7 || Nighttime Sunshine ||
|| Chapter 7: Nighttime Sunshine ||
As the evening approached the city, the bustling streets were filled with traffic and people roamed the streets. Nestled amidst a skyline of sleek high-rise buildings was a three-story restaurant: its minimalist facade was adorned with subtle golden accents that leaked an air of warmth and sophistication. Its entrance was marked by a discreet sign that read 〖Eunha Cuisine〗- it had an elegant cursive font, catching passerby's attention. Meanwhile, soft yet warm lighting in the restaurant bathed the space in a gentle glow over the tables.
Flickering candlelight danced upon sleek mahogany tables that were draped with crisp white linens. The interior of the restaurant exuded an aura of modern luxury, especially with its plush velvet seating, polished marble floors, expensive-looking art portraits and landscapes adorning the walls. On the one side of the restaurant was a luxurious bar, where five bartenders stood, waiting to assist anyone who wished to have a drink. At the heart of the restaurant was a stage bathed in soft amber light, hinting that there would be a live band playing that evening.
A gigantic hole was in the middle of all the floors, accommodating three dangling chandeliers between them to illuminate the building's interior. Spiral staircases were seen at the corners of the floors, giving access for the patrons to move each floor level. On the very top floor, which didn't have a gap for the chandeliers, was a more sophisticated dining area for anyone who didn't want to hear the live band during their meal time.
The upper levels revealed an open view of the city's bustling streets and shimmering lights below to the patrons. This establishment was well-known for accommodating the elite circles in society, especially those in politics and business. As the famous restaurant started to fill up with high-class patrons, who were dressed in luxurious attires and accessories, a group of three handsome men appeared from the backdoor of the building. Some seated patrons noticed them and stared at them with stunned expressions. All three of them were dressed in dark-coloured suits and ties; it was as if they stepped out of a movie.
The trio greeted the servers and other staff members as they started setting up their music equipment on the stage. They were relaxed as they conversed with each other, ignoring the bitter yet sneering pair of eyes that were watching them from the lobby. That gaze belonged to a short woman, who was in her early thirties. She had short black hair, pale skin, and droopy brown eyes. She was dressed in a formal black three-piece suit and high heels. " Eun-bi-ssi is glaring daggers at you again, Siwoo-ah," Jihun whispered to him, goosebumps appeared on his arms as he sneakily glanced at the fuming woman, "She's super pissed right now..."
"Let her be pissy," Siwoo bluntly retorted with a scoff, rolling his eyes as he adjusted the electric guitar's strap over his shoulder. "Just ignore her," Minho stated, grinning as he spun the drumsticks between his fingers, "She's just being sour that we've been ignoring her texts and calls for weeks." A low yet amused laugh escaped the ravenette and peach-haired man, silently agreeing with his words. As the evening continued to unfold, the three young men took their positions, holding their equipment. As usual, Siwoo positioned himself behind the microphone, his electric guitar slung over his shoulder.
Beside him was Jihun, wielding his acoustic guitar with ease. On the other side of him was Minho, who was settled in behind a technical drumset, ready to provide the rhythmic backbone to their performance. They shared a glance before nodding, turning to focus on their instruments. Suddenly, a soft mixture of folk and country music started playing while a low sultry voice hummed along with it. Immediately, the tune and voice caught the patrons' attention. Silently, they turned around to watch the three handsome men performing.
Verse 1↴
You know better babe, you know better babe
Than to look at it, look at it like that
You know better babe, you know better babe
Than to talk to it, talk to it like that
Pre-chorus↴
Don't give it a hand, offer it a soul
Honey, make this easy
Leave it to the land, this is what it knows
Honey, that's how it sleeps
Chorus↴
Don't let it in with, with no intention to keep it
Jesus Christ, don't be kind to it
Honey don't feed it, it will come back
The crowd was stunned when a low sultry yet intoxicating voice started singing the song in English; they couldn't help but get into a trance. The first verse was slow but so seductive, it was almost like the devil's sweet whisper. Even though it was seductive, there was a hint of caution and warning in his voice. His eyes were intense and dark and a charming smile was seen on his face while the light illuminated his face. The pre-chorus was slightly playful, however, it still had that hint of scolding and warning in it. The chorus was a bit faster before he snapped at 'Jesus Christ!', showing that he was frustrated and tired.
Verse 2↴
You know better babe, you know better babe
Than to smile at me, smile at me like that
You know better babe, you know better babe!
Than to hold me just, hold me just like that
Pre-chorus↴
I know who I am when I'm alone
Something else when I see you
You don't understand, you should never know
How easy you are to need
Chorus↴
Don't let me in with, with no intention to keep me
Jesus Christ, don't be kind to me
Honey don't feed me I will come back
The patrons couldn't help but inhale sharply at the performance, their throats growing dry with anticipation and their eyes gleaming with excitement. When he sang the second verse, he repeated how he sang the first verse. However, when he reached the second 'babe' in the second verse, his voice grew louder in frustration and denial before growing low. Slight anger and impatience filled the rest of the pre-chorus and chorus. He licked his dry lips as Jihun and Minho played a thirty-second instrumental part before singing the bridge.
Bridge↴
Can't be unlearned
I've known the warmth of your doorways
Through the cold, I'll find my way back to you
Oh please, give me mercy no more
That's a kindness you can't avoid!
I want you baby tonight, as sure as you're born
Some female patrons fanned their beet-red faces when they heard him growl out the last line with desperation and need. His voice was filled with obsession and despair as he 'pleaded' in the song. Unconsciously, he adjusted his tie and pushed his fallen bangs back in place, lazily narrowing one of his eyes. As it got quiet, only the sounds of a thumping drum followed his low sultry voice that sang the outro in a slow yet taunting tone. He sounded like a possessive lover who was warning his partner not to play with his feelings, yet he hid that dark warning with a hint of playfulness.
Outro↴
You'll hear me howling outside your door
Don't you hear me howling babe?
Don't you hear me howling babe?
Don't you hear me howling babe?
Don't you hear me howling
Don't you hear me howling
Don't you hear me howling babe?
As the last instrumental notes faded into the air, the room erupted into applause, the audience rising to their feet in appreciation of the young men's talent. They bowed to the crowd with proud smiles, silently thanking them for their presence. "Yah! Good work, honey!" Jihun mused, swinging his arm around the ravenette's shoulder with a toothy grin, "I got shivers when you sang 'I want you baby' part like that~!" A scoff-like laugh escaped his mouth and he rolled his eyes at his friend's words.
"Oi, don't call him like that," Minho snapped with an irked expression, harshly trusting one of the drumsticks' sharp edge into Jihun's side, adding, "And hands off, you clingy bastard!" A loud painful yelp was heard from Jihun, causing him to release the ravenette. Immediately, Minho nudged the ravenette towards him and threateningly held his drumstick towards Jihun like a sword. "Minho-ah..." Jihun muttered with tearful yet bitter eyes, clutching his stinging side before returning the sword-like gesture with the mic stand, "You petty bitch!"
As they childishly started arguing and taunting each other like toddlers, the ravenette slipped from Minho's grasp and gestured to the crowd that they were going to take a five-minute break. Slowly, his gaze flickered over the crowd before tensing up when he made direct eye contact with familiar fox-like charcoal eyes. With a charming closed-eye smile, Sang-won sent him a wave as a silent greeting. "Shit..." The ravenette inaudibly cursed under his breath and his gaze turned dark, pursing his lips in annoyance.
