03
Tangled FaithsThroughout the agonizing day I was scolded at for back-talking the students that never spared a thought on the lesson and found it best to sleep through all of their periods. I, on the other hand, was always attentive when the teacher called on me to skim the passage we were analyzing and to regurgitate the information in my own words.
My sister's request from this morning surfaced in my head once the dismal bell that signaled the end of the day rung; to retrieve her violin. She must've visited the music teacher after school hours, when we were fast asleep, so she could practice on the new song he was teaching the class. Dohee, naughty little girl for sneaking off like that without informing us about her brief absence. She knew better than to do that, she was naive to think that I wouldn't figure out, but mercy commanded me to stay hushed.
The music room was on the opposite side of the school, peripheral of all of the academic classrooms. The floors must've been polished due to the squeaking of my sneakers against the tiles. It made nervousness flush through me, people and other students would know of my presence, there could be a murderer lurking around and I would be the first one shot. To an addition to my anxiousness, it was the rearmost class in the hallway, if I turned around I could confront danger that has been trailing behind me, but the image of the front gates extinguished me a bit.
Nearing the room, a light strumming of a guitar could be heard. It sounded so pristine and immaculate without mistakes,appealing my senses and seeming to lure me into the room. But my feet planted just before the door, afraid that if I entered the melody would halt and the person in there would flee. Soon enough, a sympathetic, tender voice echoed through the room and drifted to my ears. His voice was enough to dispatch goosebumps to crawl on my skin. I had to observe this man in person, witness him for myself. To be honest, none of the students that attended here besides Dohee, a boy that she always rambles about, and myself were interested in music. The others were either randomly selected to attend the class because of the gaps, or they just wanted to play an instrument for a grade. Music was my life, I could never think it as just as a grade, but of life stories that have been passed down. Some songs warn about grusome heartbreaks, some tell a story, and others filled with the joys of living. I adored them all.
When I was close enough, I apprehended his words that were once incoherent.
He sung the lyrics to one of the songs that aided me when I had to undergo stressful situations.
"This is all a lie, this is all a lie."
"We can't say our goodbyes like this."
"Come back to me again, come back to me."
"I can't believe the fact that you're leaving me."
The lyrics were from one of the songs I adored the most; The Fact by B2ST. I learned how to play it on the piano when I was mature enough to comprehend the meaning of the words they chose, I was adolescent when I first listened to it. When I was old enough, the connotation of the words seemed to relate to my life more than the thoughts in my head.
Inch by inch, I neared myself towards the man who was facing his back towards the door. His shoulders were appeared broad but were slouched so he could reach his arms around the instrument in his lap. He must've either dismissed the sounds that my shoes were emitting or didn't realize another person in the room besides himself.
"Excuse me," my voice was subdued when it came out.
The man tensed, turning around sedately like he was confronting his biggest phobia. Once our eyes met, my heart jumped, his eyes widened like he knew me and he was trying to avert from my direction.
"D-Do you know where the violins are?"
"Over there," he choked out. His voice was velvety and intoxicating, his words replayed multiple times in my head before I bowed to him.
"Thank you," I said once I retrieved Dohee's violin in my hand and was about to flee from the room. I knew sooner or later I was going to create an embarrassing catastrophe that would risk my opportunity to ever speak to him again.
"Is that your violin?" He stepped towards me, each step his eyes were glued upon mine.
"Ah, no. This is my sister's. I play piano." He nodded and made a noise of comprehension. "Y-You played well. I really like that song, it's one of my favorites."
"Mine too." His answers were very fugitive and momentary, not in a curt way though. He heaved a shaky sigh from what I thought was due from nervousness, but he simply could be exhausted from the endless school hours and hills of homework that teacher expect us to complete. Sometimes the only sleep I have is in the wee hours of the night, where I still spent worrying over studying and grades.
"I'll see you later then," he nodded and proceeded to stride past me. His cologne whipped my nose, leaving me thirsty for more of his scent. The fragrance was a mixture of something sweet and sour.
"Wait!" I caught up with him once my haze faded. "What's your name?"
"Junhyung," he stated while peering up from his sneakers. They squeaked along with mine in an uneven pattern, subsiding the noise of my sharp breaths. The warmth that radiated from him enticed me, having me examining him; observing the way his lips were round and plump, his gentle eyes, and his somewhat chubby cheeks.
I managed to say, "I'm Sulyeon."
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