1
Kai
Dakarai had always been curious about what it would be like to date himself and why no one else ever seemed to want to. As he stood outside a bright yellow retro theater flowerless, slightly hungry, and having opened all his own doors that evening, he couldn’t say he recommended it.
Dakarai, or Kai as he preferred, bit the inside of his lip, and his throat felt dry as he looked up at the marquee:
THE HERITAGE PLAYHOUSE PRESENTS
CYPHR
SOLD OUT
Excited concertgoers filed in below, illuminated by the glittering Hollywood bulbs of the theater’s entrance, all dressed well enough to take the stage themselves.
As Kai joined them, he suddenly had the air knocked from his lungs by someone going against the current.
“You need tickets?” the someone asked in lieu of an apology.
Kai raised an eyebrow at the scalper.
Tickets weren’t his problem—he’d started with four: for him; his best friend, Bobby; Bobby’s girlfriend, Winter; and Winter’s bestfriend, Emmy. He’d purchased them online and not froma guyin a trench coat, like Kai’s father said he used to do in “the good ol’ days.” But now Kai only needed one after his friends had informed him that they would no longer be in town for the concert—or, in fact, the entire summer.
“You selling better friends?” Kai muttered to the scalper, brushing himself off, though it was unlikely that replacements for the three traitors could fit up the grifter’s sleeve.
Bypassing the line into the theater, the tech-averse Kai flashed his paper ticket, the only one in a sea of scannable digital tickets. The red-carpeted stairs led him to a cozy, dimly lit area. He found his seat, number twelve in the front row, and settled in. Seat eleven next to him remained empty.
Another solo attendee, perhaps?he thought.
As the rest of the theater lights flickered, signaling that the concert was about to start, the openers—two female rappers who had recently gone viral on TikTok—charged from backstage and launched into their performance without introduction. The audience swelled as the crowd rose to their feet and screamed their throats raw. Kai rose as well, unconcerned that his six-foot-five frame would ruin the experience of those behind him. He had, after all, paid just like anyone else. And it seemed that his friends, his new coworker at the bookstore, and perhaps the entire universe, were all trying to ruin his last summer before college. He was determined to have fun, even if it was purely out of spite. In fact, he wished there was a spotlight on him right then so everyone could see just how happy he was to be alone at the show. This was a new season of Kai. A reboot. It was solo summer. Selfish summer. The summer of Dakarai.
Any inhibitions he had left were gone when CYPHR walkedout onto the stage, leather pants clinging to his slender frame, a white tank top stretched out around his neck, exposing several tattoos scattered across his chest and down both arms. He had well-defined features and expressive large brown eyes that were hooded by a heavy brow line. When CYPHR looked up, Kai could finally see his face clearly on the screen that backlit his form.
“Who in here knows a little band called EZF? If you’re a Dropout, make some noise!” CYPHR yelled into the mic. The crowd roared. Then CYPHR put his fingers to his lips, and everyone instantly hushed. Teachers wished they could have this power. CYPHR continued in a softer tone, “Now, who in here has no idea what I’m talking about and came here just for me?”
The small venue became one loud scream.
CYPHR made a winding gesture in the air, a signal to his band. When Kai’s favorite song started, his indignant determination to have fun gave way to genuine enjoyment. Making use of the empty space next to him, he danced and sang out of tune with everyone else.
If we kiss once, we can’t take it back
But if we kiss this once, I can kiss you again
Let’s make another mistake
The first mistake is already made
Preoccupied, Kai didn’t notice that someone had come down his row until they were almost in front of him. Their face was hidden beneath a black bucket cap, and the stage backlit them in a way that darkened their features. This was the person who had bought seat eleven from him only hours ago. Kai was intrigued yet slightly disappointed as he anticipated having to shrink hisrange of motion—and therefore the sincere pleasure he had finally found being alone.
Before Seat Eleven could sit, an amp blew out, releasing a feedback loop that pierced through the theater and caused everyone to collectively clap their hands over their ears. Startled, Seat Eleven stumbled on a purse on the ground, and Kai instinctively reached out, catching them by the arm before they fell over the loge-level balcony. The screech ceased as quickly as it had punctuated the air, and Kai’s focus shifted entirely to the stranger’s chipped black nails digging into his skin, the electricity of the moment passing back and forth between them within the conduit of their touch.
As though irritated that they had just been saved from having accidental floor seats, the stranger brusquely pushed Kai away, waking him up to the commotion surrounding them.
Kai was unaware of what his body was doing. He wasn’t even sure if he was breathing. But if he’d been smiling, it dropped right off his face the moment Seat Eleven finally looked up so Kai could see who was under the bucket cap.
The person he saw was striking, sharp and pristine, as if cut into existence with a blade. They turned their head to the side, clearly embarrassed, revealing an angular jaw that seemed unaccustomed to smiling.
Kai’s mind went blank as the ringing persisted in his ears. All he could manage to say was “What the fuck?”
