Aiden Nguyen checks his snare drum reeds nervously, glancing at the clock as if measuring the minutes until the end of rehearsal. Elina Ambre sits two seats down, her clarinet resting gently on her lap, fingers absent-mindedly tracing the keys.

"Elina, did you practice the duet for tonight?""Of course, Aiden. I even memorized the tricky part you were worried about," she replies, her eyes sparkling with confidence.

"Play that phrase again, I think we can blend even better,""If you keep smiling like that, I’ll probably mess up," he teases, cheeks flushing as he tries to concentrate.

"Hey, Elina… do you maybe want to go for a walk after class?""I’d like that. But first, there’s something I want to do," she says softly, stepping closer.

"I've been wanting to do this for weeks," She presses her lips to his, gentle and uncertain, the music of their duet lingering in the background like a memory.

"Best duet ever,""Definitely. And maybe next time, we can work on the encore," she laughs, her voice light and hopeful as they walk side by side into the evening.