Sayonara Piano Sonata Chapter 6

"So you're saying you bumped into Kagurazaka-senpai?"

The following morning, in the classroom, Chiaki asked me that question as she stared at my face.

"Oh, yeah," I replied in an annoyed tone, "Though I think it was more her waiting for me than me bumping into her."

"Then...... are you joining the club?"

"Why would I!?"

"Because Senpai is the sort of person...... who will definitely get her hands on whatever she wants."

Kagurazaka-senpai said the exact same frightening thing to me yesterday in the courtyard. In front of the practice classroom, with her index finger pointing towards me, she declared, "If it's something I want, I'll do anything in order to get it, by fair means or foul. It doesn't matter if it's Ebisawa Mafuyu, this room, or you."

After she said that, Chopin's funeral march sonata could be heard coming from the practice classroom, and it just so happened to be at the part of the final movement, where the whirlwinds are raging through the cemetery—for a brief moment, I felt like dying.

Stop reminding me of those horrible things! Despite my efforts to forget, Chiaki caused those scary memories to resurface in my mind.

"I heard...... that she had always wanted a guitar that cost a million yen. And so, she went to work for the music store where the guitar was sold, and managed to grab hold of the store manager's weak...... urm, she became close friends with the store manager, and ended up getting the guitar for free."

"What the heck are the police for!?"

"Since Senpai could get that guitar in her hands, Nao should be an instant kill for her."

So you mean I'm not even worth a million yen?

"To be in the same club as that sort of person—I really don't get what's going on in your head"

"But Kagurazaka-senpai is really cool!"

Hmm...... she might look cool if I were looking at her from two kilometers away.

"It isn't that bad to want to marry Senpai, right?"

"Alright, go ahead! But since Japan doesn't recognize same-sex marriage, go to Canada to get married instead! You know, Canada!" And don't ever come back!

"But both Senpai and I don't know how to cook. Why doesn't Nao come along as well?"

"What does it have to do with me!?"

As I said that to Chiaki, the backdoor of the classroom opened, and Mafuyu stepped into the classroom. The preparatory bell just happened to ring at the same time, as though it were reminding everyone that they were still in a classroom. Mafuyu stared at me with the sides of her eyes, then proceeded to take her seat silently. At that instance, I stood up irritably and walked out of the classroom.

A series of footsteps could be heard following behind me.

"What's with you?" Chiaki chased after me.

"I'm going to the toilet! Don't follow me."

"I heard from Senpai...... that you were defeated by Ebisawa?"

I stopped in my tracks. The bell that signaled the start of class rang, and the students that had gathered in the corridors became swallowed up by their classrooms. In the end, the only people left were Chiaki and I.

"You can't quite consider that a defeat."

"Didn't she say...... those who don't play musical instruments are not allowed to get close to the room...... making you run away?"

"If you think you can provoke me with those words, you're dead wrong! Don't underestimate my lack of drive!" Hearing those words come out of my mouth, I couldn't help but pity myself.

"Nao knows how to play the guitar, right?"

"You can't count that as knowing how to play." And more importantly...... I had thrown away the guitar I used back then, so I'm currently not in the possession of any guitars.

"It's fine if you start practicing again! Senpai's very good at guitar, so you can ask her to teach you."

"If that's how it is, why don't you ask Senpai to directly invite Mafuyu into the band? She found out Mafuyu's really good at the guitar, and wants to acquire that practice room along the way, to use as the clubroom, right?

I don't think any of those things have anything to do with me at all! I just hope they'll leave me alone.

Chiaki became quiet all of a sudden...... shit, that look of hers suggests that she's on the verge of crying and smacking me at the same time. But why? Did I say something to make her angry?

"...... Do you not know why Senpai is inviting you? Do you really think you're just a supplementary item alongside Ebisawa?"

Chiaki's words sounded as though they were being squeezed out by force.

"...... I. Don't. Know!"

I couldn't help but cower, taking a few steps back as well. My back slammed against the wall of the corridor.

"Nao, you huge idiot! At your funeral, I'll say 'Nao's life was really boring'!"

With that said, Chiaki dashed back into the classroom.

I walked into the toilet with a heavy heart and sat on the toilet cover. What's with that!

It'd be great if I knew how to play the guitar, but...... if only I could squeeze out some motivation after hearing Mafuyu play the guitar. I sat on the toilet bowl with my arms hugging my knees. The sound of the bell came. I didn't move an inch...... it was the first time I had skipped lessons...... and it had only been a month since the start of school—isn't it a little too early for that? This is my very first step on the path to becoming an utterly useless high school student!

In the end, I obediently returned to class during the second period. I'm a person who gives up halfway through anyway, and I didn't have the guts to step into an arcade. Moreover, third and fourth period were physical education—it'd be scary to face the teacher if I skipped his lessons.

Halfway into lunch break, I walked towards the old music building, thinking I should just remove all my stuff from there. As I stepped into the courtyard, I could hear the sounds of the guitar; it felt like those sounds were directly blending up my brain. So that lass plays the guitar during lunch breaks too? Sigh, I thought to myself that I should just come another time. Just as I was about to head back, my sight was drawn to something placed next to the door of the room. That's...... a rubbish bag for disposing of trash that can't be burned. What exactly is in it?

I got close to the rubbish bag and peeked inside; a burst of anger lit up within my heart. Inside the bag was a huge amount of CDs—The Beatles, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, The Clash—all of them are from my important collection! How dare that girl do this! I cranked open the door forcibly, slamming the door open. The sound of the guitar began assaulting me, but disappeared just as quickly.

"...... Didn't I say already, you are not to enter as you please!"

Mafuyu was sitting on the cushion on the desk and hugging her guitar. Her eyebrows were standing as she said that, but I wasn't about to retreat just yet.

I lifted the rubbish bag and protested angrily, "What are you doing!?"

"The cabinet's too small, so I just took them out of the room."

"Who do you think these CDs belong to?"

"If they weren't yours, I would not have tossed them out!"

I was furious to the point that I couldn't come up with a reply. What's with all that!

"Oi, since you're playing the guitar, you should respect the great pioneers of the rock genre!" And you should respect my private property too!

"I do not listen to rock or whatever, nor do I know anything about it. These things are an eyesore and a waste of space, so take them back quickly!"

Mafuyu pushed the dumbfounded me out of the room and closed the door. What flowed into my ears next was Beethoven's