Do you doubt my passion for the Piano?

Practice never betrays Selene.
Although she had been shaken after parting awkwardly with Theron, her playing soon regained stability through persistent practice.
So, Selene found herself wondering.
If Theron Cox were to disappear now, could she still win the competition?
Her eyes, reading the flow of her fingers, narrowed slightly.
‘Yes, perhaps it’s possible.’
The piece’s completeness had reached a certain level, so if she enhanced her technical proficiency, it might be possible.
Despite the positive conclusion, the thought of Theron Cox made her throat feel scratchy as if she had swallowed dust, and Selene abandoned the reluctant assumption.
Knock, knock.
Just then, someone suddenly knocked on the piano room door.
‘Is it already time for Gwendolyn to bring tea?’
But a glance at the clock showed there were still 30 minutes left until her break.
The knock at an unexpected time meant it was an outsider.
Stopping her playing and walking to the door, she opened it to a rush of floral scent and a sight of flowers in various colors filling her vision.
They were flowers that only bloomed in autumn.
As soon as she recognized that, a man’s voice was heard from behind the bouquet.
“I thought the flowers in the vase would have withered by now.”
As the bouquet was slowly lowered, Theron’s face was revealed.
He had an awkward expression.
It was understandable.
They hadn’t exchanged any contact for a while.
Besides, he usually sought permission in advance when visiting, but today, Theron had come unannounced.
“Are you going to kick me out just because I came suddenly?”
“…”
“I can’t help it if you kick me out, but please accept the bouquet at least. The flower shop was overflowing with people today, so I had to wait for an hour.”
Selene just stared at Theron.
She was not so much flustered or angry at his sudden appearance, but a little surprised.
“Well… of course, the flowers are an excuse, and I wanted to talk to you for a moment like this.”
His wandering eyes finally settled on Selene as if they had found their destination.
“I missed you… a lot.”
She thought it might be a confession added on for the sake of an apology, but Theron was fiddling with his tie knot and clearing his throat.
“Come in.”
Selene took the bouquet and turned around.
Theron, with a dazed face, quickly closed the door and entered the piano room.
“Are you still angry with me?”
Theron, who had placed the bouquet on the piano, asked as he stood close to Selene, who was sitting on the piano stool.
“Me?”
“Who else?”
At Theron’s question, Selene briefly reflected on the emotions that had passed through her.
She had indeed been a little angry right after returning from the zoo.
“Not anymore.”
“But you were at the time?”
“Yes. Because it felt like you were speaking carelessly without knowing much about me, Theron.”
“…”
“But then I thought about it, and it was the same for me. So there’s no reason to be angry.”
Selene calmly recounted the sequence of emotions she had experienced.
In the past, she would have found it troublesome, but she didn’t want to build up unnecessary misunderstandings with him.
Selene, looking up at Theron calmly, moved her red lips.
“And one more thing.”
“…”
“I’m sorry if my words hurt you. I didn’t mean to dismiss your sadness or pain as nothing. I just didn’t know because I hadn’t experienced it. But you were already hurt, so I should apologize.”
This was not an apology driven by a sudden surge of emotion, but something she had decided on in advance after much thought.
She had forgotten about it because he hadn’t appeared before her for a while, but it was something she had intended to say when they met.
Theron’s throat bobbed for a moment as if he were flustered.
“No… why are you apologizing… If we must, this is a case of mutual fault.”
“I don’t like being indebted to anyone.”
Sometimes, as Theron had said, cases of mutual fault are overlooked with extenuating circumstances, but Selene didn’t want to let this one go like that.
The reason was probably because, for the first time in a very long time, she had met a person’s hurt eyes.
“…I was going to apologize first when we met, but you beat me to it.”
Theron looked into the air and cleared his throat unnecessarily.
“I’m also reflecting on what happened that day. It was definitely my fault for blabbering on, empathizing with that little kid for a moment.”
Even while being embarrassed, Theron finally met Selene’s eyes.
The apologizing man looked sincere and truthful.
It seemed there was no need to waste any more time on past stories.
“That’s enough with the apologies.”
Selene reached out and had Theron sit on the piano stool.
“Come to think of it, I don’t think we know much about each other.”
Theron, though flustered by Selene’s sudden action, obediently let himself be pulled and sat next to her.
“As you said, Theron, the efficiency of observation increases when you know the subject well.”
“Isn’t it beyond the level of just observation now?”
Theron seemed to dislike Selene’s expression.
His serious face instantly turned sullen.
“Yes, then let’s call it an experimental subject. Since you said I was like a mad scientist, Theron.”
“Did you take that to heart?”
“No. I liked it. It was a bit exaggerated, but it was a metaphor for how focused I am.”
“You have a habit of interpreting things to your liking, Miss Selene.”
Even while grumbling sarcastically, Theron stealthily took Selene’s hand and held it as if to envelop it.
His large hand was like a prison, trapping her hand so that it couldn’t escape.
But it didn’t feel particularly stuffy, so Selene left Theron alone.
Having held his hand all day at the zoo, she had gotten somewhat used to the act of holding hands.
“Theron, tell me about yourself.”
Selene, gazing at Theron’s hand she was holding, slowly looked up.
At that sight, Theron seemed to be at a loss for words for a moment.
Not long after, his face gradually turned red.
“…What do you want to know?”
“Your past.”
Theron, who had been blushing like a fool, hardened his expression slightly at Selene’s question.
“What kind of past?”
“How hard you lived, what kind of people your parents were, things like that.”
Because what had bothered Selene the most was the pain of Theron’s past.
Theron, who had been silent for a moment, slowly opened his mouth.
“Can I not talk about it?”
“Why?”
“It’s a gloomy and dreary story that won’t do you any good to hear. A depressing story that won’t help your inspiration at all.”
It didn’t seem like a lie; Theron’s atmosphere sank in an instant.
Noticing that, Selene had to nod.
“I wasn’t asking you to talk about it because I thought it would help my inspiration, but if you don’t want to, I won’t force you.”
After those words, a short silence flowed between the two.
“May I ask a question this time?”
Theron, who had been silently holding Selene’s hand, was the first to speak.
“Alright.”
Although he hadn’t answered her question, Selene thought that Theron also needed to know about her.
To avoid a useless dispute like the one at the zoo.
“Do you play the piano because you like it, Miss Selene?”
“That’s a strange question.”
“Didn’t you say you immersed yourself in the piano to forget the sadness after your parents passed away?”
Come to think of it, she had indeed said such a useless thing in the heat of the moment.

“Others might see it as crazy, but the person themselves would cling to a piano that doesn’t give any answer, just to live.”

‘How did I end up telling my secret to an experimental subject?’
But it wasn’t a big secret, so there was no reason to hide it.
“Of course I like it. Although the reason I got into the piano was close to escapism, I wouldn’t be tapping these keys here all day if I didn’t like it.”
“How much are you serious about it?”
“How much?”
“I’m curious if you could live alone, throwing away everything you have, as long as you have the piano.”
Unlike someone asking a very exaggerated question, Theron was serious.
“I’ve never made such an assumption, so I don’t know.”
“No, I’m just saying, let’s just assume for a moment.”
“Is that so important to you? Knowing how serious I am about the piano?”
Selene asked, gazing into Theron’s eyes.
Theron’s lips parted.
“Yes…”
“Why?”
“Because… I’m curious how serious you are, to the point where you, who loathed men so much, even thought of sleeping with someone.”
“Theron.”
As Selene called him in a suddenly low voice, Theron slowly closed and opened his eyes.
“You often speak as if you doubt my passion for the piano.”