Chapter 1: The Trinket or the Heart?

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Thunder that resounded outside from the heavy rain of the fall night, paled in comparison to the roars of the auspicious crowd indoors that trickled out like hail from open theater doors, feet shuffling with urgency towards the center lobby of the arena, shaking the very foundation from their enthusiasm.

Injuries abound as they all hit one another, none too delicately, pelting one another in the face with the frantic flailing of freshly manicured hands, purses with buckles that caught onto any available surface of clothing, and dirty looks.

It was every introvert's worst nightmare.

The bodies packed together like canned sardines, pushing, and shoving in every direction to fill every inch of space, even the floor a couple of times as women tripped over themselves from a particularly hard shove, the scene was mind-blowing. The ushers doing their best with glow sticks, soft spoken tones so as to not agitate but tame the mob, organizing them into a queue after what seemed like 2 hours of maneuvering.

The valid need to go to the restroom was forgotten as everyone was fearful to lose their spot, trust not a common denominator in a fandom. A quick glance to the empty bathroom line, the extra hops on tiptoes, the crossed legs; it was dedication that kept them glued.

Posters, paraphernalia, merchandise – all of it littered the space, all for the band - The Green Roses. Thailand's hottest band, ranking number 1 and 2 respectively with their hits "Emerald of Mine" and "Feverish Dream" for three months. In the music world, that was a long time. The announcement of their local performance with extension to parts of Asia, made them a commodity to watch before they left on their tour.

The band comprised of its four members: drums – Decha, keyboard – Kiet, bass - Niran, and guitarist - Mile. All did vocals, all alternated in engaging with the crowd, hyping up the performance, the experience one of a kind.

It was phenomenal, unique, and worth the expense.

Their range in audience reached even the most obscure parts of Thailand as conversations between locals varied in dialects as they all waited. The group comprised of all ages, shapes, genders – the commonality was The Green Roses. Of course, there were fan favorites that caused wars on social media.

Decha with his long black hair always held in a low ponytail, eyebrow piercing glinted under stage lights with every head throw, and green eyes from his mixed heritage. Boastful personality, always happy go lucky with a sense of humor that made no sense.

Or.

Mile with his masterful fingers that plucked the strings of one of many beloved guitars, he never used the same for each show, long pink tongue that could make anyone come to kneel just for the feel of it on them and obsidian eyes that lit up the room or drew attention during their live promos. Gentleman, polite to a fault, and kindhearted.

The top two, best friends, the apples of everyone's eyes. Not that Kiet or Niran didn't have their own small base. All important pieces to the group's puzzle.

The band's reputation preceded them when it came to concerts; always set aside time to sign, pose, and engage with their fanbase. Granted the cameras shoved in their faces helped to promote them for free. A win-win. It drove the fans wild to have the opportunity to enjoy their local celebrities.

The queue swirled around the food stands or merchandise carts, the vendors doing their best to sell their goods, only to get rebuffed or ignored.

"Po we should probably buy something right?"

"No, Kasem, I already have a poster."

"You are so cheap. Don't you want to help the vendors?"

"B-r-o-k-e."

Starstruck on You [Mile x Apo] [MileApo]Where stories live. Discover now