Even a Scream Has A Musical Scale - Chapter 3

The room fell silent at Dani’s rude remark. Trying to mend the situation, she quickly added, “It was a joke. I’m sorry.”

Remington stared at her, his face hard, but then his expression softened into a smile. For a fleeting moment, Dani thought she saw disdain in his eyes.

“Hello. Sorry for the late introduction. I’m Remington. Feel free to call me Remy.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Dani.”

“Dani. That’s a lovely name.”

As Remington’s handsome face brightened with a smile, the atmosphere around them seemed to warm up. Dani wondered if she had imagined the earlier cold look in his eyes.

“Let’s get to know each other better, Dani. Could you give me your number? I’ll show you around the school.”

Hesitating, Dani took his offered phone. She didn’t want to give her number but felt her father’s gaze burning into the side of her face.

“Here.” She entered her nanny’s number and handed the phone back. Her nanny was the only person she truly trusted.

“Great. I’ll be in touch. I’ll head out now. Thank you.”

Remington remained polite to the end. After he left, Dani’s father turned to her with a pleased smile.

“Remington Howard. He’s a fine young man, isn’t he?”

Dani knew the answer her father expected. She nodded obediently. “Yes, he seems to be.”

“But don’t get too close too quickly. The sweetest peach rots from the inside first.”

Her father’s words revealed his nature—always suspicious, even when he appeared to approve. He was like Picasso, always seeing multiple facets of a situation at once.

“Yes, I’ll remember.”

Smiling to match his tone, Dani’s thoughts drifted back to Remington’s eyes, which had shone darkly like the deep sea. Where had she seen those eyes before?

****

After completing her admission process, Dani and her father toured the school. The ancient castle-like Fronts Hall, the frozen fountain, the snow-covered bare trees in perfect symmetry, and the vast artificial lake in the distance gave the place a fairy-tale feel.

“Let’s sit here for a moment,” her father said, guiding her to a bench.

“Dani, do you remember what I told you to keep in mind last night?”

Maybe it was the castle-like surroundings, but her father seemed especially imposing.

Dani nodded dutifully. “Yes. Follow the rules, be kind to everyone, focus on my studies, and uphold the family honor.”

“And?”

“And no one can touch me until I graduate.”

Her father smiled and reached out to her. Dani felt like a loyal dog who knew exactly who held its leash. His large hand lifted her hair and slid around her neck like a snake, kneading the soft skin at the nape before kissing her forehead.

“Stay as virtuous as you are, Dani. You are, after all, my daughter.”

“Yes, Father.”

At that moment, Dani saw Remington over her father’s shoulder. He was standing by the fountain, watching her with another girl—a glamorous blonde, who was speaking earnestly to him while he occasionally glanced over at Dani.

Feeling her father’s hand on her arm through her coat, Dani became acutely aware of Remington’s fixed gaze. She couldn’t avoid his eyes. Saliva pooled under her tongue, and her heart pounded with an irregular rhythm.

Unable to breathe, she impulsively pushed her father away. “How about touring the dorms? It might be hard to show you another time.”

Her father didn’t seem to find her actions odd. “I’ve already seen photos. You’ll like it. I certainly did.”

“Is it beautiful?”

“Do you think I’d approve of anything less?”

Her father stood, brushing snow off his coat as a car approached to take him away.

Dani glanced at Remington, who had resumed his conversation with the blonde, his head lit by the slanting sunlight like a spotlight.

“That boy… does he seem familiar to you?”

“Who? Howard?”

“Yes. I feel like I’ve seen him before.”

“You probably met him at a party. Half of Eratum would seem familiar if you’d spent even half the effort on socializing as you do on those damned books.”

Her father’s cold response silenced her. It had been a foolish question. She forced herself to forget the moment she had locked eyes with Remington.

The car arrived, and the driver opened the back door for her father. She stood straight, ready to see him off. Just before getting into the car, her father turned to her.

“You’ll be fine at Eratum, won’t you?”

“Yes? Of course…”

His sharp eyes made her voice falter. He watched her hesitate, making her feel unusually small, a worthless creature awaiting commands.

“Give Howard your real number through Anna.”

“…Oh.”

How did he know? Dani was stunned. The words caught in her throat as her hair fluttered in the cold wind.

“It was good not to give a boy your number. But he’s more than a boy; he’s the class representative. Even if he’s the son of an actress, clever boys like him are useful later. Maintain a proper friendship. Understand?”

Her father climbed into the car.

Shame washed over her. She was always within his grasp.

“…Yes, I’ll remember. Sorry.”

Her father’s car door slammed shut in front of her nodding head.

Dani lowered her head as the driver passed her to take his seat. Her father’s window remained closed. He spoke to the driver, and the car left Eratum without a backward glance.

Only after he left could Dani take a deep breath. The tightness in her chest eased slightly. The spot where Remington and the blonde had stood was now empty.

She sent a message to her nanny.

「Anna, if you get a call from an unknown number, let me know immediately. Please.」

Until then, Dani hadn’t realized how difficult it would be to correct her mistake with Remington. She only worried about how to explain things without upsetting him.

****

The weekend passed without a word from Remington.

Anna was more upset than Dani, expressing disbelief that anyone would forget an appointment with a Roderson.

“No, it’s not an appointment. And I gave him the wrong number to begin with. I’ll explain when we meet. Just tell Father I’m doing well, please.”

Dani tried to appear unconcerned, but she was growing anxious. She hadn’t considered the possibility that Remington might not contact her at all.

She thought about him constantly over the next few days.

Why hasn’t he called? Is he busy? Or did he forget me?

When Dani finally saw Remington again, she was touring the school with Benjamin, the groundskeeper.

“Don’t mind the children. They’re just curious about the new transfer student. It’s not often they see someone from such a distinguished family.”

“I’m used to it. I’ve transferred schools many times.”

“Familiarity can be deceiving. Don’t let your guard down. The kids here don’t see themselves as beneath anyone, even if they come from a more prominent family. Their backgrounds are just as impressive.”

Listening to Benjamin, Dani suddenly spotted Remington through the window. Reflexively, she stopped and looked out. He was walking in the snowy field, wearing a navy duffle coat and scarf, with the blonde girl from the park.

Without thinking, Dani stepped back from the window. Her body reacted faster than her mind.

“I’ll be right back.”

“Miss Roderson!”

Ignoring Benjamin’s call, Dani hurried down the stairs. The cold air hit her as she ran out, making her shiver, but she kept going. By the time she reached him, the blonde had disappeared, and Remington was sitting alone on a bench, looking at his phone.

“Remington!”

He slowly looked up at her. Against the backdrop of the forest, he seemed like a figure from an old portrait, striking and out of place.

“…Oh.”

His frown showed he hadn’t expected to see her. Catching her breath, Dani approached.

“Hi.”

He hesitated before giving her a soft smile as if made of fine fabric.

“Dani, right?”

“You remembered?”

“How could I forget your name?”

Remington shrugged playfully. Despite his friendly tone, Dani sensed he wanted her to leave quickly.

“What’s up?”

“Just wondering if you’ve been busy.”

“Somewhat.”

His polite smile felt like a signal to state her business. She wanted to explain about the wrong number but hesitated, feeling his cool demeanor.

“You said you’d show me around the school.”

Rubbing her cold hands, Dani tried to find her words.

“I didn’t hear from you, so I thought maybe you were busy.”

Remington’s eyes locked onto hers, sharp and penetrating.

“You waited for my call?”

“Yes. Of course.”

He laughed briefly as if she had told a silly joke.