Preparation

The first few weeks after Tsukasa’s departure were fairly easy to handle.

Sure, Nami had to do everything on her own, from making the bed to washing the dishes, but it wasn’t like she hadn’t done that before. Still, after experiencing the comfort of sharing chores, it was a bit harder to adjust to living alone again.

But the extra work wasn’t the aspect of this temporary lifestyle change that made the following weeks harder to handle. It was the feeling of loneliness that bothered Nami more. Maybe because their current apartment was slightly bigger than her previous one, it felt as if there was just too much empty space. Even with furniture filling every corner, without the presence of another person, nothing could ease the unsettling feeling she experienced while at home.

Even though she had calls with Tsukasa every second or third day, it wasn’t enough. She missed his calming hugs and reassuring presence. She wished that, while watching some cheesy movie to distract herself from the negativity, the composer would suddenly appear beside her with a mug of warm green tea she had just bought from the store down the road, just like he always did.

The upcoming concert and the nerves that came with it didn’t help either. The young pianist tried her best to relax by spending time with Aya, with Erika sometimes joining them. Some days they wandered through parks and city streets; on others, they embarked on a fun quest to visit all the cafes they could, searching for the cutest desserts they could find. It was a fun time—until Nami started feeling guilty for eating so many sweets and, for a week, didn’t touch a single snack.

On her weekend off, the brown-haired woman even decided to visit her parents, something she had put off since her 22nd birthday. It wasn’t because she didn’t love them; she was genuinely grateful for having such kind parents. But ever since her Soullet ceremony, they’d started to become quite insistent with questions like: “Has Tsukasa already proposed?” “Are you planning the wedding?” “How many kids are you planning to have?” These questions were starting to get annoying.

Perhaps because Tsukasa was away on a work trip, or perhaps for another reason, they refrained from interrogating her this time. Instead, they were more casual, asking if she needed anything, preparing a food package for her, and reassuring her that she always had a place in their home whenever she felt lonely.

It was sweet to see them caring about her well-being rather than her relationship.

And if not for them and Aya, surprisingly enough, Atsushi was also excellent at helping to distract her. Recently, he’d been coming to the Chopin Hall almost every day, something he hadn’t done before their trip in search of her inspiration.

Maybe he sensed that she needed company. But he wasn’t just sitting around in the rehearsal room doing nothing. Some days the blond-haired man would tease her endlessly; other days, they’d have deep conversations about society, discussing their likes and dislikes about the world they lived in. And sometimes he simply sat nearby, working on something on his tablet. It took a while for Nami to realize that his behavior wasn’t random; he seemed to choose how to interact with her based on her mood each day.

Once, the blue-eyed man even asked if she could teach him how to play the piano. It was a lot of fun—for her, at least.

The last thing she had expected from the concert sponsor was for him to be so tone-deaf. She couldn’t resist teasing him about it for at least a week. It was just too funny watching him struggle to match the notes to the rhythm. Perhaps if he didn’t tease her so often, she would have felt bad about reminding him of his lack of skill. But with the way he was, she saw it as fair revenge.

That, however, was a few weeks ago.

Now, Nami was looking at herself in the mirror, slowly getting ready for the concert. She still had a few minutes before Aya and Erika, her two special guests for the night, would arrive to pick her up.

Nami wasn’t usually one to try outshining others with her appearance, but tonight was different. Tonight, she was supposed to be the star. Even Tsukasa had reminded her of that during the call they’d had just a few hours ago. That’s why, for once, she’d gone all out. She now stood elegantly in a long, flowing dark blue dress that softly hugged her silhouette, the rich fabric catching hints of light with each movement. The gown had a subtle sheen, like a starlit night sky, with a fitted bodice and slightly off-the-shoulder sleeves. Silver accessories completed her look: delicate, shimmering earrings that caught the light as she turned her head, and a simple silver necklace with a small pendant resting on her collarbone. As a pianist, she avoided wearing anything on her wrists or fingers, just in case.

Funny how this huge concert didn’t worry her in the slightest, while she was trembling in fear before her Soullet ceremony. Then again, it was always easier for Nami to trust her skills rather than accepting her true feelings, not to mention having them under control. This day, she was in charge, not some artificial intelligence built on an algorithm.

The sound of the doorbell snapped her out of her thoughts. With a graceful movement, she went to check the entrance. To confirm it was indeed Aya and her girlfriend, she quickly glanced at the monitor by the door to view outside. Seeing her expected guests, she wasted no time in greeting them.

“You two look great!” Nami said, admiring Aya’s green suit and Erika’s simple black dress.

“We look great? I don’t think you spent enough time in front of the mirror—look at you!” Aya said, giving her a playful pat on the shoulder.

“You look like royalty,” Erika added.

“Awh, thanks!”

“As much as I’d love to stand here and chat, we wouldn’t want our star to be late for the big show, so let’s move our cute butts and get in my car—chop, chop!”

“Yes, ma’am!” Nami and Erika both saluted, and Erika gave the pianist a small but reassuring smile.

“I’m sure tonight will be amazing.”

Nami returned the smile, “I’ll do my best to make that happen.”

And with that resolve, all three women left the now-locked apartment.