Lisztomania | JungKook ff

1. Pianist

P.S: Words in italic are lyrics.

You must have been in a place so dark
You couldn't feel the light,
Reachin' for you through that stormy cloud.
Now here we are, gathered in our little hometown.
This can't be the way, you meant to draw a crowd.

I was passing by some classroom, music blasting my eardrums off, as I heard a yell overshouting even the noises from my earphones. I took out one and frowned glancing into the room. My music teacher had his back turned on me. His shoulders were raised and he had a ruler in his hand, which he constantly patted on the top of the grand piano. I knitted my eyebrows as I noticed a hunching person sitting by it. He was yelling at the person. Perticularly at the girl.

Oh why, that's what I keep asking.
Was there anything I could've said or done?
Oh, I had no clue you were masking,
A troubled soul, God only knows what went wrong and why you would leave the stage in the middle of a song.

Her left hand's fingers were lying on top of the piano keys, her right hand was put on top of her lap. She was squeezing her right hand into the fist under the piano so the teacher couldn't see her do it. Of course, now I realized he was yelling at her.

'Practice until you get it right!' Another scold came out his mouth and he hit a ruler on the piano, for one second I thought he will hit her and my blood boiled. The girl jut kept an eye contact with a teacher, not leting her eyes down for one moment. She seemed scared of his actions, but not afraid to look into his eyes. It loooked like she was terrified of the man's expression more than his yells.

'Repeat,' he commanded and started banging his fingers on the top of the piano creating a rhythm. She inhaled and removed her right hand from the lap, now both of her hands lying on the keys. The melody began. It was sweet, soft, almost angelic, but at the same time it was inspiring and empowering. I could feel chills running up and down my spine and I turned off the song playing on my mp3 player, just so I could get lost in the world of this music. My skin bewildered as I realized the piece going nearer and nearer the climax with each press of the key.

I pressed myself against the wall on the other side of the door and watched carefully enjoying every single bit. Just as I thought that the highest point of the melody will leave me crushed and in tears, she suddenly got the wrong note and I crouched. Even from here I could see teacher's ears turn red and then violet, if I wasn't mistaking, his face should have looked abnormally terrifying.

'You made a mistake again!' He was outrageous and I just couldn't understand how a man like that was allowed to work with kids and teenagers. Of course, even with my little experience, I could see, hear and feel that this girl had talent so precious that it shall not be wasted. Obviously the teacher came to conclusion that his harsh methods will be the best way to keep her on track. I couldn't disagree more.

'Repeat,' he banged the rhythm with his fingers again and as she started playing he turned around, so now I was able to see his face, but he hadn't yet seen me. 'I will need a stronger drink to deal with this,' he mumbled and I held in my breath as I realized that he was coming this direction and was about to open the door, just to find me on the other side.

I quickly slid down to the ground leaning on the wall and put in my earphones quickly banging my head back and forwards to the imaginary song. As the door swung open and the teacher passed by, he didn't see anything suspicious. And probably wouldn't have suspected me watching them practice for the world. Everyone knew I was lisztomaniac. This position, I got myself into at this very moment, sitting on the ground in completely empty school's hallway just listening to music, was normal for me.

Now in my mind I'll keep you frozen ss a seventeen-year-old rounding third to score the winning run.
You always played with passion no matter what the game when you took the stage you'd shine just like the sun.

No one, janitor, teachers, students, even headmaster, wouldn't pick on me anymore when I'd do it. I took out the earphones out my ears and looked around. When I decided that the music teacher was far enough not to see and catch me sneak into the classroom, I lifted my body weight from the floor and tip toed into the class. The girl was still playing, her shoulder length, partly wavy hair, swung to the sides as she tilted her head while playing. Then another wrong note came in her way as I was still hallway through the entrance. She hit the keys with her palm and lowered her gaze.

'Don't practice until you get it right,' I said coming into the room and obviously surprising her a lot. She partly jumped, partly crouched. I put in my first earphone. 'Practice until you can't get it wrong,' I added and sat down in the first row putting my second earphone in my ear. She stared at me for couple of minutes more, before turning to the piano.

Oh why, there's no comprehending and who am I to try to judge or explain.
Oh, but I do have one burning question, who told you life wasn't worth the fight?
They were wrong, they lied. Now you're gone and we cry, 'Cause it's not like you to walk away in the middle of a song.

I could see her fingers running through the keys, gently touching them as if she was stroking them. But I couldn't hear the music she played, since in my ear, there was a whole other tale, told by a singer singing the song my mp3 player randomly picked out.

I don't know for how long I sat there, just enjoying her grace and love for music, until bell interrupted my thoughts. Teacher wasn't yet back, but I still stood up just in case. As I was about to go out into the coridor, I stopped and turned to the girl smiling. I didn't expect it, but she was looking at me, almost pitying me, which was strange. Her eyes sparkled with tears and I frowned coming closer to her.

I knelt next to her as she sat on the stool. My hands automatically lifted to her face and I wiped off the tear from the corner of her eye. 'What's wrong?' I asked, and the lyrics of the song playing in my ears questioned at the same time. She opened her mouth, but bit her teeth together without an answer. I held her hands in-between my palms for couple more minutes, just staring into her eyes and stroking her palms with my thumbs.

'Will you play for me?' I asked whispering, almost so silently it was barely possible to hear me. But she nodded. And I had to let go of her hands as she came back to the piano. Her long slim fingers ran across the keys as the little happy girl runs across the field filled with the most beautiful blossoms of the world. I stood next to her, leaning on the instrument. My earphones were hanging on my neck and I just shoved my mp3 into the backpack, sure that I won't need it today.

As she finished I heard slow claps from behind us and I cringed before turning around. My heartbeat was fast as I thought the teacher came back, but it wasn't the teacher. It was some elderly woman slowly clapping after hearing the piece. She was just as touched as me, and maybe even more. Step by step she made her way to us and stopped right behind the girl placing her palms on her shoulders. The girl didn't react to the touch.

'She did it,' woman spoke and it took me a moment to realize what she was talking about. Indeed the pianist didn't make a single mistake while playing the piece. My heart skipped from happiness, and I didn't even know the girl. 'Thank you for playing to me,' I said to the girl and smiled hoping that she will turn to me and smile as well. I needed that sign, smile, like I needed air. But she didn't turn to me, or to anyone. She just silently sat there gazing the instrument. Woman shook her head. 'You shouldn't expect her to change, just because she got this piece of music right,' her voice was in agony and I tilted my head.
'Is she... an introvert?' I didn't want to talk about this girl, this special person, as if she wasn't here, but she didn't show any sign of recognition to the fact that there was other people in the room. 'She's deaf.'

Your beautiful song.
Your absolutely beautiful song.

Published 20:39 2016-03-10