To this day, when I think back to my past years and years in Kyoto, I think of my ridiculous persistence. The straight back when being looked at, the fragile self-esteem, the so-called awe-inspiring attitude that regards money as dung.

Money, when I'm haggling with the bosses in my broken Kyoto dialect at the fabric market, when I'm counting the tips of customers at the coffee shop, when I'm grabbing my meager savings, how important it is to eat every day to save money and maintain my daily energy. And when I faced Yuichi Fujisawa, I put on a gesture of indifference, thinking that by refusing his gift, I would be able to stand in front of him as an equal.

If you don't accept that pair of shoes.

The shoes he made for me with his own hands.

Wearing the shoes he made, I came to the villa in Kamogawa for the second time. Stepping on the soft carpet, I couldn't tell which was softer, the carpet of the Fujisawa family or the shoes he made. He took me by the hand and showed me his abode. He recounts the origin of the villa, which his father bought him at his 16th birthday and never lived in. When I was thinking to myself which father he was, we came to the corner of the spiral staircase, and he casually told me that I didn't know what to add to this empty corner.

"Hmm......" I thought for a moment, "piano? ”

He looked back at me.

"You should be able to play, right?"

"Piano......" He didn't answer me directly, looking at the empty corner, and smiled slowly, "I do have a piano, which has been passed down from generation to generation in the Zhinian family, and when I was a child, my uncle gave it to me. You should see it, it's said to be an amazing antique. ”

The next time I go to Kamogawa, the antique piano stands quietly in the corner, carved with the family crest of Zhinian, and several cherry blossom patterns are connected into a freehand prosperous scene, as if silently telling the bearing of the year.

Yuichi Fujisawa opened the lid, and he leaned over my ear and confided temptation: "Try? ”

"I won't......"

"I'll teach you."

He came closer, his left hand dropped, and he took my left wrist again, and his fingers brushed my palm, down the joint, and stopped at the fingertips.

"Fingers stand up." "Relax," he said...... Yes, exactly. ”

The fingers of the two of us overlapped and landed on the keys.

On the cold keys, Yuichi Fujisawa's right hand played a string of soothing notes, and his left hand guided me to play the accompaniment in harmony. I've been neglecting to trim my nails lately, and the nails that come out of my fingers tap on the keys, creating a crisp clamming sound with the sound of the piano. His breath was close, soft and long, like a gust of fresh wind, and I was as light as a feather, letting him wind blow from east to west, north and south.

“…… Paganini Rhapsody on a Theme. I whispered.

"My uncle often plays it, and I heard Matsuyama say that this is his favorite tune."

"What about you?" I looked back, "What's your favorite tune?" ”

The piano was broken, and he looked at me with the usual smile in his eyes: "I don't like it, I can only play two tunes." ”

"Huh? I thought musical instruments would be a compulsory course for you. I looked up at him, "And what's the only piece you can play?" ”

"Wild Bee Flurry." In my astonished gaze, he was a little embarrassed, and smiled helplessly, "I was asked by the elders of the family to learn before my tenth birthday, in order to perform at a birthday party." Or rather, show off your skills. ”

I've never seen him look like this, and I couldn't help it, and I laughed out loud for a while.

"Still laughing?" He leaned over and bit my ear, I laughed and went to hide, my palm accidentally pressed against the keys, the string of gibble frightened me, and when I paused, I was caught by Yuichi Fujisawa. He wrapped his arms around my waist, closed the lid with one hand, and wrapped me in front of the piano.

I saw myself in those deep eyes, and I couldn't help but reach out and wrap my arms around his slender neck.

In the light scent of the perfume on his body, we exchanged a lingering kiss.