Cadenza [BINI Mikha X OC]

Chapter 15: Full Band

[Track 01: Fallen (Extended Version) – Lola Amour]

As the drumsticks clicked, the song opened with a bass drum, snare, and hi-hat combo, accompanied by the chords of the keyboard and rhythm guitar. After two bars, the lead guitar entered with clean effects, followed by Lola Amour's signature addition of a saxophone.

"Is that 'Fallen'?" a female voice called from the open door.

The producers turned their heads to see Aiah, accompanied by Mikha and Maloi. The producers greeted them and asked what they were doing there.

"I invited them, Direk L," Martin answered. "Since we're hiring a band for BINI, we might as well see how well they work with the girls."

Direk L pondered for a moment. Martin was absolutely right. They needed to assess the new band's compatibility with BINI. He vocally agreed with his sound engineer and welcomed the three, gesturing to the available chairs.

Maloi, being the group's main vocalist, was an obvious choice to invite. The other two were there to examine the band's genre versatility. Aiah was known for her soft and high voice, typically suited for classical, mellow, pop, and slow-paced songs. Mikha, on the other hand, was more aligned with rock, heavier, and fast-paced songs.

"Thank you for the invite, Sir Martin," Maloi said, addressing the sound engineer.

"Please, make yourselves comfortable," Martin replied. "We'll start once this song is over. And yes, Ms. Aiah, I believe the song is indeed 'Fallen'."

Aiah nodded, smiling brightly. She had always been fond of the OPM songs the current generation was producing, and Lola Amour was no exception. As the song reached its peak in the intro, it highlighted the main riff 'Fallen' was known for—the groovy, funky, and head-bopping rhythm. Then came the lyrics:

What if I told you that I've fallen,

And I like the way you say my name?

My heart skips a beat when I hear you calling,

And I like that it won't go away.

"Oh, his voice is great!" Aiah commented.

Right. This is the first time Ate Aiah is hearing Jon sing, Mikha thought to herself. In the previous times she's heard him sing, it was either a very low voice from metal songs or a relatively high voice from pop punk. This time Jon showcased a melodic tone from OPM.

"What's his name?"

"Jon," Mikha answered.

"Oh? You know him, Mikha?" Aiah asked.

Mikha was a little flustered. She hadn't meant to answer Aiah, but it just slipped out.

"Uh..." Mikha grasped for words. She knew what to say, but somehow the words weren't coming out properly.

"We met last week here when Jon first auditioned," Maloi interjected, calming Mikha down.

Okay, Ate Aiah just asked a simple question. What am I getting flustered for? Mikha thought.

"Yeah. We just happened to come across this room, me and Ate Maloi," Mikha said, reinforcing Maloi's explanation.

Aiah seemed somewhat satisfied with the answers, though she sensed there was more to the story. Still, she chose to focus on the song.

Inside the glass room, Jon and his friends were having fun, bopping their heads along to the groovy rhythm. Despite not having practiced the song beforehand, they were performing seamlessly. The song was popular and well-suited for gigs, so everyone knew how to play it.