From Within
Title: From Within
Paring(s): Henry/Ryeowook
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Uh. Contrary to popular belief, no one owns them.
Genre: Fluff, Romance
Summary: Henry is given the momentous task of opening for his music school's concert. Encumbered by the responsibility, he struggles with his violin solo. But when he meets Ryeowook, he learns to loosen up and starts to play from within.
I can't do it. I can't.
The words kept running through Henry's mind as he picked up his violin case. He had just spoken with the music director of his school and the content of their conversation positively terrified him.
-
"Mr. Jung," Henry mumbled awkwardly in his best Korean. "You want me to be the opening act for the upcoming concert?"
The man nodded, smiling genially all the while. "That's right, Henry! I've discussed this with the rest of the teachers and they've agreed that it's a good idea."
"But why me?" The words spilled out of Henry's mouth before he was even aware of it. "I'm new, I've never performed in front of an audience here before and-"
"Exactly why I chose you," Mr. Jung interjected gently. "You're a fresh face and this is an opportune moment for you."
"So what do you say, Henry? Is it a 'yes'?" Mr. Jung's eyes sparkled expectantly.
Henry didn't have the heart or the courage to say no.
-
Henry leaned his violin case carefully against the wall before sticking his hand inside his jeans pocket and fumbled around for his house key. As he struggled with the key, his ears perked up when he heard a loud squeal from behind him. Turning around absently, he spotted a blur speeding towards him. At the last second, he stepped back and the blur barely missed him. A young man, probably a little older than Henry, was chasing after said blur. He looked tired and a tad exasperated but it did nothing to mar his beautiful face. Henry thought that the man was practically glowing.
The blur turned out to be a little boy who lived across the hallway from Henry's apartment. He banged on the door repeatedly and stamped his feet impatiently. The young man slowed his pace as he passed by Henry. He flashed a slight smile, causing Henry to flush before he mustered the courage to smile back, albeit very shyly.
"Kids these days," The man commented, shaking his head.
"Y-yeah," Henry stuttered, shuffling his feet awkwardly.
The man gave Henry one last smile before running over the young boy. He grasped the boy's shoulder lightly before kneeling down to admonish him.
"Jaejin-ah, you mustn't run in the hallways! What if you trip and fall and end up hurting yourself?" He lectured the boy.
Jaejin simply stuck out his tongue teasingly. "Ryeowook-hyung's just too slow!"
Henry finally managed to open his apartment door. Picking up his violin case, he stepped into his apartment wordlessly but not before stealing one last glance at the pair. Jaejin had already ran into the apartment, but Ryeowook was still standing in front of the door, rummaging through his backpack. As if he knew someone was looking at him, Ryeowook looked up and caught Henry's eye.
Henry's gaze fell immediately, embarrassed that he was caught. Ryeowook laughed good-naturedly, causing Henry to hang his head even lower. Henry could hear footsteps passing him and from the corner of his eye, Henry watched the slender man as he walked towards the elevator.
"Well, I'll see you around!" Ryeowook called out cheerfully.
Henry waited for the footsteps to die down and only lifted his head when he was sure that Ryeowook was gone. Sighing, he turned on his heels and headed into his apartment.
See you around, Ryeowook.
-
It was two months to his violin recital and Henry was nowhere ready to perform a solo onstage. The mere thought of it was enough to send him into mini panic attacks. Every time he scraped his bow in the wrong way, he would punch the wall in frustration. Henry only wanted to hear perfection; he expected nothing else.
Every Wednesday, Henry would catch a glimpse of Ryeowook. He would smile in greeting and Henry would timidly smile back. The fact that their interactions only stopped at that bothered Henry. Henry was practically enraptured by Ryeowook, from his smile to his gentle laugh. Why couldn't he pluck enough courage to approach Ryeowook?
Henry slumped on his sofa, taking a break from playing his violin. He was about to reach out for his cup of hot chocolate when the doorbell rang. Henry paused; who could that be? Henry hadn't made many new friends since he moved from Canada last year. The only people that he could count as his friends were Jungsu and Sungmin, both seniors from his music school.
The doorbell chimed yet again, waking Henry from his daze. Shooting off the sofa, he scrambled towards the front door and unlocked it hastily.
"Hello there!" Ryeowook greeted warmly, waving his hands enthusiastically.
Henry struggled with himself before he replied. "Hey."
"Well," Ryeowook started uncertainly. "I'm so sorry to intrude on your privacy like this, but I had extra pastries with me and I was wondering if you would like some?" Ryeowook surveyed Henry's face for any signs of disapproval.
Henry coughed. "You want to give m-me pastries?" Suddenly, he felt so self-conscious of his awkward Korean.
Ryeowook chuckled lightly. "Of course! Why else would I be here?"
"R-right," Henry opened his front door even wider. Gesturing towards his tiny living room, he ushered Ryeowook in.
As Henry frantically cleared the stack of magazines strewn across his coffee table, Ryeowook settled himself on the couch. He watched Henry with casual interest, giggling when the magazines almost slipped out of the latter's hands.
"Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate?" Henry called out when he had finished clearing the coffee table and had retreated into his kitchen.
"Tea would be fine, thank you."
-
Henry took a bite of the cheesecake and his eyes widened considerably. He looked to Ryeowook and exclaimed, "This, this is so good, Ryeowook-sshi!"
"That's nice to hear," Ryeowook said. Shifting closer towards Henry, he cocked his head playfully. "Well, you know my name, but I don't know yours."
"Let me properly introduce myself." Ryeowook held out his hand. "I'm Kim Ryeowook."
"Henry Lau, it's nice to meet you." Henry shyly took Ryeowook's hand and shook it.
"Henry..." Ryeowook repeated experimentally. Henry was fascinated with how his name rolled off Ryeowook's tongue.
He liked it. A lot.
-
Henry learned that Ryeowook was a first-year university student and that he worked part-time as a babysitter and as a cashier at a nearby cafe. When Henry expressed his shock at the number of jobs Ryeowook undertook, the latter simply waved it away dismissively.
"I want to be a pediatrician," Ryeowook revealed demurely. "My parents are going to retire soon so money's going to be a problem. I want to support myself, so that's why I'm taking on all of these jobs. But if you're determined enough, it's not that bad, really."
Henry slowly nodded in agreement. "I worked hard to secure my scholarship and work even harder to keep it, so I understand where you're coming from, Ryeowook-sshi."
"Henry," Ryeowook gently placed his hand on Henry's forearm. "Drop the honorific; there's no need for that."
"Ryeowook-hyung?" Henry tried again, biting his lip in confusion. Ryeowook was two years older than him.
Ryeowook threw his head back and laughed. "Just Ryeowook would do."
Ryeowook looked at his watch and stood up abruptly. "It's already this late?" Ryeowook's eyes widened in shock. He turned to Henry and started to bow distractedly.
"I'm sorry, Henry! My class starts early tomorrow and I need to prepare for a presentation. I'm so sorry for my sudden leave."
Henry scratched his head nervously. "No no, it's alright! I shouldn't be keeping you back, anyway."
Ryeowook grabbed his sling bag and hurried out of the apartment. At the door, he spun around and bade goodbye yet again.
"I'll see you around, Henry!" Ryeowook huffed out before running off.
"See you around, Ryeowook," Henry said under his breath. Ryeowook was long gone, but Henry was just satisfied that he was able to say it out loud.
-
A month to his performance, and Henry felt a little more at ease. He made far lesser mistakes but every time he envisioned the audience in his mind, he would freeze abruptly. Henry didn't know what was wrong with him. He had played in front of his extended family, he had played in front of his classmates and music teachers, he had even played in front of discerning judges! What was so different about this audience?
Then, Henry remembered. He was a foreigner here. He was new. He was all alone. And most of all, he had yet to prove himself.
Maybe that's what bothers me the most, Henry thought. I feel like I have to prove myself to the audience.
Henry picked up his bow and violin and went back to practicing; this time, with certainty.
-
"Can I hear you play, Henry?" Ryeowook asked hopefully.
"Uh, I'm sorry, could you repeat that, Ryeowook?" Henry said, his back to Ryeowook as he was busy clearing his music scores.
"I said, can I hear you play, Henry?" Ryeowook repeated his request. He was on the sofa, shaking his legs restlessly as Henry once again cleared his stuff. It was like a habit for Henry to do so every time Ryeowook dropped by after his babysitting shift with Jaejin had ended. Henry practically exuded insecurity from every pore of his body that it intrigued and saddened Ryeowook at the same time.
"I don't know," Henry paused in the middle of his packing. "I'm not very good."
"You think that you're not very good, or you think that you're not good enough?" Ryeowook responded shrewdly. When Henry didn't reply, Ryeowook raised his eyebrow knowingly.
"I," Henry finally said after a pregnant pause. "I don't think I'm good enough."
Leaning forward from the sofa, Ryeowook surveyed Henry intensely, resting his head on his upturned palms. "You're good enough to perform in front of discerning critics in order to secure a scholarship but you're not good enough to perform in front of your friend?"
Henry wandered over to his cupboard, stuffing his old musical scores into the overflowing drawer. "This is different," Henry mumbled. "You're different."
"Why?" Once again, Henry was speechless. Slamming his cupboard shut a little frustratedly, Henry turned around to face Ryeowook. Eyebrows furrowed and his lips curved in a pout, Henry was a mess. A cute mess, Ryeowook thought.
Ryeowook patted the seat next to him and Henry obeyed, moving to the sofa and plopped onto it. Ryeowook coiled an arm around Henry's stiff shoulder and started to squeeze it gently. Henry stared at his own lap, too flustered to say anything.
"You don't have to overexert yourself, you know?" Ryeowook cooed soothingly. "I know you expect great things from yourself but you can't expect to hit perfection all the time."
"It's just that...I don't want to people to think lowly of me," Henry confessed. "I feel like I gotta give it my all during my first encounter with new people; I only have one shot. First impressions last, you know what I mean?"
"I do," Ryeowook murmured in assent. "But is all this stress worth it? Who does it benefit in the end, Henry? Yourself or the other people? Think about that, Henry."
Henry twisted his fingers distractedly. "I don't know. I really don't."
"Well, it's not you, Henry," Ryeowook chuckled lightly. "In all honesty, I feel that you should stop putting yourself through this stress. Stop playing for others and start playing for yourself. That's how it started, didn't it?"
Henry nodded mutely, his eyes gleaming as he recalled the first song he could play on the violin. He had felt so happy and accomplished.
"Start playing for yourself, Henry," Ryeowook's clear voice rang in his ears. "Start playing from within."
-
It was a week to his performance, and Henry was ready. Ready to face an new audience. Ready to face Ryeowook.
Ever since Ryeowook advised Henry, he decided to leave Henry alone so that the latter could focus on his music. It saddened Henry, as he really enjoyed the elder man's company. However, Ryeowook left a bag of pastries at Henry's doorstep on Wednesday, something which Henry really appreciated.
-
Two days to his solo and Henry headed towards the familiar cafe, with a pair of tickets crushed in between his sweaty palm.
The welcoming bell at the entrance jingled, causing Ryeowook to look away from the tray of muffins he was holding. He let out a surprised gasp.
"Henry!" Ryeowook cried. "What brings you here?"
"I want a banana muffin, please," Henry mumbled, pulling his baseball cap down with his free hand.
"Oh," Ryeowook said. "Right." He slid the tray of muffins onto the display rack before taking his tongs to retrieve the banana muffin and put it inside a paper bag. He placed the bag on the counter and pushed it towards Henry. "That will be 2,500 won."
Henry pulled out a few thousand won notes from his wallet and slid it across the counter. "Keep the change, Ryeowook." Henry flashed a mysterious grin. Then, he grabbed the paper bag and headed towards the exit.
Ryeowook could only purse his lips in confusion. He gathered the notes and started to count them. One thousand, two thousand, three thousand.... Hold on, what's this?
He pulled out the pair of tickets and examined it for a few seconds. Upon realising what they were, Ryeowook quickly looked up.
Henry was already gone; the welcoming bell was chiming softly in his wake.
-
It was the day of Henry's violin solo and Henry couldn't wait to perform. He drew back the red curtains slightly, scanning the crowd for a familiar face. His eyes paused on a man with defined cheekbones and bright eyes. The man was with another man unfamiliar to Henry. Henry let go of the curtains and hurriedly went to his position, clutching his violin tightly.
I'm about to do it, Ryeowook.
-
"Thank you so much for agreeing to accompany me, Kyuhyun-ah," Ryeowook expressed his gratitude to the man on his left.
The man shrugged. "Anytime, hyung. I can't just leave you to sit in this big auditorium all by your lonesome self anyway."
Ryeowook rolled his eyes. "Your mom was so happy that I managed to drag you away from your laptop."
Kyuhyun was about to retaliate but the auditorium lights started to dim, indicating that the concert was about to start. The loud chatter turned into muffled whispering and then finally into silence as the curtains were drawn back.
Under the single spotlight, was Henry. He brought his head up to face the audience and shifted his violin to his shoulder. Bringing his bow to the strings, Henry began to play.
Ryeowook couldn't think of any words to describe the scene he was watching. Gone was the insecure Henry that Ryeowook was accustomed to. Gliding across the stage smoothly, Henry played every single note so fluidly that even Kyuhyun was gaping.
When Henry finished his last note with much aplomb, the whole auditorium erupted into raucous applause. Ryeowook shot out of his seat and clapped hard, his face full of pride. Kyuhyun was beside him, clapping in genuine appreciation.
-
At the end of the entire concert, Ryeowook dragged Kyuhyun out of their seats and towards the stage. As they approached the back of the stage, Ryeowook started to babble incessantly.
"...You really must meet Henry, Kyuhyun-ah! He's really such a sweet and talented boy and- Ah, you just need to meet him!"
"I didn't know you were into younger men, hyung," Kyuhyun quipped. "Well, the programme states that he's two years younger than you."
Ryeowook stopped in his tracks and turned to face Kyuhyun. "Henry's not my boyfriend," He said quietly.
"Yet." Kyuhyun's lips curled into a smirk. "Come on, hyung. Confess to him already! From the way you watched his solo just now, I can tell that you're practically smitten with him."
"I...Let's just see him first," Ryeowook said faintly before resuming tugging Kyuhyun to the back of the curtains.
-
Henry wiped the sweat off his brow with his cuff. He really couldn't wait to change out of his stuffy suit. Packing his violin into its case, he slung his bag around his shoulders. He had every intention of finding Ryeowook and his companion.
"Henryyy!" Henry spun around and was met with a gleeful Ryeowook. Wrapping his arms around the younger's neck, Ryeowook gripped the back of Henry's suit tightly.
"I'm so proud of you!" He giggled in Henry's ear. A smile slowly spread across Henry's face and he shyly hugged Ryeowook back.
"Hi, I'm Kyuhyun," The man behind Ryeowook said. "It's nice to meet you, Henry-sshi."
Ryeowook immediately let go of Henry. Smiling sheepishly, he introduced the two of them to each other.
"Henry, this is Cho Kyuhyun, my junior."
"Junior?" Henry's eyebrows furrowed in puzzlement. "I thought you were a first-year university student?"
"I'm a genius," Kyuhyun drawled, shrugging his shoulders casually. "Nah, I just skipped a year during high school."
"And Kyuhyun, this is Henry Lau. He's Jaejin's neighbour. You know, the boy I babysit?"
"I don't really care about kids but I do remember that name vaguely." The expression on Kyuhyun's face stated that he was being sarcastic and Henry couldn't help but chuckle. Ryeowook's friend's really nice and funny, Henry thought.
"I liked your performance just now, Henry-sshi," Kyuhyun said earnestly. "I've always admired people who could dedicate their time and effort to an instrument. I never could."
"Really? Thank you!" Henry smiled warmly. "By the way, which instrument did you play?"
"The clarinet," Kyuhyun deadpanned.
This time, Henry burst into full-fledged laughter.
-
Kyuhyun had to answer a call from his mother so he wandered off to the entrance of the auditorium for better reception. This left Ryeowook and Henry in the midst of people clearing up everything backstage.
"So," Henry started awkwardly. "How did you find my performance?"
"Do you even have to ask me that? It was amazing, of course!" Ryeowook exclaimed.
"It's all thanks to you." Henry had shifted closer to Ryeowook, the both of them a few breaths apart from each other.
"No, don't be silly," Ryeowook's gaze fell to the ground. He desperately wanted to hide his shyness over their proximity but his cheeks were betraying him. They were like two bright red beacons on his face.
"You're the silly one, Ryeowook," Henry teased.
Ryeowook looked up to see Henry's smiling face. Stepping forward slightly, Ryeowook closed the gap between them and pressed his lips lightly against Henry's. Henry's arms snaked around Ryeowook's waist while Ryeowook's arms wrapped themselves once again around Henry's neck.
When Henry pulled away, Ryeowook let out a disgruntled moan. Henry laughed and leaned forward to kiss Ryeowook on the cheeks. Ryeowook's cheeks started to flush once again, and he buried his face in Henry's crisp dress shirt.
"Way to go, Henry!" Ryeowook looked up and turned his head to the source of the voice. He found Kyuhyun with his arms crossed, smirking at the two of them cheekily.
"Cho Kyuhyun!"
***
A/N: And it's HenWook! The first one was kinda fail since it was more of a response to that Arirang video lol. *still raging over the video*
Uhhm, this is kinda fluffy and cheesy but I'm quite proud of it, to be honest! :D Lol at me; I can write this and not Sungmin the Seducer. 8D Actually, Sungmin the Seducer is a bit intimidating at times lol. XD
Comments are appreciated! (:
Paring(s): Henry/Ryeowook
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Uh. Contrary to popular belief, no one owns them.
Genre: Fluff, Romance
Summary: Henry is given the momentous task of opening for his music school's concert. Encumbered by the responsibility, he struggles with his violin solo. But when he meets Ryeowook, he learns to loosen up and starts to play from within.
I can't do it. I can't.
The words kept running through Henry's mind as he picked up his violin case. He had just spoken with the music director of his school and the content of their conversation positively terrified him.
-
"Mr. Jung," Henry mumbled awkwardly in his best Korean. "You want me to be the opening act for the upcoming concert?"
The man nodded, smiling genially all the while. "That's right, Henry! I've discussed this with the rest of the teachers and they've agreed that it's a good idea."
"But why me?" The words spilled out of Henry's mouth before he was even aware of it. "I'm new, I've never performed in front of an audience here before and-"
"Exactly why I chose you," Mr. Jung interjected gently. "You're a fresh face and this is an opportune moment for you."
"So what do you say, Henry? Is it a 'yes'?" Mr. Jung's eyes sparkled expectantly.
Henry didn't have the heart or the courage to say no.
-
Henry leaned his violin case carefully against the wall before sticking his hand inside his jeans pocket and fumbled around for his house key. As he struggled with the key, his ears perked up when he heard a loud squeal from behind him. Turning around absently, he spotted a blur speeding towards him. At the last second, he stepped back and the blur barely missed him. A young man, probably a little older than Henry, was chasing after said blur. He looked tired and a tad exasperated but it did nothing to mar his beautiful face. Henry thought that the man was practically glowing.
The blur turned out to be a little boy who lived across the hallway from Henry's apartment. He banged on the door repeatedly and stamped his feet impatiently. The young man slowed his pace as he passed by Henry. He flashed a slight smile, causing Henry to flush before he mustered the courage to smile back, albeit very shyly.
"Kids these days," The man commented, shaking his head.
"Y-yeah," Henry stuttered, shuffling his feet awkwardly.
The man gave Henry one last smile before running over the young boy. He grasped the boy's shoulder lightly before kneeling down to admonish him.
"Jaejin-ah, you mustn't run in the hallways! What if you trip and fall and end up hurting yourself?" He lectured the boy.
Jaejin simply stuck out his tongue teasingly. "Ryeowook-hyung's just too slow!"
Henry finally managed to open his apartment door. Picking up his violin case, he stepped into his apartment wordlessly but not before stealing one last glance at the pair. Jaejin had already ran into the apartment, but Ryeowook was still standing in front of the door, rummaging through his backpack. As if he knew someone was looking at him, Ryeowook looked up and caught Henry's eye.
Henry's gaze fell immediately, embarrassed that he was caught. Ryeowook laughed good-naturedly, causing Henry to hang his head even lower. Henry could hear footsteps passing him and from the corner of his eye, Henry watched the slender man as he walked towards the elevator.
"Well, I'll see you around!" Ryeowook called out cheerfully.
Henry waited for the footsteps to die down and only lifted his head when he was sure that Ryeowook was gone. Sighing, he turned on his heels and headed into his apartment.
See you around, Ryeowook.
-
It was two months to his violin recital and Henry was nowhere ready to perform a solo onstage. The mere thought of it was enough to send him into mini panic attacks. Every time he scraped his bow in the wrong way, he would punch the wall in frustration. Henry only wanted to hear perfection; he expected nothing else.
Every Wednesday, Henry would catch a glimpse of Ryeowook. He would smile in greeting and Henry would timidly smile back. The fact that their interactions only stopped at that bothered Henry. Henry was practically enraptured by Ryeowook, from his smile to his gentle laugh. Why couldn't he pluck enough courage to approach Ryeowook?
Henry slumped on his sofa, taking a break from playing his violin. He was about to reach out for his cup of hot chocolate when the doorbell rang. Henry paused; who could that be? Henry hadn't made many new friends since he moved from Canada last year. The only people that he could count as his friends were Jungsu and Sungmin, both seniors from his music school.
The doorbell chimed yet again, waking Henry from his daze. Shooting off the sofa, he scrambled towards the front door and unlocked it hastily.
"Hello there!" Ryeowook greeted warmly, waving his hands enthusiastically.
Henry struggled with himself before he replied. "Hey."
"Well," Ryeowook started uncertainly. "I'm so sorry to intrude on your privacy like this, but I had extra pastries with me and I was wondering if you would like some?" Ryeowook surveyed Henry's face for any signs of disapproval.
Henry coughed. "You want to give m-me pastries?" Suddenly, he felt so self-conscious of his awkward Korean.
Ryeowook chuckled lightly. "Of course! Why else would I be here?"
"R-right," Henry opened his front door even wider. Gesturing towards his tiny living room, he ushered Ryeowook in.
As Henry frantically cleared the stack of magazines strewn across his coffee table, Ryeowook settled himself on the couch. He watched Henry with casual interest, giggling when the magazines almost slipped out of the latter's hands.
"Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate?" Henry called out when he had finished clearing the coffee table and had retreated into his kitchen.
"Tea would be fine, thank you."
-
Henry took a bite of the cheesecake and his eyes widened considerably. He looked to Ryeowook and exclaimed, "This, this is so good, Ryeowook-sshi!"
"That's nice to hear," Ryeowook said. Shifting closer towards Henry, he cocked his head playfully. "Well, you know my name, but I don't know yours."
"Let me properly introduce myself." Ryeowook held out his hand. "I'm Kim Ryeowook."
"Henry Lau, it's nice to meet you." Henry shyly took Ryeowook's hand and shook it.
"Henry..." Ryeowook repeated experimentally. Henry was fascinated with how his name rolled off Ryeowook's tongue.
He liked it. A lot.
-
Henry learned that Ryeowook was a first-year university student and that he worked part-time as a babysitter and as a cashier at a nearby cafe. When Henry expressed his shock at the number of jobs Ryeowook undertook, the latter simply waved it away dismissively.
"I want to be a pediatrician," Ryeowook revealed demurely. "My parents are going to retire soon so money's going to be a problem. I want to support myself, so that's why I'm taking on all of these jobs. But if you're determined enough, it's not that bad, really."
Henry slowly nodded in agreement. "I worked hard to secure my scholarship and work even harder to keep it, so I understand where you're coming from, Ryeowook-sshi."
"Henry," Ryeowook gently placed his hand on Henry's forearm. "Drop the honorific; there's no need for that."
"Ryeowook-hyung?" Henry tried again, biting his lip in confusion. Ryeowook was two years older than him.
Ryeowook threw his head back and laughed. "Just Ryeowook would do."
Ryeowook looked at his watch and stood up abruptly. "It's already this late?" Ryeowook's eyes widened in shock. He turned to Henry and started to bow distractedly.
"I'm sorry, Henry! My class starts early tomorrow and I need to prepare for a presentation. I'm so sorry for my sudden leave."
Henry scratched his head nervously. "No no, it's alright! I shouldn't be keeping you back, anyway."
Ryeowook grabbed his sling bag and hurried out of the apartment. At the door, he spun around and bade goodbye yet again.
"I'll see you around, Henry!" Ryeowook huffed out before running off.
"See you around, Ryeowook," Henry said under his breath. Ryeowook was long gone, but Henry was just satisfied that he was able to say it out loud.
-
A month to his performance, and Henry felt a little more at ease. He made far lesser mistakes but every time he envisioned the audience in his mind, he would freeze abruptly. Henry didn't know what was wrong with him. He had played in front of his extended family, he had played in front of his classmates and music teachers, he had even played in front of discerning judges! What was so different about this audience?
Then, Henry remembered. He was a foreigner here. He was new. He was all alone. And most of all, he had yet to prove himself.
Maybe that's what bothers me the most, Henry thought. I feel like I have to prove myself to the audience.
Henry picked up his bow and violin and went back to practicing; this time, with certainty.
-
"Can I hear you play, Henry?" Ryeowook asked hopefully.
"Uh, I'm sorry, could you repeat that, Ryeowook?" Henry said, his back to Ryeowook as he was busy clearing his music scores.
"I said, can I hear you play, Henry?" Ryeowook repeated his request. He was on the sofa, shaking his legs restlessly as Henry once again cleared his stuff. It was like a habit for Henry to do so every time Ryeowook dropped by after his babysitting shift with Jaejin had ended. Henry practically exuded insecurity from every pore of his body that it intrigued and saddened Ryeowook at the same time.
"I don't know," Henry paused in the middle of his packing. "I'm not very good."
"You think that you're not very good, or you think that you're not good enough?" Ryeowook responded shrewdly. When Henry didn't reply, Ryeowook raised his eyebrow knowingly.
"I," Henry finally said after a pregnant pause. "I don't think I'm good enough."
Leaning forward from the sofa, Ryeowook surveyed Henry intensely, resting his head on his upturned palms. "You're good enough to perform in front of discerning critics in order to secure a scholarship but you're not good enough to perform in front of your friend?"
Henry wandered over to his cupboard, stuffing his old musical scores into the overflowing drawer. "This is different," Henry mumbled. "You're different."
"Why?" Once again, Henry was speechless. Slamming his cupboard shut a little frustratedly, Henry turned around to face Ryeowook. Eyebrows furrowed and his lips curved in a pout, Henry was a mess. A cute mess, Ryeowook thought.
Ryeowook patted the seat next to him and Henry obeyed, moving to the sofa and plopped onto it. Ryeowook coiled an arm around Henry's stiff shoulder and started to squeeze it gently. Henry stared at his own lap, too flustered to say anything.
"You don't have to overexert yourself, you know?" Ryeowook cooed soothingly. "I know you expect great things from yourself but you can't expect to hit perfection all the time."
"It's just that...I don't want to people to think lowly of me," Henry confessed. "I feel like I gotta give it my all during my first encounter with new people; I only have one shot. First impressions last, you know what I mean?"
"I do," Ryeowook murmured in assent. "But is all this stress worth it? Who does it benefit in the end, Henry? Yourself or the other people? Think about that, Henry."
Henry twisted his fingers distractedly. "I don't know. I really don't."
"Well, it's not you, Henry," Ryeowook chuckled lightly. "In all honesty, I feel that you should stop putting yourself through this stress. Stop playing for others and start playing for yourself. That's how it started, didn't it?"
Henry nodded mutely, his eyes gleaming as he recalled the first song he could play on the violin. He had felt so happy and accomplished.
"Start playing for yourself, Henry," Ryeowook's clear voice rang in his ears. "Start playing from within."
-
It was a week to his performance, and Henry was ready. Ready to face an new audience. Ready to face Ryeowook.
Ever since Ryeowook advised Henry, he decided to leave Henry alone so that the latter could focus on his music. It saddened Henry, as he really enjoyed the elder man's company. However, Ryeowook left a bag of pastries at Henry's doorstep on Wednesday, something which Henry really appreciated.
-
Two days to his solo and Henry headed towards the familiar cafe, with a pair of tickets crushed in between his sweaty palm.
The welcoming bell at the entrance jingled, causing Ryeowook to look away from the tray of muffins he was holding. He let out a surprised gasp.
"Henry!" Ryeowook cried. "What brings you here?"
"I want a banana muffin, please," Henry mumbled, pulling his baseball cap down with his free hand.
"Oh," Ryeowook said. "Right." He slid the tray of muffins onto the display rack before taking his tongs to retrieve the banana muffin and put it inside a paper bag. He placed the bag on the counter and pushed it towards Henry. "That will be 2,500 won."
Henry pulled out a few thousand won notes from his wallet and slid it across the counter. "Keep the change, Ryeowook." Henry flashed a mysterious grin. Then, he grabbed the paper bag and headed towards the exit.
Ryeowook could only purse his lips in confusion. He gathered the notes and started to count them. One thousand, two thousand, three thousand.... Hold on, what's this?
He pulled out the pair of tickets and examined it for a few seconds. Upon realising what they were, Ryeowook quickly looked up.
Henry was already gone; the welcoming bell was chiming softly in his wake.
-
It was the day of Henry's violin solo and Henry couldn't wait to perform. He drew back the red curtains slightly, scanning the crowd for a familiar face. His eyes paused on a man with defined cheekbones and bright eyes. The man was with another man unfamiliar to Henry. Henry let go of the curtains and hurriedly went to his position, clutching his violin tightly.
I'm about to do it, Ryeowook.
-
"Thank you so much for agreeing to accompany me, Kyuhyun-ah," Ryeowook expressed his gratitude to the man on his left.
The man shrugged. "Anytime, hyung. I can't just leave you to sit in this big auditorium all by your lonesome self anyway."
Ryeowook rolled his eyes. "Your mom was so happy that I managed to drag you away from your laptop."
Kyuhyun was about to retaliate but the auditorium lights started to dim, indicating that the concert was about to start. The loud chatter turned into muffled whispering and then finally into silence as the curtains were drawn back.
Under the single spotlight, was Henry. He brought his head up to face the audience and shifted his violin to his shoulder. Bringing his bow to the strings, Henry began to play.
Ryeowook couldn't think of any words to describe the scene he was watching. Gone was the insecure Henry that Ryeowook was accustomed to. Gliding across the stage smoothly, Henry played every single note so fluidly that even Kyuhyun was gaping.
When Henry finished his last note with much aplomb, the whole auditorium erupted into raucous applause. Ryeowook shot out of his seat and clapped hard, his face full of pride. Kyuhyun was beside him, clapping in genuine appreciation.
-
At the end of the entire concert, Ryeowook dragged Kyuhyun out of their seats and towards the stage. As they approached the back of the stage, Ryeowook started to babble incessantly.
"...You really must meet Henry, Kyuhyun-ah! He's really such a sweet and talented boy and- Ah, you just need to meet him!"
"I didn't know you were into younger men, hyung," Kyuhyun quipped. "Well, the programme states that he's two years younger than you."
Ryeowook stopped in his tracks and turned to face Kyuhyun. "Henry's not my boyfriend," He said quietly.
"Yet." Kyuhyun's lips curled into a smirk. "Come on, hyung. Confess to him already! From the way you watched his solo just now, I can tell that you're practically smitten with him."
"I...Let's just see him first," Ryeowook said faintly before resuming tugging Kyuhyun to the back of the curtains.
-
Henry wiped the sweat off his brow with his cuff. He really couldn't wait to change out of his stuffy suit. Packing his violin into its case, he slung his bag around his shoulders. He had every intention of finding Ryeowook and his companion.
"Henryyy!" Henry spun around and was met with a gleeful Ryeowook. Wrapping his arms around the younger's neck, Ryeowook gripped the back of Henry's suit tightly.
"I'm so proud of you!" He giggled in Henry's ear. A smile slowly spread across Henry's face and he shyly hugged Ryeowook back.
"Hi, I'm Kyuhyun," The man behind Ryeowook said. "It's nice to meet you, Henry-sshi."
Ryeowook immediately let go of Henry. Smiling sheepishly, he introduced the two of them to each other.
"Henry, this is Cho Kyuhyun, my junior."
"Junior?" Henry's eyebrows furrowed in puzzlement. "I thought you were a first-year university student?"
"I'm a genius," Kyuhyun drawled, shrugging his shoulders casually. "Nah, I just skipped a year during high school."
"And Kyuhyun, this is Henry Lau. He's Jaejin's neighbour. You know, the boy I babysit?"
"I don't really care about kids but I do remember that name vaguely." The expression on Kyuhyun's face stated that he was being sarcastic and Henry couldn't help but chuckle. Ryeowook's friend's really nice and funny, Henry thought.
"I liked your performance just now, Henry-sshi," Kyuhyun said earnestly. "I've always admired people who could dedicate their time and effort to an instrument. I never could."
"Really? Thank you!" Henry smiled warmly. "By the way, which instrument did you play?"
"The clarinet," Kyuhyun deadpanned.
This time, Henry burst into full-fledged laughter.
-
Kyuhyun had to answer a call from his mother so he wandered off to the entrance of the auditorium for better reception. This left Ryeowook and Henry in the midst of people clearing up everything backstage.
"So," Henry started awkwardly. "How did you find my performance?"
"Do you even have to ask me that? It was amazing, of course!" Ryeowook exclaimed.
"It's all thanks to you." Henry had shifted closer to Ryeowook, the both of them a few breaths apart from each other.
"No, don't be silly," Ryeowook's gaze fell to the ground. He desperately wanted to hide his shyness over their proximity but his cheeks were betraying him. They were like two bright red beacons on his face.
"You're the silly one, Ryeowook," Henry teased.
Ryeowook looked up to see Henry's smiling face. Stepping forward slightly, Ryeowook closed the gap between them and pressed his lips lightly against Henry's. Henry's arms snaked around Ryeowook's waist while Ryeowook's arms wrapped themselves once again around Henry's neck.
When Henry pulled away, Ryeowook let out a disgruntled moan. Henry laughed and leaned forward to kiss Ryeowook on the cheeks. Ryeowook's cheeks started to flush once again, and he buried his face in Henry's crisp dress shirt.
"Way to go, Henry!" Ryeowook looked up and turned his head to the source of the voice. He found Kyuhyun with his arms crossed, smirking at the two of them cheekily.
"Cho Kyuhyun!"
***
A/N: And it's HenWook! The first one was kinda fail since it was more of a response to that Arirang video lol. *still raging over the video*
Uhhm, this is kinda fluffy and cheesy but I'm quite proud of it, to be honest! :D Lol at me; I can write this and not Sungmin the Seducer. 8D Actually, Sungmin the Seducer is a bit intimidating at times lol. XD
Comments are appreciated! (: