Note: Hey! So this story was actually written for my friend but I thought i'd share it here as well!! It's not my best story but still, I hope it find you well and helps you smile <3
Enjoy!
Our Melody
The sun had just begun it's rising journey across the sky as you found yourself behind the counter in a small, cozy coffee shop. There weren't many people that came in at five in the morning, and your coworkers didn't come in until later so the air of the cafe was calm and peaceful.
You loved these mornings. As you prepared everything for the shops busy day ahead, you would sing. And it was so liberating, to be able to sing when no one was around, freely and without holding anything back, you sang.
Every morning would start with a familiar tune, a calming melody that you would quickly change and rearrange making something completely new. Your own words, thoughts, and song singing in harmony with the morning birds.
But this morning, a jingle from the doorbells cut your song short as a hefty looking business man came waltzing in, looking like he literally had the whole world in his hands as he walked up to the counter. You turned to greet him with a kind smile, your gaze being met with the man's eyes glued to his phone.
He couldn't be too much taller than you, yet something very masculine radiated off of him. His short black hair waving back and forth, gently brushing the top of his thin eyes as he looked down, groaning in annoyance towards his electronic.
"Expresso. Make it strong and make it fast." The man spoke in a deadpan voice along with a wave of his hand.
Annoyed by the man's bossy aura and unfriendly tone you silently mouthed, "Woow." In disbelief as you turned to start brewing the coffee. The man stayed silent behind you, eyes never leaving the small screen in his hands.
When you returned with the coffee, sounding off the price as he messily put a few bills on the counter, quickly grabbing the drink and turning on his heel to leave. You stayed there in utter disbelief at the man's haste, as soon as he left you yelled, "You know a thank you wouldn't hurt!"
Shaking your head, you ran a hand through your hair. Sighing as you turned your attention back to the money, "Aish who does he think he is anyway. Mr. I'm a businessman who's got money so rules of kindness don't apply to me hahaha." You spoke sarcastically to yourself as you counted the dollars.
Your eyes grew wide as you realized how much he had left.
_
After coffee shop duties, you head straight to class. Lectures filling your afternoon and late evening, some are more interesting than others but nevertheless you work hard and try to stay engaged during all of them.
However, the events from earlier, specifically the man who had interrupted your peaceful morning of song, had stuck with you. You weren't sure why but the image of "Mr. know it all" wouldn't leave your thoughts...maybe it was because of how much money he left...or maybe it was his unfriendly aura...maybe it was-
"y/n!" A familiar voice yelled the second class ended, shaking you from your thoughts as you packed your notes in your bag and looked up, "Hey Hobi."
But the bright heart shaped smile of your best friend quickly fell as his tone filled with worry, "Wait y/n is something wrong? Did you do alright on the exam?"
Shaking your head, you replied with a soft smile, "No no, just a rude customer at work today is all. Nothing to worry about." Playfully you hit the boy's shoulder, "Are you doubting my abilities?! Of course I got an A on the exam."
A lively giggle erupted from the boy as his warm smile returned, "My apologizes oh wise one. But what did that customer do?" the corner of his lips turned downward, "Did they touch you? Do I need to beat someone up??"
You laughed as the two of you made your way down the hall of the building, "No idiot, he was just rude. I'm not really sure how to explain it..."
Wrapping a lazy arm around your shoulder Hoseok spoke in a serious tone, "Well if anything happens call me right away alright? Promise?"
You turned to look at him with a challenging smile, "Promise. But Hobi how long have we been friends for? And how many times have I been the one to save you?"
Hoseok laughed in embarrassment from beside you, "Alright you have a point. But that was years ago! I'm older now so if you need help, your big bro will come and save you!" he spoke while making fighting noises and punching the air with his fists.
The scene of your best friend being so damn extra always gave you a reason to, wholeheartedly, laugh. Hoseok joining a moment later with a full laugh of his own.
Once the two of you calmed down, he sighed placing a hand on your shoulder, "But really though, everyone needs saving sometimes. And I do kinda owe you for saving my butt so many times back in middle school."
You nodded, smiling sweetly at your friend before realizing, "Wait! Hobi aren't you going to be late for your dance practice??"
"Aish your right. I'll see you later y/n! Be careful on your way back!!" You nodded with a smile, watching as your friend ran like a mad man toward the studio.
You took a deep breath, letting the cool autumn breeze wash over you like a wave as you made your way to the school's practice rooms. Or as you liked to call it, your own personal studio.
As you made your way to the music wing, like clockwork finding the practice room that was a bit hidden compared to the others, and also considerably smaller as well. But it was perfect for you, nobody ever used it other then you and it was the perfect size.
You can't help but smile as you drop your bag to the floor, sitting on the bench and lifting the pianos cover, as if you were saying hello to an old friend you ran you fingers across the black and white keys.
Taking a deep breath, you pressed your fingers lightly at first to the dark brown piano, letting the music flow through you, through your head, your shoulders, all the way down to your fingertips. Adrenaline rushing all the way down to your toes pressing the petals, creating the deep, rich, sound that you loved.
Completely lost in the music, the piano and you weren't two separate beings anymore, but rather one interlaced melody. It wasn't until your phone rang that your trance was broken, realizing you had been playing for about three hours.
Tentatively you picked up the ringing phone, "Hello..."
"y/n! Thank God where have you been?! Jungkook and I were starting to get worried, Jimin was about to go out looking for you!"
You giggled at your roommates overprotectiveness, "Sorry Tae, I was just at the studio and lost track of time. I'll start heading back now, who's making dinner tonight?"
A sigh of relief rang on the other side as he spoke, "Good, be careful on your way back! Jungkookie is cooking tonight, I think he's making naengmyeon."
A smile took over your features as you made your way out of the music building, "So Jin has been teaching him huh? I thought he was already a "Master Chef" though."
"Hey I heard that!" A distant but strong voice that could only be Jungkook's came ringing through the phone, causing both Taehyung and you to burst out with laughter.
In the middle of your shared laughter another familiar voice sang through the phone, "y/n? Are you alright? Were you playing piano again? I can come and get you where are you at, it's dangerous to be out this late!"
"Woah Jimin slow down." You spoke, giggles still filling your voice, "I'll be alright, if I'm not home in twenty minutes then I'll call you to come get me how's that sound?"
It took a moment, but the boy final replied with a sigh, "Okay just be careful and call me if you get scared!!"
You smiled, "Of course, I'll see you guys at home, annyeong!"
"Annyeong y/n!" you heard three distinct voices yell from the call before sliding your phone in your pocket, a smile radiating off your lips. Your roommates were a bunch of goofballs but you loved them, you really did.
You considered catching the bus back home, but settled for walking. The bus was always too crowded in the evenings anyway and these warm fall nights wouldn't last long before winter's hold would come and conquer the air.
As you walked, you hummed. The same tune you were singing in the morning, but a little different. Smiling as you made your way down the small town. Luckily you were able to find roommates who didn't want the expense of living in the city, and were down for a small place in an old but cute town next to the university.
You prided yourself on finding your shared apartment, it was hidden and practically untouched by the college life settled right next to it.
Closing your eyes, you listened to the sounds around you, the birds chirping, slow cars passing, and chatter from the locals that began to fill the air. Yet there was something faint that caught your attention, as you kept walking it got louder and louder, pulling at you with an invisible force until you could finally place it.
A piano.
Someone was playing a piano in the old church you usually walk by. Stopping in front of the building you couldn't help but listen in awe as the beautiful melody danced in the air.
It was beautiful.
You weren't sure why but it filled you with something indescribable, something strange and unfamiliar yet warm and soft.
Then the melody began to pick up and you found yourself taking your first steps into the church, like the song had a string around your heart, slowly pulling you towards it.
But your feet stopped as soon as you stepped through the doors. The fear that the song that made flowers blossom in your chest was too fragile, that any change or motion would scare away whoever was painting the air with sound.
The piano sat directly in front of you on the other side of the church, the long aisle of the pews leading your vision. And its conductor, sitting with their back towards you. It looked like a man, not much older than you but you couldn't really tell when all you could go off of was his black t-shirt, wide shoulders, and jet black hair.
So instead, you decided to listen without announcing your presence. You settled yourself behind the last row of pews, far enough away that the man probably couldn't hear your humming, but close enough to feel the vibrations from the piano.
And just like that, a routine was set.
Every morning the man would come to the coffee shop, the only one to ever come so early and with such a rude glow that contrasted greatly with the warmth of the shop. Then you would find yourself in the lecture hall, studying alongside your best friend. After that you'd wonder to the music hall, playing in your studio until a call from one of your roommates would ring through the air.
And after that, the part you'd found yourself waiting for every day, you'd walk home in the now extremely chilly weather and sit in the back of the old church. Listening to the stranger play in awe, the rawness and lightness of his music, breathtaking.
But he always stopped at the same time, when the church bells rang loudly through the building, he would quickly pull the cover back over the keys, and run off towards the back. Never once turning back to see his audience, which wasn't much but you still counted yourself as an audience.
After that you'd return home to your shared apartment, sharing whatever food the boys cooked up that night before heading to bed and starting that day all over again.
After weeks of this routine you found yourself in, the next morning in your quaint little coffee shop, would change the order of life you grew so used too.
Calming browns and auburns painted the small shop as you hummed last night's' melody. The smell of coffee filling every breath as if the shop itself was wishing you a warm good morning.
And again, without missing a beat at five in the morning the same businessman came strolling in, same attitude and aura weaved in with his stride.
"Sir, you always leave more money then you need to...a lot more...the coffee is only three dollars..." You spoke tentatively as you brewed the espresso, the same as yesterdays. Turning your head to face the man whose eyes were still glued to the screen, "Sir." You tried again. Your tone becoming more and more irritated as the seconds ticked on.
Startled back to reality the man looked up from his phone with wide eyes. And God those eyes, the deepest and richest browns reflected in the sun's soft rays that drizzled softly into the café.
They were beautiful.
After a moment you realized that you'd been staring, you shook your head and placed the coffee on the counter in front of him, realizing that he was staring back at you with just as much intensity. You could feel his gaze still heavy on you as you tried to phantom what that was, what that moment the two of you shared was, what it meant.
You reasoned that it had to be something similar to shock, that must have been what that was just now. Who knew a rude business man like him could contain eyes swimming with universes yet to be explored.
Shock, that's what it was. Definitely.
"Just three dollars' sir." You spoke with your eyes glued to the drink, "For the coffee."
The man blinked, as if coming out of a daze, "Ah-yeah, right sorry." He spoke reaching into his pocked, placing a twenty on the counter, "Just keep the change." Before locking his deep brown eyes again with his phone as he grabbed the coffee and made his way out of the store.
What threw you off, as if his eyes weren't enough, was when he opened the door he stopped. Completely and turned as if he was going to say something, your eyes locking once more before a melody sang itself into the air between the two of you.
Searching to answer his phone the man turned, taking his last step out the door and letting the it close behind him, causing chimes to echo throughout the café. But his ringtone, it wasn't bad. Immediately you began humming it, placing the notes in your mind for when you could practice later and recreate the melody.
What intrigued you the most about the whole encounter, was the fact that you and the man had something strikingly huge in common. Because the melody that played from his phone,
was from a piano.