4

Nang dumating si Ivy sa school nila, she was quite puzzled by the looks they were giving to her. Although she was used to this kind of attention, pero ang titig nila ngayon, it feels weird.

Anyway, she doesn't need to worry about that now, whatever it is, surely she will find it sooner. So instead of wallowing it, Ivy just continued to walk to the path as if nothing happened.

Besides, this kind of trivial things aren't worth her attention anymore, she experience more than this, unfortunately that kind of attention were all admonishment for what she have done to Erica. At isa pa, mas matanda na siya sa kanila ng labing-limang taon. It would be childish of her, para pumatol sa mas nakababata sa kan'ya.

And last night, she was quite exhausted. Hindi lang dahil sa walang tigil niyang praktis sa violin piece na gagamitin sa screening, kung 'di pati na rin sa paghahanap sa lalaking minamahal niya. She already contacted private investigator and hire someone who was good at sketching face. 

She even went to the point of using her connection in order to find clues about his existence, kaso bigo siya. So now, all she could do was wait for the private investigator's investigation and after that... After that, what?

Even though that man fell in love with her in highschool, as he said. She couldn't just go to him and told him she fall in love with him? So, anong gagawin niya? This is really a headache, when thinking things like this... Just why the hell that man is so repressed!? Ivy couldn't help but lament, while walking.

"Can I get your sign?" Tanong ng batang lalaki sa kan'ya, while handing out a notebook and a pen in front of her. He has a black hair, and a pair of light brown eyes like ambers. He also has chubby cheeks, like chinese meat buns! That would tempt anyone to pinch and knead it!

Ivy immediately halted her steps at napatingin sa batang lalaki na nasa edad 8 years old, while holding a pen and paper. Ivy suddenly couldn't understand why would someone ask her sign. Sa pagkakaalam niya, her reputation in the school is kind of bad kaya walang maglalakas ng loob para kausapin siya. So, what's going on?

Many students gasped in unison ng makita nila ang batang lalaki na humarang sa dinadaanan ni Ivy. They know that Ivy has a temper, and when someone blocks her way they would experience hell. Looking at the small boy, they couldn't help but shake their heads. However, to their surprise, imbis na magalit si Ivy at sumigaw as usual. Ivy didn't do anything! They suddenly felt that today's Ivy was fake!

Ivy on the other hand didn't know what others were thinking and just stared at the boy's uniform. Then, she suddenly realized that he was from 3rd year in the violin department, a year lower from her. Although this boy is young, this isn't surprising since prodigies are capable of doing so. Although this school couldn't be compared to Menuhin or Julliard, this school can be considered one of the top notch music schools in Asia in terms of music. So she wasn't surprised, instead she was curious. What's happening? Kanina pa lang sa pagpasok ng school, marami ng nakatingin sa kan'ya. It wasn't the usual unfriendly gaze but reverence and admiration!

Ngunit bago pa man siya makapagsalita para tanongin 'to, another person showed up and immediately hold the boy's arm. "Sorry po Ms. Reed! Sorry po!" The girl tried to take the boy, away but the boy remain standing in front of her.

She immediately raised her left hand to stop, "It's okay." Ivy said to the girl, bago tumingin sa batang lalaki na nasa harapan niya.

The girl bowed many times, and looked at the boy and shook her head many times, as if telling him to stop. Nakakunot ang noo ni Ivy before taking the pen and the notebook away para magsign ng signature. Although wala siyang clue sa nangyayari ngayon, it wouldn't hurt her to sign? Right? And besides, this boy feels familiar, like she has seen him in her past life? He must be a famous musician in the future, perhaps?

While she was signing, the boy started to talk. "I have heard of your Tzigane... I want to collaborate with you." 

Ng marinig ni Ivy ang word na 'Tzigane', she couldn't help but pause. And suddenly realized that is the piece she had played five days ago in the park. 

"Tzigane?" It couldn't be that someone posted her playing that piece on the internet? It went viral? Pero alam niya ang sarili niya, she admits that she's a top tier musician, but she still not a level of a prodigy to be envied by other prodigies and geniuses. 

When she was working in the orchestra, she wasn't even regarded by the conductor for her performance. Pero ngayon... It can be that after she reborn nagkaroon siya ng golden fingers?

"Ms Ivy, sorry po talaga sa abala! Nakita kasi ni Young master ang video niyo, and he feels that your way of playing Tzigane, ay halos kagaya ng late teacher ko..." She said timidly before squeezing the hand of the boy lightly.

Agad na napaisip si Ivy, but she has no clue who they are talking about. "You are?"

"S-Si, Andrea po, my Teacher is si Ms. Gliza Devon." Gliza Devon? If she isn't wrong, Ms. Devon got into an accident two years ago according to the current timeline. That accident became one of the biggest tragedies in music history. Since Ms Devon was not only a professor from a famous Music Conservatory, but also a conductor of a world renowned orchestra. 

That orchestra was called Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, na hanggang ngayon ay 'di pa nagre-release ng concert after that incident. Not only because nawalan sila ng music conductor, but also more than half of the original members ang namatay sa aksidenteng iyon.

The saddest thing about this, is Ms Devon was a single mother and her son was only five years old. Her husband died noong nagmilitary service 'to, kaya siya na lang ang nagpalaki sa anak nila. Ngayong nawala na si Ms. Devon, wala ng natira dito para mag-alaga. Then, that means this child in front of her should be Charles Devon, right?

Napatango si Ivy, "I see.." She whispered at napatingin sa batang lalaki. Looking at the boy in front of her, she couldn't help but feel sad. In the future, this little guy didn't continue to pursue his dream instead he was indeed put in jail due to plagiarism. Such genius became a laughingstock by the classical music industry. "You wanted to collaborate with me?" Nakangiting tanong ni Ivy at the napayuko siya to have the same level with the boy's height, before handing down the notebook back to him.

Ng makita ng mga nakapaligid na mga estudyante ang ngiti ni Ivy, they couldn't help but feel fear. They know Ivy's wicked personality, so they know if did something out of the norm. It usually ends up in an unpleasant situation. After looking at the current scene, someone immediately ran to the faculty to call a professor! 

The student who ran to find the professor was panting heavily when she arrived at the faculty. "Ma'am, Sir, emergency po!" Sigaw niya. "Sino po ba sa inyo, ang Professor ni Ms. Ivy?"

All the professor who heard Ivy's name couldn't help but shiver, at napatingin kay Juvy na naghahanda ng lesson plan. They couldn't help but sympathize with her for having a troublesome student! They couldn't even expel her since that child's brother donated a dormitory building, they can only endure her craziness!

Agad na tumayo si Juvy at pumunta sa harapan ng estudyante para makipag-usap. This past few days, Ivy was behaving pretty well. She was listening to her lectures, she was participating in recitation and didn't get quarrel with Erica. So now that Juvy, heard this complaints again she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable ng malaman nitong may gagawin na naman 'tong 'di maganda.

"What happened?" Tanong niya estudyante.

Ivy, who didn't know she was accused, was extremely happy! This is the first time someone asked her to collaborate with her! Not even in her last life did she have a chance to be partnered with another musician because of her rotten reputation! 

Although he is young, 'di 'to naging basehan para maging isang mahusay na musikero. She was extremely grateful, for this boy's invitation. Ang kaso nga lang... malapit na ang kompetisyon. 

The boy nodded shyly in front of her bago niyakap ang notebook nito. Ivy silently sighed, before nodding back. "Although, I can't collaborate with you now since the school competition is coming. Maybe after it, what do you think?" 

Only the 4rth year college students, ang makakasali sa kompetisyon ngayon. This kompetisyon like their professor said, ay para iready sila para sa mga international competition. Although 'di lahat sa kanila ay sasali sa mga music competitions, it wouldn't hurt them to experience it.

Although Ivy was a reborn and has been on the stage countless times, she wasn't complacent. She didn't want to be egotistical and arrogant just because she knows what the future holds. 

She learned her lesson in her past life, being prideful is a sin, it would only bring her down to hell. Ayaw niya ng bumalik doon, ayaw niya ring mawala ang kuya at mas lalong ayaw niyang iwan muli ang lalaking minamahal niya. 

The boy smiled at her, "Okay..." 

Ivy couldn't help but stroke his furry head, and let her hand glide over his hair. Unfortunately, napahinto siya sa ginagawa niya when she heard the voice of her professor. "Professor Juvy?" Nagtatakang tanong ni Ivy.

"What's going on here?" Tanong ni Professor Juvy at sabay tingin sa batang lalaking nasa tabi ni Ivy.

She couldn't help but crunch her brows. Kailan ba naging big deal ang collaboration niya sa ibang tao? "Is there something wrong professor?" 

Professor Juvy looked at the girl beside her before looking back at them. "No... I am just curious to see you two talking to each other."

"Ah, Charles just asked me if I am okay for collaboration." Sagot ni Ivy.

"You two?" Hindi makapaniwalang tanong ni Professor Juvy sa estudyante nito. Both students are quite eccentric, while the boy has gloomy and cold temperament dahil sa pagkamatay ng ina nito. Meanwhile, Ivy, this student... is quite problematic. Hindi niya alam kung sa anong paraan nagkakilala ang dalawang 'to, because this two student can be said polar opposite. How did this two talk together is a mystery...

"I like her Tzigane." Charles said, at tumingin kay Ivy na sasagot na sana.

"Tzigane?" Naguguluhang tanong ni Professor Juvy dito. She didn't hear her student once play this piece in school or any events. 

"Ah, Ma'am Juvy. Naging viral kasi yung video ni Miss Ivy sa social media! And even some famous musicians, shared the video and expressed that gusto nilang kunin si Miss Ivy bilang guest sa mga concert nila!" Naeexcite na sabat ni Andrea na kanina lang ay 'di makapagsalita sa takot.

Ivy who heard this was blown away... this, how come nangyari 'to? So 'to pala ang rason for the looks that her schoolmate was giving this morning. Pero sa pagkakaalam niya, 'di siya magaling, and she firmly believed that she's just a top-tier violinist and not the prodigy she once believe. 

Para maraming maghabol ang mga sikat na mga musikero, to collaborate with her. This isn't scientific at all.. okay, being reborn isn't scientific. But this treatment, this kind of fame of attention... Maybe her brother had to do this?

"Video? She played that 'Tzigane'?" 

"Yes po, trending nga po eh! Kahit sino pa po yung tanongin niyo!"

While Professor Juvy and Andrea are talking with each other, Ivy on the other hand is slowly slipping away. Yet, before she goes, she bids the little boy a soft farewell para pumunta sa classroom nila. 

She was running late, and she needed to go to her first subject this morning. She wasn't this concern over her studies in the past since mayaman naman sila, at wala siyang pro-problemahin dahil sa kuya niya. Pero dahil sa nangyari sa nakaraang buhay niya, she knows that education should be taken seriously.

If ever man na mabunkrupt sila, inevitably. She can be a violin teacher on some universities. Though 'di nab niya maisasalba ang ang kompanya nila, pero sure siyang maililigtas niya ang kuya niya sa kapamahakan. And, she can guarantee that they can eat full meals three times a day. 

Unlike her previous self that only knows how to play and eat, internally thirty-three years old she already knows how society works. Kung wala kang natapos, 'di ka makakakuha ng job na may sahod. Being a violinist in a small orchestra only has a salary of ten thousand a month. A severely underpaid job. Ngunit wala siyang magawa, she didn't manage to graduate...

Thankfully ng makarating si Ivy sa room nila, her professor for this morning still didn't arrive. Knowing na baka late ang teacher nila she started rewriting the scores she had composed in her previous life. While some of them ay nakalimutan niya na, it's not a problem since she can just transpose them. She was neither rushing to have them complete, at isa pa she just wanted to compile them and study them. 

Habang nagsusulat si Ivy ng mga kanta, she was unaware that someone glared at her fiercely while gnashing at their teeth. This someone, was of course her ex-rival Erica, na ngayo'y halos 'di mapigilan ang galit nito kay Ivy. But as an expert white lotus herself she managed to remain gentle and pure while sitting on her chair elegantly. But her heart was black as the bottom of a pot.

She clenched her fist tightly, as she tried to calm herself down. Hindi niya gusto na mabunyag ang tunay niyang ugali, she still didn't erase Ivy! At 'di niya hahayaang mabulilyaso ulit ang mga plano niya! Although Ivy managed to get fame and attention right now, but she still can turned the tide.

She would start a rumour, that can destroy that woman's reputation!