Track 2
HAMA House - Dining Room
Mmm… This wine is good, too, Chief!
Yes. It’s light and really easy to drink.
Kitakata Raito, drinking a light wine… Haha. Get it? Heh…pfft—hahaha!
Raito-san, let’s take a quick water break, okay? Here you go.
……Phew, thanks.
It’s true that they’re all so good, though. I genuinely can’t decide.
(The more I drink, the harder it is for me to pick. What should I do…?)
The Chief begins hallucinating Kinari.
Master. If having so many options is making it difficult to decide, perhaps you should gather more clues, such as additional search parameters or baseline criteria?
I hope your search for the perfect wine is successful.
The imaginary Kinari disappears.
(Hm… Maybe the alcohol is starting to get to me, too… Still, thank you, Imaginary Kinari-kun.)
Um… By the way, what made you decide to store your wine in that cellar in the first place, Raito-san?
! Ah, I haven’t told you about that yet, have I?
…Until the day Kuguri and I play the piano side by side once more… I want the wine we choose today to age in that cellar.
...!
There’s no telling when that day will come.
But… I want to give this wish a tangible form. Something I can hold on to. Call it…a prayer, if you will.
(...I see. The bottle you’re trying to choose…isn’t just any bottle, Raito-san. It’s the one that will connect you and Kuguri-san together. In that case…)
Um...
Chief?
Raito-san, you like white wine, right? And Kuguri-san likes red wine. So, how about finding the middle ground and going for a rosé1?
...A rosé, huh...
(Rosé wine isn’t typically suited for aging, but…if it’s Champagne2, there should be a few that taste better as they age.)
A wine that blends the best qualities of two different people... I thought it would be lovely to share that together, on the day you and Kuguri-san finally stand side by side.
Sorry, this is probably just a silly idea I came up with while drunk, but…
...No. It’s a wonderful idea—one that could only come from you, someone who has always been watching over us. Thank you.
...!
Let’s go with a rosé. And now that that’s decided… Let’s pick one from one of the top Champagne Maisons3 here…
(If we’re choosing from among these…)
Hm... How about this bottle?
Let me see.
…“Avenir brillant.”
(A bright future, huh...)
I hope the future that’s waiting for the two of you will be filled with happiness… No, rather… I know it will be.
…Shall we give it a taste?
Yeah!
Each of them pour a glass of rosé to drink.
Hm… This is…
The fruity aroma has that red wine feel...like Kuguri-san. But once you taste it, it’s kind of like white wine—bright and vibrant just like you, Raito-san!
…Alright, this is the one. I’m sure even Kuguri will be pleased with this wine.
Thank you for thinking of us so deeply, Chief. Thanks to you, I am now certain that I've made the best possible choice.
I can’t wait for the day I get to raise a glass with Kuguri using the rosé you chose for us!
One of the world’s oldest styles of wine, dating back to ancient Greece. Its color ranges from pale salmon to deep pink.
Unlike regular rosé, which spoils quickly, authentic Rosé Champagne has high acidity and special bottle-fermentation that allow it to age and improve for decades.
Top French Champagne producers. Here, Raito is referring to the prestigious brands they currently having in the collection they need to sample.