2025-07-11, 07:25 PM
It was Friday and the week was drawing to a close. It had been a very stressful week for Johannes. He had practically flown across Germany from one customer to the next, only to have to pull the wool over his eyes because his colleagues hadn't done what the customer wanted. With a lot of talking and some hands-on work, he was able to calm the customers down. But that's just very tiring, and that's why Johannes was looking forward to the evening. He had managed to get a ticket for a concert with the Bavarian Radio Orchestra a long time ago. Since it's one of the best orchestras in Munich, demand is always high, and you practically had to try to get a ticket on the first day of advance sales. This time, Johannes was lucky, and the ticket was a very good seat. But he deserved it. Johannes worked hard to treat himself to exactly this kind of pleasure.
A smile came to his lips as he looked at himself in the mirror and tied his tie. He was really looking forward to this evening. He hadn't had the chance to hear the orchestra in a long time. Since his last relationship, he had learned to love and appreciate classical music. This kind of music often gave him back the energy he lost through his hectic professional life, and it allowed him to simply relax. This love of music is the only thing he has kept since his separation. Unfortunately, he had simply focused too much on his professional goals after that and completely ignored his private life. But he also didn't want to have a new partner in his life so quickly; for that, he first needed to get some distance and end the relationship internally.
Perhaps he'd meet him at the concert tonight, because the program was exactly the kind his ex-boyfriend liked. The first piece was Dvorak's Cello Concerto with a young, previously under-the-radar soloist, and after the interval, there was a Beethoven Symphony. Both pieces that Johannes loved, as did his ex-boyfriend.
His tie was perfect, his jacket quickly put on, and then Johannes made his way to the Gasteig. He still had an hour until the concert started, but firstly, he didn't want to rush, and secondly, he enjoyed starting an evening like this with a glass of Prosecco and watching the audience. You never know who might be going to a concert, and you can see all sorts of different people. Johannes only had to take the subway for two stops, then he had to change to the S-Bahn and travel to Rosenheimer Platz. This usually took him no more than twenty minutes, and today he managed the journey in just as long. The Gasteig, Munich's cultural center, was, as always, bathed in a warm yellow light, and the setting sun completed the picture with a sunset like a kitschy postcard. On the way from the S-Bahn stop to the concert hall, Johannes felt himself opening up and enjoying this dreamy evening atmosphere. Since there was still plenty of time, he simply took his time on the walk, breathing in the still warm early summer air and gazing at the sunset. It had been a perfect evening so far, and the concert could only be the highlight.
Johannes walked through the entrance and headed for the Käfer stand, which is located right behind the box office. There was already a flurry of activity, as many people consider a concert evening a social event, where they can show off their skills and meet new people.
Johannes took his glass of Prosecco and sat down at one of the bistro tables that were always set up there. He sipped the sparkling drink and felt it make his already good mood even more sensitive. His eyes wandered around the hall and looked at the audience that would be sharing this evening with him. To his left, at a distance, stood several older men in their suits, paired with their companions, dressed in fashionable evening wear, chatting together. Johannes had often noticed that some women didn't necessarily dress in keeping with the times or their age, but in this small group, he realized that these women had captured the taste of the times, and it suited them very well.
His gaze continued through the anteroom and then his eyes fell on a young man who had just come from the box office, beaming with joy, holding a ticket in his hand. Johannes thought to himself that this man looked very neat and had a charisma that immediately appealed to him. From a distance, he estimated that the man he was observing was in his late twenties or early thirties. His clothing was also well-chosen. He wore a burgundy jacket, a simple white shirt, and black trousers. The tie was the same color as the jacket, but it was broken up by small stripes that livened it up a bit. The young man tucked the ticket into the inside pocket of his jacket and looked around himself. Apparently, he was a stranger here, or he was looking for someone, that was how Johannes interpreted the stranger's searching gaze. Suddenly, their eyes met, and the stranger's lips curved into a smile. Embarrassed by this encounter, Johannes reached for his Prosecco glass and took a sip. His eyes, however, continued to observe the young man, who was still smiling at him in a friendly, almost provocative way. Johannes nodded at him, placing his glass on the table. Then the first gong sounded, signaling the concertgoers to gather and take their seats in the concert hall.
The stranger returned Johannes's nod, but instead of approaching him, he moved toward the entrance to the concert hall. Johannes's eyes followed him, and he noticed how elegantly, yet not arrogantly, he moved as he climbed the stairs to the entrance. Just before he was about to disappear from his sight, the stranger turned around once more, looked at him with his button brown eyes, and gave him another very charming smile. Then he was gone.
"Well, this evening is off to a very promising start," thought Johannes. He finished his glass and made his way to his seat. When he reached the entrance to the concert hall, the second gong sounded. The concert would begin soon. The ticket inspector looked at Johannes's ticket and let him in without hesitation. The hall was already bustling with activity, and Johannes went to his seat. His seat was simply fantastic. He was sitting in the 10th row, right in the middle of the hall, and thus had one of the best seats there was. He sat down and once again let his gaze wander over the expanse of the hall. Maybe I'll see him sitting somewhere, he thought to himself, but that was almost impossible, because the hall is huge, and it would be a coincidence if I did see him. In the background, he heard the third bell ring. That meant the concert was about to begin.
“Excuse me, may I please pass?” a voice suddenly said to Johannes.
"Of course," said Johannes, standing up to make way for the stranger to take his seat. And when Johannes saw who it was, his lips curved into a smile and he felt his face turn red. It was the young man he had seen downstairs earlier, and who had had a brief but intense flirtation with him.
“Good evening,” said Johannes shyly as the nice young man sat down next to him.
"Good evening," the other replied. "There's no need to be embarrassed. I thought our little flirtation earlier was very nice. May I introduce myself? My name is Jürgen." He held out his hand to Johannes, who took it and squeezed it tightly.
"My name is Johannes. And what a coincidence. Of all the 1,600 seats here, we're sitting here together."
"Yes, that's very interesting, but apparently fate has kindred spirits for both of us," his eyes gazed deep into Johannes's, and a charming smile reflected on his face. The scent of a good men's cologne reached Johannes's nose, and he realized that he, too, often wore that scent himself.
A really nice man, thought Johannes, and his voice also sounded very expressive and had a lot of warmth in it.
“That’s what it looks like,” Johannes replied, smiling back.
Meanwhile, the orchestra musicians had already taken their places on stage and tuned their instruments. The hall was filled with the usual commotion so shortly before the start of a concert. The lights were dimmed, the audience fell silent, and the musicians waited for their maestro and the evening's soloist.
Jürgen leaned slightly over to Johannes and whispered in his ear. "I wish you a wonderful concert, Johannes."
"I'm with you too, Jürgen. It's been a very nice evening so far."
The door on the left side of the stage opened, and to the applause of the audience, the conductor and soloist entered the stage. The two artists thanked the audience for the applause and took their seats. Chi Chang, the soloist's name, tuned his instrument with the concertmaster and signaled to the conductor that he was ready.
A smile came to his lips as he looked at himself in the mirror and tied his tie. He was really looking forward to this evening. He hadn't had the chance to hear the orchestra in a long time. Since his last relationship, he had learned to love and appreciate classical music. This kind of music often gave him back the energy he lost through his hectic professional life, and it allowed him to simply relax. This love of music is the only thing he has kept since his separation. Unfortunately, he had simply focused too much on his professional goals after that and completely ignored his private life. But he also didn't want to have a new partner in his life so quickly; for that, he first needed to get some distance and end the relationship internally.
Perhaps he'd meet him at the concert tonight, because the program was exactly the kind his ex-boyfriend liked. The first piece was Dvorak's Cello Concerto with a young, previously under-the-radar soloist, and after the interval, there was a Beethoven Symphony. Both pieces that Johannes loved, as did his ex-boyfriend.
His tie was perfect, his jacket quickly put on, and then Johannes made his way to the Gasteig. He still had an hour until the concert started, but firstly, he didn't want to rush, and secondly, he enjoyed starting an evening like this with a glass of Prosecco and watching the audience. You never know who might be going to a concert, and you can see all sorts of different people. Johannes only had to take the subway for two stops, then he had to change to the S-Bahn and travel to Rosenheimer Platz. This usually took him no more than twenty minutes, and today he managed the journey in just as long. The Gasteig, Munich's cultural center, was, as always, bathed in a warm yellow light, and the setting sun completed the picture with a sunset like a kitschy postcard. On the way from the S-Bahn stop to the concert hall, Johannes felt himself opening up and enjoying this dreamy evening atmosphere. Since there was still plenty of time, he simply took his time on the walk, breathing in the still warm early summer air and gazing at the sunset. It had been a perfect evening so far, and the concert could only be the highlight.
Johannes walked through the entrance and headed for the Käfer stand, which is located right behind the box office. There was already a flurry of activity, as many people consider a concert evening a social event, where they can show off their skills and meet new people.
Johannes took his glass of Prosecco and sat down at one of the bistro tables that were always set up there. He sipped the sparkling drink and felt it make his already good mood even more sensitive. His eyes wandered around the hall and looked at the audience that would be sharing this evening with him. To his left, at a distance, stood several older men in their suits, paired with their companions, dressed in fashionable evening wear, chatting together. Johannes had often noticed that some women didn't necessarily dress in keeping with the times or their age, but in this small group, he realized that these women had captured the taste of the times, and it suited them very well.
His gaze continued through the anteroom and then his eyes fell on a young man who had just come from the box office, beaming with joy, holding a ticket in his hand. Johannes thought to himself that this man looked very neat and had a charisma that immediately appealed to him. From a distance, he estimated that the man he was observing was in his late twenties or early thirties. His clothing was also well-chosen. He wore a burgundy jacket, a simple white shirt, and black trousers. The tie was the same color as the jacket, but it was broken up by small stripes that livened it up a bit. The young man tucked the ticket into the inside pocket of his jacket and looked around himself. Apparently, he was a stranger here, or he was looking for someone, that was how Johannes interpreted the stranger's searching gaze. Suddenly, their eyes met, and the stranger's lips curved into a smile. Embarrassed by this encounter, Johannes reached for his Prosecco glass and took a sip. His eyes, however, continued to observe the young man, who was still smiling at him in a friendly, almost provocative way. Johannes nodded at him, placing his glass on the table. Then the first gong sounded, signaling the concertgoers to gather and take their seats in the concert hall.
The stranger returned Johannes's nod, but instead of approaching him, he moved toward the entrance to the concert hall. Johannes's eyes followed him, and he noticed how elegantly, yet not arrogantly, he moved as he climbed the stairs to the entrance. Just before he was about to disappear from his sight, the stranger turned around once more, looked at him with his button brown eyes, and gave him another very charming smile. Then he was gone.
"Well, this evening is off to a very promising start," thought Johannes. He finished his glass and made his way to his seat. When he reached the entrance to the concert hall, the second gong sounded. The concert would begin soon. The ticket inspector looked at Johannes's ticket and let him in without hesitation. The hall was already bustling with activity, and Johannes went to his seat. His seat was simply fantastic. He was sitting in the 10th row, right in the middle of the hall, and thus had one of the best seats there was. He sat down and once again let his gaze wander over the expanse of the hall. Maybe I'll see him sitting somewhere, he thought to himself, but that was almost impossible, because the hall is huge, and it would be a coincidence if I did see him. In the background, he heard the third bell ring. That meant the concert was about to begin.
“Excuse me, may I please pass?” a voice suddenly said to Johannes.
"Of course," said Johannes, standing up to make way for the stranger to take his seat. And when Johannes saw who it was, his lips curved into a smile and he felt his face turn red. It was the young man he had seen downstairs earlier, and who had had a brief but intense flirtation with him.
“Good evening,” said Johannes shyly as the nice young man sat down next to him.
"Good evening," the other replied. "There's no need to be embarrassed. I thought our little flirtation earlier was very nice. May I introduce myself? My name is Jürgen." He held out his hand to Johannes, who took it and squeezed it tightly.
"My name is Johannes. And what a coincidence. Of all the 1,600 seats here, we're sitting here together."
"Yes, that's very interesting, but apparently fate has kindred spirits for both of us," his eyes gazed deep into Johannes's, and a charming smile reflected on his face. The scent of a good men's cologne reached Johannes's nose, and he realized that he, too, often wore that scent himself.
A really nice man, thought Johannes, and his voice also sounded very expressive and had a lot of warmth in it.
“That’s what it looks like,” Johannes replied, smiling back.
Meanwhile, the orchestra musicians had already taken their places on stage and tuned their instruments. The hall was filled with the usual commotion so shortly before the start of a concert. The lights were dimmed, the audience fell silent, and the musicians waited for their maestro and the evening's soloist.
Jürgen leaned slightly over to Johannes and whispered in his ear. "I wish you a wonderful concert, Johannes."
"I'm with you too, Jürgen. It's been a very nice evening so far."
The door on the left side of the stage opened, and to the applause of the audience, the conductor and soloist entered the stage. The two artists thanked the audience for the applause and took their seats. Chi Chang, the soloist's name, tuned his instrument with the concertmaster and signaled to the conductor that he was ready.