Friday, April 4th

Yoongi's and Namjoon's parents had gotten married a couple years apart, but also only a couple days apart. So every year, the two boys would go out shopping for anniversary gifts together, and today happened to be the day they chose to go. It was also an excuse to hang out. And Yoongi couldn't deny that he actually looked forward to it. They would always go to his favorite coffee shop-- it wasn't within walking distance, meaning he could only ever go there on occasions when Namjoon gave him a ride via his car. Additionally, he liked to be able to do something nice for his parents every once in a while, even if it were something as simple as getting them a little gift. He knew they appreciated it, and that was all that mattered.

Classes had ended not long ago. Yoongi, relieved at the sound of the dismissal bell, pulled out his phone to text his friend.

Yoongi: u ready joon

Yoongi: or did ur hr teacher play the "the bell doesnt dismiss u i do" card again

Joonie: lol she didnt

Joonie: but i cant go right away anyways

Yoongi: what why

Joonie: teach asked me to help jungkook out with some stuff, so i might be a lil while

Yoongi: r u srs

Joonie: aw dnt be so angry yoongs it's not like it'll take an hour

Joonie: well i hope not anyway

Yoongi: tf am i s'posed to do while i wait

Joonie: idk

Joonie: talk with jimin

Joonie: or ask hoseok to come over and keep u company

Yoongi: how about no

Joonie: salty boy

Joonie: you'll figure out smth i believe in u

Mildly frustrated, Yoongi put his phone away, watching with bored eyes as students left the classroom, one by one. Jimin had waved bye to Yoongi before going over to talk with Taehyung. Typically, the two left shortly after being dismissed, so Yoongi wondered why they were still here, as well as why Jimin had purposely left his book bag next to his desk instead of taking it with him. Did he have some reason for staying after school too? Yoongi thought about asking but decided not to. He wasn't really in the mood to hear Taehyung retort with something along the lines of, why are you so curious? or, is it any of your business?

Whatever he had done to get on the boy's nerves, he didn't know for sure, but Yoongi couldn't help but feel there was an unwelcoming air whenever he was around Tae.

Yoongi waited a while. Sitting at his desk, phone in hand, tapping away at the screen while mindlessly playing whatever games Namjoon had downloaded for him the one time he stole Yoongi's phone... There were too many, but Yoongi didn't care enough to delete them. He grew increasingly bored as time passed. Slowly. Namjoon still hadn't come back. A couple students were still in the classroom. And Yoongi was still tired of waiting. Swinging his book bag over his shoulder, he finally decided to exit the classroom, slipping stealthily behind Jimin, who had been talking with Taehyung the entire time.

The hallways were virtually empty. And it was quiet. Yoongi walked at a slow pace down the hall, clutching his bag and expecting a rush of students to come out of nowhere just to scare the crap out of him. But it seemed most everyone had left. He went further down the hall. Every so often he'd glance into the window of a classroom, finding most of them void of students. He happened to catch sight of Namjoon in one of the rooms but chose not to bother him, seeing as he and Jungkook were both in the process of conversing with one of their teachers. They better be done soon...

Even further down the hall, Yoongi came across a large room with a door cracked open--the music room. One of them, anyway. He peered inside, scanning it. Two boys were standing next to a grand piano, one of which carried a guitar case around his shoulder. Without warning the two boys' eyes turned towards the door. Yoongi froze, and in a panic, he nearly bolted, but somehow his feet kept him firmly grounded as the students approached him.

The conversation didn't last long. In fact, Yoongi didn't even entirely process the words that were exchanged. But he suddenly found himself in possession of a silver key that was apparently to the music room. And those two students disappeared as quickly as they had shown up. Yoongi looked down at the key in his hand. He lifted his head, gazing into the now empty room at the grand piano that almost seemed to stare back at him. Calling him. He checked his phone. Namjoon still hadn't texted him. Might as well...

Clutching the key in his palm, Yoongi took a deep breath and entered the music room, closing the door all but a small crack. Then he walked ever so slowly up to the magnificent, pearl white stringed instrument located near the center of the room, and he slid across the white bench. He tucked the key into his pocket and set his fingers gently over the surface of the piano keys. And they began to move on their own.

It seemed like forever since he had last sat down to play. But every lesson he had taken, every song he had played, every hour he had spent practicing...it all stuck with him, like a muscle memory, and playing now was effortless. His hands did all the thinking so that his mind could wander, everything else becoming loose and held together solely by those hands which held fast to the instrument in front of him. He lost himself in the music, in the sweet and familiar melody of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, in the peace of this tranquil moment of solitude.

Well, he thought he was alone.

"Wow."

A voice shattered the walls of silence that followed the last note Yoongi pressed. Startled, the pianist turned abruptly towards the door. And who should he find tentatively entering the room but Park Jimin, an inscrutable expression plastered on his face. Yoongi felt his own face go pale.

"Y-...h-how long were you-"

"Long enough to know you're freaking incredible."

Yoongi panicked internally as he watched Jimin start to walk towards him. Once again, a part of him wanted to just make a break for it before a conversation of any kind could be initiated, but he couldn't do it. Especially not now, not with Jimin. But he couldn't just be silent. This was one of those instances where silence would only breed awkwardness. He had to say something. Quickly.

Jimin sat down on the bench beside Yoongi.

"I hope you're not creeped out that I was watching you, but you...you just looked so..." He stopped mid-sentence, unable to find the right word. Eventually he gave up, smiled, and whispered, "Would you mind playing something else for me? I want to watch and listen up close."

Yoongi swallowed. "I really can't..."

"Please?"

"No, I won't d-"

Unintentionally, he made eye contact with Jimin. And oh, how he was weak to those eyes...

"...one song."

"Thanks, Yoongi."

And so he played just one song. Another one of his favorites, a famous piece called Clair de Lune which had always been close to his heart. His mother taught him to play it years ago, and with how much he had practiced it since then, the music flowed from his fingertips as naturally as breathing. Like magic.

Jimin was entranced by that magic. By the soulful reverberations that branched out from the depths of the instrument that was like an extension of Yoongi himself. He was entranced by the way Yoongi's hands danced across the keys, the gentle notes he pressed that somehow shook Jimin from the inside out. He was entranced by Yoongi. By the way the boy managed to play so skillfully with his eyes closed, entranced by those skillful hands, those skillful hands that Jimin had never seen so free and relaxed. Those hands. Jimin lost himself in the music, eyes ever fixed on those hands. And, with his mind having drifted off to a faraway land, he absentmindedly reached out and touched one of those hands. He didn't realize what he had done at first, either. That is, not until Yoongi looked at him, expression pouring out a mixture of surprise and confusion. Jimin threw himself backward. He clutched his own hand, then scooted across the bench, mouth unable to formulate words of any kind, unless, of course, "uh," "umm," and "wh-" counted as words.

Eventually an apology slipped out. Although even that came out as a nervous stutter. Jimin's cheeks were bright red.

Yoongi was speechless.

"I-I'm so sorry, I...I don't know why I did that." The orange-haired boy pursed his lips, struggling to meet Yoongi's perplexed gaze. "I wasn't trying to stop you from playing, i-it wasn't that. You, I mean, I just thought, well, I guess what I'm trying to say is that I was so into it, I guess a part of me...clocked out? Yeah. Yeah, that's it. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. You're incredible, Yoongi. You've got a real talent..."

"You talk about me too much."

Jimin blinked. "Huh?"

"What's your talent?" Yoongi cleared his throat, and he wiped away the last trace of stupefaction from his face. "Everyone has one. And you don't talk about yourself a lot, you know. So I haven't the slightest clue."

Jimin looked away for a moment, somewhat guiltily. "I didn't realize," he said in a low voice. "Not only that, but I've kinda forced you into telling me about yourself on several occasions, too, which makes me seem like a jerk."

"That's not what I was implying-"

"No, but you're right." Jimin turned his frown upside down. "I really oughta quit being a hypocrite and return the favor. Okay, so for starters, my, uh..." He hesitated. A brief chuckle passed through his teeth. "...well, I like dancing...though that's a little embarrassing for me to say out loud. And I wouldn't really call it a talent, more like a hobby? But I could never bring myself to do it in front of people. At least not now. I don't have a lot of confidence in myself. But...I'm working on it. Tae's helping, too. He's always been such a great encouragement. I'm grateful to him."

"I don't think he likes me."

"Tae?"

Yoongi flinched. Crap, My thoughts slipped out.

"Why do you say that?" Jimin asked curiously.

"I don't know." The mint-haired boy scratched his head, shrugging as he tried not to scowl at the memory of Taehyung's rather cold gazes. "I just don't think he likes me, that's all. I'm not really offended or anything. I've never cared if people liked me before, and I'm not gonna start caring now. It's nothing against your friend, either. It's just the vibe I get from him."

Jimin's eyebrows moved closer together, and if Yoongi weren't mistaken, he believed the boy to look a little sad. But that look faded almost as quickly as it had appeared on Jimin's face. And he smiled, warmly.

"I didn't know you felt that way," he said. "Tae can be a little...how do I put this...confrontational at times?"

"Wow. Five dollar word."

"Thanks." Jimin chuckled. "Anyway, he warms up slowly to people. Kinda like you, Yoongi. Though with his personality, he deals with it differently, I guess. But he's not a bad person, really. Just a bit aloof when it comes to people other than me."

Like me, huh? Yoongi was reluctant to believe that peculiar, standoffish guy was anything like him. But at the same time, Jimin's description of Taehyung did sound somewhat similar to his situation with Namjoon.

Regardless he still he didn't trust Tae. Not yet.

"What's his talent?"

Jimin raised his brows. "Tae? Oh, he has impeccable style. Good fashion sense, I mean."

"That's not a talent."

"I know. But he seems to think it his. So I'm letting him enjoy his innocent pride."

"Innocent?"

"Yeah, Tae's an innocent little angel."

"There were six words in that sentence and three of them don't belong."

"That's mean, Yoongi..."