The following week, Pond found himself returning to the music hall after school, albeit reluctantly. Phuwin had insisted that their lesson wasn’t a one-time thing, and though Pond hadn’t been entirely comfortable with it, something about Phuwin’s persistent charm made him agree to keep coming back.
As he stepped into the music room that day, he found Phuwin already seated at the piano, his fingers lightly brushing over the keys, the melody flowing effortlessly from his hands. It was like a second language for him.
“Back for more?” Phuwin asked, looking up from the piano and flashing a grin.
Pond nodded, taking a seat next to him. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t get too excited.”
Phuwin raised an eyebrow but said nothing more. Instead, he pushed a sheet of music over to Pond. “We’ll start with something simple today.”
Pond glanced down at the notes in front of him, feeling a lump form in his throat. It was all so foreign to him. His fingers hovered over the piano keys, unsure of where to start.
“You’re overthinking it,” Phuwin said with a soft chuckle. “Relax. Playing the piano isn’t about thinking too much. It’s about feeling the music.”
Pond shot him a skeptical look but tried to loosen his hands. “I don’t know how to feel the music.”
Phuwin smiled, an almost teasing glint in his eyes. “Well, that’s what I’m here for. Let’s start slow.”
He positioned Pond’s fingers on the keys, guiding them gently to the right spots. As Phuwin demonstrated a simple scale, Pond awkwardly followed his lead, the notes feeling clumsy under his fingers.
“You’re making progress,” Phuwin said after a few minutes, his voice light but encouraging. “You’re too tense, though. You’ve got to let go of your fear of messing up.”
Pond sighed, his shoulders stiff. “I’m not used to doing things I’m bad at.”
Phuwin paused, looking at him thoughtfully. “I get that. But that’s the point of learning, isn’t it? We all start out bad at things. The trick is not giving up on them.”
Pond didn’t respond right away. He wasn’t used to this—someone pushing him in a way that wasn’t out of obligation or force. It felt strangely... good.
As the lesson continued, Phuwin’s guidance became more focused, his voice gentle yet authoritative as he corrected Pond’s posture, his hand hovering over Pond’s to help him find the right keys. Despite himself, Pond felt the tension in his body gradually ease. The music wasn’t perfect, far from it, but for the first time, he felt like he could do this.
“You’re improving,” Phuwin said, his smile widening. “You have a good ear for rhythm, just need to work on your confidence.”
Pond’s hands faltered on the keys for a moment, but he recovered quickly, glancing at Phuwin. “Thanks. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to play.”
“Yeah, well,” Phuwin said with a playful smirk. “You’ve got a long way to go, but I think you’ll get there. Just keep practicing, and you’ll be surprised at how fast you improve.”
Pond frowned at the sheet music in front of him. “I’ll never be as good as you, though.”
Phuwin gave a nonchalant shrug. “Don’t compare yourself to me. You’re you, and that’s all that matters. Besides,” he added with a teasing wink, “I’m a much better teacher than you probably realize.”
Pond felt a laugh bubbling up at that, despite himself. “I don’t know about that.”
“Well, it’s true,” Phuwin said, leaning back slightly with a grin. “You’re just being modest, but you’ll see. You’ll be playing some impressive tunes soon enough.”
Pond shook his head, amused. “I’m not so sure, but okay. I’ll keep practicing.”
“You’d better,” Phuwin replied with mock seriousness. “I won’t go easy on you if you start slacking off.”
They shared a brief, easy smile, and for a moment, the world outside the music room seemed to fade. It wasn’t just the piano or the lessons that felt different—it was this unexpected camaraderie between them. Pond couldn’t quite place it, but something about Phuwin’s effortless charm and the way he seemed to see beyond his walls was starting to make him think this might not be such a bad idea after all.
As the lesson wrapped up, Phuwin patted him on the back. “You’re done for today. But don’t think I’ll go easy on you next time.”
Pond stood up, stretching slightly. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll be ready.”
“You’d better be,” Phuwin called after him with a smirk. “I’m not going easy on you just because you’re the new guy in town.”
Pond walked out of the room, his mind buzzing not just with the music but with the odd sense of satisfaction he felt. Maybe he wasn’t so bad at this after all.
And maybe, just maybe, Phuwin wasn’t so bad either.
YOU ARE READING
Shadows
Fanfiction(P.s this is Dunkjoong, fourthgemini and Phuwinpond) In this story, Joong and his brothers-Pond and Fourth-work as servants and protectors for Dunk and his brothers, Phuwin and Gemini, as part of their father's debt to the wealthy family. Despite th...
