Kousei’s performance begins. He starts off on a roll, but then midway through, his playing begins to fall apart. Hearing this uneven performance, the audience starts to buzz. Are the rumors that Kousei can no longer hear the sound of his own playing true? In their hearts, Kaori, Tsubaki, and Watari cheer Kousei on from the audience, while Emi and Takeshi, who’ve just finished performing, look on with concern. Onstage and alone, Kousei confronts his own trauma regarding his mother.