Meeting of The Musicians (Mae)

Hikaru was quietly relaxing in his room as the midday sun shined through his window. Kazeito fluttered across the room, looking at all the knick-knacks laying on his desk or plastered onto the wall; a few retro gaming consoles lay next to his television while a variety of cultural items ranging from flags of multiple nations strung across the wall to a chanchito, a small clay pig with three legs believed to bring luck in Chile, acting as a paperweight on his notebook.

Kazeito sat on top of the black, metal-rimmed case resting next to Hikaru's closet and spoke up.

"Hey, Hikaru. Is this your-"

"My trumpet case? Yeah, I've had that thing for maybe 5 years now, and it's still in great condition. Thinking about it, maybe it'd be best to practice today..."

As he opened his trumpet case and checked the valves, Hikaru recalled the conversation he had with Mae. He learned about her singing ability and shared his trumpet playing skills with her. They were both interested in attending eaxh other's performances, and he figured that if Mae wasn't busy, today would be an ideal day. As he slid his mouthpiece into his trumpet, he pulled out his phone and checked for Mae's number, sending her a quick message.

"Hey Mae. Practicing trumpet today. Want to attend? I live on Penecia. Address included."

After including his address in the text with minimal directions to guide her, Hikaru sat down on the bed and began practicing scales.

Mae was already on her way to Penecia when she got the text message from Hikaru. Originally, she had planned to go visit Kei Edogawa today at the Resturant. The two hadn't seen eachother in a while, and Mae figured it was a good idea to swing by for a suprise visit. So Mae replied to the text happily. "Impeccable timing, Hikaru. I was just on my way to Penecia... And yes, I'd love to jam out with you. Is it okay if I bring a friend along?" After that, she hit SEND and awaited his reply as the Tram moved closer and closer to what had become her favorite island. She had so many good memories from this place, and thus frequented the island quite often nowadays.

Mae left the station shortly after arriving, and headed straight for Edogawa Sushi first. After all, Kei lived right on top of the resturant, and she knew today was his day off... After a short walk, Mae found herself standing on the doorstep to the resturant. It was closed today, but Kei was still sitting at one of the tables, eating breakfast. And that's when he saw Mae through the window and rushed to open the door for her. "Heeey! Mae-chan! How are you?" He asked, holding the door open for Mae. "I'm doing good, thank you for asking." Mae replied with a smile. "Well, since it's your day off... You wanna do something?" Kei's face lit up. "Sure. What did you have in mind?" Kei looked like Mae had positively saved his life or something. "Well, I was originally going to take you to the amusement park, but... something else popped up, and well, I want you to join me. It's music Practice." Kei raised both of his eyebrows in suprise. "Well, okay. I'm game. Lemme just finish my breakfast, alright?" Mae nodded in response, as she sat down in front of him, making small talk to pass the time.

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It didn't take that long for the two to find Hikaru's home, thanks to Kei's knowledge of the area. He had been living here on Penecia for almost a year now, so he knew his way around the place pretty well by now. "Well... Here goes nothing." Mae said as she rang the doorbell... All they could do now was wait.

As Hikaru began shuffling through his music folder, his phone buzzed to notify him of Mae's reply. She had apparently been heading to Penecia and was asking to bring a friend. Hikaru happily typed his response before folding his phone away.

"Absolutely! No harm in bringing some friends. Just looking through my folder right now for the right piece. Se ya in a bit."

Meanwhile, as Mae rang the doorbell, the door swung open, but it was not Hikaru that answered the door. Instead, Kumiko stood in the doorway, smiling while observing the two strangers. Should Mae recall the portrait in Hikaru's notebook, she would realize that this person was Hikaru's sister, as Hikaru had previously mentioned.

"You're Mae Iharu, right? Hikaru's waiting for you upstairs. I'll leave you three be."

Kumiko quietly shuffled out of the way and directed them upstairs to Hikaru's room.

Hikaru's room was filled with items from nations across the world; flags, posters of famous buildings and structures, and small ornaments from the cultures of the world. Hikaru smiled and waved to the two as they entered with Kazeito fluttering over Hikaru's desk.

"Good to see you again, Mae. Nice to meet you as well, sir. Well, Mae, how have things been going? I'm thankful for what you did for me the other day."

"Great! See you in a bit then! \(^w^)/" Mae sent the message, with a smile on her face. As soon as the message was sent, the tram stopped, and Mae walked out. The gentle Penecian Spring breeze greeted her the moment she stepped out, and she immediately hurried over to Edogawa Sushi to meet up with Kei first.

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"So, where does this friend of yours live, Mae?" Kei asked curiously as the two walked down the streets of Penecia. "Not too far. He was kind enough to give me basic directions on how to get to his house." Mae answered, giving Kei her phone so he could read the text. "Ah... I know where that is. I pass by that house everytime I go shopping. It's not that difficult to find." He smiled at Mae, returning her phone as he pointed in the general direction of where they needed to go. "It's right over there, actually."

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The door opened slowly, and the two teens stood face to face with a person Mae recognized even though they had never met before. "Yep, that's me. Then you must be Hikaru's sister. Nice to meet you!" Mae stretched out her hand for a greeting handshake. "I'm Kei Edogawa. A friend of Mae's. Nice to meet you." Kei would grasp Kumiko's hand after Mae had shook hers first. The two were shown to what Mae assumed to be Hikaru's room. "Likewise, Hikaru. I'm glad to see you're doing well. Oh, yeah, this is my friend I was talking about earlier." Mae gestured towards Kei, who gave Hikaru a light nod and a smile. "The name's Kei Edogawa. Nice to meet you." Friendly as always.

"Oh, no. You don't need to thank me!" Mae giggled in response. "Now then, How have you been?"

(I'll be posting three pieces, likely into separate posts. Don't want a big conflict between music pieces)

Kumiko smiled charmingly at the guests, aware that Hikaru had invited somebody over. She eagerly accepted both handshakes and, for a brief moment, displayed a bit of confusion at being referred to as Hikaru's sister without having previously met Mae. Nontheless, she replied

"Well, very nice to meet you two. I'm Kumiko, and I am, as you somehow knew, Hikaru's older sister. If you need anything, just holler!"

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As the two set foot into Hikaru's domain and introduced themselves, Hikaru beamed cheerfully while Kazeito sat down at the side of the couch behind Mae.

"Nice to meet you, Kei. Always glad to meet new people. Name's Hikaru Ryouichi. And, uh, Mae? No need to worry about me. I've been handling all right. So, I got a couple pieces that I'm sure you'd love to hear. Go ahead, take a seat."

Gesturing them toward the couch behind them, Hikaru assembled his wire stand, setting the music on the tray. Making sure they were ready, he announced his first piece.

"Alright, first piece's from one of my favorite movies, Pirates of the Caribbean, the song He's a Pirate."

Hikaru began to warmly play the piece a few times over, minding the dynamics and accents, before setting his horn down to rest his lips. Kazeito applauded for Hikaru, pumping his fist into the air with excitement.

"What'd ya think of that?"

"Ehehe... Hikaru told me about you." Mae chuckled happily as she entered the apartment, and the duo found their way to Hikaru's room.

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"So, you're interested in music, huh?" Kei sat down in the couch, followed by Mae. "I'm glad to hear you're doing okay. I know how rough it can be after an experience like that." She of course spoke of the awakening... But Kei didn't know anything about personas and the like... or at least, that's what Mae assumed. And things were probably better off for him if it stayed that way. "Alright, let's hear it then!" Mae leaned back in the couch, focusing her gaze on Hikaru. "Trumpet? Huh... I don't see people playing that too often." Kei said suprised. "I was just as suprised. Give it your all, Hikaru-kouhai!"

"Ah... That tune brings back memories..." Kei said after the music trailed off, and the two started applauding Hikaru. "Well done, Hikaru! That was beautiful." Honest as always, and Kei nodded in agreement. "Yeah. That was pretty awesome, man. Keep it up!"

(Sorry for the incredible delay. I've had to take some time off for a family vacation in Italy and had to tackle work recently.)

Hearing Mae and Kei applaud him for his efforts, Hikaru smiled heartily as a surge of happiness ran through his mind down to his heart. It was that feeling of using his unique talents that reinforced his sense of individuality and purpose; it felt good to be able to demonstrate his knowledge and experience to his friends.

"Thanks, guys. But yeah, Kei, you don't really see too many teenagers like me taking a liking to the trumpet. I picked it up... where I lived beforehand, and I've been playing for about three years. Although, I'm not exactly a competitive person, so I don't participate in many contests. I've, uh, been a little concerned that my playing skill might not be enough to enter any big competitions like you, Mae."

"Anyways, onto the next two pieces. Hope you enjoy!"

Super Mario Galaxy - Gusty Garden



Legend of Zelda - Gerudo Valley