Love's Melody

"Her heartbeat stopped!" yelled the head surgeon. "Quickly grab the ICD!"

When she woke up she was no longer on the operating table, she was somewhere she didn't know. There was nothing but water and a clear sky. Then she smiled, knowing that she had died.

He walked toward the grand piano, seconds away from having to perform, from having to meet the expectations of his rivals. But the thing he was thinking about was still her, his mind seems to always wonder back to her. He bowed, sat down, and unbuttoned the bottom button of his blue suit. He had to play, he promised her and was going to make sure he tells her how he played when he goes back to visit.

'She'll still be there when I go back, right? She won't leave me, she's strong and she'll beat any illness.'

He had the intentions to start but instead he planted his face in his hands. It hurt too much; it was all too much to bear. First losing his mother then losing the person he loved. It wasn't fair, why him?

'You're looking down again.' Her voice ringed in his head, the voice that always pushed him past his excuses and beyond his limit.

ACHOO!

It was the sneeze that woke him up, that reminded him of who he was playing for. He was playing for his friends, his teacher, his rivals, for everyone. But most important of all…he was playing for her.

He begins, Chopin Ballade No.1 in G Minor Op.23, he pours his entire being into the piano. Letting the sounds express thoughts he couldn't put into words. Memories of her started surfacing in his head and he could feel her presence within him, suddenly he wants his thoughts to reach her. He wants her to know how much he loves her, how much he means to her.

All of a sudden, she's standing there with her violin, playing with him but then she starts disappearing. He starts to push his limit, playing to have her stay. It's like Watari said, he'll do anything for her.

'Don't you dare leave!'

She hears something.

"Is that the piano?" said Kaori as she got up and walked towards the direction in which the sound was coming from. She walked what felt an eternity but not getting any closer to the source.

'When I get back we can argue again.'

"It got louder," said Kaori as she stopped. "Is this…Kousei's piano?"

'I'll bribe you with caneles.'

"This is…Chopin," said Kaori putting her hands over her mouth, tears about to spill out. "It's really you, Kousei."

'I don't mind being Friend A.'

"Kousei?" said Kaori looking up. 'I can hear his voice.'

'Don't leave me behind.'

"I don't want to! I want to live! But it's already too late…," screamed Kaori hoping her voice could reach Kousei when she knew it couldn't.

'No, watch me! I'll give the performance of my life, and then you will be so amazed that you won't be able to leave!'

"Kousei," said Kaori now fully crying. 'How did this happen? I was at peace a second ago and you just had to come and ruin everything. It's all your fault, dumb Kosei!'

'I'M NOT LETTING YOU LEAVE ME!'

'I'll come beat you up after this operation is done and I recover.'

BEEP

"She's alive!"

"BRAVO!"

"ENCORE!"

"ARIMA KOUSEI!"

'Did I reach her?'

'You did.' Hearing her voice, he turns his head and look through the audience looking for her. He heard her but maybe that's just his head playing tricks on him. Then without him realizing he's starting to cry as well.

As he stepped outside he felt his cell phone vibrate within his pocket and took it out to check.

Incoming call…Miyazono Kaori.

Picking it up immediately he heard nothing but crying and his heart dropped, fearing the worst had happened.

"Are you okay Kousei?" asked Tsubaki with a concerned tone, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"It reached her…it really reached her."