Changes - lee donghyuck, haechan

29

Everything slowly started to fall into place. Everyone at university had been busy preparing for upcoming mid-year exams. HyunTae refused to go with his father and resorted to staying in his dorm. Although he was unable to swim he took up the time to distract himself more with his studies. Having taken up extra courses to keep himself occupied. Mark along with every other member of NCT were busy with schedules promoting their new album. And Aera busied herself in the music room. Her fingers sore from pressing against the piano keys as her music professor eyed her like a hawk.

The annual music concert was approaching so the girl had a lot to prepare for. Having a solo meant that she could not commit any mistakes while performing. This year she wouldn't have to share a stage with DongSe and for the first time, she was bummed. Seeing that in previous years she hated the idea of ever having to collaborate with the bass player. This time it had been different, she actually enjoyed spending time with him.

On the other hand, as much as her feelings demanded to be confessed. She had taken advantage of their busy schedule to push her confession to the side. Yeejin had not been happy but was also busy preparing her mid-year project and was almost always out finishing it up.

After some time Aera got to talk with Sunny and apologize. Followed by a series of congratulations on the amount of following she had been gaining because of her new debut.

Once she had had enough of replaying the piece she was almost certain was perfect. She packed all of her belongings and headed out.

Her phone rang in her bag to which she tended to it. Her screen flashing "Tattoo Boy".

"Hel-"

"Meet me on the soccer field,"

The boy had hung up before she could say anything else. As strange as he was, Aera grew used to his spontaneous requests. DongSe was an unpredictable person. Something Aera was not, yet for some reason that made their friendship all the better.

The walk towards the field was long and tiring. Seeing that the music department was on the other side of campus. She could see the boy casually sitting in the bleachers, his hands picking at the rips in his black jeans.

"This better be good," he looked up, a smirk appearing on his lips once he saw she was out of breath.

"Let me guess. Kim didn't leave until you had run through the song 10 times perfectly," she couldn't help but roll her eyes just thinking about it.

"While he purposely made distracting noises in the background to-" she raised her hands to make finger quotes, "make sure I'm prepared under any circumstances,"

DongSe let out a rumbling laugh as he leaned forward. Both of his elbows resting on his knees. Aera slowly joined in knowing well enough Kim had probably done the same to him.

"Enough about that though. What's with the sudden meetup?"

"No special reason. Just wanted to see you," Aera momentarily froze. Had she heard him right?

She turned to stare at him but he had been looking out into the field. Completely unphased by his words. Maybe she had been reading too much into it. DongSe was extremely flirty but rarely truly meant anything by it.

"Can I ask you a question?" Aera hummed to reply. Her eyes calmly staring as the sun was setting. She never knew such a beautiful view could be seen from the field. She somehow felt extremely calm, her mind somehow at rest from all the worrying from the week before.

"How do you know you love someone?" Her eyes turned to meet his. But he had also been calmly looking out into the horizon.

She let the question sink in. Her mind thinking back to JooWon. Her first and only boyfriend and the only person she had ever shared "I love you's" with.

"I can't answer that," neither of them let their eyes waiver from the remnants of light that remained from the sun.

"How about JooWon,"

"I didn't love him,"

DongSe stared over at her. Her eyes closed, taking in the breeze that was blowing by.

"I thought-"

"Me too. But now I realized that it wasn't loved. I loved the idea of him and sadly that idea was far from the reality," for some reason this had been one of the first times she wasn't sad when mentioning her ex. Her heart somehow finally feeling free and rid of the pressure that once suffocated her.

"I did love her and I did think she loved me,"

"How do you know?" It was her turn to wonder. How did it feel to say those three words and mean it?

"You sort of just know. It's kind of like the bass to me," she stared at him like he was crazy to which he humorously laughed at her face.

"To be general, it's like music. It's one of the first things I think about when I wake up or go to sleep. I love the feeling of playing the strings. When you're sitting in front of a crowd with the piano in front of you, what do you feel?" She furrowed her eyebrows confused.

"Nervous?" He clapped his hands once.

"Exactly! It's this constant nerve in case you mess up, yet no matter how nervous you are, you feel that rush of happiness course through your body when you play the first key. No matter how much I complain about playing and rehearsing, nothing gives me the feeling that bass does. Well, she did before,"

"So she made you nervous and happy?" Aera tried to decipher what he was saying.

"She was the first and last thing on my mind every day and every time I was around her my heart would just go crazy. I was a nervous wreck all the time. But aside from all that, she made me happy. I loved the feeling of her in my arms,"

Love was like music. It makes you nervous but brings you happiness. And it's all you think about.

Aera had not loved anybody.

Yet why was it that she could only think of his name when she thought about it?
-
a.n: slowly running out of ideas and I don't want to rush anything but ill start getting more into Aera and Haechan's feelings. These filler chapters are coming to an end.