The show was off to a good start- I could feel it!!!! I was right by the main outputter of sound, and the bass was so awesome, my back teeth shook with each heavy hitting song. The first chapter of  the show went by without incident, and from my seat in the Manager’s Place I could see SHINee prepping come on stage, and I made eye contact and screamed, waving my badly made Korean sign like a true fan girl, causing all five members to laugh openly.

“Umm ma’am, this is for you,” a shy usher handed me a bottle of wine and a box of chocolates. “For me…?” I took them from her, and she pointed up and back towards the VIP section, “They came from that man over there….” I followed her arm, only to see a grinning Anthony waving at me. “Please give them back, my love~ I want nothing from someone I don’t care for. Better yet- enjoy the chocolates yourself,” I told my usher, smiling while cringing on the inside. Oh Lord, please- no drama until at least after the show… Fortunately for me, SHINee occupied my attention with ‘Lucifer’, ‘Sherlocke’, and ‘Kiss Kiss Kiss’. I was jumping up and down. “Yeah buddy!!!”

2AM came on next, and I sat down and let myself be swayed by their ballads, taking pictures when I could and waving a lighter in the moment. The usher came back with a folded piece of paper, and I rolled my eyes as I read the message within: You love playing hard to get, and I love it!! Just remember, I always get what I want in the end, Sincerely Yours, Anthony Devereaux.

Just then, 2PM walked onstage, amidst the screaming chaos of their fans, and I quickly balled up the note for the trash. “Come on guys~~Make Big Sister Taren proud!!” I yelled out, and judging by the grin on Woo’s face and chuckle in Junsu’s mic, they heard me clearly. I didn’t sit down once- Min, the other technicians, and some of the other earlier acts lulling around backstage danced through ‘Heartbeat’, ‘Again & Again’, ‘ I’ll Be Back’, ‘I’m Your Man’, and a bonus for the Japanese fans, ‘Beautiful’.

After they performed, Minkyung and I scurried backstage to help them switch out of their clothes/wish Big Bang and the other closing acts good luck before performing. I was worried about my brother the most. “Nick, tell me- what’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost or something,” I said, grabbing a cold cloth from the medical kit and pressing it to his forehead. Indeed, it was as if Nick was getting paler in front of me, but he held my shoulders and smiled at me, “Don’t worry about me, I’m fine- now I think Min needs your help.” I opened my mouth to protest, but then the sounds of a costume falling apart and a screaming Daesung drew me to the next backstage room, “Okay Nick, but when I come back, I want my answers,” I looked at him pointedly as I exited the room.

As I entered the stall, I was met with Korean stage comedy- Dae’ outfit had become ripped in a, well, impolite place for a guy, and judging by the decibel of his scream and the unconscious House Mistress on the ground, she had seen something that she shouldn’t have seen. I laughed, quickly threading together some needles with black filler thread. “Have no fear- I’m here to help!!” Yong’s relief was evident in his face as he bowed to me, “Thank you, Taren-ni~ we go on in 5 minutes!!”