Chapter 42: CHAPTER FORTY ONE

Po walked out of the concert hall. He wasn’t sure how much of the plan had succeeded, but from what he saw—the fans’ heartfelt pleas, Mars speaking openly about their feelings—he could only hope that things would turn out well. He didn’t want anything more from Mars.

For Thame, all he wished was for him to have his friends back.

“Po,” Baifern called out to him, noticing him standing nearby in his crew uniform.

Po turned to her, meeting her gaze.

“Was this your doing? What just happened in there?”

“It wasn’t just me,” he replied humbly.

“It was incredible. The best performance Mars has ever delivered, I think,” she said with genuine admiration.

“I hope it worked,” Po said softly. “And I hope that after this, nothing stands in their way again.” His voice faltered slightly, and Baifern caught the underlying meaning in his words.

“Honestly, while I was listening to them sing that song and talk about how the world pushes them to their limits, I started to wonder if I was one of those who made them do things they didn’t want to do,” Baifern admitted.

“Have I ever caused them pain? Have I ever made it harder for them to do what they love with real joy? Or have they had to endure pain just to keep us happy?”

“Baifern…” Po began, but she interrupted him.

“I’ll be honest,” she said, locking eyes with him.

“When Pepper’s dating scandal broke, I wasn’t okay with it at all. I hated it. But after that press conference, I realized something. I’ve never seen Pepper truly happy again.

You could see it in his eyes, in his body language. Even today—a day that should’ve been the happiest for him—there’s still sadness in him.”

Po knew it was because Pepper had noticed that Kaem hadn’t come to see him.

“And…” Baifern’s voice cracked. “I just want to see them genuinely happy for once. I don’t want them to have to choose between love and their dreams anymore. I don’t want them to keep apologizing, to keep forcing themselves to smile through the pain just to make everyone else okay.”

She held Po’s hand, her voice filled with emotion.

“Can you tell them something for me? Tell them that if they still love someone, they should follow their hearts. Live the lives they want to live.

Because in the end, the thing we fans want to see the most…” She smiled, her eyes glistening with tears. “…is the happiness of the artists we love.”

“Po was the one who spearheaded this whole thing,” Jun said, resting a hand on Thame’s shoulder. “He went head-to-head with the company and even got himself fired to help us.”

Thame looked up at Jun, feeling the weight of what Po had done for him and Mars.

“Where is Po?” he asked urgently, but no one answered until Nano chimed in.

“He’s somewhere around here.”

Thame immediately ran out, not knowing where to start. Meanwhile, Dylan watched Pepper, who was hesitating to call Kaem. Dylan waved Nano and Jun over, and Nano helped Pepper press the call button.

“We’re not under Winner’s rules anymore, Pepper,” Jun reminded him.

Kaem’s voice came through the phone. “Pepper?”

That was all it took for Pepper’s tears to spill. He could finally have Kaem in his life, for real.

Thame ran through the building, phone in hand. He didn’t need Po’s number saved because it was etched in his memory. He checked backstage, the dressing rooms, and the control room, but Po was nowhere to be found.

Frustrated, he stepped out into the empty concert hall and tried calling again.

This time, someone picked up. Before Po could say a word, Thame blurted out, “Po, where are you?”

“Behind you,” came Po’s voice. Thame spun around, and there he was.

Thame didn’t hesitate. He ran to Po and wrapped him in a tight embrace.

“Don’t leave me again,” he whispered into Po’s ear.

“Are you not angry at me? For leaving you that day?” Po asked, his voice trembling. “I made it so you could barely hold on to the things you wanted to keep.”

Thame pulled back slightly, looking into Po’s eyes. “Even if you couldn’t bring everything back for me today, just having you back is enough.”

“Thame…” “Po,” Thame said firmly, gripping Po’s hands. “No matter what lies ahead, I’m still standing by what I said before: don’t leave me again. Stay by my side, no matter what we have to face.” His hands tightened around Po’s.

“Please, don’t think you’re an obstacle in my life. Because you’re not.

You’re the reason I can keep going. I want to wake up and see you every morning. I want us to go to work together. Sure, it’ll be hard—we’ll have to start over from scratch, and today’s actions are going to saddle us with a mountain of debt.”

Po nodded, understanding the weight of what Thame was saying.

“But don’t worry about that,” Thame said with a small smile. “Those guys —Jun, Dylan, Nano, and Pepper—they’ll help us push through. You’ll just have to put up with being around a broke idol for a while.”

Po smiled weakly. He didn’t mind that at all. He wanted to be with Thame through the highs and the lows, whether Thame had everything or nothing.

“But you know I’ll be broke too, right?” Po said with a laugh. “I might just end up working at a suit shop again, doing odd jobs here and there. I’m not a cool director anymore.”

Thame nodded without hesitation. “I’ve never cared about any of that.

You’re enough just as you are.”

Thame grinned. “I think we’re pretty awesome, actually. Because no matter what, I love you. Whether you succeed or fail, whether you’re at your best or your worst, I’ll love you in every moment of our lives.”

Tears welled up in Po’s eyes. It was a declaration of love that was deeper than the word "love" itself. It was a promise to journey through life together.

“And even if…” Thame cupped Po’s face gently. “We end up as two losers, will you still love me like that?”

Pote nodded. "Yes."

As soon as Po answered, Thame leaned in and kissed him.

In the empty concert hall, with Thame’s in-ear monitor still hanging around his shoulder, their eyes closed. The line between love and dreams vanished completely. There was no need to choose.

We didn’t need to leave anything behind because we would carry it all together. Both were the things that made our hearts beat.