata no nukumori ga kiechau mae ni
Dakishimete
Don't let me go
Hold me tight; I love you
Won't you laugh for me just one more time?
Before your warmth vanishes
Embrace me
]
When the song ended, Hiroto stood up from his seat and walked towards Maki who was laying back the microphone in its stand. she got surprised when she was suddenly embraced from the back.
Maki was kind of surprised by Hiroto's action, she noticed that she was unable to get away from his grasp so she let him be and feel his warmth as she smiled helplessly.
The audience turned into a die-hard crowd and was endlessly resounding clapping sound around the event room had breached its vicinity. Making every worker here speechless. As if a golden buzzer was pushed.
Even the host and judges clapped hard and felt so happy because they witnessed something like a legend Takahiko felt the same as he made a good decision of being friendly with him rather than using force.
The audience felt the most emotions in the performance and thought that they had witnessed two youngsters who would be a legend in the future.
Hiroto finally released Maki from his embrace and looked at her with a beaming smile.
Maki smiled as she looked at him shyly, they stared at each other an 8 second as if nothing they returned to their casual zone while Hiroto initiated to bow while Maki did the same albeit with a red blushing face. The audience was still clapping endlessly.
Hiroto saw the quest completion as he smiled inwardly.
[Quest: Hidden: Completed!
Piano and Vocal :
Perform a duet with Maki and motivate the listeners.
Requirements :
The music duet must reach the hearts of the audiences. The audience needed to be moved: 286/150.
Reward: Singing (Master) Skill, 10 XP, Memorization Capsules x 10]
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