Hotaru Shiomi and Nagi Kotohira

Phew...

Good work, Hotaru. That was incredible.

Oh, Nagi-san! I didn't realize you were here.

Yeah, I just got here. That song... Your fingers were amazing. Was it classical?

Yes! It's by Liszt. The intricate fingerwork and rhythms make it good practice...

Haha. I couldn't make heads or tails of that melody. Did you play it in competitions?

N-No! It really isn't the kind of piece you'd play in a competition!

It's just well-known for being incredibly difficult... I learned it because I wanted to make my mother and my teacher happy.

Oh, what was it again? "Angel of the Music World"? Houka told me. You were amazing, right, Hotaru?

Ah... Um...

When did you start playing piano?

I don't remember exactly... I think I was about five.

I loved making everyone smile when I played well. I'd play every day, so absorbed that I'd lose track of time.

Lose track of time, huh...

(I've never experienced anything like that.)

(I never have... and I probably never will.)

You're amazing, Hotaru. When I was five, I was always just playing with Mahoro.

Oh... You two are childhood friends, right?

Yeah. Around the time we started elementary school, Kanata moved here. Then she sort of joined us.

Before that, Mahoro was always the wild one. Just because she was a year older, she kept dragging me around.

Magical-girl make-believe, playing dolls... I feel like she made me do all sorts of things.

Hehe. It sounds like fun.

It wasn't all fun. She made me cry every so often.

Mahoro-san made you cry?

Yeah. At Curry Night, for instance... Oh.

Curry Night is something Mahoro's family has been doing forever. It's just a get-together where we eat curry.

Hm...? That sounds quite peaceful, at least.

It was. Until Mahoro, thinking she was being helpful, started giving me seconds.

They just kept coming, one after another... Like some endless noodle challenge. I couldn't possibly eat that much, and I burst into tears.

Ahaha... That does sound like a lot.

Seriously. My sister rescued me that time, though...

Oh! You have an older sister, Nagi-san?

Oh... Yeah. She's in college now, so I hardly see her anymore.

That's nice. I don't have any siblings or childhood friends, so hearing about it makes me feel warm inside.

That sort of bond sounds so lovely!

!

Thanks... And sorry. I interrupted your practice.

Not at all! I was just about to take a break.

I see...

(Lovely, huh...)

(For someone who can't even truly face Mahoro... or Sis...)

(Do I really deserve to hear her say that?)

Huh? Hotaru?

Nagi-san! Are you out shopping?

Something like that. You too?

Yes. I was just on my way to the pet store.

Huh... Me too.

! You have a pet at home too, Nagi-san?

Yeah. I have one cat, a longhair. What about you, Hotaru?

We have a tortoise.

Oh, that's unexpected.

You can keep tortoises in a regular home? I've only ever seen them at the zoo.

Hehe. I suppose they are a little unusual. But they don't need anything especially elaborate.

We have a habitat in the living room, and sometimes we let him roam around the house.

Oh, so he's not that big.

Yes. He's a Greek tortoise, so he's still small enough to fit in both hands.

Hmm, nice. Having a tortoise in the living room sounds calming.

He remembers his owners, too. When we come close, he peeks his head out for us.

Haha, that's cute. Show me a video later.

What is your cat like, Nagi-san?

Hmm... He's friendly, but kind of a goofball, I guess.

When I wake up, he's often curled up under the covers. Even though he never comes near me when it's time to sleep.

Hehe, that is cute. Did you come to buy treats for him today?

His favorite toy is starting to fall apart. I thought I might find something to replace it.

What about you, Hotaru? Do tortoises use toys too?

No. I came to buy cuttlebone.

Cuttle...?

It's the dried internal shell of a cuttlefish. I give it to him for calcium.

"Cuttlebone"... Huh, it really is just a cuttlefish shell.

Sometimes I crush it over the vegetables in his food, and sometimes I give it to him whole... It's a bit like a treat.

Huh. A tortoise treat... That's interesting.

Maybe I should put a little more thought into Roy's nutrition too.

Roy?

Oh, sorry. That's my cat's name. He's a boy, and I wanted something that sounded a little regal.

It does have a lovely sound. It suits him.

What's your tortoise called?

Kamekichi.

What?

Kamekichi. He's a boy.

Did you name him, Hotaru...?

Yes!

Ah... I see...

(No, it's not weird. It's not weird, but...!)

? Nagi-san?

No... It's nothing. It has a kind of old-fashioned charm, doesn't it?

Yes! I love it!

Hello... Oh, Nagi-san?

Yes, yes, it's fine. No, really, it can't be helped.

...?

Okay, tomorrow. Got it. Please take care. Bye.

Phew... Oh, Hotaru? Were you here?

Sorry. You were on the phone.

It's fine. It was just my job calling. They asked if I could come in tomorrow.

Oh... That was rather sudden.

The owner threw out their back and needs to go to the hospital. Good thing I was free tomorrow.

I see... That sounds difficult.

Come to think of it, where do you work, Nagi-san?

At a bookstore. A small independent one.

Oh... Really?

Haha. Is that surprising?

No, that isn't what I meant...!

It's okay, it's okay. People I know say that a lot too.

It's actually a pretty good arrangement. It's never too busy, and I can read when things are quiet.

Jobs like that exist?

Sometimes I have to pick up extra shifts at short notice, like this time. But I do get paid properly for it.

Hmm... I want to be able to work soon too.

Huh? Why?

For live fees and meals, everyone always pays a little extra for me, don't they?

I need to start earning money soon, so I can pull my weight too.

Haha. Listen to you, talking big for a middle schooler.

You're the youngest one of us. You should let everyone spoil you while you can.

No, I can't do that!

You're serious about this, huh? By the way, is there anything you'd want to do?

Huh? Um...

Haha. You haven't really thought that far ahead, have you?

Maybe... working at the Café we all go to so often...

Oh. I've heard food service can be rough, though. Mahoro looks completely wiped out sometimes.

Is that so...? If even Mahoro-san finds it difficult, then I...

Oh... I could transcribe piano music by ear!

Transcription...? You mean writing music down as sheet music? You can do that? That's impressive.

Yes. I feel like I've heard there are jobs like that...

Hmm... I just looked it up, and it seems like that kind of work isn't always available.

The pay varies from project to project, too... It might be hard to keep it going consistently.

Is that so... Working really is difficult, isn't it...?

Haha. I guess so.

Well, you don't need to worry about it yet. When you do start working, you can treat all of us to a meal.

Yes...! Leave it to me!