Coolest Girl in Town Chapter 67
Elise smiled as she answered with another question, “What do you think?”
Julius immediately jumped from his chair and ran toward her. However, when he was half a step away from her, she stopped him. “Hey, calm down. There’s no need to get too worked up.”
His eyes reddened. “It’s been so many years and you‘re finally back! We‘ve looked everywhere for you…”
As he spoke, his voice started choking up.
Then, Elise patted him on the shoulder. “Look, I‘m back in one piece. I see that you’re learning to enjoy life more now, eh? You seem to be getting by quite nicely on your own.”
It took a while for Julius to finally calm down, albeit slightly. Then, he asked, “Do Noel and the others know that you’re back?”
“For now, I don‘t think so.”
He hurriedly wiped the tears from his eyes as he added, “Noel has been waiting all these years for your return and he’s the only one who insisted on waiting for you in the same place. I heard that he’s the exclusive lyricist for an artist since he still has his way with words. However, without your voice and songs, the best effect cannot be achieved no matter how good the lyrics are.”
Elise didn’t say a word as she looked around at the courtyard houses. After a while, she suggested, “Let’s go out for dinner tonight.”
An elated Julius replied, “Then, I’ll ask them to come along.”
She quickly responded, “No, don‘t tell them that I‘m back. Let’s just have dinner together.”
There was hesitation on his end. “I promised Noel to inform him of any news relating to you the moment I receive them.” After saying that, he seemed to arrive at a conclusion. “Never mind, I‘ll just keep quiet. Maybe I can show you around instead?”
After voicing her agreement, Elise walked to the backyard where some limited edition motorbikes were parked neatly in a row. She reached out and touched one of them. “It’s been so long since I last patted them.”
While Julius grinned, he fished out a set of keys and tossed it to her. “Let‘s go for a drive.”
She caught the keys before she quickly sat on the bike. Wearing the helmet had made her absolutely stunning. With a smile, she stepped on the ignition and brought the bike out of its parking spot.
They both rode a bike each and cruised the road side by side. It was obvious that Julius was overjoyed because it felt like he had returned to the good old times with Elise and their friends.
He brought her to a bar, where the two of them ordered a few classics to sample.
Then, she held the wineglass and clinked it with his. “How have you been, Julius?”
Julius replied, “It’s been a long while, H.”
The two downed the wine before Elise finally asked, “Really, how have you been these few years?”
“Ever since you left, everyone went their separate ways too.” He smiled. “Noel is the only one who’s still active in the field whereas everyone else retired. As for me, I run this bar, so I come here at night to keep an eye on things. During the day, I sunbath in the courtyard houses. Noel is quite lucky, seeing how he gradually brought that particular artist to fame. That artist is quite the star these days, I believe. What’s the name again? Right, Jack Griffith! You can look up his songs; Noel is the lyricist for some of the most notable ones.”
The moment she heard Jack Griffith‘s name, Elise was dumbfounded. It‘s a small world. Way too small.
“I‘ll give it a listen when I feel like it. Your bar is rather presentable.”
Julius smiled. “Why don’t you make an appearance tonight? Sing a song or two.”
She shook her head. “No, it’s okay. I haven’t sung in years and I’ve already forgotten the feeling.”
He wasn’t about to throw in the towel either. “Just go and sing a song! Won‘t you grant my little wish, please?”.
Elise didn’t know whether it was her inability to win against Julius in an argument or her desire to have some satisfaction, but she found herself hesitating for a while.
Then, she donned a mask as she took to the stage.
“A mystery guest has decided to join us in Kimi Bar tonight. She will be performing a beautiful song called Concealed Fragrance. Let’s welcome her with applause!”
As the host ended his introduction, Alexander frowned from his perch on the second floor. He sat alone at the side and he couldn’t help but focus on the middle of the stage.
Concealed Fragrance was H’s trademark song. After she left the entertainment field, he had never heard of the song ever since. He never thought that he would chance into this song just by heading out for a drink in boredom.
Elise was wearing a white dress as she gracefully walked onstage. As she wore a mask, no one could figure out what she looked like. However, the moment she opened her mouth, the audience fell silent.
“When petals fall away from the flower, the concealed fragrance remains. It went away in the rain, and no one knows.
As soon as Alexander heard her voice, he was shaken to the core. He was overcome with disbelief, for this voice was exactly the same as H’s voice in his memories…
The angelic voice seemed to be reciting a tale in the song and every member of the focused audience was fully immersed in the experience. Since he was the first to come to his senses, he quickly rose to his full height and strode toward the backstage.
“Sir, this is the backstage. You cannot enter.” A waiter blocked Alexander’s way, but Alexander retrieved a stack of cash from his pocket and pressed it into the waiter’s hands. The waiter paused for a while before he pretended to turn away, thus allowing Alexander passage.
After the song was over, the audience erupted in thunderous applause. Elise smiled as she bowed, then she proceeded to walk off the stage. However, a moment later, she saw Alexander walking toward her while saying, “Wait…”
He was calling out for her, which stunned her as she stopped in her tracks. Her hand had also subconsciously tugged at the mask she wore. She forced her voice into a lower pitch as she asked, “Is there anything, sir?”
“I just wanted to ask, are you H?”
Elise never thought that Alexander would recognize her. She was taken aback by his question, but she could never allow him to know of her identity. “Sorry, I’m not.”
With that, she moved to leave, but he grabbed her wrist instead.
“What are you doing? Please let go, sir.”
Alexander examined the woman before him and he felt that her figure was identical to someone whom he knew, but he also thought that it was impossible.
After a pause, he asked again, “Are you really not H? You two have identical voices, though.”
Elise explained, “I only know how to mimic her. You’re giving me compliments I don’t deserve, but that just means I’ve improved at mimicking, so thank you for that.”
So, I see. He seemed to be convinced by her answer as he released his grip on her.
Now that she had regained her freedom, Elise refused to delay a moment longer as she quickly walked off.
Julius approached her and asked, “Who is that man? What did he say to you?”
