Prelude to Romance

Chapter 4: Butterfly Waltz

That night, Woo Jin headed to the music room apprehensively. The hallways were dimly lit and quiet, most of the students have either gone home or studying in the library. There was no one else in sight.

He can hear faint music coming from behind the closed door. Woo Jin gently eased the door open, and he found Eun Jae standing in the middle of the room, eyes closed, her fingers moving effortlessly over the violin while the other dances with the bow gracefully. Their chosen song was playing in the background, and Eun Jae followed with the ease of someone who understands the violin perfectly.

Woo Jin watched her, unmoving. Her long, brown hair was tied back into a top knot, a few tendrils had escaped to frame her eyes. She swayed along to the music, oblivious to him and the dimly-lit music room they were in. only the front lights were turned on, directly over the piano, and it acted like a spotlight on Eun Jae, the space illuminated around her while the rest was in shadows.
She looked completely at ease, the tension lines that always seem to be in her forehead had disappeared. She looked softer, and at peace.

The music ended, Eun Jae pulled the bow one last time with a flourish, breathing deeply. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and finally noticed him by the door.

"Hey, I didn't hear you come in."

Woo Jin told himself to move forward, putting his bag down on one of the seats. He noticed one of the tables cluttered with papers, pens, and highlighters. A medical textbook lay opened and abandoned on top of the mess.

"How long have you been practising?" he asked

Eun Jae looked at her watch, "About an hour, I guess? I was bored." she admitted

Woo Jin sat on the piano bench and tried a few keys. "What do you think?" he asked her, "of the piece, I mean."

"Not too bad," Eun Jae answered, "I guess the tricky bit would be to synchronise our playing."

Woo Jin nodded, he folded the sleeves of his jumper up and asked, "Shall we have a go?"

Eun Jae nodded and placed her violin on her shoulder.

~*~*~*~
Another thirty minutes passed by, during which Eun Jae had to grudgingly admit to that Woo Jin was indeed a good pianist.

His fingers tap the keys lightly, almost reverently, as he play. Never once did she see him look at the music sheet, and the more they play the more convinced she was that he knew the piece by heart.

"When did you start playing the piano" she asked when they stopped for a break.

Woo Jin turned around in his seat to face her, "When I was nine, I guess."

"Ah, your parents taught you or did you have a teacher...?"

"My aunt did." he answered shortly.

"You are...pretty good," Eun Jae blurted out.

She thought he was going to rub it in, but he simply shrugged, "I only know enough to play the easy pieces."

"Butterfly Waltz isn't easy." Eun Jae pointed out.

"No, it's not," Woo Jin agreed, "but I played it many times growing up. It's the practice piece I often use."

"I see. Is that why you chose it?"

"Well," Woo Jin began slowly, "I thought between the two of us you will probably have more experience and will adjust better, so I thought its easier to find something I know to play rather than trying to learn it while attempting to synchronise with you."

Eun Jae stared at him, then she smiled amusedly, "So you admit that I'm better than you?"

Woo Jin scoffed, "Who has the time or the money to spend on music lessons these days?"