**

It was finally the day for the play. Everyone was excited, anxious, and extremely busy. Many of the staff were going back and forth from the backstage to the stage and then to God-knows-where. Each and every one was a busy bee, checking up on things that still needed to be done and some other whatnot – even the actors were preoccupied.

They were getting ready in the dressing rooms. It was only an hour to go before curtain call after all. Some were already in their costumes, warming up and rehearsing a few lines here and there. While some were trying to calm their nerves. And Luhan was one of them.

He was in his dressing room. Perks of being the lead was having your own quarters. It was only a small room, just enough to fit his costumes and a little vanity for his prosthetics and some make-up. He was still grateful for the silence though.

Luhan was nervous wreck at the moment. He had trouble sleeping the night before and as far as he knew, he barely had any sleep. And ever since morning, from the moment he has opened his eyes, there was this restless churning at the pits of his stomach. There was just this very unsettling, a foreboding of some sort, twisting and gnawing at him. He honestly felt like throwing up - he was that nervous.

He paced back and forth in the small expanse, trying to control his breathing. He was already in his first costume, a shiny grey attire for the prince, and the reality of the play was belatedly hitting him.

He stared at his reflection on the mirror and tried to remember the first scene. “What’s the first thing the prince would do?” he mumbled, feeling completely at a loss.

Panic had instantly settled inside of him. His breathing became laboured and he was seriously feeling dizzy at the moment. He felt like the walls were closing in on him so he stumbled into his chair, trying to breathe as normal as possible. He could feel his hands were shaking – his whole body was honestly shivering.

“Drink this, oppa,” someone said whilst handing him a bottled water.

Luhan mumbled a ‘thanks’ and quickly drank the liquid. It was cold – like ice cold – and it was exactly what he needed. It may be bad for his vocal cords but he needed the coldness. He needed to calm his nerves and help him brush off the suffocating feeling. ‘Like a splash of spring water,’ he thought.

Finally feeling a tad better, Luhan raised his head and met with the person’s gaze.

His eyes rounded, utterly shocked to see who it was. “Chorong…” he muttered.

The pianist offered him a shy smile. “Hello oppa,” she greeted him.

Silence filled the air between the two as they just stared at each other, seemingly speechless about one another’s presence. It had been a few days since they last talked to each other. Luhan honestly had missed her – he terribly does – but he didn’t know how to face her especially when he finally realized his feelings for the younger.

When he found out Chorong was the little pianist he had met during his first recital, and that she was his first love, made him aware of his overflowing affection for the belle.

He recalled the first time they met each other, when Joonmyeon had introduced them in the cafeteria, Luhan remembered he was greatly enamoured by her. Not exactly smitten, or infatuated, but he was certainly besotted – his heart seemingly already in the hands of the beautiful pianist. And he didn’t even notice it.

It was awkward, realizing he had feelings for her all along, but strangely he found it understandable and easy to accept.

‘Chorong’s different after all,’ Luhan couldn’t help but muse.

He smiled at her and offered his seat. “Thank you,” he finally said, breaking the silence between them. “I don’t know what would have happened to me if it weren’t for you,” he added.

The belle returned his smile. “It’s nothing, oppa,” she said, shaking her head. “The one you should thank is Eunji,” she told him. “She was the one who told me to come here.”

Luhan raised an eyebrow and stared at her curiously. “Why?” he asked. “Because she could hear you worrying from her dressing room,” Chorong replied, amusement dancing in her eyes.

The male laughed and scratched the back of his neck. “Did I make a ruckus or something?” he shyly said. “I should really thank her then,” he added, meeting