A short thirty minutes later, I was in a big hurry. I had only five minutes till I had to be in the lobby, and I still had to do my hair and pick out jewelry. I settled on silver hoops and a cross necklace for the latter, and hastily got out my hair straightener.

Luhan’s voice rang out in the hall outside. “Lay and I are going to the car!”

“,” I whispered, throwing on a pair of black Vans and tying them. “There goes my hair.” Then I snatched my phone, my room card, and went into the hall, shutting the door behind me carefully.

Tao had just left his room as well, right next to mine. His glam team was filtering out and packing their handbags with extra makeup they could use on him before the concert.

He stared at me. My black dress was knee length and had long lacey sleeves. It fit my figure perfectly, slimming my stomach and accentuating my curves in all the right places. My hair was light and shiny, thanks to the dry shampoo I had brought. My eyes were decorated with smokey makeup and their blue hue popped against my dark outfit.

I stared at him in return. His hair was gelled up and his skin seemed to radiate moonlight. He had dark stud earrings in and eyeliner completely surrounding his eyes, amplifying his intense gaze. He wore a white button up shirt and a black suit jacket over it, with the shoulders and upper arms embellished with jewels and diamonds. His jeans were dark black and there was a silver chain dangling from them. His shoes were blinding white Converse.

He took a step towards me, then visibly hesitated. I gave him a sly smile, which he returned, and then he took my hand in his delicately.

“You look beautiful,” he remarked as we headed towards the elevators.

I grinned. “Thank you. You look good yourself.”

Before the elevator door could close, Kris stepped inside of it as well. If I had thought Tao was eccentric, Kris was something else. He had on a black shirt, with a silky white band of cloth wrapped around him. It looked very regal and historical. On top of that, he a white jacket covered with fur around his broad shoulders. He had his longer hair tied back in a man bun and dark leather boots to go with his black jeans.

He looked me up and down and his eyes softened for a second before he glanced away again. “Tao, don’t be nervous. It’s gonna be one of the most memorable concerts of your life.”

Tao and Kris exchanged a look, and they both seemed to communicate something. After that, the elevator was much less tense. The doors slid open and we stepped into the lobby. Yixing and Luhan were talking to Zhongrui in the doorway, and I was envious of their looks again.

Yixing's look was less extravagant compared to Tao and Kris. He had on a black turtleneck sweater and a cream colored suit jacket, matched with dark gray jeans and white Fila sneakers. His hair was gelled (a little less than Tao’s though in the same fashion) and he had two silver hoops in his ears. 

The most casual look was definitely Luhan. If he was going for the street fashion style, he had killed it. He had on a pure white t shirt, which gave his arm muscles an opportunity to pop a little. His pants were black sweatpants with Chinese text printed in white down the sides. He wore shoes similar to Yixing's, but they were Skechers in a shade of white. Black crosses were hanging from his ears, and he had very dark eye makeup - similar to my smoky eye. The top of his hair was tied back into a ponytail.

The two of them came over to us as soon as they saw us walk in. Yixing smiled at me, and I returned it, packed to the brim with sudden confidence.

“You look beautiful,” Luhan said to me. I thanked him shyly. Then he turned to Zhongrui. “Can you get a picture of us for Weibo and Insta?”

All of them sandwiched me. Kris was on the end, next to his brother Tao; Tao had a gentle arm around my waist. Luhan, on my other side, had his arm around my shoulders, and Yixing was next to him on the other end. Zhongrui took the photo and Luhan created a group chat for the five of us. Then we made our way outside and back into the limo and drove to the Pepsi Center.

“Okay, we have to post at the same time. Fans will go crazy,” Yixing said. “Ready? On three.”

Tao leaned over to me and showed me the caption he had typed in. It was in english, and read “love is found in the most unexpected places”. 

We exchanged a glance as Yixing began to count down.

“一! 二! 三!” 

They posted the photos and turned their phones off immediately afterwards.

Ten minutes later, we were at the Pepsi Center. Yixing, Luhan, and Kris exited the limo first. Before I could follow them, Tao grabbed my shoulder. 

“Luna. I know this is sudden, but I feel something with you and I know you’ve got to be feeling it too.”

I looked into his eyes; he reminded me of a snow tiger, decked out in black and white with a fierce glance. I swallowed, knowing what he was about to ask. How could I refuse? I felt the same way about him; everything he did mesmerized me in some way. The sound of his voice, his respect, how he defended me, his passion. His love and caringness.

“Come on stage with me. For one song. We don’t have to make it public yet, if you don’t want to, but… If you would do me the honor of becoming exclusively mine, I would treat you like a princess.”

“I…” I knew this would make me famous overnight, but I was in love; and at that moment, I thought that I knew Tao would take care of me through the ups and downs. “Yes. I’m all yours.”

Tao smiled at me for the first real time, and led me out of the car holding my hand. Mingsan opened a back door to the Center and Zhongrui led the five of us through a few halls. He hung a left into a small dance room.

“Warm up here, I’ll be just outside the door. Thirty minutes and then we have to go and do mic checks.” Without another word, he closed the door and was gone.

I looked at the clock; 6:10.

“Okay,” Tao said, leaving my side to take his place on the dance floor. “Our set is as follows, in this order. We start with Growl, Mama, then Yixing does his solo stuff, followed by Kris. Then Machine, all together. After that it’s Luhan’s solo, my solo, and then we’ll finish with Two Moons and History.” 

The other three boys nodded and got to their starting places for Growl. Luhan plugged his phone into the speakers and started the song, running back to his place. The keyboard began to play out into the room and Kris started off the song with some rapping.

It was crazy to watch them for the first time. I couldn’t imagine how close they had become; the dancing was completely in sync, all of their movements complementing the others. Luhan and Yixing's voices blended perfectly, and even Tao and Kris could sing like angels when they weren’t rapping.

The next song came on and Luhan danced his way to the front of the group. After showing off his mad vocals, he casually blended back in. This song had a much different feel than the first one; less y, and much more intense. Their roles in the group began to better reveal themselves to me. Tao, though he was the youngest, was the face and leader of the group. He embodied everything that they showed in their movements and through the music. Yixing, the next in age, was the most talented dancer; every movement he did seemed fluid and compelling. Kris was clearly the main rapper of the group, his flow was undeniable; he could feel any beat. Luhan, the oldest, was the lead vocalist; he could hit the high notes perfectly in tune with apparent ease, even when he was short of breath.

Machine came on after Mama, and it gave me completely different vibes from the previous two. It was much more poppy and mainstream. This let me see the personality of the group more. Tao was the most intense and straightforward; he had the most bravado and finesse. Again, he fit the role of a leader. Yixing was the most stereotypically masculine, with his short hair, fit body, and athletic traits. Kris was mysterious and dark, drawing in the curiosity of everyone who watched him. He gave off bad boy vibes. Luhan was the heartthrob for sure, the most sensitive and emotional. His angelic voice was sure to melt your heart.

Two Moons played out of the speakers and Tao turned around swiftly to give me a wink. He had played this one for me on the plane, and it had been my favorite. It showcased him and Kris, the two rappers. As I watched, I realized it also gave Yixing an excellent opportunity to show off his groundbreaking moves. Everything he did seemed smooth and controlled, even when he landed a jump and shook the floor. Luhan took the English rap at the end, because his accent was the best. 

After they ran through their last song, History, we quickly made out way backstage to do mic checks. It took a fair amount of time, because the mics had to be adjusted between most songs and be loud enough to fill the whole auditorium. By the time it was all done, it was 7:30, and the center’s doors opened to let in the audience. 

Zhongrui, Mingsan and I sat just offstage, so that we could see everything and nobody could see us. Three empty chairs were next to us for when the Superior 4 - the boys’ group name - had finished performing and could rest before their next song.

The Superiors went back to the dance room to do a group prayer before the concert. I chose not to go with them; I could tell Kris didn’t want me to. Thirty minutes later, the doors had shut and the center was packed to the brim. They emerged from the dance room, microphones on and ready to go, and waited for me to give Tao, Luhan and Yixing hugs and wishes of good luck.

Then, Growl began to play out and they went onstage, finding their places on stage despite the screaming audience.

Kris began the show with his rap, followed with the group doing X rated dance moves and filling the stadium with their voices. The first two combined songs went great; no notes or words were missed, all the dance moves were spot on, and I could tell they were all having the time of their lives on stage. Despite their differences, they were all amazing performers and good friends. Luhan’s vocals lit the place on fire, Tao’s calm and cool looks counteracted this. Yixing's moves were light and airy as opposed to Kris’s lyrics, heavy and fresh like earth.

I exhaled. It was wicked cool.

Then Yixing's solo set began.

The stadium fell completely dark, and then completely silent until the bass began to shake the building. Tao, Kris, and Luhan ran offstage before the whole stadium turned a lime green color. Yixing's backup dancers came out and I recognized the lyrics: “Oh, I am the sheep… yeah, that China sheep!”

Tao sat next to me, then Kris and Luhan. They were all glistening with sweat and breathing hard. The glam teams rushed over to refresh their makeup.

It was apparent that Yixing was popular among the girls; everytime he his hips, the audience would shriek. After SHEEP, he sang two Chinese songs from his latest album; 坚持 and 麻婆豆腐. He closed his performance with Honey and the entire center seemed to shrink around him as sparks flew from the dance floor.

Kris stood up, preparing for his solo performance. Again, the entire stadium went dark as Yixing ran off, and the lights turned blood red as the first chords of Tian De came on. Kris started singing offstage, so his voice echoed eerily around the stadium. Then, he calmly walked into the lights and smoke.

His presence was incredible.

He commanded the undivided attention of everyone in the stadium, and his confidence and utter swag were unmatched. It was easy to tell that Kris had the largest American fanbase; the crowd could sing along to almost every lyric, English or Chinese.

I had heard his second song on the plane with Tao; it was the noodle song. I loved it, and couldn’t stop myself from singing along in the chorus. Tao had a small smile on his face the whole time that he watched me.

Before he sang his last two songs, Kris addressed the audience. “Thank you Denver! For hosting the very first concert of the Superior 4! We’ll remember it! 我们爱你!” Then, he brought down the house with two of his English hits; July, and of course Juice. Even I had heard the song before at school dances and parties.

Then, Tao, Luhan and Yixing joined Kris on stage for Machine. I remembered how Tao had said he would take me on stage, and nervously I went to the bathroom to check how I looked.

I still looked good. The dress hid most of my fat, which was my biggest insecurity, so it would be fine. I left the bathroom to catch the end of the performance before Luhan conquered the stage for his solo moments.

Of course, he started with Lu, his biggest hit, The entire stadium flooded to blue as he strutted to the front of the stage, leaving the other three boys behind him to exit the stage.

“Got somewhere to go I’m making moves… She ask me what I want, blow like a flute,” he sang. His somewhat more casual outfit gave the feeling that he was completely at ease, and the ponytail with dark eye makeup made him incredibly appealing to the girls.

After Lu, a piano rolled onstage and he went to it to play a ballad version of What If I Said. The glam team rushed over to fix up Tao for his performance, and at Yixing's request, they fixed my makeup as well. Tao gave me a small smile through the corner of his eye and squeezed my hand comfortingly, trying to calm my raging nerves.

Next, Luhan sang another one of his biggest hits, Skin To Skin. It was the song Tao had ‘felt’ in the plane. “Never will neglect you, I’ll stay by your side… I want to go beyond… Skin to skin!” The bass drop made the whole stage vibrate.

His last song was, of course, Roleplay. If he sang Lu, he was obliged to sing Roleplay as well. I was genuinely concerned some of the audience members would pass out when he bust out his moves in the flashing lights.

Tao stood, ready to conquer. The lights hit his face at an angle I had never seen before, making his profile look even more impressive. 

“Black and white, A and B…” he sang, walking on stage the same way Kris had. White lights lit half of it, and the other half was completely blue. “Shhh… Now we’re talking baby!” He crossed to the dark side and his background dancers came out to join him. “I don’t give a !”

For the second verse, however, he crossed back to the light side and his dancers disappeared. I understood the concept; when he sang an innocent melody, it was his good side, and when he rapped violently, the dark. The crowd got it too, and they were enjoying it for sure, jumping and waving their hands wildly. Tao finished the song on the dark side and quickly switched to Collateral Love.

The lights turned purple and blue, matching the weightless feeling of the song. “Girl I used to believe in love!” he crooned on stage. When Tao performed, he put his whole heart, soul, and emotion into it. It was remarkable to watch. The crowd seemed to follow his emotions as well, in this case feeling his brokenness and pain. I could even see tears streaming down his face as he hit the soprano note, soaring above the electronic music.

His next song was KOC, another one of my favorites. The lights went gold and he threw off his diamond suit jacket, tossing it into the crowd for some lucky girl to catch. The bass began to bump and he began to dance and rap on the stage. “There’s so much money on the floor, got money coast to coast… I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Call me King of China…” at the final line, the crowd went crazy and I felt a burst of pride in my heart. My King, I thought. The look on his face was priceless; pure gold, utter confidence, and utmost superiority.

Then, to my surprise, Kris rose to join him for 不劳不获. “No pain no gain, no pain no gain!” Tao sang, jumping to the beat next to his closest friend. Kris took the first verse, Tao backing him up with ease. The rap was fire, and seemed better with Kris’s flow than it had with GAI, who had recorded it. Tao took the second verse, Kris switching roles and backing him. The crowd was going wild, shaking the earth with their jumping. Then, Kris left stage as Tao sang the final verse.

And just like that, it was Tao’s final song. I knew my time had come. 

He began rapping the beginning of Adore, a song that I had never heard before. I sat uncomfortably, my heart beating hard. “Let me tell you how I do it, slide next to you; take you out to dinner, hold your hand and whisper… baby baby I adore you, adore you…”

When he got to the final verse of the song, Tao slowly danced his way over to my seat. His face was glistening with a light sheen of sweat, and his eyes refused to leave mine. He offered me his hand and I took it.

Tao was a good dancer. He smoothly spun me onstage and the only thing I remembered thinking was that I was grateful my father had taught me how to swing. I didn’t know all of Tao’s moves, but I could follow them with ease; I trusted his hands to catch me and spin me around in circles in front of thousands of people. Lights blurred in front of me, and the only thing that stayed constant were his eyes, which were trained on me the whole time.

The song ended with me in a dip. The crowd went wild, the lights went dark, and I ran back to my seat as Luhan, Yixing and Kris took my place on the stage.

Two Moons and History, the final songs, went just as perfect as the rest of the show. The choreography was perfect, and they executed the moves without fail; their voices, though tired, managed to make the music sound just as it had in the recordings. The crowd went insane as they hit their last pose and took their first final bow of the American Tour. 

“Thank you, Denver!” Yixing yelled out. “谢谢你!”

Luhan had tears b in his eyes. “You’ll always have a special place in our hearts! 我们爱你!”

Then the lights went dark and the Superior 4 came back offstage. Tao came straight to me and we gave each other a big hug. “You did perfect,” he whispered in my ear.

I gave Luhan and Yixing high fives and congratulated Kris politely, who gave me a small smile in spite of himself. Then Zhongrui and Mingsan quickly ushered us downstairs and into a large room where fans were already lined up, waiting for photos and autographs and chatting excitedly. When their idols entered the room, more screaming began and I had to keep myself from rolling my eyes. Didn’t their throats hurt?

The fatigue of being awake for almost twenty hours straight and jet lag on top of it was beginning to settle on me, but Tao insisted on me sitting with them at the table. I was placed on the end, next to Tao, and slowly the security agents let fans up one by one. I groaned; this was going to take forever.

Every single girl who came up to the table managed to send me a dirty look, whether it was straight to my face or out of the corner of their eyes. I even saw a few people I recognized; a girl named Savannah, who I had gone to middle school with, and two of my friends from band, Rachel and Lucy. They asked me what happened, and I promised them an explanation another time.

Worst of all, though, I saw Arianna Jackson.

Arianna and I had been intense competitors when it came to flute ever since seventh grade. She had always been everything I wanted to be; beautiful, talented, popular, despite her rude personality. Sitting next to Tao, I felt a little more secure - until she came over.

“Can I get a picture with you?” she asked, handing her friend her phone and pouting her lips slightly. Tao nodded and stood, holding a thumbs up and a fake smile.

Once the picture was taken, Arianna’s cold eyes locked onto me, and she moved over to my seat. 

“Why are you up here?” she asked harshly, eyeing me up and down. Tao frowned.

“I’m with Zitao,” I replied, faking confidence.

“Yeah right,” she scoffed. “How much did you have to pay him?”

“Nothing. Unlike some people, I don’t need money to get all of the good things in my life,” I shot back, sarcasm dripping off of my words.

The smile left her face. “You clearly aren’t with him sweetie, he hasn’t even said anything,” she remarked, crossing her arms.

I looked at Tao for backup, but he was already talking to another fan. Further down, Luhan had his eyes on Arianna, understanding what was happening.

Then I turned back to Arianna. “He’s busy right now, sorry.”

She snorted and leaned over the table. “Too busy to talk to his girlfriend? A fatass, ugly, disgraceful ball of ?”

My tongue tied itself up and refused to form words in my mouth. Of all the things I had been expecting, none of them were that straightforward and harsh. Luckily, Luhan appeared at just the right moment. His hands closed on my shoulders strongly and he faced Arianna coolly.

“She’s with us,” he said quietly, trying to avoid an unpleasant scene. “Can we help you with anything else? An autograph, perhaps?”

Arianna’s jaw dropped a little bit and she shook her head. Without another word, Luhan’s smile disappeared and he pointed to the door. After one more dirty look at me, she left.

Luhan met my eyes. “Do you want to go back to the hotel?”

Relieved that he had known, I nodded. Luhan called Zhongrui over and told him to me back. He nodded and guided me back out of the room, through the stage entrance, and to the parked limo. 

“I have to get back,” he told me once I was in the backseat. “You have your room card?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. Go straight to your room and lock the door.” He shut the car and whispered something to the driver before going back to the signing.

I could hardly keep my eyes open as the car rolled past the city lights and back to the Plaza, but once I collapsed onto my bed, it was easy. The tears I had been holding back welled up in my eyes and rolled like waterfalls down my cheeks. I pulled out my phone, only to see over a thousand notifications from Weibo and Instagram. I had gained almost 100,000 followers. I began to scroll through my messages, and the tears kept coming; there were insults, questions, angry fans, even death threats.

Quickly, I turned my phone off, rolled over, and shut my eyes. The last thing I remembered thinking was that I would never be as good as Arianna Jackson.