Leo: A Heartfelt Round of Applause (Feature Scout 5*) - Chapter 1

[shivalries]

Title: A Heartfelt Round of Applause
Season: Winter
Writer: Yu-masu

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Location: Nearby City - Downtown



Nazuna: Thanks for today, Anzu. You really helped us wrap up our job faster.

The staff said you were a big help, too. I'm glad I asked you to come along.

...I can call on you anytime, you say? I would if I could, but I don't wanna get in the way of your busy schedule.

Mitsuru: Nii~chan! Anzu Onee-chan! Over here! If you don't come quick, I'll leave you behind!

Nazuna: Hey, Mitsuru-chin! Don't run too far, or you'll get lost!

Mitsuru: I know! I'm all grown up now, so no more getting lost for me!

...Huh? I hear music coming from over there! Looks like something fun's going down!

Nazuna: Aw, geez... Just after I told him not to run too far. Come on, Anzu, let's go after him.

Mitsuru-chin is... hm...

Oh, there he is. He's jumping up and down at the edge of that crowd over there.

Someone's playing piano. ...Look, Anzu.

Leo/Madara: ♪~♪~♪

Nazuna: Leo-chin and Madara-chin are playing a duet, huh! No wonder there are so many people here.

Ah, looks like Leo-chin's spotted me.

Hm? The melody sounds different now... This song is...

Mitsuru: Woohoo! That's a Ra*bits song! Nii~chan, Anzu Onee-chan! Come dance with me!

Nazuna: Whoa, don't drag me!

Mitsuru: Ahaha! Singing and dancing is so much fun!

(After the performance ends)



Leo: Anzu, Nazu, Mittsu! Never thought I'd run into you in the next town over! What're you doing out here?

Oh no, wait, let me fantasize about it first! It's no fun if you just tell me!

Mitsuru: Fanta...size? Dunno what that is, but we're on our way back from work!

Leo: I just told you not to tell me! Nazu, you buffoon!

Nazuna: Wait, it's my fault...?

What about you, Leo-chin? Was there always a piano here on the street?

Leo: Nah, I'm pretty sure it's just for today. There's a concert being held at the concert hall here real soon.

Madara: Seems like my pre-concert cello performance last time was a big hit, so they asked me to do it again this year.

I thought it'd be a good chance to try out some four-hands piano with Leo-san.

Leo: You said you're on the way home from work, right? I can get you some tickets, so drop by and have a listen.

Nazuna: Thanks for the invite, but I don't think we can make it. Ra*bits have plans to meet up today already.

Leo: If you have plans, it's cool. Anzu? Feel up to it?

...You wanna take notes from it for the next Feature Live? I see!

Feature Live, huh... I feel like I've heard that word somewhere recently...

Whoa, why do you look like your soul just left your body? ...What? It has something to do with me?

...Oh. OHHH! I remember now! That's MY solo concert!

Nazuna: Seriously? How could you forget about something so important?

Leo: Oh, you know, I was just thinking about what I wanted to do for it, and then the ol' inspiration kicked in again~ Wahahaha! ☆

And now that I remember, the inspiration's back! Mama, get me a pen and paper!

Madara: Gotcha. Buuut let's save it for when we get back to the dressing room. The concert's just about to start.

Leo: Whoa, you just threw me over your shoulder like a potato sack! Lemme down! I can walk by myself!

Madara: Now, now, don't struggle. ...That's all from me, folks~♪ Enjoy the show!

Nazuna: Leo-chin, Madara-chin, good luck on your performance! And see you, Anzu!

Mitsuru: Tell us how it was later! See ya then, bye-bye!

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Location: Concert Hall

(After the concert ends)



Eichi: ...Why hello, Anzu-chan. Good to see you.

You're looking like a deer in the headlights right now. Is it really so strange to see me here?

Keito: Brazen of you to say that when you snuck up on her precisely to scare her.

Huh? What is it, Anzu? ...You want to know why we're here?

Eichi: Well, you see, we're actually regulars at this concert here.

...Hehe, just kidding. This is only our second time coming. Tsukinaga-kun personally handed us invitations this year.

Around the time the previous concert was held, we were all treating him like he was made of glass, but these days we've been conversing quite normally.

I could really sense the passage of time in how the sound of his music has changed. It was truly a poignant experience.

...Ah, yes, perhaps you could answer this, Anzu-chan—

Do you happen to know the name of the song Tsukinaga-kun played for the encore?

The program was filled with famous classical pieces, but try as I might, I could not recognize the final song. How vexing...

Keito: You say you recognize it, but you don't know what it's called? What do you mean?

Eichi: ...Fascinating. So, it's a song Tsukinaga-kun thought up as he was teaching you to compose?

So that's why you know the song, but not its title. It would make sense that I wouldn't know it, then...♪

Leo: Heeey, Anzu! Sorry for the wait!

Mama had stuff to discuss with the staff, so he stepped away!

How'd you like the concert, Anzu? Enjoy yourself?

...Ahaha! So you remembered that last song! ♪

We never settled on a title for it back then, right? But the concert planners asked me what it was called...

I couldn't exactly put your name in it, so I landed on "The Song I Wrote While Teaching Songwriting" ♪

Keito: You didn't put much thought into it, did you...

Leo: Yeah, not really ☆

Wait, you're Keito! And Tenshi's here too! You were in the audience?!

Eichi: Indeed we were. ...Perhaps we've completely escaped his memory?

Keito: Looks like it, even though he handed us the invitations himself. Incorrigible...

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Chapter 2 >