"Don't send us updates only when things have already turned for the worse."
Kathrine blinked, not expecting this reaction from Justin.
Justin sighed, "You've fallen sick. You were seriously struggling. You should have at least reached out to the other two, if not all of us. They could've helped you in their own way."
Justin wouldn't have spoken this way if she hadn't shown that look, the one that said she didn't want to trouble them.
He felt angry that she thought it was a burden to let friends worry about her, and that irritated him.
"You should really read the group chat. I'm going now. Get in and rest."
After that, he left, and Kathrine could only watch him walk away.
She wanted to stop him, but she didn't even know what she would say if she did.
With a heavy feeling, she went inside to rest, forgetting that he had told her to read the group chat.
She only opened her phone when there was a notification about school. Other than that, she had been neglecting everything else since the pressure from her studies had started building up.
From time to time, her family would message her, and she would respond. As for Beatrice and the others, she would read their messages if they were private and reply accordingly.
On the other hand, Justin hadn't wanted to leave her looking like that, but he needed to catch his flight and couldn't stay any longer.
At the airport, when he checked the group chat, he couldn't help but sigh upon seeing that she still hadn't read the worried messages.
Remembering the day, he dialed a number.
…
One late afternoon, the sun was low in the sky.
Kathrine sat at her favorite coffee shop near campus. Her books were open, but she wasn't studying. Her head rested on one hand as she stirred her drink without tasting it.
She truly felt like nothing had gone her way since she'd fallen sick.
Her phone buzzed with a reminder about another assignment due next week. She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment, just trying to breathe.
Then she heard a familiar voice.
"You still drink that overly sweet caramel thing?"
She turned sharply, her eyes widening.
"Brother Elson?"
He grinned and shrugged, "It is indeed I."
She couldn't help but chuckle at the surprise. It was obvious they hadn't met by chance, there weren't any music-related establishments near her university, which mostly focused on law and politics.
She looked at her first puppy love, whom she hadn't seen in years.
Elson looked different.
His hair was shorter, his jacket fancier, and there was a tiredness in his face she didn't remember.
But he still felt like the same person who had invited her to that musical event years ago. After that, she had heard from Justin that Elson chose to stay abroad, where he received many performance offers.
She hadn't seen him since.
"When did you get back?" she asked, smiling.
"More than a week ago. Thought I'd surprise you."
They sat down at her table. She didn't even care about the open book anymore.
"Or more like it was that cousin of yours," she retorted.
"Hohoho, it seems our up-and-coming lawyer can deduce such things now," he joked.
Kathrine's smile faltered, and her eyes began to gloss over.
"Or maybe she's struggling so much that she's forgotten how capable she is. It seems she's been under so much stress, she forgot how to tell when to rest and when to study."
He was speaking of the person she used to be before starting university.
"I guess I was childish then," she replied.
"No. That wasn't immaturity, it was actually maturity. But now you're in a slump, and it's making you think you were wrong back then," he replied instantly.
"That is…"
"I heard my cousin berated you the last time you two saw each other. He felt bad about that. He didn't mean to make you feel worse, but he was agitated, that's what he said."
"Well, I…"
Elson smiled, "Sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel even worse. So…"
He leaned forward, "Why don't you tell this older brother of yours what's going on with you right now?"
And Kathrine found herself talking.
She told him about law school.
The court practice
The stress.
The doubt.
She didn't hold back.
For the first time in weeks, the words just spilled out.
Elson listened the whole time without interrupting. He didn't tell her to "be strong" or "stay positive."
He just let her speak.
When she finished, she looked down at her drink.
"I don't know anymore how I should move forward. To be honest, I suddenly felt overwhelmed by the world I thought I knew."
He knocked on the table, making her look up. Then he smiled gently.
"You're still here, aren't you?" he said.
"Still showing up. Still trying. That says a lot more than any grade or speech. I mean, you just said it was a world you thought you knew. But honestly, none of us truly knows the worlds we choose. Because they always change."
He thought for a bit, "Even Justin and I, who grew up in the musical world, don't know it completely. Every year it changes. Every year, we face troubles we didn't face before, and that's normal. That's normal for your world, too."
He chuckled, "Growing up surrounded by music, I was confident I could face anything. I thought I was capable enough, since it was my playground. But I realized I was wrong when I hit a wall in my career."