The Pianist

The Arrival: Part I

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You awoke to the sound of the train whistle, piercing the air and interrupting the low, rhythmic chug over the train tracks. Early morning light filtered through your cabin window, and you groggily lifted your head from your narrow cot to peer behind the velvet curtain.

You blinked. The train was passing by low farmlands and quaint French cottages, and a sudden burst of excitement lifted away the lingering clouds of sleepiness as you could see that you were passing by the outskirts of Paris. At last!

You reached for your father's old pocket watch that you had left on the side table, clicking it open to check the time. 6:30 am.

The train would be arriving soon! You lifted both feet out of your cot, stretching with a yawn. Around you, the soft snores of the other three girls in your sleeper cabin filled the air.

"Wake up girls!! We're almost to Paris!" You announced cheerfully.

The lump of blankets in the bed opposite you (below which your best friend Jennie was buried somewhere) shifted as she grumbled in annoyance.

"Come on Jennie, isn't it exciting?" You grinned as you drew back the curtains of the window, illuminating the cabin with golden light.

"Ah! Shut it off!" The voice of Rosé whined from the bunk above yours.

You rolled your eyes. "Honestly girls, we have to get ready. The train will be there in less than half an hour!"

The bunk above Jennie shifted as Jisoo's tousled hair peeked out of her blankets. She blinked down at you, rubbing her eyes with a sleepy smile. "Alright, alright, I'm up. How do you always have so much energy, Y/N?"

You shrugged. "I'm just excited!!"

"Aren't we all." Rosé swung her legs down from her bed, making her way down the ladder.

"Jennie? Are you getting up anytime soon?" You raised an eyebrow, talking to the lump of blankets.

"No. I'll just take the train all the way to Belgium."

"Aww, don't be that way!" You swept the blankets off her.

Jennie shrieked. "Too bright!" She covered her eyes with her hands.

You grinned. You dragged your suitcase down from the rack above the beds, setting it on the floor with a grunt of effort. You clicked the latches open and thoughtfully regarded your clothes. Hmm....what to wear? It was a very important day, for it would be your first day in Paris, your first day at the prestigious École des Beaux Arts, or School of Fine Arts, as an incoming music student!

You and your friends were all enrolled in the school, specializing in different fields. Jisoo was studying classics and literature. She wanted to be France's next big writer. Rosé was studying art. Her drawings were the most beautiful you had ever seen. Jennie was studying ballet. She wanted to be the Paris Opera's next prima ballerina. With her passion and tenacity, you knew she would succeed. And you were studying music and composition, specializing in piano. It had always been your passion, for as long as you could remember.

A nervous but excited grin rose on your face just to think about it. To think that you, a girl from the small village of Aurillac, would now be going to the most famous and renowned arts school in all of France! You could still remember the day when your letter of acceptance had arrived, stamped with the official seal of the École des Beaux Arts de Paris. It had been your dream all your life. And now, it was a reality!

After scrounging around in your suitcase for a while, you finally decided to wear your favorite deep blue skirt, along with a floaty white blouse and a black silk belt to tie round your waist. Perfect. 

"I'm stepping into the bathroom to freshen up and change." You said, carrying your clothes over your arm.

Rosé nodded. "Ok, Y/N. But I'm next!"

"I'm last." Jennie announced. She was just getting up.

"Hey Jennie, where's the apartment of your friend, the one you said is letting us stay with her—"

"—Lisa? It's in Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Really close to the School."

"Ah! Saint-Germain-des-Prés! The most chic neighborhood in all of Paris." Jisoo said with a grin.

You shut the door of the small but elegant bathroom adjacent to your shared cabin, muffling the girls' conversations. The train swayed as you set your clothes on the courtesy rack and started getting ready.

Once dressed, you topped your outfit off with a cameo pin to your throat and a nice set of pearls, and also twisted your hair back into an elaborate bun. Back home, you usually let your long hair hang loose and free, but this was Paris. You had to appear more elegant and sophisticated here, to avoid being judged as the simpleminded country girl.

For the first time, a flutter of anxiety settled in your stomach as you regarded your reflection in the gilded mirror. Would you be enough? Enough for the prestigious École des Beaux Arts? Enough for Paris?

Only one way to find out.