Life Made Anew

20: Two Months Later

"No, no, no!" Maki has heard that a lot recently. "You don't play it like that! Can't you hear the metronome?!" Kamino played the section Maki just played with just slight adjustments to the tempo Maki played. She was spot on with the tempo.

"Sorry, Kamino. It's just such a hard piece!" Maki cried out. It has been two months, and Maki has been 18 for a month and a half.

She could remember her birthday party like it was yesterday.
—
Maki was walking home from school. She practiced with Kamino for about three hours after school. She had only been working on Ballade in F minor after school and without Kazama for two weeks now.

She walked up to her door and opened it. Before she could even say, "I'm home," the flood gates opened.

"Surprise!" Maki nearly had a heart attack and died right there from the shock.

"How did you—" Everyone pointed at Kazama.

"You told me two months ago that it was soon, so I asked your parents for the exact date. I've been planning this since."

"Thank you so much guys." Maki's face lit up with joy.

She didn't receive anything too exciting, but it was her eighteenth birthday, so she didn't expect much.

Most of her friends gave her money to buy what she wanted, but Kazama's was different. It was an actual gift.

She opened it. It was a small box, and in the box, there was a necklace, ring and ear rings. "A complete set," Kazama said.

She turned to him. "How much was it?" She was utterly shocked that he bought her something like this.

"More than you need to know." He rubbed the back of his neck. He seemed nervous. "800,00 yen..."

"What?!" Maki pushed it back. "I can't take this. It's too much."

Kazama didn't allow her to return it. He grabbed it and put everything on her. "I want you to don this set to bring out your beauty. You're beautiful no matter what, but this makes you shine even brighter."

"Why? How?"

"I did this because I love you." He kissed her cheek. "While you were practicing by yourself this past month and a half, I got a part-time job that paid fairly well, and I've done chores for your parents. It didn't end up being enough, but when I told them why I was doing this, they loaned me some money."

"It wasn't a loan. We gave it to you; you're like a son now," Maki's dad said.

"No, I'll pay you back eventually. I don't want to be indebted to you," Kazama said.

"Okay, here's how you'll pay it off, unless you don't want to do this," Maki's mom said. She walked over to him. "Make her happy. That's all you need to do. Show her that she's means more to you than anything."

"It can't be that easy. I want to pay you all of it back," Kazama said.

"No, Kazama, they won't let you. Trust me; I know from experience," Maki laughed. "Thank you, Kazama. These are very beautiful."
—
"Maki! Focus in!" Kamino snapped.

Maki woke from her daze. That was her best birthday and she truly loved it. She was still wearing the same jewelry from that day. She hasn't worn anything else.

In fact, she sold everything else. It did help make up for the 400,000 yen that Kazama wasn't able to pay off then, but her parents still didn't accept it.

Maki played the passage that she was working on in Ballade in F minor. It was better, but there was working to be done.

"Much better. Let's take 5."