argoflower

We found the fourth movement sooner than expected.

When I heard it was going to be sold at a very famous auction in London, I immediately applied to participate in it.

I added my savings together with the earnings I made from composing and the videos I made as a kid, along with my brother adding his own savings. We somehow managed to win the bid after that.

That being said, there are only a few certified copies of this movement. This one was a little less valuable and expensive compared to the other ones, which each only had one copy in the world, so I was able to get this one somehow. It was still difficult to get it and it cost a fair amount of money, as for how much…well, let’s just leave it at that for now.

“This is…the last movement.”

I felt restless as I displayed the data. 

While I wanted to enjoy the perfection and greatness of the song itself, I also wanted to hurry and find out what came out of my great uncle’s love life. The first movement was like a burning flame of love that was suddenly ignited, the second movement had strong painful feelings behind it, the third movement felt like a love letter that failed to send. 

Then…what happens next?

You are mine

I am yours

The world has fallen asleep / All sounds have disappeared long ago

In this kind of world / If you’re lonely, let’s go together

Towards the lake / The sea / And the moon too

Even towards the very edge of Heaven

“...”

How should I say this…

[Sympathy]

It felt like my great uncle's feelings merged together and became one with my own. 

“...I wonder if it’s in our blood to fall so deeply in love that we go crazy and die.”

If I found a love that I’d carry for the rest of my life, maybe I’d become like this too. Because surely, that’s just how people are. If you stare into Heaven for too long, it’ll make you go crazy. 

“Haa…”

I threw myself on my bed and rested my head on my stuffed goat, rolling around with it for a while. When I got the third movement the other day, I started making a cover version of my great uncle’s song, but I think I’ll take a small break today. So far, I’ve managed to get up to the fourth movement, the last known part of this song, and I learned what happened with my great uncle’s love life…huh?

“Come to think of it, what’s the title of this sheet music?”

I don’t remember. I don’t think it was in the notes either. No, it’s possible that he didn’t give it a title, but it was bothering me a little. And…how do I put this.

“I don’t feel like it’s really over yet…”

Several months have passed since then.

I was looking over the sheet music data again in the living room of the HAMA House when Akuta suddenly popped up from behind me, his head next to my face. 

“What’s that? It’s amazin’! The music notes are flowing!”

“Oh, this? It’s my great uncle’s sheet music. Do you know who Nanamegi Nanakuma is?”

“Nnnope!!”

I see.  …I gave him a side eye, but this innocent guy didn’t even notice my gaze.  

“This is something I recorded a while ago.”

“Ohhhh that’s an amazin’ number of views! That’s crazy! I’ll definitely listen to it later!”

Akuta’s eyes were sparkling as he looked at the transferred video screen. 

“People who can read music are really amazin’! I really respect them!”

“Now that you bring it up, haven’t you written songs before? What did you do with the sheet music?”

“I wrote it all in letters! Like Do Re Mi Fa.” 

“Hahaha, that’s even more amazing then.”

Then–

“Oh, you guys are still awake? You should go to sleep early! You have school tomorrow.”

“Ah, teacher!” 

“Ch…Chief, good evening.” 

The chief came by while eating some rice crackers that they must’ve gotten as a souvenir. While I was doing my best to calm my racing heart, Akuta replied to them obediently with a “Yes~” or “Hey.” The chief gave us a satisfied nod before leaving the room with a crunching sound from their snack. 

It was only after they left that I was able to breathe a sigh of relief. 

I wish I could’ve talked to them properly…

“Nanaki, somehow you…”

“Hmm?”

“You like them, don’t you?”

“...eh…?”

This time, my heart almost stopped for real.

“Eeh?”

“H…Huh?”

“Huh~?”

“Wh…”

“Wh?”

“What do you mean by ‘like’…?”

“As a teacher!” 

…What was with that? That surprised me. Swallowing my words, I gave him an uneasy smile. I see, that made sense.

As a teacher, I did like them but…

“You like them, right?”

“...Yeah.” 

But besides that I- 

“I like them…but…” 

What was wrong with that?

Akuta looked confused for a moment before speaking with a wide, innocent smile. “Me too~”

No no, even if this were the edge of Heaven, I still want to be with that person–

“I like them, but–” 

What was…wrong with that?

Subject: Untitled

Sender: Unknown 

Hello, unlove-san

I apologize for suddenly contacting you.

I am not a suspicious person.

Please do not worry.

Have you found the fifth movement?

Nanamegi Nanakuma is truly wonderful

The audio that you, his blood relative, made

I want to listen to it.

Please contact me again if you’d like

From your fans

Mr. Adolf was a foreign music critic and is apparently a well-known “Nanamegi Nanakuma stan” within his community. Apparently he attended all the auctions for his final work in order to buy all of the sheet music parts.

“Of course, it was impossible to buy everything though.”

I asked a question to Mr. Adolf as he let out a bitter laugh.

“My great un…why did Nanakuma break his sheet music into parts?”

I thought that since he was a known Nanakuma fan, I might be able to get an understanding of my great uncle’s feelings. That was the question on my mind since the beginning: Why did he separate the sheet music into parts? 

I thought that there surely must’ve been some meaning to it.

He donated all of his inheritance to charity, so he probably wasn’t in any financial trouble.

But…

“I don’t know that much.”

…unfortunately, it seems like Mr. Adolf didn’t know much about the situation either.

It can’t be helped, so I should probably give up here. As I was thinking that–

“Nanaki, why do you want this sheet music? The reason why I paid a large sum of money to get this precious treasure is because I love the songs that Nanakuma creates.”

“...”

“Up until now, many enthusiasts have contacted me hoping to get a copy of this sheet music. However, none of them caught my eye. I have no intention of giving this up to a mere Nanakuma enthusiast.”

“...I am…”

I stared directly into the bear’s eyes that suddenly became sharper.

“I am the nephew of Nanamegi Nanakuma, and just like him, I also make music.”

My first negotiation with an adult would begin here.

“Ohhhhhh Jesus Christ!! My God!!” 

“Huh?”

I was about to start speaking again, but he suddenly started gripping his head and began to move around as if he were struggling against something, so I stepped back. 

“Bless the Nanamegi family…! The breath of God!!” 

“Mr. Adolf?”

I wondered what was wrong with him. Maybe he was going through something right now. Or was it because of me? Did I say something weird?

Mr. Adolf, who seemed to be finished writhing around in what looked like agony for a while, turned to face me with wide eyes.

“You should’ve said something important like that sooner! This means that you’re that up and coming anonymous artist, unlove…!” 

“Wh…”

Why did he know that? And how did he make that connection?!

Mr. Adolf explained everything to me step by step, as I was still confused and didn’t understand. 

He loved Nanakuma so much that he was aware of all the activities of the Nanamegi family. He knew about almost all the activities and achievements of everyone in the family that was involved with music. Around the same time when he listened to a song by the anonymous artist, unlove, he felt a strong Nanakuma feeling.

It wasn’t a mere imitation of Nanakuma’s style, the core of their sense of music was very similar to his. He always thought the true identity of unlove must be someone from the Nanamegi family who inherited the same talent as him. The Nanamegi family must’ve had a secret child who hadn’t shown their face to the public yet.

“And that’s you, Nanaki.”

“Um…”

“You don’t have to worry, I won’t reveal your identity to the public. It’s a great honor to meet you.”

After a respectful bow, Mr. Adolf spoke with a bright smile on his face.

“I’d be happy to give you the sheet music.”

A few days later, a CD-ROM that had the sheet music data arrived at my house.

This was at Mr. Adolf’s request. He wanted to give it to me in the original state it was in when it was put up for auction, not over the cloud. The ROM was paired with a handwritten letter.

I carefully peeled back the old-fashioned wax seal and read what was inside.

“...”

The truth– he didn’t mention it at all during the negotiations.

Mr. Adolf was currently suffering from a serious illness and only had a few years left to live. He was considering what would happen after his death, initially thinking about donating the sheet music data with historical value to an art gallery or a museum. However, if there was someone out there who was carrying on Nanakuma’s legacy and wasn’t just a fan, he said he would’ve loved to give it to them if they wanted it.

He thought since I was his relative with clear talent, there was no reason to refuse.

“...I’ll definitely write a song that surpasses this one before you’re gone.”

Remembering Mr. Adolf’s bear face, I quietly made a decision. I made this promise to the slightly emotional but kind critic who recognized my talent and sensibility. I prayed that the rest of his life would be a happy one and finally checked the sheet music data.

I am sand

Your voice disappears into the waves / I am swept away

If you could pick up the pieces

In this ambiguously vast ocean

While thinking of you / I am torn apart

“...”

I felt myself being overwhelmed by a strange, indescribable feeling.

It seemed like my great uncle was deeply in love. But it was a love that would never come true.

Because this was definitely not a sweet love song.

These words weren’t conveying a simple longing for someone.

“...I get it, great uncle.”

Being in love is really painful.

It feels like your body is getting torn apart, like you’re going crazy. 
 

Morning

I rubbed the sleepiness out of my eyes as I left my room with musical instruments scattered around and walked through the long hallway of my house. 

I had a lot of work to do after the test last night; it was a little hard. It’s not easy being a student, huh.

“Haa…ah.”

An uncontrollable yawn left my mouth as I entered the living room and was immediately greeted by my older brother who just came home.

“Good morning! I saw that you released a new song last night, so I listened to it right away.”

“Huh- already? That was fast. You’re always the first one to listen to my songs.”

“Because I’m your biggest fan, after all! This time your song had a really good shift in tone around the middle. As expected of you, my younger brother really is full of talent.” 

“You’re exaggerating. I still have a long way to go.” I replied, feeling a little embarrassed as my brother’s handsome face broke into a wide smile.

“Don’t be so humble.”

That being said, it seems like the solo album my brother released recently has also been selling well.

[Nanamegi Mutsuki]

Even though he’s still a university student, he’s a famous bassist. Whenever he releases a new song, fans rush to listen in anticipation. In the rare moments when he has free time, many bands want him as a guest performer…that’s who my brother is.

He’s a kind person who really dotes on me even though I’m five years younger, but he treats me a little bit like a parent doting on their child, rather than caring for a younger brother.

“Nanaki, you’re a genius. I’m sure of it.”

He always praises me so directly and straightforwardly like this. 

It made my face turn red.

“Be more confident! You can definitely captivate the world with your music.”

“I got it! It’s embarrassing so stop it already!”

If I let him continue, he would probably keep giving me exaggerated praise. He lightly brushed it off by giving me a gesture of holding his head up high in confidence.

Still, my brother looked like he was very happy. 

“By the way, is breakfast ready?”

“Yeah, the housekeeper made it for us.”

“Then let’s eat together. I’ll make you some coffee after we eat since you’re probably tired after coming home this morning.”

“Thank you~! Your coffee is the best after all, Nanaki.”

…Honestly, it was embarrassing every time. If he only said stuff like this at home it was fine, but I wish he’d stop doing it when we’re outside too. It wasn’t like he had no choice but to praise me…

Well, that didn’t change the fact that he was still an older brother I’m proud of.

“What about mom?”

“She’s at a violin concert. She’ll be back in about 3 days.”

“Our dad is…ah, I think he’s in the middle of a business trip to Vienna.” 

While I ate with my brother, we talked about our parents. Our father was a conductor, while our mom was a violinist. Everyone in my family worked in something music related, except for me, who was still in high school. It wasn’t uncommon for them to be away for long periods of time for media appearances, orchestras, concerts, or various other events.   

Even so, I don’t think I’ve ever felt lonely.

Because my brother always looked after me like this. I also enjoyed composing and performing songs, so I spend a lot of time getting absorbed in it.

Then, I made the coffee my brother had been waiting for. 

“Mmm~ As I expected, it’s really good. Nanaki, you must’ve inherited your talents from our great uncle…hm?”

My brother who was listening to my new song again with his earphones, suddenly looked at the screen of his phone.

“...it’s here.”

He raised his head and looked at me with shining eyes.

“What is?”

“I found what you were looking for, our great uncle’s–”

“The rest of the sheet music?! You found it?!”

Upon hearing the incredibly good news, I jumped in excitement. The chair made a loud noise as it moved, but I didn’t pay any attention to it. My brother nodded happily and turned his phone screen towards me.

“I was finally able to contact the owner of the second movement.”

“Woah…seriously? Really?”

“Really. I made an appointment for you with your name. You’ll meet them tomorrow night around 9pm in the mahorova lobby.” 

“Th…”

I was so happy that I couldn’t find the words to properly express myself, but I was able to force them out somehow.

“Thank you, onii!”*

After that, I had a decent cup of black coffee, which is the drink I’m most confident in making recently.

“Thank you for the meal!”

I ran out of the dining room into my room and immediately jumped to get my tablet next to my pillow. I grabbed my stuffed goat with my other hand and held it underneath my arm. I looked at the screen on my tablet that had “Sheet Music” displayed. 

This was the only piece of sheet music in the world that existed to me.

“...”

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that this arrangement was the absolute best in the world. It had a variety of flexible notes that could be arranged into both orchestral and pop songs. It was made in such a way that even an improvised fake would sound good. 

“You really are amazing, great uncle…”

This really was the best sheet music I’ve ever seen.

A one of a kind song. A sound that makes you feel like you’re looking into Heaven itself.

There were scribbles on the sheet music that looked like some notes. I think this might’ve been what he was trying to use for the lyrics. 

“...”

I traced the letters to try and calm down. 

I am a lotus leaf / You dance at midnight 

I catch the wind / In this quiet lake

Until you touch me with your toes

I will wait on the water

*this is how he refers to his older brother