Our protagonist, a young and budding witch named Sanctine Rosestone, goes on an adventure to protect the world from demons. However, she knows nothing about combat and is only good with rythms and chords.

"Yes. I will perform." Hexie said firmly which made Kazuki's eyebrow arch upwards.

Hexie twisted her body so she could look at Kazuki eye to eye.

"But, Boss please don't tell anyone about that. I don't want my family to know, especially my mother. Please, Boss?"  She didn't want to, but she used all her might to make eyes look like a puppy's. Acting cute was not her forte.

Kazuki immediately released her from his embrace and walked towards his foldable chair. Wu Hexie almost stumbled from the sudden freedom. Once she recovered and gained her footing, she chased the male idol with flawless legs. 

"Boss, please! Keep it as a secret from my mom! I'll even sing later!" Hexie grabbed his hand and forced him to turn around. But before he could turn around, he tossed a tote bag towards her which she instinctively caught causing her to let go of Kazuki's hand.

"Hmm. That's a nice offer. Okay. I will zip my mouth on this matter." She heard Kazuki say. She couldn't see him due to the large tote bag blocking the view.

"Boss, what's this?" She whispered and put the tote bag down so she could see the contents.

"Oh right, please refrain from calling me Boss whenever we're in public especially when we're around our parents. " He said nonchalantly but his eyes betrayed his voice. Hexie gulped. 

"Y-Yes hubby. That will be engraved in my brain!" Hexie saluted.

"By the way, can't you use your eyes, dear wife? Those are marshmallows I bought earlier. I didn't know which one you liked so I bought one from each brand." Kazuki folded his arms as a smirk was forming on his lips.

Hexie's eyes widen at the number of marshmallows inside. Her mouth watered at the thought of eating those soft and gooey and slightly burnt marshmallows.

"Woah! Thank you dear hubby! I will be loyal to you from now on!" Hexie clapped her hands and looked at Kazuki like he was an angel.

'Yes. I totally take back what I said earlier. I will continue getting on his good side to get lots of food! Boss Hubby is a blessing!!'

"Quit looking at me like that. It's creeping me out. Stay put, I'll just get my guitar and beat box." Kazuki got goosebunps when Wu Hexie's attitude turned to different angle. 

"Yes, hubby ohohoho marshmallows my babies~~" 

He immediately made his way towards the house with both his hands on his pocket. Tch, she's truly a glutton. 

A genuine smile escaped from his lips which Kotone caught when she emerged from the family sized tent.

~~~

After their dinner, it was time for the performance. Kazuki handed her his precious acoustic guitar after tuning it. He was surprised Wu Hexie chose one of their least popular song which was a collaboration with a popular female soloist idol. Their fans didn't like collaborating with female idols which is very immature.

"Don't break my guitar dear wife or else..." Kazuki said while plastering on his signature sinister smile. Hexie gulped and nodded. She got even more nervous.

"Uh...good evening everyone! Since we always hear our very own famous idol band member Kei of LSS on TV and on radio or maybe even in real life, sing his heart out. 

Tonight is not about him, but me. Just kidding...but not really. I will try to sing one of their songs on the spot. So please bear with my voice for a while! Hubby, don't laugh at me okay?" Hexie pouted towards Choi Kazuki. He held his urge of rolling his eyes and only shook his head.

"Go Hexie-chan!" Kotone and Hajoon clapped.

"You can do it Mochi-chan!" Kichiro cheered.

"Since tonight we'll be seeing the beautiful stars above. This song is very fitting for our small gathering." Hexie sat on her stool and held the guitar like her life depended on it. 

'Okay Hexie...relax...' Athena Hexie breathed in and out until her tense muscles relaxed.

She slowly strummed to check if the chords are right.


[[ I think the universe is on my side
Heaven and Earth have finally aligned
Days are good and that's they way it should be 

You sprinkle stardust on my pillow case
It's like a moonbeam brushed across my face
Nights are good and that's the way it should be ]]


Then Kazuki started playing the beat box. He kept himself from laughing when Hexie started off shaky. 


[[You make me sing "Ooh la la laa"
You make a girl go "Ooh ooh"
I'm in love, love]]


Kazuki almost missed his duet lines when he heard Hexie sang a high note. Her voice suited the song more than the idol they collaborated with. Her voice was much more colder and calming.


[[ Did you see that shooting star tonight?
Were you dazzled by the same constellation?
Did you and Jupiter conspire to get me?
I think you and the Moon and Neptune got it right
'Cause now I'm shining bright, so bright
Bright, so bright ]]


Hexie got goosebumps when Choi Kazuki joined in and harmonized with her. Truly, Kazuki's voice was just like in their CD! It's like she was hearing their studio voices. So that means they don't use 


[[ And I see colors in a different way
You make what doesn't matter fade to grey
Life is good and that's the way it should be

You make me sing "Ooh la la laa"
You make a girl go "Ooh ooh"
I'm in love, love 

Did you see that shooting star tonight?
Were you dazzled by the same constellation?
Did you and Jupiter conspire to get me?
I think you and the Moon and Neptune got it right
'Cause now I'm shining bright (ooh) so bright
And I get lost in your eyes ]]


The three audience clapped along. Their bodies swaying with the merry yet calming music.


[[ Did you see that shooting star tonight?
Were you dazzled by the same constellation?]]

Hexie pointed at the sky after she strummed the chords.

Kazuki looked at Hexie on this part. Hexie then instinctively looked at where Kazuki was at since she saw a movement from his side. 


[[ Did you and Jupiter conspire to get me?
I think you and the Moon and Neptune got it right
I think you and the Moon and Neptune got it right
I think you and the Moon and Neptune got it right ]]


But Hexie broke the eye contact to look at the chords. She can't afford to make a mistake or the cold hearted idol might make fun if her the rest of the evening. The song is almost ending.


[[ 'Cause now I'm shining bright, so bright
Bright, so bright
Bright, so bright
And I get lost in your eyes tonight ]]


The audience clapped. Hexie beamed proudly at the three fans she just garnered. The trio just gave them a standing ovation.

"Thank you!!" Hexie bowed.

Oh it's nothing but a typical transmigration story....NOT!!

Athena, in her previous life was an ordinary woman...

A 28 years old doctor who fan-girls on any 
Asian dramas and novels, especially on her fave cliche novel turned romance drama 《Love At First Kiss》. 

After dying in an accident, she somehow woke up in a different body. 

Is it the body of the Main Female Lead? Nah! 

Oh then, it's the body of the Second Female Lead, the Main Villainess right? A big NOPE!!

It's nothing but the body of a lowly yet talented cannon fodder villainess, the character that shares the same first name, the Main Villainess' bestfriend, and the first one to die in the Villainess Squad, Athena Hexie Wu.

After agreeing to the engagement the original character tried to flee from, all hell broke loose. She actually got married to a character who was not part of the book but the person who made her family's business demise possible. She thought she was saved from her death route from avoiding the Main Characters, but fate had other plans.

What are you waiting for? Come and read on Athena Hexie's journey in rewriting her destiny.

Since the ability-drawing session was over, Su Yang could do nothing but accept his fate.
He went to the bathroom to wash the blood off his face and got all sentimental about how poor his fate was. 
'I knew things wouldn't be this smooth…'
In the past few days, everything had been going well for him. His point-adding had been great and even the kid that he was supposed to locate returned home by herself.
As expected, fate toyed with him big time at this very moment.
'Fate must be jealous of how handsome I am.'
Su Yang looked at his bruised nose in the mirror. He tried to cry but failed to shed a single drop. He really lost a huge deal in this ability-drawing session.
After he adjusted his mood, Su Yang went out of the bathroom.
Even though he did not get any ability that could help him in his English semester test, he was still hopeful. He still had one and a half to two months before the test. By then, the [Lucky Disfiguring Brick]'s cooldown would be reset and he could gamble once more.
Should he fail at that timing, he might have to welcome the first failed subject in his university life.
He did consider smashing himself with the brick before the test but the effect would only last for 30 minutes. Considering the fact that students had to arrive at the exam venue before the test started plus the time needed for the lecturers to distribute the test papers, it would be great if he had 10 minutes left on the timer for him to answer the paper.
10 minutes of 'Lucky Time' was not enough for him to pass the subject.
He tested the effects of the brick earlier and found out that the extent of his luck was not about knowing the answers to blanks, but he must first answer the question. After thinking about it, he would get a hunch about which or what answer to write.
As for knowing the answer without looking at the question, it might be possible if Su Yang flattened his face with the brick.
Of course, he did have one more option other than smashing himself with the brick or drawing more ability from missions, which was to study English for real. He thought about it seriously, but he realized that if he really had the time to study, the results of his other subjects would have been near perfect.
Therefore, he gave up on the option. Everyone's talent was different, and he did not want to forcefully change anything. After he mentally prepared himself for another ability-drawing session, Su Yang returned to his desk and checked his reward.
He had to admit that the [Lucky Disfiguring Brick] was useful. Otherwise, it would take him a long time to find out that randomly drawing the three same abilities would give him something extra related to the ability.
Su Yang tapped to get the ability, and right away, a series of guitar-related knowledge gushed into mind, including how to hold a guitar, how to read the music score, how to play a tune, and how to sing while playing, etc.
The knowledge and techniques merged with him like his second instinct as if he instantly became a professional guitarist who had been playing and singing for seven to eight years. He knew everything there was to know about a guitar.
If he were to describe his current guitar level, he would probably say that he was only a step shy from becoming a full-time guitarist and could make it as an occupation. His skills were far better than the average guitar hobbyist's.
Unlike the first ability he got, [Close Combat], maybe because playing the guitar needed him to have a certain level of musical knowledge, Su Yang's mind was also filled with a lot of musical knowledge.
It allowed him to grasp the rest of the musical instruments based on his level of guitar knowledge. He was able to more or less play other musical instruments and could even write one or two songs himself, but it might not turn out melodious enough.
After all, all musical instruments shared the same musical theory.
It was an expected surprise that cured his grievance by a lot. This ability might not be as useless as he thought. 
When he tried to sing, he realized that his voice was indeed more charming and melodious, but he did not know whether it was a psychological effect or not.
Nevertheless, he did not have plans to become an actor or a singer. He just wanted to keep a low-profile and earn money!
How could this lousy ability earn him money?
Besides, he would still have to buy a guitar which meant that he must spend the money first before the ability could be of any use!
…
On the second day, Su Yang visited a guitar shop and spent 300 yuan on an entry-level guitar.
He had been thinking about this for a whole night. A man's fate might be as uncertain as the weather. He might end up on the streets one day without any food on his plate. Until then, he could rely on the guitar to perform by the roadside or under the bridge to make a living.
He passed by the bank after he came out of the guitar shop, so he conveniently transferred 5,000 yuan to his parents. Since he got richer, he should change his parents' way of life for the better.
His parents insisted on not taking his money. It was his hard-earned money after all and everything cost a lot in the big city. His parents blamed themselves for not being able to provide him with equal conditions to compete with other children, so they did not want to drag their son back.
In the end, after Su Yang persuaded them in every possible way, they accepted the money. However, they said they would keep it for him in case he got married in the future.
Su Yang did not care since old folks tended to behave as such.
He just wanted his parents to have the money. If they needed the money, they would be able to use it. Even if they did not, he would feel better with them having the money.
The older generation had lived through some tough days, but the virtue of saving and the spirit to endure hardship lived in the hearts of the people of Huaxia.
Carrying his newly bought guitar, he banked in 27,000 yuan into his own account and then headed to the campus while humming a melody.
After he found an empty garden in the faculty, he sat down and put his guitar strap around his neck. His fingers simply touched the strings, and at that moment, images flashed through his mind. The guitar felt like his best friend that he had grown up with. He felt very familiar with every aspect of it and did not feel as stiff as before.
Su Yang tried out all six of the guitar strings and with his 'many years' of experience in playing the guitar, his ears were able to tell that the tunes were off.
He tried to adjust the tune of the strings according to his gut feeling, and after being tormented for a full five minutes, he finally tuned the six strings according to the standard of his memories.
However, that was the best that he could do. The melody of this guitar was not as good as the one in his memory since it was just an entry-level instrument.
After he tuned the guitar, he embraced it closely. His eyes were gazing at the flowers and lush of the garden but at that moment, he did not know what to sing.
'What should I play? I don't think I know that many songs either…'
Su Yang stared blankly at the garden for a while and finally remembered a song that he used to listen to.
He tested out a few chords and started humming.
'Countless chilly winds once caressed my chest.
'The farthest dream once forced me to gaze into the stars
'I was once sneered at and mocked countless times, telling me to give up my melodious dream.'
'I was once drowned by loess, washing away my passion…
A voice of a boy singing the complaints of his life softly echoed in the garden.
…
As the class secretary of Chinese Literature in the Faculty of Arts of Shanghai University, Chu Xia was actually busy.
Apart from having to organize the tasks assigned by the lecturers before distributing them to the students, she also had to help the students to deal with…ahem…'explain' all sorts of problems to the lecturers.
Even if she did not have any class that day, she had to make many trips to the office and the faculty. After all, other than the tasks from the lecturers, she still had to deal with the tasks from the student committee and mentors.
She had just finished a meeting at the Cultural Club with the student committee. Shanghai University was collaborating with two more other universities to organize a singing competition on campus. The Cultural Club had given her a task to find at least one participant from each class.
She headed to the dorm right after the meeting. When she walked past a little garden, she heard someone singing while playing the guitar.
She loved music ever since she was young and was rather familiar with all kinds of musical instruments. Therefore, for whatever reason, she quietly took a detour to the garden.
After she went into the garden, she saw the back of a boy being blocked by a significant portion of the parterre. The boy was carrying a guitar and tuning the strings.
'Is he tuning by ear?!' Chu Xia was slightly surprised.
Such a technique was not difficult to master, but one must have a certain talent and a set of good ears. Furthermore, one must be experienced. Only a musician who had been making music for years could tune by ear alone.
Besides, in modern society, no matter how keen the human ear was, they were no match for the accuracy of a tuner.
Therefore, it was rare for a guitarist to tune by ear.
As she listened to the change of tune on the strings, Chu Xia was certain that the person had not tuned the guitar beforehand with a tuner. It was not to show off. Instead, the person was really listening to the chords and tuning it one by one.
Soon, the strings were tuned. The boy somehow went blank for quite a while as if he was thinking about something.
Chu Xia waited for two minutes, but the boy had yet to sing.
Just when she wanted to leave because she thought the boy's mind had wandered off and he did not plan to sing, a few simple chords burst out and a charming, magnetic and somewhat familiar voice entered her ears.


Su Yang was an average university student in Shanghai when he received a system that allowed him to add points to things. The point system provided him with missions and by clearing them, he would gain points. 
Add a point into an object, the object will receive a special ability; add a point into a plant, the plant will come alive; add points on himself, he will get talents or superpowers.
With the mysterious point system in hand, Su Yang aimed to become rich and alter his fate. On his path towards success, he encountered many interesting matters and people, including famous actresses and business tycoons. Fueled by determination, Su Yang set his sight on adding points into all things to help him achieve his goal. 


Crash – Six Years Ago
When the bell rang for the end of the day I was already in one of the little music practice rooms at school. I'd skipped last period because I had a song brewing and I wanted to work on it. And it wasn't like my mom ever checked the phone messages anyway. 
As the pounding feet and yelling voices of everyone getting the hell away from school began to fade, I sat on the hard bench at the piano and tried to tune my guitar. One of the pins kept slipping and I was pissed. I needed to replace the pin, and the strings—which I prayed wouldn't snap every time I played now since they were already old when I got the guitar three years ago. Because where was I going to find the money for new ones? And a new tuning pin? Those things weren't expensive, but having the guy at the store fit it and restring the guitar cost twenty bucks I didn't have and wasn't likely to get for who knew how long.
It fucking sucks being poor. 
Frustrated, I leaned the guitar down between the piano side and the wall, sick inside wondering what would happen when it didn't work to play anymore. I couldn't live without music.
When I sat back up, I accidentally brushed one of the keys on the piano and it rang out, quiet and pure in the afternoon. When it went quiet, I missed the pretty sound. I looked over my shoulder, but no one was in the hall outside. They'd all gone home.
I turned around, put my foot to the pedal, and let myself play.
For the better part of a year, when I was eight and nine, my mom got sober. And she gave me piano lessons. I'd been singing longer than I could talk. I was too small for a guitar (she didn't know they made guitars in different sizes.) She said I needed to learn to play something so I could make up my own songs.
That was all it took. I'd always wondered who wrote all the songs, and how people did it. She told me they knew how to play instruments that didn't need their mouths, and they wrote down words to sing with the music.
And eight-year-old me believed her.
Between the wonder of suddenly having a real mom who made food and didn't go out every night and her saying I could write songs—something I'd always wanted to do—learning the piano sounded like winning the lottery.
She gave me lessons almost every day for seven months. Then she found Brad. 
I kept practicing at the same time after school in case my instincts were wrong and she'd come back.
She didn't. But my love for the instrument was born. 
Of course, I quickly learned that playing the piano was not a badass thing to do. So pretty soon I was borrowing piano music from the adult library where I never once saw another kid, and only practicing when no one was home. And never at school. 
But what could it hurt now? No one was here. My guitar wasn't tuning. And I really wanted to work on this song.
It might be inspiring to try it with a different instrument.
So I plucked keys, and hummed melodies, tried different chords, and lost myself in the warm, round sounds of the instrument.
I got so lost, in fact, that I didn't hear the door click open, or a little blonde girl who held my heart slip in.
I was so busy repeating the chords and humming harmonies, that it wasn't until I paused to write down a new lyric that she cleared her throat. 
I about leapt off the piano bench, it scared me so bad.
She stood next to the door, her hands over her mouth, eyes wide. "I'm so sorry, Crash! I didn't mean to scare you!"
Be cool. I shrugged. "No worries. I was just . . . um . . ."
"I didn't know you could play the piano!" She wore a flat, khaki skirt and a button-down with her keds, and her hair was in a french braid. She looked like something out of a Disney movie. I loved it. I loved her. But I'd never told her that. We were just friends. And besides, she was closer to Tommy than me. She'd probably rather go out with him.
"Do I need to go and leave you to practice?" she asked, looking uncertain. Which is when I realized I hadn't answered her when she talked about me playing. I'd just stared at her like a lunatic.
"No! Sorry. I'm just—I was just surprised. My mom taught me to play back in elementary school. I don't play a lot though. Just mess around."
"Well, it sounds really nice," she said quietly.
I scratched the back of my neck. "Th-anks." My voice cracked, which hardly ever happened anymore. I wished the floor would open up and swallow me.
We stared at each other for a few seconds, the silence stretching to awkward proportions. Then her face dropped. "I guess I should—"
"Do you want to help me? I mean, figure a song out?" I blurted, then wanted to punch myself in the face. I never played songs for people before they were finished. Not even Tommy. They always suck. 
But Kelly's face lit up. "Yes! What can I do?" She hurried the few steps to the piano bench and slid on next to me. It wasn't very long, so our thighs and arms touched on that side. I could feel my face heat, and I swore at myself.
"Well, um . . ." I was scrambling. It had been a lie to get her to stay. I had no idea what I could get her to play. "Do you play the piano?"
Her face fell. "No. I can sing a little bit. But I don't play anything."
Inspiration hit. "Do you know how to sing harmonies?"
She shrugs, "I guess. I mean, I do sometimes."
I played a chord and hummed a note, gave her the line, and we started to sing. 
And we sang, and we sang, and I played, and we sang some more. And it was like my heart caught fire.
She'd spent some time hanging around when me and Tommy were playing, and she'd sing along a little, but I'd never really paid much attention to her voice. I was usually either consumed with getting the song right, or watching her lips. 
Tommy burned me about it endlessly.
But here she was, her voice pealing like a bell over my lower tenor, and all I had to do was give her a note and she'd nail it every time. Our voices blended in the weirdest way—like hers smoothed out my edges—and, like me, she seemed to get lost in the song sometimes.
We sang some of my favorites, and a couple of hers that I pretended I didn't know very well. And then she asked me to sing a song Tommy and I had finished last week. 
"I really liked that one." 
"Really?"
"Yeah." She blushed.
"I wrote that one," I said.
"I know," she giggled. "I was there." 
My face felt hot, so I turned back to face the piano. "Well, anyway my guitar isn't tuning right, so I can't play it now. It wouldn't really work on the piano."
She glanced at my guitar in the corner and frowned. "If you don't want to play it for me it's okay, Crash."
"No, it's not that. I love playing when you're there." True. "But one of the pins is too loose so it keeps slipping off-key."
"Can you fix it?" she asked.
"Yeah, eventually. I just need to save up is all." I'm not looking at her again because she's known Tommy and me long enough to know we don't have much. And that it's a bit of a soft spot.
Kelly isn't rich. But her stepdad has his own business and she gets new clothes every season and nice Christmas presents. If she needs something for school she just tells her mom and it shows up. 
She always brings snacks when we hang out after school, I think because she knows our houses don't have that stuff. It's embarrassing, but I try not to say anything because I know she's being nice.
Now she's frowning at my guitar, glancing at me, then back to the guitar, and I know what she's going to say before she says it. 
"Maybe I could get it fixed for you?"
"No, it's fine." I try to play it off, but my hands close to fists in my lap. It's embarrassing having a girl offer to pay for things. I should be asking her on a date and paying for her movie ticket, or whatever. 
"I wouldn't mind!" she says brightly. "I could get it fixed for your birthday and then we could play and—"
"I said I'll take care of it, Kelly," I snapped. "Just because we don't have much money doesn't mean we need yours." I shove away from the piano, to my feet and Kelly's hands fly up as she loses her balance on the slick bench because I moved it too fast. She recovers fast, but now I feel like a jerk for two reasons. 
Of course, then I only make it worse.


KELLY: Crash is rich, famous, handsome, and he used to be mine. He convinced me he loved me, took my virginity, then he disappeared. No explanation. Only empty excuses. Now he's suddenly back. Does he really think I’m still that gullible girl he left a year ago? 

CRASH: Kelly is the love of my life. A year ago I lied to her--but it was to protect her. Now I know, I can't live without her. If I can just convince her to forgive me, maybe I can trust her with the real reasons we had to break up.

When Kelly learns the real reason Crash broke up with her, will she forgive him? And even if she does, can their love survive the shark-infested waters of the music industry that almost destroyed them once before?

CONTENT WARNING: Language, sexual situations, and sexual assault.

Cover Image used under the Fair Use provision of Section 101, Copyright Law of the United States (please message author for attribution or change.)

After playing like a child, everyone decided to go home. "Can I stay in your house for a while?" I asked him. "I don't want to go home yet."

He immediately nodded without looking at me. I couldn't help but stare at him for a moment until we decided to walk.

It was 6 pm and since Zach's apartment was nearby, we just walked.

"What will you do after the exam?" I asked him because our final exam for the first sem is coming. It will start next week and right now, it's already Wednesday. I have to study early or maybe I will start later at midnight because I have nothing to do at home.

We arrived immediately. Zach had to lock the gate so I decided to go inside first. His apartment is familiar to me. I have been here twice or maybe many times if I am not mistaken.

"Are you hungry already? I can cook for you,"
he told me from behind me. I just shook my head and did not look at him.

"Let's go upstairs," I told him, pointing to the roof so we could watch the stars together. I kinda miss it.

"All right. I'll just put my bag in my room." He replied so I nodded in response.

A minute later, he was done. "Let's go." he said and walked first. My eyes narrowed when I saw him holding a guitar. I just shrugged and followed him from behind.

When we got up, I was surprised to see that there was already a mat and pillows. I looked at him because of that. 

As soon as he realized I was looking at him, his eyebrows arched. "What? You don't like it?" I just shook my head and decided not to say anything.

I sat on the mat and then looked up to see the stars. I can't help but smile. I really love it. I really like how the stars made me happy just by looking at it. I raised my hand as if I could touch the stars.

When my eyes went on Zach, I saw him staring at me with his lips parted a bit. My eyes narrowed.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I can't help but ask him.

"Nothing." he said and looked the other way. I was about to look away when he started strumming his guitar.

At first, he was just strumming it. I don't know why.. but I feel like... I want him to sing for me. Can he sing for me?

"Can you sing for me?" I asked out of nowhere while looking at his hands. He's so busy strumming the strings of his guitar.

"You don't have to ask me. I can sing for you whenever you want,"

And from those words, my heart started beating so fast. My eyes widened as I stared at him. He wasn't looking at me, he was just looking at his guitar. I was about to say something but he suddenly started singing. I stared at him because of that. He's playing "Better With You" by Jesse McCartney.

I know it's ugly turning on the news
There's people fighting over point of view
Sometimes it's like there's nothing left to lose
And I don't know what to do
But I know it's better with you

I was a wreck when you came along
When there was nothing left
You showed me the best
I'm still a mess but you hold on

I just couldn't help but stare at him while singing. His voice was so soft.

As I listened to the lyrics coming out of his mouth, my heart ached. I'm speechless. My heart was pounding so fast as he looked at me straight in the eyes so I did the same. A minute later, he looked away.

But I know I'm better with you
But I know I'm better with you
But I know I'm better with you

He stopped and then looked at me. "How was it? he asked. I smiled first before answering him.

"You're great," I said and gave him a thumbs up. "Can I borrow it?" He smiled and nodded before handing me his guitar.

"Do you know how to play that?" He asked a curious question and I nodded in response.

"I can play guitar and piano." I told him and started strumming the strings. I started to strum a familiar melody to me. It's my own song. I wrote this when I was 15.

"What song are you playing?" He asked after a moment of silence between us. I smiled. "I'm not familiar with the melody."

"My own song," I replied while looking at him. He just stared at me darkly. "I wrote this when I was 15. I have 5 songs in total--"
 
"Can you sing it for me?" I'm shocked as I looked at him.

"H-huh..." I don't know how to react!

"It's fine if you don't want to." he said and shrugged.

"O-okay," I immediately said without thinking and from that part, I could see how he tried his best not to hold back the smile. I just shook my head and started strumming the chords of my song. "Don't you dare to laugh or I will kick you!"

"Of course!" he said excitedly and laughed a little. I glared at him first and continued strumming. I closed my eyes as my heart started beating so fast before I could even sing my first line. What is wrong with me?

At night, Luna sits and relaxes on the terrace of the house while singing accompanied by the guitar playing from Alexa's fingers. The girl was so good at playing the guitar, she even bought an impromptu guitar because Ethan's house didn't provide it. They sang together while enjoying the beautiful night atmosphere with the starry sky. Sometimes the night wind can shake the hair of the two women. Luckily Luna wore a blazer, so she didn't get too cold.
"I remember when we had a barbeque at Mommy Dina's house," said Luna when she stopped singing.
"Yes, at that time we just met but were like old friends who had not met for a long time, Hahaha ...." Alexa chuckled.
"Haha yeah, even though I'm a typical person who doesn't easily like someone's character. But I like your tomboyish style and good at playing the guitar." Luna chuckled too and said her admiration for the girl beside her.
"I can teach you if you want," said Alexa.
Suddenly Luna laughed again at the offer, "Hahaha ... how can I learn to play guitar. My stomach is big, it will be hard to put down the guitar."
"You can put it on the side of your body," explained Alexa.
"It's still difficult because my stomach is big, another time I Will learn if I have given birth," replied Luna.
"Okay." Alexa nodded in agreement because she saw from Luna's stomach, which was getting bigger, it would be difficult to play around. "How old are you now, by the way?" She asked.
"I'm almost 23 years old, you?" Luna asked in return.
"I'm only 22 years old," replied Alexa. "You married young and got pregnant right away, even though you could have continued your career as a model." She continued. Because she doesn't know how Luna and Ethan got married.
"Umm, because I wanted to get married young," replied Luna without telling her history. She was lazy to tell the embarrassing incident.
"Oh, let's we just continue singing," asked Alexa to focus on her guitar again.
"Can you do the guitar chords for Lana Del Rey's song?" asked Luna as she thought about the song she was going to sing.
"Yes," replied Alexa. "Uh, but what's the title of the song? I haven't memorized it all."
"Love or Radio, can you remember the chord?" asked Luna again.
"Oh that's easy," replied Alexa with a grin at Luna.
"Okay. Let's just sing that song," said Luna with a beaming face. The pregnant woman no longer looks sad and forgets about Edward or the perpetrator of the accident that happened to her husband.
"Okay." Alexa immediately started plucking the guitar strings with her fingers slowly.
Luna immediately started singing with her slightly melodious voice. occasionally Alexa also sang in balance.
Not even they can stop me now
Boy, I'll be flying overhead
Their heavy words can't bring me down
Boy I've been raised from the dead
No one even knows how hard life was
I don't even think about it now because
I've finally found you
oh, sing it to me
Now my life is sweet like cinnamon
Like a fucking dream I'm living in
Baby love me cause I'm playing on the radio
(How do you like me now?)
Pick me up and take me like a vitamin
'Cause my body's sweet like sugar venom oh yeah
Baby love me cause I'm playing on the radio
(How do you like me now?)
American dreams came true somehow
I swore I'd chase until I was dead
I heard the streets were paved with gold
That's what my father said
No one even knows what life was like
Now I'm in LA and it's paradise
I've finally found…
Ethan and his mother are relaxing while watching TV in the living room. Hearing his wife sing with lyrics that seemed to show her happy heart for the love he had given, Ethan got off the sofa and walked to the terrace.
The man stands leaning against the wall with his arms crossed as he continues to watch his wife sing happily with his cousin.
Luna didn't notice that her husband was behind her and watching her. The song succeeded in making Ethan blush and flowery.
"Perfect." Ethan gave the compliment while clapping. He immediately sat beside Luna and embraced her from the side.
"Since when you were good at singing, hem?" Ethan asked as he brought his face closer to Luna with a seductive smile. ah, he doesn't care if Alexa comes back grumbling because she was left making out.
"Since a long time ago, it's just that I was embarrassed to sing in front of a crowd," replied Luna shyly.
"Sing for me sometimes. I'll be your loyal listener," Ethan exclaimed as he stroked Luna's hair. He fell so in love with his wife.
Feeling like a mosquito repellent, Alexa immediately started walking into the house. 'Huh, Ethan made me a spectator on purpose,' she thought irritably.
While relaxing while looking at the millions of stars scattered in the sky. Ethan and Luna's gaze drifted toward the car that had just come into the yard.
"Sis Shandra," muttered Luna when the owner of the car got out.
Shandra and Arsha approached Luna and Ethan who were relaxing.
"How are you, Ethan. Are you feeling better?" asked Arsha as he sat on Ethan's left, while Shandra sat on Luna's right. Now the four of them sat in a row.
"Yes, I feel better, It's just still a little dizzy," Ethan replied pleasantly.
"What about the case, have you investigated your car's brakes suddenly failing?" asked Shandra enthusiastically. Her detective attitude rebelled again.
"Yes, Sis. There is indeed someone who intends to harm me," said Ethan.
"Who is she or he ?" asked Arsha with a frown.
"I don't know for sure. But traits like Edward, my half brother." Ethan answered doubtfully.
"As I thought," whispered Shandra to Luna, who was silent listening to every conversation.
"Not sure, Sis," replied Luna softly. Meanwhile, Ethan focused on chatting with Arsha.
"Edward?" Arsha frowned.
"Yes," Ethan said briefly and then stood away staring at the sky. "From the characteristics of the perpetrators on CCTV, it is very similar to Edward. I feel doubtful and uncomfortable if I have to harass him to undergo an examination, but I also wonder if it is him, even though we never fought. I don't know what he wanted if he was the one who hurt me."
"So, you are going to ask the police to investigate it?" asked Shandra.
"Yes, Sis," Ethan said as he turned back to Shandra.
Shandra smiled with satisfaction while glancing at Luna, who was even tense. "If he did, he'd be in jail and your life with Ethan would be quiet," she whispered to Luna.
"Edward would have said he was my ex-lover," replied Luna very softly.
"What's the problem, the truth is revealed it is best,r," Shandra assures Luna to come back. She is also lazy to see that her sister still has the past from her husband. Being honest is better than being told by other people.
"I don't know, I just don't want any animosity between them." Luna sighed, then got up and would go into the house.
"Where are you going?" Ethan asked.
"I just want to make milk," replied Luna. She was better off than Shandra kept talking about Edward.
"Oh, yeah. Come back here after that," exclaimed Ethan.
"Hem," said Luna with a peaceful smile at her husband. She immediately walked into the house to the kitchen.
Luna walked into the kitchen with an uneasy mind. she thought about her sister's words, who seemed to keep cornering Edward and said it was better, to be honest than to keep a secret from his past.
'Should I be honest, will Ethan be mad at me? Will he start drifting away from his brother? or everything will be fine because it's just the past. But what if Edward was the culprit, would that mean I was made this condition? And Ethan would be hurt that his brother did bad things to him just to snatch me?' She thought with all the questions in her heart.


Luna was forced to stop modeling because of an incident that made her pregnant and had to marry Ethan who feels guilty about accepting the marriage even though Luna doesn't love and ignores him, and asks for a divorce after giving birth.

Luna, who has lost popularity and the bad news about herself as a model, is even more annoyed by Edward's presence. he is her ex-boyfriend who turns out to be Ethan's half-brother was married Viona to save his company.

Who would have thought, Edward insisted on getting Luna back even though he had Viona.

"Don't ever think I'll come back to you, Edward. Because right now I love Ethan!"

Edward doesn't care about Luna's refusal, he continues to act to get her, who loves Ethan.

Will Ethan and Luna's love survive Edward's interference?

We'll see the rest of the story

Story by Me 
Art by Pinterest

Chapter 85. Shaking hands
"Ms. Lin, your hands are shaking. Are you okay?"
Producer Ma said as he looked towards Lin Ru who was singing and playing the guitar. Her hands were shaking while playing the guitar as she was too nervous.
"Yeah, I, I am fine."
Lin Ru said nervously and Writer Hu retorted as she said.
"Are you really fine when your hands are shaking this much. How about we prerecord you singing instead of going live?"
Writer Hu said with an expression that said that she wouldn't do as she glanced at her shaking hands.
"I, I will do it better this time."
Lin Ru said as she again started to play the guitar. Although her singing was fine, she was too nervous to properly play the guitar.
Producer Ma clicked his tongue when he saw that.
His attitude told Lin Ru that she was not satisfied with her. She was worried that she would be rejected if she kept it on.
Her agency had worked really hard for her to gain the opportunity, she can't waste it.
"Just take a deep breath and try to stand straight. It's just a rehearsal, you don't have to be nervous."
As she was being worried, she heard a voice filled with experience. It was Wu Wei who was smiling while looking at her.
"Senior, I, I…..."
"You worry too much about your surroundings. Just take a deep breath and sing."
She nodded to Wu Wei and took a deep breath and slowly started to play the guitar and sing the song.
This time, her hands were not shaking and she was also able to bring out the emotions in the song.
Her pronunciation and the voice was also in accordance with the music flowing out of the song.
Even Producer Ma and Writer Hu were liking the song but Lin Ru stopped in the middle of the song.
"What happened? You were doing great this time."
"Yeah, why did you stopped in the middle of it?"
Producer Ma and Writer Hu asked with confused looks as they wondered why Lin Ru had stopped in the middle of her song.
"Please give me a moment. I will be back in a minute."
Lin Ru said as she bowed towards the two of them and left the room.
The reason she stopped in the middle of her song was because she felt empty when she heard it.
Lin Ru felt that it can get better and she knew who can make it much better. That's why she ran from studio five to find him.
She knew that it would be low chance that he would still be here but she ran with a slight glimmer of hope but even after searching around the lobby, all she could find was radio station personnels.
She suddenly became sad and decided to return to the studio but as she was returning, her eyes suddenly saw the handsome guy who had earlier played her song.
At that moment, she ran towards him with all her might as she said in a high pitched sound.
"Excuse me!"
* * *
'What am I doing here?'
Ren thought as he looked around the surroundings. He was back in studio five and Producer Ma and Writer Hu were staring at him with weird expressions.
Sitting in front of him was Lin Ru, a future star and the girl he had met in the lobby a while ago.
There was also Wu Wei who was looking at Ren with an interested expression.
"So, you want me to play the guitar while you sing and it is even live?"
"Yeah, please. I request you."
Lin Ru said as she bowed slightly. She had a desperate expression on her face as she requested Ren.
"But, I am not a singer."
"I, I don't know who you are but please play the guitar accompaniment for me."
Ren had already figured out that Lin Ru didn't knew who he was as she had not recognised him earlier.
"I don't think...….."
"You know, it's not a good thing to reject a girl."
As Ren was trying to deny Lin Ru, Wu Wei suddenly interrupted him.
"Senior Wu."
Ren looked towards Wu Wei as he showed a confused expression.
"Tell me, do you like music?"
"Ah, yeah, I do."
It was a strange question but it was true that Ren liked music. If he hadn't liked music, then he should have not learned how to play a guitar.
"That's it. Then, you are going to play the accompaniment for her."
"Senior!!"
Both Producer Ma and Writer Hu looked at Wu Wei with strange looks when he said that.
"What? We all are people who liked music. Let's just try to enjoy music."
"But Mr. Xin is not a singer. What if he made a mistake?"
"Then, that's fine. I want to see how well he can play the guitar."
"But what if a mishap happened?"
"I will talk to the higher ups myself if that happened. Don't worry."
Wu Wei said as he reassured Producer Ma and he didn't said anything after that.
Wu Wei then looked into the direction of Ren as he said.
"Let's go. We don't have much time left till the next segment."
Ren was not able to say anything after that. Everything happened too quickly.
He was again led to the radio booth and Wu Wei told him to stood in front of the mic with the guitar in his hands and Lin Ru stood besides him.
"Um, I am sorry that you have to play the guitar for my song."
Lin Ru said as she looked apologetically at him. Ren wanted to say many things at the moment but he held it in and just smiled as he replied.
"It's okay. By the way, my name is Xin Ren."
"Ah, yes, my name is Lin Ru. It's nice to meet you."
Lin Ru said as she looked bashful and Ren replied.
"You don't have to be modest. Your song was really good."
"Thank you but the tune you were playing was better than mine. How did you rearranged it so quickly?"
Ren just smiled in embarrassment when he heard that. He can't say that the song and tune was originally hers and he was not the one to create it.
"It's just. I felt that it would go better this way."
"Really? Buy you rearranged it too quickly. You aren't a producer or something, right."
"No, I am just an actor."
Ren said as he scratched his head. As he was thinking about ways to avoid the topic, he heard Wu Wei's voice.
"We are ready to go now. You can begin after the countdown."
Both Ren and Lin Ru became serious when they heard that. Ren put his hands on the guitar and fixed the chords and checked the strings.
His heart was beating wildly as the countdown began on the monitor.
[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,....Go!!]


Ren, he was someone with great talent in acting and singing but due to bad luck and some wrong choices, he was only able to become a third rate actor.

After dying in an accident, he noticed that he had returned to the past.

With the help of his talents and the knowledge of future, he started his journey to become the trendiest star of the century!

*On hiatus

* * *

The story will take place in an alternate world. It is just to avoid the copyright infringement. I don't want my story to end up like I'm in Hollywood or IRAS.

Contact me on discord : Killerbee#4748

Here's a link to the server : https://discord.gg/F9xfJWv

PayPal account: https://www.paypal.me/Killerbee11

Support me if you want!!

"Ah, yes?"

Haruka sighed, "Get closer to me, Lila."

He's calling her 'Lila' again, is he mad? Lila hesitantly shifted closer, and Haruka pulled her onto his lap. When she recalled the scene that Sophia sent her, however, she flinched uncomfortably. While Lila neglected to bring up the topic again - it hadn't meant she had forgiven him. Lila deliberately didn't bring it up because she feared her reaction. When she saw that scene before her eyes, Haruka was talking so fondly with another woman on his lap it made her sick. It wasn't even the kiss that bothered her but the sight she saw on the vide.

Since she was distracted, Lila didn't notice Haruka's face inches away from hers until the last second. It was too late for her to do anything, as she melted into the kiss.

"Unhh," Lila moaned. She felt her whole body tremble as his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

"Haruka," she muttered, "Please, you'll drive me crazy again," and once she does. She will forget it all, the wall she is trying to place between them.

"You're avoiding me," Haruka whispered, "You're angry after all?"

Lila didn't know what to say; she was angry. No matter what, she had seen far too many situations like what happened a few days back before. Noticing his piercing gaze on her's, Lila knew she could no longer hide it and nodded.

"Aizawa and I are slightly similar; that's why I felt comfortable around her."

Similar, indeed she overheard the story from the tape. "Are you not comfortable around me?" Lila asked.

Haruka's lips curve to a smile, "You provide me with a different sort of comfort, darling," he brushed his fingers across her lips, "You understand?"

While Lila felt flattered that he wasn't looking at the girl in a sexual manner, "I don't want that to be the only comfort I give you," she muttered, "I want you to be natural with me like you did with her. But most times your always so uneasy. Tell me, Haruka, do you still think I'd go back to Kiryu?"

"Yes."

"Let go of me," she struggled in his arms if he's saying that, then he clearly doesn't believe in the feelings she has for him. It made her feel sick and helpless.

"Lila, I'm sorry. I'm just petrified. Don't take it the wrong way."

Lila felt him tremble and paused; why is he afraid? She shows him every day how much she loves him. These days she even tells him, 'I love you' frequently, and yet he's still like this. The deep thoughts and emotions she conveyed through her songs and actions, he still doesn't understand them. Lila thought she was being obvious about it. 

Even Yori gets sick of all the PDA and insists that she's different now. 'Back then, you used to only care about music and Kiryu. But now, you won't even divide it.'

That's probably what's different now. For her music and Haruka have mixed into one, there's no longer a dividing line on the matter.

..........
Lila is getting used to it, random conversations turning into them doing it. She wonders whether that was a good thing or not. 

"That was very bad," Lila lied, as she tried to catch her breath.

"Bad, eh?" Haruka chuckled into her ear, "But you were screaming my name and scratching me."

This idiot. Her thoughts broke off when she discovered Haruka staring at her body, feeling self-conscious she wrapped a jacket around her. He smiled and reached over to gently kiss her lips, "Relax, I'm done for now."

For now, Lila looked at him up and down. Isn't he tired? But he was sweating a lot, Lila reached out for the towels on the side and wiped Harukas sweat away.

He chuckled, "No need, I don't mind."

"Y--you'll get sick," Lila muttered.

"Not a bad idea, you could take care of me, then."

Unbelievable, he's serious about it. Lila shook her head, as she continued to wipe the sweat away. As foolish as Haruka is, she knew the meaning behind his words. Does he want to see her more? Lila nodded, and he patted her hair before he stood up and left the bed. She watched as he walked over and pulled out a guitar from the corner, her eyes lit up. Haruka made his way back, except he sat down on the ground. Lila covered herself with the blanket and looked at him with curious eyes as he strummed a few chords. For the first few minutes, Haruka played random chords when Lila couldn't hold back anymore. She left the bed and sat down beside him and tugged on his arm.

"What is it?"

"Say, say. Haruka, will you sing for me?" Lila asked.

Haruka smiled. "Yeah, that's why I brought the guitar out."

Her eyes sparkled like a child at his words, really? Is he really going to sing for her? 

"What would you like to listen to?"

Lila frowned, this isn't what she had in mind.

"Haruka, didn't you write loads of cheesy love songs for me? Why don't you sing those?"

Haruka looked at her with a dumbfounded expression, "Hey, wait a minute. Why do you know that?"

"Oh, so you did?"

"Darling, are you trying to play games with me?"

Sensing his tone, Lila shut up and brought the covers to her face. It's better to hide now. However, the moment she did that,  Haruka removed the covers, "Lila," he said softly, "Don't hide from me."

This is bad, just him saying her name like this drives her crazy. Lila wrapped her arms around his neck and murmured, "I think your stupid Haruka."

"Yeah."

"But the same goes for me."

"Your not stupid, your cute and intelligent."

Lila said nothing to that; she didn't have to look at him to know he wore a sincere expression on his face. 

"What's the matter?"

"I just want to hold you tightly Haruka," Lila murmured. She wants to hold him tightly and never let him go. She loves this person so much. Since he can't see it no matter what she does, this is all she can do.

[REWRITING: "Fantasia of the stars" COMIMG OUT JUNE 2022]

A mask of pain.

A wall of sadness and loneliness that nobody could understand. "It's futile to explain, the moment something goes outside the norm, people instinctively push you away." Her pain and sadness is only a burden to those she cares about. 

He hides behind a wall, a long wall nobody can climb. 

Terashima Lila entire childhood revolved around staying strong for her family and friends. Music was her means of escape. A means of conveying the deep feelings and emotions in her heart that she couldn't convey normally. But when her cursed bloodline separates her from everything she built the past sixteen years of her life, and singing slowly degrades her condition further - what will Lila do? She transfers to light academy under a new name 'Kiku Ari,' and she meets him.

The one person who changes her life completely.

A unique music romance novel that focuses on a single girl's journey and burden behind being the top idol. Join Lila on her journey to achieve her new dream, while struggling with her hanyou lineage and getting caught up in a triangular romance.

To achieve her dream, what will she sacrifice? What will change? 

For her, the two of them were both equally important. Which hand will she take?
___________________

-------------
*CURRENT COVER - [Cover by: Zushidraws]

Join me on discord: Invite Only (ask in comments section)

Updates: 2-3 Chapters every day 

the first 80-95 chapters are old content which I'm still going through and re-editing.


-
A side note regarding the story: the first half of the story will focus on the second ML Karashima Haruka and the female lead Terashima Lila story. Then the second half will move back to the first ML Austin Kiryu

----

Genre: Music, Romance, Fantasy. Supernatural

Jared slumped down the wall of the bathroom inside the shower. Sobs racked his frame as the tears streamed down his face. He just couldn't keep up anymore. He wanted it all to stop. First he saw his mother die and now this. He was a weapon. Balling his hands into fists, he punched the wall desperately. Lightly at first and then harder. He kept going till starbursts of blood bloomed on his knuckles and it hurt. Hurt everywhere, a numb pain in his whole body. The boy is fit to be used.  Another punch. A slap making his cheek sting as he cried out that he didn't know what to do. Another.
Finally he sank down on his knees, cradling his hand against his chest as he sobbed like his heart would break. Izzy. She was the only person he knew in this strange new world. His little sister that he never wanted. But he didn't want to break down in front of her, she'd just feel guilty that she wasn't there for him. He knew her, knew her inside and out. Wiping his tears now, he went to open the door. 
As soon as Jared opened the door, he saw Izzy setting down a pile of clothes on one of the beds. She looked up as soon as the door opened. She held her arms out and Jared didn't hesitate to go into them. He wrapped his arms around her as Izzy fit her head into the crook of his shoulder, he was still the taller one among them. She shook slightly with relief as they both held each other tight, revelling in the familiarity of the hug. Each other was all they had now. And they weren't letting go anytime soon.
That night when Jared lay on his bed, looking at the night sky outside, sleep evading his reach, the memories of the last few days caught up with him. The slaps, the feeling like his head was going to split apart, the despair, the loneliness, everything. He squeezed his eyes together and tried to breathe.
The next morning, when the two of them were going down to breakfast, Jared asked Isabelle, "Izzy, if I'm a witch does that mean Mom was one too?"
Isabelle scrunched up her eyebrows together. "I guess so. But I honestly cannot imagine your Mom ever being a witch. She was so bori- I mean serious. " Isabelle amended hastily.
Jared jammed his hands into his pockets, seemingly not noticing Isabelle's slip up. "I thought so too but I guess it's true. Huh."
Midway through breakfast, Rob, who had been eating at their table with Alex and Sabrina, said, "We're having a campfire today in the park. Why don't you guys come along? Jared can meet some other people and," Rob shrugged, "It'll be fun."
Isabelle looked at Jared, "Jar? What do you say?"
Jared nodded. "I'd like that."
"You sure?" Sabrina asked, concerned.
"I'd like to be a little distracted now, so, yeah." Jared said.
Isabelle laid a hand over Jared's and gently squeezed and gave him a supportive smile, feling hopeful about getting her old Jared back.
--------------------------
The wind rushed up in great swathes as Isabelle, Jared and Sabrina walked outside later that night. Sabrina had agreed to come with reluctance at Isabelle's insistence, weakly protesting that these were not her thing all the time while Isabelle forced her to put some makeup on. Their boots crunched on the dry leaves and the blowing wind lifted the girls' loose hair as they came upon the campfire. Despite the blowing wind, the flames were absolutely steady, not flickering at all. Elemental magic, Isabelle guessed. All of a sudden Rob came up rushing to them, a delighted look on his face. "You guys made it!" he exclaimed, the cup in his hand sloshing liquid. 
"Woah, Rob, um," Isabelle held up a hand towards Rob, ready to catch him. Rob seemed to be swaying a little on his feet and Isabelle wouldn't be surprised if that drink was spiked liberally with alcohol. "What's in that drink?" Isabelle asked pointedly.
Rob waved away her concern. "It's just apple cider." As he felt Isabelle's pointed look at he sighed and added, "Maybe with a little vodka."
Sabrina snorted as Jared neatly plucked the drink out of Rob's hand and downed it. Rob let out an indignant "Hey!"
"You're going to get real drunk if you drink any more of your, " Jared made air quotes with his fingers, " "Apple cider" "
Rob staggered off, muttering, probably searching for another drink. Isabelle side-eyed Jared. "Didn't mean you should have drank it. Hypocrite."
Jared shrugged, smirking. "I'm 6 feet tall, Izzy, I don't get drunk that easy. I couldn't have you girls drunk now, could I?"
Isabelle snorted. "Yeah right." She mock patted him on the shoulder. "Such a gentleman."
They moved to sit on a log near the fire, the warmth welcoming. Someone had the bright idea to string up fairy lights between the trees, giving the whole scene a cosy feel. She recognised Richard standing near them by a tree with a boy with startling green eyes and and brown hair. Richard gave her a slight nod of his head in way of greeting. Isabelle gave him a slight wave and looked on curiously at the boy next to him, she would have started flirting with him if she had seen him at one of her house parties. As she watched, the boy gave Richard a slight kiss on the cheek and moved away.  Damn, Isabelle thought. Why are all the cute ones gay?
Alyssa came up to them, carrying marshmallows speared onto sticks. Sabrina grabbed one with a little scream of delight and thrust it into the fire. Jared laughed. "You're gonna burn it."
Sabrina thrust it into her mouth without letting it cool. "I like them to resemble my soul," she announced. "Pitch black." 
Somebody had found a guitar somewhere, as Isabelle recognized the strains of notes in the air. Jared gave her a smile, rich with nostalgia. "This reminds me of the campfires we went to doesn't it? You singing, me on the guitar," he said, eyes closed as if he could hear that music. The known strain of notes on the clear night air.
"Hold up" Alyssa raised a hand. "Izzy, you can sing?" she demanded, incredulous.
"Oh she doesn't just sing, she used to compete." Jared said, proud smile on his face. "We were in a band at home. God knows what they're gonna do now, huh?" he said, turning to Isabelle.
"Probably break up or find replacements for us. I know Jane's been dying to sing lead for ages." Isabelle smirked. "Good for her."
Alyssa was still looking at Isabelle with an exasperated expression. "Is there anything you can't do?"
"Haven't found anything yet." Isabelle said with a laugh. 
"What are you kids talking about?" inquired a now coherent Rob who had wandered over to them. Alyssa threw up her hands and demanded of Rob, "Did you know Ms. Perfect could sing?"
Rob snorted and raised an eyebrow. "Sing for us, Izzy. Sing!" he chanted, which was quickly taken up by the others. "Sing! Sing! Sing!" Slowly people started to wander over and the guy who had been talking to Richard earlier turned out to be the one playing the guitar.
"Okay, okay," Isabelle threw up her hands. "Stop it you guys, I'll do it!" Immediately, Jared made grabby hands at the guitar and the guy, looking amused, handed it over. Jared strummed a few spare chords on the guitar as Izzy began to sing, her voice floating on the wind, clear as crystal. After a beat, people began to join in and it was like a trip back into the familiar waters of home, the familiar cadence of voices lifted in harmony, everyone losing themselves, swaying to the music. And for a moment, just for that moment, Jared felt like maybe, just maybe, he could belong here.

She was a normal girl, living her life, playing in her band. But one day, Isabelle Draper gets thrown into an extraordinary world, discovering the fight facing her newly found brethren. Struggling with the weight of a new power and an enormous responsibility, will Isabelle emerge unscathed from this whirlwind of danger, magic and love; the last hope of a magical race on the brink of being crushed to oblivion?

He raised his eyes and looked at Stella, his gray orbs colliding with her hazel ones. The corners of his lips turned up as he cleared his throat. His fingers began to pluck the strings, creating a soft melody as the fire cackled in the background.
With the strings vibrating acoustically through the air, producing sound, he began to sing "Just The Way You Are" by "Bruno Mars". 
**Oh, her eyes, her eyes make the stars look like they're not shinin'
Her hair, her hair falls perfectly without her trying
She's so beautiful and I tell her everyday
Yeah, I know, I know when I compliment her she won't believe me
And it's so, it's so sad to think that she don't see what I see
But every time she asks me "Do I look okay?"
I say'**
He shifted his gaze towards Stella, who was looking at him with her eyes widened in shock as his soothing voice reached her ears, cutting through the calm air coming inside the room from one of of the opened windows, vibrating through her entire body. The corners of his lips tugged upwards as he continued to sing, still holding her gaze.
**When I see your face
There's not a thing that I would change 'cause you're amazing
Just the way you are
And when you smile
The whole world stops and stares for a while
'Cause girl you're amazing
Just the way you are
Yeah**
The movements of his fingers over the strings were like magic, his deep yet mellow voice strucking the chords of her heart, engulfing her in his calming warmth.
**Her lips, her lips, I could kiss them all day if she'd let me
Her laugh, her laugh she hates but I think it's so sexy
She's so beautiful, and I tell her everyday
Oh you know, you know, you know I'd never ask you to change
If perfect's what you're searching for then just stay the same
So don't even bother asking if you look okay, you know I'll say**
Stella couldn't break away from his gaze. She was always mesmerized by his gray eyes. They were as deep as the ocean, holding an entire world within them.
**When I see your face
There's not a thing that I would change
'Cause you're amazing
Just the way you are
And when you smile
The whole world stops and stares for a while
'Cause, girl, you're amazing
Just the way you are
The way you are
The way you are
Girl, you're amazing
Just the way you are
When I see your face
There's not a thing that I would change
'Cause you're amazing
Just the way you are
And when you smile
The whole world stops and stares for a while
'Cause, girl, you're amazing
Just the way you are
Yeah**
He brought his fingers to an abrupt halt as the lyrics of the song ended. He was still looking at her, more like gazing, as if she was the most interesting thing in this world, which she was for him. Scratch that. She was his entire world. 
Their staring contest was interrupted by the sound of applause. Reluctantly tearing their gaze away from the other, both of them turned to look at the other four people in the room. During the entire time Adam was singing, Stella had forgotten about the fact that they were there as well. 
'It's not my fault that his voice is so captivating.' She thought to herself before something dawned on her, making her frown. She didn't voice out her thoughts but rather excused herself before getting up from the couch and headed towards the door. 
As she closed the door after getting out, four pairs of eyes turned towards Adam, questioning him silently. He heaved out a sigh before putting down his guitar and followed her out. He had an idea of what might have upset her out of the blue. 
He walked out to find her sitting on the grass, her knees were folded before her as she hugged them. Her head was tilted back as she gazed up at the sky. He didn't know whether it was the moon or the stars she was staring at. Little did he know that it wasn't the stars which were shimmering in the distance of the crescent moon which was plaguing her mind, rather it was him.
He walked up to her and sat down, folding his legs before him just like her. 
"Dad used to tell me how much Mom loved to play guitar and sing. He had some recordings of her songs which he used to play in my room to lull me to sleep. He wasn't a good singer himself, more like tone deaf." He chuckled softly as if remembering something. "I grew up listening to her voice and seeing her play guitar. The way her fingers moved over the strings as if it was a part of her, it made me want to learn how to play a guitar. As for singing, it came to me naturally, may be I got it from Mom." 
He paused. He was gazing at her, as she was busy staring at the cloudless sky above their heads. He heaved out a sigh before continuing. "That guitar you saw me playing, is actually my Mom's. I have kept it in the same condition as it was then. That guitar and singing is the only connection I have with her. But when died, I stopped playing. Not that I didn't get the time to, but I didn't feel like doing it. It wasn't the same when he was not there sitting before me, listening to all those Mom's favorite songs. I haven't played in four years. The only time I touched that guitar in this time was when I had to send it for it's half yearly maintenance."  
"Stella?" He called her softly. Placing a finger under her chin, he made her face him. "You made me play again today baby girl. Thank you for that." He smiled at her. 
Stella jumped right his arms, making him fall on his back as he wasn't prepared for the sudden attack. 
"I am sorry." She murmured against his neck as she buried her face there. 
"What are you sorry for silly? I should be the one to apologise. I know you don't know everything about me, and it's hard for you. But we have the rest of our lives to get to know each other better." He rubbed her back softly. 


[COMPLETED]

Adam Levinson was the CEO of a big corporation which dealt in a number of different businesses. Behind the rushing and flourishing business, was his hard work. 

But his life was monotonous, without any kind of enjoyment. He spent his days handling meetings and the usual office work.

That was all he did.

He never got to understand the true meaning of how to live his life… until a girl stumbled into his life, turning his world upside down.

Stella Martin, a girl who applied to be his assistant, somehow managed to charm her way into his heart, but will they be able to live a happy life together?

Join them on their emotional rollercoaster ride as they unfold some secrets related to their pasts, and see how Adam helps Stella to get back everything which was supposed to be hers in the first place.

------------

[Excerpt]

From the inside pocket of his coat, he fished out a ring. Holding it firmly in between his fingers, he extended it towards her. 


"I know I have been doing a few things wrongly and I want to rectify those now." He spoke up, looking into her hazel eyes which somehow had brightened up his life. 


"I won't be repeating what I had told you already. I just want to say that I want to be a part of your everyday life just like I want you to be a part of mine. I want to make you smile more often. I like seeing that smile on your face, it brightens up my day." He continued.


"I can't promise you that it will always be a happy ride or a walk in the park, but I promise to give you my all." He looked at the girl who was looking at him with her teary eyes.


"So, Stella Martin. Are you willing to be my girlfriend?" He gave her a bright smile.


*******
Other books of the author:

•The Entangled Fates [On-going]
•The Return Of The Beguiling Beauty [On-going]
•Tales Of Love [On-going]

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