After a while, Nemuri could feel her strength slowly returning, but she was still resting on her bed.
Meanwhile, Maki was in the living room.
Instead of preparing for the upcoming examination or doing any kind of review, he was going through the pile of papers where he had written down lyrics and chords of the songs he remembered.
He wanted to waste time.
And the best way to waste time was to be consumed by a hobby.
He flipped through the sheets, deciding which song he should record this time. At first, he had only wanted to make music for himself. Somehow, though, his Hero-Net and YoTube accounts had been verified, and now he could actually earn money from it.
He needed that money.
He was grinding for it so he could slowly pay back the appliances Nemuri had bought and that he had destroyed in the forest.
To do that, he had to post videos and wait for the views to climb.
Back then, he didn't even realize this could be a source of income. Even online, plenty of people struggled to gain views and get verified. But things had been easier for him.
Because he had connections.
And that was thanks to Nemuri.
He smiled, realizing how lucky he had been to meet her.
Then he pulled out a single sheet of paper.
It hit the right spot today.
A classic song from where he came from.
"Teenage Mona Lisa."
He smiled again and prepared everything he needed: phone, stand, guitar. All set.
All he had to do was hit every note and deliver the song the way it was meant to be felt.
Nemuri was still lying on her bed when she heard the sound of a guitar from the living room.
She closed her eyes, listening.
She knew him well enough by now. Whenever he strummed his guitar, he was either practicing or recording.
Then his deep voice filled the house, blending with the strings.
Hmmm—
Feel like I'm talking to a Teenage Mona Lisa...
So beautiful, yet so unsatisfied
And when I take a trip to Paris out to meet her
If she don't care at least I'll know I tried
Think I'm getting tired of these games now
At least the way that they play out
When your mind is on the wrong side
When I'm all alone with my thoughts out
And the gallery walls how
My heart will start to realize
That I don't really know you
Do you think that I know you?
Feel like I'm talking to a Teenage Mona Lisa
So beautiful, yet so unsatisfied
And when I take a trip to Paris out to meet her
If she don't care at least I'll know I tried
Standing at the top of a mountain
And you don't hear me shouting
And I've called around a thousand times
Silent and you don't even listen
Where's the you that I'm missing?
Maybe I don't wanna realize
That I don't really know you
Do you think that I know you?
Feel like I'm talking to a Teenage Mona Lisa
So beautiful, yet so unsatisfied
And when I take a trip to Paris out to meet her
If she don't care at least I'll know I tried
Feel like I'm talking to a Teenage Mona Lisa
So beautiful, yet so unsatisfied
And when I take a trip to Paris out to meet her
If she don't care at least I'll know I tried
Feel like I'm talking to a Teenage Mona Lisa
So beautiful, yet so unsatisfi—ed…
Teenage Mona Lisaaa...…
Nemuri listened closely.
She understood what he was trying to say.
And as his voice softened into the final note, sleep slowly claimed her once more.
Maybe Mona Lisa wasn't that unsatisfied after all.
In the living room, Maki finished recording.
He had changed the tone and rhythm slightly, making it deeper and more resonant. It didn't sound desperate. It sounded like someone who had done his best and accepted the outcome.
One take.
No cuts needed.
He set the guitar down on the sofa and grabbed his phone.
He didn't know how to properly edit, so he simply trimmed the beginning where he pressed record and sat down. Then he cut the end where he stood up to grab the phone, leaving the clip to end on the final strum.
After that, he added a filter called Golden Glamour, which gave everything a soft, warm texture.
He saved it.
Then he uploaded it directly to Hero-Net and YoTube without a caption.
Just post.
Done.
Simple.
He turned off his phone and tidied up. The guitar went back to its rack. The papers were stacked neatly on the table.
Then he walked toward Nemuri's room.
He saw she was sleeping.
He didn't disturb her.
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The song he had covered was by:
Teenage Mona Lisa
Song by Alfie Castley ‧ 2021
(*T^T)