I had a hunch.

Runa is quite talented.

I don’t know any other guitarist of my age other than Naru Otonashi who had that kind of hand.

“One, six, two, five in C, is that okay?”

“Oh, yes, that’s fine.”

I knew it, she knew the basics.

“Okay, let’s begin.”

“……Okay.”

Come on, Runa. Let’s see what you can do !

–When the applause stopped and the audience quieted down, I began to play.

First of all, as a small test, I played a series of phrases with a sense of tension.

Runa pulled my phrases together with what would normally have been a safe accompaniment.

Impossible !? What is she ?! Could she be a pro ?!

To test Runa’s ability, I also used avoid notes to compose the phrases.

Normally,  it would be difficult to improvise, so the theory is to choose a safe accompaniment.

However, Runa responded with her originality.

Who are you really ?! Naru Otonashi, Jin Otonashi,…… could it be that Japanese people are all monsters?

No matter how much I shook it, Runa followed me exactly.

I gradually began to genuinely enjoy my sessions with Runa.

No matter how selfish I played, she would always take it with confidence. It was probably the first time I had ever improvised with such a sense of security.

Improvisation. Make music freely as you think without being bound by a pattern.

This session is the true meaning of improvisation.

Then a change appeared in Runa’s accompaniment.

T….this is.

This was the sound I was looking for.

Yes, I wanted this sound.

A voicing that makes the most of my melody.

Runa’s talent, which makes me jealous as a fellow musician, lured me to even greater levels.

If I were to be accompanied in this way….

I would never play anything else but Runa’s accompaniment …….

I felt like I had been brought out beyond my abilities.

—-There was no insanity in my eyes. No, in fact, I may have misjudged Runa.

She is more than just a very talented person.

She is the real deal.

I was overjoyed at this coincidental encounter.