Blues on the Canvas

3.9

July 7th of 2016

Hanae blinked at Yusuke, she didn't think he needed her to model. Out of every pretty girl in their school and in Shibuya, out of all the beautiful objects, she didn't know why.

"Me? Yusuke I'm shy- I can't keep a pose for long without getting embarrassed-" she said, scratching her cheek.

"I see potential in you Hanae, allow me to be the one to unlock it." he replied, smiling widely with a satisfied chuckle. He thrust a finger-frame at her face again. "I can already imagine the amount of artworks I could make, ah it seems the art gods have dawned on me!

"If this wasn't coming from you, I wouldn't have agreed...so fine, just for you okay?" she sighed, putting down his finger-frame with her hands. "But first, the planetarium."

Yusuke nodded enthusiastically, and waited for the train to arrive at Ikebukuro with his mind bustling with ideas.

It was some sort of epiphany for him, some realisation that would last for a few weeks, but it was enough for him to work with. 

The two arrived at the Planetarium, with Yusuke getting a free gift after being the 100th visitor that day. Though Hanae didn't notice this gift, Yusuke put it in his bag with a satisfied smile. They sat waiting for the space show that was to happen in 10 minutes.

"I've never seen your eyes sparkle this much Yusuke, the stars are lovely aren't they? Though they aren't real, it makes me think that when it is night time, the stars are shining just for you, encouraging and showing you the way." Hanae said, while admiring the pictures of stars spread around them. "I'm particularly fond of the moon haha, maybe that's why I'm called the pianist of the moon-"

"If you didn't remind me, I would have forgotten you were a celebrity Hanae. But yes, the stars are wonderful, the way they sparkle in the night, a natural beauty at its finest." Yusuke replied, his head tilted upwards but his eyes turned towards Hanae. Her eyes sparkled even more in the dark light, her own smile warmer than the Sun itself.

Hanae noticed and poked him on the shoulder, giggling at his awkwardness. Yusuke blushed a little, but she didn't see as the lights went completely off. 

Yusuke stared at the pictures of stars and comets, it reminded him of his mother. All those dreams she had could've been painted on the canvas, the infinite amount of drawings she would've shown to the world, like the stars in her galaxy of art. He smiled at the picture of Venus that was showing on screen, knowing that the path he's walking now is correct.

When the show ended, Hanae turned to Yusuke with a bright smile, only to see a small tear drop fall from his face.

"Aw Yusuke, even the galaxies made you cry?" she laughed, then she patted him on the head to reassure him. "I wonder who'll protect you in the future if you have so much worries..."

Yusuke used his sleeves to wipe his tear drop and smiled.

"I'll protect myself, there's no need to worry about me."

Upon leaving, Yusuke gave Hanae the gift he was given when entering, a crescent moon fairy light. He watched as she smiled and thanked him, only for her to realise she had an appointment at Jazz Jin. She dashed off after saying bye, leaving Yusuke alone in the station, paying his ticket with the cash she left behind for him.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

Akira sat at the front table of Jazz Jin, waiting for the performance that was about to come. He watched as Hanae stepped onto the small stage's piano right behind the guest singer. She noticed him and smiled at him, she was only there for one short performance and afterwards she would continue her lessons with Akira.

The performance ended, Akira applauded as she sat next to him. 

"Nice performance Uchida-san." he started, giving her a small clap.

"Thank you Kurusu-kun, sorry to keep you waiting though." she replied, scratching her cheek. "You said you had a recording for me?"

Akira pulled out his phone and gave her his headphones. She took them and listened, he had done his research beforehand to learn the flats and sharps and different scales. Though he went really slow and messed up sometimes, Hanae applauded his effort.

"Well you're getting there much faster than others, so congrats! How about we listen to different pieces to find the perfect piece you want to start with then? Keep working on your scales though."

They went through different pieces, from waltzes to sonatas, minors and majors. 

Rank 2: Musical Ear

Allows Joker to hear the humming of shadows nearby to identify what persona it is

+ 2 proficiency points

They ended up on an easy waltz, waltz in A minor. Hanae sent a picture of her own copy she had in the past to Akira, and smiled.

"Wishing you the best when trying it out! I recommend going slow and using a metronome if your school has any. Text me if you need me!" she said. "Oh I should get going, the school dorms close at 9. See you Kurusu-kun!"

Akira nodded and waved goodbye, but continued to sit at the table to finish off his drink.