February 16.
"Another holiday's coming up!"
Akifumi's tone was filled with emotion.
It had only been a little over a month since the last long holiday, and now another one was coming up after just over a month of classes.
The idea of having another extended break felt pretty nice.
Even though the main activity during the break would be drawing, more time for painting meant being able to finish tasks ahead of schedule, which in turn would increase free time!
More importantly, it meant no need to wake up early and go to school.
Just this one thing made him genuinely happy!
After all, it was still February, and the cold weather hadn't passed yet.
Staying warm in bed was truly one of life's greatest pleasures!
"Akifumi, you're surprisingly looking forward to this holiday," Kato remarked from the side.
Akifumi smiled. "Who doesn't like a break?"
Of course, if the holiday stretched on for too long, he'd start to miss school.
But that was something that happened only after a holiday had gone on for a while!
Before the holiday started, everyone was filled with excitement.
"Kato, you don't like it, do you?" Akifumi asked, thinking it over.
Kato, after some consideration, replied seriously, "A holiday is relaxing, but I also end up helping my mom with a lot of chores."
"Well, overall, I still like it."
Of course! In this world, who could dislike a holiday?
Akifumi smiled brightly.
"By the way, your new work is being released tomorrow, right?"
"Huh, Kato's buying it?" Akifumi was a bit surprised.
This wasn't part of the original story. Normally, Kato wouldn't be interested in this sort of thing. So...
"Is it because of me?"
The thought crossed his mind, and the answer came immediately from Kato, "Well, you're my only friend who's drawing comics, so of course, I'd be curious."
"Actually, I've seen your previous works," Kato added.
"What do you think?" Akifumi asked, wondering how Kato would react.
"Very sad," Kato replied after thinking for a moment.
"I've always wondered why your works mostly carry this tone. Why is that?"
"Why?" Akifumi asked.
It was simple—because those were the only things he could create.
But of course, that was something he couldn't share openly.
After thinking for a moment, Akifumi came up with a reason: "Only things with a sense of regret stay in people's memories."
"Besides sadness, love and hope also exist in the works, don't they?"
"That's true," Kato agreed, then shook his head. "But I'm not a creator, so I guess that kind of talk is a bit presumptuous."
"Still, it's a wonderful work," Kato concluded.
"Do you think you'll be able to get a copy of Your Lie In April tomorrow?" Akifumi asked.
Akifumi waved his hand reassuringly. "Don't worry if you can't get it."
"The publisher always sends me some extra copies. Want to just come over to my place to get one?"
Kato thought for a moment and nodded. "If I can't get one tomorrow, I might take you up on that offer."
"You're always so polite, even though you keep saying we're friends."
"Friends?" Kato shook his head silently in his heart.
As the bell rang signaling the end of school, the three of them couldn't help but reflect on the day.
There were laughs from those celebrating the arrival of the holiday, and sighs from those who failed their final exams, facing extra study sessions during the break.
Only after retaking exams would their holidays truly begin.
Walking home, Akifumi sighed, "I'm glad Mashiro passed."
Just two days before the exam, Akifumi remembered that Mashiro had failed in the original storyline, so he took some time to create a practice test for her.
As expected, Mashiro returned the favor with a string of zeroes on the test.
Although her memory was impressive, if Mashiro didn't actively try to remember something, it wouldn't take long before she forgot it. It was one of her defining traits.
Looking at Akifumi, Mashiro tilted her head, confused. "What happens if you fail the exam?"
"You have to go to school every day," he replied.
"Oh," Mashiro nodded, her expression emotionless, showing she didn't think much of it.
"From then on, you'll have to go to school alone every day, Mashiro," Akifumi continued.
"I'll be at home working on my drawings, while you'll be studying at school."
"I'll be at home enjoying cake with Miharu, Eriri, and Yor-san, while you'll be starving at school."
"That's definitely not happening!" Mashiro interrupted loudly, her face turning pale.
Her wide-eyed reaction showed how relieved she was to have passed.
The sight made both of them laugh.
And with that, spring break was finally here!
By next year, the three of them would be high school seniors.
A day might seem short, but in the blink of an eye, it had passed.
...........................…
Recently, there was some exciting news in the life of Hikari Nohara.
He was in love!
This time, the object of his affection was different from the last.
She was a fellow fan of anime, just like him.
They met in a chat group for people who shared similar interests.
They hit it off immediately and quickly became a couple after meeting last month.
Her appearance wasn't anything special—she was quite average-looking. Her figure wasn't remarkable, but not bad either.
Her personality was generally quiet, but when talking about topics she loved, her eyes would light up.
The most important thing was, they were both fans of Love and Hope's Warriors.
It was because of this shared interest that they got together.
If he hadn't walked into that bookstore and bought WorldEnd, his life wouldn't have changed, and he wouldn't be here now.
He was very grateful to the genius manga artist, still a high school student, who had unknowingly brought about this change in his life.
Even though it was Saturday and he was exhausted from a full week of work, Hikari Nohara woke up early with anticipation.
Today was the release of Your Lie In April Vol. 3!
And it was a simultaneous release of three volumes!
He knew the bookstore would be chaos.
Sighing, he muttered, "Why couldn't they just release it on a weekday?"
Of course, he understood.
The primary consumers of manga and light novels were students.
If it were released after the spring break, it might face a battle against the "exam" enemy, even if Love and Hope's Warriors had many fans.
After all, aside from the students themselves, there were also the parents to consider.
When he arrived at the bookstore, there were already dozens of people in line.
Even though he had expected it, Hikari Nohara couldn't help but exclaim, "Is this really the power of the mangaka's fanbase? This is insane!"
He'd arrived by 8:10, and the bookstore wouldn't open until 8:50!
"Anyone who didn't know would think this was the release of a limited edition," he murmured, amazed.
He quickly joined the end of the line.
There were dozens of people ahead of him, but he was sure he'd get a copy.
"By the way, is it because Your Lie In April is that amazing, or is it just because I want to support the Mangaka?"
In truth, Hikari Nohara's feelings about Your Lie In April were more neutral.
Compared to healing, he found himself drawn more to the melancholic sense of loss that comes from something being imperfect or broken.
But Your Lie In April was a work by his favorite teacher, and on top of that, it was the piece his girlfriend admired the most.
As a boyfriend who wanted to indulge his girlfriend, of course, he had to keep up with her interests.
What was even more important was that during their conversations, if she brought up a question about Your Lie In April and he couldn't answer, wouldn't that be a huge point deduction?
That thought alone was enough to make him get serious about it.
After thinking about all of this, Hikari Nohara pulled out his phone and started scrolling through videos to pass the time.
Minutes passed by, and before he knew it, the bookstore opened.
The crowd efficiently streamed inside. By the time Hikari entered, the books that had been neatly stacked at the beginning were now noticeably fewer.
Without hesitation, Hikari grabbed two sets of volumes 3, 4, and 5 of Your Lie In April and headed to the counter to check out, his face showing a contented smile.
"I wonder if she's bought it already..." he muttered.
They lived a little far from each other, a little over an hour's drive.
Yesterday, while chatting on Line, Hikari had mentioned picking up the books for her.
But she had rejected his offer, saying that as a fan of the teacher, she felt it would be disrespectful if she couldn't buy it on her own right away.
Despite this, Hikari, who usually only bought one volume, couldn't help but buy an extra set.
'If she didn't get it by some chance, I'll surprise her with it. She'll be so happy!' Just thinking about it made him smile.
'Can't wait to get home and read it,' he thought to himself, eager to have more topics to talk about.
When Hikari returned home, he sighed, "I guess she got it already..." He didn't overthink it and casually ate a rice ball and a piece of bread he picked up from a convenience store on the way home.
He then took volume 3 out and started reading it seriously.
———————————————————————
In the last chapter, with the encouragement of Kaori Miyazono, Kosei Arima finally decided to pick up the piano again.
However, for him, who could no longer hear the sounds, this was undoubtedly a difficult task.
The audio recordings that Kaori made for him only confirmed how challenging it would be.
Even so, this time, the boy didn't look for excuses to quit.
Instead, he followed Kaori's advice and pushed forward, constantly imagining the music in his mind.
Even as late as 3 AM, the bright lights and the sound of piano music could still be heard coming from Kosei's room.
'What is imagination?'
'Is it different from interpreting sheet music?'
'How should I play this piece?' Kosei asked himself, searching for answers.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to him, Kaori, walking home with Tsubaki Sawabe, was feeling an inexplicable sense of unease.
In their conversation, she noticed something important.
Despite having been the closest person to Kosei since childhood, she now felt like she had become the farthest from him.
One stood on a dazzling stage, while the other could only stay in the audience.
It was at that moment that Kaori, who had once admired her senior, received a call from him, and, in a moment of frustration, she agreed to his request to date.
———————————————————————
When Hikari read this part, it felt like a sharp jab to his heart. It didn't hurt, but that prickling sensation lingered.
———————————————————————
The scene changed to the school music room, where Kosei was still seriously reading the sheet music, thinking—what is it that I want to play for, and who am I playing it for?
At this moment, Kaori, who had separated from Tsubaki, unexpectedly returned to the school and handed Kosei a drink.
Inside the room, the girl looked at the beautiful moonlight and told the boy to call it a day, but he responded that he wanted to practice just a little longer.
"Do you hate me?" Kaori suddenly asked.
"Huh?" Kosei looked confused.
Kaori continued, "Tsubaki said you were in pain... I can tell you're hurting."
"When I saw your room, I understood."
"You can't hear the sound, so you tried to give up on the piano."
"But you also took refuge in your feelings."
"You can't let go of the piano, but you don't want to face what you truly desire, so you hide the piano with dust and books."
"Love, but unable to reach it; longing, but unable to touch it."
"You're sad, you're in pain, and I've been blind to it."
"I only told you to keep playing, to cheer you on... those irresponsible words. It's all my fault you're suffering."
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
Tears flowed down Kaori's back as she apologized.
In that moment, Kosei understood what had been troubling him all along.
He smiled as he looked at the sheet music.
"You're the one who wiped the dust off for me."
It was as if he was saying she was the one who pulled him out of the dark, deep sea.
"Do I look like I'm suffering?" Kosei laughed.
"It's a pain," he answered. "Pain is inevitable."
"Because I'm sailing on a sea without a map."
"Challenges and creation are painful, but fulfilling. So, thank you."
"Thank you for wiping away the thick dust from me."
Under the bright colors, the boy's monologue unfolded slowly.
'My world changed long ago, I just didn't notice it.'
'She appeared in my life, and from that day on, even the piano keys in my world became colorful.'
———————————————————————
In the night, it felt like it was just the two of them.
The fragrance called "sweetness" filled the entire screen.
A smile appeared on Hikari Nohara's face as he watched the scene.
The next scenes, where Kosei and Tsubaki awaited the boy's return to the competition, also made this nearly 30-year-old man feel inspired.
'Isn't this a healing story?' he thought. "But how come it has such a classic, heroic development!? The teacher's works really are complex!"
But the sense of expectation they stirred was truly masterful!
In the following chapter, Hikari couldn't help but marvel at the way Kosei and Tsubaki's story was handled.
Especially in the final scene, where Kosei, carrying Tsubaki on his back under a sky full of stars—Hikari found it absolutely stunning.
The struggles of the boy and girl chasing their youth, while facing the cruel failures along the way, deeply moved Hikari.
Although he had been completely a homebody in middle and high school, that didn't mean he didn't envy the boys and girls who participated in school activities.
Now, whether it was Tsubaki's failure, his heart was full of emotions.
'Failure is also a part of youth,' Hikari thought. "Compared to someone like me, who never experienced it, I can't help but feel envious."
As the piano competition grew closer, Kosei couldn't help but feel lost, wondering if the piece he played would carry his own unique touch.
That night, on his way home, he encountered a black cat, which triggered memories of his past.
Where is your soul? Living under the shadow of his mother, the boy sank into despair again.
But with Kaori's encouragement, after all the confusion, pain, and struggles he had faced, the answer he arrived at was surprisingly simple, almost laughable.
And so, the day of the competition arrived.
———————————————————————
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