The atmosphere was thick with the silent conversation of the judges.
From where Haruya and his family stood, a little ways from the stage, they could see the three adjudicators at the front whispering to one another, their heads bowed in serious discussion.
For a few tense minutes, the hall was quiet, filled only with the faint sounds of the crowd murmuring and the nervous shuffling of the contestants.
Everyone was waiting for the final decision.
Haruya turned to Tsumugi, who was standing beside him, her hands clasped together.
Her face was serene, but he could see a faint tremble in her hands.
He reached out and gently patted her on the head, just like he had done countless times before.
"You were amazing, Tsumugi," he said quietly. "You did so well. Better than any practice we had."
A small, genuine smile lit up her face, and the tension in her shoulders seemed to ease a little. "Thank you, Onii-chan," she said, leaning into his touch. "You helped me so much. I couldn't have done it without you."
Haruya just shook his head, a little embarrassed. "You're the one who did all the work," he said. "Besides, you helped me too. You showed me a whole new world of music I didn't even know existed."
Before Tsumugi could reply, her mom, Minako, came over and pulled her into a tight hug. "Oh, Tsumugi, I'm so proud of you!" she said, her voice filled with emotion. "You were absolutely magnificent."
Kenjiro and Akari also came over to offer their congratulations. "You really have a gift, Tsumugi," Akari said, her eyes shining with pride. "You played with such heart."
"She's right," Kenjiro added, ruffling Tsumugi's hair. "Whatever the result, you should be proud of yourself."
Tsumugi was glowing from all the praise, her face a mixture of happiness and relief.
Hiroko Seto, who had been standing a few feet away, finally came over, a calm, knowing smile on her face.
She didn't say a word, just pulled Tsumugi into a soft, comforting hug. "You did very well, my student," she whispered. "All of your hard work paid off."
A few minutes later, an announcer's voice came over the intercom, and all of the remaining contestants were called back to their seats in the first few rows.
Haruya and his family found their own seats again, a sense of anticipation building in the air.
The hosts walked onto the stage, one man and one woman, both dressed in sharp suits. They were smiling, but there was a quiet solemnity to their expressions.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the male host said, his voice echoing in the vast hall. "We have received the final scores from our esteemed adjudicators. We will now be announcing the top three with the highest scores. Please give them a warm welcome to the stage."
A hush fell over the crowd.
The host held a small card in his hand, a simple, white piece of paper that held the key to all the dreams and ambitions in the room.
Haruya leaned forward in his seat, his heart pounding a little in his chest. He saw Tsumugi in the front row, her hands clasped in her lap, her eyes fixed on the stage.
He saw Takeshi Aiza, his face still stoic, and Emi Igawa, her expression fierce and unyielding.
Everyone held their breath, waiting.
Finally, the host spoke. "And the top three finalists are..." He paused for dramatic effect. Haruya felt his stomach clench.
"Emi Igawa!"
A soft murmur went through the audience. Emi's head snapped up, her eyes wide with triumph.
"Tsumugi Kotobuki!"
Haruya's entire family erupted into applause.
Haruya let out a whoop of delight, a feeling of pure joy washing over him.
He saw Tsumugi stand up, a huge grin on her face, and she turned her head back to look at him. He gave her a big, enthusiastic fist pump, his face mixed with happiness.
"And Takeshi Aiza!"
The audience burst into a wave of applause.
The three of them stood up from their seats, the top three finalists of the competition.
As Emi and Takeshi stood, their eyes met across the aisle, and sparks seemed to fly from their sharp gazes.
It was a silent, intense staredown, a look of pure, unadulterated rivalry.
The other contestants who had not been called could only put their heads down in disappointment, the weight of their own expectations a heavy burden.
Haruya noticed the intense look between the two rivals and turned to Hiroko Seto, who was sitting beside him, a small, amused smile on her face. She noticed his curiosity and leaned in to whisper.
"Emi and Takeshi have been rivals ever since they were young. They've been competing in different competitions for years. At a place like Tokyo, where geniuses seem to flourish on every street corner, those two are the cream of the crop. They constantly fight against each other for the first prize. They are two sides of the same coin."
Haruya nodded, understanding.
It seems like there is more history between these two prodigies than it shows.
He also noticed the underlying strange tone coming from Hiroko as she talked about the two.
Like a feeling of... regret?
He shook his head and turned his attention back to the front, where the three finalists were walking onto the stage.
They sat down in three chairs, a small, elegant group waiting for the final ceremony to begin.
The hosts began to talk, their voices like a pleasant, meaningless chatter in the background as they spoke about the competition's history and introduced the adjudicators.
Haruya didn't pay much attention; his focus was on the three children on the stage, the three talented pianists in their own respective right.
He could see that Tsumugi looked quite nervous, trying to keep her poise. She kept moving around her seat and adjusting her hand.
The hosts finally got to the point, a sense of quiet anticipation filling the hall once more.
"And now, we get to the awards," the female host said, her voice filled with a cheerful suspense. "The Third Place Prize goes to..." She paused again, a long, drawn-out moment of silence that felt like an eternity.
"...Takeshi Aiza!"
The audience burst into applause.
Takeshi slowly stood up, his expression a mixture of surprise and shock.
Emi was also stunned, her eyes wide as she looked at him.
Haruya was surprised too.
He had thought that Takeshi, with his technical perfection, would have placed higher.
But this was perfect for Tsumugi. This meant that she would at least get a higher place in the competition itself.
Takeshi looked at Emi, and then his gaze moved to Tsumugi, who was smiling brightly, happy that she had not been called.
Takeshi's level of respect for Tsumugi seemed to have just gone up one notch.
Takeshi walked to the hosts and accepted his prize: a certificate in a red hardcover, a bronze medal placed around his neck, and a small, beautiful bouquet of flowers.
He bowed to the audience, a polite nod, and walked back to his seat, his expression still a little bit stunned.
The host spoke again. "And now, the Second Place Prize..." She let the silence build again. Haruya's heart was pounding.
"The Second Place Prize goes to... Emi Igawa!"
The crowd roared, a mix of applause for Emi and a much louder cheer for Tsumugi, whose first place was now all but confirmed.
Tsumugi's smile became wider, her eyes shining as she looked at her family in the audience.
Kenjiro, Akari, Minako, and Haruya were all clapping loudly, their faces filled with pure joy.
Emi was silent for a moment, her face a mask of shock and disappointment.
She could not believe that she had lost in the end, and to an opponent she had met for the first time.
It was quite a blow to the gifted pianist.
This was not the result she had been expecting. But she quickly composed herself, a fierce look of resolve in her eyes.
She stood up and walked to the hosts, accepting her prizes: a certificate, a silver medal, and a bouquet of flowers.
After a quick photo, she walked back to her seat, her gaze fixed on Tsumugi.
"Congratulations," she said, her voice a soft, almost inaudible murmur.
Takeshi, who was sitting on the other side of Tsumugi, leaned over and gave a cheerful congratulations to her as well, a smile on his face.
He seemed to have already accepted the loss and was genuinely happy for her.
Tsumugi, beaming, accepted both of their congratulations.
"And now," the host said, his voice filled with a final sense of triumph, "the First Place Winner of the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan Piano Summer Competition is... Tsumugi Kotobuki!"
...
POWER STONE GOAL - 1 EXTRA CHAPTER WHEN REACHED:
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