‘I want to tune Kazune’s piano.’

‘That’s—’ Mr Yanagi and I spoke at the same time, but I got the distinct feeling we had quite different things to say.

‘—very intriguing.’ Sure enough, Mr Yanagi completed his thought. ‘I know a very good training course. You should study there.’

‘Yes, but—’ I interrupted, and four dark eyes turned towards me simultaneously.

‘But what?’ Mr Yanagi was looking at me, too, and I silently shook my head.

Because really my issue was this: I wanted to be the one. I wanted to tune her piano. But I couldn’t say so. I wasn’t good enough. I might not make it in time for when Kazune really took flight.

‘I think everybody who plays the piano understands this – a pianist stands alone,’ Kazune insisted quietly. ‘Once you start playing, you’re all on your own. That’s why I want to play the piano that Yuni has tuned. That’s my dream now.’

Her dream. And Yuni’s, too.

Mr Yanagi’s eyes met mine. ‘That’s wonderful,’ he said.

But I felt frustrated. Is it OK for Yuni to have such a humble dream? Shouldn’t she be chasing after something else – some much larger dream, away from her sister’s shadow? Kazune was, after all, Kazune, someone who would make a life for herself through the piano.

‘Once you start playing, you’re all on your own.’ Yuni repeated Kazune’s words. I could feel the strength of will in her voice. ‘So all of us need to do what we can to support her. Like Kazune, I’m going to live for the piano too.’

A sparkling tree in the far distant mountains – this image came to me again. Yuni was already determined to become a tuner, that much was clear.

‘Thank you for everything today. We’ll be going now.’ The twins bowed in unison, and as they looked up they both smiled brightly.

I walked them out to the showroom and waved them goodbye. When I returned to the office on the first floor, Mr Yanagi was still pretty worked up.

‘I feel like I want to do my very best for them right this minute,’ he said. ‘I can’t remember the last time I felt this way. It’s like how I felt when I watched a boxing match on TV. Afterwards I felt all stirred up, like I had to get out and do something ridiculous. Like go for a run.’ He sighed and shook his head. ‘It’s kind of annoying, though. I feel hell-bent on doing my very best, but I don’t know what it is I should do my very best at.’

‘I feel the same way,’ I said.