When I first set my eyes on the first page of the score, the song reminded me of a fluttering moth.

The countermelody circled around the burning main melody before diving into the flames. But despite being burnt into nothingness, new moths would spawn from the charred ashes—that was the feeling that that song had imparted on me.

Sonata in A♭ major, also known as "opus postumus," was a posthumous work. And because there was no given title for that sonata, I habitually referred to it as .

After I had become a ruffian in the classical music industry, I had found that there were a few particular questions that I would commonly be asked, such as "Why don't classical pieces have titles? Wouldn't not having titles make it difficult to refer to them?" I had briefly touched on that topic during an interview for a magazine—it was an interview for an album, though I had only produced one of the album's songs.

"Mr. Nao, are you the one that came up with the album's name, ?"

"Yeah, it was me. Back then, no one could come up with a name for the album, so the manager said, 'Hey Nao, name one of your favourite songs!' To which I replied, 'Beethoven's Sonata no.31 in A♭ major.' But they misheard it as "mutant butterfly" instead......" [TL Note: Apparently, "A♭ major" sounds similar to "mutant butterfly" in Japanese]

The interviewer roared with laughter. Then, he posed that question—

"Still, why are classical pieces referred to as whatever number and whatever pitch instead of titles that are easier to understand?"

I had been asked that question several times already, so I already had an answer prepared.

"Well...... here's an analogous situation. Military buffs usually refer to fighter jets by their model numbers, don't they? They'll call a jet an 'F-14' as opposed to a 'Tomcat,' and they rarely ever refer to the 'SR-71' as 'Blackbird.' Fans of classical music are the same. Referring to these classical songs by their opus number makes us sound cooler and more knowledgeable, doesn't it?"

"I see!"

Of course that was just me bullshitting.

I had first come into contact with on my twenty-fourth birthday.

The day before that—the last day I was twenty-three—happened to be the same day Mafuyu was finished her American tour and was returning to Japan. So having just completed my work, I drove down to Narita Airport early in the morning.

I wasn't sure if it was because of the spring holidays, but the airport was filled with tourists when I arrived there at ten, and many of them were travelling as a family. Because of that, the airport was somewhat packed, but I still spotted Mafuyu's shiny maroon hair instantly as she made her way through the arrival gate. Mafuyu saw me before I could even wave my hands and immediately ran towards me.

The last time we had seen each other was during New Years. Three months had already passed, and it felt like she had become even prettier.

Ebisawa Mafuyu—she was now the world famous pianist with "mercury fingers." So who had come up with that weird title of hers? It's sad to say this, but it was my dad, Hikawa Tetsurou. And because that title suited Mafuyu's style of playing the piano, her "ice beauty" look, and her staunch rejection of the media, it was quickly accepted by everyone, and had even made its way overseas.

Even though we were already adults, to me, Mafuyu was still an ordinary girl that cried easily and that got angry for the slightest reasons. And she would only prove my point as she walked towards me with wobbly steps. It has been three months—I think it should be okay to give her a really tight hug, right? But that tiny thought of mine was immediately quashed by my rationality when I thought about how it would look in the eyes of the crowd around us.

"Welcome back—"

Right when I finished saying that, Mafuyu came to a stop two meters in front of me. For some reason, she was warily scanning the arrival hall behind me.

"I-Is something wrong?" Did she read my mind and become aware of my desire to hug her?

"We will not be chased around by anyone, right? And we will not be brought to a strange place again, right?"

"Nah! Why would that happen?"

"Those are my only impressions of Narita Airport....."

As Mafuyu mumbled those words with her head lowered, I remembered what had happened there.

Mafuyu was always flying all over the place because of her tours, but that was already our third time meeting at Narita Airport. The first time was during the summer of our first year of high school, while the second time was during the winter. In both cases, we were chased around by the security; and both times, there was hardly any chance for us to talk. Ah, those were painful days......

Regarding the third time—today—Mafuyu had actually asked me to pick her up at the airport. That was the first time she had done that, and it also meant that Ebichiri wouldn't be around. That was why I had spent the whole night finishing all my work, so that I could reach the airport early in the morning.

"Urm....... we sure did some impulsive things when we were young......"—I laughed wryly—"But you don't have to worry today. I'm here specifically to pick you up!"

Mafuyu nodded her head vigorously and walked right up to me.

"...... I am back."

Mafuyu's tiny voice was almost drowned out by the sound of rolling luggage. What's wrong? She didn't look very happy.

But she didn't seem angry either. I guess she's just exhausted from all that travelling? I mean, she did fly halfway across the globe; and there's the jet lag to consider as well. She should be sleeping at around this time.

I grabbed Mafuyu's luggage and started walking.

"Where are we going?"

"I drove here, so how about we send you home? You're probably dead tired, right? You don't look very good."

"Send me home?"

Mafuyu shot past me and turned around. Looks like I've really pissed her off this time.

"I specifically planned my return flight to arrive around this time, so why would I want to go back home?"

"S-Sorry, is there someplace you'd like to go?"

Mafuyu shook her head hard.

"Urm....... then? What's going on here?"

"It just means anywhere is fine as long as I can be together with Naomi!"

I must've had an incredibly silly expression on my face after hearing that. Mafuyu's face was all red, and her eyebrows were arching upwards.

"I-I see...... Mmm, I get it. I'm sorry."

I cautiously closed the distance between us and gently took her hand. She responded with a firm grip.

The announcements were blaring nonstop over the speakers, and as we stepped onto the escalator, I asked that question softly.

"Then...... how about my home?"

Mafuyu nodded. Looking at her from the side, it seemed like she couldn't wait.

We were overwhelmed by fatigue when we reached my house, so after a quick shower, we dropped dead onto my bed.

We each took another shower after waking up. It was already ten at night when I began preparing our dinner; and Mafuyu had just walked out of the bathroom with a tired expression on her face and her wet hair wrapped up in a towel. Though our jobs aren't exactly what you would call normal, it's still a little much for us to sleep from morning to late into the night. I guess we should reflect on that a little.

As I was preparing the fish in the kitchen, Mafuyu sat herself down on my bed and looked around the room. For some strange reason, she looked disappointed.

"...... Sorry, my room's really cramped......"

Mafuyu had visited my room several times already, but I still deliberately said that anyway. But she just shook her head.

"That is not what I was thinking. Naomi's room is just way too clean. There is nothing I can help out with."

"Really? I think it's a little messy in some areas."

One of the walls of the room was covered with rows of guitars and basses, and a two-tier electric piano and synthesizer were also present. The instruments took up almost the entire space. Additionally, I had recently converted my music into a digital format, so I didn't have very many CDs left; but I still couldn't convert my books, so my shelves were still filled to the brim.

"Naomi, why are you so neat and tidy even though you are his child?"

Mafuyu knew very well how destructively lazy Tetsurou was, but there was still this complicated feeling inside me when I heard that question of hers. Can you not word it that way?

"Well, a child does grow up looking at the backs of his parents; but there are certainly occasions where a parent serves as a negative example rather than a positive one."

"At the very least, allow me to help out with our laundry!" Mafuyu stood up.

"But I already washed everything while you were in the shower."

"Why did you wash them?" Why are you so angry anyway?

Mafuyu puffed her cheeks out and sat herself back down on the bed.

When dinnertime rolled around, Mafuyu was still a little unhappy. She ate her food silently, but did occasionally peek at my face.

"Urm...... sorry, are the dishes bad?"

"I have tasted plenty of dishes in various hotels and restaurants in America, but Naomi's miso soup is still the best out there."

Then you should look happier when you're eating my food......

"I wish I could eat your dishes every day......."

"Nah, that's impossible. I can't possibly freight them to America every single day!"

"From the next month onwards, I will be shifting the focus of my work back to Japan. It is too tiring doing tours all the time."

Mafuyu's announcement caught me by surprise, and I nearly dropped my bowl onto the floor.

"Eh? Back to Japan...... So that means...... you'll be living here?"

"...... Is that no good?"

"What are you talking about!? Of course that's great! I'm really happy!" I leaned my body forward in excitement. Up till then, the longest Mafuyu had ever stayed in Japan was a month; and even then, we couldn't see each other every day.

"...... And so...... therefore...... I can eat your food...... every day."

Said Mafuyu, as she looked at me shyly.

"But still...... it won't be easy for you to make time for that every day, right? Your house is a considerable distance away from mine too......"

I was suddenly kicked in the leg beneath the table. Huh? W-What's going on? Does she really want me to send my cooking to her house every day?

"Whatever! You are an idiot. Pretend I never said that."

After saying that, Mafuyu sent a spoonful of sashimi salad into her mouth.

When we were done eating dinner, Mafuyu said she wanted to do the dishes, but I stopped her immediately.

"Why not?" pouted Mafuyu. "Are you going to say something like 'a pianist shouldn't be risking her fingers doing chores like this' as well?"

"Of course!"

"I hate this. You have done all the housework impeccably, so there is nothing left for me to do!"

"But I don't even mind that you're not doing any of the housework."

"But I do!" Don't slam the table! What on earth do you want?

Mafuyu hugged her knees on my bed and turned to face the wall. Seems like she's really pissed off. So while I was washing the plates, I cautiously asked her,

"Right, I....... I bought a new electric piano. Wanna give it a go?"

Mafuyu had wrapped herself up with a blanket and was still throwing a tantrum on my bed, but she eventually got off and sat down in front of the piano. She flicked the switch on. And as Mafuyu rested her "mercury fingers" on the keyboard, I unconsciously set the dish I was washing down and turned off the faucet.

One of Mafuyu's unrivaled characteristics was the delicate way she struck the keys, which was often referred to as "the faintest sound, like the fog of the night." It was a shame that the electric piano was unable to interpret her gentle playing to replicate the sounds accordingly, but what should've been a sickeningly sweet E-major melody was still transformed into something that felt like a cup of smoothie, that was incredibly comforting to listen to.

It was Edward Elgar's , a heart-warming piano piece that was dedicated to Caroline Alice, the woman that would later become his wife. Because the song was less than three minutes long, I stopped washing the dishes to listen to it until it was over.

"...... That's the first time I've heard you play that song! Do you like Elgar?"

"Nope." Mafuyu shook her head while facing the keyboard. "I dislike all his works aside from his Cello Concerto."

Now that's being really clear about what she likes and dislikes! But why play that song then?

"It is fine if you do not understand...... Is there any song you would like to listen to?"

"Eh? Well......"

I wasn't sure if she was still angry, so I hastily washed the dishes with unease and walked to Mafuyu's side.

"There's a ton of stuff that I'd love to listen to you play...... Can I really choose? But it's so late already......"

"I will be staying here tonight."

"Huh?" The lingering sounds of were completely erased by that strange cry of mine. "Ah, urm....... well...... urm, what I meant was...... you're definitely welcome to stay, but is that really okay? Your dad, he should be back in Japan, no? And since you'll be staying in Japan for the long term anyway, there's no hurry to have you stay over tonight......"

"Papa is still in America...... though he should already be on his flight from Dallas."

"What's...... going on?"

"It is just....... If I had returned to Japan together with Papa, I would not have been able to leisurely spend time together with you. So I snuck away and returned a day earlier."

...... And I wanted to see you while you were still the same age as I am—upon hearing that explanation from Mafuyu, I sat down next to her on the small piano chair and leaned in closely to her body. I had my back facing her because I was really quite embarrassed. I see, so that's why she only had a small piece of luggage with her when she came back.

"It seems like Papa wants to discuss something with you once he is back in Japan. But because it is rare for me to be able to meet you on your birthday, I really did not want to see you together with Papa."

"Ebichiri wants to discuss something with me?"

What could it be? Probably something related to Mafuyu, I guess? Whenever Ebichiri was looking for me, his image as a "world-renowned conductor" disappeared and was replaced by that of a silly father that doted on his daughter too much. If I was given the option, I would very much prefer that he be looking for me to talk about things like speakers or stage performances and so on.

Though I was oblivious to it, the hands of the clock on the wall had just overlapped with one another while pointing upwards. The fourth of April had finally arrived.

"Happy birthday, Naomi!"

"Mmm, thanks."

"I have specially prepared a birthday present for you. I bought these in Manchester when the BBC Philharmonic invited me to go to England."

The patchwork bag she gave me was filled with EP records and cassette tapes. They were said to contain the live recordings of Manchester-born performers before they had become famous worldwide. And included, were the Oasis, The Stone Roses, etc. I had never expected her to find something like this.

"You do not quite like Manchester music, do you?"

"Mmm...... You do know me well."

"Manchester music," as it was called, was comprised of bands categorized under the britpop genre. And for reasons unknown to myself, britpop music just wasn't quite my cup of tea.

"You may start to like it after listening to these recordings. Or perhaps you might dislike it even more."

"What about you?"

When I turned my head around, Mafuyu was only a hair's breadth away from me. She pouted as she thought of an answer.

"I cannot really say if I like it or not, but...... it does make me want to share it with you, Naomi."

"...... I love presents like that."

And that was the truth. Music existed to mesmerize the hearts of others to transport them to an unknown place. And as to whether that place would be an oasis or a wasteland filled with thorns and rubble...... we could only decide that after we had reached that destination.

"That is not all....... I am giving you. I will also play whatever songs you want."

Feels just like the Christmas of a certain year. Mafuyu and I were reminded of the same thing at the same time; and our faces came into contact with each other as we smiled.

"But since it's so late already......" I snuck a peek at the clock. It'd be boring if I could only listen to gentle melodies that were along the lines of ; I want her to go all out if she's going to play.

So I hooked the electric piano to the mixer and plugged in two pairs of earphones. The wires and the warm electric signals linked Mafuyu and me together.

"So what will your first request be?"

Murmured Mafuyu.

"I haven't thought of anything yet. But we still have time anyway......"

I made my way to my bed, which was a slight distance away from the piano, and went deep in thought.

"Are you okay with a slightly longer piece?"

"If you want me to play Wagner's rearranged for the piano in its entirety, I will do just that."

Don't! Do you have any idea how long that'll take?

"Because that means I will be able to be together with Naomi!"

I was secretly glad that Mafuyu was still facing the piano when she said that, as I was so incredibly happy at that moment, the expression on my face was probably pretty disgusting.

"Urm...... well...... How about Beethoven's then?"

Her maroon hair bobbed for a brief moment. Then, she raised her slender fingers and placed them on the keyboard. The first movement, reminiscent of majestic fanfare, began to play through the earphones.
 

"I'm not here for the auditions. Urm...... Kagurazaka Kyouko of feketerigó should have spoken to you about this. My name is Hikawa