I reach out my hands and gathered up...
the scattered music notes in the 88th scene.
I don't know how to put my feelings in words.
I put them in the music score as the days passed by.
When we come across...
at the third time, the feelings will ring out here.
Let me put it straight forwardly like a song.
I write all of them in a song.
This endless crescendo is so strong...
and reaching out to someone.
The melody is heading to the pianist on the stage.
It's the melody of everything about life.
It's the real face.
A whole new world...
has opened up before my eyes.
A new prelude repeats.
Summer ended, followed by autumn.
Exams were over.
A "costume orchestra"?
For the school festival's pre opening night party!
Okay! I want to wear a dress! A princess dress!
And I want to dress up in an animal costume.
I'll make the costume myself.
Sure! Anything goes!
Let's go out and recruit S Orchestra followers!
I'd love to! Count me in!
- Me, too! - I want to take part, too!
In fact, I insist!
You're not in the orchestra, Maki.
Well, then how about if we put piano majors on the pianica.
Yes!
Hey, that means I can join, too!
You going to make that yourself?
Well, of course! I want to wear something well tailored.
I'd better get started right away.
I've got rehearsals
for the school festival marimba ensemble as well, you know.
What? You're performing in something else, too?
Aren't you? You doing just the costume thing?
Yeah, well, the maestro's having Chiaki
do the piano concerto with the A Orchestra.
What!? The Rachmaninoff!
Chiaki's really going to do it!?
Chiaki's performing Rachmaninoff on the piano?
Makes you laugh, doesn't it?
I mean, can you picture our very German maestro
conducting something as romantic and Russian as Rachmaninoff?
- Doesn't suit him. - It's wonderful!
So romantic! Perfect for our prince!
- Are your palms sweaty? - Dripping!
What? Chiaki performing a piano concerto?
And Rachmaninoff?
Quiet, you zealots! Well, I'm not being outdone!
Nuh_uh, Chiaki. That's too fast.
- Take it a little slower. - Huh?
Forget being Russian or worrying about orthodoxy.
When you play it so fast, it makes it sound too light,
too superficial without sex appeal.
It needs to be more beautiful, more romantic.
Like this...
Why sex appeal?
And why should I have to gyrate and sway when I play Rachmaninoff?
I'm not saying to gyrate.
I'm saying lose yourself more in the piece.
Lose myself?
You've been studying piano at this school for 4 years.
You're number one.
This has to be the culmination of your career here.
And conducting that will be none other than myself.
- Do you have a problem with that? - No.
This is a rare and wonderful opportunity that not many get, you know.
And so you must study.
I won't settle for anything but the best from you.
Understood.
He's right. This is a rare experience.
I've aspired to become the kind of conductor
who can also play the piano at a professional level.
Here I can actually perform with Stresemann.
I don't want anything but the best on this, either.
I'm starving. What should I do about dinner?
Nodame's probably waiting for food.
Cooking is a pain. But I've got to eat right.
Still, I just want to get back to practicing.
It'd probably be best
if I didn't let Nodame into the apartment for a while.
She'll be upset, I'm sure.
Yoo hoo! Chiaki! _
- I finally found you! - You were still at school?
Yes. I'm real busy preparing for the school festival.
What's more... I have some sad news.
- What? - With all the preparations
I'll be doing with Mine and everybody for the festival,
I'm going to be returning home pretty late.
I know it'll be kind of lonely but...
I guess you're going to have to eat by yourself for a while.
What do you mean "sad news"!?
- Don't come around again! - But Chiaki!
Well done, Nodame.
He is now your enemy! Don't fraternize with him.
Yesterday's friend is today's enemy!
- But why? - Mine!
How about we all go out for a drink
to discuss the costume orchestra?
Great idea! How about at my place?
- At "Uraken"? Yipee! - Yup!
- Mine's place, huh? - So that's how it is with Maki.
Wow... This is the first time I've heard Chiaki play.
And he's incredible.
Now I really want to ratchet up the quality of our play incredibly high.
This time we'll do it.
I mean, this time, the maestro will be conducting!
Stop! Chiaki, what kind of playing is that?
Huh?
Express the feelings there with your body!
Do kind of a writhing motion.
"Writhing"? I'm just not that type...
See, you're quickly embarrassed.
You don't know understand at all, do you?
Captivate the audience. That's an important lesson.
"Captivate the audience"...
Nodame? What're you making?
Paper molding for her costume.
Looks like she's pleased with it.
- She's not cutting any corners. - Neither are you.
What about you, Mine? Decided your costume yet?
- Me? Actually, I... - Mine!
Hi, Maki!
I designed a bunch of costume ideas for you, Mine.
Pick out the one you like best.
None of these are human.
Everybody, we've got the pieces we're going to play!
Whoa, we're going to play this!?
By the way, who's going to conduct?
That's right. We don't have one!
- Let's get Chiaki! - Fat chance!
- In costume! - I'll conduct if you want.
I'd be willing to do it for you guys.
I'm Oukouchi, conducting major.
- Oukouchi? - Know him?
No.
Hey, you're the guy that's been spying on us
at a distance since yesterday!
So you want to join the costume orchestra, huh?
Wait, let's get one thing straight. I'm not wearing a costume.
You mean, that's not a costume? I thought it was.
Oh, I get it. You're dressed as Chiaki, right?
- Huh? - Hold it! Nuh uh. _
Where do you get off trying to look like Chiaki!
Chiaki would never wear tacky two tuck slacks like this!
And what's with the questionable hairstyle?
And that tasteless shirt! Your belt! Your shoes!
Masumi, please. Cut him a little slack.
Abomination! Sprinkle some salt! We need purification here!
Hey, you can be conductor, okay?
If I call it "study," he gladly gets to work on it.
- Japanese really are diligent. - Well, you should work harder.
Look, Min! This is what Chiaki will wear.
Well, what do you think? Will the audience go for that? Tee_hee.
Franz, don't tell me you're planning to do something screwy.
Of course not!
Have I ever done something screwy on stage before?
"Super knife"
I won't have you messing with Chiaki!
Wow, Chiaki's good. He's even charmed this old lady.
That's not it. Just promise me you won't screw around.
Don't mock our students and school festival!
Yes well, somebody's got to mess with him.
Momogaoka School of Music.
What? Shinichi Chiaki?
Uh, yes, he'll be performing in the school festival.
- Yes, Momogaoka School of Music. - Stresemann? Why, yes.
Yes, conducted by Stresemann, that's right.
Look, Chiaki appears in this article!
Wow, I didn't know he took part in the Nina Lutz Music Festival.
Saiko, that's your "ex (boyfriend)!"
- "Ex"? Too bad. - You have no regrets?
Looks like Chiaki's on the move.
Well, he's always had talent.
But I'll bet a million bucks the reporter is a woman!
For sure!
"School Festival Pre Opening Party"
- What's that? - A marriage procession?
- At a school festival? - Can't be relatives?
What're you dressed like that for?
You're supposed to be wearing costumes!
Why the kimonos?
Our costumes made us look real stupid. So we quit.
What!?
My costume was cool... female cop.
Mine, too. I was a Barbie doll.
Yeah, Mine. Just because you refused
to dress up as a non human...
Shut up! You guys didn't have good costumes, either!
Don't let it get you down, Maki.
The costumed orchestra I had in mind all along
was a cool looking orchestra!
If not, how can we compete with Chiaki!?
I don't know how cool we are in this but it's not bad.
We stand out at least.
And it didn't cost anything
'cause we just borrowed these from our parents.
Yeah, nice idea.
What do you mean!? What about me?
I'm the only one in a dress!?
That's okay. You're fine as you are, Masumi.
I mean, after you made it and all.
Excuse me... Is this okay for me?
Tee hee? _
- Who's that? - It's Nodame.
- What's that? - A mongoose. Tee_hee.
"Mongoose..."
I don't get it.
All that work for that?
Nodame? What have you got there in your hand?
What, this? It's a "Habu"...
a poisonous snake found in Okinawa.
There are so many there that the people began releasing mongooses
on the island to combat the problem.
Really? And what happened?
Did the snakes disappear from the island?
No. Because instead of battling snakes,
the mongooses began eating the Amamino Black Rabbit, a protected species.
Plus, the mongoose population exploded.
"Captivate the audience?"
Be sensuous... writhing...
Why should that be so important?
Shinichi! You got time for some tea?
The crepes here are delicious.
Saiko...
No, thanks. I was just on my way home.
Will you hold up, gosh!
You've been so cold to me lately!
So I hear you're going to play a piano concerto
on the last day of the school festival.
Yeah.
I thought your piano career here was finished
when you got on Professor Eto's bad side.
But good for you.
All of a sudden, you've become Stresemann's protege.
I don't know.
It's like you're different now... someplace far away.
- Well, I'm not. - I see.
Oh yeah! I'm appearing in an opera tomorrow.
What? For your opera club? What're you singing?
Cosi fan tutti.
- Mozart, huh? - Promise me you'll come.
I'm in top form right now, if I do say so myself.
Well, see ya!
Top form, huh? Guess I'd better work hard, too.
There doesn't seem to be anything worth seeing here
I think I'll go home and practice.
"S Orchestra in a legendary blood curdling performance"
Look, the S Orchestra's at it again!
- Get a load of this? - "Legendary", huh?
Looks like fun. Let's check it out!
It's Chiaki...
I had no idea they were up to something like this.
Without Stresemann or myself
I wonder what they're planning to do?
- What the? - Why no lights on stage?
The orchestra's coming out!
Are they going to play in the dark?
No way.
There's a pianica. But why are they tuning to it?
Nodame?
It's Nodame.
"Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue An S Orchestra Special"
- They're in formal hakamas! - Big band au Japonesque, eh?
Well, that's different.
Wow, they're sexy in those kimonos.
Well, what do you know?
This is cool!
The arrangement is good.
They've even broken up the pianica parts.
Good attention to detail.
Show the audience something, huh?
Captivate the audience... That's an important lesson.
I see your point, Mine.
It's a little ridiculous but...
this is you at your best.
Bravo!
Let me raise a toast to the S Orchestra and it's successful "gig"!
Cheers! To our legend!
- Cheers! - Legend!
- Take that, A Orchestra! - We are the champions!
Woo, it's cold.
I wonder if Chiaki came.
I did my best.
What time does the orchestra play?
I'll go save some seats.
Don't want to miss a chance to see Stresemann live!
No kidding... I mean he's come all the way to Japan.
I hear he's going to be conducting his protege, too.
Ouch!
Gyah!
Aaaah!
What's with all these people?
Stresemann's protege, eh?
But he's just a student, right?
He's got no piano competition background, either.
How good can he be?
Who knows? But he's being conducted by Stresemann.
And he's playing your favorite composer, Rachmaninoff.
It ought to be good.
Perhaps. But I'm still not writing about it.
Not a bad little tendency, eh?
Where'd you come from?
Yes, I think you should mousse your hair up a litt
Shall we forget the tie?
I'll have you know I'm going to be myself out there.
- Well, of course! What else? - Huh?
After all you said about writhing and being sensuous and whatever?
Oh, that's finished. You're ready.
Well, then...
I'd better go out there and put on a good show for Mina, too.
After all, I'll be saying farewell to Japan for a while.
What?
Well, shall we? It's time to make some fun music.
Love is painful.
I realised it when I was with you that night.
Because I know you...
more than everyone in the world.
Your casual attitude and tenderness...
make my chest feels constricted.
I am here. I am here. I am here right next to you.
Tell me why. Tell me why. Why are we merely "normal friends"?
I love you. I love you. No matter how much I love you,
you still don't get it.
You don't understand. I'm so in love with you.
My heart breaks day after day.
I can't sleep night after night.
The day when I first met you...
I wish if time can go back to that day.
I'm so in love with you.