The household staff at the Yamazaki mansion got busy with preparations after Sayaka decided to hold the barbeque party. The outdoor patio was already a recreational space, but the grills had not been used for a while.
Furthermore, more people were coming for the party, so the entertaining area needed to accommodate more people than usual. So, some changes were necessary.
As the work continued, Akira went to her room to freshen up while the others continued chatting downstairs. She took a quick shower and changed her clothes before going back downstairs to join in the excitement.
She found it was amusing to look at the interactions between these family members. The group of people were all still convened in the living room, and they were discussing Hanae's future career. She entered and took a seat outside of the circle.
"Hanae missed the opportunity for participating in the top classical piano competition. It will be difficult to gain a foothold again before next year. This world is quite unforgiving. The opportunities are too few." Kaoru lamented.
"Hanae is a bright girl. I think she should not delay entering the university anymore. Since the competition has passed, she should find a good professor to guide her. With the right connections in the art world, nothing is impossible." Sayaka said with the voice of experience.
"It is not that easy getting a mentor in classical music. Most of those professors are proud and have high requirements for students. Not to mention, they only choose a person who is pleasing to their eyes." Kaoru sighed.
There was a collective sigh of distress in the room.
"Now that we are talking about it, I do know someone from that world. I remember the president of the Institute of Classical Music came over to visit us some time ago. She seems to be familiar with Mr Cherry Blossom. What was her name?" Sayaka spoke after a long moment.
"Oh yeah, that is right. I remember that old lady." Kazuo spoke up excitedly.
"Fujita Omi." Hanae's filled in the information.
"Yes, that woman came here to visit Akira and see her violin. Do you know her, Hanae?" Sayaka asked.
Hanae laughed. "I think anyone with an interest in the local classical music scene has heard of her. She is not a performer anymore, but I paid attention to her a lot when I was younger. She was my idol. Unfortunately, I did not have any fate with the violin."
"Sayaka, can you introduce Hana to this Fujita Omi?" Kaoru asked.
Sayaka felt a little awkward about the question. She had brought the matter up because she has the intention to offer to introduce Hanae to that woman. However, the meeting with Fujita Omi was because of Akira. She wanted to ask Akira first before introducing Hanae.
"Ms Fujita came to visit because of Akira, so I have to ask for Akira's opinion's first." She responded.
All the eyes in the room turned to Akira who was chatting with Kaito on her phone while listening to the conversation. She looked up.
"What is your opinion on this matter?" Sayaka asked with a warm smile.
"Since you are not interested in the classical music world, it is not a big deal. Let Hanae enjoy the opportunity." Kazuo spoke up.
"You don't mind it, do you?" Kaoru asked.
Akira looked at the expectant faces. The people seemed to be asking a question, but they did not leave her a chance to refuse. With the phrasing of these questions, she would look petty and small-minded if she did not agree.
Her lips arched into a smile. "I don't mind. I have only met Ms Fujita once, so we are not familiar. It is not necessary to ask for my permission. It was only a single encounter."
With that, the group looked away with awkwardness.
Kaoru was dissatisfied despite getting the answer she wanted. She had been hoping that Akira would only say yes. Then, she would ask Akira to introduce Hanae personally to Fujita Omi. This was the best solution because the old woman seemed to like her.
If she could mediate the meeting, nothing would be impossible for Hanae.
But since she phrased the answer like that, it would not be appropriate to ask her for the introduction. She had made it clear that she was not familiar with that head of classical music. Insisting would not look good for her.
Akira's phone buzzed. She looked at the image of a man in a suit, hanging from a helicopter stretching a hand. She almost laughed aloud. It was Kaito's reply to her meme of her being circled by fierce sharks.
"Then, it is settled. I will contact Ms Fujita. I have her business card somewhere. Hanae can meet with her. Hanae, if you impress her, you can begin a real career in classical music. Right now, you only need to focus on building your future." Sayaka said.
Hanae smiled happily. "Thank you, Auntie. I will work hard."
She meant those words. Her primary strategy at the moment was working on her future as a classical pianist. If she did not gain a good reputation, she would not be able to rise and become more prominent.
A solid background could improve her prospects when finding a husband. She did not want to marry an ordinary man like her mother. When she thought about the difference between her mother and her aunt, she understood the phrase she read somewhere.
A marriage is a woman's second reincarnation.
She could not choose to be born into a better family. However, she could choose a suitable man to give her the future she wanted.
She would not make stupid mistakes and lose everything just because she did not like the look of her cousin. Still, she could feel her anger and hate for her cousin, who seemed to have everything handed to her on a silver platter.
She was kidnapped as a child and should have lived a worse than ordinary life. Even if she returned to the Yamazaki family, she should have been a bumpkin. It should have been easy to deal with the girl and ensure she secured her position.
However, this girl who grew up in the wild was like a shining beacon. Regardless of what she did, she would be in the spotlight. She was not an ordinary girl despite not being raised by her parents.
It was like she was charmed.
As the harmonious atmosphere was restored, an old man stepped into the room.