The missing piece

The sound of the guitar spread through the basement. Even if with mistakes and poor technique, everyone could recognize the song Tristan was playing.

Gregory and Olive stared at him blankly: how could he be already so good? It took a lot of practice for them to be barely decent, while Tristan literally learned and replayed a song after only one listen.

When he couldn’t remember anymore what was next, Tristan stopped. He stared at the guitar in his hands with a sense of fulfillment. He was able to reproduce that strange sound that had captured him at first listen.

“And you were afraid of failing” said Natsuo ironically. “Your talent is so great that it’s not even fair.”

Tristan glanced at him, a bit reluctant.

“Do you really think that?”

“Yes, why should I lie? You’re crazily good at it”

Tristan’s blue eyes glistened, crossed by an unknown feeling. If being happy felt like this, it was beautiful. It was the first time in his life someone praised his abilities.

His mother despised him because she thought it was his fault if Lord Edward left her. When she died, his father took him to his house, but he hated him even more, because he wasn’t supposed to exist. He always said that he was weird and useless, good-for-nothing. He forced him to train to fight, but never cared about his accomplishments. When he beated his brothers during practice, his father always punished him, so he started losing on purpose, but he was also punished for being lazy and his brothers always made fun of him because he was weak.

Everything he did was wrong, even his very birth was a mistake. He was a complete failure.

But now, that guy was saying that he was good at playing the guitar; he thought that he was talented and even gave him a compliment. How could it be? That guy was too gentle.

Tristan stared at Natsuo, moved. He couldn’t believe someone so kind-hearted could exist: he must have been an angel.

Lord Edward was staring at Tristan with regret and jealousy. Why, out of everybody, the one who could learn the art of healing Silence was him? He couldn’t stand it.

He gritted his teeth and left the basement, infuriated.

As soon as he left, Lady Eleanor burst into tears.

“Tristan, I’m so sorry, I didn’t know anything. I… I can’t believe it. Please, forgive me” she said, disconsolate. “How could he let you live in this place, it’s horrible! That’s why you rarely showed up during meals and I bet you weren’t actually sick when we went on the family trip…”

“It’s not your fault” Tristan replied. “It’s my fault if I’m useless.”

Eleanor looked at him, hurt by his words.

“You’re not useless, don’t even think about that! I wanted to talk to you more, but I was too much of a coward to approach you. I could have done something to help you, but I decided to turn my back. I’m terrible, I’m sorry, Tristan.”

She hugged him and kept on crying on his shirt. Tristan was staring at her, startled, not knowing what to do.

“Oh, er… W-Why are you so close? You shouldn’t touch me, maybe uselessness is contagious” he said, then kept on rambling nonsense because of the anxiety.

When Eleanor stopped crying, she let Tristan go.

“I promise I’ll be a better sister from now on” she smiled.

Tristan nodded, even if he didn’t understand why she was blaming herself. Eleanor was the one who had always treated him best.

He realised the guitar was still hanging on his neck and immediately gave it back to Natsuo.

“Thank you for all the compliments” he said. “But I think my performance wasn’t very good. I’m pretty sure some positions were wrong and the melody wasn’t smooth like when you played it.” He sighed. “I knew it, I’m not good at it either.”

Natsuo burst out laughing.

“You get depressed quickly. Do you have any idea of how extraordinary it is to take an instrument for the first time and play a song without anyone teaching you anything?”

Olive nodded.

“That’s right! I was shocked. It took me a lot of time to sing my first song decently!”

“And look at me: I still have a lot of difficulties, even with Natsuo teaching me how to do it!” added Gregory. “Listening to you made me understand what the word talent really means.”

Tristan shifted his gaze from one to another, his head spinning. Why were they showering him with praise? He wasn’t used to it.

“Yeah, and it so happens that we are missing the last member” said Natsuo. “Would you like to join Rockstar Isekai? We need you in our group.” He smiled.

At that moment, to Tristan’s eyes, Natsuo looked really like an angel that emanated a bright aura.

They… need me? He thought, surprised.

A slight smile took space in his face. No one ever told him that he was needed. If he joined that group, maybe his life would have changed. They seemed to be kind and they all already showed him more love than his father did in his whole life.

“I really can?” he asked.

Natsuo nodded.

Tristan felt his heart overflowing with gratitude. Now he had the chance to step up and it was all thanks to Natsuo. He knew he couldn’t stay hidden in his corner forever, but he was always too afraid to get out of it. He was afraid that if he changed something, things could only worsen.

But this time it was different. That guy in front of him opened a new path for him and Tristan was ready to follow it.

“I… I would like to join you, if it’s not a problem” he said.

Natsuo held out his hand to him.

“We’re more than happy to welcome you to Rockstar Isekai, Tristan. We’re going to take the world with our rock. There will be a swarm of fans who will love you and cheer for you, are you ready?”

Tristan’s eyes lit up and he took Natsuo’s hand.

“Yes!”

He paused for a moment, confused. “Er… I’m sorry, but… I don’t know your name.”