This time, when the music began, it was a different story. The Brahms was no longer an impossible challenge, but a glorious, shared journey.
Seo Jaemin's hands, previously stiff and unsure, now moved with an effortless grace, his baton a quiet extension of his will. The orchestra responded in kind, their collective sound a single, living entity that swelled and receded with every subtle movement he made.
Kang Do-hyun was at the center of it all, his violin singing with a newfound clarity and confidence. The piece, once so technically demanding, was now a conversation between the conductor and his First Chair, a silent exchange of promises and trust.
Jaemin looked up from his score, his eyes locking with Do-hyun's. In the brief, wordless moment their gazes met, a hot, thrilling jolt shot up his spine and his mind cried out a panicked question:
Is this what he meant? Is this what it feels like to trust someone completely?
And then Do-hyun's violin was answering, soaring high with a powerful, poignant melody that was all for Jaemin and for Jaemin alone, even as it filled the entire hall. Their connection was no longer a thing of awkwardness and fear; now, it was the very heart of their music, a fiery, glorious bond that filled Jaemin at once with both terror and the deepest yearning.
…
When the song came to an end, and the last ringing note had faded from the air, the orchestra erupted with applause. The musicians were on their feet, clapping not just for the music, but for a conductor who had brought them back to life.
Jaemin bowed, a rare smile gracing his lips, before making a hasty exit. He had to get away, to catch his breath, to escape the unbearable intensity of what had just passed between him and Do-hyun.
But Do-hyun was faster. He saw Jaemin's intention the moment he stepped down from the podium. Just as the conductor was halfway down the corridor leading to the exit, he felt a firm hand on his arm, stopping him. The touch was like a spark, and the heat at the back of his neck flared to life, a silent bell ringing a warning. He turned to face Do-hyun, whose eyes were fixed on him, unnervingly calm.
"Running again, Conductor-nim?" Do-hyun asked, his voice a low, teasing murmur that sent a shiver down Jaemin's spine.
Jaemin's heart hammered in his chest. "I don't know what you mean. I… I just have a lot to do." He tried to pull his arm away, but Do-hyun's grip was firm, not painful, but unbreakable.
"No, you don't," Do-hyun said, his gaze locking with Jaemin's. "We both know you were trying to run away from me. From this." He gestured between them with his free hand. "From the Brahms. From what just happened."
Jaemin's cheeks flushed. He looked away, his jaw set in a stubborn line. "Nothing happened," he insisted, his voice barely a whisper.
Do-hyun chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound that was just for him. "Oh, you're going to pretend nothing happened? When our music just told the entire orchestra all our secrets?" He leaned in, his voice dropping even lower. "I felt it, Jaemin-ssi. Your music was honest. Now you should be too."
Jaemin finally met his eyes, a mixture of fear and defiance in his gaze. He still didn't say a word, just stared back, his breathing rapid in the air between them.
Do-hyun took the silence as an answer. He slowly released Jaemin's arm, but kept his body close enough to block any escape.
"I'm not going to let you hide from me," he murmured, his eyes dropping to Jaemin's lips. "Not anymore."
The unspoken challenge hung in the air between them, a silent negotiation that had nothing to do with music.
…
In a bid to get Do-hyun to stop accosting him in the rehearsal hall for the entire orchestra to see, Jaemin reluctantly agreed to go for a date with Do-hyun, on a day free of rehearsals, and at a place that the rest of the orchestra members were unlikely to go.
Naturally, Do-hyun was delighted. He had no wish for the sarcastic Han Chaewon, or even the fawning Kim Seojun or Jung Eunji, to suddenly appear out of nowhere and ogle him as he did his best to court Jaemin.
Now, standing at the spot where they had agreed to meet, it suddenly occurred to Do-hyun that this might have been a trick, a ploy by Seo Jaemin to cleverly stand him up and push him off kilter to discourage him.
He checked his phone for any messages. Nothing new, not since Jaemin's reluctant (or maybe he was just shy) "okay" text. He was just contemplating calling him when something made him stop and look up.
"Conductor-nim," he smiled. "You came."