OMORI: RECITAL

Remember to Persist

Sunny opened the door to his house and let his friends in, they could all hear the piano playing the same gentle melody throughout the home. Kel frowned a little "Mari's still glued to her piano, huh..."

Basil expressed the same concern, "Has she been practicing all day?"

Sunny sighs, "Maybe..."

The group approaches the piano room and walks in. Mari doesn't notice that they are there at all but seems she just finished up another round of music.

Kel and Hero were clapping enthusiastically with Mari quickly turning around and flustering from embarrassment, "Oh, how long were you all here for?"

Hero chuckled and shyly rubbed the back of his neck, "Not long. We wanted to see how you were doing. You've been taking breaks, right?"

Mari looks down at the floor before looking back at Hero, "I've been taking breaks." She was clearly lying and it showed though it didn't register with everyone else.

Aubrey smiled a little, "Don't let us being here stop you from practicing."

Mari smiled and began playing again, Kel walked out of the room and brought the stools that were stacked outside of the room so everyone could take a seat and listen.

Basil spoke up once Mari finished another round, "Hey, Mari, we need to find time so we can all practice, right?"

Hero sighed, "Well our schedules are going to get bumpy. Me and Mari will be attending College prep when we head back to school."

Sunny frowned, he didn't really like going to school and wasting away in a classroom all day.

Kel was frowning for just about the same reason but had his own part to say, "Yeah... Sunny still has a bit to recover from his blisters too."

Sunny kept his mind on what Kel said. The day of their performance always seemed like it was rapidly approaching, days would go by and soon the time he would have would be limited by school. Sunny quickly excused himself and walked out of the room.

Hero noticed this and he quietly left as well, he watched Sunny walk upstairs, "Sunny? Where are you going?"

Sunny could say he was just going to the bathroom but it wouldn't explain what he was going to bring back down so he came clean immediately, "Violin..."

Hero went into his protective mode as soon as he heard that, "No, Sunny, you still need to heal from your blisters."

"But I'm not going to have the time to practice soon! I won't have the time to practice with Mari!" Sunny said it in a bit of a confronted manner.

Hero was caught a little off-guard, "I get your concern but still-"

"I can do this. I'll make it up to you, for the trouble I mean."

Hero sighed looking really hesitant, "Ok. Just let me check up on you after."

Sunny smiled a little as he walked into the bedroom and grabbed the violin case. He walked back down and into the piano room, he looked determined and the others noticed it too.

Mari turned around, "Sunny?" She saw Sunny getting out his violin, "So you could practice after all."

Hero interjected, "He shouldn't be! I tried to stop him but he's a little too determined to not give this up."

Aubrey stood up as well, taking her flute out of her pocket, "If Sunny and Mari are going to practice together then I am too."

Sunny gazed at her in surprise, "Do you want me to get the sheet music?"

Aubrey shook her head in reply, "Like you, I've had time to memorize it. I'll be fine."

Mari took a deep breath, "Ok. You two should know your cues."

Mari began playing the piano, she's been practicing for the last while so it sounded all so flawless. As the chords and melody began to progress, Sunny and Aubrey played their instruments right on cue. Sunny's hands and fingers stung a little but he knew he could handle it. At least this was the easy part but it would lead into the hardest part for the both of them. Sunny was wincing in pain but he nailed the transition.

Sunny held his breath for a moment as the hardest bit was coming up. Even if the hardest part only lasted for two seconds which was the problem, he had to move his fingers quickly and meticulously.

He moved his fingers from one part of the strings to the others, moving the bow accordingly to hit the notes he needed. As he managed the hardest bit his fingers were aching more, it wasn't helping that he was applying more friction to his blisters by doing vibratos.

'It hurts doesn't it? Steady your heartbeat, the pain is not as bad as you think... Don't give up, no matter how impossible it seems.'

'Remember to persist.'

Sunny shoved away the pain in his fingers as he played the last part of the song alongside Mari and Aubrey. Things were gonna get better, it just took some work, that's all. He could do this, they all could. Mari finishes the last note while Sunny and Aubrey sustained it before falling silent too.

Kel cheered them on immediately after the song ended, "Woo! You guys did great!"

Mari chuckled, "I guess we did."

Sunny smiled but a shock of pain came back to him as he looked at his hands. Hero saw what was going on and immediately went to Sunny's aid.

Hero sighed as he looked at Sunny's hands, "I can't believe you did that... I'm getting the first aid kit." Hero rushed out of the room.

Aubrey and Basil looked at Sunny with a concerned expression. Basil looked at Sunny's hands too, "Sunny... Are you doing ok?"

Sunny tried to shrug it off, "I'm fine..."

Aubrey wasn't really convinced she said this to Sunny quietly so Basil couldn't hear, "Stop saying you're fine when you're not, please."

Sunny shifted his eyes away from her. The two had a conversation how they both weren't ok earlier. He feels he can be more open with Aubrey than anyone else.

Hero came back downstairs with the first aid kit and treated Sunny's hands, "I didn't think you'd be capable of such recklessness... Sunny, stay off the violin and I mean it. If you play when you're not meant to it will only get worse."

"Ok." Sunny replied. Sunny could at least do a perfect run of the song that they'd be playing. It gave him some peace but not enough. All he can do right now is wait for his hands to heal.