Fate

After arriving home, her parents soon came back as promised and they finished the cake as promised, yet Hanako’s mind was not there for the rest of the night. Mentally, she was back at that house, sat down on the porch swaying to the melodic charm every note seemed to ooze.

And then, she woke up the next morning.

A full night’s rest does wonders to the mind. In Hanako’s case, the whole idea of knocking on some random person’s door, especially given her public status, became less of an admirable resolve and more like crazy person talk.

And yet, for the next few days, the melody entranced her, brought her in front of that same house again and again for the hope to be led to that same Eden of sensation. Every evening she went on her evening walks, her pace hesitating for just a second as she vainly prayed to encounter the mysterious pianist. Yet every night she would come back feeling off, and every night she would fall asleep just a little bit later, her mind lingering for the first time in years about how to naturally meet somebody.

A week after that magical experience, a week of the same desperate routine every night, Hanako stood gazing into the impenetrable house in front of her, the murky sky behind reflecting her feeling of defeat. She felt a tear run down her face. And across her arms and hair. And she wasn’t crying.

As if to spite her specifically, the skies opened as rain began relentlessly pelting her. In a fit of panic, Hanako sprinted towards the closest sheltered place she could think of.

Before she knew it, she was right in front of the pianist’s door.

An entire week of yearning, and suddenly she stood in front of her personal pearly gates. It wasn’t the conditions she had hoped to meet her new idol in, with soaked clothes and smudged makeup, but as the cold began sinking into her bones, she found herself with no other options. She tried to fix herself up to the best of her ability, took a deep breath, and knocked three times.

Knock knock knock

A small gasp came from inside the house.

A pause.

And then,

“Hello?”

The door creaked open. A girl around Hanako’s age with soft brown hair draped around her shoulders, peering gray eyes, and a distinct hairpin shaped like a treble clef slowly emerged. She eyed the soaked girl in front of her with caution.

“Hey, sorry for randomly appearing at your door, but would I be able to take shelter until-” she gestures behind her “-all of this subsides?”

“...ok. Come in.”

Hanako bowed gratefully to the mystery girl before stepping inside and peeling off the mask and hat stuck to her skin and wringing them out on the porch, which elicited a gasp from her benefactor.

Oops. Forgot

“Wait. Are you…?”

“Oh yes. Hanako Hoshino. Nice to meet you.” she droned in a clearly rehearsed tone, taking an exaggerated bow as she talked.

“Oh my goodness wait hold on let me grab something for you I can’t believe this”

“No wait you don’t have to-“

But by that point her benefactor had already scurried off, leaving Hanako awkwardly standing sopping wet inside the house she had so desperately wanted to enter.

Well, for fan meet ups, this is certainly one of the more unique ones. Let’s just hope she doesn’t have a poster with my face on it.

…

Luckily, there was only a poster of her mother staring down at the dining table.

Hanako looked around at the well-maintained kitchen and pristine table as her benefactor brought her a towel and change of clothes.

“Sorry all I have is plain clothes.”

“No, it's alright, thank you. You mind if I borrow the bathroom to change?”

“N-no go ahead.”

After changing, Hanako came out to find her host seated, head down and eyes darting before finally perking up upon seeing her.

“I never got your name by the way,” Hanako remarked as she took a seat.

“O-oh yes. My name is Aya Minami.”

“Well thank you for having me Aya.”

Aya slowly gazed upwards at the prodigal child of Japan dressed in her clothes, wringing dripping hair with her towel, and sitting at her table as Aika gazed over her. It was a situation straight out of a middle-schooler’s fantasy, something she would daydream about during class.

I'll remember this moment for the rest of my life.

“Aya, do you play piano?”

The girl snapped out of her thoughts, staring at the star in front of her with incredulity.

“Yeah. Yeah I do, how did you know?”

“Well, I saw the piano while coming in.”

“Oh I see…”

“...yeah. And, well, I also heard you play once while I was walking by. Your playing is really beautiful.”

Hanako gazed expectantly at Aya, the person she had been seeking for a week, who had flinched with a look of shock.

“O-oh, I didn’t know you could hear it from outside. Thank you for that though.” Aya said with a polite smile, yet Hanako could tell she was floundering. Even still, the memory from last week pushed her to ask a single defining question:

“Would you be able to play for me?”