Music School that Smell Like Lavender

Krystal walk towards front gate, pass by one black-uniformed school guard who is talking to the other guard via walkie-talkie. The view in front of her make her stop her step and then take a deep breath.

Alistaire School of Performing Art and Music.

This school is way more huge than what she remember last time. Back then, Krystal just often see this school from some brochures and magazine’s articles. She came to this school twice to see her sister’s performance.

Alistaire is one dormitory school in Seoul that famous for its eliteness. Its gate colored black can be seen in front of the school, still shining beautifully despite the age of this school. Aside from the big gate, this school area surround by solid bricks and overhanging vines that make it look like a Europe castel from 18th century.

The school building give the same vibe. Paint by red color - closer to brown, there are not so big square windows with ancient model. Two main buildings stand side by side with equal shape and proportion. There is a long footpath covered by tiny stones which lead to the entrance and in the middle it parted into two ways, one of this way leads to other place that can’t be seen from place where Krystal stood. There are a lot of dandelions and colorful flowers. Some automatic sprinkler spout water every five minutes, dampen the field, mixed with moisture aroma that still lingered in the air.

Krystal exhale slowly, feeling her heart beat slower. This place is strange, but magically beautiful. She feel so familiar with her surrounding, as if she already passed the entrance for millionth times.

This is Yoona’s high school. Krystal’s older sister spent her two years of high school there, run and passed the gate like what Krystal did, sat in one of the classroom, step on the footpath that lead to somewhere she doesn’t know. Two years ago, Krystal know Yoona already stood in the same spot as where she is standing right now. The thought of Yoona makes her breathless, then Krystal soon throw her face away to another direction to press the feel that suddenly appear.

She walk passed by a garden, trying to find the administration office to get her dorm key and another files - academic schedule, curriculum plan, and list of her lesson books - that needed for her first term in Alistaire. Krystal look around, hope to find someone who can be asked by her, but that area is empty. There is nobody there. Finally, she decide to enter the building on her left-side, drag her luggage with steps that become heavier.

Inside part of the building is more beautiful than the look from outside. The ceiling is so high, with flower motif on the window that make Krystal remember her church’s window. The wall painted with cream color, full of framed photos as a tribute for Alistaire’s alumnus who already success in their own way. The interior is classic like an old theater with combination of maroon and brown color. Krystal can smell lavender fragrance - same as aroma in her mom’s car or in Yoona’s stuffs everytime she went back home. This familiar scent make krystal more relax than before.

From the doorstep, she can hear musics from all corner. Scrape of violin, thrum of guitar, sound of organ, and also voice of someone singing, all of that mix together to forma harmonious melody. That sound seems like come from several closed room inside this building. Krystal continue her steps, decide to walk in without any hesitation anymore. She couldn’t surrender because of this new surroundings.

A man who is sweeping point out the stair as soon as Krystal ask him where the administration office located. With much effort, Krystal take her luggage up to second floor. She blame herself because she bring a lot of stuffs and forget that this school doesn’t have lift facilities. “This huge school not only need a lift,” she remember Yoona often said that “even a special map is needed for this school,”. Krystal smiled bitterly. Her sister was right. Now, Krystal feels like a Muggle that got lost in Hogwarts.

Fortunately, contrast with outside ambience, the second floor is full of people, most of them is around her age. Some of them have a chit-chat on the sofa in front of TV, another group throw soda can from the refrigator to each other, and the other look lost, same with her situation. She come to a middle-aged woman who sit behind a half-circle-shaped table. That woman ask for her name as soon as she get there.

“Jung Krystal,” she said.

Krystal swear, some people around her stop what they are doing when they heard Krystal say her name even though she already tried to lower her tone. If Yoona was here, her sister must be bravely said her name, doesn’t care about what people think.

The middle-aged woman give Krystal a key, a form that must be filled with her identity, and a files that include her schedule and book list that she need to buy in the school bookstore. Krystal bow at her and say her thanks to her. Then, she turn around to find her room numbered 304.

Did Yoona feel like this too? Did s