Chapter 264: It''s Okay to Go Slowly
The music video began with the teaser footage that had already been revealed. Shizuka was walking through the snow-covered mountains of Akita before entering a cave, where she encountered a piano that transformed into Geon, who smiled brightly. d in a ck suit, Geon held Shizuka''s hand, and as a warm breeze blew, she gently closed and then opened her eyes. In front of her, a ck grand piano glistened under the light descending from the cave''s ceiling. Seated at the piano, Shizuka opened her eyes wide, smiling brightly as she ced her slender, beautiful fingers on the piano''s white and ck keys.
The camera zoomed out, showing her ying the piano in the middle of the cave and then the entirety of the cave. Moss covered the walls here and there, and the grand piano among the rocks began to produce sound. As the soft piano music started to y, Momoko, who had been listening intently, was slightly startled.
"What? It''s beautiful! This mysterious and beautiful atmosphere is just like the music from a Studio Ghibli animation!"
The New Age-style piano performance was both beautiful and mysterious. Though slow, the piece was filled with hope and joy. Shizuka, who had been ying the piano with a bright expression, paused her performance and quietly looked down at the keys. The camera then transitioned to a close-up of her beautiful profile as she smiled slightly, then switched to Shizuka standing alone amidst the smog-filled city. She looked around at the busy passersby with a puzzled expression and then moved on.
As the piano music resumed, the mood of the piece changed. Unlike the previous beautiful and mysterious piece, this was a lonely and sad melody that made Momoko''s eyes tremble as she watched.
"Can a piano alone evoke such emotional shifts?"
The scene with Shizuka walking through the city streets, with everyone else in ck and white except for her, highlighted how she tried to interact with passersby who showed no interest and simply nced at her before moving on. As people moved faster around her, she stopped, lowering her hand and bowing her head as numerous people passed by her swiftly. Geon, still in his stylish ck suit, crossed his arms and watched her from a distance, the only person in color in the frame.
The scene then shifted to Shizuka, now ustomed to city life, carrying a basket while shopping at a crowded market. She managed to grab a radish among the throng and sighed softly before cing it in her basket and hurrying off. Geon, leaning against a wall, watched her leave with a smile.
The screen changed again, showing Shizuka heading to the library with her backpack. Again, Geon followed a bit behind, arms crossed, smiling as he walked.Then, the scene shifted to Shizuka sitting alone on a swing at a yground, her head bowed. As she slowly swung, digging her toes into the sand, the swing next to her began to move. Without noticing someone else was swinging next to her, the camera panned out to reveal Geon, smiling brightly as he swung high. Seeing Shizuka walking home alone with a lonely expression, he stopped swinging and stepped down, a look of pity crossing his face as he watched her back.
The scene changed to Shizuka in what appeared to be her rooftop room. Sitting on a tform on the rooftop, she looked out at the cold night city with a lonely expression before shedding a tear. Geon, sitting cross-legged and arms crossed behind her, watched her back with deep eyes. Momoko watching the video tilted her head in confusion.
"Was Kay the role of the piano? Why is he always behind?"
The scene changed again, with the background shifting from Japan to the United States. Still, the streets of Manhattan were filled with people busily walking about. Shizuka, standing among them with sad eyes, looked down before slowly raising her eyes to see a pair of ck shoes standing in front of her. Though the background and people sped past, Shizuka moved slowly, lifting her head to see Geon smiling brightly and extending his hand to her.
Shizuka, with wide eyes, looked down at Geon''s hand, signaling her to take it. As she ced her white hand in his, ck wings explosively unfurled from Geon''s back. Startled, Shizuka looked at Geon''s back, and he, smiling slyly, took her hand and flew up into the sky. Reaching above the clouds, Geon pointed down at the sprawling city of Manhattan and the tiny figures of people below, which made Shizuka''s face, initially scared, rx into a smile. Seeing her smile, Geon joyfully grabbed her hand and they began to fly faster, the cityscape rushing by below them. Soon, they were flying near the dark night clouds, under a sky filled only with stars and the moon.
The piano music
returned, focusing on Shizuka''s face as she looked at the fast-moving sea and stars. The music transitioned back to the beautiful and mysterious tune from the beginning, and Geon, flying with Shizuka in his arms, spread his wings wide. Geon, with a beautiful smile, began to sing.
The scent of magnolias
Tickles my nose
The yful grasshopper
Led you to that day
As the music and the scene captivated Momoko, she gasped.
"Was, was Kay singing?"
In the video, Geon, smiling broadly, flew towards the full moon with Shizuka in his arms, looking back at her.
The dark, sparkling you
The big, scary you
The sounds you made
The big, beautiful sounds
The small, sweet sounds
The small, scared me
Listened to your voice
As the beautiful voice of Geon and the lovely lyrics blended with the video of them flying to the full moon, Momoko was mesmerized. The screen turned ck and white, showing Shizuka, who had always been alone, with Geon always standing by her side, watching over her with a smile. These images, like a panorama film, moved across the screen over the beautiful piano music and Geon''s beautiful voice, creating an even more mysterious atmosphere.
As long as themunication between us through the years
As much as we''ve endured today
Despite many frustrations, the strength to endure
I hope that strength can be mine
To be a little happier, a little stronger
As we have been, always
As Geon gently stroked Shizuka''s back while she flew, sping his hand, a warm yellow light burst forth from his palm. Startled by the light emerging from her back, Shizuka turned around to see the light transform into a pair of golden, shimmering butterfly wings. Seeing Geon smiling with wide eyes, sheughed yfully. Suddenly, Geon let go of Shizuka''s hand, causing her to il in the air and start falling towards the sea. Terrified, she struggled as she fell, but then Geon, who had been falling with his wings folded, unfurled his wings next to her with a smile. As Shizuka clenched her fists and gathered strength, her golden butterfly wings spread wide, halting her fall. Looking around at her own body and wings in midair, Shizuka saw Geon looking down at her with a bright expression. From below, Geon smiled and sang as he watched Shizuka with her wings spread.
"The cocoon of a butterfly,
In the moonlight that faces the dawn,
Between gypsum and jasmine,
Lies a long sleep for a great wingbeat.
You, who were dark and shining,
You, who wererge and frightening,
The sounds you made,
Large and beautiful,
Small and sweet,
I, who was small and scared,
Listened to your voice."
Pointing towards the full moon, Geon moved his hand, and Shizuka flew towards it with powerful wing beats. Soon, Geon caught up with her, and they both smiled at each other. The two flew through the endless sky until theynded on a star-filled mountain at night. After a few ps of Geon''srge, ck wings, he folded them and extended his hand, and Shizuka, folding her golden butterfly wings neatly, took it with augh.
As Geon walked through the snow-covered mountain holding her hand, their figures gradually faded away. A drone-like view from above showed only their footprints on the untouched snow. Briefly clearing the path of overhanging branches, Geonughed brightly and gestured towards a cave, causing Shizuka to look surprised at the entrance. With a smile, Geon entered first, followed by a hesitant Shizuka.
Inside the cave was a vast space with a ceiling hole that let in moonlight, just like in a teaser video. As Shizuka searched for Geon, her eyesnded on a grand piano, sparkling as it stood exactly where she remembered. With a wide smile, Shizuka spread her wings, flew up, and sat at the piano,ughing as she yed along with the music.
After ying an interlude on the piano, Shizuka raised her hands high andughed brightly as she looked at the full moon through the open ceiling. The piano disappeared, and there stood Shizuka, gazing at the full moon with a smile. Geon, looking at her, recited with a beautiful smile,
"O garden of my torment,
My sound that is so hard to hold,
On your voice, wings p,
Moonlit butterflies and cold stars,
A little more happiness, a little more solidity,
As always, now and forever,
Be with me."
The view through the open ceiling ascended to the sky, moving away from the two people inside the basin, surrounding the beautiful full moon with twinkling stars. In the top left corner of the ck screen, beautiful cursive writing appeared,
''First Edition. Shizuka Miyawaki''
Below it, smaller text appeared,
Vocal by Kay
Piano by Shizuka Miyawaki
Direct by Tim Kutton
The screen turned ck as if the video had ended, but then it lit up again with a photo of Shizuka smiling brightly and Geon standing behind her, blurry and out of focus, in ck and white. At the bottom center, white text floated up,
''The Second Angel of Fantagio''
The screen went ck again with a reload symbol, but Momoko, with her mouth agape and staring at the screen, was unable to do anything. After a while, enjoying the addictive and beautiful sound of the piano, Momoko took off her earphones and sighed,
"This is amazing..."
Lifting her head, Momoko saw Yuuna, reying the video several times, oblivious to the drool on her lips.
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