Seohyun had been in the piano school since she was five years-old, and despite her gentle and feminine looks now, she was really an extrovert who was a little more curious than the people around her. As she turned 9, she noticed this new student in the music school – a boy with slightly curled hair and big beautiful eyes. Being the curious child she was, she knew she had to find out more about him; even more so when she realized that he seemed really shy around her. One day, she decided to approach him during free time. “I notice you’re always alone. My friends call me Seohyun, hello?” she sticks her hand out towards him, gesturing for a handshake. “I’m 9 this year and I’m here for piano classes… you?” The boy, who was looking down on the piano keys, peeked up from his fringe that was covering his eyes, seemingly shy.

“My name is… Luhan…” he finally whispered, slowly. “Luhan?” Seohyun cocked her head to the side and stared at him a little longer than he have expected. Only then he realized that her hand was still stretched out towards him. “I’m... 10,” he continued, a little louder this time, and moved his hand real slowly towards her. Before he even reached her hand, she had already grabbed his hand. This swift movement caught Luhan by surprise and made him look up into her eyes (finally). “Hehe. Let’s be friends, Luhan! Since you’re one year older than me, I shall call you oppa~! Luhan oppa!!” Seohyun then gave a wide grin. Luhan blushed at this sudden acknowledgement from a girl. He quickly set his hand free from hers and nodded silently before going back to focus on the piano. Seohyun pouted at his reaction. Suddenly, an idea struck her and she grinned sheepishly before sitting down uninvited on the same bench as Luhan. 

“Luhan oppa!! I’m really bad at this piece. Can you teach me, pleaaaaase~?” Seohyun pleaded her newly found oppa while she crossed her fingers behind her back... who was she kidding, she had been practicing this piece for over two months now. She just wanted a chance to get closer to her oppa. She tilted her head to the side to meet his eyes and wondered why she really enjoyed being with him despite this being their first interaction. Luhan was confused by her sudden request, because he could vaguely remember that Seohyun had been in the class for a longer time that he did. "But... Weren't you here before me?" He questioned cautiously, still looking down at the piano keys. "I'm really bad at this piece. So will you teach me now?" Luhan let out a silent sigh, admitting to his defeat, knowing that he would not be able to shake her off if she did not get what she wanted. "... Okay...." He murmured. Seohyun's eyes lit up instantly and moved closer to Luhan on the bench. "Yay!! Oppa, you're the best!" She gently cling on to Luhan's arm as a big smile was plastered on to her face.

He started talking and demonstrating the different movements and parts in the song patiently while Seohyun nods her head eagerly after every sentence he said. When he thought that he had completed teaching once, he motioned for her to try out what he had just taught. However, instead of showcasing what she had really mastered, she fumbled over some of the running notes and she stuck her tongue out at her “mistakes”. As patient as he was previously, Luhan circled the few parts that she made a mistake and carefully taught her through again. However, instead of staring at the black and white keys, Seohyun had her eyes on her oppa this time. Luhan was different from other boys in her class; his eyes were really bright and pretty, and his features were slightly different from everyone else. She also realized that his fringe was also always covering his eyes, and she reached out her hand unconsciously to move his fringe away from his eyes. Feeling the sudden movement, Luhan ducted away from her hands. When Seohyun saw his reaction, she started tearing up knowingly.

Feeling at a lost, and slightly bewildered by her reaction (because hey, he was the one who got a shock, not her), he stopped playing the piano and turned to her. Holding his hand up and pausing slightly above her head, because he did not know if that was the right way to comfort her. But seeing that her tears are starting to roll down her cheeks, he could not help but gently her long, flowy hair. “Seohyun-ah, sorry if oppa scared you… but oppa never had anyone done this to me before so I got a little shocked,” Luhan gently said. “I, I thought oppa doesn’t like me anymore…” Seohyun managed to speak out in the midst of her sobs. Before they realized, it was the end of the music class and parents were already streaming in to pick their children up. Luhan was afraid that Seohyun’s parents would be there soon but did not know how to make her tears stop. Before he could think of what to do next (and still panicking inside his head), Seohyun spoke up again. “Oppa, it wasn’t because you don’t like me right?” Luhan stared at her and nodded slowly. This time, her face lit up with a smile. “Okay then, this means oppa likes Seohyun!! Oppa, my mom is here now. I shall go. I will see you in class next week okay?” A (suddenly) happy Seohyun bounced off her chair at the sight of her mother after rattling off the sentence. As she went to pick up her bag, she turned around to wave at Luhan before running towards her mother. 

Luhan sat on his chair and blinked a few times, trying to digest the situation. He frowned a little at what just happened – the fast-changing emotions of a little girl. He sighed as he slowly stood up to pack his bag after closing the lid to the piano keys. He wondered why it did not feel like it was the first time that they have met… and then walked out of the door to wait for his dad to pick him up. “Sorry I am a little late today, Han-ah. How was class?” Luhan’s dad asked as he approached him with quick steps. “I think I might have a new companion from today onwards…” was all he said. His dad did not question further as he spotted a tiny smile on his son’s face. “It’s a good thing isn’t it? Our little Han will no longer be alone anymore!” Luhan nodded his little head a few times before holding his dad’s hand as they strolled the way home.

--------

The next week, when it was finally time for the piano class again, an eager Luhan was there promptly in hopes to see Seohyun early. However, the whole class ended with no sight and sound of her... This made him wonder what had happened. "Maybe she is sick… next week, I’ll see her next week," he comforted himself. Then he left the class when his dad arrived. His dad noticed that the shine in his eyes from the morning was gone, but he chose not to say anything except to watch over him. The same thing followed in the next one month since the day Luhan met Seohyun – her being absent from the class… this made him wonder if it was because of him that she either decided to skip the classes, or have quit the programme... These thoughts made him kept to himself even more throughout his time in class. Finally, he could no longer take it and asked his dad if he could switch to private classes at home instead of attending the programme. Understanding that his son was having difficulties, his dad agreed.

Transferring of schools had become a common thing to Luhan, because his father’s job required him to move around frequently. He had initially decided that he would keep to himself while pursing his passion in music, this worked for the past 6 months. However, the appearance of this little one somehow turned his plans upside down. He had some form of attachment to her from that short period of time together… and the sudden disappearance had hurt him so much… The next day, Luhan’s father requested for withdrawal from the programme. As he stepped away, a young lady approached the staff at the counter. “Hi, I’m here to request for withdrawal of the programme for Seohyun,” she said. “I’m her elder sister and we have been busy packing up to move away. I’m really sorry that she have been absent from the classes for the past one month, but she fell sick and… things were complicated at home.” She tried to explain while doing up the administrative process.

------

As she was approaching her doorstep, she took a deep breath and unlocked her door. “UNNIIIEEEEE~~ How could you, how cooould you!! I wanted to continue learning the piano!! I still want to see oppa!!!” Seohyun raised her voice as she was bawling at the door. Already expecting her reaction, she could only comfort Seohyun while she picked the rest of their luggages up and left for the truck outside their apartment – today’s the day that they were going to move out of town too. Knowing that she had no choice, Seohyun shrugged herself off from her sister and trailed behind her bitterly.

Since the day she left Seoul, she hadn’t touched the piano again despite missing it so, so, much. This was her act of rebellion against her family for forcing her to withdraw from the programme… and for leaving Seoul. As the days passed, she grew to be less extroverted and kept to herself while at home. Even now that she was a fifteen year old, she still found it hard to let go… of Luhan. She wondered to herself how he was doing, and if he was still practicing the piano. One day, somehow, somewhere… she still believed that they would cross paths again.   

------

A/N: Here's a one-shot, hope you've enjoyed it. :) There will be an alternative ending posted up for this, please a keep out for it too (I can never bear to leave them separated)!

I honestly still have a few more drafts that are incomplete... & I aim to complete them. So please anticpate more SeoHan/SeoExo one-shots from me! 

P.S. I know it has been tough, but let's all hang in there together. Just remember that we're not alone in this. Himnae, AceBabies!! ♥♥♥