Chapter 6:

The Conservatory of Music is the largest music academy in the region and is divided into several branches with varying functions. The main building is exclusively reserved for university students or gifted young students, like Luyen and Thuyen, who are studying there with Van Thac. However, students from lower levels of education will have to study at other branches with general education and music programs. Luyen and Thuyen are new to the main building and do not know Ngoc Lam, a prodigy who had been enrolled there since she was 10 years old. The two tried asking people working in the industry, including their families, but everyone was evasive. It seemed as though everything related to Ngoc Lam had been deliberately forgotten, with a once-famous auditorium covered in dust behind the stage curtain. Some people even got angry when they heard her name.

"I don't understand," Luyen says "

At that time, your friend was only 10 years old," Thuyen replies.

"So, what did she do to make people react like that?" Luyen asks.

Van Thac remembers asking Mr Woods directly about Ngoc Lam. Upon hearing the question, the teacher pondered for a long time and then gave an incomprehensible response: "There are pages of books that everyone just wants to flip through." Then the teacher stood up and patted Van Thac's shoulder, saying, "Some things take more time than others." Van Thac did not fully understand the teacher's meaning, but he guessed that things related to his classmate would take a lot of time to uncover. He also thought the teacher wanted him to be patient and not rush to find the truth right away.

The rain continues to fall, and the leaves are soaked after the long downpour. A gust of wind blows through, causing the entire range of trees to shiver and drop hundreds of large water droplets to the ground, almost as if playing a prank on the people in a hurry below.

That evening, Van Thac confides his concerns to his parents. His mother does not explain what Mr Woods said, but she tells Thac not to be too stubborn in finding out the truth. If he just wants to satisfy his curiosity, the truth may hurt others. He should only know when the other person wants to share and must wholeheartedly respect that. Thac's father smiled and asked if the girl that made him curious was pretty, but Van Thac couldn't answer.

On Thursday, Van Thac has an afternoon class. It's been three weeks since Ngoc Lam accidentally revealed that she knew how to play music to Van Thac, and her story keeps circling his mind. It's raining again today, and he's unable to play music in the hallway. Van Thac has to do it inside the classroom. The sound of the trumpet echoes throughout the hallways, all the way to the schoolyard. His high school is just ordinary, and the soundproofing is not as good as it is in the Conservatory, so the sound of the trumpet is loud. Fortunately, the sound of the rain somewhat drowns it out, and it does not disturb the nearby students too much. Van Thac chooses a gentle and slightly sad song, making people feel more healing in this gloomy weather.

Ngoc Lam comes to class half an hour before the class to go over the lesson with him. Knowing that with the loud sound of the trumpet, even if she knocks on the door, he will not hear it, Ngoc Lam opens the door and walks in. As she expected, as soon as Ngoc Lam walks in, Van Thac stops playing the trumpet, quickly takes his books, and sits next to her.

"Ngoc Lam," Van Thac suddenly calls her.

"What's up?" Ngoc Lam replies.

“Did the sound of my trumpet annoy you?” asks Thac.

Ngoc Lam flipped open the Biology book and was silent momentarily, making Van Thac hold his breath. A split second before Thac thinks she is annoyed, Ngoc Lam says again.

"No, it didn't."

Pausing for a second, Ngoc Lam explains.

“The napping room is far from our classroom, so how could the sound of the trumpet here affect me?”

"And when you entered class, was the sound of the trumpet... too bad to hear?" Thac asks again.

Ngoc Lam stops looking down at the page and looks up at Van Thac. Usually, she would say that she would tell the homeroom teacher if Thac spoke out of line again, but now, in front of his transparent, expectant eyes, she blurts out.

“Nocturne Op. 19 no.4 of Tchaikovsky, you need to tell the teacher not to instruct you to practice according to the concerto sheet. The cello's tone is too low, and the flute's tone is too high. Luckily, Thac's steam column is strong enough not to be interrupted. The flow was still clumsy. Ask your teacher to choose the medium-high tone and then switch to the trumpet to practice.”

"What you mean is that I still have enough strength to practice with this version, right?" Van Thac's eyes are bright.

"Huh?" Ngoc Lam tilts her head and looks at her friend in confusion.

“Actually…” Van Thac scratches his ear, “This was written and practised by myself. I knew that switching from the cello tone to the flute immediately was too difficult. I did it to practice only.”

Ngoc Lam's hands are still on the book page. Her eyes look at her friend in surprise. From behind her, a light flashes across the sky followed by a deafening sound of thunder, causing Ngoc Lam to wake up.

“Review your lesson,” she says.

After those three words, the story of music is completely dismissed. However, Van Thac's heart becomes happier than usual. Today, Ngoc Lam gives him feedback and also instructions. His dad's question, "Is that girl pretty?" causes Van Thac to glance at Ngoc Lam suddenly. Ngoc Lam's skin is a bit pale, and there are dark circles under her eyes, probably from studying too much. The bridge of the nose is straight and small, although the eyes always look sleepy. If you look closely, you can see all three eyelids. The corners of the eyes are wide open, looking like the eyes of a comic book character, and the eyelashes are also long.

The sound of thunder rings out again in the distance. Thac wakes up and quickly pulls his mind back to the lecture before Ngoc Lam asks him to repeat it.