During the trip to campus, an M University professor contacted Declan and asked about Nicholas Larson's development.
"Mr. Black, have you told Nicholas Larson?"
"I've been trying to summon him since the beginning of the semester, but that kid had a tight schedule."
"His last test score dropped, and his guitar recital the previous week was not that good. We have to move him immediately before the winter program starts."
"I understand. I will try to talk to him again."
Declan stored his phone in his pocket, gazing out at the road while the driver drove his car.
Early in the semester, he wanted to meet with Nicholas Larson to find out if it was the boy who had saved him eight years ago. But the boy always found reasons not to come, and in between, the piano professor contacted him.
The professor had heard the recording with Nicholas playing the Liebestraum song and was excited to have Nick in his class. Besides, Declan got the news that Nick's guitar class progress was not very good, making him and the piano professor convinced themselves to transfer Nick to piano class.
The child was more talented and charismatic when playing the piano than playing the guitar. Nicholas Larson was born as a pianist, and all professors could see this. But why did that kid choose guitar class as his domain major? Well, it was not his business.
Declan closed his eyes as he recalled the memories eight years ago. At that time, he tried to commit suicide and drove his car into the opposite road truck.
He was severely injured and was in a coma for several weeks. Declan did not want to wake up and allow himself to get weaker before he finally dies.
Declan knew that he was the only child of both his parents. He knew that his parents would be mourning over him, but…
He couldn't live anymore. He didn't want to live anymore and had no desire to fight for life.
However… the sound of playing the piano moved him and slowly healed the wounds of his soul.
Declan was eager to see who was playing and wanted to talk to that person. But he was in a coma, and no matter how hard he tried to move his body, he couldn't open his eyelids.
Sometimes… he could feel someone holding his hand and encouraging him to get up.
"When are you going to wake up? Your parents must be waiting for you to come home."
The voice was like beautiful music in his ears, and that person's gentle grip touched his dying soul.
"Today I am very sad because my uncle didn't let me play with new friends. Sometimes I feel like my family is too restricting me."
Like a good listener, Declan listened to all the complaints of the person.
"Very weird. I can never express my heart to other people, but I can speak freely to you. I hope you don't mind."
Declan didn't mind at all. Instead, he wished that person would always accompany him so he could open his eyes. He longed to see the face of the person who had given him the spirit to live again. He wanted to thank that person and wanted to hear her piano playing every day.
A warm little hand while holding his and a soft sweet voice… Declan felt himself finding purpose in life again.
Alas, when he woke up from his long coma, the girl has already gone back to her home country.
He remembered that the person's hand was not smooth like a normal girl but was covered with calluses from the fingers to her palms as if the girl was often doing hard work. Is this girl poor and must clean the house and clothes to get a penny?
Declan was very sure that the person was a teenage girl, plus the piano playing was always soft as if a woman was playing it.
But… when he heard Nicholas playing the piano on the day of the entrance examination, Declan thought it could be that the person who met him and accompanied him playing the piano was a little boy.
A boy's voice does sound like a girl's voice, and the way boys play could also sound feminine like a girl. The small hand that grasped his hand also could be a boy's hand.
Because of this, Declan thought the person who saved him eight years ago was a ten-year-old boy.
Declan was quite stressed at the thought. All this time, he thought that the person who brought him out of his dark world was a girl. He even fell in love with her. But it turned out… his first love was Nicholas?
What's more, their age gap was fifteen years!
Declan wanted to confirm this and tried to meet the boy, but at the same time, he was also afraid to hear the answer. What if it turned out that Nicholas was his first love?
Hence, he did not try to meet the child and let the boy discard each of his summonses.
Declan remembered meeting Nicholas officially when he helped carry a cardboard box filled with a souvenir cup and mug. He heard the child's voice and tried to compare it with the voice he remembered.
His heart said it was the same voice, but his brain was rejecting it altogether. There was no way a boy's voice could stay the same when he has gone through puberty.
The boy's voice would inevitably become louder and less feminine when he hit maturity.
Thus, Declan decided to forget his first love for a while and didn't call Nick anymore since then.
Besides, it's time for him to move on from the past. At that time, his accident happened in Barcelona, and he doubted whether his savior still remembered him.
He only knew, his savior had a dream to become a pianist and aspired to study at M University. Therefore, Declan immediately looked for a way to become a permanent instructor at M University just because he hoped he would meet that person one day.
Although it took him a long time because he also had to take care of the family business, finally, Declan became a lecturer at this campus and had been teaching for four years.
But… until now, he still hasn't found his savior even though he has searched and heard of every pianist's playing on this campus. None of them were soul players like that kid. And the only one who was a soul player is Nicholas Larson.
Declan opened his eyes when the driver informed him that they arrived in front of the campus lobby.
It is time for him to end his first love. Before that, he had to go to Nicholas and make sure that the boy was his savior. If it is true, he would thank the boy and help him to graduate from this campus as best as he could.