Dajeong pointed to one corner of the stage and opened her mouth.
A large object surrounded by white packaging. It was partially hidden by curtains hanging down from the ceiling, but judging by the four legs sticking out defiantly, it was undoubtedly a piano.
Dajeong, with a bouncy light step, climbed onto the stage and lifted the vinyl slightly. Then, the grand piano, with a sleek black shine, revealed itself.
As she gently placed her palm on it, a cool and smooth sensation quickly conveyed itself. Unknowingly, she smiled at the familiar feeling. The boy who approached pulled off the cover.
“Do you want to play?”
“If I play freely, won’t I get scolded?”
“No one is here.”
“…No. I don’t want to play. I don’t really like the piano.”
Dajeong told a lie she didn’t even mean.
She loved everything about the piano, both listening and playing. However, having listened to Yeongjin’s perfect piano performance every day, her own skills felt pitiful.
Playing the piano became burdensome, and pretending not to like it became a habit.
Dajeong diverted her gaze absentmindedly.
“I want to hear your piano.”
“…I’m not good at playing.”
“It’s okay even if you’re not good.”
“….”
I’ve never been to a competition, and I’ve never heard any great praise. Can I play the piano for someone even though I’ve never experienced such things?
Dajeong hesitated, looking back and forth between the piano and the boy. Then the boy pushed the chair back, gesturing for her to sit.
Dajeong sat down with a slight smile.
“I do have a favorite song…”
Dajeong recalled a familiar melody. It was a piece she played occasionally when no one was at home. She thought she could play it reasonably well even without sheet music.
Ding.
As she pressed the keys, a clear sound resonated crisply. Running her fingers smoothly, each note flowed like gentle waves.
She could probably play the whole thing in one go. However, the confidence that had been gradually building up disappeared in an instant, and her well-moving fingers began to fumble.
In the end, she played a messy performance, pressing a few keys repeatedly.
The confidence that had been gradually building up disappeared in an instant. Dajeong slouched her shoulders, clasping her fingers together like clamshells.
It seemed like it wasn’t meant to be. With her head hanging low, a piano note one octave higher tapped her ears.
Dajeong lifted her head suddenly. The long fingers of the boy were suddenly placed on the keys. He calmly met her gaze, then shifted his attention to his own hands on the piano.
It was a gesture as if saying, “Look carefully.” Dajeong followed his gaze as if bewitched. He lightly pressed the keys with skillful hand movements.
“Ah…”
What the boy played was the part I had been struggling with just now.
The stifling feeling in my vision suddenly opened up. Dajeong stared at the boy’s hand, tracing the fingers in the air.
“Do you want to try it together?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll play first.”
The boy’s graceful performance flowed.
“Now, try it.”
Following that, Dajeong chirped like a chick and followed behind.
It had been a while since I played the piano without worrying about making mistakes. Even if it was slow and meandering, his patient hands waiting calmly became a reliable support.
With a strange time lag in the harmony for a while, enjoying the performance, they were already racing towards the end of the long piece.
When they reached the last part, Dajeong felt exhilarated and pressed the keys firmly. At the same time, a clear laughter burst out.
“It’s the first time I’ve played this piece all the way to the end!”
“You played well.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Gold medal for Handa Jeong.”
The boy clapped gently and spoke in a relaxed tone.
The empty performance hall had no trophies or flower bouquets, but Dajeong felt captivated, as if she had become the protagonist of the day.
Clapping along with the excitement, her smiling lips suddenly stopped.
“Oh? Did I mention my name…?”
“No, you didn’t.”
“But how do you know my name, Oppa?”
“I know. You’re Handa Jeong, the one who does everything wholeheartedly.”
Surprised, her eyes widened, but the boy still wore a calm expression.
“Where have we met before…?”
Bam!
“Oh, my goodness!”
In an instant, at the rough sound that struck her ears, Dajeong unconsciously shrunk her shoulders.
It felt like something had broken or exploded. As she turned her eyes slightly, scattered shards of glass on the floor caught her attention.
“W-What broke?”
“It seems like the ceiling light exploded. There seems to be a problem with the wires…”
The boy said, looking up between the stage and the seats. Faint anxiety seeped into his voice as it diminished towards the end.
After a moment, he quickly turned around.
“Let’s get out.”
“Uh, okay…”
“Hold my hand and follow closely. Understand?”
The boy’s black pupils as he spoke were filled with strength. Dajeong felt an instinctive sense of urgency.
Nodding her head, they held hands. The chilly, cool skin touched hers. Dajeong turned her chair, coming out and standing closely beside the boy.
Thud, thump!
As they swiftly descended from the stage, the eerie sound reverberated once again. Startled, Dajeong tightly gripped the boy’s hem.
In an instant, a familiar smell, as if she had smelled it somewhere before, brushed against her nose. It was the smell after fireworks had exploded.
Dajeong covered her nose and mouth with her hand, slowly lifting her head. There, she saw only the hole remaining beneath the light bulb.
The black hole with wires sticking out was emitting dark smoke and flickering flames.
Dajeong pointed at the ceiling with trembling fingers.
“O-Oppa… over there…”
“Let’s run.”
“Yeah.”
Dajeong nodded quickly, swallowing dry saliva.
After Being Cheated On, She Picked Up a Treasure (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: The husband I married on a whim had been secretly in love with me for a long time.
On the day when Jun Shao finally obtained the imperial decree for her marriage, Lan Qu, the person she had admired for six years, defied the decree and ran away.
Her gentleness and devotion, her promise of a lifetime together, were all disregarded by him. Instead, he dreamed of entering the palace to serve the Emperor’s sister as a sixth-rank attendant.
News of this incident spread throughout the capital, and the alleys in front of and behind the Lan mansion were crowded with people who came to watch the commotion.
Jun Shao should have been embarrassed and angry.
But someone stepped in to protect her dignity.
The figure was in a miserable state, yet still possessed an undeniable elegance and handsomeness.
The young lord struggled to climb the wall of the Lan mansion and shouted to her, “If he won’t marry you, I will!”
So, Jun Shao took advantage of the situation and married the person.
She thought the young lord did it to save the Lan family from the crime of defying the imperial decree, but never imagined that from beginning to end, what he coveted was her.
*
After the wedding, Jun Shao felt like she was living in a dream.
Her Wife-master was as beautiful as a fairy in a painting, skilled in the six arts, well-versed in poetry and literature, capable of being gentle and attentive, and also grand and dignified. Most importantly, she was the only one in his heart and eyes.
Jun Shao didn’t know how Lan Shiwu, as a illegitimate son without a father and blessed with beauty, had managed to preserve his purity, recklessly escape, and use his last ounce of strength to ruin his own reputation, all because of his love for her, just to stand before her.
She could only see him gazing at her with eyes full of love, and when she bestowed a name upon him, his eyes shone like stars.
“You have come to me like a weary bird perching on a branch. I shall call you A Qi.”
