by Tomoko Ninomiya

Nodame's grueling lessons with her teacher have paid off: At last she agrees to play in a piano competition. Too bad there's not enough time for Nodame to learn all the required pieces. . . . Meanwhile, Shinichi has mysteriously overcome his fear of flying and finally decided to go to Europe to further his musical studies. Out of the blue, he asks Nodame to join him–but she turns him down. Determined Shinichi travels to Nodame's hometown. Will the challenge prove too great, once he finds out about Nodame's strange past–and her wacky family?