More Than a Piano Lesson: A Hidden Connection

Steve stood beside his car, his hands clenched at his sides. He could feel Viona's piercing gaze on him, but what unsettled him more was Sharone's relaxed expression, unaware of the tension that was beginning to build. Theresia, on the other hand, looked like someone who had just discovered a great secret and was enjoying every second of it.

Sharone gently took Steve's hand. "Steve, come sit down. Don't just stand there, you look like a stranger."

Steve gave a faint smile, but didn't move. His gaze flickered towards Viona, who was now sitting stiffly, her expression unreadable. Theresia, full of enthusiasm, instead pulled Steve's hand and forced him to sit on the park bench with them.

"You two know each other, don't you?" Theresia's voice was full of curiosity, her eyes alternating between Steve and Viona. "Seriously, this world is so small!"

Viona sighed softly, then nodded slowly. "Yes, we... used to know each other."

Sharone gave a small smile. "Yes, I remember. Steve once told me he used to teach piano. So, you were one of his students, right?"

Viona nodded again, a little more relaxed. "Yes, a long time ago."

Theresia, who seemed to be enjoying the situation, leaned back with a satisfied expression. "But this is so interesting. Because... this morning I heard Viona say she just called someone when she was drunk. And now she meets her old piano teacher? What a coincidence."

Steve immediately turned to Viona, whose eyes widened in Theresia's direction. "Theresia!" Viona's voice was filled with panic. "Don't just say anything!"

Sharone chuckled softly. "Huh? Viona called who?" she asked, more out of curiosity than suspicion.

Viona wanted to disappear from there. "It's... it's not important. I just—"

Before the conversation continued, Sharone looked at her watch and stood up. "I'll go in first, okay? Need to get ready. Ther, help me for a moment."

Theresia shrugged, still curious about the situation before her, but eventually followed her sister into the house.

Now only Steve and Viona remained in the garden, surrounded by suffocating silence. Steve looked at Viona, his eyes full of unanswered questions.

"Why did you call me, Vi?" his voice was low, almost a whisper.

Viona bit her lip, looking down. "I don't know, Steve. I really don't know. I wasn't aware at the time. I just... suddenly thought of you."

Steve sighed, staring at the ground beneath his feet. "After all this time, Vi... why now?"

Viona shrugged, still not daring to look at him. "Maybe... because I haven't really forgotten everything." Her voice was barely audible.

Steve was silent, digesting those words. He wanted to say something, wanted to ask more questions, but he knew it wasn't the right time. There were many things unresolved between them, and he wasn't sure how to deal with it.

Before he could say anything else, Sharone's voice sounded from inside the house. "Steve, come in!"

Viona finally looked up, staring at Steve with an unreadable look in her eyes. "We... don't need to discuss this now."

Steve nodded slowly. "But we'll discuss it later, right?"

Viona paused for a moment, then nodded. "Yes."

Steve took a deep breath before finally standing and walking towards the house, leaving Viona still sitting on the park bench with her thoughts racing. It was clear that, after tonight, nothing would be the same again.

During dinner, the atmosphere felt more normal, but there was a subtle tension between Steve and Viona that only they could feel. Sharone, as usual, spoke enthusiastically, telling stories about her plans for the weekend, while Theresia glanced at Viona several times with a teasing look.

The food on the table was prepared by Sharone herself, something she was proud of. "You all have to try this, I cooked it myself. Don't leave anything, okay!" she said with a satisfied smile.

Steve scooped some food onto his plate and tasted it, then turned to Sharone with a smile. "Sharone, seriously, your cooking is amazing. The taste is no different from a five-star restaurant."

Sharone smiled broadly, proud of the compliment. "Hehe, thank you, Steve! I really like to cook, and when I prepare food for my friends, it tastes better."

Steve chuckled softly, then turned to Theresia who was busy chewing. "Theresia, you definitely don't want to miss the opportunity to learn to cook from Sharone, huh. Being a talented chef like her would be the pride of the family."

Theresia raised her thumb with her mouth full. "Yes, definitely! I really want to learn, especially if Sharone teaches me. This could be a new habit for the weekend!"

"It's really delicious, Sharone!" Theresia said with her mouth full of food. "I want to learn to cook like this too sometime."

"Sometime? Any day would be fine, so I don't have to cook alone!" Sharone chimed in, making the others laugh.

"It seems fun if we often cook together," Sharone added. "Who knows, we could open our own cooking class at home."

"Viona, I'm so happy to see you again. I didn't expect you to know Steve!" said Sharone with a wide smile.

Viona smiled slightly. "Yes, the world is small. I was surprised too."

Theresia suddenly chimed in with a teasing tone. "Oh my, Sharone. You should be even more surprised because I just met my 'prince'!"

Sharone chuckled and shook her head. "Oh, so you have a prince now, Ther? Who is it? Could it be the guy you've been talking about all this time?"

Theresia pretended to blush. "It's a secret! But I'm sure he's the one, Kak. I can feel it!"

Viona joined in the laughter. "So when exactly did he propose to you, Ther?"

Theresia smiled proudly. "On the beach! So romantic, right? Sunset, the sound of the waves, and he suddenly said that he liked me and he had prepared it all from his house. I immediately melted!"

Sharone shook her head and laughed. "But I just realized, the clothes you were wearing at the time... they're my clothes, aren't they? I remember because I was looking for those clothes and couldn't find them!"

Theresia pretended to be guilty. "Ehehe... Oh my, Kak, I just borrowed a little bit. To make it look sweeter during the date. Besides, you rarely wear those clothes too!"

Sharone snorted, but still smiled. "You! Okay then, just consider it my blessing. But if James does anything, let me know, okay!"

After dinner, Viona walked around the living room and her eyes fell on a row of trophies lined up neatly. All of those awards came from the field of classical music—something she couldn't achieve, but she wanted.

Theresia stood beside her and sighed. "It's all about music. I'm the only one who chose medicine. Sometimes I feel inferior."

Sharone who heard that smiled and patted her shoulder. "You're great, Ther. You don't have to be like us. Music is indeed a part of this family, but you have your own path. I'm proud of you."

Theresia smiled slightly. "Thank you, Kak."

That night, everything felt lighter, although for Steve and Viona, there were still things unresolved between them.

Steve smiled faintly, trying to enjoy the dinner atmosphere filled with laughter. However, every time his eyes accidentally met Viona's, he could feel something unspoken between them. Something unfinished.

After dinner, when Steve was saying goodbye to go home, he noticed Viona avoiding his gaze. However, before he actually left, Viona quickly slipped a piece of paper into his hand without anyone seeing. Steve glanced at the paper as soon as he was in the car—only a brief sentence was written there.

"I will contact you later. Just wait."

Steve's heart pounded. He was really looking forward to an exciting conversation with Viona again. He missed it too. He was ready to talk about his life without Viona for the past year. Yes, even though Viona and Steve lied about them being teacher and student for a long time, when in fact it was only one year ago, the emptiness they felt when they didn't meet for a full year was something that felt like a long time ago. Yes.....they missed each other. Even though they both already had lovers. Was this the right thing.....On one side Viona was pounding, all the time they were together, from Steve getting out of the car until Steve got back in the car, her heart was pounding. Even her heart didn't pound as much as this when she was with Frans.... She felt guilty, but on one side, she was very happy because she spent time with Steve.