His Lie in April - 四月の彼の嘘 (Shigatsu no Kare no Uso) (COMPLETE)

All For One, and One For All

The day of the gala had arrived. Kaori was fully ready, her mind prepared and focused on the concert at hand. On the other hand, for Kousei, all those things that he was used to as a musician, were now becoming chores for him. Kaori was in her white dress, waiting for Kousei to arrive. She checked her clock on her phone. 11AM. "Damn it! Where is that damn Kousei? I get it that he's been having problems, but to be a bit late like this? That's unlike him!"

Has my head fallen off? Is it time for me to reunite with my mother?

Indeed, the short-term memory loss was getting to Kousei. It was the day of the gala. He needed his phone to find his way to Towa Hall, but even at that, Kousei would unintentionally veer off course. The past two months have been a blur to him. His mobility now being limited, it seemed like walking a mile/kilometer was a chore in and of itself. Kaori checked her clock again. 11:05 AM. "Damn!" She called Kousei. No response. Hiroko happened to be with her, as were Tsubaki and Watari. Hiroko checked her phone clock as well. 11:10 AM. "Damn! damn!" It was unlike Kousei Arima to show up anywhere late. 

He was usually at least a half-hour early, and he was a very punctual person. But since the short-term memory loss had set in, it was now becoming common for him to be late for things. Sure enough, however, Kousei, dressed in his blue suit, showed up at 11:15 AM, and showed up just walking very funny. Kaori was rather furious. Kousei said, upon arriving, in an absent minded tone "Where.... where am.... I?" He also turned his head left and right, confused as to where he was momentarily.

Kaori barked at Kousei "Dammit, Humpty Dumpty! Do you have no concept of time?!" Hiroko glared at Kaori. "Kaori, dammit, be nice to Kousei! Do you realize the extent of his injuries? He's been through so much, and yet you are being insensitive towards him!" Kaori came to her senses, noticing the contusions on Kousei's head. 

"Dear god.... I'm sorry, Kousei. You've been through so much..... you look like a mess right now! Are you sure you can still perform looking like this?" Kousei also came to his senses momentarily. "Yes..... I can. Sorry, my mind..... must've shorted out..... temporarily. Where am..... I? What am..... I doing?" 

"There ya go again! You spaced out!" Kousei then said "It's..... nothing. I had..... a nightmare..... about my mother..... last night. I'd..... rather not..... talk about..... it..... please." Kousei then looked to Hiroko. "Hiroko..... has my..... head..... fallen off..... yet?" Another sign of his increasingly apparent nerve damage in his brain was him asking questions repetitively, such as this one regarding whether his head had fallen off yet; this was his most common question. "No, Kousei. It's still there. Your head hasn't fallen off yet. Come on, get in the concert hall, you're a bit late as it is." Kousei hesitated but agreed. "O.... kay." He said.

Many of the young musicians of Japan inside the auditorium, as were many of the spectators for the gala, became fixated on the somewhat emaciated and haggard-looking Kousei. Emi Igawa and Takeshi AIza were there, and those feelings of pity they had harbored for him in their last encounter together, had now increased tenfold.

The other musicians also murmured over Kousei's condition, as well.

Keiko, can you believe this? Kousei looks like almost a shell of his former self.

No, I don't believe it either.....

That Kousei.... good god.... will bad luck strike him again? It's almost like as he drove off a cliff!

Will Kousei ever be the same again? It's been a while since we've seen him play the piano. We hope that hitting his head twice won't affect his skills....

For Kousei, his diminishing brain had no idea how to process all this pity people were feeling for him. Just then, Hiroko spotted Kousei and Kaori. The two women needed to have a talk with him. Hiroko said, "Go in the dressing room, Kousei. We need to have a talk with you." Just then, the two led Kousei into the dressing room. They had a pep talk with him.

Hiroko started. "Kousei.... this past month, you've hit your head quite a few times, you're your mobility has been limited! I know that it's been tough, but please, for your sake, for my sake, and for Kaori's sake....... Please endure. Please, do not push yourself so far, where you crash and burn. You've had days where you look exhausted and unenthusiastic!"

Kousei turned his gaze at Kaori. "Yes..... guys. I'm sorry..... my brain..... has.... gone haywire.... malfunctioned..... even. I had..... a nightmare..... about..... me.... and my..... mother..... last night. It's..... still.... personal to..... me." Kaori sighed as Kousei gave her a strange look, almost like if she were an alien to him. "Jeez, Kousei, you become clear one moment and think I'm from another planet the next..... cut the melodrama already." Hiroko told Kaori, again, "Again, please be nice to him. Don't push him." 

Kousei had another moment of clarity. "You.... were right.... all along. My mother.... she may be.... gone.... but I will..... put my..... best foot.... forward. I need..... to try.... and move.... along.... without her." Hiroko reassured Kousei. "I know your head is quite fragile.... but hang in there. There are people who support you all the way, and they want to see you succeed with Kaori! You have my support, and Kaori has your support." 

Kaori then put her hand on Kousei's forehead. Part of it had one of the contusions from one of the blows to the head. "OW!" Kousei said as he felt a slight twinge of pain. "Sorry, sorry..... I didn't realize I touched one of your impacted areas." Kousei said "It's all.... right." Kaori continued "But the point is, you've come this far. Even though you have been through so much, this is your time to shine. It may or may not be the last time..... but make this the best damn performance of your life!" Kousei nodded, and his long face became a happy one. "You.... got it." 

Kaori then put her fist out. Kousei did likewise, then Hiroko put forward her fists. The three fists joined together, and Kaori let out this battle cry "All for one..... and one for all! On three, Kousei, Kaori, and myself...." "ALL FOR ONE, AND ONE FOR ALL!" they all said, but Kousei came out saying it as "ALL FOR..... ONE.... AND ONE.... FOR ALL!". Just as that was done, the three split temporarily.