Piano dan Skye (Piano and Skye)

Skye Alice Philips jatuh cinta pada piano sejak ia mampu menjangkau tuts putih dan hitam itu dengan jemarinya yang kecil. Baginya, piano adalah tempat pulang—tempat ia bisa menyimpan tawa, rindu, dan air mata tanpa harus menjelaskannya pada siapa pun. Setiap sore, ruang latihan sekolah musik Ardente selalu dipenuhi alunan nada lembut dari permainan Skye.

Di sekolah musik yang sama, nama Andrew Martines sering disebut dengan nada kagum sekaligus takut.

Mahasiswa jurusan musik itu dikenal sangat pandai bermain piano, namun juga keras dan dingin. Permainannya presisi, penuh tenaga, dan nyaris tanpa celah kesalahan. Andrew percaya musik bukan soal perasaan, melainkan disiplin dan kesempurnaan.

Pertemuan mereka terjadi tanpa sengaja.

Skye yang sedang berlatih lupa waktu. Ketika pintu ruang latihan terbuka, Andrew berdiri di ambang pintu dengan wajah datar.

“Permainanmu terlalu ragu,” katanya tanpa basa-basi.

Skye terkejut, namun tidak marah. “Tapi aku memainkannya dengan perasaan.”

Andrew menghela napas pendek. “Perasaan tanpa teknik cuma jadi kebisingan.”

Kata-kata itu menusuk. Namun entah mengapa, Skye justru semakin sering berlatih—lebih lama, lebih keras. Ia ingin membuktikan bahwa perasaan dan teknik bisa berjalan beriringan.

Hari demi hari, Andrew mulai memperhatikan Skye. Ia melihat bagaimana gadis itu mengulang bagian sulit berkali-kali tanpa menyerah, bagaimana matanya berbinar setiap kali satu bagian berhasil ia kuasai.

Suatu malam, Andrew mendapati Skye bermain sendirian di aula besar. Nada yang keluar sederhana, namun hangat. Andrew duduk diam di bangku belakang.

“Itu lagu ciptaanmu?” tanyanya setelah selesai.

Skye mengangguk gugup. “Tentang mimpi… dan seseorang yang sulit didekati.”

Andrew terdiam lebih lama dari biasanya.

Sejak saat itu, Andrew mulai melatih Skye. Tegas, tanpa toleransi, tapi perlahan ia belajar mendengarkan cara Skye menuangkan emosi ke dalam tuts. Skye pun belajar bahwa disiplin Andrew bukanlah kekerasan, melainkan cara ia mencintai musik.

Di konser akhir tahun, mereka tampil berduet.

Permainan Andrew kuat dan terstruktur. Skye mengalir lembut, mengisi celah-celah nada dengan perasaan. Aula hening, lalu meledak dalam tepuk tangan.

Di balik panggung, Andrew berkata pelan, “Kamu membuatku mengerti… musik bukan cuma soal kesempurnaan.”

Skye tersenyum. “Dan kamu mengajarkanku, perasaan butuh arah.”

Di antara tuts piano, notasi, dan nada-nada yang tak terucap, cinta pun tumbuh tanpa perlu kata.

Karena bagi Skye dan Andrew, piano telah lebih dulu menyampaikan segalanya.

[Bahasa Inggris]

Skye Alice Philips fell in love with the piano the moment her small fingers could reach the black and white keys. To her, the piano was home—a place where she could store laughter, longing, and tears without having to explain them to anyone. Every afternoon, the practice rooms of Ardente Music School were filled with the gentle melodies of Skye’s playing.

At the same school, the name Andrew Martines was often spoken with both admiration and fear.

The music major was known for his extraordinary piano skills, but also for being harsh and distant. His playing was precise, powerful, and nearly flawless. Andrew believed music was not about feelings, but about discipline and perfection.

Their meeting happened by chance.

Skye, lost in practice, forgot the time. When the practice room door opened, Andrew stood in the doorway, his expression flat.

“Your playing is too hesitant,” he said bluntly.

Skye was startled, but not angry. “But I play with feeling.”

Andrew let out a short sigh. “Feeling without technique is just noise.”

The words stung. Yet somehow, Skye practiced even harder—longer, more intensely. She wanted to prove that feeling and technique could exist side by side.

Day by day, Andrew began to notice her. He saw how she repeated difficult passages over and over without giving up, how her eyes lit up every time she finally mastered a section.

One night, Andrew found Skye playing alone in the grand hall. The melody was simple, but warm. He sat quietly in the back row.

“Did you compose that?” he asked when she finished.

Skye nodded nervously. “It’s about a dream… and someone who’s hard to reach.”

Andrew fell silent longer than usual.

From then on, Andrew began coaching Skye. Strict, uncompromising but slowly, he learned to listen to the way Skye poured emotion into every key. And Skye learned that Andrew’s discipline was not cruelty, but his way of loving music.

At the year-end concert, they performed a duet.

Andrew’s playing was strong and structured. Skye’s flowed gently, filling the spaces between notes with emotion. The hall fell silent then erupted in applause.

Backstage, Andrew said softly, “You made me understand… music isn’t just about perfection.”

Skye smiled. “And you taught me that feelings need direction.”

Between piano keys, musical notes, and unspoken melodies, love grew without needing words.

Because for Skye and Andrew, the piano had already said everything.