Over Books and Coffee (Seongjoong)

Part 8

It had been a week since San and Yunho had shown up at the Library. But for the past two days, Hongjoong had noticed something that concerned him.

"What do you mean he hasn't been at work?" San asked. The two of them were waiting for San's boyfriend to be done with his classes.

"He just hasn't been there for the past two days. I asked his co-workers about it and they just said he took the week off. I wonder if he got sick or something? He never misses work." Hongjoong explained to him.

"Huh. Well, he is only human. It makes sense for him to get sick, even if he is perfect." San replied.

"Yeah. I guess I'm just a bit worried." Hongjoong said, shuffling his feet awkwardly.

"Understandable." San nodded.

"I just wish there was a way I could see him. You know?" Hongjoong told his friend, who just nodded solemnly.

"See who now?" A loud and cheerful voice interjected. San's face broke into a grin.

"Wooyoungie!" He exclaimed excitedly as his boyfriend ran over and tackled him into a hug.

"We were just talking about how Hongjoong misses his prince charming." San told him. Hongjoong rolled his eyes.

"Oh really? What's his name?" Wooyoung asked excitedly. Hongjoong sighed.

"His name is Park Seonghwa. And he isn't my prince charming, San, we're just friends." Hongjoong told Wooyoung.

"Wait. Park Seonghwa? As in tall, blonde and gorgeous Park Seonghwa?" Wooyoung exclaimed, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah actually. Wait did you just reference a meme?" Hongjoong said with an offended tone.

"I know him! We have music theory together." Wooyoung continued, completely ignoring Hongjoong's meme comment.

"Wait. Really?" San asked, totally surprised.

"Yeah. He has a competition coming up so he took time off work to get in as much practice as possible." Wooyoung told them.

"Competition? For what?" Hongjoong asked, interested.

"Couldn't tell you. But, maybe you'll be able to catch someone in the performance hall who could." Wooyoung gestured to the building that held the performance hall, a large space where concerts, plays and competitions were held.

"I don't know. Are you sure?" Hongjoong asked. Wooyoung nodded.

"Ok. I don't really have anything better to do. I may as well go." Hongjoong shrugged, and started walking towards the building. It was honestly rather intimidating.

"Have fun!" Wooyoung called. He whispered something to San who then grinned at Hongjoong. But it was an evil grin, which definitely meant they were up to something.

"What am I even doing here." Hongjoong said to himself as he walked down the hallway towards the set of doors that lead into the music hall.

As he got nearer, however, he started to hear music from inside. He slowed his steps down as he listened to the sound of a piano being played.

Hongjoong wasn't an expert in classical music, but he instantly recognized the quick and intense notes of Beethoven's Piano Sonata number seventeen, "The Tempest".

The notes were infused with an almost urgency to them, but they also carried a mournful undertone. It was as if the pianist was infusing their very emotions into their music. It made Hongjoong very curious as to see who was playing.

So he hesitantly approached the doors of the hall, quietly opened one of them, and slipped inside.

There was a young man seated at the piano in the centre of the stage, concentrating on the keys and the music so much that he didn't notice Hongjoong's arrival.

Hongjoong scanned the man as much as he could from the far side of the wall.

His hair was jet black, and Hongjoong didn't recognize him as anyone he knew. But there was something about him that was familiar. Hongjoong couldn't place it.

The song came to a sweeping close, and the pianist took his hands off of the keys and started to write some notes on the sheet music spread out in front of him.

Hongjoong didn't know why, but he felt a bit rude just standing there. So he started to clap quietly, alerting the pianist that there was someone in the room.

He turned his head towards the source of the noise, and Hongjoong's mouth fell open. He knew that face, all too well.

"Seonghwa!?" Hongjoong didn't know what he had been expecting, but it certainly wasn't this.

"Hongjoong? Why are you here?" Seonghwa asked, almost as surprised as Hongjoong was.

"You were gone. I asked Wooyoung about it and he told me to come here." Hongjoong realized that Wooyoung must have known Seonghwa would be here. Seonghwa laughed.

"Well, it looks like the cat's out of the bag. Sorry I didn't give you a warning before disappearing like that." Seonghwa apologized as Hongjoong made his way closer to the stage.

"It's totally okay. Why didn't you ever tell me you played the piano?" Hongjoong asked as he came up to sit beside his friend on the bench.

"I guess it never came up? I didn't want you to think I was lame or something." Seonghwa explained, running a hand through his newly dyed hair.

"Lame?" Hongjoong laughed. "I'm an art major." He said.

"Besides. You sounded incredible." Hongjoong told him.

"You think so?" Seonghwa looked at his hands.

"I know so. And anyone who doesn't obviously has no taste whatsoever." Hongjoong assured him. Seonghwa laughed at that.

Boy was it good to see him again, and to hear his laugh. Hongjoong had been feeling so deprived the last two days.

"You dyed your hair." Hongjoong finally pointed out.

"Yeah. I have a piano competition coming up soon so I wanted to look more professional I guess." Seonghwa explained. "Does it look bad?"

Hongjoong scoffed.

"Bad? You? Never." He said. Though his blonde hair had been absolutely radiant, the black color complimented his pale skin and truly made him look like a prince. Hongjoong liked it, a lot.

"Thanks." Seonghwa said.

"Do you mind if I... sit here while you play? If I'm getting in the way just say so." Hongjoong asked a bit nervously. He wanted to hear Seonghwa play again, but if he didn't want him to, then Hongjoong would respect that.

"Sure. I need to practice some other things besides the one for the competition anyways, so no worries." Seonghwa said, placing his hands back on the keys. Hongjoong had never noticed how long his fingers were. Actually, his hands in general were extremely pretty.

Seonghwa started to play again. And this time the song was much slower.

"Moonlight Sonata, first movement." Hongjoong said, recognizing the piece. Seonghwa smiled, signaling that Hongjoong had guessed correctly.

The way that Seonghwa played, the sound that he invoked from the piano, it was art. Hongjoong had never heard anyone play like he did, with care and love for the instrument and music, and with so much emotion that it made Hongjoong want to cry.

It was an intoxicating feeling, one that Hongjoong could feel again and again and not get tired of.

He closed his eyes and listened to the music flowing through the room. Sitting here like this, made Hongjoong happy. He felt comfortable being near Seonghwa, and could only hope that the other felt the same. But something told him he did.

So they sat there, together, lost in the music.