Kathrine listened, looking straight at his face.
"We can't always say that we already knew the ins and outs of what we grew up in just because we woke up every day being surrounded by it. Because just as people change, so does our surrounding. I, for one, almost gave up on my violin."
She blinked. With his talent, the awards as proof, and the fame in the musical world, she did not expect that he had ever reached a point where he wanted to give up.
"There are more talented people. Most of the time, my fame and recognitions came from my blood," he chuckled.
"It was not easy, nor was I never pressured into becoming even better. It's normal, after all, just as childhood years are different from teenage years, teenage years are different from young adulthood."
Kathrine felt more and more of the heavy boulder pinning her down slowly being lifted as she listened to his words.
"It's fine to be stressed, to think that the choice you made when you were a bit younger was wrong. But what's more important is to understand what you truly want, not those big, life-changing decisions, but the smaller ones. Do you really want to give up now?"
Kathrine was silent. She had no answer yet.
"Dreams change, Kathrine. Your childhood dream won't always be the same dream you wish to achieve as an adult. It might even become something vastly different. So don't think too much like, 'This is my dream, so I should keep persevering.' Instead, calm yourself. Slowly, slowly, understand what you truly love."
Silence fell between the two of them. Elson allowed Kathrine to think things through without pressuring her to give an answer right away. Time ticked by, but he showed no impatience. Instead, he went and ordered a few pastries for them and a coffee for himself.
Meanwhile, Kathrine stared at her books. After a while, she finally spoke.
"I think… for now… I still wish to continue. To tackle this challenge."
"Then you'll be fine. As long as you love what you're doing, you can push through," he replied, reaching out to pat her head.
…
That night, Elson invited her for a late-night walk along the river near her apartment. He knew she needed to talk to someone more.
"Why the sudden desire to have a late-night walk?" she chuckled when she met him.
"I noticed how pretty this place is, so I thought maybe it's even prettier at night. And just as I thought, it is beautiful."
They sat on a bench with cups of tea between them, surrounded by silence—it was already late, and most people were in their homes. Since they already had coffee earlier, they opted for another drink.
Kathrine took a deep breath, "Indeed, the scenery is beautiful. Very different from the morning view."
Elson chuckled, "You've been here for years, but it seems you stopped enjoying the scenery and were too focused."
Kathrine shrugged, "I couldn't help it. As I advanced in years, my plan to finish early kept getting thwarted again and again. It feels like I should just focus on it before taking a look around to enjoy the scenery."
Elson no longer spoke and simply sipped his tea. The surrounding city lights gave the quiet night a different charm. All the rush had faded into distant glows.
Elson looked over her notes and outlines. Since she was carrying them, he asked if he could take a look.
His brows lifted, "You wrote all this?"
Kathrine gave a tired laugh, "Yes. Then I rewrote it. Then rewrote it again."
"Looks like solid work," he said, flipping a page.
Even though he couldn't understand the content beyond knowing it was about law, he could tell the notes were written with a clear intention, meant to be learned and applied.
"Why do you doubt yourself so much?" he asked, returning her notes.
She stared at her tea.
"Because I see the others. They speak so well, so fast. I freeze up, even if I know the answer. My family is full of lawyers, and listening to them since I was a child, I can tell my classmates now are more capable than I am. I just… lost confidence."
He leaned back.
"Let me tell you something. When we moved abroad, I had no idea what I was doing. Every meeting felt like a test. Everyone used words I didn't know. I messed up a lot. Funny thing is, the whole family moved, my grandparents, parents, aunties, uncles, even my cousins. I had no choice but to go."
He smiled in melancholy, "I watched as my cousins adapted so easily while I kept struggling. It was truly a difficult time."
She looked at him, surprised, "You? But you always seemed so sure."
"I had to pretend," he said, smiling gently.
"But pretending led to learning. And learning led to growing. You're in the hard part now. But that's how it works. You'll grow faster than you think."
"Will I?" she asked.
"You will. You've already grown a lot since the last time I saw you."
Elson understood why Justin had asked for his help in talking to Kathrine. She couldn't open up to her parents, and advice from friends her age wouldn't be enough.
Someone like him, just a few years older and already acquainted with her, was the best option to give her the support she needed. Justin had recognized his own limitations and found another way to support the friend he wanted to help.
'Truly, you guys have grown a lot since the last time I saw you all,' Elson thought, as silence once again fell between them.