College is an adventurous time in any young person’s life. It is the time of exploration, where new things are learned not only about the world, but about each individual. Friendships are formed that will last a life time and 68% percent of people meet their future spouse. It is also the time when people realize that 85% of statistics are made up.

Ryewook figured that the percentage of people that fell in love in college was another made up statistic. Either that or he just wasn’t part of it. During his junior year of college at a well-known music university in Seoul he had yet to find someone that he could call ‘his’. He had begun to figure that it just wasn’t going to happen and he was destined to live alone for the rest of his life.

Such feelings of hopelessness are common among young people, especially those who have never experienced falling in love. When people still have their youth there is so much to live for. College provides outlets for rebellion and also a pathway to a future that has been dreaded since high school.

Ryewook’s college experience had been typical thus far. He had his friends; they went out and got drunk and they picked up pretty girls that they could brag about for the next week. His classes were average, and while he was an exceptional musician his lack of dedication prevented him from excelling beyond average. What Ryewook didn’t know was that ‘typical’ wouldn’t describe his junior year.

Henry was a dedicated music student at Berklee University who was on a full tuition violin scholarship. He had decided that, in order to expose himself to a different music culture, he would study abroad in Korea his junior year in order to experience the developing Korean music industry for himself.

Henry expected to learn, practice and grow while he studied abroad. What he didn’t expect was to find Ryewook.

Ryewook was actually locked up in a practice room late one night in attempts to perfect a piece he had to play flawlessly the next day in order to pass his class. Henry was desperately searching for a free space to work on a piece he had started writing and suddenly got inspiration for in the midst of a late night study session.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry!” Henry said accidentally in English has he stumbled into the practice room Ryewook had shut himself in, papers flying everywhere as he tripped over the leg of the piano.

“It’s OK.” Ryewook said in Korean and began to help Henry gather up his papers that had scattered around the small room.

“I’ll just, go find another room.” Henry muttered in Korean as he finished gathering up his dropped belongings and opened up the door.

“You can stay if you want. I don’t think any of the other rooms are open anyway; there are final performances tomorrow.”  Ryewook suggested and Henry nodded and set his stuff down on the small table in the room and took a seat on the floor.

Ryewook had figured he was almost done for the night. The only part he was missing was a difficult bridge that required an unusual, separate rhythm between his hands. As he tried to get through the part without any mistakes again Henry listened carefully, flinching when he hit the wrong note. Ryewook tried again and made the same mistake. After a third time through without success Henry spoke up.

“You are going about this the wrong way; do it like this.” Henry said and stood behind Ryewook, wrapping his arms awkwardly around the small boy to play the part Ryewook had been struggling with. It was difficult to play in that position, but Henry still did it perfectly.

“Use your first finger instead of your second; it is less of a stretch that way.” Henry instructed and this time when Ryewook attempted the bridge he got it right.

“There you go, problem solved.” Henry said and gave Ryewook a small pat on the back as the latter began to pack up his music.

“I’ll leave you alone then; I just needed to get that part. Thanks for your help. Um…I never really got your name?” Ryewook asked.

“Henry.”

“Ryewook. Well, thanks again.” Ryewook said and when he had gathered all of his things he bowed slightly and left Henry to his own work.

The next day Ryewook managed to play through his entire piece without a single mistake, acing the performance and enabling him to pass the class. As he made his way to lunch he heard the distinct dissonance of piano keys being pounded on in frustration through the sound proof door of a practice room. When he looked through the window he saw Henry hunched over the keys. He opened the door as quietly as he could and stuck his head in.

“Hey, I just wanted to say thanks; because of you I passed the class.” Ryewook said awkwardly, not really sure why he had opened the door in the first place.

Henry looked up at him and Ryewook thought he looked a little, well…disgusting. He had put on a pair of oversized glasses and behind the thick frames Ryewook could see dark circles under his eyes that puffed out more than they should. His hair was a disgruntled mess and Ryewook noticed that he had on the same clothes as he had on the night before. The numerous coffee cups and soda cans that were in the waste bin confirmed Ryewook’s assumption that Henry had spent the night in the practice room.

“Have you been in here all night?” Ryewook asked, worry coating his voice. He knew how rough all-nighters could be, and he knew that all-nighters involving musical endeavors were even worse.

Henry just gave him a pitiful nod and turned back to his music. He played a few bars before he pounded on the keys again, the bitter sound ringing through the air. Ryewook stepped the rest of the way into the room and cautiously removed the music from the stand, folding it carefully.

“Why don’t you take a break?” Ryewook suggested and Henry just blinked at him, but followed none the less when Ryewook carried Henry’s things out of the room.

Ryewook walked Henry back to his dorm where he practically forced the latter into the shower while he waited in his room. Ryewook’s eyes wandered around the room as he waited for Henry to be done and spotted the music that Henry had been playing earlier. He tentatively picked it up and opened it. He found the sheets filled with notes, some were obvious mistakes, but the correct ones were easy to read. Ryewook found himself thrumming his fingers on his thigh as he read through the music, hearing the notes in his head as he played his imaginary piano.

“What are you doing?” Henry’s voice broke him from the trance that the music had put him in.

“I was just looking at the music you were playing. Did you write this?” Ryewook asked and Henry nodded.

“It isn’t finished though and I can’t get past that part.” Henry said and sat down next to Ryewook, pointing to the spot on the music that was blotched with scratches.

“Oh, well it looks really good so far. I wish I could write music.” Ryewook said as he handed Henry the sheet music.

“You could help me; I could really use it.” Henry suggested.

“It sounds like a date.” Ryewook answered and gave Henry a playful shove.

Just like that a new relationship was formed. Ryewook, a happy yet unfulfilled college student, and Henry, an exchange student who overworked himself, became friends in the simple manner of asking for help and offering it.

Of course, throwing two struggling, single musicians in a small room for hours on end often results in a deeper connection than most friendships. Most argue that musicians and artists are irrevocably the crazy ones, as well as writers. It is the creative aspect of their brains that make the overly emotional and susceptible to falling in love easily and quickly as it is not the logical side of the brain that controls the heart. As Henry and Ryewook continued their work on Henry’s piece, putting it together one measure at a time, their hearts started falling into place, one beat at a time.

Somewhere in between the first measure and that last double bar Ryewook had fallen in love with Henry and Henry had fallen in love with Ryewook.

“We did it, we actually finished it!” Henry screamed as he put the last note on the paper and drew in the double bar.

“Yes, we did.” Ryewook said; a smile on his face but his voice lower as he didn’t want to disturb anyone else. He was glad that the rooms were sound proofed.

“Thank you! Thank you so much Wookie! I couldn’t have done it without you!” Henry cried as he wrapped his arms around Ryewook in a warm hug.

When he pulled away Ryewook just smiled at him and Henry smiled back. The next thing they knew they were kissing. Neither was sure of who kissed whom, but that didn’t matter. With Henry and Ryewook there weren’t fireworks or powerful confessions, their love was conveyed in a passionate kiss amongst finished music sheets.

They never made it ‘official’. Neither one of them wanted to pose the awkward question of asking the other to be their boyfriend, but it was implied that it was exclusive. With some, words are not needed to define a relationship but the definition comes from the way lovers look at each other and smile, knowing what is going on in the other’s head without having to say a word. Henry and Ryewook were a quiet couple like that.

Their love was said not through huge, over rated romantic gestures but through simple looks and touches. Ryewook knew that Henry was telling him he loved him when he would come up behind him in the hallway and wrap his arms around his waist in a possessive hug, letting everyone nearby know that Ryewook was his. Henry knew that Ryewook was telling him he loved him when he would come to him for help, showing that he needed him or would help Henry with his Korean when the words seemed to fail him. Despite the language barrier, they never had communication issues. Ryewook seemed to know what Henry wanted to say without the latter actually having to say it.

There was one communication issue however. It was one simple thing that neither one wanted to talk about; a date in particular. It was the date that Henry went home.

Both boys knew that it was coming, knew exactly when it was coming. It was something that was unspoken, but both of them knew that their relationship had an expiration date.

Two weeks before Henry was due to leave Ryewook started to pull away from him. He would step out of the friendly back hugs that he used to love and stopped completing Henry’s sentences, leaving the latter to struggle for the correct words on his own. Henry knew exactly what was bothering him and he didn’t waste any time in doing what he thought was right.

It was only a day after Ryewook had started to draw away from Henry and both boys couldn’t sleep, sending them both to a place they had come to seek refuge in rather frequently: their practice room. It was indeed THEIR practice room as nobody else ever used it because they knew that either Henry or Ryewook (or both) would be in there soon enough.

Ryewook had gotten there first and was pouring his heart out into the slow ballad that he had been working on for the past few days when Henry found him.  Henry had opened the door quietly enough that Ryewook hadn’t heard him since he was fully immersed in his playing. Instead of letting him know that he had arrived, Henry remained silent and listened to the pain that was Ryewook’s shattered heart. When the older finished he looked up with tears in his eyes to find Henry looking right back at him. Ryewook stood up and Henry took a step inside, shutting the door behind him. They faced each other, their heights matching almost perfectly and looked into each other’s eyes, searching for something that had always been there. Henry took Ryewook’s hands in his and rubbed his thumbs in soothing circles.

“Please, in the time I have left here, let me love you.” Henry murmured and then kissed Ryewook in a way that made Ryewook realize that while Henry may be going somewhere, his heart wasn’t.

That is just one of the many funny things about love. It can be something that is so close, yet so distant. It is very possible to be in love with someone who is quite literally on the other side of the world, yet they still feel like they never left. This kind of love and this kind of heartbreak is a unique one as it is not because of unreturned feelings but because of a physical distance imposed by the harsh realities of life. This kind of heartbreak is not a desperate yearning but a comfortable missing.

When it came to time to say goodbye to Henry, Ryewook couldn’t form the words. He had wanted to say something memorable, something that Henry wouldn’t ever forget but instead he simply wrapped his arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss before letting him walk off towards his plane, not a single word exchanged between them.

It was an unspoken goodbye; one that held the bitterness of separation but the promise of return. It was never talked about whether they would see each other again or not and they never said they were over or still together. There were no promises of emails or phone calls. It was simply understood that they would wait and see.

Still, Ryewook couldn’t help but feel as though there was suddenly a hole in the pit of his stomach and he desperately wanted to cry. He didn’t dare go back to his dorm room though where his roommate, Yesung, would surely mock him relentlessly for falling in love with someone who was only going to leave anyway.

Instead he let his feet guide him to wherever they wanted to go. He found himself in a park, on a bench, crying alone. Alone, that was, until someone came and sat down next to him. He was surprised when the stranger asked him what was wrong and was even more surprised when words came out of his mouth in a coherent answer. The tears continued to fall as the man hugged him. It was weird to be comforted by someone that he didn’t know at all, but at the same time he didn’t want to be alone right then and he figured it was ok to accept this help because he desperately needed it.

When he had finally gotten his tears and sobs under control he looked up at the man who had comforted him.

“Love , doesn’t it?” The man asked and Ryewook thought he saw a few tears in the man’s eyes.

“It sure does. Thanks, by the way.” Ryewook said and offered a friendly half grin. It was all he could muster at the moment.

“No problem; I’m Leeteuk.” Leeteuk said and Ryewook just simply nodded.

“Ryewook.”

Ryewook found it strange that this man had brought him a kind of imbalanced peace when he needed it most. Henry was gone, physically at least. Ryewook knew that a part of him would always love Henry and would always keep him close to his heart; but Ryewook also knew that if he clung too hard, his life would be like a choppy ocean beneath a hurricane. He had a choice between letting his heart never be at peace again or accepting a stranger’s extended hand to bring him back a sense of peace that would have otherwise been lost. As Ryewook could still taste his salty tears on his lips he found no shame in taking that extended hand. He had moved on almost as quickly as he had fallen in love.