"But I saw you today and I'm already starting to change my mind. I didn't expect to see you like this," JJ said while gesturing towards Iris' direction. "You really surprised me. You look like a completely different person."
"Mr. JJ, I'm sure you've heard that I've been in a car accident more than a year ago," Iris said. Her voice was calm and unaffected.
He nodded.
"It was a very serious accident. I died, Mr. JJ." She sighed, looking out of the window. The floating clouds and the blue sky outside the windows were reflected on her mirrored sunglasses. "I was comatose. Dead for a year. You don't know how death feels like, Mr. JJ. It changes people."
"I see," he said, starting to understand why Iris Long changed so much. Both were quiet for some time. Then he sighed. He pointed at the piano on a mini-stage at the centre of the restaurant. "See that?"
Iris followed with her eyes, and then nodded.
"Go. Play one of your songs. Show me how you do it. Convince me that you're really the best person to sing the songs you composed. Can you do it?"
"Of course."
She stood up and walked to the piano. Her footsteps were light and graceful, looking as if she was floating on the floor.
Some of the customers took notice, wondering who the beautiful young woman was. They watched as she climbed on the mini-stage and sat in front of the piano.
Oh, was she going to play the piano and perform?
They waited in anticipation, as she flexed her fingers in an unhurried manner. She took a deep breath and started to play.
Strong, deep, and fast notes jolted everyone inside the restaurant. This time, all heads turned to the young woman playing the piano.
Their hearts thumped, as the forbidding music brought an image of a bloody battlefield within their minds.
After a few seconds, the notes slowed down until they drifted to a full stop. The young woman took a couple of breaths, and then started playing a slow, gentle yet dark, heartbreaking tune. She opened her mouth and sang.
"I'm lying in a crimson ocean
Frozen in the darkness
Floating for a thousand years
Yearning for you"
Everyone gasped as they heard her low, mesmerizing voice singing the dark melody. JJ's eyes lit up with excitement. His entire focus was on her.
"My broken soul is searching
Lost and afraid
A thousand years without you
I'd rather be dead"
A middle aged woman at a nearby table teared up, trembling, as she recalled memories of her beloved husband who passed away two years ago.
The melody turned even more heartbreaking. The young woman's voice rose effortlessly, reaching high notes.
"Every time I close my eyes
I dance with the phantom of your love
We fly across this temporary paradise
Until you have to leave once again
I don't want to wake up from this tonight
Spend a thousand years
With the phantom of your love"
The widow covered her face with her hands and sobbed. Her friends tried to comfort her, their eyes also watering. One of her friends tried to pull her to the ladies' restroom in an effort to calm her down, but the widow shook her head. She wanted to stay and listen to the entire song.
Through her tears, the widow looked at the young woman playing the piano. The young woman's eyes were covered by big sunglasses, but it couldn't cover her emotional expression filled with pain and loneliness.
"I'm dead when awake
Alive when asleep
How do I live when there is no you
Except in my dreams at night"
JJ closed his eyes, letting the dark, emotional song wash over him. His heart raced, his breath quickened.
At that exact moment, he made a decision. Little did he know that this decision would send the entire nation and the music industry into a frenzy in the near future.
"Oh, spend a thousand years
With the phantom of…your…love"
Thunderous applause reverberated as the last notes of the song slowly came to an end. Everyone stood up, from the customers to the restaurant staff. They all clapped their hands with all their might. Some curious people from the hotel lobby entered the restaurant, asking what was happening.
Iris Long stood up, a barely noticeable smile on her face. Looking behind her big sunglasses, she scanned the people giving her a standing ovation.
She stood up and gave a low, deep, elegant curtsy bow.
The applause grew louder, followed by enthusiastic cheers and whistles.
As she returned to her full height, one of the waiters hurried forward and offered his hand to assist her down the mini-stage. He grinned like teenager when she nodded her thanks.
She touched her chest and bowed her head, silently thanking the people clapping while she walked back to the table where JJ waited for her.
