𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℙ𝕚𝕒𝕟𝕚𝕤𝕥 | 𝘛𝘢𝘦𝘑𝘰𝘰𝘯

1

{Thank you guys for coming to read my third story! My disclaimer is that there will be smut in it, so, viewer discretion advised <3}

I sat down in front of the piano, my fingers trembling. My instructor stood aside the stage, hidden by the curtains. I could feel his smile beaming towards me, although it gave me little comfort. I graced the keys gently, praying I wouldn't mess up. I had a whole audience in silence as they watched me play.

Was my face okay? I hoped I wasn't scrunching up my nose like my instructor claimed I did when practicing. I tried to relax my face as much as I could, and focus solely on the keys.

Quickly I got lost in the music, and my fingers created their own melodies. The music flowed and I could feel a warmth envelope me. Everything was effortless and serene. My instructor would be so proud to know I came through my stage fright.

He had been training with me for a year, solely for this performance. I had been invited to the nation's gala as an opening act, so my instructor insisted that we practice vigorously and thoroughly. I would spend up to six hours at a time each day practicing for the gala.

~~~

"Ah, Taehyungie, you need to relax your expression more."

"Okay I will try... Thank you Mr. Kim."

"Taehyung, just call me Namjoon, please! There's no need for such. I want this atmosphere to feel as comfortable as possible, okay?"

I gulped, whatever saliva in my mouth leaving, thus forcing my mouth to become a dry cotton ball. I nodded my head in response to Namjoon hyung and shuffled a bit on the bench where I sat. I readjusted my hands on the piano and began to play, staying conscious of how my face felt.

I played for what felt like an eternity, although in reality, maybe ten minutes. I finished the piece flawlessly, yet my posture still wasn't attractive.

"Taehyungie," Namjoon came up behind me, his hands gently adjusting my positioning. "You are so tense," His hands glided over my knotted up shoulders and he made a quiet 'tsk' sound, "Okay. How about we change things up."

Namjoon gestured for me to stand up, and as I did, he sat down in my place.

"Watch me, alright? I want you to study solely my posture. When finished, I want you to practice how I hold posture." 

I nodded my head and focused hard on his movements. As his fingers graced the keys, his back was ever so slightly bent towards the piano. His shoulders weren't slumped nor tense. I took in the newfound information, and also some more. Like how his large hands could scale the keys easily, and how relaxed and focused his expression was. His eyes were fixated on the keys, though they didn't rush to follow with each keystroke. With each inhale, I could see his chest rise, then gently fall. His shirt under stress, then loose.

When Namjoon finished playing the piece, he stood up abruptly.

"Did you see that? I want you to try your best to mimic it, okay? Go ahead, practice." He stepped away from the bench and gently nudged me toward it.

Sitting down, I thought about everything I had just watched. I went over the logical parts quietly and began to play. I was careful of my posture, like how I held my shoulders, and I tried to not crane my neck or back. I kept my arms loose as not to appear rigid. In the second I peered up ahead of me, I could see Namjoon smiling toward me over the piano.

"Much better Taehyung," He affirmed. I felt a smile slip upon my lips and I finished playing the piece before looking back up at hyung.

"I think that's enough practice for today," Namjoon walked around the side of the piano and grabbed his blazer from the top of it. He ran a hand through his silver locks and smoothed out his button-up. "You agree?"

"Yes." I stood from the bench, stretching my limbs before grabbing my bag and slinging it over my shoulder. 

~~~~