Chapter 34:

A Very Sad Song

I Prolonged the World’s Demise by Babysitting a Kaiju

I set the trumpet case down and hoisted Little Shit up, hoping he'd live up to his reputation as an S-grade shield this time. But the Leviathan's eyes followed our pathetic display, and I couldn't help feeling like an ant brandishing a useless pebble.

Behind me, Sae's partner Rhino transformed from balloon to battle mode, whips extended and ready. But the Leviathan still barely seemed to notice us, like we were insects not even worth the effort to squash.

The Leviathan's massive form shifted, its spiny ridges rippling like coral in a current. This was it. We were about to become seafood. I squeezed my eyes shut and held Little Shit closer.

But something strange unfurled in the rain instead. A sound, low and mournful, drifted through the storm.

I loosened my grip on Little Shit. "That song..."

It was the same one I played yesterday. Mom's song.

The Leviathan's version was deeper, more somber than any trumpet could manage. But it was unmistakably the same melody, the one that had once brought my parents together, now echoing through the rain from a kaiju.

I felt the cold nudge of the trumpet case against my arm. Turning slightly, I saw Sae holding it out to me. Was she seriously suggesting what I thought she was?

Rain pelted down around us in heavy sheets as Rhino extended an umbrella, shielding me from the worst of it. My fingers shook as I unclasped the case. The brass instrument inside has never felt so heavy, weighed down by questions I couldn't answer.

I brought the mouthpiece to my lips and began to play Mom's melody. The notes flowed naturally, just like they had yesterday.

The Leviathan's eyes fixed on me, its bioluminescent patches pulsing in time with the music.

My mind raced as I played.

Why did it know this song? Had Mom somehow encountered this ancient creature? Was that even possible?

Maybe it had heard me playing yesterday and followed the sound here, to our school. But I didn’t think the universe handed out easy answers.

Or was this Mom's way of reaching out? Was she still watching me through the eyes of the Leviathan?

Little Shit started squeaking along, his off-key attempts at harmony making me almost mess up a note. But the Leviathan didn't seem to mind. If anything, its patches glowed brighter, shifting from melancholy purples to warmer blues and greens.

The rain kept falling, but I hardly felt it. The world had melted away, leaving just the music.

***

The last notes of Mom's song faded into silence.

Above us, the dark clouds parted, revealing patches of blue sky I hadn't seen in days. Sunlight spilled through, making the Leviathan's wet scales shimmer like scattered jewels. And just like that, the rain was gone.

The Leviathan turned its gaze on me one final time. Then, without a sound, it glided away from Ikuka's entrance, vanishing as if it had never been there.

I stood there, trumpet still in hand, staring at the cleared path to school. The brass was warm against my palms, almost like it had a pulse of its own.

A firm pat on my shoulder jolted me back to the present. I turned to find Sae beside me, her usual stoic expression softened around the edges.

"What?" I reached up to brush away whatever was bugging my face, probably rain or sweat or-

Oh. When had I started crying?

I barely had time to wipe my eyes before a familiar squealing blur crashed into me, nearly knocking the trumpet from my hands.

"Ryū-chaaaan! That was so beautiful!" Kurumi sobbed into my shoulder, her arms locked around me in a death grip.

"G-Get off! Can't... breathe!" I tried to shove her away but she only clung tighter. That's when I spotted her phone, raised in one hand, with a familiar bird logo on the screen.

Wait.

"Is that... @LittlePoopOfficial? And why does it say 'Live'?"

"Oh! Yeah, I started streaming as soon as I saw you playing!" Kurumi finally released me to tap excitedly at her phone. "Look at all these donations! People loved your duet with the kaiju!"

I snatched her phone, scrolling through the flood of comments and donation notifications. Thousands of people had watched me pour my heart out through Mom's song. What should have been a private moment has gone viral.

"Kurumi..." I growled, my face burning. Little Shit mimicked my scowl from atop my head.

"Don't be mad! It's going towards your Tokyo penthouse!" She clasped her hands together pleadingly. "Plus everyone keeps saying how amazing you are. See?"

I wanted to stay mad, but it was hard to hold onto the irritation when I saw all the genuine comments coming in. People were actually moved by the music.

I shoved her phone back at her with a sigh. "Next time, ask first."

"Nya-okay!" she chirped before skipping to Sae's side, already bubbling with talk of subscriber counts and donation spikes.

I lingered a few steps behind, my trumpet case swinging loosely from my fingers.

Above me stretched a sky so blue, so clear, it was almost impossible to believe the Shibue's actual rainy season was just around the corner.

And it was because of her song. Mom's song.

I looked up for a moment, letting the quiet fill me.

"Maybe I should play a little more before the world ends. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

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Updated: [6/7/20XX]

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