Tokyo's Most Affectionate - Chapter 121

Ninomiya’s Gift

After stepping through the double doors, they found themselves not in the recording studio but in a spacious room that resembled a living room.

In this spacious area, there were sofas arranged. Looking to the right, one could see what appeared to be the recording studio, a separate compartment with windows.

Behind the window wall was the recording studio, and even from a distance, Kurosawa could see a massive object covered with black cloth in the room, undoubtedly a piano.

In addition to this, there were numerous devices outside the room, indicating the necessary equipment for a recording studio.

Facing them was a wall covered in black soundproofing material, giving an air of solemnity and seriousness.

Observing this scene, Kurosawa glanced at Itsuragi with some amazement.

It was hard to believe that all this had been prepared in just a few days. 

Was it a case of money making things happen, or was it simply exceptional efficiency in action?

“Let’s go. Enter the recording studio and perform a piece for us.”

Seeing his astonished expression, Ninomiya’s eyes curved slightly, and she spoke with some delight.

Investing one hundred million yen in the startup capital right at the beginning of their venture seemed to have met his expectations.

In truth, she didn’t care much about the amount of money; as long as Kurosawa was happy, that was all that mattered.

“Sure.” Kurosawa nodded and promptly took the lead, stepping towards the recording studio.

Pulling open the heavy door of the studio, he walked inside.

Perhaps due to the functioning ventilation system, even though this room had just been renovated and everything was brand new, there wasn’t much of a lingering smell, and any minor issues were negligible.

But instead of focusing on that, Kurosawa walked up to the black cloth, where there was also a chair.

“Don’t be shy, go ahead and unveil it. This is a gift from Chizuru to you.”

Itsuragi followed him inside, and seeing his joyful expression, she couldn’t help but feel happy too.

There were some things Ninomiya couldn’t express in words, so Itsuragi took the liberty to do so.

Hearing this, Kurosawa turned to look at her, nodded slightly, and gently grabbed the black cloth, lifting it up.

As the black cloth revealed the sight beneath, a black grand piano of exquisite design, graceful lines, and resembling a work of art, appeared before him.

“It’s beautiful.”

Perhaps the perpetual reward of mastering the piano brought countless years of experience, and Kurosawa, looking at this piano, genuinely felt amazed.

It was massive, tall, and long, made from materials that fascinated the beholder. Compared to the piano in the restaurant that day, one could instantly notice the difference in specifications.

If the one in the Western restaurant was considered a third-rate piano, then this one before him was undoubtedly top-notch.

“Runa has already had someone tune it. What do you think? Would you like to give it a try?”

Seeing his expression as if he received the best gift, Ninomiya felt genuinely happy and spoke.

She loved the piano very much. Unfortunately, her parents didn’t allow her to learn the piano when she was younger. 

Now that she had entered society, it was too late to start learning. There had always been regret in her heart.

But now, Kurosawa not only loved the piano but also had such outstanding piano skills. Giving him a top-notch piano was a way of satisfying her own regrets.

Kurosawa didn’t say anything but nodded. He gently placed his hands on the piano keys.

“Do!”

The captivating tone and incredibly sensitive touch made a smile appear on Kurosawa’s lips.

To do a good job, one must first sharpen one’s tools.

At this moment, he had an intense sense of ambition bursting in his chest. With this piano in hand, he could conquer the world.

Following that, Kurosawa started pressing each key, one by one. Unlike the rough trial at the Illusion Star Agency, his movements were gentle, patient, and carefully getting to know the piano.

This process was quite lengthy, but both women were patiently waiting, and they took the opportunity to close the door.

Until the final note was played, Kurosawa took a seat.

Seeing him finally sitting down, Itsuragi couldn’t contain her excitement and nudged her friend with her elbow, as if saying, “It’s coming.”

Ninomiya’s emotions were also lifted, feeling a sense of anticipation.

These days, Itsuragi had been boasting to her about how amazing Kurosawa’s performance of “Flight of the Bumblebee” was. 

Now, she could finally witness it.

“I won’t be playing ‘Flight of the Bumblebee.'”

Feeling their silent expectations, Kurosawa turned to look at them and explained in advance.

Because it was his first performance, he didn’t want to play the fast and furious “Flight of the Bumblebee.” 

Instead, he chose to play “Croatian Rhapsody.”

“Not ‘Flight of the Bumblebee’?”

Hearing this, Itsuragi couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed. She really wanted to hear it again.

Ninomiya felt the same. She was eager to listen to the piano piece Kurosawa had adapted.

Following this, Kurosawa raised his hands high, gently placing them on the piano, and began the performance.

In the next moment, the captivating and crisp resonance of the piano echoed throughout the recording studio.

Just for an instant, the eyes of Itsuragi and Ninomiya widened.

In the realm of music, there was a saying about leaving the audience in awe. It meant that the moment you started, you stunned the entire audience.

And now, Kurosawa’s performance was undoubtedly such a situation, akin to the sound of celestial beings.

In just an instant, it drew people into the world of music.

“Oh my God…”

Ninomiya was utterly amazed, her heart filled with shock.

If, in the past, the performance of “Für Elise” in the Western restaurant was gentle like the evening breeze, leading people into the world of tender music and gradually reaching a climax.

Then this piano piece, unheard before, was like waves crashing, surging tides rushing in, engulfing people in the ocean.

Looking at the handsome and extraordinary man playing the piano, Ninomiya was completely captivated.

“I made the right choice!”

While Itsuragi had never learned to play a musical instrument, having listened to countless works, she could sense the potential of this piano piece.

In the previous song “Flight of the Bumblebee”, which even Hamada recognized very much, she fully appreciated Kurosawa’s superb piano skills and became addicted to it.

It was this admiration that became the foundation for her resolute decision to resign from a job that paid an annual salary of up to twenty million yen.

Despite this, she felt a bit uneasy. Although her capabilities as a talent agent were strong, she had lost the backing of a company. 

Could she really make Kurosawa Hikaru a star?

But now, the concerns and worries in her heart were directly dispelled by this piano piece.

In front of her, Kurosawa made her feel like she was watching a piano master perform, with an elegant and composed demeanor that was indescribably beautiful.

Exactly, it’s beauty, not just handsome… that feeling is very peculiar, making people fall deeply into it.

The duration of “Croatian Rhapsody” is only a little over three minutes, and it quickly came to an end.

However, even after Kurosawa withdrew his hands, Ninomiya and Itsuragi still couldn’t come back to their senses for a long time.

Listening to this piano piece for the first time was quite a shocking experience.

Without waiting for them to recover, Kurosawa continued to play.

This time, he chose “Exodus,” one of Maksim’s three major compositions.

This piece was grand and breathtaking. Just with the piano, it was not enough to fully experience its charm. 

Nevertheless, since Monday night, Kurosawa had been carefully composing and trying to reproduce that feeling as much as possible.

“How does the second piece feel?”

After finishing the performance, Kurosawa finally spoke.

“It sounds great, but not as good as the first one.”

Ninomiya had already come back to her senses during the performance.

“Then let’s skip it for now.”

Kurosawa wasn’t surprised by this result; he just wanted to give it a try.

“Exodus” was impressive, but it wasn’t not suitable for a piano solo. With only one instrument, he couldn’t fully express its charm; it required a full orchestra.

“What’s the next piece you’ll play?”

Itsuragi was still not satisfied; she wanted to hear more, like she was attending a concert.

“‘Flight of the Bumblebee,'” Kurosawa said with a smile, responding to her expectant gaze.

“Is it finally coming?”

Excited by the name, Itsuragi was eager.

Feeling her excitement, Ninomiya also anticipated what was to come.

In the next moment, Kurosawa began playing “Flight of the Bumblebee.”

In an instant, the densely packed and frequent notes exploded.

“Wow…”

Ninomiya, witnessing his performance, felt a tingling sensation on her scalp, and goosebumps spread throughout her body.

Although she had heard about it earlier, the feeling of seeing it with her own eyes was still incredibly shocking.

This piano piece, even more impactful than the Croatian Rhapsody, would leave a deep impression on anyone who heard it just once.

However, unlike the previous performance at the Illusion Star Agency, Kurosawa’s piano skills had improved significantly. 

The leap from entry-level to mastery was a vast difference.

“You’ve gotten even better!”

Even though Itsuragi had mentally prepared herself, hearing it again still left her in awe. 

“Flight of the Bumblebee” was not only an auditory delight but also a visual one. The almost dazzling fingerwork was a feast for the eyes.

She had an intuition that, with just “Flight of the Bumblebee” and the first piano piece, Kurosawa was more than capable of making a name for himself.

This piece was the shortest because of its extremely fast finger movements, and it ended in the blink of an eye.

“Clap, clap, clap!”

As Kurosawa put his hands away, Ninomiya couldn’t help but applaud. Different from before, as she looked at him again, her eyes were full of surprise and admiration.

Although she had seen him play the piano, she truly hadn’t expected Kurosawa to be outstanding to this extent.

“Which piece was your favorite, Miss Ninomiya?”

Kurosawa, feeling her gaze, experienced a sense of satisfaction in his chest and responded immediately.

“The first one you played, what’s its name?”

With these words, Ninomiya could sense that he wanted to play it for her and promptly answered.

Perhaps she had other favorite piano pieces before, but now, it seemed to have changed.

There was no moment that could compare to the one just now.

Because in that moment, Kurosawa played a perfect and beautiful piano piece with the gift she gave him, and that feeling was truly unique.

“Croatian Rhapsody.”

Kurosawa intended to mention the original title, but considering the circumstances, he chose this name instead.

“That’s such a strange name…”

Hearing this name, Itsuragi found it a bit peculiar.

“A rhapsody is usually created based on folk music themes. Have you been to Croatia?” Ninomiya, being a super academic achiever, had some concept of this country and found it intriguing.

“I haven’t been there, but I happened to learn about the country while reading world history.”

“That’s truly a rhapsody…”

Realizing that he created this piece in such a way, Ninomiya couldn’t help but sigh.

“Indeed,” Kurosawa shrugged slightly.

Perhaps impersonating the original composer wasn’t entirely ethical, but he had no choice. 

He couldn’t reveal that he was a reincarnated individual from another world, could he? 

The only thing he could do was let Maksim’s works resonate in this parallel world and let people experience their charm.