a/n: yiruma's [when the love falls] piece is on the multimedia section. spotify playlist on the external link on the previous page.

ps: i italicized japanese words and suffixes. enjoy reading! x

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EMIRI'S FINGERS SLIDE lightly across the shiny surface of the grand piano, her eyes blank and a lot going on in her mind.

How do you unlove someone?

Someone who has been with you for almost half your life. Someone who you created memories with. Someone who you love more than anyone else in this world.

How do you unlove that someone?

Is there some kind of list out there that one needs to follow in order to completely wash away someone from one's heart and mind? Is there a certain medicine that makes one forget about someone? Is there even a spell that makes one unlove someone?

If so, can someone tell her the secret?

For she has been trying and trying and trying so hard to forget everything, to escape her feelings but it wouldn't budge.

She remains hopelessly in love with him. Still.

Taking a deep, tired breath, she shakes her head in attempt to erase all unwanted thoughts inside her mind.

No, she is in that place to forget, not to remember every single thing. She is there to learn unloving him, not find ways to love him more.

If only forgetting about Yamada Ryosuke and everything between them is as easy as shaking her head.

The relaxing sound of chimes diverts Emiri's attention from the piano to the door. A small smile creeps her face as she looks at the ten-year old girl who entered the place.

"Emi-neechan!" the girl runs to her side and immediately wraps her tiny arms around her legs. "Ohayou."

Her smile widens, then she crouches down to level herself to the girl. "Ohayou, Risa-chan. You seem to be in a very good mood today."

"Un!" Risa nodded cheerfully, her imperfect set of small teeth showing. "I'm excited to learn the piano with you!"

Emiri laughs awkwardly but she tries to conceal it so as not to make the girl worried. She pats Risa's head lightly. "Sure, shall we start?"

"Yes!" Risa beams and runs towards the grand piano. She goes ahead and sits on the chair, then she turns to her and waves. "Come on, Emi-neechan, let's start!"

"I'm so sorry about this, Emi-chan," Risa's mother, Mrs. Takayuki Sora, murmurs and pats Emiri in the shoulder. "I know you're not here to play the piano."

She shakes her head and offers a smile. "It's okay, Obaa-san. I am enjoying piano time with Risa-chan."

Mrs. Takayuki thanks her before excusing herself and going into the pantry of the piano school to prepare a snack for Emiri and Risa.

The piano school where they are now is owned by Risa's father, Mr. Takayuki Hiro.

Mr. Takayuki Hiro − or as she usually calls him, Ojii-san − is Emiri's mentor since she's a kid. She used to study in a music school. She even joined competitions all over the country and even outside together with Mr. Takayuki until she stopped when she entered senior high school. She realized when she was in middle school that she could not contain the pressure of being in a music school. Everything was intense and pressuring, and she could not handle that.

So when she turned senior high school, she told her parents and Mr. Takayuki that she no longer wanted to become a pianist, much to their surprise and dismay. But they understood her, and continued supporting her throughout the years. She took a course not related to music and pursued her chosen career soon after, completely forgetting about her beloved music.

And now she's back − seeking comfort to the music she turned her back to, hoping that through music, she will eventually be able to forget and unlove Ryosuke.

Well, easier said than done.

Emiri walks towards the waiting Risa and sits beside her in the grand piano. She smiles at the girl, warding off unwanted thoughts. "Which piece do you want to play, Risa-chan?"

"This one!" Risa excitedly takes out a folded music sheet from her small bag and hands it to her.

She takes it and unfolds the paper. Glancing at the top of the music sheet, her smile fades. She suddenly feels her heart race, her hands tremble at the sight of the piece's title.

When the Love Falls by Yiruma

"Um, Risa-chan..." Emiri starts warily, trying to show a smile as wide as she can muster. "Are you−"

"Emi-neechan, you see, Yiruma-san is quite famous in school." Risa interjects, leaning in closer as if telling a secret. "And I'm the only one who does not know about his pieces."

A rush of sympathy flows through her nerves. She knows the feeling of being outcasted in school just because you're outdated, she knows it perfectly well. That was one of the reasons she wanted out before.

But still, she's hesitant to teach this piece to Risa because she's sure that once she presses even one note, a plethora of memories will surge from deep inside.

Memories she's trying to forget and erase, if possible.

A slow and mellow tune brings Emiri back to reality. When she turns sideway, she realizes that it was Risa pressing in the notes to the piano keys, creating a good yet messy melodies.

Risa faces her, lips forming an expectant smile. "How is it, Emi-neechan? Did I play it right?"

"Yes," Emiri says softly then smiles. She rubs Risa's back gently. "You're good. But these notes here," she points at the music sheet, "...should be played like this," she plays the piano a little. "See?"

"Wow, Emi-neechan, that made a huge difference from my try earlier." Risa's eyes are glistening with awe. She tugs the sleeve of her blouse, her brown pools pleading. "Play it all! Play it all!"

She bites her lower lip, very much tempted to reject the Risa's request. But can she really say 'no' especially if the girl is showing her a cute puppy-eye look?

So instead of refusing Risa, Emiri straightens her back and places her fingers on the respective piano keys. She starts pressing in and immersing herself on the music.

As the melody starts to swirl around the room, memories begin to flood into her mind.

"Why are you always playing those kind of pieces?" Ryosuke once asked her while they were at home and she was practicing for a recital.

Smiling softly, she replied, "Because I want to feel the sorrow of the composers as they composed these pieces."

"Why do you need to know their sorrow?" he asked again, his elbow resting on the top of the piano.

"Because it's hard to feel. One can easily play a happy tune but the sad ones? Not so easy," she said while she continued to play the pleasing yet sad melody. "You can easily create happy pieces from the things that surround you − the nature, the environment, small things, beautiful sceneries and the likes. But you need to have something heavy and deep in your heart in order to know what sorrow really feels like..."

"I see," Ryosuke nodded, then he took a sip from the cup he was holding. "Then how about you, E? What do you think will make you sorrowful?"

"Hmm, let's see," she stopped playing for a while to think, her brows furrowing. Then she smiled mischievously as she thought of something. "Maybe... maybe if you're not by my side anymore? I'll definitely feel sorrowful and sad."

"Really?" he returned the smile with a grin. "Jaa, let's make this promise so we won't make each other sorrowful in the future."

Raising a brow, she looked up at him from where she was sitting and asked curiously, "A promise?"

Ryosuke nodded, then he offered his pinky. "Let's stay by each other's side forever. Hmm?

She laughed. "Why are you being so cheesy right now?"

"Come on, just promise me, E." Ryosuke moved his pinky closer to her. "Hmm? Hmm?"

Laughing again, she nodded casually. "Fine, fine. I promise," she linked her pinky to his.

After their promise, they shared a smile that warmed both their hearts from the coldness of winter.

"Nee-chan, why are you crying?"

Risa's worried voice seeps through Emiri's ears, stopping her from travelling memory lane any further. She touches her face and true to Risa's words, she's crying. Her cheeks are wet with tears.

Goodness, when will she stop crying over memories?

Hastily wiping the tears away, Emiri tries her best to smile widely so as not to worry Risa even more. She ruffles the girl's hair slightly. "Nee-chan just remembered something sad. I'm sorry for worrying you, Risa-chan."

"It's okay," Risa murmurs, still in shock at seeing her crying. Then her face falls. "I'm sorry for making you play the piece, and making you cry."

Emiri shakes her head abruptly. "It's not your fault, Risa-chan. You know, this piece is really a sad song. It's about a love that's being let go. And whenever Nee-chan plays the piece, she cries. So there's no need to apologize. Okay?"

"Really?" Risa's eyes brightens a little, much to her relief. And then she sighs again. "I made you remember something sad, I'm sorry."

"It's okay, really. Look, Nee-chan is happy again because she's with Risa-chan. Look." Emiri tries her best to show Risa a real, happy smile despite the painful tightness in her throat and her heart breaking into million pieces. She smiles more to prove to Risa that she's happy even though all she wants to do at the moment is run to her room and cry her heart out. "Come on, Risa-chan, smile for me."

A slow smile begins curving at the girl's lips and Emiri mentally sighs in relief. "That's better. Girls are prettier when they smile," she pinches Risa's cheeks softly.

"Looks like you girls are having a good time."

The girls turn their heads toward the doorway in synchrony. A bright smile touches their lips as they scramble to the newcomer.

"Papa!"

"Ojii-san!"

Mr. Takayuki meets them halfway and opens his arms, which both Emiri and Risa envelop themselves in.

"Tadaima."

"Okaeri," Emiri and Risa synchronize again. They turn to each other and exchange a laugh.

"Oh, you came at the right time, honey." Mrs. Takayuki, who just came out from the pantry, welcomes her husband. "Okaeri."

"Tadaima, honey." Mr. Takayuki lets go of the two females and walks over his wife to give her a short hug.

"Come, girls. Snack is ready," Mrs. Takayuki announces as she returns the hug to her husband. The two goes ahead to the pantry.

Emiri looks beside her. Offering her hand, she smiles. "Let's go eat?"

"Un!" Risa nods and accepts her hand before they walk side by side into the kitchen where a set of snacks were prepared.

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yee-to-the-fracking-haw!!! i am *slightly* back, lol.

revamping (again?!?!) my account, as well as my drafts. i am officially making this account my fanfiction account, lol. i am currently translating my filipino stories to english so that i may be able to reach more readers and prolly help me earn more reads and votes (lol, yes i am that desperate hehe). so please help out this poor person out, huhuhu.

also, if you have noticed, i cut this oneshot to parts. and i will do so with my other one shots (that are too long for one chapter to fit in).

in addition, did you like the new cover? i'm experimenting on different types of covers and minimalist design is my addiction right now. it's probably not much yet, but hopefully soon, once my other stories are published, my profile will look more aesthetically pleasing.

anyway, i have yapped more than necessary already so i'll end it here.

ciao!