Tokyo's Most Affectionate - Chapter 53

A Bit

The dining experience at the Western restaurant varied depending on the type of Western cuisine, and French cuisine, for example, had strict requirements for various delicacies.

However, Kurosawa and the other two had little knowledge in this regard. They simply held the menu and chose dishes with interesting names.

Seated separately, Kurosawa was alone on one side, while Ninomiya and Itsuragi sat opposite him.

After placing the order, Kurosawa noticed his phone vibrating. He took it out, glanced at it, and found a message from Ichinose.

“Hikaru-kun, I’m done with work.” 

“It’s so late, have you had dinner?” Kurosawa was somewhat surprised and replied.

“Not yet, I’m on the subway, planning to have dinner at home. How about you?”

“I’m having dinner with my teacher.”

“You get along really well with your teacher~”

Kurosawa glanced at it a bit more, unsure of the tone and thoughts behind the message. He thought for a moment and replied.

“It’s okay. I’ll contact you when I get back.”

“Mm.”

As he was busy with his phone, the two people opposite him didn’t know what he was up to, but they didn’t ask either.

At that moment, not far from them, a man in a suit sat down at the grand piano on the elevated platform, and his hands descended to start playing a piano piece.

As his fingers gently touched the keys, a serene and soft melody resonated.

“Castle in the Sky, right?”

Just from the prelude, Ninomiya recognized the piece and couldn’t help but glance over a few times.

Kurosawa didn’t turn around but simply observed her. He noticed that her gaze and attention were irresistibly drawn.

Her profile was beautiful, with one hand delicately supporting her face. On her exquisite face, the frameless glasses were elegant, and behind the lenses, her beautiful eyes were fixed in concentration.

Clearly, just as Itsuragi had mentioned, she loved the piano but hadn’t learned it due to family reasons. Yet, it didn’t diminish her love for it.

The piano piece “Castle in the Sky” was well-known to people in Neon, thanks to Hayao Miyazaki’s animated film of the same name. This piece became widely recognized.

In fact, compared to the Western world, people in Asia had relatively fewer encounters with piano pieces due to the variety of musical instruments available.

“He plays so well. What do you think, Kurosawa?” Itsuragi, not easily captivated, glanced at the pianist and asked with a smile.

“Not bad,” Kurosawa responded to the piano music.

“Not bad? That’s a rather average evaluation. What do you think is lacking?” Itsuragi found it intriguing and asked curiously.

“It feels very constrained, or maybe too restrained?” Kurosawa expressed his opinion.

This was his conclusion based on the knowledge of music theory he gained from the piano entry permanent reward. He had been exposed to various classical piano pieces.

However, even for beginners, the system’s standards were quite daunting.

“Too restrained?” Itsuragi glanced at the performer on the stage, not quite understanding.

Ninomiya, who had been captivated by the piano earlier, also looked at Kurosawa with curiosity.

“Piano scores may exist, but scores are lifeless, and people are alive. Everyone interprets differently. He dares not overshadow the main theme and is content to play a supporting role, making it sound very constrained,” Kurosawa explained.

He didn’t comment on the technique, as he didn’t know how skilled he was. He simply shared his thoughts.

“It seems like that’s the case… Do you play the piano?” Ninomiya pondered for a moment and asked.

Onlookers see the excitement, insiders see the doorway.

Earlier, before Kurosawa spoke, she didn’t feel much. However, upon careful consideration, it indeed didn’t match up to many versions she had heard before.

“A bit,” Kurosawa replied modestly, not daring to claim proficiency.

“Are you saying this because you’re jealous that Chizuru looked at someone else?” Itsuragi pretended not to notice, and teasingly said.

Kurosawa glanced at Ninomiya without saying anything, tacitly admitting.

“What’s the use of being jealous? Since you said you know a bit, then go up and play,” Itsuragi continued bantering.

“Alright,” Kurosawa nodded in agreement.

“This is what you said.” With his affirmation, Itsuragi didn’t hesitate anymore. She stood up and walked towards the waiter to discuss the matter.

In fact, when they walked out of the amusement park, the two of them walked a bit faster together, discussing some things.

For example, this restaurant had a piano. If a guest was good at playing the piano, they could perform on stage. The most important point was that Kurosawa asked Itsuragi to help him find a way to create an opportunity to perform on stage.

“Is Kurosawa going to play? What level are you in piano proficiency?” Surprised by Itsuragi’s determined actions, Ninomiya asked.

“Level zero, maybe?” Kurosawa saw her expression and smiled.

He didn’t know his piano proficiency level, but he was confident that if he went on stage, he would definitely be better than the current performer.

“Do you really know how to play the piano?” Seeing his unserious appearance, Ninomiya lowered her body slightly, unable to suppress a hint of coyness.

She didn’t notice that after Itsuragi left, her voice and tone had gained a slightly coquettish flavor.

“The purpose of taking piano exams is just to prove that someone has reached a certain level and can have a better understanding,” Kurosawa didn’t answer the question but shifted the topic.

“Are you saying that taking exams is not important?” Ninomiya thought for a moment and asked.

Although she had never taken a piano exam, she had some understanding of it. The most important function of the exam certificate was its professional competence. 

Obtaining the certificate meant that the person’s proficiency had reached a certain level. If you wanted to perform in restaurants, bars, and various places, the certificate served as a pass.

“Kids of around ten can achieve a tenth level,” Kurosawa nodded slightly.

“That’s true,” Ninomiya found it somewhat reasonable.

Talented children, with diligent study, could obtain a tenth-level certificate by the age of ten. Professional piano practitioners usually didn’t bother with exams, and in their eyes, the tenth level was just a basic proficiency.

“I’ve got permission. Wait until that person finishes playing, then you can go up and play a piece. I really want to see how well you play.”

At the same time, Itsuragi returned, glanced at the performer on stage, and sat down with a smile.

Piano pieces are usually short, lasting about 2 to 4 minutes.

“Hold onto my headphones for me.”

As the piece came to an end, Kurosawa took off the large headphones hanging around his neck and handed them to Ninomiya.

“You don’t even listen to music with these headphones,” Ninomiya took the wireless headphones, glanced at them, and realized they weren’t even turned on, feeling a bit helpless.

“It’s for decoration, just like earrings for girls,” Kurosawa smiled, then stood up and walked towards the stage.

On the stage, as the performance concluded, a waiter approached and said something to the performer.

Normally, the performer on stage would be replaced, and anyone accustomed to the restaurant wouldn’t mind unless a famous pianist arrived.

However, when Kurosawa walked onto the stage, he still attracted some attention.

“Wow, he’s handsome.”

A foreign woman glanced at Kurosawa and didn’t hesitate to praise.

Kurosawa’s appearance, with distinct features and the conspicuous crimson outfit, looked incredibly stylish and handsome.

“If you want to play the piano, I don’t have a problem with it, but you should know the rules, right?”

As he walked onto the stage, the man at the piano stood up, approached him, and spoke in a low voice.

“I’m not aware of any rules,” Kurosawa said with some confusion.

“There aren’t many rules; it’s just that you can’t play the same piece.”

Seeing that he didn’t even know this, the performer was a bit surprised but still explained.

“No problem, I don’t intend to play ‘Castle in the Sky,'” Kurosawa said with a smile after learning about the rule.

“Good luck.”

With that explanation, the performer patted his shoulder and temporarily stepped down from the stage.