At 3 PM, Seo-in finished her makeup and outfit, this was her first performance at the end of the summer, there was no reason for her not to give her all. Especially since Luca promised to arrive on time this time, because last year he arrived soaked, missing almost the entire show, due to a late train and a heavy icy rainstorm on the way. She admired herself in the mirror for a final moment, pleased with her reflection.
She looked professional, elegant, and poised—perfect for the stage. But it was the thought of Luca, waiting in the audience among the crowds, that made her nerves buzz extra keenly.
With one last check of her outfit and hair, she grabbed her satchel and headed out, mentally running through the setlist in her mind. The campus auditorium hummed with pre-performance chatter as Seo-in peeked through the curtains. No sign of Luca yet—but then, she was early. Her fingers drummed a nervous rhythm against her thigh until her phone buzzed:
[Luca] 15:12pm : "I hope you've marked the best spot for me. I promise, I'll curse whoever sits there."
Seo-in muffled a laugh into her sheet music just as the stage manager hissed, "Five minutes!"
***
Luca swore he had timed it perfectly. The interview ran long, the tram was delayed, and now he was jogging across campus with his messenger bag smacking against his hip like a disgruntled koala. His phone buzzed—Seo-in's 47th backstage.
[Seo-in] 15:18pm : "???"
Too bad he couldn't reply; his hands were full clutching a comically oversized bouquet. The florist had insisted on "romantic volume" and a to-go iced coffee. Her favorite, extra caramel.
He skidded into the auditorium just as the lights dimmed. The usher frowned at his flushed face and wild hair but scanned his ticket—only to freeze at the laminated RESERVED placard.
"Sir … is this for a child?" they whispered, eyeing the glittery font Seo-in had chosen specifically to embarrass him.
"Worse," Luca wheezed, collapsing into Seat A1 as Seo-in glided onto stage.
And immediately smirked at the sight of him holding both gifts aloft like sacrificial offerings. Her pianist snickered; someone in Row C muttered, "Damn, that's commitment."
When she sang her first note? Worth every second of cardio humiliation.
Seo-in's voice carried through the auditorium, honey-sweet and clear as the night sky. The pianist's keys harmonized with her effortlessly, their decades of practice together obvious in each note. In the front row, Luca forgot his aching muscles, the amused glances from surrounding audience members. His face hurt from smiling, his heart hammering loud enough to rival any drum solo. Seo-in's gaze flicked to him mid-performance once, twice. Each time, her eyes lit up, making his cheeks warm even under the stage lights.
By the end of the last song, Seo-in was flushed from both singing and pure happiness. The applause thundered through the hall, but her eyes were on Luca—still beaming at his front row seat, proudly clapping the loudest in the venue by far.
As the pianist and other ensemble members took their own bows, Seo-in leaned towards the microphone one last time.
"I'd like to thank everyone for coming, and..." Her gaze found his again. She grinned widely. "And my biggest fan, Luca, in Seat A1."
Cheers exploded anew. Luca's face turned flaming red. Someone behind him wolf-whistled; next to him, an elderly woman pinched his cheek approvingly.
Seo-in just blew him a kiss through the mic before exiting stage. Luca groaned, burying his face in his hands—but still smiling like an idiot, bouquet clutched tightly to his chest. As the audience dispersed, Seo-in emerged from backstage to find Luca still sitting right where she'd left him. His hair was sticking up all over from running his hands through it, and he still clutched the bouquet and coffee protectively.
"You're ridiculous," she laughed, taking in his disheveled appearance as she approached. "Don't tell me you sprinted all the way here."
"I did not sprint," Luca said, trying to sound affronted even as he panted. "It was a ... brisk jog. With ... strategic power walking. And one very fast jaywalk."
Seo-in raised an eyebrow, biting back a smile. "Uh huh. That explains the coffee. And..." Her gaze dropped to the bouquet. "The flowers twice my height."
"For you," Luca handed her the bouquet with his charming, sweet smile, but he refused to tell Seo-in that he had to borrow money from his best friend to buy it for her. "Do you like them?" he asked.
Her eyes widened in surprised appreciation as she accepted the flowers.
"Luca, they're gorgeous!" Seo-in brought the bouquet up to her nose, drawing in the delicate scent. "And gigantic. Did you empty the florist's entire stock for me?" she teased, peeking around the blooms.
Luca chuckled awkwardly. "They, uh ... had a sale," he lied, praying she wouldn't ask how much a bouquet this size cost at said sale. "Special for summer, or something."
Seo-in's eyes softened, she knew that look. Luca's tells were obvious to her by now: the way his fingers tapped nervously against his thigh, the way he avoided eye contact when fibbing. But she just buried her face in the flowers with an exaggerated sniff.
"Ah~ my knight in shining armor," she sighed dramatically, hooking an arm through his as they walked toward the exit, "who totally didn't go bankrupt for these." Then, quieter: "Thank you. Even if you're a terrible liar."
Luca opened his mouth to protest—then caught her sly sideways glance and groaned instead. "...Was it really that obvious?"
Luca smiled awkwardly, then tried to change the mood by claiming he wanted to take a picture of Seo-in. He took out his phone, "I have to capture your beauty in this moment," he said, tapping the camera screen to start taking his girlfriend's picture. "W-wait..."
Seo-in barely had time to react before Luca suddenly froze, his eyes darting down at his phone screen—only to go horrifyingly pale.