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Karaokes. Strobelights. Amarettos.
Oh how you'd kill to have the time of your life. The weekend approaches after the trenches of a fully-booked schedule. Album recordings, music productions, audio engineering. Your legs knew to sit than to stand, and your back craved nothing but a good stretch from slouching too long. You thank the deities out there for a day of rest in the midst of being a one-man show with a small following.
As you scroll through social media, your eye picks up purples and blues, a poster from a nearby club that welcomes free amarettos as long as you sing karaoke. The livehouse is a relatively new bar; you've come by at least once or twice a month depending on how much you like to treat yourself, not only because of convenience of location, but the fact that all four owners loved performing. Somewhat, you felt connected to them through their love of music.
You saved the date, Saturday by four in the noon until two in the morning, sending the post to a close friend of yours for moral support.
Before you knew it, Saturday arrives.
You wore a blazer over a silky blouse, paired with trousers that come with the blazer. A dainty chain dangles from your neck, and lovely dress shoes that filled you with the confidence of a rich man. The livehouse in front of you somewhat intimidates, but you had a friend, so supportive and motivational, that you couldn't help but remove every ounce of nervousness in your system. You meet the bouncer of bright blue eyes and snow white hair, and he gives you a toothy grin, greeting you good evening with a small stutter as he looks through both your I.D's. He lets you in after a few seconds, and you breathe in the scent of perfume and drinks.
It's a slightly crowded club with different sections; a bar right at the center, sets of tables and chairs surrounding the bar, with even more right near a podium where a mic stands alongside a flat screen for karaoke, being used by a lady in a green dress singing to 'Opalite'; there was a conversation pit that sits on the opposite side of the stage, and doors to private rooms and function halls. You find a blond man with bodyguards on one of the conversation pits, surrounded by ladies enamored. There's even a second floor, which houses more tables and chairs, which you remember is for the dining experience the club has to offer. Your friend pulls you in to a seat close to the stage, and a waiter comes by to drop off a menu.
"Two amarettos please, thanks!" Your friend grins to the waiter, kicking their legs in antsy excitement. "I feel like a spoiled girlfriend with her lesbian lover," They mused clasping their hands together. "You look really good in that." They lean closer, eyeing you up and down like eyecandy. "Like really good," They chuckle, arms propped on the table. "You could definitely pull two genders with that outfit."
You hide your face in reply. "You're rizzing me up, shush."
"I mean, have you seen the way that bouncer looked at you? His eyes dilated, and I swear he was caught off guard with how hot you look!"
You enjoy conversation, amarettos served, and drank until halfway, until your eyes look at the karaoke setup. It's empty, and so you look at your friend, who knew exactly what you were waiting for.
"What'cha planning on singing?" You hum for a moment. If there was anything you were obsessed with lately, it's going back to the sound of drums and synths, taking you to the sound of disco and R&B. "Standing Next to You sounds nice to sing right now." Your friend gasps in reply.
"That's honestly such a hot song. Go live your Ryujin-Kazuha dreams, babe!"
"But it's so nervewracking!" You whine, holding your hands to your face. "Yeah, but you're like absolutely crazily talented, with alcohol in your system, and in the hottest clothes ever." Your friend stands, pulls you by the shoulders and guides you to the stage. "Just remember, I'm here and-" They take the microphone and hand it to you, giving you an air kiss. "Have fun, babe."
You hide your face, looking for the song you want to sing while trying not to look at the people eyeing you curiously. Unknowingly, you also catch the eyes of four people, one shaking up a drink; one from a bench by the podium; another one by the conversation pit, and the bouncer who looks at your figure with unadulterated excitement.
The familiar sounds of synth and drums fill the livehouse with anticipation, as you stood awkwardly on stage. Some of the audiences cheer, especially those that knew the song very well. You meet with your friend's eyes and they give you a heart sign, somewhat calming you. You change your stance, losing yourself to the music, as if the spirit of Jungkook has come to guide your hands and your feet.
"Play me slow
I push up on this funk and give me miracles."
Your eyes gaze upon the audience, everyone smiling as you sang, before finding its way to the bartender who eyes you with such a strong gaze. You, who had a few sips of amaretto, gaze back in a haze, as if the song was made for them. Some of the audience join in, singing from where they sat like backing vocals.
"You know that all night long we rock to this!"
"Screaming, I testify this lovin'!"
The bartender, eyeing you, smiles in reply. He hears bouncer squeals, as he prances to a seat alongside the bartender.
"That's the hot woman from before!" The bartender looks at him with such interest. "Kaelix, you look a little bit flustered," The bartender muses, purple and yellow hued eyes gazing onto his coworker before looking back at you. "What? What makes you say that?" 'Kaelix' replies with a stutter, making the bartender chuckle. "Oh, just a hunch."
"They can't divide us, we'll survive the test of time
I promise I'll be right here."
"I just wasn't expecting a woman in a suit to sing in our karaoke night!" They look back at you, seemingly mesmerized.
"Their voice is like a cocktail, you get me right, Zeal?" Kaelix muses, his eyes reflecting the life of the karaoke. The bartender hums. "I understand. They have... a kind of smoothness but also a bit gritty," Zeal replies. "It's unforgettable."
On the other hand, your hands extend as you sing. The audience cheer, and you even see phones out to record.
"Standing in the fire next to you~! Oh!"
"They're cracked!" A man with brown hair and blue eyes says, sitting beside the bouncer. "I think, we should invite them to sing in here more often," they add, and Kaelix nodded so vigorously. "They're performing so well, like they're used to it." He eyes the man, cerulean hues twinkling with determination. "You know what, Seible? We should!"
Thus Seible started his search on this mystery singer.
From another part of the bar, the designer eyes you as you sang, watching your hands as it glides across the air fluidly.
"Afterglow
Leave ya body golden like the sun and the moon~!"
Freo knows the song very well, having listened to this song quite a lot, and yet the way you sing sounded almost so hypnotizing. When you dance, the gears in his head almost set to motion. He walks to where his coworkers stood by, watching your figure prance around the stage.
"So they're a musician, covered a lot of songs, had a few albums, and worked with a few people." Kaelix nods, before his eyes spots a teal-haired man nearing their place.
Kaelix grins. "Freo! Seible said we should definitely invite them to sing more often!" Freo nods in reply. "They look so natural in stage. It'd be a missed opportunity to not have them in the livehouse."
You see crowds coming near the stage, and some even started to dance along the song. Your heart squeals in joy, as you sang, and you swore even the bartender had stopped what he was doing to watch you.
"Standing next to you, standing next to you."
The next few seconds solidified the four owners of the livehouse. As the energetic instrumental break came by, you've started doing the choreography by heart, with the audiences clapping their hands to the beat, some of them walking to the middle to dance along.
"Standing next to you~!
Bass and drums!"
The music softens to drums, and you feel the adrenaline leave you as the song ends. Everyone claps and cheers, and you sheepishly bow, immediately escaping that almost four-minute stardom. As you make way back to your table, you hear compliments get thrown at you, and you bow fast, face red, yet happy.
"See! I know you could do it! You were shining so bright in there!"
You blush, hiding your face onto the table.
"It was fun, but oh my god, I wasn't sure if I did great." Your friend sips on their amaretto, eyes furrowed.
"Nonsense! You were crazy good! Everyone practically said you were amazing, sexy, and very hot."
You finish the amaretto, and sigh, shoulders relaxing once more... until a new voice pops up from beside you.
"That was amazing!" Your heart spiked as you see the bartender, bouncer, promoter, and designer in front of you. Your friend gasps, looking at you as if a miracle happened.
"Oh my god, get that bag!" Your friend exclaimed, holding your hand tight.
"We were watching you, and we couldn't really take our eyes off of you," The black-haired bartender says. "You're wonderful, and we were hoping you'd be down to sing for the livehouse?"
Your friend notices the tone of his voice, and they smile playfully, arms propped onto the table.
"I-I'd love to. I really love how energetic this place is."
"We can discuss this next week," The teal-haired man says, eyeing your friend with an apologetic gaze. "Wouldn't want to intrude on your date with your lover." Your friend almost chokes on their amaretto and replies with a laugh, "O-oh! We're just friends! They're perfectly single!" They eye the bouncer, and wink, effectively making him blush.
"W-well, regardless, we hope you enjoy what the livehouse has to offer." As the four turn their backs, the brunette adds, "Your drinks are on us."
Out of earshot, your friend muses, "I think you stole four hearts tonight."
"Don't be stupid."
Amidst the Karaokes. Strobelights. Amarettos, who knew it took one song to get a job (and four new love interests) overnight.