Chapter Text
Kang Pio was light hearted.
Life hadn't been the best for him most of the times, but nowadays he find joy in the little things he did in the slow mornings making himself a hot cup of coffee while tending and wathering the little garden in his house. The flowers and plants were some of the few he saved from his Grandfather's own garden after he passed away and nobody really took care of it for some time.
And in the weekends after having lunch with Jaein and - The girl had took over his mom agency and help Pio find locals where people were interest to have a random guy playing piano for them -, he makes his way to the little storage room with pianos where some kids and few elderly people are already waiting him for that day lessons. It was a random idea he had one day and went with it, putting the pianos in that room to use for good and giving people that wanted free lessons, even though he can't say himself was the best of the teacher but he tried his best.
So in many ways Kang Pio life was in a better moment but he felt empty nonetheless, fouding himself always turning around to look out for someone that wasn't there to share this little joys. Someone that wasn't there to play four hands with him or hear Pio playing it in recitals or solo concertos. Life was good but empty without Choi Jeongyo.
The other man had vanished after they played together one last time, without a trace but a letter spilling all his feelings to Pio and asking for him to keep up playing music, even without him. Pio's first reaction was to rush and look for him everywhere but just like years ago he was left with no clue of Jeongyo whereabouts.
So to say he was frantic when, after roughly tree years later, he receive a postcard after posting one video online playing a very specific composition was a right thing. Theres was no name or nothing indicating who sent it except for the message and he would recognize the letter everywhere after reading Choi Jeongyo's letters religiously every day and night before sleep. The postcard was actually a drawing of a church and not a real image, and there was a stamp there too, from Czech. And it was more than enough to ignite a spark inside Kang Pio to spend the next few days searching for every church online that remotely ressembled the one in the postcard.
And in less than 48 hours later he find himself in a plane to a country where he know nothing and no one, but his heart was there waiting for him. His heart was beating so fast he barely could control the random jitters hitting him every now and then. Pio had been looking for Jeongyo for 10 years after having him being take away from his life. Then when things started to look good after years of familiar trauma and grudges, Jeongyo vanish again.
But this time he would make sure in a way or another that Choi Jeongyo would not leave, not unless he took Kang Pio with him.
The church from the postcard is actually a very small chappell in a small city in the countryside, but still very well kept and very rich looking as expected from a religious plaxe from Europe. Pio can hear the muffled sound of a choir singing inside through the big and thick wooden doors. As he opens it, the sound get clearer and he sees about a dozen of small children singing and a lone tall figure guiding them. And as crazy as hopping in a plane without barely any plan or any luggage as he did, he would recognize that back everywhere. It's the same back that for months kept taking jabs and snarks remarks about his piano skills but also the back of the boy he once watched playing through a door in the schools small auditorium, fingers flying over the keys making godly sounds that he himself could never make. It was the back of the man that was in his dreams every now and then, turning back and patting the space next to him in the bench, inviting him to play four hands.
So when the kids, that keep stealing glances at Pio walking down the hall, ignoring whatever the man was speaking in the local language making him turn around it is no surprise to him that Choi Jeongyo is looking at him and at the same time he feels the air fly out his lungs.
When Kang Pio thinks of Choi Jeongyo the first thing he remembers It's the tiny mole under his eyes that were always shining with boyish youth and mouth always smilling whenever talking to Pio. Then eyes so dark and icy and mouth always in a firm line that barely gave Pio the time to open and reproduce words. But still all the versions are the same Choi Jeongyo that Kang Pio cannot escape in dreams or in daily daydreaming whether playing the piano or going with his mundane life.
The man looks stunned surprised for a second, like he didn't expect Pio to show up like this (Pio know he sent that postcard with stamps on purspose), but soon he opens a smile, the light from the church's windows making the image in front of Pio making it even more holy that would be in other ocassion, to be around Jeongyo was a almight blessing even outside the holy ground.
Pio whole body is taken by a profound wave of many emotions at once, but mainly the ache of being apart so long and the happines to find him once again, that he smiles for a second or two just standing there and before he brains catches with his body he sees himself running the last few steps and hugs Choi Jeongyo for the first time in thirteen years. He hears the man letting out a huff once their bodies colide but not even a second after he feels hands circling around his waits and back caging in a tight embrace.
He doesn't remember how long they stayed like this, but he remembers the smell of Jeongyo's hair and body wash, the way he felt so warm and strong and safe. But then he hears a older man starting to talk to Jeongyo in a language he can't understang and suddenly he open his eyes and is faced with the children, one that haven't left already after finishing the practice, looking at them with eyes full of questioning and somehow he feels a little embarrased and let go of the embrace, but one of his hand grabs Jeongyo by his sleeve in a way to make sure he would not run away again.
Jeongyo looks at him and smiles while talking to the man, Pio doesn't understand what they say but understand that he is presenting Pio to the man as he hears him talking his name and feels his heart skip a beat at the sound.
"Hello" Pio bows his head a little as he greets in english, "Sorry for interruping".
The man gives a warm smile as he shakes Pio's hands, the one that's not gripping Jeongyo's arms.
"Don't worry about it, my dear. They were about to finish today's lesson", he turns his head to Jeongyo a little. "Besides, any friend from Jeongyo is more than welcome here. Not that one ever came here"
From his side vision Pio can see Jeongyo get a little fidget, the way he used to whenever Pio complimented or talked nice to him when youngers, and if his eyes not lying to him a little blush down to his neck.
The old priest then rushes both men to a little room, clealy meant for visitors with two sofas on oposite sides and with a low table in the middle. He brings water and some plates with food and tells to Pio to feel comfortable as he leaves both alone.
The silence around them is a little awkward but the familiar feeling still lingers under it, somewhere there and everytime they all alone they still are just Kang Pio and Choi Jeongyo: two boys that played piano together backstage during a competition and found the way to one another as teenagers and found a safe haven around each other and the training rooms of the school, playing together being shoulder to shoulder or in front of each other.
Jeongyo moves the plates around and Pio can't help but observe his right hand and thinking about how the doctor said that he risked losing it totally for a injection that could make him play four hands with Pio one more time, to make Pio feel better and let go of the guilty that was eating him alive every day.
Without any explanation or thinking straight Pios reaches out and grabs Jeongyo's hands on his, almost making him drop one plate to the ground.
"Yah, Kang Pio!", Jeongyo exclaims surprised
"How's your hand nowadays?" Pio ask, his own hands massaging the man's hand and tracing some of the veins on it, holding it like it was the most fragile thing the world could ever dropped at him
"What do you mean? I said it I was treating it right?" Jeongyo answers but don't really look at Pio
"You don't need to lie anymore, Choi Jeongyo."
"What do you mean?"
"I played at the hospital. I met your former doctor and he asked about you, you know. He told me about the injection."