He just needed to get to get to the office. He just needed to ask for an explanation. He just needed to hold it together and then-

“What is this?”

Colin stared, wide-eyed at the enraged Wookie.

“Come in?”

“Why is my name my name on here? What did you do?” The smaller man screamed, not even caring how much trouble he could get in. Colin had blantantly betrayed him.

“What is this?” He asked again, shoving the festival flyer at the taller.

Colin was silent at first. Then slowly, the manager stood and circled to the front of his desk.

“That,” he paused to take a look, “looks like an advertisement. For the music festival. Friday, right?”

Ryeowook had to stop himself from attacking him.

“Why am I performing at it?” His teeth were gritted painfully hard.

“Because I ... signed you up.”

“Well why did you sign me up??? You know I can’t perform on a stage! In front of people! And for the opening and closing set; are you insane?”

Ryeowook hated the way his voice shook. He hated the way tears threatened to pour out. But more than anything, he really hated the way Colin just rolled his eyes.

 “Don’t you think you’re being overdramatic, Wookie?” 

“I’m what?” He was horrified, “Do you not understand at all? You know exactly why I can’t do this-”

“Oh, yes. Eight years ago your dream was crushed and you have been traumatized ever since,” The voice was terribly mocking, “Don’t you think it’s time to move on?”

"What?"

"In fact, you can consider this a gift. A way to move on from that fantasy."

“No! No! You don’t understand! It was every day, every hope after that!” His voice broke, “The only break I’ve caught in the last eight years is this job where you’ve been using me to help guests with services they don’t even want! Nobody wants me for anything and performing these sets is just an insult to this entire island! I won’t do it!” Tears were rolling down his face; his throat ached too much holding them in.

Colin stood and watched him for a moment.

“You said ‘won’t.’”

“What?” Ryeowook gasped.

“You said you won’t perform, as in you could perform but you choose not to."

"What does that have to do with-"

"It means you think you're not good enough. Correct? And why? Because with each rejection some pathetic little voice in your head told you to give up until you believed it. That is why you won't do it. That is why you are working in a dead end job thousands of miles away from home. That is why I am making you do this.” With each icy word, Colin stepped closer to Ryeowook until he was pressed up against the wall too terrified to move.

“Guess what, Ryeowook? Your attitude is why I didn’t tell about this beforehand and now it’s too late to cancel.  See, this hotel is dying. Your friends are leaving. And you need to move on. That is ‘why’ you are playing at the music festival. That is why my boss asked me to sign you up. You’re welcome.”

Gradually, the manager backed away reseating himself at his desk as if nothing had happened. Maybe, as far as he was concerned, nothing had happened. 

Ryeowook stood and stuttered aimlessly, hopelessly confused. Colin hadn’t done this. Colin hadn’t…

Turning and running, he barely heard the last whisper his superior had to offer.

“He hasn’t given you up, Wookie... ”

__________________________________________________________________________________

It was the piano player again. This time accompanied by a striking tenor voice.

Leaning against the lobby door, Kyuhyun closed his eyes and listened. He was rarely moved by music nowadays but this playing was the exception. It was practically palpable with passion, but Kyuhyun feared touching the beauty for he knew better than anyone how easily it could be broken.

The player sounded sad, desperate almost. Each note rang from the unnecessary force as if he were pounding out his regrets. It served no problem for the singer whose soaring voice cut through like glass. The only strange thing…it wasn’t a sad piece

That alone should have alerted Kyuhyun to something wrong. Fortunately, he was too caught up in his guilt. the music didn't help. 

Ryeowook had practically driven them back in tears today and it was all his fault. God, why couldn’t he word things better? He’d made it sound like he didn’t want the man anywhere near him when it was the exact opposite. He had missed cheery, sassy Ryeowook. A happy Seohyun wasn’t nearly as interesting as he remembered.

Suddenly, the music withered to a stop. Kyuhyun waited for a few seconds but the piano didn’t start up again. He sighed disappointedly and pulled himself up. Time to complete his errand.

Entering the lobby, Kyuhyun noted that it was still as dark as ever. This was not aided by the lack of moonlight. No one was at the front desk, but there was obviously someone in the lobby.

Warily, Kyuhyun approached the piano. He wasn’t sure he wanted to meet the musicians tonight. He was in a bad enough mood already without the reminder of music, but Seohyun was waiting.

As he got closer, Kyuhyun noticed only one person. The petite silhouette was hunched over, scribbling something on a sheet of paper. With a start, he realized it was Ryeowook.

“Yes?”

Kyuhyun blinked, not realizing he’d spoken the other’s name out loud.

“Kyuhyun, what are you doing here at this hour?” Ryeowook looked at him concerned. His eyes were slightly red like he’d been crying but his voice sounded steady, “Did you need something? Kyuhyun?”

“Oh, um,” he swallowed the lump in his throat while his guilt doubled in weight, “I just came down for towels. There was kind of a mess in the bathroom a couple days ago and um, we sort of used them all.”

“Oh, sure. No problem,” Ryeowook stood uneasily.

Kyuhyun watched as the petite man disappeared into a back hall.

He couldn’t believe it. Ryeowook had been the piano player all along. They’d met the night he arrived, not the morning after. And he sang. My god, did he sing. Such a clear, flawless voice… Ryeowook had stirred something in Kyuhyun which he’d left for dead.  

“Here you go,” Kyuhyun blinked as the worker handed him a stack of fluffy towels, “This should be enough to last you guys for the rest of the week. And next time there’s a mess, just call us and we’ll clean it up for you.”

“Oh, okay. Thanks.” He barely got a grip on the towels before Ryeowook walked past him, back to the piano.

From behind, his mood was impossible to tell. Stoic, maybe.

Kyuhyun stood awkwardly. He didn’t want to go back so quickly. Not after he’d just discovered Ryeowook’s incredible skill. Not when the smaller was still upset. After everything today, he had to say something good.

He uneasily cleared his throat. “Ahem.”

“Yes?” Ryeowook turned around, “Did you need something else, Kyuhyun?”

“Yeah, no. I just wanted to say… you are incredible at the piano. Really, really, captivating.”

“Oh, thanks.”

That was not the reaction Kyuhyun had hoped for. Ryeowook looked more upset than happy, his voice flat. Maybe he was one of those people who didn't take compliments well. Biting his lip, Kyuhyun strode to the front of the piano, facing the smaller.

“Seriously, I sat outside for like five minutes listening to you play that piece,” he went on, determined to make up for earlier, “It was amazing. You have a ton of skill to play that. And I assume you were singing too. I’ve never – I’ve never heard a voice like yours. So high and clear.”

 Ryeowook didn’t look up, “So, you liked the piece, huh?”

 “Well, yeah?” Kyuhyun smiled weakly, “It was very intense. Did you compose it?”

The smaller actually laughed, “That piece was a traditional folk song about two lovers who lived on opposite sides of this island. They loved each other so freakin’ much that they moved the mountain separating them using their faith in each other. Did you get romantic love story from my playing?”

“Um,” Kyuhyun scrunched his eyebrows. It had sounded more like a tragic love story, but his love life was starting to sound like a tragic love story so maybe that’s why he didn’t notice.

Noticing his reaction, Ryeowook shook his head. “Trust me. I’m not good. I’m just no good.”

“Don’t say that,” Kyuhyun chided even though he wasn’t sure if Ryeowook was talking to him or himself, “I've seen a lot of talent and you've just topped all of them. Like, your singing is beautiful. And your playing is some of the most amazing stuff I’ve ever heard. It’s incredibly passionate and moving and…” His voice trailed off.

Ryeowook had his head down, aimlessly tapping at the keys. Was he even listening?

Kyuhyun pursed his lips. Gripping the fluffy towels, he gazed at the petite man feeling his chest ache at the sight. The once peppy guide looked bitter and defeated. He had to refrain from wrapping his arms around the petite man. Instead, Kyuhyun sighed.

“Ryeowook, I-I want to say I’m sorry. You were a great guide and please don’t let what I said earlier upset you. I didn’t want to hurt you when I told you Seohyun wanted more time for us but I hurt you anyways and-and I’m sorry. You really are a great musician.”

 It came out sad and pitiful, but it was all he could muster. Walking away, Kyuhyun tried to concentrate on finding his way out without running into another vase.

“You’re wrong again.”

The faint whisper nearly made Kyuhyun trip. Catching himself at the last second, he turned and looked back at Ryeowook who was still staring at the piano keys. Carefully, Kyuhyun set down the towels and walked to him.

“What do you mean I’m wrong?” His voice was joking but slight cautious at the same time.

The smaller sniffled softly, “I’m not angry at you for today. I definitely have no right to be. I know I’ve been kind of overbearing these last few days-”

“Please stop blaming yourself.”

“-but it just makes sense that Seohyun would want you alone. I just- I can’t be angry about that. It was after that…today I found out my boss had me signed up for the music festival and he didn’t tell me. Neither did my manager.”

“Oh, wow,” Kyuhyun’s eyes widened, “That’s like in four days right?”

“Three. And it’s the opening and closing sets with all these traditional songs. And everyone knows them so they’re just going to sound weird with my accent and on piano. Plus, everyone will know when I mess up and these are the most important sets for the festival but I can’t even pull out because they didn’t tell me until I found out today!"

"You sounded great out there. I don't think you have to-"

"I just can't believe they would do this to me! It’s like they know I’m not a performer but ran out ofpeople and have to use me when I’m obviously not good enough…” He sighed, deflating a little more, “I’m sorry. This doesn’t matter to you. You should get back to Seohyun.”

Kyuhyun was silent as the new information sank in. He wasn’t sure if he was relieved or confused or pissed.

He was upset because he’d been selected to play the most important parts of the show? Could the man even take a compliment? Ryeowook was obviously low on self-esteem but to have such a little confidence in something he was so obviously passionate about was absolutely ridiculous. Did Ryeowook even notice half the talentless pretty faces that made it big in entertainment? A simple local music show was nothing. Ryeowook had lost nothing in comparison to him yet he was afraid of gaining something? God, from what kind of reasoning did this guy run on? 

Kyuhyun could feel his frustrations bubbling up. Freakin' humbleness. This was a topic that drove him nuts every time it appeared and now Ryeowook was buying into it. Something struck a nerve.

“Kyuhyun?” The petite man looked at him, puzzled at his staying and perhaps surprised by the hardened expression on the taller's face.

 “I was the thirteenth member of Super Junior.”

“What?”

Kyuhyun looked away.

“I was signed under SME. After three months I debuted as the thirteenth member of Super Junior 05’. The only problem being, nobody wanted me there. I got beaten by other trainees, I got threats from Super Junior fans, and I got bullied by my own members-”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because I felt like crap thinking I'd hurt you all day but you're upset oversomething ridiculous! See, I wasn’t popular enough for SM so they dropped me and they dropped my contract. No warning, nothing. You see, that is a reason to think you’re not good enough. That is reason to be upset. Not because your boss forgot to tell you to practice!”

Kyuhyun took a deep breath. Somehow his explanation had unraveled into a near rant but he didn’t care.

Slowly, Ryeowook pulled himself up. His hand trembled as he did so but the fury filling his eyes suggested anything but weakness.

“You think my reason isn’t good enough?” he hissed, “You think just because you debuted that means I don’t have the right to be upset?”

“That’s not what I meant-” Kyuhyun quickly backtracked.

“Well what about me? What about the kid who didn’t debut? The kid who auditioned for the third round and was told he’d get a call that never came? Huh? What about him?”

“Well, um…” Ryeowook was directly in his face now.

“And then he faces the same thing at every company! Every audition just gets worse than the last until he’s just wasted so much time on his pathetic dream he barely gets into college. And then gets a useless degree but can’t get certified as a music teacher because he’s so crappy at math! Those who can’t do teach; well I can’t do or teach so where does that leave me?”

Kyuhyun realized these were all rhetoric questions but with Ryeowook practically pressed up against him, he stuttered incoherent answers anyways.

“I’ll tell you where it leaves him! It leaves him following some old man halfway across the world because he thinks he could make it in the American market, but gets rejected by the man’s record company anyways because he’s got a ‘weird’ accent! So now he works here! And you know what the worst part is?

I can’t even blame anyone else! You can blame Lee Sooman or Park Leeteuk or even your freakin’ anti-fans but everything that’s gone wrong with my life is because I couldn’t fix myself! I couldn’t make myself manlier or more interesting and after four years I still have accented English! That is why I am upset, you jackass!”

He gaped as Ryeowook stormed back to the piano, way too terrified to move. That was unexpected. Never did he think that the guide had had a challenging life. He was always too cheerful and feisty and … perfect. 

“So now you know my life story. Guess you can go now!” Ryeowook’s voice cracked, “Go tell your girlfriend how great it is that you dumped this freakshow when you did and then run off into the sunset with your pretty towels!”

Ryeowook flipped infuriatedly through the sheet music, not seeming to look at any of it. He looked furious. But perhaps it was the trembling lip or tears filling his eyes, but underneath the irate exterior, Kyuhyun could see there was pain and hurt which raged inside.

“No” He whispered.

Ryeowook looked at him.

"What are you talking about?"

“I won’t go.”

“What? Please. Just-”

Kyuhyun crossed their distance in two strides and placed his hand on the petite’s collar bone. Ryeowook froze.

“Your voice is beautiful.”

His eyes locked with Ryeowook’s. Those dark brown orbs froze; even the tears fixed in place. They were in shock. Kyuhyun let his hand spread out across the smooth skin, exposed by the loose fitting shirt.

“I didn’t know it was you when I first arrived that night. I didn’t know who you were. I didn’t know anything about your life until you just told me everything. And I only think you’re a stronger and more striking person than anyone I’ve ever met. Just like your voice: sweet and gentle yet so very powerful.”

His words were soft and hoarse. God knows why; he hadn’t been the one to scream so loud. But Ryeowook, the yeller, looked at him now, tears threatening to flow down his delicately carved face, and he didn’t seem angry or broken. He looked scared.

And this time, Kyuhyun didn’t resist. He wrapped Ryeowook in his arms and held him there; not ever wanting to let him go. 

______________________________________________________________________________________

Tell me if anything here doesn't make sense. I edited this in a hurry. 

And have a Happy New Year!