Chapter 1.3: Leo, Overcoming Fear

1. to the music room at midnight

The Solenatrio - Leo, Naoki, and Souta - were scrambling in the mirror world to find clues about the "girl called ghost" hiding in the music room. According to a note they find in the library, the girl is harboring regrets for not being able to attend the recital. And if she can complete the incomplete score, "something" may happen.
However, torn books and notes are not enough information, and the three of them decide to go back to the music room at night in the mirror world to search for more clues. In this world where even the boundary between evening and night is ambiguous, it is unclear how the concept of "night" is presented, but if they return to the music room, they may once again hear that eerie melody.
Leo took several deep breaths, trying to calm his heartbeat. The floating sensation and fear he had felt when he came to the mirror world were still vivid. However, he could not return to normal without solving the Seven Wonders--this thought was the driving force that kept him on his feet moving forward.

2. the conflict between the trembling Souta and Naoki

When we reached the front of the music room, the room was still gloomy and the air seemed muddy. Naoki was clutching a flashlight, but his forehead was slightly sweating. Souta was pacing back and forth in the hallway, looking restless and frightened.
Don't worry, the three of us can do .......
When Leo called out to him, Souta forced a smile and nodded. Naoki almost uttered his usual logic, "If you think about it scientifically, there is no such thing as ghosts ......," but when he was in the mirror world, his words seemed empty and he kept his mouth shut himself. After all, he is inwardly puzzled because he understands that this is a situation where real-life logic does not apply.
That's it!"
Weakly exchanging a few words, the three push the heavy door open and step inside again.

3. the girl's back and a fragment of sheet music

The smell of dust, yellowed keys, cracked mirror - in addition to the same old scene, I noticed a faint, sweet-like scent. Was it a perfume someone had used in the past? Or was it a hallucination? Souta sniffed, "It smells funny ......," and Naoki held up a flashlight to find out the cause.
Then, he saw a piece of paper that had not been there earlier fall at the foot of the music stand. Leo hurriedly picked it up and found that it was part of a book he had seen in the library the other day, a page about a music recital. The date was reversed from left to right, making it difficult to read, but he could barely make out the words "X years ago, on the day of the recital, a girl fell ill and ......".
I knew it was the kid playing the piano."
Souta said in a trembling voice, and suddenly, the edge of the keyboard snapped into place. The three of them all stiffened up at once and stared at the other side of the music stand. Then, a "shadow" seemed to be floating in the air.
Wow. ......!"
Naoki gasps. The figure was bathed in a pale light, forming the outline of what appeared to be a girl with long hair. She turns around, and on her back is a white blouse and black skirt, faintly transparent, as if she were wearing some kind of old school uniform. The girl slowly reaches for the keys, but when she notices the three of us, she disappears in a huff.

4. leo's fear and decision

"Oh ......!　Missing ......"
Souta was stunned and muttered, and Naoki took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. He thought he was hallucinating, but after all three of them saw the same thing, it was clear that it was more than just a misunderstanding. Leo stomped with all his might on the floor, feeling his heart beat harder and harder. He has to suppress the urge to run away here.
"Oh, I'm going to ......"
Just as Leo was about to reach for the piano, a strong chill hit him from behind, and something like a wind pushed his body. He lost his balance and fell on his buttocks, involuntarily letting out a short scream. Naoki and Souta hurriedly supported Leo and stepped on him to keep him from falling forward, but the boys' fear was nearing its peak.
Should I stop or should I run away? Leo has always been curious and fearless, but the truth is that he is always conflicted inside. Without overcoming it, he cannot protect his friends and return to his original world.
"I'm scared ...... but we have to do it. If we run away here, we'll be back to the same thing, right?"
Leo smiled weakly as Naoki and Souta looked at him. Souta nodded with teary eyes, and Naoki replied with a single, small, "That's it.

5. confrontation in front of the piano

The three of us once again sat down in front of the piano. The keys were as dusty as ever, but there appeared to be finger marks on some of them, perhaps from where the girl had struck them earlier. Leo placed a piece of sheet music on the music stand and gently touched the keys with a trembling hand.
Let's play ......."
Naoki and Souta look puzzled at the short words, but no one tries to stop them. If they could play the music as the sheet music says, and play the tune the ghosts want, something might change - they believe so.
The moment he played the first note, the air in the music room seemed to change again. Dust was flying and the keys sounded out of tune, but Leo's hands never stopped. He had not learned to play the piano in the past, but he spun the notes, tracing the sheet music as he watched. Naoki shines his flashlight on the score, and Souta watches, shoulder to shoulder.
The choppy melody was far from being called a song. However, with each keystroke, I could feel the presence of the girl from earlier lurking somewhere in the background. A faint shadow flickers in the depths of the darkness. I can feel her eyes on me. But Leo continues. Keeping his heart beating, he presses down on the keys as if to tame his fear.

6. the girl's figure and one step growth

Suddenly, I felt someone lay a hand on Leo from behind. He looked up, but there was no one there. Instead, a faint sensation of temperature moved to Leo's fingertips.
Thanks to ......."
An unvoiced voice reaches Leo's ears. Was it an empty ear, or was it really a girl whispering to him? Leo was on the verge of tears, but he held back and struck the last key.
The song ends unfinished and silence returns. Souta is speechless, and Naoki stands dumbfounded. However, the three of them were surely aware of what was going on. There was "someone" in the music room.
Leo has mixed feelings between a sense of accomplishment after overcoming his fears and a sense of mission yet to be fulfilled. He must unravel the girl's thoughts and complete the song - and it may be the key to escape the world of mirrors.

After the confrontation in front of the piano, the three of them sighed deeply and smiled slightly at each other. Leo looked just a little more mature as he stepped back in the middle of his fear and faced the bend. The next step is to complete the song the ghost is asking for. To know the girl's true feelings.
And so, Solenatrio's adventure in the world of mirrors continues on to the next door - and the next.