Tsumi, excited, opens his refrigerator and starts observing which foods will be elected to accompany him on his journey.

'You!' he said, grabbing a beautiful red apple from the fruit compartment. Then he placed it inside a thermal bag.

'Woke up early today.' his father's grave voice cut the silence like a lightning bolt striking a tree on a rainless day. Tsumi felt his soul leaving his body.

'Dad! What are you doing here? Weren't you on duty at the hospital?' said Tsumi, hand on his chest, recovering from the shock.

Ikeda approaches Tsumi without realizing he was distressed and takes a bottle of water from the refrigerator door.

'I wasn't on duty. I needed some rest; tomorrow I have surgery. But what about you? Why are you awake at this hour? Is there an event at school?'

Tsumi searched for an excuse. 'I can't tell the truth,' he thought.

'Event? Oh, yes, there's an event! It's a... a... picnic! That's it!' he said to explain the raid on the refrigerator.

'Picnic? But today it's cold and the fog is thick. I don't think your picnic will be fun.' Ikeda spoke while preparing breakfast. He reached for a frying pan from the cabinet above the stove.

'It's going to be an indoor picnic at the sports court if the day doesn't clear up,' Tsumi said, putting more fruit in the bag.

'Sit down, son. I'm going to make some pancakes.'

Tsumi obeyed. On a normal day, he would be happy to have his father there making his coffee, despite the usual nagging. Moments like that were rare because of his cardiac surgeon job at their small town's hospital, which, despite its size, had a huge demand for heart surgeries.

'Just my luck today...' thought Tsumi, discouraged. 'I need to come up with another escape plan.' 'Are you working today, Dad?'

'Yes, but after noon,' he explained while gathering the pancake ingredients in a bowl.

'Oh no! I need to leave before six; the train leaves at seven-thirty. What am I going to do? If I say I'm going to school, he'll want to drive me there. I know!' he thought.

'After noon? Then take the chance to sleep more, Dad. Make breakfast and go back to bed,' Tsumi pretended to be enthusiastic.

'You're right. I'll sleep more. But I can take you to school today,' Ikeda said, wanting to help.

'No! No need, Dad. I'm fine on my own. But if you want, you could give me some money to buy more things for the picnic,' he said, wanting more money for his plans.

'Okay. I'll send it to you after breakfast.'

Tsumi smiled happily. 'Cheers, Dad!'

'Cheers, Dad?' Speak properly,' he reprimanded seriously.

'Ah! Sorry. I meant thank you, Dad...' he sighed with relief, thinking he would soon be free from his father's hassle.

'You need to grow up, Tsumi. You're sixteen now. You need to clean your room of those Muyami posters. Exchange the CDs for books. To be a doctor, you need to focus on your studies. I've given enough time to your teenage fanaticism,' Ikeda continued, pouring the pancake batter into the frying pan.

'Ugh... it's always the same conversation... I don't want to be a doctor,' thought Tsumi, but he was happy with his plan and decided not to argue. One day he even thought about going to college in Mekata to try to achieve his dream while studying, but his father was against it. He wanted him to go to college in their own city.

'I'll clean my room, Dad. But not today. Can it be next week?'

Ikeda raised his eyebrow in surprise. 'Next week? Promise?'

'I promise. I'll study hard; I'll get first place in college,' Tsumi lied without thinking.

Ikeda looked at Tsumi, who froze. If his plan failed, he would have to do as promised.

Great, son. You don't have to come in first, but if you do, I'll be proud of you."

"You could get me a car if I get first place," Tsumi said, waiting for the pancake which was already looking good. He was surprised to see his father smiling. Usually, the two ended up arguing.

"Choose the model," he said, placing the pancake on his son's plate, who had now become a divine being. "Want chocolate syrup?"

Tsumi nodded his head, tongue on his lips. 'Wow... Dad seems like a different person just because I said I'd do what he wanted,' he thought, surprised and frustrated at the same time. His father had never supported his true dream. He remembered the day he even tore one of his sacred posters of his idol Muyami and confiscated his guitar. He remembered his father's harsh words:

"You think music is going to take you anywhere in life? Look at you! Look at that man in that poster, don't you look like him? You're never going to be an artist like that. You don't stand a chance. Forget this story about being a singer. It's ridiculous!"

Tsumi's eyes welled up remembering that. But he held back. He had secretly taken music lessons and felt prepared to pursue his dream.

"Can it be a Ferrari?"

Ikeda laughed. "You can buy a Ferrari later with your own money. Choose something cheaper. After all, I'm paying for your studies."

"Okay, I'll choose a normal car."

Tsumi endured breakfast with his father, listening to all the plans he had already made for his future in medicine. Tsumi offered to wash the dishes and hurried his father back to sleep. However, to Tsumi's bad luck, his father settled on the living room sofa, which had a view of the exit. He couldn't leave through the front door and risk being caught with a travel backpack and no school supplies so early. Tsumi went up to his room, still frustrated.

"It's cold and the fog is thick, Mumuru," Tsumi said to his giant bear that sat on his bed. He opened the window. He could barely see the roof, which became his new escape route. The plan was simple, but his father almost ruined everything. However, he didn't want to postpone his plans any longer. He had already bought the train ticket to Mekata.

A look at his phone made him anxious.

'It's already six-thirty in the morning, so I have to hurry because the train leaves at exactly seven-thirty!' He put on his coat and shoes in a rush.

"Goodbye, Mumuru," he kissed the face of his fluffy stuffed friend, feeling grateful for his company on difficult days. He remembered the day he found him in the trash, washed him, and fixed one of his eyes. He named him Mumuru, a nickname for his beloved idol Muyami. Who could have thrown away that cute teddy bear? 'He was abandoned and now will be left again,' he thought, sighing and putting his backpack on his back. 'But one day I plan to come back and rescue him again. Don't worry, Mumuru.'

He climbed onto the windowsill and took one last look back. He saw his collection of Muyami CDs and DVDs on top of the dresser. He felt sad remembering the fight with his father that culminated in the torn poster which was now mended and pasted on the wall. 'It was a limited edition poster,' he thought, annoyed. But he didn't have the heart to get rid of the poster. Muyami looked especially beautiful in it. For a moment he remembered again what his father had said.

"You will never be a mega-star like Muyami; you don't even have the looks to be an idol." 'I guess my dad meant I'm ugly,' he thought.

But who could be considered handsome next to Muyami? The singer was indeed beautiful. But Tsumi believed the best thing about Muyami was his music, which he loved. He believed he also had talent like him, and that would be enough. After all, the beauty of youth eventually fades, and what will remain is Muyami's music—that has value. He reflected, feeling all his willpower inject spirit and courage into his journey for a singing career.

Tsumi put his backpack on and moved from the window to the roof. The fog prevented him from seeing the ground. The humidity made the tiles slippery. He walked carefully to the edge of the roof.

'If I fall, my escape is over,' he thought, losing his balance before grabbing the majestic branch of the tree that conveniently stood in front of his window. Scared but determined, he climbed the branch and went down. He reached the ground with a sigh of relief, rubbing his hands to clean off the dirt from the branches.

That moment could be compared to the "Levare," an upward movement made by the conductor's hands as a signal for the musicians to prepare to start the music. Tsumi made his "Levare," indicating that the music of his life was about to begin. Now he was the conductor of his dream, dictating its rhythm and dynamics. He headed towards the train station, and his silhouette disappeared into the street fog.

Note: Mekata is a fictional, heart-shaped country in Asia, located in the Primorsky Krai region. The main city is also called Mekata.