Chapter 22-Debut Performance
The announcer was speaking to the crowd through the speakers, but their words were just a dull buzz compared to my heart beating loudly in my ears. Very few sources of light were shining about the room as the finishing touches to our debut concert were being smoothed out.
Prestige's first concert was about to start.
I could feel Sasuke's presence to my right and Sakura's to my left, knowing Gaara was on her other side. The only sound other than the deep voice coming through the speakers was the soft wave of murmurs coming from the crowd as they excitedly waited for the show to begin.
My stomach felt like it'd risen up into my throat and was threatening to escape my body via my mouth, but I kind of liked the intense feeling because it kept me grounded. If my body wasn't practically trembling with anxiousness, I'd be able to focus on my nervous thoughts and that's never a good thing. My heart felt like it was fluttering quickly with anticipation and I forced myself to take slow, deep breaths.
Calloused fingers suddenly intertwined firmly with my right hand and my head turned in Sasuke's direction in surprise, but the room was too dark for me to see him. The Uchiha'd likely only gained the courage to reach out because of this reason.
A warm feeling rose in my chest when I noticed his large hand was shaking slightly as it squeezed my smaller one. The fact that he was wordlessly asking for my reassurance and admitting his nervousness actually made me feel relieved. Even the great Sasuke Uchiha was nervous, so it made my current level of anxiety feel more manageable.
Riding high on the boost of courage his actions had given me, I squeezed his hand tightly and tried to send encouraging vibes in his direction. I really wanted to tell him I had his back no matter what happens on this stage, but our microphones were already hot so I had to stay silent and hope he received my message. He tentatively gave me one more squeeze before releasing my hand altogether.
Colorful lights turned on and brought the room alight at the exact time the opening music for We Don't Talk Anymore started playing through the speakers. It was so bright that I couldn't make out any individual faces in the crowd, but could get a general consensus on its size.
My body acted on memory despite my heart fluttering wildly in my chest. I followed Sasuke's lead as Prestige began to perform, expertly doing the dance moves that've been drilled into my head the past two weeks. They really did come naturally now and I didn't have to think much to perform them correctly.
Gaara was the first person to sing. His voice was soft like how he spoke, but was still solid and adjusted well to fit the genre we were singing.
Gaara: We don't talk anymore
We don't talk anymore
We don't talk anymore
Like we used to do
We don't laugh anymore
What was all of it for?
Oh, we don't talk anymore
Like we used to do
Sakura and I twirled around to become equal with our partners as the first verse came up. My ears picked up a few cheers past the earpieces and the bundle of nerves in my stomach started to loosen. I wrapped one arm around Sasuke's waist and looked up at his face with my back to the crowd, my palm touching his hipbone as he began singing.
It took everything in me to keep from visually reacting. He looked beautiful, even more so than I've ever seen before. It wasn't his clothing or styling that made him seem radiant, but the expression on his face as he sang. There were moments over the past two weeks where I questioned Sasuke's commitment to Prestige because he acts so nonchalant, but in that moment he made me forget ever doubting him.
Sasuke: I just heard you found the one you've been looking—
You've been looking for
I wish I would have known that wasn't me
'Cause even after all this time I still wonder
Why I can't move on
Just the way you did so easily
He and I expertly performed the proper steps to the song. It was like the barrier had completely broken between us and we were suddenly past all the awkwardness. Perhaps it was the bright lights that had us feeling like we had no other choice but to trust one another, or maybe it was the heat of the moment. Either way, I'd never felt more open with a human being than I did then. Sasuke continued singing, sounding like a seasoned performer with how close he sounded to the recorded version of the song.
Sasuke: Don't wanna know
Kind of dress you're wearing tonight
If he's holdin' onto you so tight
The way I did before
I overdosed
Should've known your love was a game
Now I can't get you out of my brain
Oh, it's such a shame
Something came over me and I bravely pulled Sasuke's face in my direction so he'd be forced to look me in the eye once his line ended and Gaara's began. A few hollers could be heard in reaction to my forward movement. Honestly, it wasn't part of the choreography, but Tsunade encouraged us to add a few personal touches to our performances so long as they didn't disrupt the normal steps.
His eyes widened slightly as they met mine and I smiled eagerly up at him in an effort to sooth his nerves. He quickly relaxed and seemed to be holding back his signature smirk as Gaara continued with the next lines of the song. Maybe it was just me, but I found it hard to keep my eyes from him as we danced.
Our dance teacher told us that she wanted us to look one another in the eye during this type of dance, and the one for Familiar, but that was something Sasuke and I have yet to master. One of us was always looking away out of nervousness or discomfort.
Gaara: That we don't talk anymore
We don't talk anymore
We don't talk anymore
Like we used to do
We don't laugh anymore
What was all of it for?
Oh, we don't talk anymore
Like we used to do
Suddenly, I separated from my partner and pushed him back as I moved to meet Sakura at center stage. We started our dance steps with ease and comfort as Sakura started singing. My roommate had a look of utter happiness on her face and it brought a grin to my lips.
Sakura: I just hope you're lying next to somebody
Who knows how to love you like me
There must be a good reason that you're gone
Every now and then I think you might want me to
Come show up at your door
But I'm just too afraid that I'll be wrong
This was it. The time had come for me to sing. I squeezed my eyes shut and did my best to remember all my training, forcing myself to relax and sing properly despite the fact that I had to keep dancing.
Hinata: Don't wanna know
If you're looking into her eyes
If she's holdin' onto you so tight
The way I did before
I overdosed
Should've known your love was a game
Now I can't get you out of my brain
Oh, it's such a shame
Sasuke came up and gently twirled Sakura away, handing her gently off to Gaara so the two could complete the dance steps slightly behind Sasuke and I while we sang the chorus together. We were instructed to refrain from the choreography and just do what felt right because it was the first time both a girl and boy would be singing together. Gaara and Sakura would take care of the dancing while we took care of the singing for the moment. The other two sangthe back up part for the chorus.
Sasuke and Hinata: That we don't talk anymore
Gaara and Sakura: (we don't, we don't)
S and H: We don't talk anymore
G and S: (we don't, we don't)
S and H: We don't talk anymore
Like we used to do
We don't laugh anymore
G and S: (we don't, we don't)
S and H: What was all of it for?
G and S: (we don't, we don't)
S and H: Oh, we don't talk anymore
Like we used to do
Sasuke and I circled opposite parts of the stage to let the two main dancers come forward and lead the dance break portion of the song. Gaara was to my left as I stood at the edge of the stage. When I stood so close to the crowd, I could make out individual fans' faces and felt a bit of my nerves creep back up, but tried to ignore it. The crowd appeared to be enjoying the performance and I couldn't see a single person sitting completely still or not smiling.
The bridge of the song soon came and I had to return to the rest of the group. Sasuke and Sakura joined Gaara and I in the center of the stage where we all stood still for the first time since the concert started, if only for a moment. Sasuke and I sang the bridge so we could hand the final verse off to Sakura and Gaara.
Sasuke: Don't wanna know
Kind of dress you're wearing tonight
If he's giving it to you just right
The way I did before
Hinata: I overdosed
Should've known your love was a game
Now I can't get you out of my brain
Sasuke and Hinata: Oh, it's such a shame!
Gaara and Sakura took over the singing for the final verse, leaving Sasuke and I to sing their back up and focus mainly on executing the final dance steps properly.
G and S: That we don't talk anymore
S and H: (we don't, we don't)
G and S: We don't talk anymore
S and H: (we don't, we don't)
G and S: We don't talk anymore
Like we used to do
We don't laugh anymore
S and H: (we don't, we don't)
G and S: What was all of it for?
S and H: (we don't, we don't)
Oh, we don't talk anymore
Like we used to do
All: We don't talk anymore
The music stopped completely as our first song came to a close. We were panting with effort, but not so much that the show couldn't continue.
Cheers erupted from the crowd and my hand crept up over my heart before I could stop it. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes and I had to squeeze them shut to keep them from falling. I couldn't get the grin on my lips to go away and took a long bow to try and hide it from the cameras, hoping they wouldn't catch my moment of weakness.
The next song would be our ballad and we were instructed to introduce ourselves before it started so we could have a moment to gather ourselves. The performance would sound much better this way.
Sakura handed me a bottle of water and I took a big gulp of it as she introduced herself and the group, "Hello everyone, we're Prestige!" More cheers came from the crowd, this time calming down after a moment so they could hear her continue.
"Thank you for supporting us at our debut show! How're you liking it so far?"
The room erupted louder than it had since the show started. A small laugh of disbelief left Gaara's mouth and was caught by his mic. I looked over to see that he, too, was close to tears. I reached over and patted his back a few times in solidarity. He gave me a smile of thanks before wiping at his eyes and nodding to assure me he was alright.
Sakura continued to talk about our group for a moment and I snuck a chance peek in Sasuke's direction. He was standing tall and proud, looking out into the crowd with an unreadable expression. It was yet another look I'd yet to see on his face until now. The look of sheer relief on his face gave away how much he'd been stressing about all this.
The Uchiha was definitely much more emotional inside than he let on. I briefly wondered how long it'll take for him to show us his true personality in full and not just a glimpse every now and then, but quickly forced myself to look away from his handsome profile and focus back on the crowd and our group's leader.
"My name is Sakura and I'm the leader of the group. It's been wonderful to meet you and I hope you enjoy the rest of the show, but let's meet the other members before we head on to our next song, okay?"
She was handling this like a professional. The young woman addressed the audience as though she's been doing this all her life, but I could tell just how nervous she really was. Her bright green eyes were looking around a bit more quickly than usual and one of her hands was behind her back in a tight fist. She told me before that when she's nervous, she pretends that her nerves can be physically held so she'll focus it all into one of her hands so it doesn't affect her voice or dancing. I thought that was a great way to deal with stage fright. It seemed to be working wonders for her, at least.
Sakura then turned and gave me a proud smile, gesturing for me to step up.
I returned her happy expression, stepping up slowly, taking my time as I finally took a moment to just survey the crowd. It was silent for a moment once the applause died down and my mouth started moving on instinct, "My name's Hinata and I'm very happy to be here tonight. I'm sorry, I'm just a little nervous."
The crowd cheered and I thought I heard a few words of encouragement being yelled out. I couldn't find Neji or Kiba, but visually searched for them, "I'm the lead female vocalist for the group. Thank you for your support! I hope we make you all proud!" I gave a sincere bow before rising back up and turning to hand the reins over to Gaara.
The redhead wiped some sweat from his forehead before stepping up. He had that shy smile he sometimes has, "I'm Gaara and I'm the main male dancer and rapper for Prestige. I'd like to say thank you to those who made it possible for us to be here today." The other three of us on stage made noises of agreement behind him.
Everyone adored him. The shouts were significantly higher pitched, meaning more girls were paying attention at this point. The young man really does have a lovable quality about him that I can't explain. It's not like he's unmanly or anything because he's plenty tall and incredibly attractive, but there was something so cute about him that made you want to squeeze his cheeks or tease him.
He didn't waste any more words and turned to let Sasuke take his turn.
The dark-haired young man took a few steps to the front and introduced himself with his usual confident aura back in place, "My name is Sasuke. Thank you for coming to see us today."
The hollers were louder and wilder than we'd heard yet and Sakura actually let out a small laugh at Gaara's shocked face. The girls in the crowd were losing it over Sasuke just introducing himself. The man in question had a small smirk on his face. I fought the urge to roll my eyes. He's probably soaking up all this attention and letting it go right to his ego.
He motioned broadly with his hands for the crowd to simmer down after a moment. When they did, he continued, "Please enjoy the rest of our show and buy our album when it comes out one week from today."
The crowd cheered again, but ultimately calmed down as the piano for our ballad, Over and Over again, began playing through the speakers. We weren't really instructed to do anything special during the ballad. Similar to how practice had gone, we were told to just do what felt comfortable as long as we stayed open to the crowd.
Gaara started this song, just like he had the first one. His singing voice was developing more with each passing day. I was impressed by the sheer progress he'd made since I first heard him sing.
Gaara: From the way you smile
To the way you look
You capture me
Unlike no other
From the first hello
Yeah, that's all it took
And suddenly
We had each other
Sakura came in and provided a female harmony to his baritone voice. Their voices mixed in a charming way that made me want to smile. The two glanced at one another every few moments as they sang.
Gaara and Sakura: And I won't leave you
Always be true
One plus one, two for life
Over and over again
Sasuke took over with a strong and confident first chorus. He was seamlessly able to adapt his voice to whatever style he felt would suit the music we were performing and that includes a technically demanding ballad like this one. I never gathered the courage to ask him if he ever took vocal lessons prior to signing with the agency because I didn't want my awe of his skill to go to his head.
Sasuke: So don't ever think I need more
I've got the one to live for
No one else will do
And I'm telling you
Just put your heart in my hands
I promise it won't get broken
We'll never forget this moment
Yeah we'll stay brand new
'Cause I'll love you
Over and over again
Over and over again
Sakura came in strong, no longer just providing harmony. Her voice rang out with a clear tone.
Sakura: From the heat of night
To the break of day
I'll keep you safe
And hold you forever
And the sparks will fly
They will never fade
And every day gets better and better
Gaara then came in to provide a soft baritone harmony. He didn't sing quite as firmly as before so as not to overshadow his duet partner.
Gaara and Sakura: And I won't leave you
Always be true
One plus one, two for life
Over and over again
Sasuke came back in for the second chorus and I prepared myself to finally show what I could do.
Sasuke:
So don't ever think I need more
I've got the one to live for
No one else will do
Yeah I'm telling you
Just put your heart in my hands
I finally came in, providing a more dramatic harmony for Sasuke's deep voice. The rest of the song was mainly Sasuke and I, with Sakura and Gaara throwing some harmonies and adlibs in here and there.
Sasuke and Hinata: I promise it won't get broken
We'll never forget this moment
Yeah we'll stay brand new
'Cause I'll love you
Over and over again
Over and over again
The piano sped up slightly as the bridge approached. I looked over at Sasuke as our voices mixed in the air and it was like I was back in that music room at school. The notes were floating physically in the air around me. Emotion swelled in my chest and I let them help me push my performance even further. I sang better than I ever had.
Sasuke and Hinata: But when I'm with you
I lose track of time
When I'm without you
You're stuck on my mind
I'll be all you need
Until the day that I die
I'll love you
Over and over again
A hint of a smile came at the corners of Sasuke's mouth and we unconsciously crept closer to one another as we sang together. His eyes looked so warm and unguarded. It hit me suddenly that I was having fun and so was he.
This feeling…It's unlike anything I've felt in my life. My body was light as a feather. I don't recall ever feeling so undeniably giddy.
Sasuke and Hinata: So don't ever think I need more
I've got the one to live for
No one else will do
I'm telling you
Just put your heart in my hands
I promise it won't get broken
We'll never forget this moment
Yeah we'll stay brand new
'Cause I'll love you
Over and over again
Over and over again
Gaara and Sakura finally rejoined us to sing the final line, again, in four part harmony.
All: Over and over again
There was a slight pause in the air as the song came to a close before the crowd cheered and hollered and shouted in celebration with us. I looked over at my bandmates to see them all looking at each other as well.
We did it.
We still had a whole song left in our performance, but we were already incredibly happy with our debut.
I met Sakura's watery green eyes and let out a mix between a laugh and a sob as I tried to hold back my overwhelming emotions. She pulled me into a hug and I accepted it happily. The boys, uncharacteristically enough, joined in and we all enjoyed a short group hug to show our support and happiness for one another.
This was it.
This was the friendship and love I've been looking for all my life.
I finally found it.
I wiped at a few stray tears that managed to escape my eyes as the extended opening music for our final song began. We quickly pulled apart and silently agreed to end the show with a bang, giving it our absolute all.
Sasuke and I headed to one side of the stage while Sakura and Gaara headed toward the other. To my surprise, the height of the moment didn't stifle the heat that erupted on my skin where his large hands touched. He firmly held my leg up where it was supposed to be for the first dance move, caressing my lower back as I bent backwards for the dramatic pose.
I stared into his eyes trustingly. I was going to go for it during this song. I'll dance my ass off and sing my heart out until I can't anymore. There's no way I'll ever be able to forgive myself if I didn't give my all. He stared back with the most open expression I'd seen him give me. He seemed energized, excited even. A small grin lay on his lips and while I was taken off guard by it, I was also happy he trusted me enough to let me see it.
His lips parted and my eyes were drawn to his tongue, which he stuck out at me jokingly before starting the lyrics to the song. I rolled my eyes at him before following him through the steps of our duet.
Sasuke: It's simple, you dip low
Your hips roll, you do the Calypso
An intro is all that I need, oh, yeah
Sakura came in with the next few lines, expertly singing in Spanish as though she were fluent.
Sakura: Yo empiezo primero
Tú sabes lo que me refiero
De cero, sabes que estoy pa' ti
I grabbed, touched, and ground against Sasuke in all the ways I'd been instructed to by Tsunade, only I did it much better than I ever had. Our performance was going so well. I tried to tone down my smile as I sang, but struggled to contain my blissfulness. My dance partner mirrored my enthusiasm and seemed pleased that I'd finally relaxed under his touch.
Hinata: Ooh, ooh, I just wanted to get your name
But if it's cool, I wanna get inside your brain
Sasuke and I continued into the first chorus, the crowd cheering loudly as the other two joined us at center-stage to dance as a group.
All: Can we get
Sasuke: famili-famili-famili-familiar?
I'm feelin' I'm feelin' I'm feelin' I'm feelin' ya
What's on your mind for later tonight?
Let me be the one to fill it up
All: Can we get
Hinata: famili-famili-famili-familiar?
I'm feelin' I'm feelin' I'm feelin', I'm feelin' ya
What's on your mind for later tonight?
Let me be the one to fill it up
All: Can we get!
My body was drenched in sweat at this point and I could tell that Sasuke was working just as hard by the hot breath on the back of my neck when he stood behind me.
The hair on my arms stood up on end despite the fire I felt on my skin when his hands would firmly, maybe almost roughly, grip my waist or run down my leg. I know he felt it, too. The crowd's enthusiasm and my own boost of confidence in the moment mixed together to give me a new experience.
For the first time in my life I felt sexy.
I'll never admit it outloud, but I relished the feeling of Sasuke's hands touching me as we danced this time around because it felt like he was somehow just as attracted to me as I was to him, at least for right now. It was like we were in a trance. We'd silently agreed when we got on that stage to do what we felt needed to be done to get the results we wanted. I hadn't told him that I was okay with him getting more touchy with me and he certainly hadn't told me to pretty much molest him on stage.
Father will be so angry when he sees this!
Sasuke: Your waistline, the bassline
In real life, don't want it on FaceTime
'Cause great minds, they think just the same
You shake like vibrato
A model or some kind of bottle
Well, pour up 'cause I want a taste
Hinata: Ooh, ooh, I just wanted to get your name
Gaara: (Sólo quería tu nombre, baby)
Hinata: But if it's cool, I wanna get inside your brain
All: Can we get
Sasuke:famili-famili-famili-familiar? (familiar)
I'm feelin' I'm feelin' I'm feelin' I'm feelin' ya (familiar)
What's on your mind for later tonight?
Let me be the one to fill it up
All: Can we get
Hinata: famili-famili-famili-familiar?
I'm feelin' I'm feelin' I'm feelin' I'm feelin' ya (feelin' ya)
What's on your mind for later tonight?
Let me be the one to fill it up
All: Can we get!
We suddenly separated and headed to separate ends of the stage, Gaara and Sakura staying as a pair in center stage for the short dance break and upcoming rap verses.
Gaara: Ah-ah-ah-ah
Sakura: (Solamente tú y yo)
Gaara: Ah-ah-ah-ah
Sakura: (Solamente tú y yo)
Gaara: Ah-ah-ah-ah
Sasuke and Hinata: Let me be the one to fill it up
Can we get!
Sakura and Gaara started dancing separately so they could perform their rap verses.
Sakura: Quisiera que tú y yo nos familiaricemos
Un poco de química y el party prendemos
Olvida las criticas, si nos entendemos
¿Qué tú cree si en tu mente nos metemos?
Gaara: Señorita, qué necesita
Sería mucho mejor si participas
Así de lejos no, mejor cerquita
Yo voy hacerte todo lo que me permitas
Gaara: Y sabes que lo que te pones te queda bien
Sakura: Y me caes mucho mejor que un billete de cien
We all moved to the middle of the stage and finished the song and choreography out strong. My body was burning with the desire to rest, but I just couldn't let it.
All: Can we get
Hinata:famili-famili-famili-familiar?
I'm feelin' I'm feelin' I'm feelin' I'm feelin' ya
What's on your mind for later tonight?
Let me be the one to fill it up
All: Can we get!
Sasuke and Hinata: famili-famili-famili-familiar?
I'm feelin' I'm feelin' I'm feelin' I'm feelin' ya
What's on your mind for later tonight?
Let me be the one to fill it up
All: Can we get!
Gaara: Ah-ah-ah-ah
Sakura: Can we get famili-familiar?
Gaara: Ah-ah-ah-ah
Sakura: I just wanna get to know ya
Gaara: Ah-ah-ah-ah
Sakura: Can we get famili-familiar?
Sasuke and Hinata: Let me be the one to fill it up
Can we get!
Gaara: Ah-ah-ah-ah
Sakura: I just wanna get to know you
Gaara: Ah-ah-ah-ah
Sakura: I just wanna get to know ya
Gaara: Ah-ah-ah-ah
Sakura: Can we get famili-familiar?
Sasuke and Hinata: Let me be the one to fill it up
All: Can we get!
Just like that, our debut show was finished. I couldn't believe how quickly two weeks had gone by or the crazy messes I'd been in and made in the meantime.
The crowd was on their feet cheering for us. Streamers and confetti were falling from the ceiling and the background track to Familiar continued to play despite the song being over so there would be background noise. We all joined hands and gave a great bow to the crowd before saying thank you a few hundred times and eventually being ushered off the stage by the host of the night.
Once we were backstage again, Sakura pulled me into a tight hug and I squeezed her back. We were both burning up, panting, and tired as hell, but couldn't be more content.
"We did amazing! I'm so happy!"
I smiled and nodded, "We actually did it!"
Sasuke scoffed, "Well, what did you expect us to do, flop?"
I looked over to see that his wall was back up, but didn't let it bother me. He'd been vulnerable with me at a very important time and I didn't intend to question that and make him regret his decision. I pulled away from Sakura so I could throw my arms around his waist and squeeze hard, "T-Thank you for everything!" My face was burning, but I buried it in his damp black shirt.
He lightly patted my back, obviously taken back by my sudden affection, "Don't be so damn sappy, Hyuga." I just smiled wider into his shirt. A week ago he would've shoved me away, so the fact that he didn't made me feel like he was proud of me, too.
When I pulled away, I turned to see Sakura and Gaara in a similar position at our side. Gaara was actually returning her embrace, but was shooting a glare very pointedly at someone in the crowd of people approaching. When my eyes swept over the small group, I saw the athletic form of Garret pull ahead of everyone else with an angry expression as he lay eyes on his "little sister" hugging the redhead.
My hand unconsciously gripped onto Sasuke's arm and he looked down at me in confusion. Before I could respond, he quickly had his arms around my torso so he could pull me out of the approaching man's path because he wasn't waiting for me to get out of the way. My eyes widened in disbelief as Sakura turned to finally realize what was happening only to be shoved aside.
Sasuke and I both lurched forward and caught her before she could fall to the floor.
Songs used in this chapter:
We Don't Talk Anymore-Charlie Puth/Selena Gomez
Over and Over Again-Nathan Sykes/Ariana Grande
Familiar-Liam Payne/J Balvin
I don't own or take credit for any part of these songs and am just using them for this story.
Thanks for reading!