Page 65 of A World Apart (Between Worlds #1)

Jihoon and I carried on texting until the lights in the arena dimmed, the music getting louder, subtle hints the show was about to start and, despite the fact it wasn’t going to be GVibes until later, I began to feel excited about seeing the other artists. The line up this year was fantastic.

Stage pyrotechnics went off, announcing the entrance of the first singer ? none other than Haley, the American singer who’d collaborated with GVibes on their runaway hit, ‘Fall in Love,’ at the start of the year. She was met with loud screams from the crowd and went on to earn every, single one.

Each artist performing at the ball performed a handful of songs. I was honestly having a great time, even if I wasn’t a particular fan of some of the artists. But still, I was anxious to see GVibes. I texted Jihoon between each artist changeover, pestering him with ‘ is it your turn yet?’

Until finally he didn’t respond. It was nearing the end of the night, already after 9:00pm.

I knew GVibes were the second-to-last act playing tonight, the closing performance being from an artist who’d swept the Grammys this year.

When he didn’t message me back, I knew they must be on next.

I felt a frisson of excitement and impulsively I turned to the teen next to me.

“They’re on next!” The shared connection of fandom seemed to close the generational/stranger gap and she grinned a me.

“I know! My soul is ready!” Dramatic, but I got it. Mine was too.

Despite my feelings for Jihoon, despite whatever emotional growth I’d gone through this year, despite the separation I felt for Jihoon and the group, I had been a fan first.

The lights in the arena suddenly dimmed, the runner lights flanking the aisles and some low-lying house lights the only illumination, until-

The stage spots flashed, once, twice, and then a continuous pulse in time with the beat that thundered from the towers of speakers framing the main stage.

The audience exploded with screams and cheers, lightsticks appearing from all over the arena, constellations dotting the darkness, individual beacons identifying the Vibers in the crowd with more precision than the volume of their cries.

The vibrancy of the atmosphere was a tangible, electric thing, sweeping us all up in a frenzy not seen before now. It was enough to make me feel almost sorry for the other performers.

Just then, the music silenced, the strobe lights shut off, cloaking the arena in a sudden hush, the audience obediently quieting, for the most part.

Then, with a thunderous drum beat that I felt through my shoes, the silhouettes of the five members of GVibes suddenly appeared on the stage, the smoke machine and spotlights giving the illusion they stood ten feet tall.

Once again but with more intensity, the audience erupted and from somewhere in there, the fanchant started up, repeating over and over until the opening bars of ‘Pulse’ began, unfreezing the group and driving them into motion.

Though I was several rows back, I was close enough to the stage to be able to identify them all immediately, my eyes seeking Jihoon reflexively.

Watching them perform in real life felt transformative, and I screamed and stamped my feet along with every other fan in the audience, regardless of my personal relationship to the main vocal.

Just then, I was a fan. I could be his girlfriend later.

They performed four songs in all, ‘Pulse,’ ‘Work Harder,’ ‘I’m Gonna Stay,’ and ‘Fall in Love’ ? for which Haley came out and performed with them.

I might have felt jealous, if I hadn’t read that she’d recently married her long-time sweetheart.

It was incomprehensible to me how they managed to dance that hard, that fast and sing at the same time.

It seemed superhuman to me. Idols were built different.

By the end of their set, I was practically vibrating with energy, the kind of energy that feels like you’re never going to be able to come down from.

There was an uproar from the crowd when they eventually left the stage, and I half expected them to run back and honour the loud cries of ‘encore,’ but they did not and instead, the tech crews ran on to reset the stage for the next and last performer.

Breathing hard, I slumped back down in my seat and pulled out my phone to send a text to Jihoon:

Me

Come back out! I demand more!!!

He didn’t reply for a few minutes, which I expected, but I was still impatiently biting my inner cheek when he eventually did.

Joon

Did you like it? I worked extra hard for you.

[Sent 22:22]

Me

It was amazing! I might pass out. hahaha I want to come to all of your shows from now on! I’m furious I’ve missed so many

Joon

Don’t pass out or I won’t get you tickets to any of our future shows. I’m glad you liked it! I wish I could watch the rest of the show with you. Don’t enjoy it as much as our performance, okay?

[Sent 22:25]

Me

I’m not staying, I wanna get home early before the streets get too busy.

Joon

Let me know when you get home

[Sent 22:27]

I got up to leave and so did the teen girl next to me. We locked eyes and she said, “I’m done here now.” Well, okay then.

We headed out of the arena going in the same direction ? to the main doors at the front of the building.

On the way, I loaded the Uber app and luckily there were several in the area, probably trolling for fares leaving the Ball.

I had to walk a little distance from the centre itself, but it sure beat having to get the bus, or beating traffic when everyone else left at the same time.

Sliding into the back of the Tesla, I congratulated myself on a smart decision.

The traffic still doubled the drive time, and it was well after 11:00pm by the time we rolled up outside my apartment building. I gratefully tipped the driver and tiredly pulled myself up the stairs, looking forward to my bed, the anticipated post-concert crash well in effect now.

The apartment was dark when I put my key in the lock, Becka must have gone to bed, so I quietly locked the door behind me and toed off my boots. I walked into the living area and flipped on the light.

A man I didn’t recognise popped up from behind the sofa. He was very, very naked, a fact not at all disguised by the hands he clutched over his… well.

“WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?!” I screamed, grabbing the closest thing to me, a hefty Stanley tumbler from off the counter, holding it aloft like I was prepared to brain him with it.

“Kaiya, stop, it’s ok!”

“Becka?? What the fuck is going on?” I didn’t take my eyes ? or my aim ? off the naked guy, or Becka ? also very naked ? I noticed as I glanced in her direction. Confusion made my arm sag a little, the Stanley tumbler lowering to my side.

“Ben, put your pants on.” Becka turned to the naked man, holding an arm out to him as if to, what, comfort him?

Hang on a minute.

“BEN!?”

“Ky, stop shouting,” Becka pulled a t-shirt on to cover her nakedness; not her shirt, I noticed. “This is… well, this is… Ben.”

“Um, hi.” Ben waved at me awkwardly after hurriedly pulling on a pair of blue jeans.

“THE Ben?!” I aimed this at Becka.

She nodded, a little sheepishly, while ‘the Ben’ waved at me again.

I narrowed my eyes at him. “You motherfucker!”