An Artist in Love

Chapter 11: Our Duet

Dan's POV:

I went to school the next day and as usual, Lexi was already there. "Hey, Lex," I greeted. "Hey! How are you?" "I'm better." "Great! You missed out on a lot yesterday!" "Like what?" And then she began her story. APPARENTLY, two new guys are eating with us. The transferee, Cy and... Jake. Lexi and Cy are best friends already. Well that was fast. And they had dinner at her dorm together with her brother Zi. There was also an announcement by our Music teacher that we'll be having a duet today and she'll be in charge of the pairing. "Hm, that is quite a lot," I commented. She was probably telling stories for fifteen minutes. "You bet! You should've seriously been here yesterday! But it's okay, you were sick and you needed rest." I just nodded. Ahh, I miss Lexi and her being talkative.

"Why DID you get sick anyways?' she asked. "It was too cold." "Weren't you wearing a coat?" "I was but I lent it to Beatrice on our way back to her dorm." "Ahhh... okay." "How... how was your tutoring with Jake?" "It was okay... our car was accidentally hit by a motorcycle at the back side." "ARE YOU OKAY?!" "Haha! You're so funny, Dan! Yeah, I'm fine. I'm still here aren't I?" I kept silent. Classes eventually started and Music was our first class. We had music for two hours since it was one of our core subjects. Unfortunately for me, Lex wasn't my pair. She was with Cy and I with Beatrice. As for Jake and Chan Min, well they were paired with someone. For our Duet, we chose to do a mellow song compilation. "So... the song we chose is... 'Just a Kiss' by Lady Antebellum, right?" she asked and I nodded in response.

 "Alright! So we have to sound as if we're in love in this song," Beatrice told me. I was surprised for a moment but then realized that it was just so that the audience could feel the emotion of the song. So I agreed and nodded my head. About after an hour of preparation, the class was told to settle down and the first pair to present were chosen. "Lexi and Cy, you're the first! Please come up," our teacher announced. They came up, Cy carrying a guitar. "So for our song," Lexi began. "We chose 'Time and Fallen Leaves' by AKMU or Akdong Musicians." Cy played the intro and their performance has started.

Lexi sang first and her voice was very lovely. It was sweet and high and she hit the notes correctly... And Cy could barely take his eyes off her.

"Maenballo gieogeul geonilda

Tteoreojineun nagyeobe

Geugan itji motan saramdeureul bonaenda

Maenballo gieogeul geonilda

Burkge muldeun haneure

Geugan hamkke motan saramdeureul ollinda

Siganeun mul heureudeusi heulleogago

Nan chueogiran daemeul noha

Micheo japji motan gieogi isseo

Oneuldo supyeongseon neomeoreul boneun iyu

Then Cy started to sing and their duet began... It was as if their voices were made for each other. There was perfect harmony and this is the part where their eyes always met...

Maenballo gieogeul geonilda

Nal aessaneun danpunge

Modeun geol naeeojugo salposi gidaebonda

Maenballo gieogeul geonilda

Da igeun gaeullaee

Heogijin mameul butjapgo gonhi jami deunda

Gaseumui kkotgwa namu sideureojigo

Gipge mutyeo kkeonaeji motal gieok

Geu gose jamdeureo beorin

Geudaeroga areumdaun geosi

Seulpeuda seulpeuda

Maenballo gieogeul geonilda

Noran eunhaengnamue

Sumeun naui yetnal chueogeul bulleobonda

Maenballo gieogeul geonilda

Bureooneun barame

Gaseumeuro gameun nuneul kkok anabonda"

Everyone applauded loudly after they finished their first song. Some even stood up and gave whistles. The way they looked at each other was... different. Well maybe it's just me or maybe they were just acting things out, like what Beatrice and I will be doing once we are picked, except we'll just sound as if we're in love. Yeah. That's that. "Feeling a bit jealous, are we?" Beatrice suddenly asked me. "W-What? N-No. And why would I be jealous? It's not like we're together." "Hm, I see. Okay then!"

After about five pairs, it was finally our turn. Beatrice played the piano and I sat beside her. We started to sing. The class went silent and listened intently. I started to hear whispers such as, "Are they in a relationship?" or "Is Beatrice his girl?" And to all these, I simply chuckled in my head. Actually, I was thinking of someone else just so I would get the feeling of love. When we finished our song, we were actually asked questions such as, "Are you two dating?!" or "What's going on between you guys?" Even our teacher asked! I stayed silent and Beatrice answered them all with just one word and a cold tone. "No."

The whole class managed to perform and after Music was break time. "Lexi!" I called out, but she kept a straight face and walked out of the music room. Leaving me, Chan Min, Jake, and Cy in the room. "Lex, wait!" Cy shouted and ran after her. I did too, but unfortunately for me, he ran way faster than I did and when I got to Lexi, she was already with Cy. They were talking, Lexi's head bowed down and Cy's eyebrows furrowed. I could see that he was trying his best to understand her. I just left. I let them be. I told the other guys about Lexi and decided that we just leave them two first. Beatrice came with us and today, Lexi wasn't the only girl in our group.

Cy's POV:

Being her best friend, I had to accompany her and be there. Be the crying shoulder if needed, be a diary she can tell everything to. We walked to the soccer field where not even a single student was present. "What's wrong, Lex?" I asked. She looked up at the sky and gave a deep sigh. "Ah, I know. You wanna scream it out, huh? You wanna let the anger out." She looked at me nodded her head. "Then let's go!" I said as I held her hand and led her to the school garden. It was way past the soccer field and for me, it was kind of a secret place. No one else actually knows this place but me, and now Lexi.

"I've never seen this place before." "I know. I just happened to stumble upon it one random day when I first came here. When I have problems, I go here cause it helps me take my mind off things." "It's so beautiful here... It looks like as if we belong in a painting and someone just finished this masterpiece with us in it," she said, looking around and smiling. I couldn't help but smile too. "It definitely is the most beautiful thing..." I said. She looked back at me and smiled cheekily. She hugged me tightly and said, "Thank you, Cy. Thank you for bringing me here. Thank you for being able to understand me."

I replied no more and just gave her a pat on the back. We sat on the stone bench situated beneath a large tree. "I don't know why but I just suddenly felt jealous," she explained. "I started to feel angry. I was angry because he seemed so in love with her and vice versa. I then felt fear surge into my system. Fear of losing someone I hold dear to me again. I didn't want to feel it again because I know how bad it hurts, how much sadness it brings. To lose someone makes you feel as if the whole world is crumbling down, faster than you had imagined." A tear escaped her eyes. "Lex..." I whispered. I wiped her tears and hugged her tightly. 

We said not even a single word and took comfort in the silence that surrounded us. "You know what," I began as I broke the hug. "Scream it all out now." She looked at me. "Scream at the top of your lungs and let your feelings out. It's just the two of us here anyway." She nodded her head and did as I suggested. She screamed loudly, and I joined her as well. It wasn't long till we were both laughing and smiling again.

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