In an elegant room, sunlight filtered through clean windowpanes, casting a warm golden luster upon the wooden floor.
The air was filled with a faint scent of pine and paint. In a corner of the room, a well-maintained piano, which should have been producing soft or passionate melodies under a performer's fingertips, was instead...
Mamoru's hands turned into afterimages, dancing wildly on the black and white keys. A series of chaotic, clashing notes crashed into the quiet air. Rather than a performance, it was more like a torture for the ears.
Yakumo, sitting before her easel, could finally take no more. She gently set down her brush, the handle clicking crisply against the wooden palette. Her slender brows were tightly knit, and her light brown eyes were filled with the displeasure and helplessness of being disturbed.
"Can't you be a bit quieter?"
Responding to her was a high note that Mamoru struck with extra force.
As the lingering vibration of the piano strings still trembled in the air, Mamoru abruptly withdrew his hands and drew a flamboyant, graceful arc in the air, as if he were a piano master who had just perfectly performed a world-renowned masterpiece.
He tilted his head back slightly and closed his eyes, a look of intoxication and satisfaction on his face, even the stray hairs on his forehead swaying gently with his movements.
"Refreshing."
He raised his hand and unhurriedly wiped non-existent sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, his tone full of contentment.
This smooth performance made the corner of Yakumo's lips twitch, and the look of disdain in her eyes was almost overflowing. She took a deep breath, the rise and fall of her chest revealing her suppressed emotions, her voice carrying a hint of restrained anger.
"If you don't know how to play, then learn. Please stop making noise."
Mamoru raised his index finger and wagged it gently, making a "tsk-tsk" sound.
"Too shallow." He said, gently closing the piano lid with a soft "clack."
"If you can't understand it, it means your artistic level is still too shallow."
Hearing this, Yakumo let out a short, cold snort from her nose and sneered, "Amateur."
After spending a few days with Mamoru, she had more or less figured out his routine of derailing any serious topic. She picked up her brush again and dipped it into a dab of cobalt blue on the palette.
"Whether I'm an amateur is one thing." Mamoru stood up and walked slowly toward her with an air of profound mystery.
"You only heard the tune I played, but you don't understand what I was trying to express in my heart at that moment."
Yakumo thought to herself, 'Here we go again, those nonsensical remarks.'
She silently rolled her eyes, her brush lightly dabbing the canvas as she refocused her attention on the unfinished painting.
"Whether it's the noise you make." She sighed, deliberately emphasizing the word 'noise' as her brush tip paused on the canvas.
"Or what you're trying to express, I don't want to hear it. Thank you."
"Can you not specifically emphasize 'noise'?" Mamoru was already standing behind Yakumo, leaning over slightly, his breath faintly brushing past her hair.
His gaze fell upon the bright colors on the canvas, a playful smile on his lips.
"Is that the word I'm emphasizing?" Yakumo didn't look up, her brush continuing to apply paint to the canvas, though the strokes were slightly messy.
"What I'm emphasizing is, please do not disturb me."
Her brush paused, and her voice lowered. "Can't you just... stay quietly by my side and not talk?"
Mamoru curled his lip and straightened up, spreading his hands. "How boring would that be?"
Yakumo ignored him, leaning closer to the easel and building an invisible wall with her silence.
Finding no interest there, Mamoru looked at the clock on the wall—the hands were pointing toward evening.
He suddenly clapped his hands and suggested, "Pack up, let's go out to eat."
The brush in Yakumo's hand paused. She turned around to look at Mamoru in surprise. The sudden jump in topic left her momentarily unable to react, her slightly parted lips showing her astonishment.
"Weren't you not letting me go out?" She asked in confusion, recalling her previous movement restrictions, her eyes searching for answers.
Mamoru chuckled. "Why bring that up now? With me following you, where in the village can't you go?"
"I don't want to go."
Yakumo lowered her head, her long, thick eyelashes casting faint shadows on her cheeks. She unconsciously fiddled with the hem of her clothes, her voice muffled.
"Why?" Mamoru couldn't help but ask.
Yakumo didn't want to say. She felt that once she agreed, she would be led by the nose again by this guy who didn't play by the rules. This feeling of losing control made her somewhat resistant.
Seeing her remain silent, stubbornly pursing her lips, Mamoru's eyes darted around as he brought out his trump card. He deliberately let out a long sigh, his tone becoming disinterested as he walked toward the door. "Sigh, I was thinking about whether to teach you shurikenjutsu after we get back. But now, I'm not in the mood."
"Wait!"
Yakumo suddenly looked up, her fingers gripping the brush so hard they turned pale.
"What is it?" Mamoru stopped and turned his head, a faint, imperceptible curve appearing at the corner of his lips.
"Together..." Yakumo's voice was barely audible, her cheeks flushing slightly.
"What did you say?" Mamoru deliberately dug his ear and leaned closer, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I can't hear you. Louder."
"Let's go out together! Is that enough!?" Yakumo shouted as if she had reached her limit, then turned her face away in a huff.
"Mm-hm." Mamoru nodded with satisfaction, a bright smile on his face. "Then let's go."
Yakumo set down her brush, the sound of it hitting the palette ringing out clearly.
"Despicable and shameless." She said in a low voice as she brushed past Mamoru, her steps hurried.
"Thanks for the compliment."
Instead of being ashamed, Mamoru seemed to have some strange attribute triggered. He quickly caught up to her and said with a grin, "Insult me some more, I love hearing it."
"Disgusting!" Yakumo shivered at his words, rubbing her arms as she quickened her pace. "Don't come near me, stay away!"