Chapter 15: 6 Hands, Wretched Noise

The piano cried as both me and Ray played, if you could call it that. A cacophony of pure noise submerged the room. My implants barely hanging in there, as I tried my hardest to touch her fingers with my own. My eyes often gravitating towards her. She was practically in her own world. That said, I had my heart tearing at my chest. Constantly wondering if she noticed, becoming self-aware of my sweat.

Amidst this horrid orchestra, you could hear thunderous laughter. In the corner of my eye, as if dying, laid Jishi. Convulsing on the floor as air continued to leave his body.

"What are you even playing now?" Deranged words leaving Jishi's lips in between his gasps for air. Thinking about what he said, I really couldn't answer. To think we started playing Twinkle Little Star. After showing it off once, Ray learned its simple melody quickly. As she played, I aided her with my side of the piano. Giving the childish eager song a slightly elegant feel. This didn't last long.

A few minutes passed until she said, "Okay, let's make this exciting". Then she began smashing into random keys. Oh, how I regret getting dragged into this. Back in the now, Ray pursed her lips as she said.

"This doesn't sound too great" Her hands stopping to reach her chin. Their porcelain skin picking up the light in the room. Although my eyes gravitated to her every move, my head rejoiced. "FINALLY!!" it yelled in the deepest corner of my head.

"Obviously it doesn't, you ditched the actual song for something random," Jishi let his opinion free this amidst his laughing. Ray unfaced turned to me as she replied.

"Not true, at least I know Yata doesn't hate it, right?" Her eager voice laid the pressure on me. "It was terrible" if I say that. What will she do? She wouldn't hate me, right?

As my head burned away into an answer, I felt her stare on me. Her golden eyes glowing like stars into mine. God, why? Dark pressure loomed over me, my face burning. Time is against me. This odd silence, I must fight it. I have to use it, that technique. Taking my lips into a smile, I stare back.

My father, the sovereign, has passed this technique to me. I remember his exact words. "Child of mine, in times of great peril, a smile can never fail you. No matter how forced." I never found it useful to force a smile. Mainly because it only makes my mother angrier when he forces the smile. But this time, I had faith. So I faced her with a smile so forced Star Wars might hire me as a Jedi.

Her glowing eyes turned blank. A shadow lurked above her face as she slowly turned to Jishi. Her eyes at the verge of crying stared into Jishi's dark childish eyes. His restrained chuckles breaking the silence.

"YOU CAN'T DO ANY BETTER CAN YOU!?" A pouty shout filled the room. Small tears accompanying it. Jishi only burst out into laughter, while guilt jabbed into my heart.

"You want me to help?" His voice slightly arrogant, poking at Ray even more. Despite that, my body instantly nodded in agreement. Which made Ray sulk even more.

"Guess I'll reduce myself to baseball..." Her words became a feeble whisper. I felt even worse, but Jishi this time Jishi contained his laugh. He walked towards me, leaving the violin in its usual corner. Shivers ran through me. He will not play the piano, right?

It was then when I saw his usually childish eyes. They glowed in bloodlust. Instinctively, I reached for the control of my implant in my left pocket. But I was too slow. Jishi grabbed my hand, handing me a malicious smile. Then taking a seat beside me, but not too close, he spoke in a gleeful tone.

"I will show you the beauty of a random piano," his words made my stomach turn. My lips turning into a strange smile, in my right Ray retorted.

"WAIT, YOU CAN'T EVEN PLAY!?!" Ray was beyond flustered at this point. Her cheeks glowing like rose-colored porcelain.

"You fool to truly play, you only need to believe you can." Ray's eyes sort of died after such words of wisdom. After those glorious words, my subconscious begged me to ignore him as hard as I can.

"Well then, lets go" Jishi copied my stance as he expressed his eagerness to my detriment. A dreadful noise filled the room. It was horrible. Despite that, I couldn't help but smile. Jishi closed his eyes as he attempted to play. Ray muttered away under her breath as if to ignore it. Still, none of them stopped smiling. Like that time passed, and soon the bright noon turned to a warm evening.