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Who would’ve guessed that six years after Sunny and, to some extent, Basil confessed the true events surrounding Mari’s death that the gang would find themselves in a grand auditorium awaiting a concert performed by the very same youngest friend they all adored?
In the several years after Sunny and Basil’s confession, the five friends had a lot of time to reflect on their experiences and make amends with one another. As emotional and hard to accept Mari’s accidental death was, Hero, Kel, and Aubrey soon forgave the boys and started to rekindle their friendship together. Today, everything is different, though. It’s been over 10 years since Mari died. No one could’ve expected the progress Sunny or just about any of them would have made in these last several years. And to top it all off, the friends are joined together again to listen to their youngest friend perform a solo for his university’s winter concert.
Well, except it would be everyone if it wasn’t only Hero and Aubrey currently sitting in their seats in the middle of a growing crowd that was still piling into the auditorium. The plan was for everyone to carpool together to watch Sunny’s performance, except Kel got stuck at work so Basil offered to come with him while Hero and Aubrey saved them all seats. So, until they arrive, it’s only Hero and Aubrey in a noisy auditorium.
Surrounding them are families and fellow university students, anticipating the live performance the school holds every winter for the music majors. It was nice, too. The gigantic auditorium had to at least be twice the size of their old high school’s auditorium, and much more fancy if that. The surrounding rows of seats and curtains were decorated in holiday ornaments and decor of all sorts, livening up the auditorium for the visiting families and students to cheer on their friends. It was cozy and nice, something Hero and Aubrey enjoyed in silence amidst the chattering crowds of people.
Hero was looking over one of the music programs he picked up on the way in, silently reading through its contents while Aubrey watched the crowd and fiddled with her hair. As she looked around the lively auditorium, Aubrey couldn’t help but think to herself and keep her mind occupied with thoughts of the past while waiting she waited for Kel and Basil to show up before the show started.
Even though everyone else had already gone through their years of college, sadly Sunny was just finishing his final year at a pristine music university. If Sunny hadn’t slept away for four years, he would’ve graduated with everyone else at the same time (except Hero, obviously), alas he had to play catchup. Thankfully, he worked extra hard and was only about a year behind his other friends. But Sunny, with the help of plenty of therapy and medication, also motived himself to do well. To make himself proud and to make Mari proud, Sunny carried on and was soon better than the emotionless husk he used to be.
Luckily for him, Sunny managed to somehow get into a nice music school to begin his path to adulthood. He wanted to take up playing the violin again, even though his therapist said it might be “too soon” to do so. But he proved his therapist wrong, showing that he could play the violin again and cope with his trauma. It wasn’t easy at first, but Sunny persevered. He wasn’t looking to be a professional violinist either. No, he wanted to play again and become a music teacher, not live up to expectations bound to him by his parents. Sunny was an adult now and could do what he wanted to. He didn’t have to worry about those heavy expectations of the past anymore, especially now when he can finally make himself happy with the support of his friends. His father was out of his life anyway, and he rarely gets into serious contact with his mother now except for coming home or something, so it’s not like he had to focus on what they thought was “best for him” anymore.
The perseverance didn’t stop with just Sunny, though. Hero also quit medical school and his parent’s dream of him becoming a doctor. Instead, he wanted to focus on culinary arts and perhaps start his own little business selling goodies to people. His parents were upset at first but understood their son’s desire, not holding him back from doing so. Meanwhile, Kel graduated college with a major in sports education, while Basil graduated in biology even though he’s sticking to working with plants. Aubrey, surprisingly, went with psychology and wanted to work with therapy or rehab to help others, which was shocking to more than just herself.
Fixated on the crowd and her own thoughts, Aubrey’s attention is brought back after a beep from Hero’s phone. Pulling his device out of his pocket to check the message, he glances towards Aubrey while still fixated on his screen. “Basil and Kel are on the way, they said. Hopefully shouldn’t be more than 10 minutes ‘cuz the show will start soon. If they don’t get their seats then oh well.” Hero shrugs it off and puts his phone away.
“Pfft, I thought they would be here by now but I guess it’s fine that they show up late.” Aubrey can’t help but snicker at that. For some reason, Kel always seems to be the one running late (even though he couldn’t help it tonight).
A moment of silence passed between the two friends before a husband and wife took the two seats beside them that they were saving for Kel and Basil. Before Hero could object, they already sat down and began talking to another couple right in front of them. Hero shrugged it off with a smile while Aubrey didn’t really care, Kel and Basil can sit behind them or close by instead.
A few long minutes later, one of the announcers came up to the stage and said the show would start soon. Within moments, the chattering crowd was ending their various conversations about this and that and made their way to their seats. Just as everyone was making themselves comfy, Kel and Basil hastily made their way into the auditorium and took the seats right behind the other two. It took them a moment to find their friends seated amongst the crowd, but luckily they made it in time.
Tapping his brother’s and his purple-haired friend’s shoulders, Kel quietly greets “we made it, sorry we’re late. Nice to see you again, bro. And hi Aubrey!”
“Hi, guys! Glad to see you again. How’ve things been?” Basil whispers as he takes off his coat.
“We couldn’t save you seats… but glad to see you, too,” Aubrey says in a hushed, flat tone at first but can’t help but hide her smile now that she’s reunited with her friends.
“Haha, no worries, better late than never!” Hero smiles at the two, offering them both a fist bump while the room settles down.
The lights are dim as the two finish getting themselves settled. The auditorium is almost fully packed with families and people from all over. Soon, their whispers dissipate into silence as one of the school officials makes their way onto the brightly lit stage. Everyone’s attention is drawn to him.
The announcer welcomes everyone to the annual winter concert, held by music majors to show off their talents before the end of the year. For many of them, this is one of their biggest nights to show off their hard work on any songs they wanted to share with the crowd. And for some, this is just a fun concert to play music of their choice for the audience to enjoy. Regardless of who plays, it’s one of the few times this school comes together to appreciate the variety of talent these kids have. But tonight, the gang was here to support Sunny for his hard work. He had asked his friends to come and listen to him, saying it’s a special song he’s been working on for this concert. He hasn’t played this openly to a public in a long time, at least not by himself, so having his friends in the crowd would ease him a bit. And the past few concerts the friend attended before were for major groups, not just featuring Sunny as a soloist. So tonight was extra special.
Just as the announcer finished speaking and walked off the stage, the lights dimmed again to focus on the first performance for the night, two girls with a pianist. While the girls were singing on stage, Aubrey nudged Hero for the program pamphlet to see when Sunny would play. Eyeing its contents with the little light available to see, Sunny wouldn’t be playing until way later in the performance, well under the second half… that means sitting through several other performances she didn’t really care for.
Aubrey was never big on plays, musicals, or these formal concerts growing up, the same with Kel to some extent. They always bored her and put her to sleep, unlike the more lively versions and movies she would frequent in her childhood. But this was for one of her friends and he wanted her there, so Aubrey would deal with the boring performances just for tonight.
Though it seemed to take forever, the variety of performances came and went. Some were singers, others were dancers, and many were musicians making themselves shine on the stage. A lot of the music was slow and boring, with only a few performers choosing something more lively for the crowd… which was good enough to keep Aubrey from completely dozing off.
As the spotlight came and went, soon the brief intermission was held for audience members to catch a break before the finishing acts. Sunny was one of the final acts, so they still had to wait a little bit before seeing their friend play on the stage.
Kel offered to get some snacks from the concession stand for everyone, returning with some candy, popcorn, and water for the friends to share. They chatted for a bit before the performances resumed again, placing bets on what song Sunny would play, either an extravagant classical piece or something from one of his favorite series since he liked to play music from movies or video games he enjoyed. The spotlight shifted from one to another, before the act just before Sunny came on.
Hero nudged Aubrey to make sure she was awake, pointing at the pamphlet to indicate that Sunny would be on stage next.
She quickly sat up straight and adjusted herself to pay attention to her friend. A little bit later, the performer walked off the stage and next came a black-haired boy adorning a sleek white eye patch. The second-hand anxiety finally made its way to Aubrey and the others, for that matter. Kel and Basil leaned on the back of Aubrey and Hero’s chairs, tightening their personal spaces as they watched their youngest friend take the stage. Accompanying Sunny was what seemed to be a professor of some sort, sitting in front of a grand piano while Sunny placed his music on the stand.
The following seconds felt like an eternity. The silence in the auditorium was so loud and piercing. It was unsettling. It was like you could almost hear Sunny breathe as he anxiously looked towards the crowd and quickly back at his pianist. A second later, Sunny draw his violin up and nods to his accompanist.
The next few notes were a familiar descending scale that caught the four friends off-guard, completely erasing their second-hand anxiety as a wave of emotions and bitter-sweet nostalgia came rushing back to them. The pamphlet didn’t say what song Sunny was performing, so to hear the Duet he would have originally performed with Mari all those years ago was a surprise. His friends must not have suspected he would even consider playing this song for his few minutes of fame on stage, but here we are.
As Sunny began to play the violin, his notes and skills melted together in a beautiful melody, much better than when he was younger. His posture, his tempo, his vibrato, his tone — everything was in perfect unison just like he and Mari were on stage together. Except Mari wasn’t actually there, and Sunny was playing for her not just himself.
The piano played and Sunny carried on the melody. The music painted the auditorium in a beautiful sound only carried out from Sunny’s years of performance on the violin, blowing all of the other performers out of proportion (or at least it seemed that way to his friends). In a brilliant crescendo, Sunny captivated the audience with his delightful playing, except a particular four within the crowd were captivated in another sense…
Looking to her friend on stage, Aubrey could just barely make out what seemed to be Sunny holding back watery eyes as he stared at his music with unwavering focus. As he played the last few familiar verses, Aubrey turned her head toward Hero who was softly crying in his hands while Kel rubbed his back, concerned. Basil kept his focus on the back of Aubrey’s head as to not completely break down from the shock. This wasn’t intentional harm or anything, no. Sunny wouldn’t do that to them. He always wanted to play the duet, particularly with Mari. But tonight he was playing the duet for Mari. This was his tribute to his sister that he worked for.
As quickly as it started, the beautiful melody that came from their friend ended. He and the pianist bowed then made their way off the stage for the next performance as the crowd erupted into applause, all the while the four friends were comforting one another in silence.
The remaining few acts went by in a somewhat melancholic daze for the friends. It took Hero a minute to stop crying, and no one judged him for it either… they understood. Once the announcer came back and thanked both the audience for their attention and the musicians for their talented performances, the auditorium lights were back on and the crowd of people slowly made their way out of the room.
Kel was the first to speak amongst the friends. “Let’s wait here a little bit while the people pile out. I’ll text Sunny and tell him we’ll meet him backstage or something.” Kel pulls out his phone while the other three avoid prolonged eye contact, mulling over to tune etched into their conscious.
The silent thinking amongst them only lasted so long until they gathered their belongings and their trash and headed for the door.
“Sunny said he’ll meet us down the hall. I kinda know this place so follow me.” Kel smiled, trying to snap his friends out of it. Kel would visit Sunny the most out of anyone. He loved spending his free time away from classes and work to hang out with friends, so it’s no wonder he knew his way around Sunny’s university.
Making their way through the congested halls, the four friends stop in an empty side hallway waiting for their friend. Just as they arrived, Sunny came out of the door with his violin in tow, smiling sheepishly at them while avoiding direct eye contact. They all haven’t seen one another in a couple of weeks now.
Before any of them could say hello and congratulate him, Hero hugged Sunny with the others piling in soon after him.
“H-hey, what’s this for?” Sunny asks, in the middle of the friend sandwich, not expecting this sort of reaction from his close friends.
“Sorry, I just…” Hero didn’t need to finish that statement because everyone was well aware of what he was trying to say. They all felt it, each of them felt it differently but they all understood.
“Sunny,” Basil speaks up as the friends break apart, “what made you want to play that song tonight instead of something else. N-not that there was anything wrong with it, but just why?” The blonde asks, still shook.
“Because I never actually got to play that song with Mari…” Sunny starts, not looking Basil in the eye. “And I been working really hard since everything that’s happened… I brought it up to my professor and he agreed I should play it. I’m sorry if i made you all sad.” Sunny admits. He takes a deep breath as the friends collect themselves. “It’s been over 10 years since the accident… it took a lot for me to play this song again, let alone the violin. I didn’t do it for myself, it was for Mari.” Sunny shied away, eyes shifting everywhere except towards the others. It was true, though. As bitter-sweet this song was to him and the others, Sunny wanted to play it and make them proud. This was his and Mari’s song.
“A tribute to Mari?” Aubrey asks Sunny, who replies with a nod. “I don’t see an issue with it even if it caught us off guard in a surprise. You played really well. You’ve improved so much, Sun.” She smiled at him, placing an arm on his shoulder so he would look her in the eyes.
“Agreed, Aubrey. Sunny, you’ve improved so much the past few years. Your performance tonight proves that. We’re all really proud of you and Mari would be especially proud of you, too.” Hero warmly smiles and reassures his younger friend who wipes tears out of his eyes. “It’s a great way to remember her and none of us can blame you for what.”
The friends kindly comfort the baby of the friend group as he calms himself down.“Thank you…” Sunny sniffles.
“Don’t cry, Sun Bun. You did great…” Kel locks his around Sunny’s neck just like old items. “How about we all go get some burgers and shakes or something to celebrate?” He offers enthusiastically. A mood shift would work great right about now.
“I’m down, I was starting to get hungry anyway.” Basil laughs it off, the mood finally shifting.
“I can drive us and we can come back for your cars afterward if you want?” Hero suggests as the group finally moves out of their secluded hallway into an almost-completely-empty main corridor.
“Can we all crash at your place, too? Chef Boyardee?” Aubrey laughs, she’s always been one of the loving nicknames. Genuinely she wanted to spend some more time with her friends since they don’t always get to see one another now that they’re grown up.
Hero turns to her. “Awe, what? I didn’t clean and wasn’t planning for this…”
“Oh my god!! Yes! I haven’t been to your apartment in forever, bro. We can all have a sleepover, come on. Pleaseee?” Kel whines while shaking his brother’s shoulders. “For the holidays?” He pouts.
“We can make hot chocolate, too.” Basil chimes in. “Who knows when we’ll be all together like this again, right?”
“Ugh… fine, you all can. But I’m not paying for dinner.” Hero plays along. Sunny exchanges smiles with Basil as they zip up their coats and head outside for the night. They agree on dropping off their cars at Hero’s place before making their way out for a late-night snack.
It’s not often the gang gets to regularly be together like this given that they aren’t teenagers anymore. Though tonight’s performance was about Sunny, it was also about Mari and how much everyone has grown. In the past 10 years, so much has happened to all of them… tonight’s closure on everything that’s happened was a great way to commemorate their beloved friend.
As the gang makes their way to their cars in the chilly winter air, Sunny looks around the outside of the university buildings. Out of the corner of his eye, he spots what he thinks is a black cat scurrying away into some nearby bushes before anyone else could notice. He stops in his tracks for a moment to piece together what he saw: was his eye playing with him again? But his attention was cut short as Kel yelled out to him to come on. Without a second thought, he moves on with a smile, not looking back. He didn’t need to.
Everything was getting better. Everything is okay now.