TOUCH THE VIBES

Nighttime in front of Bar Jad.

The dim lights from inside cast a soft glow, reflecting off the glass doors and creating a shimmering effect in the dark night. Ryan stood in front of the bar, his tall, straight posture exuding an undeniable presence. Even with a mask covering his face, his overwhelming charisma couldn't be concealed. Just one glance was enough to make people turn their heads.

The bar doors swung open.

Jay rushed out, his eyes sparkling, face brimming with excitement. The moment he saw Ryan, he immediately threw himself forward, wrapping his arms tightly around him without hesitation.

-"Ryan!" Jay's voice carried a mix of joy and astonishment.

Ryan's lips curled into a smile. His tone was calm, but the amusement in his voice was unmistakable.

-"Surprised?"

-"Very! Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

-"Then it wouldn't be a surprise, would it?" Ryan teased, his eyes glinting with laughter behind the mask.

Jay was about to say something else, but then he suddenly remembered…

—————————————

Evening at Bar Yad.

Ying brought Jay to Bar Yad, where Faisal's music party was about to take place—a welcome celebration for Jay's return.

As soon as they entered, they spotted Chirawan, who had arrived earlier. Seeing her, Jay immediately ran over, his cheerful voice ringing out.

-"Chirawan!"

-"You're here? Come, sit down." Chirawan smiled.

Ying glanced around. Not seeing Faisal, he asked,

-"Where's Faisal?"

-"He went inside. No idea what he's up to." Chirawan shrugged.

Jay stood near the stage, observing the setup and design of the event. He seemed quite satisfied with the creative ambiance. Turning to Ying and Chirawan, he said,

-"Ying, Chirawan, wait for me here. I have something to take care of backstage."

With that, Jay slung his guitar over his shoulder and quickly headed towards the backstage area.

The moment Jay disappeared, Faisal suddenly appeared out of nowhere, his eyes filled with surprise and curiosity.

-"Felix? You guys know Felix?"

-"Felix who?" Ying frowned, confused.

-"The person you were just talking to!"

-"That was Jay. Who's Felix?" Chirawan furrowed her brows.

Faisal looked at them in disbelief before quickly explaining,

-"Felix is a famous singer-songwriter in France! It was incredibly difficult for me to invite him to perform at this event! He's an amazing singer, and his compositions are absolutely brilliant…"

His excitement was evident as he enthusiastically praised his idol.

-"Wait… you said he's famous in France?" Chirawan suddenly froze, as if she had just recalled something.

-"Yeah! I even showed you one of his performances before. You said Felix had an amazing voice!" Faisal confirmed with certainty.

Chirawan turned to look at Ying, her eyes filled with suspicion.

-"Ying, Jay has been living in France these past few years, right?"

Ying nodded, and at that moment, everything clicked into place.

-"Then… could it be…?" Chirawan trailed off, but the three of them had already come to the same realization.

Faisal chuckled, but it seemed he still hadn't fully grasped the situation.

————————————————

At this moment, behind the stage, Jay was carefully adjusting the strings on his guitar. Although he had performed countless times, he always meticulously checked everything related to sound before stepping onto the stage. For Jay, his music had to be perfect—no mistakes allowed.

Suddenly, the voice of the MC rang out as he hurried into the backstage area.

— "Felix, your performance is coming up soon. Get ready!"

— "Yes."

Jay continued checking his guitar when Aline walked up from behind, handing him a glass of water.

— "Drink some water. If your throat gets dry later, you won't be able to sing properly."

— "Aline? How did you get here?" Jay asked in surprise.

— "I'm your assistant, remember? Today is your first performance in Thailand—I wouldn't miss seeing how amazing you'll be."

— "Did you come alone?"

— "No, someone came with me. They're sitting outside, waiting for your performance."

— "Who is it?" Jay asked curiously.

— "It's a secret. Now go, it's time to get on stage. Be confident!"

— "Of course! Just wait and see my performance!"

Jay stood up and left the backstage area, heading toward the stage. Aline watched his back with eyes full of pride.

Onstage, the MC was introducing a young singer of Thai origin who was primarily active in France.

— "And now, everyone, please welcome an incredibly talented, ridiculously handsome singer-songwriter, whom we had to work very hard to bring here today… Presenting FELIX!"

As the enthusiastic introduction ended, a graceful figure emerged. Despite his calm demeanor, he exuded a magnetic confidence. Jay gently greeted the audience:

— "Hello, everyone! I'm Felix!"

The atmosphere in the venue instantly became lively. But in one particular corner, where three people were sitting, the mood was far from excited. They were all filled with shock—some even completely dumbfounded.

— "That kid Jay… is actually Felix?!" Chirawan blurted out in disbelief.

A moment later, another voice burst out—not just in surprise, but in full-blown excitement.

— "OMG… If I had known earlier, I would've gone to see him right away! My idol is actually my little bro, and I had no idea… How embarrassing!" Faisal groaned, looking as if he wanted to slam his head on the table.

— "No wonder he seemed so familiar when I first met him," Chirawan muttered.

Faisal suddenly turned to Ying with suspicion.

— "Ying, did you already know that Jay is Felix?"

— "What? No, I didn't." Ying answered calmly.

— "Oh my god…" Faisal groaned, full of regret.

Meanwhile, on stage, Jay had begun singing, immersing himself in the electrifying atmosphere. Under the dazzling lights, he performed a song he had composed just a few days ago. Though slightly revised, the melody remained unmistakably familiar.

Below the stage, Ying unconsciously hummed along, finding the tune familiar.

Faisal glanced at him curiously.

— "Is this a new song Felix just composed? How do you already know the lyrics?"

— "I heard him singing it a few days ago."

— "Oh wow… So you got a private performance from Felix himself!" Faisal said, grinning mischievously.

— "What do you mean 'Felix himself'? He's my little brother!" Chirawan objected.

— "Ugh, I'm so jealous. Ying, I'm moving into your house, so I can listen to Felix sing every day!" Faisal declared.

— "Are you crazy? Listen to Felix every day? That's Jay. And besides, he's only here for a while before going back to France. Where are you getting 'every day' from?" Ying replied coldly.

Onstage, Jay finished his performance. The audience erupted into cheers, their enthusiasm filling him with pride.

— "Felix is amazing!" Faisal's voice rang out, drawing the attention of several people nearby.

— "Oh my god, shut up! You're embarrassing us!" Chirawan hissed, quickly covering Faisal's mouth. Despite being from an elite background, Faisal seemed to lack any aristocratic composure.

Jay stepped off the stage and headed toward the table where his friends were sitting. As soon as he arrived, Faisal ignored Chirawan's protests and excitedly praised him.

— "Felix, you were incredible! I'm in awe of you!"

— "Thanks, Faisal."

— "Ahhh! You remember my name?! Come on, let's take a photo together!" Faisal grinned like a true fanboy.

— "You really kept this a secret well. Turns out my little brother is an idol. Impressive!" Chirawan said proudly.

— "Come on, sis, you're making me shy. What did you guys think of the song?"

— "Perfect!" Chirawan gave him a thumbs-up.

— "If I had known Jay was Felix, I would've met him sooner!" Faisal lamented.

Ying, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly spoke. His voice wasn't as steady as usual.

— "And what would you have done?"

— "I would've learned from him, of course! Felix, you're my idol!" Faisal insisted.

— "Alright, alright. Just call me Jay." Jay chuckled.

— "Come on, sit down. This party is for you, but we ended up being the most surprised ones." Chirawan said.

Jay laughed and took a seat next to Ying, joining the celebration. However, he couldn't shake the feeling of Ying's gaze on him every now and then.

— "Ying, why are you staring at me? Is there something on my face?"

— "Nothing. Can you handle alcohol?"

— "Oh, that's what you're worried about? Don't worry, I'm an adult now!"

— "By the way, Felix—I mean, Jay. I wrote a song, but I feel like something's missing. Can you help me review and improve it sometime?" Faisal asked eagerly.

— "Of course! I think you have potential."

— "You two seem to get along well, huh?" Chirawan teased.

— "This is what you call artistic synergy!" Faisal laughed.

Jay simply chuckled at his enthusiasm.

The group continued drinking and chatting late into the night. Eventually, everyone became tipsy—except for Ying, who remained sober. Just then, Jay's phone lit up with a new message.

Seeing the sender, Jay abruptly stood up, eyes scanning the room as if searching for someone. The message was from Ryan, accompanied by photos from his performance earlier and a short text:

— "You sang beautifully."

Jay couldn't hide his surprise. He instinctively looked around, as if hoping to see someone in the crowd.

— "Jay, what's wrong?" Chirawan frowned.

— "Are you feeling unwell?" Ying asked, concern in his voice.

Jay snapped back to reality, quickly shaking his head.

— "No… Nothing. I have something to do, so I need to leave."

He turned to Ying and spoke quickly.

— "Don't wait for me, just go home first."

Ying nodded. Without hesitation, Jay hurried off. But as he took a few steps, Faisal called after him.

— "Hey! Don't forget about our song deal!"

Jay turned back while walking away.

— "Got it, Faisal!"

Faisal folded his arms.

— "Where is he rushing off to…?"

Chirawan checked the time on her phone.

— "It's late. Should we head back too?"

Faisal nodded. But before he could respond, Ying stood up, his tone calm as always.

- "I'm leaving first."

— "Take care!" Faisal called after him.

Chirawan just smiled, watching Ying disappear into the night.

———————————————

In front of the bar, Ryan had been standing there for who knows how long, as if he had been waiting. Jay rushed out from inside, and the moment he saw Ryan, his eyes lit up, unable to hide his excitement.

— "Ryan!"

Without a second thought, Jay eagerly ran up and clung to Ryan's arm.

Ryan chuckled, raising an eyebrow.

— "Well? Surprised?"

— "Totally! Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

— "Then it wouldn't be a surprise, would it? I had to add a little drama for Felix." Ryan winked playfully.

Jay laughed, then suddenly remembered something.

— "So, the person Aline mentioned was you. Well? How did I do today?"

Ryan nodded approvingly, his eyes gleaming with pride.

— "You were great. See? Even without me, you can do it. You've always been confident like this."

As he spoke, he gently ruffled Jay's hair.

From a distance, Ying had witnessed everything. He stood in the shadows, neither stepping forward nor turning away, just silently observing. His eyes held an unreadable emotion. In the end, he said nothing and quietly walked away.

Jay remained unaware, still chatting happily with Ryan.

— "Oh, where's Aline?"

— "She had something to do, so she left."

— "Where are you staying tonight? Come over to my place!"

Ryan shrugged.

— "I guess I'll have to. I mainly came here to watch Jay perform, and I'll stay for a few days to look around."

— "Then let me be your tour guide!" Jay eagerly suggested.

— "Sure." Ryan smiled, but his voice carried a hint of exhaustion. "Shall we go? I'm a bit drained. I flew in right after my show yesterday just to see you perform."

Jay's eyes widened. Grabbing Ryan's hand, he pulled him along.

— "Oh… Now I feel guilty. Come on, let's go, this way!"

At Ying's House.

The dimly lit room was quiet, with only the soft glow of a bedside lamp casting shadows across Ying's contemplative face. He entered, carelessly tossing his jacket aside before collapsing onto the bed, exhausted.

He pulled out his phone. The screen lit up, revealing photos of Jay on stage—moments where he was lost in his music, eyes filled with energy, his smile shining as if the world belonged to him.

Ying's fingers glided over the screen.

Those images… and Jay's voice echoed in his mind:

— "That's right, because on stage, I get to express myself… and be with the person I like."

Ying recalled that moment, the way Jay had smiled shyly.

— "Your lover?"

And then, the answer Jay had given in French:

— "Amour non partagé." (Unrequited love.)

The phone screen dimmed as the screen timeout kicked in. But the last image burned into Ying's mind wasn't the stage—it was Jay in front of the bar, eyes sparkling with joy as he hugged Ryan.

He closed his eyes, let out a long sigh, then stood up and walked into the bathroom.

The sound of running water filled the silence, drowning out his thoughts.

But could it really wash away the emotions that were becoming increasingly clear in his heart?

End of Chapter 7.