His Lie in April - 四月の彼の嘘 (Shigatsu no Kare no Uso) (COMPLETE)

Hopeful/A Raging River

It was now Sunday. Kousei woke up in the morning, feeling happy about things, but also kind of questioning his future. "I'm feeling happy today..... today is such a nice day. I'm feeling quite hopeful, as well. I wish I could go out, but I'll just stay here." He was in desperate need of a bath to clear his mind of what happened to him a few days ago. 

Kousei undressed out of his black biker shorts and charcoal gray tank top, then turned on the bathtub faucets, removed his glasses from his face and put them on the counter in the bathroom. He then got in the bathtub and tried to clean himself off.

However, Kousei sank into the bathtub's water, fell asleep, and started having a bit of a nightmare.

At that point, everything around him became waterlogged. He was imagining his mother, still being there, and Kousei imagined himself being washed up by a large river, and her words resonating with him.

---
Remember, Kousei..... the piano is you. If you touch it gently, it will smile. If you touch it with force, it will become enraged.....

All Kousei could hear at this point was the sound of his own playing, and his mother's words to him about the piano.

My mother's thoughts...... it's like a raging river pulling me under. So much force..... so overpowering.... My playing..... it's almost like I'm automatic. What is going on with me? My mother's words...... they're drowning me! I can't hear anything anymore..... it's all becoming blurred! 

As he continued becoming introspective in the bathtub, he felt a drowning sensation surround him.
---

Meanwhile, Kaori, Tsubaki and Watari walked around the streets of the Nerima district. Kaori, who was wearing the same Saskatchewan Roughriders shirt from the previous day (after she cleaned and dried it herself personally) and jean shorts, and with Tsubaki and Watari in their sports uniforms, the two had a question for Kaori.

Watari asked: "The Saskatchewan Roughriders.... Who the heck are they, Kaori? You've been wearing that shirt quite often lately." Kaori smiled and said "You know, Kousei asked me this yesterday, and I'll tell ya both. They are a team in the Canadian Football League." Tsubaki asked her next "Canadian football? What's that? I've heard of American football, but I didn't know there was such a thing as Canadian football."

Kaori continued on. "That's because Canadian football is like American football. There are just a few differences: The field is bigger, you only get three downs and not four to get 10 yards, to name a few differences. My Canadian uncle, Seiya has given me some Saskatchewan Roughriders clothing recently, and he told me about the sport. I haven't seen a game yet, but he told me it's really exciting." 

Watari smiled at Kaori. "You look great in that shirt. Green is most definitely your color." Kaori said to the two, "Thanks, Watari. He's widening my horizons. Kousei told us to see him right around this time now. It's 10 AM. He's been okay since that shock, and he's trying his best not to let it get to him." Sure enough, all three of them got to Kousei's place at that very time to talk to him.

As the three came in, they found nobody there. Kaori called out Kousei. "Kousei? Kouseiiii? Ya there?" No answer.

Then they opened a door. It was the bathroom. The three could see Kousei sleeping in the bathtub. As Kousei stopped becoming introspective in the bathtub and woke up, he swam back up. He covered his mouth with his hands and tried to breathe and get some air. "Oh, crap.... damn.... my shoulders, my eyes..... I.... where.... am.... I?"

Much to his surprise, he found his friends, Kaori, Watari and Tsubaki waiting for him as he got up.

"Kousei.... We're here!" Tsubaki called enthusiastically. At this point, things became really awkward when Kousei's three friends got a glimpse of nude body, but they could only see him from the waist up. All three of them looked on in surprise at his bare chest. Kousei let out a Three Stooges-esque "Nyahh-ahhh-ahhh!" as he saw the three.