Professor Kote adjusted his glasses, “What’s the theme of your collection this year?”
Dean lowered his eyes toward the wrapped canvas.
He fidgeted his fingers, but his lips parted as he said, “Yumeka.”
“I guess your collection is inspired from Japan.”
“Yes sir,” Dean smiled faintly, because he honestly didn’t know why he gave a Japanese name to it.
“Submit it for the exhibition, before you go home, to get changed for the Fresher’s Night,” Professor Kote smiled before leaving for his class.
Dean nodded.
He quickly took out his phone, and texted Joey.
How much time will it take for you to reach here?
His phone vibrated within a few minutes.
“I know you want to show me your collection before submission, but I got dragged into something important. So, I promise I’ll see your paintings as soon as I hit the college for Fresher’s.”
Dean stared at the messages for a second before putting his phone away.
He stared at the other canvas, and wrapped it up.
Let’s just submit them, anyways.
After a moment of hesitation, he carried the wrapped canvases toward the Exhibition Hall.
Several students were already submitting their works.
The coordinator took his forms and looked at the titles.
“Register under the name ‘Yumeka’, right?”
Dean nodded, while the coordinator scribbled his details on the list.
“Good luck!”
The other coordinator placed his submissions along with the other.
Dean stood there for a few seconds.
He then turned and walked out.
As he was passing the Music Department building, a song’s melody drifted through the open windows.
His footsteps slowed.
Joey’s words from last night crossed his mind.
The Music Department girl, who saved him and he didn’t get any chance to thank her.
He glanced through the glass doors.
Students moved here and there inside the practice rooms.
Few were playing violins, others held sheet music.
But none of them looked like the person he was looking for.
His problem was simple, because he neither knew her face nor her name.
Dean sighed, but soon an idea popped in his mind, and he pulled out his phone.
The university group chat was still overflowing with messages.
After scrolling for a while in the past messages, he finally found the image he had been searching for.
The blurred preview appeared on the screen.
He tapped download.
Loading…
Loading…
A notification appeared.
Download Failed.
Unable to download file.
Please ask the sender to resend the image.
Dean stared at the screen, and then laughed once in disbelief, “Seriously?”
For the first time, he tried to look for her and even the photo refused to cooperate.
Before he could think further, his phone vibrated.
A new message from Joey appeared.
“I’ll pick you up in an hour. Have a shower and dress like you’re gonna rock today.”
Dean rolled his eyes as he muttered to himself, “He won’t stop fucking around me soon.”
He started walking out of the university.
After returning home, Dean spent the next hour getting ready.
Ellie peeped into his room.
“Look at that,” she said as she smirked, “Someone is looking handsome today.”
Dean threw a cushion at her.
“Carry that red jacket on your hand, it will look cool.”
Before Dean could throw another pillow, Ellie had escaped after giving her advice.
He looked himself in the mirror, and then a thought emerged again, he thought of texting either Ray or June, for the music department girl contact details.
But then, a loud horn sounded outside.
Dean grabbed his jacket and headed downstairs.
The moment he stepped outside his cafe-house, the car windows rolled down.
“NO WAY!”
“DAMN!”
“Excuse me sir, can you call our nerdy guy out?”
Dean stopped walking.
Joey looked satisfied, “Our boy is looking handsome.”
“I regret helping him,” Ray lowered his glasses down quickly.
Dean groaned and climbed into the car.
For the rest of the ride, his friends refused to stop making ridiculous comments.
By the time they reached the university, Freshers’ Night was already in full swing.
Strings of light illuminated the campus.
Music echoed across the grounds.
Students moved between different activity zones.
The entire university felt alive.
“You all go and grab seats in the Music Arena, I’ll go quickly and be back in ten minutes, after seeing Dean’s collections.”
With this Joey disappeared into the crowd.
Dean sighed.
Idiot! This story is hosted at g.com.
He shoved his hands into his pockets and started walking toward the Music Arena with the rest.
But then he froze, the moment he reached the pathway.
A melody drifted through the air.
His heart skipped a beat.
It couldn’t be.
The melody continued.
The exact same melody, the one from his dreams.
Dean’s eyes widened.
Without thinking, he began walking faster.
Then running.
Students blurred past him.
The melody grew louder.
Closer.
Closer.
Dean softly pushed some students and then he stopped.
Everything blurred around him, seeing the girl on the stage.
She was the same girl from his dreams.
Long black hair.
Those gentle eyes.
Her fingers moved effortlessly across the piano keys.
The melody from his dreams flowed through the arena.
Dean stared.
It was her.
She is real.
“Dean!”
A voice suddenly exploded from his right.
Dean turned.
Joey was sprinting through the crowd.
He finally reached him, out of breath, pointing frantically between Dean and the stage.
He pointed towards the stage.
Then at Dean and back toward the stage.
“SHE!”
Dean slowly turned his head.
The girl was busy playing the extended version of the melody he heard in his dreams for a month.
The melody continued to flow through the arena, as the students delved into it and vibing in the arena.
“YOU!” Joey panted, “SKETCHED… THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT GIRL?!”