Music to my Ears

Interlude 1

Jin leaned against the entryway, staring affectionately at Yoongi as he poured his heart and soul into every note. The moon's shine peeked through the cracks in the window, providing the only lighting in the room and casting Yoongi in an ethereal glow. Jin walked over to the panting Yoongi, sweat glistening on his forehead from running so fast to the building. Yoongi turned to Jin as he approached.

"Thank you," Yoongi uttered, still slightly out of breath.

"Don't thank me. It was all you! I just pushed you a little bit in the right direction," he replied, proceeding to physically push Yoongi lightly on the shoulders.

"Thank you," he repeated, his voice barely in a low whisper as he examined his own hands, wondering how the hell he was able to pull this off.

"Anyways..." Jin patted Yoongi on the back. "If we're done here, wanna go grab some coffee with me?"

Standing up shakily from the piano bench, Yoongi gripped Jin tightly on the arm and they headed towards the local coffee shop.

The A La Mode Café was a cozy little space located just outside of the campus boundaries where many students chose to study or chat amongst friends. This night was no different, crowded and bustling as students worked to crank out their term papers and assignments, the sound of keyboard clacking could be heard intermittently between your typical late-night conversations. The interior was just an average, run-of-the-mill coffee shop, with fairy lights hanging artfully from the ceiling and menus written out in rough white chalk on blackboards. Finding a seat inside away from the cold weather, Jin told Yoongi to wait on the leather couches as he went up to the counter to order for the both of them, one jasmine tea and one iced americano respectively. Yoongi took the opportunity to slide a 20 dollar bill in the overcoat that Jin left hanging on the seat beside him, as Jin refused to let Yoongi pay for anything all night, much to his dismay.

When he returned, hand with the iced americano outstretched to Yoongi, he plopped down on the seat next to him, taking a long sip from his warm tea.

"That sure hits the spot!" he said, one hand curled around the tea cup and another placed on the arm rest next to Yoongi.

Yoongi took a small sip from his iced drink, looking down at the hand that was a bit too close for comfort.  Staring at Jin's long fingers, perfect for playing piano, a thought popped into his head.

"I think you owe it to me to tell me the story of how you fell in love with music," Yoongi said, blinking innocently.  Jin sputtered, tea dripping down the sides of his chin, which he wiped quickly with a napkin while trying to maintain his composure.

"I... haven't told you yet?"

"Go ahead," Yoongi said, Jin's unexpected reaction stoking his curiosity.

Jin placed his tea cup lightly on the rustic wooden coffee table in front of them, shifting anxiously in his seat.  "I'm not like you, Yoongi.  In terms of... musical endeavors."  Yoongi squinted his eyes at Jin in confusion.

"I'm just trying to say that it's not a particularly inspiring sort of story!"  Jin continued, "It's boring... You don't want to hear it."

"But I do," Yoongi replied, getting even more intrigued.  Jin blinked back, not expecting Yoongi to be so blunt.  

"Okay... If you insist..."  Jin cleared his throat.  

"It's not the most interesting thing in the world, but I was a child prodigy," Jin said, the slightest hint of hatred seeping out of his mouth as he uttered the words.  "It's not that I didn't enjoy piano, at least at first, but it wasn't my choice to even begin with.  When my parents saw my potential, it was like everything became about piano."