Memoir Melody

[Cain]

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It begins with two people.

Muse A and Muse B have been friends for a long time. They were inseparable, practically had a kinship. They started their lives together as friends at the beginning of preschool, both were very different. Fast forwarding to elementary school - Muse B had begun to grow a strong liking to Muse A - Muse B made sure no one will ever know about his crush on Muse A. Throughout their middle school years Muse B's crush grew into love for Muse A. When Muse B finally musters the courage to confess their feelings to Muse A something tragic happens! Muse A's mother succumbs to the deadly symptoms of cancer and gradually withered - at this time Muse A is heartbroken. During this time, Muse A stayed in the hospital to check up on their mother. Muse B would visit regularly to see Muse A and their mother. One day when Muse A leaves to get their mother something Muse B is left alone with their mother. Muse A's mother spares a few words to Muse B realizing they had feelings for their child.

'Oh, (Muse B), I'm glad you're here...'

'I want to thank you for taking care of (Muse A) throughout these years...'

She spoke more, but, stopped for a moment.

'Could you do something for me?'

'I want you to take this and memorize it.'

She handed a folded paper to Muse B.

'Learn how to play this, so whenever (Muse A) is upset, they will always smile...'

Muse A's mother hands Muse B a folded piece of paper. As Muse B unfolds the paper the heart meter begins to rapidly beep. Nurses rushed in pushing away Muse B outside of the room. They could hear the muffled voices of urgency. Shortly Muse A arrived back with a bottle of cold tea. At the sight of the shut doors and muffled sound of urgency, they begin to cry. Muse B tried to comfort them, but they pushed away, wishing to be left alone. After the death of Muse A's mother, they have grown much more depressed than before. Muse A gotten into fights, became more aggressive, cried more, and separated themselves from Muse B. Muse B would be heartbroken everyday Muse A neglects them, however, they begin to work harder to learn how to play the melody for Muse A's sake. Muse B would constantly practice, eventually becoming a better pianist. Throughout the rest of Muse B's middle school years, their skills had excelled. By the time Muse B was able to play the melody with no faults, they run to Muse A's house with the paper in their pocket. They were excited to play the piece for Muse A. When they reached Muse A's house it was empty - it was abandoned as if no one lived in that house. Muse B was confused and began to ask around town; a few said they didn't know and the rest said they moved due to the memories the town kept.

With that our story begins.

Muse B becomes a famous composer and is well-known throughout the world. Muse A is currently a simple high school student who had shed themselves from the past. How these to reconnect is through a large ad in the streets. One day Muse A was walking alongside their friends and stopped to see an unfamiliar man playing a familiar melody. It brought them back to their childhood when their mother played them this melody whenever a tear rolled down their cheek; they pondered at the person knowledge of the melody, it was a special song. When the winter time rolled around, Muse A left in the earliest bus back to their hometown to find out who gave away their mother's song.

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✿ P r o t a g o n i s t s ✿
Kousuke Harrington & Kanade Fujioka

✿ S i d e - C h a r a c t e r s ✿
Lou Tanaka

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✿ C h a p t e r I ✿
" 再会した "

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[Gertrude]

Most of the time, Kanade preferred to believe that she was neater and organized than some people. However, the current situation made a mayhem out of her room. While she packed her belongings, Aunt Minako followed her niece every steps, not with feet but eyes. Every few minutes, out of concerns, she suggested Kanade to let her help but she declined without thinking, "I got this, aunty". This frantic behavior of Kanade was abnormal, has she not known what happened, aunt Minako would freaked out. Few days ago, Kanade ran home the day before Winter Break, announcing that she will go on a trip before rushing upstairs. To her aunt's confusion, her only explanation only revealed that she left something behind. Despite Kanade never came out with her true intention but her aunt understood that it was something Kanade need to alone.

Kanade's hectic run around her room only met its end when she cleaned up her room after she packed everything she needed for the trip. Although aunty's helpfulness was appreciated, but since long, she strived to take care of herself. Though sometimes she did end up making a bigger mess, at least, she often got it done by her own. Looking back at her tidy room, Kanade drew in a long breath to calm her heart down after an insufferable amount of searching and searching. With a quick run of thoughts in her head, she came into conclusion that she had yet to forget anything. Though before she could even be sastified with herself, the clock caught her eyes with its hour needle pointing at number four. The potential of missing her bus hit her like bee stung. First time in Kanade's seventeen years of breathing, she sprinted out of her aunt's house to come back to her home.​

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Few superficial beliefs she heard in her life ever got into her head, but when she got on the leaving bus few hours ago, she believed God was real. Although coming back to her hometown took little effort, Kanade never found the courage to do it. Because she readied herself to stop looking back since she fled away from her home, her memories, and her childhood. Dwelling on the past never let it be kind to her, yet she was on the chase to capture the ghost of the past. The first step on the ground froze her as the bus as it continued on with the tiring journey. Disbelief overwhelmed her still when she registered that .

The town was older than her memories, and it was sadder than her future. Faint memories stayed at the back on her mind, a lot were crystal clear but some others blurred into the snow. When the springs came, the road she passed by will blossomed into various shades of pink. She missed that, even if she lied to herself countless times before. Years since she moved could be count on one hand, yet she gawked at everything like an outsider coming in for a visit. Perhaps she was one, she insisted on forgetting and left her past behind for good. But her link to this place might be stronger than she thought. But she didn't come back here hoping to change anything, the thought had yet came to her. Her sigh weighed her down, she intended to move on but met an old playground. And to her surprise, there were kids that could be seen playing around with the snow.

Before, she would envy those kids. Back in the days, her mother never let her getting out much during winter. Allergic, she explained. She could never quite understand and nagging until the cold hit her. The realization of the uncomfortable winter sent chill down her spine, "Ah, so horrible." She muttered to herself, remembering how her mom used to tuck her in bed with layers of blankets. Thoughts about how her mom often overdone everything pulled out a quiet laughter. Her gaze got lost in the snow while her mind trailed to somewhere far in her past and close to her present. Fate happened to be another belief she will never came close to take up, but that time was no coincidence. The melody of her mother's song, one she played for her when she was sad, one she sang to her before sleep claimed her. Sometimes those tune came back to her, quiet humming that brought memories when she unaware and went away after tears rolled down.

She let herself taken by reflects of the past and face its result. "Damnit." Muffled noises came from behind her knitted scarf after she . Cold and emotional, her 'favourite' combination of winter was here to make her day worse. To add salt to the wound, a snowball came out of nowhere and landed on her head. Her previous state caused her to be slow to react. Only when it quite sank it that Kanade glanced over and met those kids' eyes with her teary ones. To say that horrified them was an understatement, even though they meant to apologize. They met tears, tears. The matter was more sentimental for a bunch of first graders than most.

A kid in blue coats came up to her first. "We're so sorry!" Two others followed behind him, both chanting. "We're sorry for making you cry!" Crying. Tears on her cheeks would have gotten overlooked had the kids not mentioning them. She pressed the back of hand to her cheeks and found the warmth of waterworks.

"Ah..." She spoke, only through the corner of her eyes she caught the kids squirming at her actions. Even a small movement she did tensed them up, even made the blue-coated one talked again. "Please don't cry!" With his words, the two nodded along with fear in her eyes.

"We are so sorry! Please don't cry!" The humor in the air around them somehow brightened her up. Having little kids attempted to console and apologize to her making it quite strange, this she had not expected.

Lighthearted chuckle couldn't be stopped by her when she understood the situation. "Don't worry." she suppressed herself from laughing on full-scale. "It wasn't you guys' fault." The children titled their heads as she shook hers, and waving them away. All of them were unsure if she was fine or she said that just to reassure them. “I’m fine, go back to playing.” She gestured toward the playground with layers of snow on it. They eyed up at her again, one of the two standing behind stared at her with big eyes. “I'm sorry, big sis. Uh…do you want to play with us?” His words stunned her silent for a moment, but she declined the little boy's offer. “No, thank you for asking. But I have something urgent to now, may be next time? ”

“That would be great!” he replied with rejoice before his friends ushered him back to the playground. Kanade watched the kids run back to the playground, but they looked back one to wave at her. “See you later, big sis!" The three were adorable, a bit silly but nonetheless, they reminded her of a her happier time. When she was with her friends from here, that time was simple but it ended up being the happiest time of her life. And there was Kousuke. He was special, her bestfriend even, yet she pushed him away during her breakdown and left him in the dust when she came to live with her aunt.

"Kousuke..." She mused, regrets took away what joy she previously received from the kids. An apology or at least a goodbye, but she never gave him neither. A certainty that she would never have another chance. Despite that, the only person she thought about when she continued on those road was him. Minutes passed with the memories of Kousuke jumbled around her head. Kanade broke out of that after she spotted a small cozy house hiding behind the corners, almost unnoticeable. It was hers, as it was her mother's. Once a place of happiness and joy, now was vacant and empty without a single soul. She would've never thought of seeing it again, yet she stood there, staring up at the irony her life was.

Now, standing there, indifference was her only feeling. "Hello again, back to my memories."
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[Cain]

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K o u s u k e H a r r i n g t o n
The gray skies meant only one thing, Winter. Snow gently fell from the sky, hitting against the airplane window. The window grew cold as snow began to cover the bottom part of the airplane. Pale green orbs stared out the window to see a soft glow from below the clouds. The airplane began to descend gradually, going below the clouds. A clear image of Japan in the Winter was revealed behind the clouds. The variety of colors from the light never failed to amaze Kousuke. Every trip back home, he felt like a tourist. Unable to recall where the route to his house was, which house he resided in. On his worst days, he would believe his town was an unknown enigma.

Forgetful was on the word, idiotic was another to describe his inability to recall things.

His pale green orbs kept close attention when the airplane descended and flew towards a different prefecture. As the plane grew close to Hokkaido his heart began to start up its annual routine; his heartbeat would quicken, hopes were pushed further, but they're usually fallen when he returns. He walks back to an empty house with not a sight of life left. Later he would receive a lecture from his friend, Lou. The plane descended all the way to an airport. The plane landed softly and gently on the concrete ground. He looked down at his lap, his hands clenched tightly. Veins protruded from his fists and forearms underneath his layers of clothes.

Once the plane came to a complete stop the stewardess escorted everybody to the exit of the plane. He was one of the first few people to exit the plane safely, without the hassle of others. His body grew cold quickly at the touch of Japan's Winter. Three layers seemed to be too thin for him. He clutched tightly onto his carry-on as he walked through the airport. The hustle and bustle in the airport sucked out the energy out of Kousuke. The repetitive inquiries to prove his innocence drained his thought process. It was always a liberating feeling to be released from the airport hustle.

The only obstacle he needed to overcome was claiming baggage. He stood by the rotator, hunting his suitcase. The multifarious suite cases up'd the ante in the suite case hunt. His eyes were intent on finding his suite case as quick as possible. A pink suitcase passed, another blue one, and finally a simple sleek black suitcase with a distinctive sticker appeared. He plucked it out of the bunch with no hesitation. The flight has flowed with ease, it has yet to meet its first bump. He rolled his suite case and carry-on out of the baggage claim. The outside of the airport was cold, there were taxi's parked by the curb, and family members reunited with each other.

He scanned the outside in search of a woman relatively close to his age. His head turned left and right, then around. His heels turned slowly along with his body.

"You dumbass!" A rolled up magazine came flying towards his head. At collision, his head was pushed away from Lou. He grumbled softly as he rubbed the beaten side of his head. The pain did not cause a pulsating feeling nor did it cause an erosion on the side of his head. "Why did you walk outside? I was inside the whole time." A lecture from Lou never seemed to end. The woman elongated her speech with past problematics. Her vulgar tongue was lively on the matter and her hand gestures grew more intense than the year before. Kousuke rolled his eyes, "Yes, yes, yes," He repeated the word constantly till she stopped her lecture.

"I understand, now can we go?" He gesticulated curtly towards the parking lot. Lou growled at Kousuke before leading. He followed behind her, the sound of cars grew louder as he walked into the parking lot. It echoed and the screeches were amplified. The sound of his mobile suitcase was engulfed by the sound of automobiles. A loud beep brightened the tail lights of a small navy colored car. The trunk appeared small on the outside, but, the moment Lou pulled the trunk open - it was a spacious area. It had a few items that were moveable. Kousuke threw in his belongings in the trunk carelessly. The abrupt action brought the car to shake.

By mere instinct, Kousuke checked the cars well-being, mint condition, what a relief.

After that, it was a long drive back to Biei. The scenery began to shift from the bustling city, to an elongated road, and then a lovely town scenery. The grass was no longer visible and a large coat of white snow covered the grounds. Tree's lost all of its lovely verdant colors, the winter left it with only its branches. He looked forward to seeing the town; mom and pop shops opened, children in winter wear walked around with parents, and hot food stands grew more popular each year.

"Hows America?" The ordinary question rose. Kousuke had an incredulous expression on his face, surprised. "Is that sarcasm?" Lou's words lacked sarcasm, but Kousuke was not one to risk being dumbfounded. "No," She responded. "It's a genuine question." She turned the drivers wheel around to make a turn.

He shrugged, "Fine, not many people I find interesting. My colleagues in the Orchestra are boring." He sighed as he dropped his head on the window. "America isn't exciting?" Her tone revealed her surprise at his response. "It is, it's just, not as exciting."

"Oh dear, Kou, you should release your cusp on the past." He rolled his eyes when she began her annual lecture. Lou would give him a spiel about the past every time they drove back to Kanade's old house. He could recite the speech himself if he wished. "...She's moved on, she's in Tokyo. A better place than Biei. More people, more experiences, more experience." The second time Lou spoke the word experience ruined the speeches meaning. "The hell Lou! Kanade isn't promiscuous!" He flailed he arms in the air. "Hey! We all are gonna come to an age where, things just happen." He could no longer participate in the conversation topic. He turned his attention to his personal window and stared out into the rural scenery.

The scenario shifted once more.

Farther away from the town, they drove up a small hill. The house was located in front of a lush verdure mountain, however, it was hidden behind mother nature's beauty. The drive up was short but dangerous due to the snow. The car was parked a bit farther from the house. Kousuke took in a deep breath, slowly easing his way to relief. He looked over at Lou, who seemed prepare to give him another lecture. He rolled his eyes at the woman and stepped out of the car. The snow softened his footsteps, muffling the noise it made. His hands were shoved into his pockets and each breath he released was visible.

He remembered the house clearly. As the years passed, the painting chipped, the wooden flooring withered, and mother nature began to consume the house. He walked around it, not expecting much, simply memories to carry his way. This time, it was different, someone else was there. He was confused at first - the house was uninhabited for years, why would anyone be interested? He walked closer, not a noise resonated from his steps. The closer he got, his memory began to grow clear. The familiar face he had a fondness for matured. His jaw dropped and his heartbeat came to a halt.

"Kanade?"

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[Gertrude]

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Her fingers clung on the strap of her bag, she was desperate to grab something to steady herself, to regain what composure she has left. Alas, her home, her childhood was in front of her eyes yet she could find no word to express herself. Words died down at her throat. Kanade hadn't expected anything when tears burned in her eyes.

Since she stepped on the land of Biei, she cried more than she ever did in these past three years. Perhaps, it was for her best that she came back here to seek out old memories, once that left forgotten so she could move on without regrets this time. And then, maybe, life would be easier.

Kanade brought her fuzzy sleeve up to her nose to wipe away her sign of weaknesses, despite being alone. Even the usual itchiness the action would bring barely disturbed her. Truth was, her thoughts claimed her so easily that all of her senses focused on the small house in front of her. She wouldn't notice the stranger approaching, no, her attention was elsewhere and unmoved until much later.

Upon the hearing of her name, Kanade whipped her head over the source of the voice, only a little waterwork left at the corner of her eyes. She covered her face quickly to hide that, shutting her eyes close to calm herself down. For what it worth, even at her worst, she would like to save some dignity in front of a stranger. Took a few seconds or so until she looked back at the person who arrived shortly after her. Features that brought back nostalgia yet she couldn't quite put a name to the face. But to be polite, she apologized to them for her intrusion anyway. “I'm sorry. I used to live here. I didn't expect anyone to move in.”

Truly, Kanade would notice the current state was of an unoccupied house. Though a mess she was caused her judgment to be a bit faulty if not very. And, seeing arrival of another was her cue to leave, she picked herself up from where she was, hoping to linger a bit more before her departure. “Don't worry, I won't cause any trouble." She attempted to wave away his worries if there was any.

Just for a while, she hoped to stay here and cherish what good memories she had before leaving. Her footsteps brought her to the small garden where her mom used to plant vegetables and flowers. Daffodil was her favourites when she was small, and it still is. The snow underneath her feet became softer with every step she took. Slowly, her house was only a meter away from her. Old wooden flooring at the balcony with stained painting on the outside wall. She reached out to touch but . . .

Noises from her phone vibrating in her bag paused her, she reached in to take the small device out. Thename 'Kusakusa' appears on the the brightening screen, alerting her that was her friend, Kusanagi Mio calling. “Miikun?" She tapped on 'Answer', only to be greet by a familiar Osaka voice from the other line.

“Hey! Where are you now?” It was comforting to hear her best friend's voice more or less. Mio sounded quite cheerful, at least to her, compared to the scary guy image he had. “I'm at Biei. It's cold here.” She tried to keep it short and informative, it wasn't necessary for him to know how sad she felt. “Mhm! Sorry I couldn't go with you.” There were sounds of a middle aged man calling for Mio from the other side with him asking for a minute. “Our restaurant is so busy on holiday. Argh…I don't know if it's good or bad anymore.”

She could picture him scratching his head in annoyance while wearing an apron. “Who knew dad's recipe is so famous? Anyway, I'll make it up for you when you return!” Kanade let out a quiet laughter at the joyous tone in his voice. “What would it be then?” Her question was vague, but both of them knew it will be her favourite snack, takoyaki. “The usual place. Usual time.” She nodded, even if she knew he couldn't see what she was doing. Her “See you then.” followed by his short, but warm “Bye.”

As the conversation ended, Kanade made her mind about leaving, taking steps out of the house's area. “I'll be leaving then.” Her bow was mainly to show gratitude and politeness, she strolled pass him with her mood lightened after conversation with Mio. She wanted to thank the stranger for letting her stay, and her thoughts wandered to his name. And, it struck a nerve. “Wait…” Kanade twirled backward and took a clear look at his back. “How did you know my name?” Familiar feature yet no name came to mind, taller build and a touch of foreign imprinted in her mind yet all were too blurry for her to recall. The word 'who' ran over the tip of her tongue. Mixes of confusion of memories caused her to freeze and wonder. “…Did we meet before?”

Soft melodies, close to heart came to her, then she remembered. “Hey, aren't you…” She didn't dare to say it because she could be wrong. A lot of doubts were clouding her, though in the end, Kanade spoke up. “…you were that pianist…right?” Founding her choice of words too vague, she added up, but this time, something else urged her. “You…how did you know my mom's song?” Her voice was calm, but there were bits of anger and pain in it, an emotion that she thought she has overcome yet she not quite did. “Who are you?” Trembling, she asked him with feelings overflow inside her.

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