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Shirokane Rinko’s pale fingers deftly maneuvered across the keys, dancing elegantly between the ivory white and charcoal black. The vibrating octaves permeated the empty studio in accordance with her swift movements, made crisp with the absence of any accompanying instrumentals. Rinko fixed her eyes intently on the range of lines and markings printed on the musical sheet, though it wasn’t necessary. Her fingers proceeded instinctively, attempting to coax out the melodies which hadn’t been touched in two months.Her love for the piano knew no bounds. The echoes of a few simple chords were enough to bare her heart, allowing her passionate tendencies to run wild. To lose herself in her imaginative world. The keyboard was but an extension of the seventeen-year-old girl. It was the ideal outlet in terms of sentimentality, providing her the opportunity to express her contemplations without having to rely on spoken words. It just felt natural that way.And yet, the soft notes of her medley exuded a subtle hint of gloominess, constricting the still atmosphere of the room. She could feel the despair seeping into her body, gradually dragging her delicate emotions deeper into the abyss. A dull pain coursed through Rinko’s fingertips whenever her skin made contact with the firm material of the instrument. Applying pressure only intensified the throbbing, almost as if her hands were being pierced by needles, over and over. But she couldn’t stop. She had to continue playing.A forlorn sigh escaped her lips. Rinko shut her eyes in a desperate attempt to filter out the discomfort. The Neo Fantasy Online raid with Ako from the night before invaded her mind instead, where the duo only had a single chance to defeat the formidable boss to procure the invaluable, legendary loot. The crucial moments of the fight played back repeatedly on loop, when she had fumbled with the key combinations required to cast her potent spells. In the end, they faced a one-sided defeat—their lack of damage being the ultimate cause. The drummer had reassured her otherwise, that all was fine, but Rinko knew better. She could sense the glumness hidden behind Ako’s merry words.
It was my fault...
The doctor’s subdued voice rang in her ears. His fatigued, wrinkled complexion was lined deeply with concern, but it was also grotesquely contorted, a dismissive demeanor concealed behind his feigned sympathy. “I’m sorry, Shirokane-san, but it would be best for you to take an extended break from playing the piano, or to quit entirely.”
No...
“The fractured bones will heal over time, rest assured, so you’ll be able to resume your daily activities in a month or so. However, the chronic pain’s unfortunately going to stick for life due to the permanent damage inflicted on your nerves. And therefore... it’ll restrict the flexibility of your fingers.”
I don’t want to give up...
“Rinko.” Yukina’s words from their earlier practice session reverberated in her head, condescendingly spreading like a plague. "Your medley was filled with slip-ups. You weren’t concentrating. Even if you’ve just returned from your break, please remember that we do not tolerate half-hearted performances. This live has to be successful."
I can’t let them know, or it’s going to be the end…
Nightmarish images raced through her tormented mind. Images of a life without the keyboard.A life without raiding with Ako.A life without Roselia.
All because she was being a burden to them.
She could visualize it. The members of Roselia, walking through a classroom door, leaving her behind without once turning back. It was the same door which had crushed her hands, causing her two entire months of anguish. She wasn’t able to join them for practice sessions, resulting in the cancellation of a live that was scheduled just days after the unforeseen accident. They might be practicing by themselves, but their overall progress as a band had come to a standstill. And it was all because of her carelessness. She was painfully conscious of that.Rinko tried to chase after them, but she was too far away to catch up. She’d never make it in time.“PLEASE STOP!”The keyboardist’s fingers came to an abrupt halt, despite being on the final string of notes for the medley. Shocked by her shrill outburst, she staggered backwards, tripping over her knee-length skirt and falling haphazardly on to the polished wooden floor. She gripped one hand with the other, both of which had become agonizingly sore from the five minute ordeal. The tears she had been holding back for the past three hours welled up from the corner of her reddened eyes, trickling down her cheeks. The release of her pent-up hysteria was suffocating her. She couldn’t keep up with this disastrous display any further.Mistakes were part and parcel of life. She was well aware of that. But this... was not acceptable. It was one mistake too many.Twenty-three mistakes too many, to be precise.Rinko wasn’t sure how long she laid there, trying to compose herself to no avail. Her gut-wrenching wails tore through her chest, her sharp gulps for breath piercing the silence of the studio. She just wanted to escape to a place where nobody would be hurt.“It’s alright, Rin-rin.”A stain of purple flashed across her blurry vision. Her hands were suddenly engulfed by a tender, warm feeling. One that was all too familiar. She could feel the mellowness battling against the stinging under her skin, steadily melting the pain away.“You shouldn’t overexert yourself, especially when you’ve just recovered.” The voice was gentle, hushed, but assertive. “Ako did tell you before… and yet you insisted to stay back for solo practice.”“Ako-chan? W-why are you here…?”Rinko allowed her limp arms to be tugged on by the younger girl, propping her into a sitting position. The drummer’s face was just inches from her own, gazing into her violet eyes with such ferocity that it was hard for the second-year to look back directly.“Ako was worried about you, of course! You weren’t being yourself all through practice. Sure you were making more mistakes than usual, but—”“I can’t do this.”“What d’you mean?”“Playing the keyboard, let alone the medley.” Her choked voice was barely above a whisper. A sickening sense of foreboding was clawing its way up her throat. A stray teardrop slid off her chin, landing onto Ako’s petite hands, which were still latching on to hers. “My hands… they’ll never recover fully. I won’t be able to move them like before. I won’t be able to play to Roselia’s standards. I won’t be able to participate in the difficult boss raids with you any longer, because if I do, we’ll just lose. Like what happened last night. I’m sorry for keeping this information from you guys, but I was afraid of being forced to quit the band…”Rinko looked down, shame overwhelming her. She didn’t know how to face Ako. She hated herself for saying it, but it was the harsh truth.“Yes, you can.” The middle-schooler’s voice had lost its cheerfulness, and had taken on a grave tone instead.“I can’t!”“YOU CAN!” The drummer screamed. “YOU DEFINITELY CAN! AKO DOESN’T LIKE IT WHEN RIN-RIN TALKS LIKE THAT!”The keyboardist’s eyes jerked back up, taken aback by Ako’s unexpected flare-up. Her hardened face was scrunched with determination, and she was furiously biting on her lower lip. But Rinko detected something else shrouded behind those crimson eyes.Anger. Apprehension. Sorrow.And loneliness.“All this time, you were the one who helped Ako decipher those demonic musical runes so I could play the drums correctly! You were the one who single-handedly designed and sewed our band costumes, even under the pressure of time! You are more than just a keyboardist for Roselia! You did so much for us, so don’t you dare give up now. Ako won’t accept that!”“I…”The comforting warmth embraced her once again, but this time, it enveloped her entire torso as Ako slid her arms around Rinko’s waist, snuggling tightly into her chest.“We’ll find a way to convince the others, okay? It’s a promise,” Her muffled voice floated from below. “Just, please… don’t leave Ako.”“Eh?”“Also, I’m expecting to see you online tonight!” the drummer rattled on. “Ako was checking the announcements for NFO, and it seemed there were a ton of players complaining about the difficulty of the raid, so the game is giving everyone one more chance, with added leniency this time. We’ll get that pesky staff, imbued with the terrifying power of darkness for sure!”Rinko could only smile weakly as she rested her head against Ako’s. She realized it now. She wasn’t the only one who was hurting through this period.“Of course, Ako-chan. I’m sorry for making you worry. It’s okay now.”Behind the door left ajar, the three remaining members were huddled, silently taking in the events unfolding before them. The brunette opened her mouth, about to launch into a monologue to convince the duo, but the guitarist raised a hand to stop her, speaking up quietly.“I’ve a pretty good idea of what Imai-san is going to say, and I’m sure you’re aware as well, Minato-san. But even if we articulate our opinions, the final call is still yours to make.”There was silence in the lounge, save for the faint sobbing coming from the keyboardist just feet away. A narrow slit of light from the studio escaped the door gap, illuminating a portion of the solemn, thoughtful expression, which was etched on the face of the Haneoka student.“It’s undeniable that Rinko is proving to be a liability with regards to playing in lives,” the vocalist finally uttered. Her voice was soft, but unyielding. Her sharp, golden eyes shimmered unwaveringly in the darkness like a cat’s as she carefully framed her verdict. “While it should be acknowledged that her contribution to the band isn’t just limited to playing the keyboard, the fact of the matter is that a member of Roselia has to perform to her utmost potential. We still pride upon our technicality, striving for perfection. And right now, we don’t know if Rinko will ever be able to regain what she has lost, let alone the capability to grow further beyond her past self.”“But Yukina—” Lisa protested.“Which is why we will eliminate that uncertainty for her,” she declared, folding her arms with an air of finality, “And ensure that Rinko stands on the stage with us when we attain the right to perform at the Future World Fes.”Sayo nodded. “I concur. And what about our upcoming live? Do you think Shirokane-san will be ready for it in time?”“I don’t see why not. All she needs right now is a little push in the proper direction.”“Well, that’s settled then. Imai-san, your thoughts?”A wide smile formed on the bassist’s lips.“What’s with that look?”“I'm just glad that Ako and Rinko aren’t the only ones who have grown,” she whispered.