ARC ONE

ostinato
Origin: Italian, from 'obstinate'
A continually repeated musical phrase or rhythm

DISCLAIMER: The personalities and opinions of these characters do not represent those of actual idols themselves, the Juilliard students, the New York Philharmonic, or any of its employees. The Juilliard School is not responsible for the accuracy of information.

A/N: Why does the spacing look funny?

The Thirty-Eighth Measure

Saturday: October 3, 2020

"Mina..." a soft voice tickled my ear.

My eyelids flutter open.

"Ring! Ring! Ring! Minaring! WAKE UP!" An energetic Momo Hirai shook my body vigorously, vitalizing my senses.

"Moguri, be careful. We don't want her IV drip to detatch from bassoon-chan's arm", Jeongyeon calms down the hyperactive violinist with her composed, soothing voice.

I was lost, having no idea how I ended up here. Not even having a single clue about what happened a few hours ago except that Sana was the last person whom I saw before I fell asleep. After Jeongyeon mentioned an IV drip, my eyes immediately jolted open and navigated towards my left arm where there is in fact, a hollow needle inserted through my vein and connected to a liquid substance contained in a plastic bag dangling from a hook. And just before I thought things could get even more bizarre, I find that my body is draped in a white hospital gown rather than the red dress from last night. My hair was let down from its tight, elegant bun and I was no longer wearing any jewelry.

Oh . Did I actually pass out backstage?

"Oh, she's waking up!" A high-pitched voice followed. Must've been Sana.

I rubbed my fingers along the silken mattress under my body, pressing my cheek to the cool, cotton pillows that supported my head. The mist in my eyes clear up and I could see a white light hovering over me, sitting against pale blue walls. I'm not in my dorm room; I'm in the school infirmiry on the twenty-second floor of the Meredith Wilson Residence Hall. The bed on my right turned out to be occupied, but there was no one sleeping there. You can tell that the person sleeping on the second bed sleepwalked somewhere else, as the bedsheets were in mild disarray and that there were clothes scattered on top of it. The bed on my left had another girl, possibly a dance major, still dressed in her fishnet tights and black leotard. She was curled up into a ball as if she were a puppy or a kitten, hugging her knees in an attempt to keep warm. Her quiet beauty was accented by her pure, authentic face as her shoulder-length, caramel brown hair and versatile bangs were shambled from all the tossing and turning.

And then in front of me, I could see Sana, Chaeyoung, and the core Pops Orchestra members excluding Nayeon — President Jeongyeon, Co-Vice Presidents Momo and Jihyo, Secretary Dahyun, and Treasurer Tzuyu. Sana has my bassoon case coddled in her arms.

"Is our wittle duck okay?" she said in a baby-like voice.

"Shut up", I mumbled.

"The doctors told me that they want to keep you here for three days to see if you're having any other complications", Jeongyeon explicated, "Also, Momoring bought you some snacks and Sana stashed your red dress back in your dorm room. She's also holding your instrument too."

I nearly spit out the gummy worms that Momo fed me, "Three days?"

"Is that an issue?" Tzuyu cocked her head.

"I can't sit here and ponder in bed for three whole days!" I freaked out, tossing my pillow aside, "I have homework to do, reeds to make, private lessons, individual practice, and freaking Juilliard Orchestra rehearsals."

"Don't forget Pops Orchestra rehearsals", Dahyun slipped in.

"Dr. Schmidhuber said that you can leave whenever you want, but he might pull you out of your daily life for random check-ups", Jihyo clarified with a smile, as if it was a good thing that I was going to get abducted by some random guy in a lab coat during some inexplicable point of time in my school day, "But don't worry about missing Pops Orchestra rehearsals because Dahyun will keep you posted through our Twitter page and Sana, Chaeyoung, and I can give you the updates. It's better to be safe than sorry and we'd prefer that you get some rest."

"Yeah, Mina", Sana agreed, "Don't kick yourself straight to the curve. It's not over yet."

Easy for you to say...

A response slipped out of my mouth, "I guess I did mess up last night."

"Are you kidding me?" Dahyun exclaims incredulously as she plucks out a newspaper from her backpack, "You ing killed it out there! Like how Harry Potter killed Voldemort, like how Tarrlok killed himself and Amon, like how the U.S. killed Osama Bin Laden, and—"

"Dubu, we get it", Tzuyu scolded, "Read the damn New York Times article."

"Ahem", the double bassist clears before reading the article aloud, starting with the headline and then moving onto the actual review itself, "Mina Myoui Conquers the Beast that is Jolivet's Concerto a.k.a. a Bassoon Player's Worst Nightmare. Last Friday night, Alan Gilbert of the New York Philharmonic drove the Juilliard's School most prized ensemble — The Juilliard Orchestra — to a flourishing start to their 2020/2021 concert season after being welcomed by a standing ovation delivered from a vast crowd of two thousand spectators. Although it is apparent that every single student standing on the stage of the David Geffen Hall had worked extremely hard and carved out some spare time from their packed schedules, there was a distinct young woman who truly wooed the masses out there — those who came to watch the performance live and those who streamed the concert through their television screens or through PBS's and BBC's website."

My knees buckled after I realized that my performance was broadcasted live.

Momo carried out the rest of the review after Dahyun had ran out of breath from reading too fast, "Mina Myoui, the distinguished child prodigy who has been taking the classical music world by storm after her win at the Grammy's, expertly showcased the wide range of the bassoon, breadth of expression, and contrast of moods in André Jolivet's stringent concerto. As the only daughter of parents who are two remarkable musical figures in their own right, Mina did not disappoint once again and continued to carry out highly technical, clear-cut performances with absolutely no flaws in between."

And then Tzuyu continued, "I didn't quite understand the hype matriculated from her fans at first, but I must submit to the fact that I've becomed enamored by the way she portrays the bassoon, not as another background character hidden behind the main act, but rather as a melodramatic male baritone operatic singer from Vienna or Salzburg. My friends, Mina is no background character; she is the main act. She, Mr. Gilbert, and the accompanying strings beautifully conveyed the electrifying conflicts and complexities of Jolivet's piece, especially in the final movement where Mina's warm, subtle playing culminates into an enthralling finale with skillfully executed articulations and effects that suit the capabilities of one of the most complicated instruments that could ever be learned."

Jihyo throws the newspaper on my blanket for me to keep, "See Mina? That journalist from the freaking New York Times gave you a rave review!"

I should feel mesmerized by this experience but to be honest, it sounds like every other review that I've read about my past performances. And even though others might praise me, I don't see it as praise until I gain the approval of both of my parents (which I almost never do).

"That's such a long review", Sana exhaled, worn out from shifting her eyes all around the news article.

"There's more to it", Dahyun explained and I was brought back to my anxious senses again. What more could this guy write about?

Finally, Jeongyeon read aloud the last paragraph from her own copy of this week's New York Times issue, "I did not ignore the fact that Mina seemed like she was in pain, given that she clutched her chest during rests and massaged her temples at some points during the first and second halves of opening night. Yet I felt that something was burning in her core as she ran through every ringing note with ease and dexterity, not caring if she was going to pass out from playing some cluster of a concerto. With the gradual onset of affliction increasing over every minute, it seemed as if her lungs were starting to catch on fire, burning a flame of both opposing contexts: Boldness and pain. Yes, it hurts to play a massive headache of a thirteen-minute concerto, but her mindset was keeping her going, determined not to make some sad excuse. With the final movement reaching its impending crescendo, her buoyant high notes soared amongst the sonorous sounds of her prominent orchestra before coming to a dramatic close provoking the audience to give her a testimonial recognition for her perseverance. And with all that hardship right behind her, she finished the concerto with utmost triumph as the audience explodes in applause with gratitude for her dauntless, stouthearted demeanor. The once introverted, demure child prodigy has made another mark on the musical world in front of masses of harsh critics, arbitrary judges, and her fellow musicians standing proudly on the stage with her, giving their short bow. Indeed, she was truly the kindled flame that ignited the brightest star in the azure sky. I hope that Mina Myoui will have a long and prosperous career."

The newspaper pathetically falls onto my lap after Jeongyeon had read the last paragraph of the article. My chest burns with mild panic because I thought that I would be good at hiding my pain from other people. I only pray that my parents didn't pay attention to my bodily expressions onstage.

"Where the hell did you buy that newspaper?" I worringly asked Dahyun.

She bursted into a wry laughter, "I didn't buy it, stupid. I stole it."

"You did what?"

Jeongyeon interrupted me, "Bottom line is to stop hitting yourself over the head with a sledgehammer. You did fine! You should give yourself a pat on the back for not passing out onstage. Minimal mistakes are just part of the littlest things in life."

Littlest things? These girls obviously did not grow up in New York City the same way as I did. One small blunder accumulates to even bigger blunders which could say goodbye to my career and my family forever — kick my little ball of talent over the cables of the Brooklyn Bridge and let it sail down the East River until it finally loses itself in the Atlantic Ocean.

"Hey, Mina. Want me to give you back 'Mikasa'?" Sana questions and all eyes in the room fall on me.

"Who?"

"Your bassoon."

Goddammit Sana. I don't call her that anymore.

"You really are a nerd, bassoon-chan", Jeongyeon chuckled, rumpling my hair with her rough hands. Dahyun's laugh was the loudest of them all as the seven girls standing before my bed began to poke fun at me. I flipped them off and scrambled to change into normal clothes from my hospital gown.

"Shut up! All of you!" My cheeks were turning into a deep shade of red, "I don't even like Attack on Titan anymore."

"Sure you don't", Momo teases by pinching my cheek. I slap her arm in return.

"Can all of you leave while I change?" I demand.

Tzuyu wrinkled her brow, "Where are you going?"

"I need to practice", I said, retrieving my bassoon case from Sana.

"We don't have classes today", Sana persuaded, "It's Saturday."

"What? You guys don't practice over the weekends?" I asked quizzically while slinking into my Juilliard hoodie. These girls are out of their minds if they think that they can slither by any given performance with little to no practice during their free time.

"Not really", Momo blurts, hastily finishing the six-ounce packet of gummy worms that I left on the tableside.

"We like to kick it at Dubu and Chewy's one-bedroom apartment at The Bronx and play some good 'ol Super Smash Bros. or some like that", Jeongyeon elucidated in such a way that one would've mistook her for a hispter (she might be one, though), "Hey bassoon-chan, you should come."

Really, The Bronx? "Why that far?"

"Rent is cheaper there", Tzuyu chews on the used cigar poking out of , "Dahyun and I are not native New-Yorkers."

"We hail from College Station", Dahyun speaks in a sterotypical Texan accent, "And for the record, we're not republicans. As an uncloseted lesbian who is dating a rather closeted lesbian, we don't mingle well with the right-wingers nor the conservatives."

"So, Mina. You coming?" Jihyo requests again, "Next Sunday at their place. We're ordering nachos and quesadillas while playing Cards Against Humanity."

And possibly while getting drunk too. I am not roping myself into another hangover.

"No thank you", I answer.

"Eh? Why not?"

"I'm busy", I said, "And plus, I don't like Mexican food."

"You're always busy!" Momo whines.

"The fact that you're against Mexican food means that you're against humanity", Dahyun castigates.

I huff, "That doesn't make any sense!"

"You don't make any sense!" the diminutive double bassist sticks her tongue out at me.

"Mina's been like that since she was little. Picky eater, always occupied with Juilliard Orchestra Rehearsals and coursework", Sana elaborates on my little life story again, "And if you think that she's not occupied, she's either making reeds or confining herself to the hells of the practice room."

"Maybe another time, then", Jihyo stays resolute. I don't make any promises with her.

The Thirty-Ninth Measure

Mom would like something like this, right?, is what I'm thinking as I'm sitting in front of the bathroom mirror, cautiously rotating my sleek, dark red hair with a curling iron and pondering about whether or not I should wear this expensive, slim-fitted burgundy evening dress. Biting my lip, I peer at my complexion as I nervously twirl the silk fabric of my skirt with my fingers. Suddenly, my phone vibrates on the sink counter, displaying the time.

Oh crap, I'm running late.

I swipe on my last layer of lip gloss and stuff the container in my makeup pouch. I throw a beige coat over my shoulders and got the hell out of my dormitory, scampering in my four-inch heels, the golden bangles clinking against each other. My vision is slightly obscured from the amount of mascara that I applied to my eyelashes, but now I can't be hindered by those trivial things.

The New York Philharmonic also had their opening night at the David Geffen Hall, season ticket holders camping outside the venue with tents and sleeping bags, waiting for the doors of the building to open. Because the committee decided to renovate the bottom floor to make it a standing area, there will be a larger concentration of audience rather than usual. Instead of the normal capacity of the venue being three-thousand people, the quantity of tickets has raised to five-thousand spectators. And I thought that yesterday's performance would be nervewracking.

The orchestra had a bombastic start with Schubert's Ninth Symphony. This composition was also nicknamed "The Great", as it was written in the year when Schubert passed away. In the last months of his life, Schubert declared that he will compose his last symphony before the arrival of his death. Although it was considered his last symphony, the lengthy piece ended on a joyous note as opposed to expressing the sorrow of Schubert's upcoming downfall. Perhaps he wanted people to celebrate his life rather than mourn about his departure from Earth.

The second half of the evening commenced with Mahler's Eighth Symphony in all of its rising glory, otherwise known as "Symphony of a Thousand" because of its instrumentation. Because the grandiose piece requires a hefty amount of musicians, the stage took some time to rennovate, leaving the audience in a daze as they wait for the orchestra to prepare. The New York Philharmonic did Mahler's work some justice with the instrument's flawless coordination with the bright-sounding chorus. Because I was keen on spotting the musician's mistakes, I was silently hoping that my parents would screw up to prove that they're human too. However, everyone managed to pull through without a single error, impressing the Gramophone Magazine journalist sitting on my left as well as the touched audience as the piece builds to a powerful crescendo that closes with the chorus and the orchestra's soaring notes. In a nutshell, the performance is enthusiastic and polished with a fine sound quality on its whole.

I was b with tears. Somi had to wipe my eyes out for me with her hankerchief.

Sitting in the front row with the Spectacular Six, I could spot my parents sitting together in the second row of woodwinds — my mother in her sleek, black dress and Buffet Crampon clarinet and my father in coattails, gelled hair, and his Maple Fox bassoon. Shuuka and Karen's father was on principal oboe that night and their mother was on cor anglais. Nayeon's (former) father remained as bass clarinet for both halves of the concert, Somi's father was on second clarinet for the second half, Yuzuna's father was on second flute, and Reina's father, Nobuyuki Washio, would be the assistant concertmaster for both halves of the night.
 

"Whew!" Somi exclaimed to me, "That was magnificent, didn't you think?"

"Yeah", I said, "Tell Reina and the others that I'll meet up with them at the lobby, I need to reapply some mascara in the restrooms."

"No problem", Somi grinned.

The Fortieth Measure.

The dinner celebration for the New York Philharmonic inaugurated at the Gordon Ramsay restaurant on Fifth Avenue, one of the most high-class and best shopping streets in the world with luxury flagship stores like Armani, Fendi, Versace, Gucci, Prada, Chanel, Ralph Lauren, and Louis Vuitton. The fine-dining restaurant was located on the top floor of a fancy shopping center, overlooking the vast of Central Park and the towering skyscrapers that Manhattan always had to offer. Dad had me and my friends sit in the same table again, next to the wide window with the view.

"So did you guys hear what I did last week?" Reina initiates the discussion, "I stepped on Chaeyoung's sixteenth hearing aid."

Yuzuna opens to laugh, "Sixteenth? She has sixteen hearing aids?"

"She had sixteen", Reina corrects. Five pairs of eyes turn to her as she made that snide remark. Everyone in our table laughed like destroying a life-saving device meant nothing to them. I felt very sick inside as I pretended to laugh at Reina's joke.

"I feel a little relieved after hanging out with you guys", Somi chirped, "I thought that I wasn't going to have any friends at Juilliard."

"That's nice to hear", Karen smiled at her young pupil.

"Know that we're always here for each other", Reina said as she picked up her menu, looking for something to order. I had to inwardly laugh at her.

Much to Somi's surprise, a young waitress that was about her age, properly attired in a handsome white dinner jacket and black bow tie sways up to the six of us, ready to take our order. She had her hair fixed in a bun and bangs swayed away from her face. She looked like one of those female anime butlers. The miniature waitress was definitely Korean, as his nameplate read "최유정" or "Choi Yoojung", speculated by Somi. As my friends took their orders, Somi was too awestruck by the young girl's beautiful appearance to even notice that it was her turn to make her desired request.

"Hey", I nudged Somi, "It's your turn."

"Oh!", She recollected herself rather clumsily, taking a quick glance at the menu, "I-I'll just order the center cut tenderloin".

"As you wish, milady", Yoojung winked at the apprehensive freshman before walking off to the kitchen, causing her inside feelings to explode. All I'm thinking in my head is, what the heck is this little girl doing here, working at a high-quality establishment and cross-dressing as a waiter?

"Uh oh! Someone is in love", Shuuka cooed as Reina shot a look of disapproval at her.

"What does that have to do with love?" Yuzuna asked as she fiddled with her table fork.

"It's okay, you guys", Somi seemed frazzled, "I just have an affinity for cute girls."

"Don't we all?" I muttered and everybody at the table shot condescending looks at me, as if I had stabbed someone.

Karen looked puzzled, "Mina, do you like girls?"

"I'm not interested in anyone!" I informed, wishing to end the entire conversation at that, "I'm focusing on schoolwork and the Juilliard Orchestra right now so I don't have time to do such trivial things like dating or being in a relationship."

Reina dropped her spoon, "Are you saying that me dating with Shori and Shuuka dating Yuta is a 'trivial thing'?"

"I did not say that!" I was sweating in my tight, dark red dress, "It's okay for you guys to date if you want to! I just can't handle it!"

"Let's talk about something else!" Shuuka proposes, and I nearly fall off my chair, "Mina! Congratulations on your performance yesterday!"

"Oh yes, I read that rave review by Daniel Steinway of the New York Times!" Somi's happiness comes of in vibes and I feel relieved that the subject has been changed, "You looked spectacular in that red dress! I bet that a bunch of boys at Juilliard are going to shower you with compliments once the season of the Juilliard ball begins. Especially Mingyu, knowing the type of guy he is."

"Did you hit it off with Mingyu yet?" Karen asked.

Ugh. Gross. If there's anything more demeaning than having a dysfunctional bassoon section, its being in a relationship with your second chair bassoon. There's no way in hell that I'd consider going out with a loudmouthed, girl-crazy guy who takes pride in being a platinum player in League of Legends and having an expansive BABYMETAL album collection signed by all of its members.

Dating Mingyu is like an idol dating one of their fans. It's virtually impossible.

"Says the one who won't admit her love for Yugyeom, that cute second violinist in the Juilliard Orchestra", Yuzuna retorted with a sinister smile.

"You take that back!" Karen exclaimed, her face flushed with pink hues.

Before Karen could come up with a comeback for the snarky flutist, a commotion was taking place between the restaurant employees and their boss. I couldn't comprehend what they were bickering over about, but it had something to do with the live classical musicians who were supposedly scheduled to perform today, but did not show up for whatever reason.

"I'm sorry! But I can't contact any other musician", Among all the other waiters, Choi Yoojung, the only waitress, apologized for the mishap.

"Well, what are we supposed to do?", The manager pannicked as he scratched his bald head, "The customers are demanding live classical music. We can't leave them in a rage or else our restaurant will lose revenue and our ratings will drop!"

Suddenly, something came to Yoojung's mind as she glanced over at our table with me, Reina, and the other four talkative girls she was speaking to earlier. She must've figured that we were musicians since we were dining with the New York Philharmonic and our instruments were placed under the table, protected by our feet. With a lightbulb flashing above her head, she walked over to the six of us in a courteous manner with a flourish.

Oh god. Please don't come here.

Aaaannnddd she's here.

"You girls are musicians, I presume?" Yoojung speculated, "Do you play classical music?"

I was about to say something when Somi jovially jumped up from her seat, "Yes! We're students at the Juilliard School of Music. Our parents are musicans within the New York Philharmonic and that's why we're all here."

Oh my goodness, Somi. Stop talking, please. You're blowing our cover.

"That's wonderful!", Yoojung said in delight after hearing that we're from a well-known performing arts school, "I need to ask a favor from you ladies. I happened to see your instruments under the table, giving me the idea that you girls can play music. Our customers are complaining because there is no live classical music being played. We originally invited a string quartet from Albany, but they bailed out, saying that they were running late for a performance at the Carnegie Hall tonight. Do you girls suppose you can fill in for them?"

"I want to hear our daughters play!" Shuuka's mother butts in, eavesdropping over our conversation.

"Me too!" Yuzuna's father chimed in.

"Mina. You're going to play, right?" My mother glared at me, seeming as if she was going to throw me into a pit of flames if I didn't comply.

I shook my head, "I don't have my bassoon."

"You can play mine", my father encouraged and I'm contemplating about stabbing myself with my table knife. My father's bassoon is much heavier than mine.

"Okay. Give us a minute to discuss it", Somi considered, not to mention that the dishes they ordered were noticeably expensive. And then she turned around to converse with us about Yoojung's sudden request. With the backing of our parents and the other New York Philharmonic members, there was this air of tension that rose in our minds. We had to perform or else the other orchestra members would throw stones at us.

"Is there a certain piece that you'd like for us to perform?" Reina politely smiled, sort of in that fake way where girls try to hide their poison. It was an act that she used with all of her elders, especially my parents into deceiving them. My mom thinks that Reina is such a proper, prim girl and insists that I should act more like her. I wanted to puke at that statement but I'm not even allowed to puke in front of them.

"Well...", Yoojung thought, scratching her chin, "Do you girls know how to play Pachelbel's Canon in D Major? This is the song they were supposed to play tonight and I'll give you all a deal. If you play for us, we'll make your meal free."

Our parents knew that we couldn't back out of an opportunity to eat free food.

Eventually, the we came to a conclusion: Karen would play the harmony, Shuuka and Somi decided that they will both play the counter-melody parts, Reina and Yuzuna would share the melody parts, trading off every now and then. And me? Given that I play the instrument with the lowest register, they came to a conclusion that I would play the bass part and I'm dreading it. That's why it's called a bassoon.

I don't hate Canon at all. It's a very simple yet pleasing piece that can be interpreted with intricate styles and textures. It is generally used during most wedding ceremonies wherein the bride would talk down the aisle with her father or mother in hand. But if you're a cellist like Tzuyu or a musician with a concentration in a instrument that plays in the bass clef, you'd know what I mean when I say that I "dread Pachelbel".

After a lengthy discussion, the manager escorted the six of us to the main stage in the center of the establishment, with occupied tables surrounding us. The customers, most of whom worked with the New York Philharmonic, began to settle down after seeing the sight of young classical musicians like us in their wake.

Being second-in-command next to Kai and a show-off, Reina Washio volunteered to give the opening speech, "Good evening, everyone. I know that you were expecting other musicians here but unfortunately, they couldn't make it, so the manager decided last minute to use us as your source of entertainment. Let us introduce ourselves. My name is Reina Washio and I am the assistant concertmistress of The Juilliard Orchestra. These are my friends — Yuzuna Takebe, Principal Flute; Karen Fujii, Viola; Shuuka Fujii, Principal Oboe; Jeon Somi, Clarinet; and Mina Myoui; Principal Bassoon."

Of course she'd mention my name last.

I'm just a background character with a background instrument. It's in my nature.

"Without further ado, we would like to share our love for music with you, so please enjoy yourselves as we take you on our heart-spun canon throughout the realms of the classical music world", Reina wrapped up our introduction with an eloquent speech that she probably plagiarized from a random rave review, receiving an acclaiming applause from the masses. Much like Yoojung's reaction to the hearing of our school's famed name, the customers were rather intrigued.

"Okay, let's begin", Reina initiated in a whisper, giving the us a starting signal.

With my (or rather my father's) bassoon ready, I begin the sweetly moving piece in low, quiet tones as my fingers dance gracefully amongst its lustrous keys and fingerholes. Following my mellow sound, Karen's elegant viola enters in its splendorous grace. And then Shuuka's oboe and Somi's clarinet respond to our wistful call, playing the highest yet most tender notes that ressembled their kind, affectionate hearts.

The bass voice in Canon repeats the same two-bar line throughout the entire piece, or an ostinato. That means that I have to play the same eight notes over and over again until the piece finally ends.

Yuzuna has her golden Muramatsu flute nestled in her pale fingers. Reina sets her chin on the chin rest of her Stradivarius violin and has her bow ready in her hand. Yuzuna inaugurates the melody first, her resilient flute's lofty, fragile tone likened with the beats of the heart, countering the profound sound of the Karen's divergent, radical viola strings. Taking in a deep breath, Reina commenced the canon with her bright, polished violin call as she replies to Yuzuna's nostalgic flute and Shuuka and Somi's sublime weaving with their respective instruments. At last, with the help of Yuzuna's soaring high notes, the melancholic tone rises to a jubilant, exuberant theme that enlightens the hearts of the audience.

"BRAVO! BRAVO!", The manager cried as he fell to his knees, blinded in awe as we made our bow and exited the stage.

"That was beautiful!", Yoojung smirks as she walks up to us with a paycheck, reading at a price of $0.00 since we volunteered to the perform for tonight. Reina accepted the check for us and stuffed the receipt in the small, interior pocket of her Louis Vuitton handbag. I disassemble my father's bassoon and tuck each separate joint back in its case before returning it to him.

We headed back to our table and five plates were placed on the table — three orders of lamb chops for the Shuuka, Yuzuna, and Reina; one pork tenderloin and seasoned, roasted potatoes for Somi; and a spinach-artichoke deep-dish pizza for Karen, who is a vegetarian.

Where's my Beef Wellington? Did they seriously forget about me?

"Excuse me..." I called for Yoojung but the tiny waitress turned her back and jogged back to the kitchen.

"Minari. You're not going to eat?" Shuuka questions, cutting her lamb chop into smaller pieces with a fork and a knife.

"I'm on a diet, I guess", I lied.

"The , Mina?" Karen raised an eyebrow, "You're like, ninety pounds."

"Other than your thighs, you don't need to lose weight", Yuzuna advises, "You're as thin as a walking stick."

"Mina's food hasn't arrived yet", Somi finally notices the empty plate sitting in front of me.

*RING*

No, no, no. Why?

I need to leave. Like, right now.

"Excuse me while I use the bathroom. Let me know when my food arrives", I tell my friends as I push in my chair and leave my table.

The lavatory in the fine establishment was so small, that it was off-putting to say the least. I take refuge to one of the three stalls and sit atop of the toilet seat cover, holding my head. Having tinnitus is awful, but it's even more gruesome to have it in both ears. The tone varies from time to time, but today it sounds like the incessant static noise emitting from an old CRT television set.

In addition, my headache is starting to feel like sharp screws being turned in the sides of my brain, just behind my forehead. My eyes start to become extremely sensitive to the fluorescent lights and I'm temporarily blind. When is this pain going to subside? I want it to end, NOW.

I measure about five minutes before the noise in my ears cancels out and I start to lose tension in my head. I exit out of the stall and access the gleaming alabaster sinks so that I can wash my face. Part of my foundation peels off but at least my eye makeup is okay and I still look fairly presentable. I'm about to exit the restroom when my mom suddenly plods past me, her heavy makeup shielding her wrinkles.

"Mina, we need to talk", my mom spoke seriously and I swore that my heart sunk to my feet.

"Nice to see you too, mom", I replied sardonically. It's been a couple of years since I've last seen my parents since the Juilliard Orchestra would always be on a domestic tour before midterms, which usually occurred simultaneously with the New York Philharmonic's first few concerts.

She scowled at me, "Why did you run offstage last night? You know that's improper, right?"

"I had a headache, and I'm going to have an even bigger headache if you keep asking me questions", the last sentence slips out of my mouth, unintentionally.

"I hope that you're keeping your grades up and staying at the top of your graduating class", her voice was low and strict, "You have to graduate with the highest distinction if you're going to make it in the music world. I want you to be better than that Kwon Yuri girl."

And then she disappeared into one of the toilet stalls.

"Mina!" Karen calls as I make my way back to my seat, "I think that the waitress forgot about your order."

I'm in shock, "What? Are you serious?"

"The beef wellington that you ordered is not included in our check", Somi's eyes wander over the small strip of paper that Yoojung handed to her.

"Yoojung was just here a while ago", Yuzuna whistled.

The heated discussion that mom and I were having in the bathroom rendered me even more irritated than when I had my tinnitus, "Why didn't you guys remind the waitress about my order while I was using the bathroom?"

"Why didn't you ask her yourself before you went?" Reina accuses me.

"I had to use the bathroom. Is that too difficult for you to comprehend?" I countered curtly.

"Jesus Christ, Myoui. Did your reeds get shoved so far up your bum while you were in the toilet? One more of that and you're going to turn into another Nayeon", Reina warned, wagging her finger in the same fashion that a parent scolds their child. I'm getting so sick of this girl, it's ridiculous.

"You know what?" I grabbed my coat from the arm of my chair and slung it on my back, "You es can have my beef wellington. I'm leaving."

Shuuka was about to get up from her seat, "Mina, wait—"

I was already outside the establishment by the time Shuuka reached out for me. I must've made a scene while I made my grand exit but at least my mom was in the bathroom before she could even notice. My dad? I'm not so sure.

I hailed for a taxi off the corner of Fifth Avenue and East 62nd Street when this big, yellow mini-van pulls over. The cab driver, whom I questioned as to whether or not he's born in this country due to his thick accent, reeked of car fumes from possibly his engine's exhaust pipe. I suspected that he spoke minimal English because he couldn't discern my pronounciation of my dropoff location. Our conversation went something like this:

"Where to, little girl?" he asked. I succeeded in ignoring his derogatory comment.

"The Juilliard School", I said.

"Jool-art?"

"Juilliard."

"Jewel of Arts"

"Juilliard."

"The Palace of Fine Arts?"

"I SAID JUILLIARD!" I raised my voice, "JOO-LEE-ARD."

"Musuem of Modern Art it is!" He proclaimed.

"Holy ing on a stick! Forget it!" my patience timed out and I exited the vehicle, "I'll just take the M66 bus!"

The Forty-First Measure

Monday: October 5, 2020

Two days later.

I am not in such a mood to deal with anybody's crap today.

As I maneuver over to my seat, I whack Vernon over the head with the bell of my bassoon and Jun slaps my , joking about having "celebratory " with the second chair bassoon that is Mingyu. I gritted my teeth at him and warned him about getting jabbed with my reed knife if he ever messes with my vibe again. I couldn't even concentrate on my own warm-up because I was getting an earache from the deafening trombone section sitting behind me. Joshua is the last person to arrive within our section and he spills his reed water all over the hardwood floor. Now my uggs and my socks are soaking wet and I can't risk being teased for being barefoot in rehearsals.

"Everyone! Settle down!" Concertmaster Kai orders, tapping his violin's bow against the rim of his stand, "Maestro has another announcement to make."

Alan Gilbert coughs before he delivers the news, "As most of you guys know, I had to make minor alterations to our program because the public demanded for Mina to perform during opening night. Therefore, our upcoming concert is going to have some changes too. I'll make sure that our syllabus is edited so that everyone can be aware of these future changes. But in the meantime, Kai will announce our program for our next concert in two weeks."

He steps off his podium so that all of the attention is directed towards Kai, "We will not be performing in the Alice Tully Hall this time because the trap room below is having renovations. So our location for our next concert has yet to be announced."

This fact makes everyone groan.

"Also, Maestro Gilbert will not be conducting because he will be focusing on the endeavors of the New York Philharmonic", he continued, "Kirill Petrenko of the Berlin Philharmonic will be our guest conductor, and he will reside in the Meredith Wilson Residence Hall starting tomorrow. We will be performing Borodin's Polovtsian Dances in the first half and Mahler's Fifth Symphony in the second half."

"The Berlin Philharmonic? Mahler Five? Ermahgerd! I'm gonna die", Sana is getting restless in her seat.

"You horn players go gaga for the Berlin Phil", Yuta Nakamoto, who sits next to Sana and is a horn player himself, speaks of the big name as if the Berlin Philharmonic wasn't a big deal (when they actually are, in fact, a big deal).

"Excuse you but they have the best horn section in the entire world!" Sana cries.

"You two, shut it!" Kai admonishes the two horn players. "That's not our only concert for that week. Maestro Gilbert himself chose a select number of musicians from this ensemble to be members of the pit orchestra for the night that Juilliard's Dance Division will perform at the David H. Koch theater, which is the day after our concert. That list will be posted in a couple of days but principal players are guaranteed to be on for that night."

I'm a principal player.

I have five pieces that I need to worry about now: Polovstian Dances and Mahler Five for the Juilliard Orchestra, The Sorcerer's Apprentice and My Neighbor Totoro for the Pops Orchestra, and whatever the heck the Juilliard Dance Division is doing.

I'm going to scream if it's the Rite of Spring.

"Two ballet works", Kai discloses and my stomach drops.

Six pieces now? Really?

Kai unfolds the piece of paper that is the program for the Dance Division's performance, "Swan Lake and The Rite of Spring."

Oh you have to be ing joking with me.

"Maestro Gilbert decided to drop the Rite last time because he wanted to save it for this opportunity", Kai explains, "So there you have it."

I regret what I said last month. I don't want to play the Rite anymore. Sana and Vernon laugh at me out loud and I silently hoped that my bassoon would transform into a cannon so I can blast them the out of my face. 

Maestro Gilbert returned to the auditorium once again, this time with President Polisi on his right. There was a seriousness about them that nerved me while I plucked my reed out of my reed water and inserted it on the bocal of my bassoon. President Polisi's agreeable smile was gone and was replaced with a more selfcontained character — punctual as an hourglass, his broad shoulders straightened, by no means jolly or carefree in any sense. He turned into an authoritative figure right before our eyes. 

"We're going to cut rehearsals short today because President Polisi would like to have a word with all of you", Maestro Gilbert reported.

Then he stepped out of the way for Juilliard's President to speak, "As some of you guys might've noticed, Chaeyoung is absent today."

Wait, she is?

I didn't even notice.

I jerked my head around and saw that the short-haired percussionist was indeed missing. What happened to her?

President Polisi's baritone voice sounded low and grim, "In the timeframe of one month that she's been with the Juilliard Orchestra, Chaeyoung reported to our Disability Services Center that she has been bullied here, yet she won't issue the names for us. As someone who vouches for the safety and security of Juilliard's students, I volunteered to carry out the investigation myself. Whomever I find guilty will face the consequences of being charged for the loss of Chaeyoung's hearing aids. If they can't pay the full price, they will be suspended or even kicked out of the Juilliard School depending on how short they are in payment. So if Chaeyoung doesn't even get most of the money or even all of it returned by a certain date, say goodbye to your dreams of obtaining a diploma from the Juilliard School."

"Oh dear god", Mingyu murmured next to me and I thought, is he going to get in trouble?

"Let me be the first to pronounce that within that one month, sixteen of Chaeyoung's hearing aids have gone missing or have been broken. Here in the States, the cost of one hearing aid is about four thousand five-hunded dollars ($4,500). So if Chaeyoung is missing sixteen hearing aids, then the perpetrator will owe her family seventy-two thousand dollars ($72,000)", he released and everyone in the orchestra becomes dead silent.

Holy . $72,000?

"Mina", he turns to me, "Do you know who the culprit is?"

I knew that he would ask me because I'm his most trustworthy student. I'm on the honor roll and I'm number one in the bassoon division.

Sana is peering into my back with severe eyes.

I am not turning myself in for Reina Washio's happiness. Not this time.

And then the name falls out of my lips, "Reina did it."

"MINA!" Reina stomps her foot on the floor and drops her violin, "HOW DARE Y—"

"I saw Reina do it too", Sana attests, standing from her chair, "I was hanging out with Chaeyoung as we were playing Pokemon Go at Central Park last night, all before she and her boyfriend, Shori Satou, shamed my friend for accidentally bumping into Reina and dropping her precious violin case. Both of them tackled Chaeyoung to the ground, yanked out her hearing aids from both ears, and tossed them in the Turtle Pond."

"I bear witness to that too. I was at Turtle Pond to catch a Lapras", Yugyeom blurts out from the second violin section.

"Thanks", President Polisi gratefully attends to me, Sana, and Yugyeom, "I will talk to Chaeyoung about this just so that we can confirm the truth. If there are any other culprits, please let me know."

He slams the double doors shut.

The air in the Alice Tully Hall is clouded with ire and apprehension after I, a member of the Spectacular Six, snitched on Reina Washio.

The assistant concertmistress didn't look very pleased. I didn't expect her to be.

Reina was right.

I am becoming another Nayeon.

BONUS (The Asian Invasion)

After a tiring Pops Orchestra rehearsal, Sowon, Yerin, Eunha, Yuju, SinB, and Umji — members of Mina's fanclub — decided to kick back and go drinking for the night. The six were a bit saddened by the fact that Mina didn't show up to the rehearsal session, but that didn't run their night.

Eunha recommended for the girls to stop by a nightclub in Harlem that featured only the best Asian underground rappers such as Bang Yongguk, Mino, Zelo, Cheetah, Zico, Miryo, Suga, Minhyuk, Park Kyung, and the best of the best, Rap Monster. The shy and reticent violinist had always been a closeted hip hop fanatic since she first got accepted into the Juilliard School, but now that she is the assistant concertmistress for the Pops Orchestra, her seemingly odd tastes have been accepted by the other musicians in that ensemble. She feels like they're family.

"I'll go and hail a taxi", Sowon declares and she starts waving her hand in the air.

"That's not how you do it!" SinB slaps her hand, "In New York, you have to step out into the road."

"She's going to get ran over!" Umji feared.

"It's okay", Yerin is as relaxed as a orangutan, "Cars don't come this close."

Sowon followed SinB's directions and placed her foot on the concrete road, her hand high up in the air as every inhabited taxi streams past the six girls. Finally, a large cab parallel parks in their direction and all of them cross the street so that they can occupy that taxi.

"Where to, little girls?" the taxi driver, possibly of some North Asian or Russian descent, asks.

"Ew", Yuju squirms in the back row at that title.

"This club called the Asian Invasion", Eunha answers from the second row of seats, "In Harlem."

"The Caucasian Migration?"

"The Asian Invasion", Sowon repeats.

"The Cajun Lactation?"

"THE ASIAN INVASION, GODDAMMIT!" SinB screams from the back row and it startles Umji and Yuju.

"Grand Central Station it is then!"

"Flying !" Yerin swears loudly, stepping out of the cab, "C'mon you guys! Let's just use the metro!"

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