Olivia ran alone on the school playground for a long time after class before stopping. The physical exhaustion helped her forget her troubles, though her mind was unusually clear at that moment. Since Olivia had run away from her mother’s house last time, her mother hadn’t come to look for her again. Both Olivia and her mother knew that the rift between them was now difficult to bridge.
Olivia had temporarily withdrawn from all sports competitions. She no longer craved the glory of the field like she used to, but that didn’t mean she was giving up on sports. Now, she just wanted to follow her heart and treat sports as a way of life, an active attitude toward living. She didn’t feel the need to beat anyone or win any awards. As long as she was doing her best, that was enough. With this thought, she felt less confused. What remained was solving problems and moving forward bravely.
Recently, Olivia had been accompanying Donna to the school's music club. Donna was excellent at playing the guitar and was the club's undisputed star. Olivia, on the other hand, was in a less favorable situation. She knew almost nothing about music, and the reason she joined the club was to learn the piano.
The club's leader had everyone form small groups, with each group performing a piece in front of an audience. Donna turned down requests from a few boys to play with her and looked over at Olivia, who seemed extremely nervous. Donna held Olivia’s hand tightly, helping her to calm down.
After a few groups had performed, it was finally Donna and Olivia’s turn. Donna sat confidently on a stool at the center of the small stage, her guitar in hand, looking relaxed and self-assured. Olivia, however, sat behind the piano in the corner of the stage, her legs shaking so badly that, thankfully, the door beside her hid the tremors from the audience.
Donna's fingers strummed the guitar, and the song “Diva” began. Hearing the guitar, Olivia hurriedly pressed the piano keys. But she hit the first note wrong, and there was a slight stir in the audience. Growing even more nervous, Olivia played the entire phrase off-key, and the audience erupted into laughter. Olivia’s mind went completely blank, filled only with the sound of roaring laughter.
Suddenly, someone from the audience shouted, “Isn’t that Olivia, the athlete? Can’t run anymore, so now she’s here to make a fool of herself with music?”
Donna’s right hand stopped instantly, and she stood up from her stool, glaring fiercely at the person who had spoken. After a while, when the noise from the audience died down, she sat back down and began playing again. Olivia, utterly confused, watched everything unfold in front of her.
At that moment, a pair of hands reached out to the piano keys in front of Olivia. Startled, she saw someone crouching beside her, fingers dancing swiftly across the keys. These hands were not particularly long but were agile and strong. When Olivia looked up at the face, she was even more surprised—it was Jackson, whom she had met at Donna’s birthday party. Jackson hadn’t left much of an impression on her before, but this moment would undoubtedly be unforgettable for Olivia.
Even though Jackson was crouching, it didn’t affect his playing at all. His piano harmonized perfectly with Donna’s guitar, as if the two were being played by one person. The melody and rhythm were seamlessly intertwined, and it felt like the performers were completely in sync, sharing an unspoken understanding.
The audience fell into complete silence, many of them stunned, mouths agape as they watched the stage. Olivia was equally shocked but didn’t dare open her mouth, trying her best to appear focused. Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead. Fortunately, the piece ended, and after a brief silence, the audience erupted into thunderous applause and cheers...