Music to my Ears

That September Day

The sound of heavy footsteps rang throughout the empty hallways of Seoul National University. Class having gone overtime by 30 minutes, Yoongi found himself rushing to his oft-frequented practice room in class 304, eager to start preparing for the piano competition that was a mere three months away. He had already spent many days mastering Liszt's Liebestraum compositions, recalling countless hours sleeping on the piano when fatigue would strike randomly in the middle of practice.

But those hours didn't matter, he thought, for this was the competition that could kickstart his budding career as a professional pianist. If he won, he would get the opportunity of a lifetime to study abroad in Germany amongst the brightest and most talented musicians of his generation. Yoongi would do anything and everything in his power to secure that first place prize.

Arriving at the classroom, panting and out of breath, Yoongi flung the sliding doors open to reveal an unusual sight: a stunningly beautiful man sat slouched against the wall, tears streaming down his perfectly clear skin. Though his eyes were red and puffy, Yoongi couldn't help but take notice of this stranger's pristine beauty, undisturbed by his obvious display of emotions.

Unaware that he was staring for a second too long, Yoongi, heart racing, was now out of breath for a different reason.

"Do you need something?" The stranger's melodious voice reached out.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think anyone would be using this room right now..." Yoongi went to close the doors and exit before the voice piped up again.

"Don't worry. Stay! Do whatever you need to do. Act like I'm not even here."  His voice was beautiful even when shaking.

"...Thank you," Yoongi replied, as he awkwardly stumbled into the room and onto the piano seat. He let out an audible gulp before resting his hands gently on the ivory keys and letting the notes of Liebestraum sing to their heart's content.

Yoongi felt a complex mix of apprehension and uncontrollable pride. Whenever he played alone in this room, the notes of the piano simply floated in the air, escaping out of the ribbon windows that framed the classroom, never to be seen again.

This time was different.

Maybe because the weather was the perfect balance of cool and warm. Maybe because the falling autumn leaves outside created an orange glow that illuminated the keys just right. But most likely due to the fact that he wanted to impress the pretty boy peacefully closing his eyes next to him, the notes seemed to dance and glide around the classroom, echoing and pulsating. It was as if when his hands touched each key, he brought them to life, the notes springing forth from the body of the instrument and savoring the short time that they had within the confines of practice room 304.

The stranger sat silently, being careful not to stir or make any sudden moves lest he interrupt this creative process. He let the notes filter through him, each thrum of an arpeggio sending slight electrical impulses throughout his body. It sounded exactly the way he imagined love felt like. Calm, yet soaring. Quiet, yet powerful. Liebestraum no. 3.

Love's Dream.

As the notes died out and the song had come to a close, Yoongi reclined, letting his hands fall gracefully to his lap.

He heard the sound of slow clapping, and turned his head to see the beautiful stranger sitting upright, a small smile drawn out along their statuesque features.

"That was absolutely lovely! I'm glad I stayed to listen to this." He grinned. "You're very talented, you know."

"Thank you," Yoongi responded curtly, embarrassed by the sudden attention.