Come on, Kousei! Don't cry over a skinned knee!
You're a man, aren't you?
Look at me! My ankle went "snap!" That's right, "snap!"
Whoa, whoa, whoa...
It's your fault for making me do the...
Oh, shut up!
But thank goodness you only hurt your leg.
If I'd gotten your hands hurt, I would've gotten killed by your mom.
Stop crying, dummy Kousei! You're making me cry...
Here. A towel and a change of clothes.
I'll put your uniform in the dryer.
Thanks.
Where's your family?
My dad's away on business a lot.
Hey, it's bigger than I thought.
There you are. Is coffee okay? I can make you some hot milk, too...
Wh-Wh-What...what the heck?
Sorry, okay? Sorry...
Sorry...
Wholesome playing starts with a wholesome environment!
First order of business - cleanup! Air this place out!
Hey, you're next door, Tsubaki-chan!
It's not what it looks like!
There's a good reason for this!
Kao-chan?
In Kousei's clothes? With wet hair?
Whaaat?
She sure is fired up, that Tsubaki.
Isn't she just on a rampage?
I guess false cheer is better than none at all.
Is that me?
Yup! What you just played - on tape!
Your set piece is Chopin's Étude Op. 25 No. 5.
No way!
The tempo and sound are so out of sync! This isn't me!
He sucks, huh?
He sucks.
Huh!
Competing like this? I'm backing out! That's right, if I act now I can still...
I've already sent in your submission.
Is that my wallet?
So what kind of competition is this?
It's the Maihou Music Competition.
A national-level contest that's spawned many a renowned musician.
If you win Nationals, you might even get the chance to perform overseas!
Oh, really?
Awesome!
What Kao-chan's saying sounds like something from a faraway, different world...
I've got to study under some teacher!
Face it. This is a challenge!
You're gonna prove that you can play even if you can't hear the notes!
"It takes courage to sail in uncharted waters!"
Who said that?
Snoopy.
A dog?
Woof!
The important thing is your imagery.
"Before your fingers touch the keys,
you must determine in your mind how you're going to play it."
Anton Rubinstein.
Why do you play the piano?
Is it for your own sake? For someone else's sake?
How do you want to play this piece?
How does the real you want to play Chopin?
So anyway, I'm counting on you.
You two take it from here!
Oh! You stink of sweat!
I'm gonna work hard!
Our break will be over soon.
Die!
I see...
So it's just you and me again, huh?
Chopin... Is that Kou-chan playing?
Oh, so he started playing again?
Should I take a snack over to him, maybe?
What's your mental image?
A horse-drawn carriage
Unoriginal! Lack of imagination!
over cobblestones in Europe...
Image?
Sunny-side up eggs for breakfast...
Mundane! Unromantic!
Image!
Image.
What is an image, anyway?
Is it different than how you interpret the music?
How do you want to play this piece?
How do I want to...
...play this piece?
She looks like an angel.
As long as she's quiet.
How are Regionals going?
We've never been readier. The only thing I'm afraid of is injury.
How about you guys?
The other day Arima-kun had smoke coming out of his ears.
I think it'll actually be visible soon.
I think he might be pushing himself too hard.
I mean, he was kind of reeling in the hallway.
I do want him to play the piano. But I don't want him to suffer.
Right now, Arima-kun is trying to turn that suffering into notes.
Exposing both his pain and his suffering, even his own struggling self...
That's how he'll come to dwell inside his music.
That's how we play music that's alive.
Arima-kun is in the middle of doing that. I'm sure of it.
We...
Why are you so supportive of Kousei, Kao-chan?
I guess I'd have to say...
He's like a hopeless kid brother, maybe?
Kousei...
...isn't hopeless at all...
Bye.
Yeah, see you tomorrow.
Hey there.
I'm on my way home from practice now.
I was wondering what you were up to.
I'm on my way home now, too.
We're always heading home at the same time these days, huh?
Tsubaki?
In that we...
...there's no me...
Huh? What's that?
Senpai?
Yeah?
Why don't we... go out?
Music Preparation Room
How do I want to play this piece of music, I wonder?
For what?
Good job.
Who do I want to play it for?
Why don't you pack it in for today?
It's totally dark outside. The moon's so pretty!
Just a little longer.
Do you resent me?
Something Tsubaki-chan said. That you're suffering.
I've known that as well.
I realized it when I saw your room.
Unable to hear your music,
you try to abandon the piano... Even as you cling to it for support.
That's why, as if you're turning your back on it,
you try to hide it under dust and books.
You love it, but you can't go near it. You miss it, but you can't touch it.
Even though you're grieving, though you're hurting.
And I pretend that I don't see that.
"Play the piano!" "Work hard at it!" Irresponsible things like that - that's all I say.
You're suffering because of me...
I'm sorry... I'm sorry...
It was you who swept away all that dust.
I look like I'm suffering, huh? That's not good...
But of course I'd be suffering.
I mean, I'm gonna sail in uncharted waters, right?
Both taking on a challenge, and creating something, is painful.
But it's fulfilling. So thank you.
My world had already changed long ago.
It's just that I never realized it.
For sweeping away the dust that had collected on my body...
Thank you...
For encountering me...
Ever since that day, my world... even the keyboard...
became colorful...
You stink...
The girl that my best friend likes.
As if we're hiding from the silver moon,
the two of us in this music room, in the middle of the night...
It's like there's no one in the world but us.
Uh, we will now begin the rally for Regionals.
Now then, let's hear how pumped up—
What lucky boys you are to have been born in this era!
After all, you're going to be there when a star named Ryota Watari is born!
Man, I'm cool!
I'll show you all,
a good time!
Uh, let's start over. Next...
Music Preparation Room
Lame.
This is boring.
Average.
Pedestrian.
But I can see you've got the set piece down pat.
Even if I can play the sheet music perfectly, it doesn't change anything.
Chopin's whispering to me.
"Where are you in all this?"
Hey.
Why don't we go cheer at Regionals? For a change of scenery.
I'll pass on that. I'll only be the same as before if I leave it like this.
I'm going to transcend perfection.
Like you.
Nothing doing. We're gonna go cheer!
If you shut yourself up in here, you'll suffocate.
Musicians need time to gaze up at the sky!
Last inning!
Tighten up the defense in the hole!
Don't let anything get through!
Just do it!
We're counting on you, Tsubaki. If we don't at least tie it up...
I know.
Let's go, Tsubaki!
Kousei...
Play ball!
A famous violinist once said...
"Music transcends words."
Strike!
Tsubaki!
By exchanging notes, you get to know one another,
to understand one another.
Ball!
Let's go, Triple Crown champ!
As if your souls were connected, and your hearts were overlapping.
Don't miss any meatballs!
It's a conversation through instruments. A miracle that creates harmony.
In that moment, music transcends words.
Don't you think that's awful?
Making a girl carry him on her shoulders!
Well, but girls are bigger during childhood.
That's not the point! I'm talking about a maiden's heart.
But even though he's normally hopeless,
he's amazing when he plays the piano.
I mean, the other day he got a standing ovation...
Did I say something funny?
It's always the same.
You're always going on and on about Arima-kun.
All right! Through the gap!
Yay, Tsubaki-chan!
I don't like this, I don't like this, I don't like this.
Sure, I know. That I have no right to be feeling this way.
But I still don't like it!
I just don't like it.
We were always together. I was always by his side.
During times of joy, and of grief as well.
But...
I realize he's faraway from me now...
I'm not by his side... There's somebody else there...
What the...! Tsubaki!
Tsubaki
Stop! Stop!
I don't like this! Look at me! Look at me, will you?
Not with those eyes...
Don't look at someone else!
Out!
Ballgame!
Tsubaki, I'm going home this way.
But you live over there, Kashiwagi.
Let your boyfriend console you.
Boyfriend?
Sen...pai?
Kousei?
Yo.
Yo...
Kousei... this is embarrassing!
Well, no one's looking.
But nobody else was onto me!
Yeah, and how long have we known each other?
Where's Kao-chan?
She went home. She said, "Go to Tsubaki-chan by yourself."
After that roll down the hill, you carried me like this, even though you were hurt.
And then your own ankle swelled up like a handball, too.
Really?
You haven't changed at all since we were kids.
Oh, I've changed.
My heart is always wavering.
Nice try. But I know everything about you.
So you never have to hold back with me, all right?
I've always made you worry so much about me,
so I wish you'd let me worry about you once in a while.
I might be a flaky kid brother, but I'm gonna try hard.
I'm gonna try hard. So... I want the happy Tsubaki to watch me.
Because it would be too lame to ride on your shoulders forever.
Still, I gotta say...
You're lighter than you look, huh, Tsubaki?
So you are a girl, after all!
Wh-What's that supposed to mean? That's so weird!
You're right, that was a weird thing to say.
The seasons... might be about to change...
Who cares about music? Who cares about words?
We have the long, long time that we've spent together,
and we have so many tiny, precious memories.
Next time...
Next time, I'll give you a piggyback ride, okay?
We lost! We freakin' lost because of me...
After we all fought so hard! I'm so bitter, I'm so bitter!
Even though I'm bitter over losing, even though I'm depressed,
My ankle's killing me! We lost the game...
even though my ankle hurts, and my eyes are smeared with tears...
Even though I've never felt worse..
I wonder why the stars are sparkling like this.
The scent of the music room in his hair.
I can hear his slightly ragged breathing.
His shoulder, wet with tears, is so warm.
I am by his side.
I wish time would just stand still.
Good morning.
This is the list of Maihou contestants. Check out the flagged name.
It'll get you fired up.
I've been waiting for two whole years.
Now it's time for me to get revenge for all those years of humiliation!
I see you already know.
About what?
No use playing dumb. You sound so animated.
You're just imagining things.
I've been wondering what you were up to, and now you've finally shown up.
Just you wait, I'm gonna wipe up the floor with you next time!
Kousei Arima Sumitani Junior Highschool
Kousei Arima!
On the Way Home