Hope doesn't have much of a chance to see the way Mutsumi's expression changes with how much attention they're paying to their own fretboard, but once they realize that she's actually letting them catch up, that she's really trying to have this be a collaborative thing where they both feel like they're part of it, they feel themself relax significantly. It's also a great way, for as long as they're both playing together, to not have to think about... everything else.

They mumble their way through the lyrics idly while they're playing, and if they didn't have to coordinate their brain with their mouth and both their hands, they might have a decent singing voice under it all. All that matters to them in the end, though, is that they're having fun. For the first time in what feels like forever.

"I told you you're really good," they say once the last chord rings out, feeling a little swept up in all of it. "How long have you been playing?"