Work Text:
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End of A Day Orchestra Version by Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra
Megumi remembers the first time his hands laid on a violin.
He remembers being 4 and gifted a violin for his birthday.
He remembers the wide smile on his father’s face and a small smile from his mother and sister.
He remembers being told by his father that one day he will surpass him in skills.
Coming from the prestigious Fushiguro family, known for its patriarch's violin skills throughout Asia, Megumi understood from a young age it was his role to uphold the family name and continue the legacy set by his father.
Through a strict and repetitive routine, Megumi learned how to play the violin and various pieces to play. He can remember the excitement he felt when he won his first national competition, and the time he won his first international one. The smile on his father’s face was enough to keep Megumi motivated to strive for more.
However, nothing could have prepared him for the nervousness he felt as he stood behind the large red curtains, peeking at the crowd seated in front of him. He’s never been surrounded by that many prominent figures in the international classical music community. Megumi feels more jittery after learning of the arrival of the Nanami family, known throughout Asia for being one of the leading performers for Seoul and Japan’s Philharmonic Orchestra. He recognizes you, whose before him to perform as the younger flutist of the family. and searches the crowd for your brother, known internationally for being the first Japanese pianist to come in second place throughout the competition’s history at the 2010 International Chopin Piano competition.
The thought of Nanami watching him perform makes Megumi extremely scared.
Megumi can feel his heart ramming in his chest, because he’s afraid of making a mistake in front of prestigious people in the international classical music scene. He would be even more embarrassed if Nanami saw him commit an error.
His thoughts are interrupted as he hears the bottom of your heels clack against the wooden ground as you walk past him, flute in hand. You bow to the audience as the judges converse, placing your fingers on the keys of the cool metal as you position the instrument near your mouth. The sounds emitted from the instrument are soft, airy, and wind-like as the registers fluctuate between different levels.
You’re performing a piece Megumi doesn’t quite know, and he thinks, is this her own rendition of a song?
His eyes become diverted towards you once again and he notices you’re moving beautifully to the sounds the flute produces, all while keeping your embouchure steady. Megumi notices no sign of fear or nervousness in you and feelings of envy arise in him. He wishes to be able to play with as much confidence as you do. He wishes he could create his own rendition of a song without having to conform to what his father tells him to perform. The soft sounds of the flute penetrate his ears, and he allows himself to close his eyes and emerge himself in the piece. He can feel his nerves lessen as he takes a deep breath, engraving the light and graceful sound into his memory. He likes the melody.
His thoughts are interrupted by the last note of the piece and he opens his eyes to see you bowing at the people in the crowd.
The crowd erupts into fits of clapping, the sound vividly echoing throughout the walls of the theatre. You wave your hands at them before bowing one last time, heels clacking against the wooden floor as you walk besides Megumi to go backstage, clutching your flute into your hands whispering a quick good luck.
Megumi’s not quite sure why your words seem to resonate with him more than the words of his own father. When the lights flicker off and on again, signaling his turn, Megumi walks onto the stage, bowing as he sits down on the chair. He rests the violin on his collarbone, supporting the instrument with his left hand and by his shoulder. He tilts his chin downwards to place it on top of the violin, relaxing his neck and making sure the length is comfortable. Megumi gulps, taking a deep breath before holding the bow.
The stage lights always seem to blind him, even after years of participating in competitions. The supporting background music starts to play and Megumi thinks about his father.
Do not mess up. It’ll be a shame if you embarrassed yourself in front of the judges.
He hates the pressure his father places on him, wishing his father allowed for him to choose an instrument of his choice. Megumi would prefer enhancing his piano skills, much to his father’s dismay and disapproval.
His thoughts then shift to your words.
Good luck.
And so he plays the piece his father chose for him: Mozart’s II. Adagio
When all the contestants are done performing and the judges release the results, you’re smiling cheerfully as you win first place for your rendition of End of The Day, a song from one of your favorite foreign artists from South Korea. The judges compliment your decision to cover a piece aside from the classical genre and the ability to execute it so well. Megumi comes in second, praised for his technique and facial expressions.
And while second place is a notable achievement, it is not satisfactory to him because he understands that creativity in a scene dominated by old pieces is highly valuable, an idea that his father seems to reject.
When everybody is sent to gather their belongings, Megumi searches the area for you, trying to spot your hair and distinct features in a crowded backstage. He spots you, placing your flute in its protective casing, sealing it beneath black leather. He’s practically running towards you, his raven hair and tie running side to side. He ignores the yells of his father before he kneels in front of you, placing his hands on his knees as he pants. You’re stunned by his appearance, looking up at him while tucking a piece of your hair behind his ear.
Megumi pants one last time before meeting your eyes with his own, blue eyes shining with determination. The glint in his eyes do not go unnoticed and your lips curve upward, awaiting what he has to say.
“I’ll surpass you one day!” He yells, pointing at you as he corrects his posture, standing up while looking down at you, knees crossed on the ground as you grab the handle of the black leather case, standing up to meet his eyes. You’re a bit taller than him, and the realization makes you giggle as Megumi’s cheeks begin to turn red out of embarrassment from noticing your eyes looking down on him.
“So the roles have been reversed,” Your lips form into a smirk as you move your hair to the side, wanting to assert your dominance over him.
In a field dominated by men, your brother and family always remind you that whenever possible, strive to be the bigger person. It’s exactly what you do in this moment.
Megumi purses his lips, hands rubbing behind his neck as he looks towards the side, wanting to conceal much of his flustered appearance as he could. You think the raven-haired boy whose hair sticks out in different directions looks absolutely adorable in a flustered state.
You want to tease him even more but your thoughts are interrupted by the familiar voice of your brother.
“Nanami!”
The blonde-haired man embraces you in a hug, ruffling his hands through your hair as he kisses your forehead. “I’m incredibly proud of you.” He states, flashing a smile at you as he looks at the blue-eyed male in front of him. He looks visibly stunned, Nanami notices.
If Megumi wasn’t filled with determination to speak to you, perhaps he would have fanboyed over the famed pianist. It’s one thing to see him from afar, but another thing up close, he thinks.
“Y/N, the chauffeur is waiting for us,” Nanami says, fixing his tie as he takes ahold of your case, turning around before walking to the exit. You nod quickly at his words before diverting your attention back to Megumi.
“Fushiguro, in 8 years I’ll be performing in Seoul as a performer for the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra,” You proudly state, face grinning in excitement as you think about what the future holds for you. The excitement of moving to another country to perform with a world-renowned orchestra fills you up with joy as the thought of continuing to do what you love is a pleasant one.
Megumi’s eyes widen at your statement, but he quickly thinks to himself that what you’re saying to him is absolutely possible. With your abilities and family prominence, it’s an actual possibility that you’ll achieve what you’ve sought to do.
“In 8 years, I hope to see you there beside me,” You end your sentence, holding out your hand towards him. His eyes look down at your gesture before meeting your eyes again and Megumi begins to smirk widely at your announcement. He takes your hand into his, giving it a firm shake as both of you nod at each other.
“I will! And I’ll become even more famous than you!” Megumi exclaims as your hand leaves his, heels clacking against the floor as you walk towards the exit. Once your hand reaches the door knob, you turn around, giving him one last look and smile as you wave at him.
Megumi smiles as the door shuts, his father walking up beside him as he grabs his hand to walk towards the exit, carrying his violin case in one hand.
He leaves the theatre with a smile on his face because he acknowledges it is not a goodbye.
It is simply a see you later.
Days and weeks pass by and Megumi keeps practicing.
Day and night, Megumi spends countless hours improving as much as he can. He seeks out other instructors beyond his father who help him with his creativity. He creates a few pieces of his own and uploads a multitude of them online. The melody of your rendered piece follows him throughout the day, and it becomes a daily habit for him to hum the tune.
While Megumi continues to strive for better, he searches your name online every once in a while to see how you’re doing. As expected, you’re taking up the offers and opportunities that come along your way. You’ve won first place in several international competitions and serve as a substitute for flutist members of the North American Philharmonic Orchestra. He hears about you attending the Juilliard school, one of the most prestigious and famed schools for music.
And even though it appears you’re receiving more opportunities than Megumi, he gets a few of his own. He’s accepted into the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, and he attends college in hopes of improving his skills even more. He wins an endless amount of violin competitions throughout the world, and performs with the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra. At the age of 20, Megumi feels almost satisfied.
Megumi’s manager informs him of a private audition the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra wants him to attend, and without hesitation, Megumi says yes.
As hoped, Megumi becomes a performer. He’s delighted in his achievement because he feels that he can finally compete with you on the same level. He’s informed of your status within the orchestra, and how they will be performing your famed piece at the Seoul Arts Center. When he practices with the other members, he never sees you.
He’s informed of your short absence that you’ve taken after Nanami gets into an accident.
And so the time passes, and the day comes where the orchestra will perform.
Megumi clutches his violin tightly as he sits in his chair, speaking Korean to the other performers as he awaits your arrival. While there are talks of you perhaps not coming at all, Megumi refuses to believe them. The time passes, and the curtains are 5 minutes away from opening when he hears the familiar sound of your heels hit the wooden ground.
He whips his head around, and his blue eyes meet yours. You’re clutching your flute tightly as you run towards him, embracing him in a hug as you’re laughing.
“You actually did it!” You yell as the sounds of laughter continue to escape your mouth. Megumi is quick to embrace you in his arms, and he lets out a laugh as the feeling of relief escapes him.
“Told you I would,” Megumi smirks, and you can’t help but continue to smile. You’re not quite sure why you feel like crying, and you can’t help the tears that come. Megumi takes notice and quickly dabs them away as you sniff and pull away from him.
“Our paths were destined to intertwine after all, weren’t they?” You say as Megumi nods, allowing himself to smile.
As you’re ushered away to your spot, the lights turn off and Megumi continues to smile.
Megumi takes a moment to appreciate everything that has happened. He’s grateful for his mother, his sister, and even his father for pushing him to pursue an instrument he grew to love. He thanks the instructors who have helped him in his journey, and he thanks you, for giving him the motivation to do everything he did.
The stage lights always seem to blind both of you, even after countless years of performing.
Both of you take your bow after the formal applause by the audience, smiling as both of you rise up in unison. Standing in front of the sheet music stand, your fingers pick up the cool nickel material, placing it by your lips. The coldness of the material makes the hair on the back on your neck raise up, reminding you of the familiar sense of conformity the instrument has given you throughout the years.
Pale fingers adjust his instrument to his comfort and tranquility spreads throughout both of you as the conductor dips his hands for the metre.
Your eyes divert to the raven-haired boy next to you, and blue eyes meet you as the music begins.
At the end of each day, both of you were meant to be each other’s life.