Gears of Harmony

Episode 12 - The Secret Music Room

The next lunch break, I went to the second floor with Amy and Callie. Gracie, Rain, and Finn was already waiting for us in front of 2C.

"Ah, there you guys are," said Finn, "come on,"

"Where are we going exactly?" asked Amy.

"You'll find out," said Rain and smirked, "don't worry, it's a pretty nice place,"

The six of us walked up the stairs leading to the rooftop, but stopped halfway and turned to the wall. There was no one else around. Rain knocked on the wall lightly. Knock knock knock, knock knock knock. Then the wall shuddered and revolved, revealing another room with a flight of stairs leading upwards.

"A... secret room...?!" said Callie.

"Ever wondered why there wasn't much space on the other side of the rooftop?" asked Finn as he led us in, "it's used for this room,"

Now that he mentioned it... I thought, putting a hand on my chin.

We kept walking until I reached the room on the top. It was a pale yellow circular room with only a black grand piano sitting across the stairs. Heavy golden curtains covered the walls.

"So we are..." I said, "on the same level of the rooftop?"

"Exactly," said Rain and opened the piano.

Then he started playing a fugue.

"Wait, won't anyone hear us if you play here?" asked Amy.

"No, no," said Gracie, "we usually gather here just to play some music and no one heard a thing,"

"No matter how loud?" asked Amy.

"Yep. We tried shouting as loud as we could at the same time. You know how loud all of our voices combined, especially the twin's. Still, no one hears a thing," said Finn, "seems like this room was made specially to be soundproof and hidden. Except if you connect it with the PA system on purpose, of course hahaha,"

Meanwhile, Rain kept playing the piano in the background. After a few bars, he got up and turned towards me.

"Wina, play something for us," he said.

"What?! Me?!" I asked and pointed at myself.

"Yeah, who else?" said Finn and chuckled, "anything's fine - just give it a go,"

"I can't! Not without a partiture!" I said, "I'm quick at sight reading, but I never actually tried to remember any songs,"

"Really?" asked Gracie, "well, I brought my tablet today so maybe we can browse something,"

She got out a white 14 inch computer tablet from her bag.

"Now, what song?" she asked.

"Oh, I have a request!" said Callie, "Kigeki from Gen Hoshino,"

"Okay... searching..." said Gracie, "ah, there you go... this site provides free partitures, huh? How convenient..."

"...Can I at least hear what the song's like first?" I asked.

"Sure," said Gracie and opened YouTube.

I put the earphones on and played the song as I studied the partiture. I screen-captured the partiture and made some notes. Then when the song ended, I put Gracie's tablet on the stand and started playing. Everyone gasped as I started playing. I moved my fingers accordingly to the partiture, making a few mistakes along the way, but I ignored them. Then Callie started singing,

"Arasoiatte kowareka katta (Fighting with each other 'til almost everything was in ruins)
Kono ochamena hoshi de (On this mischievous planet)
Umare ochita hikara yoso mono (I've been an outsider since the day I was born)
Namida kare hateta (My tears have run dry)
Kaeriyuku basho wa yume no naka (The place I'm going back to is in my dreams)

Kobore ochita saki de deatta (I met you where I came spilling out)
Tada himitsu wo kakae (You with all your secrets)
Futsuu no furi wo shita anata to (Pretending to be normal)
Sagashi akirameta (I'd given up searching for a place where I belong)
Watashi no ibasho wa tsukuru mono datta (Only to find out I had to create one for myself all along)

Ano hi kawashita (We made a deal that day)
Chi ni masaru mono (Thicker than blood)
Kokoro tachi no keiyaku wo (A pact from heart to heart)

Te wo tsunagi kaerou ka (Shall we hold hands and head home?)
Kyou wa nani tabeyou ka? (What should we eat tonight?)
"Konna koto ga atta?" tte ("Here's what happened today")
Kimi to hanashitakattan da (That's what I wanted to talk to you about)
Itsu no hi mo (Any and every day is)
Kimi to nara kigeki yo (A comedy with you)
Odoru kishimu beddo de (Dancing on a creaking bed)
Warai korogeta mama de (Rolling around in laughter)

Fuzaketa seikatsu wa tsuzuku sa (We'll keep on with our ridiculous everyday life)"

Then I lifted my hands upwards in a round shape when I finished playing and put them on my laps. Then everybody started clapping.

"Wina, that's so great! How do you read a partiture once and master it at one go?" asked Rain.

"Nah, I made a few mistakes along the way..." I said.

"I didn't even realise there was a mistake," said Rain.

"Thank you, Wina!" said Callie, clasping her hands together, "it's one of my favourite songs!"

"It's nothing, really," I said and smiled.

"But maybe it's a bit flat, I think?" asked Amy, "maybe you can add some more... actually, I'm not sure what part of it makes it flat..."

"Yeah, but that was also the first time she heard the song, so-" said Finn.

"Oh no, even if you sight-read you need the correct interpretation of it to play – it's more important than just playing the right notes, actually. At least that's how they mark you in exams," I explained, "that said, it's not the first time I got that feedback. My teacher told me many times that my playing sounds so heartless, but honestly I just can't wrap my mind around what they wanted in the first place. I increased the volume and slow down where I need to, but well, I don't like playing piano in the first place, so..."

"Maybe you have no emotions, Wina," said Callie and put her hands on my shoulders, "you're so quiet and you always have a flat expression whatever happens. When everyone was like 'woah!' you're always like 'oh...' like it was just another Tuesday,"

"Am I?" I asked and laughed, "I think I do, I just feel like they're not that big of a deal most of the time,"

Nah.

I never had anything I felt strongly about other than my safety.

That's why, seeing you all work so hard towards your dreams... and loving music to this extent...

I can't help but feel a bit jealous. I wish I had something like that.

"Anyway, about time we go back?" asked Callie.

"Yeah, remember to keep this a secret, okay guys?" Rain reminded us.

"Okay!" the three of us first years said at the same time.

A secret society, away from the other students, huh... I thought, that's kind of exciting to think about.