Tonight

How Cheri got to where she is now, Café Sagna, was something that neither she nor Hani could ever forget for each day they live. They would sigh and wonder how they ended up there, working strictly for Madam Zee, stuck and eventually they would say, “It’s because of love.”

But everything about that was about to change when this one night came.
It was a night where posh people come into the 7-star underground bar of the Café. With exclusive wine in their hands, they sat onto their seats, conversing with aquaintances of something very private. V was behind the counter with Sehun, wiping the glasses and placing them orderly with same gestures that they have practiced during their training days. Rich women went over to them, admiring their good looks and charming ways of talking. V poured the wine into one of the glasses and gently gave it to a girl who was obviously high-class as to what she was wearing – a 5 ‘A’ Orion Classic suited for 4 thousand Carina Dollars. He smiled charmingly and this melted the girl’s heart as her cheeks were heating up as well as the other jealous girls around her, watching. Pulling himself back, he continued to prepare an Ice-cream Delight that was ordered. Sehun smirked, looking at him, and V noticed.
“What?” he asked. His deep voice had made the women’s heart jumped and then fluttered as they sat before them. ‘How y it sounded’ they thought. Sehun turned away to continue wiping, “Nothing.”
Somehow, Sehun’s answer sounded familiar to V that he was constantly staring at his senior and had to stop what he was doing. After a while of trying to figure the scene, he got it. It was his own answer to Cheri’s question and he remembered Cheri’s reply really clearly.

“It can’t be possibly ‘nothing’.”

That memory made V smiled mysteriously, resulting in Sehun’s hair raise – it felt slightly… disturbing. The music that was playing in the air mixed up with the sounds of people chattering seized. Earning everyone’s attention at once to the stage of Café Sagna where Madam Zee was standing with her lavish, fur coat that reached down to her ankles, hiding her red velvet gown. V’s and Sehun’s eyes were looking straight at her, wondering the reason or special occasion for the sudden notice.
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” she started. “I have a very special announcement today.”
V was sure that Sehun knew about this but when he looked at him for any hints, Sehun was actually making a dumb face and was staring back at V, also finding the same face on V’s. Madam Zee’s weary but hard voice rang throughout the café and took the silence as a reply from the audiences.
“I have prepared something that may take your breath away – a blooming singer that shall stir the envy within you,” Madam Zee continued, not caring how high the pressure she had made for the singer backstage.
Cheri was looking at the mirror for the last time tonight, having her fingertip spreading more of red lipstick onto her lips. She was wearing a beautiful dress of red and black color combination, there was no vest to cover her uncovered top and arms, and her hair was made in a pony-tail and was tightened with a flower-like band colored also red. She was nervous, hearing her manager’s voice outside the red curtains – she tried to hide it, in which she did very well at.
“Tonight,” Cheri voiced to stop her trembling fingers as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. “I’ll be someone new and… he will finally notice me.”
Of course by ‘he’, she meant V. She knew she’ll become a new person after singing on the 7-star stage before the rich, known people of Carina – either she will be known as a failure or a success. Either way, V will notice her. But she couldn’t let V see her as a failure; she needs to be a singer.
“Unlike other stars, I won’t have my head up in the clouds.”
With this, Cheri went towards the stage, behind the curtains, waiting for it to arise.
“I present to you ‘Red Cherry!”
Cheri heard Madam Zee and the applause made by the audiences. Although the name was different, she knew it really meant ‘her’. When the curtains rose, she was staggered by the appearance of many people looking at her with expectations that she felt burden holding. It never took to her to sing in front of a crowd before. She never dreamt to even become a singer. All she asked forever since childhood was the attention of a boy she had a crush on. The pianist was waiting for her and so did the spectators. Cheri was soundless until she noticed V watching her.

It wasn’t the first time he looked at her but to Cheri, it might as well was. He noticed her. He was looking at her. That simple act of move made Cheri’s heart skip a beat and felt fluffy at the same time. Excitement was bubbling inside of her, threatening to burst as she stepped closer and closer to the stand.

Taking hold of the microphone that was supported by its stand, the pianist took that as signal and started playing the grand piano of the promised song that Madam Zee and Cheri discussed about. Cheri was beaming and it charmed the hearts of the viewers. As she began to sing, her voice rang throughout the room and had everyone’s ears enchanted by her melodious singing. She was expressing herself through the whole song creating different tones in her voice, much different with other singers that sing with a flat tone range. Her movements that came along with her feelings, were graceful yet made an impact, in sync perfectly with the song. Every movement was stopped at that moment and everyone forgot speaking to contently hearing the artist’s voice and the piano that was harmonizing with the singing, molding it into a whole. Madam Zee was greatly satisfied, knowing that Cheri will bring great fortune for her. Sehun joined the listeners, closing his eyes, enhanced by each of every beauty of the song played on the stage, soaking in the melodious voice. All the while V stared out of will at Cheri with an expression that none could describe to what it actually was. He was trying to not fall into the enthralled vocal but mostly he failed – though he did manage to make a straight face.

Hani entered from the back alley of the café, after a heated make out session with one of the customers when a familiar voice entered her ears. She was flabbergasted when she discovered it was none other than her sister-like friend, who was usually quiet as a mouse, pouring her heart out in front of the entire café.
A surprise it was, indeed.

When the song ended, Cheri breathed in, making sure not to let the microphone catch it, after finishing the last verse, which she used more ad lib. Her last note was longer than usual, so she required using a lot of her lungpower. Cheri observed the viewers who were stunned and speechless. The silence made Cheri’s heart pound hard and she could feel the atmosphere of the audience getting thick and it was still as a pole. But after a few ‘dubs’ the heart made, people began to stand from their seats and clapping really hard for the astounding performance, giving Cheri a standing ovation. The applause overwhelmed her. They began cheering for her and Cheri couldn’t help but smile wonderfully – it was her first time receiving such a big response for her singing. Eyes were all looking at her, showing incredible sudden respect. The fact that she intended to capture only V’s attention, but instead got the entire shop, was astonishing.

Hani looked at her friend – out of the all the clapping customers and workers, she stood out. Hani was the only one not clapping. She was speechless and thought everything was a dream. Jimin who was making out with her before, came in to see the reason their kiss broke – he, too, was quite stunned with Cheri’s appearance on stage. He knew who Cheri was to Hani and couldn’t help but stares at how beautiful Cheri looked at the moment. Hani noticed him and pulled him back outside, leaving him staggered at her surprising action.

Madam Zee was satisfied and couldn’t help but join the applause while Sehun happily clapped along with V. It was a great performance and V agreed so too. His mouth still dangling from the shock of Cheri’s blissful voice. Cheri looked at him and their eyes met with each other’s – somehow, this time, Cheri didn’t look away, flustered, but instead continually gaze at him and smile, finally capturing the heart of her long time crush.

After a bow of modesty and greatness, the curtains blocked the singer’s appearance and the crowd continued their cheering – it was loud and lively, very different to normal working days in the café. 

Dear readers,

The beta reader here! I’m not in Choir so excuse my poor singing facts. I play cello but I’m not really good ( I kinda and I don’t know why I’m telling you this right now xD) but I know some musical stuff.