Caramel Waffles with Apples and Nuts
Here are your caramel waffles with apples and nuts!
Wow! I've always wanted to try this!
Oh boy! This is amazing!
Where do you think I should start?
Where should I start?
Should I take a picture?
First I was an extra. Now I'm a substitute huh?
Okay! That's all she wrote!
Do you like baking sweets?
No I don't make them.
So good!
She's such an amazing musician but all she looks like now is an ordinary girl.
I thought it was just a prop but you can really play it huh?
That piano...
What a happy piano.
It's grinning from ear to ear!
It's a sad little piano.
You should never put it near water but they've decorated it with fresh flowers.
I learned it in piano class!
Megu that's awesome!
That's Mozart huh?
I learned this the other day. But I still can't play it well.
Is that right? It's pretty hard huh?
She gets along with kids easily.
I guess her mental age is low?
The boy over there plays really well
so why don't we ask him to teach us?
For real?
Play for us!
Show me how!
No I-I don't play piano anymore.
Ouch!
Don't disappoint children!
Okay. Just a little.
Yay!
Three two—
See what did I tell you? It's a happy piano!
Huh? Why are you stopping?
You can't stop playing!
You were so cool!
Sorry. I'm really sorry.
Oh boy I'm stuffed!
I am one satisfied girl!
Huh?
It's a kitty!
You like cats?
I used to have a black cat just like this one.
You did?
So you don't play the piano anymore?
You knew about that?
Winner of the Moriwaki Students' Piano Competition.
The youngest winner in history of the Saiki Competition.
Et cetera et cetera.
Your playing style was accurate and disciplined. A human metronome.
You were a prodigy who performed with an orchestra at eight.
You've done your homework.
It's common knowledge. There isn't a musician of our generation who hasn't heard of you.
You're who we look up to.
Why did you quit playing?
Why?
I can't hear the sound of the piano.
How cliché is that right?
But you were just playing at that café.
I can hear it at first.
But somewhere along the way.
The more I concentrate.
The more I get consumed by my performance.
The sounds I play...
fade away from my reach tangling up like flowers seized by the spring wind...
and vanish.
That's why you just—
It doesn't affect me at all in my daily life.
It's only the sound of my own playing that I can't hear.
It's a punishment.
I can hear the sounds of my fingers striking the keys
and the sounds of the keys sinking.
But I can't hear the sound of my own playing.
This has to be a punishment.
Don't be such a baby!
You're so negative! Play even if you can't play!
Have you tried playing with a stick between your teeth like Beethoven?
If you can't move your hands then play with your feet!
That's crazy!
If you don't have enough fingers then use your nose as well!
Mozart?!
Whether you're sad you're a mess or you've hit rock bottom
you still have to play!
That's how people like us survive.
People like us.
Yeah maybe that's true for you.
Since she's in love she sparkles like a star.
What Watari says kind of makes sense to me.
You're in love with food
you're in love with the violin
you're in love with music.
I guess that's why you sparkle.
What do you call this kind of feeling again?
This is probably— yearning I bet.
I've made up my mind.
I'm appointing you as my accompanist.
What?
I was selected as the Audience Choice so I'll be playing in the second round.
You're my accompanist for that.
Huh? Did you hear a word I said?
I can't play all right? I can't hear what I'm playing.
Quit your whining. My mind's made up. Just give in to your fate like a good boy.
You exist inside spring.
You exist inside a spring that can't be replaced.
I hereby appoint Friend A as my accompanist.
Morning Tsubaki!
Morning!
Come back here you!
I said can't do it!
Just shut up and be my accompanist!
What the heck?
Ambushing me at this hour!
For our set piece
I decided on Saint-Saëns's Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso.
I'll bring you the sheet music tomorrow.
Home Economics Room
Have Kousei play the accompaniment for your violin?
I got dumped by my accompanist from the other day.
He's insanely good on the piano right?
You knew about that?
To anyone who plays music he's a total celebrity.
That's why I thought I'd ask him.
You think I shouldn't?
I'm totally psyched!
Did I just feel a chill?
I can't eat that much!
- Huh? Classical music? - They usually played pop.
Saint-Saëns's Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso?
Not only that but it's on repeat.
What!?
Accompaniment accompaniment accompaniment accompaniment—
All right open up your textbooks to page 17.
What the heck is going on today?
I know it's you Tsubaki!
When did she do this? Even my wallpaper's—
Play the accompaniment!
Classical again?
They've been playing this same song for a week now!
I just can't do it.
It's tomorrow huh?
I wonder if it'll be nice out?
The way he's been acting Kousei will bail for sure.
I'm gonna drag him there no matter what.
But are you sure it's really okay? To force him to accompany me?
It's fine. With Kousei you have to be this pushy.
It's a good idea! A good idea!
I'm gonna make Watari help too.
If it's for a girl—
If it's for you Kao no way will he say no.
I'm so going to make him play the piano!
You really like Arima don't you Tsubaki?
It's not quite like that.
To me Kousei is—
Even though I'm an only child it's like having a high-maintenance big sister.
He's like a hopeless kid brother.
To be honest it doesn't matter to me whether Kousei plays the piano or not.
The thing is though
if he's gonna quit I want him to quit on his own terms.
It hurts to see him like this.
Because right now Kousei's only living his life halfway.
Ever since that day—
Ever since that day Kousei's been trapped with nowhere to go.
Time does stop doesn't it?
So I want him to play the piano.
I'm sure something will change if he does.
Next stop
Totsuhara University Hospital. Totsuhara University Hospital.
Request Stop
We'll be making the next stop.
We will now commence judging the second round of preliminaries for the Violin Competition.
Towa Music Competition Committee Sponsor Second Annual Towa Music Competition Violin - Junior High Divison
Wh-What...
are you doing at school?
Aren't the prelims today?
What do you think you're doing?
I came to get you!
Hiding out in a place like this! I looked all over for you so let's get going!
I've been telling you all this time I'm not gonna accompany you!
What's that?
People train to specialize in that.
No way could I do it!
Even if we went right now I couldn't give a worthy performance.
I can't... play the piano.
Once again I'm casting about for a reason.
So what?
It's not that you can't play.
You just won't play.
"I can't hear the sound of the piano."
Using that as your excuse you're just running away.
I—
I'm scared.
It's like I'm at the bottom of a dark sea where I can't hear anything.
There's no one there.
So dark. So dark.
Weren't you relieved the moment you stopped being able to hear?
You found yourself an excuse. An excuse not to ever appear onstage again.
After all you're no Beethoven.
Help me...
I can't hear anything!
Did his mind go blank?
Why isn't he playing?
Did he forget how to play?
Someone...
I've never seen this happen before.
Arima's self-destructed!
Lucky break!
It's over.
...help me.
He cracked under the pressure.
Mom!
I'm going to be alone again at the bottom of a dark sea.
But you have me.
I know that you can't hear the sound of your playing and that you haven't been playing.
I know everything.
But I want you.
Just like you said we might not be able to turn in a performance that we can live with.
But we're going to play.
So long as we have a chance to play and an audience that will listen.
Kousei!
I'm going to play with everything I've got.
So that the people who've heard me will never forget me.
So that I can live in their hearts forever.
That's my reason for existing.
I'm a musician just like you.
So please.
Please be my accompanist.
What? Um—
Please give me your support just a tiny bit.
I'm so close to losing my heart right now. Please!
Watari was totally right.
Whether or not it's impossible...
the girl will let you know.
I'll do it. I'll be your accompanist.
I'm not making any guarantees all right?
Found ya!
What are you doing? We've been looking for you!
Don't you dare run away! Not if you call yourself a man!
If we make a run for it we'll be there in 20 minutes!
20 minutes? I won't be able to play decently!
Hey I've got an idea.
Let's go!
But will you be okay? What about practice? Have you rehearsed together?
No worries! We'll figure it out! Because we rule!
Don't underestimate us jocks! I can make you time to rehearse!
Wait shouldn't you guys be in school? And whose bike is this?
Don't sweat the small stuff!
The town that I live in is starting to take on color.
Episode 3 Inside Spring
Episode 4 The Journey