"His grades are the best as well. If he wasn't so modest and submissive, he would become quite a power amongst the first years just as Riddle had." Azul pondered quietly as he recalled last year's case, "He has no chance to challenge Malleus's position, but, if Malleus wasn't here and Ren held a most confident personality, he'd become the current dorm leader during his first year too."
"I see." Jade watched Ren pinpoint out the notes without breaking a sweat, "With such talent, the position of dorm leader would definitely be in his reach. By the following year, he could easily become the next dorm leader. However, that isn't the case anymore. With his personality, it would be difficult for him to take that position."
"However..." Azul glanced over to Lotus in confusion, "How in the world did the two even get acquainted to begin with?"
"Ren said he met Lotus on the first week of school and the two became friends since then." Jade said with a wide smile.
"Is that so... Huh..." Azul frowned as he watched her inspect every part of the piano with great interest and, not wanting her to cheat over a bag of candy, Floyd also starts to inch closer to keep a close eye on her, "That guy..."
"Still worried, Azul?" Jade questioned him curiously.
"Worried?" Azul sneered, "Why should I be worried?"
"That Life Jade." Jade reminded him quieter.
Azul shook his head, "Let's not talk about it now. That thing is a great mystery and we can't risk attracting outside attention with it."
"Understood." Jade nodded with a vague smile once more.
.....
Twenty minutes later, the worker began to play each note of the Gu Zheng as Ren pressed each key carefully. This was the final test and a crucial one at that. However, as he did so, he soon realized that something was off. No matter where he plucked the note always sounded the same! Was he forgetting something?
Lotus raised a brow, "Mister, why aren't you moving the bridge?"
"Eh?" Azul glanced over to Lotus in surprise.
"I guess you didn't know this, but the placement of the bridge is crucial in playing the correct notes." Lotus explained and sat on the stool before shifting one of the many the bridge much to their surprise!
So, the bridges weren't really stuck in place?! Azul looked to the instrument in shock. If it was like this, then how was it possible to play such an instrument?
Upon hearing this, the worker was stunned. How could he have forgotten?!
"You're right! I forgot I needed to shift the bridge to play that note! Thank you for the reminder, sir." The worker thanked her graciously before continuing his work.
By the time, he was finished they watched as he announced the results with a look of amazement and astonishment, "This sir got everything right! All of the keys have been tuned perfectly!"
"What?!" Floyd's eyes widen in surprise, "He actually got everything?"
"Sir," The man turned to him with a look of awe, "could it be that you have perfect pitch?!"
"Perfect pitch?" Ren's eyes widen in surprise before this thought and the results as he hesitated, "This-"
Azul sighed in disappointment and responded, "He does. He's just never realized it before."
"What do you mean, Azul?" Ren looked to him in confusion, "But, to have perfect pitch, you have to be born with it, right? I didn't have such a talent when I first started the piano."
"That's not how you can tell if you have perfect pitch." Azul shook his head, "If you were able to tell what you are playing then, that's just you being able to play the piano really well. Not everyone is born a piano prodigy. But, to know what instrument is being played and at what note amongst all of the instruments, that's called a perfect pitch. I don't know what this private tutor of yours said to you, Ren, but the fact is that you have a perfect pitch and that tutor of yours is a fool for saying you have no talent. With a few lessons, they should've known that you have perfect pitch."
"Huh?" Ren looked to him in bewilderment, "But, I've been learning from him for over ten years. He said that I have no talent and could only use my piano skills for fun."
"Play it and let us see then." Azul responded firmly.
Ren grew hesitant when he heard this. It couldn't be that they were lying, could it? Him have talents? He always thought that he was incomparable to the greatness of his father and his cousin. But, why would these people always try to butter up to him and say that he has talent when his parents and tutors always told him otherwise?
"Ren?" Lotus wore a wide smile, "If your too nervous, then just play whatever song you want. I'll use my gu zheng to accompany yours if you don't wanna play by yourself! I've been playing for a long time now, I'll be able to play with you no matter what song you play! Let's just play for fun!"
Hearing this, Ren mysteriously felt a little more relieved then before and nodded his head, "All right. Is that all right with you, Azul?"
Azul shrugged, "Just play."
Lotus seated herself behind her seat and watched as Ren sat behind the piano. She opened a small small pouch and took out the small ivory plectrum before tapping each and everyone of them onto all of her finger tips. Seeing this, even the worker was surprised when it finally dawned on him. Azul raised a brow and said, "Those look like rather small guitar plectrum..."
"Finger picks are needed to create the sound without dampening it." Lotus responded, "I will also need to strike the keys and create harmonics later, similar to a guitar, so these picks are essential to playing the gu zheng."
After saying this, Lotus watched Ren began. The melody sounded gentle and warm at first and, as Lotus watched where the fingers softly landed on the white and black keys, she finally began to pluck over them. One at a time, the sound vibrated quietly into the silent air. Hearing this song a feeling of nostalgia over washed her weary heart as she heard the softness of the song to which she decided to brush upon all of the strings softly creating a waterfall of sound echoing in the room. Matched with Lotus's soft yet resounding melody, Ren's hands flew over the keys creating a soft and echoing cushion to her blunt pick at the strings.
Every once in a while, they could see Lotus move the bridge precisely creating the notes she wished for. To the audience, the song was nostalgic as Lotus was soon able to catch up the melody of the song with ease. A sense of nostalgia and comfort came as she smiled in relief. Her mind felt as though it had been released from a whirlwind of emotions that once threatened to cloud her.
The man watched the two play with a look of surprise before turning to the trio, "Have they ever played together before?"
Azul shook his head, "I don't believe so. Lotus said this himself. He's never seen a real piano before."
It was as they said this that they could hear the music began to crescendo and merge so fluently as it was a language of its own conveying a sense of nostalgia and sadness to Azul. However, at the same time, it was also very relieving as if he carefree just as he was back during his childhood. The stress from the days work and excitement left him which was surprising since he had never felt such a thing when he played songs on the piano. Could it have something to do with how different the music culture was between the land and the seas?
Seeing the two play, he felt as though it was a very natural thing to hear their music accompany one another.
That's right. It wasn't just Lotus accompanying Ren's music anymore. Every now and then, Ren's melody would "sing" passionately which was different from the beginning where it just sounded sweet. It looks like Ren had even forgotten that they were there as he played the keys without anymore hesitation. Soon, it was Lotus's music that sung in the room and, with each pluck the notes struck them in the heart swaying it almost as if it had a grip on their emotions and prodding for certain ones to leak out.
It was then that Azul's mind drifted back to the dream he had been having for a long time. A dream of a mountain lush with vegetations and clouds that softly drifted by as small flying fishes of different colors swam by him in the air with large wings up to the endless skies. A very calming and scenic view.