Vanstein Copyright

Chapter 4 – Piano Stage

“Well then, I suppose it’s somewhat soon for the last piece of music today. Of course, the final piece will be ‘Requiem’.”

As she wiped the sweat off her face using a towel, Angela was about to perform the last piece of her performance.

“Hold on!

From the counter, Adonis raised his voice and scuttled to the piano stage. All eyes in the bar were locked on the unfamiliar intruder. Despite her inner thoughts that he has finally shown up, Angela greeted, “Oh, what’s this?” in a deliberate manner. When Adonis stepped up to the piano stage with a smile on his face, he proceeded to speak with exaggerated gestures.

“Dear gentlemen of the United Kingdom of Inglez, please listen to me! I am Adonis, a humble piano tuner. Today, when I tuned this piano, I was offered a piano match by Angela!”

No matter where he faced, the suspicious eyes of the old men were everywhere. Their eyes seemed to be staring at him as if he were a washed-up pianist with nothing but a youthful face who had stormed into the house claiming to be the boyfriend of their daughter. Although Adonis was nearly heartbroken by the feeling of being away from home, he tried to cheer himself up by raising his voice.

“Indeed, tonight’s performance was wonderful, very moving!　However, this is not yet the end of the line between us. Therefore, I would like you all to be the judges of the match!”

At Adonis’ interjections, not only were there glances, but booing began to ensue. The old men were saying things like, “The man is not called for~” or “‘Kick his ass off!” or “Angela, you’re a real angel,” can be heard. Seeing this, Angela watched the proceedings with a smile on her face. As if continuing the oral theatrics, Adonis took Angela’s hand and escorted her to stand up from the piano seat. Needless to say, the booing from the old men grew in intensity.

“On the higher notes, start in the middle.”

After surreptitiously whispering in Angela’s ear, Adonis switched places with her and sat down before the piano.

When Adonis struck the keys, the booing voices were effortlessly swallowed by the overwhelming volume characteristic of a male pianist. The flashy introduction was a well-known and popular standard piece. Once the familiar melody and the lively arrangement were presented, the nagging audience of frequenters gradually ceased their yapping and listened to the fine piano sound. Little by little, Adonis’s long fingers became faster and more forceful. With his body in rhythm, he performed enthusiastically.

The old men, following his lead, also started to rhythmically move their chins, fingers, and feet. Angela stood behind Adonis, rolling her eyes. Her eyes can’t tear themselves away from the tuner’s hands as they flutter around the piano keys.

As he played, Adonis shifted his sitting position to the left. He told the girl standing behind him with his back, indicating to her that she should join in. Angela, sensing this, timidly reached out her right hand from behind Adonis’ back. She struck a single note on the high-pitched keyboard, timing it for a Cm7. Then another, this time for two notes. Following that, it was a bar. The audience’s energy heightened when Angela began to chime in from behind. As Adonis played, he turned around and this time challenged her not with his back, but with his eyes. Don’t be scared, hurry up and join me, Angela!

“Angela! Show that handsome douchebag what you’re made of!”

With the cheers of the boisterous crowd, Angela sat down next to Adonis as she performed, rolling up her sleeveless arms. For a moment, the two exchanged glances. That was the signal that the showdown was about to commence.

Adonis increased the tempo of the song, making it difficult to engage. Angela’s fingers lightly danced on the keyboard to match the tempo, as if she could pass such a trick, and she hit the high notes with perfect timing. Once the two began to perform jointly, the density of the music, both in volume and melody, swelled.

The extravagant piano tones sent the audience’s emotions soaring, and wild cheers of “oooh!” rose up from all around. One by one, they rose to their feet, their fat bodies shaking fiercely.

With mature ease, Adonis added a light-hearted arrangement, while Angela hit the keys with a girl’s sensibility. With these two at the core, an explosive sound and exuberance enveloped the piano bar, bringing the audience and the stage together in a sense of unity that further enlivened the performance. They were both frantic, yet smiling nonetheless.

In the excitement of the duet, the edges of Adonis’ lips lifted and white teeth were revealed, while Angela’s cheeks were tinged with pink. Their high-level four-hand performance kept on going, and the audience’s spirits were at their peak.

After alternating flamboyant glissandos of their own, they concluded the song with a simultaneous glissando by both of them, and the entire audience at the piano bar stood up and applauded. The two stood up and bowed reverently as if they were closing a stage play.

The performance was outstanding, and for everyone, it didn’t matter who won the match.