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“I feel so sweaty and… gross.”

Sleeping in my clothes was a bad idea, but everyone else did it, and I just kind of followed along. It was pretty early in the morning, but I really wanted to take a shower at the very least. I turned over in my bed to make sure I wasn’t disturbing Naomi-san. But her bed was empty.

“Hm? Did Naomi-san wake up early?”

A tad groggy, I took this chance to get a change of clothing. Today will be simple. I planned to look around the rural town a bit and see if anything was interesting here, so I got some overalls and shorts to wear. Today, I was going to look like a country girl. After gathering my clothes, I rushed out of the room.

“Ari-chan! Good morning!”

Oba-chan was up and ready, doing some strange exercises in the corner of the room. My mom was still out like a light. But if Rena Oba-chan kept that up, she’d wake up, and when my mom woke up irritated, the world would feel her rage.

“G-Good morning, Rena Oba-chan.”

“Oh, I should keep it down for your mother. Go on, take a shower.”

She waved to me to pass her. I had to literally hop over my mom to get to the dimly lit bathroom. It was cramped and had little to no room to work with, but thankfully, the water was warm. That's all I asked for. I got redressed and walked out a new woman.

“You can put your dirty clothing over there. I’ll do a load of laundry later today.”

Oba-chan said, pointing to the small hamper in the corner of the room.

“Thanks, Oba-chan. Ah… do you mind if I go walk around the town a bit before breakfast?”

She shrugged.

“Sure, Naomi-san is out there doing the same I guess.”

I angled my head and put my finger on my lip.

“Oh?”

“Yeah, she likes morning walks. It’s probably the only reason she gets up so early. Naomi-san… is an interesting girl.”

I left the apartment, trying my best not to wake mom. When I stepped outside, it was warm and a tad windy. I could see in the distance faint lights of streetlights scattered around the town. It felt like a place out of a fantasy novel, a serene village in the trees, far from civilization. Worlds different from our old home.

I walked down the steps, passed my mom’s car, and continued down the dirt road that led us to Oba-chan’s apartment. Small homes were scattered about and even a farm nearby. I could hear the chirps of birds, chickens, and other animals throughout the early morning. 

“I can see why Naomi-san likes taking a walk in the mornings. It’s so peaceful out here.”

I closed my eyes, and something interesting caught my ears. It sounded like…

“Is that… music?”

 

 

In the distance, somewhere far away, I heard the faint sound of music. I thought it was my imagination going wild at first, but as I strained my ears, there was no mistaking it. But when I started moving towards the sound, whatever song was playing ended… and the world grew silent yet again.

I walked around for what felt like at least a half-hour, adoring the sights, seeing the small lake that rushed through the outskirts of this small town, and… looking for the source of that music that touched my ears. 

“This place is nice. I like it.”

I concluded before making my way back to Oba-chan’s place. As I approached the apartment, the sun was rising, hitting the faint gold on the numbers on the door just right. I spotted Naomi-san climbing her way up the steps. We caught eyes, and I waved her way.

“Nnnggg…”

She looked a bit surprised and didn’t wave back. Instead, she scurried on in our home without looking back.

“Eh? That was… a little weird.”

To be honest, Naomi-san might have called me weird yesterday, but she’s the one who’s really weird, in my opinion! Thinking about her more as I walked up those very steps, I wondered…

“Where did Naomi-chan go for her walk?”

When I stepped through the door, everyone was around the table getting ready for breakfast.

“Morning, everyone. I’m back.”

I said, removing my shoes at the door. Everyone waved my way but Naomi-san, who looked away as if I upset her in some indirect way. I took the seat next to Mom and looked back at the shifty foreigner. 

“I didn’t know you like morning walks. How about we go together next time, Naomi-san?”

She paused for a bit, looked around, and then shook her head.

“Ah… no thank you.”

“Oh… okay. I didn’t mean to impose on you.”

This… was awkward. First thing in the morning, and I already set the mood for the day. It might be her time to be alone, and me being there wouldn’t be for the best. So, I dropped the subject and turned to Oba-san.

“Ah, Oba-san, what do you and my mom have plans for today?”

Mom answered for her.

“We need to finish enrolling you in school. So, Rena and I are going into the city.”

I put my finger on my lip.

“Oh, do you need me to come with you?”

Rena Oba-chan shrugged.

“We shouldn’t need you if you don’t want to come. We’ve decided it would be best just to enroll you in the same school as Naomi-chan!”

Naomi-san’s chopsticks hit the plate and in a rush, she picked it back up. It might have been a coincidence with the timing. I’ve noticed that she wasn’t very good with them and still learning how to properly use them. 

“Ah… Rena-san.”

Naomi-san paused a bit, looked at her phone a little, and seemed to be gathering the right words to say. Silently, she practiced them before lifting her head up.

"Are… you… sure that this school would be right for Hayashi-san?”

My mom caught on and smiled a bit mischievously. 

“Ahhh, are you worried Ari-san will tell your friends how you are at home? That’s sooo cute.”

A tad annoyed, I glanced at my mom.

"I don't think that's the problem, mom. Stop teasing her."

My mom waved me off.

"Well as it turns out, Akita Higashi High School, which is a few stops into the city, is famous for its musical programs.”

Tooting her horn, my mom put both hands on her hips.

“And my daughter is one of the best violinists of her previous schools. It all worked out!”

Shocked, I nearly jumped out of my seat.

“Are you serious, Mom?!"

The stroke of luck took me by surprise. I wanted to know everything about this school at that very moment. What were the requirements to get in, the uniforms, and the clubs? My day just got a whole lot brighter.

“I checked the grade requirements, and you exceed them, Ari. I even spoke with the faculty yesterday per Rena’s recommendation. Everything is set up, and all they need is a letter from you.”

I started clapping and awing, praising my mother and her diligence. I turned to see Naomi-san, seemingly at a loss for words with her mouth hanging open.

“Naomi-san, we might be classmates!”

“Nnnn… I guess that could happen.”

The look on her face wasn’t very appealing. But without her speaking up and telling me why, I wouldn’t know why she was so against it. 

“Excuse me, Rena-san… I’m still… sleepy.”

Naomi-san said.

Rena Oba-san popped up and tilted her glasses.

“Oh, yeah go back to sleep. Rest up, Naomi-chan!”

After finishing her meal, she stood up, said thank you, and apologized for leaving early, then walked into our bedroom. 

“Does she always go back to sleep like that, Rena Oba-san?”

I asked, putting the pieces of yesterday together. It was noon and Naomi-san came out wearing her pajamas. Actually, thinking about it more, she had her pajamas on while walking around the town this morning. 

“Yeah, she usually doesn’t get going until around noon on the weekends. I just let the girl rest as long as she needs, she’s still growing!”

My mom scratched her cheek.

“You really are the “hands off” like mother, aren’t you, Rena-chan?”

“Don’t give me that, Akiko-chan! I never had kids like you. This is my first time taking care of one, and I see them as… little adults! Let them live the way they want, and hope for the best.”

A very Rena Oba-chan answer if I had to say so myself. 

“Well, if you two don’t need me. I’ll write the letter and give it to both before you leave. I’m going to just hang around town today, see what’s around.”

Mom nodded.

“Sure, but I don’t think there’s much around. If you do decide to go to the city, just be back before 9pm. Oh, and make sure Naomi-san knows also.”

I shrugged.

"Yeah, yeah. Alright, mom."

After breakfast, I wrote up my letter for Akita Higashi High School and handed it over to my mom.

“Hmm… looks good to me. What do you think, Rena?”

Mom asked, handing it to my aunt. She skimmed it in less than a few seconds and agreed.

“Looks good to me, let’s get going!”

I bet Rena Oba-chan didn’t even read a single word of my finely written pleas to get into my new dream school. She seemed like the kind of person who would fly away and throw caution to the wind if gravity wasn’t a law. 

“See you two later!”

I waved them off as they rode away in my mom’s car. Naomi-san was asleep, so I decided to start my journey around town again. This time, there were a lot of kids out playing and just living their little lives. Yesterday, I noticed there weren’t very many people my age at the train stop… and that seemed to be the case.

Nice, elderly people would wave at me as I passed by, or younger kids around elementary and maybe middle school would. But interestingly enough, I walked around for around half an hour and didn’t see anyone my age. When I reached the lake I found earlier, I decided to sit down and just… take in the sight.

“It’s beautiful out here…”

Worlds different from my last home. Honestly, I didn’t have anything against this place so far. It’s further away from town but only a few stops before the nearest city. The apartment was super small but so far… it hasn’t been a major problem. 

I do wish that…

“I had people to hang out with… I guess.”

I thought about Naomi-san who seemed nice enough. But clearly, she was keeping her distance from me, and I still wasn't sure why. Yes, we were strangers, but we were the only two our age around. 

“I hope she opens up more… soon.”

I hugged myself and put my chin on my knees.

“It feels… a little like how school was before I moved. I guess I’m a little lonely?”

A tad dejected I stood up and kept on trucking along. As I walked through the small town, I saw a building that stuck out to me compared to the smaller ones around. When I got close, I saw a small, dilapidated sign that read “Library.”

“Hm, a library?”

Curious, I went inside the dimly lit structure. There was a windy entrance that opened up to quite a large room. A mountain of books was all around, expected from a library. But in the center, there was something I wasn’t expecting to see. 

“A piano?”

It looked to be in good shape, and as I walked closer, I could see it had been cleaned off recently. It was closed, hiding the keys from view so I lifted the black cover and revealed bone-white keys and polished sharps and flats. Needless to say, this piano stuck out from the rest of the dusty interior.

“Ahh, scues’ me!”

 

 

I jumped at the sound of a slightly high-pitched voice calling out to me. When I turned around, I saw a girl with pure-white hair in twin tails sitting on a seat near the wall. I must have passed her when I entered the room.

“Oh, excuse me.”

I apologized and shut the piano softly.

She stood up, patted her bright dress, and looked me up and down before walking over.

“Momma said tha’ nobody should be touchin’ tha’ there piano. But you can look at all the books here see!”

She was a bit shorter than me but way taller than Naomi-san. With a book in hand, she covered her lips and tilted her head.

“Ahh, are ya new here? You look like a city girl, you do!”

“Oh, yes, my name is Hayashi Ari. I’m 16 and just moved here with my mom.”

Excited, she jumped and raised her hands.

“Yay! Another girl my age! It’s about time someone shows up here, they do!” 

In her excitement, she dropped her book. Being curious, I picked it up and tried to read the title.

“Hm?”

"Oh, no I'll take tha' back!" 

Embarrassed, she took the book, hid it behind her, and looked away. Her skin turned the color of a strawberry instantly. I was suspicious of what she was reading but decided it was best not to upset the only other teenager here with me. 

After her flustered episode, she calmed down and bowed slightly.

“S-Sorreee! Ah, my name's Uemura Yuki, been here ma whole life! So, I know this town like a rabbit knows a carrot, I do!"

She made me giggle. Uemura-san seemed like a silly girl, and the way she spoke was intriguing.

“It’s nice to meet you.”

I bowed, too.

“So, do you play piano?”

To my surprise, Uemura shook her head.

“Oh no, I’m no good at play’n music. But I do like hearin' it, I do. I… read a lot though, I guess."

She scratched her cheek and turned away slightly.

“What bout you ah… Hayashi-san? You looked mighty interested in tha’ there piano. You play?”

I looked back at the mystical instrument that nobody was supposed to touch, apparently. 

“I played a bit when I was younger, but I stuck with the violin instead.”

“Oh, you play the violin?!”

Excitedly, she eagerly looked at me as if she expected me to pull it out and play her a song right here on the spot. 

“I do… ah, do you want to hear?”

I asked, getting a little bit excited, too. 

“Can I?! Yahoo! I would love that!”

Uemura-san jumped up like a little kid about to get ice cream. I couldn’t help but giggle.

“Let me run back home and get my violin. Ah… should I meet you back here?”

“Hm, why don’t we go to the river down yonder? It’s a nice day and the breeze would be good too.”

With a clap, she seemed to get another idea.

"Oh! I'll bring snacks too! We can have a picnic we can!"

The day was looking up. By chance, I ran into a random country girl who was just as excited to meet new friends as me. I waved her goodbye and raced off back to Oba-chan’s place. 

 

---

 

When I opened the door and stepped in, to my shock, Naomi-san’s head was partway in the refrigerator. 

“Hm?”

Like a rat caught in a trap, she turned to me, eyes wide and spinning. It would seem that I caught her… raiding the refrigerator. With a slice of bread in her mouth and a bottle of oolong tea in the other hand, she stared at me, wordlessly.

 She hastily took the bread out of her mouth, trying to save face. Nervously Naomi-san watched me. The poor girl seemed to be embarrassed.

 

 

 

I…

Found her super…

Cute!!!

“Oh, ah… I’m just getting my violin. I’ll leave the refrigerator to you.”

She didn’t move, just watched me with her eyes as I rushed into our bedroom. I grabbed my violin case and stepped back out only to come face to face with Naomi-san once again. Her dark hair was in shambles and her eyes still spinning slightly.

“Ah… Hayashi-san… ah…”

She seemed to be struggling to get her words in order, so I stood there, giving her time to say her piece.

“Is everything okay, Naomi-san?”

“Ah…. p…please… please… don’t… tell Rena-san?”

My heart fluttered a little, seeing her in such a vulnerable light. I had no intention of telling anyone that I caught her digging through the fridge like this. 

“I won’t say anything.”

I smiled.

“Oh… okay…”

Before I touched the doorknob, I turned back around and asked…

“Hey, would you like to hear me… play?”

Still in her pajamas, looking a tad worse for wear, I expected her to decline my offer, but I still wanted to at least offer it to her again. She paused for a moment, looked away slightly, and then turned back to me.

“Your violin? You’re… playing outside?”

“Yeah, I… am going to the river to play a few songs. I…”

My chest tightened for some strange reason. She’d already rejected me once, not sure why I was so tense about this. 

“Ah… I would like it if you could at least… see me play?”

Naomi stared at me blankly before shaking her head.

“No… I’m fine.”

As expected, she declined. 

“That’s too bad. Well… if you need me, I’ll be at the river. See you later.”

Dejected, I left the apartment. It was too bad. I… really wanted to show Naomi-san how beautiful some of these songs are. 

“Well, at least I have Uemura-san to judge my music.” 

I lifted my head high and rushed off to the river. We never agreed on where on the river to meet, so when I got there, there was no sign of Uemura-san. I walked down to the shore and found a good place to set my violin case down. The calming rush of water was putting me in the zone, and I was excited to finally touch my instrument after a few days.

“There you are.”

When I opened the case, the spruce wood shined from the polish I put on it before I came. Its burgundy body invited me to lift it up and hold the piece in my hand. As if it were an extension of myself, I became one with it as soon as I plucked the strings, reverberating that sound across the air. 

“There ya' are! Sorreee, I'm late."

With a box in hand, Uemura-san jumped down the hill to meet me. Her white twin tails swung around, nearly whacking me across the face. Her being closer, I could see the dirt on her cheek and the roughness on her fingers as she held out the box towards me.

“Momma made sweet sandwiches for ma' new friend here! She said, "Have a good ol' time!"" 

I held the box and set it to the side. The sandwiches looked delicious, and I couldn’t wait to give them a try. 

“Thanks, they look super good!”

With her hand behind her back, she swung her body, waiting for me to start, I assumed. Taking the hint, I tuned my violin and stood next to the river. With my eyes closed, I found myself within the world I loved…

My escape from… reality.

Nature blended with the notes of my instrument. I felt the sand and dirt under my feet as I moved with the violin’s echoes. The song I was playing was one I first learned. It wasn’t my favorite song, but it brought me back to hours of practicing, training, learning, and becoming one with myself. 

This is the feeling I’ve been looking for since I left home a few days ago. 

That’s when I realized…

That no matter where I go…

My love for this feeling will stay with me as long as I keep playing.

Before I knew it, the song reached its end, and my bow released from the strings. My body rested, and I opened my eyes, taking me back to the beautiful view of the river. 

“Wooohoooooo! Ya' really are good at that violin, Hayashi-san!"

Uemura-san clapped so loudly that I felt like there was a stadium of people cheering me on. 

“Thank you.”

I bowed to my one-girl audience. With a wide smile, I lifted my head and caught eyes with someone in the distance, next to the trees. Her dark skin and bright green eyes captivated me. She only had a large long-sleeved shirt on and was even barefoot, as if Naomi-san rushed here out of the blue. But what struck me most was… 

The look on her face though too me off gaurd. She looked sad... a little sad. As if Naomi-san was hurting just by watching me play.

 

 

“Naomi-san?”

I whispered. Before I could call out to her, she turned and ran away, only adding to my confusion of… her.

“Wait, why... don’t you want to stay?”

Suddenly, Uemura-san took hold of me and gave me an overly aggressive hug.

"My new friend is supa cool! Tha' was awesome!"

I decided to not worry about Naomi-san for the time being. It was unfair to not give my attention to Uemura-san, the girl who begged for this performance to begin with. 

After a few more songs, I put away my instrument, and we laid out a blanket. Slowly and methodically, Uemura-san put out each food. 

“Momma said ta do it… like… this.”

It seemed that Momma knew what was best. I wondered if I’d be able to meet this Momma someday. From what I gathered so far, Uemura-san was a dorky country girl who had an intense love of music. She's like a mini whirlwind of sheer happiness. 

I liked her a lot, and the outing was super fun.

“These are delicious!”

I was surprised by the sandwiches. They were both savory with a hint of sweetness, like the bread was made of cake. I never had something like this. 

“All the ingredients are made from the farms nearby. Food will knock your socks off, much better than the city!”

She swung her body back and forth like she was on a teeter-totter. Her childlike laugh sounded like an angel. 

“So, you’ve lived here your whole life, Uemura-san?”

“That’s right, Hayashi-san. Been here since I was a wee little girl with a pacifier in my mouth.”

She pushed out her feet and wiggled her toes. 

“This… is the first time that someone my age was out here with me.”

With a wide, honest smile, she tilted her head my way. Those long twin locks fell on her shoulder. Being this close, I noticed she had freckles, making her all the cuter. 

“So, let’s be best friends, alright?!”

“It won’t be hard since you’re so nice.”

Being able to just goof off with Uemura-san was wonderful. But not being too close with anyone due to the big age gaps of all the people here sounds lonely. Maybe she does play with the kids around, but… there’s just a connection you get when you know someone your age.

“Do you have friends who go to your school?”

I asked.

"No, I've been home-schooled for the last four years. Momma is a professor at the college in the city nearby. In her words, "The modern education has nothin’ on me!””

I scratched my cheek.

"Your mom sounds like a headstrong kind of woman."

“Yeah! My momma's amazin’! As soon as I started getting bullied…”

Suddenly, she paused and turned away.

“Eh, didn’t mean to bring up the bad. But momma… took me outta school and made sure I felt… safe.”

Bullies… 

I’ve had my fair share of them, especially in my last semester of school before I came. I’m not sure to what extent Uemura had to go through, but to have to be taken out, it must be a sore topic.

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

Like a jack in the box, she sprung to life. 

“Oh, no! I’m happy Momma got me outta there! Ma test scores are amazin’ though! I might sound stupid but I actually like to think I’ma genius! At least, that’s what Momma says!”

She laughed wholeheartedly, warming my chest. 

“Ah, have you met… Fischer Naomi-san? A foreigner who moved here recently. She’s around our age.”

Uemura-san finished her sandwich and turned back to me.

“Fischer-san? I… know that name… She lives around here?”

 

I described her as best as I could: like a little doll you'd find in a gift shop, with long dark hair, a dark complexion, and the most vibrant green eyes like gems.

 The more I described her, though, the more clueless Ueruma-san looked.

“No, I haven’t seen a fairy like that goin’ around. But now I’m supa curious! C-Could ya introduce her ta me?!”

I nodded.

“Sure, ah… but she’s a little bit of a recluse, so it might be hard. But I’m sure you two can be good friends too.”

“Yahoooo! More friends than I know what ta do with!”

She seemed too easy to please, and I hoped that Naomi-san wouldn't be as standoffish with her if I did introduce them. After our lunch, I helped her clean up and put the blanket back in the box. 

“So that piano, is it your mom’s, Ueruma-san?”

She lifted the box and tilted her head.

“Oh that, ahh… it’s a bit complicated. It was delivered to our library a few weeks ago, and Momma said "no touchy.”

With my finger on my lip, I pressed a little bit.

“So the piano is just there for show?”

Uemura-san shrugged.

“Ahhmm… I guess? I dunno, never heard it bein' played since it got here. From what Momma said, there was no place to put it, so since our library is so big, it was put there, see."

It almost felt like a mystery that needed to be solved. Maybe I was bored and needed to latch on to something, and it just so happened to be that strange piano in the rural town’s library.

“I heard music this morning… could it have been that?”

She jolted and turned back to me. 

“Eh, are you sayin’ that piano is cursed?! I… I hate scary stories, don’t do that to me!”

I scratched the back of my head and smiled warily. 

“No, I’m not saying it’s cursed…”

Thinking back on it, it was early in the morning, nobody was around, and then the music faded from afar. What if there was a spirit, deep in the heart of this rural village, that lures its victim by playing… music.

“Eeehhh, that’s too scary!”

I shouted, causing Uemura-san to jump. 

“What’s scary?!”

“Nothing, I’m just scaring myself!”

“Don’t do that, Hayashi-san! It’s scarin’ me!”

We both calmed down after our circle of frightening each other. With a deep sigh, Uemura-san lifted her body and turned back to me.

“Well, I need ta study for my next test. Sorreee, I can't play for longer. Ah… let's have more fun together another day!"

“Sure, it was great. See you later, Uemura-san.”

We waved goodbye, and Uemura-san made her way up the hill with that large box in hand. The food was delicious, and she was a treat to meet. As the wind blew and captured my thoughts, I felt… happy. That lonely feeling was disappearing as if someone knew my feelings and offered me another friend.

“I should ask Naomi-san why she was hiding over there. I… would have appreciated it more if she didn’t sneak around to come see my show.”

I lifted my violin case and started trekking back to Oba-san’s place. As I did, I thought back to that expression on Naomi-san’s face. That expression looked like there was a deep sadness in her eyes…

It reminded me a bit of how I looked in the mirror… When all my friends stopped talking with me and I was all alone…