[ficlet] Serious (Corda4)
Title: Serious
Fandom: Kin'iro no Corda 4 (spoilers for Toki's path)
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Corda belongs to Kure-sensei, KoeiTecmo, Ruby Party, etc.
Notes: Year of Corda: Toki Housei. (Actual birthday: 8/21) Happy [very] belated birthday to my favorite Corda 3/4 character! ♥♥♥ But you still owe me for the gikushaku and all the drama, Housei!
Serious
Toki gazed intently at the young woman in front of him, mildly unsettled by the intensity of her green eyes staring up at him. He held the eye contact for a few long moments then shook his head with a sigh. Their stalemate ended when they both took up their respective instruments to engage in yet another practice session.
No matter what excuses he used -- his typically poor health, the extra weight of the viola, the uncomfortable shifting temperatures as fall faded into winter -- Kohinata saw through him, seeming to doubt his every word now that his best friend had opened her eyes to the fact that Toki had been simply going through the motions and not actually taking the ensembles seriously. Toki strongly suspected that he would not be allowed another date like their walk through the rose garden.
At least not until one of them caved, and he could see no signs of Kohinata accepting his views regarding the amount of effort required for their ensemble performances anytime soon.
Thanks a lot, Chiaki. I definitely owe you one, he thought sourly. Toki already invested a large amount of energy into meeting Tohgane's high standards in his normal musical endeavors. The last thing he needed was Kohinata demanding that he put that same effort into these hodge-podge ensembles made up of musicians from various schools. Just the thought of it made him feel tired and irritable.
Toki had practiced this particular piece with her numerous times, both as a duet and with the entire ensemble. While it was a fine selection in and of itself, it fell short of impressive from Toki's point of view -- or so he had thought every other time they played. Today, however, was different. Kohinata's playing sounded much more polished, but more than that her overall skill seemed to have grown by leaps and bounds since the last time Toki had last paid close attention. The change was so drastic that he found himself wondering what the hell had happened. Once they reached the end of the piece he nearly asked her just that. Instead, a compliment rose to his lips, and Kohinata's reaction was unexpectedly mistrustful.
Is this where we are now? She doesn't even trust positive feedback? Another sigh left him, and Toki attempted to reassure her that he truly meant his words.
Why isn't it enough to just enjoy playing together? Why push so hard that you stretch yourself thin and become exhausted?
Toki couldn't understand why Kohinata persisted in striving above and beyond what he felt these ensembles required. Perhaps she had internalized the perfectionistic influences of the likes of Kisaragi Ritsu and Tohgane Chiaki. Perhaps she felt she had something to prove to superior musicians like Amane's Myouga. Perhaps she merely was searching for something within her own music and simply doing her best to find it. Whatever the case, Toki found that when Kohinata gazed up at him and repeated her request that he take the ensembles seriously, this time he felt compelled to answer differently.
He nearly laughed aloud at the realization, the bitter amusement dying on his tongue. How on earth did you do this to me, Kohinata?
Very well. If "serious" was what she wanted, then "serious" was exactly what she would get.
I hope you're prepared for that, Kohinata-chan.
Fandom: Kin'iro no Corda 4 (spoilers for Toki's path)
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Corda belongs to Kure-sensei, KoeiTecmo, Ruby Party, etc.
Notes: Year of Corda: Toki Housei. (Actual birthday: 8/21) Happy [very] belated birthday to my favorite Corda 3/4 character! ♥♥♥ But you still owe me for the gikushaku and all the drama, Housei!
Serious
Toki gazed intently at the young woman in front of him, mildly unsettled by the intensity of her green eyes staring up at him. He held the eye contact for a few long moments then shook his head with a sigh. Their stalemate ended when they both took up their respective instruments to engage in yet another practice session.
No matter what excuses he used -- his typically poor health, the extra weight of the viola, the uncomfortable shifting temperatures as fall faded into winter -- Kohinata saw through him, seeming to doubt his every word now that his best friend had opened her eyes to the fact that Toki had been simply going through the motions and not actually taking the ensembles seriously. Toki strongly suspected that he would not be allowed another date like their walk through the rose garden.
At least not until one of them caved, and he could see no signs of Kohinata accepting his views regarding the amount of effort required for their ensemble performances anytime soon.
Thanks a lot, Chiaki. I definitely owe you one, he thought sourly. Toki already invested a large amount of energy into meeting Tohgane's high standards in his normal musical endeavors. The last thing he needed was Kohinata demanding that he put that same effort into these hodge-podge ensembles made up of musicians from various schools. Just the thought of it made him feel tired and irritable.
Toki had practiced this particular piece with her numerous times, both as a duet and with the entire ensemble. While it was a fine selection in and of itself, it fell short of impressive from Toki's point of view -- or so he had thought every other time they played. Today, however, was different. Kohinata's playing sounded much more polished, but more than that her overall skill seemed to have grown by leaps and bounds since the last time Toki had last paid close attention. The change was so drastic that he found himself wondering what the hell had happened. Once they reached the end of the piece he nearly asked her just that. Instead, a compliment rose to his lips, and Kohinata's reaction was unexpectedly mistrustful.
Is this where we are now? She doesn't even trust positive feedback? Another sigh left him, and Toki attempted to reassure her that he truly meant his words.
Why isn't it enough to just enjoy playing together? Why push so hard that you stretch yourself thin and become exhausted?
Toki couldn't understand why Kohinata persisted in striving above and beyond what he felt these ensembles required. Perhaps she had internalized the perfectionistic influences of the likes of Kisaragi Ritsu and Tohgane Chiaki. Perhaps she felt she had something to prove to superior musicians like Amane's Myouga. Perhaps she merely was searching for something within her own music and simply doing her best to find it. Whatever the case, Toki found that when Kohinata gazed up at him and repeated her request that he take the ensembles seriously, this time he felt compelled to answer differently.
He nearly laughed aloud at the realization, the bitter amusement dying on his tongue. How on earth did you do this to me, Kohinata?
Very well. If "serious" was what she wanted, then "serious" was exactly what she would get.
I hope you're prepared for that, Kohinata-chan.