Chapter 25

"May I?" Keith asked again after he found the little girl enchanted by his charm.

"Sorry..." Alana furiously blushed and hurriedly stood up from the bench.

"Stay seated, it's big enough for the two of us." He casually said without looking at her, and sat on the bench, closing his eyes to clear out all the distracting thoughts from his mind.

She was hesitant to stay seated right next to him, but when she found him lost in his own world, she sat down on the edge, sipping on her margarita as quietly as possible.

After a minute, Keith opened his eyes with a fond smile adorning his face. His long slender fingers lightly brushed on the keys, playing nothing in particular, but it still sounded sweet to everyone's ears. And then he stopped and the moment his fingers fells on the keys again, he hooked the entire audience.

A soothing melody whispered in the ears of everyone, and subconsciously, they stopped whatever they were doing to just bask in this enchanting melody.

What he was playing was a song from his memories of the dream, and this Song did not exist in the world he was loving in.

'Merry-go-round of life.'

One of his favourite pieces of music by one of his favorite Music composers.

As the Intro ended and the tempo built up, the surprise and awe of the audience only heightened.

It was a song that spoke to everyone, no matter what sort of mood they were in. For some, it whispered to their sad memories, yet not allowing them to wallow to their sorrow, and for some, it brought out their happy moments to the front of their minds, bringing sweet smiles to their faces.

But none of them were more shocked or surprised than the girl who was sitting by his side, enchanted by not just the music, but also hypnotized by the elegant yet strenuous dance his fingers were performing on the keys.

Keith was oblivious to what he was doing to people, his mind was only occupied with the music he was playing. As it was the first time he was playing it outside of that Dream, he was determined to do justice to this marvelous piece of Music.

Minutes passed, the melody sounded out again, followed by another tempo that dazed the minds of the inexperienced as they looked at his hands fighting a strenuous battle.

And then the song ended... Leaving the people in a strange mood where they both felt fulfilled yet desired more of it.

Keith took a few short breaths and smiled devilishly as he stared at his slightly shivering hands.

He felt that he could have done better than he did, but at the same time, he was proud of his performance.

Someone in the crowd was just about to stand up and clap for his performed, when another piece of Music started sounding out the lounge.

This time, the beat was too catchy, filled it happiness that spoke to both young and old.

People subconsciously chuckled as some sweet memories appeared in their mind. Most were smiling fondly as they listened to music and reminisced about their childhood.

There were some youngsters who were recording everything on their cellphones, and the girls in the audience were helplessly falling for the Mortal who seemed like an immortal in their lovesick hearts.

By now, Alana had been completely blown off with the beauty of the music, and unbeknownst to her, her heart was beating to the rhythm of the music.

What Keith was playing was a song called Windy Hill, and it too was one of his favourites. And of course, it belonged to his Dream.

As the song ended, the people were already up on their feet, just waiting for the moment, and then fervent applause greeted the young Demiliore.

"More!" A fangirl screamed from the audience, who then pressed for him to play it again.

"Again!"

"Please, More!"

"More!"

"More!!"

....

Keith chuckled when he heard their requests and then turned to look at the girl by his side.

"I have another venison of this song. Want to hear it?" He softly asked with a light smile, and the Maiden's heart fluttered in sweetness she was not yet fully aware of.

"Yes.." She subconsciously nodded, and Keith grinned before looking back at the keys.

His fingers fell again, the crowd quieted down, and then an enchanting melody imprisoned them.

This time, he was playing 'A Town with an Ocean View'. A piece of music he was really fond of.

Alana couldn't help her giggles at the music that called out to her child-like soul that had been suppressed by the harshness of time.

There was just something about this music that they all fell in love with, and even the old generation, enjoyed it just as much as the young ones.

The song ended, but Keith did not stop playing.

"Join me..." He lightly said and shifted to the left side of the piano, leaving the keys on the right in the care of Alana.

She was too hooked to the music to realize what she was doing, and her hands instinctively fell on the keys, playing the melody with him.

Keith mischievously smiled, and then changed the music to some random melody that had appeared in his mind.

Alana realized it, and replied with her own, something that complimented him.

And then started the playful fight between them. Where he chuckled and she giggled, with time to time throwing proactive, yet playful, glare at each other.

The audience soon realized what was happening, but the music was still refreshing and pretty, so they just enjoyed it.

Watching the two of them play with such familiarity broke the hearts of many girls, and even some boys were sighing at their display of affection.

When their battle ended over half n hour later, they both received a round of applause, and they both gracefully bowed to the crowd, accepting their appreciation.

"Come with me, I need to talk to you about something," Keith whispered near her ear before walking off the stage, towards the table where Caesar, Yingying, and Victor were sitting.

A few people on the way stood up and greeted him, and he stopped to politely shake hands with them, sharing a few good words.

Alana was left conflicted on the stage, as the realization had finally dawned on her that something was not right with her. She no longer looked confident and composed but seemed like just another maiden, who was finding herself dangerously attracted to a boy whom she had never met before.

There was something in the back of her mind, whispering to her to run away, but she ignored the wails of Destiny and finally walked towards the devilishly handsome boy.

"Master, you were brilliant!" Victor enthusiastically spoke as soon as Keith arrived at the table.

The simpleton knew nothing about the theory of music, but he was still capable of discerning and appreciating the beauty of the art.

"It was truly a marvelous perform, Master Keith!" Caesar too appreciatively spoke.

"Thank you!" Keith smiled at him and nodded, before taking his seat.

Yingying was about to ask him the names of the songs he passed when a timid girl approached their table.

"Sit!" Keith stood up from his seat and pointed at the seat next to Caesar, which was vacant.

Perhaps it was because of the presence of another girl on the table that helped her nerves, as she nodded to him and calmly took the seat.

"My name is Keith." He introduced himself with a smile and then turned to look at his companions. "This lovely lady is Yingying, the simpleton is Victor, and the old man's name is Caesar."

Alana couldn't help the smile that crept on her face at his casual yet interesting introduction of his companions.

"My name is Alana." She sweetly spoke in an enchanting voice.

"You have a very lovely voice, Alana." Keith put up a 'surprised' look and commented. "And you are remarkably gifted in Music."

The sudden praises made her burn in embarrassment, yet she did not feel too awkward because of how amiable Keith sounded.

"You said that you had something to talk to me about..." She lightly spoke to get over her anxiety.

"Yes! It's a very important matter. And I dearly hope that you would accept my offer."

"An offer?" Alana frowned and curiously asked.

"I want to offer you a contract and sign you for my company. As a music composer, and since you have such a lovely voice, I am sure you can sing a little too."

"I..." Alana hesitated a little before shaking her head. "I can't sing."

"Is it because of the irritation that you feel in your throat when you try to raise the voice?" Keith lightly smiled at her.

"How do you know?" She surprisedly looked at him, and he chuckled at how adorable she looked.

"I am a doctor, silly girl. A very accomplished one, and so, I can tell it."

"I thought you were a Musician!" She exclaimed, still surprised.

"No, I am not. I just play because I love Music. I don't have time and intentions to start a career in it." Keith smiled at her. "And Primarily, I am a businessman, and then a Doctor."

"Oh..." She did not know what to say to him. But then when she thought that she should at least say something, she blurted whatever came to her mind. "You are awesome!"

All of them chuckled at her words, and Keith nodded his head unreservedly.

"Yup. I am awesome!"

His proclamation only made her blush more at her silliness.

"Now let's talk about the business," Keith suddenly turned serious. "As I said, I want to offer you a contract to sign up with my company, and I will help you establish a successful music career. With your talent, it won't be hard to accomplish everything. Think about it carefully. It is once in a lifetime opportunity."

Alana had her doubts, but she could sense the sincerity from his words. If she had not witnessed his musical performance, she might have been very hesitant to believe in his words, but now she subconsciously believed in what he said.

"Would I have to leave this job?"

"Of course, Silly." He chuckled. "I am offering you a full-time job that will pay you so much more than what you are earning here."

"But I have a contract with the restaurant..."

"I will pay the termination penalty. Don't worry about it." Keith waved his hand and said. "No matter how much it is, it would be nothing in my eyes."

"But..."

"I will cut it from your future salary if you are still hesitant about it."

Alana nodded to this and then frowned as she thought things over.

"What exactly will I have to do?"

"You will make Music and will be given a free hand to make whatever you want. You will get access to a Music studio, and whatever you need to compose your music will be provided to you. Your creations will then be judged, and after you are given the green light, your music will be published and distributed under my companies label. You will get a handsome share of the earnings, and my company will get the rest. And then there will be side jobs, which depend on your popularity as an artist. In short, the more popular you grow, the more you will earn."

"Side jobs?"

"Concerts and tours. Also, some Production companies might want to hire you to make music for them, and if you choose to accept their offer, my company will be responsible for representing you in those ventures. It will provide you with security so that you or your music will not be taken advantage of."

"My Music will belong to your company?"

"Yes, it will be shared ownership. However, I will make sure that there are no artistic restrictions on your work."

"It sounds too good..." She murmured as she thought over things. Of course, a young girl like her did not know the ins and outs of the industry, but she could feel that the offer would be a life-changing decision for her.

"If you agree, I will fix your problem and you will be able to sing properly." Keith devilishly spoke, and then laughed lightly when he saw her stressing under her thoughts.

"Don't worry. I will fix the problem for you even if you choose not to accept the offer..."

"I accept!" Alana blurted out.

"Awesome!" Keith laughed happily and then poured himself some wine and her a glass of water.

"Cheers!"

FateDevilAce

Here's this Sunday's Chapter. Hope you guys liked it.

As for the three songs I have mentioned in the chapter, they actually exist. Long live Joe Hisaishi and Studio Ghibli for giving some of the most wonderous Music that the world will ever hear!

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