"Takamine-kun~"
"…"
"Ehehe~"
"If you've got something to say, just say it." Takamine set down his teacup and glanced at the pink-haired girl smiling in front of him. "What is it, Secretary Fujiwara?"
Ever since he joined the student council, Takamine found Fujiwara Chika extremely tricky to deal with.
There were only a few women in the world he considered a handful—his mother was one of them. Fujiwara Chika was definitely on that list too.
So he always spoke cautiously around her.
"Remember what I said before?"
"You've told me a lot of things. How would I know which one?"
"Jeez! Takamine-kun, you're so forgetful!"
Fujiwara puffed her cheeks.
"I'm talking about what I said while helping the president practice the school anthem—how we should perform a duet together if we got the chance."
"Oh… that."
Takamine had nearly forgotten.
A few weeks ago, when Shirogane couldn't carry a tune to save his life, Chika and Takamine had helped him stay after school for practice. After a week, he could finally sing the anthem properly.
Only the anthem, though—he still couldn't sing anything else.
During that time, Takamine had played his violin once, which sparked Chika's interest as a piano prodigy to do a duet.
"So, you remember now?"
"Yeah, I remember." Takamine smiled. "But unfortunately, you said 'if we get the chance.' I personally don't think that chance is coming."
"Ehhhh!?"
"Besides, you hardly play piano anymore, right? No big competitions either. So there's no stage for it."
"That's not true! There is a stage!"
Chika suddenly leaned in close and looked up at him.
"I plan to perform with you at the Hoshin Festival."
"The Hoshin Festival?"
It was Shuchiin Academy's version of a cultural festival—one of the school's biggest traditional events.
"Yup! The teacher already approved it~"
"…Tch. Which teacher is this nosy?"
"Ms. Sagara."
"…"
'Fujiwara Chika, you've played me!!'
Chika didn't notice the dead-fish expression on Takamine's face and continued with a smile, "When she heard I wanted you to perform with me, she agreed right away. Said, 'It's good to keep Rinji busy so he doesn't build a bunch of weird watchtowers on school grounds again.' I didn't get what she meant."
"What does Aunt Kaya take me for?"
Takamine rubbed his temple, feeling a headache coming.
"When is the Hoshin Festival?"
"Next semester."
"Fine. We'll talk about it after summer break."
"Nooo!"
Chika grabbed Takamine's arm and yanked him up.
"If we wait until after summer, there won't be enough time! A duet needs practice and chemistry."
"Then go find someone else."
"…You really won't agree?"
"Nope. Even if you look at me with puppy-dog eyes, it won't work."
"Tch~"
Just a moment ago, Chika looked like she was about to cry. Now she was pouting, having realized flattery didn't work on Takamine.
But then she leaned in close and grinned mischievously.
"Are you sure you want to say no?"
"What would be wrong with it?"
"This is a rare chance to boost your popularity at school~ You sure you want to miss out?"
"So what if I do—"
"With popularity comes admirers. You might even get a confession from a girl during the festival~"
"…"
——————————————————————————————————
In the music room.
"This is great!" Chika cheered. "Takamine-kun agreed in the end~"
"Just this once."
"Oh~ Not doing it to impress the girls?"
Fujiwara Chika wore an infuriating grin as she poked at Takamine Rinji's cheek with her finger.
"Boys going through puberty are easy to read. You're just too cute, Takamine-kun~"
"Shut it."
Takamine slapped her hand away and picked up the violin beside him.
"Let's make it clear. If it doesn't work, we're done with this."
"Yeah, yeah, got it."
As Takamine rested the bow on the strings, Fujiwara walked to the piano and took a seat. Her delicate fingers hovered above the keys.
She looked like a completely different person when she sat at the piano—gone was the usual ditzy demeanor, replaced by a focused presence.
The sheet music on the stand was Air on the G String by the famous composer Bach, a piece well-suited for violin and piano duet.
Takamine took a deep breath, then slowly began drawing the bow across the strings.
The prelude began—elegant and solemn, like nobility descending a grand staircase.
At the same time, Fujiwara's fingers started dancing over the piano keys.
The blend of piano and violin wove a nearly flawless harmony—sometimes grand, sometimes subdued—unfolding a hauntingly beautiful melody that captivated the soul.
After a few waves of intensity, the piece drew to a gentle close.
As the music ended, they both opened their eyes at the same time.
"Looks like we play pretty well together~"
"So far, I'd say yes. But this piece is so overplayed. You're not seriously planning to use this for the Hoshin Festival, are you?"
"What else, then? We won't have enough time if we rearrange something new," Fujiwara replied.
"…True. I'll see if I can work something out."
"Eh? So you're agreeing?"
"…You could say that."
"Awesome!"
Seeing her cheer, Takamine just shook his head and walked out of the music room.
Anyway, this kind of thing was just for fun. No harm in it for him… and if things went like Fujiwara hinted, and some girl confessed to him during the festival, then he'd come out ahead.
Coincidence or not, Fujiwara Chika had completely figured out how to deal with him.
Just as Takamine reached for the door handle, he suddenly paused.
Then he flung the door open—immediately triggering chaos outside.
A crowd of students, startled, tumbled into the music room like clothes stuffed into a closet suddenly bursting out after months.
The scene made Fujiwara jump in fright.
"Eh? What just happened?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Takamine sighed. "While we were playing, a whole bunch of students gathered outside."