It's morning!
Sorry for taking up your whole night.
This is the most refreshed I've ever felt in the morning.
My apartment is nearby, and it should have breakfast stuff.
Really?
So, is Mr. Ajino really finished giving you lessons?
Yup.
Ajino never goes back on his word.
I see.
In that case, you really need to do your best in the final for his sake.
Yeah.
But...
It's not enough.
What?
Planning to win, then?
Huh?
That's right.
I want to win.
Huh?
I've never seen Kai worry about winning.
Just kidding! I was just joking.
Forget what I just said.
Is something bothering you?
You can tell me.
The truth is, I...
I couldn't believe it.
What Kai told me was shocking.
Does Mr. Ajino know about this?
Of course he doesn't.
Kai has lived a life burdened by more than I could ever imagine.
Moreover, he genuinely means to win this competition for Mr. Ajino.
I really am nothing compared to you, Kai.
But I still want to do everything I can to help you.
Kai's playing is remarkable.
Truly exceptional.
Nonetheless, Kai is going to find that winning...
isn't trivial.
I have awaited her performance because she's the first contestant to play Piano Concerto No. 2.
What separates No. 1 from No. 2?
The most obvious difference is length.
No. 1 is roughly 40 minutes,
while No. 2 is about 30 minutes, almost 10 minutes shorter.
Both are grand pieces, but No. 1 makes use of a larger orchestra,
which makes it feel more exciting.
It's only natural that most contestants would choose the showier No. 1.
Right.
Now why might someone choose to play No. 2 instead?
That's...
One potential reason is that you're not confident in your No. 1.
Otherwise, you think you can deliver a performance to surpass No. 1 even with No. 2.
I'm oversimplifying a bit, but I assumed it had to be one or the other.
Olesya Yushchenko's performance is clearly the latter.
A careful and beautiful touch.
No. 2 really complements Yushchenko's personality.
Wei Pang, on the other hand,
chose No. 2 to show off his sheer skill.
The lack of competition winners who played No. 2
is not a question of the piece, but of skill.
So you intend to capture the first victory, Mr. Pang?
That sounds good.
If that is your wish, I will show you that victory is possible with both No. 1 and No. 2.
Oh, how wonderful!
I would really enjoy watching her rank higher than Pang.
Still,
I know that no matter how spectacular her No. 2 is,
she's unlikely to beat Wei Pang.
As frustrating as it is, I must admit that I doubt Wei Pang will lose to anyone.
Hey, your program is different than mine.
Is it?
I guess there are two kinds.
Here, you can have mine.
"The Truth About Wei Pang"?
What?
What is this?
Why would the competition organizers put out something like that?
If nothing else, I'm sure Wei Pang doesn't want that info out.
The article is probably true, though.
That photo on the last page...
However much he may have changed,
those eyes are unmistakably Wei Pang's.
They're even out here?
No good can come of people reading this.
Especially not Kai.
Amamiya!
You're early.
Yeah.
I see you read the bulletin, too.
Yeah.
It really makes you feel sick.
Definitely.
So I guess he really did copy Mr. Ajino.
That part's whatever. He can do what he wants.
What annoys me is this part.
"No one will ever hear Sosuke Ajino play live again."
"It's only a matter of time before Wei Pang's playing, incubated by Ajino's, sweeps the world."
Wait, this part?
They talk as if Ajino's dead.
It just makes me angry.
So this is Kai's quiet, fighting spirit.
If Kai can win as Mr. Ajino's sole pupil,
he'll show the world that Sosuke Ajino is still around.
Sosuke! Sosuke!
Sorry, but can you come to the lobby?
What's the matter?
Look at this.
You need to read this.
"The Truth About Wei Pang"
They handed these out at the concert hall.
Just hurry up and read it.
I'm planning on filing a complaint with the competition organizers.
This grossly infringes upon the privacy of one of their contestants.
Victoria, we need to stop this already!
Something bad will happen.
Don't worry about that.
Next up is Kai Ichinose.
I need some dirt on him!
Do we still not know anything about his parents or hometown?
Huh? What's this?
Forest's Edge?
Come on, you need to stop.
We can't even prove that Ichinose is connected to Forest's Edge.
We didn't find anything.
That's why I stayed up all night writing a bogus article!
What?!
If we don't get this to the print shop soon, we won't make it in time for tomorrow evening.
It's weird, though.
I can't seem to get in touch with the guy at the print shop!
Victoria Campbell and David Smith, I presume?
What of it?
On suspicion of interfering with the competition,
we have warrants for your arrest.
Arrest them both!
They're already distributing a letter of apology?
The organizers sure responded swiftly.
Yeah, it seems some good-for-nothing tabloid reporter found their way in.
Well, this competition is important enough for Poland to invite guests from abroad.
It doesn't matter if the article was true or not.
All that matters is Wei Pang showing up in time to play tomorrow without worrying about it.
That's true.
Dad says that Allegra Granados
is a top contender along with Wei Pang and Aubrey Theiss.
If Kai can play like he did during practice, he can be on their level too.
Dad doesn't think Kai can win, though.
He's too young, for one.
He's only 17 – practically a child.
He hasn't matured enough yet.
People have won at age 18 before, though.
That comes down to the spread of contestants who make it to the final.
Besides, there's a large difference between ages 17 and 18.
That one year marks a huge difference in experience.
But you're always going on about Oda Nobunaga, who succeeded his father at 17.
That was a very different era.
Moreover, his life was at stake, you know.
No matter how much Ichinose might suffer, it's not as if his life is at stake.
You sing with the piano,
and everyone has a song appropriate to their age.
You understand?
I didn't bother arguing further.
I could have kept arguing,
but it was too much bother.
Granados is 23.
Theiss is 25.
Pang is 21.
Meanwhile, we're still just 17.
I wonder what's going through Kai's head as he hears this performance.
You can do it, Allegra.
I must say, that was a wonderful performance.
The second pianist, Daniel Hunt, was also rather entertaining.
Hey! Amamiya!
Over here!
My, who do we have here?
Sosuke... Ajino.
Amamiya Jr. is already here.
Oh?
Don't you two know each other?
Well, of course I've been familiar with you for many, many years,
but I believe this is the first time we've spoken.
Indeed.
Oh, really?
Well, I hope we can all get along.
Ichinose has heard you play a number of times.
Huh?
Your annual Christmas tour.
Students get in for free,
so I've gone to listen every single year since I was in fifth grade.
Oh, that.
I can't wait for the one this year, too!
Oh, well, this year...
Dad has devoted all his recent time to my competition, so he hasn't prepared for his performance.
Dad, I'm going to get some coffee.
Huh?
Kai, let's go.
Okay.
You never told me about attending those concerts before, Kai.
Really?
It really is too bad about your son,
especially with how fascinating his performance was.
Oh, he still has far to go.
He's really grown up, and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for him.
Oh, he's nothing compared to Ichinose.
I look forward to the final.
Ichinose was just very fortunate.
But luck is a skill too, isn't it?
Just imagine if he managed to win at 17.
That's not necessarily our aim,
but he's certainly lucky to have another chance to play.
You're too modest.
You must think he has rather low aspirations.
Oh, well...
He may sound modest at first, but he's really not.
Sosuke has but one unwavering goal:
to sell the world on Kai Ichinose.
Sosuke marched into Warsaw for that reason alone!
"To sell the world..."
"...on Kai Ichinose."
That is indeed why I'm more determined than most.
He's so awesome!
You see, he made me promise him something when I began teaching him piano in elementary school.
He wanted to be able to earn a living with the piano.
It was a contract of sorts.
Kai's circumstances in Japan made it difficult for him to pursue a career there,
so taking on the world and making a living out there,
has always been his goal.
So Ajino isn't doing this for his own reputation or Kai earning titles.
He's invested so much in Ichinose just to enable him to earn his own place on the world stage.
So, what are you talking about?
How you'll earn a living with the piano.
Kai is amazing in that respect!
Even back in elementary school, he used to dress up as a clown and play in public to earn money.
Now that's impressive.
Though what really caught me off guard...
Hm?
...was when he was cross-dressing.
Cross-dressing?
Now that's something else.
Oh, that was just...
My school didn't let us have jobs, so I didn't have a choice.
Come on...
Did you go and see him, Mr. Ajino?
Don't bring Ajino into this!
I nearly fainted.
I had no idea where to look.
The actual playing was great,
but Maria turned classical music into a sort of sexy dance!
Huh?
Maria?
It was some great blasphemy against classical music.
I did go check up on him once.
I considered making him stop,
but Maria was already wildly popular with customers.
Really? I wish I could have seen Kai's Maria.
H-Hey, come on!
What...? What?!
Maria, you mean...
Maria was...
Ichinose cross-dressing?!
Give me a break...
I'll put my heart into tonight's performance again, just for you.
Hm?
Do you know him, Kai?
Uh...
Yeah, this is Mr. Saga.
He's a piano teacher. I think.
My name is Saga.
Oh, the president of the Naniwa University of Music.
Kai, you've got connections in high places, huh?
Well...
Amamiya,
this city is so pretty.
Yeah.
Just so charming.
One thing I've realized after living here for a year
is that, unlike Japan, Poland is completely flat.
A flatland that goes on forever, wherever you look.
Really?
Did you know that the name "Poland" originally meant "people of the flatland"?
Chopin was a man of the flatland.
Chopin grew up in the flatlands...
On a great,
never-ending flatland,
watching the huge sky...
Amamiya, you might have just given me a huge hint.
Really?
That was useful to you?
Yeah!
Chopin grew up in the flatlands!
Yup!
Welcome back!
Wh-What are you all doing here?
It's way past closing time.
They were waiting for you.
Apparently they have something for you.
Really? What is it?
Here.
We all chipped in to get this.
This is our thanks for playing for us so much.
Leather gloves!
I always wanted a pair like these!
See? I knew he'd like them.
It's just a cheap pair, though.
Thanks, everyone!
I'll take really good care of them!
Bye!
It was fun.
Good night.
Goodbye.
Watch your step.
Good night!
I see they really care about you, Kai.
Yeah.
They're all great people.
Kai.
Good news.
Wei Pang will be performing tomorrow.
That's great!
Yeah!
And so,
the stage is set.