[CH.41] Main Event
**TL Notes: So as not to confuse you all, I made a list of the characters that get mentioned in this chapter that you may have forgotten before. Sumire Matsuda: MC Yoko Ando (Yoko-san): Sumire's manager. Kotone Mimura (Kotone-sensei): Piano teacher Marie-san: Kotone-sensei's Mother. Director Kanzaki: He is a film director. |
"Next is Sumire-chan's turn, but are you okay? Are you not nervous?"
Sitting in a folding chair backstage, waiting for her turn, Sumire's teacher, Kotone, who was accompanying her, asked. It's strange, but I'm not nervous at all. In my past life, I was the type who got extremely nervous, especially compared to others, and I couldn't perform at even half of my potential during the actual performance.
There's a saying about courage in women, but is it really that women have more courage than men? Or maybe it's because I've gained stage confidence through various experiences in front of the camera. In any case, I'm happy that I can now realize my true potential during the performance.
When I replied, "I'm fine," Kotone-sensei gently held my hand. She seemed to be checking the condition of my fingers, maybe by lightly pinching them or pressing my joints. Perhaps she realized that I wasn't lying. After releasing my hand, Kotone nodded with satisfaction.
"Many people's fingertips get cold when they're nervous, but Sumire-chan's hands were warm as usual, so you'll be fine."
"To be honest, the long wait is making me feel sleepy more than anything else."
The warmth of my hands might be the reason for that. After all, it was early in the morning, and there was nothing to do in the dressing room, so I was getting bored, which made me feel drowsy just as my performance was approaching.
"Your eyes do seem a bit droopy, and that state is cute, but snap out of it soon! If the film director is here to watch, you have to do well!!"
That's right, today the director is at the venue. I think, considering how I've been dealing with Director Kanzaki's unreasonable requests, I have the right to give him a little smack once in a while, but I wonder. Even if I don't smack him, I want to throw in a subtle jab. To do that, I have to make today's performance a success, so there's no room for criticism.
I slapped my cheeks to forcefully push away the drowsiness. I may have slapped a little too hard, as my cheeks stung a bit, but thanks to that, it seemed to have chased away the drowsiness effectively.
And in the next moment, a loud applause resounded even on the backstage where we were. The previous performer must have finished, and from the way the applause reverberated, it was clear that the hall's acoustics were excellent. When the applause died down, an announcement lady switched on the microphone, and prompted by Kotone-sensei, I moved a little closer to the strip of vinyl tape on the backstage edge.
"Next up, we have a performance by Sumire Matsuda."
Pushed forward by the announcement, I walked onto the stage, welcomed by blinding lights and applause from the audience. Because the stage was so bright, I couldn't see most of the darkened audience, but I thought Yoko-san and Marie-san were watching, and that made me naturally stand up straight. I walked gracefully and confidently to the center of the stage, and then gave a slight bow.
And then, I approached the grand piano set up just behind me and sat down on the chair, making sure not to sit too deep. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to press the pedals. It's not that my legs are short, my physique is small, so please don't get it wrong.
I took a small breath and relaxed my body. I thought I had gotten used to being under strong lights, like when I was a model for magazines, but on the stage, there were so many lights that it felt intensely hot. If I were in my previous body, I would probably be sweating like a waterfall. I didn't want to dirty the dress I received from Kotone-sensei and Marie-san, so I couldn't be more grateful for this body that doesn't sweat unnecessarily.
If I lingered in front of the piano for too long, the audience might start to wonder if something was wrong. So, I reached out my hands to the piano just like I always do and lightly pressed the keys. The acoustic response was much better than in the practice rooms or school music rooms. It lifted my spirits, and before I knew it, I had a slight smile on my face.
I swayed my upper body lightly, keeping the rhythm while flawlessly advancing through the piece. The theme I wanted to convey through this piece hadn't changed from what I discussed with Kotone-sensei before. It was about expressing gratitude to the people around me and conveying my hope for their continued support. In this piece, there were two places where the imagery changed significantly from the familiar phrases most people know. There, with a flurry of sixteenth and thirty-second notes, I had to follow the sheet music while avoiding mistakes and adding my own personal touch. It was a lot to do. Well, speaking of sheet music, there was none in front of me, but after practicing this much, I could play it perfectly by memory.
In practice, it was just slightly over three minutes, so I thought this performance would be about the same length. Without realizing it, I became completely absorbed in the music, no longer noticing the heat of the lights or the presence of the audience. After finishing the piece with the last note resonating gracefully, I let go of the keys. Then, I stood up to look as elegant as possible and rushed to the center of the stage. I bowed slightly, and at that moment, a loud voice suddenly echoed from the audience throughout the hall.
"Bravo!!"
The slender man who stood up and shouted was the director. The stage lights reflected in the audience only allowed for a silhouette, so it was hard to see clearly, but I had a feeling it was the director's voice, so I think he was the one who shouted.
Well, I've seen people shout like that during my time in the wind ensemble club, but it was the first time I had seen someone shout like that at a classical piano recital. After the director-like figure began a particularly loud applause, the entire audience joined in the applause.
I probably had a wry smile on my face, but I didn't feel that bad. It was a mix of relief that one big stage was over and the exhilaration after the performance. With a jumble of various emotions, I deeply bowed to the audience.
This recital didn't have awards or a closing ceremony, so after their performance, students either quickly picked up their belongings and left or moved to the audience seats to listen to other students' performances. After my performance, I was tightly embraced by Kotone-sensei, who praised me to the fullest, and then I hurriedly packed my things and left the dressing room. But I wasn't going home, I had plans to meet with the director later.
It seemed that other students who were performing at the recital would be entering the venue later, so if I stayed for too long, even the spacious dressing room would get crowded. I could have changed into the outfit I wore when I arrived at the hall, but I decided to just put on a lightweight cardigan over my dress.
I had arranged to meet with Yoko-san at the entrance beforehand, so Kotone-sensei and I walked a bit faster through the hallway of the hall to avoid bumping into other people. For some reason, people passing by kept glancing at me. I hope I'm not dressed strangely, am I?
When we reached the spacious entrance area, there were several comfortable-looking benches. I settled into one with a soft thud. The cushions were really cushiony, and they gently supported me. Kotone-sensei sat down next to me, and we waited for a while.
"Sumire, you were amazing!"
Yoko-san swung open the large double doors leading to the main hall and rushed toward me. Her enthusiasm was so strong that I instinctively stood up, and she hugged me tightly. I mumbled my thanks, and as I surrendered to her embrace, a question popped into my head. Oh, by the way, where's the director? To confirm this question, I patted Yoko-san's stomach.
"Yoko-san, where is the director?"
"Oh, I left him behind."
Yoko-san, I'm glad you were so happy with my performance, but you can't leave today's guest of honor behind. Although I couldn't help but think, "Serves him right," a little inside, I shook my head slightly to dispel that feeling. I glanced behind Yoko-san and saw the director approaching with a wry smile. It seems like he stayed behind with Yoko-san, but there was a woman beside him whom I didn't recognize. I wonder who she is.
"Hello, my princess. Your performance was truly amazing, you exceeded my expectations." With a somewhat affected tone, the director handed me a large bouquet of flowers. What's with the "my princess" comment? I thought, but I kept my thoughts to myself and thanked him while taking the bouquet. It was a bit hard to see where I was going, and just as I was feeling a bit overwhelmed, Yoko-san reached out and took the bouquet from me, which was a relief.
"Let me introduce you. This is Ogata-san, a professional pianist who will be supervising Sumire-san's piano during the upcoming film shoot."
"Nice to meet you, I'm Ogata."
When introduced by the director, the woman beside him extended her right hand towards me with a smile. I reciprocated with a handshake and an introduction, but her hand was smaller, so mine ended up enveloped in Ogata-san's hand.
"You haven't been playing the piano for very long, have you? And with such small hands, the fast passages must have been challenging, right?"
"Indeed, I've been practicing a lot, but Kotone-sensei taught me the technique of using my elbows effectively, so I was able to manage."
I replied to Ogata-san, who touched my hands as if checking something and made those comments. In this conversation, I introduced Kotone-sensei and the two of them began a conversation exchanging information about me. Since the topic was about me, so it was a bit embarrassing to eavesdrop. I moved a little away from them and approached Mr. Kanzaki and Yoko-san.
"By the way, Director Kanzaki, how are the preparations for the movie going?"
"Oh, I just talked to Ando-san a little while ago. Everything's going smoothly. If things continue as they are, we'll have a cast and crew meeting in late June or early July and start shooting."
As the director said this with a confident expression, I couldn't help but feel a sense of "it's finally happening." After all, the first time I heard about the movie was during the audition when I was in the third grade. It's been almost two years since then, and it feels like both a short and long time, and my feelings are complicated.
The director seemed not to be done praising me, as he continued to shower compliments on my piano playing. Let me clarify that my piano skills are not bad, not particularly excellent, but rather average. However, the director seemed more focused on the journey of a beginner who worked hard to master a moderately challenging piece from start to finish and the effort that could be inferred from it.
In the late Heisei era of my previous life, stories involving gritty efforts leading to success weren't in high demand among readers. However, during the transition from the Showa to Heisei era, they became very popular. The director seemed to be no exception, he liked stories like that. While I don't mind being praised for hard work and understand the importance of effort, it was getting a bit overwhelming, and I wished he would stop soon.
After enduring the director's praise with a bit of weariness, I bid farewell to the director and Ogata-san, who had plans for later. Finally, I could take a breather. Yoko-san, who was similarly slumped next to me, and I congratulated each other on a job well done. Come to think of it, what was that "My Princess" the director mentioned earlier? He might have chosen a more sophisticated phrase, but it was quite unusual considering he usually calls me "Sumire-san."
Curious, I asked Yoko-san, and she silently pointed to her own head. Prompted by her gesture, I reached for my own head, and there was a cold, metallic sensation.
"...I forgot to take off the tiara."
I see, so that's what he was teasing about. It was secured in place with hairpins to prevent it from falling, so I asked Yoko-san to help me remove it. However, it was somewhat embarrassing, and my cheeks stayed flushed for a while. I'm sure they would have been bright red if anyone else had seen me.
By the way, I returned the tiara to Kotone-sensei properly. Both Kotone-sensei and Marie-san offered to let me keep it, but I insisted on returning it. It's not good to receive too much, even if it's a gesture of kindness.
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The more I see of this director the less I like him. I don't think he's a bad person. He just feels a little self-absorbed.
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