The Pianist

Learning, Part II

You walked silently beside Yoongi, now nervous for an altogether different reason that had nothing to do with the night. It was him, his presence, his closeness to you, looming with a strength that you could not ignore, could not escape. The click of your boots on the cobblestones was the only sound in the hushed midnight air.

As if to ensure you would not wander off alone, Yoongi had linked your arm under his, pulling you impossibly close. A line of warmth flooded into you from where your body was pressed against his.

It was making it hard to think.

To make matters worse, his other hand had come to rest over your own, enveloping you in warmth.

Your heart wouldn't stop pounding.

You swallowed drily. You could not stop staring at that hand.

Min Yoongi's hands were just so big, with long, deft fingers that could caress the most beautiful notes out of a piano, hands that looked beautiful dancing across the ivory keys, hands that you had guiltily caught yourself staring at whenever he demonstrated something for the class at his own piano. And now they were wrapped around your own hand.

You couldn't think.

Wait, this was all wrong. Didn't you hate Min Yoongi?? For torturing you in piano class and making your life a living hell?? Plus, he was your professor. You shouldn't be entertaining such thoughts about your professor. It was improper.

And yet, and yet you found yourself pressing closer, guilt and the rush of the forbidden making your heart race with exhilaration. Surely what no one saw wouldn't hurt them, right? Surely it was allowed, to press close to the gentleman that protected you from the dangers of the night? You couldn't help but be drawn to him, ever since that first day you had found him in the attic. So maybe you should just throw caution to the wind and enjoy his closeness while it lasted...

Your mind was hurtling down a dangerously tempting path where Min Yoongi was concerned, so you cleared your throat, trying to distract yourself by asking questions.

"So....what were you doing wandering the streets of Paris alone on a Friday night? And why is it that our paths continue to cross?" You asked him.

Min Yoongi shrugged. "Some would call it coincidence, others fate. The poets say that when certain people meet, they are tugged into orbit around each other, powerless to resist."

"Are you implying that I orbit around you, oh shining star?" You said sarcastically.

The corner of Yoongi's mouth lifted slightly. "Perhaps I am the one orbiting around you."

You turned away to hide the color his sudden  comment had brought to your cheeks.

"What? Is it very difficult to believe?" Yoongi asked you, noticing your discomfiture.

You turned back to him. "Well yes, actually. You are an extraordinary pianist. I am merely....me. Why would anyone orbit around me?"

He sighed, shaking his head. "As I told you before, you have the potential to become an extraordinary pianist. You just need the right push."

"Oh, is that what you're doing in class? Pushing me? Am I meant to thank you, then?" You snapped, ignoring the little flutter his praise gave you.

"Yes, actually. I want to see you succeed."

He said this with complete sincerity, gazing intently at you, until you had to turn away from the sheer force of his stare.

"Well uh, thank you."

Min Yoongi smirked. "There, was that so hard?"

You cleared your throat, hoping he couldn't feel your pulse jumping in your wrist.

"You still haven't answered my first question though." You said, quickly changing the topic.

Yoongi tensed slightly.

"What were you doing walking alone at midnight? And around these....unsavory areas?" You asked again.

He was silent for a long time.

But you continued to stare at him expectantly, and he finally sighed in defeat. "I was visiting an old friend, if you must know. Though he wasn't at all glad to see me." There was a sadness in his voice.

His jaw was stiffly set, and though you couldn't be sure in the dim light his eyes looked a little red around the corners.

"Why did he not want to see you?" You asked quietly.

"Because he just got out of prison." He said bluntly.

You stumbled slightly over your steps, shocked. Min Yoongi had a friend who had been in prison??

You didn't know what to do with that information. It only served to deepen the mystery around him further.

He continued. "It was my first time seeing him in 5 years. He said I've changed, that I'm not the same. But his path and mine diverged a long time ago. He is but a shell of the man I once knew. After seeing him like that...I—"

He inhaled shakily.

"It was too painful. I had to take a walk...clear my head."

You smiled sadly, hesitantly reaching out to touch his shoulder.

You already knew it was improper, you knew this entire situation was incredibly unorthodox, you being walked home by your professor, but you couldn't help it. You wanted to reach out somehow, comfort him.

He was quiet, but he didn't protest your touch.

"I have always found that midnight walks are the best for clearing the head." You said.

Yoongi smiled. "I couldn't agree more. Though I miss the country sometimes. You can't see the stars here."

You were shocked. You had just been thinking the same thing earlier, before he found you.

Yoongi sighed, looking up at the pale face of the moon that peeked through the clouds. "At least we have the moonlight. No matter how many years pass in life, no matter where we are in the world, the same moon continues to shine down on us. It is a constant, in an otherwise turbulent, changing universe. I find it...comforting somehow." He thought aloud. His voice had gone soft, as he peered pensively at the moon, and you found yourself smiling as you stared at him. A sudden warmth bloomed in your chest.

"How very poetic." You said softly.

He tore his eyes away from the moon, laughing slightly and shaking his head. "Hardly. But thank you. Now I believe this is the address you gave me?"

You stopped, startled. You hadn't noticed that you had already made it back to Lisa's apartment. Time had flown while you walked in the moonlight with Min Yoongi.

"Yes, this is, uh..." You pulled away from him, suddenly feeling nervous and self-conscious. "This is where I'm staying. Thank you. Truly." You said, smiling hesitantly.

Min Yoongi bowed, smiling back. "My pleasure. It was.....pleasant. To converse with someone." He said.

You laughed breathlessly, tucking a stray hair behind your ear. "Yes, it was."

"Well, I shall now bid you adieu. But don't go walking alone at night again, you hear me?" He said sternly.

You nodded. Feeling suddenly daring, you said, "I shall just have to seek you out if I desire another midnight walk."

Yoongi looked taken aback, but the moment next he slowly smiled. "Indeed. Bonsoir, ma chère."

And with that, he turned around, walking off into the night.

You stayed there, outside the door, watching until he vanished into the distance.