Chapter 8: Chapter 8

I take a long look at myself in the mirror and say, "Come on, you got this. Don't stress. Ye-jun said he'll be there and make sure nothing happens." I try to reassure myself, but the anxiety is getting to me. I've always struggled with being in large crowds of people, and tonight is one of those times. I agreed to go, but I'm still nervous.

I ended up finding a group called Airship Street that sounds good and calming, hoping that the people there won't get too drunk or rough. Ye-jun is right, the only way I can get a better understanding of this project is to go to a concert and experience it all in person.

I put on my hoodie and puffer jacket, and while I'm doing that, my phone suddenly starts ringing. It's Ye-jun calling, "Hey Ernest! I just finished getting ready."

"Oh, cool, uh, yeah I think I'm ready," I say, trying not to sound nervous.

"You okay?" Ye-jun asks, and I realize he can hear it in my tone of voice.

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine. I'll meet you there at the venue?"

"Yeah, it'll take me about 20 minutes to get there so I'll see you then."

"Okay, uh, see you then."

After getting off the phone with Ye-jun, I grab my wallet and check that I have everything. I turn off the lights, lock the front door, and head out. I walk to the nearest bus stop and as I approach, I see the bus take off. Damn it, now I have to wait for the next one. I loiter around the bus stop, pacing and trying to keep myself calm. I don't even care about the freezing weather. I wish now I hadn't taken this stage design class.

I wait for another 7 minutes or so until the next bus arrives. I hop on and end up standing the entire time as the bus is so full. I wonder if all these people are going to the concert? No, they couldn't be... at least I hope not.

I finally arrive at my stop and step off the bus. To my surprise, only two other people got off with me. I guess I'm overthinking this. The venue is only about four minutes away, but I take my time, even though I feel guilty for making Ye-jun wait. I'm sure he's already wondering where I am.

I approach the venue and don't see many people outside of it. Just a few people are waiting around or smoking cigarettes. A bit past the small crowds, I spot Ye-jun. From afar, he looks like a model. He's walking back and forth slowly, staring down at his feet. Trying not to scare him, I approach him slowly and tap him on the shoulder. He quickly turns his head in defense mode, “Jesus Ernest, you scared me!”

“Sorry, I didn't mean to. You looked busy, so I didn't want to interrupt,” I try to explain to Ye-jun.

He laughs and says, “I was just waiting for you, man. Come on, let's go in. I'm freezing out here!”

We go through the metal detector and get our tickets scanned to enter the venue. As soon as we walk in, I am amazed at the architecture of the building, and the walls have an old-fashioned yet modern touch to them. I am not even paying attention to where I am walking when Ye-jun nudges me, and I snap out of my daze.

"Oh, yeah?" I respond.

Ye-jun has an amusing look on his face, "I don't want to disturb you, but do you want to be in the balcony or closer to the stage?"

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"Oh, sorry! This place is so beautiful! But, uh, maybe the balcony for now, if that's okay?"

"Of course, it's totally fine," Ye-jun says. "We can still have a good view of the stage from there."

We make our way up the stairs and head towards the front of the balcony where we see two empty seats open and not too close to other people. Ye-jun lets me sit in the seat that's closer to the stage. As I take a look around, I notice the place isn't too crowded but there's still a decent amount of people here. I look over at Ye-jun and ask, "Have you been to this venue before?"

"No, I don't think so. I've been to a few places in this area, but not this one."

"Do you like it?"

"Yeah, it's pretty cool, and the crowd seems relaxed, which is nice."

"Mmm, yeah," I agree with Ye-jun. The place isn't too crazy and so far I'm enjoying my time here. I hope Ye-jun is really having a good time. I'm sure he's fine, but I still wish I could have let him pick the concert. Maybe if there's a next time I'll let him pick the concert.

Suddenly, the place goes dark and everyone starts shouting. I start hearing what sounds like drums, followed by a guitar. Everything was happening so quickly as I was trying to make out what song might be playing. Then I heard a female singing:

"I'm feeling alive, on this sunny day
With the wind in my hair, and the world at play
I'm walking down the street, with a smile so wide..."

Ah, I think this was one of their more upbeat songs. I prefer the slower ones, but this is a good song to start the show. Everyone is singing along, and I can't help but smile at the energy I feel in the room right now.

The concert continues and the female singer has an amazing voice. There's a hint of sadness, but she still has a smile on her face as she sings along with the fans. I look over at Ye-jun, who's bobbing his head and looking at the stage. He makes eye contact with me, and a strobe light flashes across his face at that moment. Wow, I feel a bit weird for thinking this, but he looks so angelic.

Not wanting him to think I'm being a weirdo and just staring at him, I lean in and shout in his ear, "I HAVEN’T HAD THIS MUCH FUN IN A LONG TIME!" He leans back a bit and looks at my face, and I mouth the words "thank you" to him. In response, he does a quick head nod and smiles.

The song is over and I look back at the stage. The female singer starts thanking everyone and her band and announces they'll be playing their last song for the night. The crowd groans, including me. The guitar starts playing, and I instantly recognize it -- only because it's the one song that stuck out to me the most. She begins to sing:

"In the fields of gold, where the sun sets slow
I met a boy, with eyes that shone like the snow
He smiled at me, with a heart full of grace
And I knew then, he was the one I wanted to chase…"

I'm not sure why, but when listening to this song, Ye-jun pops into my head. It feels weird, and if I told him this, he would probably freak out, so I keep quiet and focus on the music until the end of the show.

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