After days of steady autumn rain, the skies finally cleared over the weekend. On Monday, sunlight streamed through the clouds, bathing the campus in a warm golden glow. After several days of careful observation, Fūki Ran had noticed that Shiina Hiyori visited the library every Friday without fail, and also went to practice piano in the music room on the first floor of the Old School Building every Monday at three in the afternoon. It gave him another excellent opportunity to get closer to the literary girl, and to learn more about this mysterious girl from Class C from another perspective.
At ten to three, Feng Qi arrived outside the music room early. Before he even reached the door, a flowing, graceful piano melody drifted through the crack in it, echoing softly down the empty corridor. It was Chopin's "Raindrop" Prelude. The notes rang clear and pure, each one seeming to have been carefully polished, carrying an indescribable poetry.
Feng Qi gently pushed open the door. Shiina Hiyori was seated at the slightly worn grand piano, her slender fingers dancing lightly over the black and white keys. Afternoon sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows, casting colorful shadows over her, as if draping her in shimmering silk. Today, she wore a simple white blouse with a delicate bow at the collar, paired with a dark blue pleated skirt. Immersed in her musical world, she hadn't even noticed Feng Qi's arrival.
He didn't interrupt her right away, but leaned quietly against the door and listened. Shiina's technique was quite polished, but more impressive still was her understanding and interpretation of the music. She wasn't merely playing the notes mechanically; it was more like she was telling a moving story through the piano, drawing her listeners into the emotional world she had created. When the piece reached its most lyrical passage, she swayed gently with the melody, her thick lashes lowered and eyes closed, wholly immersed in the music, as if she and the piano had become one.
When the piece ended, its final notes slowly faded from the empty room. All that remained was the faint birdsong outside and the distant laughter of students on the field. Shiina let out a soft breath and slowly opened her eyes, only then noticing Feng Qi standing in the doorway.
"Feng Qi?" She looked a little surprised, her fair fingers still resting lightly on the keys, as if reluctant to part with the music she had just played.
"That was beautiful." Feng Qi walked a few steps closer, his gaze settling on her faintly flushed cheeks. "I didn't know you played piano so well, Shiina. What a lovely surprise."
Shiina blushed slightly and gently lowered the piano lid, her movements as graceful as if she were completing a ritual. "It's just a hobby. Do you know much about music, Feng Qi?"
"A little." Feng Qi glanced at the sheet music spread across the rack and noticed the dense annotations. "'Raindrop' suits today's mood. The freshness after the rain and the faint melancholy in the piece strike a delicate balance."
"You know this piece too?" Shiina's eyes lit up at once, as if she had found a kindred spirit. "I chose to practice it because of all that autumn rain. I've always felt that this prelude of Chopin's captures the complicated feelings of a rainy day especially well."
Feng Qi sat on the bench beside the piano and lightly ran his long fingers over its smooth keys, a gesture that made him look especially elegant. "When Chopin wrote this piece, he was on Mallorca, waiting for George Sand to return. They say the unending rain outside his window inspired him. The repeated figures sound like raindrops tapping on the eaves: they convey the anxiety of waiting, but also the anticipation of a reunion."
"You know a lot about the story behind this piece." Shiina sat down beside him, leaving just the right amount of space between them—not so much that they seemed distant, but not so little that they seemed overly familiar. "You're right. What makes it so moving is the complex emotion hidden beneath its beautiful melody. On the surface, it depicts the rain, but beneath that, it expresses the deepest stirrings of the heart."
Feng Qi opened another score: Debussy's "Clair de Lune." "Would you like to play a duet? I remember there's a version for two pianos. It would suit a clear afternoon after the rain."
Shiina looked a little surprised, but soon smiled with interest, the corners of her eyes lifting slightly. "You play piano too, Feng Qi?"
"I took a few lessons when I was little," Feng Qi said modestly. In truth, in his previous life, he had been a perfect genius who had reached considerable heights in music, too. He simply rarely showed it in front of others. He remembered the grandeur of playing at the Vienna Golden Hall in his previous life, though the applause and cheers felt so distant now.
They soon found the version of "Clair de Lune" for two pianos and took their seats at two pianos side by side. Feng Qi took the main melody, while Shiina provided the harmony. At first, Shiina was a little unsure and needed time to get used to the new score. But Feng Qi's exquisite technique and deep understanding of the music quickly drew her in, and she became completely absorbed in the piece.
The melody of "Clair de Lune" flowed through the music room, the two pianos' sounds weaving together perfectly to create a dreamlike effect. Feng Qi's playing was steady and full of intensity, every note brimming with emotion. Shiina's harmonies were as gentle as ripples beneath the moonlight, adding delicate color to the melody. By the time the piece reached its climax, they were already playing together with remarkable ease. Their fingers danced across the keys in perfect synchronization, as if they had performed together countless times.
The final note faded slowly, its echo lingering in the air. The room fell silent for a brief moment. Shiina breathed softly, her fair cheeks flushed with excitement, as if touched with rouge. "I had no idea you played so well, Feng Qi. It's astonishing."
"You played beautifully, Shiina." Feng Qi lowered the piano lid, his tone still calm. "Your harmonies were especially delicate. The modulation in the second movement, in particular, was so smooth. It gave the whole piece a distinctive charm."
Shiina lowered her head to gather the scattered sheet music, the tips of her ears faintly pink. The small, unconscious gesture made her look especially cute. "Maybe it's because I read so much literature. I'm sensitive to the different layers of emotion. Music and literature have a lot in common, really. Both require you to feel the subtle changes in emotion."
"Speaking of literature," Feng Qi continued naturally, his gaze falling on the bag she had brought with her, "I reread Norwegian Wood, the book you mentioned at the library last time. It gave me some new perspectives."
"Oh?" Shiina looked up, her eyes full of anticipation, as if waiting to hear an interesting story.
"Watanabe chose to go on living in the end not only because he felt a responsibility toward life," Feng Qi said slowly, his voice especially clear in the quiet room. "It was also because he finally understood that living was the best way to remember the dead. It made me think that sometimes what we need most isn't to escape pain, but to learn to live with it and find the strength to keep moving forward despite our wounds."
Shiina nodded thoughtfully, her fingers unconsciously tracing the keys and sounding a few scattered notes. "It's like so many people at this school. They know the road ahead is hard, but they choose to keep going anyway. Everyone is searching for a reason to live in their own way."
"You seem to feel strongly about these sorts of things, Shiina." Feng Qi's words carried a hint of meaning, his sharp gaze catching the complex emotion that briefly flashed in her eyes.
The music room fell silent for a moment. The only sounds were the rustling leaves outside and the faint shouts from a distant P.E. class. Shiina gently brushed the smooth piano keys, as if considering how to respond, or perhaps simply gathering her thoughts through the gesture.
"In Class C..." she finally said, her voice so soft it seemed she was afraid to disturb the quiet. "Sometimes it really does take courage to hold on to hope. Ryuen's methods are hard to accept, but in a way, they also keep the class in a kind of balance. It's just that this balance often comes at the cost of something."
"Balance doesn't mean what's right." Feng Qi calmly disagreed, his voice firm and unwavering. "It's like music. If you pursue technical perfection at the cost of its soul, all you're left with is a hollow string of notes. True music should move people, just as true leadership should bring out the best in everyone."
Shiina raised her head and looked at Feng Qi intently, admiration and thoughtfulness in her gaze. "You always have such profound things to say, Feng Qi. Sometimes, when I listen to your insights, I forget we're the same age."
"Maybe it's because..." Feng Qi smiled slightly, softening his whole expression. "We both understand that at a school where ability is everything, true ability isn't just points or rankings. The ability to understand others and see the essence of things is often more important than outward achievements."
Just then, the music room door opened, and several students carrying instruments came in, chatting and laughing. They were clearly there for Club Activities. Shiina glanced at the clock on the wall and gave him an apologetic look. "Sorry, I should get going. Class C is discussing the upcoming Special Exam this afternoon."
"I'm looking forward to our next duet." Feng Qi rose to see her off, as graceful and courteous as ever.
Watching Shiina Hiyori walk away, Feng Qi fell into thought. Their encounter in the music room had helped him understand the literary girl more deeply. The fact that Shiina Hiyori could hold on to her hobbies and think independently in Class C, under Ryuen Kakeru's forceful rule, showed that she had a resilience and intelligence few knew about. She was like a flower quietly blooming in adversity: delicate on the outside, yet holding an astonishing strength within. Perhaps one day, when circumstances changed, that resilience would become an important wild card.
Sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows, casting colorful shadows across the piano, like notes dancing over the black and white keys. Feng Qi gently pressed one key, and a clear note rang through the air, its resonance seemingly endless. This unexpected duet had not only brought him closer to Shiina Hiyori, but also given him a deeper understanding of Class C. In the upcoming Special Exam, these seemingly insignificant insights and connections might well play a much more important tune.
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