[Creative Awards 2025] Canon de Viena 2 [Entertainment Original Work Category]

Nonomura Aoi—I first met her on the day I entered high school. It was a pleasant, sunny day, the perfect weather to celebrate a new beginning, with the full-bloom cherry blossoms standing out beautifully against the clear blue sky. A new encounter as a high school student. Surely, the freshmen were filled with sparkling thoughts of love, youth, and club activities, and everything they saw must have looked vibrant.
But for me, such scenery was merely a part of my field of vision, just existing there. I had been playing the violin for ten years. Expected to have a promising future, I had devoted myself solely to accumulating achievements. Days of one-on-one lessons with my instructor, aiming to win competitions.
To achieve higher quality, the lessons became increasingly rigorous from middle school. There was no longer even a shred of enjoyment in it. Even after entering a high school with a music department, I no longer knew what I was aiming for or why I continued to play the violin.
Endless practice and pressure. Even the dazzling spring scenery looked like nothing but a gray landscape filled with gloomy thoughts to me.
While walking through the corridor thinking such things, a piano melody drifted on the spring breeze from somewhere. This piece was Chopin's Nocturne Op. 9, No. 2. Someone was playing it somewhere.
—What a soft and beautiful sound.
Before I knew it, I was walking toward the place where that tone resonated, as if guided. I didn't know the classrooms in the school well yet. I just followed the sound to find the place. The performance gradually grew closer. Turning the corner in the hallway, I could hear the piano clearly. The Second Music Room. I slowly opened the classroom door.
Soft sunlight streaming in from the window. Her glossy, long black hair reflected the light and swayed beautifully. With her back to the sunlight, her figure as she played, as if gently stroking the keys, was as beautiful as a painting, like the spring scenery where colorful flowers were budding.
The curtains swayed gently, and the scent of a calm spring danced in the classroom. Each note resonating from the jet-black grand piano was colored like a palette, and it instantly turned my gray field of vision into a vibrant landscape.
When the performance ended, she seemed to notice me and stood up softly. Even her standing posture was elegant. Was she a second-year or a third-year? Unlike my childish self, she was very mature and glamorous. Her mouth gradually opened.
"I'm sorry! Are you planning to use this room? No one was here, so I thought it would be perfect and used it without asking...! I'm sorry, I'll leave right away!"
I hurriedly stopped her as she grabbed her bag in a panic.
"Ah, no, that's not it! That's not it! It's not like that, I...!"
She stopped her hand and tilted her head slightly.
"I just... the performance was so beautiful that, um... I just came to see who was playing..."
Then she dropped the bag she was holding, walked up to me, and suddenly took my hand, leaning in close.
"Really!? I'm so happy! Hey, do you like music too? What kind of songs do you listen to? Can you play the piano, by any chance?"
"Eh, wait, eh!?"
Where did that demure atmosphere from earlier go? She approached me excitedly with her eyes sparkling. I was taken aback by the gap and the momentum.
"Ah, I'm sorry! I just got switched on..."
Her playful expression as she gave a shy smile was just like a girl her age, very cute and full of friendliness. She returned to her posture, clasped her hands behind her back, and said again while narrowing her eyes.
"Hey, do you like music too?"
I couldn't answer that question immediately. The two-character word "like" felt as heavy as lead, and I couldn't say it. A black haze hung deep in my chest. Those two characters had faded long ago, and now I couldn't see them anymore.
"...Not really, right now."
"Is that so? But I think you feel the appeal of music. Otherwise, you wouldn't have come here, right? Doesn't that mean you actually like music?"
Is that so? It's true that I felt something that drew me to her sound, and my feet naturally headed here. However, I don't feel that way about the sound I play myself. What I put into my sound now is nothing but bitter emotions.
"What about piano? Do you play the piano?"
"I'm majoring in violin, so..."
"Eh! A violinist!? Since you're majoring in it, does that mean you're a student in the music department!? That's nice, I'm jealous!"
"Eh? Aren't you a piano major in the music department, senpai?"
Then she suddenly burst out laughing, holding her stomach.
"Senpai! I just enrolled today, you know? Besides, I'm a student in the general course. Class 6, Year 1, Nonomura Aoi. And you?"
"Class 1, Year 1, Aizawa Nanase."
"Hey, I think meeting here is some kind of fate! Let's be friends!"
"Eh! ...U-un."
"Yay! Nice to meet you, Aizawa-san!"
Her smile, like sunlight filtering through trees, blending into the serene spring scenery. Cherry blossom petals rode the soft breeze and slid gently over the grand piano. We were guided by music and met like this.

The music department and the general course have separate school buildings. Every lunch break, Aoi would go out of her way to the music department building where the Second Music Room was to play the piano. There is a music room in the general course building too, but Aoi seems to like the grand piano here. Knowing that Aoi would come here, I also started eating my lunch in the Second Music Room, and before I knew it, that became our daily routine.
Aoi's playing technique certainly seemed to have a gap compared to the students in the music department. Even so, sometimes she would play a sophisticated and beautiful tone that would wake you up. It was a melody more beautiful than anyone in the music department, one that made you listen in fascination.
By the time we became close enough to call each other by our first names, I asked Aoi.
"Hey, Aoi, why did you choose the general course? Why didn't you take the piano major in the music department?"
"Actually, I did take it, by recommendation. But I failed."
"Eh..."
"I started piano late, in middle school. I had no achievements, so I tried to accept that I would fail. But then I learned that this school has a system to transfer from the general course to the music department, so I couldn't give up, and I slipped in through the general entrance exam for the general course."
"So that's what happened..."
Honestly, I was surprised. Usually, kids who do music grow up spending a lot of time on music, like me, taking lessons and going to music schools from a young age. Aoi said she started piano in middle school. Honestly, it's too late. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it's too late.
But even though Aoi's playing technique has a gap compared to the music department students, it's not significantly inferior. Even though there is a big difference in the starting point. This is something that can't be achieved without musical talent.
Of course, it's not something that can be dismissed with the word talent. How much did she face the piano, practice, and put in effort to acquire this level of technique? What drives her so much?
"I'm thinking of taking the transfer exam for the music department piano major next February. If I pass that, it means we can study in the same building! I'd be so happy if that happened. If I were to be greedy, it would be nice if we were in the same class too."
"Piano majors and violin majors are in different classes. But I'd be happy if Aoi transferred to the music department. There's an ensemble class, and if we could take classes together, it might be fun..."
"Really!? Alright! I'll definitely pass and go to the same music department as Nanase from the second year!"
Aoi, who faces the piano earnestly, enjoys it from the heart, and loves music, looked very dazzling to me. Contrary to her elegant appearance, her bravery and courage to face headwinds. Yet, once she plays the piano, elegance drifts, and she changes the scenery of the listener into the colors she weaves. It's a strange story that Nonomura Aoi, who hides such charm, is not a student in the music department. I think she is the one who should get the pass.
"Hey, what about you, Nanase?"
"Eh?"
"Violin. You said you've been in a slump for a long time."
"Yeah..., my grades in class and my performance in lessons aren't very good. My sound is just a symbol. ...It's empty."
I hugged my knees and said that with a voice mixed with mockery. My recent performances have become just tracing the sheet music. It's a performance with no meaning. Facing the violin is also painful, and when I try to play, my arms become heavy, and I'm covered in a feeling like I'm suffocating.
"Hey Nanase, let me hear your violin tomorrow."
"Eh!?"
"Because it's been three months since we met, and I still haven't heard Nanase's violin performance."
"It's impossible, impossible! I told you earlier, right? You'll just be disappointed if you hear my performance!"
"Whether I'm disappointed or not isn't for you to decide, right?"
Aoi said that while raising her eyebrows and puffing out her cheeks. She pointed at me with the arm she had on her waist and continued.
"It's a promise! You absolutely must bring your violin tomorrow!"
I tried to reply, "Even if you say that," but I was interrupted by the warning bell and missed my chance. Just before leaving the Second Music Room, Aoi looked back and smiled, emphasizing, "It's a promise!" It was a look filled with expectation. My performance isn't something to be expected of. A sigh leaked from my mouth.
The next day, lunch arrived. I opened the door to the Second Music Room with my violin in hand, holding negative thoughts about whether I really had to play. Aoi hadn't arrived yet. It's rare for her to be late, as she always comes earlier than me to play the piano.
Summer sunlight streamed into the Second Music Room, and the contrast between light and shadow stood out clearly. The scenery had completely changed to a summer sky after the rainy season ended. When I opened the window, a lukewarm breeze gently stroked my cheeks. I could hear the sound of leaves rustling and the chirping of cicadas.
An empty music room. When I looked at the piano chair, Aoi's figure sitting there was easily projected. At the same time, her performance came back to my mind. The song she often plays is Pachelbel's Canon. The sound Aoi plays strangely calms my heart, and only at that time are my gloomy emotions removed. It's a calm and pleasant, special time just for me.
I took out my violin and stood in front of the piano. I pictured her playing and drew the bow. The violin melody resonated in the music room. The smooth and beautiful, delicate piano sound that Aoi plays. If I were to layer the violin over that performance. I let my thoughts wander like that.
That was when it happened. The music room door opened. My hand stopped, and the sound that had been resonating melted into the air and disappeared. Aoi, standing at the entrance, opened her eyes wide and stared at me. As her eyebrows tightened, she walked straight toward me. I was grabbed by both arms and stiffened. Her cheeks gradually flushed.
"Wonderful!"
"Eh?"
"Let me hear that again! Nanase's violin is so wonderful!"
I was bewildered by Aoi, who had a full smile like a blooming flower. That kind of performance was just a whim to clear my head. A messy performance that ignored theory. Yet, Aoi's eyes were filled with light, sparkling like a starry sky.
When I was troubled for an answer, Aoi tilted her head as if to probe, "No?" And after thinking for a bit, she sat on the piano chair.
"Then let's play together."
"Ehh!?"
Aoi started playing the piano without caring. Her specialty, Pachelbel's Canon. A beautiful melody envelops the music room. But it's different from usual. What Aoi started playing is not the main melody. It's the accompaniment. She's inviting me. "Ride on my sound," she says, as if speaking.
It's not forceful. She's inviting me gently, carefully, one note at a time, as if reaching out her hand.
I was wrapped in a strange sensation. It was a feeling accompanied by a sense of relief, as if I were bathing in the calm spring sunlight. Colorful sounds with warm tones fell softly deep into my chest and echoed gently.
It was as if she were gently rubbing my back. A melody so gentle it made me want to cry pushed my back slowly.
There are no stiff constraints or strict rules. I don't have to be tense; I just have to surrender myself to her sound. When I thought that, my strength left me, and my body felt light. I naturally held the violin and drew the bow to synchronize with the soft sound.
The form of the violin in my hand, the feeling of the bow. Usually, I feel nothing, but now that sensation is clearly transmitted to my fingertips. It's as if the instrument is alive. Strangely, my arms aren't heavy. My fingers, shoulders, and breathing aren't trembling. I can be surprisingly natural. Aoi's soft, clinging sound is familiar to my ears and pleasant. My sound and Aoi's sound overlap, melt into one melody, and change into a vivid resonance.
—The sound is rejoicing.
The heat rising gradually. This feeling rising from the bottom of my stomach. How long has it been since I was wrapped in such a feeling? The sound Aoi plays was like magic brought by an angel.
When I finished playing the last measure, a breath escaped me. I can feel my chest heating up and beating.
"Nanase."
Her glamorous, calm voice called my name.
"Nanase's tone isn't empty. When music carries wishes and prayers, it responds properly. How is it? Did my thoughts reach you properly, Nanase?"
I felt a heat in my eyes as I looked at Aoi, who was staring straight at me with a smile. Emotions and heat smoldering from deep in my chest spread.
For a long time, my heart had been dry like a desert, and no matter what song I played, no emotions came up. Yet, just by playing with her once, my emotions were changed this much.
Aoi pulled me out of the desert I was buried in so easily. The hand she reached out, her words, her voice, her tone—the world Aoi weaves is filled with light, and she repainted my world, which was a desert, into a great nature with a spreading lake in an instant.
Aoi is an incredible pianist. A girl who looks elegant and lovely, but is forceful and selfish. But she is a person with a pure heart who can create gentle sounds. My first friend.
"Yeah, it reached me. It reached me, Aoi."
Aoi made me notice the small fragment shining deep in my chest. It was a fragment of music I had lost long ago. My sound hadn't disappeared yet. It had been here all along.
When I looked out the window, the sky that had turned into summer colors was spreading far and wide. That blue was so dazzling that I felt it looked vivid enough to make me cry.

"Nanase-san, your sound's sustain has improved."
It was before the summer vacation started that my violin instructor told me that during a lesson.
"It's a big difference from a little while ago. With this, you can aim for the top in competitions again."
"Competition..."
Although the gloominess about playing the violin had eased after playing with Aoi, the motivation for competitions didn't arise. I think about what meaning there is in participating in many competitions, continuing to participate, and continuing an endless challenge. If I win a prize, what will it become? Even if I stand on a big stage as a violinist and perform, what is waiting ahead? Lots of cheers and applause, basking in the limelight and getting attention. That could be called success in general society. However, I'm not interested in such things right now. Motivation doesn't arise. I don't have a reason to stand on stage as a violinist and keep playing.
"How about it, Nanase-san, why don't you participate in the All-Japan Classical Music Competition held in the autumn?"
"Teacher, I..."
"It's okay! Nanase-san, you have high technical skills, as well as interpretation and expressive power of the music. For a while, your concentration didn't last, or you didn't seem to be in the mood, but recently it has improved, and that is appearing in your sound. You are at a level where you can have enough confidence."
"Haa..."
"There is still time until the application deadline, so please think about it."
Participation in the competition was put on hold.
Around that time, the topic of the school festival started coming up in class. Each class is free to choose their exhibit. Just because we are in the music department doesn't mean we have to do a music presentation in class. Many people have competitions coming up personally and would want to work on that practice. It wasn't rare to do exhibits unrelated to music.
However, the first-year students in the music department this year seem to have a strong "both literary and military arts" mindset. A proposal was made to do an orchestra across class boundaries. Everyone was enthusiastic about the proposal, and it became a decided matter before we knew it. Surely, summer vacation will take up a lot of time for that practice. I wanted to invite Aoi and go play somewhere during summer vacation. Even though I thought that.
"Nanase, look at this!"
At lunch, when I was eating my lunch in the Second Music Room as usual, Aoi held a flyer in front of my eyes triumphantly and said. I remember that flyer too. I saw it often because it was posted on the bulletin board. One of the famous events of the school festival, typical of this school with a music department.
"Kyoka Festival Music Concert..."
"Yeah! Anyone can participate in any format. There are no restrictions on songs, and the degree of freedom is high. At first glance, it feels like just a concert to liven up the school festival, but there is a rumor about this concert."
"Rumor?"
"On the surface, it's called a concert, but it seems to have the same meaning as a competition. The rumor is that the student who performs the most excellent performance will have it reflected in their grades and get an evaluation."
"Really? Isn't it just a rumor?"
"Well, it's just a rumor after all. Even so, I want to challenge it. If there is a possibility, I want to do even the smallest thing. I want to leave a strong impression here and bring the transfer to the music department even a little closer. And so, Nanase, I actually have a request... Um..., would you participate in a duo performance with me?"
"Eh, me!?"
"Yeah, I really want to go out with Nanase! Please!"
Aoi's figure bowing deeply looked somehow strangely small. Her usually bright voice was tinged with a little desperation, and her hands gripping the hem of her skirt were trembling slightly.
Why me? The feeling of thinking that and the ticklish feeling that she chose me mix. It was none other than Aoi who pulled out my fading tone in the true sense. Aoi was close to me. Then it's my turn to be her strength. I want to support Aoi's back. I thought so from the bottom of my heart.
"I understand, okay. Let's do a duo together."
"Really!? I'm happy, thank you Nanase!"
Aoi, who raised her face, showed a blooming smile and drifted a sense of relief. I also smiled back pleasantly. That said, the music department exhibit and the concert, summer vacation assignments and lessons—we have to do all of these simultaneously. This is going to be a hard summer vacation.
Even so, if the concert rumor is true, I absolutely cannot cut corners for Aoi's sake. If this challenge becomes a foothold for transferring to the music department, I also want to support Aoi. If Aoi transfers to the music department, we will surely be able to talk more and spend more time together than now. It leads to a bright future for both Aoi and me. When I thought that, a sense of exhilaration welled up.
Let's definitely make it a success. I clenched my fist slightly as if to get fired up.
Summer vacation was as busy as I thought. I thought I was prepared, but the schedule was tight, and I couldn't take enough practice time. It's a situation where I haven't touched my summer vacation assignments at all.
"Nanase, you look tired, are you okay? I'm sorry, even though it's hard with the orchestra practice... I didn't know the music department class was doing an orchestra, and yet I asked you..."
"It's okay, it's okay! Don't worry about it. It's something I decided to do. Besides, I'm happy. Only when I'm playing with Aoi does the scenery look completely different. It's not like that with anyone else. I feel like I'm facing music the most when I'm with Aoi."
"Nanase.... Thank you, really."
I'm the one who should be thanking you. Because it's thanks to Aoi that I've become able to play the violin comfortably again like this. If it's Aoi, she will surely make this concert a success and pass the transfer exam. I had that conviction.
From April to today, I've been listening to her performance by her side. Since that first time we met, the sound she plays has changed significantly. Even I, who am majoring in violin, can tell. Is that why I was inspired by her sound and wanted to play a more sophisticated sound? The surging thoughts well up like a spring. It's true that my body feels tired. However, only when I play with Aoi does my heart dance and I forget such things. Just by being next to Aoi, I can be myself.
After finishing practice, when I left the Second Music Room, the hallway was filled with a damp heat, a complete change from the room where the air conditioning was working. Even though it was evening, the sun was still energetically illuminating the school building. Even though I knew it was only a consolation, I couldn't help but fan myself with my hand to send wind to myself.
"Ugh... I'm worst at humid heat. Aoi, aren't you going to cut your hair? Aren't you hot? It looks like it's hard to take care of too."
"That's true, but long hair is surprisingly cool if you tie it up. Besides, it's like a prayer, so I don't want to cut it yet."
"A prayer, huh, that's kind of romantic! What kind of wish are you making?"
"That is—"
At that moment, I heard voices from a classroom I was walking by.
"Did you hear? A student from the general course is participating in this year's Kyoka Festival concert. They have guts, don't they?"
"I heard, I heard. Even though it's free participation, the level is quite high, right, that concert. It's like it's for the music department. And I heard that the participants this year are all talented third-year students. It would be embarrassing if a general course person appeared, and it would just dampen the mood, right?"
"And the story is that she's appearing with Aizawa-san. We have an orchestra, so why did she decide to participate? Aizawa-san should have refused."
"Maybe she was threatened by a general course student? Look, Aizawa-san is good at violin, but she's shy, or rather, she's not the type to talk back, right?"
"Ah, that's true. Poor Aizawa-san, being used for their own convenience."
I felt my head get hot all at once. A discomfort like blood flowing backward covered my whole body. What do you mean "poor"? I don't want you to decide with selfish speculation. Above all, I couldn't forgive them for saying things that put people down without even hearing Aoi's performance. My clenched fist trembled with anger.
Then, Aoi gently scooped up my hand, wrapped it with both hands, and shook her head quietly. Aoi showing a soft smile. Her body temperature transmitted from both hands. My stiff fist gradually loosened. Confirming that, Aoi put her hand on the classroom door. The students inside turned toward us, looking surprised at the door that opened suddenly.
"Aoi!?"
"General course, Year 1, Class 6, Nonomura Aoi! This year's Kyoka Festival concert, Nanase and I will fascinate all the students! We will carve it into your hearts so much that you won't be satisfied with other sounds, so please look forward to it!"
I opened my mouth wide at Aoi, who spoke big and cut a bluff.
"Let's go, Nanase!"
"Eh, wait, Aoi!"
Pulled by my hand as told, we ran through the hallway. The sun reflects with a flicker. Her hair running in front of me sways and dances left and right. Bouncing laughter, the school uniform skirt dancing. Her cheeks when she looked back were slightly dyed, and she carried a dazzling smile while catching her breath. That figure was so gorgeous it was like a picture, and I was so captivated that I couldn't take my eyes off her.
"Ah—! That was fun! Those kids earlier had faces like pigeons that had eaten bean-poppers, it was funny!"
"It wasn't 'fun'! What are you saying suddenly? I was so surprised I thought my heart would jump out!"
"Really, I said something big, didn't I? But I wonder why, I feel like I can pull it off if I'm with Nanase."
Saying that, she showed her teeth with a grin. Why is it? There should be talented people among the third-year students, but when Aoi says it, I strangely feel like it might happen.
Suddenly, the surprised faces of the classmates I saw earlier came to mind. Expressions of being stunned with round eyes. Remembering it made me feel kind of funny, and I started laughing too. Two laughs echoing in the hallway.
The bell announcing the evening rings in the distance. Summer vacation was also about to reach the halfway point.

It was when practice was reaching its climax that I received another inquiry about participating in the competition from my violin instructor.
"How about it, Nanase-san? If you achieve a top prize in the autumn competition, it will also be advantageous for participating in the international competition held next year. With your current ability, you will surely be able to win a prize, and if you can make your name known in the international competition, your future range will expand even more. There is no loss in trying. Won't you participate?"
The gaze filled with expectation and longing directed by the teacher. Honor and fame. I don't need such things. The time I spend playing with Aoi is far more precious, important, and makes my heart race. I'm fine if I can just do music with Aoi. I can say it clearly now. That is the only reason I face music.
"I'm sorry, teacher. I won't participate in the competition."
"Eh!?"
"I'm not doing music now because I want prizes or fame or things like that."
"But, Nanase-san—"
"I've been taken care of by you since I was little, and thanks to that, I've been able to leave results in competitions until now. I think I was able to improve because you guided me by my side. I'm grateful for that. But teacher, I don't want to do music for the sake of competitions. I want to do music for my precious best friend."
"Nanase-san..."
"I'm sorry for being selfish."
"...For now, I understand. If you change your mind, please tell me anytime."
Perhaps because I haven't asserted myself much until now, the teacher seemed a bit confused by my words. I myself have never spoken my feelings so clearly. When I put it into words, I felt it even more strongly in my chest. For her sake. When I thought that, I felt I could perform with pride in my sound. I felt that.
The problem happened three days before the school festival. I doubted my eyes when I saw the Kyoka Festival pamphlet distributed to students. The performance of the music department class and the concert participation time overlapped. The venues for each performance were also different. Aoi and I hurriedly went to the school festival executive committee to request an adjustment.
"Um! Can you change the order of this program!? I'm scheduled to participate in both!"
"Eh!? That's strange, I should have considered it and organized it... Ugh, it's impossible in terms of time to reorganize the structure and recreate the pamphlet from now on. Even if I request it to the printing shop, it won't make it in time. I'm sorry, but could you consult individually? If you tell me, I'll handle the change announcement on the day."
The committee made the mistake, but is that all they have to say? A wrinkle enters the pamphlet I was holding. I wasn't convinced because it felt like I was being brushed off.
"Nanase, it can't be helped. Let's talk to the seniors participating in the concert."
However, the third-year seniors couldn't shift the time due to class exhibits and ensemble member circumstances.
"What should we do..."
Behind the school building, Aoi and I were at a loss. Should I just withdraw from the class orchestra? I was thinking like that. Aoi was also silent next to me. In the silence that continued, only the chirping of cicadas echoed in my ears. Then, Aoi suddenly stood up. She didn't turn around while keeping her back to me.
"Nanase, go to the class performance."
"Eh...? Wait a minute. Then what happens to the duo!?"
"I'll decide to go out with a piano solo."
"That, changing to a solo from now on...! I'll do the duo! I'll withdraw from the class orchestra! The orchestra will manage somehow even without me!"
"No. Nanase, you said it, right, that there's a solo part too. If Nanase leaves, it will cause a lot of trouble for the people in the music department."
"But, I want to with Aoi...!"
Her eyes when she turned around had a color where anxiety and determination were mixed.
"Thank you, Nanase. But this might be a trial for me. Maybe God is saying to overcome it. So, I'll try."
"Aoi..."
From then until the day, I ended up spending a lot of time on the final practice of the orchestra, and we reached the day of the Kyoka Festival without meeting Aoi.
At that time, I couldn't get the expression Aoi showed, which couldn't wipe away her anxiety, out of my head. When she was asked to participate in the concert, her hands were trembling slightly. For her, who said she had no achievements, it was her first big stage. When I stood on stage alone for the first time in front of many people, I felt like I was going to be crushed by tension and anxiety. Surely Aoi is the same. Even if she acts tough, her heart is full of anxiety.
So I thought. The music department class performance is the first event of the afternoon, held in the main hall on the 1st floor. In contrast, Aoi's performance is 20 minutes later, held in the recital hall on the 2nd floor. The orchestra program is a 30-minute structure. And my violin solo part is 5 minutes after the start. The time should be enough.
I made up my mind and called Aoi. The ringing tone that continues to ring for a long time.
Please, answer the phone. Is she in the final adjustment of the program, or—.
Anxiety grows with the phone that doesn't connect easily. That was when.
"Nanase...?"
I heard Aoi's voice from my smartphone. However, the usual brightness is not felt in that voice. I raised my face and said clearly.
"Aoi, come see the performance. Just the first 5 minutes is fine. Come see my solo part. I want Aoi to see it. Okay? It's a promise."
I hung up without waiting for Aoi's reply. I don't know if she will come. Even so, I decided. I will play the violin solo that gets the most attention for only one person, my precious best friend.
1:00 PM. The time for the music department first-year orchestra performance arrived. The heat of the lights on stage. The venue with the audience. The air with a tense atmosphere. This feeling, it's been a while. The students who went up to the podium quietly set their forms at the conductor's signal.
The next moment, the quiet air shook, and magnificent music that enveloped the venue was born. A performance with a sense of weight, a melody of overlapping sounds. My tone melts into a part of it. But, only here is my solo stage. The music finally reaches the violin solo part. I stood up and put all of my soul into this performance.
I want you to see my figure. I want it to reach her. This thought will surely be conveyed much more strongly through music than words.
Go, resonate, my sound. This sound is not empty. When music carries wishes and prayers, it responds properly. It should surely reach. Because she taught me that.
—Reach, reach! Reach! You are absolutely okay!
I threw my thoughts into my sound. This might be the first time I've performed with so much passion. My heart beats loudly. The heat, the light, the air I feel on my skin, and the tone that echoes in response to my thoughts. I released all of this into the venue.
—Please, I hope it reaches her.
When all the programs were finished, the venue was wrapped in grand applause. As soon as I went to the wings, a sudden sense of fatigue attacked me. I performed with all my might. The fatigue is incomparable to before. Classmates and teachers rushed over and praised my performance. I hardly listened to those voices and immediately rushed to the recital hall on the 2nd floor.
How is Aoi's performance doing now? Combined with the fatigue of the performance, every time I climbed the stairs one by one, my breath became more and more rapid. Even though it was only one floor away, perhaps because of my rushing feelings, that distance felt strangely long.
—Hurry, hurry, Aoi's performance will end.
I saw the hall door after climbing the stairs. Forgetting to catch my breath, I put my hand on the handle.
The moment I opened the door, I was covered in a feeling as if I had stepped into another world. What I see on stage is a jet-black grand piano that is bathed in bright lights and has a luster. And there was Aoi's figure, emitting a presence like dazzling light, not losing to that elegant form.
I felt goosebumps for a moment. The sound reaching my ears is completely different from before. I was drawn in in an instant. A noble and sophisticated performance that is overwhelming. Boldness like a large flower and delicacy like silk, various scenes emerge from the sound. This is Aoi's performance. The world Aoi plays.
When she finished playing the last note, applause and cheers that seemed to decorate the grand finale arose. The recital hall is not as big as the main hall. The seats were not all filled either. Even so, the sound of praise that arose echoed throughout the venue.
Aoi is the first performer of the program. It was an order that could be taken as an opening act for the concert. She shot through the hearts of everyone in the audience all by herself and captivated them.
My eyes became warm as I looked at her showing a smile to the audience with a dignified figure. Her figure that looked anxious seems like a lie.
—Amazing. You're amazing, Aoi.
The applause in the venue that doesn't stop. I also sent her as much applause as I could, not losing to them.
When Aoi's performance ended, I was soaking in the afterglow while leaning against the entrance wall. I could only hear a little, but even so, Aoi's performance was impressive enough to remain in my heart. If it were true, I should have been in that place and performed a duo with Aoi. I wanted to stand on stage together. I wanted to share that moment. But it didn't come true. Of course, there is the joy that Aoi's performance was a success. But, regret was welling up deep in my chest just as much.
And one more thing, I couldn't hide my surprise at Aoi's performance technique and musical sense. Initially, the main melody of the song was the violin. It was 3 days ago that I changed from a duo performance to a solo performance. Aoi arranged it in those 3 days, thought about the balance of the performance, and brought it to completion. I was taken up by the practice of my class performance and didn't give any advice at all. Aoi accomplished this all by herself. In that ability, I felt something unfathomable about Aoi.
"Nanase!"
When I turned to Aoi's bouncing voice, she ran straight to me and hugged me with all her might without caring about people's eyes.
"Aoi!?"
"Nanase, thank you! Thanks to Nanase's violin, I was able to finish it to the end!"
"You came to see it."
"Yeah, I went to see it! I heard it, Nanase's violin solo. Nanase's sound pushed my back with all its might!"
Aoi loosened her arms and lowered her eyebrows shyly.
"Actually, you know, shamefully, my hands were trembling all day today. With tension, anxiety, and loneliness, I was trembling the whole time. But when I heard Nanase's violin, strangely, the trembling stopped. It felt like Nanase was saying, 'It's okay.' It felt like you were supporting me by my side. Then my feelings gradually started to rise, and even though I was so full of anxiety, I started to think I wanted to play the piano quickly! It's true!"
My thoughts put into the sound were properly reaching Aoi's heart. It was delivered. Her full smile shining brightly. When I saw her, a sense of fulfillment that filled my chest welled up. There hasn't been a day I thought it was good to play the violin more than today. I felt that this day was surely the moment when meaning was born in my music in the true sense.
"Hey Nanase, it's the Kyoka Festival, so let's take a picture together since it's a good opportunity!"
"Eh, a picture!? I'm not good at being in pictures..."
"Eh—! Nanase is so cute, it's a waste! Let's take it, absolutely!"
"No, someone like me is not at all..."
"Moo—! Nanase, you underestimate everything!"
Aoi pinched my cheek lightly.
"Okay!? Nanase, the way you eat and your gestures are all cute. You don't like coffee, you have fluffy hair, and your modest side is all clear and lovely like a lily! But when you stand on stage, it's completely different. You're powerful, elegant, and full of presence. It's like a peony flower has bloomed. Nanase should notice her own charm more. At least I think so!"
Loosening the cheeks she had puffed out, Aoi shows a smile that bursts again. Ah, she is saying that from the bottom of her heart. Deep in my chest, it feels ticklish, warm, and strange. Since I met Aoi, my world has been changing constantly.
"That's right, if we're going to do it, let's take it with your violin!"
Resigned to her voice, which was urging me to hurry, hurry, I took the violin out of the case. Before I knew it, Aoi had asked a passing student to take the picture and was giving a sign with one hand as if she were fully prepared.
"Here we go, okay, cheese."
The shutter sound echoes small.
"See, you're cute after all."
The first two-shot picture with Aoi. I was showing a smile that was bright enough to surprise even myself on the screen.
My cheeks loosen at the picture with dazzling smiles lined up. I want to take it together here again next year. I was thinking like that while looking at the picture.
However, the picture taken with Aoi was only this one, both before and after.

"Hello, excuse me for today."
"Welcome, Aoi-chan! I'm happy you came! Now, come on up."
"Um, if it's okay, please have this, everyone."
Aoi said that and handed over the paper bag from the Japanese confectionery shop she was holding.
"Well, you're thoughtful! A big difference from Nanase-chan!"
Do you say that in front of the person herself? I muttered that in my heart while glaring at my mother who welcomed us, while pouting. Today, surprisingly, Aoi came to play at my house.
The beginning of the matter was after taking the picture on the day of the Kyoka Festival. My mother contacted me, saying, "I brought a gift, so I want to meet her." I didn't need a gift, and above all, I was too embarrassed to meet my parents at school. I tried to refuse, but my mother's voice over the phone was quite in a good mood, and I lost to that momentum and was forced to give in.
When we joined up, Aoi was also there, so when I introduced her, my mother showed an even more excited look. Since I hadn't had anyone I could call a friend until now, she must have been very happy that I made a close friend. Since then. My mother started asking me many times, "Aoi-chan, why don't you invite her to our house sometimes?" or "When can she come?"
When I told Aoi about that while feeling annoyed, she laughed happily.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to go. To Nanase's house."
"I don't think it's annoying! But, are you really okay? Are you not forcing yourself?"
"I'm not forcing myself. I'm really happy to be invited. Hey, can I go?"
Aoi looking at me with a smile full of expectation. When I saw her happy look, I didn't feel bad either, and I felt restless.
Because it was the first time I had invited a friend to my house.
"What would you like to drink, Aoi-chan? Orange juice, apple juice, tea, jasmine tea, cocoa, coffee. Choose what you like."
"Wow, to be able to choose from so many, it's like a cafe!"
My mother spread out the menu and showed it happily. Such a thing hadn't been in the living room until now, did she make it on purpose yesterday?
"Then, jasmine tea, please."
"What would you like, Nanase-chan?"
"Orange juice. Well then, we're going to my room now."
"I baked apple pie, so I'll bring it to your room later."
She doesn't usually make apple pie, so it's embarrassing that she's getting all fired up.
"Nanase's mother is a wonderful person."
"She's just showing off. She just wants to be thought of well. She doesn't usually have that many drinks, and she doesn't have to go out of her way to make apple pie."
"She's a good mother. I like Nanase's mother, she's cute."
"Eh—, is that so?"
When I led her to my room, Aoi stopped in front of the picture decorated on the chest. What's reflected there is me and Aoi showing a smile. It's the two-shot picture we took together at the Kyoka Festival.
"You're decorating the picture."
"Yeah, I thought I'd decorate it since it's a good opportunity."
Until a little while ago, shields, trophies, and certificates I won in competitions were decorated in my room. They were lined up clearly, as if they were proof of myself. However, for me, they felt like a curse I couldn't escape.
But, I decided to put them in a box at the Kyoka Festival. I don't need such things. Because my music is for only one person. Decorating this picture is enough.
Beyond the door, I heard a knock and my mother's voice. My mother, who brought drinks and apple pie, asked Aoi questions one after another while lining them up on the table immediately. "Where is your house?" "Can I come to greet you next time?" "Since when have you been friends with Nanase-chan?" "How does Nanase-chan spend her time at school?" When I heard it by my side, I felt my cheeks gradually getting hot.
My mother doesn't need to know such things, and it's none of her business. Even though we are talking just the two of us, I don't want my parent to come in between.
I couldn't stand it and pulled my mother out of the room. It's the worst. If it were like this, I should have invited her on a day when my mother wasn't there.
I pressed my cheeks and crouched down. Seeing me like that, Aoi laughs elegantly with a giggle.
"I'm really sorry, my mother doesn't stop once she's switched on."
"No, it's totally fine. Besides, it's kind of fun to see a side of Nanase I've never seen before."
"Eh—, it's embarrassing!"
Until now, I hadn't done anything other than violin. My room like that is bleak, and there are no cute accessories, hair goods, or anything you could call a hobby. The reason this room, which wasn't fashionable or anything, feels brighter than usual is surely because Aoi is here. Because Aoi, who laughs happily and joyfully, is next to me. It changes easily just by that.
She always gives me light. Sometimes like sunlight, sometimes like a refreshing morning sun. When I feel her light by my side, I get the feeling of being alive. If there is a God, I want to convey my gratitude for letting me meet her. Because thanks to her, I found the meaning of playing the violin.
"That's right, Nanase. I have a small request, can you hear it?"
"Request?"
"Yeah. I want you to let me record your violin song on my smartphone."
"Eh!?"
"Is it no good...?"
"It's fine, but what happened suddenly?"
Aoi laughed small while scratching her cheek.
"I told you before about failing the exam by recommendation for the music department, right? You know, when it comes to the crunch, I get scared and my hands tremble from tension and anxiety. When I was in middle school, I had participated in competitions several times, but when the day came, my hands would tremble, and my head would go blank the moment I stood on stage. It was the same when I took the music department exam. I can play calmly when practicing, but when it becomes the real thing, it doesn't go well."
"But you were able to perform alone at the Kyoka Festival, right?"
"That time, it was because I could hear Nanase's violin. Strangely, when I hear the sound of Nanase's violin, my feelings calm down. It's here, it's okay, the sound seems to speak like that, and I feel relieved. So, I want to be able to hear it anytime. To pass the transfer exam for the music department next year."
Aoi needs my sound. Is there anything happier than this? If Aoi wishes, I will play the violin as much as I want. Because my sound is for her, not for anyone else.
"I understand. What song do you want? Tell me your favorite song."
"Thank you Nanase. Then, can I ask for Air on the G String?"
"Yeah, leave it to me!"
When I held the violin, Aoi sent a signal to start recording. The melody of the song that starts to resonate quietly. The thought I want to put into this song is a heart that clings.
I understand well what Aoi was saying. When I stand on stage, I feel like I'm going to close my eyes due to fear and anxiety of failure. As a fellow performer, I understand that feeling painfully well. But that's fine. Being scared is never because your own heart is weak. It's a natural thing. You don't have to bluff that you're fine, you don't have to try to shake off anxiety forcibly. It's fine as it is. You can express yourself because you are a person who has accepted anxiety and fear. I want you to notice. Your music already has the power to change people's hearts long ago.
When I finished the performance, Aoi sent me applause with a full smile.
"Nanase's violin is wonderful after all."
"If you tell me, I'll play as many of Aoi's favorite songs as you want? It's totally fine even if it's not classical. I'll look for sheet music for songs I don't know and practice, just tell me anything!"
Aoi was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing.
"Moo—, Nanase, it's like you've become my exclusive musician. But it's okay, I'm fine with this song. Besides, Nanase is busy, so prioritize your own practice more. You have competitions too, right?"
"Eh...?"
Competition. At that word, my smile froze in an instant.
"I have to do my best too! My goal now is to pass the music department transfer exam, but that's just a passing point. It's meaningless unless I win a prize in a competition and become able to perform on a bigger stage."
"Why...?"
"Eh?"
"Aoi..., why do you want to win a prize that much?"
When she heard that, she dyed her cheeks slightly and showed a shy expression. And, she answered bashfully, "There is someone I admire."
"You know, my house had a dog, but that child died when I was in 6th grade, and I had been dragging that sadness for a long time. That was when it happened. I met that person and that person's music. At the concert venue my parents took me to, I heard that person's performance for the first time, and tears overflowed and wouldn't stop. It felt like my sadness was being comforted. After the performance ended, I felt strangely like my heart had been washed. Music is amazing. I was moved and my chest trembled, thinking that it has the power to heal people's hearts like this. I thought I wanted to do a performance that resonates in the heart like that person. So, I asked my parents and started piano after entering middle school. That person is cool, a genius loved by music, and the person I admire. That person gave me the trigger to start piano. Because that person is active in the world, it's still a distant existence for me now. But someday, I want to stand on the same stage as that person and perform together. Together, I want to deliver the power of music to many people. That is my dream."
Aoi's eyes, when she said that, were staring far away, harboring the light of hope and passion. She is looking at a different scenery than someone like me, a future further ahead.
Something creaked deep in my chest. It was a sound similar to the dissonance of a string played messily. That sound gradually expands and grows in the back of my ears.
The time and memories I spent with Aoi come back to my mind. That, like Jenga stacked clumsily, started to lose balance and tilt. The scenery in front of me falls into gray again. Even though I thought I finally picked it up, my existence value, my existence reason, is being lost again.
My music came back to life because Aoi needed it. I thought that she needed me, and that was my existence value.
However, for her, this was just a passing point for her dream. My existence was just a tiny dot.
For me, it was enough if I had Aoi. I was satisfied if we could perform together in the Second Music Room in the afternoon. For me, the time I spent with Aoi was special, precious, and it was shining like a jewel, and I wanted this dreamlike time to continue forever. I was convinced that Aoi must be the same.
But she was different. No matter how lovely a flower there is, a butterfly will not stay there forever. She was just a butterfly dancing freely that rested its wings for a moment. A flower that has taken root cannot move from that place. I can only look up at the butterfly passing by in vain.
Then, for what should I play the violin from now on? Will my music return to empty sounds that have no meaning again?
The moment I thought that, a heavy and dull sound, similar to despair, as if something was collapsing deep in my chest, echoed. I felt like I had been returned from a dream to reality.
Aoi successfully passed the music department transfer exam after that. In April, she transferred to the piano department, demonstrated her talent, and started to get attention in no time. With her sociable, elegant, and bright personality, she became friends with both men and women and built friendships with anyone. When I saw her figure in the hallway, there was always someone around her. It seems she is participating in competitions regularly regardless of size, and her name started to be listed on the school bulletin board as a winner. After passing the transfer exam, contact stopped completely, and as if it were a lie that we spent so much time together, she became like a distant existence now.
"Aizawa-san, can you return this to the Second Music Room?"
Late October, when autumn was deepening. It was a chilly day. On that day, I, who was late in submitting my report assignment, brought what I had finally written to the staff room after school. That was when I was called by the teacher. What was handed to me was a metronome. I received it without time to refuse, as I was told, "Please." The letters of the label "Second Music Room" pasted on the side. I couldn't help but put strength into the hand I was holding it with.
I only go to that place, which I often visited at lunch last year, during class now. Is she still spending time playing the piano there? I headed to the Second Music Room with heavy steps.
When I opened the classroom door, there was no one there, and it was quiet and still. I returned the metronome to its designated position and turned my gaze to the piano. Her figure from a year ago, sitting there and performing, comes back nostalgically.
"Nanase?"
A refined, demure voice. My body reacted unexpectedly to that voice. When I turned around slowly, she showed a smile that bloomed like a flower.
"It's Nanase after all! Wow, it's been a while! It's a coincidence! How are you? How long has it been since I met Nanase? Even though I was able to transfer to the music department, I don't have much to do with the violin major class. But I'm glad I transferred! I can practice a lot, and playing the piano is becoming more and more fun, and I've become able to play in competitions relaxed. Recently, I'm trying to participate in as many competitions as possible. I couldn't participate in this year's Kyoka Festival due to a competition, but next year is the last year of high school, so I'm thinking of appearing in the Kyoka Festival Music Concert again—"
"What is it..."
"Eh?"
"Did you come to brag? You don't even know what kind of thoughts I've been spending my time with until now, and yet you can talk like that."
"Nanase...? What's wrong? Did something happen? By any chance, is the competition going badly?"
"Are you saying that seriously?"
"Eh...?"
"Do you seriously think I'm still participating in competitions?"
"Is it different...? Because Nanase is—"
"I haven't participated in competitions for a long time! Prizes? Fame? What will it become if I win such things! I'm different from Aoi! Don't lump me together with you, who has both dreams and talent! I have no reason to play the violin, no dreams, and no goals! It's meaningless for such a person to get a prize! I'm sick of it! If I were to have such thoughts, I wish I had never met the violin!"
I spat that out and jumped out of the Second Music Room. My vision blurs with tears. I kick the hallway with all my might and run through.
—I don't want to play the violin anymore. I don't want to go to school either. I don't want to take lessons either. I want to throw everything away. I wish I couldn't play anymore.
I went through the front entrance as I felt, without even changing my shoes, and jumped out of the school gate.
At that moment, I was pushed by some strong force. It went pitch black in front of me, and when I noticed, I was lying on the road. My palms hurt with a stinging sensation. Gravel was stuck to my skin, and blood was seeping out in places. When I slowly raised my body, the noise that had been dim gradually became clear. When I turned around, a motorcycle that had been slammed into a utility pole was lying miserably, and next to it, a person who didn't move while wearing a helmet was lying down. My breathing suddenly becomes rough. When I cautiously shifted my gaze, I was covered in a feeling as if my throat was tightened, and my breathing stopped.
Aoi's figure lying down. Her right arm had changed into a miserable shape. Inside my head, which is in confusion. Before my consciousness flew, the strong force I felt pushing me in my back. While the surroundings were in an uproar, I couldn't even make a sound, and I could only watch her beautiful black hair gradually dyeing red.
I heard that Aoi survived three days later. I, who had been spending my time with a feeling as if I were suffocating, think I was finally able to breathe deeply at that time. My body's strength left me, and I crouched down on the spot. Aoi is alive. Just by chewing on that, I repeated it in my heart many times.
However, I couldn't go to visit her. I don't have the qualifications to go. After saying such things that push her away, what face should I go with? She surely wouldn't want to see my face. Surely, her close friends from class are going to visit her.
Even so, there was a part of me that wanted to see Aoi's face. I wanted to confirm with my own eyes that Aoi is alive. Just one look is fine. That's enough. Thinking just a little bit like that, I went to the hospital quietly so that no one would notice.
However, I stood still in front of the hospital room. What I saw there was Aoi's figure crying out loud. Aoi's parents were hugging her and crying together. Her figure crying while sobbing, raising a painful voice many times, "My hand! My hand!"
The scene immediately after the accident that comes back to my mind. The miserable right arm of hers that was reflected in my vision at that time flashes back. I couldn't stand it and left the hospital room as if running away.
Even if her arm heals completely, the sensation of her fingertips will probably not be the same as before. For a piano player, what must be treated more carefully than anything else is their own hands. The sensation of refined, delicate, and beautiful fingers. I destroyed those fingers, which can be said to be the life of a piano player, along with her dream.
I committed a sin that I can never atone for in my life.
It was about a month after Aoi was hospitalized. I heard that news suddenly at school without any warning.
Aoi jumped off the roof of the hospital and died.
My vision was covered in a muddy, heavy darkness. A feeling of nausea like swallowing mud. I was covered in a feeling as if I had heartburn and the food I ate was coming up. I felt my back strangely cold, and I knew my hands were trembling in small increments.
Ah, it's my fault. If the timing had been a little different at that time, if I hadn't jumped out onto the road, if I had stopped my feet. Such thoughts run through my head in circles. Even if I regret it, even if I regret it, I can't rewind time, and a feeling as if my chest is just being crushed remained.
Since that day, I have been living while being tormented by the regret that I drove my best friend to suicide. It's a strange story that the person who cut off her dream and drove her to despair is playing the violin comfortably without dreams or goals. I wish I couldn't play anymore. I had even put a cutter to my wrist thinking that.
However, when I thought about what would happen after I couldn't play, my hands trembled. For me, who had only done violin, not being able to play was like losing my only identity. When I thought that, I couldn't move the blade I had put to it any further, and in the end, I had no choice but to continue playing empty sounds in a monochrome world.
Losing my best friend with these hands, just clinging to the instrument called violin, unable to throw it away, unable to face it, since that day, my time has been stopped forever.

#CreativeAwards2025 #EntertainmentOriginalWorkCategory