Moonlight Sonata Sitting at the side of a noisy juniors classroom, Lee MinRin was silently reading a piece of sheet

music on her seat. She was silent in class and her classmates barely talk to her. The only time she could talk or speak out in class was during recitation class where everyone was obliged to recite for the sake of their grades. In her mind, there was nothing more precious than the books she has to read in class and her gift in music in which she had been keeping since forever and nobody knew about this except for her friends and her family. No matter how she was labeled to be nothing special, she was strong enough. But the greatest secret she kept from everybody else was her eye candy: Lee SungMin. He was one of the Untouchables [the richest guys in school]. SungMin, apart from being really rich, was named The King of Everything. He was the schools top Mathematician, he was a vocalist in one of the school bands, a member of the dance troupe, a black belter in the Martial Arts Club, and he was homecoming king in his sophomore year. Many girls would swoon over him regardless of their year level and being one of the four Untouchables made him a lot hotter [according to the other girls]. And if looks could kill, hed be a serial killer. MinRin and SungMin went to the same classes since their grade school years in International School until now that they are in their junior year in High School. MinRin admitted to herself that she had her eyes on SungMin since they were in their seventh grade, and until now she still didnt take her eyes off him. Though its been a long time since theyve been classmates, MinRin and SungMin never talked. She can recall all those times when she almost talked to him, but something inside pulled her away from doing so; but NEVER did they greet each other or even meet in a glance. Her existence in his eyes was something to doubt for; she was just an ordinary girl studying in a prestigious school in the country and labeled to have nothing special, surely, SungMin could not notice her. One afternoon, she planned to stay in school after classes ended. She asked the schools music teacher, Mr. Shim, if she could stay in the music room for a few hours and practice on the sheet music she was holding during class. Youre only allowed until six, Ms. Lee. said Mr. Shim. The maintenance staff is closing all classrooms and offices by six o clock, I guess you know that. Couldnt miss that, Sir. She replied.

Good. Youve been in my classes since your freshman year, Ms. Lee. And I never heard from any one that you have an interest in music. You never showed an inkling of interest but Id like to hear you play, Ms Lee. MinRin smiled shyly on that idea. Hmm its an honor, Mr. Shim, but I dont think I can play well. Constant practice can make you an excellent pianist, Ms. Lee. Music is a gift; it needs to develop in order to gain mastery. You cant master a piece in just one day. Mr. Shim explained. What are you practicing on, anyway? I found this sheet music from my moms old stuff. She said as she handed him the sheet music. Moonlight Sonata, I think. Moonlight Sonata? Mr. Shim said with a surprised tone. Thats one difficult piece. Quite gloomy at first, but actually its a serenade. Someone must have caught your eye. Well, yeah, she thought. Hmm not really, Sir, Im only exploring music for now. Its been a long time since I played a piece. Very well, then. Mr. Shim said as he stood up and gave MinRin back her sheet music. I have to go. You can use the grand piano in the orchestra room. It sounds better than the old pianoforte. Thank you, Mr. Shim. She stood and bowed at him in respect. As Mr. Shim left, she closed the door and went towards the orchestra room. The orchestra room was a lot bigger than a classroom; there were chairs on the platforms with stands in front of each for the sheet music. At the near end of the room stood the grand piano with its sleek black finish that made it really handsome and very professional to look at. The pianoforte was not in sight, must have put it away, she thought. She sat on the piano chair, placed her sheet music at the header, and opened the piano. The keys were quite dusty so she wiped off the keys with a piece of tissue, the arranged the sheet music from the header. As she positioned her hands on the keys and stroke the scale of E major, one image popped out of her head: SungMins. If talking to you is impossible, noticing me is near to nothing, and my existence is not significant enough; then this music might give me a chance of a lifetime. MinRin thought. Aish! Why is it so hard for you to notice me even if weve been to the same school since forever? SungMin-ah, until when? Sigh. If all else fails, I swear Id put an end to this foolishness, and Ill live this life like youre not part of me for four long years.

The first thirty-two measures of the piece went well, the symphony made by the piece and the piano made all her feelings fly free. She repeated the measures for a few times until she played it with minimal mistakes. As she was playing, SungMins smile kept on flashing inside her head; it made her smile for a while. The song progressed and everything about SungMin came inside her head: his eyes, his smile, his hands, his back (yes, she thought that he has a magnificent back), the way his face looks like when he practices his martial arts, when he solves any mathematics-related subject, and his voice as he talks and sings. The thought of these things made her smile a bit bigger. Seems like the melody made by her hands, the piano, and the sheet music gave her the opportunity to express things, letting it all go. She ended practicing and kept the sheet music a few minutes before six oclock and left the music room. As she was walking past the kiosks, she saw SungMin together with the other three Untouchables: Kim Ryeowook, Kim Youngwoon, and Cho Kyuhyun. All three of them, like Sungmin, are ultimately rich and good-looking not to mention that theyre extremely talented and intelligent especially on one aspect. They have been friends since their grade school years in International School. Their leader, Kim Youngwoon, was known in another name Kangin; he can move you out of his way, get all the girls, and answer philosophical queries with just one glance. Kim Ryeowook was rather obsessed with chemistry and is internationally known through winning the international scholastic decathlon representing the country in the United States. Cho Kyuhyun was rather silent among the four of them. His interests falls into gadgets, computers, and electronics; apart from that, he is also involved in outreach programs which made people think that he was different from the three. Sungmin was more into mathematics and athletics, which makes him an all-in-all bomb threat. The sight of them was really intimidating: four rich kids staying in one school kiosk at six in the evening. As Minrin passed by them, they barely noticed her. She sighed as she walked past them, but as she heard Sungmins voice and his laugh, she held on close to her books and lowered her head to hide her from her furious blushing. She could feel her heart race as she walked with Sungmins voice ringing in her head. Stop blushing! She thought. Crap; that was useless. She walked towards home, about three blocks away from school, and arrived around six-twenty.

Poor Minrin, even if she was a rich kid and no matter how close she was with her family, she still felt incomplete. Having a rather shy type of personality made her a wallpaper. And being a wallpaper made her a nobody. She was bullied for a few After having all her homework done, she grabbed her sheet music and immediately went to their music room. She practiced the next thirty-two measures, which was really difficult, with patience. As she went on with the piece, Sungmins face popped out of her mind. And for the next two hours, she played the thirty-two measures with lesser mistakes and Sungmins face was glued in her mind the whole time. She looked out of the glass window and looked up to the moon shining over their pool. This is stupid. She thought. Sigh. Sungmin-ah, its been a long time since I laid my eyes on you. I can see nothing but you. Even if youre with your friends who are also extremely good-looking, you still stand out from the crowd! Darn it! I cant move on. I dont find other guys as attractive as you are and I feel really awkward with boys around me, but you are the only exception. Sigh. How I long to sit beside you. How I long to hear you say my name. How I long to catch your eyes, your magnificent eyes. Sigh. Until when will I wait, Oppa, until when? She looked at the piano and saw the sheet music on the header. This sonata is so beautiful; I cant find the reason to discontinue playing it. But the twist is everytime I strike the first few notes of the piece, your face suddenly pops out of my mind. No matter how I fight it off, its like youre stuck, and it grows clearer and clearer everytime I progress, staff by staff. Aish! I cant stop thinking about you! Its not supposed to be like this! Sigh. Crap. The next day, she spent eight hours in school focused in her academics and all; but then again, being in the same class with Sungmin was another story. No matter how hard she tried to catch his eyes, still it was unsuccessful. It was graded recitation for Foreign Language class. Minrin studied a lot the night before prior practicing the Moonlight Sonata. Minrin was able to answer questions and was complimented by her teacher for finally breaking the silence, which was an accomplishment on her part. Sigh. Still she cant get Sungmins eyes to set on her. He was listening intently on the teacher and was reading the book while she was reciting. In the afternoon, she returned to the music room and played the piece. The

very image of Sungmin while he was reading a book came to her mind right after she played the first measure and went on for the next sixty-five measures. She went on and on, feeling nothing but music and feeling her heart beating for Sungmin. Meanwhile, Sungmin was on the fourth floor because of a math decathlon refresher with the math teacher, Mrs. Kang. While answering, Sungmin felt his cellphone vibrate; Kyuhyun was calling. He lowered his body and answered: Hello, Hyunnie? he said in a soft voice. Where are you? Its four-thirty in the afternoon, its been like an hour, and weve been waiting for you. Im in my Math Decathlon refresher. Mrs. Kang wouldnt let us go unless we show the complete solutions. You know how much I hated this! I can solve them mentally. Alright, alright. Give us a message if youre done. Well wait in the kiosks. Alright, got to go. He ended the call. Around five oclock, Sungmin ended his decathlon refresher and was in a hurry going down until he walked past the music room in the first floor and heard someone playing the piano. He stopped by the sound of the melody. Thats weird, he thought. Its five in the afternoon, theres nothing special for the next two months, and I dont think this room may be used until the next auditions for the spring play. He reached for the door knob and tried to open it, but it was locked. He went through the small windows on the upper portion of the walls and jumped so that he could see who was playing. And there he saw a girl playing on the grand piano. He didnt see her face clearly because it was covered with her long black hair. Feeling a bit tired on jumping, he returned to the door and leaned onto the hinges and listened to the melody. Breathing deeply, he tried to decipher everything he could hear and felt differently, he was starting to relax and he admitted that he was already hypnotized by the music the girl created. The tune is so melancholic. She must have her heart broken, he thought. His cellphone vibrated. Ryeowook was calling him. He immediately got his backpack and hurried towards his friends. Hyung, what took you so long? Ryeowook asked as Sungmin came hurriedly towards them.

Got stuck somewhere. He said as he was catching his breath. That was an uncanny alibi. Sorry. You missed the fun, brother. Kangin said as they walked. We were about to plan our next vacation. Cool. Tell me about it. He said excitedly. But as Kangin, Ryeowook, and Kyuhyun were telling him about the plans, Sungmin remembered the girls figure on the piano. He gave his attention to his best friends and continued chatting with them. For two whole weeks, Sungmin kept on passing by the music room and was listening to the same type of melody he heard the first day he saw the girl. The melody never changed; however, the melody progressed as the days passed by. He did was just lean on the door and listen to the music that seems to be hypnotizing him for days. He closed his eyes, breathed deeply, and in his mind was the girl who was playing the piano inside. His friends needed not to know about this because it would create such an issue. Feelings seemed to fly away as the melody progressed; and silently thanked the girl, even if the girl was not aware that he was there. Minrin, on the other hand, was already getting tired of playing. Nobody even knocked the door for the whole two weeks that she was there. No one even bothered to talk about it in school. Sigh. The chance of a lifetime seems to play a prank on her. Looking at the sheet music on the header, she breathed deeply and thought: this is useless. Fat chance for Sungmin and me. Sigh. If this wont do tomorrow, Ill be ending this foolishness for good. I know its gonna be hard, but I have to. The next day, Minrin had the courage to at least leave the door unlocked. She played again and for the last time, she swore that if Sungmin wouldnt come in, shed stop the foolishness. With a heavy heart, she played the Moonlight Sonata for a few times now. Everything about Sungmin came to her like a wave. She breathed deeply and felt the melancholy run through her heart towards the piano keys, and as the song progressed, a single tear came out of her eyes. Sungmin again went to the music room and leaned on the door and listened to the same music he heard, but this time, it was sadder. He held on to the doorknob and to his surprise it was soft. Its unlocked, he thought. He was hesitant

at first but he was willing to know who was playing the music he was eager to hear every afternoon, so he turned the doorknob and opened the door. Minrin was in the middle of the piece when Sungmin walked nearer. Clearly, she didnt notice him coming in. So, youre the one whos been playing the piano for the past few days. Minrins body froze to the sound of Sungmins voice. It was as if she was petrified that it was hard for her to move towards his direction. She could feel herself shaking with an uncertain feeling, a feeling unknown to her. Slowly, she turned her head to the side and saw a figure wearing black slacks and looked up, avoiding his eyes. She felt like she was screaming in the inside. What? she said in a soft voice. Youre the one whos been playing the piano for two whole weeks? Playing the same melody, over and over again? Minrin didnt know how to react. All she did was respond. Yes. Now, her heartbeat was racing and pounding inside like hell. She couldnt keep her breathing properly. Sungmin tried to look at Minrins face and gave her that killer smirk hes got for the whole campus. Its been a while that I noticed you playing, I was kind of wondering who would be inside the music room for too long when its not even time for the Musicals. Minrin only bowed her head, hiding herself from her furious blushing. She stood up and bowed at him. Im Lee Sungmin. You might have noticed me around the campus. Im Lee Minrin, and Ive been eyeing you since we were in grade school. Im Lee Minrin she replied. Lee Minrin? he said with surprise. Your name is familiar. I think were in the same classes. Weve been in the same classes since we were still in International School. Yeah, we do have the same classes. Oh, very well. Minrin kept her sheet music and just before she stashed it into her bag, Sungmin got hold of her sheets and said, Can I have a look at these? Minrin only nodded and gave him the sheets. Moonlight Sonata? he asked calmly. Beethoven, I guess.

Minrin was surprised why he knew about the composer, but she hesitated to ask. This is quite complicated. How many weeks did you practice this piece? It seems that youve been playing this for a month as I hear it. I just had that piece two weeks ago. Found it, more like. She replied. She kept her eyes on the floor, avoiding Sungmins eyes. Stop blushing, Rin! She thought. Sungmin was surprised at her reply. She must be a genious. Two weeks? You played that piece for two weeks only? Youve been playing it like you learned it a month ago. Sungmin, for the first time, flashed a cute smile at her. This made her heart beat fast, made her blushing five times more than the usual. Sungmin sighed before he could answer. Youve been too silent in class. Has anyone heard you play before? No. Minrin shook her head as she replied. Meaning, Im the first one to hear that? he asked. She only nodded. Sungmin looked at her quizzically. For the record, he still didnt see her face due to her nodding. Look at me. Minrin widened her eyes as she heard his last statement. Aigoo! She thought. How she wanted to pause everything for a minute and scream her insides out. Shyly, she pulled a few hair strands at the back of her ears and looked at him. And for the first time in their lifetime, their eyes met. For a week, Minrin continued to go to the music room and played the piece. She felt something unexplainable as she played. She remembered the feeling the first time they met each others eyes. She was now putting a smile on her face, all the melancholic feelings went out of her and there was nothing more than the joy she felt. It was worth the wait. It was worth everything. She told to herself. The melody went on and on and on, and her heart beat faster and faster and faster. Feeling the rhythm of her heartbeat go with the sonata, she found herself in great joy, blissfully feeling the moment.

Here again? Minrin nearly jumped from the piano seat as she saw Sungmin leaning on the hinges of the doorframe with his hands on his pockets, wearing that killer smirk. Never changing the melody, are you? Minrin couldnt look at him straight to his eyes, it makes her knees quiver. She smiled shyly at him and said, Yeah, got to perfect this piece before I jump to the next one, in case I can get another one. Reaching for perfection, huh? Sungmin challenged as he entered the room and approached her. Tell me, what is Lee Minrins definition of perfection? You, she thought. Lesser mistakes, I guess. She replied. As she looked at her side, she found Sungmin standing beside her, leaning on the piano. Minrin almost had her body frozen as she looked up at him stopping at his shoulders, avoiding eye contact. She could feel his eyes looking at her, their weight pondering on her. Sungmin shifted his gaze from her towards the piano and reached for a few keys. Its been a long time since Ive played the piano. He sighed. The last time I touched these keys was when dad asked me to play for him. That was last year before he went to Japan for a long business. Minrin was only silent, though she felt awkward about the moment, she was eager to listen to him. You must have missed the happy times. She said in a soft voice. Yeah, I think I did miss it. Sungmin placed his hands on the keys and played a few chords. The melody came to her like a soft breeze in the night, it was ecstatic for her. Do you mind? he asked. She avoided his eyes as he turned her head to him as she replied. No, I dont mind at all. She was about to stand up and give up the seat for him, but he held her shoulders, preventing her to stand. Sit beside me. Slowly, she sat and moved a bit to the right as he positioned himself at the center. Knees, please dont fail me! I need you to be strong. Please. For once, dont fail me. She told herself. Her knees may not have failed her but her blushing made her feel cranks and all as she moved. Theres this song I really loved to play. He said as he gazed on the piano keys. I used to play it for someone before, but I never get to know her name. I was with the same classes with her in my days in International School, but I was too scared to ask her name. he chuckled. I know you might be thinking that Im stupid but that was before. She was lost for words.

He placed his fingers on the keys and played a few measures. Aigoo~ he memorized a piece? She asked to herself. The introduction was kinda sad, and at the sight of his face, it seemed like there was this feeling in him that he couldnt explain any further. His hands were looking magnificent as it played with the piano keys. You could sing with me, if you want, he told her. concentrated his eyes on the piano keys and sang: Ive been alone with you inside my mind And in my dreams Ive kissed your lips a thousand times I sometimes see you pass outside my door Hello? Is it me youre looking for? The song made her melt, his voice sent shivers down her spine. She knew the title of the song as he sang the first stanza, Hello by Lionel Richie, she told to herself. And without any hesitation or any feeling that prevented her to share a moment with him, she sang with him in harmony. I can see it in your eyes; I can see it in your smile. Youre all Ive ever wanted, and my arms are open wide. Cause you know just what to say and you know just what to do And I want to tell you so much, I love you. The song caused a certain connection between the two of them. Both were drawn into the music and it felt like bliss. They both sounded really good, and there, Sungmin smiled as he heard her sing, harmonizing to the melody he created. Whoa, shes got a nice voice, he thought and continued. I long to see the sunlight in your hair And tell you time and time again how much I care Sometimes I feel my heart will overflow Hello, I just got to let you know. Coz I wonder where you are and I wonder what you do Are you somewhere feeling lonely, or is someone loving you? Tell me how to win you heart for I havent got a clue But let me start by saying, I love you. They caught themselves in a sea of emotions and looked at each others eyes. Sungmin looked at her dearly, like theyve known each other for a long time. Minrin couldnt get her eyes off Sungmins, her heart was racing, her breath shallow enough to be noticed. They both studied each others gaze for awhile, looking at And with that, he

nothing but their eyes. Sungmin slowly reached Minrins face, pulled her face closer to him, and kissed her lips in a slow pace. A few moments later, they ended the kiss. Both of them, lost for words. Both of them just shared their first kiss, their very first kiss. Minrin immediately bowed her head to hide herself from blushing. Sungmin stood up from the chair and walked towards the door, but as he was halfway through, he looked back at her as she was hiding her face from him. He wanted to say something but he couldnt let it out. He breathed deeply, and went out of the room. Minrin still couldnt believe what happened, remained silent. He kissed me. He. Kissed. Me. Lee SungMin kissed me. After that, she was lost for words. SUNGMINS P.O.V. Three weeks ago Darn it! Sungmin cursed in his mind as he was walking down the stairs from the fourth floor, carrying his royal blue Jansport backpack. For the nth time of my life, cant I just make some answers without even looking for solutions? Geez! I can solve them mentally! He was in the m