Chapter 21: Are You Beethoven? (1)

Having made plans with Shin Garei, I arrived early at the city center square. Right at eight o’clock, I spotted an Audi A8L driving over. The window slowly rolled down, and Shin Garei poked her head out, her playful eyes lingering on me as she glanced at her wristwatch and said with a grin, "Fuitsu, I arrived right on the dot!"

"I was the one who arrived early," I replied, looking at her with a helpless smile.

With a toss of her head, she signaled for me to get in. The moment I settled into the seat, she chimed, "Where are we off to, top scorer?"

"Don’t call me ’top scorer’ or anything like that—it sounds awkward! How about we go to Catis French Restaurant for some French cuisine today?"

"You know that place too? I’ve been there a few times—their French red wine dishes are truly amazing! I’ll take your lead; let’s head there today." Shin Garei nodded in agreement and set the car in motion.

I smiled without answering, feeling secretly amused. If I didn’t even know that after spending three hours researching online, I might as well go run into a wall.

Soon enough, we drove over to Catis French Restaurant, located on the bustling East Street of Tokyo. The moment we stepped inside, we were greeted by pure French-style decor—opulent and elegant, with exquisite murals and sculptures infusing the air with a uniquely romantic French atmosphere. Catis was split into two floors: the first floor served casual meals, so the seating was arranged quite closely together. The second floor was reserved for fine dining, which was precisely where we were headed.

"Good evening, sir. How many in your party?" A waiter bowed slightly, asking with polite reverence.

"Table for two, please. Find us a quiet spot," I requested, keeping my chin up.

"Right this way, sir!"

I nodded, then turned to extend my hand toward Shin Garei. Bowing slightly with a warm smile, I said to her, "Fair lady, please join me."

Shin Garei threw me a playfully scolding glance, but looped her arm through mine, elegantly going along with the act: "Thank you, gentleman."

"It’s my absolute pleasure to serve you!" I thought to myself that this exact sequence of movements had taken Venus over two solid hours of training to perfect, and judging by Shin Garei’s expression, she looked thoroughly impressed.

Guided by the waiter, we made our way to the second floor. The layout upstairs was remarkably spacious, with generous distance between each table—ideal for lovers to chat without being disturbed. Oil paintings adorned the walls around us, and in the middle stood a large square stage where a young man in his late twenties was playing the piano.

"Sir, here are your menus," the waiter handed red-covered menus to both Shin Garei and me.

"Why don’t you order?" I said, closing my menu and handing the decision over to Shin Garei. God only knows what’s written in there! If I order the wrong thing, I’ll be laughed out of the room.

"Alright then. Please bring us two servings of Red Wine Pork Chops, Seared Scallops with Butter Lettuce, Razor Clams with Marinated Tomatoes and Crispy Sesame Wafers, and a bottle of Gastonrena." After placing the order, she offered me a gentle smile: "I like Gastonrena—I love how it’s bursting with a youthful spirit!"

Once the food was ordered, a wave of uneasiness washed over me. I had never eaten Western food before and lived in terror that my lack of etiquette would provoke laughter from Shin Garei. Even when the dishes arrived, I wouldn’t know where to start—wasn’t I just asking for trouble? Why on earth did I invite her to a Western restaurant when Japanese dining comes with none of these tedious rules?

"Why aren’t you eating? Is it not to your taste?" Shin Garei asked out of concern.

"No, it’s just... well..." I stammered evasively.

"Ah, I see. You feel like something is missing without music. What a pity," Shin Garei let out a soft sigh, then added, "That person doesn’t seem to be here today."

"Which person?" I asked in surprise.

"She’s an eccentric woman," Shin Garei paused, then asserted with conviction: "She comes here often to perform for free, and every single time she plays only one piece. As soon as she finishes, she rushes off. She plays magnificently—so much so that many diners come here less for the food and more to listen to her performance. The restaurant owner even offered her a hefty salary to play exclusively here, but she turned it down."

Probably wasn’t enough money, I mused silently, but said aloud, "Hmm, that is pretty strange. She leaves right after playing one piece... could she be coming here just to practice?"

"I already told you, her skill is top-notch."

"Then she must be coming here to show off," I muttered under my breath.

"What did you say?" Shin Garei asked.

"I said she might be waiting to meet someone," I improvised on the spot. Right after saying it, I began admiring my own quick wit. Phew, good thing I didn’t blurt out ’showing off.’

"Yes! You’re so spot on!" Shin Garei exclaimed in pleasant surprise. Her voice suddenly shot up several decibels, piercing the quiet ambiance of the restaurant and prompting several patrons to look over with puzzled glares. Shin Garei shrugged playfully and mouthed an apology before lowering her voice to tell me: "You hit the nail on the head! Thinking back, she really does look like she’s waiting for someone. Every time she finishes a piece, her eyes scan all four corners of the room with an expectant gaze, as if searching for a specific person. You’ve never even seen her before, yet you knew she was waiting for someone—you must be her soulmate! That means you must know a lot about music too." Shin Garei looked at me with eyes full of anticipation.

Faced with her gaze, I had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "That’s right, I dabble a bit in music."

"Do you like Beethoven?" Shin Garei held up her wine glass, gently swirling it as the blood-red Gastonrena glimmered with an intoxicating hue under the warm light.

"Uh... well..." I quickly pressed my hand against the bracelet, whispering softly: "Summon Athena."

Athena materialized before me instantly. "Sis, who’s Beethoven? Is he the guy who painted The Last Supper?"

Hearing my question, a massive sweatdrop practically appeared on Athena’s forehead. "You win. The Last Supper is a timeless masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci—who was a student of one of my sister goddesses—whereas Beethoven was a musician!"

"Sis, which of your sister goddesses was Leonardo da Vinci’s teacher?! That’s insane!" I asked in utter shock within my mind.

"Alright, there’s plenty you don’t know, but let’s not get into that right now. Why did you summon me?" Realizing she had slipped up, Athena brushed off my question with evasive words.

Almost forgetting the main task, I quickly chimed in my head: "It’s all because of this bloody music talk! She just had to bring up some Beethoven—how am I supposed to know who that is?!"

"Alright, leave the rest to us," Athena nodded, signaling that she understood.

"Us?" Could there be another goddess joining besides her? Venus, perhaps? Just as I was pondering Athena’s words, she transformed into a beam of radiant light and flew straight into the bracelet. Immediately after, an unfamiliar silhouette emerged inside my mind—though hazy and unclear, I was dead certain it was neither Athena nor Venus.

"What’s wrong? What are you thinking about? Don’t you know Beethoven?" Seeing me sitting there motionless, Shin Garei asked in confusion.

I wanted to speak, but my vocal cords refused to move. My body stood up entirely out of my control and, under Shin Garei’s bewildered gaze, glided slowly toward the piano stationed in the middle of the room. Waving my hand to signal the young pianist to step aside, I sat down before the keys. Suddenly, an indefinable sensation washed over me—it felt as though the piano had come alive, waiting solely for my command. Reaching out my right hand like a gentle breeze brushing against strings, my ten fingers danced lithely across the keyboard, unleashing a soaring opening passage that leaped right from the instrument.