The day passed by quickly and before I knew it, it was already 5:10 p.m. As usual, I took my sweet time cruising the corridors on my way to the library. Meetings don’t usually start on time, anyways. When I reached my destination, I saw the guild congregated in one of the benches. There weren’t many people left after the seniors from last year graduated – we were probably around 10 students that remained.

When I arrived, they didn’t acknowledge my presence since they were talking about an alternative plan, from what I’ve gathered. If anything, the atmosphere was not relaxed at all.

“What’s up? You all act as if we’ve got nothing prepared for the show later,” I began chuckling. They all turned to me with similar expressions on their faces. My gaze landed on Seohyun whose brown eyes spoke volumes.

“Oh…”

“Henry was taken to the hospital 30 minutes ago. He couldn’t tolerate his stomach pain any longer so Mr. Eric accompanied him. They’re suspecting appendicitis,” one of the members explained. Mr. Eric was the guild’s faculty adviser.

“So what’s the plan now?”

“Well, if there’s any addition of new members, we were hoping they’d be interested in being part of the theater band,” Seohyun clarified. It all made sense now.

You see, Henry’s kind of like our Mozart – the dude’s a jack-of-all-trades when it came to music. He could play a lot of instruments although his specialty is the violin. Out of the 10 remaining members, only Jun and him were associated with the theater band. This Org Fair was crucial so that the guild could recruit more members in the theater band.

I know what you’re thinking. Why not ask the people from the Music Department for help? Well, they’re all busy with their own requirements. Yesung and Ryeowook attested to that. Surely none of them wanted the extra burden of helping out the theater band.

I inquired, “What did we have in mind?”

“We could still push through with the comedic skit, yes? We were supposed to have Seohyun sing a number from Les Misérables with Henry accompanying on piano. Then Henry should have performed a number to showcase his amazing skills,” Jun said. He played drums and guitar but specialized more on the former.

They said they wanted me to lend a hand, right? There was no point hiding my talent any longer. And also, I owed Seohyun an apology for behaving the way I did earlier.

“What song are we talking about in Les Misérables?” I was hoping for the only song that I could play from the musical.

“On My Own,” Jun answered. Excellent. I used to play the piece 3 years ago when I helped Ahra rehearse for a local festival. She was a huge fan of the musical. All I needed was the sheet music to refresh my memory.

“I could do the piano accompaniment. Just give me the sheet music,” I answered. The rest of the members were surprised. I wasn’t sure if it was because I volunteered or the fact that I could play piano.

“I didn’t know you played piano, Kyuhyun-ssi,” Seohyun admitted. It wasn’t a well-known fact, to be honest. Only my friends knew of my piano-playing skill. It wasn’t the first thing I would usually tell people the first time I met them mainly because it didn’t sit well with my image. Heechul said I should use it to pick up chicks. Moron.

I replied, “It’s nothing fancy, I assure you. Now can anyone please give me a copy of the sheet music before the showcase starts in what 30 minutes?”

The atmosphere suddenly changed. It wasn’t as dark as before but neither was it pleasant. I believed they were still skeptical of my ability and needed more convincing. I hoped they weren’t thinking that I had an intention of sabotaging the guild’s reputation.

When I had the copy of the piece, I quickly dialed Yesung’s number. Thankfully, he answered. “Hyung, think there are any practice rooms left in the Music Department?” I asked. I smiled at his reply.

“I guess it’s settled then. I could still play the guitar for the skit then Kyuhyun will accompany Seohyun on piano,” Jun finalized. If only they knew what other surprise I have in store.

“I could showcase my skill in Henry’s place. Trust me.”

- - - - - - - -

Within the last 30 minutes, I managed to practice the pieces I needed for the guild’s showcase. Seohyun offered to help me acquaint myself with her solo but I told her that she didn’t need to. It wasn’t the first time I’d be doing piano accompaniment for voice – sometimes, Ryeowook and Yesung would ask me to help them prepare for their performances. Sometimes being the operative word since they knew I’d ask for something in return.

I was grateful that the venue for the Org Fair Showcase was in the school’s quadrangle which was quite close to the Music Department. Otherwise, I would have looked like I took a bath from all the sweat produced by my running from place to place.

I received Jun’s text saying where the guild would be situated before the performance. When I got there, I saw them looking more nervous than usual. A small part of me wanted to believe that it was your typical performance anxiety. A greater part of me knew that it was due to the fact that they’d be performing with me, the freeloader.

I approached Seohyun who was busy staring at the crowd from behind the stage. I tapped her shoulder to grab her attention. I found it oddly cute how she let out a little squeal when she turned to face me.

“Oh Kyuhyun! You scared me,” she said, placing a hand to her chest.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to,” I replied grinning.  I could sense how tense she was on her upcoming performance with me. “How long before we get to perform?

“We have 5 minutes left.”

“Would you relax? It’s going to be fine as long as you’ve prepared for it.”

“I’m more concerned for you. You didn’t ask me to practice at least once with you. What if –“

“Listen,” I interrupted her rambling and reassured her instead. “Just follow my lead, okay? If you can’t then I’ll adjust. You just get on that stage, enjoy what you’re doing, and all else will follow.”

“Okay,” she said while letting out a sigh. Somehow, my little pep talk seemed to have eased her tension.

We were located behind the stage. I looked at the audience, no doubt majority were freshmen. Still, I estimated the amount of people who attended to be more than half the student population.

Apparently, Seohyun continued to observe me. “How come you don’t seem to be bothered by any of this?”

“I am. Inside, I’m nervous as , okay? It’s not everyday that I get to perform in front of a crowd. I’m just pretty good at playing it cool from the outside,” I smirked, earning a chuckle from her.

“Guys, get ready. We’re on in 2 minutes,” Minho, our guild’s president, announced. Everyone settled down and prepared to take their places. Seohyun didn’t participate in the skit so we stood next to each other, preparing to enter stage right when we were about to perform.

“And now, our next organization always has a surprise in store for the audience whenever they perform,” I heard Leeteuk announce. No doubt Yesung already told the rest about my “special appearance”. I hoped they wouldn’t cheer like idiots.

“Without further ado, let’s welcome the theater guild!” The crowd applauded.

- - - - - - - -  

The skit the guild prepared was a comedy on tips of how to adjust to university life. It was hilarious, especially since the seniors could definitely relate to the events – those stupid things that you did but will not admit in real life. I could even see a couple of people tearing from laughter.

In some way, I felt regret at not appreciating the guild as much as I should have. Even with the remaining members, they were able to pull this off, what more if there were more people to join? Jun was also pretty cool on guitar – I’m sure he composed the music that accompanied the skit.

Near the end of the skit, Seohyun caught my attention. “Kyuhyun-ssi?” I turned to her.

“Fighting!” she cheered softly, fist pumping. I nodded.

“Fighting!”

The skit ended with thunderous applause. I knew we should keep the momentum burning. The moment arrived when Seohyun and I entered the stage. I situated myself on stage right where the keyboard was placed while Seohyun went to the center where the mic was waiting for her. I could hear a couple of murmurs when I appeared and I could only guess what the others were thinking: ‘Cho Kyuhyun playing the piano? What a sight to behold.’

We tested the equipment while the murmuring persisted. It didn’t take me too long to realize that apart from my sudden appearance, Seohyun and I still had similar outfits. Maybe the crowd thought we were doing a couple’s performance. I scoffed at the idea.

Seohyun took a deep breath before speaking.

“Good evening everyone. My name’s Seohyun and I’ll be performing ‘On My Own’ from Les Misérables with Kyuhyun-ssi on piano,” she presented as the murmurs died down. As if she needed any introductions, even the freshmen were familiar with her. On one hand, I wasn’t thankful for the fact that she introduced me since I wanted to be invisible. On the other hand, I am thankful that she called my name formally, hoping others would get the impression that we were not a couple.

I felt Leeteuk’s presence far on my left doing a cheering gesture and I closed my eyes to acknowledge his support. It was more like a distraction than support if you asked me.

Seohyun cleared which caused my eyes to open. I faced her and she was staring back. No words were needed, save for her nod – that was my cue to begin. I inhaled deeply then started playing, creating the mood for the performance. As I began, I silently prayed to all the gods for a smooth, near perfect performance on my part. Of all things I hated when playing the piano, I despised ing the first few notes in the beginning. Thankfully, the gods answered my prayer. All that was left was for Seohyun to play her role.

Throughout her singing, I was amazed at the emotions that she showed. It was a mixture of happiness, anger, hope, and despair and she was able to express these so sincerely. I began wondering if maybe she’s experienced Eponine’s situation in real life or if she’s just pretending – either way, the message was clear: on the stage was a woman who felt defeated, accepting the harsh reality of unrequited love.

And her voice was of a different caliber. I’d be willing to listen to her singing numbers from a phonebook. I understood why the Music Department was vying for her to perform in any of their concerts. I’m quite sure that she’s had some form of vocal training in the past.

In fairness, I thought we’d have problems working together on a performance – I mean, this was our first performance together. Muscially speaking, there were instances when two or more musicians do not have chemistry when they performed on stage and then it translated to the music they created. I always thought I’d have difficulties performing with someone else compared to when I performed solo. Luckily, she wasn’t difficult to follow.

As we performed the last few bars of the piece, the hairs at the back of my neck stood up when she belted out that , ending with the bitter acceptance of rejection. All the while, I was looking at the keyboard and sheet music. When the ending neared, I diverted my gaze to Seohyun – I saw her using her hand to wipe a couple of tears that escaped her eyes. After that final note, everyone could tell that she displayed such a heartfelt performance.

Ahra mentioned that the best performances a musician could have were those that touched not just the hearts of others, but his or her own heart as well. I believed Seohyun was able to achieve just that. I had to admit, I was moved as well.

She bowed and remained in that position for a couple of seconds before receiving a standing ovation from the crowd. The volume caused her to look up and beaming with one of the most genuine smiles I’ve ever seen her wear. I saw Leeteuk clapping proudly, hollering like a barbarian. It’s a good thing he wasn’t using the mic at that time.

A couple of moments passed and she turned her attention to me. I gave her a congratulatory clap and fist pump while she mouthed a ‘thank you’ in response, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She came towards me, and then I noticed her hands were about to grasp the keyboard, ready to set it up center stage for the solo performance that I still had to do. Oh .

When it dawned on me, I carried the keyboard myself not allowing her to carry the heavy load. She stood by as I prepared the equipment. When I was seated in position, I closed my eyes, my mind playing and imagining how the music was supposed to sound. I felt her touch my forearm and turned to her.

“Fighting!” I valued how her words gave me the encouragement that I needed to perform. She exited the stage leaving me in the spotlight.

I saw my hyungs except Leeteuk gathered in the right corner nearest the stage. They all had that eager look in their eyes as if they were mothers who were excited to buy their daughter her first training bra. Not like I knew how that really felt but I only imagined.

The crowd was still whispering and replaying Seohyun’s outstanding rendition of On My Own. I had a bigger responsibility of getting their attention. The next batch of theater band members was on the line here. Without any hesitation, I started playing Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’.

Ahra used to tell me that a performer has to captivate the audience the instant he started playing until he finished. I didn’t bother to look at the audience but I heard their whispering decreased, which was probably a good sign. I was determined to maintain their attention on me at all costs.

What first interested me in the piece was how coherent the flow of the music was – it was a perfect combination of ballad, opera, and rock. I learned it during my senior year in high school through a sheet music that I bought online since I never really mastered playing by ear. In any case, it was one of those pieces that I never got tired of learning, so much that I was able to memorize it from the number of times that I practiced. Call it muscle memory if you will.

Whenever I played in front of anyone, I felt nervous during the first few minutes. Once I got used to it, the anxiety slowly dissipated as I imagined that only me and the piano existed. To be honest, whenever I played music, my main goal was to enjoy the music myself. If others enjoyed it too, then it was a bonus.

I was so focused on the piece until the end. When I stopped playing, I was brought back to reality when I heard the crowd applauding, giving me a standing ovation. The loudest, of course, were my hyungs who stood up on the chairs, cheering wildly. If Leeteuk wasn’t the MC, he probably would’ve joined in their stupidity. I won’t admit it out loud but I was grateful for their support no matter how idiotic they looked.

I grinned and bowed before leaving the stage. Leeteuk continued the Org Fair Showcase even if the crowd was once again whispering – no doubt, I just spawned a new flame of gossip.

When I reached the guild, they gave me congratulatory messages and pats on the back. I liked to think that I’ve wormed my way into becoming a trustworthy member again. Jun managed to record my performance for Henry’s future reference. I’m pretty sure he’s considering that I take part in the theater band after my presentation earlier. Oh well, I did say I enjoyed playing the piano, anyways. I wouldn’t complain if he asked me to join him and Henry.

Even though a lot of organizations presented in the showcase, I knew that we left a very good impression on the freshmen.  Otherwise, there wouldn’t be a long line of those interested on our designated booth when the showcase ended. We told them that we were going to hold auditions to filter the newcomers but that didn’t seem to dampen their determination to join. You know what they said: Only the most resilient will persist.

- - - - - - - -

The guild was able to wrap everything up by 8:30 pm. Minho informed us that Henry just underwent an appendectomy and that he would be discharged after 3 days if the doctors didn’t find any complications. A few of the members celebrated at a nearby restaurant while most decided to go home since tomorrow was still a school day. I checked the gang’s group chat to see if anyone of them had plans after the Org Fair finished. Apparently, the rest of them celebrated with their own organizations, christening the new school year with a simple get-together and planning for activities ahead. I didn’t want to celebrate with the guild seeing that I’ve rendered enough of my services to them for one day. Besides, I was the ‘New MVP’, as they jokingly called me, so I had every right to do what I pleased.

Even though I was hungry, I didn’t want to spend on food since I was saving for a game. I bid the guild farewell before heading towards my car. As I was walking, I felt my phone vibrate and checked a text message I received from Leeteuk.

=+=+=+=

From: Boss Teukie

Yah Kyu! Please make sure Seobaby arrives at her apartment. I can’t take her there since Heechul and I are celebrating with our org. Thanks maknae ^^

PS You were great earlier. Now go fetch Seobaby ^^

=+=+=+=

I scoffed. Clearly, he left no option to decline his offer. I would have rejected if it wasn’t Leeteuk asking or if Seohyun wasn’t involved. I began texting him to ask for Seohyun’s number when I spotted her a few meters away leaving school on her own. I jogged to catch up to her and called out, “Yah! Seo Joohyun!”

“Oh, Kyuhyun-ssi. Good evening. What brings you here?”

“Are you on your way home?”

“I am. It’s just a 20-minute walk from here.”

“You’re coming with me. I’ll take you there,” I said while grabbing her wrist, dragging her to my car. A small part of my mind marveled at how soft the skin of her wrist felt.

She declined, “Y-you don’t have to. It’s really not that far.”

“Leeteuk-hyung asked me to take you home and will kill me if I don’t. Besides, ANYTHING can happen in the dark, y’know?” I tried persuading her, emphasizing the word anything. We kept walking until reaching my car.

“But he didn’t – Oh there it is,” she giggled softly as she reached for her phone, seeing her over protective cousin’s text. Only then did I release my grip and went to the driver’s side. I opened the doors and signaled for her to go inside. I smirked as I saw her treat my car as if it was the most fragile thing she ever handled.

“You have a really nice car, Kyuhyun-ssi,” she complimented while putting on her seatbelt. I wore mine before starting the engine, heading for her apartment.

“Yeah, I get that a lot, thanks,” I replied smugly. I can’t help being cocky especially if it was the truth. I was lucky that she was the kind of person who rode with my arrogance rather than be turned off by it.

She gave directions to her apartment and true to her word, it didn’t take 5 minutes to get there by car. When I stopped in front of the building, I decided to apologize to her before she left.

“Listen,” I began. “I’m sorry for how I acted during lunch. It’s just… just –“I tried putting my feelings into words but then she seemed to understand.

“Forget about it. I did. You should, too.”

I was trying to process her words. It was at times like this when I felt that Seohyun’s maturity wasn’t suffocating. If everyone acted a little bit like Seohyun, the world would be a better place to live in.

She opened the car door and hesitated before moving. Unexpectedly, she gave me the quickest of hugs that I wasn’t able to reciprocate. In those few seconds, I became hyperaware of things I wouldn’t normally observe – like my breathing, or my heart beat, or her softness, or the smell of her hair, or –

“Thanks for today, Kyuhyun-ssi,” she interrupted my train of thought. I was thankful for that, else I’ll look like a staring idiot.

“I was really proud of you when you volunteered to help with the guild and play the piano. I hope you do it more often.” How come she knew the right words to say to me?

“A-anytime,” I replied. , now I lost my composure.

She smiled, “I’ll see you around school.” She left the car and waved goodbye before closing the door. I waited for her to enter the apartment building. When she was out of sight, I took a couple of moments to gather my thoughts before heading home.

I knew I should banish these thoughts, these feelings before they grew deeper. Seohyun didn’t know what she was doing to me. She was not to be seen as anything other than Leeteuk’s cousin.

I exhaled longer than necessary, mentally bracing myself for the week ahead.

0000000000

A/N: I’m sorry it took too long to update. I had exams for the last couple of weeks since the semester is ending. I can’t believe I only have one more semester to go before clerkship starts, supposing I pass every subject lol. Anyways, I’m on break now so yay \m/

If anyone was interested, the videos I had in mind for ‘On My Own’ and ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ are linked below. I do not own the videos. I am a mere viewer who enjoys watching these from time to time.

On My Own: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjfmP7h3gBw

Bohemian Rhapsody: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rptV6K7nqu0

I hope you guys enjoy :)