Der spiegel: “Sonata Pathétique”

Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 13 "Sonata Pathétique": II. Adagio cantabile

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It all began with two people, both lost in their own ways, brought together—a knot in the thread of destiny. It was autumn, a season of transitions, where warmth fades into cold, they crossed paths, an encounter that marked a turning point for them both.

In the bustling shopping district, a simple flyer advertising a performance by a megaunit called Chess brought Leo and Maru face-to-face.

Leo was there out of necessity, promoting his idol unit as part of his struggle to survive at Yumenosaki Private Academy. Meanwhile, Maru, who should have been at school, had wandered off in search of solace, letting her feet carry her away on a brief escape.

An unexpected encounter. After Izumi quietly stepped aside, the two were left standing before each other in silence. Leo, sensing Maru’s guarded nature, spoke words that broke through her hesitation, words that seemed to hold as much meaning for him as for her

"There’s no way you can find the stars if you keep looking at the ground, y’know?"

For reasons she couldn’t fully explain, Maru decided to listen to him, the stranger who called himself an idol. She attended his performance, unsure of what to expect but willing to give it a chance. What she found there was something she hadn’t felt in a long time: the spark of confidence. And even more astonishing, as she listened to the music, she realized that the songs she loved most—songs that had always given her comfort—were Leo’s compositions.

“Those music I've been listening to, songs which saved me back then, ... the same person. so... it was you... all along?”

Even before their chance meeting, Leo’s music had connected them. It seemed that fate had only nudged them closer, uniting two lost souls who had unknowingly shared struggles and leading them to the same crossroads.

Moved by Leo’s performance and music, Maru decided to become his fan. Inspired, she returned to school with a new determination. Her interest in the stage, once dormant, began to bloom again. Watching Leo perform reminded her of her childhood love for theater and art performances. She threw herself into her studies, eager to learn about the stage and its role in bringing music to life.

But fate is not always kind.

Plato: Allegory of the Cave

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That moment came during a performance titled Checkmate, a moment that became a turning point—not just for Leo, but for Maru as well, where everything Leo had been suppressing finally unraveled. The weight of his "cruelty and selfishness," the rigid ideals he clung to, and the facade of strength he maintained all came crashing down. On that stage, unable to hold back any longer, Leo let his anger and pain pour out for all to see.

Maru watched, frozen in place. The man whose words and music had once “saved” her now stood before her, unraveling. She had only just begun to find herself again, sparked by the light she thought Leo represented. The light she had seen in him—the strength she had admired—was revealed to be as fragile as her own. In that moment, she understood a painful truth: Leo was just as lost as she had been.

As Leo crumbled on stage, his downfall played out like a person trapped in their own cave, unable to fully break free, a spectacle—a dramatic sacrifice of the king. All she could do was watch his destruction playing out on the stage for all to see as if she were witnessing her own story unfold again, but this time, through him.

Her heart cried out.

But the words reached nothing to the lips.

"Someone, please save him."