Volume 1 Chapter 18.1

Volume 1 + Chapter 18.1: High-Pressure Test

[Hello, nice to meet you. My name is Shimizu Suzune.]

[Hello, nice to meet you. My name is Watanabe Yuu.]

As our eyes met, the game male protagonist’s teacher revealed a very elegant smile and greeted me in a manner befitting an equal.

After exchanging greetings, we both fell into a silent gaze for a while.

Awkward for no apparent reason.

[Are you cold?]

The game male protagonist’s teacher glanced briefly at my skirt and asked.

[Not at all.]

To prove I wasn’t cold, I held out my warm hand.

Unexpectedly, the game male protagonist’s teacher very naturally took it and gave it a squeeze.

[You’re right, you’re really not cold. Very warm.]

The male protagonist’s teacher said this with an elegant smile. I stared at my held hand, stunned.

Why did I reach out my hand?

Perhaps thinking I was bothered by her holding it, the teacher quickly let go.

[Would you like to come to my home and take a look at the piano?]

Dressed in an elegant white coat, with light blonde hair and golden eyes, the game male protagonist’s teacher had an air of European nobility about her, perhaps due to her remarkably youthful appearance.

Given that this was precisely the reason for our meeting, how could I refuse?

[Yes, I would.]

I nodded immediately and followed the game male protagonist’s teacher.

The male protagonist, as inconspicuous as ever, said nothing and silently trailed behind us.

We arrived at the game male protagonist’s teacher’s home.

Well… a villa.

The villa’s exterior was beautiful, and the interior even more splendid. The piano I saw next was equally magnificent and elegant.

The white-gold piano casing bore flowing, graceful golden foreign script that gave it an air of refinement.

The game male protagonist’s teacher opened the piano lid, pressed a few keys, then looked up to gauge my reaction.

To be honest, even I, a complete layman, could tell that the smoothness and tone of this piano were exceptional.

It was several times better than the piano used at the male protagonist’s competition I had attended.

After a week of swift reading and memorization, I could say that reading sheet music was no longer a problem.

But how well my fingers and brain would coordinate, that remained a question mark.

Sensing that she intended to test my qualifications, I remained composed, took a deep breath, and steadied my emotions.

Would my own abilities earn her approval?

This was a crucial turning point for the rest of my life.

Whether it would be a bad end or a happy end, now was the time to choose.

Why had I suddenly started studying and learning about [Piano Healers], something I had once found rather dreamlike and even ridiculous?

The key reason was my parents’ status in this life.

The mindset of taking things as they came and giving up on myself had persisted for several years.

I had thought my parents’ situation would soon fall apart. I had thought this was a simple dating game. Yet it had begun to show me its dark and dangerous side.

My parents’ promotion. The fact that I had been brought up.

The father and daughter who had come in person. And that man’s eyes, full of power and ambition.

It was all like a black tiger I had thought would disdain me, suddenly showing interest.

The danger it posed was not something I could handle on my own. If it were just a dozen ordinary people, I could confidently say I could defeat them without a scratch.

If it were just ten trained people, I could likewise confidently say, I could defeat them without a scratch.

But if the number exceeded that, I could also answer with certainty, I would die or be injured.

My parents’ gang was a very powerful organization in Japan, with statistics showing over a hundred thousand members.

Against such a leviathan, the only forces that could oppose it were the state or another massive gang.

After filtering through the possibilities, aside from the state, there was no other way.

The existence of a [Spirit User] was a status that could secure strong protection from the state.

It was also a bargaining chip that would allow our family to retreat unscathed, now that we had drawn the attention of the leadership of my parents’ gang.

I could not become a [Spirit User] in a short time. But I needed, before the other side made their move, to have something they would fear, the help of a [Spirit User] named Shimizu Suzune.

Becoming her disciple was an excellent path.

Only by becoming her disciple would any brewing conspiracies be overturned and restarted before they could even begin.

Then I would gain the time I needed to grow.

Only then could I transform the current impression that they could [manipulate us at will] into a dangerous warning that we were [not to be touched].

Knowing things before they happen, this was knowledge my master had taught me.

All events have omens before they occur. Anything that deviates from everyday life, no matter how small, must not be overlooked.

When you become skilled at catching these omens, it will appear to others as if you know the future before it happens.

By making preparations before events unfold, you hold the initiative in your own hands.

I did not want to lose the people I cherished while being passive. I never wanted to taste that feeling of powerlessness again.

[Do you have any knowledge of the piano?]

The game male protagonist’s teacher began the examination. Her golden eyes focused on me intently. Though it seemed she was looking at me, it also felt as if she wasn’t really looking at me.

Was she looking at the presence of [Spirits] that only she could see?

[I have value.]

Having reached this conclusion, I decided to raise my [value] even further.

[I can read piano sheet music, but I haven’t touched a piano before.]

[When did you start learning about this field?]

[Last Wednesday.]

[The day of the Youth Piano Healer competition?]

[Yes.]

[Do you know the basic points of piano playing?]

[You should keep your hands as if holding an egg in each palm, and your finger joints must not collapse.]

[That level of knowledge is sufficient for a beginner.]

The game male protagonist’s teacher said this as she moved behind the piano bench.

[Do you know where middle C is on the treble clef?]

[Yes.]

[Come and show me.]

During the examination, the game male protagonist’s teacher wore an expressionless face, naturally commanding authority.

I approached the piano, sat on the bench, and adjusted the distance.

Then I placed my left and right hands on the designated positions for the basic key of C major.

I pressed middle C with my right thumb.

[Tomoya, go get the book you used when you first started learning piano.]

[Yes, teacher.]

Following the instruction, the male protagonist moved as if he were at home and accurately found the book among the many shelves.

[Teacher, here you are.]

[Thank you, Tomoya.]

The male protagonist’s teacher smiled gently at him as she took the book, but when she noticed my gaze, her expression turned neutral again.

Just like Yuna, she was someone whose facial muscles and nerves were very busy.

Perhaps she intended to intimidate me this way, or to heighten my tension so I would reveal more. But this level of pressure did not even qualify as a breeze.

[Play this sheet music.]

She turned to the right page and set it on the stand. I played according to the sheet music.

First, the right hand: do, re, mi, fa, so.

Then the left hand: do, re, mi, fa, so.

While striking the keys, the fingers needed strength, the rhythm steady, and the beat accurate.

[Alright, stop.]

Before I had finished playing, the game male protagonist’s teacher called a halt. Anyone with weaker mental fortitude would have tensed up, their fingers frozen, not knowing what to do or why.

So this method was wasted on me. I stopped playing calmly, placed my hands on my knees, and awaited her next instruction.

[Play the next piece of sheet music.]

Following her request, I began to play. Halfway through, I was stopped again.

[Play just this passage for me.]

As requested, I played again.

[Stop. Now play the next piece.]

Play.

[Stop. Play this passage for me.]

Play.

[Stop. Next piece.]

This exchange continued for half an hour. The pages turned more and more, and I played more and more sections.

[Stop. In one hour, I want you to have memorized all the songs in this book and play them for me.]

Leaving these words behind, the game male protagonist’s teacher left the room with the male protagonist, leaving only me and the piano.

I roughly flipped through all the songs in the book. There were not many, nor was it an unreasonable demand.

Folding the corners of the pages with songs, I began playing from the first piece.

As time passed, I finally reached the last song.

Just as I finished, the game male protagonist’s teacher re-entered the room with the male protagonist, without even knocking.

Knowing that she was not the kind of person who lacked manners, I was once again speechless at her methods of applying pressure.

[Can you play it now?]

She got straight to the point upon entering, even though the time was not yet up. This was what she said.

Deliberately placing no clock in the room, was that to manipulate the perception of time?

One pressure tactic after another, in rapid succession. The game male protagonist’s teacher certainly had skill.

But as I had said before, it was wasted on me.

[Yes, I can.]

[Good, then play…]

The intense examination and countless trials reminded me of my mother in my previous life, teaching me when she knew her time was running out.

Peach switch striking my hand, memorizing books, testing, experimenting…

Striking, memorizing, testing, experimenting.

That year-long period felt like walking through a mountain of blades and a sea of fire, etched deeply into my memory.

And my mother’s teachings, even in this next life, still helped me.

[Alright, stop.]

The game male protagonist’s teacher finally spoke these words with a smile. I took my fingers off the piano keys.

Even with my training, my fingers felt fatigued.

If this had continued, how much longer could I have lasted?

[Watanabe Yuu, would you like to become my student?]

She asked in a very gentle voice.

The stern, high-pressure atmosphere from before now seemed like an illusion, but the fatigue in my fingers proved it had been real.

Slowly calming my breath and restoring my somewhat tired mind to normal.

I stood up, turned to the game male protagonist’s teacher, now also my teacher, Shimizu Suzune, and bowed.

[Please take care of me, Shimizu-sensei.]

[Please take care of me, little Yuu.]

The hand that touched the top of my head was very warm. Sensei’s recognition also resolved the worries that lay ahead.

I could properly maintain the peace of my family.

That was good. That was enough.

[Little Yuu, are you hungry? The meal should be ready soon.]

Shimizu-sensei’s smile was warm, and her golden eyes were beautiful, like a little sun.

[I am hungry, Shimizu-sensei.]

I looked up and smiled back at Shimizu-sensei, answering in a cheerful voice.

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