You remembered the first time you met Seo JooHyun. It was in the Seraphic Theater, on the first performance of the Nutcracker Suite by the Maestro Troupe in South Korea. Your parents were huge fans of classical music and they never failed to bring you along to every ballet, theater or orchestra performance they went to. You didn’t complain though, because you’ve fallen in love with the music as well. You savored every opera, cantada and symphony, every note… you liked to think of yourself as unique. No eleven year old probably had the same passion for music as you did.

 

Elegant men and women roamed the room as champagnes were poured out after the show.  They were chatting idly away with one another as Bach’s harpsichord concerto played through the speakers.

 

“Oh! Could it be...?”

 

You heard your mother gasp. “Why Mrs. Seo, is that really you?”

 

You were sitting there like a proper child, observing this little scene. You knew everyone of your mother and father’s friends and this new couple was unfamiliar to you.

 

“I can’t believe it!” Mrs. Seo laughed. “It’s a good thing we came out tonight!”

“Good thing you listened to me, honey.” The man who you guessed could be Mr. Seo said, smiling widely. “We just got back to Korea last week.”

 

“I can understand, so many things to fix and prepare with the moving in back here right?” your father shook hands with him. After which, he motioned for you stand up and greet the couple.

 

Mrs. Seo took notice of you and smiled. “Is this little Kibum?”

 

“Yes!” your mother moved closer to fill in the space between you and Mrs. Kim. “He’s eleven this year.”

 

“And do I reckon that he probably has some musical talent given that you two are his parents?” Mr. Kim teased.

 

“Oh, our Kibum is actually interested in dance.” your father proclaimed proudly.  “He wants to study ballet.”

 

“That’s nice.” Mrs. Seo nodded approvingly. “Our JooHyun is also interested in dance. But right now, we want her to focus on the piano.”

 

“Our girl loves to sing as well.” Mr. Seo added.

 

“Piano?” your mother smiled sweetly. “Do you have a favorite piece to play, JooHyun?”

 

You didn’t notice her at first, this Seo JooHyun. But there she was, hiding behind her mother’s skirt. She looked like she was the same age as you were. She had a small face, with a fringe that almost completely covered her eyes.

 

Your parents quickly escorted the Seo couple to the other side of the room to meet their other friends. You were left there with Seo JooHyun. She was completely silent, not caring for your presence.

 

“Hello. I’m Kim KiBum. You didn’t answer my Mom’s question, so I’d like to ask you again, what is your favorite piece?”

 

Your mother always complained that you were much too talkative. You thought it would be best to talk to her, seeing that you two were the only kids in the whole venue.

 

Seo JooHyun just stared.

 

“My favorite is one by Rachmaninoff, I don’t know if you know it, but I heard it on the orchestra once. It’s Rhapsody on the Theme of Paganini…” you trailed off.

 

Seo JooHyun nodded, but her eyes seemed to say, “Yes, I know. Could you keep quiet now?”

 

You started to regret even starting a conversation. Honestly, this girl was so dull!

 

The Bach song that was playing on the background had ended. One, two, three, four second later, the first movement of a familiar piano piece filled the whole room.

 

“I love Chopin!”

 

“I hate Chopin.”

 

You were shocked to hear this but JooHyun only looked bored.

 

Frederic Chopin’s Fantaisie-Impromptu in C-sharpMinor was playing. You thought that you must’ve heard her wrong. Everyone you knew loves Chopin.

 

“How could you hate Chopin?” you sputtered.

 

“None of your business.” JooHyun had a determined look in her eyes.

 

You waved your finger in front of her face. “No self-respecting pianist hates Chopin.”

 

Self-respecting.You heard your father use that word once while he was on a phone call. You didn’t really know what it meant but you felt cool and mature when you said it.

 

And that was how you and JooHyun stood glaring at each other until your parents went back for you. You were fully convinced that this girl in front of you didn’t know a thing about real music.

 

Honestly, what an annoying girl she truly was!

--------------------------------

 

You never even once in your life thought that dance would make you famous. At first, you thought it was because of your parents but come to think of it, no one really gave you special treatment when you first enrolled in SM Performing Arts School. You rightly earned their respect all by yourself. You were Ferdinand for your school’s production for Shakespeare’s The Tempest this year. Your parents were proud of you. It was safe to say that your popularity was really on the rise.

 

 But it wasn’t only you who’s rising up to the ladder of fame.

 

Seo JooHyun was a star as well.

 

Secretly, you were her fan. You followed her works and knew of her every endeavor (everyone in your school was a fan of her anyway). She preferred to be called as SeoHyun now. Her parents did well in making her focus on the piano. At seventeen, she’d already traveled to Europe to perform and she had graced the cover of Life with Music. When your mother was young, people called her the “Madonna of the Piano.” SeoHyun, with her talent, refined grace and beauty, was now being hailed by critics as the “Second Madonna.”

 

“You know that famous conductor, Park JinYoung? I heard he mentioned once in an interview that he wanted SeoHyun to play a solo in one of the orchestras he’ll be conducting,” a classmate of yours, Victoria Song, explained gleefully. A lot of the girls in the academy idolized SeoHyun.

 

“Park Jin Young? He’s friends with my Uncle’s viola mentor who’s in Austria. He’s really big!” Choi Sulli explained.

 

You can’t help but smile whenever you remember your first memory of her. Back when she had those long fringes, back when she wasn’t critically-acclaimed SeoHyun yet, just Seo JooHyun, the girl forever imprinted in your memory as the one and only person who hated Chopin’s works.

 

“You seriously can’t beat Kibum right here, he’s friends with Seohyun!” your friend, Kim JongHyun proudly proclaimed. Your Mom once made the mistake of telling your friends that you and SeoHyun knew each other from childhood. Friends is a bit of an understatement, though.

 

“Naah. She doesn’t remember me anymore.” you scoffed, trying to act cool and unimpressed. “And who cares anyway? Let’s go practice!”

 

“You haven’t met her for so long, but who knows, maybe she still remembers you.” Lee TaeMin, the youngest of your school friends, helpfully suggested. He was always the optimistic kind.

 

He was right though. You’ve never crossed paths with her ever since that cold, December night. You knew you had all the means to meet her again, had all the connections…

 

You shrugged. There would definitely be a destined time for that.