The scene opens with a splash of water in the air. It's the day before the mid-term exams, and the students are gathered in the lobby of the school's performance hall, where they'll practice for the exam that's to come up the following week. The students are all eager to hear the news of the upcoming exam, which will determine whether or not they will be admitted to the university. The piano player, who is the top student in the class, tells the students that he's already the best, but that he still has a long way to go before he can catch up to the top pianist. He tells them that they're wasting their time trying to catch up when they should be focusing on the exam. He says he'd be happy to play the piano if he were half as talented as them, and that he wishes he could be as good as them. He asks the students why they don't give up, and they respond that it's because they love the piano so much that they want to give it up. He reminds them that their love for the piano is like a "long-awaited candy box" that they can't open until they have it.