Yuasegawa Aoi was forcibly dragged out by Suzuki Yu. She was carrying her violin case on her back, her face utterly lacking in energy.
At the moment, her face was full of displeasure.
She had been just about to “KO” her opponent, but thanks to Suzuki Yu’s sudden arrival, she’d gotten combo’d to death instead.
This guy is simply unforgivable!
Yuasegawa Aoi silently took note of this debt in her heart, determined to make him pay it back one day.
And when she heard that he wanted to go inspect the venue, her mood worsened even more.
“Why can’t we just hold it in the club room? Why do we have to go to the concert hall…”
She muttered. Suzuki Yu could only helplessly echo her sentiment:
“Yeah, it does feel a bit excessive.”
This was the student council’s doing—or more precisely, Jingu Tenon’s demand. After the president heard about Yuasegawa Aoi’s upcoming performance, she started meddling, true to her usual personality.
On her orders, the music club’s performance had to be held in the small concert hall of Aoyama Saint Academy.
And there had to be publicity, too…
The thought that such a simple task for the discipline director had blown up into such a big production made Suzuki Yu feel a headache coming on.
Fortunately, Yuasegawa Aoi, while complaining, had no intention of making trouble with the student council.
But with Jingu Tenon there, she probably wouldn’t dare anyway.
At this moment, the sun was shining brightly, and Aoyama Saint was overflowing with youthful energy.
The two of them walked side by side along the flagstone path. The afternoon sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves of the tall beech trees lining the road, creating warm, dappled spots that swayed gently on the ground with the breeze.
Before long, they arrived at Aoyama Saint Academy’s small concert hall, where several other students were still rehearsing.
The moment they pushed open the heavy oak doors, a wave of warm, mellow sound washed over them. On stage, under the soft glow of the spotlights, a male student’s fingers danced over the keys of a grand piano while a long-haired girl played the violin with elegant poise.
The melody was beautiful and complex; it was clear the performers were highly skilled.
Suzuki Yu instinctively stopped in his tracks, drawn in by the professional atmosphere.
To be honest, this really was a prestigious academy. This was way beyond the level of a normal high school club—this was a proper concert hall.
Apparently, famous musicians had even performed here before, though unfortunately he’d never had a chance to listen.
Suzuki Yu glanced sideways at Yuasegawa Aoi and saw her lazily find a seat and plop down, resting her chin in her hands. She wore a “this is such a pain, I want to go home” expression.
From her demeanor, she was probably no stranger to this kind of setting.
At that moment, a member of the student council walked in and approached Yuasegawa Aoi, trying to ask about stage arrangements.
“It’s not like it’s a wind ensemble competition—why make such a fuss? I just want to hold an ordinary club activity. Can’t I do it in the club room?”
Yuasegawa Aoi spoke with some impatience, making the council member before her a bit awkward.
Normally, the student council wouldn’t interfere with these kinds of club activities—they’d at most process the applications.
But both Yuasegawa Aoi and Suzuki Yu were people Jingu Tenon paid special attention to.
Thinking of this, Suzuki Yu shook his head and stepped forward to negotiate:
“Just arrange things according to standard chamber music performance guidelines. And while the setlist includes an ensemble piece, that’s only at the end—the earlier parts are all violin solos, and the ensemble is just for the finale. You can just follow how you’ve done it before.”
His words made the student council member pause, then give an “OK” gesture before leaving.
At that moment, the music on stage came to an end. Suzuki Yu looked back to see the two performers had finished and were packing up their instruments, their rehearsal apparently having gone well.
They gathered their things and prepared to leave.
Suzuki Yu glanced at Yuasegawa Aoi, then at the violin by her side, and asked:
“Senpai, do you want to go up and try playing?”
“Ehh~ No way, such a hassle.”
“You brought your violin case, didn’t you? Why not give it a try? I’d like to listen, too.”
“Hmm…” Hearing Suzuki Yu’s request, Yuasegawa Aoi’s eyes flickered over to him, and then she spoke slowly:
“I can, but only if you promise me one thing.”
Seeing that she was trying to make a deal again, Suzuki Yu sighed and agreed:
“Fine, what do you want me to do?”
Yuasegawa Aoi’s eyes sparkled mischievously as she grinned:
“Come with me to Akihabara tonight. There’s a game center there I go to a lot.”
“You really never stop thinking about playing, huh… Fine, but only after practice.”
“No problem.”
With that, Yuasegawa Aoi stood up, stretched, then slung the violin case onto her back and walked toward the stage.
As if sensing someone approaching, the stage lights automatically gathered a few soft spotlights on her. In the empty concert hall, every step she took on the wooden stage echoed clearly.
Suzuki Yu sat in the front row, watching her back.
He saw Yuasegawa Aoi walk to the center of the stage, place her violin case on the floor, and her movements, usually so lazy, now took on an unusual solemnity. She opened the case and carefully took out her violin.
She didn’t start right away, but closed her eyes and stood quietly for several seconds, adjusting her state of mind. When she opened her eyes again, her entire demeanor had changed.
Those eyes that had just now looked so sleepy and impatient were now clear and focused, as if filled with starlight. Her once-slouched back was perfectly straight, her posture as she tucked the violin between chin and shoulder was flawless.
She didn’t look at any sheet music, just casually lifted the bow and drew a long open-string note.
Mmm——
Because of the concert hall’s acoustics, Suzuki Yu could clearly hear the difference in what would normally be an ordinary tone.
Soon, a melodious tune began to echo.
The people who had been about to leave were drawn back, looking at the stage in surprise.
The piece Yuasegawa Aoi was playing was an arrangement of “Por una Cabeza,” a famous tango.
And Suzuki Yu could hear it—her playing was full of flirtatious allure…
He knew she was showing off—showing off to him, in fact.
There was no doubt—Suzuki Yu’s ears were completely captivated.
“It’s really different from her usual style…” he thought to himself.
Before he realized it, the performance was over, and he was left wanting more. Only when Yuasegawa Aoi appeared before him did he snap out of it.
“What are you still thinking about?” The girl spoke with a mischievous air, still a little immersed in her own performance.
“Nothing, I just think you’re really amazing, especially now that I understand music more deeply.”
“Hmph, of course! I’ve been practicing since I was little.” Yuasegawa Aoi put her hands on her hips.
“Most people who study music start from childhood, though.”
“If you want to go far, that’s how it has to be. But you don’t have to worry, Suzuki-kun. Most people in this world have no talent. Even if you start in high school, with the right guidance, you can still catch up to most people pretty quickly.”
Yuasegawa Aoi said this, clearly about to start bragging again.
Suzuki Yu, of course, didn’t mind. But her words made him start to ponder something.
With the system he had, could he ever reach the level of these geniuses?
So far, most of the skills he’d learned were just going from a score of 30 to 70.
When he reached a higher ceiling, would his progress slow down drastically?
Suzuki Yu was lost in thought, but Yuasegawa Aoi suddenly flicked his forehead, snapping him out of it.
“How dare you space out while I’m talking!”
“I wasn’t! I was just thinking about whether it’s really believable you’ve been practicing since you were a kid, given how lazy you seem.”
“What do you mean? Are you doubting me, underclassman? I’ll show you!”
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