Silent Blue ✦ 2jae (discontinued)

. three .

"Evening, everyone!" Mark spoke enthusiastically into the mic, a pianist sitting at the large instrument behind him. The customers, including Jaebum, turned their heads to see the performer standing on the small stage, a grin on his face. "Today I'll sing a song called Somebody."

"Woo!" Jabeum quietly exclaimed as Mark caught him in the crowd. He sipped at the cup of hot tea as Mark began, his voice filling the quiet space in the diner.

It was like the mood instantly changed. The workers slowed down for the few minutes that Mark sang, quietly appreciating the glint of serenity that entered the bustling scene. Even the chef came out to see the talent for himself. The children calmed, as well, hearing something soothing in their young ears, and the regulars that stayed for hours had reason to stay even a little longer.

Mark kept his eyes closed, since there was a small spotlight in front of him. He appreciated the gesture, though he was nothing special. Despite all that, this little gig meant a great deal to him. It meant even more that Jaebum called out from work that day to see him sing for a mere three minutes and twenty-four seconds. Even less, since some of the time was instrumental.

Mark finished on a sweet note, his fingers just barely touching the tip of his fingers against the mic stand. He opened his eyes and held his hand above his eyes so he could see before saying, "Thank you." There was no applause for a very silent few seconds. It seemed that the audience was too shocked to remember the courtesy of clapping after a performance, but their faces said it all. "Aha, thank you very much. My name is Mark Tuan, and this is Park Jinyoung on the piano. It's been a pleasure to sing for you tonight."

The pianist—whose name Jaebum now knew— stood up at the microphone and spoke as well. "And huge thanks to the other Park Jinyoung back there who made some time for us," he smiled, looking back at the man who gave a goofy thumbs-up. They bowed and got off stage to sit with Jaebum.

"So you're the instrumentalist this boy's been working with, hm? It's nice to meet you, Jinyoung," Jaebum greeted, shaking the boy's hand as he sat down.

"You too! You're Jaebum, right?"

"That's me," Jaebum smiled. "You said, uh... " he began, trying to recall what Mark had told him about the younger. "Mark said you work at the university down the block?"

"Ah! I'm a student there, but I tutor piano and music theory."

"Whaa," Jaebum marveled. "You're a catch, Jinyoung," he laughed, watching the younger blush.

"No, no! Music is my passion, that's all it is." The older admired him for having such an aspiration already. "I hear you hang around the bookstore a lot, hm?" Jinyoung asked, sipping on his iced coffee. Jaebum smiled cheekily, slightly embarrassed about his love for the atmosphere.

"He knows it better than anybody who works there," Mark explained. "He can memorize a library without thinking about it. That's gotta qualify him to be a detective or something, right?" he chuckled.

"Mark's been trying to get me a job there for ages..."

"Mm!" Jinyoung suddenly sounded, drinking his coffee fast. "The library at the university is actually looking for some part-time workers on the weekend! I can take you there if you're interested in something like that."

"Oh?" Jaebum's eyebrows raised almost instinctively, and Mark didn't seem to know about this either. "What kind of work is it?"

"Hmm... Not much, I don't think. Mostly making sure books are in place. Unless they put you at the checkout area, which isn't too exciting by the looks of it. It's calm on the weekends, you know? You seem like you'd like it," Jinyoung told him, smiling a little.

"Yeah, I'll uh... I'll check it out," Jaebum smiled enthusiastically.

"Excuse me," said a voice that came up behind Mark. The blonde turned around and saw a frail, old woman standing with a younger man behind her. "I'm sorry to bother you young men... Your performance was just beautiful," she told Mark. She looked into his eyes, with a shimmering youth that seemed to come back. "Lights like you shine brighter than the sun in a life like mine," she said, touching her wrinkled hand to her chest. "I hope to see you here again, I really do."

Mark didn't know what to say. "Thank you," he replied simply. "Thank you so much."

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© illjae 2017