A/N: As this chapter implies, they will perform in a Canadian city. Vancouver. How its inhabitants will receive the newlywed musician and composer? Enjoy!

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July 9th, 2024, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Vancouver.

One of the most livable cities in the world.

And speaking of art it also prided itself as the "Hollywood of the North" due to many film studios are active in it.

Now the couple are preparing themselves for their performance at The Orpheum, home of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.

"Incredible, keep it up and the audience will want encore!" The Canadian organizer cheered Kousei and Kaori upon they done playing Debussy's Violin and Piano Sonata. Kaori smiled upon their encouragements.

Other than that, the pieces that they will play includes two of their own original pieces titled Storm of Life and Song of a Salaryman.

Along of it they strolled on the city itself. Especially the Stanley Park when they sit together like back in their teenage days in Japan, despite their bodyguards close watch and fact that their clothes are made for such that their face was partially closed from prying eyes.

But their fame got them eventually.

"Good afternoon!" A group of young men and women in their teenage years paid their call. 

"Oh no, it's Miyarima! Those Japanese duo! Finally we got to meet them!" said a black man in the group.

Their bodyguards permitted the group as they are just want to have the couple's sign.

"Yes, we will give you all our signature. By the way, anyone of you have ticket for our concert?" Kousei asked the group in English.

"We are not just watching, we're going to play, sir!" said the eldest in the group, a 17 years old brunette named Emily.

"I bet you are either an orchestra or music student or a band of something?" Asked Kaori with her trademark smile.

"Yes ma'am, we're part of a school orchestra, Mr. and Mrs. Arima. We're from St. Peter's High School and two of us have parents played for Vancouver Symphony Orchestra! And it's honor to play with you!"

"Magnificent! Train hard and smart and you could be great one day. Music is one of things who made a community worth living." Kousei boomed as him and Kaori proceeded to put their sign on the group's musical sheets. Such an honor to be appreciated by people overseas. 

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After the park they visit the older part of the city, known as the Gastown, and managed to took a video just in time for its famous steam clock to whistle upon its minute struck 12. They further enjoyed themselves along with their bodyguards in the neighborhood by visiting a First Nations (Canadian indigenous people) art gallery, and as evening approaches, Kousei and Kaori enjoyed dinner at a Belgian restaurant called Chambar.

Then they was visited by a group of men and women in their late 20s to 30s as they finished eating in peace.

"Nice to meet you, Mr and Mrs. Arima. My name is Jonathan Douglas. We are part of your fan club here in the entire province of British Columbia."

"Oh, nice to meet you all" Kousei said, definitely enjoyed the hospitality and openness of the Canadians.

Some of the latter group of fans of theirs are either amateur musicians, but vast majority of it are just middle-class British Columbians from many walks of life who enjoyed classical type music including original compositions. 

"Oh, you know Yiruma too?" Asked one man, named Stephen Harper (not related to a former Canadian PM).

"We've met him personally and even played together back in the day. And let's say, he is one of our influencer." Kaori replied.

"Awesome" the group replied in admiration. They soon left Kousei and Kaori, ready for the big day.

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The final rehearsal also involved the two upcoming local pianists, Colin McRae and Alexia Tsang.

"Those people are full of potential indeed." Kousei said upon saw the rehearsal of both Canadians and clapped his hands. 

He also give both Canadians some good advice and tips about their playing and all about piano.

Meanwhile, Kaori have some little good chat with both the organizer about more technical details such as the sound system, and later also enjoyed rehearsal of two local violinists who will have their first duet performance. 

Like her husband. Kaori also gave them some advice on their playing in coordination with their Canadian mentors. 

"Mrs. Arima, thank you for your help. I finally figured out what's wrong about the tempo" said one of the violinists. Darren Roberts.

"Much respect for those Japanese. What a rare privilege to be assisted by a pro!" said his fellow violinist, Anathol Otis.

They soon continued their rehearsal with the St. Peter's High School's Orchestra.

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It's the D-Day of the concert. July 13th.

Accompanied by clapping, Kousei and Kaori went into their position and played their first piece, Violin Sonata by Debussy.

https://youtu.be/5_iNG9XcDCo

Kousei know that Kaori's rendition of that sonata, despite her own style of playing, was mostly dedicated for him just like the original composer, Claude Debussy, who dedicate the sonata to his wife before his own death due to cancer in 1917, in the turbulent times of World War I and his own financial difficulties. 

For Kousei the symphony brought him back when he was in the high school; he found out that he have a cousin which was a drug addict. 

Flashback

"Where we're going, otoo-san?" asked Kousei one day. He was in the first grade in Okutsu at that point.

"It's time you know more about our own family. Remember.. I want to make up for my lost time with the rest of them after your mum was sick.." Both Takahiko and Kousei entered a Mercedes the former often used to go to the Diet session or his office. 

After a while, Kousei was surprised to saw the signage in front of the facility they stopped at, in the outskirts of Tokyo. "Akihara Rehabilitation Center"

"Uncle Ryou!" He greeted his uncle, in which he was reacquainted with him months after Kaori's surgery.

Then after sometime Ryou Arima, Takahiko's elder brother who is also part of Arima family's enterprise brought Kousei into a ward.

"Kousei... this is your cousin. Meet Mitsuo" 

He then told by Uncle Ryou and Mitsuo Arima himself that during the time Kousei was basically fending off for himself in Junior High, Mitsuo was in the high school and behaved badly and when Kousei was 15 Mitsuo had his first expulsion.

Matters worse when a year later his misbehavior intensifies with him using cocaine and almost ended up in prison before the judge ordered him to be committed into a rehabilitation ward. 

Kousei can't imagine his uncle's anguish in dealing with his wayward son. His tears fall when he heard Mitsuo's story about the facility often helped him to be relax with classical music. Mitsuo might not be a musician but he loved to listen to such genre and in one instance during the stabilisation period he listened to the rendition of Mozart and one of the doctors said that the man who played on the recording is his cousin... 

Flashback ends

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The sonata, originally composed with an explicit intention to move away from the traditional form of sonata which is German in origin and emphasize forms and values of the old 17th to 18th century French masters, such as Couperin, Leclair, and Rameau, rendered it have a nationalist tone due to the time it was composed. Nonetheless, the real point of it was the putting of piano and violin close together despite it's differences in melody, something Kousei and Kaori has a lot of experience with.

And it's powerful end brought the audience to live as they gave standing ovation to the Japanese.

Their playing massively inspired other performers present in the theater as they poured their own energy and struggle combined with their own techniques through the sounds they are making.

"Those Japanese playing are enchanting, period. In the positive meaning of it, I say." A 40-year old man said to his fellow music critiques. 

"I agree with you" said a woman beside the first man.

"How come their first show here in Canada are this marvelous?" another man in his right side replied.

The next two pieces Kousei and Kaori played is more joyful compared to the Debussy's Sonata. Including their original, Storm of Life, not a sad or melancholic piece despite the title. Instead the song emphasize the importance of hope and according to the Miyarima themselves, the song was inspired by the one of the most well-known Japan's social woes: suicide, especially in productive ages. In fact, it also brought the audience to time when Kaori, severely weakened by her cancer back then, offered Kousei a proposition to commit double suicide which luckily, was not executed.

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Their final two performances are to be performed with orchestra, in this scenario, the St. Peter's.

First, their original Song of the Salaryman, or internationally named as Song of the Workers. Their aim are just like its title, capture a glimpse of struggle of a 21st century normal working class person as technology progressed; and it's flexible enough to be interpreted as primarily for blue-collar workers or white-collar one, known as "salaryman" in Japan. 

"Miyarima" want their musics to reach all social class anyway, without any political intention.

The final piece is Vivaldi, Symphony in E Major, RV 132. Allegro I because of the happy overtone that Kousei and Kaori likes the most.  

https://youtu.be/PDdXxstqcu8

The combined sounds of the young Canadian orchestra's instruments and the conductor's baton further added gas to their musical fire, despite they had played with many orchestras before their marriage back in Japan.

They can feel people in the world wants more of their music.

They also felt that their family wants them to shine on their own path they have choose. 

As the audience stood up once again in applause, for the first time of their tour, the audience demanded an encore. "Miyarima" fulfilled it by playing Fritz Kreisler, 'Schön Rosmarin' or Lovely Rosemary. They brought the audience into the mystery of the piece of Kreizler.

And that's Miyarima's second great performance after they took Honolulu by storm weeks before.

Next stop: Hollywood.

A/N:

1. The Orpheum is a real life venue in Vancouver. Source: https://twomonkeystravelgroup.com/awesome-concert-venues-in-vancouver-canada/

2. "Chambar" is also exists in real life. Source: https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Restaurant_Review-g154943-d703130-Reviews-Chambar-Vancouver_British_Columbia.html

3. Also I need all readers to know that I obtained the meaning and background of any classical pieces used in this story via articles in Google. Because remember, I'm not a musician at all.

4. Any musical or orchestra group mentioned in this story, are fictional except otherwise noted. 

5. Your vote and comment will motivate me much more!