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| A Reunion; Chapter 6 | |
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| Topic Started: Dec 31 2007, 08:55 PM (1,182 Views) | |
| Katagiri Taro | Dec 31 2007, 08:55 PM Post #1 |
 
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So this thread is going to be about the concert Takemoto Kazuha mentioned in chapter 1. Recap: Kazuha has invited Tsuchiura Ryotarou to a concert in which her sister's going to perform. Hyuga Senri, Hyuga Katsuo's brother, is also part of Ashiha-sensei's (former piano teacher of both Haruka and Senri) reunion concert. Previous: Chapter 5: Unusual Combinations Next: Chapter 7: (N/A) ------------------- Saturday, December 23rd It was early in the evening when the apartment of the Tachimiyas* resounded with the first movement of Sergej Rachmaninov’s Piano Sonata No. 2. In front of the piano sat the grandson, Hyuga Katsuo, who had been living with his grandparents ever since he had finished elementary school. The Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 36 was his favourite piece and initially composed in 1913. Eighteen years later, a second, revised version followed; the two editions enabled many remarkable pianists of the modern era to combine their own versions. In June, Katsuo had bought himself a copy of the revised 1931 version in spite of the piece’s high degree of difficulty. Regardless of the immense difficulties he had faced in the beginning, Katsuo struggled through the entire first movement because he wanted to play it so badly. When he had initially heard the piece, he was impressed by the dark tone of the piece, its mightiness, its imposing sound and the passion which was hidden in it. It was strange, but he didn’t know the reason why he liked the piece so much. Even now he wondered what made this piece so attractive for him. In the middle of the first movement, Allegro agitato, the doorbell rang. Hyuga Katsuo looked up from his piano and interrupted his piano playing. He sighed and snapped his sheet music shut. It was probably a neighbour who wanted to ask for sugar or vinegar or … whatever. He turned the key, removed the door chain and opened the door - but instead of a neighbour, Katsuo found himself face-to-face with the person he had expected the least: The unexpected guest went by the name of Hyuga Senri. Katsuo had neither spoken to nor seen Senri for several years already and almost failed to recognize his brother immediately. Senri, already a young man by the age of twenty-two, had pitch-black, nicely combed black hair (he took after his father, Hyuga Takumi) and a true poker face. His hands were hidden in the flap pockets of his trench coat, his collar was upturned. On the whole, Senri’s appearance gave away his cold personality, but he nevertheless looked pretty cool in his coat. Katsuo snorted and propped against the threshold. Senri was the first to break the silence. "Rachmaninov’s Piano Sonata No. 2, I suppose?" Senri’s eyes didn’t even turn away from his brother once. Katsuo felt how tension built up in the inside of his body. Why was Senri here? "To what do I owe the extreme pleasure of your visit, dear Senri?" Senri closed his eyes and explained that he had been at Ueno Gakuen the week before to visit some of his old teachers. "I have heard interesting news, Katsuo. Apparently, you’re already known as Ueno's new prodigy, as my successor…?” "I’m neither a prodigy, nor your successor. I'm simply someone who works hard." "Humble as always" Senri snickered, clearly amused. "I also saw you playing Mozart's Piano Sonata in C major." In an allegedly bored voice, Katsuo called on his brother to get to the point. He remembered playing Mozart's Piano Sonata in C major (K.330) flawlessly last year on a school festival, but hadn't exceedingly enjoyed it. For some inexplicable reason, he preferred darker melodies and disliked those trivial pieces. "Are you working so hard because you love the piano? Strange, but I don’t recall your enthusiasm for the piano…?" "What - do you want to say by that?" Scowling at Senri, Katsuo attempted to cover up his bewilderment. Senri’s questions were unpredictable and enigmatic, just like his sudden visit. Katsuo didn’t understand what his brother was alluding to, or rather, he didn’t want to understand Senri’s words. Senri just shook his head and rummaged in his pocket. He pulled out a concert ticket and handed it over to Katsuo. "The reason why I came here was to give you this. My former piano teacher, Ashiha-sensei is having a reunion party and I am one of the performers. I have two tickets, and seeing as my entire life only revolves around the piano, I couldn’t think of any other persons than you and dad whom I could give the tickets to. No worries, you won’t be sitting next to dad. Take it as a Christmas present." When he saw that Katsuo showed no intention to receive the entrance ticket, Senri smiled and inserted it in the mailbox. He had never expected his younger brother to embrace him with joy. "You know, Katsuo…Rachmaninov suits you so much more than Mozart. But as long as you don't master Mozart, you won't be able to play the sonata with your full heart either…if you continue like this you will remain only a hard-working musician." After having said those words, Senri turned around and disappeared in the darkness. Katsuo waited for his brother’s footsteps to fade away until he finally opened the mailbox. Holding the ticket in his hand, he read: Christmas concert, 24th of December, Suntory Hall in Tokyo 'Take it as a Christmas present, huh? What a bad compensation for all the previous years.' ~*~*~ Sunday, December 24th The hustle and bustle on the streets of Tokyo city was something which Katsuo was not used to. Out of all days, the Christmas concert had to be on December 24, a few hours before Christmas Eve. Katsuo squeezed through the swarms of people who scurried from shop to shop and almost got lost because of the chaos on the streets. People should kindly change their bad habits and buy their Christmas presents a week instead of a few hours before Christmas Eve. In the distance, he caught sight of his bus and already hoped to escape the hustle and bustle of the city when he realized that a bunch of other people were waiting for the same bus along with him. 'Well, I think I can survive twenty minutes in a crowded bus…' Katsuo sat down in the rear of the bus and stared absent-mindedly out of the window. In his hands he held his concert ticket and a folded location plan. He had never been inside the Suntory Hall before, but according to the official Suntory Hall website, the concert hall complex consisted of two halls, the Main Hall and the Small Hall. Ashiha-sensei’s Christmas concert was supposed to take place in the Main Hall. In about one hour, Katsuo was going to see his brother performing on stage. __________________________ *Tachimiya was the maiden name of Katsuo’s mother |
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| Deleted User | Mar 11 2008, 03:17 PM Post #2 |
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((It's like UBER~ late, but 'least I finally replied to this topic. ^^ It's a bit on the long side.. but ah well. xP)) Kazuha read the text message that Haruka had just sent her. She knew that her sister would be back in time for the concert, but she wasn't sure what time that she was leaving Vienna, let alone arriving in Japan. At least now, she had a pretty good idea of when she'd be back. Looks like Haru-neechan be back tomorrow. Well, might as well get her a welcome home present. I haven't seen her since last summer, so it's great to see her again. She then clicked on the 'reply' option and replied back to the message: [To: Haru-neechan] [From: Kazuha] Okay, that works with me. Yeah, Mom and Dad are always busy... They've only seen one of your concerts and never any of mine... But yeah... - Kazu After sending the message, she placed the phone on her nightstand as she put on a white, knee-length down jacket over her black, v-neck, 3/4 sleeve blouse and black snow boots that went mid calf on her legs and covered her jeans up to that point, as she noticed that there was a layer of snow on the ground when she looked out of the window. She put on a pair of white gloves and put the jacket's hood on her head. As she was about to leave, she heard her cell's ring tone: Rachmaninov's Flight of the Bumble Bee, so she took the phone from the nightstand and when she opened it, she noticed that Haruka had replied back: [To: Kazu] [From: Haru-neechan] Don't worry, Kazu! :P We'll MAKE them see a concert of not just one of us, but the both of us together. It'll be a show that they'll be sure to remember for the rest of their lives. Well, I've gotta plane to catch, so I'll catch ya later!  ya, sis and I'll c ya soon!- Haru ----------------- (Next day, December 23) ------------- Haruka and Kazuha decided to eat out for dinner at Haruka's favorite restaurant, which had dishes that represented a mix between Japanese and French cuisine, to celebrate her homecoming. In particular, Haruka was wearing the necklace that Kazuha had given her as a 'welcome home' gift, which was a white gold necklace that had a silver miniature violin and piano encrusted with tiny diamonds hanging from it, with the words 'Music will always brings us together...' engraved on one side a mini plaque hanging next to the violin and the words 'Sisters + Friends Forever' engraved on the other side. Kazuha was wearing an identical necklace, expect instead of a violin, a miniature piano was in place of it. She had mentioned that though she knew that she didn't have to buy Haruka anything, but she wanted to -- after all, it was because of her that Kazuha had a different outlook on her music and music in general. The moment she saw the necklace pair, she instantly thought of her and Haruka. "So, Kazu, anything interesting happen since well... I last saw you?" Kazuha looked up from her plate and faced her sister for a moment before looking back to her food and replied, "No, nothing really in particular. Though, I'm considering studying abroad through the European Youth Music Program." "Ooh~. I remember that program! It was a really great experience for me and I learned a lot from it. I'm sure you'll learn just as much, if not more than I did." Haruka replied cheerfully. "I haven't actually gotten accepted yet..." Kazuha mumbled softly. "I'm sure you'll get in. I know you're talented enough." "I hope so... I really do hope so..." The two of them talked about various things that were going on in each other's lives and as a result, ended up staying at the restaurant right until it was supposed to close. ------------- (Day of the concert, December 24th) ------------- "Kazu, Kazu! You ready yet? We're going to be late!" Kazuha opened her bedroom door slightly and answered in a slightly annoyed tone, "Haru-neechan! Calm down! We still have two hours, Miss Uber-punctual. It doesn't take two hours to get to Tokyo." Neechan's always been uber anal when it comes to being on time... After a hectic several minutes, Haruka was finally able to calm down, much to Kazuha's relief. It was during those times that she really wondered if Haruka was really older than her. Shortly after that, Ruiki drove the two of them to Tokyo. Kazuha had only been to Suntory Hall once before and it was for Haruka's final competition in Japan before she left to study abroad. She would have never known that she'd being going there for a second time because of Haruka. Within a little over an hour, she'll being seeing her sister on the same stage once again. |
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| Katagiri Taro | Mar 11 2008, 06:23 PM Post #3 |
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"Next stop: Akasaka ARK Hills." Katsuo rose from his bus seat and walked to the front of the bus. A huge building emerged in front of him as the bus approached the impressing concert building. 'So this is the Suntory Ha-!' the bus abruptly stopped and almost caused him to topple backwards. "Akasaka ARK Hills Stop. To visit Tokyo Suntory Hall, please get off the bus now." On his way to the Suntory Hall, he found himself strolling behind a huge group of elderly music lovers, who were talking about the concert excitedly. He pricked up his ears when he heard the familiar name "Takemoto Haruka" but needed quite a while to realize who it was. 'Takemoto…Haruka? Don’t tell me that Kazuha's sister is going to perform, too?' Inconspicuously, Katsuo approached the group ahead of him and asked one of the women whether it was true that Takemoto Haruka was going to perform as well. The answer he received was an enthusiastic "yes" and some other members of the group joined in the discussion. Katsuo remained silent and settled for the role of the mute listener until he reached the entrance of the concert hall where he finally diverged from the group to have a look-around on his own. His steps faltered after his eyes had caught sight of a familiar-looking, blue-haired girl. Although she had her back turned to him, he still managed to identify the girl. At first, he hesitated, for he hadn't seen Takemoto Kazuha since middle school, but after a while, he shook off his worries and tapped on her shoulder. "Kazuha?" __________________ I hope Katsuo is allowed to call Kazuha by her first name? |
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| Deleted User | Mar 12 2008, 04:43 PM Post #4 |
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((Yeah, it's fine since they did know each other since middle school. Though don't expect her to call him by just his first name, let alone with anyone else, as it's not something she's accustomed to. She finds it a little strange when she doesn't add an honorific to a person's name, even if she's knows them extremely well.)) ----- "Well, I hope you ladies enjoy the evening and I'll be back later tonight when the show's over. Best of luck, Haruka-dono. Knock 'em dead!" "Eh? You should watch the show as well, Ruiki-san! You always do so much for our family, more than we ever ask, so you deserve some rest. Don't you agree, Kazu?" Kazuha stayed silent, but did a simple nod to signal her compliance to Haruka's question. Ruiki smiled as he knew what Haruka had said was true. He always did more than what was asked of him; it was a habit of his every since he was a child. "You know that I would as I did see the ticket that you left for me in my room, but I have some important matters to deal with, Haruka-dono." "Gah, you know I keep telling you to drop the '-dono' part and just call me 'Haru.' Everyone calls me that... well, I prefer it anyway. And are you sure that you can't spare even a bit of your time?" "Yeah, I'm sure. Your parents, especially your father, need the matters to be dealt with. But, if it makes you feel any better, I'll be more than glad to hear a live performance of the pieces that you'll be performing tonight back home." "Well..." Haruka smiled. "Okay, that works, Ruiki-san." He nodded and with that, Ruiki scrolled the window back up and drove the car away. The two of them headed towards the entrance though Haruka was catching a lot of attention -- after all, she was one of the performers. Kazuha wasn't exactly thrilled with the attention, but otherwise, she didn't show it. When they got inside, Haruka somehow found a somewhat quiet spot so she wouldn't catch too much attention. "Sorry 'bout that Kazu," she said as she patted Kazuha's shoulder. "I really do attract attention wherever I go, don't I?" Do I REALLY need to answer that? Haruka took one look at Kazuha and her unhappy expression was all that she needed for a reply. "You know that I always make it up to ya, sis, whenever my attention is just a plain distraction." "Yeah, I know..." mumbled Kazuha. "Well, I gotta go, but I'll see ya after the show. And oh! Bring the people that you invited as well." Kazuha nodded and waved Haruka goodbye as she saw her do the same and ran off towards the dressing room/performer's waiting area. Kazuha stood there until she could no longer see her sister's back anymore. Hm, now what? Guess I should wait for Masanobu-san and Tsuchiura-kun to get here. Kinda bummed that Kazuki-kun couldn't come, but he did mention that he'd call/text me if he was able to find some time as he really did want to come to the show. I also miss him since I really don't see him much anymore since I moved to Kawasaki. She wasn't sure if she should wait or just go inside and just have them look for her. It shouldn't be that hard since their seats would be next to hers. But, despite that, she couldn't make up her mind for a few moments. She decided to just have them find her since her heels were killing her and because there were so many people, there really wasn't anywhere to sit. As she started walking towards the Main Hall, she felt someone tap her shoulder. "Hm?" was Kazuha's reply as she turned around and said, "Something I can help you with...?" Though she didn't realize the young man who tapped her shoulder at first, but as soon as she took an actual glance at him, she realized that it was Katsuo Hyuga, a classmate from middle school and had performed a duet with. As soon as she realized it, her eyes widened slightly as she wasn't expecting to meet Katsuo again. "Katsuo-kun? Is that you?" It looks and sounds like him, but I'm so bad with faces, much better with names and recognizing voices. Kinda odd since you'd expect it to be the other way around, huh? |
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| Katagiri Taro | Mar 12 2008, 07:29 PM Post #5 |
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"Katsuo-kun? Is that you?" "Ah, you recognized me?" Relieved that he hadn't mistaken someone else for Kazuha, Katsuo smiled happily at his former classmate. It was a pleasant surprise to meet an acquaintance at the concert, his reunion with Kazuha made him forget about Senri's performance for the time being. She hadn't changed much since their days at middle school - at least in terms of looks. The foyer was crowded with people sporting their very best suits and dresses, whereas many of them were holding champagne glasses. Katsuo unbuttoned his black coat and handed it to a nearby clerk who stored it, together with hundreds of other coats and jackets in the cloakroom. He received a chip with the number 201 and turned back to Kazuha. Unlike the majority of the suit-wearing male visitors, his simple apparel only consisted of a simple light-bluish chemise, a cream-coloured woollen waistcoat and a pair of black twill trousers. "It’s been awhile, Kazuha." Still smiling broadly, he extended his arm and offered his hand for a handshake. The two teenagers hadn't seen each other for about two years, since Kazuha had chosen to attend Toho Gakuen instead of Ueno Gakuen, in spite of her promising musical abilities. "What brings you here? I didn't expect to meet you today…but it's great to see you again." He pulled out his concert ticket and showed it to his former classmate. Who knows, maybe their seats were next to each other? "Any idea where my seat is? I have never been inside this concert hall before…So I feel a bit lost." ____________________ I have no idea how we should start reconstructing Katsuo's and Kazuha's past ^^; You? Oh and I have changed some things in my first post. I replaced "Liebesträume" with a piece by Mozart. |
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| Deleted User | May 24 2008, 05:39 PM Post #6 |
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((Gah... sorry for the uber, uber late reply.  I actually had part of this written up, but I never got a chance to finish it for the longest time. -___-; ))"Ah, you recognized me?" Kazuha wasn't expecting to meet an acquaintance of hers from middle school, so it was a pleasant surprise. Katsuo didn't look really any different, other than he looked a little taller. He was always taller than her, but now the height different was a bit larger than it was in middle school. "I didn't recognize you initially as I don't remember faces that well, but I could never forget your voice. It’s a little strange, but my mind just works that way..." She unbuttoned her white jacket, which revealed the black dress underneath. It was a knee-length black halter dress** with silver trim and embroidered white flowers. Kazuha was never the kind of person who went completely all out on looking nice, as she always preferred the simple, yet elegant look -- which suited her quite well. Then again, she didn’t really have to do much to look nice in the first place. She then walked over to the cloakroom where there were already a whole~ bunch of jackets, gave the clerk who was there her coat, and he handed her a chip that said the number 230. After that she walked back to where Katsuo was standing. "It’s been awhile, Kazuha." he said with a broad smile on his face and extended his hand to a handshake. "Indeed, Katsuo-kun, it's been a while." said Kazuha in a calm tone with a rare smile on her face as she shook his hand. It wasn't a huge smile or anything, but was a change from her usual attitude. "What brings you here? I didn't expect to meet you today…but it's great to see you again." "It's good to see you too and this was pretty unexpected, huh? Hm, Haru-neechan's performing tonight, so I'm really looking forward to this. She said that she's going to be performing a piece that I remember she was working on last summer when I visited her in Vienna, but I never heard the finish piece -- just fragments." She noticed that he had taken out his ticket and showed it to her. "Any idea where my seat is? I have never been inside this concert hall before…So I feel a bit lost." "I've only been here once before and that was two years ago..." Kazuha seemed to mumble that last part, but continued on, "But, by the looks of it, you're in the same area as me. Think you're actually next to me, I think." With that, she looked through her purse and took out her ticket. "Hm, guess we are next to each other. What a coincidence. Wonder when Tsuchiura-kun and Masanobu-san are gonna be here?" ---- **Notes: I couldn't find an exact picture of the dress (as I made up most of the details, which I have trouble describing anyway, since I don't describe things like dresses much...), but the basic idea of the dress is this dress by J.Crew - Dress pic, choose the black one |
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| Katagiri Taro | May 24 2008, 07:04 PM Post #7 |
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"I didn't recognize you initially as I don't remember faces that well, but I could never forget your voice. It’s a little strange, but my mind just works that way..." Katsuo smiled. It was indeed a peculiar way to memorize people, since voices could change more drastically than looks. The boy was convinced that his own voice had gotten (he guessed about one octave) deeper due to his puberty voice change and doubted that someone who didn't possess such an accurate ear like Kazuha could have recognized him just by his voice after almost two years. The two former schoolmates shook their hands in a friendly manner. "It's good to see you too and this was pretty unexpected, huh? Hm, Haru-neechan's performing tonight, so I'm really looking forward to this. She said that she's going to be performing a piece that I remember she was working on last summer when I visited her in Vienna, but I never heard the finish piece -- just fragments." After Kazuha took a look at his ticket she told him that their seats were next to each other. Katsuo could hardly believe his luck; it reminded him of their first day at junior high school. The school assembly hall four years ago had been crowded just like the concert hall today. Back then he was also seated right next to Kazuha, listening to the principal's speech and regretting the fact that he hadn't gotten the top score in the entrance exam for junior high school. Hyuga Katsuo had only received the second best result and was more or less sulking on that morning, not paying much attention to the persons around him. However, he did notice Takemoto Kazuha for some unknown reasons and sensed that she was somehow different from the rest. His first impression of her was, as it later transpired, not wrong. Takemoto Kazuha was talented, a bit distant and her situation was similar to Katsuo's in a way. "What a coincidence. Wonder when Tsuchiura-kun and Masanobu-san are gonna be here?" He had no idea who she was talking about but wasn't really interested in finding out, either. A familiar figure had just popped up and vanished again somewhere in the middle of the crowd – causing his mind to return to Senri and the performance. "I see. I am here because Hyuga Senri is performing. He was acting oddly and invited me." The foyer gradually emptied - a sign of the concert starting. Katsuo looked questioningly at Kazuha, but she didn't seem to know her friends' whereabouts either. At last he decided to go ahead and wait for her in the concert hall instead. ________________________ I decided to reveal some parts of their past, I hope that it is alright? (took the liberty to invent some things) If not, please tell me ^^ Anyway…Tsuchiura will probably be joining Kazuha in my next post…with Masanobu-san? Btw, were Katsuo and Kazuha in the same class? Or how did they get to play a duo together/get to know each other better? |
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| Deleted User | May 24 2008, 10:30 PM Post #8 |
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((Yep, that's fine. And I don't mind the info, it's fine as it gives me a base to work off of. That and my brain feels kinda fried after spending like two days re-uploading my FLs... -___-; Hm, btw, are there really entrance exams in middle school? I know that there are for high schools, but I don't recall if there are any in the middle school level...)) "I see. I am here because Hyuga Senri is performing. He was acting oddly and invited me." "Hyuga Senri-san huh? That's your brother, right, if I recall correctly. You two were never close to my knowledge, so that is kinda weird that he invited you." This is like Deja vu, huh? thought Kazuha as she saw Katsuo walk into the concert hall, so she just figured that he was going to just meet her inside. It was just by mere coincidence that they had also sitting next to each other during the opening ceremony of their first day of middle school. She wasn't really thrilled to be there as she had just recently moved to Kawasaki from Yokohama for reasons that were unknown to her, so she was just pretty much forced to go to school there. It didn't exactly help with her resistance of not wanting to leave her friends in Yokohama, but she did eventually reluctantly went along with her family moving. In reality, she had gotten in the top 10 on the entrance exam, but she didn't care as she didn't even want to be here in the first place. That definitely explained why she wasn't paying attention to what anyone was saying during the ceremony and was in her own little world. She didn't notice Katsuo all that much during the ceremony, much less anyone else then, but little that she knew that she would be actually playing a duet with him in the future. The two were in the same class for all three years, but she never acknowledged him until she HAD to... Miyura Shiraki, a former professional flutist turned music teacher, had called her down to her office one day during her second year. Kazuha didn't know why she wanted to talk to her, but she figured it would hurt to talk to her. "What did you want to talk to me about, Shiraki-sensei?" "Takemoto-chan, you've heard of the Kanto Junior Music Festival right?" "Yeah, I have. It's a yearly festival where the best musicians from all the middle schools in the Kanto region perform exhibition shows and show off their talent." That's correct. And the festival's is just the beginning of the music competition that goes along with it. This year, I have chosen six students to represent our school and while normally~ the spots are reserved for the seniors, but I've seen so much talent from the underclassmen, that I decided to choose a few of those people to participate, and you're one of them." "Really? It's a real honor, Shiraki-sensei." Shiraki-sensei explained more about the festival and information that she needed to know as a participant. Kazuha understood it all and was more than happy to comply -- except for one thing. That year, all of the performances were duets and Kazuha... wasn't really quite thrilled about that. She would much rather be a soloist. "That may be the case, Takemoto-chan. But, even a soloist MUST learn to work with others as the time might come for it." Kazuha couldn't even think of a comeback for what Shiraki-sensei had said. She ended up reluctantly agreeing to Shiraki-sensei's request, though she wondered who her partner was going to be. When she told her that Katsuo Hyuga was her partner's name, she was puzzled as she knew that last name sounded familiar. But, after she explained it, she was in a slight shock. "He's in Class 2-1, which is the same class as you. He's the younger brother of Hyuga Senri, who's a brilliant pianist. Like his brother, he also plays the piano and he's got great potential. I have a good feeling that he'll surpass his brother one day." |
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| geezer | May 25 2008, 11:03 AM Post #9 |
 
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"You sure you don't want me to give you a lift?" "I am dead sure, Onee-san." "But it's much faster by car than by train! We'll only need about half an hour!" Ryotarou sighed and rubbed his forehead. His older sister could be so persistent when it came to driving cars. Although she already possessed a driver's license, she did not have her own car. And since Mr. and Mrs. Tsuchiura refused to lend her the family car as well, she was forced to go to work by train everyday. Today, on Christmas Eve though, she finally found the opportunity to drive the family car and obviously decided to not let go of her chance so easily. "I told you I'd be fine alone…you only want to drive the family car, admit it already!" "Just take my chauffeur service as my Christmas present for you." Come to think of it, whether he went by train or by car didn't matter, the main point was that he arrived in time for the concert. He had called Takemoto Kazuha the day before and they had agreed in meeting in the foyer forty-five minutes before the concert started. His sister reacted with jumps of joy to his agreement and darted out of the house. "Ittekimasu—" Thirty minutes later… "Didn't you say we'd only need about half an hour…?! Why did you have to choose such a busy road on Christmas Eve?!" The two siblings were sitting in their family car, in the middle of a traffic jam. Ryotarou looked as if he was about to jump out of the car and walk the remaining kilometres himself. The arranged time arrived and went. Forty minutes later, just five minutes before the start of the concert, his sister finally dropped him off in front of the concert hall's entrance. "I'll return in about two hours to fetch you. Wait for me here." And with those words, she floored the gas pedal and bolted away. Her brother, dressed in a tuxedo, hurried into the building and saw that a few people – Takemoto Kazuha was among them – were still waiting in the foyer. "Hello, Takemoto-san! I'm sorry I'm late, but we were stuck in a traffic jam…and…thanks again for the invitation." A short time later they were joined by a familiar-looking, red-haired man who Tsuchiura had met in Kawasaki. "Kazuha-san, Tsuchiura-kun! Good to see you here! I didn't see you before and was looking for you in the concert hall...shall we go in, then?" _________________ Yes, junior high school entrance exams exist: http://www.jref.com/society/japanese_educa...al_system.shtml Oh and I took the liberty to let Masanobu appear as well...to speed things up...is that okay? |
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| Deleted User | May 29 2008, 03:19 PM Post #10 |
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((Ah, alright. I'll edit my post with what I originally was going to put in the flashback. :P Thanks for letting me know.)) "Sigh..." mumbled Kazuha as she took a glance at her watch. Where are those guys? It doesn't take THAT long to get here... She was beginning to get slightly annoyed as she didn't think that they'd be THIS late... It was almost time for the concert to begin and still, nothing. She was seriously began wondering if something had happened, but it was probably more likely that they were in traffic or something. Oh~ the possibilities. She was about to just give up and go inside as her patience was already wearing thin. Luckily, just as she thought that, she saw a green-haired man running towards her, who she soon realized was Ryoutarou. "Hello, Takemoto-san! I'm sorry I'm late, but we were stuck in a traffic jam…and…thanks again for the invitation." "Ah, Tsuchiura-kun! I was beginning to wonder if you ACTUALLY going to show up! Heh, heh. Anywho, it's no problem at all and glad you were able to make it." Shortly after, another familar face appear, a certain red head that she could NEVER forget: Masanobu Hirasaku. "Kazuha-san, Tsuchiura-kun! Good to see you here! I didn't see you before and was looking for you in the concert hall...shall we go in, then?" "Really? And sure. I've been here for a while. Actually, I bumped into Katsuo-kun and we talked for a little bit. He decided to wait inside, so you can talk to him if you want after the show." Masanobu was a clearly surprised that she had bumped into Katsuo. "Ah! Katsuo-kun! I haven't seen that guy in so~~ long! Every since he decided to attend Ueno Gakuen, he hasn't come by the shop at all. I remember when the two of you would come by and practice in the back. Ahh~~ those were good memories." He was clearly happy and Kazuha knew it. Masanobu was friendly towards everyone who entered his shop, hence it was no wonder that he was so popular, especially with the ladies. He definitely had a liking for those who people who perform in the shop and those who actually wanted to get to know him. |
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| Katagiri Taro | May 29 2008, 04:46 PM Post #11 |
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'How long has it been since our duet performance at the Kanto Junior Music Festival?' It was unusual for Katsuo to think back on past events, for he tended to be a boy who only looked ahead. After all, he had a goal to reach and couldn't afford wallowing in reminiscences. To Katsuo, there weren't many memories worth remembering anyway. However, the Kanto Junior Music Festival was different. It had been the first big music event in his life and even now he was still proud to have performed at the regional festival together with Takemoto Kazuha. Three years ago… "Good afternoon, Hyuga-kun. You can already start practicing if you want. I'm sure your partner will arrive soon." Katsuo nodded at Shiraki-sensei (who sounded rather brisk) and unpacked his sheets of music. It was Shiraki Miyura-sensei who had decided on Franz Schubert's "Fantasy for Violin and Piano in C Major"; she felt that this piece would show both musicians' musical ability and technical skills. 'I wonder though whether I'll be able to interact well with Kazuha…I've never done a duet before.' Katsuo had started to practice his part some weeks ago; right after Shiraki-sensei had copied the sheet music for him. His cheeks were slightly pink, which was quite understandable because he was excited about the first rehearsal together with Kazuha. He had never listened to her music before and rarely talked to her during classes. And since Kazuha never made attempts to approach him either, the two of them had been ignoring each other more or less, only exchanging a few words when it was necessary. This time, however it seemed as if fate had finally given them a chance to get to know each other more. Back to the present… A woman, who later introduced herself as Ashiha-sensei stepped onto the stage and tested the microphone. She was obviously going to hold a welcoming speech. A short time later, he discovered Kazuha again, among with two other men. He identified one of them as Masanobu-san, whose shop he used to visit very often in the past. When he gazed up from his seat at the unknown person next to Masanobu-san, he was slightly impressed by the person's height. Katsuo nodded curtly at Kazuha, Masanobu-san and the stranger, but restrained himself from talking to them because Ashiha-sensei's voice began to reverberate in the concert hall. __________________________ I chose a piece for them to play…I think it is nice because it is pretty slow & emotional in the beginning but then suddenly speeds up. http://youtube.com/watch?v=4c2apQna738 Edited by Katagiri Taro, May 31 2008, 09:53 AM.
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| Deleted User | May 30 2008, 04:34 AM Post #12 |
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Three years ago... "Hm... this is something different from what I'm used to..." "Kazu, you know you have to break out from your shell every once in a while. It's not gonna kill ya.. ya know?" Kazuha knew that Haruka was right, not that she wanted to admit it, as she was looking at the music sheets that Shiraki-sensei had given her a few weeks back as she was walking towards the music room. "Fantasy for Violin and Piano in C Major" was the title of the piece and was written by Franz Schubert. While she was familiar with Schubert's music, she had never played an actually duet piece before, let alone that she didn't play much of his music in the first place. She had practiced her part over the last three weeks and while she was able to play it through without too much difficulty, she wasn't happy with the way it was coming out. Though Haruka had tried to help where she could with her younger sister had trouble with, there was only so much that she could do -- as she herself didn't play the violin and she also had a feeling that there was also a mental issue that Kazuha was having. "Hello, Shiraki-sensei." said Kazuha with a nod. "Ah, Takemoto-chan! Hyuga-kun's already here; he's at the piano in the front." She walked towards him as she placed her violin case on the nearest chair and took the violin out of its case. She then placed the violin under her chin so it would be resting on the chinrest while she was tuning it with one hand and testing it with the other. She definitely was no amateur when it came to the violin as it took a great amount of practice to be able to hold the violin under one's chin and having it be the only support while both hands were dealing with the tuning of it. As she was tuning it, she decided to say a few words to Katsuo. "Yo, Hyuga-kun. This is pretty funny as we've been in the same class for the year and a half pretty much, but we've never ACTUALLY talked. Hah..." The way Kazuha said it, she wasn't even sure herself if she was sounding like her usual cynical, sarcastic self. "Anyway, I honestly think duets are stupid, but let's see if you can change my mind." She said that last part with a smirk. She really had nothing against Katsuo, but unfortunately for him and most people her age, she had the habit of leaving a bad first impression on people with her sarcasm, which of course stemmed from her initial hatred for Haruka. It was partially her way of dealing with all the attention that Haruka had gotten because of her being a prodigy. ------------------------------- A half an hour later... Shiraki-sensei was getting a bit annoyed at both Kazuha and Katsuo as the both of them didn't seem to even be REMOTELY in synch with each other. She had expected that they wouldn't get the piece right together the first time around, but still... she didn't exactly expect that they'd be THIS unsynched with each other. She could already tell that a LOT of work would have to be done before the festival. "Takemoto-chan! Your playing's COMPLETELY unsynchronized with Hyuga-kun's playing. In fact, it's like you're overpowering him! You're not playing alone, but with another person who is not an accompanist, but with you. This IS a duet after all. Hah~ this is gonna be a lot more work than I thought..." she mumbled that last part, though she was sure that both Kazuha and Katsuo heard it. "I knew this would happen. This is going to be a complete disaster. I'm not cut out to play duets... I'm so much better alone..." It almost seemed like she whispered those last two sentences and though she had her usual smirk on her face, her eyes were telling a different story. They were filled with sadness and frustration. Kazuha never had trouble with her emotions, but when it came to her eyes, she had trouble hiding her feeling, though most people never took notice of it. Whenever Haru-neechan plays a duet with someone, it's so~ beautiful and being in the duet doesn't take away any of her ability. In fact, it's enhanced. Even alone, her talent and abilities clearly shine though. But me... it's always a disaster when I play a duet with someone as my playing tends to overpower the other person. I can't make it sound beautiful like she can... Even when I play with her, it doesn't work. I hate it. I just HATE it. "Takemoto-chan, I know you're frustrated, but remember, you're not alone, so you don't have to carry the burden alone. I'm sure Hyuga-kun's frustrated too, but you two have to work your differences out and learn how to play in synch with each other. Together, as one." ------------------------------- Back to the present... As Kazuha, Ryoutarou, and Masanobu were going towards their seats, Kazuha noticed that a woman had walked onto the stage and began to say a few things, which Kazuha figured was the welcoming speech. As soon as she heard the woman's voice, she instantly recognized it belonging to Ashiha-sensei. Once they got to their seats, where Katsuo greeted all three of them with a nod, they sat down and listened to what Ashiha-sensei had to say: "Good evening everyone. Thank you all for coming. My name's Ashiha Sachiko and tonight you'll all be in a treat as some of my former students have come back to play for you all tonight. Many of them have made names for themselves out there, so it's a real delight for them to come back tonight. Thank you all again and hope you all enjoy the show! Our first performer is Mikano Yui-san. She'll be performing Chopin's Ballade Op 47 in A flat major." -------------------- Piece that Yui plays: Chopin's Ballade Op 47 in A flat major Gah.. I'm tired, so guess I'll end it there. ^^; |
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| Katagiri Taro | May 31 2008, 11:14 AM Post #13 |
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Mikano Yui took her seat in front of the piano and started to play Chopin's Ballade No.3. The audience turned silent and a beautiful, calm melody filled the concert hall. Katsuo observed the pianist soberly and took out his grandmother's opera glasses to see the performer's movements. Her hands were moving elegantly over the keyboard and everyone seemed to be besotted with the beautiful ballade. Leafing through the concert program, he carefully read the short introduction of the piece and analyzed it... The piece slowly ceased and the last measures faded away. The concert hall was trembling, people were applauding loudly as Mikano Yui took one bow after the other. Hyuga Katsuo was also clapping and remembered the applause after his duet performance with Kazuha at the festival… Three years ago Kazuha's introduction on the day of their first rehearsal was rather brusque. She directly told him she disliked duets and challenged him to prove her wrong with a smirk. Even if he possessed a phlegmatic personality, he was still taken back by Kazuha's words. If Kazuha had said this to him in his elementary school days, Katsuo would have started a fight with her because of his hurt pride. In contrast to today's Katsuo, his past self was very easily provoked. His personality started to change though after his mother told him (after he returned with a swollen face one day) that a smile was always the best method to solve problems. "I see," he finally answered Kazuha with a childlike smile, "I will do my best to fulfil your high expectations." Their first rehearsal turned out to be a disaster and brought Shiraki Miyura-sensei on the edge of despair. The next few rehearsals weren't a great success either. Shiraki-sensei simply couldn't believe that the school's two best solo musicians were not able to play a decent duet together. Their melodies seemed to diverge instead of melting into an entity in spite of the fact that both musicians were playing their own part flawlessly. Shiraki-sensei shook her head and tried to not remember that the performance was supposed to take place in a month. Unfortunately, she had been credulous enough to believe that Kazuha and Katsuo could make it immediately, but now she blamed herself for having been so naïve. "Time for a small break. I’m going to treat myself to a cup of coffee…" Katsuo was not less frustrated than Shiraki-sensei but he considered their failures as an incitement for him to work harder. Like always, he was convinced that everything would be alright as long as he worked hard for it. He noticed though that the failed rehearsals were clearly sapping Kazuha's energy. She was smirking like always, but somehow didn't emit much optimism. 'I told her I'd do my best to fulfil her expectation…' Without being asked, he began playing Chopin's Etude in A Flat op.25 no.1 to cheer his partner up. Katsuo did not know why he had chosen this piece; the melody just flowed out of his hands. "Takemoto," he said to Kazuha as he played, "even though this is my first duet, I think that we can do it. We still have one month and I am sure we'll be able to surprise everyone if we continue to work hard. It might sound pretentious, but I do think that we have gotten a lot better since our first rehearsal. If you want, we can even meet outside of school to practice." The door of the music room was half opened. Shiraki-sensei had returned with a cup of coffee in her hand but stopped short behind the door when she heard Katsuo playing the etude. After she heard his words, she closed her eyes and smiled. 'That's right. You have one month to master the duet. If you two can't do it, who will?' _________ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C90Mz4hvAzI Edited by Katagiri Taro, Jun 17 2008, 04:18 PM.
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| Deleted User | May 31 2008, 03:25 PM Post #14 |
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"I see," he finally answered Kazuha with a childlike smile, "I will do my best to fulfil your high expectations." Kazuha didn't expect him to just smile back after what she had said, as it reminded her of a certain green-haired boy that had reacted in the exact same manner in elementary school. Wow. That's the first time in a while someone has just smiled back at me, even though I was my usual sarcastic, cynical self. The only other person that did that was Kazuki-kun... Which to this day, I don't understand why he's even friends with me. We're like the complete polar opposites of each other. "Kazu-chan, you may act the way you do, but I know deep down that you're a kind person. You just show it in a different way, which not everyone will understand. I like you just as you are, so don't change for the sake of other people. Though, you could tone down the sarcastic and cynical remarks just a tad bit. Heh, heh." The first practice was a complete disaster and the next few... weren't much better. These practices were really beginning to take its toll on Kazuha, as well as bruising her pride. She didn't take to failure well. Always the perfectionist, she wanted everything to be perfect and when it wasn't, it frustrated her. Of course, in public, she was generally able to hold her composure, even if her eyes were clearly stating the COMPLETE opposite. I'm beginning to wonder if we can perform properly at the festival as I don't really feel that it's gotten much better. Every time that it doesn't work out, I feel like my energy being wasted and goin' down the drain... She wasn't the only one who was stressed out. Shiraki-sensei definitely showed it; she never expected that these two would have THIS much difficulty in performing a single duet. She decided to go out for a little bit and get a coffee to hopefully reduce her stress, even a little bit, leaving the two alone in the room. Kazuha wasn't sure if Katsuo was stressed out, as if he was even remotely so, he definitely didn't show it as he always seemed to have a smile on his face. Before she thought of anything else, she heard Katsuo playing a piece. She didn't know what the piece was at first, but as she continued listening, she realized that it was a piece by Chopin: Etude in A Flat Op.25, No.1. While Katsuo was playing, he mentioned to Kazuha that the two of them will be able to shock everyone if they both continue to work hard and even suggested that they meet outside school to practice as well -- that is if it was alright with her. Unknown to the two musicians, Shiraki-sensei was right outside the door and heard what Katsuo had said, which put a smile on her face. She had faith that the two of them would be able to do this. That's right. You have one month to master the duet. If you two can't do it, who will?' "Hm... alright, that sounds fine with me. My house after school, sounds good? My parents are rarely home anyway because of their jobs and Haru-neechan... has an interview, so we won't have any interruptions." I suppose more practice couldn't hurt. After all, we've only practiced together during school and we practice by ourselves otherwise. I haven't been convinced yet though that this was worth my while though... Despite that, there's still time... ---------------------------------------------- As Mikano Yui began playing Chopin's Ballade No.3, Kazuha closed her eyes and listened to the music with a smile on her face. The gentle and melodic sounds filled the concert and her very own ears. During performances like these, she didn't pay attention to the performer's posture as it was really necessary. After all, none of these performers were amateurs. When the gentle sounds ended, that's when she reopened them and clapped her hands as well as the rest of the audience. The next several performers played various pieces by Mozart, Debussy, Liszt, Beetoveen, Chopin, etc., and while Kazuha loved all of the pieces, she could care less who was playing them. Out of all of Ashiha-sensei's former students, she wanted to hear Haruka's the most. She didn't know what her sister was going to play as she had kept that a secret from her the whole time. She wondered if she was going to play an actual piece or a piece of her very own, after all, even the concert program didn't mention it. There was one other person besides Haruka who had the same thing as well... at least to what Kazuha could tell anyway. She had no idea if it was done on purpose of it was a typo. Either way, she was loving the concert. |
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| Katagiri Taro | May 31 2008, 05:47 PM Post #15 |
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Kazuha agreed to Katsuo's suggestion and asked if they could meet immediately at her house after school. She explained that her parents weren't at home and that her sister had an interview, which surprised Katsuo. He also had an older brother who was being regularly interviewed and now ached to find out more about Kazuha's sister. In the meantime, Shiraki-sensei had joined her students and patted them encouragingly on the back as if she wanted to ensure them that they had her faith. Because Katsuo still had afternoon classes, he was forced to find Kazuha's house on his own. She had given him her address, but it didn't help him much, for he had a horrible sense of orientation. He had to ask several clueless passers-by for directions first before an old woman, who was a neighbour of Kazuha, finally guided him to the Takemoto residence. The old woman told him to say hello to Kazuha and her sister Haruka-san. When he asked her what kind of person Haruka was, she answered, "Haruka-san is one of the most talented pianists I have ever seen. A real prodigy." At that moment Hyuga Katsuo realized that Kazuha was different from all the people he had met until now. The feeling he had had about her during the opening ceremony had not been wrong after all. Back to the present "Our next performer will be Chihara Soichirou, who is going to play Orage from Franz Liszt's Années de Pèlerinage. Chihara Soichirou is currently attending the renowned Boston University College of Fine Arts in the United States." Katsuo leaned back and started to leaf through his concert program again. Années de Pèlerinage was a French title and could be translated as Years of Pilgrimage. It consisted of three suites, whereas Orage (Storm) was the fifth piece of the first suite, Première Année: Suisse (First year: Switzerland). The piece was immediately to Katsuo's liking because it was exactly the type of music he usually listened to and played. 'I should add that to my list of pieces I want to play.' According to the program, a short intermission of thirty minutes was going to follow after Chihara's performance. The atmosphere suddenly became tense and it seemed as if everyone was paying less attention to Chihara than to the two musicians who were going to play after the pause. The audience was drawing one last breath before Ashiha-sensei's two best students stepped onto the stage. The first one to perform after the intermission was supposed to be Takemoto Haruka. And the musician after her was Hyuga Senri, who also happened to be the last performer of the concert. No one in the concert hall knew what was awaiting them. After Chihara had left the stage amid loud applause, the concert hall slowly emptied. The audience rushed into the foyer and waited for the thirty minutes to pass, hardly able to suppress the anticipation. ___________ http://youtube.com/watch?v=tBh6tHW-iJA Edited by Tsuchiura Ryotarou, Jun 2 2008, 02:57 PM.
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6:32 PM Nov 28
