Cadence

The Protégé

"Maestro."

It took me a while to grasp this particular scenario in my head. Six long years away and my mind still struggling to find the right words. I stood there frozen, stunned and utterly speechless. Blame it on the jet lag, perhaps the intermittent fasting.

Or perhaps the fact that, I have not talked to anyone aside from my family in years.

"My Yejin!"

Maestro Lee, my mentor, my second dad, gave me a warm embrace. I hugged him back and felt better after all the memories that came rushing back in while walking my way to the building. Being away from home certainly made me feel nostalgic, a lot nostalgic.

But also, being away from home made me feel less warm and affectionate. Or at least I had to. Studying in a foreign country, meeting new people, being the only Asian in our class. Proving to them that we are second to none. Practicing for hours a day, attending my classes diligently, studying at night, working part time to make ends meet, with no social life. Sure I graduated at the top of my class, to the surprise of the westerners. Won awards, appointed principal clarinetist of our university orchestra, and then eventually the city's orchestra. It was surreal. It was every clarinetist's dream come true.

Dream. I remember asking you once, "When all your dreams come true, who do you want standing right next to you?

The dream that we had years ago. I remember it clearly. When we dreamed of it together. And being in this place, where we started to dream, just takes me back to those days.

In my memory, it will always go back to that performance. My first solo with the university orchestra. I was on my fourth year and you were already on your last year. You, who have always been tagged as "Maestro Lee's protégé", were one of the most highly respected semi professional musicians in the city.

No denying that Maestro Lee's protégé was the one to watch. Aside from the fact that the protégé was drop dead gorgeous, especially in a tux. That dimpled smile, that send your legions of fans into a frenzy. Those eyes that just mesmerize anyone who dares to look at it. That jawline which defines that face ever so perfectly.

But as popular as you were, with that unmistakable charm of yours, in every performance, you would always look at me right after. No matter the multitude of people in the room. No matter the noise. No matter the dissonances. You would always find me. Your eyes would always meet mine.

On that day, on my very first solo and your very last performance as a student, I remember seeing your eyes, for the very first time.

Performance Day. Cultural Center. Main Theater. Intermission. 20 minutes to solo.

"My hands are too cold. I can't do this." I said to him. It was our pre-performance ritual to see each other off stage. "I feel like I can't play this concerto without squeaking or losing it."

"What are you talking about Yejinsshi, your hands are always cold, I've known it since I started holding your hand while waiting for you to say you love me back" He said.

"Yaaa! Stop flirting with me. Your girlfriends might see and break up with you all at once!" He laughed and automatically his dimples just decide to come out.

"What are you talking about, you know that you're the only one I actually like. You know that eventually you're going to say yes to me."

The audacity of this protégé to flirt with me during the intermission. Sure that the attraction was there, who was I to not notice the obvious. But being the charming conductor that he was, I never took his flirting ways seriously. He would never have shortage of girls who'd throw themselves at him at any opportunity. Definitely, a ladies man.