Chapter 35: CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

The world spins at nearly the same speed every day. The sun rises and sets.

Life begins and ends. In the evolution of living beings, only humans have managed to reproduce, survive, become predators, create and innovate technologies, start eras, and pass progress from generation to generation.

The success of this world lies solely in the success of humans who fight forward—because humans have learned to look ahead, not back.

Concert ticket sales skyrocketed. The tickets sold out in less than five minutes. The buzz surrounding Mars, fueled by their latest hit song, made them the talk of the town, and everyone wanted to see Mars’s final performance as a five-member group.

Wanner’s employees couldn’t stop answering calls from customers. Many brands expressed interest in becoming sponsors. They could no longer “buy” Thame, so they turned to June, Dylan, Pepper, and Nano instead. The four of them took on roles that previously belonged solely to Thame. June was contacted to star in a movie as the lead actor, Pepper landed a variety of hosting gigs, Pemika sent Dylan to meet with world-class producers to learn from them, and she also hired the best vocal coach for Nano. Meanwhile, Thame isolated himself to prepare for his move to Korea. As for Po, who had been promoted to director, his department colleagues organized a celebration for him.

Perhaps Pemika was right. Today might still hurt, but one day, they would realize that this was the best Wanner could offer them.

—

After work, Po still went to the same sandwich shop. He stared at Mars’s concert promotional poster. After a while, Baifern came and sat beside him, smiling.

“The documentary about the band that you worked on—I never thought it would end up being about sending Thame to Korea.”

“I don’t even know how to explain it to you.”

“If it were me, I wouldn’t know how to say it either,” Baifern replied, understanding her friend. She leaned back on her hands, looking at the grandeur of Mars’s billboard.

“You’re upset, aren’t you? That the band won’t be the same anymore,” Po asked bluntly.

“Of course I’m upset. I cried for days, Po. I kept thinking that Mars should always have five members. But honestly? If an opportunity comes and we don’t let him take it, if we make a fuss and stop him from going—what kind of fan does that make me? A fan who doesn’t want to see him succeed?”

Baifern sighed softly. “When you truly love someone, don’t you just want them to achieve the absolute best, no matter what form that takes?”

Po looked up and met Baifern’s eyes. Her words made him think of Thame.

“You’re right,” he replied.

“What I hope for out of all this is that Thame’s success might reflect back on Mars, and Mars’s success might reflect back on Thame. As fans, all we can do is surround them with the best support we can.”

“The meaning of Sphere, right?”

“Yes. Profound, isn’t it?”

“Very.” Po patted Baifern’s head lightly, knowing deep down that his friend was probably still hurting, but there was nothing they could do now but this.

“But what makes me happiest is...” She sat up with a cheerful expression.

“The fact that you got to work on this. It turned you into a real director! I’ve been bragging about you to everyone. Our whole class knows. I’m sure Ai Earn knows just how far you’ve come without her.”

“You seem way too entertained by this.”

“Of course I am.”

“Oh, by the way, weren’t you going to get a sandwich? Go on.” Baifern invited him to the sandwich truck with her. She placed her order first. “Ham and cheese, no tomatoes. And you?”

Before Po could answer, the sandwich vendor jumped in, “I know what this guy wants—”

“Just one bacon sandwich,” Po interrupted firmly, surprising his friend. He repeated it with a conviction and seriousness he had never shown before.

“Just one. Really.”

Baifern turned to him, a little startled. “Wait, are you...”

“I can be on my own now,” Po said with a smile. At last, he could stand on his own two feet and knew exactly where he needed to be.

TO BE CONTINUED.