- DRV3 One shots -

Sweet Melodies and Sour Memories - Slight Saimatsu

In which Kaede faces her fears and plays the piano for the first time in years. Shuichi is there to support her, but the only tune the girl can seem to remember is one that can't be considered pleasant.

Post game AU.
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     Kaede's fingers brushed along the smooth surface of the instrument in front of her. It had been months, maybe years since she had even approached the piano sitting in her living room, let alone play it.

     Shuichi sat next to her on the bench, clutching her hand in his in support. He traced his thumb over her knuckles, "You don't have to do this, you know..."

     "I know." The girl nodded, "I want to."

     Opening the hood over the keys, Kaede placed her fingers instinctively onto the piano. It almost surprised her, how easy it was to get into the right position after so long. Almost.

     It felt natural, comfortable, safe.

     But as soon as she pressed down the first key, the sound of her execution rang in her ears. The images of her death flooding back. The monokubs, the spikes, the collar around her neck. Squeezing. Tighter and tighter. She jerked her hands back, clawing at her throat. It felt like she couldn't breath.

     Air. Air! I need air!

     She yelped when she felt arms around her, "Kaede, it's okay! Calm down!"

     Her breathing evened as the boy next to her rubbed her shoulder comfortingly.

     "I-I'm sorry," she choked out, "I just... I can't get that music out of my head!" She let out another sob.

     Hushed whispers filled the room as Shuichi comforted his classmate, "You don't need to apologize. It's not your fault."

     When Kaede pulled away, her hands hovered above the piano keys. Shuichi placed his hand on hers, "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

     She didn't answer his question, instead asking her own, "Shuichi, what was the song I told you I'd play for you when we got out?"

     He sighed, "Clair de Lune." Removing his hand, he fiddled with his sleeves, "But don't force yourself, okay?"

     Nodding, Kaede placed her hand on the keys again. Without giving herself a chance to overthink it again, she started playing. It was a bit off at first, but she slowly got into it. The boy next to her had tensed up, remembering the music he had listened to right after his best friend's execution. Tears threatened to fall as he pulled the brim of his hat to cover his face.

     As she got further into the song, the tune morphed and suddenly she was playing a different song. Der Flohwalzer.

     Pulling her hands off the piano once again, she banged her fist down on the keys. Shuichi flinched at the horrible noise, putting his hand on her shoulder.

     "I'm so sorry, I can't...." she coughed, "I can't do this. I can't play anything other than that stupid song."

     Shuichi thought for a long moment. "Then don't fight it."

     "What?"

     "Play Der Flohwalzer."

     Kaede tensed up, hunching her shoulders at the mere mention it, "Don't say that name!" She hissed.

     "Seriously, Kaede." The boy insisted, "Play it."

     "Why?"

     He smiled at her, "I remember you telling me all these names of music I had never heard of before. I remember you enthusiastically waiting to go to your lab and play piano to get away from things." Shuichi grabbed Kaede's hand once again, "I remember you promising to play me any song I wanted when we got out."

     "Yes, but that song?"

     "Of course that song! You have to start somewhere and the best way to face your fears is to fight it head on." Shuichi stated, staring her in the eye, "Do you want to overcome this or not?"

     She hesitated, "I don't know..."

     "Are you not the Kaede Akamatsu I met in the game? Confident, enthusiastic, considerate-"

     "NO!"

     The boy stopped mid sentence. Kaede had just leaped out of her seat, standing next to him. Her eyes were blazing ferociously. "I won't ever be that Kaede. She was a bossy, murderous, brat who pushed everyone to escape and to do it her way, then killed someone!"

     "I-I thought w-we went over this?" Shuichi's confidence had drained completely at that point, "You didn't ki- ahem, Rantaro. Tsumugi d-did."

     "Yeah, but I had the thought. If I hadn't had murderous intentions, Amami wouldn't have died!"

     The blue haired boy stood as well, "Then we would have all died!"

     "Well maybe that would have been better than being stuck in that- that hell hole!" She shot back.

      Shuichi stared at his feet for a while before looking up, "You're right."

     "What do you mean?"

     "You're nothing like the Kaede Akamatsu I met in the kil- the game." He continued, "You're quiet, inconsiderate, rude, and downright selfish sometimes.

     With every word, more and more tears fell down his face, "But you know what? Maybe I like this you better." He gestured towards nothing in particular, "This is the best gotdamn Kaede Akamatsu that could ever exist because it's your Kaede Akamatsu. This is the Kaede I fell for, not some game coding or whatever. Are you going to let that Kaede steal your life away from you? I thought you were brave. I guess I was wrong. You're a coward."

     With that, he walked out, overwhelmed with emotion. Kaede stood rigid for a while, processing the boy's words.

     After a couple of minutes, she looked back at the piano. Sitting down, she gingerly touched the keys with her forefinger. She pressed down, letting the memories of piano flood her senses.

     Her first performance. It was only in front of her family and friends, but it felt like she was in front of the entire world. Her first award. She had won her elementary schools talent show. That time she felt on top of the world. Her mother asking her to play one last song before she left for high school, before she left for the killing game.

     Then the piano from her execution. The collar. The chain. The falling. The... hanging. Her first time dying, not to be her last.

     And that time wouldn't be the last time playing the piano, either.

     Placing her fingers over the keys again, she began playing. Der Flohwalzer.

     The song she could never forget. The song that made everyone in her life sad. The song that sent her and some of her classmates spiraling whenever they hear it.

     The first full song she ever played back when she was five.

     She played and played, barely hearing the music. Closing her eyes, she let the feeling of her favorite activity flow through her once again.

     She finished, breathing heavily. She had done it. She had played Der Flohwalzer.

     It was the greatest feeling in the world, and she'd never let it go again.

     Thank you, Shuichi.

     Thank you so, so much.

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