xvi. coda

five weeks have gone by and soonyoung still feels so alone. back then he would be fine having no one with him but he swears that everything changed when he met jihoon. the latter promised that they'd talk over the phone but soonyoung tries to text everyday and he's getting tired of having no responses from the younger at all. well, at least he can see that jihoon leaves him on read.

soonie
jihoon! good morning!
how's the weather there?
don't forget your hot packs
if it's cold ok?

soonie
it's really cold here.
wish i were with you
so you could keep me warm

soonie
you know it's been like..
a month now, right?

soonie
i really miss you

/seen/

soonie
jihoonie it's our
performance tonight !

soonie
i'm playing the piano
i wish you could see me play it.

soonie
i'll do my best for you!

soonie
i wish you could hear what
i will play too..

soonie
gotta go practice baby!
i'll talk to you later!

/seen/

soonie
im losing my mind. what
if i fail, hoonie? i really need
you to give me strength.

soonie
im worried. i wish i could see
you in the crowd so i know that
i will be okay

soonie
i can see that you're reading
my messages, jihoon. why won't
you reply? :(

soonie
baby? did i do something wrong?

soonie
hm...i'll get back to you later.
virtual hugs? i love you so much!

is he even coming back?

soonyoun wants to ask but he also doesn't want to give jihoon the idea that he's getting impatient because it's not true-he loves him dearly and he will wait for him even if it takes years. call him desperate but he will never let go of the boy. and besides, jihoon told him that he will be coming back. soonyoung believes that. it's just making him lose his mind because he's extremely worried a out why the boy isn't replying at all.

"soonyoung? are you good?"

the young boy turns his head to where the voice came from and sees the club president handing him a bottle of water. "you don't look so well. have this."

soonyoung takes the bottle and does a little bow, "thanks joshua hyung." he removes the cap and downs all of the bottle's content. he is nervous, alright. his solo performance starts right after the club president announces the huge surprise for their club adviser and his fiancée. and joshua himself is already there at the stage doing his thing.

everyone in the crowd seems to be delighted to hear the wedding news. while they're having their moment, soonyoung watches all the unfamiliar faces in the audience, hoping to see someone who's not there. as soon as he hears his name being introduced, he takes a deep breath and walks to the stage with shaking hands. joshua gives him a quick pat on the shoulder before leaving him with the piano to start playing.

"do it for jihoon," he mumbles and takes one last glance at the audience, thinking that his lover is somewhere there, watching him.

soonyoung's fingers kiss the piano keys like how jihoon would always plant his lips on his-softly, as he strings all of jihoon's thoughts and notes together through the melody. everything he wrote was carefully done, beautifully inked onto the music sheet in front of soonyoung at the moment, and everyone seems to be enthralled with its every note being carved into their soul.

soonyoung closes his eyes like how he always would whenever jihoon plays the piano. he remembers hearing the boy play a song for the first time when his talent stirred wonders into his soul, when he closed his eyes to not see, but hear, while jihoon could only do the opposite.

the boy continues to pour his heart out on the instrument with keys left with jihoon's fingerprints from the last time he played. yes, soonyoung rehearsed the same composition for weeks on a different piano and personally requested to have the old one on stage for his solo performance. the old one that he loved right away, the moment he fell in love with jihoon.

now he's playing their composition in front of hundreds of people, their love story told in a sweet sounding melody,

their own work of art-a music sheet of percussion for him who cannot hear but can understand their own language of music though black and white keys.

AUTHOR'S NOTE
this sucked. oh well, next chapter is last!
thank you so much for supporting rêverie!