Sound of Your Heart

06: ALL IT TAKES IS A SINGLE SPECIAL SOMEONE FOR MIRACLE TO BE BORN

"This..."

Pant.

"Is..."

Pant.

Pant.

"A scam!"

Pant!

If you had to ask Violet what was the hardest time of her life, she'll probably refer to that one time when she had to lead her guild to win a guild war with extremely high FPS, during which her spells acted three seconds after casting and she moved with a two second delay. Quite a miraculous feat that she wasn't disconnected at that time, but she somehow managed to win it, and it was perhaps her proudest accomplishment ever.

No matter what troubles came after that, such as trying to sleep through a hurricane (she's exaggerating), or running to another city to get her violin repaired (she used the bus, though), or having her leg broken for two months and practicing violin in that state for hours seemed way too simple to even be called hardships.

She never thought that she'll experience a pain similar to her worst nightmare, but now...

"I've been tricked!"

Now that she made some pirouettes that are simply not meant for human body to create, she was forced to question her sufferings all over.

"Horrible! Absolutely disgraceful! Are you perhaps a monkey!?" A voice of her torturer echoed through the spacious room, accompanied by the sound of someone slurping on tea.

Fudge! Fudge! Fudge!

"Scam!" She gritted her teeth as she straightened her spine, "This is a complete scam!"

What the hell does ballet have to do with playing a violin anyway?

She might've long given up had it not been for the devil drinking tea on a comfy sofa that held her phone captive!

How did this all happen, you wonder? It all began an hour ago when she followed Daniel to the place that was "absolutely necessary for her to stop by if she wanted to succeed in music industry". Listening to his words and praises, Violet honestly believed that he'll bring her to some famous place for raising geniuses (too many books can corrupt you), and had high expectations of it, but what waited for her...

What waited for her was a little grandpa that seemed like one of those dwarves from Snow-white with questionable fashion sense (again, she was exaggerating).

The grandpa in front of her was few inches shorter than her and looked like a hermit with his back hunched, his beard unkempt and messy hair — he resembled the kind of man that would stab you on a street before robbing you. His eyes were a kind of mixture between grey and blue, but there was hidden sharpness in them that simply made you run away from him - yes, this man was the most suspicious person Violet has seen in her entire life.

She almost doubted that he was the kind of monster her grandma and others warned her about.

"Daniel, my boy, why didn't you come to see me earlier?" The first words that left his lips were those.

"Grandpa, I was here yesterday morning," Daniel's eyebrow twitched, he would never get used to this. Since he was little, he lived in Russia and rarely came back to America to visit his grandparents. Due to that, they seemed to have developed some kind of unconditional love for him and would go into crisis after not seeing him for at least a day or two. They'd most likely get a heart attack if he didn't visit once a week.

His grandma was better, she wasn't that desperate, but this grandfather of his...

"Who's this? Don't tell me a woman already decided to steal you from me?" He pushed Violet away before hugging Daniel closely.

"You wench, leave my golden grandson alone! He's too young to marry!"

Black lines crossed her face and she clenched the violin in her arms. Daniel, who was once victim of her weapon realized that she was about to knock his grandfather unconscious, so as much as he loved to see this situation continue, he had no choice but to clear this misunderstanding. Despite his shabby looks, this man — Sebastian Hughes, was one of the most important reasons why Daniel managed to get back on his feet.

"Don't worry grandpa, I'm too young to condemn myself to eternal hell, this is just a friend," he explained as Violet clutched the violin case even harder before switching her glare at him.

What was that?

Did he just indirectly laugh at her? What was that "Hell" there for?

"Really?" He frowned, "What kind of a blind girl you are, can't you see how perfect my grandson is? How can you resist falling..."

One second. One second was all it took before she finally snapped. Just as she was about to send the older one flying, Daniel intervened once again.

"Let's get inside, I missed you and babushka so much," he ushered Violet inside who looked like she's about to pounce on his grandfather like a mad dog and wondered how it's even possible for two people to be this hostile to each other. His grandfather, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow suspiciously before following behind and locking the doors.

No matter how you look at it, if you bring a girl to meet your parents, you're obviously dating, and if you brink her to meet your grandparents, it's already something serious.

Can't do!

He needs to stop this!

"Daniel, my dear grandson, you finally came... Without saying anything about our guest, you really are from this family. So, did you get married too?"

When Violet turned to see the owner of that voice, she was immediately stunned.

The woman in front of her seemed to be in her thirties or forties, natural blonde hair tied into a bun and elegant summer dress that made her fit figure stand out even more. With each step she made filed with confidence and grace a true lady should have, she was a walking definition of royalty and nobles. Who is this? Daniel's mother? Sister?

"No, grandma, I did not,"

Violet: "..."

How?

How is this possible? In which AU could those two be a married couple? Surely she isn't his grandmother from another parent or sister to his deceased grandmother or something? And how come she looks so you?

Her eyes went between the two again and again, but she simply couldn't understand how! Since she already saw the suspicious old man, she expected that Daniel had an equally strict or crazy and old grandmother, but the woman that appeared in front of them was too stunning that she was at loss of words.

If she didn't know that she lived in this house with that nasty grandpa, Violet would've never associated the two together.

"Hun, I don't think you're far from that. This old woman already accepted when your mother brought a man one day and said that she's married, so there's no need to feel shy nor worry now. I've been steeling my heart for the past two decades, so you don't have to hide anything," she spoke and Violet had an urge to escape this place.

"Weddings are bothersome and I'd have to get my personal documents first to do so and I'm keeping them all at your place. Even if I wanted to marry, I couldn't do it, babushka," he smiled and Violet shivered. By now, she could guess that babushka meant grandma. But these people talked about marriage so casually that she really couldn't help but fear them.

He can't have tricked her into coming here in order to force her to marry?

"That shouldn't be a problem. You have your ID with you, with some money, you can easily get new papers and get it done." Why did Violet feel like she was actually telling him how to get it done instead of simply proving her point?

Wait, Violet also had her ID with her. She must somehow became aware of her situation and was saying this exclusively for her to hear.

"Hm, true, but I really don't want to waste my money on something I already have," he spoke and then turned to Violet, "On that note, I honestly need your help, babushka. It's matter of life and death."

"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow. She knew her grandson well. Seeing him fall from the top and become someone unable to move forward, how could she possibly miss that passionate gleam in his eyes as he asked for her help. She naturally knew that he could never again skate the way he did in the past, but that look said that he had reclaimed his hope.

"Very well," she wasn't sure if those words were her acknowledgement of his determination or agreement to his request, "What do you need me to do?"

She was also an artist, how could she possibly put her grandson down when he followed his dreams? She wasn't realistic person that will tell him to give up on this madness, for she was a pious believer in miracles the art could create.

"In that case," he pulled Violet in front of him, "Please shape this creature into a decent human being!"

"Huh?"

"Huh?"

"Huh?"

That is how Violet came to meet Daniel's grandparents without even finding out their names.

"Say what?" Sebastian was first to ask.

"May I inquire to hear more about this? What do you say about a cup of tea?" Irene spoke at that moment, keeping her gentle smile all the time, completely unperturbed about his words.

"Dear, you take care of the girl as I speak with Daniel," and with that she took his hand before dragging him to the kitchen with her and leaving very confused Violet with a frowning Sebastian.

"Shape you into a human?" His frown didn't seem like fading any time soon. The way she stood with legs parted, a little bit hunched back, the wild red hair, the dumbfounded expression on her face even the way she held her violin like she was a street thug with baseball bat... He didn't know where to even begin with.

But even so...

"Kukuku," he laughed with an ugly grin on his face making Violet shiver and hug herself. This is definitely ultra hidden wild last boss that was impossible to defeat, "this old hasn't felt a challenge ever since I had to transform that crazy gangster into a loving fairy. Bring it on!"

It would be some time Violet found out that the crazy gangster he talked about was the elegant wife of his she admired.

"What is this all about, Daniel?" Left alone in the kitchen with his grandmother, Daniel expected that she'll ask for some answers.

"Can't I be a nice person trying to help someone out?" He defended himself.

The feeling he had was merely a hunch and idea was close to being insane. Who would even believe that he could get better so soon or that listening to the music of a certain person could make him capable of skating again?

"Bringing a girl to the world's famous pianist and ballet coach that won't accept disciples no matter how much he's paid can be considered a good deed, I guess?" She raised her eyebrow before putting the water into a teapot.

"Earl Grey will do? I've gotten the entire box yesterday, so I was just thinking of making some for breakfast today. You'll be staying over?" His eyebrow twitched. Old people are scary indeed.

"If you won't mind us," he decided to tell the truth, "What if I tell you that the girl might be the only way for me to reclaim my dream, what would you say about it?"

She smiled at his words and nodded before taking the tea.

"How about I tell you a story?"

"Please do, Babushka."

"I might've failed to be part of your childhood, so I'm not that capable of understanding your personality — but I am old enough to see the burdens of your heart, my grandson. Despite Seb's crazy antics, he is quite considerate of your pain too, which is why he doesn't want to remind you of your past while you spend time with us, and instead acts like a madman."

"..." Mixing the tea with hot water, she added a spoonful of sugar.

"Does she also drink sweet tea?" She asked and he nodded. He actually had no idea, but he could guess according to her nature.

"Back in his younger days, he was someone who rarely showed expression and was terrible at communication — that did not change until I gave birth to Elise. He had kept many things bottled inside back then and it's only natural that I can easily see though you mask now," Daniel knew a bit of this story, since his mother told him about it before. Being born in musical family, the moment they noticed his grandfather's talent, they immediately made him practice. As a child that only had a piano to accompany him instead of playing with other kids, he grew up unable to express his emotions well.

He also knew that his grandmother was a famous thug back in the days, even police officers ran from her and didn't dare to arrest her. Born into a wealthy family back then made her rebel against them, so in order to made her calm down, they arranged her marriage with his grandpa. He didn't protest, but she... It's not that hard to imagine her reaction back then.

A rebellious girl and cold and detached man, their relationship really can't have been worse.

"Back when I was young, I really wanted to be a prima ballerina. But I fell off the stairs when I was seven years old and seriously hurt my leg, so I had to give up on my dream. Therefore I resorted to vandalism and all kind of rebellious behaviour to vent my anger — that's, until I met your grandfather."

He knew their story, but not everything. He was told that his grandpa shaped his grandmother into a decent ballerina, but the leg injury was something he wasn't aware of.

"Nobody thought that I'll make it, yet when Sebastian found out about my injury, he simply frowned and berated me for being stupid. So what if you got injured, do you think that good body and talent is all it will take to be prima ballerina - he asked. I was so dumbfounded by his words back then, wondering why was that ice statue suddenly berating me. So I cried and then beat him up for making me cry, thinking that he was just mocking me. I was sixteen at that time, what did I know about people? If someone with arrogant face that was successful in his career told you that you can do it at that age, thinking that they were mocking you is natural thing to do."

"..." Daniel kept silent as he listened to her words. Indeed, some people did tell him that there might be hope for him, but he only saw it as them showing pity and sprouting nonsense.

"I got yelled by my parents the next day, but he didn't complain at all. The next time I saw him was a week later — I thought he didn't want to talk with the brute girl that beat him up, so I forgot about his existence, yet when he appeared with a mountain of books and told me that he'll make my dream come true, I only beat him up again."

"..." Grandma, is it really okay to randomly beat people? He couldn't understand how did such a violent person become his gentle grandmother.

"But then I found out that he spent the entire week talking with various performers and doctors to gain a better understanding of my problem. After that he'd come to drag me to the studio every day, even forsaking his own piano practice in the meantime. I came to realize that he wasn't as arrogant as people made him out to be, but he simply didn't know how to express it. He also dedicated himself on teaching me manners — since people who heard of my reputation didn't want to even see me, not to talk about teaching me."

It must have been hard for you, grandpa. I feel sorry for you.

"I trained harder than other people, I also wanted to give up far many times than I could remember, and more than anything — I really wanted to beat up your grandfather. However, he got used to me and I later found myself unable to hurt him anymore, so I could only vent my anger via practice. Originally, the leg injury wasn't the problem for me — but the fact that my body missed the best period for development.

"I was not allowed to put pressure on my leg for five years, so I missed the opportunity. But I was able to overcome that hardship just because of the efforts your grandfather poured in me."

The smile on her face as she retold the story was so gentle and relaxing that it caught Daniel off guard. She always wore a smile on her face, but it was something she used for the sake of courtesy. But this smile was genuine smile of someone who had experienced what it meant to fall in darkness and see the light again.

"What I'm trying to say here is, if it were someone else, I do not believe that I would be standing here now, with who I became after achieving my dream. I believe that it takes for a special someone to make you unravel the secret part of yourself you never knew you had."

She gave him his cup of tea and he dazedly accepted it.

"I also believe that if you can find that special someone, you will gain all the necessary ingredients for the secret recipe called miracle. This is a vast world after all, so I think that there's a reason why you can truly love just one person and not just anyone and just like that, some people can create some miracles not just anyone else can. Which is why I don't find your words insensible at all."

"Babushka..."

"Don't give up just because the world told you to do so. As long as a single person believes in you, that person can become your entire world instead."

"Babushka, I..."

"So don't lose that precious someone because of your stubbornness."

"Why does this feel like we're going off the topic?"

"As this old woman said before, I've seen far too many things in this world for you to try and understand me. You might not have brought you wife to me like your mother has, but future is uncertain." Smiling, she took the other cup of the tea heading back to the living room while Daniel pondered on her words.

As someone who found passion in skating, Daniel wasn't really romantic person, but he could guess what was on his grandmother's mind. He also didn't have an ideal type, so he wasn't selective, but he honestly had no thoughts of making a move on this girl.

People who became couple usually took a moment to decide that someone caught their eyes, he couldn't understand them — if he decided to date, he'd also need a single moment to decide to do so. But he was too obsessed with the idea of being able to skate again, that he didn't pay much attention to this girl in that way.

"Honestly, even a chimpanzee would've moved more graciously! Higher, raise that leg higher!" Hearing the shouts from the living room, he couldn't help but shake his head.

Whatever, he'll leave it all to time. If they end up becoming a thing, so be it. If they don't, he hopes that they'll remain as friends.

"I'm trying, you old dwarf! I'm trying! Let's be honest here, you're targeting me on purpose!" Hearing her response, his smile only grew bigger before he came inside and saw the two. Violet was in the middle of stretching out her body as his grandfather laughed at her on the side while instructing her at the same time.

Finding this sight to be amusing, he comfortably sat down on a nearby sofa and began to drink his tea. Earl Grey was one of the most famous teas from Britain and it was not the first time Daniel tried it. As he mention before, he had a lot friends all over the world, and a British skater or two weren't that uncommon.

"Pew, who'd bother picking on you! What are you worth for this majesty to pick on you! Shut up and be grateful I'm even taking my time to teach you something!"

How admirable, Daniel could really watch them for entire day and not get bored of them.

"Huh, be grateful that someone is actually willing to learn from you," she glared at Daniel at that moment, it's all his fault.

"You need to become a lady if you want me to bring you to gatherings where you'll be able to show your talent," with a satisfied smile on his face, he took another sip.

Yes, the taste of Earl Grey seemed to be especially sweet today.

"You scammer!" She cursed, but nonetheless continued to listen to the old man's nagging.

It's all for the sake of getting recognized and making my grandma happy.

It's all for the sake of getting recognized and making my grandma happy!

She repeated those words like a mantra for the good give minutes when Sebastian decided that he tortured her enough.

"Can be taught, but cannot be reshaped completely. If it's just to have her act like a lady on charity gatherings or the stage, it can be done. Dancing... Her body could be good for it after some practice, but professional dancing is mission impossible," was all he said in the end before sitting down next to Daniel.

Violet who was left lying and panting on the ground could only curse his name in her head and remind herself that she was following his crazy antics for the sake of her grandma.

"What's the plan? When do you need her to be ready?" Ignoring her glare daggers like he had a legendary shield around him, Sebastian continued nonchalantly like she wasn't even there.

"Two weeks?" Daniel asked.

"Oh, the old William's gathering then? I thought you weren't coming?" Violet had no idea what they were talking about.

"I thought so too."

"Is her skill a real deal?" How could Sebastian not notice that he wanted this girl to perform and for him to shape her up for that moment?

"I only heard her once, but it was a piece composed at the moment. It was pleasing to the ear and had no mistakes," he explained. He was from a musical family, even if he wasn't expert in it, he can still recognize a good piece from trash, "It will be better if you hear her yourself, though."

"I should do so, how is she in front of the crowd?"

"No idea, we were alone."

"How ambiguous, I don't wanna know what you were doing alone and why she played music specially for you, but this thing needs to be settled. Looking at her, she wasn't a musical raised in influential family. A greenhorn like her might panic in front of the crowd, especially in front elites. Those guys are all famous people, they aren't street passer-by who don't know a thing about music."

"That's why I'm saying that I need her to become a human being in two weeks. I'll deal with crowd practice later - just in case," Daniel was well aware about that. Last night, she told him that she came from village, so he couldn't help but worry. But it was inevitable to bring her into a circle of famous people in order to give her a chance.

"Like what?" Irene came and helped Violet stand up before helping her sit on the chair and giving her the tea.

"Thanks," Violet politely accepted.

"Leave this to me, I will take her to the studio to practice in front of a crowd, I'm helping them out now every day since there's a play next week," Violet still had no idea what they talked about, but she caught a gist of it. Although they seemed like scammers at the beginning, listening to conversation now made her opinion of them a bit better. At least, they sounded like s read deal at the moment.

"Alright, so she's mine at the morning and yours at noon." Sebastian at that moment really didn't look like his earlier self at all, it even caught Violet off guard.

She still wanted to beat him, though.

"She also needs someone to teach her about violin, she originally came here to study at academy," Daniel added at that moment as Violet took a sip of her tea. She had no idea what it was, but it tasted nice. Probably a local delicacy.

"Leave that to me too, what happened though?" Sebastian was a professional musician after all, piano or violin, it was a small difference. And what he couldn't help her with, he had a lot of friends who could instead.

"They didn't accept her."

Huh?

Didn't he say that she's good, how come she failed to attend academy then.

Daniel glanced at her and she nodded. She also told him about what happened yesterday, and it wasn't really a secret.

"She came with recommendation letter, but lost it. She had no official achievements, so they thought she was a swindler or arrogant young lady relying on connections, so they threw her out."

It didn't take even a single second before Sebastian began to laugh like a madman while Violet tightened her grip on the poor cup, almost cracking it.

"Serves you right, a rude brat like you deserves it!"

Violet clenched her teeth, what serious! What different! This old swine is still the same suspicious dwarf from earlier!

At that moment, neither Violet nor Daniel had idea just what kind of a change their meeting will bring in the future.

It truly did take just a single special someone for miracles to be born, just like his grandmother said.