under the moonlight. (chapter 3)
“You seem quieter than usual, not to mention I caught you spacing out a few times. Did something happen?” Cho Jungwoo asked as he put a plate of vegetables on the table before sitting down across his son.
“Huh? No, nothing happened,” his father’s question snapped Kyuhyun out of his reverie. He quickly stood up and walked to the kitchen to get the soup he had prepared earlier.
“Liar,” Changmin, who had just entered from the patio glass door, snorted. His hands were holding two platters of barbeque meat that they had just grilled in the backyard - they had a barbeque party that night. He put the platters on the table and grinned at Kyuhyun’s father. “Your son here, sir, just got the phone number of one of the prettiest girls on our campus. But he was too mesmerized to even remember to ask for her name.”
“Yah, stop making up stories!” If only Kyuhyun wasn’t holding a big bowl of hot soup in his hand, he would’ve smacked the back of Changmin’s head.
His father didn’t seem to hear his remark. His eyes sparkled and fixed on Changmin, as he became very interested. “Really, Changmin? Please tell me the details! You know that any kind of news or stories regarding my son and his lack of experience with girls always interests me.”
Kyuhyun gaped in disbelief while Changmin laughed out loud. “Appa!”
Again, his father ignored him. “Changmin-ah, tell me quick!”
Changmin then obeyed the request, telling what he had seen in the park and completely ignoring his best friend’s glare. He ended his story with, “That’s what happened, Abeoji. At first I felt proud of his heroic actions, but then I literally slapped my forehead - I wanted to slap his, actually - when he began to act cool and didn’t even ask for the girl’s name.”
“You should’ve done it, Changmin-ah. Slapping his head, I mean,” Jungwoo said with a serious tone. But a second later, he laughed when he saw his son’s facial expression. “Yah, don’t give me that look, young man, I was just kidding. So, is your body still hurt? Should we go to the doctor?” His eyes showed concern when he asked it.
Kyuhyun shook his head. “I guess I just got some minor bruises on my back. If it still hurts tomorrow, I’ll go to the doctor.”
His father sighed, either from disappointment or relief. “I was actually thinking if you need to go to the doctor, you would have a reason to contact her.”
Changmin almost choked for laughing. “My thoughts exactly!”
The guy who was being teased could only sigh and eat his meat calmly. He should have guessed beforehand that the two of them would react like this. “Seriously, both of you are the main reason why I feel reluctant to find myself a girlfriend.”
“I can’t believe you blame us,” Changmin pointed his best friend with his spoon. “That’s so unfair, buddy.”
“Don’t worry, Changmin-ah, he didn’t mean it.” Jungwoo said calmly. “By the way, how was the photography workshop, Kyuhyun-ah? I heard you attended it a few weeks ago.”
Kyuhyun was silent for a moment. “It was good.”
“He was chosen as the best participant of that workshop,” Changmin added.
Jungwoo stared at his only son in surprise and delight. “Really? That’s great! Why didn’t you tell me about it?”
“It’s not a big deal,” Kyuhyun sipped his drink. He tried to act like it really wasn’t a big deal for him - he was quite confident that his photography skills were above average anyway - while in fact, he couldn’t help but feel proud, seeing how impressed his father was.
Meanwhile, his father seemed hesitated for a moment. After contemplating, he finally said, “It seems like you should be going to photography school instead of archi-”
“Appa,” Kyuhyun cut calmly. He knew what his father was going to say because they had talked about it before. “I love both photography and architecture so I have no regrets in taking architecture as my major study at university. Becoming a great architect like you has been my dream since I was a kid; you know that, don’t you?”
Jungwoo sighed before spooning his soup. “Just do what do you think is right and good for you, son, and please do it for yourself, not for me.”
“I understand, Appa,” his son nodded casually, but he noticed that the young man was trying to avoid eye contact with him.
He then waited for a while before calling out again, “Kyuhyun-ah.”
Kyuhyun finally looked up at his father. “Yes?”
“Are you really sure you don’t need to go to the doctor and call that girl?”
The next moment, a shout of annoyance of “Appa!” could be heard in that spacious dining room, followed by a long guffaw from Changmin and Kyuhyun’s father.
***
“Still can’t take your mind off of your handsome savior?”
Joohyun slightly flinched as she heard Nicole’s voice from behind. She lifted her chin from her palm and turned her head. Nicole was already lying on her stomach on her own bed, grinning teasingly at her. “He hasn’t called you yet?”
The taller girl laughed softly before turning her head back at her desk, pretending to read a book which she left open there. “What do you mean? I wasn’t thinking about him, moreover waiting for his call. I was reading.”
“Aigoo, say anything you want, Joohyun-ah, but it doesn’t work for me.” Nicole sighed and rolled onto her back. “I can tell that your mind wasn’t really into that book. Not to mention you kept glancing at your cell phone. Admit it. You are thinking about him.”
Joohyun didn’t say anything, but her face began to flush. She was somewhat embarrassed to admit it, but her best friend was right. Over the last few hours, she couldn’t stop thinking about what happened that afternoon in the park and the guy who had saved her. She didn’t know who he was, but she couldn’t help but feel worried that he actually suffered serious injuries from helping her.
“I’m worried, okay? What if he was seriously injured because of me?” she sighed.
“He looked fine to me. Relax. Besides, you aren’t that heavy.”
“Yah!” Joohyun threw a cushion at Nicole. “I’m being serious here!”
“And do you think I’m not?” Nicole laughed. “Rather than worrying if he is okay or not, you better worry about whether you can see him again or not. That guy is totally cute, don’t you think? And so is his friend. I can’t believe you’ve met him before and never told me about it.”
“It wasn’t memorable moment anyway,” Joohyun mumbled. She honestly found the cafeteria incident the other day a little too embarrassing to recall.
“But what happened earlier in the park is definitely something worth remembering!” the short-haired girl giggled and sat up on her bed. “Joohyun-ah, don’t you feel curious to know his name? I remember his friend called him when he arrived at the park, but I didn’t pay attention to what he was saying.”
“Yah, if you like him so much, why you keep teasing me? You can have him all to yourself!”
Nicole laughed harder. “I don’t like him, you silly girl! I just think that he’s cute, that’s all. I’m not the one who is thinking about him and waiting for his call and-”
Joohyun just let her best friend keep babbling without any intention to respond or to listen to whatever she was saying. She then glanced back at her cell phone which was lying not far from her book. And it still showed no sign of any incoming call or message. She sighed. “I really hope this means he is doing fine.”
***
Kyuhyun stepped onto the wooden balcony outside his room and was immediately greeted by the cool night air. His father’s house was located on a hillside on the edge of Seoul, which was why the air somehow felt fresher than the city’s. And from where he stood, he could see the city’s night view better than from his apartment.
Leaning himself on the balcony railing, his hand was busy twirling around a piece of paper. He stared at the neat handwriting written on it and his mind went back to the owner of the handwriting he met earlier that afternoon. He remembered the moment the girl lifted her head from his chest, revealing her face. And he remembered how he was momentarily stunned by how beautiful that face was. Fair and flawless skin with a pair of really clear eyes and soft pink lips; he even held his breath at the sight.
He had met beautiful women before, perhaps even more stunning and sexier than her, considering he had several times worked as a freelance photographer in fashion magazines. But somehow this time there was something that made him very intrigued - that he himself didn’t know what it was. She gave him an inexplicably familiar feeling, even though he was sure he had never met nor seen her before.
“Haven’t slept yet?”
He turned around and saw his father standing at the glass door that separated the balcony and living room. He was holding a cup that had some sort of hot drink. “You want me to make you another cup of this?”
Kyuhyun smiled. “No, thanks. I guess I’ll just take a sip from your cup.”
His father snorted and smiled at the same time. “What if I don’t want to share it with you?” he stepped to his son’s side and handed him the cup. “Careful, son, it’s still hot.”
As Kyuhyun sipped his drink slowly, he leaned back to the railing. His father followed him and heaved a long contented sigh. Enjoying the night view and air from the balcony had become his favorite thing to do before he went to bed. And he enjoyed it more tonight since his only son was there.
“Is Changmin asleep already?” he asked Kyuhyun after a while.
Without taking his eyes from the cup in his hands, Kyuhyun nodded. “He was still busy being lovey dovey with his girlfriend through the phone when I left the guest room, but I bet he’s already sleeping now. That guy is a sleepy head anyway.”
“And you’re not?” Jungwoo retorted, making both of them chuckle.
A comfortable silence enveloped them. And that was when Jungwoo finally noticed the piece of paper in his son’s hand. Carefully, he took it and looked at it. Seeing what was written there, he knew immediately what was it. “So? Have you called her?”
Kyuhyun snickered and shook his head gently. “I told you I’m fine.”
“Then what are you doing with this paper?”
“It was unintentionally carried here.”
The older man shook his head in a mixture of amusement and disbelief. This kid, really. “Fine, whatever you say. But let me tell you this, son: A good opportunity will not come twice. It’s not like you can accidentally see her every day.”
Kyuhyun didn’t reply immediately. His eyes were still staring far away and his hands were occasionally twirling the cup he was holding. Of course, he was aware of what his father just told him, but on the other hand, he still felt reluctant to abruptly call her. Not to mention the fact that he wasn’t badly injured due to the incident earlier.
After a full minute of silence, he finally straightened up and handed the cup to his father. “I’m sleepy. Goodnight, Appa.”
His father smiled. “Goodnight, Kyuhyun-ah.”
And just as he reached the living room, he heard the older male shout in annoyance from the balcony. “Yah! I knew I shouldn’t have shared my precious hot chocolate with you! You didn’t even leave a single drop for me! Aisshh, this brat!”
Laughing heartily, Kyuhyun quickly closed the door behind him.
***
It was already past 11 in the morning when Professor Kang ended his class half an hour earlier than it should have. All of his students (and Joohyun was no exception) happily cheered at his announcement before leaving the classroom hurriedly. After bidding goodbye to her classmates, Joohyun let her feet take her to…well, she was actually not sure where to go.
Nicole didn’t have any classes that day, so she decided to spend her free time shopping with her mother. She would be back to the dorm later in the evening. And since all of her classmates were already gone, Joohyun would be eating lunch by herself. Sighing out loud at the thought, she dragged her feet to the cafeteria.
“At least that place won’t be too crowded now, since it’s not lunch time yet,” she thought to herself.
She was already a few steps away from the corridor that led to the cafeteria, when something outside the window caught her eye. Her steps halted and she moved closer to the window to take a better look at a small building in the middle of the university garden that attracted her attention.
The circular building was located not far from the western wing of the main building. It was somewhat hidden behind the trees but she could see it quite clearly from where she was standing. It seemed like the building consisted of only one floor with a sloping dome gleaming in the sunlight.
What building is that? Weird, why have I never gone there before? And in a moment, she had already forgotten about her intention to go to the cafeteria and directed her steps to the garden instead, gradually approaching the building.
Suddenly she found herself standing in front of a pair of double doors, which were the main entrance of the building. Taking a closer look, the building looked more beautiful and magnificent though it only consisted of one floor. It had a modern minimalist design with plenty of wood and metal ornaments that gave a comfortable and elegant feeling.
Seohyun involuntarily held her breath in awe. Since she was a child, Seohyun had developed a deep interest in various areas of design - especially since her mother was a famous fashion designer - and architecture was one of them. She never studied architecture in a formal or serious way but she always found time to admire buildings which she considered had an attractive design. This building was no exception.
“Why have I never noticed this building before?” she mumbled to herself. “What building is this? I wonder if I could take a look-” Her hand was moving towards the doorknob when a metal plaque on the wall next to the door came to her attention. She then craned her neck to read the words carved on it.
“This auditorium was designed by Cho Jungwoo, a well-known architect and alumni of Seoul University, in 2008,” she read it before shifting her attention back to the door. Fortunately the door wasn’t locked and she could open it easily.
She was instantly greeted by a very spacious room with a high ceiling. And just like what it said on the metal plaque, it was indeed an auditorium. The sunlight found its way to the auditorium through the glass windows and vents located near the ceiling, creating beautiful lighting even without lights. The floor was covered with fine wood and at the other end there was a stage which was also covered in wood.
The auditorium was not too big, but Seohyun did really admire its architecture and interior design. And the thing that caught her attention the most sat in the corner of the stage.
A beautiful and shiny grand piano.
The sound of her footsteps echoed in the empty auditorium as she walked down the steps over to the stage. Besides design, the other thing she held a great interest in since her childhood was music, or more precisely, piano. She remembered a day when she was still seven years old; her father had taken her for a late afternoon walk to a mall when suddenly she came across a pianist creating a beautiful magic with her fingers - or at least that was how she saw it.
The melodious sound she was hearing at that time mesmerized her that she felt like she could stand there for hours only to enjoy the performance. She even nearly cried in disappointment when her father carried her home before the performance ended. She stopped sulking only after her father promised to take her to her first piano lesson the next day. She diligently had practiced playing the piano ever since.
Now she slowly walked one round around the black grand piano, admiring the musical instrument in front of her. Her fingers stroked its surface and suddenly her heart was filled with a sense of longing. The last time she played the piano was a month before her move to Seoul. During her last month in London, she was too busy preparing everything for her new life in Seoul and she had not yet touched any piano since her arrival in Seoul since obviously she had no piano to play in her new place.
“This piano is so beautiful,” she whispered and unconsciously sat on the piano bench. “I wonder if I’m allowed to play this beautiful thing.”
And shortly afterwards, the sweet melody of the grand piano filled the empty auditorium.
***
Kyuhyun was lying on his back at one of his favorite places: the secret balcony above the auditorium. It was not actually a secret balcony - it was a small open space that was located on the roof of the auditorium, but since the door to the balcony was somewhat hidden and the balcony itself was not clearly visible from outside, almost no one knew about the place. That was why Kyuhyun made it his personal place for taking pictures or just enjoying the breeze.
He went to Seoul Central Park that morning to take some pictures. And after that, he decided to spend his leisure time there all by himself since Changmin was on a date with his girlfriend and his other friends were busy with their own affairs.
Having his camera lying next to him and one arm covering his eyes, Kyuhyun sighed in contentment. He could feel the warm sun that fell on his face through the trees and the cool breeze blew gently, accompanied by the sound of rustling leaves and the strains of piano.
Wait, what? He quickly opened his eyes and sat straight. Did I hear it wrong?
No, he didn’t. The silence he had been enjoying for the past hour was no longer there. He could hear clearly the sounds of a piano which unmistakably came from the auditorium below.
“Weird, I was sure the auditorium was supposed to be free scheduled today,” he muttered as he stood up and approached the door. Carefully tiptoeing in order not to make any noise, he sneaked into the auditorium and peered at the stage. From where he was standing, he could see a girl playing the piano, but he couldn’t see her face. Even so, he was still captivated by what was captured by his sense of hearing.
The girl was good - no, really good - at playing piano; anyone would certainly agree. Not only was she able to produce flawless and beautiful melodies, but she also played the piano from her heart. Kyuhyun could tell how much she enjoyed playing the piano even though he could only watch her performance from a distance. His heart trembled in awe and he unconsciously closed his eyes, allowing the music to gently wash over him.
“It’s been a while since I was really impressed by someone’s performance,” Kyuhyun thought. He opened his eyes and watched the girl carefully. “I wonder who she is. Maybe she is someone from Music Department I never knew.”
However, there was something familiar about her long, silky dark hair which swayed gently along with the beat of the music. Unable to hold back his curiosity, Kyuhyun leaned forward to take a better look at the mysterious piano player. Unfortunately, he wasn’t aware of a stack of stage equipment next to where he was standing. His feet accidentally nudged the stack and in the next seconds he grimaced at the loud noise caused by the equipment as they crashed onto the stage floor.
Due to the sudden loud noise, the girl he had been secretly watching was startled. The harmonious piano sounds stopped abruptly as she quickly stood up and prepared to leave. Kyuhyun frantically left his hiding place before rushing to her. “H-hey, please wait!”
Fortunately, the girl stopped and hesitantly turned around to face him. And Kyuhyun’s eyes widened in surprise when he finally saw her face. “You!”
E/N: I can’t be the only one dying for some seokyu interaction both in this fic and in real life, right? right? XD
A/N: I'm back! sorry sorry sorry for being so slow and moody in writing, I've been busy with my office work. anyway I have nothing much to say for author's note this time, so I'll just make it short. thank you so much for reading and don't forget to tell me what do you think about this chapter. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it! hopefully I can start writing the next chapter soon :)