"Phew..." Kousei Arima let out another long breath. "Yeah. To reach a level like yours, senpai—no, even one-tenth of it—would require effort beyond what ordinary people could imagine. But I don't think it's painful..."
Sogo Doma: "..."
Could this guy be a masochist?
As he silently roasted him, Kousei Arima continued, "It's embarrassing to say, but before I met you, senpai, people called me a genius in the piano world too..."
As he said that, he instinctively turned his face away. "Though I was only playing mechanically under my mother's demands and guidance, I did win quite a few awards..."
Kousei Arima paused before turning back to look at Sogo Doma. "But back then, I didn't feel there was anything to be happy about. Or rather, compared to winning awards, what made me happier was my mother being proud of me. The piano was merely a tool I used to please her...
It wasn't until I heard you play, senpai, that I understood. When you convey your music to many people, when your hearts resonate with one another, music can transcend language. That was what I pursued, what I longed for. I saw the scenery you painted with music, senpai—it made me yearn for it. And I heard the emotions you conveyed through music—it made my heart fall for it...
Only then did I understand. So this was what piano music could be like. I love the piano! I want to play music that belongs to me, just like you do, senpai..."
"Then go play! Your hands aren't injured, and your brain hasn't gone full Watt either. If you like it, then go play." Sogo Doma leaned back. Since he knew it had nothing to do with that useless little sister of his, he didn't mind dishing out some chicken