Symphony of love (Part 3-GuiGui)

It has been two weeks since the annual LaSalle showcase. Aaron was graduating in two days and he still has no idea what he will do. He wanted to go back to Vienna and learn conducting but he was still afraid to fly. Therefore, he decided to stay in Taiwan until he thought of what he will do.

GuiGui, on the other hand, still has a year until she graduates. However, for now, she is at her teacher’s house practicing for a piano competition. It is the Maradonna piano competition, one of the most prestigious piano competitions in the world. To win the first prize is everything to the pianist taking part in this competition. Therefore, she decided to stay at her teacher’s, Mr Harisen, house. She wished to play on the same stage with Aaron. She wished to play a concerto with Aaron. She wished to be the pianist and Aaron will be the conductor.

It was only 7 in the morning and GuiGui has already been practicing her piano for quite a while. The light hearted music filled the room. It just seems like notes were flying in the air. The jumpy and light notes were definitely pleasing to hear.

“Ha…a piece embodying the love between Aaron and me.” GuiGui said with a big smile across her face.

“Oi… No such thing. Where is Schubert? Beethoven?” Mr Harisen said to GuiGui sternly. GuiGui immediately dropped her head into her hands. She did not really like Schubert or Beethoven. “Going to sleep again? You just had so much for breakfast.” Mr Harisen said as he walked to GuiGui.

“Eh? What is it?” GuiGui asked pouting.

“You have to practice for your first stage of competition. I thought I told you to choose between Schubert and Beethoven?” Mr Harisen said as pointed to the stack of score books on the piano.

“Ah right… Umm… The piece to play at the competition isn’t it?” GuiGui said as she rummaged through the score books. “Ah… I choose this one.” GuiGui said as she picked up a book and showed it to the teacher. “Schumann.” she said to her teacher.

“It is Schubert.” She said to GuiGui, totally frustrated.

“Eh? Oh! You are right?” GuiGui said as she looked at the cover of the book.

“Oi… do you really want to join this competition?” Mr Harisen asked.

“OF COURSE! Very much.” GuiGui said suddenly serious. “I already practiced it in preparation. I will play it for you to hear.” She said as she sat down to play.

Then she started to play. Her fingers started to move across the keyboard. It was good. It was really good
“Incredible. So she really studied hard. But why did she suddenly want to join this competition?” Mr Harisen thought to himself.

“Phew.” GuiGui said as the music end.

“Phew? It was sloppily played halfway.” Mr Harisen said.

“How was it? Can I win with that?” GuiGui asked pouting again.

“Win? Win, you said? Do you mean you want to win first place?” Mr Harisen said.

“Yes.” GuiGui said as she nodded her head.

“Yes? You did not take lesson seriously until a while ago. How could you possibly win first place? Winning first place is not such an easy thing, especially with your short preparation time. This participation is just an experience to prepare you for next year’s competition. ” Mr Harisen said.

“Next year will be too late. Is there anyone who entered a competition just to lose?” GuiGui said. Then she suddenly bang the piano and pick up the Maradonna competition flyer. “Especially this Maradonna piano competition, will give you 2,000,000 dollars as a prize! On top of that, it will give you scholarship to study aboard for the one who wins the first place!” GuiGui said really seriously.

“Could it be that is the reason why you want to join the competition?” Mr Harisen said hopeless.

“I will certainly win the 2,000,000 dollars.” GuiGui said with fire in her eyes.

“ARE YOU STUPID?” Mr Harisen shouted. “How can you enter a competition with money as your target?”

“That amount is enough to go Europe right? That is enough to go to Vienna with Aaron right?” GuiGui said and then went back to the piano to practice. “For this competition, I have to try my best.” GuiGui said worriedly.

However, the way she played it was messy. She is a pianist not made for competitions. Her techniques and sounds are very good but not following the score.

“Don’t play it so sloppily. You just need to change the scale.” Mr Harisen shouted.

They practiced and practiced until it was dinner. GuiGui had a big appetite. She ate like mad. They ate practiced and went to bed.

Practice the next day started early again.

“Play it according to the score. Play each note one by one accurately.” Mr Harisen said.

“Yes sir.” GuiGui said while looking attentively at the score book.

“In a competition, you must NEVER do such things as increasing the sound or compose your own music because it will mean that you do understand neither the piece nor the composer. Especially, this piece for the first stage is merely used fro dropping off the participants after observing how they play the basic techniques.” Mr Harisen said.

“Mr Harisen, is it true there is dirty money in competitions? Like for example, people pay the juries and they are allowed to win, that kind of thing. Maybe we can bribe the juries!” GuiGui said suddenly agitated and excited.

“WHAT ARE YOU THINKING OF?” Mr Harisen shouted to tally shocked to hear what she just said. “In Maradonna piano competition, the participants are only known by numbers and most of the juries are foreigners. How in the world are you going to bribe them?” Mr Harisen said.

“In that case we can’t use bribery, can we?” GuiGui asked as she nodded her head.

“Your heart is all black, isn’t it?” Mr Harisen asked in disbelief.

“If nobody can cheat then it is fine with me! I don worry anymore. I can practice now!” GuiGui said suddenly happy again.

“Don’t worry? Does she think that if no one cheats, she will win first place?” Mr Harisen asked himself, still in disbelief.

“Earlier, where have I practice until?” GuiGui asked interrupting Mr Harisen’s thought.

“You do not like Schubert, do you? So why did you choose Schubert for the first stage?” Mr Harisen asked GuiGui.

“Err… somehow… ummm… It is like dating the type of guy whom you have never dated before. This is the type of feeling.” GuiGui said as she drifted into her own world.

“ARE YOU STUPID? DATE A TYPE WHO YOU HAVE DATED BEFORE.” Mr Harisen shouted.

“Okay.” GuiGui said as she covered her ears.

It was night already. Her hair was messy and everything was wrong. Then, she decided to message Aaron. She thought she would not receive a reply but she was wrong. Aaron did reply and he wrote:

Is Schubert really a difficult person? Don’t just talk about yourself; listen to the other party too! Face the score seriously upright!

GuiGui read the message seriously. She was very happy. She jumped around in the room and almost fell. She was super duper happy. Then, she went backed to the piano. She read the last line and knew that it is time she face music seriously. Therefore, she flipped the score book open and started to practice like crazy.

“Here, make it a bit louder then quickly make it softer. Tempo! Fortepiano, accento then crescendo! There is way too much sound! There is a change of keys? Ehh? Where was it? For the next, is it suppose to go up or go down?” Then, she stopped. She was confused. She did not really know what to do. She stood up and started scanning the score book. Suddenly, she heard Aaron’s voice.

“The fourth measure of the chord is wrong.” The voice said.

“Ah right. Let me try one more time, from the top.” GuiGui said and started playing.

“Be careful with the modulation. One sound by one sound, there should not be any meaningless sound. Yes. Can you see the picture of this piece?” Aaron said.

Then, GuiGui closed her eyes and in her mind, she saw a beautiful scenery. There was a big field of flowers. The sun was bright and everything was peaceful. That was what the song meant. That was what the song was about. She practice till dawn and she finally played the song well.

It was finally the time for GuiGui to play on stage for the Maradonna piano competition. She wore a blue and elegant dress. She went up on stage, took a bow, sat down and started playing. The sound filled the room. There was no mistake. It was not messy. It was really good. Even Mr Harisen was surprised. It was wonderful. Then, it ended. She took a bow. Everyone clapped and she left the stage. She was happy and proud of herself. She really was.

Then, she decided to go look for Aaron.

“Aaron, I passed the first stage of the Maradonna competition.” She said as she ran towards Aaron. “And… I love you. In any way I wanted to convey it to you personally.” GuiGui said as she giggled.

“Well, it’s the first stage so there is nothing to celebrate about but I don’t mind cooking dinner tonight.” Aaron said.

“It’s okay. I have to return to Mr Harisen’s house to practice for the second stage competition. I am sorry to make you feel lonely.” GuiGui said.

“I am not lonely!” Aaron said.

Then she was so shy, she turned around and ran home.

“Listen from now on, it is competing against time. By the time of the final selection, you have to finish mastering this pieces, Chopin’s Etude and Debussy’s L’isle joyeuse.

“I have learned Chopin’s Etude in the past.” GuiGui said as she read through the score.

“You have learnt it in the past?” Mr Harisen asked.

“I think I can still remember.” GuiGui said.

Then, GuiGui rolled up her sleeves and prepared to play. Then, there she went. Her fingers flew across the keyboard at lightning speed. It was so fast; you could barely see her fingers move. Mr Harisen was shocked. His jaw practically dropped. It was a really hard song which required a lot of technique but she got all the techniques without mistake. She was good, really good.

Memories went through GuiGui’s head as she was playing the song. It was her childhood. She started playing the piano since young. She knew how to play this song since she was 6 years old. It was amazing. Her classmate were all shocked but there was this boy who did not seem to care. He had a big head and looked really nerdy. He was always in a suit, always. Then, the ending came. Her head fell onto the piano. Her teacher was shocked.

“Ah… I am hungry. Want to go for barbequed meat?” Mr Harisen asked.

So, GuiGui, Mr Harisen and his wife went for dinner. They talked and talked and even started to discuss about the contestants in the piano competition.

“The number 21 guy from today competition was very good, right?” Mr Harisen wife said as she took some meant off the griller.

“Yea. I think he is called Vincent Wu.” Mr Harisen said.

“Vincent Wu?” GuiGui asked herself. This name seemed so familiar to her but she just could not remember who that person was.

The very next morning, GuiGui went back to practice again. It was the day of the second selection of the Maradonna piano competition. She practice and practiced, never did she stopped. She did not even have breakfast. She was serious on winning this competition.
“Oh… GuiGui put your make up properly. You are about to go up on stage. You are wearing a pretty dress so you must be pretty too. Think of beautiful stuff, like falling in love.” Mr Harisen’s wife said.

“Like falling in love?” GuiGui asked.

“Yeah. Debussy himself went for vacation with his girlfriend and composed L’isle joyeuse in great happiness.” Mr Harisen’s wife said cheerfully.

“Feeling in love?” GuiGui said as she looked at her phone hoping that Aaron messaged her.

“What are you doing? Hurry up! You are about to go on stage.” Mr Harisen said.

So they did the final touch ups, left the room and proceed to the stage.

“Remember to the juries with your techniques from your first piece. If you play as you usually do, then you will definitely pass the second selection.” Mr Harisen said as he continue to walk

“GuiGui?” Someone called from the back.

GuiGui turned around and was shocked. It was the nerdy big headed guy. The guy who is always in a suit.

“As I thought, you are GuiGui.” The guy said while letting out a smirk.

Her memories came back. He was the nerdy boy. He was the boy that GuiGui childhood piano teacher loved a lot. He was Vincent Wu. She felt fear running through her blood. He was a strong opponent. He is very strong. Just then, Mr Harisen came.

“Oi… Hurry up.” He said and dragged her off.

GuiGui went on stage. Everybody clapped. She looked up and saw Vincent Wu. Then, the memories came back. She remembered how her childhood piano teacher slapped her and how she fell to the ground. She was scared. Her heart raced as fast as a train would go. Then, she turned to face the audience and bow, took a sit and took a deep breath in.
Then, she started playing. She let her fingers free. They moved around the keys and did the techniques she was taught. She was awesome on stage but it was messy. The song was messy like always was. It was really messy. Then, she remembered everything.

“I told you to use this hand. Why didn’t you use this hand?” This was said by her childhood piano teacher. Then, there a few hard hits on her hands. She cried but he did not stop so GuiGui bit him. He was angry and slapped GuiGui hard on the face. She fell to the ground, her nose bleeding but nobody did anything. Vincent Wu laughed and the teacher just ignored her. She felt lost and scared and that was what she was expressing through the song now. Then, the song ended. She waited, looked up and scanned through the audiences. She saw Aaron. She remember Debussy. She remembered love. She smiled and started playing the second piece.

Light and cheerful notes were playing. The song was not messy and was played perfectly well. The song made everyone felt touched. It made everyone felt like they were in love.
It was good. It was really good. This made Vincent Wu angry. He wanted to win this competition. He had to win this competition.

It was finally time for the results. GuiGui was number 28. She was nervous. She knew that she did not play the first song well and was not sure if she was going to pass the second round. The paper rolled down revealing slowly who got in. The first number was 4, 8, 19, 21 and lastly…

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hope u like it.
Please write your comments
you can write both good and bad comments
and i think part 4 will be the last part
for symphony of love
so if you have any other themes for a story
like for this one is music,
u can comment to me!:)
<3,
whitney.

P.S commenting is highly recommended. Oh... sorry for the cliffhanger, might update tomorrow if I have time.:)