Chapter 17: Wonderwall I
After seeing Lucas raise his hand, the young woman on the stage asked, "Are you the one who requested the song?"
Meanwhile, on the table where Lucas sat, Paul, the two Chrises, and Rachel looked at Lucas with a bit of curiosity, as they also didn't know the song that Lucas had requested.
Lucas nodded and said, "Yes, I'm the one who requested it. The song is named 'Wonderwall,' made by the famous 90s British band named 'Oasis.'"
When the crowd heard Lucas' words, almost all of them had mixed reactions, but most of them wore a confused expression, while thinking, 'Wonderwall? Oasis? Famous British band in the '90s?'
And some people murmured among themselves; they asked their friends beside them, "Wonderwall? Have you heard of this song before?"
"No. What about that band, what was it called? Oasis? Have you heard of that band before?"
"I don't think so. That guy said it was a famous band in the '90s, and it's a British band... I know most famous bands in the '90s, but that 'Oasis' name didn't ring any bells..."
"Me too... I think that guy must be high or something..."
"A pity. He looked so young, though..."
"Sigh... Many young people have been into drugs lately. God, heal this country..."
Many people assumed Lucas was under the influence of drugs due to his unfamiliar words...
Meanwhile, the young woman on the stage, upon hearing Lucas' words, simply responded, "Oasis?" She paused, trying to recall something from her mind, but after a few seconds of deep thought, she couldn't remember any band named "Oasis," let alone a song titled "Wonderwall." She continued to look at Lucas and said, "Gentlemen, I don't recall any such band, and the song you requested doesn't ring a bell in my memory."
Lucas, hearing the young woman's response, felt something was truly amiss. How could such a well-known British band from the '90s be unheard of in this place?
"Really? Has no one here heard of the song or band I just mentioned?" Lucas scanned the crowd and asked. He also looked at Paul and the others, but they shook their heads in confusion.
The crowd didn't really respond to Lucas, just a mixed murmur echoing through the space.
The young woman, noticing this, observed the patrons' mixed opinions about Lucas. She then said, "It seems almost everyone is unfamiliar with what was requested by— what's your name, sir?"
"Lucas."
"Right, um, Mr. Lucas, the song you've requested is unfamiliar to everyone here. You can either request another song, or..." The young woman paused, considering something interesting. Suspecting that Lucas might be under the influence of drugs or playing a prank to communicate with her, she brewed up a plan and said with a faint chuckle, "Or Mr. Lucas can perform the song for us, enlightening us about it..."
Lucas was a bit surprised when he heard that latter option from the young woman. Initially uninterested, he noticed the patrons in the bar encouraging him to perform.
Lucas pondered for a moment, recalling that he requested the song out of a desire to hear his favorite tune once more. However, faced with the reality that neither the local artists nor the patrons were familiar with "Wonderwall" by "Oasis," it seemed he wouldn't get to hear his favorite song. Unless... he performed it himself, right?
Reflecting on his past life, Lucas remembered occasionally performing his favorite songs without any issues. There didn't seem to be a problem in doing the same in this life.
"Me? Performing the song? Well, if it's okay with everyone here, I can give it a shot for a short time..." Lucas said, a bit hesitant.
In response, the patrons started shouting at him, "Go on, mate! Sing the song for us. Maybe we'll remember that song!"
"Yeah, we don't mind. As long as your voice isn't horrendous, it's okay."
"Go!"
Encouraged by the crowd, Lucas also turned to the young woman on the stage, and she gestured for him to come. Lucas stood up, then heard Paul saying, "Dude, does the song you're about to perform even exist?"
Lucas chuckled, "You'll know after you hear it." He thought the people might have heard the song but didn't know the title or the band that composed it, so Lucas decided to perform it for everyone today.
After Paul heard his friend's words, he simply watched as Lucas went on the stage where the young woman was.
After stepping onto the stage, Lucas felt the gazes of the bar's crowd. His friend Paul, the two Chrises, and Rachel were looking at him expectantly.
Turning to the young woman holding a guitar, Lucas noticed up close that she was even more beautiful. Brushing away distractions in his mind, he asked, "Can I borrow the guitar?"
The woman nodded and said, "Of course," handing the guitar to Lucas.
As Lucas held the guitar, memories from his previous life seemed to flash at that moment, causing him to freeze for a few seconds.
Before the crowd could complain, Lucas moved and took a seat situated on the stage. He strummed the guitar randomly as a test, feeling that his fingers, or rather the fingers of his current body, were not accustomed to it. He even experienced a bit of pain from strumming the guitar strings.
As Lucas continued his random strumming, the guitar produced chaotic and dissonant sounds, prompting frowns and hushed discussions among the patrons.
"Is this guy for real? Does he really know how to play the guitar?"
"Is he just fooling around?"
"Wasn't that already expected? He's fooling around with a made-up song request."
Paul and the others heard the discussions around them, feeling a bit worried for Lucas.
Chris Hemsworth turned to Paul and asked, "Are you sure your friend will be okay?"
"I don't know." Paul turned to Chris Hemsworth and just shrugged. To be honest, Paul wasn't that familiar with Chris Hemsworth. Hemsworth was a friend of Chris Evans, invited by Evans, and Paul became friends with Evans and Rachel during the filming of "Push."
Shaking his head, Paul looked at his friend on the stage, still randomly strumming the guitar.
Meanwhile, the young woman who had lent her guitar to Lucas furrowed her brows as she observed him, thinking, 'Is this guy really high on substances?'
Lucas tested the guitar for a minute before stopping. After calming down, especially his fingers, he looked towards the crowd, and memories from his previous life uncontrollably flashed back.
The memory of when he worked as a singer in a local bar flashed in Lucas's mind. He recalled singing his favorite song while people carried on with their discussions and conversations, largely ignoring him on the stage.
Now, gazing at the crowd before him, Lucas reminisced about his past life. The emotions and feelings of the realization of this new reality were only now sinking in for him.
The helpless feeling of his soul not being able to return to his previous life's body, with its abundance of memories, and those callused hands accustomed to playing the guitar – unlike the unfamiliar ones in his current body. The discomfort of occupying a form that wasn't originally his...
While Lucas wasn't excessively complaining about his current reality, recognizing its potential with the knowledge from his previous life, the complex and mixed feelings lingered. He still found himself missing the happy and sad moments of his previous life.
After deep contemplation for several seconds, Lucas sighed. Finally, he was ready to perform, seeking to appease the impatient crowd.
As Lucas started the performance, he strummed the opening chords, his fingers dancing over the frets with practiced ease. His voice, rough and raw like whiskey on gravel, intertwined with the music, illustrating a tale of heartache and hope:
"Today is gonna be the day that they're gonna throw it back to you..."