407Concerto
Kiasidira Ixari & Aventria
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Chapter Warning(s): None so far.
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SONATA
First Movement
Op. 01: Risoluto
"There is no chance, no destiny, and no fate that can circumvent or hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul."
(1) aniki – A term meaning "older brother".
(2) Toudai (Tokyo Daigaku) – 'University of Tokyo'. One of the leading research institutes in Japan. While all academic disciplines are taught at the University, it is well-known for science, law, and literature. However, their music school definitely does not lag behind.
(3) Tokyo Geidai (Geijutsu Daigaku) – 'Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music'. One of the oldest and most prestigious schools in Japan.
(4) Ryo-nyanko-chan – "Ryo-kitty"; 'nyanko-chan' literally means 'kitty'.
(5) Konbanwa – Good evening.
Ryoma was now with a purpose.
He would find Tezuka Kunimitsu, and nothing was going to stop him; not the frost and cold of Tokyo's coldest month, not the unfriendly urban environment he was not used to—not even the incessant annoyed chattering in his ear was going to stop him from jumping halfway across the globe and getting into Tokyo Ondai.
"…totally unfair! You could have at least told me that you had plans! You didn't even tell me you were leaving!" his blond childhood friend Kevin, who was halfway across the world in London, screamed into his ear. "Some bloody best friend you are, damn you!"
"Oh, get over it, Kevin," he sighed in exasperated English. His eyebrow ticked. Above all, he hated speaking English or any other foreign language while he was in public. Eyes were drawn to him like bees to honey. This was one of the main reasons he didn't like Tokyo. "Look,I'm in the bus right now, and you know I don't like talking on the phone while traveling. So please, Kevin. And besides, you're busy in the band with aniki (1), aren't you? Didn't you say you had several US concerts?"
"But still!" whined the blond, making Ryoma roll his eyes. This was probably why they got along with each other so well; they had the same tendencies. "It's unfair!"
"…fine. What do I have to do to get you to stop whining into my ear?" Ryoma grumbled.
"A ticket to Japan after we finish our concerts! You must let me visit! And for free!" Kevin immediately quipped.
Another reason why they got along well with each other: they were both overgrown spoiled brats.
"Oh, fine, fine. Free ticket," sighed Ryoma. "Now go away. My stop is next."
A giggle came from across the line. "That's a promise, alright? Okay, bye, Ryoma! Mwah!"
And the line went dead.
Grumbling, Ryoma closed his phone and shoved it into his pocket, sinking further into the cushioned bus seat he was occupying. He secured his thick scarf around his neck—all the while praying he would not lose it again—and shoved his hands into his pocket. He could already see the university's campus through the window across the street.
He picked up his messenger bag and the sleek black violin case he was carrying with him; the rest of his luggage was already in the dormitories ahead of him. He had to commend Ryuuzaki; the old lady worked fast. Less than a month ago he had decided he wanted to enter the college, and already here he was. All his papers were in, and somehow, Ryuuzaki had managed to work around the issue of his age. Hewas younger than the standard, after all. He would be a year younger than all of the freshmen.
As he descended the steps of the bus into the January winter cold, he could not help but feel a slight tingle of apprehension. Oh, he was more than sure that he would be qualified to attend the university—he was an internationally acclaimed performer, after all. That was not what he was worried about.
His eyes swiveled towards the tall spire that read 'Tokyo College of Music'.
Why do I feel apprehensive? This is only Tokyo. This is nothing compared to Europe's best.
He frowned, heaving his bag and crossing the street.
Well, only one way to find out, I guess…
"What about the concours? Have they figured anything out for it yet? It's only barely a month from now."
"So far, they haven't talked to me about it yet," sighed Yukimura. "You know the school board; they get lazy from time to time. You would honestly do better not to expect anything from them." Across the meeting table, Sanada Genichirou shook his head. The double doors swung open behind him, and Yukimura smiled. "Ah! Tezuka-san, Fuji-kun. Good afternoon."
Tezuka nodded politely, and Fuji smiled back and returned the greeting. The brown-haired young man inquired, "Atobe and Oshitari-san aren't here yet?"
Yukimura let out a pleasant laugh as Tezuka sat on his right side. "You know Atobe, Fuji-kun. He likes to make us wait, if only to make us realize that we should be awed at his 'ever-astounding generous presence'."
"Well said, Yukimura-kun," another voice came as the doors once more swung open. Atobe swept into the meeting room, followed by an ever-amused Oshitari. "Good afternoon."
Nods and greetings were exchanged across the table as the three dorm heads converged together with their assistant dorm heads for the first meeting of the year. The six of them made the head of the student council—the rest were secretaries, auditors, a smattering of councilors, club heads, and event coordinators, and two representatives from the school board and the faculty each.
"Well, let's begin, shall we?" Yukimura smiled, leaning forward and removing his elbows from the table. He opened the portfolio that was handed across the table by Oshitari Yuushi, who represented the infamous Data Trio of the campus to the student council and acted as the assistant head for Dorm III.
"Hmm… it seems we have quite a lot to cover today," Fuji remarked, eyes scanning through the meeting agenda and accepting the hot drink from one of Atobe's servants (only heaven knew how he'd… persuaded the board to let him have his own servants within the school).
"Genichirou and I were just discussing the concours before you came in," Yukimura chirped. "How about we start with that? By far it's the most pressing issue; getting ready for the spring fest and dealing with the choir's recent… ah, disputes—well, that can come later, don't you think?"
"Tachibana-san has agreed to oversee the preparations for the spring fest, by the way," Oshitari informed them. "I passed him by this morning, and he has informed me that he would be more than willing."
"Well, that's good," shrugged Fuji. "He's been dealing with the festivities ever since he came here. He would know what to do." A sip, and then, "So, then. The concours."
"All the previous contenders have agreed to join the tryouts. At least, those who haven't graduated yet." Oshitari immediately presented a folder containing the filled-out sign-up sheets.
"Are there any new and promising talents within the first and second years?" Tezuka asked silently. "It would be good to have some new faces within our ranks. For the past years we've been competing, and yes, we've been winning, but the school board would surely want some new faces."
Fuji frowned thoughtfully. "Are there? I don't think so."
"Fuji-kun, if I'm not mistaken, your younger brother transferred from Toudai (2) into the college this fall semester, correct?" Oshitari suggested. "Fuji Yuuta. Why not let him join the tryouts?"
"Yuuta?" chuckled Fuji. "Well, I'm not going to stop him if he wants to try for the concours."
"You don't sound too eager," Atobe observed, raising an eyebrow. "That's not like you, Fuji."
Fuji merely smiled. "We all know the level at which we compete within the concours, Atobe. Yuuta isn't ready for that level. Not just yet. I don't want to set him up for failure."
"That sounds reasonable on Fuji-kun's part," Yukimura shrugged. "Tokyo Geidai (3) will be at our throats this year. They would be 'screaming for blood and vengeance' once more, as Inui-kun had so aptly phrased it," he chuckled. "And from what I'd gathered, they hired two new maestros from France and Italy."
"Oh, wow," Fuji said, eyebrows shooting up. "They're that desperate?"
"So it seems," smiled Yukimura.
"It matters not; ore-sama will not be daunted by their petty attempts to contrive another dismal plan to try and execute their godforsaken revenge," sniffed Atobe haughtily. "Victory is ours."
Smiles flitted across the table at Atobe's words. No matter how utterly vain and infuriatingly arrogant the diva was, he did spout some sense. Once in a while.
"However, ore-sama cannot help but notice this sense of... unnatural confidence you exude, Yukimura," Atobe continued, eyes narrowing.
"Oh, you flatter me, Atobe-san! But we all know you aren't my type!" Yukimura coyly batted his eyelashes, making Fuji giggle and Oshitari snort. Tezuka and Sanada simply stared at each other in exasperation.
Atobe's eyebrow ticked. Yukimura and Fuji erupt in laughter. "You would do well to remember that you are not ore-sama's type either, Yukimura-san."
The said council head's laughter died down into chuckles. "I am merely confident because I know that there will be a most excellent addition to our ranks this year, Atobe-kun."
Curious glances were thrown, but before anybody could ask whatever in the world Yukimura meant, there was a knock on the door.
"Pardon!" came a muffled voice from outside the door, and a moment later, a head poked into the meeting room. "Sorry to disrupt the meeting, but the President wants you in the Welcome Lobby, Yukimura-san."
"The College President?" echoed Tezuka.
"Wow, that's rare," Fuji remarked.
Yukimura just smiled and said, "I'll be there in a moment, Momoshiro-kun. Thank you!" He stood and turned to the rest of them. "Well, it seems our new student is here."
Just hurry it up and get me out of this godforsaken cold, old man!
Or so screeched Ryoma's inner voice.
Outwardly, he was ever the perfect prodigy, smiling wanly and greeting the President. Immediately upon stepping before the looming Administration Building, the school's guards had recognized him and alerted the small welcome committee waiting within the safety and warmth of the Lobby. What Ryoma could not fathom was why they all had to stand like a bunch of buffoons outside in the freezing cold, when the entire Lobby would be able to provide enough space for all of them to fit in comfortably.
"We are very pleased that you have chosen to become a student in our college, Echizen-kun," the old man smiled at him, as if undaunted by the cold. Ryoma's fingers were already numb. "Ryuuzaki-sensei has told us all about you. We look forward to hearing you play for us soon."
I can't feel my feet.
"Oh, and how timely—we hope you will join the concours this spring! I'm positive it would be a fine experience for you. We have quite a lot of talented students coming along for the competition, you know! I'm sure you'll get along just fine with them."
Now it's my legs. I can't feel my legs!
"Rest assured all of the paperwork has been taken care of. It will be up to you, however, to sign up for your classes and to manage your schedule. You will also need to sign up for either an ensemble or the orchestra—"
My arms are numb. If they fall off, I'm going to sue you so bad all you'll have left is your undergarments to protect your sniveling balls from the cold.
"—oh, here's Yukimura-kun!"
I want Karupin. Please let me in.
"Ara, Kobayashi-san!" a gentle voice addressed the President. "What are you all doing here in the cold? Let's go inside! Our poor guest looks like he's about to keel over as ice!"
Oh, blessed warmth, blessed warmth, Ryoma's mind chanted as he was ushered into the lobby. He immediately took off his gloves and rubbed his hands together. Absently, he muttered a silent 'thank you' to the person steering him to the couches nearby.
"You're very welcome," the gentle voice spoke again.
Something within Ryoma's memory clicked, and he looked up.
"Heeh." A smirk slowly drew across his face.
Yukimura smiled his trademark smile and greeted, "Echizen Ryoma, son of the famous violin virtuoso, Echizen Nanjiroh."
Ryoma's smirk widened. "Yukimura Seiichi, son of the famous cellist-turned-maestro, Yukimura Yuui."
"Touché," Yukimura chuckled. "On behalf of the student council, welcome to Tokyo Ondai, Echizen-kun."
"Well met, Yukimura-san. It's nice to see and finally be properly acquainted with a familiar face." Ryoma offered his hand, which Yukimura promptly took with a slight upturn to his lips, fully accustomed with the other's quirks.
He'd found out that the violinist prodigy only used his Japanese heritage to his advantage and at his own discretion. If one managed to capture his interest and favor, he would offer his hand as a greeting; if one does not, however, he would incline his head in a polite and traditionally Japanese bow. The latter counted for most of the population.
Like so, now.
The flustered President seemed to finally regain his bearings and proceeded to introduce himself and his associates. However, before anyone could take possession of Ryoma's hand, the youth inclined his form into a bow a scant from the acceptable level of politeness. The President and the rest of the welcoming committee took it all in stride, impressed with the young man's knowledge of Japanese custom—they, of course, saw fit to shower him with compliments and fitting praise.
Echizen Ryoma had just insulted them, and none of them was any wiser.
Yukimura silently giggled in amusement—oh, how frighteningly similar this young man was to their one and only Atobe Keigo! He could only begin to imagine the headache it would bring poor Tezuka.
"It is a fair surprise to see you at our school, Echizen-kun—much less in Japan, of all places," Yukimura casually said, flipping through some papers inside the small office he had inside the student council's quarters. The meeting, as far as he could see, had already been either adjourned or postponed—he would find out later with Sanada. "I knew we would eventually cross each other's paths, but I honestly would not have expected to be acquainted here, of all places."
From where Ryoma was sitting, he could see the telltale smile curving on the other's lips. He cast his eyes skyward, and sighed. "Enough with the charade, Yukimura-san. We both know you expected me to come sooner or later. Heaven knows how you figured it out, but I'm well-known for my lack of subtlety anyways," he shrugged as he toyed with the empty cup of tea in front of him.
Yukimura's smile only widened.
"I'll be frank, then," Ryoma continued without pause. "I want to meet Tezuka Kunimitsu."
"Oh?"
"I want to beat him and be the best."
There was silence.
And then Yukimura chuckled heartily.
Ryoma scowled. "What's so funny?"
"You see, I have a friend named Akaya," Yukimura serenely smiled, placing a folder in front of Ryoma and seating himself across the said youth. "You'll meet him later. You remind me of him. Terribly."
"…hn," Ryoma grunted.
Yukimura was weird.
"Terribly endearing," the elder smiled, reaching over and patting Ryoma's head affectionately. The furious glare thrown his way was ignored. "Like an infatuated little puppy chasing after the mighty tiger."
Twitch. "Yukimura."
Frown. "You don't like puppies?"
Twitch. "That's not the point."
"How about kittens, then?" quipped Yukimura. After a few moments of contemplative silence, the cellist beamed a positively delighted grin that made Ryoma wince. He'd seen that grin far too often on his mother's face, and the outcome never really was pretty. "I know! From now on, you'll be Ryo-nyanko-chan (4)!"
Scowl. "Don't call me that!"
Yukimura erupt into delighted laughter—laughter so velvet and gentle that it made flurries of tinkling shivers run down Ryoma's spine. Then and there he decided that he liked Yukimura's laughter—despite the cellist's overbearingly affectionate nature and deceiving smiles, Ryoma knew that this person just became his first friend.
As the laughter slowly dwindled into chuckles—which made the scowl on Ryoma's face ever more pronounced—Yukimura pushed the folder forward. "Well, nyanko-chan," he teased, earning a hiss. "You're in luck. It seems you will meet Tezuka Kunimitsu extra-early."
Ryoma immediately sobered.
"We have vacant quarters within Dorms I and III right now, but we have only one vacancy left within Dorm II, which is under Tezuka-kun's jurisdiction. I think you will prefer that last spot, no?" Yukimura smiled when Ryoma nodded eagerly. "Apart from a plethora of other commitments, Tezuka-kun juggles the responsibilities of being a Dormitory Head, which automatically makes him part of the head of the Student Council with me," Yukimura explained.
"For the rest of your stay here, you shall remain under his care—given that you do not find anything unsatisfactory, which, I find, will be highly unlikely. I shall take you to your rooms, where your luggage has already been delivered. You're quite lucky—a single room with your own bath."
Ryoma smirked. "The perks of being an international star, Yukimura-san. I'm pretty sure you are well-acquainted with them."
"I like you already, nyanko-chan," grinned Yukimura.
Sniffing haughtily, Ryoma turned away. "Sorry; I'm not fond of dolphins."
"Aww! That's the second time I've been turned down today!" Yukimura pouted. But then he brightened again almost instantly. "But wait—a dolphin? I've always considered myself as an otter, but I guess it's only fair to let nyanko-chan name me."
The violin prodigy twitched his upturned mouth back into a scowl—knowing full well that he had lost this battle—and turned to the folder before him. "And this is?"
"You will need to sign the first paper—it's the Dormitory Residency Agreement. The rest are just stuff that will hopefully prove helpful to you," the cellist explained patiently as Ryoma reached for the offered pen and started signing. "Campus maps, people you should know, places you should go, dormitory rules and schedules, school rules—you know. The usual stuff. You'll be fine as long as you don't steal or destroy anything."
Soon enough, they were on the way to the dormitories, and Yukimura was animatedly chatting about the different perks and quirks of the school he would now be spending months in. The cellist had pointed out that Ryoma would be obliged to audition for the orchestra, and he would surely be named as one of the concours' contenders. There would be tough competition, it seemed, but Yukimura sounded confident enough that he would get in, which abated Ryoma's concern.
As soon as they reached Ryoma's door—B303 was on the third floor, accessible through the dormitory's main corridor—he released a breath of relief. Privacy and rest at last! He felt for his poor cat, confined inside his cage inside the room, unfed for almost an entire day already.
"Well, here we are," Yukimura smiled, handing him his keys. "The door to your right is Fuji-kun's. He's very good company. Personally, he counts as one of my favorite people on campus. Just be careful around his brother, his cacti, and his photos—he can get stingy about them, you see. The one to your left is—you're in luck—Tezuka-kun's. Now don't be sneaking into his room at night, okay?"
Indignantly, Ryoma turned beet red. "W-Why would I—?!" he sputtered hopelessly.
"Aww, how cute," Yukimura cooed, star-eyed. "The wonders of love at first sight…" A dreamy sigh followed.
Twitch. "I-I'll be retiring now, Yukimura-san." Twitch. "Thank you for your help. I appreciate it." Twitch.
Ryoma turned his back on the giggling Yukimura, and opened the door to his new room.
"Oh, and before I forget, Ryoma-kun?" Yukimura chimed, using his name properly for once. "I'd like to have your autograph."
Ryoma froze.
"Uhh…"
"I could give you mine as a trade," prodded Yukimura, poking Ryoma on the shoulder.
To say the least, Ryoma did not know whether to disbelieve or to simply be flattered. Wasthe Yukimura Seiichi asking for his autograph?! "R-Really? I-I mean…"
"If my memory does not fail me," Yukimura began, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "You attended last year's conference in Berlin." He beamed. "How about I sign your shirt and you sign mine? Sounds fair, doesn't it?"
"U-Umm… alright, I guess…"
"Great! I'll pick you up for dinner later! Go ahead and sleep; you must be jet-lagged!" Yukimura sauntered away. "See you later, nyanko-chan!"
Twitch.
"I told you not to call me that, for fuck's sake…"
The first half of his first morning he spent wandering through the halls and memorizing landmarks to help him make his way around the place without losing his way. It was quite an impressive campus. He'd meandered through the courtyards after picking up a modest sandwich and a can of Ponta from the expansive café, and then made his way through the Recreation Park.
He'd decided to memorize the campus first before checking out the ensemble rooms and practice chambers; the Performance Hall was huge. Of course, he'd been to bigger halls, but he hadn't expected to find such a big one here. The Administration Building was by far the most boring place; adorned with nothing but lobbies, meeting rooms, and offices, it was chock full of rubbish Ryoma didn't even want to bother with.
This continued well until eleven, when he realized he'd spent far too much time wandering around.
Ryoma stifled a yawn as he trudged through the corridors of the Ensemble Building. The entire building was full of nothing but practice rooms, special ensemble rooms, soundproofed recording rooms and the like. There was another separate building for lecture classes, and another separate building for special events. The Performance Hall was a single building on its own. This building, thankfully enough, was near the three Dormitories; he gathered that students liked practicing a lot.
Rubbing his eye, he grumbled. Getting far too little sleep really did undo him. And it was all Yukimura's fault.
"Konbanwa (5), nyanko-chan! Come on, get dressed; we're going out for dinner! It's a date!"
Ryoma grimaced at the memory.
As promised, Yukimura did stop by the previous night and took him out to dinner. Of course, the cellist just had to turn up when Ryoma was blissfully busy sleeping! It had thrown off his entire sleeping pattern, plus it had deprived him of fitful sleep! (The rest of the night was spent agonizing about his aching head—Yukimura had apparently conveniently forgotten that Ryoma was a minor and insisted on some strong wine.)
Thankfully, Ryoma was quite well-versed with morning-after hangovers; he'd dealt with his father far too many times not to be. The fresh air actually helped.
He walked into the Ensemble Building and looked around for any signs; he wanted to find the String Ensemble as quickly as possible and get to Tezuka Kunimitsu. Unfortunately, he hadn't been blessed with the opportunity of meeting his new roommate as of yet.
Spotting a directory further down the corridor, he strode forward, only to be knocked backwards by some clumsy body walking into him.
"Ah, pardon me."
A scowl etched on his face, Ryoma's head snapped up, a scathing reprimand at the tip of his tongue—
"If you'll excuse me; I have a meeting I have to get to."
—only to have the words wither and die a premature death.
The hurried figure darted through the swinging double doors and out of the building, brown hair ruffling in the passing breeze. It was as if the heavy-looking bag and the thick binder in his arms weighed as light as a feather with the way he sprinted through the courtyard.
Ryoma stood frozen in the middle of an empty corridor, eyes wide in surprise.
I just bumped into Tezuka Kunimitsu.
Fallen was a small brown notebook lying by his feet; the back label read 'Property of Tezuka Kunimitsu'.
I just bumped into Tezuka Kunimitsu.
He slowly bent and picked up the notebook.
I just bumped into Tezuka Kunimitsu.
And I can't believe he just ignored me!
To Be Continued
(Revised Version)
Kiasidira Ixari & Aventria
First Draft: 12.17.07
Uploaded:12.17.07
Last Revised: 01.04.08