Mentari in the Night Sky

The Past: Stories

"Should we stop?"

My piano teacher's question stopped the movement of both my hands. Ms. Miller, my piano teacher, took the sheet from the piano. It seems like my feelings are currently controlling my piano game to the point of making Ms. Miller stop my game.

"There are times when you should be able to cover up the feelings you are feeling. How can you turn a happy song on the first movement into a song full of anger?"

"..."

"Your pianom game is like yours, it's easy to read. So, what's your reason for asking for class today? Is it to vent these emotions?"

I didn't answer Ms. Miller's question and ignored her. I went back to playing the piano keys irregularly. Today is not my piano class schedule, I want to vent my emotions by playing the piano non-stop. But who would have thought, calling Ms. Miller just makes me unable to express all the emotions that are in my heart.

Ms. Miller was holding my right hand, trying to flick me into playing the piano. As soon as I stopped playing the piano, he immediately closed the piano and gave me a piece of paper with Fur Elise musical notation. I just scanned the sheet before putting it on the piano.

"Play Fur Elise for the next meeting" Miller said with a smile.

This will be my 10th time playing Fur Elise. I have even memorized the musical notation in the score. I didn't think Ms. Miller liked Fur Elise so much that I kept playing her. I wanted to protest it for the umpteenth time but I already knew all my efforts would be in vain.

"Mom will let you ask me something. In exchange for your emotional outburst."

"Do you know Ms. Jasmine, the art teacher at Elizabeth School?" I asked without a second thought because suddenly the name crossed my brain.

"Of course, he is a living legend of classical music.”

"What is he so good that he is called a living legend?" I tried to fix my sitting position.

"He's always won the world's prestigious race, honoring the name of our country. He even continued to defend his title as world champion for 5 consecutive years, earning the award from the kingdom at a very young age, and many others include taking part in making classical songs for opera. He's a genius."

"Then what made his hand so injured that he stopped playing the violin?"

"What do you mean?"

I looked at Ms. Miller's changed face, as if I couldn't believe what she had just heard. His current facial expression seemed to hint at confusion and disbelief. Like the question I just asked was both true and false information. Ms. Miller stepped onto the chair 2 meters away from where I was sitting. Playing the sheet papers on his lap until he finally looked back at me. There seemed to be a concern within him to answer my question.

“Does someone with extraordinary talent seem to be giving up just because of an injury?”

"..."

"Zeta, there's a lot of great doctors out there who can treat musicians' injuries. The reason a musician stops playing his instrument is because it is his desire or because he gives up."

"Then, did Miss Jasmine stop for giving up?"

"Mother didn't want to make it sound like she was a very give up person. In this world there are all sorts of reasons for someone to give up. Before or after knowing the reason someone gave up, we should not judge him, right?"

Ms. Miller returned to playing the sheet papers on her lap while occasionally looking at me with a mysterious smile. Looking at all the answers given by her, I could conclude that there was something big that made Ms. Jasmine decide to stop being a professional violinist. The reason for the injury is only a small reason to cover the real reason.

If Stephanie had gotten any inaccurate information about Ms. Jasmine, then how much would Ms. Jasmine really want to cover her up?

"Do you know the real reason?" I finally couldn't help but be curious.

"Of course, all members of the association know for sure why. There's no way we're gonna let a diamond just disappear, is there?"

"What's the reason?" my insistence.

"For that, I have no obligation to answer him as your pianom teacher."

"Ah..why?" whinek.

"Sometimes the reason someone gives up is something he doesn't want to reveal to the world."

"..."

"Zeta!!! Are you inside?!!!"

The screams of my name and the sound of knocking on the door continued to be heard, making Ms. Miller finally walk towards the door.

"But, I think as a member of the Allison Family, Zeta will easily get that information" Miller said before opening the door, allowing Arthur and William to enter the room.

Ms. Miller chatted briefly with William and Arthur before leaving the room, a sign that class was over. Today I didn't even get a new lesson on piano, just a story that got me curious. And of course a Fur Elise score for the umpteenth time.

"Uncle Stephan had only minor burns and within two days was able to take care of you again" the first sentence William said, as if knowing what I wanted to ask.

I just nodded.

"I've also heard what you did to Ken, including every word that comes out of your mouth" William continued.

Arthur walked to the refrigerator next to the glass cabinet, a cupboard containing musical instruments. He took 2 cans of soda and a bottle of mineral water. Who can confirm a bottle of mineral water for.

"Mom heard it too" said Arthur as he placed a bottle of mineral water in front of me.

"Ah..," said I don't know what to respond with.

The sound of the can openings rang out, filling the silence in this room. Arthur looked at me, asking if he should open a bottle of water in front of me that I replied with a headband. Unlike Arthur who immediately enjoyed the soda in his hand, William immediately took the bottle in front of me and opened it.

"drink. Auntie says you haven't had anything to drink from the time you got home from school and I don't see any junk drinks in this room."

I took the open bottle and drank it. I did not want to be lectured for the umpteenth time just because of the drinking problem, even though I knew how important liquid was to my body. I immediately finished one bottle of mineral water, making Arthur go back to take the other bottle. Unlike the previous one, this time he had already directly opened the lid.

"Mom will definitely advise you" William said after I finished drinking water from the second bottle.

"Of course I'll advise him" Arthur replied.

"I want to ask you one thing" said William, ignoring Arthur's words.

I just nodded.

"What do you want from those scholarship recipients who bullied you? Do you want their scholarship revoked?"

"No," I replied as soon as I heard William's question.

William just replied to me with a question mark. I took the bottle in front of me and drank it. The reason William asked that, was definitely father and he had already started moving to resolve the bullying problem I was experiencing. I don't want to involve more people just for my problems with Ken. I don't want to make others suffer either.

"What's your reason for asking Zeta that?" ask Arthur.

"You'll know tomorrow. Then, what do you want?"

"They acted because of Ken. Just leave them. I don't want anyone else getting carried away with my problems with Ken."

"As expected of my sister. You are too kind" said Arthur, standing from his seat.

"alright. Talk about it later at dinner."

"What's the matter exactly?" tanyaku and Arthur together.

"You'll know tomorrow."

Arthur and I looked at each other immediately, realizing that something bad was happening. Not bad for me but for others. My gut tells me if this time, something really bad is going to happen.

"And you're Arthur, let's go see dad" William said as he stood up from his seat.

"For what? I don't want to."

"If you don't want to get into dad's office, you should be able to better protect Zeta."

"Hey!!! Then, how about you?!!"

"You'll see my work tomorrow."

"They?" call Arthur in a warm tone to me.

Arthur now also looked at me with a glare. I can't do anything because everything that comes out of my mouth will only incriminate him. Dad or William used to twist my words every time I tried to help Arthur when I felt Arthur wasn't protecting me properly. I don't feel like Arthur didn't protect me properly this week. He kept cleaning the classroom from the scribbles that were directed at me and didn't let me see them. He also took off all the posters about me that were in every corner of the school. He even hit Ken so straight away that he knew the knife and gun were on my desk. Although several times, he couldn't protect me like when someone dropped a flower pot on my head, after all the class was far enough away from my class that there was no way he could always be near me. Plus there were bodyguards watching me directly.

William pulled Arthur's body because Arthur was sitting next to me. Inevitably, Arthur must follow William to father's study. And inevitably, I could only let go with a bitter smile.

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