The lighting in the Parlor Car was a bit brighter than in the other cars, because both sides were windows.
The stars outside shone through the glass, casting faint blue light and shadows on the floor.
Of course, what surprised her a bit was a green plant in the corner, with broad leaves drooping over the edge of the flower pot.
This was probably the second living thing Chara had seen on the train, the first being Flowey.
When she walked in holding Flowey’s flower pot, Isee was already sitting by the window, a stack of paper and a pen spread out in front of him.
“Sit.”
Chara placed the flower pot on the low table and sat down opposite him.
Flowey poked his head out of the pot, curiously looking left and right.
Isee pushed a piece of paper in front of her.
There was a word written on it.
(A/N: it’s a word, not a single character, otherwise everyone in the universe would have to learn Chinese??)
(T/N: The author is goated.)
“Do you know what it means?”
She stared at the character for a long time, but ended in failure and shook her head.
“Don’t know it.”
“This is the word for ‘Star’, the things you look at out the window every day.”
She looked at the word again, trying to connect its shape with the shiny little dots in the sky.
Isee seemed to see her confusion.
He took the pen, drew a circle on the paper, and then put a dot inside the circle.
“The original shape of a star is round, but when writing the character, people simplified it.”
Chara traced the strokes of the character in the air with her finger and silently repeated it.
“Star.”
“That’s right.”
Isee wrote another word with more strokes.
Chara took one look and gave up on the spot, not even wanting to guess.
Isee didn’t scold her.
He handed the pen over.
“Copy it and write it once.”
● You obtained a pen.
When Chara took the pen, she gripped it very tightly.
She hesitated to put it on paper.
Flowey reached a vine out of the flower pot and gently touched the back of her hand.
“Relax, pal.
You’re gonna snap the pen and make it smoke.”
She loosened her grip a bit.
The pen slid down a bit, and then she placed the tip on the paper, trying to trace the shape of the word.
…
● You look at the mess you wrote, falling into deep thought…
He picks up the paper you wrote on, takes a look, and is too embarrassed to even comment.
● He puts the paper aside, takes a new piece of paper, and pushes it over, saying, “One more time.”
● You write it again.
At least…
the positions of the strokes are right, but the overall thing is still crooked…!?
“But it’s a bit better than just now.”
Flowey poked his head over from the side to take a look.
“It is indeed better than just now, although it still doesn’t look very good.”
Chara looked up and glared directly at Flowey.
(0.o) Visit g.com for the full chapter.
● After learning for almost an hour, your paper is filled with crooked words.
Some can barely be recognized, some are completely spaced out, and some look like ghostly talismans dancing wildly, like you personally ran to the bathroom and made a pile of poop???
● But…
compared to the very beginning, you can already write a few complete words.
Isee gathered her papers and folded them neatly.
“We’ll continue tomorrow.”
Chara nodded, put the pen back on the table, and then she heard a sound.
It came from outside the car.
Separated by a wall, it wasn’t very clear, but she could tell it was intentionally made by someone.
Flowey’s petals opened.
“What is this?”
The corner of Isee’s mouth twitched.
“Music.”
“Music?” Dolly had mentioned it once when introducing the train to Chara, saying that occasionally someone would play music on the train, but she didn’t know who the musician was.
“Let’s go take a look.” Isee stood up and packed away the paper and pen.
“The sound is most likely coming from the next car.”
Chara followed behind, holding the flower pot.
They walked through a door, and the sound became clearer and clearer.
It was a continuous sound, sometimes high and sometimes low, sometimes flowing smoothly like water, and sometimes pausing, as if gathering something.
When she walked into that car, she was stunned.
Dolly??
She was standing in the middle of the car.
A wooden rod-like thing was resting on her shoulder, her left hand supporting the bottom, and her right hand holding a slender bow, drawing it back and forth on the wooden rod.
Her eyes were closed, her head slightly tilted, and her body swaying gently with the bowing motion.
Her long pink hair hung down her back, and her white dress glowed softly in the light.
The sound of the bow hair rubbing against the strings flowed out from the body of the instrument, as if something was singing inside the hollow wood.
Of course, dozens of people were also standing at the door of the other car, including Akivili.
Chara had never seen this kind of thing, and had never heard this kind of sound.
The sound was coming from inside that wooden rod, filling the entire car.
She didn’t understand what it was.
She just stood there listening, holding the flower pot in her arms tightly.
Flowey poked his head out of the pot, and his stem and roots unconsciously started dancing??
The last note of the melody was dragged out very long, then slowly faded away, disappearing into the air.
The car was quiet for a few seconds.
After the crowd dispersed, Dolly opened her eyes.
The first things she saw were Chara and Isee at the door, and she smiled.
“Huh?
When did you get here?
Isee?”
“Just got here.”
Dolly put the bow down and rested the violin on the chair next to her.
She walked over and squatted in front of Chara.
“How was it?
Did it sound good?”
“What is this?” she asked.
“A violin.
You use a bow to rub the strings to make sound.
Do you want to try?”
“???”
Chara looked at Dolly, then at the violin.
She hesitated for a moment and shook her head.
“I don’t know how.”
“If you don’t know how, you can learn.” Dolly stood up and picked up the violin.
“I’ll teach you a simple one.”
She placed the violin on her shoulder and handed the bow to Chara.
● You obtained a violin.
Dolly helped her adjust her bowing posture.
“Put your fingers like this, don’t use too much force, then place it on the strings and pull gently.”
Chara did as she was told.
The moment the bow hair touched the strings, it emitted a harsh sound.
It didn’t sound good at all!!
It was completely different from what Dolly had just played.
Her hand stopped suddenly, and her face flushed slightly.
Flowey chuckled.
“Hehe, this sound is really ugly.
It feels like eating incredibly bad pineapple sauce pasta.”
Dolly didn’t laugh.
She said seriously, “The first time playing is always like this.
Try again, a little lighter.”
Chara pulled the bow again.
This time, the sound was a bit better, not so harsh, although…
it was still dry…
“Try again.”
● You don’t know how many times you’ve adjusted it, but every time it’s a little better than the last.
The angle of the bow hair rubbing against the strings slowly gets right, and the sound changes from scraping to a steady vibration…
Although it’s still a simple sound, far from a beautiful melody, at least it sounds like a violin is talking.
Dolly took the violin back and let Chara rest.
Chara handed the bow back to her, the smell of wood and rosin lingering on her fingers.
Isee leaned against the door, watched the whole process, and then turned to leave.
Before leaving, he looked back at Chara, a very shallow arc on the corner of his mouth…
● Finally, you can rest.
Chara sat on the sofa, holding Flowey’s flower pot and leaning against it.
Dolly picked up the violin again and played another melody.
This time it was slower than before, the sound as gentle as if lulling someone to sleep.
Flowey reached a vine out of the flower pot and rested it on Chara’s wrist.
“You learn pretty fast, pal.
But you made me listen to ugly stinky water for a good while.
Do you hate society and just want to retaliate against it??”
“Screw off!”
Watching Dolly’s fingers dancing on the strings, those sounds flowed out from the body of the instrument one after another, flowing into her ears.
She leaned against the wall and slowly closed her eyes.
● The music gives you a long-lost sense of peace.
This fills you with DETERMINATION.