Chapter 26

I finish River Flows In You with soft touches that traveled from your ears right into your soul.

I once again received numerous applauses from people and I got up from the stool and bowed to the audience.

Thanking everyone, I head back to the employee area and take a sip of cold water. My heart was slightly shaking. I usually only had these problems when I first started performing but I got rid of these nerves pretty quickly in the past.

Now, it seems these nerves are coming back. It's bigger numbers of people, after all. And now, I'm also required to do a good job since I'm a cafe pianist and also these compositions are pieces I am taking from the other world.

I can't do the original composers such a disservice by playing their masterpieces with mistakes upon entering the world.

In a way, it is how I will be respecting them and thanking them for using their songs in this world.

I come out of the employee area and receive high-fives from my co-workers.

"Charlie that was great!" They circled me.

"Thank you very much."

After those two short lines, we got back to work. There's a huge amount of customers right now, after all.

"Excuse me! We'd like to have waiter Charlie assigned to us, please."

I hear a ding on one of my coworker's tablets and they smile at me.

"Table #5, big table. They're specifically asking for you. Can you handle it?"

I nod.

I walk over towards my friend group who are currently sitting down on the table while grinning at me.

"Hello good afternoon, I will be your waiter for the day. May I take your orders?"

They completely ignored that and began congratulating me on the amazing performance I just pulled.

I don't have to smile politely since they're my friends. I paint my face with my genuine smiles and thank them.

They try hugging me but I avoid them since I'm on duty right now.

"Charlie, I heard it from the viral video but hearing it up in person is just amazing," Owen told me.

Elle replied to him, "Honestly all of the songs he's been playing are just amazing."

Natsumi agreed, "Yeah, where do you even pull out all of these compositions?"

"Hoh. They're mine."

They more or less expected it but hearing it from my mouth they just looked at me. "That's amazing," Ronan said.

"Hmm, how's working here like, Charlie?" Lizbeth inquired.

I answered a few of their questions but reminded them I was on a job with many other customers and I couldn't stay around for long.

They began weeping and calling for me dramatically while some other customers stared at us in concern.

Ah, these loveable idiots.

"Alright alright, don't get me fired here. I'll be back to check up on you guys in a bit. What are your orders though?"

They told me the few things they wanted and I waved at them one last time and left to place the orders.

The more experienced baristas and workers handled the food and stuff. I just needed to carry the food and clean the tables which were relatively easier tasks compared to what they did.

…

A man with a long beard called me out as I passed by the tables.

"Hey kid, what's your name?"

He was wearing a Hawaiian shirt and had sandals… in a cafe… by himself. He had pretty long hair and a well-maintained beard. Looked to be caucasian and was wearing dark sunglasses.. in a cafe.

He pulls up his expensive-looking sunglasses.

"I'm Charlie, how may I be of service?" Is he going to request a piano song? I don't know any compositions from this world.

I might be able to sight-read the piece quickly and maybe play it but if it's too difficult I might not be able to.

He only pushed his glasses back down and leaned back on the chair. After a few seconds of just staring at me, he says,

"I like ya kid."

I smiled politely. Okay, that's a little weird.

"Alright, you can leave now." He was drinking a simple black tea and his clothes did not look at all cheap. Who's this man and why does he want my name? Also, did he just call me to say this?

Is he a homosexual sugar daddy? I scratch the thought immediately before I can further traumatize myself.

Nope, hell no.

Hell to the no.

He's probably a rich pianist, composer, or musician who just really liked the songs.

Well, good thing I already copyrighted all of the songs I've been playing and am planning on playing so no one will be claiming my songs. Not like they could anyways, the songs were mine the moment I began playing them.

I look down at my uniform and adjust my nametag.

I get out of my thoughts and continue the rest of the hour in the job. The amount of people coming is not lowering at all which is a little exhausting but oh well. It just means more tips from people.

Some people leaving the tables left some money from the tip for my playing and cash is starting to flow in. People liked the songs, it seems.

Passing through another table, I hear another guy calling out for me.

"Yes, sir. How may I be of service?"

I look to the side at the person calling me and it's a familiar face.

It's the bald guy who helped us at the train the other day. He was out of duty this time and was also wearing… expensive clothing? How much do train drivers get paid?

My eyes turn into crescents.

"Hey kid, I didn't know you played the piano like that here."

"Hello. I do practice the piano."

"I frequent here pretty often but I've never seen you before are you new?"

He tried to make some conversation and I seeing as most tables weren't calling for anything, I decided to entertain him.

"Yes sir, this is my first time at the job."

"Cool. Have you considered what John told you?" He paused for a moment, "Honestly, at first, I thought he pulled the trigger too hastily on choosing you but seeing how talented you are I take back my statement. Knife Agency is a pretty big name and with your skills and looks you'd be taken in pretty easily."

It felt a little weird getting complimented like this but I showed a smile,

"Yes, it was my honor to receive an invite from an agency like that. I forgot to thank you the other day for allowing us to hide in the room."

He waved his hand, "No worries kid. You know, when I told John about it he was so embarrassed and he kept saying he would definitely be fired this time. You could save his job if the higher-ups hear John managed to get a talented guy like you."

Well, I'd be pretty dumb if I rejected an offer from a desperate guy from one of the biggest entertainment agencies in the world.

I smile at him politely, "I'm currently considering it."

"Well, I'll leave ya be. Just consider it okay? Also, keep playing well. I really like the songs you've been playing."

I nodded at him, "Of course. Please enjoy the following performances."

…

I left and received some plates from people in the kitchen.

"Hey, Charlie!" As I turn around I see a familiar hostile face. Man, I hope they're not going to do something dumb.

"Please give me a second." I walk past them with an indifferent expression and sidestep one of them trying to trip me. Damn, I have plates on my hands and they're even trying to do that.

I lightly kick his shin as I walk past them and go to place the orders on the assigned tables.

"Here is your chocolate croissant and dark coffee. Please enjoy."

I move back towards where I came from.

"Hey, you!"

I face them indifferently, "Yes, how may I help you?"

"You kicked me."

"I apologize if I might have kicked your foot. The space to walk in is very cramped. Would there be anything else?"

"Yeah, I'm telling the manager.���

Uh…

What?

Is this a Karen Moment?

I merely stare at them for a while.

"Hey man, I saw you trying to trip him. It's your fault if you're deciding to be a dumbass." One of their neighboring tables barked at them.

"Fuck off." He yelled back and got up from his seat to stare at the upstander.

It was a group of adults who had enjoyed my piano performance earlier. I smile at them in gratitude and they nod back.

"Shut up and keep out of it."

"Dumb douchebags." The stupid guys began insulting the neighboring table.

"Please respect the other customers. If you don't we might have to ask you to leave," I intervened.

By now the surrounding tables were staring with contempt at the idiots.

"Shut the fuck up loser."

"Stay quiet fucker."

I stare at them indifferently.

"You got something to say?"

I feel something tapping me and it's one of my coworkers who were bringing the idiots their orders.

He stares at me and asks with his eyes what's up.

I shake my head. "Rude customers," I mouth to him.

"Gimme that." They snatched the drinks and orders from the waiter.

The drinks unbalance and one of them falls and bathes one of the idiots with cold tea. Ah, the power of idiots.

Some customers are now whispering to each other while frowning at them.

"Charlie, you fucking threw the drink on me." I widen my eyes at the guy while some onlookers facepalm.

I hear a familiar voice, "Dude, shut the hell up already." I look to the side and right there are my friends walking over wonderfully to tell this man to shut up already.

I'd be biting back but it wouldn't be professional from my part so having them talk for me is a relief for my tongue.

Reed frowned at them, "You tried grabbing the drink from him, stop being an idiot dude."

The majority of us are pretty tall with the shortest just being 5'11 which is even above average so they're pretty intimidating.

They stop at their table and tower over them.

"You wanna go, man? Let's take this outside."

I sigh and pull back Alex who was about to throw a punch. Am I allowed to do this as a waiter? Whatever.

I stare at the guy who was yelling at me earlier, "It was your fault the drink spilled on you and you tried tripping me earlier. Please stop disturbing the other customers or leave."

He rises and throws a punch at me.

I am taken aback and immediately dodge out of the way. What the hell is with this guy and why is he so aggressive? Damn.

Macy says, "Idiot…"

Four guys shove him back towards the wall and he gasps in surprise.

I barely pull them back from jumping the guy and smile at them in gratitude. They pat my back.

Michael, the manager comes in and asks them to leave.

They stomp away without their drinks since they haven't paid either.

Michael nods at me and I take out a cloth to wipe their mess. He apologizes to the surrounding tables for the commotion and leaves.

My friends just stand there behind me as I clean the table. "Guy is lucky. I was boutta murder him."

"Same."

"Too bad he left."

"Alright alright, you guys would've gotten in trouble though," Juniper calls out from behind.

"Yeah."

"Thank you guys for the help."

"Any time, Charlie." They all respond at once like robots.

We stare at each other and burst into laughter.

I walk to the neighboring table of adults that called them out.

"Thank you for your help earlier. May I help you with something?"

"Oh, no problem, and no thanks we're good."

"They were just being dickheads and I couldn't stand seeing it."

I smile at them and then walk towards other tables.

[Author Note: Heyy! A little drama this time. How was the pace this time? Is it going well or am I rushing things too much? Rather, am I being too slow?

Please leave your thoughts below!

Many of you guys are beginning to comment which is amazing and reading all of your comments always brings a smile to my face. Thank you all for reading!

Thank you all for reading once again and we hit 50K views and more than 200 collections! Crazy to think about how these numbers are rising so fast! Let's celebrate with a few extra releases! :).

Edit: WE'RE ALREADY AT 278 COLLECTIONS WTF

Edit 2: WE'RE ALREADY GOING FOR 60K VIEWS WHATTTTTT

Edit 3: NVM 290 COLLECTIONS NOW

Thank you all for commenting. It really makes my day brighter and a little less lonely from the quarantine. I'll restrain myself from the sloppy talk lol.

Enjoy the chapters! 3 / 3

This will be the last chapter for the day! I'd publish more but I haven't had the time to stockpile more chapters and I just directly wrote these 3. They were all longer than 2,000 words which I'm pretty proud of.]