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

Kousei's Fragile Head

Kousei had a hard time reacclimating back to his normal life, considering how his brain had been damaged a good deal with those blows to the head. With two days now left until the Gala, Kousei had been feeling tense, nervous and even erratic. On this evening, Kousei was trying his hardest to try and get back his old touch. Yes, he was acutely aware about his head problems. His short-term memory was now being affected by it, in that he was now having trouble memorizing the notes of the sheet music, even if it was right by him, as his hearing and sight had slightly been impaired as well.

But he would pick himself back up again and keep going if he made a mistake, even if it seemed like an uphill struggle for him now. He also found out that his head was dented a little from those impacts, and touching those contusions were pretty painful. He played for about two hours, then, not knowing it was still light outside, got out of his school uniform partially and began brushing his teeth. Kousei then examined the multitude of medications that were for him because of his condition.

He was only wearing the uniform shirt, and it was unbuttoned, which exposed his bare chest. Hiroko Seto came in and wanted to have a talk with him at his residence to check on him (Takahiko was away again) but was surprised to see Kousei brushing his teeth in broad daylight in the evening, thinking he was going to sleep rather early.

"What.... what.... Kousei, it's still 5 in the evening! Are you turning in early?!" Kousei said "Uh.... no?" he said sheepishly. He spit his brushings in the bathroom sink but forgot to fully button his shirt. Hiroko was now realizing the extent of Kousei's injuries over the past month: Fairly extensive, first with this mobility limited by the loss of his left foot, and now he was experiencing short-term memory loss, his speech had slowed down a little, he was experiencing more frequent migraines and he had also lost a bit of weight, and while not emaciated yet, was headed in that direction. His face was also somewhat gaunt looking, on top of all this.

"Oh, my god, Kousei, you realize that this second accident has affected you considerably! You're slower now, you don't speak as well as you used to, and you also tried to go to sleep this early! You poor thing..... you've become Humpty Dumpty!" Kousei sighed and got on his piano bench. "Ookaay....... Hiroko. Yes, I realize..... my speech.... is slowing down." Just then, Kousei looked at Hiroko as she was a complete stranger to him. 

"Kousei.... are you okay? You suddenly look like you're an alien now." Kousei came to his senses quickly. "Dear god..... my head.... it's not.... screwed on.... straight! Can you.... fix it.... Hiroko.... re-align.... my head?" Hiroko then touched Kousei's head lightly and pretended to adjust it. He felt some slight twinges of pain when she touched him on the dented contusions of where his head had been impacted, and when she touched them, Kousei let out an "OW!" as she did that.

She felt very sorry for Kousei after all this. "Yes, it is back in alignment, Kousei. Look at you.... you're blacking out every now and then, and sometimes it can be hard to understand what you are saying. Yes, your head is screwed on. But.... you do know that you tested positive for your mother's disease, right?" Kousei nodded. "Yes.... and now.... that I realize.... all that..... I'm not sure..... what I'm going..... to do.... with my... self. The piano..... is.... my life. It's.... all I.... have." 

Hiroko then briefed Kousei on his state. "I know the piano is your life. But what the doctors have found, in regard to your condition, is that the nerve damage to your brain, sadly, is irreversible. You have hit your head pretty badly, twice at that. And given all that, they also say that all that is only accelerating the disease you have. You get hit again on the head once more, and they say you will most likely become a vegetable. You've been in, in their words, the equivalent of at least 10 car crashes. And it's breaking my heart. Please.... If you can.... sit this one out, the Gala. For your sake."

Tears started to form in Kousei's eyes, as he started to quiver. "My... mother..... she still.... lives within me. And now.... that I'm..... probably going to..... be going.... her way..... I want.... just.... one more.... chance. I may not.... be able.... to make her.... proud.... I want to..... do this.... for Kaori..... to prove.... I belong.... with her. Don't.... say anything.... to her..... about my..... sentiments towards her..... okay? I'm.....struggling to.... read the.... music... now. My eyesight.... and hearing..... are also.... fading. I just.... want.... one more.... chance. I may.... not.... make it.... past a..... year." 

Heartbroken as well, Hiroko hugged the sobbing Kousei. "Kousei.... I hear you. I know you want to make Kaori proud..... I know you want one more chance..... I'll let you perform in two days. Please, hang in there, Kousei. All I can hope from you is that you make it another year. And I promise you I won't tell Kaori. Your secret's safe with me, Kousei." 

Kousei started crying his eyes out, over the fact that his mother, even from the grave, was still fettering him, and now his disease meant that the final curtain in his life would come sooner than he expected, and another blow to the head would speed that up further. He was in a state of severe emotional shambles over all this. "I don't.... know.... what I'll.... do.... now! I'm just..... submerged.... in my.... own... hell!"

But, even with all this grim news, he saw a very small ray of hope in that he and Kaori would meld well together, despite his own rapidly declining health. The gala was now fast approaching, and Kousei had to be at his most readiest for it.