Chapter 88: Stalker, Orchestra, and Zoo

Geon opened his eyes well past three in the afternoon the next day. Squinting to secure his sight, he glimpsed the warm afternoon sunlight shining through the hotel window.

"Cough, cough. Ah, I feel like I'm dying..."

Geon barely managed to roll out of bed, clutching his head as he bowed down.

"Whenever I come to Compton, it's always like this, darn it..."

Geon, struggling to clear his mind with several attempts to shake himself awake, finally regained his senses only after taking a cold shower. Toweling his wet hair and picking up the sheet music laid on the table, labeled 'parachute,' it seemed as though the music had already been revised, with three different colors neatly dividing the staves. After briefly examining the music, Geon shook his head and set it back down on the table.

Dialing his phone placed on the table next to him, Geon called Shaun.

"Hey, K. Up already? Haha, you drank quite a lot yesterday."

"Could you please stop mentioning it... Ugh."

"How could I stop you? I had a good drink too and haven't fully recovered yet. Haha."

"Ugh, Snoop just can't stop drinking. At this rate, he'll be selling booze again today, so hurry back to Manhattan."

"Demián has been in my room early anyway. All you had to do was wake up."

"Oh, really? My bad. Meet me in the lobby in 20 minutes, K."

"Yeah, take your time and get ready."

Geon hurriedly left Compton with Demián and Shaun, their faces concealed with sunglasses and hats, as if being chased by someone.

Arriving at Juilliard, the group sought out Professor Alan Gilbert, head of the orchestral conducting department. Alan Gilbert, born to an American father and a Japanese mother, was a professor in his early fifties with a Western face and black hair.

Professor Alan Gilbert looked surprised as he opened the door to his office and saw the line-up of celebrities entering.

"Oh, K. and Mr. Demián Marley, and Mr. Shaun Yoko Lennon, right? It's quite surprising to see such famous figures visiting. Please have a seat here."

As Geon sat down on the sofa Alan pointed to, he greeted, "Hello, Professor. My name is K. It's nice to meet you."

Alan smiled warmly and replied, "Likewise. I've always wanted to meet a famous figure like you at our school, but since K. doesn't play guitar in the orchestra, I never had the chance."

"Haha, you never invited me. But not only this time, but if I have a chance next time, I'll definitely participate, Professor."

Alan chuckled at Geon's cheekiness as he glanced at Demián and Shaun.

"Well, have you brought the sheet music today?"

Geon reached into Hakoo's hard case box placed beside him and handed the sheet music to Alan.

"Yes, Professor. The arrangement is completed. And I have one more request."

Alan, scanning through the sheet music, asked, "Yes, what is it?"

Geon glanced at the nervous Demián and Shaun before speaking.

"We want to try making the orchestra's sheet music this time."

Alan raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"The orchestra's sheet music? Have you ever tried that before?"

Geon shook his head.

"No, I haven't tried it before, Professor."

Alan placed the sheet music on the table and crossed his arms, staring directly at Geon.

"And yet you want to try? Well, of course, it doesn't concern me as this is a free performance conducted by a student. But from the perspective of the conducting student, it may not be an appealing proposal."

Geon nodded.

"That's right, so that's why we came to you, Professor. Actually, the piece we're going to attempt this time is not exactly an orchestral piece."

With a puzzled expression, Alan looked at Geon.

"Perhaps you noticed Demián coming with us, but this time, we're planning to rearrange Shaun's song 'parachute' into reggae with Demián. And there will be rap in the middle."

"Rap? So you're going to rearrange a ballad song into reggae for the orchestra?"

"Yes, Professor. It might be an experimental attempt. It seems too experimental for the orchestra conducting department to handle everything, so we thought it would be better for us to take responsibility along with it, Professor."

Alan closed his eyes for a moment, looking troubled. Geon, Demián, and Shaun watched him anxiously. After a brief moment of contemplation, Alan asked,

"What instruments will you need?"

As if he had already thought ahead, Geon took out a notebook and began listing them.

"The first violins are eight, the second violins six, violas four, cellos three, and double basses three," Alan calculated before speaking.

"We'll need 24 string players. What about woodwinds?" he inquired.

"Two clarinets and one bassoon, and one English horn should suffice," came the reply.

"Do you also use brass instruments?"

"We plan to use two trumpets. If possible, we'd like to include a tuba as well," Alan continued.

"Well, considering it's a chamber orchestra, there should definitely be other instruments. How about percussion?"

"With Damian and two session musicians working with us, and only one Glockenspiel, we should be covered," Alan concluded.

"That's 32 musicians already, excluding the session players," he noted.

"Indeed. Shaun will handle the piano, and I'll take care of the guitar. That should suffice for a chamber orchestra, Professor," Alan confirmed.

"Ah, not as large as I feared then. When you mentioned 23 string players, I thought we might need at least 50. But I see now," the professor remarked.

After a moment of contemplation, Alan made his decision.

"Alright then. Since the student conductor won't be limited to just one piece like 'Parachute', but will need to lead several, perhaps it will be less burdensome for them. Give it a try."

With Alan's approval, Shaun and Damian, who had been tense, breathed a sigh of relief. Geon, reassured, nodded in agreement, prompting Alan to add:

"For the performance at Alice Tully Hall, I suggest you visit beforehand. It's a venue suitable for a chamber orchestra, although it's essential to coordinate with a producer for the sensitive acoustics."

Geon chuckled. "The producer is already secured. We don't need to worry; Dr. Dre will handle it."

"Dr. Dre?" Alan exclaimed, surprised. "You mean the famous musician is producing our school's free concert? A hip-hop artist producing an orchestra – is that even possible?"

"Yes, Professor. When it comes to producing, he's unparalleled," Geon assured.

"Well, well. Today is full of surprises indeed. As Professor Corigliano said, you're quite remarkable, Kay," Alan concluded.

After exchanging a few more words, the four rose from their seats. Alan reminded Geon several times to take good care of the performance. Geon then offered Shaun and Damian to stay over at his place, an invitation they gladly accepted.

As Geon guided them home and went to wash his hands, Damian began exploring the living room and kitchen on the ground floor, rummaging through cabinets and even peeking into the refrigerator. Watching Damian, Shaun chuckled and settled on the sofa, closing his eyes.

A while later, Geon spotted Shaun sitting on the sofa as he descended to the ground floor. He grabbed three cans of cola from the fridge, placed them on the table, and cracked one open, taking a refreshing sip.

"Ahh, refreshing. Shaun, would you like one? And what about Damian?"

As Shaun opened his eyes to respond, Damian's excited voice rang out.

"Hey, Kay! Shaun! Come here!"

As Geon and Shaun headed toward the kitchen where Damian's voice came from, they found Damian inspecting a dried flower hung on the wall. Geon looked at Damian with a puzzled expression.

"What's going on, Damian?"

Damian ran his fingers over the dried freesia. "Who gave you this flower?"

Geon examined the flower. "It's from a girl at school who asked me to sign it. Why?"

Damian stuck his hand inside the flower, plucking out a miniature camera. He smirked as he showed it to them.

"I knew it. It's strange for someone like you to live in such a secure neighborhood. Your security is lax."

Geon's eyes widened as he saw the camera in Damian's hand. "What is this? A camera?"

Damian detached something from the small camera. "Yes, it's not just a camera; it's a bug too. It's almost criminal."

Handing the camera to Geon, Damian began searching other areas. After a while, they found four cameras and three bugs on the coffee table in the living room. Sitting on the sofa, Geon and Shaun examined the devices with seriousness.

"Even I, not an expert, found this much. If we search more, we'll likely find more. We should report this to the police," Damian suggested.

Geon looked bewildered. "Could it be that the girl who gave me the flower hid these?"

Shaun shook his head. "No, we can't be sure yet. These weren't only in the flower. Perhaps the girl used the bugs in the flower to locate your house, and someone else illegally installed them, or someone else illegally broke in and installed them. Given the lack of security here."

That day, Geon's house was visited by the NYPD's scientific investigation unit.

"In the evening, Geon received a visit from the police, who searched his house. He had spent the night at a nearby hotel, feeling uneasy but relieved to have reported the incident and seen the police. He had fallen asleep at his desk while working on orchestral scores until late. The next day, he headed to the police station upon receiving a call.

It was quiet in the morning, but as soon as Geon stepped into the police station, he attracted the attention of many people. They murmured as they looked at him, giving him a somewhat uneasy feeling, like he had become a criminal. Geon sought out the officer in charge, moving through the crowd. He approached a burly African-American officer nearby.

"Excuse me, sir. Could you tell me where I can find Detective Jeffrey?"

The African-American officer recognized Geon and chuckled before replying, "Oh, K.C.! Nice to see you. Follow me."

Contrary to his appearance, the friendly African-American officer escorted Geon to the desk of the responsible detective. Seated there was a chubby white officer in his late forties, with his legs propped up on the desk as he went through documents.

"Detective Jeffrey, K.C. is here," the African-American officer announced.

Jeffrey, upon seeing Geon, quickly stood up apologetically. "Oh, sorry about that. Please have a seat here. You've been through a lot."

As the African-American officer left with a smile, Geon asked, "Detective, have you got the results of the investigation?"

Jeffrey frowned as he shuffled through papers. "Ah, well... There's something odd about our search of your place."

Geon's eyes widened as he inquired, "Something odd? What do you mean?"

"Thanks to you, our forensic team had to bring in specialized equipment and search your house until dawn. It's the first time in my twenty years as a detective that I've encountered something like this in such a modest home."

"Really? That many cameras?"

"Yes, over a hundred miniature cameras were found. And, you might not know, but many of your clothes had miniature cameras attached to them, even on the front buttons of your coats."

"My clothes too? That's... unsettling."

"It's beyond the behavior of a typical stalker. This level of surveillance suggests a security setup for protecting a high-profile individual. We're investigating specialists in this field, starting with those with a history of stalking."

"I see... Then I can't go home for a while."

"Yes, it's unsafe. I recommend staying elsewhere, K.C."

"Alright, Detective. Thank you for your hard work."

"No problem. It's all in a day's work."

"By the way... Was there any connection between me and the girl who gave me flowers?"

"No, none. We found out she's just a fan. We even searched her place, but there was nothing noteworthy."

"That's a relief. Alright, Detective. Feel free to contact me anytime."

"Haha, getting K.C.'s contact feels like a dream. Could I ask for a photo once this case is solved?"

"Sure, anytime. Well, I should get going."

Feeling uneasy, Geon left the police station and headed to school."

In the evening, Geon received a visit from the police, who searched his house. He had spent the night at a nearby hotel, feeling uneasy but relieved to have reported the incident and seen the police. He had fallen asleep at his desk while working on orchestral scores until late. The next day, he headed to the police station upon receiving a call.

It was quiet in the morning, but as soon as Geon stepped into the police station, he attracted the attention of many people. They murmured as they looked at him, giving him a somewhat uneasy feeling, like he had become a criminal. Geon sought out the officer in charge, moving through the crowd. He approached a burly African-American officer nearby.

"Excuse me, sir. Could you tell me where I can find Detective Jeffrey?"

The African-American officer recognized Geon and chuckled before replying, "Oh, K.C.! Nice to see you. Follow me."

Contrary to his appearance, the friendly African-American officer escorted Geon to the desk of the responsible detective. Seated there was a chubby white officer in his late forties, with his legs propped up on the desk as he went through documents.

"Detective Jeffrey, K.C. is here," the African-American officer announced.

Jeffrey, upon seeing Geon, quickly stood up apologetically. "Oh, sorry about that. Please have a seat here. You've been through a lot."

As the African-American officer left with a smile, Geon asked, "Detective, have you got the results of the investigation?"

Jeffrey frowned as he shuffled through papers. "Ah, well... There's something odd about our search of your place."

Geon's eyes widened as he inquired, "Something odd? What do you mean?"

"Thanks to you, our forensic team had to bring in specialized equipment and search your house until dawn. It's the first time in my twenty years as a detective that I've encountered something like this in such a modest home."

"Really? That many cameras?"

"Yes, over a hundred miniature cameras were found. And, you might not know, but many of your clothes had miniature cameras attached to them, even on the front buttons of your coats."

"My clothes too? That's... unsettling."

"It's beyond the behavior of a typical stalker. This level of surveillance suggests a security setup for protecting a high-profile individual. We're investigating specialists in this field, starting with those with a history of stalking."

"I see... Then I can't go home for a while."

"Yes, it's unsafe. I recommend staying elsewhere, K.C."

"Alright, Detective. Thank you for your hard work."

"No problem. It's all in a day's work."

"By the way... Was there any connection between me and the girl who gave me flowers?"

"No, none. We found out she's just a fan. We even searched her place, but there was nothing noteworthy."

"That's a relief. Alright, Detective. Feel free to contact me anytime."

"Haha, getting K.C.'s contact feels like a dream. Could I ask for a photo once this case is solved?"

"Sure, anytime. Well, I should get going."

Feeling uneasy, Geon left the police station and headed to school."

Geon unknowingly veered onto the path leading to the zoo. The entrance to the Bronx Zoo wasn't too far away. Resembling the entrance to a jungle in a park from the movie "Jurassic Park," Geon bought a ticket for $13 and entered.

Perhaps because it was a weekday, the zoo was quite deserted. As Geon wandered through, observing various animals, his expression seemed to relax as if his mind was clearing.

"It was nice to cool off at Dante Park. I should come here on weekdays more often."

A polar bear, lazily lying with stretched paws, caught Geon's eye. Despite their lazy appearance, he recalled hearing they could dash at an incredible speed when they spotted prey. Geon couldn't believe such ferocious predators could look so cute.

The Bronx Zoo was quite extensive. After seeing all the animals, more than three hours had passed. Glancing at his wristwatch, Geon sighed, realizing he'd lost track of time.

"Can't seem to focus with all these animals around. And I'm running out of time. Ugh."

Realizing he hadn't eaten anything all day, Geon headed to the snack bar inside the zoo. Ordering some food, he took out his guitar, a J-200, and softly started playing the tune of Shaun's "Parachute." A few people around turned their heads at the sudden guitar sound, but seeing it was just an instrumental, they soon lost interest and went about their business.

Feeling the cool breeze, smelling the grass, and basking in the warm sunlight, Geon felt a moment of peace. Closing his eyes, he played his guitar, smiling to himself.

"So peaceful. Haha, from now on, this is my spot!"

Looking around, he noticed everyone had dispersed except for the female staff managing the snack bar. He closed his eyes and began singing the chorus of "Parachute" in his beautiful voice. His rendition of "Parachute," infused with Shaun's melancholic vibe, resonated through the zoo.

Geon's voice, initially soft and hesitant, gradually grew louder as he immersed himself in the song. Finishing the song, he kept his eyes closed, savoring the lingering feeling it brought. Suddenly, he felt someone tugging at his pants.

Opening his eyes, he saw a cute baby bear holding onto the hem of his pants. The bear, covered in black fur, about the size of Geon's forearm, looked up at him with an adorable expression, shaking his pants with its two feet.

"Aww, how cute!"

Reaching out to the bear, Geon held out his hand, and the bear grabbed it with both paws. Mimicking a handshake with his fingers, Geon bent down, meeting the bear's gaze.

"Hello? I'm Geon. Who are you?"

As the bear seemed to struggle to understand Geon's words, it tilted its head cutely. Seeing this, Geon burst into laughter, which caught the attention of a woman nearby.

"I'm Rikki. I'm one of the baby friends at our zoo."

Startled by the sudden voice, Geon hastily raised his head and bumped it into the table.

"Ouch! Ahh, sorry."

Rubbing the back of his head, Geon apologized, while the woman, wearing a zookeeper's uniform, covered her mouth and chuckled.

"Ohoho, it's okay. Rikki seems to like you."

Geon glanced at the woman for a moment before turning his attention back to Rikki, who was now climbing up his leg. About to reach his lap, Rikki climbed onto Geon's arms, then proceeded to climb up to his face. Laughing as he felt ticklish, Geon said,

"Hehe, tickles, Rikki!"

As Rikki finally reached Geon's face and began licking it, the female zookeeper picked Rikki up, smiling.

"Faces are dangerous. Baby bears tend to suck rather than lick, and they can leave bruises."

Disappointed to be separated from Rikki, Geon looked at him with longing eyes. The zookeeper, with a surprised look, gestured towards Geon's face.

"Are you... Kei?"

Geon chuckled.

"Yes, I'm the Kei you know. Haha."