Even a Scream Has A Musical Scale - Chapter 2

‘Eratum.’

Unless one had been living under a rock, they would have heard the name. Even among the prestigious private schools in the Northeast, this elite boarding school boasted the highest admission rates to top-tier universities.

Two astonishing statistics stood out about this school: First, in the past twenty years, 91% of its graduates had gone to the top 30 universities. Second, since its founding, the school’s student body had never been less than 80% white.

These were undeniably ‘traditional’ and ‘elite’ statistics.

This conservative data opened the wallets of countless upper-class parents. Any parent interested in education fought tooth and nail to get their child admitted to this school.

But for Dana Roderson, the youngest daughter of the esteemed Roderson family, the path to transferring to Eratum was smooth. No school would be foolish enough to reject her.

Even if she was Asian and adopted.

“Dani.”

Dana lifted her head from her book as soon as her name was called.

“Yes, Father.”

“Is that a novel you’re reading?”

“Ghosts. It’s a play by Ibsen.”

She showed him the cover and smiled slightly, but a frown formed on his brow.

“I doubt that’s on the mandatory reading list at Chelm University. Is it something Eratum specifically assigned?”

“…I don’t know. I just took it from Bo’s bookshelf.”

“Don’t waste time on such nonsense. Lower your skirt a bit unless you want foolish boys drooling over your thighs.”

“Yes, Father…”

Dana lowered her head and adjusted her skirt. With her book resting on her lap, she turned her gaze out the window. The cloudy sky was releasing fine snow, creating a scene that looked like a screen full of static.

In the distance, the entire island appeared as a gray silhouette, but as they got closer, the outline of a massive fortress became clearer. Dana blinked slowly, watching the approaching school. The Tylenol she took before getting into the car still felt stuck in her throat.

“Are we far from arriving?”

“I’m sorry, Miss. This bridge is notoriously long. We’ll be at Eratum soon. I’ll pick up the speed.”

The driver answered cautiously, checking the rearview mirror. But he didn’t step on the gas. He would stick to the 70 km/h that Dana’s father had ordered.

That’s how it was in the Roderson household. Everyone pretended to listen, but no one did. Her father was absorbed in skimming through economic articles on his tablet.

“They say if you make a wish on this bridge while it’s snowing, it will come true.”

The driver added, still glancing at Dana through the mirror.

“Why don’t you make a wish, Miss?”

“I will,” she replied, smiling at him. But her eyes were empty as she turned back to the snowflakes dancing outside.

A wish? He doesn’t know me at all.

Dana had no wishes to make.

***

“Welcome to Eratum, Miss Roderson!”

As soon as they arrived at the principal’s office, the principal, who introduced herself as Lester, greeted them warmly.

“Your daughter is even more beautiful in person than in the pictures.”

“Of course. Journalists have no sense of aesthetics. They think the more factual, the better.”

Dana’s father made a cynical joke as he sat on the sofa. Principal Lester laughed heartily and sat down opposite them.

The principal was a woman about her father’s age, with large red earrings peeking out from under her short hair. Her bright red lips and shoes stood out as well.

“She must be popular with the boys. Do you have a boyfriend?”

Dana awkwardly smiled and shook her head.

“No, I’ve never had one.”

Principal Lester’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. She accepted a cup of tea from her staff, looking between Dana and her father.

Dana could guess what she was thinking. Everyone thought that when they saw her. She squeezed her legs together and added softly,

“…I’ve just never liked anyone yet.”

“Dana attended an all-girls school in the South before coming to Eratum. This is her first time in a co-ed environment. She’s the type who reads books at parties.”

Her father added, sipping his tea. His hand rested on Dana’s thigh, and the principal’s gaze immediately followed. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from his hand on Dana’s thigh. It was an uncomfortable stare.

Just as Dana tried to brush off her father’s hand under the guise of adjusting her skirt, there was a knock at the door. The principal’s attention finally shifted from Dana to the door.

“Ah! That must be Howard.”

“Howard?”

“Remington Howard. Didn’t I mention him before? He reminds me of a younger you. He’s been the class representative every year. Good at sports, excellent grades.”

The principal touched up her red lipstick with a tissue.

“I asked him to stop by and introduce himself. Knowing him could be beneficial for you. His heritage includes some Asian blood. I believe his grandfather was Korean.”

Her eyes sparkled as they landed on Dana as if assuming she would be thrilled to meet him.

But no matter what the principal said, Dana wasn’t the least bit excited about his arrival. Remington, or whatever his name was, sounded dull just from his name.

And the fact that he was part Korean? Assuming she had some deep-seated yearning for her roots was a typical white person’s arrogance.

Technically, Remington was only a quarter Asian, making him more white than anything. Yet, the principal’s eagerness to categorize him as Asian based on that was exhausting.

All that talk about purity and heritage…

“Come in, Howard!”

Up until the moment the principal called out, Dana imagined a nerdy, unattractive guy with glasses.

Someone dull and uninspiring, making her feel ashamed to be associated with him.

But when the door opened with a polite “Excuse me,” and she saw him, she couldn’t help but stare at his face in stunned silence.

“Hello, I’m Remington Howard.”

To be honest, Dana was a little shocked. He did resemble a younger version of her father—a strikingly handsome young man.

He had the kind of aristocratic look that immediately came to mind when you thought of the word. Not overly suave, but elegant and beautiful enough to make any girl look twice.

Dana shamelessly scanned him like a sketch artist, taking in his over-six-foot frame, well-groomed beige hair, attractive build, and straight posture.

Even his navy school uniform fit him like a tailored suit.

As a girl, she felt intimidated. She could only imagine how the boys must have felt.

“Introduce yourself, Remington. This is Senator Henry Roderson, and this is his daughter, Dana Roderson, our new student at Eratum.”

“Nice to meet you, Senator. I’m Remington Howard. It’s an honor to meet you.”

He even greeted adults with perfect manners. He was the type Dana’s father would find very impressive.

“Nice to meet you, Howard. You are quite a handsome young man.”

Her father spoke with a hint of surprise, making the principal beam with pride as if showing off a prized possession.

“His mother is actress Julia Howard. He gets that refined look from her.”

The principal’s red pointed nails shone sharply as she held her teacup.

Dana’s father lightly patted Remington’s shoulder.

“It’s a bit cheeky to say you remind me of my younger self. You’re much better.”

Remington smiled modestly.

“You’re too kind, sir. Hearing that from someone recognized by Fortun is quite humbling.”

“You know about that?”

Dana’s father laughed heartily. He laughed so loudly that Dana was startled.

“Yes, Fortun recently published an interesting article. Although it was a supplementary piece.”

“What article? I haven’t read it yet.”

The principal looked puzzled. Dana’s father seemed hesitant to bring it up himself, so Dana seized the moment.

“It was about…”

But Remington was quicker.

“It was an article ranking the most handsome politicians. Senator Roderson was ranked first, by a significant margin, if I recall correctly. And it was based on votes from journalists, not the general public. The people who see him up close every day. So, even though it was a supplementary article, its significance cannot be denied.”

The two adults clapped simultaneously. The principal’s applause was for Dana’s father, and his was for Remington.

Dana’s father’s applause for another kid echoed in her ears. Why was she always a step behind? He might have been disappointed in her. She bit her lip.

“A young person reading Fortun already. Eratum has a bright future.”

“You’re too kind, Senator.”

“…Or maybe he saw it on social media.”

Dana muttered without thinking. As soon as she realized, she glanced up to see Remington sharply looking at her. In that moment, she noticed his deep blue eyes were the same color as the sea surrounding Eratum.

And she realized she had seen those eyes somewhere before.