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The first time Taeyong heard it, was on one of his rare off days. He stirred from his sleep to a beautiful melody flowing in through his open window. Taeyong blinked sleepily, letting the yellowish ray of sunlight wash over his skin. It wasn’t long before the melodious chirping of the birds joined in harmoniously with the tune, creating an air of tranquility as his lips unconsciously stretched into a smile.
Taeyong let himself bask in the music and morning sun, stretching lazily in his bed. Briefly, he wondered who was playing the flute before he went about doing his morning routine, taking longer than he usually would. The music soon drew to an end as Taeyong was making his usual cup of coffee but the serenity he felt remained with him throughout the rest of his day.
Weeks passed and Taeyong had forgotten all about the melody despite having it stuck in his head for days after he first heard it. His regular hectic schedule took over, and the weariness he felt deep in his bones seemed like a permanent fixture in his life. He was so exhausted that he decided to stay home and recharge himself that weekend, cancelling all the plans he had made with his friends beforehand.
(He had to deal with Ten’s threats and persuasion but he barely managed to bribe the other with the promise of a treat the next time they meet.)
As Taeyong was lazing in his living room, flipping through the channels mindlessly, a familiar tune filled the air of his apartment. Entranced, Taeyong paused whatever he was doing and closed his eyes instinctively, the melody helping him to unwind considerably. The sounds from the television played softly in the background as the remote laid forgotten on the couch beside him.
Curiosity built up within Taeyong and after a few minutes, he blinked open his eyes and walked towards his balcony, trying to find the source of the person blowing the flute. To his dismay, the park beside his apartment building looked seemingly empty, partly due to the heat from the scorching hot afternoon sun. When the music ended and all that Taeyong was able to see were trees, he went back into his significantly cooler apartment, unable to shake off the inkling of disappointment within him.
Taeyong was out running errands when he finally finally saw the person he couldn’t stop thinking about. He was on his way back from the supermarket, carrying bags of groceries when he heard before he saw him. The same melody floated through the air as he was nearing the park and Taeyong’s eyes darted around, searching. He followed the direction of the melody into the park until he spotted someone sitting under the shade of a huge maple tree, surrounded by birds as he played the flute. A gasp fell past Taeyong’s lips at the sight before him. He was unable to tear his eyes away from the picture-perfect scene, noting the way the little sunlight that managed to bypass the leaves bounced off the stranger’s stunning sun-kissed skin.
The guy’s eyes met Taeyong’s, and Taeyong found himself being captivated by his twinkling brown eyes, everything else faded into a blur in the background. Taeyong had never believed in love at first sight – he had always shot down his friends whenever they talk about how romantic it was – but in that moment, he knew he was attracted to the stranger playing the flute. The air felt like it was sizzling with electricity between them, and all Taeyong was able to do was stare at the guy, spellbound.
As the tune came to its eventual end, Taeyong watched the guy break out into the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. The stranger waved him over and Taeyong’s feet had a mind of its own. By the time he realized it, he was already standing next to the guy under the tree.
“Hi, I’m Nakamoto Yuta,” the stranger, no Yuta, held out his hand, the smile on his face grew seemingly bigger as he said it.
Taeyong stared at the outstretched hand in front of him. His upturned lips slowly made an appearance on his features as he grasped Yuta’s hand with his free hand, words shyly spilling past his lips. “I’m Lee Taeyong. Nice to meet you.”
It soon became a routine for Taeyong and Yuta to meet up every weekend at the same time under the maple tree. Taeyong sat next to Yuta, listening to him play the usual tune as birds chirped happily around them.
After Yuta played the last note of the melody, they sat in comfortable silence, watching nature takes its course around them. It wasn’t long before Yuta started speaking, knowing what Taeyong had wanted to ask before he even did.
“This zufolo was my grandmother’s. She was the one who taught me how to play it,” Yuta said, looking at the wooden flute in his hands with a small smile. “It’s the only thing I have left that’s hers.”
Taeyong turned to Yuta, his hand reaching out to pat Yuta’s shoulder comfortingly. “I’m sorry.”
“Thanks. And don’t worry, I’m fine. It happened sometime ago, and I have all the best memories of my grandmother here with me,” Yuta replied, waving the flute in Taeyong’s direction slightly.
A beat or two passed, and Yuta added softly, “Besides, that’s how I got to meet you too.”
They fell back into silence, and Taeyong started fidgeting after a few minutes. His nervousness swirled in the pit of his stomach as he worked up the courage to ask Yuta the question he had been wanting to for weeks.
Taking a deep breath, Taeyong swallowed dryly and licked his bottom lip before he started to speak. “D-Do you, perhaps, want to go out for dinner together sometimes?”
The smile on Yuta’s face widen significantly, blinding Taeyong momentarily with his gleaming white teeth. “I thought you’d never ask.”
(“So, when’s the treat you promised going to happen?” Ten whined into the phone when Taeyong finally answered. “It’s been ages since we last saw you.”
A grin stretched across Taeyong’s lips at his best friend’s grumbling, knowing he was about to divulge the secret he had been keeping from his friends. “How about this weekend? There’s someone I want you guys to meet too.”
“What!” Ten shrieked loudly, unable to contain his surprise. “Did Mr I-Don’t-Need-Anyone found someone at last? When did this happen?”
“Maybe,” Taeyong teased playfully, not wanting to reveal everything to Ten just yet.
“Details. I need details Tae. You can’t expect me not to ask questions when you say something like this,” demanded Ten. “So spill. Who is he and how did you meet him?”
Taeyong watched Yuta yell at his screen while playing Mario Cart in his living room, a fond smile unconsciously made its way onto his face. He was so mesmerized by Yuta’s antics that he almost forgot to reply Ten.
“I’ll tell you guys all about it when we meetup this weekend. I’ve got to go right now. Talk to you later.” Taeyong quickly hung up the call, knowing Ten will bombard his phone with messages in a few seconds. He left his buzzing phone abandoned on the kitchen counter and made his way over to where Yuta sat, engulfing the love of his life in a hug.)