Quiet | BTS ✓

65

The applause from Aria's solo is deafening; from Yoongi's spot backstage he can see the entire audience on their feet for her.

Yoongi smiles to himself; finally, after so long of being quiet, she's being heard and understood. She's telling her story.

Yoongi immediately sweeps her up in his arms as soon as she comes backstage, tears glistening in her eyes as she smiles from ear to ear.

"You did it," he says, tears in his own eyes.

She nods and then rests her head against his chest as she hugs him tightly.

The two don't leave each other's embrace as the duets begin on stage.

They dance together, laughing and smiling as the weight of the world is no longer on Aria's shoulders.

She is no longer burdened by her darkness; she is now bathed in light and Yoongi is in love with how beautifully happy she is now.

The couple intertwine their fingers as they hear their names being announced, and the two walk onto the stage together, hand in hand.

They are met with thunderous applause as Aria returns to the stage, and Yoongi beams at her as she stares in awe at the crowd.

Yoongi lets go of Aria's hand as he seats himself at the piano bench and Aria sits on the chair next to the piano facing Yoongi as someone from backstage brings her cello that Yoongi got her for Christmas.

After sharing a meaningful look, the two begin to play.

Their piece begins with a feeling of nostalgia; they play about the past and the memories within.

Both of them have aspects of their past that they miss in some way.

Yoongi remembers how his mother used to bake cookies for him every weekend, and no matter how many times he's tried over the years, he's never been able to replicate the recipe.

Aria remembers how her father would hide coins throughout the house and let Aria have scavenger hunts while her mother would cook their favorite meal on Sundays. She kept all the coins from every scavenger hunt, and she keeps them in a jar next to her bed.

The next part of the song sings of their pain.

Yoongi was never good enough for his parents. He could always do better; he could always be better. Throughout his childhood, he never understood why his parents couldn't just love him the way he loved them.

Aria can never hear her mother's laugh or see her father's smile again. She can never climb into bed with her mother after a particularly stressful day to eat ice cream and watch silly movies. She can never call her father to ask his advice on life choices. In one second, both of them were taken from her.

The two of them know pain in different ways; Yoongi never received the love he deserved from his parents, and Aria lost the love she was given by hers.

The piece shifts again, and now they are telling their story of loss; they are telling the story of how they lost themselves.

Yoongi shut everyone and everything out; he turned his back on his uncle and his dream school, choosing to spend his first three years of college alone and unhappy. He not only didn't want to inadvertently hurt his uncle with his shortcomings, but he was also terrified of being hurt by the only remaining family he had left. So he distanced himself and lost sight of who he is.

Aria didn't know who she was anymore; without her parents and her voice, she felt like an empty shell that was being forced to live a life she didn't recognize anymore. She looked in the mirror and she didn't know who was looking back at her. She let herself wither away into the darkness because to her, she was nothing but a stranger in her own life.

As the piece moves into the next part, there is a shift in the general emotion of it; there is a sense of hope as the music flows from their souls into the air of the auditorium. The story being told now is their individual stories intertwining together into one.

Yoongi came back to his dream school, expecting to be close to his uncle and finishing his degree but never expecting to walk into the music room that night and hearing such a melancholy song being played by such a beautiful angel.

Aria always played for herself; she never expected for anyone, much less a stranger, to hear such an emotionally raw moment from her.

Neither one expected to meet their soulmate that night, but fate has a way of bringing together those who are meant to be.

Those two meeting that night was not a coincidence, and neither ever thought of it to be one.

As they near the end of the piece, they pour all of their love and hopefulness into it as they play perfectly together. The last part of their duet is a promise to each other; it's a promise that the other will never be alone. The two of them are moving forward together, their souls as one.

The last notes ring out, and then for a split second, there is an emotionally charged silence where both musicians hold their breath as they stare into each other's eyes.

Then, thunderous applause erupts and the two break eye contact to look into the crowd, where they see a standing ovation in front of them.

The two stand and intertwine their fingers, the familiar feeling of their skin touching bringing their pounding hearts to a more steady rhythm.

They bow together as the crowd continues to cheer, and after the cello is taken from Aria's hands, the two make their way backstage where all of their loved ones are waiting for them.

Aria giggles and launches herself into Hoseok's arms, who immediately catches her and wraps his arms around her. Rina smiles through her tears and kisses Aria's cheek before engulfing her and Hoseok into her arms.

Yoongi's uncle grabs him and pulls him into a tight hug, whispering to him about how proud he is.

Hoseok's parents are crying tears of joy as they embrace Yoongi and Aria, praising them on how they told such a beautiful story.

Yoongi smiles to himself as Aria finds her way back into his arms and everyone stares at the two of them with nothing but love and praise in their eyes.

Aria smiles too as she rests her head against Yoongi's chest, knowing she doesn't need to say anything right now.

Because she doesn't need to say a word to be heard.

~

The end ❤️