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Jeong Jinsol is someone who you’ll deem a music prodigy. She could play any musical instrument that she chances upon and the one musical instrument that she’s more well-known amongst her peers is the piano. Her parents uncovered their daughter’s hidden talent for the piano when they brought Jinsol to an orchestra held by one of their close friends. 

They were given the chance to meet up with the orchestra composer and Jinsol got to see a grand piano for the first time in her life. The five-year-old Jinsol walks carefully to the grand piano and reaches out hesitantly towards the keyboard. She’s awed by the beauty of the piano and how majestic it looked. Before she can press on one of the keys on the keyboard, she feels herself getting lifted up by the orchestra composer and placed gingerly on the stool.

“Go ahead and play the piano if you wish, who knows you might discover something new about yourself.” Jinsol hears what the orchestra composer says with a smile on his face. The composer ruffles Jinsol’s hair before stepping away to watch the young girl play the piano.

Her hands reach out to the keyboard again, her fingers outstretched as she presses on the first key of the keyboard. Her eyes widen when she hears the soft sound coming from the piano. Suddenly, it’s like her body has a mind of its own, she starts playing a simple piece that her kindergarten teacher has taught her randomly before her parents came to fetch her from school. Jinsol feels like she’s on cloud nine when she plays the piano. 

That sight of Jinsol catches everyone off guard but not the composer. The smile on his face grew bigger when he could see a new star shining brightly in front of him. Jinsol has a lot of potential in her to become a great pianist and her parents need to help her grow them. He turns to Jinsol’s parents and starts convincing them to get Jinsol enrolled in a piano class to hone Jinsol’s skills. To which her parents did. Since then, her parents poured every money that they could fork out to help Jinsol groom her musical side and it proved to work out when Jinsol wins at numerous piano competitions. 

Whenever Jinsol wins a piano competition, she feels her passion getting fueled with more oil and its burning brightly inside of her. Jinsol finds herself enrolling in the most prestigious music school in the world to help her better improve herself. Before she even steps into the school, her name has become such a hot topic amongst the students and teachers in the school. A child piano prodigy is enrolling into their school. 

Many students in the school look up to her and see her as their inspiration to be a great pianist. She becomes even more well-known in school when she constantly brings back trophies and medals after dominating every piano competition that her school signs her up for.

She was Jeong Jinsol.

That aspiring pianist that many used to look up to as an inspiration. 

However, when something burns too passionately it will burn out immediately. That is what happened to Jinsol. She’s like a candle, she burns so bright that she eventually melts away and her flame disappears. To add salt to her wounds, her mother passed on from an unknown illness and it caused her father to hate music suddenly. She watched her father sell her piano away to pay for their debts and was forbidden to play the piano at home.

That forced Jinsol to build walls around herself to protect herself and keep the love and passion that she once had for piano deep inside of her. She completely stopped playing the piano at home and only played the piano when it’s during a piano examination. Jinsol also started to shun people away and she slowly slipped out of the limelight. She often finds herself hiding in the darkest corner of the school’s empty musical hall, staring at the grand piano sitting in the middle of the stage. 

Jinsol stares at the grand piano right in front of her before looking down to stare at her hands. This pair of hands often itches whenever she stands near a piano. However, they now no longer itch. Her feet that would often bring her to a piano stool, now remain rooted to the ground. Her eyes sparkled when she saw a piano, now no longer sparkle. The stars in her eyes have died, along with her desire to play the piano. She lets out a sigh as she hangs her head low, she wants to do something about it but her body just won’t budge. 

“Are you going to stand there like a mannequin and not do anything?” a loud yell catches her attention. 

Jinsol turns her head back and sees a small figure standing at the entrance of the music hall. A frown forms on her face. She wonders how the person managed to get in when she locked the door from the inside. She keeps quiet as she watches the figure walk towards her, she jumps a little when the door slams shut loudly in the empty musical hall. 

“You’ve been standing there for a while!” 

“Why don’t you play the piano?” the person asks. 

Jinsol’s brows furrowed when she notices a big wine bottle in the person’s hands. The person is stumbling towards her, their hands holding onto the seat to keep themselves from falling over. How does the school allow such a drunkard into the premises? Furthermore, it’s past bedtime and nobody should be allowed in the musical hall. 

“You sneaked your way here and you chose not to do anything?” the person lets out a scoff as they stop in front of the stage. They tilt their head back to catch a good look at Jinsol but quickly look away with the bright light shining into their eyes. 

“AHHHH!” the drunkard screams as they cover their eyes, “turn off those lights! My eyes are burning!”

“What are you? A vampire?” Jinsol asks with a loud scoff as she goes to turn off all the lights, except the one that is shining onto the piano. 

“YES!”

“Weirdo,” Jinsol mumbles under her breath as she walks out from behind and sees the drunkard on the stage. Their limbs sprawled out on the stage as they closed their eyes to rest. Upon closer look, Jinsol can see that the drunkard is a woman. One that doesn’t look too far off her age, maybe a year or two older than her. She walks away and takes a seat a few distances away from the drunkard who is mumbling to herself on the ground.

“Why didn’t you go and play the piano?” 

“Huh?” Jinsol frowns as she looks up at the drunkard who is now sitting on the ground. 

“I said, why didn’t you go and play the piano?” the drunkard asked as she tilted her head to the side to look at Jinsol. Her vision is a little blurry from all the drinking she has had since morning. 

“I didn’t want to,” Jinsol answered shortly.

“Why not?” 

“It doesn’t concern you,” Jinsol answers rudely and it makes the drunkard let out a loud scoff.

“So rude to your elders,” the drunkard comments and starts shaking her head while clicking her tongue against the roof of , “but I don’t mind.”

“Why are you here?” Jinsol asks, this time it’s her turn to interrogate the drunkard. 

“Because this is my home!” the drunkard yells as she holds up her bottle of wine before bringing it to her lips and down the rest of the content. Jinsol rolls her eyes at the drunkard and turns to stare at the piano not far from her, the people in charge of taking care of this hall haven't moved the piano back backstage after a piano recital that was held two weeks ago. 

“My ex-girlfriend used to love this place,” the drunkard says suddenly, her voice coming out in a soft whisper. 

“Because I used to own this stage,” the drunkard chuckles out sadly as she places her bottle of wine on the floor next to her.

“But I messed up...I fell from grace and she left me,” the drunkard sighs as she struggles to stand up on her feet, “now I’m just someone...someone whom everyone would point their finger and laugh at.”

“What did you do?” Jinsol asks curiously, completely forgetting about being sensitive towards the drunkard’s feelings. 

“I...kicked up a big tantrum for this orchestra because I was replaced by someone who was not as good as me without a reason! I punched the orchestra conductor and decided to hold my own simple orchestra but it didn’t garner any viewers...the media portrayed me as a fool...the tabloids never left my shadows...every day I get news articles of how much of a fool I am and my reputation dropped.”

“You kinda deserved it…” Jinsol whispers under her breath. 

“I...the new composer didn’t even bring out the fullest potential of the orchestra!” the drunkard yells as she punches the air, “but I was so easily replaced...where did I go wrong?”

Jinsol sighs internally as she watches the drunkard hops off the stage and slump into a random seat. She could see the drunkard wearing a sad expression as she stares at the stage with hope in her eyes, hoping one day she can help compose another set of music for another orchestra. She relates to the drunkard. However, there’s no more passion and hope left in her. 

“I told you my story,” the drunkard said, “now tell me yours.”

“I have no reasons to,” Jinsol says quickly as she rises to her feet, wanting to leave. 

“You have,” the drunkard says without looking at Jinsol, which makes Jinsol stop in her tracks, “you’re Jung Jinsol. The piano prodigy that everyone idolizes but now you’re at the bottom.” 

“What happened?” 

“Like I said nothing has hap-”

“You’re lying to yourself,” the drunkard interrupts as she stands up from her seat, still not looking at Jinsol, “I know something has happened and it’s bothering you a lot.”

“You tell yourself to not feel bothered by it and that you’re okay but,” the drunkard pauses as she turns to look at Jinsol, “but you are not and I know you still want to rekindle something for the piano inside of you.”

“Don’t run away,” the drunkard says as she grabs her empty bottle of wine, “Go back and play the piano, you belong there.”

“But what if I don’t make it far?” Jinsol asks out quietly.

“Don’t think too far Ms. Jeong,” the drunkard chuckles out as she walks away, “You haven’t tried it yet so why are you scared of failing?”

“My father doesn’t want me to continue this career path,” Jinsol says loudly when she sees the drunkard walking further and further away from her.

“Then prove it to him! Let him see that being a pianist can make you a successful person and don’t ever become someone like me,” the drunkard says as she waves her hand goodbye in the air. 

“I wish you all the best Ms. Jeong! May fate bring us together again!”

Jinsol watched the drunkard walk out of the music hall and shut the door behind her, leaving her alone in the quiet musical hall. She turns back to look at the piano, wondering if she should go and play a song. 

No, I cannot play the piano. I mustn't. 

Jinsol balls her hand up into a fist by her side and turns to switch off all the lights before rushing to leave the musical hall. She leaves so hurriedly that she fails to see a familiar violinist walking out of the other musical hall and bumps into the girl. A loud yelp escapes the violinist’s mouth and Jinsol quickly reaches over to pull the violinist into her arms. The two of them fall onto the cold hard marble floor of the school’s building. Jinsol winces in pain when her head hits the ground. She feels a heavyweight get lifted off her chest and opens her eyes to see Jung eun standing over her with a concerned look on her face. 

“Oh my god!” Jung eun gasps out and holds a hand out for Jinsol, “are you okay? Did you hit your head too hard against the floor?”

“Urgh, no I didn’t thankfully.” Jung eun hears Jinsol groan out before helping the girl up to stand on her two feet. 

“Why are you still here at such a late time?” Jung eun asks as she watches Jinsol dust away the dust on her clothes before putting a hand on the back of her head to soothe the pain.

“I want to ask the same to you too,” Jinsol says. Jung eun lets out a soft scoff at that and shakes her head at Jinsol. 

“Always avoiding my questions,” Jung eun comments and it earns her a grin from Jinsol.

“It’s been a while since I last saw you, how have you been?” 

Jinsol’s body stiffened at that question, she didn't know how to answer the girl. Jung eun looked at Jinsol expectantly but got silence from the other girl as her answer. She sighs internally before reaching a hand over to give Jinsol’s shoulders a light squeeze. She doesn’t know what has happened to Jinsol but she has heard of the gradual change of Jinsol’s behavior. She’s very concerned for the girl but she doesn’t get the chance to talk to Jinsol because the girl manages to slip out of her grasp before she gets to talk to her. 

“Do you want to go get something to drink? Hopefully, it helps lighten up your mood?” Jung eun suggests suddenly with a grin on her face. 

“You know what Jung eun?” Jinsol starts as she turns to Jung eun with a smile on her face, “that’s a very good idea.”

“I know you’ll love this idea,” Jung eun chuckles as she wraps an arm around Jinsol’s shoulder. She feels Jinsol stiffen in her arms and wants to pull away when the girl relaxes and leans closer to her. She could feel her heart racing at that, she tries to ignore her racing heart rate and walks with Jinsol out of the school campus.

“Beer is on me! We can drink at my place,” Jung eun cheers excitedly and it cracks Jinsol up. She turns to Jinsol and the smile on her face grows bigger when she sees how happy Jinsol looks. It must be a while since Jinsol has a smile like that. For a moment she could see something sparkle in her eyes but it died as fast as she saw them. One day, Jung eun tells herself. She’ll bring the sparkles back into Jinsol’s eyes. 

-

The sun rises from its slumber and the sunlight creeps through the gaps of Jung eun’s curtains to warm up Jung eun’s room. Jinsol stirs in Jung eun’s bed and she snuggles closer to Jung eun’s body when the girl wraps her arms around her body. Her eyes flutter and see Jung eun hugging her in her sleep. Her eyes widen at that and slowly wiggle out Jung eun’s arms. She looks down and heaves out a relieved sigh when she sees herself still in the clothes that she was wearing yesterday. 

She walks out of the girl’s room and sees the mess on the floor. The two of them bought some cans of beer at the convenience store located not far from Jung eun’s dorm. They had a session of catching up, mainly from Jung eun because Jinsol wants to know how the girl is doing. They used to be in the same major until Jung eun decided to change to majoring in violin. They were rivals, often going up against each other during recitals and competitions but Jinsol always won. Jinsol thought it would push Jung eun away from her and make her hate her but Jung eun doesn’t do any of that. Unknown to her, it makes Jung eun feel more drawn towards her. Jung eun would often drop by Jinsol’s piano room and bring the girl late-night snacks as she accompanies the girl till she finishes practicing. If time permits, Jung eun would often walk Jinsol back to the girl’s dorm before heading back to hers which is located a block away from Jinsol’s dorm.

Jinsol would wonder why the girl does all of this but she doesn’t question Jung eun. She took Jung eun’s presence and companion for granted. When Jung eun changed majors, she felt like something was missing in her life and it played a small role in why her passion for piano has slowly died in her. She’s proud of Jung eun for the achievements she has from being a violinist. Although she doesn’t let Jung eun know, she would often attend Jung eun’s competitions and performances. She’ll stand at the back and watch from afar, she watches Jung eun shine brightly like a star. Jung eun could have shined as bright as her if she wasn’t constantly robbing it from the girl. Jung eun was hiding in her shadows until the girl steps out of it. 

A soft sigh escapes as she picks up the empty can of beers. Dumping all of them into the rubbish bin, Jinsol cleared the rubbish and wiped down Jung eun’s floor. Once she’s done with all of that, she decides to look through Jung eun’s kitchen to see if there’s anything for her to whip up a good meal. It’s been a while since she last cooked something for herself, she has been surviving on cup noodles to get through the day. She raises her eyebrow when she sees the fridge packed with a lot of food. Jung eun must have done her weekly groceries shopping recently. Jinsol pulls out the ingredients she needs to cook up a simple Chinese-style breakfast that can help cure Jung eun’s hangover. Jung eun drank more than she did last night and was the first one to pass out. 

Jung eun is awakened by the delicious smell of the freshly cooked breakfast from the kitchen. The smell drifts into Jung eun’s bedroom and into the girl’s nostrils which jolts her awake. Jung eun quickly freshens herself up before she steps out of her room and into the dining room. She sees Jinsol bringing out a big bowl of soup before looking down at the small spread of food in front of her.

“You cooked all of this for me?!” Jung eun gasps out when she sees a plate of her favorite sweet-sour pork and the sauce at the side. 

“It’s not much,” Jinsol says shyly when Jung eun gives her a quick peck on the cheeks, “it’s the least I could do when you offered to cheer me up.”

“Sollie,” Jung eun calls out and Jinsol looks at her. It’s been a while since she last heard Jung eun calling her by the nickname she had given Jinsol. 

“You look like you needed it and I barely did anything much,” Jung eun says softly as she reaches a hand out to cup Jinsol’s face. 

“It means a lot to me,” Jinsol gives Jung eun a weak smile and pulls Jung eun’s hand away from her face. She remains to hold Jung eun’s hand for a brief moment before she pulls away and takes a seat opposite Jung eun. The two of them start having their breakfast quietly. Jung eun would sneak a few glances of Jinsol to make sure the girl is eating well. She’ll smile to herself when she sees Jinsol taking big bites of her food. 

After a hearty breakfast, Jung eun goes to take a walk with Jinsol. She seized the chance to spend more time with Jinsol by offering to walk the girl back to her dorm. The two of them savor each other’s company as they cut through the school’s park to get to Jinsol’s dorm at the other side of the school dormitories. 

“Why don’t you play the piano anymore?” Jung eun asks suddenly and it makes Jinsol turn to look at her.

“I don’t feel like it anymore,” Jinsol replies quietly as she goes to take a seat at a random bench in the park. She tilts her head back and looks up at the clear blue sky on top of her. She squints her eyes slightly at the bright sun shining onto her face.

“Why not? You used to be so passionate about it...something must have happened when I wasn’t around…what happened?” Jung eun asks softly as she reaches over to hold Jinsol’s hand. Jinsol looks down at their hands and realizes how such a simple gesture from Jung eun brings her so much comfort. 

“A lot of things Jungie...I just don’t know what to do…” Jinsol trails off, “I’ve burned too bright for my own good...I’m so burnt out.”

“Sollie,” Jung eun sighs out as she pulls Jinsol into her hug, “I’m here if you need me...you can always tell me what’s going on. If you’re not ready to tell me, I’ll always be here waiting and I’m willing to help you.”

“Why Jungie?” Jinsol asks with a shaky voice.

“You’ll know why when it’s time Sollie,” Jung eun gives her a small smile as she ruffles Jinsol’s hair, “I don’t have to say it, you’ll know when the time comes.”

“For now…let’s focus on you,” Jung eun says with a determined look on her face, “I want to bring back my long-time rival Jinsol!” 

“And when we do, maybe we can have a duo performance together! I can be your accompianet.”

That makes Jinsol smile and she nods her head, she returns the hug tightly. Jung eun lets out a chuckle at Jinsol, she’s glad that she can be of help for Jinsol. She wonders how long Jinsol has been bottling everything inside of her. Must be god awfully long for Jinsol to behave in such a manner. 

“Oh! I don’t know if you know, our school is going to hold an orchestra for the public to watch!” Jung eun beams as she shares the latest school news she has heard from her peers. 

“There will be a new orchestra conductor and composer coming to help us! I’ll be auditioning for it to get a place in the orchestra,” Jung eun says as she pulls back to look at Jinsol, “I’m wondering if you’ll like to join me.”

“I don’t know…” Jinsol whispers out and Jung eun tries to fight back the disappointment from showing on her face.

“Well, that’s okay! I hope you’ll have a change of heart,” Jung eun smiles again and Jinsol nods her head. 

“Let’s get going, I don’t want you to head back to your dorms super late.” Jung eun nods her head and wants to stand up when she sees Jinsol holding out a hand for her. She gives the girl a smile before taking Jinsol’s hand as they start walking out of the school’s park. Jung eun looks down at their hands and notices that Jinsol’s hold around her isn’t tight. She takes in a deep breath and holds Jinsol’s hand, she interlocks their fingers together. Jinsol straightens herself up in surprise but she doesn’t let go of Jung eun. Instead, she savors this moment with Jung eun. 

-

A week has gone by, the audition for the school’s orchestra has started. Jinsol looks down at her phone and sees Jung eun sending her a few text messages. She looks through them and replies to Jung eun’s messages. She’s so engrossed in her phone that she fails to see someone in front of her. Jinsol bumps into someone and their head knocks against each other. A yelp escapes the person’s mouth and Jinsol quickly bows her head to apologize. The person has their head down which makes it difficult for Jinsol to see their face.

“I’m so sorry!” Jinsol apologizes as she tries to catch a glimpse of the person’s face.

“It’s fine, I wasn’t looking too.” Jinsol wears a thin-lip smile on her face when she hears that. The person looks up and their eyes widen when they recognize each other.

“Drunkard?!” Jinsol gasps out.

“Jeong Jinsol?!” The drunkard gasps with a horrified look on her face.

“Why are you here?” Jinsol asks quickly, “are you even allowed here?”

“Okay Uhm...first of all,” the drunkard starts with a forced smile on her face, “I’m not called a drunkard. I’m Ha Sooyoung, that sad orchestra composer you met that day.”

“Second of all, I’m here because I’m with my mentor. We will be overseeing your school’s coming orchestra.”

“WHAT?!” Jinsol says loudly and it gets unwanted attention from the students surrounding them. She quickly apologizes and hides her face, which makes the students give the two of them a weird look before walking away. Murmurings and whispering could be heard, which makes Jinsol feel sick in the guts. 

“You should be used to it already Ms. Jeong,” Sooyoung snickers when she sees Jinsol hiding her face using her hands, “why are you behaving like this?”

“Shut up!” Jinsol hisses as she pulls her hands away from her face, “you don’t understand!”

“I very much do Hunny,” Sooyoung sighs out as she crosses her arms together in front of her chest.

“Where are you going?” Sooyoung asks Jinsol when she sees the girl carrying a bag on her back.

“School?” Jinsol answers with a small frown on her face.

“Not the musical halls?” Sooyoung asks with a smirk on her face and that earns a glare from Jinsol.

“We do not talk about that!” Jinsol growls out slowly under her breath, “I will slap duct tape over your mouth if you tell anyone about it!” 

“Mm, whatever you say.”

“Yes, back to our conversation just now, I will be composing some music for the orchestra which my mentor would choose. To do that, I would need to know who are the students involved in the orchestra so that I can see their strengths and compose some music that can bring out their fullest potential,” Sooyoung explains as she grabs Jinsol’s bag and tugs it forward so the girl can start walking with her. 

“I’m here today to oversee the audition that will be held for the next three days,” Sooyoung says and lets go of Jinsol after pushing the girl forward so Jinsol is in front of her. 

 

“And I want to see you there when it’s time for the pianist to audition,” Sooyoung finishes and Jinsol’s jaws drop. 

“You can’t do that!” Jinsol argues, “You know very well I don’t want to touch the piano again!”

“You’re lying again,” Sooyoung says as she walks away from the girl. 

Jinsol frowns. She reaches forward to grab Sooyoung’s wrist to stop the girl from walking away from her, “I’ll tell the school that you’re not fit to be an orchestra composer! You cannot just force a student into doing something that they are unwilling to do!”

“I’m one of the best orchestra composers here,” Sooyoung seethes, “I’ve just made some stupid mistakes and I would not let that stop me from climbing back up to take back what I have lost!”

“I have every right to get your name onto that audition list,” Sooyoung adds on as she pulls Jinsol’s hand off her wrist roughly, “I call the shots here not you.”

“You’ll just be wasting your time Ms. Ha,” Jinsol sighs out as she runs her fingers through her brown locks, “I’m not as capable as last time.”

“I’m...I’m just a burnt-out pianist who is unsure whether this is the career path that she wants to take. My father doesn’t even approve of me continuing this,” Jinsol chokes out as she squats down in the middle of the walkway that leads to the school’s main building. 

“Jinsol…” Sooyoung sighs out as she squats down in front of the girl, “You’re a star...you’re meant to shine...even if it burns you out that much...you still got to try to not let it overwhelm you. Whatever is going on around you, you can’t control it. However, you can always control whatever goes on inside of you.”

“Think about it, I’ll still put your name in the list but you can choose whether to turn up for it or not. Stand up and go to class. I’ve held you back enough,” Sooyoung says as she stands up and ruffles Jinsol’s hair. She gives Jinsol a soft squeeze on the shoulder before walking past the girl to head to the school’s musical hall. Jinsol turns back and watches Sooyoung walk away from her, leaving her behind deep in her thoughts. 

“...what should I do?” Jinsol groans to herself as she rubs her face using both her hands. She heaves out a sigh and starts walking to class. She’s already twenty minutes late for it, she’s not going to bother running into class since whatever that will be taught today she has already learned during her self-study session. 

-

A day has gone by, most of the people on the audition list have auditioned except for Jinsol and a few others. Jinsol has been dreading going to the music hall because of it, she doesn’t want to feel the pressure to do exceptionally well and steal the spot from someone more deserving of it than her. However, she finds herself standing on the stage again. The same grand piano from a week ago still sits in the middle of the stage. A sigh escapes as she wonders what she should do. She’s playing mind games with herself at this point in time. Jinsol wants to give it another try. She wants to play the piano again but her mind and body just forbid her from doing it. Every time she tries, she feels like throwing up. 

Just as she wants to turn and walk away, the musical hall doors open and reveal an out-of-breath Jung eun. She frowns as she jumps down from the stage and walks towards Jung eun who is panting heavily. Jinsol quickens up her pace so she can get to the girl and help the girl to sit down to catch her breath. Jung eun takes Jinsol’s hands that are outstretched for her and takes a seat on one of the chairs by her side. She takes a deep breath and tries to regulate her breathing so she can talk to Jinsol properly. 

“Breathe Jungie,” Jinsol whispers out as she helps the girl to regulate her breathing, she has no idea why Jung eun is out of breath. 

“I knew you would be here,” Jung eun said after a while, “I came to look for you.”

“Why?”

“The audition...I saw your name on the list...I didn’t know you wanted to join,” Jung eun says with a big smile on her face.

“You should have told me, we could have gone together!” Jung eun adds on as she squeezes Jinsol’s hands in hers. Jinsol’s heart drops at that, she doesn’t know how to tell the girl that she doesn’t want to go at all. Her name was put on the list by Sooyoung and not her. 

“You’re always full of surprises you know,” Jung eun chuckles as she lets go of Jinsol and turns to look at the grand piano on the stage.

“Do you have a song in mind? One that can charm the judges during your audition?” Jung eun asks as she stands up and starts walking towards the stage. She doesn’t look back to see whether Jinsol is following her. Jinsol watches Jung eun walk away from her and she puts a hand over her chest when she feels it aching. 

“I don’t know,” Jinsol says quietly, loud enough for Jung eun to hear. Jung eun stops in her tracks and turns to look at Jinsol with a small smile on her face. She turns her feet around and starts walking towards Jinsol. She could see so much hesitant plaster all over Jinsol’s face, it made her heart shatter. 

“Let’s play that song that you had worked on before I changed to the violin. How does that sound?” Jung eun suggests, hoping getting Jinsol to play something that she has worked hard on would help pull Jinsol out of her shell. It also has been a while since she has last played this piece with Jinsol. They wrote it during one of the days when they were practicing for a competition. Jinsol has nothing to work on and Jung eun suggests that she should compose something for herself. 

“I don’t think I can do it Jungie,” Jinsol chuckles as she starts pressing on random keys of the piano. Jung eun raises an eyebrow at that. She stands up from her stool and walks towards Jinsol with her chin up high. 

“You look like a thug,” Jinsol laughs out when she sees Jung eun cross her arms together in front of her chest and starts tapping on the ground using her feet. 

“I just want you to feel threatened!” Jung eun says with a low rough voice. Jinsol wears an amused look on her face before she stands up and cups Jung eun’s face using both her hands. She starts making baby noises and smooches sound which makes Jung eun swat her hands away with a disgusted look on her face. 

“That’s so disgusting sol,” Jung eun gags out and Jinsol laughs out loud while pointing her finger at her. Jung eun rolls her eyes and lets the girl laugh at her until she stops. 

“Man,” Jinsol chuckles out as she wipes away the tears that have escaped her eyes, “you got me laughing real good today.”

“Now that I have made you laugh, does it make you feel better and relaxed?” 

“Definitely,” Jinsol replies with a big grin on her face as she goes back to take a seat on her stool, “but it doesn’t really help with figuring out what to do to kill time!”

“As I said, you can always compose something and who knows you might use it for the coming competition. You’ll never know Jinsol, you’re always full of surprises so surprise me!” Jung eun beams as she skips towards Jinsol and gives the girl a quick peck on the cheeks before turning to leave the piano room.

“Where are you going?” Jinsol asks when she sees Jung eun skipping away happily.

“Getting us your favorite snack!”

Jinsol lets out a snort and shakes her head at that. She turns to look at her piano and press on one of the black keys. She tilts her head to the side and places her other hand on the piano. She starts playing around with the notes before she comes to a melody that she likes. Jinsol quickly reached for her bag to get a paper and a pen to jot down the notes. She places the pen and paper on the music desk before going back to the piano and finding how to piece everything up to make it sound good. 

Jung eun walks back to the piano room with snacks in her hands. She opens the door quietly and leans against the door frame as she watches Jinsol get lost in her own world. Her eyes watch those delicate and dainty hands glide down each key of the piano. The relaxed and slouched posture of Jinsol tells Jung eun that the girl is really feeling the emotions of the song that she’s playing. A proud smile forms on her face as she walks into the piano room when Jinsol stops playing.

“You’re really a child prodigy,” Jung eun compliments as she claps her hands together.

Jinsol turns to her shyly and scratches the back of her neck, “I’m not…”

“There you go again!” Jung eun frowns as she passes Jinsol her favorite drink and snacks, “humbling yourself again!”

“What is this piece about?” Jung eun asks, her hands reaching out wanting to take the paper to see when Jinsol hides it behind her back. 

“It’s nothing!” Jinsol squeals out as she holds a hand out to push Jung eun back. Jung eun frowns and wants to reach for the paper when she loses balance and falls on top of JInsol. Jinsol falls off her stool and lands on the ground with Jung eun on top of her. Jung eun’s eyes widen when she sees Jinsol under her. She wants to stand up when she feels a pair of arms around her.

“Are you okay?” Jinsol asks with a pained look on her face, she hits her head hard against the floor.

“Yeah,” Jung eun scrambles to her feet and helps Jinsol up, “what about you?”

“I’m fine,” Jinsol chuckles out as she stands up, “I’ll let you know what this piece is about when I’m done.”

“Promise?” Jung eun says and holds up her pinky for Jinsol.

“Pinky promise,” Jinsol smiles as she hooks her pinky around Jung eun’s one. Their thumbs meet to seal the promise. An act that brings butterflies to Jung eun’s stomach and an act that makes Jinsol’s heart race.

“I didn’t hear that work of yours after that day, I hope it’s finished!” Jung eun says softly as she holds Jinsol’s hands in hers, she runs her thumb over the girl’s knuckles. Jinsol’s heart stops at that, she remembers why she composed that song. She composed that for Jung eun because she thinks Jung eun will like it and she’ll never play it to anyone else but the girl. They made a promise ages ago but with what has happened around Jinsol, it slipped out of her mind and she never touched it again.

“It is,” Jinsol whispers out and Jung eun smiles wider. Jinsol lets Jung eun lead her up the stage and sits down on the stool next to the girl. The stool is wide enough for the two of them to sit on but they choose to sit close to one another so that their arms are touching each other. 

“Do you remember how it goes?” Jung eun asks and this makes Jinsol crack up. 

“I’ll never forget a piece that I composed specially for y-” Jinsol stops immediately when she realizes what she’s going to say. Jung eun raises an eyebrow when she sees Jinsol stop talking, she wonders what makes the girl stop talking suddenly.

Jinsol clears and continues with a forced smile on her face, “that I compose specially for us to play together.”

“Wow...you thought far huh,” Jung eun teases as she lightly shoves Jinsol in the shoulder. Jinsol’s eyes widened and her arms started flailing around when she nearly lost her balance. Jung eun quickly reaches forward and pulls the girl back up, which makes Jinsol fall into Jung eun’s arms. 

“Nearly lost you there,” Jung eun grins as she lets go of Jinsol and turns back to the piano with a pinkish blush on her face. Jinsol clears and tries to shake off the unfamiliar blooming inside of her. 

“Come on, show me how it goes, Sol.”

“There’s singing involved...you don’t mind right?” Jinsol says and Jung eun nods her head. 

“I used to hear a simple song~” Jinsol starts softly as she starts playing the piano. Jung eun wears a small smile at that, her eyes watching Jinsol’s fingers glide down each key of the piano. 

“That was until you came along~” Jinsol continues as she turns to give Jung eun a glance. That makes Jung eun straighten up and a surprise look forms on her face. She fights back the urge to give Jinsol a toothy grin from how happy she is. 

“Now in its place is somethin’ new, I hear it when I look at you.” 

“With simple songs, I wanted more~” Jinsol sings out, a little louder than before. Jung eun could see Jinsol is immersing herself in the song that she has composed for her. Her heart races as she watches Jinsol flutter her eyes close with a smile on her face.

“Perfection is so quick to bore~”

“You are my beautiful, by far~” Jinsol sings as she turns to look at Jung eun. Jung eun’s eyes widen at that and she wears a shy smile on her face. Jinsol really is full of surprises, always doing stuff that catches her off guard. 

Maybe it’s because of that, I find Jinsol very intriguing and I slowly find myself falling for the girl.

“Our flaws are who we really are.” Jung eun grins as she reaches both her hands out and starts playing the piano with Jinsol. Their hands move together rhythmically, their keys complement each other. Jinsol smiles wider when she sees Jung eun playing with her, she knew Jung eun would love such a song. She doesn’t even need to show the girl the piano sheet, Jung eun would catch the melody and slip in effortlessly. 

“You’re a prodigy too Jungie,” Jinsol whispers out and it makes Jung eun turn to look at her with a big smile. One that makes Jung eun’s eyes crinkle and Jinsol’s heart swell. 

“I learn from the best,” Jung eun whispers back as she turns back to the piano.

I used to hear a simple song.

That was until you came along.

You took my broken melody.

And now, I hear a symphony.

  “ And now, I hear a symphony~” Jinsol finishes with a shocked look on her face.

She turns to Jung eun and exclaims, “I played the piano.”

“You did,” Jung eun grins as she ruffles Jinsol’s hair.

“No. It’s different...it’s not like last time,” Jinsol explains quietly as she looks down at her hands. The competitive feeling and desire to perfect her skills are now gone. Now she feels a sense of relief wash over her.

“I don’t...I feel...I feel different Jungie,” Jinsol whispers out.

“What is the difference?”

 “A good difference…It’s like...I finally connected with the music. I couldn’t connect with the music last time...it took me a while to bring it out but now...it just comes out instantly!” Jinsol gasps out with a disbelief look on her face.

“Can we play another piece of song together? I think it’s helping me,” Jinsol asks and Jung eun smiles wider.

“You don’t have to ask Sol, I’m glad that I’m able to help you.”

Jinsol beams and Jung eun smiles wider. The pair of alluring brown orbs that Jinsol has. They finally sparkle again. She manages to bring back the rival that she once looked up to. A proud tear escapes and it catches Jinsol’s attention.

“Why are you crying?” Jinsol chuckles as she wipes the tears on Jung eun’s face away.

“I’m just,” Jung eun chokes out with a smile on her face, “super proud of you.

“Awh, thank you!” Jinsol coos as she gives Jung eun a side hug. Jung eun returns the hug tightly and rests her head on the girl’s shoulder. Jinsol doesn’t move and uses one hand to play another piece of music for Jung eun while her other hand rests comfortably on Jung eun’s shoulder. Jung eun savors this precious intimate moment with Jinsol quietly as she listens to the piece of song Jinsol is playing. She recognizes this song. It's one of her favorite songs and she taught Jinsol that song before she changed majors. Her heart races at that. Jinsol’s more romantic than what Jung eun expects. 

-

It’s the last day of the audition, all of the pianists have finished their audition except for Jinsol. Sooyoung looks down at her watch when the time of the audition draws nearer to the end, she wonders if the girl is coming. She hopes the girl is coming. Her mentor turns to look at her and asks whether the last person on the list would come for the audition. 

“I’m sure she will,” Sooyoung whispers out with a frown on her face. She clicks her pen frustratedly as she waits. 

Where is she?!

An hour passed, and there's only half an hour left for the audition. Her mentor lets out a sigh as he removes his glasses, they have been waiting for nearly two hours for Jinsol. Sooyoung turns to her mentor and tells him to wait a little longer for Jinsol. Her mentor turns to look at her and nods his head, telling the girl he will only wait for another half an hour. Sooyoung nods her head and raises to stand up. She jogs out of the music hall and runs out of the school building. Her eyes scan for her surroundings, hoping to find Jinsol somewhere when a voice calls out for her.

“MS HA!”

“Jinsol?” Sooyoung yells out and turns to the voice. Her eyes widen when she sees Jinsol running to her with disheveled hair and blood trickling down from the corner of the girl’s mouth. She runs to the girl and stops Jinsol from running past her.

“What happened?!” Sooyoung gasps out when she sees a reddening mark on the girl’s cheeks. 

“Just an argument with my dad,” Jinsol says as she wipes off the blood at the corner of , “no big deal.”

“Argument?” Sooyoung asks with a frown.

“I told him I’m going to audition for this orchestra and I’ll not back out of this career path that I have chosen for myself. He flared up and gave me a tight slap across the face saying I will bring great disappointment to the Jung family,” Jinsol chuckles out sadly as she runs her fingers through her hair to straighten them.

“It’s no big deal...I’m used to it anyway,” Jinsol sighs out as she starts walking towards the school building where the music halls are. 

“He told me to never come home, I’m not his daughter anymore. I thought I would be sad about it,” Jinsol shares more and Sooyoung wears a pained look on her face when she hears what Jinsol has said.

“But I’m not...surprisingly I feel relieved?” Jinsol says uncertainty with a small smile on her face.

“Anyways I’ll share more with you later,” Jinsol sighs as she takes a deep breath, “I got an audition to attend to.”

Sooyoung nods her head and starts jogging into the music hall with Jinsol. She takes her seat next to her mentor and tells him that the last person has arrived for their audition. She gives her mentor a brief explanation of why the g