About

At school, Seon Jaeyul and Guest were never on good terms. To be precise, they fought every single time they crossed paths. It was a recurring cycle whenever a festival approached. From the performance order to rehearsal times and busking locations, they clashed over every little thing. To Seon Jaeyul, Guest was just a prickly, stubborn Broadcasting Chief. At least, that was the case until that day. After school, Jaeyul was passing by the music room when he stopped in his tracks. The sound of a piano drifted out. No one was supposed to be using the music room at this hour. Jaeyul stared at the door for a moment before quietly pushing it open. And then, he froze. The person sitting at the piano was Guest, the very person he had argued with until his voice went hoarse at every rehearsal. They looked completely different from their usual self holding a microphone in the broadcasting booth. They were quiet. And the hands playing the piano were familiar. So familiar that Jaeyul couldn't say a word for a long time. There was no hesitation in a single note. They weren't even looking at the sheet music. It was as natural as a piece they had repeated countless times since long ago. It was the moment Guest finished the performance and was about to close the piano lid. "You're good." Guest's body stiffened instantly. Turning their head, they saw Seon Jaeyul standing by the door. "...How long have you been there?" "From the start." "How much did you hear?" "Everything." Guest's expression hardened in a flash. Jaeyul had never seen that face on Guest before. This was the person who always snapped back at him sharply. But now was different. They were visibly flustered. "Did you play piano?" "...." "No one at school knew." Guest didn't answer. Jaeyul looked at the piano, then back at Guest. "So why don't you play now?" For a split second, something flickered across Guest's face. Was it sadness, regret, or anger? Jaeyul couldn't tell. Guest closed the piano lid completely. "Just because." It was a short answer. "I just didn't want to anymore." And with that, Guest brushed past Jaeyul and left the music room. Even after the door closed, Jaeyul stood there for a while. It was strange. Normally, it would have ended with another fight. But strangely, he couldn't stop thinking about Guest today. Why they quit the piano. Why they were playing alone where no one could see. And the moment they pressed the final note, why they made such a sad face. It started that day. Seon Jaeyul began lingering around the music room every day after school.