Chapter Five: The Voice From Up Above

          Sleepyhead. That was my name the next day. I woke up so early that surprised my mom – our house mom, I mean. She praised me for that, but still nagged me about going home so late. She only stopped when she realized how groggy I was and gave me a cup of coffee. “Just today,” she said, because she never likes it when we drink coffee. She said it affects growth hormone secretion. You know, moms. Aside from that, she’s kind of… more than just a house mom for me.

          So there I was, riding the bus to school, an hour earlier than usual. I was already drowsing off, but I mustn’t let myself sleep or else I’ll find myself someplace only god knows with my things already taken my who knows who. Besides, I couldn’t mess it up, since it took me a kilo of apples, a bag of chips, a bottle of soft drink, a five-kilometer walk, and a couple of hours sleep just to make Jun-hyung say “yes.” And the feeling was already rewarding. As if I was a guy courting a girl, and the girl already accepted my love.

          “Omo! Mae sshi,” I snapped my eyes open. It was my angel.

          “L sshi! Good morning,” I said, moving to the empty seat so that L could sit beside me. “Yeah, good morning!” he said while taking the seat beside me. I tried my best not to blush or to shake so much, but the feeling of being close to him just overwhelmed me. Suddenly, he spoke.

          “Mae sshi, please don’t feel awkward, or embarrassed. It is not as if I rejected you, right?” What he said surprised me so much that wasn’t able to think of a response. I just stared at him, whom I realized to be also staring at me, with a faint blush on his cheeks. Until we couldn’t bear any longer and both of us burst into laughter.

          “I told you not to feel awkward, but I was the one who was awkward,” he said. He bowed down as said sorry. All the time, my attention was only with him, but then my attention was caught by the sight of my best friend.

          “Wow! You’re really early!” I told her when she passed by the seat L and I was sitting. She looked at L with a surprised expression, and averted to me shortly after. “Yes, you too!”

          “Ah, Georgette sshi, you may sit here instead,” L held his things and stood up, but Gette stopped him. “No, you stay there, I can find myself my own seat,” Gette said before walking towards the end of the bus.

          “I think I made your friend upset,” L told me when Gette was already seated at the back.

          “Nah, I don’t think so,” I told him while giving him a tap on the shoulder. I swore that I wouldn’t wash that hand again. “You see, she likes you. She’s just not so vocal about it.”

          “Really?” he said before glancing back to Gette. “Yes,” I said, “how come can she not like you when I already liked you?” We all went down the bus when we reached bus stop near the school. Gette and I walked together, while L walked a few feet away from us.

          “I promise I’ll never be early again, ever,” Gette told me. “Wae?” I asked, “Are you still uncomfortable around L?”

          “Ani,” Gette said, “Myung-soo is a nice person, why would I feel uncomfortable around him?”

          “I don’t know,” I said, “you seem like you always do.” Then I remembered Jun-hyung. “By the way, Jun-hyung already accepted me as his student.”

          “Really?” Gette said. “How did you convince him?” Of course I told her the whole tiring story. “Rap? Really? And he’s a member of a band too?”

          “Yes, quite unbelievable huh,” I said. “By the way, I’ll be meeting him a lot starting today, so…”

          “You won’t be able to spend time with me?” Gette said, finishing my sentence. “It’s okay, do this for L. Stay focused, okay? I’m sure you’ll learn guitar quickly,” she said. I bade her goodbye and told her I’ll meet her in class later on. After that, I proceeded to the rooftop where Jun-hyung would be.

          A sweet voice and a soothing guitar tune welcomed me as soon as I opened the door to the roof top. Wow, he really is good. I looked around the roof top, but for some reason, I couldn’t find Jun-hyung. After a moment, the singing and the playing stopped. “Yah, Who are you looking for?” someone suddenly said which made me jump on my feet.

          “What are you doing up there?” I said when I found Jun-hyung at the roof of the staircase that led to the roof top.

          “Waiting for you,” Jun-hyung said, “I was already thinking of dropping you as my student if you didn’t come after another minute.”

          “Really? Then it’s a good thing I made it,” I said,

          “If you want to start learning something, you’d better climb up here,” Jun-hyung said.

          “Do you have a thing with high places?” I said, remembering the time when he took me to the second floor of the bar where I had a good view of their performance. “Why are you waiting on a roof?” I said as I climbed up the ladder not too far beside him.

          “I don’t know,” Jun-hyung stood up and took my hand, “I just like it here.” Jun-hyung led me to the middle of the approximately 10 by 10 roof and we settled there. “Where’s your guitar?” he asked.

          “Ah,” I said, “I’m sorry, I haven’t bought one, but I’m planning to get one soon.”

          “Okay, if you don’t have money to buy a guitar, then pay me half of the price,” Jun-hyung said. “Then save the half for your guitar.”

          “Ah, no, it’s okay!” I said. “I already saved enough to buy a guitar. I just don’t know which will be of good quality.”

          “Ah, if that’s the case, then call me if you’ll already buy a guitar,” Jun-hyung said, “I’ll come with you.” Then took his and suddenly, he handed it to me. “Here, use mine for the mean time.”

          “Ah, kamsahamnida,” I took the guitar and placed it on my lap.

          “Now, try plucking the first string from the top,” he said, and so I did. “What note is that?”

          “E3,” I said.

          “Good,” he said. “Now try to press the string before the first fret.” I move my hand, then he told me to pluck it. “What note is that?”

          “F3,” I said. He smiled and nodded after that. “You’re already a musician so you won’t have problems with notes,” Jun-hyung said. “Try to press the string between the fourth and fifth fret and pluck the string.”

          I did what he said and then he asked, “What’s the note?”

          “A,” I said. Then he asked me to pluck the next string. “What’s the note?”

          “A,” I said. Jun-hyung made me press the string between the fourth and fifth, before plucking it and the next string, which sounded like the latter, then made me press the string between the third and the fourth fret before plucking it and the next string. Then he stood up and went beside me. “That guitar is on standard tuning. E, A, D, G, B, and E,” he said.

          “You already know chords in piano, right?” I nodded. “Then playing chords will be easy for you,” Jun-hyung inspected me again from my position. I hate it when you do that, so stop, please? “Are you one of the top students of the class?”

          “Uh, yeah,” I said. Jun-hyung chuckled and said, “And you’re one of the humble ones.”

          “If that’s the case, then the only things you’ll study more about is the position of notes in this guitar,” he said. “Aside from that, you’ll really need your own guitar and some blisters on your fingers.”

          “What?!” I said. Jun-hyung chuckled again and suddenly tapped my head. “Just kidding,” he said, “Let’s go?”

          “Let’s go where?” I said.

          “Do you want to cut classes?” Jun-hyung took his guitar bag and slung it on. “If you do, then I’ll get going.” Jun-hyung went over the ladder and before I even got to my knees, he was already down.

          “Hey! Wait for me!” I quickly went over the ladder and tried getting down, but the steps got too slippery, and before I knew it, I almost lost balance. It was a good thing a pair of hands got me and held me on my waist, and I was able to hold the ladder with both hands. Wait, where –?!

          The sound of guitar slamming on concrete floor was the next thing I heard. My eyes grew big, and even if I didn’t look at Jun-hyung’s face, but I’m sure his eyes were way larger than mine. Broken in to two. That was what happened.

          “M-my… guitar,” I heard him say. His hands were still on my waist, supporting me as I was still on the ladder. I slowly hid my face on my hands that were holding me in place. “M-mianhae…” I muttered. Silence came after and I was so nervous. He’ll hate me. He will never want to see me. I’m dead.

          Suddenly, the hands that held my waist became arms and Jun-hyung told me, “let go.” So I let go, and I didn’t expect what he did next. He gently carried me like a baby, and placed me carefully down the floor.

          “I didn’t mean to –” I tried to say, but tears started to flow from my eyes, and my voice started to break. “I’m really sorry…”

          “Why?” Jun-hyung started rather loud that made me flinch, “Are you sorry that you’re too clumsy?” I looked at him in awe. Did he just shout at me? I felt my lips shaking. I told him that I’m sorry, but then he shouted at me and I was filled with emotions and I didn’t know what to say.

          Tears started to blur my sight, but after a few moments, I suddenly felt something on my face. I looked up, and found Jun-hyung holding a handkerchief close to me. “Yah, I’m not that mad at you, okay?” Jun-hyung said in a gentle manner, “Besides, come to think about it, it’s not your fault. I shouldn’t have made you climb up to the roof in the first place. It’s too dangerous for you.”

          “But I…” I trailed off.

          “It’s alright,” Jun-hyung took my hand and place his handkerchief. He ducked in front of the broken guitar and said, “I have already spent a long time with that guitar. It’s time that I let it rest.” Jun-hyung picked up the guitar and placed it inside its case.

          “I’ll buy you a new one, I promise,” I said. Jun-hyung looked at me blankly before smiling a little, “Thanks!” Jun-hyung said. “So, shall we?” He led the way, and I closely followed him, but when we were already at the floor where our classrooms were, he didn’t stop.

          “Jun-hyung sshi! Where are you going?” I said. He turned and walked back.

          “Didn’t you say you’ll buy me a guitar?” Jun-hyung then took my hand and pulled me down the rest of the stairs. “Hey! We have classes today!” I said, but to no avail. Wow, even if he told me that it’s alright, the broken guitar was really a big deal to him.