Etude of Sun and Moon | Summer Pirika Grand Prix Entry |

"I love your piano, Haru. I'll always be your number one fan."

Mother smiled, leaning her face against Haru's in the mirror. The palm of the hand that held her shoulder felt warmly comforting.

On the day she was accepted into her dream music college, her mother was hit by a drunk driver and died.

Haru smashed the mirror, striking her own tear-stained reflection with all her might.
Since then, emotion vanished from Haru's piano playing.

As a music student, Haru played the piano like a machine. Her expressionless performance of one difficult piece after another kept other students at a distance.

On the night before her exam, Haru finished getting ready in front of the broken mirror as usual and headed to the university practice room. She had decided to practice in the middle of the night.
Light was leaking out. Someone was already there. Sighing, she opened the door.

A sensation like flower petals scattering along with the sound.

The person didn't notice Haru at all and was playing the piano as if singing.
It was Liszt's "Liebestraum".
Suddenly, his hands stopped, and bright brown eyes caught Haru's.

"Haru Kiyosawa?"

"..."

"Ritsu Tono. Same piano department."

"How do you know..."

"Kiyosawa, you're famous for your transcendental technique."

Ritsu pointed to the piano next to him like an innocent child.

"Play!"

Haru had no choice but to start playing the third movement of Beethoven's Piano Sonata "Moonlight." It was the assigned piece for the exam. Watching Haru's hands press the keys accurately at a dizzying speed, Ritsu seemed to be deep in thought.

"Even if it's the same moon, I prefer this one."

Ritsu played the opening part of Debussy's "Clair de Lune." It was a mysterious tone, as if the moon were melting into the water's surface.

"Let me hear it. Your 'Clair de Lune', Kiyosawa."

As if drawn in, Haru placed her hands on the keys.
After a breath, Ritsu began to play, layering his sound over Haru's. In the moonlight, the two of them slowly played on, as if dancing quietly.

"There is sound even in silence, Haru."




A gentle memory suddenly resurfaced.

The next moment, her heart pulsed violently.

Ritsu's sound was her mother's piano, which she thought she had buried deep in the sea of her memories.

"Stop! Don't play with that sound!"

She felt as if the large tears falling onto the keys were not her own.

"I'm quitting piano."

Ritsu's large hand gently grasped Haru's wrist.
In the darkness, she was led up the stairs.

When she opened the door to the rooftop, the fresh morning sun poured in, dazzling her eyes.

The moon had entrusted the world to the sun.

"The person who was precious to you, Kiyosawa-san, they really loved your piano, didn't they?"

Ritsu looked straight into Haru's eyes, which had widened in surprise.

"Don't quit the piano."

Ritsu's eyes held the sparkling morning sun.

The shards of the broken mirror have remained embedded deep in my heart since that day.
For some reason, those shards now feel very nostalgic, precious, and warm.

"I love Haru's piano."

I stared at my gnarled hands.

"Tono-kun."

"Do you think I could play 'Liebestraum' too?"

<End> (1187 characters)

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From the theme of "mirror" this time, I associated the image of "reflecting on oneself and looking forward," which led to this work.

I love the piano, and I love music.
I love "expressing music through words."

I am submitting this story to the "Summer Pirika Grand Prix."

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the organizers.
Events like this make my heart leap.
They provide such wonderful inspiration.


Thank you for such a lovely project.

#SummerPirikaEntry