Three weeks usually fly by for her. Considering her busy schedule with touring, recitals, lectures, and commuting from venue to venue, it wouldn’t seem like much time to even think twice about. These three weeks, however, have been the complete opposite of unremarkable. Though only needing to attend two classes throughout the week, having Baekhyun in one of them was proving to be a painful burden. Not only would he constantly try to strike up a conversation with her at all times, and even during the lecture itself, he was a natural comedian and charmer to the rest of the musicians in the hall. Even at times charming the professor himself, Baekhyun proved to not only be a proficient pain in the , but a true entertainer. Perhaps that was what also propelled him into the spotlight of being a world class soloist—His personality, his charm, wit, and charisma—all the things she kept hidden beneath a mask of stoicism. A side to her she had either forgotten, or has learned to never bring out. 

Regardless, it was finally the last class of the week Jooeun would be seeing Baekhyun. On a cold, sunless Thursday, they were due to meet in a different lecture hall. This time in one of the bigger practice rooms that could hold more musicians for small showcases and presentations. Jooeun arrives early for once, an oddity of its own, noticing that the door to the room had still been locked. She glances over the piano in the middle of the room, followed by the empty chairs and lack of her fellow classmates. Slightly annoyed that she had come a bit too curtly for her liking, she sits on one of the benches across the hall, her arms tightly across her chest as she heaves a heavy sigh. Following the small glance at the watch on her wrist, her ears perk at the sound of footsteps at the end of the hallway, only to turn her head and to be greeted by the devil himself.  

It was Baekhyun, looking down casually at his phone whilst taking a sip of what she assumed had been coffee inside of his to-go cup. She noticed he never went without it, and that he was an avid lover of the brew served in the dining hall, according to a conversation she had overheard him having with one of their classmates. He was always well-dressed, clothes that suited his figure well and he was sure of it himself too. This time adorned on his face was rounded black spectacles, held in place by the nose of his bridge which Jooeun had never seen him wear before. She thought Baekhyun was charming just like this—not noticing her or paying attention to her, just in his own happy little world where his charms could be admired quietly and inwardly. It was only whenever he paid attention to her, or tried to get her attention that truly unsettled her, something that she wanted to avoid at all costs. 

And as quickly as her curious observations began, it had also ended as soon as he averted his gaze upward towards her. Jooeun had already looked away by now, her eyes forward to the door, blank and emotionless with the signature pursing of her lips. Baekhyun thinks she looks beautiful as always, her hair falling in all the right places and features effortlessly captivating, no matter how much she was averse to interacting with him. He takes one final sip of his coffee, and hums in satisfaction. 

“Early this time around, aren’t you?” Baekhyun quips playfully, sitting at the opposite end of the bench from the pianist. 

As always, Jooeun doesn’t reply. She merely keeps her gaze on the door, seemingly in a blank daze. Unbeknownst to Baekhyun, her mind was constantly racing at a million miles an hour. From thinking about Kyueun and her practice schedule with Junmyeon, when she needed to be picked up later, if they were going to go out for dinner afterwards or if she still had the time or energy to cook, when the next practice room was going to be available for her to practice the concerto she had coming up in a week, the recital after that, the program she still needed to finalize for Kyungsoo’s recital, when she would be meeting with Minjae for his next lesson, if she needed to staff the piano shop this week, if she had bought enough groceries for the week, how long they would take to bad, if she could utilize them all before they did—

“There must be so much on your mind yet you never say a thing…” 

“What?” This was perhaps the first interjection Baekhyun had ever gotten to one of his comments, and the suddenness of it slightly took him aback. 

He smooths over his surprise quickly, warmly smiling at her as she had finally glanced over to meet his inquisitive demeanor. “You’re a tough cookie to crack, you know. Always so quiet, contemplating.” 

Jooeun slightly scoffs at his comment, “Because I have nothing to say to you.” 

“Oh really? But you just did.” 

The pianist gives him a glare, unamused with his witty retort and the cheeky little grin on his lips. 

“You must think I’m annoying.” He jests.

“Yes, I do.” Is what Jooeun wants to say, but instead keeps her lips pursed. 

Baekhyun only takes Jooeun’s persistent silence as an affirmation to his comment with a light chuckle, sighing to himself and taking one more sip from his cup. The taste makes him hum quietly. At this point, Jooeun had already begun to completely become dejected from her surroundings, perhaps from the exhaustion running deeply within her and had no energy left to spend paying attention nor mind to anything else Baekhyun had to say or do. And yet surprisingly, it remained this way—a somewhat comfortable silence enveloped the two pianists, something that had yet to happen until this very moment. Baekhyun always had something to say, something to comment on, but he remained to himself, taking occasional sips from his coffee and glancing down at his watch. 

Something pops into Jooeun’s field of vision, and as she turns her head she is met with the sight of an open cigarette box extended out towards her in an offering. Averting her gaze up towards Baekhyun’s who was holding it out to her with his enticing gaze and raised brow, she simply shakes her head to decline. 

“I don’t smoke.” 

“Oh,” The pianist remarks before he apologizes. “Shame. Guess I’ll have to enjoy this one on my own this time.” He grunts as he rises from the bench, sparing one last glance towards that of her uninterested demeanor as a farewell. 

“How Parisian of you.” Jooeun murmurs quietly in a passing comment, earning a hearty laugh from him. 

He turns towards her with amusement dancing all over his features, placing the cigarette between his lips before excitedly replying. “Trés parisien, ma chérie.” 

Jooeun doesn’t reply to his passing comment, only sparing one last look over at Baekhyun before he takes his leave. She then averts her gaze down onto her lap this time as his steps wander off further into the distance, followed by the sound of the glass door closing behind him. There were about 10 more minutes left until class began, and those minutes seemed too far away for her liking. Boredom with the lack of anything to do was slowly starting to get to her. And with that boredom piqued her unbecoming curiosity. 

Jooeun finds herself now looking out to where Baekhyun had been standing from the entrance to the building, casually lighting his cigarette and taking a long draw from it. She watches as the toxins envelope his immediate surroundings, the stream of smoke escaping his pink, plush lips and the way he closes his eyes at the nicotine entering his system. There is something about the air surrounding him, the confidence, how nonchalant his demeanor was, and how carefree he seemed. Like he had nothing to worry or think about, except for the moment he was presently in. He looked content, not a single bother in the world seemingly in his way. Occasionally a breeze would blow through, his permed hair messily falling against his eyebrows yet it didn’t seem to faze nor bother him as he took another draw from the cigarette between his lips. And even with such a carefree and seemingly cool demeanor, his incessant desire to befriend Jooeun was what really bothered her. He seemed so content on his own, so comfortable within his own charms, yet why was he pursuing something that she felt would never satisfy him? Something that would ultimately disrupt the tranquility and ease he was seemingly always in?

Minutes pass just like this, in this manner. Jooeun occasionally stealing glances at the pianist, and Baekhyun, too. Stolen glances was the game. As she would avert her gaze down towards the watch on her wrist, Baekhyun would feel the need to look back at her. Her solemn, solitude frame sitting so still, so quietly. Only being able to see the side of her visage, Baekhyun could feel the exhaustion from her demeanor. Her blank stare, pursed lips, and otherwise unamused expression was the way he always saw her. He always wondered what was on her mind, what was bothering her, or even if something was bothering her. Between the puffs of smoke and clearing of his throat, he couldn’t keep his eyes off of her. He would smile to himself whenever she’d occasionally glance down at her watch, noticing the impatience now permeating across her beautiful features and mannerisms. And the more she avoided him, the more adversity she had shown him, the more he became intrigued. There was something to her that he couldn’t quite shake why he needed to be so insistent. Why was he so bewitched by her? By someone who had made it so painfully clear they wanted absolutely nothing to do with him?

No longer able to bear the minutes passing pointlessly, however, Jooeun annoyingly curses under her breath. With the added absence of her classmates and professor only mounting to her frustration, combined with the meeting time of the lecture growing closer, the pianist decides to retrieve her phone from her purse. All it took was a simple browse through her emails that provided sufficient explanation for their absence, and it was one that made her roll her eyes with a frustrated scoff.

Class Canceled, with today’s date in the subject line was enough to make the pianist nearly punch a hole in the wall she was leaning against. All it does, however, is make her lock the screen of her phone and exasperatedly sighs. She glances back over towards Baekhyun, who was now facing away from her with his forearms leaning over the balcony in the quaint garden just outside. Jooeun stills for a moment and ponders if she should tell him about the cancellation, but doesn’t take another to decide. Without wasting another second, she rises to her feet and briskly leaves the hall, making her way to the practice rooms where she would spend the next few hours  until her next meeting. 

Baekhyun turns around after deciding his previous draw from his cigarette would be his last, and immediately notices Jooeun, or rather, her sudden absence. He hastily puts out the cigarette beneath his shoe, and rushes into the building, realizing that the door to the lecture hall had still been locked with no one inside.. He checks the time again on his wristwatch, noticing that their lecture was about to begin in 2 minutes, yet there was no one in sight anywhere; Neither his professor, nor his classmates. 

“Did she just… leave?” He murmurs to himself, trying to see if she was still around the corner or in another seating area nearby. His attempts are fruitless, and eventually he decides to take a seat where Jooeun had been minutes earlier. It is only then that Baekhyun decides to check on his phone too, noticing the email notification from their professor about the cancellation and finding himself laughing in disbelief. 

Of course she left, Baekhyun. What would you have done, too? He thinks to himself, now burying his face into his hands and placing his elbows atop his thighs. The pianist decides to take one more moment to compose himself before he too decides to make way towards the practice rooms. 

But before he takes his final leave, he notices something on the ground just beside his foot. Cocking his head in curiosity, Baekhyun notices it to be a handkerchief with a small embroidering of a rose, followed by the name Juliette embroidered next to it as well. 

Juliette..? Surely this has to be hers, but why is this name on it? He looks around anxiously, hoping that someone would come around the corner in search of it. But to his dismay, the hall is empty and quiet. It had only been him and Jooeun for the time being, he realizes. A void of just his thoughts and curiosities that left him filled with more questions than answers about the pianist. Perhaps it truly did belong to her, and that this could be an olive branch he could use to extend and break the ice and tension between them, for whatever reason she held against him. Nonetheless, he decides to pocket the handkerchief in his jacket, wanting to keep it safe and sound until the next time he sees her.

For now, Baekhyun can only hope that it is soon. 

“I thought you’d be in one of your lectures, Jooeun-ah.” 

“Professor Kang canceled, so I thought I could just swing on by before I went to practice.” She warmly smiles, crossing her arms over her chest as she leans against the doorframe to his office. “What did you need me for, Uncle?” 

“Just have a seat and you can leave the door slightly ajar, I need to go over some things with you.” He instructs, reciprocating Jooeun’s pleasant demeanor and prepares a small cup of water for her. 

Besides being in the practice rooms, Uncle Youngbae’s office was a safe haven for Jooeun. It was tucked away from the hustle and bustle of students roaming around, where no one could find her, and a place of solitude. As always, she treasured her time alone and in private. Though Uncle Youngbae was oftentimes either running around campus having to teach a lecture here and there, alongside being one of the chief conductors for the Conservatory’s orchestra, whenever Jooeun was ever in a time of need, he never hesitated to lend his time to her. After all, he was her first teacher that encouraged her to pursue the piano. He was one of her main influences that peaked her interest in the instrument, cultivated her into the soloist who she was today, and without a single doubt, stood the test of time in all regards. 

Jooeun could even go out of the way and attest that he has known her longer than her own parents, but they know close to absolutely nothing about her. 

“How’s the shop? Kyueun’s not running it down to the ground is she?” He humorously begins, clearing his desk from the mountains of papers and score books that scattered it. 

“No, not at all.” Jooeun laughs. “She’s been working a bit more for me these days since I just came back from my small tour in Europe. Other than that she’s been seeing Junmyeon sunbae for lessons and going to school as usual.” 

“That’s good to hear.” Her uncle finally sits himself down on his chair, taking a brief sip from the cup of coffee beside him. "I was checking in every once in a while when you were gone, but I might have to be at the shop more often in the next upcoming weeks.” 

“Oh?” Jooeun quips, pulling the cup of water away from her and setting it down on his desk. “Another piano restoration?” 

“And as always, you already know everything, dear.”  

The pianist can’t help but to laugh, scoffing in amusement before shaking her head. “Well, it’d be nice to have you around often again, I feel as if I’ve been running on empty these days.” 

“As I always said—touring is lonely, and never gets easier.” 

“You’ve never been wrong, Uncle.” Jooeun heaves a heavy sigh, trying to hide the tiredness sprawling across her expression with a dejected, strained smile. Since knowing her from birth, Uncle Youngbae knew it was an attempt to salvage and ease his worries. It was an attempt that, albeit appreciated, never went without his worry. He could never stop worrying over her, especially when things have been so difficult on her—Which is what makes this meeting all the more harder to have. 

“So… Back to why you called me in here again.” She tries to lighten the mood, pivoting away from the constraints of being a touring, concert pianist. 

Uncle Youngbae clears his throat, trying to offer a consoling smile of his own. “It’s about your concert coming up, where you’ll be performing Ravel for the first time.” 

Jooeun doesn’t answer, but purses her lips in a reply whilst raising her chin in acknowledgement. Dread looms in the pit of her abdomen, a twisting, painful contortion of her nerves as the next moment confirms her suspicions. She doesn’t want him to say it. She doesn’t want him to confirm her worries. 

“Maestro Jang had something come up and he won’t be able to—”

“Please don’t say it.” 

Her uncle pauses, before continuing reluctantly. “Admin asked me to take over conducting your concert.” 

The pianist scoffs in disbelief, immediately rising from her seat and is nearly ready to leave but her teacher immediately steps in front of her, his face in a desperate plea. Her eyes are devoid of any emotion as she bores her gaze into him, those same eyes being the ones he last saw when something had changed within Jooeun. He could recognize them anywhere. And he remembers the first time he ever saw her looking so forlorn, so brokenly dejected of any feeling. 

“Absolutely not.” Her answer is short, terse and straight to the point. So full of poison and disgust, disbelief cuts off the tip of her tongue as she clenches her jaw. 

“Juliette, s'il vous plaît—”

“No!” She exclaims with such commanding coldness, yet her eyes tremble with burning, molten, fiery anger. “I told them countless times that I would never perform it, and that for whatever reason if I had to, that you specifically would not be conducting it.” 

Uncle Youngbae swallows thickly, trying to reason with her. “I understand that, Jooeun-ah. I really do. I pleaded with them to not allow it either, and to give the opportunity to someone, anyone, else. But they insisted on having me do it. I fought it tirelessly. You must believe me, dear.” 

“Well, then. Tell them that I will no longer be performing it.” Jooeun says simply, grabbing the handle of the door but he immediately prevents her from opening it further.

“What has happened to you, child?” 

“Excuse me?” 

“You know Jihyun wouldn’t condone this.” Her uncle’s words stun her immediately in place, the mention of her beloved teacher causing a cessation of her breathing, it seemed. He had never mentioned his wife’s name in front of her in what seemed to be like an eternity. And he knew the gravity and the profound effect it had on Jooeun. “I have to say it. I can’t watch you destroy yourself any longer, Jooeun-ah. She always dreamed of you performing it, you know this.” 

There is a long, silent pause. She takes in his words, seemingly unable to react. It was an instinctive reaction to protect herself, that is, to simply stay in place wordlessly, emotionlessly. The pianist takes another moment to steel herself, before whispering in a quiet, broken and trembling inflection in her voice. 

 “I cannot play it in a world where she no longer exists to hear it.” 

“Oh, my beloved Juliette…” He falters in sympathy, his chest heavy as he watches his student try to piece together the visage of someone strong, unbothered. Jooeun looks as if she is going to fall apart at any moment, her gaze averted and wavering, so lost as she desperately attempts to swallow her tears. “I’m so sorry.” 

Still, Jooeun stands her ground. “I’m still not going to play it, Uncle.” She remarks firmly. 

“You have to, please. For Jihyun.” He pleads once more. “If you can’t for her then for me. Just this once, please. This is the only thing I will ever ask of you.” 

The pianist is now able to look at her teacher straight in the eye, tears ready to spill from hers though her lips are pursed in an unreadable, yet forlorn frown. There is a mutual understanding between them in the silence, a relenting glint in Jooeun’s eyes that Uncle Youngbae immediately recognizes, and feels his demeanor finally relax in relief. He would do anything to spare her of this distress in a heartbeat, and Jooeun, despite the anger coursing through her veins in this very moment, ultimately knows this in the back of her mind. Just as well as he knew her, so did she know him. He always protected and advocated for her, even in moments such as these where it didn’t seem as so. 

“There are two, albeit short, rehearsals leading up to your concert. Next week Wednesday afternoon and a brief run through just before you have to perform it on Friday.” He says simply, breaking the silence. 

Jooeun acknowledges him quietly, simply bowing as she is about to take her exit. 

“And I expect you to be there.” He says, just as she leaves his office. 

He doesn’t see his student now crying, holding in her sobs painfully as she rushes aimlessly away from him, desperately hoping that no one else had seen her in such states.

“Office 402, office 402…” Baekhyun murmurs to himself, looking down at the card given to him with directions to find his professor’s office. He had a meeting due with him in about 30 minutes, discussing his own performance that had been coming up in the next couple weeks or so. And after learning his lesson about how each building in this campus had seemingly confusing, and perhaps some of the most infuriating floor plans that seemed to disorient even the most seasoned and accustomed students and professors alike, Baekhyun made plans to be as early as possible. 

He reaches the end of the floor’s corridor, slightly heaving in relief that there was someone at the front desk who could potentially help him with finding his way. 

“Hello, excuse me…” 

“Oh, hello Baekhyun-sunbae!” He greets warmly in recognition. “How may I help you?” A student who seemed about a year or so younger than him sits upright and averts his gaze away from the monitor of his computer. 

“I’m looking for Maestro Lee Jihyuk’s office?” 

“Ah, you’re in luck, people are usually never able to find this side of the building.” The student jests, amusing Baekhyun as they both share a laugh. “So right through this door behind me is the corridor where most of the professor’s offices are. Maestro Lee’s will be all the way to the end of the hallway and it’ll be the second office to your left, next to Maestro Cho Youngbae’s office.” He instructs with a pleasant smile. 

“All the way down and the second office to the left, got it.” Baekhyun leans over to visualize his path and sees the corridor he needs to head down. “Thank you!” 

“Not a problem, sunbae.” 

However, just as Baekhyun is about to take his leave, he stops in his tracks upon realizing the aforementioned name of a pianist whom he instantly recognized and, without a single doubt, greatly admired. It was perhaps one of the reasons why he even chose to come back to this specific conservatory upon arriving back in Korea. 

“Did you happen to say that Maestro Cho Youngbae’s office is here as well?” 

“Yes!” The student confirms. “He’s in his office with Seo Jooeun-sunbae at the moment. I’m sure you can stop on by to say hello. She’s usually in there with him talking up a storm whenever she has some downtime between lectures and practicing.” 

“Ah, is that so?” Baekhyun hums, hiding his excitement to not only see a great pianist he greatly admired, but Jooeun as well, especially to return the handkerchief that may have belonged to her. “Was Seo Jooeun a student of his?” 

“Maestro Cho was notorious for declining students, but not Jooeun-sunbae. Apparently, she was his only pupil, to much of everyone’s envy.” 

“Oh, I would definitely be envious as well!” The pianist agrees vehemently, his fawning demeanor amusing the younger. “Maestro Cho is someone whom I’ve admired immensely growing up.” 

“Well, I’m sure he’d also be delighted to meet you as well, sunbae.” 

Baekhyun graciously thanks him once more. “Thank you again for all your help and insights, you’ve been wonderful. I’ll let you know how the first meeting with him goes.” 

The younger bows respectfully and chuckles slightly at the pianist’s comment. “Of course, I hope it all goes well!” 

He carefully strides into the corridor, noting all the different names he recognized and those that he didn’t, displayed on golden plaques in front of each door, denoting who’s office it had belonged to. There would be names of prominent pianists, conductors, wind, brass, string players and all other musicians he was either vaguely familiar with, or at some point in his career worked with briefly for concerts or recitals. It was a marvel to see, and something to admire, that is, to be around such wonderfully talented artists. Though the semester was merely a few weeks in, Baekhyun could barely contain his excitement and anticipation to work with them once more, and to familiarize himself with the names he didn’t quite know or recognize just yet. There would also be bulletin boards built into the walls, each displaying various flyers of concerts, recitals, and other activities occurring within or related to the conservatory. 

It was then that he noticed the specific flier advertising Jooeun’s upcoming recital, branded with bold, large letters at the top that read: “Seo Jooeun – Debut Premiere of Maurice Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G Major”. Below was a picture of her sitting alone at the piano, candidly taken with her hands hovering over the keys as if she were in the middle of playing a piece, gaze cold and dejected as she stares into the camera with pursed lips. The fringe of her bangs slightly covers one of her eyes, yet Baekhyun cannot help but to become mesmerized over such a simple picture. There is something alluring about her mere presence and the way she carried herself, something that mysteriously captivates him.

But what breaks his train of thought and his admiration was the sound of talking, or better described, arguing. It was coming from the end of the hallway, towards the office Baekhyun had been looking for in order to meet with Maestro Lee. He takes a few more steps, hiding just behind the corner as he peeks slowly, surprised at the sight before him. It was Jooeun and Maestro Cho, exchanging heated words back and forth, with no end in sight as the pianist feels guilt over listening to what seems to be a very intimate conversation. Though he cannot help but to be intrigued, his curiosity now getting the better of him. He simply wants to know more about Jooeun, and the nature of her relationship with a conductor and pianist Baekhyun greatly admired, heightened with the earlier intel he had received from the student at the front desk. 

“Absolutely not.” 

“Juliette, s'il vous plaît—”

“No!” 

“I told them countless times that I would never perform it, and that for whatever reason if I had to, that you specifically would not be conducting it.” 

Baekhyun immediately snaps and flushes his back against the wall upon hearing Maestro Cho call her by Juliette. He holds his breath tightly, hoping he hadn’t been seen, as well as desperately trying to conceal his shock as inwardly as possible. He listens in to more of their conversation, the tension permeating through the walls as the two continue to exchange arguments with the other. His ears quirk up at Jooeun saying that she no longer wanted to perform, followed by the conductor’s inquisitive comment that mentioned his wife’s name.

Wang Jihyun…? Baekhyun murmurs to himself, a name he also recognized at an instance. He knew of their marriage and subsequent careers together, how the two were dubbed as one of classical music’s dynamic duos. Jihyun, however, became more of a concert pianist than Maestro Cho, as he dabbled into conducting later into his career. Baekhyun revered and admired the two immensely whilst he was studying in France, with many of his own teachers having their own experiences with working with the duo. He recalls his teachers’ memories with the duo, as they frequented and even lived in France for a large amount of their careers. 

But what Baekhyun makes note of, is hearing the mention of Jihyun’s passing years ago. It was sudden, and the news rang a somber, painful jolt within the classical community. He, too, was devastated by it all. Her loss was punctuated by an outpouring of grief from many around the world, and multiple tribute concerts and recitals on her behalf. It was a moment of great tribulation, and he can only imagine the toll it must’ve had on those closest to her. 

He feels the tension permeating through the air as a moment of silence passes, before he hears Jooeun murmur something that overwhelms him with sadness. Baekhyun can hear Maestro Cho consoling her in French, the two exchanging more words of unwillingness, before their wordless understanding of each other’s pleas leads to him instructing her about their rehearsals. 

“And I expect you to be there.” 

Is the very last thing the pianist hears, before immediately hiding around the corner upon seeing the door fly open. Baekhyun tries to sneak one more glance towards the hallway, only to see Jooeun’s weeping visage. She is quiet in her strife, holding the sleeve of her sweater to her cheeks as so to quickly wipe away her tears. He then sees her desperately reaching into her bag to retrieve something, but Baekhyun cannot bear to look at her for any longer. It feels almost as if it was too much of an intimate scene to witness. To see her in such dire anguish, such distress, especially in this capacity, made his own heart ache as well in sympathy. 

And with his sympathies arose even more feelings of curiosities, if it were even possible for him to accrue more—curious of the ways he could possibly console her, or lend a listening ear to. To take away her anguish and distress. But for now, he can only clutch the handkerchief in the pocket of his coat, now confirming its owner as she disappears hurriedly in the distance. 

Jooeun looks down onto her watch, seeing that it was now finally nearing 6 in the afternoon. She is seated outside of a tutoring center, watching as people pass by and others making their way through the rush hour crowds. The sun was beginning to set just a little bit later than usual, a symptom of the springtime. There is a gentle breeze in the air, pleasant enough to keep Jooeun comfortable as she waits patiently, letting time pass by either checking on her phone occasionally, or merely observing her immediate surroundings. 

And as prompted, Kyueun rushes down the stairs, yet something else catches Jooeun worries. She sees her sister, the distress on her features and the tears welling within her eyes as she runs towards her elder. She cries out her name, haphazardly avoiding anyone who had been between the two of them and throwing her arms over the pianist in a tight, rather desperate hug. 

“Oh, goodness!” Jooeun exclaims, immediately holding her sister in her arms reassuringly. “What is the matter? Are you alright?” She asks, wretched with worry.

Kyueun only shakes her head as to deny an answer, unable to find the words to describe her own agony and affliction. The elder can feel the eyes of bystanders glan