107 Liam Faith
[New York]
[SoHo Neighborhood of Manhattan]
Located at 326 Spring Street in New York, you'll find the Ear Inn. This charming establishment offers a selection of beers and delectable bar bites, drawing in a lively crowd.
Amidst the animated conversation, Shin occupied a particular seat, sipping his beer while eagerly gazing at the stage.
"This must be the place Masayoshi mentioned," Shin mused, glancing at his watch.
Orio Masayoshi had recommended this inn, where an aspiring Hollywood artist had taken up singing.
After a few minutes, the stage host introduced, "Ladies and gentlemen, our MC is ready to serenade us. Please welcome Liam Faith!"
With this introduction, a handsome blond man strolled confidently to the stage, eliciting cheers from the crowd. Someone in the audience shouted, "Sing us a Bart Howard classic!"
The host chuckled and turned to Liam, saying, "Our patrons are eager, so make it a good one!" With that, he handed the microphone to Liam.
Liam took hold of the microphone, offering a small smile, and remarked, "Alright, I'll sing 'Fly Me to the Moon' by Bart Howard for you all."
The patrons erupted in cheers, with enthusiastic shouts of "Yeah!" and "Woo!" along with encouraging words like, "You've got this, Liam!"
Liam chuckled, replying, "Don't worry."
Subsequently, Liam seated himself and cradled a guitar in his arms. Meanwhile, Shin, observing from a distance, held his chin with keen interest.
With a gentle strum of his guitar, Liam began to sing, "Fly me to the moon, let me play among the stars. Let me see what spring is like on A-Jupiter and Mars."
Liam's voice was a harmonious blend of tranquility and charm, noticeably quieting the previously boisterous crowd as they engaged in hushed conversations.
He continued his melodic rendition, singing, "In other words, hold my hand. In other words, darling, kiss me."
Liam's performance even inspired some couples in the audience to join in, singing together in a romantic mood. A whistle pierced the air as a couple shared a kiss, earning them an appreciative response from the onlookers.
While Shin, his chin cradled in thought, was lost in the music, he was suddenly approached by an alluring woman who purred, "You seem a bit lonely, handsome..."
Shin jolted from his reverie to find a striking red-haired woman with a captivating visage. His brow furrowed in response, but the woman continued to smile, cooing, "Could you use some company?"
Shin shook his head with a discerning frown, replying, "No, I'm perfectly fine on my own."
The woman couldn't help but chuckle at Shin's reaction, finding his shyness endearing. She moved to sit beside him and whispered, "I understand... after all, you're a foreigner."
Shin's frown deepened, and he distanced himself from her, asserting, "I'm sorry. I'm married."
The woman simply smiled and casually fibbed, "It doesn't matter. I have a boyfriend."
Shin's frown turned more determined as he stated, "Can you please leave? I'd like to be alone."
Observing Shin's increasingly displeased expression, the woman herself frowned and retorted, "Tsk. Just because you're handsome doesn't mean you can be-"
Shin cut her off, insisting, "Just go."
The woman snorted and walked away, disappearing into the distance.
A few minutes later, Shin noticed that Liam was preparing to conclude his song. Seizing the moment, Shin rose from his seat and, as the final notes of Liam's song faded, he raised his hand.
This unexpected action caught Liam's attention and elicited surprise from those around them.
Liam playfully inquired, "Well, it seems this gentleman has a request. Would you like me to fix you a drink?"
Laughter rippled through the crowd, possibly because of Shin's Asian appearance, leading some to assume he might not be familiar with the customs.
They were partially correct, and Shin offered a wry smile as he called out, "May I sing a song?" His intention was to perform a heartfelt ballad to capture Liam's interest, and it was also one of his favorite songs from a past life.
However, the bar's patrons gazed at Shin with a hint of surprise, while one of them remarked, "Haha, looks like Mr. Chinese wants to give singing a try!"
The red-haired woman joined in, laughing derisively, and someone else chimed in with, "Well, isn't this interesting..."
Shin noticed the light mockery but chose not to take it to heart, considering he was in an unfamiliar place. His desire to sing stemmed from the fact that the song was his favorite and that Orio had mentioned Liam's prideful nature, making it a challenge to persuade him.
Liam chuckled and asked, "You want to sing?"
Eagerly, Shin nodded and approached the stage, glancing at the piano. "I'm going to use the piano," he declared.
Liam, amused by the situation, nodded in agreement. He invited Shin onto the stage and, while assisting Shin to take a seat in front of the piano, said, "Come on, let's give our friend a round of applause!"
The patrons clapped playfully, but there was an underlying tone of mockery in their applause.
One of the men turned to his friend and quipped, "Get your camera! Let's capture the embarrassing moment of our Korean friend!"
His friend nodded and took out his Suzuki camera, focusing it on Shin as he prepared to perform.
Liam, standing on the stage, chuckled and gestured for the crowd to cease their applause. As their applause subsided, Liam announced, "Alright, let's hear our friend sing."
Shin gingerly tested the piano, drawing some chuckles from the audience, who assumed he might not be familiar with the instrument.
But then, Shin halted his testing and began to play the piano with a deep sense of focus and skill. The crowd, the red-haired woman, and even Liam were taken aback by the unexpected display of Shin's piano prowess.
A simple yet haunting melody filled the room as Shin began to sing with a touch of melancholy, "I walked across an empty land." He continued, hitting particular piano notes as he sang, "I knew the pathway like the back of my hand. I felt the earth beneath my feet, sat by the river, and it made me complete."
This time, everyone was utterly taken aback as Shin showcased his singing ability, which not only sounded good but also felt like a pleasant surprise to their ears. They hadn't even fully processed the revelation when Shin hastily continued:
"Oh, simple thing, where have you gone?" Shin sang, his voice filled with emotion, "I'm getting old, and I need something to rely on." His voice carried a sense of yearning as he continued, "So, tell me when you're gonna let me in. I'm getting tired, and I need somewhere to begin."
As Shin passionately sang on the stage, the audience was captivated, and he intensified his piano playing. Soon, he sang on, "I came across a fallen tree. I felt the branches of it looking at me." There was a touch of remorse in his voice as he continued, "Is this the place we used to love? Is this the place that I've been dreaming of?"
Tears welled up in the eyes of some listeners, even the red-haired woman, who had been nursing her drink, found herself deeply moved. She had recently experienced a breakup, and Shin's singing resonated with her.
"Oh, simple thing, where have you gone?" Shin sang, his eyes reflecting complexity. "I'm getting old, and I need something to rely on," he hurriedly continued, "So, tell me when you're gonna let me in. I'm getting tired, and I need somewhere to begin."
Liam gazed at Shin, a touch dumbfounded, as he found himself becoming emotionally attached to the song, even though Shin hadn't finished it yet. Unconsciously, he began strumming his guitar in tune with Shin's singing.
Shin pressed on with his heartfelt performance, seemingly undisturbed by Liam's guitar accompaniment. "And if you have a minute, why don't we go? Talk about it somewhere only we know?" Shin's voice held a sense of longing, as he continued, "This could be the end of everything. So, why don't we go somewhere only we know? Somewhere only we know."
Liam's guitar playing seamlessly merged with the song, adding depth and emotion to the performance.
"Oh, simple thing, where have you gone?" Shin continued, his voice brimming with melancholy. "I'm getting old, and I need something to rely on." With urgency, he continued, "So, tell me when you're gonna let me in. I'm getting tired, and I need somewhere to begin." He hurriedly sang with an increasing pace.
"And if you have a minute, why don't we go? Talk about it somewhere only we know?" Shin quickened his tempo once more. "This could be the end of everything. So, why don't we go? So, why don't we go?" He deepened his voice, pouring emotion into the final notes:
"Ooh, oh-oh
Ah, oh."
Shin gradually eased the intensity of his piano playing as he sang with melancholy and calmness, "This could be the end of everything. So, why don't we go somewhere only we know? Somewhere only we know. Somewhere only we know."
As Shin finished his performance, the crowd looked at him with complex emotions, their hearts stirred by the song's power. Some wiped away their tears and stood up to offer an enthusiastic round of applause.
The red-haired woman remained silent, her eyes filled with a mixture of emotions, a curious look in her gaze as she observed Shin.
The venue resounded with applause, and Liam regarded Shin with a mix of curiosity and admiration, pondering, "Who is this man? How did I not know of such a song?"
Meanwhile, the man who had asked his friend to record everything eagerly inquired, "Did you capture it all?"
His friend nodded with haste.
After the applause, a member of the crowd excitedly requested, "More!"
"Yeah!"
"Please, sing more, Maestro!"
Shin smiled wryly as he distanced himself from the microphone, and Liam approached him with a friendly smile. Liam asked, "Young man, they want more. How will you respond?"
Ignoring the crowd, Shin looked directly at Liam and stated, "I'm actually here for you, Mr. Faith."
Liam was taken aback, and without the microphone, he questioned, "For me?"
Shin nodded and smiled, saying, "Would you like to perform the song I just sang?"
Liam eagerly nodded and replied, "Absolutely, I'd love to!"
Shin continued with a smile, "How about joining my talent agency? Would you like to be on the same level as other top superstars featured in Billboard magazine?"
Liam was stunned by the proposition, and Shin casually added, "That is, if you want to..."
Liam looked at Shin with a sense of shock and then hesitantly responded, "Of course, I'd want to..."
Shin smiled and, despite the cheering and noise from the crowd, said, "Then become a talent in my company."
[I hope you don't mind the protagonist singing...]
[Chapter 104 is fixed.]
[If we secure the top 3 positions, the next update at 12:00 AM UTC+08 will feature the usual 3 chapters. However, if we manage to claim the top 1 spot, we'll add an extra +2 chapters. Just as I mentioned, whether we maintain a ranking of 1 or 3, there will be a total of 3 chapters released daily.]
