The international passenger ship terminal was located at a gigantic pier in the Port of Yokohama.
They stopped the car in the parking lot, got out, and checked in at the reception counter on the second floor. It was a fairly simple process.
“We are registered as ‘special passengers’ because we’ll only be there temporarily,” Mr. Sugisaki explained, handing a suitcase to the attendant. The group made their way toward the boarding ramp for large passenger ships. “We should be able to board the ship directly from the terminal, putting us on the third-deck lobby.”
Mito clutched her violin case and walked alongside her father. Mayuka skipped close behind them. Hinata, Chris, and Kobayashi took their time bringing up the rear.
The attendant guided them to the boarding bridge. It was like a tunnel that connected the terminal building with the Primavera.
And once they had made their way through the tunnel…the ship’s interior was like another world!
Hinata was full of regret.
Ack! I feel so out of place. I really should have stayed at home…
Already, the blinding lobby lights and the vast amount of space were overwhelming him.
Up above, set into the vaulted ceiling, was a colorful profusion of stained glass. Under his feet, the carpet was thick and soft.
The couch and chairs, the reception desk, the various decorations and fixtures—everything looked so expensive and luxurious.
At the other end of the huge room was an impressive model sailboat on display, flanked by large staircases leading to the floor above. They were beautifully curved, and it seemed like Cinderella herself might come running down them at any moment. Had they wandered into some grand palace’s ballroom?
“Mito and I will retire to her greenroom to prepare for the concert. Please enjoy the ship in the meantime. I believe this woman here will act as your guide,” Mr. Sugisaki said, before heading toward the elevator at the back of the lobby with his daughter.
The person he had indicated was a young woman dressed in a navy-blue uniform with her black hair tied into a fancy bun. She folded her hands across her midriff and stooped in a very crisp thirty-degree bow.
“My name is Chihori Kase, and I am a member of the crew. Though I am new and still in training, it would be my pleasure to assisht—…!”
She turned bright red and covered her mouth with her hand.
Mayuka chuckled. “Don’t worry, Chihori. We’re still trainee passengers, too. So what does the crew do?”
“Well, um… We do everything necessary to keep the ship operational.”
“Oooh, I see! That’s really cool. My name’s Mayuka, and this is Hinata,” she said, bowing. Hinata followed her lead.
“And my name is Kobayashi,” said the young man. “It’s nice to meet you. Please tell us all about the ship.”
Chihori gazed at him briefly, then bowed again. “I’m afraid there’s much I still don’t know… But I can tell you that this is the third-deck lobby. There’s a shop and casino farther in…”
Hinata listened to her explanation and stared up at the ceiling again. The ship was incredible. The word luxury was surely meant to describe places like this. He felt as though it would crush him under its weight.
Many other guests dressed in fine clothes were moving about the ship. There seemed to be more foreigners around than usual, and Hinata could hear conversations in languages he didn’t recognize.
He swallowed. He was extremely nervous, and his joints felt stiff…
Looking concerned, Chihori leaned down and asked, “Um, would you like to go out on the deck and get some fresh air, Hinata? You don’t look well…”
The group headed out onto a side deck located next to the gangway. Hinata grabbed the railing, leaned out, and sucked in a deep breath. Ahh, this is more like it!
Right in front of him was the terminal he’d just walked through to get here. Mayuka leaned her back against the railing and looked up in the opposite direction.
“It’s like a gigantic apartment building…,” she said.
Indeed, the ship was like a huge building towering over them. The rows of windows and balconies above expanded in all directions, beyond the bounds of their vision. There were twelve decks on the ship, accommodating more than two thousand passengers.
I can’t believe this is a boat!
“It’s less of an apartment building and more of a luxury hotel. It’s amazing!” Kobayashi exclaimed. “As a broke detective, I never thought I’d get a chance to visit a place like this. Are you feeling out of your element, too, Chris?”
At Hinata’s feet, Chris whined in response.
“How are you, Hinata? Feeling a bit better?” Mayuka asked, eyeing him carefully.
He managed a nod. “Y-yeah…”
“I’m glad! Now, stop worrying, relax, and enjoy yourself. Make the most of this opportunity.” She patted him on the shoulder, and he smiled.
She was right. They’d come all this way to have a good time. His mom and dad were probably waiting at home, excited to hear all about it. He needed to pay attention so he could report back to them about everything he saw… Plus, if he was nervous, it would make Chris nervous, too. And that wouldn’t be fair.
Seeing that Hinata’s mood had recovered, Mayuka said, “Shall we go back, then? Mito’s concert is about to begin!”
Hinata and Chris started off alongside her, and Kobayashi tilted the control lever on the arm of his wheelchair, making it roll.
After moving through the café and returning to the lobby, Hinata gasped once again.
The fancy chairs had been arranged in semicircular rows, and guests were already seated in them. This had been the entrance to the ship not long ago, but now it had been transformed into a concert hall.
People were gathering on the large staircases, too, leaning against the railings and looking down at the space below. The lobby was full of eager whispers and laughter.
“Didn’t Mr. Sugisaki say this would be a small concert?” Kobayashi muttered under his breath. “What about this is ‘small’?”
Chihori guided the group to a row of seats at the very front. Just then, the lights dimmed. Hinata ducked and put his arms around Chris’s neck so the dog wouldn’t be alarmed.
The model of the sailboat seemed to glow as a spotlight was cast on someone standing in front of it—a tall, well-built foreign man wearing a grand white uniform. The four golden lines on his sleeves gleamed in the light.
“It’s the captain!” Mayuka whispered excitedly into Hinata’s ear. There was a round of applause, and he began to give a speech.
“Good evening, everyone!” he began in English. “Welcome aboard. I’m the captain of this ship…”
“Mayuka, you take English lessons, right?” Hinata asked. “Can you understand what he’s saying?”
“Yep, every word!” she said promptly. Hinata wasn’t sure she was being entirely honest, however.
After a little while, the man switched to Japanese. It seemed the captain was quite fluent in both languages.
“I offer a warm welcome to all our passengers from Japan as well. Welcome to the Primavera. We’ve invited a fresh young guest to help liven up our sail-away party tonight. She’s a violinist who is certain to achieve great things in the future—Miss Mito Sugisaki!”
Mayuka started to clap rapturously, then realized that nobody else was doing it and quickly put her hands down.
“She will be performing on a Stradivarius this evening. As I’m sure you know, a Stradivarius is one of the most famous types of violin in the world, crafted by the master himself, Stradivari. One of our guests, Mr. Yuudai Soga, has generously allowed us to use the instrument for our party. He assures us that it is the finest violin in his collection. A round of applause for Mr. Soga, if you will!”
The spotlight swung to the middle of the front row. A small, thin elderly man stood up and waved to the audience behind him. The crowd exploded with thunderous applause.
“Why are they cheering for him and not Mito?!” Mayuka demanded.
The captain raised a hand. “I’ve kept you waiting long enough. And now, I present to you…the Stradivarius. Do enjoy.”
“You mean Mito!” Mayuka said angrily, but her words were swallowed up by another round of applause.
First, a pianist appeared and sat at the grand piano located to the left of the model sailboat.
Then the bright-red fabric of someone’s dress passed in front of Hinata and Mayuka.
Mito? Hinata’s mouth fell open.
Their classmate strode confidently across the floor in a long gown of red tulle, the violin in her hands. Her long hair was tied into a ponytail, and the subtle makeup she wore made her seem much more grown-up than usual. The simple dress suited her slender silhouette.
She seemed like an entirely different person from the Mito they’d rode with in the car. She walked to a spot in front of the model sailboat, then faced forward and gave a formal bow.
“My name is Mito Sugisaki. Thank you for having me.” A quiet round of applause rippled through the crowd like a wave on the shore. “The name of this ship, Primavera, means ‘spring’ in Italian. Therefore, I will begin with a piece that shares its name: the first movement of Beethoven’s fifth violin sonata, entitled Spring.”
She tucked the violin under her chin, looked up slightly, and raised the bow.
After making eye contact with the pianist and nodding, she moved her arm.
All at once, music began to flow out of the smooth brown violin.
The piece opened with a high note and moved gracefully down the scale before rising again.
A nimble rhythm and carefree quality seemed to make the melody at the heart of the music dance. The tinkling sound of the piano joined in, weaving itself around the notes of the violin. It was as though the two were playing a game of tag in a sunny meadow, calling out to each other and frolicking.