Sing Your Soul {JongKey} part 5/6
The ovation wasn’t as loud as in some stadium during a worldwide sports event, but the few applauses whose sound resounded in the bar were more than enough for Jinki’s smile to enlighten his features. He was rarely performing more than two new songs every time he was to be the artist of the night at the Blue Night, yet he always recognized some regular customers who showed no boredom in listening to the same pieces over again.
Respectfully, he bowed for as long as he was celebrated and when he straightened up while approaching his mic from his lips, all hands ceased their clapping. It was like everyone was already prepared to hang on his every word even before a first sound escaped his mouth.
“Thank you for listening to me, I hope you enjoyed the new song.” The singer said, smiling and his eyes travelling to meet every face in the audience. “You will have the opportunity to hear it again and as much as you wish to, in a few weeks when my next work will be released.”
As he was speaking a bit more about the aforesaid song, the lyrics and their thematic, rhythm, meaning… Kibum got his attention drew to his left, where Jonghyun was sitting and staring at the artist on stage. His eyes were literally shining and his lips half open as he focused on the explanations, sometimes mouthing a wow and nodding when he felt some words. The event planner couldn’t help but smile with pride as he realized what a good idea he had to make the blonde man come that evening.
“Unfortunately, I have been asked to keep my other songs secret until the release.” Jinki ended up confessing, earning a few whines. “I’m just as disappointed as you are, obviously, but although I don’t have anything left to sing for tonight… I would like to offer you a surprise. Actually, I’m not offering, more proposing an alternative that I think will impress you.”
“And before our artist’s clumsiness spoils everything, let’s take a short break to get ourselves prepared.” Minho suddenly climbed the stage to stand up by his boyfriend’s side, a second mic in hands. “I see some glasses are empty, please allow me to come take your next orders and feel free to use this pause to use the smoking room.”
Once he finished his speech, the bartender switched both mics off and went to pull the curtain himself to hide the stage for the time of break. Customers started chatting or stood up to go take a smoke or just breathe some fresh air in the back street of the bar. Minho was quick to come back and before he went back to work with clearing and new orders, he waved towards his best friend and showed the small, hidden backstage, mouthing something.
Kibum had always been good at reading on one’s lips despite his work mostly consisting in phone calls ; he got the information right away and stood up, gently tapping the subway singer’s shoulder to quietly tell him to follow. The latter didn’t wait to be asked twice and wove in and out between the tables and standing people, his eyes never leaving the silhouette leading him. In his chest, his heart was beating faster with each step he took until he found himself behind the stage’s wall.
It was long and narrow, certainly the entire length of the bar’s wall, but a couple of lamps lit a comfortable double sofa, a tea table and all electric boxes and cables. Eyeing everything, Jonghyun eventually noticed Jinki who stood up from his seat and walked towards him with a reassuring smile.
“So, tell me.” He said, crossing his arms above his chest. “Did you choose your songs since the break ?”
“I think I have a lot that can fit tonight’s atmosphere, yes.” The blonde singer nodded but his nervousness was noticeable in the way he scratched his nape while talking. “Though I don’t want to steal your spotlight or something.”
“Man, my part is done tonight, so take the damn spotlight. Will you sing covers or…?”
“One cover, but actually I compose songs so I thought I might give a try to two of them. If I can ?”
“Of course you can, you can do whatever you want on stage. We gotta work on that self confidence of yours, huh ?”
“I’m on it.” Kibum spoke in, winking at Jonghyun when the latter looked at him and smiled in return. “Do you think Ming will like him enough to hire him ?”
“He’s clearly going to pretend thinking, considering, all that business man’s stuff… but trust me, he already got the papers ready.”
“Really ?” The subway singer raised his eyebrows, honestly surprised. “You’re kidding, he didn’t hear me sing yet !”
“You will learn that Minho is someone who hides his thoughts and emotions, even the positive ones.” The event planner smiled. “But first of all, he watched those videos of you I sent to him and allowed me to find you. He drove me to your subway station himself, on last Sunday, but he couldn’t make it to Yongsan with me.”
“He entrusted you with finding me and bringing me here ?”
“Second thing to know about him.” The eldest man snorted. “He can’t refuse anything if it comes either from me or Kibum. And we both stood up for you so he got defeated.”
“That totally sounds like a scheme.”
“Yeah right ? Now it’s your part, I’ll take your seat !”
With one last wink and thumb up, Jinki wished the other singer good luck and disappeared in the audience, leaving both Kibum and him alone and quiet. The younger man’s eyes shifted as soon as they locked gazes and he pretended to check something on the electric box — though he didn’t understand a single connection in this thing. But the silence quickly went awkward and when Jonghyun cleared his throat, he had no choice but look up and talk.
“So… you’re ready ?” He asked. “It’s not completely like a station but it shouldn’t feel that different, right ?”
“Every place conveys a different feeling, I can sense these things.” The blonde singer smiled. “But I like it here, though I feel on the nerves, you know…”
“I guess so, I mean, they’re here to listen. In a station, I’m mostly a background noise except for the few people who stop for a minute to focus a bit more on me. They don’t come to listen to me but to take their train, while here…”
“Maybe you feel like you’re a background noise, but people remember you. I wouldn’t have been able to find you if it hadn’t been for this little girl to know your name and her mother to know where you sing. I’m sure they’re not the only ones who know about the white haired guy who sings at Sindang. You were being noticed, now you will be listened to.”
“Can I ask you something ?”
“The other time, you told me I moved you. Among all my songs you’ve heard, could it be at the stations or in these videos… is there one that moved you more than others ?”
Kibum cocked an eyebrow, he hadn’t expected this question and hadn’t really thought of ranking the songs he had heard. He didn’t even know the titles and was unable to humming them even if he wanted to — he was too scared of ruining it in front of its creator. Instead, he grabbed his phone and opened his favourite app, tapping the screen until it opened a folder of saved posts with a musical note emoji as its title.
He scrolled a bit and his thumb stopped, seemed to hesitate between two videos, and Jonghyun noticed his trouble. As he approached, the other man turned his phone towards him and eventually showed him both.
“This one was the one you were singing when I saw you the first time and it’s stuck in my mind since then.” The brown haired man said, his voice surprisingly low and his eyes still on the screen. “But I like this one too. Do they have titles ?”
“Of course, the first one is MONO-Drama, it’s a particular one.” Jonghyun answered before the tip of his finger selected the second video. “And this one is Beautiful Tonight, you can hear me sing it.”
“Yeah, that’s true. I like Beautiful Tonight more, it has something special that speaks to me, I couldn’t say why.”
“I see. You saved a lot of videos, I didn’t know I got filmed so much.”
“You never looked for yourself on social media ?”
“I don’t really use social media.”
“Sorry to interrupt you, but the show will resume soon.” A voice caught their attention and they met with Minho who had his head coming out from behind the wall. “Time to get on stage.”
The bartender disappeared as fast as he had shown up and both men left their conversation on hold as Kibum led Jonghyun to the stage, even joining him there to adjust the mike for him. Within the few minutes the customers took to find their seat back, the blonde man grabbed the high stool that was leaning against the wall, since his predecessor preferred standing. He slowly pulled the synth closer to him and connected his music player to it, opening a playlist of three instrumental songs.
While the event planner made sure the instrument and the sounds control console were linked up, he asked the other man if he needed anything more. He could already hear his best friend drawing the audience’s attention for the last, exclusive part of that evening. The confident smile on Jonghyun’s lips was enough of an answer and Kibum raised his fist to wish him good luck, before he walked down the stage and discreetly joined his seat.
From behind the curtain, the blonde singer took a short moment to regulate his breathing, closing his eyes and focusing on his lungs filling and emptying themselves until the sensation of all his organs quivering stopped. When he heard people applauding, he looked up and waited for the large piece of fabric to be pulled to the side, revealing the dozen of tables being now in the dark as the lights were all on him.
They were all looking at him and he scanned the whole room until his eyes met with a familiar face, the event planner smiling at him and nodding to give him strength. Returning the smile, Jonghyun eventually leaned on to have his lips closer to the mike.
“Good evening, my name is Kim Jonghyun.” He said, and his smooth talking voice already prepared everyone for what would come next. “I’m gladly standing, or should I say, sitting in front of you tonight to introduce you a few of my works. Before starting, I would like to thank the owner of this beautiful place for letting me in, and for Lee Jinki who you heard previously, for proposing me to come on stage after him. I will do my best to be worthy of this spot he was standing on earlier. Please welcome me well.”
He shyly smiled when the audience applauded once more to salute his speech and encourage him, and straightened up while pulling the mike, clearing his throat and pressing the play button on the synth. A melody immediately resounded in the loudspeakers and faces lit up as it was extremely recognizable to most of customers ; smiles appeared and some even whispered to each other as they enjoyed the surprise.
“I will start with a cover of a song that is really a favourite of mine.” The singer said before he playfully smiled. “Let’s try not to ruin it.”
No sooner said than done, Jonghyun’s fingers closed on the mike and his voice started following the instrumental. He had chosen to perform a cover to let people get used to his so uncommon timbre, and the song he was singing was indeed one he held dear in his heart. He was a romantic person, and the lyrics inspired him on writing his own ; the story of a man who was in love with a woman but feared her turning his confession down. As he longed for her, he experienced insomnias filled with endless thoughts and worries.
The song’s rhythm alternated between low and high pitches, but Kibum found himself impressed by how the singer handled these changes smoothly, with no apparent effort. Even the way he managed to give the same emotional vibe but with a different colour, his colour, during the chorus, gave shivers to everyone. Could it be when he willingly broke his voice on certain words to give the impression of being breathless, or when his throat vibrated as he held a note on the word insomnia, everything was beautiful.*
It was the first time the event planner heard him sing a song he already knew, and it had nothing to do with when you sing your favorite song while showering ; it was mastered, from vocals to emotions.
“Thank you for listening.” Jonghyun eventually said, making the brown haired man realise he was done with the song as soft applauses welcomed his performance. “I could say this song is the one that made me want to sing, and more than that, to try writing and composing my own songs. I still lack a lot but I hope you will enjoy the next song, which is my own creation.”
Bowing his head, the blonde singer sat better in front of the synth and arranged the mike horizontally so he could use his hands on the keys. As he pressed play on the second piece, the distant sound of rain falling slowly raised from the loudspeakers, until customers made out what sounded like a repetitive ringtone. Before their surprise had time to reduce, a melody started while the man’s voice came out, yet not from his mouth ; it was like the phone had been picked up and he was the one talking.
One could only hear his voice, not the other person’s, the conversation about Jonghyun being on his way to join his friends for a drink after work. After a last ok, it was like the phone got hung up and the man started singing for real, while his fingers were gently hitting the synth’s keys to accompany the instrumental. And just then, with the only power of his voice and lyrics, he told a story of his own to every single soul in the room, his timbre fitting so much to the sweetness of his words.
Meeting friends, drinking and laughing as they reminisced their friendship. The curious but familiar way they became kids again, whenever they made time in their respective schedules to gather all together and talk… it was all about remembering and making new memories in a comfortable atmosphere, their heart warming up thanks to this moment of reunion just as their body heating up because of alcohol.
While he listened just as everyone else, Kibum had his eyes staring at Jonghyun’s facial expressions ; it wasn’t just any story, it could only be his. Through a song, he was talking about his late night meetings with longstanding friends who grew up together, getting together for a drink. It was so noticeable on his features that he was feeling every single word he sang, that every sentence every question intended for a friend had once been told in real life. The atmosphere of this moment was conveyed through the rhythm and the tone, making the audience immerse in it with him.
And as if he wanted to confirm his every questioning gaze, the song ended on another distant conversation, as if coming from a phone again. This time, it wasn’t him talking to a friend, but a record of several voices chatting all together that continued for a few seconds even after the instrumental stopped. The last sound they heard was cheering, clinking soju glasses.*
“Cheers.” Jonghyun eventually said as he pretended to raise a glass, drawing a few smiles in the audience and some even responded to his gesture before drinking. “You know this feeling, right ? I hope you liked it. Shall we go with the last song ? Someone here heard it already and appreciates it, so let’s dedicate it to this person, hmm ? Let’s go.”
Kibum got startled when he caught the blonde man glancing at him when talking about the person who knew his next song. But it was quite brief, just quick enough for him to understand he was this person, what made him blush and shyly smile as he focused even more. Jonghyun pressed play for the last time that evening, but he didn’t show any intention to accompany the melody again ; instead, he removed the mike from its stand and brought it to his lips, while crossing his legs.
It was clear that the new instrumental had been made with a synth, with the piano’s sounds modified to give a different vibe. It was a steady, regular rhythm that introduced a peaceful atmosphere, it made one want to take a calm walk on it. When the singer opened his mouth to tell another story, the message seemed to have changed ; it wasn’t a friends topic anymore but about a man taking the woman he loves home, and willingly saving time on their way to stay with her longer.
This time, it was like Jonghyun was talking to the woman herself, his voice more whispering than singing, low and gentle, soft and intimate. But the story was short, as he eventually started repeating the same words, beautiful tonight and oh say, accompanying them with slow whistles.
A smile was drawn on his lips for a second, disallowing him to properly whistle and forcing him to get himself together, when he noticed that after a few times, some customers had their lips shaped in a o as if whistling with him. Some others were slowly moving their head on the piercing yet soft sound’s rhythm, and it filled his heart with joy… especially when his eyes fell on Kibum, who was part of this second type of listeners. The latter smiled at the blonde and slowly nodded, quietly notifying him of how well he was doing.
A song had never seemed so short, but when it ended, Jonghyun’s disappointment was quickly replaced with gratefulness as he bowed his head, people applauding and even standing for some. He kept his head lowered as he stood himself to bow even more, and he joined his hands together when straightening up, his eyes shining while he couldn’t realise what he had just done. Even when Minho climbed on stage and politely took the mike to announce the end of the small concert, he only had eyes for whoever was in front of him.
He didn’t notice the curtain being pulled in front of him, and the last thing he saw before he needed to sit backstage for a moment, was Kibum still standing and applauding without ceasing to look at him.
“They want to hear more stories.”
Jonghyun didn’t even hear the bartender as his eyes were stuck to the guest book that had been filled by almost all customers who had attended that evening’s concert. It was an usual thing, he had been told, and really dear to Minho : on every Wednesday, he would place this book in front of the bar’s door, on a music stand, for people to leave their impressions about the performances they had heard.
Sometimes it was just a short message of congratulations, but there also were talkative ones with personal thoughts on a song they liked better, praises and promises to come again… though this time, it seemed Jinki had been quite forgotten, for almost all words were intended for the new blonde artist with a silky voice. It was unbelievable and the concerned man was unable to talk.
“Oh, look there.” Taemin said as he pointed at a message. “See hyung, someone mentioned you before praising him. Here, at the beginning.”
“I still have one fan here, thank God.” Jinki heartily laughed. “Though I understand them, I rarely heard something as beautiful as what you offered tonight, man.”
“They really… liked me ?” Jonghyun eventually asked, looking up and his eyes looking for any form of assent from any of the four men surrounding him. “I mean, I felt that they were liking the songs but… the messages are all about me, they call me an artist…?”
“I told you you would be listened to and not remain a background noise.” Kibum smiled. “To think you rejected me at first ! I know how to recognize potential when I see it.”
“Come on dude, it’s no time to praise yourself.” Minho rolled his eyes and paid attention to the blonde man. “They really liked you, and your songs. Some were event disappointed that you couldn’t sing more, they told me themselves when coming to the counter to pay.”
The subway singer stood gaping for a moment, before he leaned against the sofa’s backrest. He didn’t know what to think nor what to say, too many things were happening in his mind right now, and he was feeling like his chest was going to explode.
“I think tonight might not be a good moment to talk business.” The bartender ended up saying, slowly taking the book back and standing up. “What about we meet tomorrow when I close and discuss your next performance ?”
“My… my next performance ?” Jonghyun repeated, looking at the tall man. “Do you want me to come back ?”
“And I will pay you for it. Customers liked you, and I can’t deny you’ve got a real talent, also you’ve got three men right there who will drown me in the Han river if I don’t hire you right now.”
“That’s why I suggest you to come back tomorrow to talk about it with a clear head. But if you want to, consider yourself hired already. Our next three Wednesdays are booked already but if you can wait, I will make sure you get the one after. That leaves you almost a month to prepare, sounds good ?”
“Sounds damn good. Where do I sign ?”
Both laughed and exchanged an enthusiastic handshake, under the extremely content stare of the three other men. Kibum was the proudest, standing with his arms crossed to give himself a nonchalant attitude, but deep inside, he was feeling all excited. Although he knew Minho couldn’t refuse him anything, he couldn’t say he would have hired Jonghyun if it hadn’t been for the latter to have potential.
The Blue Night’s owner only hired artists. And the event planner had brought him one he would never regret hiring.
