Chapter 65 — The Piano That Wasn't in the Schedule
The dorm living room was now warm with golden lamplight, a contrast to the soft gray outside. Cameras hovered in their usual spots, capturing each mundane moment of the boys' morning—breakfast chatter, outfit changes, lazy stretching, sleepy glares exchanged over mugs of tea and coffee.
But even in that cozy chaos, there was an invisible pull—something quiet, off-beat.
Something that led to the music room.
It Wasn't on the Plan
"Wait, is someone… playing?" Sungchan asked mid-chew, his head tilting toward the hallway.
Rin glanced up from his phone. "I thought the live schedule said no piano session today."
"Yeah, Manager-nim said we're focusing on chill vibes today, not performance content."
But the melody flowing from the far end of the dorm was anything but chill.
It was haunting. Not sad, not hopeful. Just… aching.
Beautiful, yes. But so intimate it felt wrong to listen.
The Camera Follows
Fans watching live noticed it first. The piano wasn't coming from the common room. It wasn't part of the planned shoot. A secondary camera switched angles just in time to catch a glimpse of Jaeheon stepping into the music room and closing the door behind him.
A staff member mouthed to the director, "Should we cut it?"
The director hesitated. "…No. Keep it. But don't zoom in."
Inside the Room
Jaeheon's hands hovered above the keys. He hadn't planned to play. He didn't even know why he was sitting there. Maybe it was the silence of the last six months. Maybe it was the morning light that reminded him of a garden that lived only in his memory now.
But something had shifted.
And his fingers moved on their own.
It Wasn't a Song They Knew
The melody rose, unfamiliar. Not one of AUREUS's tracks. Not any of his previously released solo works either.
And not one of the 137 unreleased tracks logged in the vault that the agency still hadn't touched.
This was new.
But to him—it wasn't.
He'd written it weeks ago. Titleless. Unnamed. Written without thinking.
It was her, in music.
The Members Pause
Hyunjae sat on the floor of the kitchen, cereal bowl in his hands, completely still. Sungchan didn't even blink. Minjae, halfway through pouring himself coffee, slowly lowered the kettle without looking away from the hallway.
No one spoke.
Because they all knew—this wasn't just music.
This was one of those songs.
One of the ones they'd heard rumors about. Songs that lived in Jaeheon's folder, never touched, never spoken of.
But even they had never heard this one.
Manager Lee's Thoughts
From the hallway, Manager Lee exhaled.
So this is how the viewers will find out.
Not in words. Not in interviews.
But in a song with no name.
A song the world wasn't meant to hear.
He pulled out his phone, typed something into the group chat, and hit send.
"Let him play."
Fan Reactions — #JaeheonLive
🕊️ @silverlinedshadows
I can't breathe. What is this piece?? This isn't released. This isn't even meant for us.
🌙 @gildedfangirlz
Tell me I'm not the only one crying. This feels like someone remembering something they'll never get back.
🔥 @aureuscorefan97
This sounds like it's for someone. Like he wrote it for one person. I'm losing my mind.
🗝️ @undertherose_jh
He never talks. He never says anything. But when he plays like that, you know. You just know.
The Song Ends
And when it does, there's no applause.
No words.
Just Jaeheon sitting there, eyes closed, as if the sound still lingered in the air around him.
Then, quietly, he stood, exited the room, and walked back into the kitchen like nothing had happened.
"Did I miss breakfast?"
Hyunjae blinked. "…You—"
"No cameras in the music room, right?" Jaeheon asked, grabbing a piece of toast.
Rin stared. "You… sure about that?"
He didn't answer.
He just took a bite and smiled slightly, eyes drifting to the clock.
It was 6:42 AM.
Exactly six hours until something would shift in the quiet again.