It’s as if we had parted only yesterday.
As if in the flicker of an instant
—as if in that moment we had snapped back in time.
Takashi
Shou...
Shou
Takashi—...
(There’s a pail of water in Takashi’s hand.)
Shou
That’s...
Takashi
Ah...
Shou
—Have you been looking after Mom’s grave, by any chance?
(Takashi turns away abruptly.)
Takashi
And who else is going to do it?
(He kneels in front of the grave.)
You’ve ignored it for six years.
(Shou’s face reddens.)
Shou
—Words that flay me, as usual.
—But
Listening to those words—
It’s strange, but I can somehow understand his true feelings—...
—He’s saying, “You’ve come back”...
(Shou smiles.)
Takashi
So what are you doing now?
Shou
I’d wondered if, coming back to Japan
—Nothing much.
I would see Takashi again.
I’ve graduated from the Academy of Music, and sometimes play with the Orchestra. I’m entering competitions regularly, and placing if I’m lucky—
No, I knew that I would probably see Takashi again.
The so-called ‘popular novice soloist’, I guess.
And if I did, how would I look at him? What would I say?
But
This visit is for work, too—...
Time is a mysterious thing.
It has drained away all the ill feelings and left only the gentle memories...
You know...
—I guess this is kinda weird to say, but
When I was in Japan, I hid it from everyone, I hid it from you:
I went that far to keep playing the piano, but
I didn’t even know why I wanted to continue playing.
—So perhaps
I can tell him these things now.
That’s why while I was studying abroad I thought about it more to see if I could come up with an answer. —So...
—If that’s the case, what do you think I was doing in Germany?
...I was just playing the piano. Only that: playing to make up for all the times that I couldn’t in Japan.
I played and played mindlessly.
Countless hours in a day.
Yes,
Surely
And then I remembered.
—“It was because I love playing the piano, wasn’t it?”
It was such a simple reason, but
I
In Germany, I—
remembered how much joy I found just in playing—...
—never wanted to admit to it...
(Takashi huffs a breath, smiling softly.)
Takashi
—So then
You clean forget about the rest of us and break off all contact?
You’ve even ignored your mother’s grave—...
(Shou blushes, looking troubled.)
Shou
Ah...
I’m sorry...
I—...
(Takashi smiles.)
Takashi
—Sorry.
Just a jilted guy’s resentful whining.
Don’t mind me.
(He pats Shou’s shoulder.)
That look on your face...is so much better than anything I’ve seen before.
—Yes
I’ve wished for you to grow into this
I’ve wished for it more than anyone, so—...
But do give Suzuna-chan a call.
She’s been waiting for you all this time.
Being able to see you like this
I can let go of that time—...
(Takashi walks off, and Shou stares after him.)
Shou
—Takashi...
(He starts, suddenly realizing—)
Wait a minute!
“Jilted guy”—...
Whaaa?!
(Night at the Amori mansion. Takashi is lying in bed, hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling.)
Takashi
Shou...
Suddenly meeting him in a place like that was just...
He still looks exactly the same as he did six years ago.
(He recalls Shou looking at him, arm full of flowers.)
Exactly the same?
No, he’s somehow—...
Somehow—how do I put this—...?
(Takashi blushes.)
He’s the kind of person who somehow becomes almost ageless as he grows older.
And why did that bouquet of lilies suit him so well, even though he’s a guy?!
But then again, it was probably just because lilies suited the setting. ...Yeah...
—And I’d decided that I’d get over him, too...
Guess I’m bad at resigning myself to anything.
But
I can at least make a pretense of having forgotten, if the past still causes him pain—...
(A hotel. Reichelt steps out of a hot shower.)
Reichelt
Ah—...
The hot water felt great.
Shou, you want to go in?
(He leans in close to Shou.)
Hmm?
Shou, you smell really good.
Shou
That’d be you, wouldn’t it?
You smell like soap...
Reichelt
Nope. You smell like flowers—
Lilies, right?
(Shou blushes.)
Shou
Ah...
Reichelt
Who did you go see today?
Shou
“Who”, well—
I went to visit my mom’s grave.
Reichelt
Oh?
Shou
Takashi...
He must think that it was on purpose that I didn’t go to the airport six years ago.
It’s too late now to try and clear up that misunderstanding—...
I wonder what he would have said to me if I had gone?
I—...
(Shou looks troubled, and Reichelt notices.)
Reichelt
...
...Anyway, isn’t this suite great?
(It’s a huge room with two beds and a spacious sitting area.)
Shou
Er...well...it seems a bit too great...
Are we going to be able to foot the bills?
Since we don’t have much money?
Reichelt
Our sponsor is picking up the tab, so it’s all good.
(Shou is juuuuust a bit uneasy.)
Shou
Our sponsor...
What kind of a daddy long-legs is he?
I mean, it’s kinda weird that he’d call on a reputationless novice like me...
His story isn’t very convincing, is it?
Reichelt
That’s true, but—
...
Hey, Shou. This is just my personal opinion but
Shou
!
Reichelt
Maybe you got picked this time—...
Was frankly!—because of your looks! That’s what I think!
(Shou hits the floor. Reichelt grins.)
This is the visual era for the Classical world too!
It’s the world of show business, right?
You’re walking the road of Yadatsu or Konoka!
“The Beautiful Young Pianist”—how does that sound?
Tchaikovsky was a looker too, right?
I think you’d do great as Madam Popularity! 1
Shou
Yeeeah, thanks for that.
You’re such a dreamer.
Reichelt
Hey, Shou.
I have a dream of something like—who was it?—Cinderellas story.
You win the competitions and become the star that lights up the entire night.
But like you said, we’re still novices.
This is a time for making steady moves.
No matter what happens, we can’t let this chance get away.
—Right?
Shou
Reichelt...
—But I just want to play the piano...
But just loving the piano...I guess that alone isn’t enough...
Reichelt
Shou...
Of course! You don’t have to worry about these things. That’s my job—...
So just leave it to me...
Shou
I love the piano...
Words that I could never have said to Takashi before—...
It was as if we had parted just yesterday. But though it feels like that
Before I knew it
So much time had passed—...
I—
Has anything else even changed within me?
Has anything changed—...?
(The next day.)
Reichelt
Huffft.
That’s the S Corporation visit, so we’re done with our schedule for the day.
Shou
Reichelt, would you like to go sightseeing anywhere?
Reichelt
Hmmm...
Well, if you’d like to go somewhere, I’ll come with you.
Shou
Somewhere to go see...mmm.
—Well, it’s not a sight-seeing spot, but—...
I’d like to visit my old teacher. Is that okay with you?
(Shou’s teacher looks really happy to see him.)
Sensei
Shou-kun!
Well, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? When did you get back to Japan?
Shou
Sensei.
I’m sorry for showing up here so suddenly after being out of touch for so long—...
Sensei
That’s not a problem at all. Here, let me take a look at you.
Shou
Sensei...
Sensei
You’ve become even more handsome. Your dad’s happy for you!
Shou
Right, he always was like this, wasn’t he?
Who the heck’s my dad? Yeesh!
Sensei
Hmm?
This is...
Shou
Oh! This is Reichelt Schneider.
Maestro Schneider’s nephew. He’s currently acting as my manager.
Reichelt
Ich freue mich, Sie kennenzulernen (Nice to meet you!)
Sensei
Aaah, the nephew of Maestro Schneider, the pianist from Vienna...
Reichelt
Nice to meet you.
Sensei
Are the two of you free tonight?
Shou
Yes, er...
Sensei
Perfect.
I’d like to invite you both to dinner. How about it?
(A classy restaurant.)
—A friend of mine plays the piano here.
I come here for dinner once in a while and listen to him.
But it’s always great to be able to enjoy something with other people, right?
Reichelt
Aaaah, what a wonderful place.
Sensei
Though if I were 20 years younger I’d want to come here on a date with a cute girl...
But as it is, I brought a handsome young man...
Shou
You’re quite young enough, Sensei.
In body and mind.
But thank you so much for inviting us—...
(He looks down the room, and sees a familiar figure in a dinner suit. It’s Takashi and Suzuna.)
That’s—...!
(Reichelt notices Shou’s sudden stillness.)
Reichelt
Shou?
(He sees Takashi.)
!
Sensei
The performance is going to begin soon.
Shou
Suzuna-chan and Takashi—...
Meeting them in a place like this...
I...
What in the world is this feeling...?!
(A few tables away, Takashi smiles at a laughing Suzuna.)