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"happy soul; begin and end your day with music"

A few days have passed since that lesson on dynamics, and he finds himself reflecting on the progress they've made together.

She seemed to have gotten the basics down, something that came as a huge relief to him when he noticed. In a way, he can't help but feel a sense of pride whenever he observes her fingers glide confidently over the keys, her playing marked by fewer mistakes and more control.

She has gotten rid of the tension that usually pooled at her shoulders, no longer plays notes one at a time like a robot. He's gotten used to sitting next her, a huge contrast to the first day when she literally dragged a chair to the piano.

He still can't believe she did that. Regardless, sitting next to her and breathing in her familiar lavender scent has become normal. So has his hands upon hers, guiding her as she experiments with the keys herself.

In fact, as the days turn into weeks, he realizes that his thoughts often stray away from the music itself. Instead, he finds himself dwelling on the little details - her big brown eyes that light up with determination, the way her curls fall gracefully into her face when she's engrossed in playing. The radiant smile she offers whenever she accomplishes a task he sets for her.

It's almost as if her presence has woven itself into his thoughts, creating a tapestry of memories he can't help but revisit.

It's funny to think about, but somewhere along the way, he began to look forward to their tutoring sessions. He anxiously awaits her presence every Thursday afternoon, ready for her to burst in through the door. She usually wear dresses, but sometimes she spices it up and comes in a pair of faded jeans or cameo pants.

One time, she even came in a suit. She explained that she rushed from a function and didn't have time to change. He didn't mind. Not even when she was wearing those damn converse.

Every time she does burst through the door, a strange feeling brews within his chest, making him frown a bit when it does. At first, he ignored it, along with all the details he noticed about her.

But that task is proving to become more and more difficult.

He finds himself counting down the days until their next meeting, a fact that surprises him. After all, he's supposed to approach this whole teaching thing with a practical mindset - a means to an end, a way to earn some extra income. But she's making the whole experience different. There's an inexplicable pull that draws him to those sessions, a genuine anticipation that he can't quite explain.

At first, he thought it was fascination over the fact that she was so bad when they begun, but now he has second thoughts.

Moreover, he'll sometimes catch himself smiling at the thought of her, even outside of their lessons. It's a smile that's tinged with a hint of bemusement, as if he's trying to decipher a puzzle that's as delightful as it is intriguing. It's unexplainable.

"Earth to Jongeun," his best friend, Chang Dongmin says, waving a large palm in front of his face. "Snap out of it."

"What?" he asks, blinking a couple of times.

"You went to another world for a few seconds," Dongmin replies, lifting his eyebrows quizzically as he takes another bite of his fried chicken.

"Oh, my bad," he mutters softly, a wry sort of smile on his face. But even as he returns his attention to the his friend (who's going on and on about another crises at his part time job), he can't help but admit that there's something special stirring in his chest.

He's never really felt like this before, and the feeling is both lovely and weird at the same time. Perhaps it's normal?

As he takes another swig of his beer, he realizes something - he's not just teaching her to play the piano. In a way, she's teaching him something too: a lesson in unexpected connections.

A lesson in floating butterflies that erupt when he witnesses her out her hair up in a messy bun, her brown eyes focus on the sheet music in front of her. A lesson in pink cheeks and suppressed giggles when she makes another joke, or thanks him for being a good tutor.

Well, they do say that there's a first time for everything, right?

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