Archive of Our Own

“Ouchie!”

Holding a bag of frozen peas to his head, Brant wallowed in pain, his overgrown body sprawled sideways on the mid-sized couch that barely had any space left for his big feet. He buried himself in a pile of fluffy pillows, trying to soothe his aching muscles and bruised ego.

A bed was available for him in the guest room, but the couch looked too comfortable to ignore when he entered the apartment. Plus, he couldn’t reach the room even if wanted to. His head pounded like crazy, which made the walk too taxing. At least, that’s what he reasoned.

“This is what you get for challenging a Liondancer to a backflip competition,” a calm voice stated matter-of-factly from the other room.

Brant raised his head and glared at the open door to the kitchen. He’s unsure if his friend was on the other side but he pouted all the same.

“Why not? I could do a mean backflip too,” he defended and laid his head back on the soft pillow. “Lingyang is just a beast!”

Staring at the ceiling, his throbbing mind went back to this afternoon where it all began. He’d just finished shopping for souvenirs at Ganxue’s Merch Shop when he suddenly heard Liondancers inviting people over to join a backflip competition. An event the Liondance Troupe were holding for New Year’s Eve.

The rule was simple. On a high platform made of wooden boxes, if anyone could perform more backflips than their Liondancers, they would win an all-expense paid trip to Central Plains. Lodging, tour fees, meals, and whatever else the host, Xiuyi, listed. Brant didn’t bother listening to everything. They already had him at “paid meals.”

So not one to pass up such an opportunity, Brant signed up along with other curious tourists. He was pretty confident in his acrobatic skills, having performed in a troupe back in his hometown in Rinascita—that was a few years ago before he got scouted as a young actor overseas. But his muscle memory should make up for it, he hoped.

To his credit, he was the only one to make it to the last difficulty where the platform had only one wooden box left. He was up against Lingyang. A lively Liondancer who was as nimble as an actual Suan’ni. 

In his rush to beat the younger Liondancer and, probably, due to lack of practice, Brant missed a landing and hit his head on the platform. Despite the pain and embarrassment, he got up and still kept going like nothing happened. The adrenaline numbing the ache in his skull.

Alas, it wasn’t enough.

As soon as they announced Lingyang as the victor, the temporary rush left his body and the world started to spin. He thought he saw tiny birds circling above his head before they flew away to the sky. Ah, there goes the free vacation to Central Plains…

Xiuyi was gracious enough to invite him to their training grounds at Taoyuan Vale as consolation, and if Brant were open to it, he could also join their troupe. They were impressed by his mad skills and unyielding will. With some refining, they claimed he’d make the finest and tallest Liondancer in Jinzhou.

It was flattering to hear. After an embarrassing fall like that, of course, it was. But he only agreed to the first one. His loyalty still belonged to the troupe he once had back home.

What happened after was all fuzzy in his head. He wasn’t even sure how he got back to this temporary abode. Next thing he knew, Xiangli Yao was opening the door for him and telling him he looked like a shriveled baboon. 

Rude.

“And he’s younger and more agile than you are,” spoke Brant’s rude, brown-haired friend as he entered the living room area. In his hand was a small tray that carried a glass of water and some medicine.

“I am not that old!” Brant whined from where he lied under the pillows.

“Not what I said. Here,” the other man calmly replied, placing the tray on the small table beside the couch. “This should help with your headache.”

One hand emerging after the other, Brant arose slowly from his fluffy grave, making the pillow fort crumble to the ground. Once he’s finally sitting up and steady, he set the remaining pillows to the side before reaching for the medicine and popping it in his mouth.

“Thank you, my friend,” he muttered before drinking all the water from the glass. He then placed the frozen bag of peas back on his head and turned to his friend-slash-host.

Brant’s eyes went wide and blinked a couple of times. Something was different about his friend, he noticed and rubbed his eyes with his free hand, blurting, “I think I’m seeing things. Why is the Xiangli Yao dressed up in something other than his white coat?”

The associate professor raised a brow and looked down on his outfit. It consisted of a white and navy blue Tang suit neatly tucked in a pair of black slacks. He topped it off with a navy blue cavalry cape that perfectly completed his whole regal look. A stark contrast to his usual white and purple researcher ensemble. It was something he only wore for special occasions.

Xiangli Yao dusted off imaginary dust in his suit and replied, “Rover’s hosting a New Year’s Eve party at the Pioneer Association, remember?”

“Oh, yeah!” Brant’s eyes widened in realization. ”But isn’t that a bit too formal? If your Huaxu students saw you…” he teased, laughing off the rest of the sentence. He then stood and threw his makeshift cold compress on the table. ”Let me take quick shower first. I’m coming with you!”

His friend blinked, brows furrowing in concern. “Are you sure, Brant? You still need some rest. I think you have a mild concussion.”

Ignoring the worried stare of his temporary housemate, Brant walked straight to the guest room where he had already picked out a suit he wanted to wear for the party. It was a custom he got from Mingting, and a New Year’s Eve party was just the perfect occasion to wear it.

“No way am I gonna welcome the new year alone in your apartment, mister,” Brant bellowed as he entered the room and closed the door behind him. After a beat, he opened the door to comment, “Even if it is a nice apartment!”

Once the door closed again, Brant leaned his back on it and rubbed his temples. The medicine was slowly taking effect. He was sure he could make it till midnight. At least, he hoped. This wasn’t his first rodeo after all.

Sighing, he could only pray to this foreign land’s god that there was someone who knew first aid at the party.

Locals and tourists flocked around the lively city of Jinzhou as they wait in excitement for the New Year’s fireworks display happening in a few hours. Stalls lined up the streets, selling refreshments, snacks, and trinkets for everyone to enjoy. Children eagerly watched the puppet show prepared by patrollers at the Jinzhou Theater. Outside of Panhua’s Kitchen, the famous crosstalk duo, Yihu and Langsheng held a stand up show for the restaurant’s patrons. 

A number of people headed to the western part of the city where the Pioneer Association were holding a New Year Countdown party. The famous Rover had invited numerous people from outside the association to come. From the officials at City Hall to the researchers at Huaxu Academy. Loud music blasted from the establishment, balloons and fairy lights littered all over, and attendees gathered around, merrily conversing and wishing each other a prosperous year ahead.

At the same time, just outside the western city gates, two ladies sat quietly on empty boxes that lay around the derelict base overlooking the party at the Pioneer Association. The distance from the city wasn’t enough to drown out the festive noise, but it gave the young ladies the respite they wanted. Each held a book in hand, both lost in their own worlds. 

Phoebe was reading a book about medicinal herbs found in Huanglong. After attending one of Lady Cantarella’s classes on pharmacology last semester, she’d taken an interest in studying herbs and medicine, even if it was a far cry from her current field of study.

She took down notes on her phone, excited to share her insights when she returns to Ragunna. After all, it was the only thing she could give back to the noble lady for sponsoring this overseas trip to Jinzhou.

“So this is where I find you two,” a velvety voice of a woman spoke, stirring the young ladies from their reading.

When Phoebe looked up and saw the pink-haired lady in an elegant black and red dress walking towards them, she immediately closed her book and stood to greet her.

“Lady Changli! Hello!” Phoebe blushed when her host and benefactor turned to her. She checked her watch and winced to herself. They had promised to be at the party by this time, but they got…distracted.

“We didn’t mean to hide, Lady Changli. Mister Tianhu allowed us in,” the soft and even voice of Jinhsi explained, standing next to Phoebe. She raised the book on myths and legends of Septimontian dragons in her hand and added, “This is the least clamorous place we could find to do some light reading.”

Lady Changli’s eyes shifted from one lady to the other, amused. She shook her head, chuckling. 

“Light reading? It’s New Year’s Eve,” she replied, her tone firm but not reprimanding. She turned to Phoebe when she said, “I didn’t invite Phoebe all the way from Ragunna to only read. You’re here to celebrate.”

Phoebe hid the book behind her and smiled sheepishly. Despite spending time and assisting the older lady during her visit to the Ragunna campus the previous semester, she still felt very shy around her. It didn’t help that Lady Changli and Lady Cantarella were close friends. Two of the most respectable women she looked up to.

”I’m sorry, Lady Changli, but the Grand Library has the most interesting finds. I got carried away,” Phoebe apologized, her head bowed low. Although Jinhsi was technically with her the whole time, it was Phoebe who dragged her new friend to sneak in the Grand Library together. 

In truth, Jinhsi was already too taken by the book she brought from Ragunna about dragons and drakes. It was apparently her favorite creature, and if she asked, Phoebe would gladly let her keep the book.

A sudden pat on the shoulder and a graceful laugh brought Phoebe back to the present. She looked up at the pink-haired lady, eyes wide and curious.

“No need for apologies, dear,” Lady Changli said as she fixed Phoebe’s blue hat and poked at the pompoms on her hair. She then turned to Jinhsi and straightened the sleeves of her dress. “But enough reading, you two. The party at the Pioneer Association is already starting.”

True enough, the loud music had been replaced by a lively but muffled voice speaking through a microphone. The only words they could understand from the base were “surprise” and “lots of singing.” 

“Wouldn’t want to miss that. Let’s go, ladies.”

Once Phoebe and Jinhsi had collected their belongings, their small group headed out of the deserted base.

Upon reaching the city gates, however, Lady Changli suddenly stopped as she received a call on her phone. The two ladies behind her looked at each other before also stopping to wait for her. Jinhsi took this time to check on her own phone that she had ignored for the past hour, too distracted by the book lent to her.

On the other hand, Phoebe diverted her attention to the Midnight Rangers stationed at the entrance to the city. One rummaged through a huge box and brought out a packet of long, green, lanceolate leaves. From where they stood, she couldn’t tell if it were leaves of Lemongrass or Noctemint.

The Ranger took one leaf and chewed on it before handing the packet to her partner. Phoebe almost opened the book in her hand to confirm her guess when Lady Changli turned around with an apologetic smile on her face.

“Oh, Phoebe, would you mind going ahead to the party? If anyone asks for us, tell them we’ll be joining in a while,” she said as she finished typing a short text on her phone. “Jinhsi and I just have to wait for Sanhua and her uncle here.”

Phoebe shook her head almost instantaneously. Not because she was in no position to deny a request from her benefactor, but because she didn’t want to intrude a lovely reunion and become a third wheel. Or a fifth.

“Of course not, Lady Changli. I’ll head over there now,” she replied, smiling and waving at the two. She hugged the medicinal book to her chest, gulping down the dread of going alone to a party full of strangers, and entered the city gate.

Brant and Xiangli Yao arrived at the party fashionably late. The walk across the city proved to be dizzying for the taller man, but he ignored all suggestions to go back to the apartment. He was confident he could endure it, even if it meant they had to go slow.

Along the way, they encountered colleagues and students from Huaxu Academy who stopped to greet “Prof. Yao.” While some of them also did steal glances at Brant (what can he say, he’s a handsome guy even with a possible brain injury), their main focus was the associate professor beside him. And to the young actor, it was refreshing.

He had needed a break from everything—the crazy work schedule, obsessive fans, his overbearing ex-manager—and was fortunate enough to get an invite from a long-time friend in a city far away from where people could recognize him. It felt good to be anonymous for once. There was a sense of freedom he hadn’t felt in a long time. It’s probably why he had the gall to join the backflip competition that afternoon.

Once they’d finally reached the Pioneer Association, Xiangli Yao was cornered by his fellow red-haired faculty member who Brant knew as Prof. Mortefi. Even when Brant knew the guy didn’t care much about the popular culture in his hometown, New Fed, he steered clear out of the dragon-eyed professor’s radar so as to not run the risk of being recognized. He excused himself from the two and went inside the establishment alone.

The ambience inside the Pioneer Association was a lot more snug than Brant had expected. As soon as he entered, a warm, cozy feeling enveloped him, inviting him in further, away from the biting cold outside. Although the hall was already crowded, it wasn’t as stuffy as the New Year’s eve parties he’d been to before. People lounged about in the couches and long tables scattered around and bobbed their heads to the awkward singing of two performers on the raised platform in the middle of the venue.

A lady with a pair of huge space buns was singing her heart out—more like squeaking—as the brown-haired guy beside her tried to keep up with her energy. But he was too preoccupied with reading the lyrics on the wide screen mounted on the wall near him to think about performing or hitting the right notes. Despite the subpar performance, the audience seemed to be enjoying, even encouraging the guy to sing louder.

“You can do better than that, Maji!”

“Do it for your customers!”

“Like you mean it, Mr. Maggie!”

Brant shook his head in laughter at the scene before looking around for the refreshment table. His mouth watered at the scent of hot cocoa and Sanqing tea. The Lotus Pastry some guests were munching on at the table near him looked tastier than usual. What he would give for some Sweet & Sour Pork right then and there.

All of a sudden, a little pink-haired girl tugged on his sleeves and offered him some homemade snacks that she called “Baa Baa Crisp.” He had the mind to ignore her. Not that he didn’t like kids nor enjoyed girl scout cookies, but it was just a practice he developed from the nagging of his ex-manager. 

However, one look from the child’s big doe eyes pierced straight through his heart, and he couldn’t help getting at least two pieces from the plate and stuffing it in his mouth. The merry child bobbed up and down in delight seeing this and thanked him with an uber sweet smile before moving to her next target. In all fairness, it wasn’t that bad, almost tasted like the kiddie snacks sold in the city. 

He snickered to himself. If anyone would tell the Brant from last year that he would be eating homemade treats made by a little girl on New Year’s eve, he’d laugh and spit wine at their face. Normally, he’d prefer to drown himself in booze and pizza to welcome the new year. But with his current state, it was out of the question. 

Besides, he didn’t want to get an earful from his self-designated doctor, Prof. Yao. So he didn’t really have much of a choice, anyway.

“All right! Lollo Logistics living up to their name!” A lively, female voice spoke through the microphone as soon as the duet ended. Brant turned to see Rover in a fancy black Qipao dress with white, puffy sleeves standing between the two performers. Her smile was wide when she raised the guy’s hand. 

“They promised, they delivered!”

The crowd cheered as the hamster-like lady bounced in place as opposed to her awkward partner who looked like he’d want nothing more than to bounce off the stage instead. Brant managed a short, energetic ’whoo’ along with the crowd, but a small, sharp pain shot through his head right after. His hand went straight to his temples. 

The medicine he drank shouldn’t be wearing off this early.

Once the cheers subsided and the Lollo duo finally left the stage, Rover called out in an excited voice, “Who’s gonna rock the house next?”

Brant closed his eyes as one hand rubbed his right temple in circles, wishing he brought the analgesic balm they had back at the apartment. He was too concerned with the scent clashing with his perfume that he refused to bring one along. His ex-manager used to tell him his vanity would kill him one day. Brant only hoped it wouldn’t be at a foreign country where people barely knew him.

“Well, well! Visitors from afar, eh?” He heard Rover’s voice exclaim among the cheers of the crowd. Suddenly, a pair of hands grabbed him by the shoulders; he immediately opened his eyes, only to regret it as the bright spotlight blinded his vision.

“What? What’s happening?” He asked, blinking a couple of times, as he felt himself being pushed towards the stage.

“It’s your turn to sing!”

“Sing? Oh no, no, no. My singing career is over,” he blabbed to the people behind him who were relentless in their pursuit. “I’m focusing on my acting now.”

One of them laughed at his excuse and replied, “It’s just karaoke!”

His brows furrowed, only then grasping that the earlier performance was also a spontaneous one. No wonder Maggie, or whatever the guy’s name was, looked so uncomfortable singing. If Brant weren’t so lightheaded, he would’ve realized it sooner and made a dashing escape to the back of the room. He’d rather not be onstage if he wasn’t in peak form.

“But I haven’t even done any vocal warm ups,” he whined under his breath as soon as his feet planted on the stage. As if on reflex, a practiced smile plastered on his face, even as beads of sweat started to form on the back of his neck. 

His eyes glanced at the poor, unfortunate soul who was to suffer with him. A petite lady with a cute blue hat and long golden tresses. Her arms wrapped around herself, refusing to look at him. Well, at least they were considerate enough to pick another foreigner.

They stood awkwardly a few feet apart, each with a mic stand placed in front of them. He could smell a disaster of a performance coming, and his strobe-addled mind could do nothing to salvage it.

“Hey, you know what?” Rover placed her arms on both of their shoulders as she spoke to them without the microphone. “Someday, you guys just might thank me for this.”

She handed Brant the mic before jumping off the stage and added with a laugh, “Or not!”

He sighed as he placed the mic on the stand. His last day of the year couldn’t get any worse. From hitting his head and embarrassing himself in the streets of Jinzhou to now, doing karaoke and embarrassing himself once again. He must’ve done something awful in his past life to deserve this.

Memories of a particularly humiliating audition and worst casting experience flashed in his mind. He was usually better at compartmentalizing, but his possible concussion and the harsh spotlight were inducing unwanted flashbacks—of forcing himself to sing while recovering from laryngitis because his ex-manager couldn’t reschedule another audition, of swallowing his pride when they told him someone will sing over his lines because he only looked the part, of being excluded from performing at the show's concert tour because his singing wasn’t good enough…

Brant shook his head, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, trying to ground himself in the moment. Now was not the time to have breakdown. He could hear his ex-manager in the back of his mind, spurring him to get his head in the game. His eyes focused on the screen near his side, wearily waiting for the song to start.

The first note of the song played, and blue lyrics flashed on the screen. A sigh of relief escaped his lips, realizing that he knew the song. He couldn’t exactly tell whether it was his hairstylist or makeup artist who liked playing it in their dressing room before, but they kept the song on repeat for quite a while that he ended up singing it in the shower for days. A bit of his confidence came back.

Still, the song was a duet. It wouldn’t work without a partner. He glanced at the blondie beside him. She looked white as a ghost and rigid as a statue. Brant almost pitied her and wanted to carry her off the platform to end (their) her misery, but he didn’t want to be alone on stage with no one to bask in the shame with.

Either way, his line was about to start. Too late to back out now. Sighing, he made a mental note to confront Rover after this and make her pay for emotional damage.

Licking his lips, he leaned on the mic as soon as he heard his cue. He started off in a shaky voice, “Living in my own world...”

“I can’t hear you!” A voice from the farthest table shouted.

He gulped and instinctively turned to his partner for support. It had been a long time since he sang in front of people he barely knew. His ex-manager would go to great lengths in order to avoid it from happening. 

But his ex-manager wasn’t there, and he was left with this coldhearted white lady who wouldn’t even look at him. Not even a sliver of camaraderie! He pursed his lips before singing a little louder, “Didn't understand…”

By some miracle, the girl finally glanced at him for a second just as he cleared his throat. Even so, it barely made any difference to his distress. His eyes caught the glare of the spotlight again causing the lyrics on the screen to jumble in his mind. Great. Just great.

”That anything can happen…”

Maybe he could just finish until the next line, and he’d bow out. Not the first time he’d done something like it. The words “Brant” and “dramatic walkout” somehow always made it in the same sentence in the tabloids. Like it mattered. Their performance was going nowhere, anyway. His brain was fogging up, blondie just stood there, catatonic, and the audience had probably lost interest in them by now, thanks to his lame singing.

“When you take a chance…” he finished and as soon as the lyrics on the screen became pink, he turned around to leave, one hand rubbing his temples. If his partner wanted to embarrass herself by not singing her part, he’d rather not be on stage to take part in it.

“I never believed in…”

Brant stopped in his tracks as the melodic voice rang through the speaker. His head turned to the petite lady, surprised and curious at the voice he was hearing.

“What I couldn't see…”

Slowly, he turned back to his mic, listening to her. He didn’t expect her to sound as good as his colleagues in the industry. It may be too early to judge, but he found himself wanting to hear more.

“I never opened my heart…”

“Oh,” he vocalized, his performer instincts finally kicking in. A little ad-lib wouldn’t hurt, and no way was he gonna leave her hanging now.

“To all the possibilities…” Her head gradually faced the front and continued, “Ooh…”

Not wanting to mess the lyrics up and scare her away, Brant turned to the lyric screen on her side, keeping the view of his partner in his periphery. The duet part came next. An unfamiliar rush surged through him when they sang the green line together.

“I know…”

Two words. Two banal words, but hearing their voices come together was enough to make the hairs on the back of his neck stand. He had to bite his lips to stop the smile from forming on his face.

“That something has changed,” she sang louder now and more confident. He caught a glimpse of a puffy cheek and button nose as her face turned slightly to his side to view the screen near him.

“Never felt this way…”

As they sang together, Brant felt her eyes on him, but when he turned to her, her eyes averted at the last minute. He almost chuckled, seeing a ghost of a smile stretch across her lips as she soloed, “And right here tonight…”

“This could be the start of something new.”

She openly stole glances at him by then, but whenever he tried to catch her, she’d look away. Brant would’ve already given up their silent game of cat and mouse if it weren’t for that cute smile on her face every time he caught her too late.

“It feels so right…” He stared at her as she sang, hand moving slightly towards her, urging her to look at him. When at long last she did, he sucked in a breath. Her bright purple eyes shone under the spotlight; a bashful smile appeared on her face as they sang the next line together. 

“To be here with you…”

Heat rising to his cheeks, he looked away just as she did, feeling shy all of a sudden.

Him? Shy? There's no way. He‘s an A-list actor—one of the youngest to have his own walk of fame star. A matinee idol with thousands of adoring fans and numerous juniors who look up to him. An epitome of arrogance, vanity, and shamelessness, as his anti-fans would describe him. Sure, he has his own set of insecurities, but who doesn’t, anyway?

But he was never shy.

Or so he thought.

“Oh…”

Mustering up the courage, he turned back to her and waited for her to look his way again, heart thumping in his chest. Her smile stretched as her eyes slowly turned back to him. A pretty blush adorned her cheeks, contrasting the blue of her dress.

“And now looking in your eyes…”

His heart raced as they sang together, and he couldn’t contain the wide smile on his face. He didn’t know if it was the concussion or this surprising blonde lady, but everything around them seemed to blur. His focus locked on hers.

The bright light that momentarily blinded him earlier was nothing compared to her. Instead of harshness, her light was more warm and inviting, and he felt himself being drawn to it.

“I feel in my heart…“ Her eyes never left his as she sustained that last note, waiting for him to join her in singing.

“Feel in my heart,” he gladly sang along. Earlier, he only wanted to hear her voice more, encouraging her to sing more confidently. But along the way, he started feeling more brave himself. All the discomfort and insecurity that plagued him at the beginning was swept away. Like nothing else mattered.

It was only him and her singing karaoke together.

“The start of something new…”

“Oh, yeah,” Brant ad-libbed with a flourish.

Ever since Phoebe was a child, her parents had taught her how to sing properly. Her earliest fans were the tumbleyaks at the Jamie Family Barn. Whenever she passed by, singing a song her mom had previously taught her, they’d always converge near her and stop a few feet away just to listen to her melodious voice. Because of this and lots of encouragement from her parents, she had thought of becoming a singer when she grew up.

That was until fourth grade.

They were grouped randomly into pairs, and each pair was assigned to perform a duet for a show on Valentine’s day. Sixth grader, Cris, refused to sing a duet with her, because in his words, she was “too bland, too ordinary,” and asked to be paired with someone more “fascinating and alluring.” 

Of course, their teacher didn’t give in to his request, but that made the rehearsals a torture. He came in late, never got the lyrics right, and deliberately messed up the harmonies. During the last day of rehearsals, however, they surprisingly managed to sound acceptable, like he was finally making an effort, and even complimented her singing.

On performance day, Phoebe wore a pretty dress and Cris looked dapper in his suit as well. Nothing could go wrong, she thought. But right when they were next in line to sing, Cris was nowhere to be found. He had excused himself earlier to “freshen up.” They tried to adjust the lineup and wait for him, but he never came back.

In the end, she was left to sing a duet alone. No one was ready or wanted to replace him. Nobody dared. Crestfallen and utterly humiliated, little Phoebe never joined choir ever since.

She swore she’d never sing in front of a crowd ever again. The stage was not a place for her. She couldn’t get the pitiful stares and spiteful laughter off her head. They were a bane to her existence.

That’s why this impromptu performance was a mistake. As soon as the spotlight landed on her while she was conversing with Verina about herbal medicine, her flight response triggered, her feet ready to run away. If Rover hadn’t been quick enough to corner her and drag her to the stage, she would’ve sprinted towards the exit and be sparred from this ridiculous show.

And hearing the protests of her would-be duet partner, she knew this was another performance she would dread to remember in her lifetime. Neither of them knew each other, neither of them wanted to perform, and neither of them were ready. T’was the perfect recipe that could possibly beat her fourth-grade solo duet performance.

But…

“Now who'd have ever thought that…”

Despite it all…

“Mmm…”

She found herself slowly enjoying this karaoke sing-along with this tall and dashing stranger beside her. Said stranger winked at her and began removing his fancy white jacket and throwing it to the side. A move that earned cheers from the crowd. 

Even she couldn’t stop herself from smiling, hearing their voices harmonize beautifully on the next line.

“We'd both be here tonight…”

“Ooh,” he sang confidently, removing the mic from his stand. This action prompted her to remove her hands around herself and place them on her own mic stand.

“Yeah…” she answered as if having a conversation with him mid-song. Folding his sleeves up to his elbows, he kept his eyes on her, grinning as she belted, “And the world looks so much brighter…”

”Brighter, brighter…” he crooned into the mic with his eyes closed. With the coolness he exuded, Phoebe surmised that he may have an experience with performing on stage. He was a natural. The thought equally calmed and excited her.

”Oh, with you by my side…” she sang back to him, delighted when he made an ad-lib as she held the last note.

“By my side…”

He opened his eyes and stared at her as their duet came up, letting her lead the melody.

“I know that something has changed,

Never felt this way…”

A fluttering in her stomach came, seeing his smile widen as they sang together. The genuine joy radiating from his eyes was enough to melt what was left of her defenses. She was beginning to think the performance wasn’t a complete farce after all.

Feeling bold with those fiery eyes on her, her voice rose with ease. 

“I know it for real.”

They sang another round of chorus, more comfortable than the first time. Their eyes never left the other’s, having a silent conversation only they could understand, as if they’d known each other their whole lives.

The crowd loved it, gathering around the stage to get a better view and giggling amongst themselves. A number of Pioneer Association members took out their phones to take photos of the two singers. The people who chose to stay seated clapped their hands and craned their necks to get a glimpse of the electrifying performance.

Rover watched it all unfold from behind the growing crowd, with her hands on her waist and a smug smile on her face. She felt proud of her decision to choose the two as the closing performers for their karaoke session, and her team couldn’t have picked a better song to sing. 

Brant and Phoebe sounded amazing together.

Like the seasoned entertainer that he was, Brant tilted the mic stand in his partner’s direction as he serenaded, “I never knew that it could happen till it happened to me…”

With the sudden proximity, Phoebe averted her eyes, her blush deepening a shade, but turned back almost immediately with a sweet smile on her pretty face. Brant then carried the stand and finished his line like a rockstar, “Ohh yeah…”

Rover couldn’t help the whoop she let out as the cheers around her boomed. She knew performer-Brant wouldn’t fail her. That man knew how to put on a show. 

Her attention shifted to the technical booth where Aalto and Encore was. They immediately noticed her staring and gave her toothy grins and thumbs up, which she returned wholeheartedly. If it weren’t for Encore’s roaming around the hall earlier and Aalto’s eagle eye, they wouldn’t have found Brant among the crowd.

When she turned back to the stage, Phoebe had finally removed the mic from her stand. Coming out of her shell, her hip swayed and her shoulders bopped to the beat as she sang, “I didn't know it before…”

Feeling the excitement build insider her, Rover pushed through the crowd, not wanting to miss the awaited high note. She used to visit Ragunna’s Carnevale and saw eight-year-old Phoebe singing lead with the church choir before. Her vocals were heavenly. Hence why Rover chose her to partner with Brant. She’d have to remind herself to thank Verina later for keeping Phoebe company, or the meek, blonde soprano would’ve left the party earlier.

As she reached the front of the crowd, Rover noticed the people beside her grooving to the music and without another thought, she joined in as well.

“But now it's easy to see…”

She watched as both singers closed their eyes, concentrating on the notes. Their bodies mirrored the other; each having one arm raised as they belted.

“Oh!”

The audience hollered and jumped in their place, hearing the flawless note. When they ended, Brant and Phoebe went back to staring at each other as if not hearing the roar of the crowd around them.

“It's the start of something new…”

When Rover suggested these two as victims for the karaoke session, all she was expecting was they would sound great together because they were both from Ragunna. Anyone who came from Ragunna was sure to be talented in the performing arts. And even if they didn’t know each other, Rover believed a true Ragunessi will always rise up to a performance.

“It feels so right to be here with you…”

Just then, Brant fully turned to Phoebe and brought his mic stand to the side. Phoebe watched his every move, her free hand grabbing her own mic stand out of instinct. Her shoulders tensed as he stepped towards her, his feet not missing a beat.

“And now looking in your eyes I feel in my heart…”

Rover’s hand covered her mouth as she giggled like a madwoman. One thing she didn’t foresee, however, was the sizzling chemistry between the two—eyes locked on each other, unwavering smiles on their faces, and the undeniable redness of their cheeks. It felt like watching a meet-cute in real time.

Brant then took Phoebe’s mic stand and set it aside, so nothing stood in between them. Phoebe kept her arms close to her chest, her confidence wavering as his face leaned near hers.

“That it's the start of something new….”

With every step forward Brant took, Phoebe took a step back, without realizing she was already at the edge of the stage. Panic overcame her as her feet landed on nothing but air. 

Enter our resident hero, Ally of Justice, Chixia, who Rover advised to station near the stage. (Just in case, any performer decided to make a run for it.) With impeccable timing and solid upper body strength, Chixia caught Phoebe’s shoulders before she could fall and pushed her back straight into Brant’s arm. Thanks to his smooth reflexes, his free hand quickly found Phoebe’s back, and he gently pulled her to the center. Her eyes sparkled as she smiled up at him in thanks.

“It feels so right to be here with you…”

Another round of whoops and cheers went through the crowd who witnessed the scene. Rover had to bite her knuckles to contain her squealing as she felt herself being shoved around playfully by the people beside her. She snickered, glad that she wasn’t the only one feeling giddy at the pair. The two singers stood closer to one another as they finish the last chorus, more relaxed than when they had started.

“And now looking in your eyes I feel in my heart,

The start of something new…”

Brant closed his eyes, singing his last ad lib, “Start of something new…”

Phoebe smiled at this, her eyes never leaving his face, as if memorizing it in her head. When he opened his eyes again, he stared back with the same intensity. They stayed like that until the last note.

“The start of something new.”

Applause filled the hall as the crowd gave a standing ovation to the surprisingly outstanding impromptu performance. Rover stepped on stage with her arms spread wide to the singers, but when neither of the two noticed her, she shrugged and egged the crowd for more clamor.

In their own little bubble, the duet partners finally introduced themselves to each other.

“Tern.”

“Phoebe.”

“How are you feeling now?” Phoebe asked him as they walked away from the city gates back to the Pioneer Association.

After waving at the city gate patrollers, Brant turned to her, chewing on a leaf, and replied, “A lot better, actually. I didn’t know chewing Noctemints can help clear the head.” 

“It’s not an instant fix, but yes. Noctemints can be used in a lot of ways,” she said, nodding with a smile.

“That’s cool. I thought you just brew tea with it or add it to Kudzu Congee,” he muttered, staring at the pack of Noctemint leaves in his hand.

As soon as their karaoke performance ended earlier, Brant’s head started throbbing again. He had to ask Phoebe to accompany him outside, saying the flashing lights and the closed space were getting to him. They tried searching for Xiangli Yao, but there was no sight of him at the entrance where Brant left him with Mortefi earlier. Brant was hoping his friend brought some of the meds he drank back at the apartment.

Then bright and lovely Phoebe claimed she knew something that could help him. Together, they went for the nearest city gate. 

It was interesting that Brant trusted her so easily. Not that he was above gallivanting on New Year’s eve with a complete stranger (he wouldn’t make it to New Fed‘s juicy tabloids if he was), but she’s a foreigner, after all. The possibility that she knew about him lingered in the back of his mind. 

Worst case scenario, she might be a stalker who’s only pretending not to know him, and when he finally lets his guard down, would stuff him inside a huge garbage bag and offer his body at the base of Jué’s statue in the Gorges of Spirits and then dispose of it at the freezing lake of Bell-borne Ravine, never to be seen again…

…His brain damage was worse than he originally thought.

But with the way she held him then—her right hand rested on his left shoulder while the other hand carried his left arm, her body kept a safe distance from his as she supported his weight during their walk. It felt more like a nurse taking care of her geriatric patient than an obsessive fan with a nefarious plan. The thought actually offended him a little.

True to her word, she did get him some Noctemint leaves that alleviated the ache in his head somewhat. He didn’t know the Midnight Rangers carried a pack of Noctemint leaves around and chewed on them on a long night, not unlike the pill poppers at New Fed he used to party with. Hey, the more you know.

“It can also be applied externally to soothe inflammation and itching,” the angelic voice of the lovely blonde beside him said, sending Brant’s consciousness back to earth. 

Or heaven. Or both. He wasn’t sure. He’s still confused.

“Well, aren’t you smart, my little healer lady?” Brant teased, nudging her on the side. “A healer and a singer? That’s something you don’t see everyday!”

“Oh, I’m neither! I just like to read,” Phoebe countered, shaking her head. She looked down on her hands before adding, “And I’m not a singer. Only did choir is all.”

He snorted.

“With the way you sang there? That’s pretty hard to believe.”

“It’s the first time I’ve done karaoke,” she articulated slowly, as if saying the word for the first time. A smile formed on her lips when she turned to him, “You, on the other hand, are an amazing singer, Tern. A natural performer.”

See, Brant’s already used to people commending his photogenic looks, his strong physique, his amazing acting prowess, his suave dancing, and the like. His fans never failed to sing his praises on forums and social media. Those tabloids, despite the constant mud-slinging, at least acknowledged his many talents. Also this year, students of Startorch Academy voted for him as the second most popular celebrity in Solaris, only beaten by their own popstar princess, Aemeath.

Of course, he would get the occasional hate and slander as well, but he couldn’t care less about that. Simply put, he’s heard it all.

Be that as it may, nothing could prepare him from the heat rising from his neck to his cheeks after hearing such an earnest compliment from the little blonde lady, especially on his singing. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d gotten one. 

Not to mention, she used his real name. He didn’t even know what compelled him to introduce himself like that to her earlier. No one was allowed to use that name. (Not even the author!) His ex-manager practically banned his staff and refrained his fans from calling him that.

Yet here she was. Brant couldn’t help but look away from her bright purple eyes and hide his sweaty palms in his pockets.

“Nah. I perform, yes,” he mumbled with a shrug. ”But I’m just an actor, not a singer.”

As they neared the Pioneer Association, loud chatter coming from the party made them stop walking. The people inside began flooding the empty road in front of the building. It seemed the firework display was about to start.

Phoebe and Brant looked at each other and, without a word, agreed to stay where they were, withdrawing from the crowd to get an unobstructed view of the show. They went for the nearest barrier fence and leaned back on it, both staring at the huge lake reflecting the skies above.

“Have you tried to be a musical actor?” Phoebe asked suddenly, catching him off-guard.

”Not for me!” He turned to her, his head tilting. “Have you tried performing solo?”

“Oh, no, no, no. I’d rather not,” she vehemently denied, her head shake more intense than before. Brant bit his lip to keep himself from smiling. Why was she so adorable?

Her puffy cheeks reddened as she gazed back at him. The moonlight gave her blonde, curly hair an ethereal glow, unlike Brant had seen before, “I was only able to pull through the song earlier because you sang with me. It was fun singing with you.”

His breath hitched in his throat, and his ears burned. He didn’t know why his body was reacting that way to her. She was just a girl he sang karaoke with—probably the most magical and organic experience he’s had in a while, but that's beside the point.

”I had fun singing with you too, my lady,” he agreed wholeheartedly. There was no other way to reply than to give an equal amount of sincerity on his part. His right hand rubbed the back of his neck as he jested, “So does this make us duet partners now?”

He watched as her eyes grew wide and shone like bright purple gems. A beautiful smile stretched across her chubby, pink cheeks. Her mouth opened to say something, but exclamation from the crowd beside them startled her.

“Ten!”

“Nine!”

The countdown finally started, with Rover taking the lead. The people around them held their phones up to the sky and shouted at the top of their lungs. Excitement got the better of him and before he could stop himself, he blurted, ”I think we should kiss!” When she stared at him in shock, he felt the need to add, “You know, for tradition?”

Folks say it was to seal the year with a kiss or whatever hogwash his colleagues tell themselves as an excuse to mooch around. Brant wasn’t any different either. On a normal new year, he’d already be in someone’s arms by now, canoodling into the night and making their own fireworks. This tradition was even popular in his home country. After all, it’s where it began.

However, the stern voice of Xiangli Yao warning him against practicing it in Jinzhou echoed in his head, but he chose to ignore it. Phoebe wasn’t a Huanglong native, and if she was secretly a fan, she’d be happy then. He would just have to give her a great experience if she ever leaks it to the press.

And since when did the foolish actor ever listened to the professor’s wise words anyway?

“I’m sorry,” Phoebe said, looking away, and started twiddling with her thumbs, “I haven’t had my first kiss yet.”

“Eight!”

“Seven!”

“Oh.”

He knew what that meant.

Still, that was a first. No one had ever rejected a kiss from Brant. A first kiss, more so. He felt as if he hit his head on the wooden box again. Only this time, he didn’t feel like getting up.

“That’s okay. I understand,” he replied, his eyes avoiding her and turning to the sky. “I know you’d want your first kiss to be special.”

It was obvious from the get-go she was that type of girl, and he respected that. If his industry peers saw him now, he’d be a laughing stock, but he knew how to take no for an answer. The tabloids may call him a douchebag, but he was a douchebag with manners. He made his mamma proud.

He resorted to fiddling with the quadruple star pendant on his necklace and chanted along with the crowd, trying to bring back the festive mood between them. No use wallowing in embarrassment and awkwardness on the last few seconds of the year. His left hand came to the side of his mouth and he pumped his fist into the air with every count.

“Six!”

“Five!”

“Next year.”

“Four!”

“Three!”

Brant paused, thinking he heard her say something but the roar of the countdown made him doubt himself. He brought his left hand down and turned to her, his eyebrows raised in question. Her head still faced the other way.

”Hmm? Did you say something?” he asked, leaning over.

She sucked in a huge breath before turning to him, her lips pursed but her eyes determined. His brows knitted, wondering what she could possibly say next that could top her rejection.

“Two!”

“One!

“Next year,” she repeated, her voice clear and crisp in his ears. “We can kiss next year.”

“Happy New Year!”

Their eyes stayed locked even as the firework display started. Brant stood frozen, feeling like the wind got knocked out of his lungs. The wild thumping of his heart overshadowed everything in his ears. Despite the booming noise of the fireworks and ecstatic greetings from the crowd, they all seemed so far away. He could not fathom for the life of him how a shy, introverted, blonde lady who has the voice of an angel can fluster him so.

He wasn’t opposed to the idea. Damn him, if he was. But he could not get the words out. He’s pretty sure he wasn’t even blinking. His mind had ultimately malfunctioned, and it wasn’t because of the concussion.

“That is, if you still want to,” the angel, er, Phoebe mumbled when he hadn’t spoken in a while. She grabbed the hem of her dress for comfort. “I’d like to get to know you better first, Tern.”

Hearing her say his name made his insides squirm and was enough to wake some of his senses. He placed a hand on the back of his neck and sighed.

“You’re driving me crazy, you know.”

A giggle. One that made his heart flutter. “I'm sorry. You sure it isn’t just your brain injury though?”

Despite himself, a laugh escaped his lips. A joyous laugh that made his gut hurt, he had to bend over and wrap his arms around himself. When he had finally let it all out—the shock, the butterflies, the thrill—he leaned back on the barrier fence and ran a hand through his hair. Caring not whether his hair got mussed up or not, he glanced at the lady beside him.

Her expression had grown curious with her head tilting to the side as she watched him the whole time. A few strands of hair fell on the side of her face, and he reached out to tuck them behind her ear.

”Who knows? Maybe we can find out together,” he answered her, a soft smile on his lips. His hand grabbed the braid that lay on her shoulders and twirled it in his fingers. ”But how do I contact you, my dear songbird?”

The smile when she heard the nickname was blinding, but he didn’t want to look away. If it were to be the last thing he’d ever see in his relatively short but eventful life, then he’d be the happiest blind man alive.

She dug her hand into her pocket, reaching for what he believed was her phone. After a while, her face grew pale and she started patting herself down in a hurry.

There was a crease between her eyebrows when she told him, “Oh no, my phone’s missing.” Her worried voice sounded wrong in his ears.

”You must’ve left it in the building,” he said, turning to the establishment in question.

”Probably,” she agreed, moving away from the barrier fence and stopping in front of him. “Do you have yours with you?”

As if a light bulb lit up above his head, Brant turned back to her and nodded. They could call her phone to check where it was. He took out his phone from his pant’s pocket and unlocked it. A number of WavesLine messages flooded his notifications; the most recent one came from Xiangli Yao.

”Oh, wait. My friend texted. Must be wondering if I was still alive,” he joked, quickly looking around and typing in their location. Once the text was successfully sent, he handed her the phone. ”Here. Don’t mind the notifs.”

Nodding, she took his phone and mumbled as she started typing, “I should probably go find my friends and wish them a happy new year too.”

Brant suddenly realized he should’ve opened his Phone app instead of making her navigate through his phone and was about to take it back, when she quickly returned it to him. “Here, that’s me.”

He blinked as Phoebe placed his phone on his open palm. The added weight on his hand made him look down on the screen where a photo of a familiar blonde girl with a white hat and gentle smile distracted him. Without much thought, he clicked on the photo to get a better view and grinned. So cute. It seemed hats were her thing.

He then went back to the rest of her profile and scrolled through it, until a particular information stood out to him.

“No way! You’re Ragunnesi? Me too—,” he looked up but paused when she was nowhere to be found. “Hey, where’d you go?” He stood tall to survey the area for a petite blondie in a sea of brunettes, but the crowd outside had gotten too dense.

Scratching his head, questions started pouring in. Did she actually recognize him after all but didn’t tell him? What were the odds that he’d find a fellow Ragunnesi in this part of Solaris? Was fate trying to tell him something?

He chuckled at the absurdity of it all and looked down on his phone. Scrolling back up to the top of her WavesLine profile, he stared at her display photo for another minute. Was it finally time to go home?

Turning his eyes to the golden fireworks exploding in the sky, he smiled wistfully.

“Phoebe.”