Faceless

VII.The concert

POV Iana

On the day of the concert, they all looked exquisitely elegant. I had made an effort myself, wearing a red velvet dress and some makeup with high-heeled shoes. They were already in the middle of the rehearsal when I arrived at the theater, so they hadn't seen me yet.

"Iana, you look very beautiful tonight! Is it for our sake?"

It was the cellist in the group who had noticed me first and was teasing Rowoon all the time. He didn't miss the chance to do it again.

"Hyung, our heroine looks too beautiful tonight, don't you think? We should take a group photo. Come on, let's do it on stage before the curtain goes up."

He looked at me with appreciative eyes and then gently took my wrist and pulled me onto the stage. One of the technicians took a photo of all of us together and then with my phone, I asked them to take a picture of me with each of them. To my surprise, Rowoon refused, but I didn't dare insist. Then they went to rest in their dressing room, and I retreated to the café across the street. How should I interpret his actions? Did he hesitate to have personal memories with me? Was he afraid of his mother's reaction? In the end, there was no point in torturing myself.

The concert was magnificent. They played in duets, trios, and then individually. Rowoon would be closing the performance. Sitting on a chair behind a large curtain, I could observe his face as he captivated the audience. Suddenly, he stood up and spoke into the microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I dedicate the last piece of our concert to my guardian angel. She saved my life without even knowing me, and without her, I wouldn't be here tonight. She's listening right now, and I kindly ask you to applaud her with me, to thank her."

Tears started flowing from my eyes, and I trembled all over. Why? Why had he done such a thing? I didn't deserve it. Then the first notes of Clair de Lune began to drift into my ears, and I understood that his memories were not limited to my recording.

POV Rowoon

I had felt the need to publicly honor her. People like her, who worked in anonymity to save lives, deserved much more recognition. I couldn't see her, but I was sure she had heard it all. I hoped I hadn't offended her because she had already made it clear that she didn't like being in the spotlight. I put all my love into my performance of Clair de Lune, for her, for our story, for which I now wanted a sequel. I didn't want to say goodbye to her the next day, but would she want that?

After leaving the stage, after the final bow, I gave her the bouquet of flowers that the audience had given me. Her eyes and cheeks were red as if she had been crying.

"Iana, don't be sad, and don't be mad at me. Everyone had to applaud you because I imagine that in the future, you'll always shy away from compliments and refuse people's recognition."

"Thank you, thank you. I don't deserve all this attention, I assure you. I'm not an angel; I haven't only done things I'm proud of."

"Shh, don't say anything more. You promised me dinner. Let's talk one-on-one, if you're willing."

"Yes, I'll join you."

She was uncomfortable, and I couldn't understand why. I promised myself I would lighten the mood during dinner. Plus, I had prepared another surprise for her.

"Iana, I remember some things from my time in the hospital, but I don't always distinguish between your recordings and my dreams. So if I'm wrong, it's because I took my dreams for reality."

"It's normal to dream during a loss of consciousness, but it's extraordinary that you have memories of it. Can you give me an example?"

"I'm convinced that you're allergic to oysters but that you love raspberries."

As she listened, I saw her flinch.

"This is impossible. How did you know about my allergy? Did you investigate me?"

"No, you misunderstand. I have memories of your voice telling me a lot of things, about anatomy classes, your preferences and dislikes, your dreams, the fact that you found me handsome..."

"Stop, please, stop. I'm so embarrassed! I just wanted you not to feel alone, but sometimes I even forgot myself that you weren't my friend. My chattering must have been unbearable to you. Please forgive me."

She was distraught, and I couldn't understand the reason. It was as if I was doing it all wrong. I decided to go all in. Sometimes, actions spoke louder than words. I took her hands in mine and gently pulled her towards me. She resisted a bit and then lowered her head.

"Iana, you're completely wrong. Your voice was like a miracle cure for me. It surrounded me with love, reassured me, and allowed me to know that I wasn't dead yet. But I felt alone and abandoned when I woke up, and you were nowhere to be found."

I ran my finger over her eyebrows and cheeks; she lifted her eyes and stared at me, not knowing what to expect. I could hear her heartbeats, and I hoped I wasn't mistaken, that my memories recovered through hypnosis were true. Slowly, not to startle her, I kissed her right cheek. She sighed and blushed. She was breathtakingly beautiful.

"Iana, do you know what I missed the most?"

"No."

"Being able to reciprocate your affection, to feel your skin under my lips and hands. Allow me to kiss you!"

"You... you knew?" She stammered. "And you're not mad?"

I kissed her for real to stop her from asking absurd questions. She hesitated, but under the assault of my lips, she finally surrendered.

"Iana, I didn't know you could fall in love with a voice, but that's what happened to me. And that voice belongs to a person with such a beautiful soul that I'm probably not worthy of her love. Yet, I'm asking you. Would you accept my love?"

I took out the bracelet case from my pocket and asked for her wrist.

"This is my way of thanking you for existing and hoping that you'll be a part of my life for a long time."

"Oh, this bracelet is beautiful. But... but..."

I kissed her again to prevent her from diminishing herself or refusing my gift. She needed to work on her self-esteem.

"Yes," she whispered in my ear. "I missed you so much too. I don't know how we'll manage living in two different countries, but I want you to be a part of my life for a long time."