episode_0133

I could have stayed at home and kept an eye on the situation, but I didn’t bother.

Once the family was ready to talk, it was up to them to judge right from wrong. My job was done, so it was best to step back.

As I made my way back home, a familiar face was waiting anxiously, tapping their foot with a worried expression.

“Is it all over?”

I realized I had been a bit neglectful lately.

We used to be together every day. Watching Larxishimo channel content and Yoon Kwan-chul’s household affairs.

Things unrelated to Siwoo had kept me preoccupied.

“Yeah, it’s all over.”

“Do you have nothing else to worry about now?”

“Probably?”

“Yoon Ji-chang ran over with a serious expression, saying he was worried and asked me to come check on you. Thankfully, everything seems fine.”

I nodded silently as I listened to Siwoo’s words, then stopped in my tracks.

“A serious expression?”

“He thought you might have gotten into some trouble. He said I should go check on you quickly.”

“….?”

Did Yoon Ji-chang catch on to my intentions so quickly?

That couldn’t be possible.

Surely Siwoo wasn’t lying about reading my intentions.

“I called you to have a lesson…. You didn’t lie about reading my intentions, did you?”

“I showed you the message you sent me as it was, so what’s the lie about?”

“Oh…. really?”

I couldn’t imagine the scene, so I shook my head in disbelief as Siwoo grabbed my wrist and started talking.

“Let’s talk as we walk.”

We hadn’t spent much time together lately, so it seemed like we should have a long date. I matched my pace with Siwoo’s confidently walking steps.

Siwoo walked briskly. His legs were short, but he had well-exercised legs from walking with Reika, so keeping up with him wasn’t difficult.

But before we knew it, it was early August.

Even a short walk under the scorching sun made us sweat uncontrollably.

Walking on the blazing hot pavement, even my sandals with a bit of height became hot quickly.

“Should we go to a nearby cafe? It’s so hot out.”

“I already found one knowing you’d say that.”

“Oh? Was there a place nearby….”

“It’s a neighborhood cafe. Wherever you want to go, we’ll go.”

On such a hot day, Siwoo and I held hands, and they were as warm as a hot pack in midsummer.

But our hands, born to play instruments, only became moist and didn’t sweat. Whether in summer or winter, it was an ideal physical environment for dating.

“That Yoon Ji-chang guy. He’s quick to catch on, isn’t he? Of course, he yelled ‘Wow!’ when he first saw your message, but then he calmed down right away.”

“He’s not that kind of guy. It’s strange.”

“He thought it was strange himself. Chaewon said she wanted to play the piano together? Really?”

Yoon Ji-chang, now a suspicious ghost, eventually came to the conclusion that I had been forced to send a message to someone. Naturally, the suspected sender was Yoon Kwan-chul. And since Yoon Kwan-chul and I were sitting face to face when Siwoo arrived…. It could be considered somewhat accurate.

Thanks to me telling Siwoo the whole story, now even Siwoo knew about that guy’s household situation.

“That’s how it turned out. That guy has always been perceptive, right? Not like me, who’s insensitive, so he jumped in like a meerkat. Right?”

“And you followed him?”

“Why bother…? Yoon Ji-chang told me exactly where he was going, so there was no need to rush. I took my time getting ready to meet you.”

I chuckled and nudged Siwoo’s side with my elbow.

“You’re doing a good job as a boyfriend.”

“I’m doing my best.”

“Thank you.”

“Because you’re a good girlfriend. I can’t help but be a good boyfriend to you.”

“What are you talking about? What have I done?”

“Again, again. You say you haven’t done anything.”

“Hehe.”

We chattered noisily as we quickly reached our destination.

Under the clear sky with not a cloud in sight, we walked under the pouring summer sunlight. Strangely, I didn’t feel too hot despite the sweat.

Is this the power of love? I thought naively as I looked at Siwoo’s face, feeling embarrassed, and quickly erased the thought from my mind.

“Here, remember this?”

After erasing diligently, I followed Siwoo’s gaze and lifted my head, and there it was, the familiar wooden sign.

It was the place where our connection, dormant like a seed buried in the winter ground for 14 years, began to sprout again.

“Ah.”

“I remember.”

“Of course, I remember. Here…”

It was here that Chaewon played Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, the piano solo version of the choral symphony.

“If you hadn’t played that choral piece, I probably wouldn’t have recognized you.”

“Right. If it wasn’t for that, I wouldn’t have even turned my head…”

As we reminisced, the image of that time naturally came to mind.

We opened the door together and entered the cafe.

Jingling. The small bell rang as the employee at the counter, who was looking at their phone, turned to us.

It was the same employee who greeted Siwoo when he coincidentally entered the cafe half a year ago.

Unlike back then, an elderly lady around the same age as my mother recognized me with a clap of her hands.

“Oh my, you’re the student who played the piano half a year ago, right?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

“I was grateful back then. Thanks to you, my ears were treated well.”

“Haha… No, it was a precious piano, so I was thankful that you let me play it.”

“Precious indeed. It belonged to my husband, but we didn’t have anyone to play it, so it was just left there.”

As I listened to the conversation, my gaze naturally turned towards a frame placed towards the guests.

In the frame, there was a picture of the elderly lady and a man around the same age, taken on a sunset beach.

It was a beautiful and enchanting scenery. However, unlike the happy expressions in the photo, the elderly lady’s expression as she looked at the frame was not as cheerful.

There was a sense of longing and nostalgia. Naturally, I could tell that something had happened to ‘him’ in the photo.

“Can you come by and play occasionally?”

“Of course. I’ll be grateful if you do!”

“Yes. I will.”

The lady smiled brightly and pointed at the menu.

“As a token of gratitude, I’ll give you a free drink today. Is he your boyfriend?”

“Ah. Yes.”

“Oh my, just like a fairy tale. Now, pick a drink for the student.”

“Oh, no, it’s okay. I’ll pay.”

“I have to say it’s okay~. Back then, I said I’d give you a drink for letting me hear your wonderful performance, but you just left without taking it, right?”

Thinking back, it was indeed like that. Having lived a comfortable life, Chaewon tried to avoid receiving financial support from anyone as much as possible.

No matter how well-intentioned the offer was, Chaewon was wary of it. That’s how few people she trusted unconditionally.

But now, with Siwoo involved, and Siwoo unable to refuse genuine kindness, was there a reason to refuse a beautiful performance?

The lady in front of me was no different from the subscribers of Channel Aclerct. She had listened to Chaewon’s arrangement and was treating us to coffee as appreciation.

“Then… I gratefully accept.”

“Just because you accepted this, you don’t have to come back to play. Just come when the student wants to play. I don’t like to force anyone~.”

“I’ll come by occasionally. It’s close to my house, so I can walk my dog and come.”

“Oh, you have a dog?”

“Well, he’s a bit big to be called a dog.”

“Do you have a picture? We have a huge dog at home. He’s a Malamute.”

“Oh my. It must be tough in the summer.”

“That’s why he’s sleeping in the air-conditioned house right now. It’s too hard for him to come out.”

“Ahaha.”

Without interrupting the conversation between me and the lady, Siwoo quietly sat down at the piano.

I watched him quietly, wondering what he was up to, when the piano music began to fill the cafe.

Chopin Nocturne Op.9 No.2.

It was the most well-known nocturne among the public.

“Oh my, it’s a piece I really like.”

Although it was still midday, darkness began to spread from the player.

Darkness. Yet, there was a gentle warmth to it.

Is this how it feels to sit on a pedestal by the beach on a warm summer evening, quietly watching the waves embrace the tetrapods?

“That student plays really well… It gives off such a warm feeling.”

As the lady moved to prepare the drinks, I asked her.

“Is your husband a pianist by any chance?”

“Yes. He wasn’t famous, but he was a pianist who could captivate an audience perfectly.”

“And that one audience member was….”

With a subtle look in her eyes, the lady replied.

“It was me. Whether it was a hundred or five hundred audience members…. I loved it when he played for me. He was so happy, it showed on his face. He couldn’t even nag me about dreaming big.”

Looking at the lady smiling warmly, a thought crossed my mind.

Before Siwoo passed away, he also wanted only one audience member, Min Chaewon…. Perhaps the husband of the woman who left this world before him was happier than any other pianist because of her.

What about Siwoo now?

Would he be happy with me by his side?

Even if he becomes a pianist who receives cheers from countless people and greets the audience under the dazzling spotlight.

Would he still be my pianist for half of the year?

“You mentioned warmth….”

Siwoo is quickly finding his own color.

What he truly needs is Min Chaewon, peace of mind, and love.

Whether it’s the upcoming autumn competition or the Chopin competition in two years.

I am confident that Siwoo will definitely show his true value.