His Obsession Began After Losing Her-Chapter 32: Thirteen Years Ago: Shuri’s POV (4)

A/N: The following is written in Shuri's POV – I think it's only fair to hear from her too.

Lately, Karlene seemed pretty frustrated.

Whenever I asked her why she was upset, she would give me an exasperated look.

She would open her mouth like she wanted to tell me something but stayed silent.

It seemed she wasn't ready to tell me her problem, something she rarely did.

Figuring she'd probably talk about what was bothering her later, I decided not to pry further.

However, I guessed it had to do with Roy not visiting the café for a week.

And it wasn't just Roy; I hadn't seen Noran either.

I looked at the front door again, anticipating his arrival.

Didn't Noran say he would be back to get what he had left behind?

Then I felt my face burning when I recalled the scene from last week:

"I left something behind when I rushed off yesterday," he smiled gently, his eyes focused on mine.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your break, but I realize that what I left behind is really important to me, so I'm eager to get it back."

He didn't appear to be lying, so I decided to use my ability for a bit, thinking it might help me understand what he was looking for.

As I was ready to look into him with my ability, I asked anxiously, "Let me help you look for it. What did you leave behind?"

My heart almost jumped out when I saw an image of me suddenly appearing within him.

Me?

Why were there so many images of myself reflected within him?

My jaw dropped and I froze on the spot, feeling my cheeks burn.

I told myself it wasn't possible that the great Noran Kingston, whom many girls, including me, worshiped and admired, would have feelings for me.

I could only come up with one conclusion—there must be a problem with my ability!

However, Noran began to act strangely, exhibiting signs of jealousy and making me call him "Ran."

I couldn't help but wonder, "What the hell is happening?!"

He was like a blank piece of paper when I first saw him.

How could someone so emotionless suddenly become so assertive and passionate?

What's more unbelievable was that his target of interest was me.

I didn't understand his actions, but I decided not to delve deeper into him for clarity.

I usually avoid using my ability out of respect for others' privacy and to avoid being intrusive.

I only use it when it could help me assist someone in need or when dealing with malicious individuals.

I sighed quietly, deciding not to dwell on it, and proceeded to tidy the café.

Since our supplies were running low and Karlene was out restocking, I decided to close the shop early.

After changing the sign on the front door to "Closed," I continued to clean up the café, my attention eventually landing on the old acoustic piano that the previous owner had left behind.

After Noran visited our café, I had the piano tuned, daydreaming of the day he would play a piece for us here.

It was just a silly wish; I knew it was impossible for a talented, renowned pianist like him to be playing the piano in our café.

As I finished cleaning, I felt an inexplicable urge to play.

I sat down at the piano and hesitated for a moment before placing my fingers on the keys.

I started to play a simple piece my mother had taught me when I was young.

My fingers moved clumsily over the keys, hitting several wrong notes.

It was clear I had no talent and hadn't practiced in a very long time, but despite my awkwardness, a sense of nostalgia washed over me.

My mother, Hana Ohara, was a piano teacher raised in a small town overseas called Midori Town.

She was a wonderful mother, always patient and encouraging, even when I struggled to play the simplest pieces.

Because of her, I developed an interest in classical music from a young age.

She would often play beautiful compositions, and I loved listening to her play, even though I wasn't very good at it myself.

Then, after her death, I felt lost, especially when I was used to a house filled with her playing melodies.

As I searched online to fill the void, I stumbled upon one of Noran's performances and instantly felt connected to him.

Despite the emptiness within him, he managed to create such beautiful music.

It struck me then that his ability to produce such moving compositions came from his pure soul.

It didn't take me long to become his fan.

I never thought the day would come when my idol would step into my café.

It felt like a dream back then.

However, Noran was the only person I knew who gave off a white aura.

That's why I could instantly recognize him despite him wearing a mask on his first visit.

Despite my calm demeanor, I was actually screaming inside like a fangirl.

"Let's not think about him," I murmured to myself and continued playing the piano.

I was so engrossed in trying to get the keys right that I didn't hear someone come in.

The sound of the piano was loud, blocking out any other noises.

Suddenly, I felt a pair of hands gently place themselves over mine, guiding me on the keys.

Startled, I turned and was surprised to see Noran standing beside me.

"Should I teach you how to play?"

He smiled warmly at me, appearing so dazzlingly handsome that it looked like he was shining.

"Kyaa~! So bright!" I screamed internally and backed away, feeling overwhelmed by his dazzling presence.

"Mr... Mr. Kingston, why are you here?" I couldn't help asking in surprise.

He held onto my hand gently, preventing me from moving further away from him.

Then he said with a smile, "It's Ran."

His charming smile didn't help calm my racing heart.

In fact, it seemed to hypnotize me into sitting down on the piano bench with him.

Before I knew it, he was guiding me to play a piece on the piano.

"How the hell did it become like this?" I quietly asked myself as my body stiffened because he was seated so close to me.

"You have to relax, Rin," he whispered to me, his hands still lightly resting on mine.

"How can I relax when you're so close to me? It's already a miracle that I'm still breathing!" I wanted to scream out my thoughts to him, but my mouth wouldn't move.

"Just follow my lead," he said softly, his voice soothing and patient.

Then, he began to teach me a short melody from a piece I hadn't heard before.

His fingers danced over the keys with such grace, and I found myself mimicking his movements.

As we played together, something shifted inside me.

The tension started to melt away, replaced by a warm sense of ease.

His presence, once overwhelming, now felt comforting.

The music we created together was beautiful, a harmonious blend of notes that filled the room with a sweet, romantic melody.

"What's the title of this piece? It's so lovely!" I asked enthusiastically, forgetting about my anxiety after listening to such wonderful music.

Noran smiled warmly. "I'm glad you like it. It's an original that I've recently composed."

"A newly composed piece?" I exclaimed in surprise.

Did I just hit the jackpot?

He actually showed and taught me a piece he had never performed in public before.

"What I just taught you is just a small part of the melody. I intend to play the full piece at the Global Orchestra Concert next week. I hope you'll be there to hear it," he said, presenting me with a ticket to the Global Orchestra Concert.

I looked down at the ticket in his hand, realizing it was a gold pass only given to VIPs with my name imprinted on it.

My heart raced again, this time from the weight of the gesture.

"I... I can't accept this," I stammered, trying to refuse him.

"It's too much. I'm just an ordinary person. I don't belong at such an event."

He looked at me with earnest eyes, his expression soft but firm. "Rin, please don't refuse me. Without you there, my performance would become meaningless."

How could his performance ever be meaningless?

Even without me, there were plenty of people who would pay to hear him play.

But he sounded as if he only wanted to play it for me, and I began to wonder if he would skip the grand event if I turned him down.

"Rin, please come and hear me play, okay?" he pleaded softly, moving his face closer to mine and once again overwhelming me with his irresistible charm.

"Kya~! Stop attacking me with your face! I admit defeat!" I screamed internally as I quickly took the ticket from him and turned away. ƒгeewebnovёl.com

As I caught a glimpse of his face lighting up with a bright smile, I blushed and stood up awkwardly, trying to look as calm as I could.

"Th-Thank you. I'll go to cheer you on."

"I promise I won't disappoint you, Rin," he replied with a warm smile.

Not daring to look at him any longer, I glanced down at the golden ticket in my hand, eagerly anticipating what would happen at the Global Orchestra Concert.