Totsuhara University Hospital
As I explained just now,
it would be extremely dangerous.
Not only that, but...
Even if all went well...
Yes, I understand... At least I think I do.
I've talked about it with both my mother and father.
I'm up for this. I want to have it.
The surgery.
Music Preperation Room
Kaori Miyazono [Connected]
Hey, you're off.
Come on, that's normal in the beginning.
You don't feel threatened! You're slacking off!
You've got the étude, too, you know! You have your back against the wall!
Don't you get that?
Sure I get it! Don't talk about it, you'll make me panic!
You were short on prep time from the start,
but thanks to all that flirting with that junior high girl...
I wasn't flirting with her!
What kind of convo is this?
You were too flirting.
They're fighting over the phone.
Was not.
Were too.
[Connected] Arima
Call Ended
Jeez!
Kaori-chan! Are you ready?
Oh, no! Just look at the time!
Oh, man, I only got a C.
Maybe I'll try for another school.
Hey, Tsubaki. How'd you do on your mock exam?
Entrance Exam Results - By School
Scored a B. Humph!
What, that bumbling gorilla?
What, Miss Muscles-for-brains?
I only asked her because I was sure she scored lower than me!
But she's Tsubaki!
I rule. Bow down before me, you dullards!
That's love.
Totsuhara University Hospital
She's not here.
What's up with that?
Totsuhara University Hospital
She's the one who said I had to check in regularly...
Don't tell me...
She took a turn for the worse...
What should I do? Should I wait for her? If I ask the nurse...
Well, what do you know? Arima-kun!
Miyazono-san's mother and father...
I-It's been a while...
Are you here to visit Kaori?
How nice...
Oh, it's... nothing. But I can't find her anywhere...
Then I know where she must be.
Keep going, slowly now...
Put your left foot out.
She says she doesn't want to lose her stamina or muscle strength.
Rehabilitation Room
She says that she wants to play the violin onstage, one more time.
Rehabilitation Room
Let's take a break, Kaori-chan. You're trying to do too much at once.
It's no big deal. Violinists have more stamina than you think!
This is all thanks to you, Arima-kun.
Kaori had given up... she'd thrown in the towel, really... And now she's starting to walk again.
One sure step at a time.
I... haven't done anything.
No, I guess not.
All you did was show devotion, right, Arima-kun?
And that devotion was what struck a chord in Kaori's heart.
I want to have it.
The surgery.
Even if it gives me only a little more time, even if there's only the slightest hope,
I'm willing to cling to anything.
There was a boy that I met in April.
I cried and vomited, and struggled so hard it was unseemly...
But onstage, I shone like a star, and my life seemed like a gorgeous rendition of a melody.
I made a promise with that boy.
He said, "Let's perform together again."
That's why I...
I want to struggle as hard as I can.
No matter how unseemly...
...or futile it may be.
I'm going to struggle,
struggle,
struggle like there's no tomorrow!
Because I'm one of them, too.
If I go on wallowing in my despair, and just give up,
I can never face my parents, who gave birth to me, and raised me.
Because it's my life...
If I just give up now...
I'd feel sorry for myself.
That devotion you showed, Arima-kun...
Kaori's heart had turned gray, and you gave it color.
So thank you...
Kousei Arima-kun.
Library New Arrivals
He's been playing the piano all through the night. Every night, these days.
I know the competition's coming up soon, but it's right after the culture festival.
He's going to break down.
Will he do okay on his entrance exams? That Kousei.
Well, that's Arima-kun's way of studying to get in.
Huh?
Listen up. To get into a music-oriented high school,
sure they test you on regular subjects too, but achievements trump all else.
Those schools want to burnish their reputations by admitting the top performers at competitions.
Since Arima-kun hasn't competed in the last two years,
he's sorely lacking in terms of achievements.
And now the Eastern Japan Piano Competition is coming up in December.
It's got a long history, and cachet like no other.
So for the school, there's no better advertisement
than admitting the cream of the crop from that competition.
In other words, to get to the top of the heap at the Eastern Japan Piano Competition
is the same for Arima-kun as passing an entrance exam.
It's like hitting a walk-off homerun, see.
So why don't you stop being jealous of music, and root for him?
I am not jealous...
It's better than having him flunk and head overseas, right?
Now might be my only chance to be near him...
Arima-kun must be exhausted, playing so late into the night, huh?
If you brought some food over, I'm sure he'd be thrilled.
I-It's not like...
It's not like I'm doing this because Kashiwagi told me to!
Kousei?
Kousei, you're so light!
Huh? A Tosa dog?
Oh, it's you, Tsubaki. Was I asleep?
Don't sleep like you're dead!
Have you been playing non-stop? You're pushing yourself a little too hard, you know!
The required Bach piece... The Bach piece...
Your room's a total mess! Would it kill you tidy up?
You're so bothersome.
Are you showing up at the competition with that hairdo?
All right! Ready to go!
H-Hey...
Are you sure you can do this? You need a license, don't you?
Just leave it to me.
I always just cut my own hair when I need a little trim.
By cutting your own hair, you just mean your bangs, right?
I'll go the barbershop, okay?
You're only going to think it's a pain in the butt and not go!
Enough with the whining! Accept your fate if you're a man!
P-P-P-P-Please, I'm counting on you...
Aren't you cutting too much?
I'm telling you, no sweat! Remember how I used to do this for you when we were kids?
The competition's coming up soon, so I'm gonna make you look like a stud, okay?
You make it sound like I'm usually a real tool.
Kao-...
Will Kao-chan be coming?
What does Kao-chan say about all this? Kao-chan...
Don't be jealous of music.
But of course I am...
All I can think of is Kao-chan...
I'm such...a horrible girl.
Tsubaki?
I'm going to do my best. I don't know what the results will be,
But I'm going to give it my best shot.
The sound of the scissors, ringing in my ears.
His hair, a little hard to cut.
A scene of little significance passes me by.
Where's my onigiri?
Huh? Aren't you on a diet, Tsubaki?
What's that supposed to mean?
If this time turns out to be precious for Kousei as well,
that would make me happy.
I'm putting myself in your hands!
Hey! You're early today.
Don't you have to wait for your daily call from your friend with the glasses?
He's not coming today.
13:00 - Examination Room A 10:00 - 17:00 Examination Room B
Right now, I think he's in the thick of it!
Is No. 4, Kashima-san here?
Um...want this?
Right? This egg salad sandwich is light on the mayo and light on the salt,
which brings out its sweetness to the max!
And since they get these range-free eggs directly from the farms,
you can say it's the ultimate egg salad sandwich, seeking to capture the splendid taste of the egg itself!
N-Nothing's coming up but gastric juices.
Oh gross! Why the hell?
Emi... Arima...
Huh? Oh, sure...
I just hurled right now, you know...
All right!
Right? This egg salad sandwich is light on the mayo and light on the salt,
which brings out its sweetness to the max!
And since they get these range-free eggs directly from the farms,
you can say it's the ultimate egg salad sandwich, seeking to capture the
splendid taste of the egg itself!
If you put a thick slice of ham in there, it would be even better!
Yeah, it's tough not to pick the ones with extra mayo, too.
Makes you crave some tea, huh?
Yeah, but katsudon's a real man's meal.
The florentines here are delicious, too.
If we're having tea, I'd rather have scones.
The best milk is Moo Moo Brand.
The best kind of tea is Darjeeling!
Wow, they're really getting into it.
I like fillet cutlet sandwiches best!
See the chemistry?
No. 8, Takeshi Aiza-kun. Please get ready in the wings.
All right, then, I'm heading out.
I wish I could fire off a cool parting shot or something, but I can't think of anything.
I guess it's because...you know.
We're musicians, so everything's...
...gotta be expressed in music, right?
Oh, man, what an anticlimax.
All my nervous energy - gone.
Now I feel like something's off. Those guys...
...always getting in my way!
All right, let's go.
Are you ready?
Is your mind ready?
Okay, let's go!
Let's go!
Takeshi Aiza!
This is the stage where I'm parting ways with you.
...Ever since I was a kid, I hated being bored.
Konnyaku?
Next I'm gonna get Class Elephant!
I'm Take-chan of Class Giraffe!
My mother, who grew pessimistic about my future and the Aiza family's reputation,
Take that!
made me take all kinds of lessons.
One of them was...
Wow!
Piano.
You should have him learn from someone who's more of an expert.
If I win, I get a chogokin robot.
Piano's a breeze!
Just watch.
Emi.
Arima.
I'm gonna destroy you all at once!
Let's go. Takeshi Aiza!
Chopin's Étude Op. 10, No. 12.
Go! Takeshi!
Brother...
I'm so lame... It's humiliating.
I've disappointed my audience, I've made my kid sister worry...
And my enemies are throwing me their support.
So humiliating...
I'm no different than I was as a kid.
I lost again!
Brother!
Darn it! How could I... Whoa!
How could I lose to that cold-blooded expressionless girl and that sissy four-eyed jerk!
Darn it...
Darn it!
I'm not gonna lose next time!
Wow!
That's amazing! He raced all the way up Hyakudan Hill without stopping!
He's so cool!
Why didn't I see it before?
I thought I was the one who understood you better than anyone else.
But when I saw you for the first time in two years...
We're still in mid-journey.
He must've found it. A reason to play.
If it's an ugly performance, then that's the best I can do right now.
I think I kind of get it now. It was always like this...
You were the one who expanded my world.
I guess I never imagined that you'd show up like this.
The scenery that I'm looking for, and the sights that you wanted to see.. They're different, huh?
Immerse yourself. Immerse yourself.
Deeper and deeper.
Come on, Takeshi!
Contrary to appearances, he wants give a solid performance.
Try to really understand the composer's aim.
Follow in your predecessors' footsteps,
and experience the feel of blood and sweat-soaked score sheets.
No need to become Kousei Arima.
You're the one, Takeshi Aiza, who belongs to that line of pianists.
Now this is...
Takeshi's piano.
How cheeky. Are you going to push every inch of your intent through?
Humph! You little punk with that shallow jerk on retainer...
How dare you project such sensuality?
Go!
Move forward!
It's not just allies who support each other.
From your enemies, you learn so much, and gain so much.
Until the day you meet again...
Just knowing they exist helps you to withstand the loneliness.
Those who compete, even if they're enemies, help each other out.
I've been waiting for this day for two years.
I don't feel the slightest shred of boredom!
Now I can smash everything I have into something!
I'm not gonna lose next time!
I'm gonna demolish you!
There are amazing guys I can crash into, with every fiber of my being!
I'm so lucky.
Welcome home. My hero.
Bravo!
He's back in full force!
Brother!
Arima-sensei's competing too, so am I supposed to cheer him on, or Brother?
Tragic Nagi. What a cliché!
I see that a troublemaker's been awakened...
Chopin just smiled...
Takeshi!
Um...
I still have one more number to play.
Good job.
You were good. Especially the Chopin.
The second piece was really hard. What was up with that whole atmosphere?
You created that atmosphere yourself, didn't you?
You should've played the Chopin piece second.
Did I reach him?
Was I able to reach him with my music?
Like you guys?
Don't even think about messing up here, got that?
Cause I'm so gonna destroy you in the final round!
Don't make me laugh. After that shaky second piece!
What the...?
You'd better dial down the bravado...
You know what they say - all bark and no bite.
Dammit, both of you!
You better not have made a move on my kid sister!
Of course I haven't!
Grr! Make a damn move!
Or people will think Nagi isn't hot!
Whaaat?
See ya. My mirage...
Thanks for everything till now.
See ya... My hero...
Thanks for everything till now.
There are the results!
I see my name!
Really?
Final Contestants Aiza Takeshi Emi Igawa Arima Kousei
Huh! What a gloomy-looking bunch.
Arima-kun's next to me!
Goodbye, Hero
Episode 20
Watch Again Next Week