She was nervously performing with her violin. Her play was steady at first but became messy afterward. The judges and the audiences began murmuring that she was bad at playing and not suitable for this concert. She feels that her breath hitched and suddenly, her vision turned black as the world become silent.

She shot her eyes open and she was panting hard. Sweats began forming on her temple that few of her hair sticks to her forehead. It was a horrible nightmare indeed. She feels her head throbbing so hard as she walks up to the kitchen. is dry as a desert, yet she was drenched in sweats.

“Krystal, you okay?” Her flatmate asked, half-awake but her voice is full of worry.

“Yeah. It’s just a Nightmare again, don’t worry about me.” She forced a smile.

“I hope you’re okay. You have a class to attend tomorrow right? Try to calm yourself and go get some rest again okay?”

She just smiled at her flatmate. Sipping the rest of her water and when she is done she leaves the empty cup in the sink, definitely needs to try to sleep again.

 

 

♪♫♫♪

 

Seoul feels cold in the middle of April. Winter has passed long ago yet here I am, wrapped in thick grey knitted scarf and staring blankly at a grey school building that looks so boring, dull and unamusing.

It’s supposed to be Spring, the season that everybody loves with a vibrant color of nature covering the whole city. Icy cold snows melt away, allowing the beautiful little flower buds to sprout open in the park. People are wearing light sweaters and comfortable clothes, all looked good except me that looked like a walking wrapped dumpling.

I tucked a lock of hair behind my ear as I walked, casting my eyes on the ground and trying not to draw much attention. But being the typical busybody, everyone was staring at me and it makes me uncomfortable.

“Look! The maestro is here!!”

For once-or maybe twice or thrice- in my life, I hated how straightforward my best friend was. Amber didn’t bother to filter out most of the things that came out of her pretty little lips. There were times when I wished she would just shut up instead of talking like there would be no tomorrow to come.

“Can you please shut up?! You’re embarrassing me” I cover my face with both of my hands, walking straight past her but she was able to catch my quick pace.

“Why? It’s because I’m proud that my best friend wins first place in a music competition!! You’re all over the newspaper and television you know”

I sat on my usual seat in the class. Propping my elbow on the table and resting my chin on my palm. I breathed out a heavy sigh through my mouth, not really comfortable with the attention everyone gave me.

“Krys, you did great at the competition! You’re playing the violin like a mad man. It was amazing, Congratulation!” One of my classmates said and I just smiled.

The class went on while I just zoned out. I was really trying to focus on the subject. But still, I didn’t get what it means. I rested my chin on my palm and stared outside the window. I don’t know, my thought just drifted away, maybe I was thinking about my dream last night? Or- what?

 

♪♫♫♪

 

In the fourth period, I decided to skip my Chemistry class and walking towards the music room located at the end of the first-floor corridor. I was glad that this school’s music room has both qualities and quantities in musical instruments.

I graze my fingers on the piano, smiles began forming at my lips. It’s been a while since the last time I play piano, I’m too focused on playing the violin.

I decided to play Kreisler – Liebesleid, pressing the piano’s tuts softly and humming along with the melody.

“Skipping class in the music room, being risky aren’t we?”

I stopped playing, lifting my gaze from the partiture to a tall man in front of the door. I cocked a brow at him, who the heck is he?

“Krystal Jung, the young, famous and multi-talented musician in Seoul. Don’t you at least know my name?”

“Nope, had no intention to either”

“Not a much talker and the cold one, I suppose?” He said with a smirk tugged at his lips.

I just rolled my eyes, back to playing the piano until I feel a presence sitting beside me. I was close to screaming but his fingers are pressing the tuts of the piano too, matching his melody with mine.

“My name is Oh Sehun, the star of the basketball team. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Krystal.”

 

♪♫♫♪

 

“Seriously, Dude? Can you just leave me alone?”

It’s been months since my first encounter with Sehun in the music room and he always shows up wherever I was in school or had the nerve to walk me home. Right now people are staring at our table in the cafeteria, whispering something to each other. Probably gossipping false rumor between me and this idiot. I rolled my eyes, pretty annoyed with this kid. I sigh in relief when Amber comes back to our table with a tray of food.

Sehun was stealing my food, I slap his hands away and curses at him. He just smiling sheepishly at me.

“Do you need a ride after school?” Sehun asked.

“Nah, don’t want to ride that lousy motorcycle”

“Hey! What a rude brat” He huffed but chuckling after that. The side of my lips quirked in a smile. Amber is watching our interaction, she scoffs in disbelief. Even though we are always quarreling, she thought that we are close enough to be friends.

 

The school bell rang so loudly, sign that school was ended. Amber gets up and pats my head slowly.

“Let's go home Krys! I’m so hungry.”

She pouted so cutely, I rolled my eyes because it's weird! Ew.

“There is a new bakery downtown, my flatmate said their donuts were spectacular,” I said while packing my things, Donuts after school? Sounds perfect.

“Okay! Let’s go”

When we were walking to the bus stop, suddenly there was a car that moving beyond the speed limit, it hit us while we were crossing the road. I screamed, at the last minute I was able to push Amber aside, but I was hit in the process. And the last thing I heard, was Amber’s voice that calling out my name while crying. After that? I don’t really remember, because the world suddenly turned black.

 

♪♫♫♪

 

“Emergency!” The nurse yelled out.

The ICU room was hectic, a stretcher quickly being wheeled inside the available room. Laying on the bed was me, unconscious. Blood splattered all over my uniform and my head. One of the doctors grabbed a flashlight from his pocket and peeked through my pupils. He used the stethoscope around him to listen to my heartbeat which was slightly weak compared to the normal ones.

“Can you hear me?” The doctor called out. “Can you hear me? My name is Dr. Suho Kim. And you're in Seoul National University Hospital. If you can hear me, please move your fingers from your left hand.”

I gave no response.

“This girl suffered severe bleeding, there will be another hemorrhage if we didn’t do the operation quickly.”

The paramedics nodded and wheeled the stretcher inside the operating room. The doctor is dressed in scrubs, net over his head and a mask covering his face.

“Patient, Krystal Jung, age 19 is experiencing Intracerreberal Hemorrhage on the anterior part of the skull.”

“Let’s start the operation”

 

Amber was shaking outside the operating room, whimpering while watching the glass door in front of her.

“Amber?! What happened?” Sehun rushed beside her, just arrived after receiving a phone call about the accident.

“S-she.. we w-were crossing the road, a-a car..” Amber couldn’t finish her sentences because she was sobbing hard.

Sehun was frantic, she pats Amber’s back as tears welled up in his own eyes. Even though I always pushed him away and raging at him. He knows that I began to develop a soft spot for him as a friend. They hope the best for me.

 

♪♫♫♪

 

I woke up with a throbbing head, my vision was blurring and the smells of disinfectant reeking through the room. Amber and Sehun must have sensed my consciousness because they hurriedly standing beside me as my eyes trying to adjust with the bright light.

I saw their mouth moving, but I can’t really hear them.

“What happened?” I ask, panicked. I can’t hear a thing.

 “Oh my god, What happened?!” I screamed, tears began forming in the corner of my eyes and they threatened to fall. I can’t even hear my scream.

The doctor rushed towards me after Sehun pressed the emergency button. Their gaze is full of worry as I began crying.

“She is suffering from Hearing Loss due to the Head Trauma. She must’ve hit her head hard. It’s such a pity for a talented young girl like her”

Dr. Kim said to Sehun and Amber because they’re the only guardian I currently have in this big city. Amber sobbed again, feeling guilty. Dr. Kim scribbled the news on a paper and gave it to me. I looked away from the scene, it feels like my worlds were crashing down. I can’t even hear their conversation even though they’re just feet away.

 

I woke up when someone pats my right cheek. Sehun was smiling, holding a paper and writing something on it.

Are you okay? How do you feeling?

I chuckled bitterly. “Bad. Why doesn’t God just kill me instead of making me deaf?”

Don’t say that! I believe you’ll be okay.

“Shut the crap already! I still have a lot of competition to do, yet here I am laying in a hospital bed- couldn’t hear anything. And can you stop doing that? It makes me feel like the most pitiful person in the world” I cried.

Sehun hugs me tightly as I sobbed in his arms.

This spring, I considered it as the worst spring ever in my life. But with my best friends that always staying beside me, I successfully passed the whole season with a smile.

 

♪♫♫♪

 

One year later, in the middle of April, I was walking slowly in the park. The sky was almost blue, the sun was bright, the spring wind calmly ruffles the trees, I can feel it even though I can’t hear the sound of it.

Someone tapped my shoulder lightly. I lift my head, watching the tall figure hovering above me. I giggled, then I saw Amber running towards me too with my violin case.

“Be Careful, Amber”

Last year, I experienced the most horrifying accident in my life. But I’m lucky enough to survive it, lucky enough to have best friends that always with me through thick and thin to support me, they even learned sign language together with me.

Are you ready, my Maestro?

I smiled and nodded at Amber. We are walking side to side heading to the competition venue.

They’re the ones who always support me, telling me not to give up on my dreams, always accompany me when I’m practicing until I feel brave enough to stand in the middle of the stage again.

“Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we have stars in the sky, and on stage. Let’s welcome the Beethoven of this era, the talented and beautiful musician, Krystal Jung!”

The audience clapped as I entered the stage. With the warm smile plastered on my face and a violin in my hand, I sighed slowly as I began playing Liebesfreud by Fritz Kreisler.

I focused on my violin even though I can’t even hear the sound of it. But seeing the proud smile on my best friend's faces, I know that I’m doing a good job.

As the melody flowing through the violin, I closed my eyes and sighing in relief.

Music is like a dream, one that I cannot hear. What I have in my heart and soul must find a way out. That’s my desire to always play music.

Because indeed, this beautiful stage of my life feels like a symphony in Spring.

 

-The End-