Chapter 8: My Beautiful Pearl – September 10, 2019
She swallowed. She was terrified. But Jimin seemed to think she sounded wonderful.
“Do I really sound amazing? Or are you just being sweet?”
“You really sound phenomenal! I can’t believe I’m the first person to hear you sing!”
“The first person who appreciates my voice, for sure,” she murmured, dryly.
“Please, Jumi! Say you’ll sing with me.”
She inhaled deeply. “All right. We’ll try it now. So you want me to weave my eight lines into the beginning of the song that we put together already?”
He nodded. “You practice that for a couple minutes. I’m going to grab my notepad and jot down the lyrics we already wrote and finish that one couplet. When I’m done, we’ll play it all the way through. Okay?”
She bobbed her head at him.
An hour later, they had it finalized. She played the opening bars on the piano. Then her lilting voice joined the music flowing from those keys. And filled the room with such beauty Jimin felt like weeping.
“Please just look at me.
Tell me what you see.
Don’t look away,
Some other way.
“Set your eyes on me.
Tell me I’m lovely.
Come set me free.
Please just love me.”
Jimin’s guitar didn’t join the mix until she’d finished her lines. Then, a few chords in, his high voice answered her deep one.
“My heart is overflowing.
Your heart is always glowing.
Now my heart is racing, see?
‘Cause your heart is facing me.
“I searched all over the world
To find that one special girl.
Looked in ev’ry treasure chest.
Searching for the very best.
“Longed to find a resplendent ruby.
Something very fine that could truly
Brighten my life with its kind color.
Wouldn’t settle for something duller.
Want to find a glittering diamond
That would light up my heart like you did.
I needed a glowing garnet
Like the finest wine incarnate.
Wanted an elegant emerald.
Who would have thought I could be so bold?”
Together, they vocalized as they played the airy interlude. Then Jimin’s clear tones could be heard again as he sang the chorus. He threaded all the echoing reverberations of “I just need you” through like he was weaving a line of color into a knitted blanket. Each time that line resounded, his voice almost sounded like a third tone, as though it were his inner voice echoing his true voice.
“But you are my beautiful pearl.
Not simply an average girl.
(I just need you).
“I don’t need precious stones
Or sparkling tones.
(I just need you).
“I don’t need rubies red,
Sapphires said.
(I just need you).
“I don’t need emeralds green,
Or garnets keen.
(I just need you).
“I don’t need diamonds,
Lonely islands.
(I just need you).
“I just need you.
My beautiful pearl,
My beautiful pearl.”
Her voice haunted his as they vocalized together again in preparation for the coming second verse. Then Jimin’s sweet voice reverberated off the walls of the music room.
“My heart was always hunting,
Willing to be confronting
All the woes that do chase you,
As long as I could face you.
“I did travel far and wide
To bring sweet you to my side,
I was seeking treasure
Worth far more than I could measure.
“I desired a shining sapphire,
Sparking with the bluest of fire,
Carrying me to freedoms, boundless.
Wanted to be always limitless.
Needed an amusing amethyst.
Looking for real love, not just some tryst.
Desired a fiery topaz;
Fill my soul with its passionate blaze.
I looked for a tempting tanzanite.
Wanted someone to make it all right.
Now, she hummed as Jimin vocalized before he sang the chorus through again in the purest of tones. She got chills just listening to him. His voice was melting her at the same time.
“But you are my beautiful pearl.
Not simply an average girl.
(I just need you).
“I don’t need precious stones
Or sparkling tones.
(I just need you).
“I don’t need rubies red,
Sapphires said.
(I just need you).
“I don’t need emeralds green,
Or garnets keen.
(I just need you).
“I don’t need diamonds,
Lonely islands.
(I just need you).
“I just need you.
My beautiful pearl,
My beautiful pearl.”
Then after just a few bars, he added a beautiful bridge as he stared at Jumi, singing his heart out to her. Only to her.
“For I found them all,
Every single hue,
When I found you.
The colors of the rainbow,
The truest of the true,
I see them all in you.
Bouncing off your sheen,
Red, orange, yellow, green.
Shining through you too,
Purple, indigo, and blue.
My beautiful pearl,
My beautiful pearl.
My beautiful pearl.
“Whoa-oa-oa-oa. My beautiful pearl.”
Jimin’s voice came to a standstill, and Jumi’s heart stopped as a voice spoke from the doorway to the music room.
––
“You two are collaborating?”
Jimin turned to look at Miss Kwan. Jumi’s eyes flew to her face. Jumi was glad she’d put the sunglasses back on.
Jimin nodded. “We each wrote a separate song, but we were going to ask you if you would let us work together.”
“Yes,” she responded, unhesitatingly. “That was one of the most beautiful pieces of music I have ever heard. And your lyrics. Just stunning. You both sing like angels.” Her praise was quite effusive.
Jumi just stared at her. “You – you heard me singing? You liked my voice?” She was trembling.
Miss Kwan nodded. “I was walking by and heard you through the door. I heard you sing about six lines. Was there much more?”
Jumi shook her head.
“More’s the pity,” mumbled Miss Kwan. “That’s a shame. Jumi, your voice is beautiful. I would love to hear you sing more.”
“Are we required to sing to our song?” Jimin asked.
“No, but singing earns you bonus points.” She quirked a dark eyebrow. “I’m looking forward to your performance. Thanks for the preview.” Then she gazed pointedly at Jumi. “I missed you in class yesterday.”
Jumi responded. “I’m sorry. I was sick.”
Jimin’s gaze slid her way, but he didn’t say anything.
“Sick, eh?” Miss Kwan walked across the room towards Jumi.
When she was just a couple feet from her, Miss Kwan asked, “Is that why you’re wearing sunglasses inside? Because the light is hurting your eyes?”
No. It’s the darkness that hurts my eyes.
Jumi just stared at her. Why did she feel like she wasn’t able to hide anything from Miss Kwan?
Suddenly, Miss Kwan reached out and pulled on the sunglasses until they slid down the bridge of Jumi’s nose. Miss Kwan got a look at the bruises crowning Jumi’s eyes. She winced and sucked air through her teeth.
“Baby, you weren’t sick yesterday, were you? Who did this to you?”
Jumi started shaking.
Miss Kwan’s face flooded with compassion. “Sweetheart, I’m not going to hurt you. I want to make sure that you’re safe.”
“I am. Now.”
“The person who did this to you can’t reach you any longer?”
Jumi shook her head.
“Is this person aware you’re a student here?” Miss Kwan asked, pointedly.
Jumi nodded.
“Do they have your class schedule or access to it?”
Jumi shook her head.
“Could they get it from the office?”
This question gave Jumi pause. Then, she nodded.
“Come with me. Let’s go visit the office and put a lock on your file.”
Jumi’s eyes darted towards Jimin. She felt trapped. Jimin saw her distress and stood up.
“It’s a good idea, Jumi. Have him barred from finding you.”
Jumi didn’t say anything. A few moments passed.
“Jumi,” Jimin had gotten quiet. Now he spoke very softly. “Will your appa come for you?”
“I don’t think so,” she whispered. “I’ll be okay if I never go back.”
“Did you leave anything in your apartment? Anything important to you?”
There was one thing.
“Just one thing.”
“Then I’ll go with you to retrieve it when you know for certain he’s at work.”
She nodded.
Miss Kwan’s face was a study in tenderness. “Jumi, will you let me help you? There are steps we can take to increase your chances of staying safe.”
The girl simply stared at her. Jumi felt so uncomfortable.
“I know how you feel,” Miss Kwan whispered. “Are your ribs broken?”
Jumi’s eyes darted towards her teacher’s. “S-someone hurt you?” she stuttered.
Miss Kwan nodded. “Repeatedly.” She paused. “Until I put a stop to it.”
“How did you do that?”
“The first thing I did was pack up and move out. I found a friend to stay with. And told that friend what I was going through. Then I put blocks on my appa’s access to as many areas of my life as I could. I also started carrying pepper spray in my purse. And I kept my phone on me at all times. So I could call someone if I needed to. But, mostly, moving out solved the problem. For me, anyway,” she concluded softly.
“He knows I’m a music major. He could haunt the music building.”
Miss Kwan nodded. “But if the teachers know about your situation, at least, we’d be alerted and in a better situation to help you. Do you think he’ll follow you here?”
“I honestly don’t know. But I feel like it would be too much trouble. He’s already overwhelmed with work and comes home to get drunk each night. He doesn’t have a car, so he’d have to take public transportation. And he doesn’t live anywhere near here.”
“Does he know where you’re staying?”
Jumi glanced at Jimin and shook her head. “He knows nothing about the friend I’m staying with.”
“That’s very good.”
“I think he sees me as his dog to kick around. If I’m not there, he’ll forget about me.”
“Let’s hope so,” Miss Kwan murmured, “but let’s plan for the worst, okay?”
Finally, Jumi nodded. “Okay.”
Reluctantly, she followed Miss Kwan towards the door.
“Jumi, where do you want me to meet you at four-thirty?” Jimin asked as he packed up his guitar.
“Right here. I’ll come back to practice.”
He nodded as she and Miss Kwan walked out the door.
After they’d stepped outside of the music building, Miss Kwan turned towards Jumi. “Jimin isn’t the one hurting you, is he?”
A horrified expression flew across Jumi’s face. “No!”
“I didn’t think so, but I had to ask.” She slid a surreptitious gaze towards Jumi. “Is he the friend you’re staying with?”
Jumi nodded.
“He seems like a really good guy. He saved your grade yesterday.”
“I know.”
“And here I thought the two of you hated each other when I pulled you up in front of the class last week.”
Jumi’s head snapped around so she could face Miss Kwan. “You knew we didn’t like each other, and you made us partners anyway?”
She shook her head. “I had no idea you didn’t like each other when I told everyone their partner was the person sitting next to them. But you two were fighting like cats and dogs while we stood on the stage. Did you know each other before my class?”
Jumi shook her head. “It was a misunderstanding. We’ve resolved it.”
“I can see that. I’m glad.”
Jumi smiled. “Yeah, me too.”
