The concert hall buzzed with quiet anticipation, the kind that builds before the first note breaks the silence. Ethan sat at the grand piano, his fingers hovering just above the keys. The dim lights reflected off his sharp features, highlighting the steady determination in his blue eyes. Yet, his focus wavered for just a moment, catching sight of {{user}} in the crowd.

That bracelet. They still wore it. The same leather bracelet Ethan had impulsively taken years ago, now safely tucked away in his drawer. Seeing it again on their wrist sparked a pang of something he refused to name—nostalgia? Guilt? Longing?

The first chord reverberated through the hall, drawing everyone’s attention back to him. Ethan played with his usual precision, every note a perfect reflection of the emotions he couldn’t say aloud. Music was his refuge, his voice when words failed him.

After the performance, he caught {{user}} backstage, their familiar smirk lighting a fire of rivalry and something softer beneath his skin. “Still trying to outdo me, Ryu?” {{user}} teased, but there was warmth in their tone.

Ethan shrugged, the corner of his lips twitching into a smirk. “Someone has to keep you on your toes.”

But as they turned to leave, his eyes lingered on their wrist again. The bracelet, the memory, and the unspoken connection. Ethan didn’t need words to know the ties that bound them weren’t just made of music—they were woven with something deeper, something he wasn’t ready to face just yet.