Your Lie In April: Across The Multiverse

YLIA x Multiverse Episode 12: Ragtime, Blues and Jazz, Oh My!

Episode 12: Ragtime, Blues, and Jazz, Oh My!

Kousei finished rolling the lint roller over his suit's right sleeve, then held it up to give it one last check. Yes; all the lint was off and he'd ironed it perfectly earlier.

After all, this was his first recital at Fujimi Junior and Senior High! He had to start his freshman year strong!

The campus of the school was quite large, with a tall fence separating the junior and senior high facilities on the east and west sides respectively. At present, Arima was backstage in the dressing rooms of the Shamisen Auditorium, which was named after the genre of music commonly heard during the samurai times. Though the pianist had no skill with a sword, he smiled to himself as he slipped the cobalt blue jacket over his freshly laundered black vest.

The weapon he was about to bring out was sure to leave both his self-proclaimed rivals and the audience speechless.

"So, you ready?" Takeshi asked as Kousei stepped out of the dressing room. "Your turn is coming up pretty soon!"

"You bet!" Kousei said, giving his friend a firm fist bump. "You and Emi sounded fantastic out there!"

"Tell me about it!" Takeshi laughed. "Verdi may be intense, but that Brahms piece I had to rehearse was on a whole other level!"

"I'll bet!"

As if on cue, Emi suddenly turned round the corner, her jet-black hair waving back and forth as she strode up to her fellow pianists. By now, she'd changed out of her scarlet dress and was back in her plain school uniform of a dark blue skirt, black shoes and socks, white sweater and purple tie. Takeshi nudged Kousei's elbow then winked at him, and Kousei nodded back.

"Cruella de Ville! Cruella de Ville! If she doesn't scare you, no evil thing will!" Takeshi sang as Kousei snapped his fingers to the beat.

"Oh shut it, you cretins," Emi rolled her eyes. She still laughed however; nothing like a little humor to ease her nerves after that performance.

"So Mendelssohn, huh?" Kousei asked.

"Yup! Fanny Mendelssohn actually; most people don't know she had to publish some of her pieces under her brother's name since women weren't encouraged to compose during that time!"

"No way!" Takeshi exclaimed. Then he turned to Kousei. "So, which piece did you pick out?"

"Oh, you'll see." Kousei replied in a sneaky manner.

Takeshi and Emi exchanged a perplexed glance.

"Uh, Kousei? You know there's no rule against telling the other contestants what piece you're playing right?" Takeshi confirmed.

"I know," Kousei said matter-of-factly.

"So what's the big idea then?" Emi followed up.

"Just wait." Kousei said with a cunning smile on his face.

Soon enough, Kousei's name was announced, and he gave his friendly competitors a wink.

"Wish me luck!"

As Kousei strode out onto the stage, a tremendous feeling of gladness filled his heart. His blue eyes scanned the crowd that was sprawled out among the purple cushioned seats of the high school auditorium. And sure enough, he saw them.

Kaori, who'd chosen to attend this same school partly because of him and her aspirations to perform abroad.

Her parents, who his father sat next to, having become good friends with them.