Phantom: Hey guys! I have started my re-write of the earlier chapters of LDF. Pretty sure I posted this story, like, TEN years ago xD so it's time I gave it a tweak. Don't worry, I will continue posting new chapters, until the story is finished! ^-^ If you're new here, welcome! I hope you enjoy!
La Danse Fatale
Chapter 1
xXx
Ramen, nori, rice, green tea, tofu, plum wine, soy sauce, chilli sauce…chilli sauce!
I scrolled down my grocery list on my iPhone, knowing there was something crucial I had forgotten–namely, chilli sauce. I was going to attempt to make crispy fried tofu ramen tonight, and chilli sauce was a vital ingredient. Slowly-dressed in my sweats, slides, and comfiest hoodie (its Sunday, ok?)-I found my way back to the aisle where I might find said chilli sauce, and found the product I was looking for. I swivelled this time in the direction of the checkouts, and stopped dead in my tracks, going slightly slack-jawed at the sight I was greeted with.
No more than ten feet ahead of me, stood a well-known celebrity, famed throughout Japan, the Middle East, and most of Asia itself.
There could be no mistaking the wispy crown of platinum blonde hair, creamy tanned skin and tall, muscular physique. He stood out amongst the other men in the aisle, I noticed, and towered above the women. It had been a while since I'd seen him, and frankly I thought he had gone underground some years ago, since the scandal that had broken out and brought his career to an abrupt end; so, naturally, I was surprised to see him-in a convenience store in central Domino, of all places.
Malik Ishtar–or simply Malik, as he had come to be known as–turned his head in my direction, and I felt my heart compress. I hadn't seen him in the flesh since high school, almost five years ago, now. He had always been popular at Domino High, excelling in practically every subject, but his passion had been for the performing arts. He had had an unreal talent for singing and playing the piano, and was perhaps the most unbelievable and beautiful dancer I had ever seen perform, in my life. He frequently appeared in the press, performing in theatre productions around Japan and even in some music videos for J-Pop superstars and hip hop artists, from the west. The Japanese Ballet Company begged time and again to have him on their set, but he'd declined.
He had gone from strength to strength, and before the final year of school was out, he had signed a record deal. From then on, he'd exploded onto screens with catchy pop and hip-hop beats, belting out melodramatic ballads, breaking teen girls' hearts the world over. Being that he was Egyptian, he became a sensation in the Middle East, as well. The songs he wrote spoke mostly to the female agenda, about such hot topics as sex, love, eloping, and the like. When interviewed, Malik had spoken of his idols being among Michael Jackson, Usher and Chris Brown, and as such likened his own music and dance moves to theirs.
His rise to fame had included a controversial, on-off relationship with a female J-pop star known, also, simply as Yumi. Yumi was more or less the female equivalent to Malik, and so they gelled, but the relationship was also volatile, if tabloid fodder was anything to go by. She was like the Japanese Ariana Grande, with a string of broken engagements and affairs in her past as long as the Great Wall. She, too, was idolised, and desired by the majority of the young male Japanese population. They were the golden couple of the nation–until that fateful image made it to the media.
Yumi had been on tour in the United States at the time, when Malik had apparently become caught up in a three-day bender with other pop-stars that began at an awards after-party, which included the supply of alcohol–far too much of it– cocaine, strippers–and boys. A photo of Malik getting hot and heavy with an unknown young man of around the same age had appeared on a social networking site and spread like wildfire around the internet, thereafter. Several other images of the binge had surfaced, including the star snorting lines and posing provocatively amongst a pile of scantily-clad young women.
Needless to say, the images didn't go down well with the public, his recording label, or–most of all–Yumi. His fall from grace had been spectacular, but Yumi's popularity had subsequently skyrocketed. She had been the subject of pity for months afterward, and Malik's name had more or less become a dirty word. He went underground for a long time–some say he even went back to Egypt to go into hiding, for a while. Eventually the public forgot about the scandal, life went on, and it seemed that Malik knew better than to try to make a comeback. His life as he had once known it, was over.
I stared at him, slightly agog, and surprised by the absurdity of the situation-that being, that I was standing in the middle of a supermarket aisle in my glad-rags, a few feet away from my old high school classmate, who happened to be a very famous pop-star. All the other customers seemed to be turning a blind eye to his presence, or perhaps they just didn't know who he was, anymore. Malik's career had crashed and burned almost two years ago, now. I shivered when our eyes connected; he had the most hypnotizing lilac eyes–one of his most striking features. I wondered if he would remember who me-surely he would. We had been in a few classes together at school, and had competed together at inter-school dance competitions. It had never been anything more than that, though. We had only been acquaintances.
He lifted one hand in a greeting gesture and gave me a little smile. Crap! He had caught me staring. My heart rate quickened as I returned the motion, my legs automatically taking up pace in his direction.
"...Sable?"
Damn my non-conformist, hippy family and their ideas about names.
"Hey Malik." I smiled, glad he remembered. "It's been quite a while."
"A while since what?" his brows knit together in consternation.
"Since we've seen each other…" I trailed off, suddenly realising that he thought I was talking about his career going up in flames.
He twigged, going on the back-foot. "Oh! Right, yes, you're right. High school…wow. Long time ago." He chuckled a little.
"I…I didn't know you were still in Japan," I charged on, seeing he was probably a little embarrassed.
"I came back just a few months ago." He replied. "And as you can see...I'm feeling a little incognito." There was slight chagrin to his tone, as he gestured to the oblivious passersby in the supermarket.
I felt slightly awkward. "Do you want to maybe, go and grab a drink, or something?"
At that, his brows relaxed. "Sure. I'd like that."
xXx
Phantom: This is kind of just an intro. I don't know really where this idea came from, but somehow Malik tends to make a good celebrity in my mind. He just seems to possess the traits and qualities for superstardom, even though this story centres around his life after his career. Hope you enjoyed so far! ^^