Chapter 81
The shooting star's glance crosses through your eyes
The crack and boom of fireworks over the concert arena snaps all attention toward the main stage, where the entire crowd turns to welcome Crystal Princess. Fans cheer and dance along with the girl band to the backdrop of energetic, youthful music.
The lively dance ends, the girl band bows to the audience and exits the stage one by one into the wings. As the princesses' shadows disappear behind the curtains, all the surrounding lights fade out.
After a few seconds, the lights do not return. The fans murmur and question, then the noise turns into a roar of excitement at the three-dimensional images:
A superhero struggles in a zombie horde chasing him through hell. The dream effect creates vivid and creepy images. Realistic screams and roars sound like ghosts wailing and demons howling, wanting to tear their prey apart.
The technology beyond time transmits sound waves, stimulates the brain, and brings real emotions to the audience.Fangirls are so terrified they break into tears and screams at the scene where the superhero is about to "die tragically."
The audience shades their eyes with their hands and squints to admire the glittering heavenly staircase in the air, supporting each graceful step of the goddess who is as beautiful as an angel descending to earth. She wears an angelic costume adorned with the color of snow-kissed peach blossoms.
The fairy gracefully steps into the mortal world, bringing light to dispel the darkness. The halo erupts into blinding light, transforming into a meteor shower that passes through the group of ferocious zombies. The rotting bodies immediately catch fire and merge into nothingness with a melodious sound like a harp in heaven.
The fairy's enchanting, endless singing voice captivates the soul of the man god, who is obsessed with watching the goddess of his heart.
Immersed in the singing voice that even the gods would envy, the world's number one singer suddenly feels a hot wave of embarrassment... his face flushes, and even the tips of his ears burn because of the rhythmic, heartfelt lyrics he composed himself:
The dreamer who rules the sky is heaven,
I don't believe in that illusory...
The dreamer of the world's existence of angels,
I don't believe in angels in fairy tales.
The clear bell-like sound slowly quiets down. A few seconds later, the handsome guy still stands there foolishly, composing poems to worship the beauty of the goddess. He always releases his soul to follow his infatuation, lost in a smile as radiant as the dawn light... until a foreign object hits into his cheek.
The man god looks around in confusion and sees the fangirls giggling. In the blurry space of the exquisite lights, he finds a flashlight shining on a grinning face. He bursts out laughing, closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and then... whistles... along with the background music.
The audience is delighted by his clever way of mitigating his shame. They all take turns helping the man god deflect. Half of them sway their flashlights, while the other half clap their hands to form a wave of background music, heating up the deep male voice... warming up... the heart:
Maybe someone doesn't know
The moment when a smile melts a cold heart
Every dawn light is heaven in my soul
Maybe someone doesn't yet understand
The moment the light of a shooting star sweeps past your eyes
Every star is an angel in my eyes.
The goddess feels that the handsome guy is deeply in love with the song, as if... she... is an angel in the man god's admiring eyes. She covers her mouth to hide her subtle smile.
The goddess is not shy about the sweet emotional details. She gives a heart-shaking smile... and... her eyes shine like shooting stars, watching... the man god laugh brightly as he passes the lively rhythm to the third member:
You once told me Fairy tales are always just a dream
A dry, idiot guy can't be your prince charming
I'm not a prince charming, I'm an idiot guard... protecting the world in my heart
That world is the smile that melts the heart.
The entire stadium is silent. There is no sound, not even the sound of clapping. Everyone freezes, their eyes wide and unblinking as if time stands still. All senses go numb; only the sense of hearing still echoes the rhythmic singing like a ringing brook. That singing is as deep and warm as strong drunken yeast... and... sweet... the dreaming soul turns toward... someone…
That nostalgic song contains a secret, private feeling that he wants to... confess... Now, he expresses all his feelings to the girl he always protects.
Silence, and then mouths hang wide open, jaws misaligned in shock. Stiff eyelids... do not blink for half a second... staring up at the replacement—a short guy... confident... striding out of the multi-dimensional space filled with hazy smoke and fire.
Today, it is cold and snowy, so he cannot wear his classic clothes. Difficulty reveals wisdom, so he puts on General Thuy Phung's full armor. But on his head, he wears a priceless object that he never takes off, which someone treasures more than life itself.
The audience applauds non-stop to welcome... the most "tiger-leopard" guard in the galaxy... transformed into a perfect image—the 'sweet and handsome guy' in someone's heart and soul, existing as an image more majestic and proud than a real soldier, but always affectionate, cherishing the rose that twinkles in his gentle eyes every minute and every second.
I don't want to be the one who only knows how to propose
I'm an idiot guard
Protecting the world is the shooting star's glance crosses through your eyes.
In the last lyric, three angels shine in the hearts of countless worshippers… together they lift their celestial voices, echoing all the way to the horizon.
There is endless applause and wild cheers; everyone goes crazy and pats each other's shoulders, their eyes fixate on the man god and his younger brother. The older brother, radiant, opens his arms and shouts into the microphone:
- Happy birthday to the guard and the rose!
The guard jumps with joy like a starling, smiles brightly, and runs to share the moment:
- Kai, I love you!
Everyone laughs as a chair automatically rises up near where the man god stands, letting the guard leap up and hug him. The two brothers narrow their eyes, tease each other, and then burst into laughter.
The three of them take turns singing and point the microphone in four directions with each line, making the audience sing along excitedly:
You love me!
I love you!
After a while of teasing, the younger brother turns toward his relatives, and the rose blushes deeply. She bites her lip, and he grins and jokes:
- Today is the happiest birthday of my life... and... maybe... ahem... and... someone...
The man god immediately laughs like crazy, listening to his younger brother upgrade his 'jumping shrimp mouth' to the level of a 'wind-guillotine god':
- It's fun to be happy, but I should know how many guests are here to congratulate us, right? Who is here because of Miss World? Raise your hand!
The lights across the field are bright enough for him to count. He ignores the countless female fans who raise their hands, and the super naughty guy chuckles, because he sees all the fanboys shout almost at the same time:
- Oh divine, I think this roll-call craze is only hot on the virtual network!
The angel and the rose, with their dearest person, laugh softly with a playful 'hi hi'. The man god's shoulders shake with laughter; the older brother watches as his younger brother still hogs the spotlight:
- Who is here because of the world's most handsome man god, raise your hand!
The audience turns its hands into a tsunami that floods the stadium. The huge screen hanging in the air shows the scenes outside. An endless sea of people raise their hands, shout, and call Kai's name with excitement. The handsome guy laughs until tears spill as he hears the mock-horrified voice:
- Oh divine, my older brother captures the hearts of all three genders...
He chuckles and pushes back against any criticism about sexism:
- Hey, do you really never know what a joke is? If you are that bland and boring, then go sell salt—what are you doing here?
The man god joins his younger brother in playful teasing to stir up the crowd:
- This younger brother of mine is tiger, leopard, fox, and marten, but when he needs to be serious, he becomes a truly serious young man!
Everyone laughs, and the guard curls his lips and says with a smirk:
- What? I joke the whole time! Brother, why are you so serious! Have you never heard of the philosophy of the Myth Sand people: naughty – destruction – humor is the nature of the Myth Sand people. If one of the three things is missing, compatriots must not claim to be Myth Sand people, so as not to humiliate the three surnames!
Laughter grows louder. The man god pretends to be innocent:
- Oh, are you from the Myth Sand Empire?
He grins and points at his face:
- That's why my skin is brown!
The man god blinks and says in a shocked tone:
- Oh, but I do not know that!
He pouts and smiles into his brother's face:
- Fool!
The brothers burst into laughter, and the whole place answers with crisp sounds that echo through the stadium. The man god smiles charmingly and speaks in a whisper but turns up the volume so everyone can hear:
- The head of the organizing committee says the stage for the three of us is the highest peak in the history of world music!
The whole audience bursts into laughter as the three of them laugh loudly on stage. Sam touches the man god's hip and says mischievously:
- Look up, only family is better than us. Look down, no one compares to the three brightest stars in the Milky Way.
Everyone roars with laughter again. The audience cheers wildly and shouts the names of the three idols. Kai reveals his mischievous side and jokes:
- The talkshow between you and me is really the best, huh!
The "dirty guy" smiles happily and nods in response:
- Always a blockbuster, heh!
The brothers interact with the audience. The older brother says a few words, pretending to be stupid and making fun of the younger brother. He laughs until his shoulders shake, watching the super naughty guy and shaking his head, disparaging the type stretched with the letter ê:
- Older brother pretends to be stupid all the time, boring as a splatter bullet. It is more fun to talk to the most beautiful girl on the stage!
The goddess smiles slightly, watching him slip into interview mode:
- May I ask why you accept the job of a firefighter on this concert night?
Hanna and the rose giggle; the Lan sisters sit beside them and let the happy laughter help them take away the burden. The goddess turns her gaze affectionately but with heavy confidence to contemplate her relative:
- I just want to bring joy... let... admire... a smile on the lips of angels. This is my only joy!
Hundreds of reporters and spectators ask in a loud voice:
- Excuse me, who is that angel?!
The goddess knows that the guard always likes to talk about his relatives, so she winks slightly. Every time he talks about his family, the impulsive guy becomes a profound man. He receives the signal quickly and smiles happily at his family members who wave to him in the VIP stand.
Everyone turns in that direction, shouts frantically, takes out their cameras and smartphones to shoot video clips, take pictures until their batteries die.
Reporters and broadcasters push cameras and professional tools at full capacity, capturing every moment of the princesses—beautiful like angels—laughing more naturally than usual. The two most beautiful flowers in the world also exude a charming fragrance, leaving thousands of people fascinated.
- Yeah, everyone knows that, but I still like to praise the angel for being the cute niece of the most tiger panther guard in the galaxy!
Everyone bursts into laughter when they hear the man god break the guard's mood:
- I am still anxious to know who is here because the sweet singing voice contrasts sharply with the fierce personality?
The guard raises his lips and glares at the guy who is mocking him. The man god chuckles, he eats avocado[1], wears a felt hat and watches tens of thousands of viewers raise their hands without hesitation.
Among the countless people are dreamy fangirls and mature girls who still like to dream. Many people also admit:
- I haven't liked Sam for a long time, but from tonight I am a fan of the guard!
- You turn your antis into fans, the guard ah!
- Wow, if you performed with this sacred voice earlier, countless fangirls would have been conquered by you, and the number of anti fans is almost zero!
The guard looks tense and feels dizzy as the number of fangirls, fanboys, and even third gender fans increases. Someone smiles charmingly and admires the guard from beginning to end, his attention always on the rose. She giggles at the smiling face whenever it makes her lose interest:
- Hehe, I just want the female lion to admire me to the point where she pounces on me, not miss the target every day!
Everyone laughs again, the stage echoes. As the laughter dies down, the guard sings a piece of his own composition based on the talk show theme:
Every time I am pounced on, it hurts terribly.
But I never complain
Because that "nightmare" has long planted the shadow of the rose into the dream
Even if I want to push you a thousand steps away
The lioness still catches me, never missing the target
Even if reason denies feelings
I can't hide from my heart!
The smile on the corners of Rose's lips turns into tears that stain the corners of her eyelids red. Tears soak the pink brilliance with joy when the guard... officially... pins... the crimson rose on the chest of his clothes.
Finally, another red already marks sovereignty... inviolability... and... embellishes the pink future with bright rosy hues... through the lyrics and singing that contain the joy of wanting to "pour out my heart" to the whole world:
This has not been love
You have mistaken friendship for love
I have not been someone of you
Whenever I have lied to myself like this
The shadow of the rose has lingered in my heart again
It turns out that you have waited for me silently for a long time
It turns out I have quietly avoided the twinkle heart just like the shooting star's glance crosses through your eyes
Even if the mind has denied the feeling
I haven't been able to hide from my heart
My love has always been toward protecting you
Now I no longer hesitate to tell the whole world
Although it is just a homemade song, everyone feels that the guard gives it his complete... all... mind and emotions. The man god and the goddess have deep feelings for "someone" but... cannot express them to anyone.
The lovesick person borrows water to push the boat and puts their secret thoughts into the sobbing song... the trembling... hearts are sent to "someone" who is right in front of them but as far away as the horizon.
Playing a rhythm with the guard lets the soul wander along the sweet and deep feelings to the last lyrics, the subtle people cede the voices from the bottom of their hearts to the lovesick person:
I Love You!
The guard opens his arms, and the dream effect forms angel wings toward someone. The pure flower smiles slightly, admiring the sobbing Rose. She can no longer hold back her emotions, the rose rushes out of the stands, running to follow the call of her heart.
The guard smiles and takes each step towards the rose. Each step towards each other is a confession of love through singing... it is so sweet that the fangirls are ecstatic, cheer crazily, make the stage explode... and... melt the hearts of lovers…
Everyone is extremely excited, jubilant... and... jealous of the rose that swoops into the guard's arms. The cutest troublesome couple in the world hug each other tightly, not letting go, one murmurs softly, the other whispers:
- Happy birthday to Lang!
- Happy birthday to you!
Once again, the fantasy effect depicts the flying hearts in the color of bright red fireworks... turning... lovers... into... the light of the two brightest shooting stars of this night.
Note
[1] Meaning to be deliberately indifferent and ignore.