The Black Cabinet

Miya stood offstage. 
     The lights were bright. The backup dancers were in their positions. Her makeup was perfect. Her dress was comfortable and performance ready.
     The venue was smaller than she was used to, but she knew that Mukashi had done his best. 
     She breathed deeply and turned to Mukashi. In the last two days, his eyes had regained their normal cold demeanor. She hoped that he was recovering from his outburst. 
     "I'm nervous."
     "You've only practiced for two weeks; that's expected."
     "N-no; it feels like... something's going to happen."
     "Ignore it." He said stoically. "Nothing beneficial comes from anxiety."
     Miya bit her lip as the pre-concert announcements neared their end. In the dim light backstage, she rubbed her hands together, then whispered.
     "Mukashi... I'm... S-sorry, for not loving you."
     He didn't react; Miya kept speaking.
     "There's someone out there who c-cares. Who l-loves you." Her voice shook.
     A name flashed in Mukashi's mind.
     "B-but... it's n-not..." Miya wiped tears from under her bangs.
     "We can discuss this later." He stated. "I'll be in the backstage office." 
     The pre-concert announcements ended. Miya glanced at the stage as it awaited her presence. She turned to Mukashi again, but he was already leaving.
     She watched him turn a corner and vanish from sight. She closed her eyes, turned around, and stepped onstage in front of hundreds. 
     The concert began.
     "Alert! Alert! A message coming down!"
     "Alert! Alert! An angel from the clouds!"
     "Alert! Alert! Can you hear her coming? 'Cause she's ringing and she's singing with a message! To! Mortals!"
~~~
     Gene jumped from his seat once the plane stopped. He had only brought his wallet, phone, and truck keys. A rational part of his mind called him an idiot; he ignored that part. 
     His phone buzzed after he connected to the airport's internet; Annabelle had texted him the address of Miya's latest concert, and an additional fact.
     "Tickets are sold out." 
     Gene's mind raced. His eyes widened as he replied.
    "I'll face call you when I'm there. Look pathetic, sad, and get ready to speak Korean."
     "Ok?"
     "Love you, thanks."
     Gene sprinted out of the airport. Customs were very brief because he hadn't brought anything, and the rational part of his mind appreciated that.
     The concert was across the Yeongjong bridge on the mainland. It would take him a minimum of two hours to arrive, and that was if he sprinted. Annabelle had told him most K-pop concerts lasted roughly two and a half hours.
     He shook his head and started sprinting.
     The longer he ran, the less it felt like he was running; after ten minutes, it felt like he was going faster than normal. After twenty, his breathing began to even out. After thirty, it wasn't like he was running; it was like he was soaring.
     After forty minutes, his heart was pounding rhythmically.
     Miles away, Miya was singing her heart out. 
     They were perfectly in sync.
~~~
     The black cabinet beckoned.
     Mukashi locked the office door, drew the blinds, and removed his tie. His papers were atop the desk; his cellphone password was on them.
     He stood atop the desk, affixed his tie to the ceiling's light fixture, then paused.
     He sifted through charred memories and grabbed the ones regarding his parents. He held them briefly, before putting them in the black cabinet.
     The memories of his brother Sando lingered slightly longer.
     Miya's memories persisted for a while; but when the time came, he was able to put them away despite his initial reluctance. 
     The final files were of Nishiyama. 
~~~
     There was a sizable crowd outside the venue.
     Gene knew how they would react upon seeing him.
     He ran into the crowd anyway and approached the venue's doors; several security guards stood in front of them behind velvet ropes.
     "Sir, you have to let me in!"
     The security guard didn't respond.
     A ripple went through the crowd once Gene spoke.
     Within moments, dozens of young women and their boyfriends, as well as various other fans of Miya, were shouting insults at him and tugging at his bomber jacket. Several were also recording him with their phones. 
     He still didn't understand anything they were saying, but the touching and pulling became more violent and harsh the longer it went on. Some of them even seemed to be trying to take his wallet and phone, so the security guards eventually stepped in and pulled the crowd off Gene. 
     In a few brief moments, he had become covered in minor scrapes and bruises, and his appearance had become entirely disheveled. 
     "Sir, you must leave. You are not welcome here."
     Gene stood up straight and looked at the guard. 
     "You don't understand; m-my sister is sick, and she just wants-" He pulled out his phone to try and show the guard Annabelle on face call.
     The crowd cut him off with their insults and threats, forcing him to clutch his phone tighter. The guard gestured for him to leave, before someone coughed into a fist and drew everyone's attention.
     An older man and two bored-looking grandchildren stood next to Gene. He had no idea who they were, or why the old man smelled faintly of bleach.
    The older man smiled and spoke to the security guard in Korean, then pulled out a set of three tickets and turned to Gene.
     "Are you from a town named 'Devine' in America?" Asked the old man.
     "Yes?"
     The crowd was clamoring.
     "You can have our tickets." The old man held out the tickets for Gene. 
     Gene's jaw dropped.
     "N-no, I couldn't possibly-"
     "These two would rather eat out. My boy here's a big fan of 'THRICE,' & he tells me there's something wrong about attending a rival idol's concert. My granddaughter couldn't care less about K-Pop; she just thinks Miss Min-Hee is beautiful." 
     Gene blinked as the crowd roared against what was happening.
     "H-how do you know Miya's real name? And why would you give your tickets to me?!" Gene asked.
     The old man smiled.
     "Because she gave you her real name; you're a foreigner; there were two of you; and her letters were addressed to someone in Devine. You must be her friend, and it seems like you need these tickets more than we do."
     The crowd became almost deafening.
     "Wait, you're the janitor!" Gene exclaimed, realization dawning on him suddenly.
     The grandkids tugged on their grandpa and asked him something in Korean. He replied gently, then turned back to Gene.
     "Well? Are you going to take our tickets?" The old man asked with a smirk. "I need to do something with these kids."
     Gene snatched the tickets and thanked the man, then turned to the security guard who had been watching the entire exchange.
     "I have tickets." He said strongly.
     The security guard looked at the old man and the grandchildren; Gene did as well, but they were already leaving the crowd and laughing amongst themselves. The smell of bleach left Gene's nostrils.
     The security guard sighed and took the tickets from Gene's hand and opened the velvet rope for him. He thanked the security guard before running into the venue. The halls were filled with yet more fans that he sprinted past as he looked for where Miya's concert was being held.
~~~
     "You will always be my; perfect-little-miracle!"
     "Never leave my side 'cuz without you I'm hysterical!"
     "Hold me tight-prove you're real-"
     "Give me something good to feel-"
     "And pull me ever closer with your-"
     "Boombadabambamboom ah!"
     The crowd cheered her name as Miya finished her second-to-last song. She smiled and took in a breath to prepare for the next song, when she saw an odd sight. 
     The doors at the very back of the venue flew open and someone ran into the crowd. She thought the silhouette looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn't stop singing.
     The venue was much larger than his high school's auditorium, and more packed than a school bus; but he saw her on stage, and his exhaustion seemed to disappear. 
     His eyes darted across the crowd as she sang. 
     He closed his eyes and realized that he was probably going to break a couple laws.
     Various exclamations of frustration, surprise, and shock sounded out in Korean as Gene forced his way through the crowd as deftly as he could. He tried not to bump into more people than he needed to, but the closer he got to Miya, the less he cared about that.
     Miya stood on the edge of the stage and strutted confidently as she sang her heart out, but then she saw something that made her stop mid-verse.
     Gene had forced his way through the crowd and was standing right in front of the stage.
     She smiled at Gene as he looked up at her.
     Miya realized, in that moment, that she didn't care about what happened next. 
     Gene watched Miya gesture for him to join her onstage. 
     The guards in his way were too busy looking at Miya to stop him.