Surprise
As we walked away from the bustling Old Town neighborhood, a small stream winding between us, an old street with shops clustered closely together came into view.
Families strolling together, couples on dates, and artists adding romance to the streets filled the area with lively energy.
Street performers playing music, painters sketching, flower shops and dessert shops spreading sweet aromas, and more.
The gentle spring breeze carrying a fresh, invigorating touch made the evening feel especially wonderful. Simply walking slowly, my heart swelled with joy. Next time, I must bring Luca here too.
“Yes, that’s exactly it.”
Greg sighed lightly while looking at me.
“Why are you wearing a hat so low and walking around in such a gloomy mood?”
“Don’t worry. I’m feeling extremely good right now.”
“Not that. In this colorful, lively street, your entire outfit from head to toe is pitch black.”
My appearance today did contrast with Greg’s—wearing a white shirt, light beige pants, and a stylish beret.
“Today is your shining day.”
“That’s because you don’t want to stand out in people’s eyes.”
That was actually true. The outfit carried a small hope that it might make me blend into the dim shop like part of the darkness.
“No, well, it is stylish though… Ah, we’re here. This is it.”
I looked up at the two-story building made of ivory-colored bricks and let out a soft exclamation of admiration. The brass sign with traces of time and the elegant curved window frames were beautiful.
When I heard it was a “pub,” I vaguely imagined performances in the basement, but Greg’s friend’s Lemon Soup had a stage on the rooftop.
We headed straight up to the rooftop.
Lemon Soup. The owner’s taste was suspecting the shop name, but Greg explained that lemon soup was a traditional Greek soup.
Thanks to that, I began doubting not just the owner’s personal preference but the taste of all Greeks. Still, the pub’s atmosphere was wonderful.
Lemon Soup, which had held its position for thirty years in Old Town, was a pub infused with vintage charm and a sweet sensibility.
The mahogany floor and wall decorations, with canopies in between strung with small fairy lights, and large and small colorful lights illuminating the entire space.
A stage for the piano on one side, and another stage for guitar and vocals like ours on the opposite side.
Additionally, since it had existed for a long time, the walls in the middle of the rooftop were fully decorated, as if boasting its history.
Photos of performers who had graced this place, famous stars’ signatures, LP records, CDs, sheet music and instruments, smooth glasses, and decorations sparkled under the warm yellow lighting.
The still-cool blue sky, yellow lights, warm brown wood, and well-maintained instruments.
“Pretty.”
“Pretty, right? That’s why it’s often used as a proposal spot.”
Ah.
“You chose this place thinking about that?”
“Not necessarily, but looking back, my proposal was too lacking?”
“That’s right. Even I would have rejected it.”
“Ah, next time I’ll prepare thoroughly. The ring too….”
Greg was not the time for such talk and led me up to the stage.
“How is it? Do you expect the audience size?”
“Um…”
Looking down from the stage, the rooftop was different.
Seats for the audience were arranged close to the stage, about a dozen rows. Behind them, tables a bit further away for dining with drinks.
If the audience filled up completely, it would be around thirty people.
“Unlike the first and second floors, the rooftop is always reservation-only. On good-weather weekends, it’s almost impossible to get seats.”
“I see. Cassandra tried to book but the dates were too tight, so she asked for permission to just film.”
“Probably. Well, now let’s do a sound check. Play anything once.”
I nodded silently and sat in the seat.
Of course, I wasn’t particularly suited for a stage. Sitting awkwardly in the prepared chair, it was hard to feel anything but strange.
But glancing around, the staff hurrying around before opening seemed not to notice me much.
That was fortunate. It wasn’t nervous, but it was still embarrassing, there was no helping it.
I took a long breath to relax and picked up the guitar.
Gratefully in my heart to the famous YouTuber who had arranged a popular pop song in finger style for me, I played the first note.
The rich sound of the familiar melody echoed over the rooftop.
Greg moved back and forth checking the speakers and talked with one staff member, focusing on my performance.
No matter how much I trusted my skills, I thought it only polite to give my best for the listeners.
After finishing one song flawlessly, sudden applause erupted.
“······!”
I flinched and looked up. More people than I expected were watching me.
Cassandra, who had arrived, was taking a photo on her smartphone and giving a thumbs-up, while Greg pointed at me with a satisfied look and chatted with the person next to him.
Unable to overcome the embarrassment, I quickly stepped down from the stage, and Greg and Cassandra laughed.
The man next to Greg was Dimitri, the owner of this pub. Friendly like Greg’s friend. I oddly recalled James from our building’s first-floor cafe.
He said to leave a good impression on this performance and that if the response was good, he might fix Saturday performances every week.
We ended by saying we hoped so and went back to practicing.
As the performance time approached, guests one by one climbed up to the rooftop and filled the seats.
Seeing the faces of people filled with joy, it was clear they had come expecting a happy and pleasant time.
Watching the gradually growing audience waiting to the side, I felt a slight tension without realizing it.
I couldn’t let their excitement be ruined by me. I had to support the meaningful stage for Greg well.
Under that sense of responsibility and pressure, I vowed to myself to do my best.
“Wow, so many people. Good job, now I’ll enjoy the performance!”
“···Yeah, it went well.”
Why, though, was the main star today looking so carefree and carefree, and why did I see his enthusiasm growing?
I had roughly expected from the last time when he sang without restraint in his own yard, but this guy was definitely stage material.
Well, that was good. This way I could show off my skills to the fullest. I had wanted to sing because it was fun and happy from the beginning.
“Thank you to everyone who came to Lemon Soup today. Today we have two new faces, so we hope you welcome them with warm hearts.”
Clap clap.
Hearing the sporadic applause, I stepped onto the stage and bowed to the audience. Without any extra words, I went straight into playing the guitar.
The first song was my guitar solo, and the song was a pop song verified by the people here.
Unbelievably, as soon as I started playing, my fingers moved on their own.
Carrying the melody as if blown by the spring breeze, I immersed myself deeply in the music and this atmosphere.
Fortunately, it seemed the audience felt the same, and when I played the last note, warm applause erupted.
I smiled gratefully and immediately moved to the next song. This time it was Greg’s turn to captivate the audience with his singing.
The first song Greg chose was a medium-tempo track filled with excitement and fresh feelings suitable for this spring evening.
The selection was appropriate, and the people’s expressions were the best. Some young ladies looked like they were falling in love. Sorry everyone, this guy has a girlfriend.
After another song with a similar atmosphere like a medley, we formally greeted the audience.
“Thank you. I’m Greg. It’s really wonderful to be on such a meaningful stage on this beautiful spring evening with my good friend.”
“Hello, I’m Jun, playing the guitar.”
I greeted as simply as possible. The main star today wasn’t me.
Greg took the microphone again and honestly shared his story.
“I’ve lived for a long time ignoring my dream of becoming a singer. At the company I worked at, my singing ability was just an ability without value. Day by day, until a few months ago, an unexpected gift came to me. I became a pre-dad!”
As he spoke, Greg’s face lit up with happiness. The audience gave him applause and cheers.
“Thank you. Anyway, I want to become a more proud person for the baby I’m going to have in a few months and the woman I love.”
Even elderly couples and young couples who had only recently met listened with warm smiles on their lips.
“So, today I’m standing on this stage. Then, please enjoy it happily.”
Honestly, it was a bit too much information for people I’d just met, but the audience smiled warmly and responded with applause.
Pure sincerity must still reach through. Greg certainly had an irremovable charm.
Um, actually, the power of a handsome Italian man’s appearance had also been great.
After that, the main performance began. The setlist for today was a total of twenty-four songs. Twelve songs in the first half, followed by fifteen minutes of rest, then twelve songs in the second half.
Greg sang three songs in a row, with one pure instrumental song to give his vocal cords a break.
There were also my guitar solos and songs where we played together.
My solo performance originally used finger and slap techniques popular with bass players to play a flashy performance.
Of course, I knew the main star today wasn’t me, but it was important to raise the atmosphere.
In such performances, my fingers moved almost automatically, and I felt exhilarated. Was this what it felt like to be a wizard?
As our performance was nearing the end safely, a familiar face suddenly appeared in the audience. It was Rachel.
Greg, smiling brightly at her, waved his hand toward her as soon as the song ended.
But suddenly, Rachel stepped up onto the stage, guided by Dimitri.
What? I hadn’t heard of this before. Was this a secret event prepared while we were away?
···No, wasn’t it usually the opposite?
At that moment, Rachel knelt gracefully in front of Greg on one knee.
PROPOSAL REVEALED — RING PRESENTED!
* * *