The renaissance of a romance

CHAPTER 15

Yeji's POV

Frankly speaking, this ongoing conversation will crack every bone out of me. Literally. I expected this to be a heavy business interaction but turns out that everyone here is busting their guts out from laughing so hard,  well except for my mother of course. She keeps herself posh and compromised by corresponding to every joke with a fair smile,  just enough for an unrude and appropriate response. Nonetheless, everyone was feeling the warmth of the atmosphere, just like a gathering, a celebration of friendship, the kind you rarely find in High Societies. It's an odd feeling but I like it.

We've been going on for almost a quarter of an hour until my liver couldn't handle it anymore, I need to go to the bathroom. So in order to cut suspicion that I don't know a single heck of my own mansion, I tapped Yuna's shoulder and quickly whispered, "Where's the bathroom?"

"Just take a right under the big staircase ahead. There's a door beside the grand piano." I took her instruction in memory and politely excused myself out of the conversation.

As I made my way ahead, I gazed at Ryujin again. I don't know why but my eyes always swivels back to her eyes, like it should always stare at it or my heart will explode.

...

As a woman who doesn't have any sense of direction, I will admit that I was fucking struggling to find that staircase beside the grand piano because all I saw was statues, chandeliers, paintings, and more statues again. I was about to give up when I took a right from a corner of a marbled wall, my eyes oddly twinkled when I quickly spotted the silvery staircase beside a grand piano. The place triggered a memory again. Like a Deja Vu,  like a memory of a dream. So this was the place. This is exactly how it felt, spacious, expensive, and full of splendor.

Yet my heart pounded with no permission. I'm not so sure why should I be nervous right now but my insides are fucking doing that at the moment and I don't know what to do, or do I?

My gut says that I need to step forward, so I did and saw a glimpse of the gigantic curved staircase made of glass with wavy handrails that sparkled beneath the artled glass chandelier above. But as I took a closer observation, I suddenly hear a melody coming out from the piano.

Well...

It wasn't just a simple melody.

It was a classical piece.

That is coincidentally very familiar to me.

This piece was our song. 

It was Melody of Love created by Beethoven. A piece both Lia and I loved. She plays Beethoven for me when I get up in the morning. 

My walking pace grew slower as I indulged myself to the music playing. Every hair on my skin started to raise as a figure beside the piano was transpiring into view. Slowly did I took my steps nearer to the figure. My legs were starting to feel wobbly from the anxiousness that I was feeling.

A few seconds passed by before I could get closer to see the person in full view. Then lo and behold, a girl was sitting next to the ebony grand piano with her lengthy chesnut hair covering her petite physique. She was wearing a white sun dress that highlighted her beautiful legs that was weirdly familiar to me.

At any chance, my heart began to race, I clenched my jaw and gulped hard as I felt a lump on my throat. Is this all too good to be true?

I can't be mistaken. Is it her?

My heart felt the buried wound inside again, aching and breaking. Memories of my beloved flashing before my mind. I suddenly remembered how I still miss her so much, my soul felt melancholic.

I can recognize her pale veiny hands and how it effortlessly changes one key to another.

The moves of a prodigy.

The gestures of an artist. A flawless pianist. 

The moves that only Choi Jisu hands can make.

I was a meter far away from her, even though I was still left dumbstruck, I managed to gather all my inner strength and speak to the person behind the music, "Li - Lia?" I was barely breathing. 

Shit, she heard me.  I internally screeched. The moment she stopped moving her fingers, and the melody of the piano dried out, my heart dropped at the fastest pace ever, I held my breath as she slowly turned her body to face me.

"I'm sorry?" Her voice and the distinct tone that echoed through was all too familiar to my ears. I can't believe that the eyes that I've missed so much is staring at me right now. Her face was more alive than the last time I saw it, she was breathing, she was living, she was real. 

Seeing her again filled my soul with joy. A joy that only a Choi Jisu can give. Yet I guarantee that she doesn't know my existence at all nor does she know who I am in her future life. So I'll play dumb here, for the salvation of my sanity.

"I-I'm sorry, I thought you were - you know - uhm - someone else -" My voice was awkward and stiff. Trust me, I was fucking doing my best to not sound a panicking lunatic but hey, I tried.  

"Wait, are you perhaps the Miss Hwang they've been talking about?" She suddenly stood up from the chair which made me startled as I took a step backward, I'm obviously still conscious of her.

"Y-yes." I safely answered. Oddly, a grin came out from her face, "It's nice to finally meet you, Miss Hwang." Her face shined brighter as she reached out for a handshake.

I can hear my heart beating out of my chest as I saw her hands only a few inches apart from me. I can feel the tension of her flesh, she was nervous too, but obviously she was good at hiding than I am. "I'm Julia." She added in continuation, but I thought my ears heard it wrong. I tilted my head slightly to the side and crunched my face, "Excuse me, what did you say again?" I asked for repetition. "I'm Julia. Julia Choi." she confirmed.

I took another look into her hands before accepting the handshake, "It is a true pleasure to meet you." I knew I was giving her a pale smile, but who could blame me? I'm still in shock of the fact that I am holding her hands, that I am feeling her touch again for the first time in the longest time. 

I still can feel my heart involuntarily bouncing with excitement and agitation. Everything that's laying beneath my eyes right now are too overwhelming. I should be glad or confused or anxious or crying or laughing or anything that can help me release this engulfing emotions attacking me.

When I thought things couldn't get worse, my lungs started to feel heavy, my chest was painful and my throat stiffened, I can feel my esophagus breaking. "Miss Hwang, are you feeling alright?" I can see Lia's worried face as I felt my system going downhill. 

My nose suddenly felt the struggle to breathe in air, and my mind was trying to assure me that everything is alright and that this is just me being hysterical. But when I was about to convince myself, I remembered what Yuna said, then I was reminded. I HAVE FUCKING ASTHMA.

..........