Kazusa was the seventh contestant to perform in today's competition.
Chisato wasn't particularly interested in the six contestants before her, but as an audience member, he endured their performances without taking out his phone to pass the time.
Youko, on the other hand, didn't seem to mind at all. She constantly leaned in close to his ear, whispering questions—mostly about the previous music festival.
She wanted to know about the creative process behind the songs that had amazed her and was also curious about the girls from the disbanded band.
This gave Chisato the impression that Youko was quite interested in them.
Fortunately, their seats were near the edge, with no one around them, so their conversation didn't cause much of a disturbance.
Time slipped away as they chatted casually, and before long, it was Kazusa's turn to take the stage.
As she stepped up and bowed to the audience, both Chisato and Youko stopped talking, their expressions becoming focused.
Chisato also noticed that, compared to the previous contestants, the audience's murmurs were noticeably louder when Kazusa took the stage.
After all, she was a piano prodigy who had gained fame early on, and with a mother who was a well-known figure in the industry, such a reaction was to be expected.
He just hoped that Kazusa wouldn't be affected by it and could perform at her usual level.
Chisato fixed his gaze on the figure seated at the piano, his hands instinctively clasping together.
He wasn't even aware of how nervous he was, but Youko noticed.
She leaned in close again and whispered in an almost inaudible voice,
"Relax. Kazusa has participated in plenty of competitions like this before. I doubt she'd be intimidated by an atmosphere like this.
She'll perform as usual, and with her competitive nature, especially knowing we're watching, she'll definitely give her all to deliver her best performance."
"I hope so."
They say no one knows a daughter better than her mother, and Youko's words did ease Chisato's tension slightly—but only slightly.
The worry was still there.
The hall gradually fell silent, the audience lights dimming. The stage lights converged into a single beam, focusing on the girl at the piano.
Kazusa slowly lowered her gaze, took a deep breath, and placed her hands on the black-and-white keys.
Then, the performance began.
The moment the first note rang out, Chisato exhaled slightly in relief.
His ears, trained by "master-level music theory," could tell immediately whether Kazusa's playing matched her usual standard during practice.
Everything was going smoothly. The days of tireless effort hadn't been in vain.
Kazusa's performance was flawless—each note precisely placed, obediently flowing through the concert hall as if dancing to her will.
The melody carried beauty, piercing into every listener's soul, like a gentle massage for the spirit, offering an exquisite experience.
"She started off well. Her performance is impressive. Now you can rest easy, right?"
After listening quietly for a while, Youko had already predicted how the rest of Kazusa's performance would go and had a rough idea of what ranking she might achieve in this competition.
Well, even for a genius, cramming a month's worth of practice right before a competition couldn't compare to years of consistent, day-and-night dedication.
The years Kazusa spent away from the piano had left a gap, one she'd have to work twice as hard to fill.
Chisato heard Youko speaking softly beside him, but his gaze never left the stage.
"She's smiling while playing... She's enjoying this moment on stage. That must mean she's happy, right?"
"Huh…? If you hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have noticed.
She really is smiling. She's changed, hasn't she? And I, as her mother, didn't even notice right away. How irresponsible of me."
"I was worried about Kazusa before. I kept thinking that, after all the effort she put in, if she couldn't achieve the ranking she wanted today, she might be devastated.
But now, I realize I was thinking too much. She cares more about the process than the result. All my concerns were pointless. But I guess that's a good thing."
"Hmph, and here I thought I was the mother. Yet it seems her boyfriend is the one overthinking things more. You're making me feel inadequate."
"Auntie Youko, you've done more than enough for Kazusa. You've worked hard all these years. In the future, you can leave Kazusa to me without worry."
"Oh~? The way you're saying that... don't tell me you've already prepared a bouquet and a ring, ready to propose the moment the competition ends?"
"No… If I did that, the security guards would probably drag me out for disrupting the event. I wouldn't mind, but it wouldn't be good if Kazusa got caught up in it too."
"Didn't you just say Kazusa doesn't care about the results and is more focused on the experience?"
"That's true, but ideally, she should have both."
"Haha, that's such a greedy answer… but it fits your personality perfectly."
As they conversed, Kazusa's performance suddenly took a turn.
The orderly, structured playing from before was gone—her music became untamed, like a wild horse breaking free, galloping with reckless abandon.
Many in the audience widened their eyes in confusion, not understanding why she was changing the piece mid-performance.
Even the judges furrowed their brows, their expressions making it clear they were displeased.
Only Youko, watching her daughter on stage, suddenly grinned from ear to ear.
One hand covered her mouth to suppress her laughter, while the other clenched into a fist, lightly tapping her thigh.
She had almost forgotten her daughter's audacious, headstrong, and flamboyant nature.
A rigid and serious competition setting had somehow turned into her personal stage. What an unexpected and delightful surprise.
"Auntie, please stop hitting your own leg."
"Haha, sorry, sorry. I just got a little too excited."
Unlike Youko, who was thrilled, Chisato looked deeply troubled.
"But if she does something reckless like this, she won't place at all, will she?"
Youko sighed and shook her head.
"Kazusa is pouring her heart out to a certain someone, yet that person is sitting here worrying about trivial things. I can't help but feel sorry for her."
"Trivial things…"
"Enough thinking. Just focus on Kazusa now. Listen carefully to this bold and passionate love confession she's playing.
It's still a little rough around the edges, but… as her mother, I can already feel my whole body heating up from it."
Chisato couldn't fully understand what Youko was saying.
Even with his "master-level knowledge of music theory," it was the same.
He had the hardware, but without the necessary software, it was normal for many functions to be difficult to use freely.
However, as he listened to the guidance of this world-renowned pianist, Chisato seemed to gradually pick up on something from Kazusa's performance.
That striking figure at the piano, the powerful yet electrifyingly delicate sound, made one's heart tremble involuntarily, sending chills across the skin.
Indeed, just as Youko had said, this transposed piece built upon an unrestrained melody, with each continuous note intertwining with an aftertaste that left one's entire body flushed with heat.
The performance ended as Kazusa released the final key.
She stood up briskly, gave a slight bow toward the audience, then cast a subtle glance in Chisato's direction.
A faint smirk played on her lips before she walked off the stage without hesitation.
Unlike the sparse applause that had accompanied the previous performers' exits, the audience erupted into murmurs and discussions as she left.
The lively atmosphere lingered for quite some time, even slightly delaying the next contestant's entrance.
When Chisato and Youko found her backstage, she remained completely unfazed, as if she hadn't just performed a piece entirely outside the competition's guidelines.
She acted as though everything had wrapped up perfectly—truly inheriting her mother's nerves of steel.
"Help me with my zipper. I'm changing and heading straight home afterward."
Kazusa lifted her hair, turning her back to Chisato.
Chisato obediently complied, watching her back while mulling over his thoughts.
"Hey, Kazusa, you didn't do that on purpose just to stop me from having my way, did you?"
Beside them, Youko chuckled. Setting aside a full day to come back had indeed been the right decision.
"Stop talking nonsense."
"This competition announces results on the spot, right? Aren't you going to wait a bit?"
"No need. I've already been disqualified."
Youko spoke nonchalantly from the side.
There was a clear rule in today's competition—
Contestants must perform the registered piece. Once registered, the chosen piece cannot be changed. Any deviation would result in disqualification.
Having participated in countless competitions since childhood, Kazusa was naturally aware of this.
"I wasn't aiming for a ranking in this competition to begin with. I just wanted to see where my peers stand right now."
"And your conclusion?"
"No one is particularly outstanding. They're all within my reach. In six months, I'll be able to make up for all the time I've slacked off."
Kazusa's tone was brimming with confidence, fitting for someone like her.
Chisato, however, was barely listening—his attention was entirely fixed on the thin strap at the upper center of her smooth back.
Youko, noticing where his gaze had landed, smiled playfully.
"If you're that eager, I wouldn't mind if you untied it."
Chisato hurriedly averted his eyes, embarrassed.
Kazusa, unaware of the underlying exchange, asked, "What?"
"Secret~"
"…"
She turned back and shot her mother an annoyed glare before quickly finishing changing.
The three of them left the competition venue, which was still ongoing, and headed to a rather upscale French restaurant.
During dinner, Kazusa received official confirmation from the competition organizers—her disqualification was finalized due to her rule violation.
Relaying this news to the other two, she seemed entirely unaffected, focusing instead on savoring the seared lamb before her.
"I'm heading straight back to work after this, so I won't be dropping you two off."
Youko casually mentioned her plans.
"Got it," Kazusa replied indifferently. Unlike before, having a boyfriend now meant that her mother's presence—or absence—mattered much less to her.
Youko chuckled and turned to Chisato.
"By the way, how long until this semester ends?"
"Summer vacation starts at the end of July, so less than a month left."
"I see… Then you'd better make good use of your time."
She glanced at Kazusa meaningfully as she spoke.
What did she mean by that?
Was there something planned before the break?
Chisato felt a little uneasy and glanced at Youko, but she offered no explanation. He then turned to Kazusa, but she didn't react either—she hadn't even looked up.
Just then, his phone vibrated multiple times in quick succession.
After checking the screen, he blinked blankly before letting out a surprised "Ah."
"What is it?"
Kazusa asked, while Youko also turned her gaze toward him with curiosity.
"It's about the results of that concert. The voting system had a malfunction, but they finally released the final tally."
"Judging by your reaction, I take it the results are good?"
"Yeah… Best Band Performance and the Audience's Favorite Award… The total prize money after tax is over twelve million yen."
It was a message from Nijika in the band's group chat—she had probably received the official notice and excitedly shared the good news.
The prize money was secondary; for them, their first official victory was likely the more meaningful achievement.
The chat was filled with excited messages, champagne emojis spamming the screen.
They were already planning to gather and celebrate later that night.
"Not bad at all, those kids in your band."
Youko praised with a smile.
"It's nothing compared to what you've accomplished, Auntie."
Chisato sent a laughing emoji to the chat and then muted his phone, deciding to reply later.
At that moment, a translucent screen appeared before his eyes, visible only to him.
[New Task: Help Gotoh Hitori's band, Kesshoku Band, win "Best Band Performance" at the Shibuya Music Festival.]
[Task Completed.]
[Bonus Task: Help Gotoh Hitori's band, Kesshoku Band, win "Audience's Favorite Award" at the Shibuya Music Festival.]
[Task Completed.]
[Task Rewards: Selectable Rare Artifact x1, Points x5000.]
[Bonus Task Rewards: ???]
Just as the reward for the bonus task appeared, Chisato's vision suddenly glitched, flickering with mosaic-like distortions.
Meanwhile, several kilometers away, in an apartment belonging to Yukino…
Yukino suddenly felt an overwhelming drowsiness wash over her. Her body leaned backward, eventually resting against the couch as her eyes gently closed.
The book she had been holding—"Love for the Foolish"—slipped from her grasp and landed on the floor.
_______
50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
_______
If any of you noticed an error, please point it out in comments!