Mentari in the Night Sky

Tone Meaning

“It looks like today started with happiness in this class as some people already showed love romance.”

The opening words that I really hate but liked by some students in class. The lecturer always starts the class with a satirical phrase for me. Not real insinuations, more like taunts to me. I don't know, I don't know what a 30-year-old woman's thinking is. The lecturer began to repeat some of the material that had been presented at the previous meeting. Some of the students answered the questions asked by him and I was just observing the snowfall outside. It was only 10 and the snow started to fall again.

Jasmine Alexander Quinn, I don't know the exact reason why a famous pianist seemed to decide to retire early and teach at a university. I just know, he's one of the reasons I decided to go back to the dream I threw away.

I met her the day after I woke up from surgery. The brief encounter that made our relationship into a relationship of hate and love. If I was given another chance, I would still choose to meet him the day after my eye surgery because he's one of the reasons I'm alive today.

“What do you see, Zeta?”

Everyone in the room took their eyes out the window, including the lecturer. For about 5 minutes, one class looked only at the snow falling to meet its old friend, the ground.

“Quite see the snow. The task of making a song yesterday I have checked.”

The sounds of complaining began to sound. I know how hard it is to make a song, the inspiration to find a tune is not easy to find or buy and therefore I know the reason for the 180-degree changing class atmosphere. Some children even begin to cover their ears with earphones. They do not want to hear their work criticized in front of a lot of people.

“As usual, Zeta got the highest score,” he said while smiling at me followed by applause from friends.

“Can today we hear your piano play?”

No. gabe.

I should have answered her question but my mouth was locked tightly. Until now, I have never shown my piano playing to anyone other than lecturers during the exam. I always ask for exams separately and avoid playing in public. It might sound unfair to some people because I see their games but I myself never attend a general exam just to listen to the other person's game. I don't want to hear melodies coming from someone else's hand. Not because of their poor play but because I was afraid that I would compare it to my play and find out that my pianist play was very bad.

“Alright, looks like it's not time yet. I always have one question for you, why are all your notes sadness? Even the happy tone you made also sounded pitiful.”

“How can a happy tone sound sad?” ask someone.

“Good points. Can someone play this score?”

Just a nod I gave in response. One of the best students was chosen to play it. The strains of tones I made last season slowly began to fill the empty spaces in my heart. I took off the hearing aid and looked back out the window. I've played those notes hundreds of times in my head and I'm tired of hearing them. The happy tone that I originally created turned into a sad tone and that sad tone gradually turned into a tone full of anger. I just wanted to take that tone as a happy tone and not want to hear it anymore just to remind me how sad the tones I had made were.

Ting…

Perfect ending, even more perfect than I've ever played.

“How?” asked Lecturer Jasmine so the tones were already inaudible.

“There is a feeling left behind when we feel happiness. Regrets?”

“Keca?” other student timpal.

“Protection to yourself?” the other timpal.

Some of the other children started to voice their opinions. Sometimes I feel like the classes taught by him were more like a market at the time of the discount, very crowded.

“Okay, I think only the author knows. Isn't that right, Zeta?”

“….”

“Looks like Zeta still won't open her heart for us. In that case, to spend the remaining 1 hour of college, go out and make a note about the snow. Don't forget to include your feelings when you see snow falling. Remember, do not forget to enter your feelings,” closed Bu Jasmine accompanied by complaints of one class.

...-----...

One. Two. Three. Four. Five.

Is a five-step distance enough to protect someone?

Or is the five-step distance too close to protect someone?

I always calculated the distance of the guards as they followed me and Ken. They always walk five steps behind me, even though I don't know what Ken would do if he went alone. I stopped my footsteps in front of a cafe. I wanted to go inside but I didn't dare to go in alone.

“You want to enter?”

“Irene!” pekikku surprised.

I was still silent, not following him into the cafe.

“I swear this time I didn't follow you. This time we are destined to meet,” he said as he pulled my body into the cafe.

Irene ordered some food and drinks. I think he gave up telling me to order. He always said that ordering was one of the therapies I had to go through so that my mouth would not rust. However, his efforts always failed either because Ken finally ordered or because I ordered using a piece of paper.

I looked back at the guards who were following me. Two were inside the cafe and two were outside. Isn't the air cold enough to stand on the newly snow-covered streets?

“Do you know if Kesha comes home?”

“….”

“True, how could you possibly know. He came home today and told me to wait for him at this cafe. He said the absurd thing in the e-mail he sent.”

“E-mail?” I opened my mouth for the first time since entering the cafe.

“She said she would bring her fiance. I don't even know if she's engaged. I finally asked my mother and she was still a potential fiancee. They will get engaged at the end of this winter.”

“Why?” I'm sipping hot chocolate.

“Why?” tanyanya's confused.

“Why in late winter?” my reply made him think a little.

“Male requests, if not at the beginning then at the end of winter. But why does the word ‘early and late winter’ remind me of you?”

True, I always start everything at the beginning or the end of winter. My engagement to Ken was done early in the winter as well as my eye surgery. My marriage, my move to Korea, and my decision to play the piano again, I did it all at the end of winter. I think I did all that because midwinter was too cold for a warm event.

“Ah... right, I forgot that Kesha only wanted to see me,” she continued as soon as I kept silent.

“What is Kesha still mad at me?” many finally.

“Everyone will definitely get angry if treated like that.”

What he said was indeed true, I shouldn't have humiliated Kesha in public. Never mind, I don't want to discuss anything about my past.

“Yours,” said Irene as she handed me a plate of crepe cake.

Just as I was about to put the crepe cake into my mouth, two bodyguards came up to me. I don't think it's a problem for me to eat a piece of crepe cake. I observed my two bodyguards who were now staring intently in the other direction.

So, the problem is with the crepe cake that's going to get into my mouth or the thing they're looking at right now?

I turned my gaze towards Irene who was now also silent, the same as my bodyguard. I think they saw something they shouldn't have seen. Just as I was about to turn my body around, a hand pulled my face.

“What do you do?” I was surprised by Irene.

“Oh? I think you should go home. Isn't that so Mr Lee and Mr Stephen?”

Silent. There was no response from my two bodyguards.

“Oh!!! Ireneeeee!!!” shouting someone made Mr. Lee who previously wanted to say something back shut his mouth.

“Kesha?” chirp Irene while taking her hand off my face.

What an awkward tone. Anyone knows how awkward that tone is. I turned my eyes to Mr. Lee and Mr. Stephen who were now tidying up my belongings. Alert movement. Anyone will understand the reason behind the movement. I don't know how that awkward tone and watchful movement can appear, I just know those two things are related to the appearance of Kesha.

This time I turned my head towards the owner of that high-pitched voice. Not just one face I saw, there were two faces where there was one surprised face and one curious face. My cousin's face and the face of his future fiancee. There were two pairs of eyes that I looked at, green eyes that I hadn't seen in a long time and blue eyes that were full of curiosity.

“I don't think this time I will survive,” Irene muttered before leaving me to approach Kesha.

...-----...