A/N: Next stop, Austria. How they fare in the mecca for classical music, with legends such as Haydn, Mozart, Strauss, and Kreisler? The chapter name is German for Vienna.

Also this chapter will reveal what Tsubaki and Watari are doing in Japan for the last six years.

September 6th, 2024.

Vienna, Austria.

"You can sleep now, Kousei-kun." Kaori said upon her husband finished drinking his medicine inside their hotel room in Ritz-Carlton Vienna.

Kousei contacted flu just hours after his and Kaori's German performance. 

"Must.. finish (coughing).. this" Kousei reached his IPad, try to finish one of the couple's new composition, titled "Peace Inside You".

"Honey, don't push yourself too hard for this. My body maybe not as strong as you, but for this, please, let me do more."

"And don't ever say that I have done too much for you. Remember, this what love is." She continued.

Kousei relented, with regret that his act has caused his wife to close to crying, and as Kaori readied her own IPad for the composition, he felt the effect, and ready for a paracetamol-induced sleep, which hopefully help his body to recover.

September 8th, 2024.

"Much better, honey?" Kaori asked, softly, as her husband awaken after another good sleep.

Despite his condition his mind is still as clear as day during their first rehearsal.

"Thank Lord Jesus I'm much better now. Let's go downstairs for breakfast." Kousei said.

After breakfast they meet with their managers for their second rehearsal especially after the orchestra which will accompany them in part of their performances has been fully assembled. They played on one of the best concert hall in the country, Grosser Musikvereinshall. In addition, the said accompanying orchestra is also one of the best in Europe and even the world; the Vienna Philharmonic.

Less than seven days left for the concert.

The piece started with half a minute of the piano being introduced, followed by Kaori's violin which simultaneously signaled the entry of the orchestra.

Thanks to the intense negotiation and "experimentation" in the first day of rehearsal, "Miyarima" and their accompanying orchestra has seamlessly inter-operate and complement with each other. 

Five pieces and three of their originals will be deployed in this particular concert.

"I can see why you are called a prodigy, Mr. Arima" said the conductor upon they finished playing one of the Mozart concertos.

"I used to think that we already know you or your wife well, but this time you two are giving something new here, basically, we were brought to know another part of you in your playing today. And its a good thing particularly for the younger audiences. Once again, magnificent work all!!" The conductor continued. Both Kousei and Kaori smiled upon his praise. 

Time fly fast, and the rehearsal concluded. Another good day for Kousei and Kaori.

As Kousei still need rest, after dinner in the city, their managers immediately escorted the young couple back to their hotel. 

Next day, somehow both Kousei and Kaori wake up earlier. He soon opened his laptop, already connected to the hotel's internet.

His Skype soon went off with a notification. It's from Tsubaki.

Its September 9th, and it's 03.30 local time, which means in Japan its 19.30 on the previous day.

"Good morning, baka Kousei, Kaori-chan!" 

Both Kaori and Kousei smiled upon Tsubaki greeted them with their nicknames.

"How's your work, Tsubaki?" asked Kousei, still grinned while occasionally sneezing.

"Teaching sport to junior high kids is tough, as you know, but they are always fun!" Tsubaki, out of Katachiro National High School, in which she attended with Watari, five blocks from Okutsu, Kousei and Kaori's almamater (Emi, Takeshi, and Nagi attended Okutsu as well), realized that professional sport is not for her, decided to study sport education in the university, while Watari pursued professional soccer just like his late grandfather, Kojiro Ryouta, once played for the national team in the 1974 World Cup in West Germany and 1978 one in Argentina (1). 

"And Watari sent you your greetings!" Tsubaki continued.

During Watari's tenure in Katachiro, the school, already known for its reputation in sport blossomed further and won the All Japan High School Soccer Tournament two times, in 2017 and 2018. During that time he also played for the U-16 Japanese national team and won U-16 AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Championship in 2016. A year later he also called again for the U-17 FIFA World Cup in India, with Japan obtained fourth place after a defeat to Brazil in the third place match (2).

Speaking of the latter, Watari's campaign with the Blue Samurai in this period happen on the same time as Kousei and Kaori's first concert in the United States, exactly in New York as a guest performer from the Juilliard School, despite the couple subsequently turned down the school's offer for them to attend after high school.

He isn't home yet as he is currently have a routine exercise with his club, J1 League club FC Tokyo, and now in his second with the senior team after a success with its reserve team, FC Tokyo U-23, in which the team won the J3 League three years ago. Tsubaki and Watari planned to live together as they are beginning their process for renting an apartment near Choufu, a city part of the Greater Tokyo Metropolis. 

Besides, Tsubaki's job also entailed her to commute into the said city.

"Give yourself a good rest, okay? You and Kaori are still have a long trip ahead, Get well soon, otherwise, I will kill you if you come back here in Japan in a hospital bed!"

"Come on, you become just like Kaori here..." he replied.

"Kousei!" Kaori, standing behind him, playfully slapped his hand, while Tsubaki laughed on the screen.

Soon Kaori has her turn for a good "women's talk" with Tsubaki.

---

September 14th, 2024.

"Time to shine!" Kousei exclaimed when he was awaken. It's the day of the concert.

"We can do this!" Kaori, always sparkling, replied as she rises up seconds after her husband.

Hours later, they, has organized themselves with their designer suits and dresses, arrived at Grosser Musikvereinshall.

Sakura can saw Kousei showed a sign of worry and reminded both Kousei and Kaori, with Doi added, to be themselves, focus, and wait patiently for their time.

The announcer soon called them in-stage.

"Ready, Friend A?" Kaori asked.

Kousei can only smile upon her remarks, despite still recovering from flu, as they went up stage to show the Austrians what makes Miyarima great. 

The couple faced mostly Austrians and other German speakers filling up the famous hall, and bowed. Then their performance started with Mozart's Concerto for Piano and Violin Number 5.

As the couple and the Austrian orchestra accompanying them played it, the audience can feel every movement of the piece flowed like river's strong current and smashing everything in its wake especially when its time for the music's section to flow fast, particularly in the "Turkish" part of the piece with the slow part used to build momentum for the flow to move fast. Kousei and Kaori can saw their audience feel pumped up and eager for more as the piece concluded.

Sakura and Doi know that they will keep being successful. In addition, the managers know that families and friends of Miyarima back at home counts at them.

"Their stars are going brighter and brighter. This is Austria, as we speak, so their playing is a good sign of they will keep climbing" Doi said to Sakura.

The Austrians will sure to remember Kousei and Kaori, the "Enchanter" and "Japan's Warriors"

---

Their second performance is the famous "The Blue Danube" a waltz by Johann Strauss II.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlFBWo-Cbz8

The swing of the music brought the audience to literally enjoy the Danube River's beauty, and the piece was so famous that its regarded as "Austria's second anthem". On the other hand, the composer initially intended the piece as a political satire, while  in the context of back-then Austria's defeat in the Prussian-Austrian War in 1866. 

Kousei and Kaori brought the song to have a more positive outlook, with the audience feel the mixture of hope, optimism, and also increased amount of critical, not blind, love to their country. They also feel that despite the piece was relatively common to be played, it still touch its listeners, including their folks back home which, day and night, prayed for their success and safe return to Japan.

The beauty of the piece further convey their passion to stay together and create more music.

---

They played four more pieces, two Beethoven, one Chopin, and one Bach. Compared to the previous two the couple played somewhat more technically like the great composers mentioned want it to be played. On the other hand, the bond between Kousei and Kaori fueled the elevation of those pieces into their own, just like they are the composers. In fact, they felt that the city of Vienna itself with its rich musical tradition, belong to the Japanese too.

Subsequently they switched to their original pieces.

It's time to unveil Dream atop Hills, composed at Painshill Park back in London.

They bring the audience, still awestruck by their playing, to experience another dream-like state with emphasis of quietness and reflection of life, particularly important under the reality of the hectic life of a modern human in the 21st century. Such time also helped to reconnect to nature and to someone's family and other loved ones after spending almost a week working or studying.

Some audience also interpret the piece with the lens of social issues, in this case a strengthened commitment to environmental protection, in light of increased proliferation of renewable energy worldwide, including in some developing countries. 

Anyway, Kousei and Kaori know that the newest piece they made was accepted by the Austrians looking for their musics, as loud, approval applause echoed inside the hall.

For closure, they played Die to Live.

With the showing of the importance of sacrifice, in particular for a great and noble cause (including, according to their managers, raising families) shown by the piece, connected with hope and optimism found on Strauss' The Blue Danube they just played, it somehow formed a strong bond between two musics from two different eras and the resulting roller coaster ride of emotions and reflection transmitted from the music into the audience.

The audience and the player, along with Viennese orchestra accompanying them in this particular piece, as the music flows, found themselves supporting each other, as life goes on.

After hours playing their music almost non-stop, both Kousei and Kaori stood up along with the orchestra and bowed out.

A much louder applause sealed Miyarima's further acceptance, musically, by the Austrians.

In fact, even the Chancellor of Austria, Sebastian Kurz, has been reelected in 2022, and his entourage, stood up with his people and contribute to the mass appreciation taking place that night.

Reporters and photographers immediately rushed towards Kousei and Kaori as they exited the stage and into the changing room.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please be patient for a while, they need calm for a while before they can answer our questions" Both Sakura and Doi handled the journalists while Kousei and Kaori, still in their suits, went closer and hugging each other. 

"Love you more, Kaori!!" said Kousei as his tears fall, awashed with emotion.

"You too! I feel that this is one of our best and pretty much unforgettable!" she replied.

"Well, this is one of the musical capital of Europe. We (sneezing) made them proud!" Kousei refer to great musicians, particularly classical, which made their name in the region during their lifetime.

"How can I say? A massive hit and a superb playing from you both!" Sakura, standing behind the couple, praised them, meanwhile Doi can only nodded, know that Kousei's manager had stole the word from his mouth.

Soon the couple went into the press conference room and doing their good time replying to question from reporters from both Austrian and world channels covering the event.

"Thank you, Austria! Auf wiedersehen (goodbye in German) and see you again." Kousei stated his farewell to the country.

"Italy, I hope you will be ready for us!" Kaori said.

"Warm greetings to our family and our fans in Japan! We promise you that we will come back to you safe and sound!" both couple focused their eye towards one of the cameras from a Japanese entertainment channel went to Austria along with other foreign media.

A/N: How this chapter doing? Enjoyed it? Give me your vote in the right corner and your comments below! 

Further notes:

(1). In the real life Japan never qualified for FIFA World Cup until 1998. 

(2). In the real life the said championship's fourth place was Mali, while Japan was eliminated in the Round of 16 in a penalty shoot-out with England with the score of 3-5.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_FIFA_U-17_World_Cup