Without a doubt, those two lines of lyrics dealt extremely heavy damage to Sakiko Togawa.
If not for everything she had gone through recently—which had strengthened her mental endurance—she might have already lost control and launched herself into the air in rage.
"Sakiko-sensei, the way you put it…"
Facing Sakiko's questioning, Kamijou Mutsuki replied with a smile.
"Who exactly do you think would pity you?"
"Was it Nagasaki Soyo, who knelt on the ground crying and begging you?"
"Or Wakaba Mutsumi, who would sit there feeling sad for half the day just because of a single sentence from you?"
"Or perhaps Takamatsu Tomori, who tried to approach you again and again, only to be hurt by your rejection each time?"
Sakiko-sensei, who do you think is the pitiful one here?
"..."
Originally still very agitated, Sakiko was left speechless after Kamijou Mutsuki listed her "crimes" one by one.
"…So to all of you, I'm just that terrible of a person?"
Unable to refute his words, the girl's eyes grew even more hollow.
Sakiko suddenly felt disheartened, the light completely fading from her eyes.
She had abandoned her life as a young lady for the sake of her father, distanced herself from her former friends—
Yet he had chosen to wallow in degradation, even self-righteously sending her to Kamijou Mutsuki.
And now Kamijou Mutsuki and Mutsumi, the people closest to her soul, viewed her that way.
Yes.
She was merely someone living in greater poverty.
What right did she have to stand above Soyo and criticize her?
What right did she have to be proud?
At that moment, the girl felt that the life of Togawa Sakiko had truly been a failure.
"Does it feel like your pride has been wounded?"
At that moment, the voice she found irritating sounded again.
"Like you've suffered some enormous injustice."
"Like everyone looks down on you."
His words were still as sharp as ever.
She couldn't refute them.
But the expression on her face clearly conveyed exactly those feelings.
Facing Sakiko like this, Kamijou Mutsuki extended his hand toward her.
"Then come with me."
Sakiko couldn't understand his actions, Nor could she understand his words.
"If you want to take all the humiliation you've suffered…"
"…and return it to the world."
The boy's words only made things more incomprehensible to her.
And yet, Perhaps like Soyo had once lost her senses, Sakiko actually grasped the hand he offered and got into his car.
This Maybach 62S, Kamijou Mutsuki's favorite vehicle, had become something of a workhorse, and Sakiko was already quite familiar with it.
But this time, between the two of them sat a small suitcase.
Although it hadn't been opened yet, the girl could already guess what was inside, Because she had seen it yesterday.
Just as Sakiko was wondering what exactly Kamijou Mutsuki was planning, A clear and melodious violin sound suddenly rang out beside her ear.
Kamijou Mutsuki had somehow taken out an MP3 player, and the music was playing from it.
"At that time, I was preparing to participate in the finals of the Tokyo International Violin Competition."
This was a competition unique to this world—somewhat similar to the Tokyo Classical Violin Competition of his previous life, but with even higher prestige.
"This was the piece I prepared."
"Only…"
He didn't finish the sentence.
But Sakiko naturally understood what happened afterward.
At that moment, Sakiko Togawa suddenly realized—
The tragedy this boy had experienced was no less than her own.
"How is it? Isn't it beautiful?"
If it were her, the moment the piece began playing she would probably have already broken down, maybe even lost her temper.
So why could Kamijou Mutsuki play this piece with a smile on his face?
"…What are you trying to say?"
Perhaps because they shared a similar fate, Sakiko's tone softened somewhat, though her attitude still wasn't particularly good.
"Guess whether I can still play this piece now."
Just then, the car arrived at its destination.
Without giving the girl time to think further about his words, Kamijou Mutsuki pulled her out of the car.
Tokyo Blue Hall of Music.
If compared to the world of his previous life, it would roughly correspond to Tokyo Blue Note.
Of course, the two were only similar, not exactly the same.
Most of the country's top-tier music competitions were held here.
Although the requirements to perform here were not quite as strict—at least compared to Kamijou Mutsuki's own standards—it certainly wasn't a place where just any random person could casually step onto the stage.
Once, because of that car accident, Kamijou Mutsuki had missed a performance here.
And now—
He intended to make up for it.
Perhaps because she couldn't believe what his real intention was, Sakiko didn't fully realize what he planned until she had already been led by a waitress to the audience seats.
The moment she understood, she immediately stood up, trying to stop him.
Once upon a time, he might have been the country's top violin prodigy.
But now…
Although she had only been his maid for less than two days, Sakiko knew very clearly what Kamijou Mutsuki's current physical condition was like.
If he went up there today—
It might truly become the moment when a genius fell from the sky.
Perhaps Sakiko's awkward personality had hurt many people.
But no one could deny the kindness at the core of this girl's heart.
Unfortunately, it was already too late.
Just as Sakiko Togawa made a move, Kamijou Mutsuki had already stepped onto the stage.
The moment he appeared, the audience burst into an uproar.
After all, as the country's most talented and most outstanding violinist, almost no one sitting here failed to recognize him.
Quite a few people were excited to see the former genius violinist return to the stage.
But in truth, there were far more doubts.
Because what had happened to Kamijou Mutsuki was something that anyone who knew him even a little couldn't possibly be unaware of.
Could he still maintain his former level?
More accurately—
Could he even still play the violin?
The answer was that the current Kamijou Mutsuki had trouble even holding the violin properly.
He held the violin in his hands, trying to support it with his shoulder.
But his hand trembled—
And the violin fell to the ground.
"..."
In that instant, the entire audience fell silent.
Then, a small portion of the crowd—people who didn't understand much about music and had simply come for entertainment, as well as some foreign visitors—began voicing their doubts.
They had traveled all this way—
Just to watch someone who couldn't even hold a violin steady perform?
Although some people tried to explain Kamijou Mutsuki's identity and past experiences, the audience didn't quiet down.
Instead, the noise grew even louder.
This time, however, most of it was filled with sighs.
Sighs that the once brilliant genius had finally fallen.
The spirited violinist of the past—
The prodigy whom everyone admired—
Now couldn't even hold a violin properly.
Listening to the chaotic noise surrounding her, Sakiko felt her head buzzing.
She stared at the boy standing in the center of the stage, unable to describe the feelings in her heart.
If it were her—
At this moment, she would probably already be considering jumping into the air in embarrassment.
.......................