Heavy snow covers the city with a layer of silver as the wind drives busy pedestrians forward. The crunching sound made when the soles of pedestrians' shoes step on the snow adds a musical feeling to the snow-covered streets.
Romance is something the people of this city have never lost. Music lovers from all walks of life have gathered in front of the opera house, and not even the cold can dampen their love for music. I look left and right and soon find the person I'm meeting.
A young man with blond hair and blue eyes is standing in front of the steps with his hands in his pockets. Standing tall and straight with handsome features, wide shoulders, and a narrow waist, he has the temperament of an aristocrat even though he is dressed in casual clothes, which makes him very eye-catching in the crowd.
[player]Club president! I'm over here!
I wave as I shout out to Akechi and only stop when he notices me and starts walking towards me.
As the smart mahjong table invented by Mirai suddenly malfunctioned, I was invited to be the temporary training partner of the National University of Fuuchi Mahjong Club and attend club activities with them. The mahjong club won a friendly match at a nearby school last week, so Hideki Akechi has specially invited me to watch an opera show to thank me.
[Hideki Akechi]We aren't at the mahjong club. I prefer you to call me directly by my name in private.
[player]Sorry, I picked up the habit of calling you that from Natsuki and the others during the club training... When did you arrive? You must have been waiting for some time already.
The water vapor escaping from my mouth quickly liquefies into a fine white water mist in the outdoor environment. I suddenly shiver in the hazy fog, and bounce a few times on each leg to keep myself warm with the exercise.
[Hideki Akechi]I only arrived five minutes before you. There's still some time until the show starts, so do you want to take a look around the place first? This is One Han City's grandest opera house, so it'll be a waste to not take a good tour of it while you're here.
[player]That sounds great! It would be even better if a certain kind person is willing to explain things to me.
[Hideki Akechi]Of course! It would be my honor.
The walls and roof made of reinforced concrete keep the cold and noise outside the building, and the marble floor is polished so brightly that it looks like a mirror and can even vaguely reflect the outline of the lights on the ceiling.
I follow Hideki Akechi and listen to him slowly introduce the history and background of this building to me. The building's obscure design concepts are conveyed in a simple and interesting way, which is refreshing and mesmerizing.
[Hideki Akechi]It is said that the designer of this theater got a precious luminous pearl before starting on the designs and loved it so much that they incorporated the concept of a pearl into the architectural design. That's why the theater is a massive oval-shaped building, even though most people think it looks more like an alien's UFO.
[player]Well, if you didn't tell me this, with my poor imagination, I would only think that it looks like an eggshell.
[Hideki Akechi]You wouldn't exactly be wrong. Eggshells protect the vitality inside them and give birth to new artistic creations that can break out at any time. Whether it is the Renaissance or an emerging trend, they can always usher in a new era.
[player]That sounds so much more interesting, club president... um, Hideki... You sure know a lot about this place.
[Hideki Akechi]My father loved to listen to opera very much. He believed that music can make people become better. He brought me here all the time ever since I was six years old. The most frequently we came here was about two or three times a month.
[Hideki Akechi]At that time, the One Han City Opera House was still a rather traditional old-fashioned building. The "eggshell" we see now is what it looks like after it was expanded.
[player]No wonder you know so much about the opera house...
He is never stingy with his time and energy when it comes to studying something he's interested in. Maybe that's why Hideki Akechi is such an outstanding person.
Time passes quickly. Before we know it, the show is about to start. On the way to the ticket booth, the drink shop in the opera house catches my attention. Seeing that I was interested, the employee welcomed us enthusiastically.
[Employee]"You love me, and I love you. Love is so sweet that it makes the winter warm." For our third anniversary, we've released a special drink called "Sweet Love." Wanna give it a try? It's not only delicious but can also warm your hands up.
[Employee]Buy one and get a second drink for half price. It's a great deal.
After noticing that Hideki Akechi and I are together, the clever employee immediately adds.
[player]Well...
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