“Shirai-san, you seem busy. Well, you’ve found what you needed to do, so this should be enough of a harvest. Mitsuki, what are your plans after this? If you don’t have anything else to do, wanna grab a meal before going home?”
Just knowing that I might be able to secure a piano and a practice space in the future is already a step toward achieving my goals.
“Shirai-san is not only managing True Mirage, but also handling my solo activities makes it quite challenging.”
Though she talks about it as if it’s someone else’s problem, her conversation with Shirai-san shows that she must trust her a lot. Although it’s an idol agency, I felt a bit cautious, but it seems like there are people she can trust, like childhood friends, which makes me feel relieved.
As I lifted my bag off the ground and stood up, Mituki pointed and exclaimed, “Wait, Kazu-kun! Is that by any chance…?”
“That’s the music folder I’ve been using for a while. I brought it, thinking I might need it to play the piano or something.”
In an instant, Mitsuki’s eyes sparkled in excitement.
“That’s the music folder you’ve been using for ages… I-I want to hear it.”
Just a little while ago, I adjusted a certain piece of sheet music, but I thought it wouldn’t be used. I only wished to get a chance to touch a proper piano privately after such a long time.
“Then let me play a little using the piano here.”
“I’d rather hear it in a bigger place. I can use the studio for my practice anytime; let’s go there. Kazu-kun, let’s get dancing!”
“Wait, are you sure this is okay?”
“Hehe~, don’t worry. I have some leverage at the agency. I haven’t heard of any other trainees coming today. We’ll be fine for just one day.”
She winked playfully. That’s right. I almost forgot that Mitsuki is the star idol of Star Planet Music.
…It feels like a bit of an abuse of power, though.
“Or perhaps, Kazu-kun, do you still not want to play the piano?”
She held my hand, looking a little anxious.
Whenever I played the piano during university, it was always a moment of trial. Whether it was during the composition presentation in seminars, practical exams, or performances in class, I felt like I was always being tested. Perhaps because of the accumulated experiences, I rarely needed much practice; I would just slam the keys to get through.
But now, things are different.
There’s no one here trying to test me.
No one to tie me down.
If there’s an environment where I can freely and comfortably play for my childhood friend…
“Of course, I want to play. I’m in a condition to give Mitsuki the best performance.”
There’s only one answer I have to say.
“Yeahh!”
Mitsuki does a small victory pose and skips along, pulling my hand.
Her glossy ponytail floats in the air, just as it always has since childhood.
And I’ve been saved by this boundless brightness since our childhood days.
☆☆☆☆☆☆
“Studio 3”
That was the practice room that Mitsuki calmly entered.
During our time here, Mitsuki encountered someone and gracefully handled the conversation and I couldn’t help but be amazed by the change of her demeanor which was something new to me.
“Good work, Toujou. I’d like to confirm the dance a bit, so could I use the practice room? Is it available?”
“Oh, right, you mentioned that earlier. Here, this is the key to the room. Return it to Suzuki in accounting later. Ah, by the way, there’s a kindergarten group visiting the office right now, so you might run into them. Please handle that somehow.”
“Thank you very much!”
With a perfect outgoing style, she received the key to the practice room.
Mitsuki’s adaptability was truly remarkable, and it seemed that Star Planet Music had a very laid-back company culture. Even though they noticed me standing behind her, nobody made any particular remarks.
“So this is the music studio of an idol agency… It’s pretty professional.”
The walls had high-quality soundproofing, and there were guitars, bass amps, drums, microphones, speakers, CD players, MD decks, and many other expensive musical instruments from well-known manufacturers, as if it were a matter of course.
“Even though it’s a dance rehearsal studio, they prioritize space, so there aren’t many instruments.”
Facing the reflex mirror hung on the studio wall, Mitsuki started a light stretch.
The music Mitsuki and I created together was different from merely listening or playing.
When Mitsuki began to dance, I would create an improvised piece to match her movements.
When I started playing a piece, Mitsuki would dance an improvised routine in sync with the music.
Even without any bias, Mitsuki was a skilled dancer. Watching her perform was thrilling from any perspective.
“Everything is set, Kazu-kun! I can match anything now, even an improvised piece!”
Mitsuki beamed with an inappropriate smile.
For me, this was one of the rare opportunities to see the dance of a top idol up close. I would make the most of it.
“How about this? ‘Slash with a Thousand Swords.’ It’s a piano arrangement.”
“Eh!? W-Wait, Kazu-kun, this is…!?”
While surprised, Mitsuki stepped forward and positioned herself in front of the center microphone with practiced movements.
‘Slash with a Thousand Swords’ was the 7th single of ‘TRUE MIRAGE,’ which was released last week. It began with Mitsuki as the unyielding center, demonstrating swordplay on stage with the microphone representing a sword.
“You’ve already turned last week’s new release into a piano arrangement?!”
“The chord progressions suited my taste. Modulation to the enharmonic minor key in the pre-chorus, followed by three or four consecutive half steps upward at the end. There aren’t many arrangements of this song on the internet yet, so I had free rein with this one. I want to see if my arrangement will pass muster with the pros.”
This arrangement focused on the overall structure of ‘TRUE MIRAGE’ while incorporating Mitsuki’s main melody. In essence, it extracted the best parts for Mitsuki to sing.
“Wow! Kazu-kun, you’re amazing! I can’t afford to lose!”
However, it was somewhat concerning that Mitsuki’s expression onstage as ‘TRUE MIRAGE’ seemed to differ slightly from her expression now.
With a click, the intro began playing, and at that moment, we hadn’t even noticed that several people were standing outside the studio watching us intently.
☆☆☆☆☆☆
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TL : Zenon#4120