The music wing was almost silent, the kind of stillness that only came after hours. Naomi liked it that way.
No laughter from the vocal majors. No drums echoing down the corridor. No chaos.
Just her.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTEVILYGcQ4
And the piano.
She pressed a key softly. Then another. The sound hung in the air, sharp and unpolished. She was working on a new arrangement, one that built from the bones of the song she’d performed in class—but tonight, nothing felt right.
She frowned and hit a chord again. Flat.
“Relax your wrist,” a voice said behind her.
She didn’t turn around. She already knew.
Levi.
He stood in the doorway, hands tucked in his jacket pockets, hair still damp like he’d just showered. He looked tired. Not sick—just weighed down.
Naomi kept her eyes on the keys. “You’re not on the soloist list.”
“I know,” he said. “Didn’t come to fight for a spot. Just… heard you playing.”
“You do that a lot,” she murmured.
“What?”
“Show up after the fact. Watch from a distance.”
That landed harder than she expected. He stepped forward slowly, but not too close.
“I’m not here to make things worse,” he said. “Just… maybe to say something I should’ve said earlier.”
She finally looked up.
“I’m listening,” she said.
He nodded. “Your third chord in the bridge… it feels like it wants to land in G, not E minor. E minor makes it feel like you’re hiding. G feels like resolution.”
Naomi blinked. That’s exactly what had been bothering her. She tried it—same progression, just ending in G.
It worked.
It felt right.
Her hands froze over the keys.
“Thanks,” she said quietly.
Levi smiled a little. “You sound amazing. Honestly.”
There was a pause. Naomi didn’t fill it this time.
“I’m not sure where we stand,” she said eventually. “Musically. Or… otherwise.”
“I don’t know either,” he admitted. “But I’m tired of being outside the room. I miss creating with you.”
Naomi turned toward him, her face unreadable. “Creating’s not the hard part. Trusting the person you’re creating with—that’s the real challenge.”
He didn’t argue.
This time, he just nodded.
The next morning, the soloist board in the music hallway had a new addition.
Maya Holloway – Alternate Performer
Naomi didn’t say a word. But she heard the whispers all around her.
“She’s not gonna take that lightly…”9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTTwcxbPwh5
“Didn’t she already submit her piece?”9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡArIc3n9NZM
“Looks like things just got interesting.”
Naomi didn’t engage.
Instead, she walked into her rehearsal room and sat at the piano like nothing had changed.
But inside, she felt it—that spark. Not fear. Not envy.
Fire.
She wasn’t here to compete.
She was here to be remembered.
Later that day, Ms. Arinze called her aside with a slip of paper.
Winter Gala: Naomi Ward – Final Performance (Solo)
Naomi’s heart skipped.
“Closing the night?” she asked, voice soft.
Ms. Arinze smiled. “Yes. They were impressed. And frankly, they should be.”
Naomi stared at the paper. Closing a gala wasn’t just an honor—it was a statement. The final act was what the audience carried home.
“Thank you,” she said.
“You’ve earned it,” her teacher replied.
That evening, after practice, Naomi stepped out into the twilight air and saw him.
Levi.
He was leaning by the stair railing, a small notebook in hand.
“I didn’t want to text this,” he said. “It felt like something I should hand you in person.”
He held it out.
Naomi hesitated, then took it.
The cover was worn, the spine slightly bent. A title was scrawled across the front in his handwriting:
Rivals Rewritten
She looked at him.
“I don’t expect a duet,” Levi said quickly. “It’s just… my way of saying I’m sorry. And maybe starting something new. If you want.”
Naomi pressed the notebook to her chest.
She didn’t have the answer yet.
But she had her voice. Her rhythm.
Her center.
“I’m not rushing the next song,” she said softly.
Levi’s eyes crinkled. “I wouldn’t want you to.”
They stood together, quiet but no longer distant.
The silence wasn’t heavy this time.
It was peaceful.
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9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAxCX8wGdv4
Naomi has the closing act, a rival watching her rise, and a song of her own.
What do you think is written in Rivals Rewritten?
Share your favourite moment or who you’re rooting for in the comments! 🎹💫
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