Traveling With a Beautiful Girl - Chapter 33: Hamamatsu Museum of Musical Instruments

After Hamamatsu Castle, we decided to visit the “Hamamatsu Museum of Musical Instruments,” which Nanase had her eye on for some time. When I think of a museum, I imagine science or dinosaurs as the main attractions, so I was curious about what a museum of musical instruments would be like.

As soon as we entered, we were greeted by a luxurious and dazzlingly large musical instrument. Immediately, I prepared myself for deep and unfamiliar instruments whose usage I couldn’t even guess.

“The name is Saung-gauk, a musical instrument from Myanmar. It’s used for Buddhist ceremonies and spirit worship events… huh, I see.”

Nanase read the description with great interest.

“You really like reading explanations, don’t you?”

“Isn’t it uncomfortable to leave something you don’t understand as it is?”

“Ouch, that hits me right in the heart!”

“It’s just interesting, isn’t it? Gaining new knowledge.”

“My brain capacity isn’t that big, you know.”

“It’s not about the size of your capacity, but about whether or not you have the will to gain that knowledge.”

“You’ve been stabbing me with extra-large needles since a while ago, huh?”

According to the museum map, if we go to the left from the entrance, there are instruments from Asia, to the right, instruments from Japan, and in the back, there’s an exhibition corner for electronic instruments.

We went around in a circle, visiting each section in order. The exhibited instruments varied greatly, from familiar ones to those like the Saung-gauk, which we had no idea how to use. According to official information, about 1,300 instruments from different regions and eras are on display.

It was truly a museum full of musical instruments. Though one might say that’s obvious for a museum of musical instruments, I was overwhelmed by the experience of being surrounded by so many instruments for the first time in my life.

Nanase, on the other hand, was brimming with curiosity, looking at the exhibited instruments with great interest and reading the descriptions every time. It seemed like it would take an enormous amount of time to read each description, but it didn’t.

Apparently, Nanase’s comprehension and memory abilities were on a different level; she seemed to understand and remember the contents of the descriptions with just a quick glance. Just like that, she was browsing through the instruments at a pace akin to eating soba noodles.

Truly, a top-ranked brain. While I was shuddering at her incredible processing abilities, we finished touring the first floor.

In the basement, there were instruments from Oceania, Africa, America, and Europe on display. Next to me, who was relieved to see familiar instruments like flutes and violins, Nanase continued to read the descriptions.

That’s when I noticed something. In this museum, there were many hands-on instruments that you could actually play and make sound with.

But Nanase didn’t touch any of those instruments. She just kept looking at the exhibits and reading the descriptions, without trying to play them. It was as if she was intentionally keeping her distance from the instruments.

…Am I overthinking this?

“This place is fine.”

It seems like I wasn’t overthinking it. In the back of the basement, there was an area where keyboard instruments such as organs and grand pianos were on display, but Nanase didn’t want to enter.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

Her answer was immediate, and it had a nuance of rejection. When I suggested playing the street piano at Hamamatsu Station earlier, Nanase had the same reaction. It made me curious.

Did she have some thoughts about pianos?

“Is there something about pianos that bothers you?”

Without realizing it, the question in my head slipped out as words. Nanase’s expression froze, and I regretted asking the question, but it was already too late.

After a good 10 seconds, Nanase finally spoke.

“Let’s take a break at the café.”

I understood that this was Nanase’s way of saying, “I’ll talk about it somewhere we can relax.”

We returned to the first floor and entered the café attached to the museum. I chose a Calpis, while Nanase went with black coffee, an opposite choice. We sat down at a seat by the window with a great sense of openness.

While my stomach relaxed with the familiar sweetness, my heart felt as restless as it would be a few minutes before the announcement of an exam result.

“I don’t have good memories with pianos,” Nanase started talking when her coffee was about half empty.

“Did something happen?”

“Enough to make me never want to play the piano again.”

As she answered, there was no sadness, impatience, or anger in Nanase’s eyes.

Instead, I felt a concrete-like coldness, and the temperature of my spine dropped as well.

“You mentioned that you have some memories with the street piano at Hamamatsu Station.”

“I did say that.”

It had been on my mind for a while.

After taking a sip of her coffee, Nanase began her story.