Chapter 90: Stalker, Orchestra, and Zoo part 3

Geon rose early in the morning and followed Olivia to the elephant enclosure. While Geon hoped to care for the baby animals, his experience with young and vulnerable animals was limited. Eventually assigned to chores around the enclosure, Geon spent the early hours clearing piles of elephant dung and sequentially cleaning up the enclosure, mainly focusing on removing waste.

Returning to his quarters after the zoo's opening hours, Geon collapsed onto the sofa after showering.

"Phew! This is tough. I really admire zookeepers. How do they do this every day?"

Taking a moment to quench his thirst with a refreshing drink, Geon sat in front of his electronic keyboard and glanced through the sheet music for "parachute."

"Let's start from the basics of orchestration."

Pushing the "parachute" sheet music aside, Geon retrieved a stack of scores from his bag. After sorting through them, he sat back in front of the keyboard with precisely forty-nine sheets.

"Mendelssohn's 'Lieder ohne Worte' has a simple left-hand part on the piano. Let's try overlaying 'parachute' on this simple piece."

Geon attempted to overlay the melody of "parachute" on the left-hand performance of the first movement of "Song Without Words." However, the mismatched harmonies resulted in dissonance, similar to subsequent attempts with Venetian boat songs and spring melodies. Frowning throughout the performance as if hearing noise, Geon eventually removed his hands from the keyboard.

"Hmm... This method seems more suitable for composing from scratch. It's not the right approach for arranging existing pieces."

Rummaging through his bag, Geon retrieved several orchestral scores. Spread out on the bed, Geon began transcribing them, meticulously copying each note by hand. After more than six hours of intense focus, neglecting lunch and experiencing aching muscles, Geon sat up on the bed, clutching his sore waist.

"Hmm... Transcribing the works of masters seems to be beneficial. I feel like I'm starting to grasp the overall flow of the compositions. Just a little more."

Stretching his body and flexing his shoulders against the wall, Geon resumed transcribing while seated on the bed. Most of the scores he was transcribing belonged to Debussy, and his aim was to understand the scale of various orchestras by transcribing them.

After about two more hours of focused transcription, Geon looked up to see the late afternoon sunset through the window.

"Time flies."

Getting up from his seat, Geon leaned against the window frame, stretching his legs and loosening his cramped shoulder muscles. A groan, as if expressing dissatisfaction with the prolonged work, emanated from his body. After a moment of relaxation, Geon looked out at the sunset, folding his arms and lost in thought.

"Accessing 'parachute' with diatonic harmony would be difficult, wouldn't it?"

Diatonic harmony, a theory that predates the use of the seven-tone scale in modern music theory, emphasizes horizontal flow of melodies while harmony focuses on vertical progressions of chords. In simpler terms, it's music where there are primary melodies and corresponding melodies flowing alongside them, such as in French folk songs like "Tourdion" or Pachelbel's famous "Canon in D."

"Hmm... Even if I stick to conventional harmony, I can't entrust the arrangement of reggae music to Damian, who knows nothing about orchestration. Ultimately, I'll have to do it myself. I'll consult Damian for the final touch."

Geon pulled out a notebook and listed the names of orchestral instruments to be used. Contemplating over various instruments, Geon frowned, focusing particularly on brass instruments.

"The problem lies with brass instruments. It's challenging to pierce through dozens of violins with just one brass instrument... The two trumpets are an issue."

Geon began adding orchestral scores below the piano sheet music for "parachute" he had prepared in advance. One crucial aspect of orchestration was deciding where to place instruments, where to rest them, which instrument would take the lead at which point, and which instruments' sound would be subdued.

"Approaching 'parachute' with diatonic harmony seems simple in theory, but... I need to solve the volume issue to finish it."

As Geon continued to work on the scores, he heard the distant sound of approaching footsteps. Before he could look up, a delighted smile spread across his face. As the pattering footsteps drew closer, Geon laughed heartily and spread his arms wide. Even before the door swung open, Geon was already smiling. Ricky rushed into his embrace, wagging his tail happily.

"Haha! Ricky! Had fun today too?"

As Ricky snuggled into Geon's arms, wagging his tail happily, Geon laughed heartily. Meanwhile, Pye quickly followed suit, running up to Geon and starting to act cute. Geon chuckled as Pye nibbled lightly on his hair and began licking his face. In no time, Geon found himself covered in bear and lion drool.

"Oh, you guys! Now I have to wash up."

Geon headed to the bathroom to freshen up, with the two baby animals sitting patiently outside, waiting for him. By the time Geon finished washing up and emerged, Olivia was standing at the open door. Geon waved as he approached.

"Oh, Olivia. Has the zoo closed?"

Smiling, Olivia held the door open with one hand.

"Yes, I just finished. How's the work going?"

Geon, towel-drying his slightly damp hair, replied.

"Um, it's a bit of a headache. It's not an easy problem to solve."

Leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed, Olivia asked.

"Oh? Tell me about it. What's the problem?"

Grinning mischievously, Geon replied.

"It's orchestration. It's too complicated for anyone who doesn't do music to understand, you know? Haha."

Pointing a finger, Olivia said.

"My grandfather used to say that. The solution to all the world's difficult puzzles is surprisingly simple."

Geon chuckled.

"Yeah... It sounds like a wise saying, doesn't it? Haha."

Seeing Geon laugh without further explanation, Olivia asked again.

"Come on, spill it. Do you know the answer? Maybe I can help."

When Geon gestured towards the couch as if indicating for Olivia to come in, she unfolded her arms and sat down on the couch. Geon, handing her a drink already stocked in the refrigerator, sat down on the couch and said, "An orchestra is a composition of sounds produced by many instruments. When creating this music, the most important thing is the 'arrangement.'"

Olivia nodded her head in agreement. "I know that much. I may not know the names of instruments other than the violin or cello, but anyway, a lot of instruments are involved, and several players with the same instrument sit together to perform, right?"

"That's right, Olivia. Even with the same violin, there are times when the same melody is played and times when it's not."

"Really? I thought the same instrument always played the same note."

"Haha, yes. Someone who can easily recognize it even during a performance would probably be a major or a prodigy."

"So? Is the arrangement the problem?"

"Well... it's not exactly the arrangement of the melody, but rather a matter of volume."

"Volume? You mean the loudness of the sound?"

"Yes, it's about how to blend the sounds together to produce harmonious music."

After a moment of contemplation, Olivia suddenly smiled brightly. Approaching Geon, who was holding her hand awkwardly, Olivia, with a face full of laughter, said, "I might be able to help. Let's go."

As Geon took Olivia's hand, Olivia, pulling Geon up, held his hand and went outside. Ricky and Py followed closely, but thanks to Olivia's firm grip, Geon was too busy to resist. As they walked up a slightly elevated hill behind the accommodation, they soon reached a hillside with a bright view below. Feeling refreshed by the cool breeze, Geon, who was admiring the view below the hill for a moment, saw Olivia laughing without saying a word.

"It's a nice place. I didn't know there was such a place behind the accommodation. But why did we come here?"

Smiling, Olivia gestured below the hill. As Geon looked down again at Olivia's gesture, he saw the Bronx Zoo at a glance. From giraffes in the distance to lions and gorillas, polar bears and monkeys' cages, large aviaries were all visible. The Bronx Zoo, nestled in the middle of the forest, seemed like a work of art just by looking down from above.

Geon, gazing down at the zoo for a moment, said, "Nice. Does it mean to cool our heads for a moment while taking a breath?"

Olivia squeezed his hand tightly. As Geon looked at Olivia, who was squeezing his hand, Olivia closed her eyes and pressed her hand to her ear.

"Listen."

Geon, looking at Olivia with a puzzled look, closed his eyes again and looked down at the zoo. The lions' roars.

Gorillas panting.

Elephants' trumpeting.

Zebra's snorts.

Monkeys' chattering.

Wolves' howls.

Birds' cries.

The sound of trees swaying in the wind.

And the wind resonating in the ears.

All the sounds of nature were united without a single discordance. Every sound of nature, which sometimes sounded noisy when heard alone, was united without a single discordance. A look of amazement spread across Geon's face as he closed his eyes and concentrated on the sound, his eyebrows twitching.

Olivia quietly released the hand she was holding as she watched Geon, who had closed his eyes again and looked down at the zoo. Although Olivia went down the hill to return to the accommodation, Geon's eyes remained open for a long time. As the sun set and darkness approached, the sounds changed. Perhaps due to the decrease in air temperature surrounding them or simply because animal sounds differed during the day and night, the sounds of nature changed. However, even then, there was not a single discordance in the sounds of nature.

Geon's eyes opened wide as he shook his eyelids, which were trembling with tears.

"This is it!!"

In Geon's eyes, birds flying above the darkened zoo and the freedom of the animals looking up at them entered. The sounds of nature, which filled the zoo devoid of noisy cars and people, rushed into Geon's body once again along with the refreshing feeling provided by the sight from above.

Spreading his arms wide and closing his eyes again, Geon laughed heartily.

"This is it. The sound of nature. The sound I should have been looking for was the sound of nature! Haha."

The next day, as soon as Geon finished his morning work, he called Shaun and Damian to the zoo's accommodations. Damian, with his hand in his pocket, looked around the accommodation inside the zoo with an amazed look and said, "Wow, I knew there were keepers' accommodations, but it's my first time seeing it."

Geon chuckled at Damian, who was looking around with curiosity. "Right? It's my first time seeing it too. It's really pretty and nice here, isn't it?"

"Haha, yeah. But the smell is a bit strong."

Shaun remarked, looking at the two of them.

"With so many animals, the smell is inevitable. But hey, Kay. Have you caught something?"

Feeling the urgency of the upcoming performance, Shaun urged. Geon smiled at Shaun's impatience.

"Yeah, I caught it. And it seems like I caught it quite well."

Shaun grinned happily. "Oh! Really? Let's see the sheet music!"

Geon handed over the sheet music with a smile, and Damian, who had been wandering around, also returned to his seat and focused on the sheet music with a serious expression. Shaun read through the sheet music slowly, stroking his chin.

"Hmm... For now, the scales and orchestration seem to be in place. Did you study?"

Geon laughed, pretending his arm hurt.

"I can't even remember how many Debussy scores I transcribed because of that."

With a serious expression, Damian, without taking his eyes off the sheet music, said, "Hmm... Looking at the sheet music, it seems like a typical orchestral score... There's a mute indication for the trumpet? Does it mean to attach a straight mute? To reduce the sound?"

Geon said, taking out a drink from the refrigerator.

"That's right, Damian. I'm trying to minimize the sound of the trumpet to create overall harmony."

Damian licked his lips, deep in thought.

"I've never heard of using a muted trumpet in an orchestra. I can't quite grasp it."

Geon offered him a drink with a smile.

"You won't know until you try. When are the performers you recruited coming?"

"After already arriving. They were given the piano scores first. They should have grasped the essence roughly."

Geon looked at Shaun and asked, "Shaun, have you finished practicing the piece arranged for piano?"

Shaun nodded without taking his eyes off the sheet music.

"Yes. I originally majored in piano. An hour of practice is enough for me. It's also my original piece."

Geon clapped his hands.

"Great! Then let's go to the orchestra today and watch them practice after handing over the sheet music."

As the three of them hurriedly got up from their seats, they found Alice Tully Hall, where the Juilliard Orchestra was practicing, using the car that Damian had brought. Even before entering the hall, they could hear the music flowing from the hall, as over 80 musicians were playing other pieces for the upcoming performance.

The group quietly took their seats in the audience to avoid disturbing the orchestra's practice. Shaun, looking at the stage, chuckled.

"Huh? The conductor is a woman? That's rare..."

Geon looked at the female conductor with black hair from behind and said.

"Why? There are many famous female conductors these days. It's not physically demanding work."

Shaun shook his head.

"That's a misconception. Conducting an entire orchestral score and giving passionate performance instructions require tremendous physical stamina. So, it's still a challenging job for women. Oh, don't misunderstand me. It doesn't mean women are less capable. It's just about physical stamina."

Geon nodded, understanding, and Damian said.

"That's a mistake. Conducting calculations and passionate performance instructions consume a lot of physical energy. So, it's still a tough job for women. Ah, it doesn't mean women are less capable. It's just that physically..."

Geon glanced at Damian, indicating he understood, and then they all turned their heads to the stage, noticing that the orchestra's practice had stopped.

"Oh, it's break time. Let's meet the conductor now."

Geon quickly got up from his seat and ran to the stage. Damian and Shaun got up a bit more slowly and walked towards the stage. As Geon swiftly climbed the stairs to the side of the stage, the female conductor, who was organizing the sheet music, looked at Geon with a surprised expression. The female conductor, in her early twenties with neat black hair tied in a ponytail and snow-white skin like eyes, looked deep with thick eyeliner, and her lips sparkled with pink lip gloss. She looked startled and blushed as she dropped the sheet music she was holding.

Seeing the scattered sheet music on the floor, Geon picked them up one by one and said, "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I startle you by running too fast?"

Picking up the scattered sheet music, Geon smiled and looked at the conductor, who blushed with a flustered expression. The conductor, Sabrina, clasped her hands together and slightly bowed her head, speaking in a voice that sounded like a creeping sound.

"Uh... yes, h-hello."

Sabrina, with her head bowed, couldn't meet Geon's eyes, so Geon awkwardly looked at her. Soon after, Sean, who was walking slowly, spoke to Sabrina.

"Sabrina? I greeted you last time, right? Today, Kay and Damian are here to work together. I'll give you the sheet music and watch the rehearsal."

Looking at Sean standing next to Geon, Sabrina said with a chilly expression.

"Yes, Mr. Lennon. It's been a while."

Sean, who hadn't seen Sabrina's reaction in front of Geon, laughed awkwardly and said.

"You're always so cold. You're a beautiful person; it would be better if you smiled more."

Sabrina glared at Sean with a cold face and said.

"I am not a woman; I am a conductor. Please refrain from such remarks, Mr. Lennon."

Sean raised both hands and smiled.

"Yes, I understand. Sabrina. I apologize. Kay, here's the sheet music."

As Geon stepped forward and handed over the sheet music, Sabrina blushed as she took it with both hands.

"Here you go, Miss Sabrina. I'm really sorry for giving you the sheet music late."

Sabrina said with a slightly flustered expression.

"Oh, no, Kay. It's okay. Um, then I'll..."

Seeing Sabrina hastily grabbing the sheet music and rushing to the waiting room, Geon, looking puzzled, said to Sean.

"What's up with that woman? She's so cold towards me, but she blushes in front of Kay. Anyway, women are..."

Damian, standing behind them with his hands in his pockets, laughed.

"Understandable, Sean. It's because Kay is handsome. Guys like us don't get treated like that. Haha."

Scratching the back of his head, Geon stared blankly at the closed waiting room door.

"Well... she's a bit peculiar. Anyway, we didn't have time to discuss; what should we do?"

Sean muttered with dissatisfaction.

"Her personality is like that, but she's the top student in our department. Professor Leontine Price also praised her, so she must be talented. I'll give you my phone number; if you have any questions, feel free to call, don't worry, let's go eat."

The three of them headed to the restaurant in the school. While Sean was eating diligently, he suddenly received a text message while walking to the restroom.

'Sabrina Molly: I have a question for Kay. Do you know where she lives?'

Looking at his phone, Sean shrugged and sent a message.

'Sean Ono Lennon: Shall I give you her phone number, Sabrina?'

'Sabrina Molly: It's not something I want to ask over the phone. If you tell me where she lives, I'll visit her.'

'Sean Ono Lennon: Ah... well, she has some issues, so if she's still at school, we'll go visit her.'

'Sabrina Molly: Do you not know where she lives?'

'Sean Ono Lennon: No, there's a bit of a problem.'

'Sabrina Molly: I see. I'll contact you again.'

'Sean Ono Lennon: She's in the school cafeteria. You can meet her right away.'

Waiting for Sabrina's reply for over five minutes, Sean, with a puzzled expression, headed to the restroom. When Damian saw Sean coming back from the restroom after a long time, he asked.

"Sean, why were you in the restroom for so long? Is there a problem?"

Sean, sitting back at the restaurant table, dragged his chair and said.

"Oh, no. I was just texting with Sabrina."

"What did she say?"

"She suddenly asked for Kay's address, saying she had something to tell her. I found it odd, so I didn't tell her, but then she ignored my text again with a chilly response."

"Wow? Does that girl really like Kay?"

Seeing Damian's mischievous expression, Geon awkwardly laughed and said.

"Then I guess today's schedule is over? That's good; there's a lot of work to help with at the zoo. I'll go now. If Sabrina contacts you, please let me know."

Geon refused Damian's offer to give him a ride and arrived at the Bronx Zoo by subway. Since it was still operating hours for the zoo, Geon saw many people loitering around and quickly dashed into the zoo. It was because he had left his hat and mask in Damian's car. Gasping for breath as he sat on the sofa, Geon looked up when he heard someone approaching the door. Taylor, who was smiling at Geon, entered the room.

"Oh! Taylor, are you done with work already?"

Geon quickly got up and opened the door, and Taylor smiled as she spoke.

"No, I have a gorilla birth in our section, so I have to go there, but I couldn't find anyone to watch Pie. So I brought her here in case Kay is at the lodge."

Geon smiled as he looked at Pie, who was lying on the floor.

"Yes, I'll take care of her. But is today the day the baby gorilla is born?"

"Yes, mountain gorillas are precious friends from our zoo. We have four pairs of gorillas given to us as gifts from Virunga National Park in Central Africa. Today, the baby born will be the first mountain gorilla born in our zoo."

"Wow! I want to see too. But I guess I can't, haha."

"Yes, but if you wait until this weekend, you can see Kay too."

Taylor said, touching Pie's face as she bent her knees.

"Okay, Pie. Listen to your brother. I'll be back!"

As Geon picked up Pie, Taylor waved her hand and disappeared. Geon went into the room, looking at Pie, and said.

"Okay, Pie~ Let's play with your brother today~"