The concert in Gart is just like Paul's previous concerts. Tickets had already sold out completely, snapped up by his fans. Fans there were especially excited, all ready to sing for him.
Even before the concert began, the enthusiasm of the Gart fans had already propelled his concert to the top of the trending topics on Y. One can imagine just how popular Paul's concert was.
This was also why the company's executives, including Jasmin, were strongly against Paul performing new songs at first.
After all, his concert was considered the eighth wonder of the world—at least by his fans. Of course, it's worth noting that there are countless eighth wonders out there.
With his assistant Julian leading the way, Paul arrived at the airport. While waiting for the flight, he checked his phone.
Sure enough, the top trending Y topic was #I'm going to sing for Anilani tonight!#
This trending post already had millions of likes, and even the comments had reached hundreds of thousands. Fans from all over the country were posting their regrets, saying they wished they could sing for Paul too.
[Damn, damn! Anilani's concert is so close to me, yet I couldn't get a ticket!]
[Same here! But I live right next door, over twenty stories high, so I can watch the concert without a ticket]
[What's the point of that? Everyone's going to Anilani's concert to sing for him. Who are you going to sing to in your own home?]
Besides these, there were plenty of new jokes about Paul's concert circulating. Even Paul himself couldn't help but laugh—these netizens were really something else.
[Anilani takes the mic and says, "Everyone quiet, listen to me..."]
[The audience immediately responds, "Sorry, force of habit!"]
[Anilani's concert is the one place I'm not worried about lip-syncing—because he doesn't even sing!]
[I never thought there'd be a singer who could make money even easier than the government]
[After tonight, I can proudly add to my resume: Lead singer at Anilani's concert!]
And so on...
Laugh while you can. Tonight, you're not singing, it's me, Paul thought as he smiled, thinking about their reactions.
Of course, some people were expressing their best wishes and envy, telling everyone to sing well and not let the people of Gart down. He felt a little helpless about this. It seemed that people still didn't know he was planning to sing new songs.
"They have no idea," he muttered to himself. "Will they love the new songs as much as they love not letting me sing?"
To be honest, even Paul himself was feeling a bit nervous. Although he was confident in the quality of the new songs, after all, they were excellent works tested by another world.
He believed that the people in this world would love them too.
---
After a flight of about three hours, Paul finally arrived at the concert venue in Gart.
He blocked out all external distractions and focused entirely on the rehearsal for this concert. He even went over every detail repeatedly.
"Let's run through the lighting cues one more time. It has to be perfect," he insisted to the stage manager.
The stage manager sighed, "But we've done it five times already..."
"And we'll do it fifty more if we have to. Tonight is special," Paul replied, his tone brooking no argument.
After a whole afternoon of effort, the concert was getting closer and closer.
Outside the venue, Paul's fans were slowly gathering, waiting for the Gart concert to begin. Many of them were even carrying water bottles, probably worried they'd need to soothe their throats after singing.
He overheard a conversation between two fans as he snuck in through the back entrance:
"Did you bring your throat lozenges? We can't let Anilani down."
"Of course! I've been practicing for weeks. He won't sing a word if I can help it!"
But little did they know, this concert might disappoint them.
"You fake fans, are you still expecting to see me awkwardly beg you all to let me sing? Still planning to stop me from singing even one song tonight?"
"Sorry, but not this time!"
"Tonight's concert is my chance to reclaim everything I've lost. I'll restore my dignity as a singer!"
He suppressed his excitement. By now, he had the twenty or so new songs memorized completely. He was confident that tonight's performance would be unprecedentedly perfect.
Under Julian's arrangements, Paul entered the dressing room to have a meal and drink water, conserving his energy for the performance.
"Water, energy bars, and your lucky guitar pick. Anything else?" Julian asked.
Paul smirked, "Just one thing, Julian. Make sure my mic is actually on tonight."
Julian's brow furrowed in confusion, "But it's always... oh. Oh!"
He glanced at his phone again, and the buzz around his concert was still at the top of Y's trending topics.
It seemed this trend wouldn't die down until after the concert.
---
[@MelodyMaster: Hey everyone! So psyched for tonight's concert! (^o^)/]
[@JohnZena: Wow... so excited... my first concert ever is about to start. Even though we only have one fan, I'm still so nervous...]
[@RhythmRider: Same here! Can't wait to show off my vocals XD]
[@SongbirdSue: Guys, I'm shaking! This is my first Anilani concert ever! >.<]
[@LyricLover: @SongbirdSue You're in for a treat! Just remember, WE do the singing ;)]
[@NewKidOnTheBlock: Hello, Everyone! So excited to sing at the concert for my fans tonight! I also enjoy dancing, rap, and video games :D]
[@BassBooster: @NewKidOnTheBlock Bro, that fan you're talking about wouldn't happen to be my fan too, would they? (ʘᴥʘ)]
[@SingForAll: What a coincidence! I've also got a fan coming to listen to me sing, but I heard he hasn't bought a ticket yet!]
[@SongbirdSue: Hahaha!!! You guys are too much. Don't bully him like this! Though I also love seeing that desperate, helpless look on his face when he wants to sing but can't get a word out!]
[@CarDriver: Tsk tsk, you guys really have no conscience!]
[@VocalVixen: Aww, fresh meat! >:) @NewKidOnTheBlock, honey, you're adorable.]
[@RhythmRider: Hmm? What's going on? Did a little chick sneak in here?]
[@BassBooster: Pfft...hahaha!!!]
[@NewKidOnTheBlock: What do you mean? I don't understand... :/]
[@RhythmRider: He means ANILANI IS THE FAN, genius! He doesn't sing, remember? -_-]
[@MelodyMaster: This is gold! @NewKidOnTheBlock, you're gonna fit right in. Just... maybe let the pros handle the singing, yeah? :P]
[@LyricLover: Guys, I think we broke him... XD]
[@NewKidOnTheBlock: So... Anilani doesn't sing? But I will sing... O_O]
[@VocalVixen: Oh honey, Anilani listens. WE sing. That's how it works! ^_~]
[@SongbirdSue: I can't breathe! This is too funny! :'D]
[@BassBooster: Welcome to the wonderful world of Anilani concerts, kid. First rule: We sing, Anilani listens! B)]
[@NewKidOnTheBlock: ...I think I need to lie down x_x]
[@RhythmRider: Nap time's over, newbie! Concert's about to start. Hope your vocal cords are ready! :3]
[@BackstageBuzz: OMG guys! You won't believe what I just overheard! :O]
[@MelodyMaster: Spill the tea, @BackstageBuzz! ^_^]
[@BackstageBuzz: Okay, so I was hanging around near the staff area, and I overheard Julian (Anilani's manager) talking to someone...]
[@LyricLover: And? Don't leave us hanging! :0]
[@BackstageBuzz: It sounded like... Julian has feelings for Anilani! O.O]
[@VocalVixen: Wait, what? But Anilani's straight, isn't he? :/]
[@SongbirdSue: Oh no, poor Julian! Unrequited love is the worst!
[@InsiderScoop: Guys, I have some info that might shed light on this situation.]
[@BassBooster: @InsiderScoop? Who are you? ಠ_ಠ]
[@InsiderScoop: Just someone who knows things. Listen, Julian isn't in love with Anilani. He's just worried about him.]
[@RhythmRider: Worried? About what? :]
[@InsiderScoop: Anilani's been acting strange lately. Distant. Julian thinks he might be planning something big.]
[@NewKidOnTheBlock: Maybe he's just nervous about the concert? :?]
[@MelodyMaster: @NewKidOnTheBlock Sweetie, Anilani doesn't get nervous. He doesn't even sing! ¬_¬]
[@InsiderScoop: That's just it. Word is, Anilani wants to actually sing this time.]
[@VocalVixen: WHAT? No way! That's not how this works! D:]
[@LyricLover: @InsiderScoop Are you sure about this? That would change everything! :O]
[@InsiderScoop: It's just what I've heard. But think about it - why else would Julian be so worried?]
[@SongbirdSue: Guys, what if it's true? What do we do? :(]
[@BassBooster: We can't let this happen! It's our job to sing! >:(]
[@NewKidOnTheBlock: But... isn't Anilani the actual singer? Shouldn't he be allowed to sing if he wants to? :]
[@MelodyMaster: Oh, honey. You really are new, aren't you? ^_^"]
[@VocalVixen: Listen up, everyone. We need a plan. (¬‿¬)]
[@InsiderScoop: Maybe you should all just enjoy the concert? Whatever happens, happens. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯]
[@LyricLover: No way! We need to make sure Anilani knows we're here to sing FOR him! (ᕗ ͠° ਊ ͠° )ᕗ]
[@BassBooster: I've got it! When the concert starts, we sing louder than ever before! ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ]
[@RhythmRider: Yes! Show Anilani that we've got this covered! \m/ (>.<) \m/]
[@SongbirdSue: But what if he still tries to sing? (;´༎ຶД༎ຶ`)]
[@MelodyMaster: Then we sing even louder! We're not giving up our spotlight! (•̀ᴗ•́)و ̑̑]
[@NewKidOnTheBlock: This seems... wrong somehow. ಥ_ಥ]
[@VocalVixen: @NewKidOnTheBlock Trust us, this is for the best. It's tradition! ಠ‿↼]
[@InsiderScoop: Guys, maybe you should reconsider... (－‸ლ)]
[@BassBooster: Nice try, but we know what we're doing. This is our time to shine! (⌐■_■)]
[@BackstageBuzz: OMG! I just saw Anilani heading to the stage! It's starting! (º □ º l|l)/]
[@MelodyMaster: Places, everyone! Remember the plan! ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ]
[@RhythmRider: For tradition! For us! For ANILANI! ヽ(°◇° )ノ]
[@VocalVixen: TO THE CONCERT HALL! Let's show Anilani what we're made of! ε=ε=ε=┌(;*´Д`)ﾉ]
[@NewKidOnTheBlock: Just let me sing...]
[@InsiderScoop: This should be interesting... ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)]
[@LyricLover: Less typing, more running! The concert's about to begin! ┌( ಠ_ಠ)┘]
---
Paul looked at the comments, and as always, these fanatics were becoming more outrageous by the day. Their plan to drown out his performance by singing louder made him snort. And now they were spreading rumors about Julian having feelings for him?
As he was about to look for more comments, Julian walked in. He reminded Paul that the concert was about to start, and it was time to get ready with his outfit and makeup.
"Paul, your tie is crooked," Julian said, stepping closer. "Here, let me—"
Paul turned, and suddenly they were face to face, eyes locking. Julian froze. The secretive behavior, the long stares, and now this intense eye contact... Oh god, does Paul... Here, right now?
Simultaneously, Paul noticed Julian's strange expression and remembered the chat messages. Is what they're saying about Julian actually true?
Both men jerked backward in panic at the same moment—Paul stumbling over a chair, Julian tripping over his own feet. In their scramble to avoid each other, they somehow managed to get more tangled, ending up in a heap on the floor.
[@BackstageBuzz: JULIANI IN THE DRESSING ROOM! (｡♡‿♡｡)]
[@VocalVixen: Juliani? OMG that's their ship name now! (♡//▽//♡)]
"Julian, get off!"
"You're the one who was staring!"
"I wasn't staring, you were staring!"
"Because you've been acting weird!"
"I've been acting weird? You're the one who—"
The door creaked. There stood Sarah, the new backstage assistant, her thick glasses immediately fogging up at the sight before her: Paul and Julian on the floor, faces flushed, clothes disheveled, in what looked like a very compromising position.
[@BackstageBuzz: GUYS! adjusts glasses frantically THE FLOOR... THEY... I CAN'T EVEN TYPE! ⁄(⁄ ⁄•⁄-⁄•⁄ ⁄)⁄]
[@InsiderScoop: The tension in that dressing room... ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)]
"Sarah, this isn't—" both men shouted simultaneously, which only made things worse.
[@BackstageBuzz: THEY'RE EVEN TALKING IN SYNC! I'M DYING! ♥(✿ฺ´∀`✿ฺ)ﾉ]
Outside the door, Sarah quickly typed on her phone screen, her glasses fogged with steam.
Inside, Paul and Julian had finally managed to separate. They stood at opposite ends of the room, straightening their clothes and not making eye contact.
"So..." Julian coughed. "About the concert..."
"Yes. The concert. Just the concert. Nothing else," Paul agreed hastily.
[@BackstageBuzz: THE TENSION IS KILLING ME! (〃ω〃)]
"Just as he was about to put his phone away, a message came through.
[Don't be nervous, give your all! (｡♥‿♥｡)]
Along with it, Jasmin sent her location at the venue. Paul hadn't expected her to take time out of her busy schedule to come to his concert."
It was truly a pleasant surprise.
He smiled, typed a message, and sent it before finally turning off his phone and handing it to Julian for safekeeping.
[Can't wait to show you what I can do with my mouth tonight!]
Outside the venue, Jasmin blushed as she read Paul's reply. She glanced at Paul's message again and bit her lip slightly.
What does he mean by that? Then it hit her—he was talking about singing.
Of course he was talking about singing. She fanned her face, feeling silly about where her thoughts had gone. Still, she couldn't help but smile at the unintentionally suggestive message.
Oh Paul, you really need to work on your phrasing...
---
---
Updates will be slower. I need to write and create the songs.