Getting Over Kaori Miyazono

Chapter 10

It took a lot to get here but here I am, standing at Hiroko's door. She's the only one I can turn to. If I return to the piano, without my mom or Kaori, I have no one else.

I nervously knocked on the door, no turning back now. It opened slowly, peaking out between the crack was Hiroko's daughter, Koharu. I bright smile spread on her face and the door pulled open further, her hand clung to the pant leg of a tired Hiroko, but her eyes widened when she looked at me.

"Hey kid" She never got tired of calling me that, but watcha gonna do.

"Hey Hiroko"

"How have you been, it's been a long time, didn't think you'd ever come back here." I don't know why this time was different than others, if she was worried why didn't she show up like all the times she'd done before?

"I didn't think I'd come back either, I've been better."

"Well come on in, I'll get some tea going" she opened her door all the way, moving herself out of the entrance. I sheepishly walked in, everything was the same as it had been, it's like I never left.

She served our tea on the coffee table and we sat on the couch. I could feel a slight tension, she was holding back, she doesn't act this tame or timid usually.

"So Kousei, what brings you here?"

Taking a deep breath in, "I decided to play the piano again, well Tsubaki wants me to."

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Way to go Tsubaki!!! She brought my Kousei back, and to play! It took everything in me not to hug him to death.

"Okay Kousei, I will help you, but I don't want to push you to do anything you don't want to do."

Under his breath he muttered, "never had a problem with that before."

"What'd ya say you little punk?!" In one swift movement I had him dangling upside only hanging by his ankles, just like old times, oops.

"Geez Hiroko, would you chill out?" He laughed a little and I put him down. I've missed his smile. "I wanna try one competition, but I still have the same problem as before, I can't hear what I play."

"I haven't thought about this until now, but maybe you could try going to therapy?"

"What? Therapy?... Why would I need to go to therapy?"

"When I stopped seeing you I did some research on what your condition might be. I'm no doctor but I think it might be linked to your mom and you're trying to block it out. I just think it'd be a good idea to go anyways." He almost looked offended, but you could see him processing it and seeing how it might make sense.

"Okay, I'll go."

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Seeing as my father is never around, Hiroko set me up with a therapist she used to see, I guess she went to talk about her ex husband. Our practice consisted of scales and etudes, I'm kinda rusty and we wanted to take it slow. Afterwards, we went to her therapist, I don't know what kind of person can just have walk in sessions, but who knows all the people Hiroko is connected to.

We drove maybe ten minutes from her house  and pulled into a small parking lot. The old cement cracking, overgrown shrubbery ran along the sides of the curbs, trees enclosed the building and parking lot so that they could only be seen though the entrance. The building looked worn in, old but in a way comforting, like going to your grandma's house. It was pale blue, slightly tall, a few stories high, plenty of windows, perhaps one in each office.

We walked into the building where a large registry was placed squarely in front of the door.

Substance abuse- 1st floor
Marriage counseling- 2nd floor
Individual therapy- 3rd floor
Mental health- 4th floor

"Ah, individual therapy, third floor." Hiroko said after looking over the few options.

Walking past the sign, straight a head there was a large reception desk where two attendants talked on the phone or to their clients. In front was the seating area, chairs in a horse shoe formation, each person unknowingly geared toward one another, but there were only a couple people waiting, reading a book or magazine. Just left of the waiting area was a brown-green carpeted staircase.

We slowly walked up the stairs, Hiroko more than eager, I trudged up, becoming more nervous as we approached the third floor.

We made it up and walked into a separate room, where a similar seating area resided.

Immediately walking in a short, older woman, maybe in her fifties smiled at us as we walked in. She had long, caramel colored, tight curled hair pulled into a ponytail but it still reached her mid back.

"You must be Kousei, I've been expecting you"

"Kousei, this is Hisa."

"It's very nice to meet you Mrs Hisa"

"Oh please just call me Hisa, follow me to my office."

We went through a hallway with a few doors on each side and went into the last one on the right side. The room had a comfy looking couch and a couple other chairs that look like their all from the same maker or set. Hiroko and I both sat on the couch and Hisa sat facing us.

"I've heard a lot about you Kousei, but what brings you in today?"