Page 34 of Back Room Host

Isn’t that …?

Noé.

The guy who couldn’t even walk on Tuesday was now putting on a performance that the opening band could learn a lot from.They didn’t even need to finish the first song; I understood why people were hyping up this group so much even without that.

Wannabe rockstar, my ass. I totally misjudged him.

And he’s Juri’s …?

They weren’t really brothers.

Throughout the whole concert, it remained quiet at my station. Every now and then, someone would come and order a beer. And just as I was collecting money and giving back change, out of nowhere, Juri stood in front of me.

It was hard for me to interpret his expression. There was obviously great joy in seeing me in his black-painted eyes, but he pressed his lips together and forced a smile. I then realized he was trying to figure out if I was angry with him.

Does he feel guilty for not replying to my message?

And with the way Tuesday ended, there was no reason for me to be angry with him. I had gone home with his number and had been so inspired that I had written several pages.

“Hi!”

He stepped closer to the counter and leaned forward. “Hi! You also work here?”

It wasn’t until then that I realized he didn’t know about it. “Yes, it’s my second night here.”

He nodded, displaying a hint of confusion as he kept his eyes on me.

“Do you want a beer? Or a whiskey cola?”

His gaze briefly drifted to the two guys at the end of the bar, then he sat on a stool. “A beer.”

“Coming right up.”

“Listen … I’m sorry about Tuesday. I …”

“Is that your bro up there on stage? I recognize him.”

“He really needed my help.”

“I understand.” I set the plastic cup down in front of him. “He’s lucky to have a friend like you. Is he feeling better?”

Although he owed me an answer, he put the money down and took a sip, before saying, “I have to thank you.”

“For what?” he asked, putting the cup back down.

“Tuesday was incredibly inspiring.” I wanted to ask him when we would meet again, but I was interrupted by several customers. While I served their drinks, Juri remained seated and watched the concert. Eventually, Clé and another friend also ordered beers at the bar and returned to the audience.

Does he not want to party with them?

But it seemed like he was enjoying the concert from here just as much. And I enjoyed having him nearby while I served more patrons.

The concert ended quite abruptly to my liking. Although the guitarist let the last note fade out, the dull sound that echoed from the speakers when Noé dropped the microphone to the ground was quite final. For a brief moment, I saw Juri’s forehead creased with concern.

“Everything okay?” I asked.

“Yeah.” His answer was unconvincing. And as much as he seemed to want to run away, he stayed seated and smiled at me—albeit somewhat tense.

It didn’t take long for the audience to realize there wouldn’t be an encore. While the stage was being set up for the third band, people crowded back to the bar, bombarding me with orders.

---