ARC ONE

temperament
Origin: Late Middle English
Refers to the tuning of an instrument

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.
 

The Twenty-Sixth Measure

Monday: September 28, 2020

"Speak of the devil and she will come."

I see Reina and the others file into the building, dropping their belongings at a table next to the window facing the parking garage. I didn't expect any my friends to visit a fast food place, especially since Yuzuna insists that her palette consists of "high taste" and that she doesn't vouch for oily, tacky finger foods. I guess Reina is just trying to be adventurous, or so she claims when she takes part in lower-class activities. But now, I can't help but feel paranoid because I wouldn't want to be caught dead hanging out with the Pops Orchestra in front of them.

The nine of us are just standing around because I haven't received my meal yet. I'm staring at Reina and she's laughing away with her boyfriend's lap acting as her personal, convertible chair again. They're talking about how Juilliard Orchestra rehearsals went that night and how Chaeyoung nearly wet her pants after Himchan shouted through her left ear. They didn't even talk about that slight mishap I had during my solo and how my mouth almost cramped up from executing all those runs in the second movement.

"Hey guys, I think we should move", Jihyo suggests, "It's too cramped in here anyways."

Jihyo, you're a lifesaver.

"Where are we going to eat, then?" Nayeon asked, furrowing her brow.

"We could eat in the parking lot", Momo stupidly recommends, popping a french fry in .

"As if that's not going to be blatantly obvious. Mina's friends could see us from their window", Jeongyeon considered, staring at the pathetically-placed parking garage where her van stands, "If you guys want, I can drive and we can eat somewhere else, like at Central Park or something."

"Great idea!" Dahyun concedes, slinging her double bass case on her back, "We can hide our takeout Jeongyeon's car trunk."

I winced, "I'm not eating food that's coming out of someone's car trunk."

"Alright, Your Highness. What do you suggest we do then?" Nayeon addresses me, mockingly.

"I don't know", And then I remember Sana's secret basement where we watched Studio Ghibli films, "Minatozaki's place?"

"Mina, my family doesn't own that house anymore", Sana's face falls as she considers this, "And besides, I came back to New York City by myself just so that I can attent Juilliard. My parents are still in San Francisco, still doing day-jobs so that they could pay off my Juilliard tuition because I didn't win any scholarships or grants. That's why I'm dorming with you and Chaekyung, remember?"

Jeongyeon raised an eyebrow, "What about Financial Aid?"

"I only got three thousand dollars", Sana shrugged, "And expenses at Juilliard amount to sixty-thousand dollars a year."

Nayeon huffed, crossing her arms, "I bet Mina's parents could afford her tuition."

Now I'm not in the mood to deal with Nayeon's crap, even after what Sana told me, "You're wrong. I didn't even have to pay a single dime for college because I actually got scholarships from previous competitions and summer music camps."

"Oh, aren't you being quite the hot-shot?" the older girl was heating up, "I guess hanging out with Reina really boosted your ego."

"Guys, cut it out!" Jihyo stood in between me and Nayeon in an attempt to break up the tension, then she turns to Nayeon, "Babe, I have a job for you."

Before we could even walk out the door, Jihyo remembers that my meal hasn't arrived yet, so she escorts Jeongyeon, Tzuyu, Momo, Nayeon, Sana, and Chaeyoung to the parking garage so that they could stash their takeout somewhere in her giant mini-van (At least Jeongyeon's car is exceptionally clean, besides her cluttered car trunk). Me, Jihyo, and Dahyun are standing close to the women's bathroom so that we're not in Reina Washio's peripheral. Ultimately, the three of us got sick of standing up for so long, that Jihyo decided to sit in at the bar tables.

Why is my food taking so long to arrive? And to think Jihyo claims that this establishment has "revolutionary customer service."

Ten minutes later, I notice one of the In-N-Out employees approach me, Jihyo, and Dahyun with absolutely no tray nor takeout bag. He looks strikingly familiar with his unkempt bronze hair and his youthful facial features, yet I can't pinpoint who it is because of his silly work cap.

"Hey, Mina?" oh, it's just Joshua, my third chair bassoonist from the Juilliard Orchestra, "I had Vernon bring your food over to your table."

I stared blankly at Joshua, not comprehending, "My table?"

"Uh, yeah?" Joshua laughs, "You're sitting over there? Aren't you?"

I jerk my head to the direction where Joshua's finger is pointing and I spot an extra hamburger flying over to Reina's table. I hear Vernon, my fourth chair bassoonist, disputing with Yuzuna as to why they have an extra hamburger at their table. And then it hits me: that extra burger is mine. Vernon brought my hamburger to Reina's table.

Are they ing idiots?

Joshua immediately recognizes my petulant expression, "Y-You're not sitting with them?"

"No", I bit my tongue, trying not to unleash my anger in front of hundreds of customers, "I'm going back to Juilliard."

I'm praying that he doesn't notice Jihyo and Dahyun sitting next to me because knowing Joshua, he can't keep his mouth shut when it comes to juicy secrets or if someone brings up frickin' Naruto, One Piece, Bleach, Adventure Time, or even Twilight (He's on Team Jacob). I don't even call my bassoon 'MIkasa' anymore because I grew out of my anime phase. Attack on Titan is overrated now.

"Vernon just paged me", Joshua tucked away his walkie-talkie in his pant pocket, "He's having Shuuka bring your meal to you."

"WHAT?" Me, Jihyo, and Dahyun shouted simultaneously. Joshua flinched in fear.

I'm losing my mind, "Why can't Vernon bring the damn food himself?"

"H-He's going home because his shift ended", Joshua sputtered. These two are not having any more of my homemade cork wax next time they ask for it.

After Joshua leaves, Jihyo turns to me with a soft sigh, "I'll just give you my burger. We need to leave before that oboe girl comes."

"Oboe? More like oh ", Dahyun points at Shuuka with her lips. Both of them weren't kidding; it is Shuuka Fujii, trotting up to me in that short, floral-print dress that she ordered on YesStyle. She has my hamburger in hand, the clinging of her wrist bangles filling the hot air in the facility.

"Hey, Minari!" Shuuka greets in her bubbly voice, "I didn't know that you're here. Why aren't you eating with us?"

Crap, what do I say?

"I..." my mind draws to a blank, "I have to practice! I'm just buying food for me and my instructor."

Hah, that was a lie.

Shuuka falls for it, "That's right! You have that difficult solo for opening night! Good luck! I heard that your mom and dad are going to watch you."

The slender oboist walks away and thankfully, she doesn't notice Jihyo nor Dahyun. All that I'm hoping for is that she doesn't bring up my name to Reina and the others because they would start interrogating me the next morning. Now the three of us could leave the building without any worry.

Wait a damn minute.

Did Shuuka just say that my parents are going to watch my performance?

I don't even want to deal with my parents rambling at me for the slightest mistakes. I haven't seen them since the New York Philharmonic left to tour the continent of Europe last summer. School, hanging out with Reina, and being a member of the Juilliard Orchestra is already stressful as it is. And not only that, but what if my hearing suddenly disappears again? What am I supposed to do about an unprecedented matter? I can't just tell them that my hearing is (or is going to be) jacked up. They,'rere not going to believe me.

"Mina, what's wrong?" Jihyo notices me standing close to the door, frozen like a statue.

I try to recollect myself, "Uhh... nothing!"

"Move! You're in the way!" an impatient customer, who must be around his mid-thirties, shoves me out of the way, to the point where my face hits the ground hard. I rub my face and I see a red liquid dripping onto my mitten. Blood? I'm about to cry because my nose is bleeding.  

"Yo!" Dahyun gives her double bass case to Jihyo and trudges up to the guy, "What the is your problem? You didn't have to push my friend!"

"Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting here?" he squabbles, "Snots like you shouldn't be cutting in line!"

"Excuse you! That doesn't give you the right to be a huge and hurt Mina like that! She's bleeding too!" Dahyun counters, clutching the man's bubble jacket with her large, double bass-playing hands, "And besides, we were just about to leave too!"

"Dubu, I got this", Jihyo throws back Dahyun's instrument case to her, crackling her knuckles and approaching the enraged turd, "Listen, sir. I don't want to make a huge scene in the middle of Manhattan but our friend, Mina Myoui, is a powerful figure among students at the Juilliard School. I have connections to her huge, devoted fanclub that is ready to murder anybody who hurts Mina like that. If you don't want to get jumped by a group of about a hundred or so, I suggest that you apologize to Mina and back the hell off. Or else."

The man steps back, brushing off his shoulder and muttering something under his breath, "Juilliard brats."

Jihyo holds out her hand, helping me off the ground, "Pay no mind to him. He's probably a Juilliard-reject."

While Dahyun runs back inside to grab some tissues for my bloody nose, Jihyo allows me to sling my arm around her shoulders as she assists me to Jeongyeon's car. All of a sudden, Momo, Tzuyu, and Sana spill out from the middle row of the van and embrace me in their arms. Frankly, I'm even more surprised that Sana would make this move. My eyes move above their heads, spotting Chaeyoung and Nayeon sitting in the back row with their arms still crossed. The only difference is that Nayeon looks rather solemn, compared to how irritated she was at me before. 

Dahyun returns in a jiffy to wipe my nose, "You'll never believe what happened to Mina."

"We saw it", Jeongyeon observed, sitting in the driver's seat, "Are you okay, Mina?"

"I'm fine", I said, "I'm just bleeding, that's all."

"Maybe eating a hamburger will make you feel better!" Momo enthusiastically suggests, ruffling my wine-colored head, "Jeongyeon is going to drop us off somewhere in Central Park so that we can eat in peace. You know, no Reina and all."

"I have a first-aid kit in the back of the car too", Jeongyeon offers, "I'll take care of your nose once we get there."

"Thanks", I say, sheepishly.

The Twenty-Seventh Measure

Piled upon the dew-covered grass were crusty brown leaves, whirled around in a circle like a small tornado, sweeping the beautiful Central park. The mystifying colours of the streetlights and towering skyscrapers shone onto the pile of leaves glistening brightly as the smell of the fragrant breeze lightly blew over my shoulders and neck, which gave me that tingling sensation everyone gets at the beginning of autumn. The pristine waters of the Bethesda Fountain looked like glass, surrounded by ornate forests, water reflecting the radiant moon covered by a blanket of blue sky, sumptuous vegetation, and foilage encompassing the edges.

Jeongyeon had me sit down in a park bench under an old gazebo, playing doctor as she spreads some kind of lubricant on the bridge of my nose. It's cold and sticky and gross, but I don't complain becuase I assume that the short-haired timpanist knows everything. Besides, Jeongyeon is a year above me and she's the president of the Pops Orchestra. She must be responsible in some sense.

"Hey, bassoon-chan. Do you need to breathe through your nose to play the bassoon?" Jeongyeon randomly asked.

"Of course", I say. Breathing is not just customary for the bassoon, but for any wind instrument in general.

Jeongyeon just nods and pulls out a bandage from the first-aid kit, strapping it on my nose, "Lean forward slightly with the head tilted forward. Don't tilt your head backwards or breathe through your nose like you do in practice, or else the blood to run back into the sinuses and throat, and can cause gagging or inhaling of blood. Also, if you swallow blood, you might get diarrhea."

"How do you know about all of this?" I ask out of curiosity.

"My sister is a doctor", she said, "When I was younger and she was studying pre-med at Columbia University, she used to scare me to death with these weird facts, like how humans shed skin or how there are little creatures living in our eyelashes."

I didn't want to hear anymore of Jeongyeon's creepy medical trivia, so I changed the subject, "How did you know about this place?"

"Pokémon Go", Jeongyeon snickered. Sana nearly choked on her soda after hearing this.

"You still haven't given up on that ing game?" Nayeon bantered, rolling her tongue around the bun of her hamburger, lapping sesame seeds.

Jeongyeon slapped the clarinetist's hand, "NEVER! Pokémon is my childhood! I gotta catch 'em all!"

"Gotta catch deez nuts", Dahyun quirks, but nobody listens to her.

"Mina! Remember when you were such a huge Pokémon fan? We would watch every episode of Diamond and Pearl at my place every Saturday morning and you'd complain of how much of an idiot Ash Ketchum was throughout the entire series and..." Sana takes this opportunity to tease me in front of the Pops Orchestra members and all I can think about is shoving this hamburger down so that she could shut up. Dahyun, Tzuyu, Momo, and Jeongyeon are laughing at the image of me being a nerd when I was younger. I've never revealed this side to my parents before because they wouldn't approve of me watching "trivial" shows. 

"D'awww! Mina, a Pokémon fan?" Momo chuckles, "I would've loved to see that version of Mina instead of Musician Mina!"

"Shut your mouth, Hirai", I hissed.

"Who was your favorite Pokémon?" Jihyo questions me, "Mine was Jigglypuff."

"I—"

"It was Piplup!" Sana cuts me off, "Mina was so obsessed with Piplup that she'd trade her rare, holographic Pokémon cards with her classmates on the playground, just to get a bunch of Piplup cards or at least its evolutions! She had thirty of them!"

"You're an idiot, bassoon-chan", Jeongyeon taunts, "I would've DIED to have your trading cards!"

I think that my cheeks are turning into a hot red, "Can we not talk about this topic right now?"

Finally, Chaeyoung saves me from the huge Pokémon panemonium and writes something on her sketchpad:

Did you like your first hamburger?

"I don't really like it", I shake my head, holding out an unfinished 4x4 cheeseburger. Sana translates this for Chaeyoung.

"WHAT?" The eight of them, especially Sana and Momo, give me this incredulous stare.

"What do you not like about it?" Tzuyu asked.

"It's bland", I tell them honestly, knowing that they're all going to give me judgemental looks at the end of my rant, "There's no seasoning, the bread is soggy, the patties are greasy, and I don't have any damn ketchup! I've had better burgers at McDonalds, and they're just average."

"Now that you think about it, my 'Flying Dutchman' burger isn't as good as California's", Jihyo gaped at her meal, which was literally just cheese sandwiched in between two meat patties. I also remember having to wait thirty minutes for my food. I bet Vernon messed up my meal.

"I'm sorry Jihyo", I apologize nonetheless, feeling bad for the violist since she paid for my meal.

Jihyo displays this huge grin and pats me on the back, "It's alright, Mina! Maybe only your burger was bad because the employees had to deal with so many customers. I'll ensure that your next 4 x 4 will be of good taste next time I treat you out!"

I shook my head, "You really don't have to."

"Mina", Jihyo restated, placing her hands meaningfully on my shoulders, "I want to."

The Twenty-Eighth Measure

Tuesday: September 29, 2020

Juilliard Orchestra rehearsals were chaotic today. I noticed that people from their respective sections were mingling with other sections, talking loudly over to each other as I wafted past them. Their eyes are fixated on my face, peering at the little bandage taped on the bridge of my nose. Jeongyeon attests that the bandage would relieve the burning tension that sparked from my nose coming in contact with the concrete floor, but now I'm not so sure anymore. I feel nauseous and my vision is slightly distorted. I bet it was because of my hamburger.

"I heard from Reina Washio that you got jumped outside of In-N-Out", Joshua says as I pass over him to get to my seat. He seems regretful after saying that. 

Jumped at In-N-Out? What the hell is he talking abo—

Oh my god.

Realizing what he meant, I set my bassoon down on its stand and hover over to him, grabbing him by his shirt collar, "REINA TOLD YOU WHAT?"

"EEK! D-Don't kill me, please!" Joshua cowers, closing his eyes in fear, "I-I-I didn't see you get attacked or anything! I-I only question what I hear from the other students! Pl-Please have mercy on me! I didn't know what my gut was thinking when I let that out!"

I let go of him, not wanting to cause a ruckus. I head back to my seat and hold my head in great confusion and anxiety. Oh no. Reina saw me at In-N-Out. And it's all because of that thirty five year-old dickhead who pushed me to the ground. I then regain my consciousness and look up. The other members continue to stare at the nose bandage that Jeongyeon had placed on me while we were at Central Park, and it doesn't seem to alleviate any suspicions or rumors about me getting messed up last night. 

"I presume that most of you weren't warming up", Maestro Gilbert abruptly slams the doors open and speed-walks down the aisle leading to his podium, "What did I say about taking rehearsals as a joke? Do I need to extend this session by another thirty minutes."

"No, Maestro", everyone's heads lowered in shame.

Maestro Gilbert then leaves the room so that he could grab another cup of coffee. Immediately, the volume of chatter exponentially increased and I can't even hear the sound of my own bassoon, even though I'm using a tuner to check pitch. 

And then the air is filled with silence. Everyone's heads towards the percussion section storing their instruments away since my solo doesn't require any percussion instruments. I join the crowd of eyes and I see a bass drum knocked over on its side, severed from its adjustable cradle.

"I-I'm sorry", is the one word that Chaeyoung has spoken using her own mouth. She may be deaf, but she's not mute.

Himchan ignored Chaeyoung's apology and walked up to her in a confident manner, giving her instructions in the spoken language. I highly doubt that Chaeyoung could understand what Himchan was trying to tell her to do, but he's doing it on purpose just to baffle her. Mingyu and another percussionist, named Rocky or whatever, sneaked up behind the poor girl and picked something out of her ear. Chaeyoung tries to move the fallen bass drum to the storage room herself, but then two percussionists kick her shins before she could even make it backstage. Chaeyoung drops the bass drum (once again) onto her foot, chipping one of her toenails.

"It seems that somebody knows how to drop the bass!" Rocky joked, the other musicians bursting into a continuous laughter.

"Yah!" Chaekyung stood up from her principal horn seat and opposed the rude percussionist, "Leave Chaeyoung alone!"

"We're not talking to you, you ", Rocky sneered and the laughs only became louder.

"Shut u—" Before I could make the step to defend my roommate, Maestro Gilbert reappears in the Alice Tully Hall, glancing at his watch.

"Time's up!" He settled, waving his baton in the air as to capture everyone's attention, "Our opening night is this Friday and we can't afford to lose time. Ms. Myoui, please come up to the center stage so that we can get started on your solo."

The Twenty-Ninth Measure

I would have rather been dead than do another Jolivet concerto rehearsal with Alan Gilbert. The facial muscles around my lips and my cheeks ached, my fingers feel stiff, and now I feel even more dizzy than before. Luckily, the ringing sensation in my ears did not go off while I was practicing, but I've noticed that my head would spin after playing high notes or drawing out extended breaths of air for long notes. Mr. Cseszenky, my current bassoon instructor at Juilliard, interpreted that a breath was a bridge to another breath, but my bridge was falling apart today.

I decided to stick around the Alice Tully Hall for a while because Jeongyeon e-mailed all of the Pops Orchestra members that we would be having rehearsals here, at 10 o'clock sharp. I turn on my phone to check the time and I have about fifteen minutes left until the others arrive. Chaeyoung is still here too, lugging out the percussion instruments from the storage room by herself. Although her expression lightened up from earlier, something told me that Chaeyoung was seriously hurt inside by her peers. Nobody even bothered to help the small girl. 

Maybe I should help her once everybody is gone.

"Hey", I smiled down at Chaeyoung gingerly, "I can help you with that."

Chaeyoung squints as me, looking inquisitive.

"Oh, shoot! I forgot that you're deaf!" Duh, Mina,

I spot her sketchpad lying on top of one of the timpani kettles, so I snatch it and write something in a red Sharpie marker:

I'll help you.

Chaeyoung nods and she leads me to the storage room of the Alice Tully Hall, which is in the backstage area, secluded away by a pile of battered boxes and garbage sacks for later use or for enjoyment. In truth, behind those tacky belongings were heaps of hidden gems — high quality percussion instruments shipped from all over the world, including some percussion instruments that I've never even heard of before. 

The Pops Orchestra would be using the timpani, the glockenspiel, the bass drum, the cymbals, and the triangle. Chaeyoung writes to me that all I needed to bring out was the glockenspiel, since she had already done most of the job while Maestro Gilbert and I were having a conversation about making technical changes to my piece (changes that I'm not particularly happy with). 

The glockenspiel wasn't so hard to find, as it was tucked in the back of the storage room with the other mallet instruments, like the marimba and the vibraphone. It had crotales mounted on top, hovering over the glockenspiel's metal plates, and in between two crotales was a strange device that was no larger than a peanut. There was some icky goo on the corner of said device so I assumed that it was just a piece of trash.

I was wrong.

Chaeyoung notices this and snatches the device away from my fingertips, stuffing it in her ear canal.

"Can you hear me?" the small girl articulates. Woah. She's talking to me.

"Yeah. Rather clearly", I tell her.

"WHAT?" Chaeyoung shrieks, "I CAN'T HEAR YOU."

"Yes!" I say, a little louder than before, "I can hear you perfectly."

"Can you talk a little slower and a little louder?" Chaeyoung requests.

Man, my voice isn't naturally that loud, but I give it a go, "YES. I. CAN. HEAR. YOU. PERFECTLY."

"Thanks for finding my hearing aide!" Chaeyoung displays this adorable little smile on her face that could possibly light up the world, heck even brighten up a crappy day. I'm nearly touched that Chaeyoung has been granted a device where she could regain her sense of hearing, albeit not as clearly and consistently as before. Maybe this could be a new start to our crummy relationship. Maybe she'll grow to like me again.

"So we can talk normally now. Right?" 

Chaeyoung's face deflates as I say this.

Did I say something wrong?

The Thirtieth Measure 

Wednesday: September 30, 2020

Juilliard Orchestra Rehearsals were a lot slower today, and that's surprising because the Alice Tully Hall was filled with a hundred boisterous voices. 

The reason why we're so behind on scheduling is because Chaeyoung kept messing up her cymbal crashes in the fourth movement of Ein Heldenleben. She would either come in too late or too early, and it would throw off all the other musicians who thought that they were playing in time with the young girl. Basically, our ensemble performed in two different tempos: One half followed the conductor, the other half (most likely the newbies of the Juilliard Ensemble like Somi or Kyla Massie) followed Chaeyoung. It was extremely off-putting and mind-bloggling. The headache culminating in my brain only grew worse because of this nightmare of a rehearsal.

"Take ten. I'm going to get another coffee", Maestro Gilbert sighed. He looked like he wanted to cuss Chaeyoung out but doing so would be deemed as blasphemous and ill-mannered, and could put his job security at risk. So he kept his mouth shut and left the auditorium.

I'm principal bassoon, Shori is first chair clarinet, Somi is fourth chair clarinet, Shuuka is principal oboe, and Yuzuna is principal flute. Most musicians have disappeared from their seats since the Maestro abandoned us, so Reina and Karen Fujii took the liberty to shift from their seats within the string section and migrate to the woodwind section where most of us (excluding Yuta Nakamoto, Shuuka's boyfriend, went to hang out with his horn buddies) are congregated in an inelegant square. Not uncommonly, Reina props her on Shori's lap and uses him as a chair. 

"Jesus", Karen grunts, "I can't believe that Maestro is keeping us an hour after rehearsals were supposed to end."

Reina rests a hand on Karen's back, offering silent reassurance, "It's not your fault. It's Chaeyoung's fault."

"I swear. Things could've been more productive without her", Yuzuna sighs dramatically, "That girl is like bad luck. We have slow rehearsals, we have to teach her everything she doesn't understand, and then we have to write in her damn sketchpad to communicate with her. Doesn't she realize how much of a burden she is to the rest of the orchestra members? Even Maestro is upset with her!"

"She has a hearing aid, doesn't she?" Shori inquires.

"I heard that she lost it again", Shuuka speaks with a reed in .

"You guys. Chaeyoung is coming", Somi gestures to the group The short-haired girl trotted down the steps from the percussion section, making a right to my section and stepping over an annoyed Jun, Vernon, Joshua, and Mingyu. I suppose that she intends to see me.

Karen leans over and whispers in my ear, "What the hell does she want?" 

"Let's find out!", Shuuka merrily proposes.

Chaeyoung unveils her sketchpad and flips open to a page:

Could you tell me what the Maestro said?

And then another page:

I don't have my hearing aids with me.

Just before Chaeyoung could hand over the sketchpad for me to write on, Yuzuna seizes the sketchpad from her grasp and starts tearing out every single page from its brackets, until there were ultimately no more pages left for Chaeyoung to write on. The cheers from the other orchestra members come with their fists in the air and eyes flung wide at Yuzuna's actions. They're rooting for her. 

"If you need to say something then why don't you use your own mouth?" Yuzuna screams at Chaeyoung, but the younger girl doesn't comprehend. All I see are briny tears trickling down her face, thick lashes clumped together as if she had been swimming. 

"I'm sorry!" is what Chaeyoung says again, even though she can't tell why Yuzuna was upset.

At the sight of Chaeyoung crying, Yuzuna starts shredding the sketchpad with her own hands, "Is that all you can say? Can you speak English at all? Why do you have to go to Mina to ask for help? Why can't you just ask Maestro himself? Do you know how much trouble you're causing us?"

"I can't believe that you would be irresponsible enough to lose your hearing aids!" Reina joins in, yelling at the poor girl, "You piece of sh—"

"That's enough!" Maestro Gilbert admonishes, his eyes pointed at my group, "Pick up those papers on the floor! I will not tolerate a cluttered rehearsal space, even if the Pops Orchestra is going to use this auditorium afterwards!"

" the Pops Orchestra!" I hear somebody bellow behind me. Everyone laughed again.

Shoot. I forgot that the Pops Orchestra rehearses in the same space as the Juilliard Orchestra. The members are probably sitting outside, waiting for us to finish. I'm hoping that none of them heard what Yuzuna and Reina said to Chaeyoung.

I bet Mingyu and the others stole Chaeyoung's hearing aids.

Once rehearsals ended an hour later, I wait for everybody to pack up and leave the Alice Tully Hall so that I can confront Mingyu without causing a huge fuss. Since I joined the Pops Orchestra, I would monitor everybody in the Juilliard Orchestra disappear one by one before the Pops musicians could file in. I've done the calculations and learned that Mingyu was always one of the last people to leave. A year ago, rumors circulated among the Music Division that Mingyu had a crush on me. He even asked me out to the Juilliard Ball at the end of the year, but I'm not interesting in dating anyone who plays the same instrument as me. I speculated that Mingyu stays behind because he just wants to stall time and talk to me, so I use this as a perfect opportunity to ask about Chaeyoung.

And just before Mingyu could exit out the auditorium, I grab his shirt and push him against the wall, "OW! Holy , Mina. I love y—" 

"You're going to tell me where Chaeyoung's hearing aids are or else I'm going to demote you from second chair to fourth chair!" I threaten.

"But I like being second chair!" Mingyu shrinks in despair. Hah, I knew it. He doesn't want to be seated away from me.

"Then tell me where her hearing aids are!" I tighten my grip.

"I... er.... um...." Mingyu is sweating balls, "H-H-Himchan, Rocky, and Shori threw her hearing aids in the fountain! Th-The one at the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts! There, now you know! Pl-Pl-Please don't make a fourth chair! I-I-I-I like sitting next to you."

I let go of him, confused, "Huh?"

"Y-You play beautifully! A-And you're super hot too!" He stammers before escaping the auditorium in embarrassment. I'm thinking, What?

The Thirty-First Measure

Pops Orchestra rehearsals commenced late today because of the Juilliard Orchestra, therefore we ended late. Like, past midnight. During our break at 11:50 p.m. (I know, late right?), I excused myself from the premises and jogged over to the student store located on West 66th and Broadway. They had a couple of notebooks left in stock so I managed to buy a cheap one, five minutes before closing time.

At the end of rehearsal, I was wondering if Chaeyoung needed some assistance with storing away the percussion instruments for the next day. So I approached her with the new notebook and a huge, perhaps awkward smile on my face. I don't smile that much so the feeling felt uncanny. It's not that I'm depressed or anything; I just don't smile that often, even if I feel extremely elated.

Chaeyoung acknowledges me with a distressed expression as she accepts my little "gift" for her.

What's the matter with her? Not even a little "thank you"?

The Thirty-Second Measure

I don't get it. Why is Chaeyoung upset with me again?

These are the thoughts that I'm having while I'm standing in the shower, blankly staring at the marble-tiled walls, absentmindedly combing my wet hair with my exhausted, soap-filled fingers. My mind was in shreds; I would never get that thought out of my mind. I turned up the dial, after having laced on some shampoo, releasing thousands of lukewarm drops, darkening my hair and trickling down my back. 

I don't know why I'm so bothered by this. I'm so used to people getting upset at me, like my parents when I don't give a good performance or my competitors when I squash them to the ground. But not like this, not in the way that Chaeyoung does it. Why am I letting her invade my thoughts?

"Chaeyoung was your biggest fan!"

Oh, that's why.

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*

"MINA!" Sana screamed from the other side of the bathroom door, "YOU'VE BEEN IN THE SHOWER FOR FORTY-FIVE MINUTES! IT'S MY TURN!"

"I'M DONE, SHEESH!" I yelled at her, irritated. I turn down the dial on the shower knob and wrap a towel around my head, slipping on my bathrobe so that I wouldn't have to walk to my room (The Meredith Wilson Residence Hall implants three shared bathrooms on each floor).

For some reason, Chaekyung isn't here. But I shrug it off and assume that she went out to a nightclub or something like that. Even though Chaekyung is the principal horn of the Juilliard Orchestra and has her own share of duties to fulfill, she's still quite the party girl and I guess she likes to cut loose just to release some stress. The only parties I've been to were the Juilliard dances every year and the dinner parties that my parents forced me to go to while wearing suffocating dresses picked out by my mother. I don't even remember having my own birthday parties.

"Mina?" Sana's voice resounds in my ear.

My eyes widen, "You're done showering already?"

"You're stll wearing a bathrobe?" Sana dodges my question, already clothed in Hello Kitty pajamas and mismatched socks. Apparently, the blonde girl also wears glasses when she's not outside — dark-rimmed ones that most Asian girls on campus wear.

"I was about to get dressed until you walked in", I muttered.

Sana stepped out of the room for a bit so that I could change clothes. But once I reach into my drawer, I find that I don't have any pajamas left. Crap, I forgot to recclaim my pajamas from the dryer. Juilliard's laundry room is usually closed after midnight, so it's not like I can easily stroll in there and ask for my clothes. I guess I'm going to have to ask Sana for her share of clothes until the next morning. Why am I so forgetful?

Oh yeah, it's because Juilliard Orchestra rehearsals ended late.

"Mina! Are you dressed yet?" Sana asks.

"Uhh... I might need to borrow some clothes from you", I tell her, and Sana is just laughing her off at the image of me wearing her clothes. She lends me a two-piece Winnie-The-Pooh pajama set that is made out of linen. I only take the pajama top and hand the pants back to her.

"Oh, Mina. You're so cute", she teases, but I'm in no mood to begin a dispute. Maybe I should ask her about Chaeyoung.

"Do you think that Chaeyoung is still mad at me?" 

Sana spaces out, "What?"

I guess I need to explain to her what happened that night, "Yuzuna took Chaeyoung's sketchpad and ripped it apart while she was trying to ask me a question. And then I rushed to buy a new sketchpad for her from the student store five minutes before it closed, and she didn't seem that happy. Like, why is it so hard to please that girl? I'm so drained from helping her out."

"Did you defend her when she was being teased by your 'friends'?" Sana does this weird hand gesture when she says the word, 'friends'.

Oh god.

Now that I look at the big picture, I didn't help Chaeyoung when Yuzuna and the others were attacking her. I was just sitting there, silently observing the frantic scene being played out right in front of me. Jihyo and Dahyun defended me when that random customer shoved me to the ground. Jeongyeon took care of me when my nose was bleeding. The others comforted me and asked me if I was "okay".

Nayeon defended me when Reina threw a tantrum at me at the end of our sophomore year at Juilliard. How did I not get a clue?

Sana placed a finger on her chin, "There might be one way to gain her approval."

My eyes lit up, "Eh? What is it?"

"By learning sign language", she pursed her lips.

How am I supposed to learn sign language if I'm already having trouble speaking standard Japanese? And where am I going to get a teacher? Chaeyoung can't possibly teach me because she's a year younger than me and we have different class schedules. She can't teach me during orchestra rehearsals because we wouldn't even have the chance to casually communicate with each other if my friends are there.

Unless Sana teaches me, which I find even more humiliating.

Am I even going to have time? Given that I'm taking nineteen credits (twenty-one now because of the Pops Orchestra that Sana tripped me into), I don't even think that I can fit in the appropriate amount of time needed to learn another language. I'm not even going to see Chaeyoung after I graduate from Juilliard because I'm planning to move to Europe to find an orchestral job. And if I land in a different country that doesn't have English as their official language, chances are that I'm going to have to assimilate and learn their language as well.

"Isn't writing notes enough?"

Sana gave me a quizzical look, "Chaeyoung can express her feelings better by sign language rather than just writing on paper."

"Reading lips?"

"Lip reading is ineffective and increidbly exhausting. A deaf person would prefer communicating with someone who uses their own language."

"Sana, I don't know..." I said, hesitantly, "I don't really have that much time to learn since—"

"What about on weekends?" Sana interrupts, "Mina, you don't have to be extremely fluent in sign language to communicate with Chaeyoung. And besides, she'd really appreciate it if you connected with her that way because it gives her an identity. It breaks the language barrier between you two and and is the best means of fostering an understanding between people who are hard of hearing and those who are not."

Of course you'd know that, Sana. You speak better Japanese than I do.

"That's easy for you to say. Languages come easy to you and that's why you did better in Japanese school than I did."

Sana giggled, throwing her old clothes to the side, "It's not that. I just spoke Japanese more at home. And I'm still learning sign language by working at the front desk of the Juilliard School's Office of Academic Support and Disability Services. Chaeyoung and a couple of other students are in the deaf program and I get to communicate with them everyday. It's actually a lot of fun and it gives you a distraction from your studies!"

"I'm not trying to get distracted from my studies", I address her, sternly.

"But are you having fun?"

"Goodnight!" I plop down on my bed and cover my head with my blankets.

"MINA! ANSWER MY QUESTION!" Sana pleaded.

No, Sana. I'm not having fun yet. But I will have fun after all of my hard work and finishing my Juilliard career. I'll have fun once I win at life. I really can't get distracted right now because I need to focus on my concerto for opening night. My parents are going to watch me perform. 

The Thirty-Third Measure

Thursday: October 1, 2020

One day before opening night.

"Everyone take ten while I get another cup of coffee", Maestro Gilbert orders before leaving the auditorium again.

Reina and Karen relocated to the woodwind section again, Reina relaxing on top of Shori and Karen sitting next to her older sister, Shuuka. Chaeyoung was moving the percussion instruments back to the storage room before we would rehearse for my solo, yet again nobody was helping her. I was about to stand up and evade to the back of the auditorium to help Chaeyoung when I feel my own body weight dragging me down.

It was Reina, who was grabbing me by the arm, "Mina, stay here. We need to talk."

"About what?" I felt the nervous energy build within me.

"What were you doing at In-N-Out with Dahyun and Jihyo on Monday?" Karen asked, eyeing me with mistrust, "We were looking out the window when you followed Dahyun and Jihyo to the parking garage. Don't tell me that you're hanging out with the Pops Orchestra members now."

Yuzuna in, "Is that why you're not hanging out with us anymore?" 

Goddammit. I forgot that they were sitting by the window. But what troubled me more is how my friends surveyed every single move that I made, just like how my parents would monitor my practice sessions at home, and then question me. I'm shocked that they're not concerned about whether or not I was okay. If they saw Dahyun and Jihyo helping me up, then they should've seen me when I got pushed down.

"You guys are being ridiculous", I said without thinking. Great, I sound like Nayeon now.

Reina didn't catch that, "I'm sorry?"

"Mina was just ordering take out so she could go back and study", Shuuka expounded, winking at me. God bless this girl.

"Study? With Dahyun and Jihyo?" Karen raised her brow.

"What's wrong with Dahyun and Jihyo?" I asked, pretending to sound naïve.

"I want to know too", Somi cut in with wide, inquisitive eyes.

"They're in the ing Pops Orchestra", Yuzuna begins, folding her arms and reclining in her seat, "Dahyun is the secretary and Jihyo is the vice-president of that ensemble. They're the ones who keep bickering with our president and concertmaster, Kai, about rehearsal space. The Pops Orchestra disturbs the peace facilitated by the Juilliard Orchestra. Chaeyoung is a member of that ensemble too, and she is a prime example of a "peace destroyer". Everything went just right when she wasn't a part of us."

But it's not Chaeyoung's fault that she can't play up to standards, is what I think but don't say because they'd think that I'm crazy.

"I also hate Jihyo's guts", Karen Fujii, a violist, mumbles to herself. The two girls have tied in past competitions and she hates it because there was never an official winner. You couldn't cut a first place or second place trophy in half, so both girls just received dull certificates.

"Okay, Mina", Reina revives the previous conversation, "We'll believe you. But just so you know, you can't hang out with those girls ever again."

"Sure", I nodded nonchalantly.

"Mina", Reina repeated coldly, "I mean it. I'm starting to think that you don't care about us anymore."

And I'm starting to think that you're becoming a nosy little .

To ease the tension, Somi brings up another topic, "Are you guys going to the New York Philharmonic's opening night? It's the day after ours,"

"Of course!" Shuuka exclaims, patting the younger girl on the head, "We have to be there since our parents are there. We're going to the after-party too, at that Gordon Ramsey restaurant next to In-N-Out. He's going to be there in person to cater us!"

I have rehearsals with the Pops Orchestra that night, and we're supposed to be starting on My Neighbor Totoro. What are the others going to think if I ditch rehearsals for this foolish, high-class NY Philharmonic dinner party that I'm probably being forced to go to?

"Your parents are going to kill you if you don't come", Yuzuna tries to intimidate me.

Maestro Gilbert returns to the auditorium a couple of minutes later, "As you all may know, opening night is tomorrow. I'm going to let you guys off early so that all of you guys can get a good night's rest before opening night. We would be having a sound check at the David Geffen Hall at 3 p.m., another dress rehearsal at 5 p.m. and then the official concert at 7 p.m. Every single member of the Juilliard Orchestra would be excused from their Friday classes and must be allowed to make up any missed work over the weekend, including tests. This was a policy created by President Polisi himself, since he was a member of the Juilliard Orchestra in his days. It's equivalent to an executive order."

Sighs of relief sauntered throughout the auditorium.

"And one more thing", he unfolds a piece of paper in his hands, "On such a short notice, Chaekyung announced that she is going to be taking a break from Juilliard, returning to her hometown in South Korea to attend a funeral of an important family member. She will be making up work during her trip. I don't know how long she will be gone but in the meantime, I've recruited another fantastic horn player to take her place as principal horn."

Oh don't tell me.

"Everyone, meet our new principal horn", Maestro Gilbert escorts the blonde girl up to the stage, "Sana Minatozaki."

I knew it.

"Hi, Mina!" Sana cheerfully waives at me. Giggles roamed around the woodwind and brass sections, and it was because of Sana's attire — a white, oversized knitted sweater matched with a pair of black leggings and a Hello Kitty scarf with paws attached at the end, resembling mittens. To most people's eyes, she looked like an adorable grade schooler. But to me, it was just your average Sana Minatozaki. Chaeyoung was excited at this. Me? I don't even know what to think now that both Sana and Chaeyoung are members of the Juilliard Orchestra.

BONUS (2 o'clock. The morning of The Juilliard Orchestra's Opening Night)

Sowon, Umji, and Yuju — Mina Myoui's biggest fans — have been camping outside the entrance of the David Geffen Hall for six hours in hopes to acquire tickets to see their idol perform on stage. Not even the chilly weather could damper their spirits.

"What are you girls doing out here?" A staff member gapes inquisitively at the young girls as she unlocks the front doors of the concert hall.

"We want to see Mina, of course!" Umji, who is wrapped in a wool blanket, gleefully responded.

The staff member tilted her head, "The box office doesn't open until 5 p.m."

"But we want to be the first ones to purchase tickets!" Yuju advocated.

"You guys are going to get your tickets, no matter what!" The staff member tries to appease them, but to no avail.

"YOU NEVER KNOW!" Sowon, Umji, and Yuju shout in unison.

"Oh look, Mina is here for sound check!" The staff member notices, and then the three girls hide under their blankets so that Mina doesn't spot their pathetic presence.

A/N: Sup readers! As most of you might've guessed, the next chapter will be all about Mina's performance. I want to hear about all of your predictions, thoughts, and even crazy theories. Do you guys think that Mina is going to succeed in her solo or is she ultimately going to screw up and disappoint her parents? Let me know about your thoughts in the comment section below and I'll see you in the upcoming chapter!

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