bookrandom Chapter 1296 The struggle for the crown prince has always been like this.
Chapter 1296 The struggle for the crown prince has always been like this.
Chapter 1296 The struggle for the crown prince has always been like this
"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry————"
Yamane Shion's face grew paler and paler. She lowered her head and dared not meet Domoto Ichiki's eyes.
"Was there something wrong with her just now? She sounded like she played really well?" Ran Mouri asked her best friend in a low voice after a moment of surprise.
"After all, it's a Stradivarius, and it's a collaboration with Mr. Domoto. Even if the performance is excellent, it won't get his approval," Sonoko Suzuki whispered.
Shinichi Kudo, sitting next to her, picked at his ear but didn't offer any opinion.
He could still hear the problem with Ms. Yamane Shion's playing, especially after hearing someone skilled in this art play it on Stradivarius—
If I had to nitpick, Yamane Shion's performance was accurate in pitch and there weren't any major problems with the expression, but it completely failed to showcase the characteristics of a famous instrument.
Stradivarius's voice is warm and mellow, full and penetrating. No matter what piece of music it is used in, it makes people feel as if they are hearing the spring breeze passing through the forest stream, clear and bright, with a far-reaching resonance, not to mention that they are practicing music like Ave Maria.
Nowadays, compared to Ms. Kawabe Kanade, whose violin playing is slightly stiff, the effect of Yamane Shion's performance is probably worlds apart, even though they are playing the same violin.
"Let's try again. Let's start from the beginning, and this time we need to concentrate." Domoto Kazue frowned, looking thoughtfully at the scattered people in the arena, and added, "You need to overcome your mental issues. I chose you to replace Kanade because I trust your abilities."
Yamane Shion's gaze swept quickly over the musicians in the front row who were staring at her, then looked at the crowd sitting in the middle, and nodded hesitantly: "Yes, I understand."
"Okay, let's try again then."
Yamane Shion took a deep breath and got back into position.
The melodious music began again, and the bow touched the strings once more.
This time, the music was played for a few more bars than last time, but unfortunately, before the audience could offer any feedback, the music was interrupted again by a jarring noise.
Perhaps due to nervousness, despite trying to relax, Shion Yamane still lost control of her strength at a certain point, and the violin string snapped off the bridge.
The suddenly curled string grazed the side of Yamane Shion's cheek, which was pressed against the zither, leaving a clear bloodstain, which made the people in the audience panic.
"I-I'm so sorry—" Yamane Shion quickly put away her koto. "I'll go change the strings—"
In theory, facing so many seniors and teachers, she should at least say something like, "I didn't take good care of myself" or "I made a mistake in my technique," to make the situation less awkward. However, seeing her nervous state, almost on the verge of tears, it was impossible to criticize her.
Reiko Akiba, who had been standing with her arms crossed and a distrustful expression, stood up.
"Looks like I don't know when my audition will be. I'll go rest for a bit."
After saying that, she ignored the host, Genya Domoto, who was whispering and discussing something with Hansmura, and turned to walk towards the backstage door.
"Miss Akiba." Seeing her about to stride out, Inspector Megure and the others hurriedly ran along the aisle to the first row, stopping Akiba Reiko who was about to leave. "We came today to ask you some questions about the bombing case. Excuse me—"
"Is it really that urgent? I'll go to the dressing room first, excuse me." Akiba Reiko said without any preamble, pushing open the door and walking out.
She had already noticed these uninvited guests and couldn't possibly be unaware of their intentions. Now, by not giving them any friendly treatment, she was clearly doing it on purpose.
"You seem difficult to talk to," Hattori Heiji said in a low voice, watching her decisive steps.
"Not necessarily." Tang Ze, who had finally observed everyone present, offered a word of explanation for her. "She probably saw that Ms. Yamane was too nervous and wanted to give her some breathing room."
3
"Really? I didn't realize that—"
Tang Ze's statement was not without basis.
Shion Yamane is performing terribly right now. She's been bluntly told that she's not up to par, and she even broke a string. But looking at Issei Domoto's reaction, it's clear that the fact that they chose her to participate in the performance means they have a lot of faith in her abilities.
For Domoto Kazuki, this performance was of great significance, and he could not allow external factors to affect the quality of the performance itself.
The reason why she can't show it at all now is mainly because Yamane Shion, who was temporarily pulled in to take the blame, is too nervous.
With such an expensive instrument, on such an important occasion, with world-renowned teachers above her and a household name singer standing in front of her, if Yamane Shion could relax and have a calm mindset, she wouldn't be a music student who graduated only a few years ago.
"Inspector Megure came here, so it's because of these people's connection to the bombing." Hattori Heiji's attention quickly shifted to something that interested him. "Is Ms. Akiba Reiko involved too?"
"Of course, right? After all, Mr. Domoto already announced the list of performers and the specific program at the press conference." Sonoko Suzuki straightened her skirt and stood up. "It looks like the rehearsal will take a little more time. I'll go say hello to Mr. Domoto and the others first."
Others might not care about the organizer's opinion, but Sonoko Suzuki, as the representative of both the investor and the architect, still had to exchange a few polite words and discuss the details of the ceremony. That's why she was dressed fairly formally today.
"You sound quite convincing," Shinichi Kudo teased her, then stood up himself. "Let's go ask Inspector Megure about the case. I'm sure no one knows more about it than them."
"I'll join you too." Heiji Hattori got up without saying a word.
He wasn't really interested in concerts, but if he could hear about the progress of the bombing or the details of the scene, it wouldn't be a loss.
"Seriously, what does what happens in Tokyo have to do with you, an Osaka native?!" Kogoro Mouri stood up, equally unconvinced.
The group of "adults," each with their own plans, scattered in a flurry. Apart from Professor Agasa and a few mischievous kids, only Tang Ze, who had no interest in moving, remained seated in his original spot.
Professor Agasa looked around and, trying to make conversation, said, "Well, how about I take you to see the pipe organ? Mr. Domoto Kazuki seems quite easy to talk to; he shouldn't mind if we go up and take a look."
He brought the kids to audit the rehearsal, but since they wouldn't be able to hear anything from the rehearsal for a while, he couldn't just leave empty-handed in other ways as well.
"This is a rare opportunity; you can't see a pipe organ up close every day," Ai Haibara added with a smile.
The children were immediately intrigued by her words and couldn't sit still. They followed Professor Agasa and left their seats to go to Sonoko Suzuki, who was already talking to Genya Domoto.
—This somewhat offensive request can only be made by someone like Sonoko Suzuki, who has a connection to the matter. Others might say it's asking for trouble, but they have that basic common sense.
Ai Haibara pretended to pack her small bag, but remained seated until the excited children went to the front row before she approached Tang Ze.
"What business do you have this time, that you're so eager to get involved?"
Others may not know how high the requirements were for Tang Ze to attend this celebration, but she knew very well that almost all of Tang Ze's social roles required her to be present, making it more difficult than ever before.
As Goro Akechi, he would definitely receive an invitation, since they mentioned this matter in a gathering of detectives and also talked about the bombing at the music academy. It would be reasonable for Goro Akechi to get involved.
He wouldn't even mention Tang Ze, but the whole family is here, and you're the only one not present. Isn't that inappropriate?
Given the festival's close ties to the art world, it was impossible for Yusuke Kitagawa to miss an invitation, whether as a relative of Sonoko Suzuki or as a rare "friend" of a great musician like Kyosuke Haga. Even if he didn't want to come, Mineki Kisaragi couldn't escape it, regardless of whether they were interested in classical music or not.
The mere presence of these three identities required the deployment of at least one and a half members of the Phantom Thieves' reserves. People highly connected to the Phantom Thieves, such as Kyosuke Haga, were also present, making it quite a spectacle.
"It's impossible not to be proactive, right? Stradivarius violins that are still in existence and active on stage are all incredibly valuable, and their value will continue to rise as the performer's status changes. Mr. Haga already knew the owner of this violin." Tang Ze shrugged slightly.
Kyosuke Haga is a musical prodigy who has achieved excellent commercial success and whose artistic talent is recognized in the industry. He already knew the original owner of this siqin, the unlucky Kawabe Kanade who was injured in the bombing attack.
Needless to say, as a loyal listener of Kyosuke Haga, Karasawa has actually bought many of the albums and OSTs that he helped create. Reiko Akiba has collaborated with him many times, and their perfect pitch is a topic that the media likes to hype together.
Even if two people have no collaboration other than business dealings, are of similar age, and both possess a talent that sounds impressive but is actually quite mysterious to ordinary people, and their professions are somewhat complementary, then whenever they have a collaborative project, it's easy for rumors to spread that they are a match made in heaven or a partnership ordained by the gods, doing whatever it takes to attract attention.
That's how the media works.
"I was wondering why Mr. Domoto didn't invite Kyosuke Haga," Ai Haibara said softly, knowing the composition of his Phantom Thieves' group. "Ms. Shion Yamane may have some skill, but compared to Kyosuke Haga or Kion Shitara, she's still lacking a bit of experience, isn't she?"
This is not just about performance ability, but also about the synergy with Stradivarius.
Kawabe Kanade was invited to the event, and the violin played a significant role in that. It can be said that because she was the only person in Domoto's circle who possessed a Stradivarius violin, Domoto Ikki appointed her as a soloist and violinist for organ duets so early on.
In many symphony orchestras, this is the treatment of a principal player, a position that is not easily given to others.
Yamane Shion was appointed to this critical task. Even if she didn't eat or drink for a week and just practiced the piano, she couldn't possibly be more familiar with Stradivarius than Shitara Kion. Given Domoto Ikki's status, his best option would have been to find another master for the piano; it's not like there couldn't be a second one.
"If it weren't for the fact that this is a concert led by Mr. Domoto, whose main purpose is to promote his academy and insist on using his own orchestra and musicians who graduated from the academy, then they should indeed have been invited," Karasawa agreed, having received some information from both Sonoko Suzuki and Kyosuke Haga.
The main purpose of this concert was to announce the completion of the Domoto Concert Hall. Domoto, who had spent so much money on his work, could not possibly do the work for someone else at this time. Therefore, all the performers had strong factional labels that were not easily changed.
The collapse of Kawabe Kanade and the other two performers has caused considerable trouble for Domoto Kazuki.
"I see, that explains it." Ai Haibara nodded. "Everyone involved in the performance is a graduate of Domoto Music Academy?"
"Yes, including that haughty young singer." Tang Ze nodded.
The reason why the bombing at the music academy is so closely related to this concert is inseparable from this connection.
In the arts industry, academic cliques and factions wield considerable influence. Although established musicians inevitably learn from different masters during their long period of study and training, intricate networks of connections remain deeply rooted within them.
Look at Kisaragi Minezu and Kitagawa Yusuke today; they are good examples. Without Kisaragi Minezu's name as an endorsement, no matter how great the works Karasawa and Kuroba Kaito created under Kitagawa Yusuke's name, they would not have achieved the popularity they have today.
Despite the unique circumstances of becoming famous at a very young age, the reputation of a famous person is still incredibly useful, and there was a reason why Tang Ze wanted to use this name in the first place.
Within the faction, there are also many conflicts and struggles over the distribution of interests. Just like this concert, it is a huge window for representing the academy and the lineage of Domoto Ikki, and no one wants to miss it.
When someone dies in a situation like this, the police will inevitably involve their associates when investigating interpersonal relationships.
"He has both the owner of Stradivarius and such a famous soprano under his tutelage. This Mr. Domoto is really quite impressive." Ai Haibara uttered words of praise, but a mockery that did not match her age appeared on her youthful face.
Everyone has selfish desires, which is understandable. However, considering his thoughts and re-examining this grand event, it suddenly feels like it has turned from an art exhibition and exchange into a petty squabble among fellow students.
"There's nothing we can do about it; that's how things are sometimes among fellow disciples. The struggle for the crown prince has always been like this," Tang Ze, a closed-door disciple who enjoys exclusive favor, said shamelessly.