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

Disagreements/A Pep Talk/More Danger Ahead

CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNING: Language, and another graphic/gruesome/severe injury; this is going to be another dark chapter. Reader Discretion is Advised.

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As May 31, the date of the gala, drew closer and closer with each day, Kousei still disagreed with her song selection of Love's Sorrow by Kreisler. One day, in Sumiya's Music Preparation Room, things came to a head about all this, with Kousei finally, well, at least sort of, disclosing his past to Kaori. As he played his part of the piece, he sounded rather disenchanted over her selection, and almost played it half-heartedly. "You were playing reluctantly! It sounded like your heart wasn't in it! Listen!" Kaori had recorded Kousei's piano playing of the piece. It did sound half-hearted. Kousei asked: "Do we have to play this piece for the gala concert?" Kaori said to him "What's that? Is there a problem?" To which Kousei responded, "For a gala concert, we should be playing something more glamorous."

Kaori then said to him: "Love's Sorrow, the companion piece to Love's Joy by Kreisler, was written for the violin. There's a piano version of this song arranged by Rachmaninoff, and that's what you will be doing."

Just then, Kousei froze up momentarily, and had a flashback of him with his mother.

~FLASHBACK~

"You've gotten heavy, haven't you? Kousei, this is your punishment." his mother told him as he started beating him senseless.

"The piano isn't responding to you, is it? I wish you would just die! I can't hear! Help me, Mom! STOP!" Those flashbacks of Kousei getting beat by his mother for deviating from the piece haunted him again.

~END FLASHBACK~

As Kousei came back to his senses, Kaori asked him "I wonder why you're so reluctant to play it? Why?" Kousei said and said, "Because it reminds me of my mother. I'd rather not get into any further details.... it's rather personal for me." Kaori, not wanting to overstep her bounds with further personal questions, said "OK, Kousei." The two continued to chat about their upcoming gala performance for the rest of the day. However, when Kousei was all alone in the Music Preparation Room, he still couldn't get himself to play the piece assigned by Kaori. My mother..... she still lives in me! Dammit, I still can't do this! Even though she's dead, she still has me on a short leash! What happened to me, the new, bold Kousei? Snap out of it!

He pressed on, but even with all this, he struggled to play the song right. Kousei felt discouraged.

That afternoon after school, Kousei's mentor, Hiroko Seto, had a little pep talk with him, after seeing him freeze up, seeing how this particular piece reminded him of his control-freak mother. "Why? Why can't I do this? I'm still bound to my mother. This song brings back nothing but bad memories because of her." Just then, Hiroko told Kousei "Kousei.... when I saw you a few days ago, you were looking happy. Now, I know that your friend Kaori wants you to play this piece but give her a chance; she made this choice for you." 

Kousei fired back with "Why? Because you think this will bring back memories of my mom? I almost blacked out in front of Kaori today! My mom.... She was such a perfectionist, and I inherited that!" Hiroko continued with "Kousei.... Please. Give her a chance..... you've been saying to me so much that you have changed as musician and a person. I have faith in you. Having seen Kaori play, her playing style is very free-flowing.... and you are now. I know your mother means a lot to you, and she always had faith in you, but that's the past. You should have more faith in yourself, as well. She has faith in you, Kousei. It will be fine. Don't give up." Kousei then conceded defeat and said "Eh, all right. I've got to grab myself up from my bootstraps and give it all I have got with Kaori."

That evening, Kousei rode his bicycle to a cake shop. It wasn't any ordinary cake shop, it was run by Kaori's parents, Ryoko and Yoshiyuki.

There was Kaori, dressed in more casual clothing, well, more specially her green Saskatchewan Roughrider retro T-shirt and a pair of jean shorts. Ryoko and Yoshiyuki smiled at Kousei when they saw him. They wanted to spoil Kaori's best friend with the best of their baked goods. Yoshiyuki told Kousei "It's a day old, pardon us, but please enjoy it."

Ryoko said "We've heard a lot about you, Kousei. We know about the accident..... which was unfortunate. But we're happy, and so is my daughter that you've bounced back from all that." Kousei nodded and said "Yeah. It's amazing what it's done to me since. By the way, I've noticed when we're not at school, she seems to be wearing those green shirts of that football club in Canada." Ryoko told Kousei "Oh, those? They're of the Canadian Football League's Saskatchewan Roughriders. Kaori's uncle, Seiya, who happens to work and live over in Vancouver, Canada often gives her shirts and Canadian football stuff to her. She happens to be liking the sport lately."

Kousei smiled, "I can tell. She recently got a CFL ball, and we played together a few days ago." Ryoko told Kousei and Kaori, "We heard you are going to be at a gala concert at the end of May. We'll be there to support you; we'll be sure to cheer you on." Kaori smiled "I'm happy about that, mom. You'll be there for us."

Some time passed, and as Kousei, Kaori and her parents enjoyed his company and as it was now mid-evening, Kousei stopped and walked his bicycle and began contemplating things so far. He felt great meeting Kaori's parents, but also wanted to quell any feelings of doubt around him.

I can't believe it.... For so long, I used to play from my mind and nothing more. But Kaori.... What a girl! She is here for you now, Kousei! Remember the encouragement you gave yourself after losing your left foot? I somehow forgot that I am a new Kousei, someone who can hear the notes, and it will sound amazing! I have the power.... To hear the notes! Just like He-Man, I HAVE THE POWER!! TO HEAR ALL THE NOTES!! Everything will be alright..... and Kaori is the light of your life. Don't forget that! You aren't living in darkness anymore; you're living in light! Things are looking up, not down! Night is now day, black is now white, down is now up! You're going up, Kousei! NOWHERE! BUT! UP!! REMEMBER THAT!!

Just then, Kousei stopped his inner monologue and began riding his bike home. He was making good time, and he did wear a helmet. Just then, something went wrong. Midway through, his left foot, which, unbeknown to him prior, had been improperly inserted, fell loose. He looked at the left foot coming off, thinking SHIT! MY PROSTHETIC FOOT CAME OFF! I BETTER GET IT BACK! 

In an effort to try and retrieve the foot, he tried to go back and loosened his helmet, but came across a large steel signpost, and he suddenly lost his balance with only one good foot on him. 

His bike, spinning out of control and gaining speed fast, found itself away from the sidewalk, and on the road. He tried to gain back control, but with one good foot, his efforts were futile. It came towards a steel guardrail, and he went flying roughly 4 feet/1.22 meters in the air, hitting his head on the signpost as his detached helmet went flying as well.

This time, this second blow to the head he suffered was more severe than the last, and he had hit it on an important part of the brain. Moments later, his prosthetic foot, which was situated about 50 feet/15.24 meters away from Kousei would be crushed by an oncoming car, of which the driver stopped his car upon seeing the unconscious Kousei with his head impacted by the signpost. His bicycle was also damaged by the guardrail.

The driver of the car said, "What the hell was that that I just ran over exactly?" Just then he noticed it was Kousei Arima, who had went flying a few feet/meters in the air and hit his head on the signpost. The driver was panicked, noticing the bloodied signpost.

"Oh, God! Is there a doctor in the house?! I think this is Kousei Arima here!" Just then, two ambulances converged near Kousei. Kousei, being unconscious at this time, wouldn't realize that his life, or even his body would truly never be the same again.... or that his previous feelings of hopefulness would begin to give way to ones of hopelessness, despair, and later, being unloved.