Together [You & I]

50 | Separated

The day before Seokhoon had sent Rona to the airport, the couple lingering in front of the departure gate before Rona felt a tug from her manager. She realised that they needed to head to their flight. Rona kissed Seokhoon hard on the lips. Have a good concert okay? I will be fine, Seokhoon, please don't worry too much. I love you. Rona kissed his cheeks lightly before turning to run off through the gate before Seokhoon could drag her back. Seokhoon watched Rona's back for sometime and only when she disappeared out of sight did he finally leave the airport.

When he had reached home, it was really strange for him to be walking into an empty house, ever since Seokhoon and Rona got together, they had never really been apart. After Rona's 'return from the dead', Seokhoon had made up his mind that he was more or less never going to leave Rona alone. He was always beside her at school, they were always studying together. When Yoonhee was still in prison, Rona would either be at his place or he would go down to hers to keep her company. The same was when they went to Juilliard, minus their own individual classes, Seokhoon and Rona were more or less together 24/7. Now the house was empty and Rona was not there.

As Seokhoon reflected on it, he was ever more grateful for Rona's presence now. If he had to figure out how to live with just himself - it was almost not possible to envision it. It was really interesting considering how for the early part of Seokhoon's life he was so used to being alone. His father and mother were not really around, and he rather be left alone. Now, without Rona around, everything felt empty. All it did was emphasise how much Rona filled in his life, even though Rona and him wouldn't always be talking, but her very presence filled the room. Sigh, I really miss my wife. How am I going to get through 2 weeks without her.

The next day, Seokhoon flew with Jae Rim to London. Rona had landed safely in Paris, she had settled safely into her accommodations. Seokhoon decided to rent an apartment for Rona and Jae Hwan to share. The accommodation was a 2 bedroom flat that was located right in the heart of Paris. This meant that everything (like supermarkets, shopping centres) were all within walking distance for Rona.

Seokhoon on the other hand, decided to book a 2 bedroom suite in The Langham Hotel in London. It would make communicating with Jae Rim a lot easier if they were sharing the same space. The suite was a good size, having 2 separate master bedrooms with it's own attached bathrooms. A good size living room and dining area for both of them. Seokhoon didn't ask for much, since Jae Rim and him were not good cooks, having the hotel provide the food or being in walking distance to the nearest restaurant was more convenient for the pair.

Luckily for Seokhoon his week (similar to Rona's) would be filled with rehearsals and meeting the other stars who would be participating in the upcoming concerts. For the couple, it was especially important in their line of work to form connections. Once they left the comfort of their University, they were essentially on their own. Even with the backing of Prof James and Clark, both of them still needed to form their own networks. The concerts were a great opportunity for Seokhoon and Rona to not only meet veterans and seniors in the field of classical music but also fellow peers.

Seokhoon was never a big fan of gatherings but he realised how important these events were for his career. He went to the party and met many fellow musicians. Not all of them were pianists but Seokhoon appreciated that they all spoke the same language. Shim Seokhoon, I have heard a lot about you.

I am sorry it seems I am not sure who you are?

Ha, well I should feel offended but I will not, my name is Grace. I am a fellow pianist like you.

I see, it is nice to meet you Grace. Like what Grace said she was also a fellow pianist, she had debuted about 2 years before Seokhoon and was seen as the darling of the piano world. She was incredibly talented and dynamic, she had gathered quite a large following as soon as she debuted. I found out we are both going to be performing at the same concert for the next two weeks.

Oh, I have not really had much chance to look at the entire lineup.

Well now I am telling you.

Right. Seokhoon felt something off about Grace and so he chose not to continue the conversation further. However Grace was rather persistent, throughout the evening, whichever group Seokhoon found himself in - somehow, somewhere Grace had inserted herself in. Seokhoon made sure to keep a distance from her as best as he could. He even warned Jae Rim not to give out his contact info. Seokhoon didn't really have any intentions of making friends with anyone, but he still needed to make a good impression on his seniors. Luckily, Prof James had been singing Seokhoon's praises incredibly early on so the groundwork had been laid already. All Seokhoon needed to do was carry on that good impression and perform well.

The evening was not for nothing though, Seokhoon did meet several nice colleagues as well. Mainly three of them - Edwin (A Pianist), Raphael (A cellist) and Hye Rim (A flautist). The trio had debuted just last year and were good friends. Seokhoon had heard of Hye Rim before, she was a graduate of Seoul National University and one of the upcoming flautists. Compared to Grace, Hye Rim didn't seem to set off any alarm bells for Seokhoon so he let his guard down and happily exchanged contact numbers with the three. It would be good to know more colleagues that are in the same field.

Seokhoon left the party soon after and talked for about 2 hours to Rona on the phone. Rona too had a similar gathering, she spent most of the conversation talking about all the stars she got to talk to during the party. Seokhoon initially wanted to tell her about the Grace incident but he decided that can keep it until they met again 2 weeks later.

Note: So more drama? I promise it won't be as painful as Penthouse that is for sure