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“What?” I ask, unable to take my eyes off the stage. Chisato is visibly putting in more effort as she picks up the second verse of the song, at a slightly higher pitch than she was just playing previously. Saki shows only the slightest hint of frustration; you’d miss it completely if you didn’t know what you were looking for. A few more seconds go by with Saki jumping back in at the appropriate time, and the two of them are in harmony again…but still, shifted higher.

I mimic Noriko’s motion in sheer astonishment. Are they going to do the whole rest of the song that way? It’s shifted almost the same way it is in the recording, but it’s so…natural. There’s no minute variations in tempo or timing that she worked so hard to overcome while in the studio, and it’s not even at the same key it was in when I heard her playing it previously.

This. This is the way it was meant to be played.

Kayoko’s additions. Saki’s tempo. Chisato’s key.


<<Art by Kuroe>>

If Saki was put off by her missed note earlier, she’s definitely funneling those thoughts into her playing. She keeps time and pace with Chisato, causing the music to ebb and flow, back and forth. The song is amazing enough on its own in the way it captivates, but there’s not many people here outside of the band that can truly appreciate what just happened and what is happening now.

The average person would never know that what happened wasn’t intentional…but then again, there are some fairly exceptional people in the audience.

People like Mrs. Nanahara.

I can’t see her face from where I’m sitting, but she and Takamura are tilting their heads towards each other. I can see that the two of them are whispering, but what about? The missed note? The recovery? The continued performance?

Right now, there’s just no way to know.

The piece builds to its crescendo, the violin and piano coalescing into a beautiful mix that highlight both without overpowering the other. Saki’s eyes are closed, completely in the moment, as her skin starts to glisten with sweat. Nervousness, the heat from the stage lights, the pressure of the previous gaffe; none of it is reaching her. None of it matters.

Finally, the song starts to slow down and lose steam in a barely controlled manner, a few seconds ahead of Saki’s own physical state. I can see her settle further onto the stool, taking more weight off of her legs. The two of them are so close to sticking the landing and from the way her torso is swaying with her motions, there won’t be another chance at it.

With one last flurry of strings from both the violin and the piano, the piece is over. Saki visibly sags, bringing her instrument down with such exhaustion it looks like she’s barely catching it from falling…but the nervous smile of excitement she gives as she realizes she made it through causes my eyes to sting and vision to blur with tears.

She did it. She did it.

I blink hard and see that Saki isn’t even trying to hold back what she’s feeling, wiping at her eyes.

“Whelp, there goes the makeup,” Noriko comments.

Indeed, the mascara and liner has slightly smeared, but at this point, there’s nobody who would fault her for it. Chisato stands up from the piano and moves to her friend, offering a hand to help her up. When Saki takes it to stand, Chisato gives her a tight but brief hug.

“Thank you for that wonderful performance,” Mrs. Sakamoto says, her voice finally breaking the spell of the moment. She’s moved herself back to the podium, and is smiling broadly at her two students. “The absolute feeling you both put into it, along with the skill, was wonderful to see and listen to.”

“She knows,” Noriko says.

“Miss Enomoto, I will say to you what I’ve said to your friend earlier. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to be your teacher for the last three years. You’ve worked harder to be here tonight than almost anyone else could have, and I know that there are others here besides myself that will never forget how you played here tonight. Wherever your next steps may take you, walk them with pride, confidence, and with your head held high. Thank you - both of you - for everything.”

I’m hit with a wave of sadness when I hear this. If you didn’t know Saki, it would sound like the same type of praise she was giving out to all of her students. If you do know her, then those words take on an entirely new meaning.

Saki’s tearing up far more than Chisato did when it was her turn, and this time her friend has an arm around her shoulders for support. I see Chisato give Saki a squeeze, and Saki takes a few more seconds to calm down. The two of them make their way off to the wings, with Saki holding onto Chisato’s shoulder for support.

Mrs. Sakamoto clears her throat. “If you’ll welcome the next group of students to the stage…”

There’s three more performances by the rest of Saki’s year; a trio that plays two more classical tunes like what she and Chisato played, and another that plays a few light jazzy numbers using a few string instruments and the piano. I feel bad that I’m not paying as much attention to them as I was to Saki and Chisato, but I’m really itching to go backstage to see how the two of them are doing. I can tell I’m not the only one from the way I see Mitsuru fidgeting in his chair.

Finally, the performances of the evening come to a close with one last gesture. Mrs. Sakamoto invites all of the students in the music club back on stage for one final sendoff; everyone bows towards the audience in appreciation, basking in the final round of praise and adulation that is heaped upon them. Saki’s grabbed her cane and taken the few minutes she had backstage to try and fix some of her makeup, but wasn’t very successful.

“And with that,” their teacher’s voice sounds out over the hall, “we conclude our recital tonight. Thank you for being here to show your support, and we hope you enjoyed your time here. If you’ll be watching our students graduate tomorrow, then I hope you’ll enjoy it just as much as you have this evening.” She then turns towards the stage, grabbing the attention of everyone on it. “Go on! Don’t keep your adoring public waiting!”

A ripple of laughter works its way through the building, truly signaling an end to the formalities of the night. Slowly but surely, most of the students on the stage make their way to the side staircases and out into the auditorium, linking up with family members and friends.

“I’m glad you convinced us to come up here tonight,” my father says. “That was a very enjoyable time.”

“I’ve never heard your girlfriend play like that,” my mother chimes in. “What happened there, in the middle? She looked like she was scared for a split second.”

“Ah, probably just nerves,” I try to answer. If they don’t know what happened, I’m not going to be the one to tell them. I look around the room but with everyone standing and mingling, it’s hard to see where a few specific people might be. I see flashes of Chisato’s hat and Saki’s dress through the sea of people, and my folks pick up on it.

Mom laughs. “Go on, we’ll catch up.”

“You sure?”

“Well your friend certainly isn’t waiting,” she says. I turn to look at Noriko and find that she’s already out of the row and in the aisle, deftly maneuvering towards the front of the stage. I give my folks an apologetic nod and follow after her.

By the time I catch up, I find I’m the last one there of a fairly sizable group. Saki and Chisato are bubbling over with excitement fueled by pure endorphins. Takamura is laughing, Chisato has her boyfriend clamped in the hardest hug I’ve ever seen her give, and even Mrs. Nanahara is giving a polite smile. When Saki sees me, she launches herself in my direction and I have to brace my back leg to absorb the shock of impact.

“Hisao!” she exclaims happily, burying her face in the crook of my neck. I can feel her trembling against me, and I wrap my arms around her and lean back, lifting her off the ground. She gives a small squeal of delight and kisses me, not caring how the two of us must look to everyone else.

“You were amazing, Saki. I knew you could do it,” I say, putting her back down. She doesn’t let up for a minute.

“I did it! I actually did it!”

“That you did,” a more somber voice calls out, causing both of us to look at Mrs. Nanahara. Saki’s already so pumped full of adrenaline, I can practically see the switch flip from joyous celebration to terrified apprehension.

“I must admit, I find myself in a bit of a quandary, Miss Enomoto,” the older woman starts. “You and I both know what happened at the end of that first verse. As do you, Miss Souma.”

Both of them stand at attention, barely doing so much as breathe. Saki’s hand finds my own, squeezing as tightly as she can.

“If I’m honest, I was not expecting you to miss that note. What’s more, I was definitely not expecting what happened afterwards, from either of you.” She frowns. “That’s not something that can happen in a professional setting, on stage with an orchestra, you understand.”

I can visibly see Saki flinching at those words, and her body trembles every time her heart beats. I can only imagine how hard her blood is pumping, hearing those words. My own isn’t that far behind.

“Miss Souma, you showed a tremendous amount of quick thinking and skill to turn Miss Enomoto’s error into a key shift, and you made it sound completely natural as well. In fact, had I not heard the recordings over the last few months, I wouldn’t have been sure it was intentional myself.”

Chisato blushes and accepts the compliment, but not as gracefully as one would expect. She turns towards Saki and, like the rest of us, waits for the other shoe to drop.

The older woman continues. “And then, Miss Enomoto, when you had the chance to bring it back down to the key you were familiar with, you didn’t. Instead, you kept playing it at the key your friend was playing. Can you tell me why you made that decision?”

“I…” Saki starts, but then pauses. I can tell she’s trying to think of the answer, and she’s not trying to find the answer that she thinks the director wants to hear. Instead, she really didn’t know why she did what she did. When she swallows hard, she continues.

“After shifting up to match Chisato, I was completely focused on trying to keep the key where it was. I wasn’t sure I would have been able to move it back down without missing it or making it sound worse…and I didn’t know if Chisato would mess up trying to cover for me again.”

It’s a painfully honest answer, even if she knows it might be one that would help her the most. My grip on her hand tightens in reassurance and she reciprocates…but she’s still terrified.

The director looks up at Takamura. “Well, I’ve heard all that I needed to hear.” She turns back to Saki with piercingly intense eyes. “I believe you said your parents were here this evening?”

“Y…yes, they are,” Saki says, her voice incredibly fragile and uncertain.

In fact, where are they? I would have thought they’d be down here at the front of the stage by now. I shift my head a few times to get a better view of the auditorium, and finally get a glance at them. Mr. Enomoto and his wife are taking the time to gather their things and put their coats back on. Maybe they wanted to wait until the rest of the crowd thinned out before they came down, or they’re planning to leave fairly quickly.

My question is answered when they move to the aisle and start heading towards us, Saki’s brother bringing up the rear. They stand aside to let others pass, holding up their progress.

“Please,” Saki blurts out, barely a whisper. “Wh…why do you need to talk to them?”

“I’m going to need them to sign some paperwork. That is…unless you’ve changed your mind about attending our school. I assume you still want to?”

Both of Saki’s hands cover her mouth, her eyes tearing up instantly with how overwhelmed she is. “Yes! I want to, I want to!”

“Then the spot is yours,” the director says, breaking the tension with a small smile. “Congratulations.”

“Ha! You did it, kid!” Takamura laughs, clapping a hand on Saki’s shoulder. “Damn good job!”

Saki turns to me to say something, but is interrupted by her family finally arriving. She immediately goes to hug her brother, who mirrors my earlier actions by picking her off the ground and laughing with her.

“I did it! I did it!” she babbles, completely lost in the moment. I take a small step back, standing side to side with Noriko and Chisato. The two of them are just as happy for their friend as I am, and it’s hard for any of us to keep our eyes dry.

“I can’t believe you managed to pull that off, Chisato,” Noriko says, causing Chisato to grin. “When that wrong note came up, I thought that was the end.”

“I told her I could play it at any tempo she wanted. Didn’t think I’d have to play it in a new key, though.”

I frown, remembering back to the practice. Something similar happened when they were on stage, and Mrs. Nanahara took notice of it. When it happened during the performance, this must be what she was talking about.

“Saki kept up too,” Noriko continues. “You two together are amazing.”

“Looks like we’re not getting rid of each other that easily after all,” Chisato laughs. She takes off her hat and puts it on my head, drawing out a small yelp of protest. “Take care of that, will you? I’m going to go say hi to Mitsuru’s parents.”

With a quick hug from both of us, she vanishes in the direction of her boyfriend, leaving Noriko and myself to watch the upcoming discussion.

Saki gives her mother a much more reserved hug, earning some words of encouragement and praise from her. When she steps back, she and her father look at each other.

While the two of them don’t go in for a hug, they’re clearly communicating in their own way. Saki’s chest is full of pride and cheerfulness to the point of near bursting, and there’s no way she’s going to let anyone take this moment away from her - no matter who it is. The fire in her eyes shows it. She’s almost daring him to challenge her on it.

To my surprise, he gives a small smile. “You sounded very good. I had heard you practicing a few times at home, but I didn’t know it would sound like this.”

Before Saki can say anything, Mrs. Nanahara clears her throat. “You must be Mr. Enomoto. We spoke on the phone a time or two before Christmas. My name is Haruka Nanahara, the admissions director at the Tokyo University of the Arts.”

Saki’s father frowns for a moment before recognition dawns on his face. “Ah, I do remember now. How have you been?” he asks, slipping into a practiced cordiality and matching the director’s tone.

That’s a neat little trick. I guess it’s something you pick up when you’re in a position like he’s in.

“I’ve been well, thank you,” she replies. “I hope you and the rest of your family are doing the same?”

“We have been. Thank you for asking.” I can just feel the indignation coming off of Saki when he says that, even if she’s showing no outward signs of it.

The director nods. With that extremely brief exchange of pleasantries, she pushes right on to the point. “What did you think of your daughter’s performance tonight?”

“It sounded quite exquisite. Both the piece she played by herself and the one she played together with her friend. I admit, I’m not as familiar with classical music as I should be.”

Maybe if he took more of an active interest in his daughter’s hobbies and abilities beyond just the optics of such, he would be.

“That’s what I wished to discuss with you,” Mrs. Nanahara said. “There was never any formal resolution to your daughter’s ambitions to apply at our school. The process stalled, for reasons that you know. I’m not here to retrod old ground. However, one of the reasons I did come up here tonight is because her application status is still open. After hearing her play tonight, I am prepared to offer her a spot in our program and at our school.”

Saki’s father raises his eyebrows at this, while both his wife and son show a more surprised expression. Mrs. Enomoto’s face settles to concern after the original shock, while Saki’s brother gives a short yelp of joy and a huge smile. “That’s amazing! Congrats!” He closes the distance between them and gives her another enthusiastic embrace.

Before anyone else can say anything, we have yet another person who decides to interject. Mrs. Sakamoto has been making the rounds between different students and their parents and socializing, and she’s finally gotten around to joining our - now rather large - group near the front. As soon as Saki sees her, she smiles broadly and bows deeply.

“Oh, please,” the older woman huffs. “Come here. You’ve earned more than just a bow.”

Saki complies as her teacher wraps her arms around her and gives her back a brief rub. When they separate, the teacher and the director lock eyes for a fraction of a second. “Didn’t I tell you it would be worth the drive to get up here?”

“That it was. I was just informing Miss Enomoto and her family that the spot in the program is hers, should she still want it,” she clarifies, casting a sidelong glance at Saki.

Saki tries to regain as much composure as she can, but her voice is raw with frayed emotions from everything she’s had to endure tonight. “Yes! I still want it! I want the spot!” Her eyes are wet with tears, and she’s shaking from the excitement she’s feeling when she says those words.

I start to wonder why the director is asking this of her again, given that she already asked this a few minutes ago, when I suddenly realize the reason. Saki’s parents weren’t there when she was asked previously, but now they are. Everyone in the group is congratulating Saki not just on her performance but on the fact it’s good enough to get accepted. It’s not just me, Chisato, or Noriko - I’m under no delusions that my opinion would hold any sway to this man - but Takamura, Mrs. Nanahara, Mrs. Sakamoto, and even her brother; everyone here has been building up a hype to the point that her father can’t ignore it or brush it aside easily. For a man that relies as heavily on appearances as Mr. Enomoto does, he can’t say no at this point. If he does, everyone here will lose any budding respect they have for him, and while they may not have any control or influence in his life, he recognizes their objective importance in their own circles and professions.

He was put into a position of checkmate before he even knew he was playing a game.

“Then, I suppose I should offer my own congratulations as well,” he finally says, smiling. It doesn’t quite reach his eyes, but it’s not because it seems ingenuine; instead, it feels again like a warm smile is a concept that’s alien to him and he’s doing his best impression of one.

Saki throws all decorum out the window when she hears his answer, and throws her arms up in the air. “Yes!” she shouts, with all the joy and stress and relief that she’s endured over the last year pouring out of her, crystallizing in that one brief moment. A few of the other teachers and students look over out of concern, but nobody in our little cluster seems to care.

Mrs. Nanahara nods, cementing the deal. “Very well. Will you and your wife be here tomorrow for the graduation ceremony? I’m planning on spending the night here instead of driving back to Tokyo. If you would like, we can discuss this in the morning over breakfast in town. There’s some paperwork to go over, but it shouldn’t take that long - most of the process was already completed before I came up here this evening.”

For the first time tonight, Saki’s father casts a deferring glance to his wife. She opens her mouth and answers for both of them.

“Tomorrow will be fine. We’re staying at a hotel in town.”

(continued...)

“What number can I reach you at? There are a few lovely little cafes nearby. We can discuss the specifics while the graduating class has their final rehearsal before the ceremony itself begins.”

As they all fall into making plans, I give Saki a quick tug on her arm, causing her to turn towards me. “Can my folks congratulate you too?” I ask.

“Oh! Right! Your parents,” she says, completely flustered. She inclines her head back towards the group. “Mother? Father? Would it be alright if I went with my friends? It’s going to be our last night together, and I’d like to spend some time celebrating with them…”

“By all means,” her father responds. “We’ll see you tomorrow then. And once again, good job tonight, and congratulations.”

Saki bows before letting me lead her by the hand. I try to find my parents in the thinning crowd, and manage to do so - standing and talking with Chisato, Mitsuru, and their respective families.

“Chisato!” Saki calls out, causing the dark-haired girl to turn in her direction. Before she can say a word, she has to practically catch a Saki that’s half-falling, half-jumping into her arms. The two hold each other tightly, each managing to edge out a few words into each other’s necks, muffled by their hair.

Plenty of hugs to go around tonight.

“Thank you. Thank you so much, Chisato…”

“You did it? She said yes?”

“She did,” Saki answers, and I can hear her voice cracking as she cries. “Thank you. I never would have made it in without you…”

“Hey now,” Chisato says, pulling back a bit so that there’s some space between them, holding onto Saki’s shoulders. “That goes both ways, you know. If you hadn’t recorded your violin, I might not have been able to get in myself.”

“You know that’s not true. I would have never been able to do what you just did when I messed up-”

Chisato moves her hands from Saki’s shoulders to cupping either side of her face. She leans in and presses her own forehead to her friend’s, cutting out all other distractions. “You did do it, though. You were amazing. Saki?”

“Y..yeah?” Saki says timidly.

“Learn how to take a fuckin’ compliment, yeah?”

Saki laughs hard at this, her tears refreshing before another embrace. “Okay. I will.”

My parents have politely waited since we walked up, but now find the perfect time to join in.

“Saki? That was absolutely incredible,” my mother compliments, a sentiment quickly echoed by my father. Saki hugs them both, and while my father is a bit more reserved, my mother shows a genuine warmth and affection without holding anything back. It surprises me a bit to see how much she’s treating Saki like her own child.

My heart skips a beat, remembering our earlier conversation.

Remembering why I put it off, and how I no longer have that excuse or even the desire to do so.

Everyone has either introduced themselves or are currently doing so, fading away into the background noise. The chatter continues for another ten minutes or so, quieting down as people start to leave the auditorium.

Saki’s brother comes over to us, informing us that he and their parents are going to be heading back into town. He offers one more round of encouragement and congratulations, telling us to enjoy our night.

Noriko does the same, with a twist. She tells us that she needs to catch the last bus away from the school, and we all share one last group hug with the promise of seeing each other before graduation. She too tells us to enjoy our night, but her tone becomes teasing and scandalous when she does so, causing Saki to laugh. When Saki looks away to address Chisato on something, Noriko grabs my attention and cranes her head up to whisper in my ear.

“If you’re going to, then good luck.”

I flush just a bit as my heartbeat quickens. “Thank you, Noriko. For everything.”

She winks at me, then raises her voice for everyone to hear. “See you guys tomorrow!”

Eventually, Chisato and Mitsuru’s parents all decide the time is right to leave as well, having the tact to realize that their children want and need to spend this last night together. Before everyone goes their separate ways, Chisato reaches up and grabs her hat off the top of my head, putting it on her boyfriend’s. Given that Chisato doesn’t have any instrument to put away, all six of them make their way to the back of the auditorium and out into the night air, the door closing behind them.

“I think it’s time for us to head back as well,” my dad says, seeing how almost everyone else has cleared out. “We’ll see you tomorrow for the graduation ceremony, yes?”

I nod, while Saki bows politely and speaks up. “Thank you both for coming tonight. I know you didn’t have to but I’m very thankful you did.”

“Well well, it looks like our son might end up moving to Tokyo after all.”

“Mom!” I say, a bit too loudly but with no real admonishment. She chuckles innocently while Saki turns to me, her cheeks turning pink.

“Maybe…?” she asks, a lilt of hopefulness in her voice.

I reach out and squeeze her hand. “Yeah. Well, a lot more of a possibility than it was before tonight.”

“We won’t keep you two any longer,” my father says. “Enjoy your last night before you graduate. Give us a call in the morning and maybe we can all grab breakfast together. Our treat.”

“I will,” I confirm with a nod.

There’s only a few scattered groups in the auditorium now, made up of a handful of people. Some students have made their way back onto the stage to grab their instruments, putting them in cases or taking them back to the band room. Saki and I link hands and make our way back towards the front where Saki’s teacher, Takamura, and Mrs. Nanahara are still milling around.

“How are you feeling?” Mrs. Sakamoto asks when she sees us walk up.

“Overwhelmed,” Saki answers, and the way she lets out a sigh when she says it is proof. The adrenaline is finally wearing off, and she has a long way to fall to get back to earth.

“You earned it,” Takamura says.

Mrs. Nanahara gives a light laugh. “Indeed, you did.”

Saki hesitates a moment before speaking again. “Sensei, Mr. Takamura…I don’t know how I can thank you both enough. For everything. Pushing me to keep going, to keep recording…and to not give up on myself the last few days, and especially tonight.” She bows, her body shaking a bit from the emotion running through it. “I…I’m still going to need a lot of help. I have no idea where I’m going to live when I get to Tokyo. I have to study the entrance materials because I didn’t have a chance to, and…” She pauses before addressing Mrs. Nanahara directly. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to play the way I played tonight ever again. But, thank you for taking the chance in coming up here tonight to listen to me play. Thank you for keeping the application open. And most of all…thank you for talking to my father,” she finishes.

Takamura is the first to respond. “Finding a place in Tokyo shouldn’t be too hard. Chisato hadn’t settled on anything yet, and if the two of you are going to find a place together, there’s more options.” He turns his head towards me. “If there was a third person, it would be a lot easier.”

I rub the back of my head sheepishly. “Let me get back to you on that. I’m pretty sure I want to do it, but I think I should sleep on it just for the sake of principle.”

“Smart man. Sleep on it, but make sure you set an early alarm. Timing’s a bit of a factor and the longer you wait, the harder it’s going to be to find a place.”

“As to your father,” Mrs. Nanahara addresses Saki, “I’ve dealt with many like him over my years as a teacher, a musician, and a director.” She smiles. “All you have to do is simply stroke their ego a bit, or give them the slightest bit of credit for something that’s your idea and they’ll fall over themselves to make it happen. I assure you that tomorrow, that paperwork will be signed.” Turning towards the music teacher, she continues. “As far as this school goes, I doubt this will be the last time I tap Yamaku for potential talent.”

“In all my years of teaching here,” Mrs. Sakamoto explains, “I’ve never heard something like what I heard tonight. That key change was risky, but it was brilliant. Hold your head up high. I agree with Shogo. You absolutely earned it.”

“Go on you two, get out of here. Celebrate tonight,” Takamura says, waving us off. “Haruka, Hana and I are probably going down into town to get a drink and spend some time together. It’s been a few years since we all got together like this.”

Saki and I both nod. “I hope you all have a good time,” she says. “Can I just leave my violin in the music room and pick it up tomorrow?”

“Of course. If I don’t see you before then, I’ll see you at the graduation recital.”

“Okay!”

The two of us give a final polite bow before disengaging ourselves. We make our way to the back of the auditorium and I hold open the door, where we’re both met by the brisk night air.

“Brrr!” Saki shivers slightly, hugging herself. “I love this dress, but it doesn’t do much against the cold.”

I know I’m wearing more than she is, but it still doesn’t feel terribly cold to me. “How much of that is genuine and how much of that is theatrics?”

“About fifty-fifty. It’s not too bad, but I was under those stage lights and sweating like crazy.”

I laugh a bit and take off my jacket, wrapping it around her shoulders like a cloak. “How are your hands?”

“They hurt, but they’ll be fine. We’re not playing anything nearly that crazy at the graduation ceremony tomorrow. I could play that piece in my sleep.”

Almost as if by unspoken agreement, we both stop. It’s a long walk back to the dorms, but it’s not one I want to make just yet. Everyone tonight has told her how great her playing was. I’ve done the same, but not to the level I want to and that she deserves. Stepping up behind her, I wrap my arms around her shoulders. She gives a small mewl of surprise before bringing her hands up to grasp at my wrists.

My eyes close as I breathe in the scent of her. The strawberry shampoo and slightly acrid hairspray mixing with the sweat from the effort she put in tonight tickles my nose, but puts me at ease in a way I can’t describe. I feel every breath she takes against me; every movement her body makes as it presses back into mine.

“You were stunning tonight,” I whisper into her hair. “I just wanted you to know that.”

“You’ve been amazing, Hisao,” she answers back, covering my hands with her own and linking our fingers together. “Tonight, this whole last week…hell, this whole last year. You’ve been amazing to me. I can’t think of anyone or anything else that…that’s shown as much support for me as you have.” She cranes her neck back and to the side, staring up into my eyes. “I love you. I love you so damn much.”

I turn my face downward to meet hers and give her a kiss. Our lips meet and stay that way for several seconds, merely pressed against each other to share warmth and emotions that no words could properly convey.

This feels right. This is right.

She breaks the contact, and we simply get lost in each other’s gaze.

“You’re not that bad of an influence yourself, you know that?” I reply. “I don’t know where I would be if you didn’t stop to help me get around the school. Actually…”

Something causes both of us to take a quick notice of our surroundings, and realize at the same time what it is.

“...this spot is where we first met, isn’t it?” I finish.

Saki breaks into another grin and relaxes further back into me. “Yeah, it is…crazy how much has happened since then, right?”

“Yeah…” I answer, and this time, I’m the one who initiates the kiss. I could find myself drowning in these depths, not caring or willing to stop. So much has happened in the space of the last year, starting here, growing here, even in this exact spot…and now it moves past that, into the world beyond.

The last part of that thought is what pulls me back from the edge, forcing a consciousness of the world around me to my attention. Saki notices the shift in either my breathing or my body language, pulling her head back a bit and frowning slightly.

“Hisao? What’s wrong?”

I start to open my mouth, but instead it seems dry. I swallow hard to no avail, but manage to get out the words.

“Saki…there’s something I want to talk to you about.”

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Oh God

I had that feeling from our chats in discord that you were nearing completion of the recital soon/ But yeah Booiiii! I am so happy to finally see the two-parter online and at 25,000 words, which means a lot of reading and time to dissect everything and feedback on.

So doing the first part first before reading and feeding back on the second half.

allow me to say, you haven't lost your touch at all Euro, its been well worth the 16-month wait, which I always knew would be worth it. But still you have truly outdone yourself yet again. Every part of the chapter I was engrossed in, never felt anything dragged, I never had the urge to skip at any point. Every character, every line I was literally scanning over and feeling the emotions, feelings of, details.

I could feel Saki's despair, her fears and doubts echoing throughout, Hisao's observations and own thoughts detailing and capturing everything as always. Chisato, showing vulnerability so much and really showing us the moment she and Saki really show us how the whole fight, affair and ties of Kayoko have brought, how despite all the hurt, all the truths and guilt they carry. They still want to honour her, to keep rebuilding their damaged relationship. Its still a work in progress, but you can tell they have crossed the major hurdle and let the other know they want to keep their relationship alive.

That very moment, tears were down my cheeks and vision blurred like Hisao. you know how to make not just me, but everyone here feel for your characters, for the moments you have spent so much time building towards all these years, and make the payoffs fully earned, cathartic, never taking any shortcuts, baiting or trying to emotionally manipulate your readers. Just pure emotion and feelings tied into the relationships built up over your story.

Same with Saki confessing to Hisao how her condition is worsening, how she is losing her ability to play more and more. The morality you once said she had in your introduction, it's closer than ever and how Saki is grasping find dealing with it, Hisao as well is becoming more and more foreboding. Yet the spark of optimism, of not giving in to despair. Is very much there and I know even with Saki feeling the abyss threatening to suck her in, she is willing to keep going until the end.

But despite all the drama, we still have the levity, the sweetness that has always brightened up this fic, Saki's dark humour despite it clearly her trying to use it to hide herself, still help to show her complexity, as always the teasing that never gets mean spirited or abrasive. Chisato chose another fab wear of MJ, smooth criminal indeed and very fitting for her to wear. Saki and the red dress she brought so long ago. Truly fitting for her in her big moment. Noel Gallagher, the twat with a great choice for the song of the chapter as always.

Can't wait to read part two tomorrow or Thursday.

Thanks again mate for all your hard work

Kind Regards

Mamba

It's HAPPENING !!!

I'm glad to hear that your situation has improved from before, you didn't deserve that. Thanks for keeping us updated about what's happening, and I'm glad you're around!

I'll post my thoughts after I read it. I've been checking in every so often and wouldn't you know? Return of the king!

Sorry for the delay in putting my thoughts for the second part of the double chapters covering the recital of Chisato and Saki.

If there is one word, I use to describe my overall thought on the second half of the 25,000 words you have written.

Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. Every line again, I was reading scanning for every detail, emotion. Lots of great little moments from every characters like Noriko bouncing along to everything, recognizing the notes and tunes as they happen. The missed note shows part of saki's fear coming true, but Chisato covering for her and her recovering showing once and for all, the two are still friends and taken the biggest step to reconcile. Nanahara pointed out her observation and wonderfully put Saki's father on the spot with the contract, yet... I do think he is deep down proud of Saki's performance. Of her proving herself to him that night, then again maybe we haven't seen his ugly side fully yet. But I like to think this one bit humanized him a bit. Not it lets him off the hook for everything he has made his daughter feel etc. but maybe, just maybe we may see some bit of atonement for him. Looking forward to seeing Saki's mother hopefully getting a moment in the final few chapters.

Everything paid off here for Saki and Chisato, you spent years building to this moment, to their flying in a concert, playing the Yamaku trio song. And you have earned the payoff big time mate. This makes it all bittersweet likely knowing this will be the last time all these characters are together in one place. Before the graduation and no doubt leading to their paths diverging away as we know with Mitsru and Noriko.

Now comes the final bits to wrap everything up, with no doubt Saki facing down or coming to compromise with her parents, I'm hoping her mother as I noted above, will get a chance like Saki's brother did a few chapters ago. To input on everything, to show what sort of relationship she has with her daughter, as I can't remember Saki mentioning her mother much or at all. But it has been a while since I read the earlier chapter, so need to go back and read them at some point. along with her agency in all of this as well will be interesting to see.

Also to come is the ultimate denouncement of Saki and Hisao, of the morality that has been the theme since you started this nearly a decade ago now. The way the face what is to come, what their conditions bring them. The final few chapters no doubt will bring much emotion, feelings and climaxes with it.

Be proud of yourself for getting to this point, you fought for it time and time again, pushed through much adversity, doubt etc like Saki, Hisao have done so.

Thanks again for all your hard work and for keeping this story going.

Kind Regards

Mamba

I don't frequent these forums nearly as often as I used to, but there are always a few stories that bring me back. I have to admit, I was a little worried about this one for a while, but a small dose of pessimism has its way of making things like this sweeter. That is to say, this update was well worth the wait.

I can't quite put my thoughts on the story into words at this very moment, but it definitely seems to be ramping up to quite the conclusion! I think I will give it some more time to marinate - I am certainly due for a proper reread of this whole fic, one of these days.

Beyond the story itself, I am very happy to hear that you are doing better! Having a solid support system goes a long way towards overcoming adversity; from the sound of it, you have some very good friends in your court. Here's to hoping that life is far kinder to you from here on out. I will be awaiting your next update with bated breath.

Hi Eurobeatjester,
Love what you have written so far and I'm looking forward to reading the conclusion of this story.

I've only recently began reading this work, but I've noticed that the song you link in Act 1: Life Expectancy, Scene 3: Electric Daisies (Part 2) that Saki and Chisato play together has been made private.

Are you able to relink or give the title of this song so I and/or others can find and listent to it?
I know it has been a while since you have written that chapter, but I hope you can remember what it was.

Thank you everyone for the kind words and feedback! It means a lot that I didn't lose too many people with a huge gap like that

A few weeks after posting this, I think I realized another reason I was so scared to finish this chapter and kept putting it off. I had suddenly doubted what I had planned to write, and it took me a while to realize finishing a story is so much different than starting and/or continuing one. It's one thing to tell a world and add to it - it's entirely different to have to steer and actively narrow things to an endpoint.

I knew I wanted the climax to be at the music recital, and I've had the idea of Saki missing a note and making up with a keychange in my head for years. I kept heading in that direction but I couldn't pull the trigger on writing it. I was hesitant to write the chapter because I realized that was going to be the final point to make any changes. There's going to be two or possibly three chapters left depending on how the next one plays out, but after the climax of a story almost everything between that point and the conclusion becomes tying up loose ends.

Did I say everything I wanted to say? Did I miss out on any interactions I might have wanted to set up to happen at the end? Did I forget to put anything in? Those were things I was struggling with when writing this update.

It reminded me back when I was trying to write one of Saki and Hisao's first interactions - the first pool scene - when I was realizing that I was trying to fit Hisao into a mold that wouldn't work. It affirmed that I just needed to let him be his own person and develop, instead of making him restricted to a set image in my head. (Seriously, the fact that so many of you say that you not only like Saki but Hisao in this fic means a lot to me)

I think I'm going to have to do the same thing here - just let an ending happen organically, and have faith the characters can reach an ending that leaves them - and you - content. I'm really looking forward to it and I hope you'll enjoy it.

Governor wrote: ↑Sat Apr 02, 2022 4:53 am Are you able to relink or give the title of this song so I and/or others can find and listent to it?
I know it has been a while since you have written that chapter, but I hope you can remember what it was.

Sure! Wasn't aware it was made private, but here's the link to another upload of it. I changed the link back at the chapter in question

Mahorfeus wrote: ↑Thu Mar 24, 2022 10:15 pm I don't frequent these forums nearly as often as I used to, but there are always a few stories that bring me back. I have to admit, I was a little worried about this one for a while, but a small dose of pessimism has its way of making things like this sweeter. That is to say, this update was well worth the wait.

I can't quite put my thoughts on the story into words at this very moment, but it definitely seems to be ramping up to quite the conclusion! I think I will give it some more time to marinate - I am certainly due for a proper reread of this whole fic, one of these days.

Beyond the story itself, I am very happy to hear that you are doing better! Having a solid support system goes a long way towards overcoming adversity; from the sound of it, you have some very good friends in your court. Here's to hoping that life is far kinder to you from here on out. I will be awaiting your next update with bated breath.

It makes me really happy that you liked the update. Things in life keep getting better right now - I just started at my new job and so far am loving it, making more money than I ever have before. I wouldn't have been able to do that, or get out of the pit at all were it not for those people in my life. Ya'll are included by the way among people I'm happy to have

Blackmambauk wrote: ↑Sun Mar 20, 2022 7:30 pm Cut for brevity

Again, thanks for being a sound board I could bounce a few ideas off of. I've always valued your feedback and it makes me feel vindicated when you and others pick up on details, because I have a fun time adding them.

Hi there, I'm a long time KS fan but relatively new to these forums. I started exploring these after being reminded of the existence of KS back around the anniversary, fanfiction isn't typically my thing but weeb VNs aren't usually either, so I poked around and read a few; Summer's Clover, Pseudo-Pseudo Suzu, etc. I found this particular story about a week ago while checking for recently updated stories and decided to give it a shot after reading the excellent introduction post.

One of the things I love about KS is its ability to emotionally touch people on a personal level, so much of the game's story just clicks with so many different people, for so many different reasons. I think at its core that is the main reason KS has achieved such a lasting cultural status that even ten years after it was released there are still amazing writers pouring out fanworks on these forums simply because they want to share their love for the game.

In short I found EBJ's explanation of what the game meant to him and why he wanted to write a pseudo-route and a Saki route in particular very compelling. So I started reading this pseudo-route and was, well, 'shocked' is a clichéd adjective but an accurate one in this case, when I read a line that resonated with me personally in a way even the original game hasn't. And that was this one;

Eurobeatjester wrote: ↑Mon Aug 20, 2018 5:00 am “Try explaining the concept of suicide being empowering”

Reading that line was like being hit in the chest with a sledgehammer. I just.... Stopped reading, and sat there for awhile. Eventually I resumed reading and finished all the way up to the current point. But it was... A different experience after that moment.

I think I've rambled enough at this point, and frankly I don't think anyone who isn't my therapist wants to have a detailed discussion on my life experiences, but I felt like I should say something. Something to express how deeply impactful I found that statement. Something that would let the author know that if he set out to write a story that people would connect with emotionally then in at least my particular case he wildly succeeded.

It took me some time, but I went to the end of this update. The only thing I can say is: Wow. Right in the feels. I must admit I thought, during the recital part, that Saki would fuck everything up because of this wrong note. As a musician myself, I know how it feels when you hit a wrong note, and you can fuck an entire piece up just because of this wrong note, just because you loose your composure. And you saying that you wanted to go in this full way is, in fact, quite natural. But you got me. I was quite happy to see her managing to keep up, thanks to Chisato. These two chapters made me smile, several times, and genuine ones. Now, one question is staying in my head: What the fuck will Hisao say to Saki? I need to know. And I can't wait to read the final chapters.

To be fair, I still can't believe LtF is coming closer to its end. And what I wanted to say is: Whatever you'll do to end this story, this is one of the best pseudo-routes I've ever read, easily on top 5. And just for that, thank you.

This was an absolutely awesome piece, and saying that is an understatement. Thank you. And I'm really glad your situation evolved positively, you only deserve the best, brother.

Sorry for the late reply!

I said that I would say what I thought about the story when I finished reading it, but 2022 is the decade anniversary of 2012 which a very special and important year to me, I just had to make sure what I set to accomplish January to April would be 'perfect', and that I would make myself proud. It sounds silly, but your story and Katawa Shoujo was in the back of my mind these months since it has been 10 years since I played KS, and I knew I wanted to come back and finish your story as a victor, undefeated. I did!!! So what a joy it was to achieve that and reward myself by reading one of my favorite KS story's by none other than EBJ!

Your story once again was my absolute pleasure to read. I do enjoy Saki having her moment and her dream presented to her after all that she's been through. The slip up by Saki and the way Chisato helped her through, how the made up after the performance, it was wonderful! How her family caused no trouble, how after every hardship seemed to bring her and Hisao down, yet in the end it was one big victory, yes, it resonates with me so much. Where Saki and Hisao are at the end of this chapter was a welcome surprise, how they start a journey on a specific spot and after such trials and tribulations arrive back on that very spot, to measure how much they've grown and what they've accomplished.

In fact it's something I experienced as well, so I assure you that part was an absolute joy for me to read. So wholesome! You are gifted, and the relationship between Saki and Hisao is so beautiful to read. (Saki doesn't die in my headcanon alright? ). I know we're almost done here, but I'll never rush you (no one has the right to), because you know what you're doing when it comes to this sort of thing!

Another wonderful set of updates. I don't know how to put it other than that I love this story.
If you ever do anything else, in the future, unrelated to Katawa Shoujo, I hope to see it, too.
Thank you.

Absolutely enthralling - a prodigious, humbling tour de force. You've set the bar for other authors almost unattainably high; I look forward to your future updates!