Chapter 1 (1/2)

When I first set my eyes on the first page of the score, the song reminded me of a fluttering moth.

The countermelody circled around the burning main melody before diving into the flames. But despite being burnt into nothingness, new moths would sp.a.w.n from the charred ashes—that was the feeling that that song had imparted on me.

Sonata in A♭ major, also known as ”opus postumus,” was a posthumous work. And because there was no given t.i.tle for that sonata, I habitually referred to it as <fire-thieving moths=””>.

After I had become a ruffian in the cla.s.sical music industry, I had found that there were a few particular questions that I would commonly be asked, such as ”Why don't cla.s.sical pieces have t.i.tles? Wouldn't not having t.i.tles make it difficult to refer to them?” I had briefly touched on that topic during an interview for a magazine—it was an interview for an alb.u.m, though I had only produced one of the alb.u.m's songs.

”Mr. Nao, are you the one that came up with the alb.u.m's name, <mutant b.u.t.terfly=””>?”

”Yeah, it was me. Back then, no one could come up with a name for the alb.u.m, so the manager said, 'Hey Nao, name one of your favourite songs!' To which I replied, 'Beethoven's Sonata no.31 in A♭ major.' But they misheard it as ”mutant b.u.t.terfly” instead......” [TL Note: Apparently, ”A♭ major” sounds similar to ”mutant b.u.t.terfly” in j.a.panese]

The interviewer roared with laughter. Then, he posed that question—

”Still, why are cla.s.sical pieces referred to as whatever number and whatever pitch instead of t.i.tles that are easier to understand?”

I had been asked that question several times already, so I already had an answer prepared.

”Well...... here's an a.n.a.logous situation. Military buffs usually refer to fighter jets by their model numbers, don't they? They'll call a jet an 'F-14' as opposed to a 'Tomcat,' and they rarely ever refer to the 'SR-71' as 'Blackbird.' Fans of cla.s.sical music are the same. Referring to these cla.s.sical songs by their opus number makes us sound cooler and more knowledgeable, doesn't it?”

”I see!”

Of course that was just me bulls.h.i.+tting.

I had first come into contact with <fire-thieving moths=””> on my twenty-fourth birthday.

The day before that—the last day I was twenty-three—happened to be the same day Mafuyu was finished her American tour and was returning to j.a.pan. So having just completed my work, I drove down to Narita Airport early in the morning.

I wasn't sure if it was because of the spring holidays, but the airport was filled with tourists when I arrived there at ten, and many of them were travelling as a family. Because of that, the airport was somewhat packed, but I still spotted Mafuyu's s.h.i.+ny maroon hair instantly as she made her way through the arrival gate. Mafuyu saw me before I could even wave my hands and immediately ran towards me.

The last time we had seen each other was during New Years. Three months had already pa.s.sed, and it felt like she had become even prettier.

Ebisawa Mafuyu—she was now the world famous pianist with ”mercury fingers.” So who had come up with that weird t.i.tle of hers? It's sad to say this, but it was my dad, Hikawa Tetsurou. And because that t.i.tle suited Mafuyu's style of playing the piano, her ”ice beauty” look, and her staunch rejection of the media, it was quickly accepted by everyone, and had even made its way overseas.

Even though we were already adults, to me, Mafuyu was still an ordinary girl that cried easily and that got angry for the slightest reasons. And she would only prove my point as she walked towards me with wobbly steps. It has been three months—I think it should be okay to give her a really tight hug, right? But that tiny thought of mine was immediately quashed by my rationality when I thought about how it would look in the eyes of the crowd around us.

”Welcome back—”

Right when I finished saying that, Mafuyu came to a stop two meters in front of me. For some reason, she was warily scanning the arrival hall behind me.

”I-Is something wrong?” Did she read my mind and become aware of my desire to hug her?

”We will not be chased around by anyone, right? And we will not be brought to a strange place again, right?”

”Nah! Why would that happen?”

”Those are my only impressions of Narita Airport.....”

As Mafuyu mumbled those words with her head lowered, I remembered what had happened there.

Mafuyu was always flying all over the place because of her tours, but that was already our third time meeting at Narita Airport. The first time was during the summer of our first year of high school, while the second time was during the winter. In both cases, we were chased around by the security; and both times, there was hardly any chance for us to talk. Ah, those were painful days......

Regarding the third time—today—Mafuyu had actually asked me to pick her up at the airport. That was the first time she had done that, and it also meant that Eb.i.+.c.hiri wouldn't be around. That was why I had spent the whole night finis.h.i.+ng all my work, so that I could reach the airport early in the morning.

”Urm....... we sure did some impulsive things when we were young......”—I laughed wryly—”But you don't have to worry today. I'm here specifically to pick you up!”

Mafuyu nodded her head vigorously and walked right up to me.

”...... I am back.”

Mafuyu's tiny voice was almost drowned out by the sound of rolling luggage. What's wrong? She didn't look very happy.

But she didn't seem angry either. I guess she's just exhausted from all that travelling? I mean, she did fly halfway across the globe; and there's the jet lag to consider as well. She should be sleeping at around this time.

I grabbed Mafuyu's luggage and started walking.

”Where are we going?”

”I drove here, so how about we send you home? You're probably dead tired, right? You don't look very good.”

”Send me home?”

Mafuyu shot past me and turned around. Looks like I've really p.i.s.sed her off this time.

”I specifically planned my return flight to arrive around this time, so why would I want to go back home?”

”S-Sorry, is there someplace you'd like to go?”

Mafuyu shook her head hard.

”Urm....... then? What's going on here?”

”It just means anywhere is fine as long as I can be together with Naomi!”

I must've had an incredibly silly expression on my face after hearing that. Mafuyu's face was all red, and her eyebrows were arching upwards.

”I-I see...... Mmm, I get it. I'm sorry.”

I cautiously closed the distance between us and gently took her hand. She responded with a firm grip.

The announcements were blaring nonstop over the speakers, and as we stepped onto the escalator, I asked that question softly.

”Then...... how about my home?”

Mafuyu nodded. Looking at her from the side, it seemed like she couldn't wait.

We were overwhelmed by fatigue when we reached my house, so after a quick shower, we dropped dead onto my bed.

We each took another shower after waking up. It was already ten at night when I began preparing our dinner; and Mafuyu had just walked out of the bathroom with a tired expression on her face and her wet hair wrapped up in a towel. Though our jobs aren't exactly what you would call normal, it's still a little much for us to sleep from morning to late into the night. I guess we should reflect on that a little.

As I was preparing the fish in the kitchen, Mafuyu sat herself down on my bed and looked around the room. For some strange reason, she looked disappointed.

”...... Sorry, my room's really cramped......”

Mafuyu had visited my room several times already, but I still deliberately said that anyway. But she just shook her head.

”That is not what I was thinking. Naomi's room is just way too clean. There is nothing I can help out with.”

”Really? I think it's a little messy in some areas.”

One of the walls of the room was covered with rows of guitars and ba.s.ses, and a two-tier electric piano and synthesizer were also present. The instruments took up almost the entire s.p.a.ce. Additionally, I had recently converted my music into a digital format, so I didn't have very many CDs left; but I still couldn't convert my books, so my shelves were still filled to the brim.

”Naomi, why are you so neat and tidy even though you are his child?”

Mafuyu knew very well how destructively lazy Tetsurou was, but there was still this complicated feeling inside me when I heard that question of hers. Can you not word it that way?

”Well, a child does grow up looking at the backs of his parents; but there are certainly occasions where a parent serves as a negative example rather than a positive one.”

”At the very least, allow me to help out with our laundry!” Mafuyu stood up.

”But I already washed everything while you were in the shower.”

”Why did you wash them?” Why are you so angry anyway?

Mafuyu puffed her cheeks out and sat herself back down on the bed.

When dinnertime rolled around, Mafuyu was still a little unhappy. She ate her food silently, but did occasionally peek at my face.

”Urm...... sorry, are the dishes bad?”

”I have tasted plenty of dishes in various hotels and restaurants in America, but Naomi's miso soup is still the best out there.”

Then you should look happier when you're eating my food......

”I wish I could eat your dishes every day.......”

”Nah, that's impossible. I can't possibly freight them to America every single day!”

”From the next month onwards, I will be s.h.i.+fting the focus of my work back to j.a.pan. It is too tiring doing tours all the time.”