Autumn leaves its traces more and more clearly through the trees. The colours red, yellow, and brown gradually replace the green colour of the leaves. The sunlight becomes more and more gentle, embracing each tilted roof. The sky seems bluer, and the buzzing sound of cicadas has long been silent. There is only the quiet sound of falling leaves on the asphalt. The hustling flow of people through the streets seems slower than before, along with the flow of time.

Luyen and Thuyen gradually adjust to the time zone after a long time touring abroad. The two enthusiastically tell Van Thac the strange things they had experienced in foreign countries - including the funny and sad stories, the artists they had the opportunity to meet, and the new knowledge they learned that would be difficult to know if they studied and worked in the Conservatory only. Thac, persistently, sits and listens to them attentively as if he is going to swallow all those stories. He is like a Little Mermaid listening to her sisters' experiences outside the ocean, waiting for her turn to be able to take her own adventures.

He shows his friends the music sheets he had composed for the school play. Before that, he also gave it to Mr Woods. The teacher asked if he could sell this piece to the Conservatory's orchestra, and he would discuss with Thac's mother how to pay for it. Thac and other students in his age are not capable enough to deal with this complicated arrangement.

"But Ngoc Lam can do it."- Thac blurts out to Luyen and Thuyen

"Are…"

"You"

"Obsessed"

"By"

"Ngoc Lam"

"Or"

"Not?"

Luyen and Thuyen take turns speaking until the end of the question.

“Oh, Ngoc Lam”

“Wherefore art thou Ngoc Lam?”

The two friends continue to imitate the play Romeo and Juliet to tease Thac. Thac's ears turn red from being teased. He keeps denying it, but the two friends never give up their silly jokes. When verbal words become useless, he picks up the trumpet and immediately plays a random piece of music in his head. It happens to be the climax of Vivaldi's Summer Symphony.

“Autumn is almost over, but you still play the summer part?”

”Let's fight!”

The music stimulates the strong musical spirit of Luyen and Thuyen. In the blink of an eye, a violin, trumpet, and clarinet ensemble is formed. The hail of sounds representing falling rain, thunder, and storms resound one after another and stir up the atmosphere of a peaceful afternoon.

When the music ends, all three friends sit down to rest. Luyen and Thac even have to cough a few times. Playing such a "heavy" piece of music in the cold and dry autumn weather is probably not a good idea for people like them.

“Thac.” Luyen takes a sip of water and calls out to his friend

“We sincerely ask you this question,” Thuyen says

“Do you think you can convince Ngoc Lam”

“To play for your school's performance?”

Thac makes a face. Of course, he has already known the answer himself. These past few days, he didn't even dare to talk to Ngoc Lam, let alone convince her.

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“Why are you?”

“So stubborn?”

“She retired a long time ago”

“There must be a reason.”

"Being reluctant"

"Is unhappy!"

Thac scratches his ears for a moment, silently looking down at the cement floor.

"Now let me ask you guys," Thac says, "Thuyen, provided that you are walking on the street and see a Strad, do you want to try it?"

“... Yes” Thuyen hesitates for a moment then says decisively.

“What about Luyen?” Thac turns to the other person, “Now you see someone playing Shostakovich 's Walz No.2 on the piano, do you want to join in?”

"Of course!" Luyen replies without thinking.

"Why?" Thac looks straight into the eyes of his two friends

“That's…” Luyen rubs his chin and is thoughtful for a moment and then turns to look at Thuyen

“I think it's in my blood,” Thuyen says, turning to look back at Luyen

"Right." Luyen seems to be enlightened, "Think about it, we have spent our lives following this career and putting in so much effort into practising, not to mention having passion."

“Yes,” Thuyen agrees. “I think if I didn't play music anymore I'd have to work a desk job, but I guess I couldn't stand it every time I saw something related to music.”

“Ngoc Lam…” Thac says “is the same”

Thac still remembers the first time he met Ngoc Lam, she unconsciously played music. In the afternoons when he sat alone playing the trumpet, he always felt that Ngoc Lam was listening even though she always appeared indifferent. The times she coldly gave him some advice, it was only a few words, but he still felt the care in each sentence she said; otherwise, each word wouldn't have been to the point of his improvement.

From that first meeting, Thac could not imagine if, when he grew up, Ngoc Lam would no longer play a note of music. He could see that she exuded the aura of a great artists. It's too painful to bear with the image of her trying to put it out.

If Ngoc Lam can play music as a professional again, Thac thinks, will there be any chance to see her perform on a professional stage? He can even play with her.

Her passion for music is still desirable, so why should she give up?

Seeing the stubborn determination radiating through every cell of Thac, Luyen and Thuyen have to surrender.

“Listen,” Luyen says

“We have a way.” Continues Luyen

They understand that Thac will never stop until he finds some solutions, so the two friends decide to give him a hand. But whichever the results will come, Thac has to take it by himself and learn about it.

In the evening, Luyen and Thuyen need to stay at the school to practice with the orchestra. Joining them is also Mr Woods' teaching assistant, who often helps him guide them along with Thac. They simply greet each other and then take their seats.

While the tour commemorating Chopin's death that Luyen and Thuyen participated in is an opportunity for the Conservatory to introduce new faces, the teacher assistant is finding another chance to promote his career in a tribute event to Felix Mendelssohn, a genius of classical music, who miserably passed away in November.

This session is a special occasion to prepare for the International Music Competition from January to April next year. The two friends' performances during the recent tour helped them get approval for the list of musicians in the competing orchestra. In addition, each of them also has an individual contest in the Competition. Both are trying their best to seize the opportunity to shine.

The Conservatory rector walks out from the audience seats, which are already filled with subject teachers, and claps his hands to ask everyone to be quiet.

“Dear my students and teachers,” the rector puts his hands in his pockets, and his body moves slightly with each word, making his bald forehead shine under the light. “Today, our Conservatory of Music is very honoured to welcome two special guests who will support our students for next year's competition. Let me introduce… "

As he is speaking, one of his hands draws a beautiful curve swinging to the back, where two silhouettes are moving forward gradually.

Mr Woods sees the two people and immediately smiles.

The entire orchestra simultaneously stares at those guests, with their eyes opening wide and jaws dropping.