Different Paths

Part One

I had the honor of being chosen to represent my school in an upcoming piano competition. This prestigious event will feature one pianist from each school in Tokyo, competing against one another. Eager to seize this wonderful opportunity, I enthusiastically accepted the offer.

On the theater stage, bathed in a soft spotlight, I effortlessly danced my fingers across the ivory keys. Each note resonated through the theater, filling the air with a captivating melody. As my index finger pressed the last key, I slowly got up from the chair to bow to the audience, who began to clap. Walking off the stage, I felt someone glaring at me. I stopped in my tracks, and the boy who was staring at me also stopped next to me.

"You have no chance of winning against me, Suzuki Myoja" he mumbled and before I could reply he started walking past me and I turned around 'Who does he think, he is?' I thought and I started to walk toward the audience seat and I sat next to my sensei. I asked my teacher who that might be. "Oh that boy is Haruki Sone he was quite a popular young pianist, he started playing when he was six from what I heard' I thanked sensei and watched his performance. My eyes widened up to his performance, after his performance he got up and looked towards me with a smirk on his face.' Dammit.' I curse, I can the anguish in my body.

All the participants were called to the stage to announce the awards. I was standing next to Sone, who still had a smirk on his face. Three participants were remaining, me, a girl, and Haruki Sone. The announcer announced the top 3. It was the girl. Now, down to the top 2, I closed my eyes, praying that it wasn't me. The announcer called my name. My eyes widened and I walked to the center. I lowered my head, and the announcer placed the medal around my neck. I bowed and left the stage to meet with my teacher. "Hey, kid, don't be sad you didn't get the number one. Don't worry, there's always next time," he said. He placed his hand on my head and patted it. I turned to my teacher's smiling face and smiled back. "There you go, let's eat." We laughed and left the theater to go eat.

I have an older brother, who always loved playing piano since he was a kid, he is good at it our house was decorated with all his success and I felt so inspired by my older brother's talent I always watched my brother practice i was amazed and he asks if I wanted him to teach me to play the piano, I quickly said yes. I don't know what went wrong one day my older brother took his own life and I was the one to find him in his room. I could never understand why, he looked so happy and alive I had never seen him sad or crying he only left a note, the note simply said, 'I'm sorry..' I crumble the paper, how dare he leave without explanation.

I told to my teacher to drop me off at the store close to my. "You sure, you're going to be okay?" Sensei asked and I smiled "Yeah, thank you sensei I'm just going to get something from the store you don't have to wait and drop me at my house my house is close so I can walk it" He nodded and I waved goodbye. I went inside the store to get flowers and start at the sky through the window, it's going to rain soon so I brought an umbrella too, I didn't go in the direction of my house I went in the direction of the cemetery. It started raining i opened my umbrella and stopped in my tracks at my older brother's and my dad's graves. My dad died of a heart attack, and he died a year after my brother's death, he was an artist and he started overworking he locked himself in his drawing room after my brother died. I place the two flowers I just brought to my dad's and brother's graves.

"I won second play in a piano competition, but I will win first place next time" I held my medal tightly and I could feel my tears falling down my cheeks, there was a strong wind which my umbrella almost split into my hand but my other hand holds it tightly, the wind was gone and I said my goodbyes to my dad and brother, I started walking away to go home.

I arrived at my house. "I am home" I took off my shoes, but I didn't get a response, I walked to the kitchen to see mom note on the counter, the note simply said, 'I have to work overtime, I might get home around 10 pm there's food in the fridge you can just heat it and you don't have to wait for me' I read the note and I just know she will also leave me in this hell hole soon. All of us living things are meant to be alone. We are happy once in our lives but it's only limited, I just wish I could go back and not waste those happy times, now I live filled with regrets, what-ifs, and unanswered questions, and I don't know what to do with my life anymore. How can life be so cruel to us.

I walked past my brother's music room and dad's drawing room, I arrived at my room placed my medal on my desk, and threw myself in my bed. I stared at the ceiling, I wished I could just sleep and never wake up again without any pain. I stared at the ceiling I don't know how long all I could just hear was the rain and my eyes started to be consumed by darkness.

I slowly opened my eyes and sat up in bed. "I'm still alive." I thought. I walked toward the bathroom and stared at myself in the mirror. All I could say was, "Damn, you really messed up." I washed my face and looked at my phone's clock. It was 8 pm, and I realized I had only slept for about 4 hours. I decided to heat the food in the fridge.

I was scrolling through social media when I received a message from my best friend, Kiyoshi Akagi, whom I had befriended in my freshman year. The message read, "Hey Suzuki, I just found out you won second place. I'm happy for you, my friend. You better treat me to ice cream tomorrow as you promised." I smiled as I remembered the promise I made to treat him to ice cream. I replied, "How could you still remember that promise?" He replied quickly, "Of course, I have a long memory." I retorted, "Oh, so you have a long memory when it comes to me promising you an ice cream but not for exams?" He said, "Well, whatever, you better get me ice cream." I chuckled and closed my phone to finish eating my food. And I went back to sleep again. I was grateful to have met Kiyoshi and developed a friendship with him. Kiyoshi was always eager to lend a helping hand to anyone in need. It's still a mystery to me how we became friends despite having very little in common.

I heard a familiar voice call my name – "Suzuki!" I turned around and saw Kiyoshi approaching. I waved as he walked towards me. "Hey, how's your class?" I asked.

"Normal as always. And yours?" he replied.

"Super boring without you," I chuckled. Kiyoshi and I didn't have the same year, I'm in my second year while Kiyoshi was in his third year in senior high"Hey, did you forget the ice cream?" he asked.

"Ah, dammit," I exclaimed. He laughed and said, "Let's go get ice cream, and you're paying."

I playfully told him to shut up, warning him that I'd make him pay for his ice cream.

I was thankful I met Kiyoshi and became his friend, Kiyoshi always loved helping others when they needed it, I don't how this guy even became my friend when we had no things in common. I'm worried about him, I am a very observant person I couldn't help to notice that he's the kind of person who helps others but when it comes to himself, he doesn't seek help when he needs it. I wish I wasn't an observant person, I hate how I know too much. Being observant is a curse and a blessing. Sometimes it's useful to know too much. When I was a kid other children would always call me weird for paying too much to detail, that is why I rarely made friends.

I was on my way home but I decided to pay a visit to the cemetery I saw a figure in front of my dad's and brother's graves, I got closer to see who is it and it was my mom. "Mom, I thought you were at work?" I asked because I recall her telling me she's overtime again. "My boss gave us a break" Mom confessed and I nodded. I stood next to her and stared at the graves for quite a minute, the air was filled with silence until I brought it by asking her something that had been on my mind. "Will you as well going to leave me?" I asked a serious question I stared at her and Mom kept her eyes on the graves. "Perhaps...But I wanted to see you happy before I go" I looked back at the graves and asked "You promise?" Mom stared at me and her lips curved into a small smile and answered. "I promise" She starts walking away slowly from the graves.