"Ehe, come on slowpoke! We're gonna be late for rehearsal if you don't hurry up! This is an important day!"

I giggle as I watch Venti hurriedly pulls Xiao's arm towards the band room for their last rehearsal. They have an afterschool concert in a couple of hours and it's a really important date for Xiao.

Ever since Venti found out that Xiao could play the flute, he forced him to join the band and he has an upcoming solo for his performance. This is his first time performing in front of others. Well, besides me, I've watched him play countless times at his house.

Xiao ignores Venti and when our eyes meet he walks over to me and smiles softly.

"Hey, uhm, I was gonna drink this for lunch but I shouldn't drink this before practice...do you uhm, want it?"

I smile at him and grab the drink from his hand, "Yeah, thanks. I'll drink it during class. So, what's the deal with the guitar?"

"Oh this is just for Xinyan, she asked me to hold on to it so it wouldn't get damaged while her family was over."

I giggle and place the drink in my bookbag, "Sounds like her family, they're a rowdy bunch."

"Yeah, but I was wondering if you would practice with me after school. The concert isn't until 6 pm...I just want to make sure I do this right."

I pat his back and sigh, "You know I haven't played in...forever."

"But- I know you can do it! I've seen you do it before. You have this amazing ability to really feel the music and you're able to do it so flawlessly...but I won't force you to do it."

I giggle and give him a quick hug, "I'm just pulling your leg, I'll be around by 4 pm, see you then Xiao~"

He lets out a breath of relief and I walk away to the other side of campus, hurrying to my next class before I'm late.

A couple of hours later I open the door to Xiao's house with the key he gave me and find him staring down his music. He stands up awkwardly and blushes lightly when he sees me.

I look at him in awe and he starts walking over to me, "What's wrong?" He frowns.

"Your-your hair-!"

"Is it embarrassing? Maybe I should just keep it down..." He starts to undo the ponytail but I grab his wrist.

"No way! You should keep it, it suits you." I smile at him and we both blush. He looks down at my hand around his wrist and I let go embarrassed, "Sorry-! I hope I didn't hurt you."

He laughs lightly and smiles, "No, though I would prefer if we both held hands, not just you holding mine." I laugh and playfully punch his shoulder.

"Seriously, you look amazing. But we should really get going now if we want to practice." I sit down beside him and grab another sheet of music from his music folder. "Here, you play your part and I'll play the oboe part. Sound good?"

He nods and we start practicing for hours and hours and before we know it, it's time to go.

A couple of hours later we're standing behind the curtain before the performance when I see him tense up. I watch him for a few minutes before pulling him to a secluded hallway.

"You can do this. I know you can. You're a great player and everyone knows it but you. These people on stage with you, they're all your friends! Don't be so nervous, just- think of how we ran it when it's only me and you at home. Think about how the music made you feel at that moment. Think about how much the music made you feel. Hey, look at me."

He suddenly gazes into my eyes with a concerned look and I grab both of his hands in mine, "Trust me. I believe in you. Feel the emotion in the music. I know you can do it."

His face of concern slowly relaxes and I feel him ease up. He thanks me and starts walking away before quickly turning around and giving me a gentle hug. He softly looks into my eyes and places a light kiss on my lips before walking back on stage.

With that, I find my seat and wait for his performance to start.

"What did you think about during your performance, it was beautiful."

"You."