#gradient project sekai

Hideki: (I was never good at music.) Hideki: (Since I am born in a family of musicians, I started playing the violin before I could even read.) Hideki: (But no matter how hard I tried… I couldn’t get any note right.)

Young Hideki: Ah! Young Hideki: I’m sorry… I always forget the time signature changes here… Harumichi Aoyagi: Do it again. Young Hideki: But... I’m a little tired… Harumichi Aoyagi: You’re not going anywhere until you manage to stay perfectly in time. Young Hideki: ...Can I at least drink a cup of water? Harumichi Aoyagi: Do it again. Young Hideki: … Young Hideki: Okay… Hideki: (I am not even sure I have ever liked music.)

[Kamiyama High, Class 1-C] Classmate A: Hideki! Hideki: Mmh? Classmate A: We’re hanging out tonight, wanna come? Hideki: … Classmate A: We plan on going bowling, and maybe even… Eh? Is everything alright? Hideki: !… Oh, yes, don’t worry. Hideki: But I won’t be able to come… Sorry. Classmate B: Ah, that’s right, I forgot… You have that violin concert, don’t you? Hideki: Yes, that’s it. Classmate A: Do you think we can come? Hey, guys! I’m changing our plans, let’s go cheer on Hideki at his concert! Hideki: Hehe… I appreciate it, but it’s a classical music concert. I don’t think people will appreciate if you yell my name like that. Hideki: Now, I’ve got to go. I still have to practice before the concert. Classmate A: Wow, so serious, Hideki… Classmate B: We should all take your example, shouldn’t we? Classmate A: See you tomorrow! Hideki: See you tomorrow.

[A few hours later - Concert hall] Hideki: … Harumichi Aoyagi: I had told you to play the last part forte. Why was it so weak? What were all these hours of practice for? Hideki: I’m sorry… Harumichi Aoyagi: Do you realize the amount of effort and energy I consume for you? You’re the only one in this family who had made me lose my time this way. Harumichi Aoyagi: Even Touya’s years of practice haven’t been that useless. Hideki: (Stop comparing me to them…) Harumichi Aoyagi: Are you even listening? Hideki, I’m warning you, from now on, you won’t do anything else than practicing when you’re not at school. Hideki: I'm sorry. Hideki: I’m going to the bathroom.

[Concert hall, Bathroom] Musician A: Hey, isn’t that Aoyagi? Musician B: No, you're… Damn, that’s right, it's him! Musician A: He really messed up tonight, didn’t he? Hideki: … Musician B: As always… Ah, crap! He’s looking at us. Musician B: Nice performance, Aoyagi! Musician A: You look disappointed, but don’t worry, you’ll do better next time! Hideki: ... Hideki: Thank you, good night.

Musician A: His brother was so much better than him… And so much friendlier. Musician B: And he’s so much full of himself for someone who can’t even make the difference between largo and allegro…

[Concert hall] Hideki: (Stop… comparing me…) Voice: Ah! Voice: You, there! Hideki: …? Unknown girl [Jin]: Yes, you! Jin: My name’s Jin Kashi... But you can just call me Jin! Jin: Aren’t you Hideki Aoyagi? Hideki: Yes, it’s me… Why? Jin: No way!… So… you’re Touya Aoyagi’s brother? Hideki: !… Hideki: ...Yes. Hideki: (Stop… Please stop comparing me to others all the time.) Hideki: (I know everyone is so much more talented than I am…) Hideki: (So please…) Jin: That’s so cool! I admire him so much, so I’m so honored to meet you! You’re a violinist, aren’t you? Hideki: !… Jin: I’m personally a flutist! Oh, but you’re the one who played the Waltz tonight, right? Hideki: (She talks so much it’s hard to keep up, but...) Jin: I really like this song, to be fair. Look, I have it in my playlist! Jin: ...Eh? Jin: Untitled? I don’t remember adding that song, what’s… Wah! Hideki: Ah! Hideki: (It’s so bright!)

[???] Jin: Aa...choo! It’s so dusty in here! Jin: Where are w… Jin: Eh? Miku: ♪———— Girl [Chieko]: … Hideki: It’s so beautiful… MEIKO: Shh! Girl [Chieko]: !… Girl [Chieko]: Ah… I…

Jin: Oh… She’s gone… MEIKO: Sigh...

Miku: No, don’t g- Miku: Ah! Miku: You’re here! You’re finally here! Welcome to your SEKAI! Jin: Miku!? The... VIRTUAL SINGER? And wasn’t this.. MEIKO just now? Hideki: This… This must be some sort of dream… VIRTUAL SINGER are not real. Miku: This is a world created by your feelings for music, and... Hideki: ...My feelings for music? Miku: Yes. All of you have created this world. Hideki: What feelings? Jin: !… Jin: (So this is…) Miku: I… I’m here to help you find your true feelings. This world… SEKAI… believe or not, but you created it. Hideki: My true feelings about music… I hate music! You should know it, right? Hideki: This is just some stupid dream anyways. How do we leave? Miku: You have to stop the song playing on Jin’s phone… It’s also on your phone, so if you ever feel like coming back… Play Untitled. Jin: Aoyagi… Are you sure? Hideki: (Nod) Jin: ...Okay, then. Bye. Miku: Bye…

After Toya Aoyagi stopped playing classical music, his father put much more pressure on the little brother: Hideki, who played the violin. Because of that, he completely loses his passion for music but can't find himself telling his father. Hideki keeps playing the violin, without any passion, and ends up hating music as a whole, including his brother's. 

One day, Hideki has a recital, and randomly encounters a flutist: Jin Kashi. He doesn't know her, but as soon as he tells her his name, the girl starts talking, excited. She recognized him: Toya's brother, her idol's brother. Jin starts explaining to Hideki how his brother is why she keeps playing music, because the way he puts his feelings in his music moves her. 

Hideki, who completely lost his desire to play music, suddenly sees a ray of light, of hope: could this happy and talkative girl make him change his mind about music? Could she actually convince him that music is worth fighting for? 

Later, they find a song on Hideki's phone, an untitled song. When Jin clicks on it, both of the two musicians are teleported in a different place: their SEKAI. It's a music conservatory, but strangely, for Hideki, it feels… comfortable. Something he hadn't felt for a so long time…

They are interrupted by a woman shushing them. A brown-haired girl is playing the piano and a blue-haired girl is singing. When the pianist notices Jin and Hideki, she suddenly panics, stops playing, and disappears from the SEKAI. The woman who shushed them sighs and walks away. 

The blue-haired girl introduces herself as Miku, and explains that the girl who played the piano, is the only one who ever came here… That MEIKO never talks to her, never sings, never plays any instrument. That her friends never came, and that now Chieko is gone. 

Later, Jin and Hideki find Chieko again and convince her to form a group with them. She is a well-known prodigy, but also a really shy girl. She finally accepts, but still seems reluctant…

A little while after GRADIENT is formed, Miku confess that someone is still missing. That there's still a person who needs to find their feelings with GRADIENT, but that this person is filled with fear and even forgot how to feel. 

But time flies, and Hideki still can't find his feelings about music, Chieko slowly loses her ability to play and even the cheerful Jin looks like she doesn't enjoy playing music anymore. 

Nothing goes right, so Miku decides to force things: MEIKO will only pull Hideki down, and the GRADIENT members are too lost in their feelings to find the fourth member. 

She gives Jin the last name, the drummer of the group: Riku Otoda. Jin, who only wants everyone to be friends, tries to convince Hideki and Chieko to meet this Riku with her, but she can't. Hideki slowly loses his hope and is even getting worse than before while Chieko is publicly reduced to the prodigy who can't play anymore. Her self-esteem is at the worst. 

So Jin goes alone, concerned by the shadows in the mind of her friends. But when she sees him, Riku, at one of his concerts, it's even worst. 

He looks like he plays to feel things, but can't feeling anything. His music is filled with despair and fear. 

"Won't I ever feel something while playing music?"

Jin gets to talk to Riku, but he doesn't want to go with her. He doesn't want to risk that, so Jin decides to force him and goes with him to SEKAI by Untitled. 

Riku recognizes Chieko: they are childhood friends, but belongs to different worlds: the princess pianist and the skater drummer. And that's exactly how he feels about GRADIENT: he does not belong to this world. 

When Miku sees them two in the SEKAI, she's relieved but she notices that now every GRADIENT member's mind is filled with shadows. 

Hideki hates music.

Jin is overwhelmed by all this negativity and can't even make them cheer. 

Chieko is nothing more than the shell of her old talent. 

Riku does not want to try new things.

But now, GRADIENT is complete, and Miku's friends will come.

GRADIENT's music will be heard, and Hideki, Jin, Chieko and Riku will finally be linked by the same feelings. 

They're not that different. 

CHARACTERS 

Hideki Aoyagi: GRADIENT's leader and violinist. He hates music and can't hope anymore. Lives in the shadow of his older brother Toya. 

Jin Kashi: GRADIENT's flutist. She always tries to make everyone cheer but can't end up hurting them and hurting herself. 

Chieko Setsushi: GRADIENT's pianist and singer. Extremely shy girl who used to be known as a prodigy, but slowly lost her piano skills and got bullied again for this downfall. 

Riku Otoda: GRADIENT's drummer. Cliché of the guy who skates and spends his time in the street, he wants to play music but all he's paralyzed by his fear. 

Hatsune Miku: SEKAI's host. Born from Hideki's unconscious will to keep playing classical music. Her friends never came to the SEKAI but she's determined to make them come to help GRADIENT.

Kagamine Rin: Born from Chieko's breakdown. Harpist. Eternal perfectionist, she considers that Chieko shouldn't give up, and must try until she succeeds. 

Kagamine Len: Born from Jin's happiness to play. Oboist. He made her understand that she also can play for herself, and not only for the others: that she had to be the first one who mattered for herself. 

Megurine Luka: Born from Riku's fear to keep playing with GRADIENT. Organist. She showed him how Chieko overcame her shyness and anguish to keep playing with GRADIENT. She promised him he was not alone anymore, and that even if the worst times, she would be with him. 

MEIKO: SEKAI's host. Born from Hideki's abandonment in the search for his love of music. Cellist. She made Hideki understand that if he doesn't want to play, he doesn't have to. 

KAITO: Born from Hideki's determination. Conductor. Pushes Hideki to keep playing at least for the other GRADIENT members.

SIDE NOTES

Hideki Aoyagi is canonically Toya Aoyagi's little brother. I own Hideki's character, but not Toya's. Toya Aoyagi belongs to Colorful Palette. 

All my character are MINORS. 

I would love to make GRADIENT grow into a real project, if you’re interested, DM ME!! I'd be so honored! 

I know GRADIENT's story is very based on Toya's existence. I am not a Toya fan. GRADIENT was just an OMORI joke when I created it. 

Thank you for reading my little Project Sekai story. Take care of Hideki, Jin, Chieko and Riku. 💙

39SM1LE.

Hideki : (Je n’ai jamais été bon en musique.) Hideki : (Étant né dans une famille de musiciens, j’ai commencé à jouer du piano avant même de savoir lire.) Hideki : (Mais qu’importe combien j’essayais… J’étais incapable de jouer les bonnes notes.)

Jeune Hideki : Ah ! Jeune Hideki : Pardon… J’oublie toujours que le tempo change ici… Harumichi Aoyagi : Recommence. Jeune Hideki : Je suis un peu fatigué... Harumichi Aoyagi : Tu n’iras nulle part jusqu’à ce que tu réussisses à ne faire aucune fausse note dans cette partie. Jeune Hideki : ...Est-ce que je peux au moins boire un verre d’eau ? Harumichi Aoyagi : Recommence. Jeune Hideki : … Jeune Hideki : D’accord… Hideki : (Je ne suis même pas sûr d’avoir jamais aimé la musique.)

[Lycée Kamiyama, Classe 1-C] Camarade A: Hideki! Hideki: Mmh? Camarade A: On sort ce soir, tu veux venir ? Hideki : … Camarade A : On prévoit d’aller faire du bowling, et même peut-être de… Eh ? Tout va bien ? Hideki : … ! Oh, oui, ne t’en fais pas. Hideki : Mais je ne vais pas pouvoir venir… Désolé. Camarade B : Ah, c’est vrai, j’avais oublié… Tu as ce concert de violon, n’est-ce pas ? Hideki : Oui, c’est cela. Camarade A : Tu penses qu’on peut venir ? Eh, les gars ! Je change nos plans, on va encourager Hideki à son concert ! Hideki : Hehe… J’apprécie l’offre, mais c’est un concert de musique classique. Je ne pense pas que les personnes autour de toi vont apprécier si tu cries mon nom ainsi. Hideki : À présent, je dois y aller. Je dois encore m’entraîner avant le concert. Camarade A : Waouh, t’es tellement sérieux, Hideki… Camarade B : Nous devrions tous prendre exemple sur toi, vous ne trouvez pas ? Camarade A : À demain ! Hideki : À demain.

[Quelques heures plus tard – Salle de concert] Hideki : … Harumichi Aoyagi : Je t’avais dit de jouer la dernière partie forte. Pourquoi était-elle si faible ? À quoi servaient toutes ses heures d’entraînement ? Hideki : Je suis désolé… Harumichi Aoyagi : Réalise-tu tous les efforts que je fais et toute l’énergie que je consomme pour toi ? Tu es le seul de cette famille qui m’ait fait perdre mon temps ainsi. Harumichi Aoyagi : Même les années de pratique de Touya n’était pas aussi inutiles. Hideki : (Arrête de me comparer à eux…) Harumichi Aoyagi : Est-ce que tu es seulement en train de m’écouter ? Hideki, je te préviens, à partir de ce jour, tu ne feras rien d’autre que t’entrainer en dehors des cours. Hideki : ...Je vais aux toilettes.

[Salle de concert, Toilettes]Musicien A : Eh, ça ne serait pas Aoyagi ? Musicien B : Non, ce… Punaise, tu as raison. Musicien A : Il a vraiment tout raté ce soir, non ? Hideki : … Musicien B : Comme toujours… Ah, mince ! Il nous regarde. Musicien B : Jolie performance, Aoyagi ! Musicien A : Tu as l’air déçu, mais ne t’inquiète pas, tu feras mieux la prochaine fois. Hideki : Merci à vous, et bonne nuit.

Musicien A : Son frère était tellement meilleur que lui… Et tellement plus sympathique. Musicien B : Il est tellement arrogant pour quelqu’un qui ne sait même pas faire la différence entre largo et allegro…

[Salle de concert] Hideki : (Arrêtez… de me comparer…) Voix : Ah ! Voix : Toi, là ! Hideki : …? Inconnue [Jin] : Oui, toi ! Jin : Moi, c’est Jin Kashi, mais tu peux juste m’appeler Jin ! Jin : Tu es bien… Hideki Aoyagi ? Hideki : Oui, c’est moi… Pourquoi ? Jin : Mais non !… Alors… Tu es le frère de Touya Aoyagi ? Hideki : !… Hideki : ...Oui. Hideki : (Arrêtez… Je vous en prie, arrêtez de me comparer à tout le monde…) Hideki : (Je sais que tout le monde est beaucoup plus talentueux que moi…) Hideki : (Alors je vous en prie…) Jin : C’est trop cool ! Je l’admire énormément, donc je suis très honorée de te rencontrer. Tu es violoniste, non ? Hideki : !… Jin : Personnellement, je suis flûtiste ! Oh, mais tu es celui qui a joué la valse ce soir, n’est-ce pas ? Hideki : (Elle parle tellement que c’en est compliqué de la suivre, mais…) Jin : J’aime vraiment ce morceau, pour être honnête. Regarde, elle est dans ma playlist ! Jin : ...Eh ? Jin : Untitled ? Je ne me souviens pas avoir ajouté cette piste, c’est… Wah ! Hideki : Ah ! Hideki : (La lumière est si forte !)

[???] Jin : A...tchoum ! C’est tellement poussiéreux par ici ! Jin : Où est-ce qu’on… Miku : ♪———— Fille [Chieko] : … Hideki : C’est si beau… MEIKO : Chut ! Fille [Chieko] : !… Fille [Chieko] : Ah… Je…

Jin : Elle… Elle n’est plus là… MEIKO : Pff… Miku : Non, ne partez p-

Miku : Ah ! Miku : Vous êtes là ! Vous êtes enfin là ! Bienvenue dans votre SEKAI ! Jin : Miku !? La VIRTUAL SINGER ? Et n’était-ce pas… MEIKO juste maintenant ? Hideki : Ce… Ce doit être une sorte de rêve… Les VIRTUAL SINGER ne sont pas réels… Miku : Ceci est un monde créé par vos sentiments pour la musique. Hideki : ...Mes sentiments pour la musique ? Miku : Oui. Vous avez tous créé ce monde. Hideki : Quels sentiments ? Jin : …! Jin : (Alors c’est…) Miku : Je… Je suis ici pour vous aider à trouver vos vrais sentiments. Ce monde… SEKAI… crois-le ou non, mais tu l’as créé. Hideki : Mes vrais sentiments pour la musique… Je hais la musique ! Tu devrais le savoir, non ? Hideki : Ce n’est qu’un rêve stupide, dans tous les cas. Comment est-ce qu’on part ? Miku : Tu dois arrêter la piste qui joue sur le téléphone de Jin. Elle est aussi sur le tien, donc si jamais tu veux revenir… Joue Untitled. Jin : Aoyagi… Tu es sûr ? Hideki : (hoche la tête) Jin : ...D’accord, dans ce cas. Au revoir Miku : Au revoir…