Kyuhyun somehow managed to recount that night's event to his boyfriend and still had the older man intact. Although Jongwoon-ah spent the entire morning hiding in his room, he eventually came out to see him and didn't tell him to stop using the new nickname. His hyung didn't even mind it when he called him "Jongwoon-ah" in front of other people! He took it as his beloved boyfriend completely accepted their relationship now. So, he wisely seized the chance and asked the conductor out on a date. To his greatest joy, Jongwoon-ah agreed and he happily took a day off to dedicate his time to his boyfriend.

"Jongwoon-ah, where do you want to go? What do you want to do? Watch a movie? Go to a cafe? Take a walk in the park? Or go to a high-end restaurant?"

"I want to go to the practice room."

"No, no, Jongwoon-ah, we promise to not talk about work at all today, don't we?"

"Then I have nowhere in mind."

"Really? Don't you have any place you want to visit?"

"I mean... I'm happy enough just being here with you..."

The conductor's sudden honest confession punched him right in his gut and Kyuhyun choked on love. He tackled his cute boyfriend and repeatedly smooched the chubby cheek. Although Jongwoon-ah made a disgusted face, the older man didn't push him away.

"That's not fair, Jongwoon-ah! You're going to kill me with your cuteness!"

"I'll never say that again."

"Jongwoon-ah!"

"Sigh, whatever, I don't have anywhere I want to go but what about you? Kyuhyun, do you have anywhere in mind?"

Kyuhyun pondered thoughtfully and smiled.

"I do have an idea. You'll definitely love it!"

.

.

.

"Are you sure about it, Kyuhyun? I don't think this is a good idea... I'm not ready yet... I mean, I'm much older than your noona and her husband... Won't it be awkward...?"

"We'll be fine, Jongwoon-ah. My family has always wanted to meet you and this is the perfect chance."

Kyuhyun smiled reassuringly and held the smaller hand tighter, before pressing the doorbell. The front door was opened and his sister showed up with a bright happy smile. However, she soon grasped in surprise after seeing the person beside him. The door then was slammed shut and they heard running footsteps, followed by a series of shouting.

"Eomma! Appa! Everyone! Kyu is here with his boyfriend!! Maestro Kim Jongwoon is here!!"

"The famous conductor whom Kyuhyun-ah talked about all the time? Omo!"

"Has anyone seen my CD? Appa will ask for his signature."

"I'll go get Hajun and Yejun!"

Kyuhyun groaned in embarrassment while the conductor chuckled. Excellent. His family made a great first impression and made him look like a fool in front of his boyfriend. Jongwoon-ah smiled and whispered to him.

"Your family sounds like good people. I like them."

"Thank you, though I hope they wouldn't overreact like this... Sigh, sometimes I forgot that you're a famous person..."

The front door was opened again and the entire Cho family showed up to greet them— his father and mother who dressed up more than usual, his older sister who smiled sheepishly, his brother-in-law who tried to stand tall, and the twins who hid behind their father's legs shyly. Contrary to his prior nervousness, Jongwoon-ah composed himself elegantly and greeted his family gracefully with an inclined head and a hand on his chest.

"It's my pleasure to meet everyone in Kyuhyun's family. I'm Kim Jongwoon, his boyfriend and mentor, as well as the lead conductor of the city's orchestra band."

"N-Nice to meet you! Maestro Kim, after watching your performance on the foundation day, we've become your biggest fan!"

"I'm very happy and honored to hear that, but, madam, please call me just Jongwoon."

"Aigoo! Then, do call me eomma too! Jongwoon-ah!"

"Call me appa too."

"Can I call you oppa?"

Kyuhyun smiled while watching his boyfriend and his family introduce themselves to one another. He made a correct choice by taking his boyfriend here and that shining smile was the best gift. He back-hugged the conductor and greeted everyone too, before suggesting they head into the house.

.

.

.

Jongwoon-ah quickly became everyone's favorite. The conductor was polite and kind unlike when he was working so he easily captured his family's hearts. His hyung genuinely praised his mother's cooking, signed all of his father's CDs, gave helpful comments to his older sister regarding her fashion style, recommend many interesting movies and books to his brother-in-law, and played every song that the twins requested on the piano. His boyfriend also played violin and piano for them after dinner and Kyuhyun got reminded of the reason why the older man was called a maestro. Moreover, his hyung was a smooth talker and an exceptional listener. So, by the end of the dinner, everyone in his family was trying to get the conductor's time and his boyfriend somehow was able to pay attention to everyone equally. He knew that his beloved hyung was good at multi-task but he just witnessed it today! During the time that the conductor entertained his family, Kyuhyun didn't intervene and just watched quietly while smiling. His Jongwoon-ah's happiness was the only thing that mattered to him...

The conductor suddenly scrunched his nose and furrowed his brows, and Kyuhyun was by his boyfriend's side immediately.

"Eomma, can we have some time alone in the garden?"

"Of course! We've been hoarding Jongwoon-ah for the entire day already. It's now a time for the couple!"

He smiled at his mother and quickly took the conductor to the quiet garden. They sat down on a wooden swing and he let his boyfriend lean on his shoulder while kissing the soft dark hair soothingly.

"Another headache? How are you feeling now? Jongwoon-ah?"

"..."

The maestro didn't even look at him so he knew that the man lost his hearing again. It happened more often recently due to the growing tumor. He accompanied his boyfriend to see the doctor not long ago and they were told that the medicine's effect had started to decline. The conductor must get surgery soon. After going home, they had a long talk and reached two conclusions: first, the Christmas concert will be Jongwoon-ah's last performance, and, second, he will get surgery during the new year and permanently lose his hearing. Kyuhyun couldn't do anything about the sickness so he did his best to support his boyfriend and told the man how much he loved him as many times as possible, whether Jongwoon-ah heard him or not.

"You were about to tell me how much you love me, right?"

"Huh? How did you know? Can you read my mind?"

Kyuhyun said slowly so the older man could read his lips. The conductor snorted while intertwining their fingers.

"Pfft, yes, I'm a telepath so don't you dare to talk behind my back, because I know it all!"

His boyfriend chuckled at his own joke then turned serious.

"Something doesn't need to be said out loud for the receiver to get the message, just like your feelings for me, Kyuhyun..."

"Jongwoon-ah..."

His boyfriend smiled, a genuine smile so sweet and affectionate that it almost drowned him in the sea of love. Lifting their connected hands, the maestro looked straight into his eyes and spoke up quietly.

"Thank you for coming into my life, Kyuhyun."

"That should be my line, Jongwoon-ah."

They slowly erased the gap between their faces and closed their eyes when their lips met. Kyuhyun used his free hand to cradle the smaller man's face and deepened the kiss, hoping to distract his boyfriend from the painful headache as best as he could. After a long while, their lips broke apart and they smiled in genuine happiness. Kyuhyun brought the smaller hand to his chest and pressed it above his heart. Jongwoon-ah shut his eyes and a single teardrop fell down from the closed eyelid.

"Your confession... I heard it all clearly... Thank you, Kyuhyun, for everything..."

"Thank you for allowing me to be by your side too."

He whispered back even though the conductor couldn't hear him, which didn't matter anyway because his boyfriend still got his message through a loving peck on the forehead. After that, they stayed like that until the smaller man's headache subsided and his hearing returned. Their hands never once separated from one another.

************************************

The Christmas concert finally arrived. It was an important day for both Kyuhyun and his boyfriend. Jongwoon-ah would retire after the concert and he would become the next conductor, which meant that it was the maestro's last stage and his first stage. The older man would lead the first three songs while he led the finale song. After that, they would tell the truth about the conductor's sickness to the band members and his family, before officially retiring to get surgery. Kyuhyun was more nervous than usual. He wanted to see this stage successful for their sakes. He wanted to see his beloved boyfriend shine on the stage with his trusty silver baton for one last time. He wanted to show his beloved boyfriend that he could retire at ease and pass down the legacy torch to him. Jongwoon-ah's condition gradually worsened in a short time. His hyung lost his hearing more often and the headache couldn't be relieved by a painkiller anymore. Whether the conductor took a surgery or not, the doctor suspected that his boyfriend would permanently lose his hearing by the end of this year; meaning this concert was Jongwoon-ah's first and last chance to hear him conducting. Thus, he wanted to do his best for both his boyfriend and himself.

"Relax, Kyuhyun. You're a talented conductor. Just do what you usually do and you'll be fine."

"But this might be your last chance to hear my conducting..."

"So what? You're my one and only protégé. If you mess up your debut because you're nervous, I won't let you kiss me for one week!"

"Jongwoon-ah, that's—!"

His boyfriend suddenly pulled him down by the collar and kissed him. Kyuhyun happily reciprocated the kiss while holding the thin body against himself. They deeply tasted one another and reaffirmed their love until they were out of air. After taking a breath, the maestro smiled and kissed the tip of his nose.

"I want to kiss you every day so don't mess up."

"I won't."

"Don't do it for me or for yourself. Do it for music. Don't ever forget why we become a conductor."

"Understood."

"Stop overthinking and let your instinct guide you. I have faith in you, Kyuhyun."

"I have faith in you too, Jongwoon-ah."

"Good! Now, let's go and show everyone what we're capable of!"

Kyuhyun smiled from the bottom of his heart as he followed the shorter man out of the waiting room to backstage. Standing at the edge of the stage, they saw from the shadow that the audience had filled the hall and the band members had already got in their positions. He saw his best friends among the musician and his family among the audience and his heart ultimately calmed down. It would be his boyfriend's turn for the first three songs and it was time to step out now. Jongwoon-ah took out his baton and smiled at him.

"I'm going."

"I'll watch you from here."

They exchanged a short kiss and the conductor walked out into the spotlights. The black-haired maestro bowed to the audience and shook hands with the new concertmaster named Henry, before stepping onto the podium. His boyfriend literally shone tonight brighter than the stars as he waved the silver baton and started casting his spell. A cheerful and lovely melody was played by the orchestra under the conductor's guidance. Kyuhyun leaned against the wall and watched his beloved conductor masterfully take everyone to the land of classical music. No matter the genre of songs, his Jongwoon-ah was able to produce amazing music that completely charmed everyone without tripping. He was overjoyed to see his boyfriend in a top condition during his last performance. The first song, the second song, and the third song, his hyung successfully conducted them without a single mistake. He definitely had to hug and kiss his boyfriend to congratulate him after the performance! Kyuhyun thought to himself cheerfully as he clapped loudly after the third song ended. The radiant conductor bowed again before departing from the stage. His boyfriend's last performance of his career had officially ended.

"Jongwoon-ah, that was amazing!!! You literally nailed it and captured every heart. As expected of my awesome and cute boyfriend~"

"...Thanks. It's your turn to shine now, Kyuhyun, fighting!"

Jongwoon-ah pecked his lips and lightly patted his shoulder. Kyuhyun grinned and stepped out with a confident stride, inclining his head in the direction of his family. He repeated what his hyung did before stepping onto the podium where his beloved stood not long ago. The time for his first performance had come. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. Then, he turned the score to a new page and raised his baton, a normal wooden one that his boyfriend gave him. His mind wandered back to the day he first met Maestro Kim at the airport, the day he found out about the conductor's adorable true face at the shared house, the time he spent with his bandmates at the practice hall, their successful first concert here, his first kiss and failed confession, his harsh training to be a conductor, their beautiful first night and the truth behind the older man's distanced attitude, their blossomed love that grew stronger each passing day, their quiet confession in the garden at his home, their intimate moment at the waiting room...

With countless beautiful memories swelling up in his chest, Kyuhyun moved his hands and began to lead a heartfelt melody.

He completely forgot about his worries as the music embraced him, dancing around him per his baton's guidance. He trusted in his boyfriend's words and let instinct take control of him. He smoothly made it through the first and second movement even better than expected. In the middle of the third movement, he snuck a glance toward the shadowy corner where a lithe figure was standing. He saw his boyfriend watching him with a small proud smile and it made his chest warm up to the point that his heart could melt from the intense love and affection. He did it. He created a wonderful melody and made his Jongwoon-ah proud! Kyuhyun smiled brighter and brighter in sync with the music that slowly climbed up a peak of excitement and joy. The end of the performance was approaching and his heart jumped louder and louder as a sudden thought popped up.

I'm going to propose to Jongwoon-ah after this.

Kyuhyun brought the baton down and flawlessly finished the last note.

.

.

.

.

After the concert ended, Kyuhyun learned from his last experience and went to see his boyfriend before they were interrupted. He ran to backstage and took the conductor to the waiting room. Finally being left alone, he immediately got to the point and asked for his boyfriend's praise.

"Jongwoon-ah, you didn't take your eyes off your handsome boyfriend, right? I was very cool, right? What about my conducting? I know that I have a long way to practice before I reach your level, but I did amazing, right?"

"..."

He shot a barrage of questions while beaming, hoping to hear praise or get a few kisses. However, the shorter man only stared at him quietly with a melancholic gaze. Jongwoon-ah's smile was very sweet but it had a hint of sadness. The silence gradually crushed him alive as he slowly understood the situation. He was probably making a shocked and anguished face so his boyfriend knew that he already reached the truth. The conductor smiled softly as if to soothe his pain while elaborating.

"...I lost my hearing during the middle of the third song and it hasn't returned yet even as we're speaking now. I guess it happened sooner than we thought."

"Since the third song...? Then... my conducting...?"

Kyuhyun already knew the answer but he still asked stupidly, not because he didn't believe it, but because he didn't want to believe it. His boyfriend didn't hear it, the conducting that he had been practicing hard, a gift that he sincerely prepared, proof of his beloved's trust and pride in him, everything, their efforts, it was all for nothing in the end... They still couldn't win against the cruel fate... Even though it was Jongwoon-ah's last chance to hear it... He failed. He couldn't show his boyfriend the fruit of their hard work and he had no second chance left, not when the conductor had permanently lost his hearing...

"I-I'm sorry, Jongwoon-ah, I didn't m-make it, o-our promise, I was supposed to show you!! I'm sorry... This is my fault! If only I had discovered my passion in conducting earlier, if only I practiced harder, i-if only I insisted you more to see the doctor when it was just a headache... N-Now you can't hear it anymore... I'm sorry... I'm sorry!!!"

He apologized in tears while sobbing like a child. He should have shown his conducting earlier at some mini concerts instead of waiting for today. He should have said 'I love you' more. He should have told Jongwoon-ah more about what he loved about him. He should have shared more stories about himself and asked his boyfriend to do the same. He should have done that... but he couldn't do them anymore... He cried harder while the older man only looked at him quietly, probably having a hard time reading his lips when he rambled on. Although he successfully debuted as the next conductor, Kyuhyun wasn't happy at all. He only felt despair and guilt as more tears fell from his eyes.

"...Silly brat, why are you crying?"

"B-But you can't hear me anymore..."

"Tsk, did you already forget it? I'm a telepath. I know everything even if I can't hear!"

Jongwoon-ah giggled light-heartedly. Then, the smaller man cradled his face in his palms and brushed the tears away with his thumbs. Although he still hiccuped and sobbed, he didn't shed a tear now. His boyfriend let go of his cheeks to grasp his hand instead, before placing it above his heart. Then, the older man spoke up with a quiet but firm voice while maintaining their gaze.

"I told you, didn't I? Kyuhyun, something doesn't need to be said out loud for its message to reach the receiver. Although I can't hear your conducting with my ears, I can hear it clearly and loudly with my heart..."

The conductor smiled, the most gorgeous smile that he had ever seen from his boyfriend.

"Thank you, Kyuhyun, for showing me how beautiful classical music is. I'll forever treasure this memory and hold it dear to my heart."

"J-Jongwoon-ah!"

Kyuhyun crushed the conductor in his embrace while crying again. The man in his arms chuckled softly and returned the hug, rubbing his back and patting his head to comfort him. He didn't realize that his hyung had become a lot stronger and calmer, already coming to terms with his sickness. It was him, on the other hand, who wasn't yet ready to face the reality, even though he was supposed to support his boyfriend and be his strength...

"I-I love you, Jongwoon-ah, I'll do better and love you even more. I love you with all my heart. I'll love you and only you. I love you."

The conductor went quiet for a while.

"...I love you too, Kyuhyun, always."

His boyfriend's response made him cry more. Maybe Jongwoon-ah might really be a telepath. He kept crying while mumbling the confession in the older man's arms for a long while and only stopped when his tears literally dried out. Shifting back slightly, Kyuhyun let the conductor wipe the snot and tear stain on his face while still circling his arms around the thin body.

"There, there, are you done crying now?"

"Yes..."

"Alright, I have something very important to tell you."

The conductor took out a silver baton from the inner pocket of his suit jacket. Jongwoon-ah gently placed it on his left palm and made him clasp his fingers around it. With his smaller hand still resting atop his larger knuckle, his boyfriend looked up and smiled brightly.

"This baton is entirely yours now, Kyuhyun."

"W-What!!? No, I can't take it! Jongwoon-ah, didn't you say that you treasure it as much as your life—"

The implication hit him and his eyes widened. Kyuhyun stared fixedly at his boyfriend to make sure that he didn't mistake it. His heartbeat then increased a millionfold to the point that it deafened everything else after he saw the older man nod with rosy cheeks. He placed his hand on top of the smaller one and squeezed it.

"I swear that I'll take great care of it with my life. I'll protect it and won't let something bad happen to it. I'll keep it by my side and cherish it for the rest of my life."

After a short while, Jongwoon-ah grinned widely as tears started to gather in his beautiful black eyes.

"Thank you, Kyuhyun..."

It seemed like his boyfriend was really a telepath.

Kyuhyun thought to himself as he kissed the conductor to eternally seal his vow.

**********************************************

2 years later...

"Kkoming-ah, Melo-ah, breakfast time."

Kyuhyun called the two little Pomeranians and placed the food bowls on the floor. The black and cream fluff ball and the white fluff ball came running happily at his call. He watched them eating while smiling fondly. They were treasures that his boyfriend left behind so he must take care of them well. Watching them reminded him of the time the four of them spent together, playing catch or going for a walk. The little dogs probably missed their owner as much as he missed his boyfriend...

"Sigh, I wished Jongwoon-ah is here with us..."

He murmured and got up. He didn't want to be late for his job. He grabbed his bag and a car key. Heading to the front door, he stopped by a shelf to open a blue rectangular box made of velvet and smiled at a silver baton lying on a red cushion. He picked it up with the utmost care as memories surfaced in his mind. The baton was an important gift that Jongwoon-ah left for him and it represented their vow, so he took care of it well with his life. Placing the item down and closing the box, he put it in the bag and smiled at the picture beside it— a picture of him and his boyfriend smiling at the camera, he was carrying Kkoming while the smaller man was carrying Melo.

"I'm leaving now, Jongwoon-ah."

.

.

.

Kyuhyun arrived at the practice hall fifteen minutes late due to the hellish traffic. The band members, including his two best friends, had long arrived and were practicing their parts in a small group. Donghae and Hyukjae came to greet him while he prepared a score.

"Kyuhyun, are you sure that you don't want to take a day off? I mean, today is the day you first met Teacher Kim..."

"Hyukjae, that's not an excuse to slack off. Although we have a few months before the foundation day, we still shouldn't treat it lightly."

"You work too much, Kyuhyun. I know that it's been two years since the teacher... but you should take a break once in a while for your health's sake!"

"Thank you for worrying about me, Donghae, but I prefer practicing to spending my time at the empty house."

"But..."

"No but. I'm glad that you two care about me but it's time to practice now."

The HyukHae duo looked at each other and went back to their seats. Kyuhyun took out a silver baton and came to stand in front of the band. He tabbed the music stand with the baton to get everyone's attention.

"Alright, as we all know, we're going to play all pieces of Vivaldi's 'The Four Seasons' on the foundation day. We've already practiced the first piece, Spring, in the last two weeks. So, we'll rehearse it today before moving on to the second piece. Any questions?"

The band members all shook their heads and smiled at him. Kyuhyun nodded back and raised the baton.

"Good. Then, let's start with the first two movements."

After a signal from him, everyone began to play the song. However, Kyuhyun immediately noticed that something was wrong with the way they played. None of them made a mistake, rather, the problem seemed to lie with the beat and tempo. It wasn't the way that he instructed in the guide. This interpretation... was more refined and sophisticated than that of his. After debuting as a conductor, his style had always been bittersweet and longing, representing the state of his heart. Even when conducting a joyful piece, his interpretation tended to lean more toward precious but fragile happiness that could disappear at any moment. However, what his bandmates were playing right now was way more upbeat and cheerful. It was full of life and hope, dazzling brilliantly like a flower in full bloom.

"Stop. Everyone stops! What happened? This isn't what we've been practicing at all. Who changes it?"

"A very cool composer gave us a pointer and we wanted to try it out! So? Do you like the new interpretation?"

"This isn't a laughing matter, Donghae. Changing a style back and forth might ruin your focus. Plus, a composer came out of nowhere and you believed in their guide more than mine? A legit conductor?"

"I don't know. I think this composer got a real talent for conducting. Why don't you see the guide that he made?"

Kyuhyun snatched a score from Hyukjae who was grinning suspiciously. He quickly skimmed through it and noticed that this composer totally looked down on him, crossing out every pointer he wrote and adding a new—

His eyes widened. His heart was racing like a sports car as he shakily felt a familiar handwriting on the paper with his fingers...

"...Where is this composer?"

"He's waiting for you in the office!"

Everyone shouted excitedly. Kyuhyun nodded and ran to the office in the back. He slammed the door open and stepped into the room, his heart b with hope and expectation. There was a man standing before the desk with his back facing the door. His short dark hair fell to the curve of his skull, exposing his milky nape. The unknown guest wore a simple short-sleeved, pale pink shirt topped with a cream vest. A pair of slim legs in light-grey pants shifted and the man made a full turn on his heels in white sneakers with blue stripes. And Kyuhyun's breath got stuck...

"It's been a while, brat."

The composer was Kim Jongwoon. His mentor. His boyfriend. His everything. Jongwoon-ah, the person whom he loved with all of his heart, was really standing in front of him, flesh and blood. His beloved Jongwoon had really come back to him! His eyes felt warmer as tears started to form. Two years ago, after informing the band members and his family about the conductor's sickness, they consulted the doctor regarding the surgery and found out that his boyfriend's case was a special one. The tumor's placement was in a risky position so it required a specialized doctor. They couldn't get the procedure in Korea. After that, they discussed it and his boyfriend decided to go to Germany. At first, he wanted to accompany the older man to take care of him but his boyfriend shot him down, saying that he shouldn't abandon his family and career in Korea. So, even though he was very unwilling to, he let his boyfriend fly to Germany alone while he took care of their dogs and continued with the orchestra band. They chatted via facetime daily so the loneliness was bearable. Jongwoon-ah took half a year to recover from the surgery but he didn't fly back home yet. Instead, his boyfriend told him that he wanted to stay in Europe and study composing. Kyuhyun respected his boyfriend's decision so he never hurried the former conductor to come home, even though he dearly missed everything about his Jongwoon-ah. But they finally reunited today!

"How have you been, Kyuhyun? I miss you so—"

Kyuhyun tackled the shorter man and initiated a greedy kiss conveying the feelings that he had kept bottled for two years. His boyfriend eagerly reciprocated it and wrapped his arms around his neck. As their tongues tangled in an intimate dance, he impatiently but gently lowered the man in his arms on the table. He caressed the smaller man's side and frowned after realizing that his beloved had gotten thinner. He immediately drew back to lightly scold his boyfriend, speaking slowly so the older man could read his lips.

"Jongwoon-ah, did you skip dinner again? How do you get even thinner!!?"

"I missed a certain someone so much that I lost my appetite. Plus, the food there wasn't as good as what you made for me."

"Sigh, you should've come back sooner. I'd never let you starve!"

"Sorry, I want to learn about composing at the capital city of classical music so..."

"It's okay now. But why didn't you tell me that you'll come back? I should've picked you up at the airport."

"I want to surprise you, obviously, you dummy."

Jongwoon-ah kissed the tip of his nose before pushing himself up. His boyfriend took in his appearance and touched his face while smiling warmly. Then, the shorter man noticed a silver baton poking out from the shirt's pocket. Smiling wider, the former conductor took the baton out and waved it in nostalgia.

"Not bad, you take care of it well."

"Of course, after all, it's a gift from you."

Kyuhyun watched his boyfriend inspecting the baton and smirked when a fun idea came up to him. He waved his hand in front of the older man to get his attention and grinned teasingly.

"Actually," Kyuhyun gestured at the baton then the smaller man, "I'm thinking of returning it to you."

Jongwoon-ah looked at him as if he didn't understand it. So, Kyuhyun repeated the sentence again in sign language while still smirking and the maestro immediately panicked.

"W-Why? Is it because I took so long to come back to you? Are you getting tired of my selfishness? Kyuhyun, I'm sorry but please—"

"Calm down, Jongwoon-ah," Kyuhyun chuckled, "it just doesn't sit well with me how you entrust this baton to me but I never gave anything as valuable in return."

"But I don't want anything. I only want you..."

"So? You don't want this too?"

Kyuhyun smirked as he took off a platinum ring adorned with a blue gemstone from his left ring finger. While his adorable boyfriend was gasping adorably, he put the ring in the smaller hand and closed the small fingers around it, exactly like when his boyfriend gave the baton to him.

"It's my family's heirloom and I want you to take care of it, Jongwoon-ah."

His hands retreated to repeat what he said in sign language but with an added 'will you marry me?' at the end of the sentence. Jongwoon-ah's beam was as radiant as the blue gemstone on the ring as he happily put the platinum band on his left ring finger, before tearfully showing it off to him in immeasurable joy.

"D-Dose it look good on me?"

"Absolutely. This ring was born for you and only you."

Kyuhyun smiled fondly and tugged the slim waist into his embrace and kissed the plump lips that tasted slightly salty due to the falling tears from the shorter man. He didn't mind it and continued to repeat the vows through the kiss until his boyfriend started to moan instead...

CRASH!!!!

He cursed and almost bit the luscious lips at the noise interrupting them. The maestro couldn't hear the ruckus so he pouted at the discontinued kiss, but soon realized from his annoyed expression that something happened. Jongwoon-ah glanced over his shoulder and saw the HyukHae couple plus the rest of the band collapsing on top of one another at the door, no doubt eavesdropping on them. Kyuhyun didn't hold back on showing his irritation and snapped.

"What the hell are you guys doing here!!?"

"Hey! You're not the only one who misses Teacher Kim!"

Donghae protested and immediately crashed against the former conductor into a bear hug, followed closely by Hyukjae and everyone else. The band members soon surrounded the maestro and joined a group hug while he watched from the side, only intervening when his dear fiance looked overwhelmed.

"Alright, alright, that's enough. Don't forget that my fiance can't hear you now and you're confusing him."

"Humblebrag."

Hyukjae rolled his eyes at him but Kyuhyun ignored it. He took his beloved back to his side while Donghae spoke up excitedly, but stopping mid-sentence and typing it down on a phone instead.

Teacher Kim, you already wrote a guide and all for the Spring part, so, why don't we revisit our good ol' days? ^^

"What good old day—"

Kyuhyun put the forgotten silver baton in the older man's palm and squeezed his hand. Jongwoon-ah looked at him and the grinning band members as if they had lost their minds.

"Everyone knows that I'm deaf now, right? And what good old days? Do you mean the time when I labeled you all as trash? Do you like being called trash that much? Or perhaps you're a masochist just like my silly fiance? Though that won't be surprising considering that birds of a feather do flock together."

Hyukjae and Donghae, along with the band members, made an 'ouch' face at their former conductor's familiar insult. However, they soon smiled and laughed instead at the sharp-tongued maestro who never changed. Eventually, Jongwoon-ah also smiled and glanced up at him asking for his opinion, and he nodded eagerly. His fiance grasped the baton and his black eyes shone brighter in determination. They cheered loudly and quickly left the office to get in their positions. Kyuhyun borrowed a violin from Henry who happily lent it and took out a harmonica to join. He sat down at the concertmaster seat and looked at the black-haired man on the podium, smiling to himself as time seemed to rewind back to the day when they first met. Jongwoon-ah raised his baton and glared at them, though his lips were smiling.

"I may be deaf but I'm not blind. I can tell from your posture and hand movements whether you mess up or not. So, you'd better watch out."

Everyone nodded eagerly and they started playing at the conductor's sign. Although his fiance had been away from conducting for two years, his skills didn't get rusty even one bit. Under the maestro's precise guidance, they beautifully executed Vivaldi's The Four Seasons: Spring and genuinely felt like they were surrounded by blossomed flowers and the gentle breeze of spring. Kyuhyun looked up from the score and met the older man's eyes. They exchanged a bright smile knowing that they could feel the same rhythms currently embracing them, not by their ears but by their hearts.

The symphony of love that brought them together.

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Author's note:

Lmao did I make you panic a bit?  xD   But if you've been following me for a while, you probably realized already that I'm allergic to angst hence always a good ending for kyusung in my fics. While that's great cuz it's how I got the title Master of Fluff, I guess sometimes it has a downside as in I can't fool you lol  Or maybe I should do hard angst for real and catch you off guard? I do have a few ideas that will make you either depressed or furious or both  ;P

This story has come to the end! Now it's time to reveal the inspiration behind this~ It's from my favorite K-drama "Beethoven Virus (2008)" with Jang Keun-suk, Kim Myungmin, and Lee Ji-ah. I'm very fond of this one (even though I'm usually not a fan of watching series) cuz it's not about romance only but also about chasing your dreams and relationships between different kinds of people. I recently binge watched it and wanted to do kyusung ver. so here it is!

How was it? Do you like the new conductor Cho and Maestro Kim's relationship and their story? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this~

Take care and love you <3

PS. per tradition, I'll take a break for one week after long story so see you again on June 19!