CHAPTER 7: (Beyond Borders, Beneath the Surface)
Suci's POV
I never thought a single performance could open so many doors.
After our charity show, one email changed everything.
Subject line:
"International Youth Fusion Arts Festival – Invitation to Represent the Philippines 🇵🇭"
At first, I thought it was spam.
But when Mom opened it and her eyes went wide, I knew it was real.
> "Suci, Artum... this is huge," Dad said, rereading it for the third time. "This isn't just any event. This is the Olympics of youth arts."
We were handpicked—not just as solo artists, but as a fusion act: Music. Art. Passion. One voice.
The festival was happening in Vienna, Austria. In less than two months.
---
Artum's POV
I stared at the email.
Part of me felt excited.
Part of me felt terrified.
I had never even left the country.
Now they wanted us to represent the entire nation?
> "Are we... ready for that?" I asked Suci.
> "I don't know," she said. "But I know we won't walk into it unprepared."
That night, I painted until dawn.
She wrote lyrics until her pen ran dry.
We weren't just chasing dreams anymore—we were carrying a flag with us.
---
Two Weeks Later – Family Dinner
Suci invited me over. Her parents were hosting a "send-off planning" dinner.
I was nervous.
But the moment I stepped in, I felt warmth.
Her mom hugged me like I was already family.
Her dad clapped me on the back and said, "Bring extra jackets. Vienna's cold but not colder than your nerves, I bet."
Everyone laughed—except me.
Because secretly... I was still holding something back.
---
Later That Night – The Porch Talk
Her dad found me outside, staring at the moon.
> "Cold out, son?"
> "Not as cold as the pit in my stomach, sir."
He smiled gently.
> "Stage fright?"
> "No. Life fright."
He sat beside me.
> "You remind me of me when I was younger. Always second-guessing. Always thinking I wasn't enough for her mom."
I looked at him. "You too?"
> "Of course. But I realized... when you're walking beside someone brave, you don't need to be fearless. You just need to keep walking."
> "I don't want to disappoint her."
> "Then don't. But also—don't disappear inside your fears. Suci doesn't want perfection. She wants you."
That stayed with me.
---
Suci's POV
Meanwhile, my mom took me aside.
> "He's good for you, anak."
> "You think so?"
> "He balances you. You're fire. He's calm. But you spark each other in the best ways."
> "I feel like I've known him longer than I really have."
> "That's called soul memory," she said, smiling. "Sometimes your heart recognizes a person your mind's just catching up to."
I hugged her tightly.
> "You and Dad were this sure too?"
> "Not always. But we chose to believe in something bigger than fear."
That night, I chose to do the same.
---
Departure Week – The Twist
Just three days before our flight, we got another email.
This one from a New York-based talent management firm.
They had seen our YouTube performances.
They wanted us to audition in person after the Vienna festival.
> "If you're both serious," the email said,
"We believe you have potential to go global."
Global.
That word hit like thunder.
We sat on my bedroom floor, eyes wide.
> "Are we ready for that?" I whispered.
> "Maybe not," Artum said. "But we're going anyway."
---
Flight to Vienna
My heart beat wildly as the plane took off.
Artum reached for my hand and held it.
> "Let's make the world listen."
---
Vienna – Three Days Before the Show
The city was like a painting come to life.
Every building looked like a museum.
The air was crisp.
The streets played music without sound.
We had rehearsals scheduled.
Media interviews lined up.
Workshops with other youth talents from Europe, Asia, Africa.
It was beautiful.
But it was also overwhelming.
On the second night, I found Artum in the hotel rooftop garden, quietly sketching.
> "You okay?" I asked.
He hesitated.
> "I feel small here."
> "That's because this place is huge."
> "No," he said, eyes distant. "I feel like everyone's walking in fast-forward and I'm stuck on pause."
I sat beside him.
> "I see you, Artum. Even when the world's loud, your presence is louder to me."
> "What if we blow it, Su?"
> "Then we'll blow it together. But what if we don't? What if we shine?"
He looked at me.
> "You always believe in me."
> "Because you believed in me first."
And that night, we sealed that truth with a quiet, slow, real kiss.
Not out of panic.
Not stolen.
But shared.
---
Festival Day – The Performance
The lights were blinding. The theater packed.
Nations were watching.
Artum stepped up with his canvas.
I stood with my mic.
And we began.
🎶
> ♪ "We are two halves of color and sound
Finding meaning in the noise all around
When your silence meets my melody
We become art the world can see…" ♪
🎨
As I sang, he painted in rhythm.
Each stroke told a story.
Every lyric breathed life into his canvas.
When we finished, the theater went still—
—then erupted.
Standing ovation.
Not just for the talent.
But for the connection they felt in every note, every brush.
---
Backstage
We hugged each other tightly, both of us trembling.
> "We did it," I whispered.
> "You were magic."
> "We were magic," I corrected.
---
The Final Twist – A Decision
The next morning, we woke up to a message from the New York talent firm:
> "Your Vienna performance was broadcasted. We saw it. The offer stands—but now we want to sign you as a duo. Come to New York after your stay. We'll fly you out."
I gasped.
> "They want both of us," I said.
Artum read it again. Then again.
> "New York…"
> "That's another world."
> "So are we doing this?"
> "Do you want to?" I asked.
> "Yes," he said. "As long as I'm doing it with you."
I grinned.
> "Then we're going global, partner."
And just like that, we weren't just Suci and Artum anymore.
We were a movement in motion.
---
Final Scene – Suci's Journal Entry
> Sometimes love is loud. Sometimes it's quiet like a pencil sketch.
Sometimes it's made of lyrics and shared fear.
But always—it's made of choosing each other every time.
Even if it means crossing oceans.
Even if it means starting over somewhere far.
As long as we carry our truth… we'll never get lost.
---
To Be Continued...