Ionuț adjusted his faux-leather jacket and felt a slow grin creep across his face. He didn't have the cash for a steak, but as he watched the kids recognize the rhythm of his struggle, he realized he was still the king of the street. He tapped his rings against the Formica table, keeping time with his own destiny.
He wasn't always this quiet. Just two years ago, he was the king of the Bucharest weddings, the "Vocea de Aur" who could make a billionaire weep and a pauper dance. But the 2017 winter had been cold, and the bookings had dried up like the summer grass.
"Even with an empty pocket," he muttered, repeating the title of his lead track, "a man still has his pride."
"Yo, this beat is fire!" one of them shouted, beginning to pull off a clumsy manele dance step between the tables. "Who is this Ionuț? He’s got soul."