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shivalriesSeason: Spring, one year ago
---
Location: Private Hospital Room
Leo: ♪~♪~♪
Wahaha! How's that? I'm pretty good at playing now, huh! I'm usually more of a digital guy, but instruments are cool, too~♪
Ahh, it's always when I'm weaving sound and song together that I feel most alive!
Eichi: I'm glad to see you like it, er... Tsukinaga-kun, was it? It appears I made the right decision in nearly breaking my back to have my servants carry an entire piano in here.
Leo: Wahaha! I'm the only one with broken bones around here, though! Aw, geez, it's such a pain to have to play with only one hand. When's this arm gonna fix itself already...
You know, I've been recovering so fast even the doc was shocked, but...
Apparently I still gotta wait at least a few weeks before I'm all the way healed. Until then, I just gotta deal.
Argh, I can't take it! I know I brought this on myself, but it's stressing me out! You gotta use your whole body to play piano, y'know? It just doesn't sound complete when you're down one hand!
Eichi: This piano is the personal possession of another inpatient... Be gentle with it, alright? I'd rather you not bang on the keys to vent your stress.
Heh, well, at the very least, this room is soundproof, so you don't have to worry about bothering anyone.
This room is equipped with cutting-edge medical technology—I had it prepared specifically for whenever my condition takes a turn for the worse.
I'm glad to see it's proving useful. I suppose this counts as my gift to you, my new friend.
Leo: Whoa, since when were we friends? Not that I mind! We can hang ♪
Eichi: We can indeed. In any case... how about I stand in for your bad hand?
The owner of this very piano taught me a thing or two, so I can play enough to carry a tune.
Let us play a duet—if you don't mind the intrusion, of course ♪
Leo: Duh, 'course I don't mind! C'mon, get over here! Let's have some fun tapping out some tunes together ♪
Eichi: Right. ...Speaking of which, Tsukinaga-kun—what's that song you've been playing? It sounds rather familiar to me. Do you perhaps recall the title?
Leo: It's "The Killer's Anthem".
Eichi: Drunken Angel, hm? I'm partial to Akira Kurosawa as well—not a frame goes to waste in his works. [1]
Leo: Wahaha! Speaking of angels, if you take your name "Tenshouin", you could totally shorten it to "Tenshi"—"angel"! Can I call you Tenshi?
Eichi: Huh? I don't particularly mind, but having a nickname is a rather new feeling...
As a high school boy, though, being called such a cutesy word as "angel" does make me feel a touch embarrassed...
I may just as well give you a strange nickname in return.
Leo: Huh, really? But Shu said! He told me that in the bible, God and His angels slaughtered way more than demons ever did!
Angels aren't as cutesy as people think, y'know?
Eichi: "Shu"? By that, do you mean... Shu Itsuki-kun of Valkyrie? That comes as a surprise. You certainly have acquaintances in high places, don't you?
Leo: Yeah, that's the one! He's the only guy able to keep up with me in an art debate! Well, we end up practically throwing hands every single time and stuff, but we talk a lot!
Sometimes I even ask him to design outfits for our live performances!
I know another guy who'll make costumes for cheap, so I get him to sew enough for everybody!
Pretty smart, huh? Heh, I'm just so darn resourceful ♪
Eichi: ......
Leo: ...Tenshi? Hey, what happened?! What're you hanging your head for?! Feelin' sick or something?
W-Wait there! I'm gonna call a doctor!
Eichi: ...No need. I was only feeling a tad dizzy. Maybe I got a little too excited.
Spare me the doctor visit, if you will; otherwise, they'll extend my hospital stay. You don't seem fond of hospitals either—surely you understand how I feel?
I don't want to spend a second longer within this tiny, sterile prison.
Leo: ......
Eichi: Heh, I've been sickly since birth, you see. Most of my life has been spent in hospitals, so I've developed quite a longing for the outside world.
I want to bring an end to this life behind the window, gazing at the blue sky beyond with envy. I work hard day in and out to make that happen—so hard, you see, that I would even dare tell the unbelievable lie that I am perfectly fine and healthy.
If I do not, I would not even taste the air of the world beyond the window.
Before even taking a single step, I would be dragged back into the hospital, denied of everything that others can enjoy freely.
I'm well and truly sick of it... Tsukinaga-kun.
Leo: I see... Alright, I get it. You're a guy too, 'course you'd wanna act tough.
Eichi: Yeah. I... want to grow strong.
Leo: Gotcha. Then I'll go along with that "unbelievable lie" of yours.
I won't call a doctor, and I'll choose to believe you're perfectly healthy, with no issues whatsoever. 'Cause I know how you feel.
I won't ever put you down and call you weak or sick. Promise.
But y'know, you're really looking awful, so at least let me take care of you. I'm gonna get you some water. Go lie down in that bed over there.
I might suck at everything that isn't music, but I can handle this much. I've stuck by and taken care of my little sis before when she caught a cold.
So just, lean on me. It's not something to be embarrassed about, and I'm not trying to say you're weaker than me either.
We're in the same boat, so I get the feeling we can be friends. Since we both feel the same, we should be able to work hand-in-hand.
Heheh. Get well soon and come play a duet with me ♪
Eichi: "The Killer's Anthem", you mean? That does sound like fun ♪
---
[1] Akira Kurosawa was one of the most famous movie directors to come out of Japan and one of the most influential in all of cinematic history. Drunken Angel is a film about yakuza produced in 1948. A sample of "The Killer's Anthem" can be heard here or here. In the second link, both dialogues suggest that the song is unnerving and a sign that the person playing it has taken a bad turn. ↑
---
< The Killer's Anthem Chapter 7 || Masterlist || Monologue >
---
Location: Private Hospital Room
Leo: ♪~♪~♪
Wahaha! How's that? I'm pretty good at playing now, huh! I'm usually more of a digital guy, but instruments are cool, too~♪
Ahh, it's always when I'm weaving sound and song together that I feel most alive!
Eichi: I'm glad to see you like it, er... Tsukinaga-kun, was it? It appears I made the right decision in nearly breaking my back to have my servants carry an entire piano in here.
Leo: Wahaha! I'm the only one with broken bones around here, though! Aw, geez, it's such a pain to have to play with only one hand. When's this arm gonna fix itself already...
You know, I've been recovering so fast even the doc was shocked, but...
Apparently I still gotta wait at least a few weeks before I'm all the way healed. Until then, I just gotta deal.
Argh, I can't take it! I know I brought this on myself, but it's stressing me out! You gotta use your whole body to play piano, y'know? It just doesn't sound complete when you're down one hand!
Eichi: This piano is the personal possession of another inpatient... Be gentle with it, alright? I'd rather you not bang on the keys to vent your stress.
Heh, well, at the very least, this room is soundproof, so you don't have to worry about bothering anyone.
This room is equipped with cutting-edge medical technology—I had it prepared specifically for whenever my condition takes a turn for the worse.
I'm glad to see it's proving useful. I suppose this counts as my gift to you, my new friend.
Leo: Whoa, since when were we friends? Not that I mind! We can hang ♪
Eichi: We can indeed. In any case... how about I stand in for your bad hand?
The owner of this very piano taught me a thing or two, so I can play enough to carry a tune.
Let us play a duet—if you don't mind the intrusion, of course ♪
Leo: Duh, 'course I don't mind! C'mon, get over here! Let's have some fun tapping out some tunes together ♪
Eichi: Right. ...Speaking of which, Tsukinaga-kun—what's that song you've been playing? It sounds rather familiar to me. Do you perhaps recall the title?
Leo: It's "The Killer's Anthem".
Eichi: Drunken Angel, hm? I'm partial to Akira Kurosawa as well—not a frame goes to waste in his works. [1]
Leo: Wahaha! Speaking of angels, if you take your name "Tenshouin", you could totally shorten it to "Tenshi"—"angel"! Can I call you Tenshi?
Eichi: Huh? I don't particularly mind, but having a nickname is a rather new feeling...
As a high school boy, though, being called such a cutesy word as "angel" does make me feel a touch embarrassed...
I may just as well give you a strange nickname in return.
Leo: Huh, really? But Shu said! He told me that in the bible, God and His angels slaughtered way more than demons ever did!
Angels aren't as cutesy as people think, y'know?
Eichi: "Shu"? By that, do you mean... Shu Itsuki-kun of Valkyrie? That comes as a surprise. You certainly have acquaintances in high places, don't you?
Leo: Yeah, that's the one! He's the only guy able to keep up with me in an art debate! Well, we end up practically throwing hands every single time and stuff, but we talk a lot!
Sometimes I even ask him to design outfits for our live performances!
I know another guy who'll make costumes for cheap, so I get him to sew enough for everybody!
Pretty smart, huh? Heh, I'm just so darn resourceful ♪
Eichi: ......
Leo: ...Tenshi? Hey, what happened?! What're you hanging your head for?! Feelin' sick or something?
W-Wait there! I'm gonna call a doctor!
Eichi: ...No need. I was only feeling a tad dizzy. Maybe I got a little too excited.
Spare me the doctor visit, if you will; otherwise, they'll extend my hospital stay. You don't seem fond of hospitals either—surely you understand how I feel?
I don't want to spend a second longer within this tiny, sterile prison.
Leo: ......
Eichi: Heh, I've been sickly since birth, you see. Most of my life has been spent in hospitals, so I've developed quite a longing for the outside world.
I want to bring an end to this life behind the window, gazing at the blue sky beyond with envy. I work hard day in and out to make that happen—so hard, you see, that I would even dare tell the unbelievable lie that I am perfectly fine and healthy.
If I do not, I would not even taste the air of the world beyond the window.
Before even taking a single step, I would be dragged back into the hospital, denied of everything that others can enjoy freely.
I'm well and truly sick of it... Tsukinaga-kun.
Leo: I see... Alright, I get it. You're a guy too, 'course you'd wanna act tough.
Eichi: Yeah. I... want to grow strong.
Leo: Gotcha. Then I'll go along with that "unbelievable lie" of yours.
I won't call a doctor, and I'll choose to believe you're perfectly healthy, with no issues whatsoever. 'Cause I know how you feel.
I won't ever put you down and call you weak or sick. Promise.
But y'know, you're really looking awful, so at least let me take care of you. I'm gonna get you some water. Go lie down in that bed over there.
I might suck at everything that isn't music, but I can handle this much. I've stuck by and taken care of my little sis before when she caught a cold.
So just, lean on me. It's not something to be embarrassed about, and I'm not trying to say you're weaker than me either.
We're in the same boat, so I get the feeling we can be friends. Since we both feel the same, we should be able to work hand-in-hand.
Heheh. Get well soon and come play a duet with me ♪
Eichi: "The Killer's Anthem", you mean? That does sound like fun ♪
---
[1] Akira Kurosawa was one of the most famous movie directors to come out of Japan and one of the most influential in all of cinematic history. Drunken Angel is a film about yakuza produced in 1948. A sample of "The Killer's Anthem" can be heard here or here. In the second link, both dialogues suggest that the song is unnerving and a sign that the person playing it has taken a bad turn. ↑
---
< The Killer's Anthem Chapter 7 || Masterlist || Monologue >
