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

A New Kousei/Shadows of the Past

As the day of the Maihou Competition drew near, a feeling of anticipation went through both Kousei and Kaori.

Ever since Kaori's uncle living in Canada, Seiya, had gifted her a Saskatchewan Roughriders jersey, it seemed like all she ever wore when she wasn't at school was that bright green jersey.

As Kousei, Watari, Kaori and Tsubaki gathered around one day, the dispute with Kaori and her friends over the Roughrider jersey came to a head here.

As Kaori looked at the piece she and Kousei were designated to play, Tsubaki looked at Kaori angrily over how many times she wore the green shirt. "Take that damn jersey off, Kaori! How many times have you been wearing that thing lately?"

Defiantly, Kaori fired back at Tsubaki with "NUH-UH. Unless I'm at school, this jersey WILL NEVER LEAVE MY BODY!" Kaori was just too attached to that jersey, because she loved it so much.

Watari and Kousei snickered at the two girls bickering like a married couple. "I hope this ends soon, Kousei...." Watari said to him. "But it's just so funny to see those two girls arguing over that jersey." Kousei smiled at Watari. "Heh, girls...."

After Tsubaki and Kaori stopped arguing, Kousei got out the Maihou pamphlet. "Chopin's Etude No. 5 op. 25.... this is it right here. That's what we are playing. And there I am, number 265. That is my entry number."

As Kousei and his friends walked around the concert hall, all Kousei could focus on was making the music piece his own and make it in his new "unfettered" style that would carry him forward in the contest. Eventually, he saw two old friends, one a girl with long black hair named Emi Igawa, and another, a guy with wild blond hair named Takeshi Aiza. In the past, whenever they saw Kousei, they would glare at him in jealousy over the fact that he always bested the two at every music competition that involved Emi, Takeshi and Kousei. However, this was not the case. The two gave off sad looks, as they saw Kousei's prosthetic foot.

~FLASHBACK~

Several years earlier, the three found themselves at a "Young Musician's Competition" and were just frustrated over how Kousei's old "mechanical" style kept winning him competitions.

"That damn Kousei Arima. He bested us, and there's nothing we can do about this! He showed me up again!" cried the little Takeshi to the little Emi. "The winner: Kousei Arima!" said the host of the competition, to wild cheers. Both the little Takeshi and Emi cried and hugged each other, realizing that their hopes of winning had been dashed by the black-haired, glasses-wearing boy.

Everywhere Kousei went, he seemed to attract big crowds, even in the early rounds of each competition. His playing style captivated many. It also touched many lives around the world, as videos of his playing was shared worldwide on video streaming sites. Kousei had won the hearts of many young musicians, not just in his native Japan, but in all corners of the world.

Alas, when you become so good at what you do, you are bound to make some enemies. At another competition, Takeshi and Emi humiliated yet again by Kousei. It seemed like no matter what the two did, no matter how well they fared, Kousei Arima would always be there and one-up them. It got under Takeshi and Emi's skin, and they just didn't have high regard for him. They hated him. And what really infuriated them was that Kousei's mother, Saki, always had Kousei on a short leash. It was as if her mother had shackled him metaphorically. And that made Kousei win competition after competition. It also just added to the rivalry between him, Takeshi and Emi, over how good he was.

~END FLASHBACK~

But, alas, given the events that had occured recently, those feelings of hatred had given way to sympathy. Having heard of what happened to Kousei's left foot, the two looked at him and, for the first time in a long while, actually had pity for him.

"The poor guy, Emi..... losing his left foot, hitting his head on that lamppost.... he seems to have been through a lot lately." Takeshi said. Emi nodded at Takeshi. "It's crazy what an accident can do. I can't believe I hated the guy..... now I have guilt. That unfortunate accident.... he truly didn't deserve that." Emi continued "I can't believe it either. He's been walking a bit slowly lately....

Kousei went outside of the hall by himself. He gazed at the daylight in Tokyo, smiled, and closed his eyes. No matter what happens to me from here on out.... Even with my accident..... I haven't forgotten what I'll be from now on. I am a new Kousei, no longer my mother's puppet. I don't care what crap gets thrown my way..... I'm ready for a new, brighter future. I'm ready for..... this competition.

Kousei's friends came up to him. Kaori said: "You feeling ready for tomorrow?" Kousei nodded at her. "Yes. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I'm ready. I'm ready for tomorrow, and beyond."

As Kousei got home later that day, he looked over the pamphlet. He started playing the designated piece, and even though he worried about the yips coming back to get him, he played it again flawlessly. Kousei, indeed, had every right to feel good about himself a day before the competition. It was also surprising to him, that for the first time, he had actually been felt sympathetic by his two longtime rivals. Kousei took time before he went to bed that night to think about this Takeshi Aiza..... Emi Igawa..... are sympathetic towards me? That's something I've haven't felt in so long, if not EVER. But I don't want pity. I want some respect.