I started this on Sunday evening and since I had a half-day today. I thought what the heck and finished it :)
"So Noh, the fans are dying to know if you and Secret did that on purpose last night."
Noh looked at the host and tilted his head. All the fans in the audience knew immediately that Noh was about to dish it and it wasn't going to be pretty. He had certain little tells depending on his mood and long time fans knew them by heart. Several girls covered their ears just in case.
"Are you sure its the fans who want to know? Because High Raisers know better than to ask dumb questions like that. If you want to ask me if I did that on purpose because of what happened with some protesters or whatever then no. I got sneak attacked and had to show my embarrassed face on a live. You think that's funny or amusing? Secret's lucky he got anything at all last night and I know he's watching so he better be thinking about that dry spell he's about to have. Asshole."
Dye immediately covered his mouth and Ex folded his lips. Ohm smirked. Flex suddenly had an idea and pulled out his phone. He went on twitter then laughed. They all turned to look at him.
"Secret just tweeted there are such things as oasis in the desert. He's sure he's going to see one very soon." That's when Dye could hold it in no longer and burst out laughing. Noh, like a runaway train, started a live to twitter war with Secret that lasted past commercials and despite being a veteran of 5 years on the show, the host had a hell of a time reigning him in. Ohm got in his way so many times that he actually low key got passive aggressive with the guitar player. That's when shit really hit the fan because Noh did a 180 and turned on the host.
#NohloveOhm started trending on twitter immediately as well as #LoyalNoh and #Oasis. The last was to support poor Secret who seemed to have gotten himself in trouble.
It was the worst (and best) interview in Thai history and saw a spike in views for all the wrong reasons. Noh though, vowed he was never going back on that show and most hosts took a que from that incident and hesitated to ask stupid questions like that again. It was a lesson they were being taught in a round about way and they learned it easily especially when P'Tear made a very obvious clip about show hosts asking dumb questions on his IG. He even turned it into a series that would go viral. It brought more focus to his show and raised his ratings despite him picking on his fellow journalists.
The next show Elevation attended saw the host actually apologizing for his compatriot, a rare and defining moment. Mentally, he compared the fierce High Risers to a certain fandom that was still very active and decided he didn't want to be on the receiving end of their defensive behaviours. They had quite shredded his compatriot.
Noh didn't realize it but his big, beautiful mouth actually started a revolution. Thai culture was very polite and didn't cater for personalities like Noh's. He wasn't rude so much as he called you out on your bullshit and it was refreshing. Other musicians began doing the same, but some took it to far. In the upcoming weeks there seemed to be a new movement as persons began revising what was ok and what wasn't as well as how they approached certain questions and how those questions should be answered.
Elevation actually found themselves in a serious debate over this on Current, a show hosted by DJ Future, that discussed what was current in any area. Elevation was the new it thing is music so they were invited. As a result of what happened that night, they were asked to discuss the topic.
"What was your overall opinion of that interview, particularly the question?" Noh was asked after they worked their way around to the discussion.
"There are several areas where the interview when off the rails. First there was the question and what it attempted to accomplish. First, don't use the fans as a clutch. That pissed me off right away. The fans want to know... Just say you want to know. Second, I never cursed P'Ash. Please be clear on this. The 'asshole' part was actually for Secret because I was reminded of how annoyed I got with him once things settled down. Sure fans love to see us interact but that's not the face I want to show on a live."
"Noh can be very, um, tsundere. Not extremely but just enough to be appealing. I think that's one of the things Secret loves about him. It's a challenge in figuring out how much he can push and how much Noh will let him get away with. This guy doesn't hold hands or kiss in public despite the length and debt of their relationship. He would much rather tell you his feelings in a song. Secret though, is a very touchy person. He will sit close, hold hands, do grand gestures, kiss on the cheek or forehead. He's the definition of 'boyfriend'. Noh would never, and I mean never do that kind of thing willingly." Dye wanted to defend Noh even thought it wasn't necessary in this setting.
"The live was started when Secret was in the shower, he wouldn't have known Noh was online. Also, when I stuck my head in, he wasn't out yet. Secret would have had to have opened the door and gone straight to Noh which means a lot more of him might have been on the live if they weren't careful." Flex added.
"Oh God. Don't say that. I am never having a live right before bed again. That's one lesson learned." They all chuckled at Noh who was once again red.
"Good because even though we would love to know what he looks like, other parts of him should be for your eyes only. So Ohm, why did you get in P'Ash's way like that?"
"Well first it was just because everyone was enjoying the little live to twitter war and I could see the fans were loving Noh's red face. I personally just enjoy throwing our captain to the wolves (yes the pun was intended) so I kept interrupting. But then he called me childish and suddenly I felt childish. To me this was a great opportunity to egg the situation on, get Noh pacified because he didn't like the question, and slowly rebuild what you lost." Noh gave Ohm a hard glare when he mentioned throwing him to the wolves but he nodded along none the less.
"Throw in a comment here or there." Ex added. "Pick the side you think is winning and work it. Even if you sided with Secret and Noh got even more annoyed with you, you could have worked that too. Ask him hard questionsthat delved deeper into the situation. Was what Secret did such a bad thing? Why? Explain your relationship further? Do you have clearly defined boundaries in your relationship? I don't know. Something along those lines. Then work it back to the music. I see that you didn't mention this or that in your song lyrics. I know you can't cover everything so is there something you would like to mention now? Do you want to use this opportunity to tell the fans a bit of insider information not already known?"
"Wow. That was a great suggestion and I'm going to note that down. By the way you guys really do like to throw Noh to the wolves. You basically just told us to pick apart his relationship freely." Noh blinked as everyone laughed.
"Damn it and here I was agreeing with you when in reality you were stabbing me in the back! I trust you guys for nothing! Ugh!"
That made them all laugh even harder.
"He's a little dense. Excuse him." Dye said brutally. Noh sucked in a harsh breath and would have smacked Dye if he didn't remember he was live.
"But besides that we were also at fault. Ohm should be leashed regularly and when I realized what had happened, I personally let him run wild because I was feeling a bit peeved at the guy also. Noh was too busy warring with S on twitter so he missed that whole thing which was a blessing but when he did tune in, it got even worse and by then we were all mad so it started becoming an Us vs Him/Them situation."
"And that's where I take the blame. I have to remember that we came up the manhole. We were this underground band just doing our thing, slowly amassing views and trying our best to gather fans. Once we made it above ground, as I like to say, we started having fans and we, I, can't just run my big mouth like I always do. I could have taken a different tone. I really don't like the way you phrased that question. Could you ask it again or I can't promise I'll answer you. We are now responsible for our fans too. What we all do reflects on each other. When that guy and his club got in trouble, it wasn't just him but his group and his fans who felt the heat. They defended him and when it turned out to be true they had to make a hard decision. We, the band and the fans are a unit, so if I lash out at someone, they may too but there are also the smart ones who called me out and I respect that because even I could see that was a disaster. I know when I'm wrong and I was totally out of line."
"But out of that hot pile of doodoo came an interesting issue. It's an issue of mutual respect and understanding. It's a matter of finding the right way to ask questions and finding the right answers for them. We as interviewers are seeking answers for our audience but we need to be respectful how we go about it. Some of us forget that just because these stars have to come to us, doesn't mean we can treat them as we please. It's a two way street. We need each other."
"Absolutely because I'm sure there are High Risers who watch this show. We have mutual fans. When something like that happens, everyone is in an awkward position. It's almost like we gave them an ultimatum and forced them to choose who they liked more that night." Flex stated seriously.
"We got all up in our feelings and we apologize to P'Ash again and to the fans, especially me. I need to know when to sacrifice and when to let the captain live_"
"Will you stop already!"
"_When to be funny and when to be serious. Noh will always be on my side even when I'm wrong. We've been friends for too long and we have a dynamic. That doesn't mean once we're out of the spotlight he wouldn't ream me a new_ hem... face. Yeah. Anyway, he will destroy me, but we always just automatically unite and we kind of trained the rest of the band into that habit as well." They all nodded as one and everyone for a second wondered if they were looking at one head or four moving in agreement with Ohm.
"That makes a lot of sense. You five have been working together as a unite against the odds and have managed to come this far. You have a natural dynamic and it shows. When someone comes at you in a perceived negative way, you close ranks or you attack. It's natural for anyone. I think P'Ash understands that you meant no serious harm now and I know that you have mended fences. I also what to point out that we all do stupid things in the heat of the moment like interrupting a live because you got this idea to have some #Secrettime." The light tease had everyone laughing. "We just have to deal with the fallout more maturely next time. Still there was some good that came out of this. We are reminded that as hosts we are dealing with fellow people. We expect them to respect our positions. We also need to respect our interviewees. We can ask the hard questions, sure, but at the same to remember boundaries."
DJ Future suddenly turned to Noh as smiled. "So can I ask you some difficult questions?"
"Sure. We can't promise to have answers to all of them but we'll try." Noh stepped up as leader.
"Tell me how you felt when you heard about the protests."
They all blew out a breath. Noh answered first. "I felt a bit like I had done something wrong even when I wasn't sure what that was. I felt like, why are you picking on me? I never did anything to you. I even started telling the members sorry because I felt like I had brought some kind of trouble on us. Then Ex asked me, "Are you fake gay?" I was like what? What is that? What does that mean? But he asked me again and suddenly I understood. Why was I saying sorry for being me? Did I have to apologize for accepting myself? How was that fair? I am not 'fake gay' as he said. I am a guy who loves a guy and sings about it in songs. That's not new. So why are they protesting?"
"I asked you this question because I actually went out there and talked to this group of people. I asked them why they were protesting. I was told that most persons who come out don't have your background. You were both in perfectly fine relationships with women. Not only that but you still remained with those women even after discovering your feelings. It seems obvious to them that you were just experimenting. You lived apart of three years and admitted to having no contact. But the worst part is, you admitted that you started out as something fake. This is clearly a publicity stunt. You are trying to use the community for fame. You are clearly earning money for this, both you and Secret. You are problematic."
The band took it all in with a serious face and waited for the next question.
"Are you using the community for fame?"
"No," They all said as one and then looked at each other.
"I'll answer this one thought it's going to require a bit of a story." Ohm said and suddenly he looked and felt different. More serious and mature.
"I've had lots of relationships with girls and only one real relationship with a guy but it's not because I've never liked guys. I've just never admitted it. I told this guy only once before a long time ago. Noh was my first boy crush. There, it's now out in the open. It lasted for a second but it opened my eyes. I kept it to myself that I was bi for a long time. That's why I knew the moment things started changing for this guy. He always liked girls, sure, but none of them ever got him deep in the sexual sense, it was always platonic. Sure he would kiss and shit but not much more than that and he didn't feel it, not like that, not sexually. But Secret connected in all the right ways. I felt sexual tension, attraction, and an energy I couldn't describe. It wasn't hot but it smoldered. They were like an eternity loop. Starting and ending each other.
"I felt like I lost him at first and I was jealous, so very jealous. But then I discovered that I hadn't lost him. Noh had just figured out how to make room so both of us could fit in his life. If they had to have a label I would call it soul mated. They just are. Bisexual is just the bracket label for them I guess. I don't think Noh has ever loved anyone before or since Secret. He was just going through the motions until that guy came and literally rocked his world.
"When they made that contract thing I thought it was a shitty idea. I hated it. I felt like I was living with an amputee. He was so emotionally cut off that I actually almost told him lets quit this band idea."
"Really?!" Both Dj Future and the rest of the band said at the same time then all watched each other in shock.
"Yes. I wanted the Noh I knew back and I felt like the band idea was making it worse. I felt like I was suffering too. But despite this, Noh was writing great music and I didn't know how to approach this topic when we were all clicking so well, like 5 brothers. Then Noh wrote FTSS and suddenly I realized he had found his outlet, his way to cope with the separation, the loss of his other half. I couldn't get in the way of that. I couldn't deny him the best form of counseling he could get and for free too. This music, this album was never about the community or anyone else but Noh and I think it's outrageous that these people are_"
"Eh hem!" Noh interrupted so Ohm wouldn't take it too far.
"_Doing this. All our albums wouldn't always be like this. They wouldn't always be about P and N or R and K or W and V. I just want them to let us be. For ages, people have been writing songs about their lives, why aren't they being attacked for it?"
"Taylor Swift gets attacked all the time," Flex pointed out.
"No I mean here in Thailand. I don't know an instance of someone being attacked for writing music that's personal to them."
"I can't remember anyone here having that kind of issue either off the top of my head. I'm sure I'll remember someone when this interview is over. That always happens." There was a moment of pondering silence as everyone tried to think of a person who would fit the situation
"Juice! You remember that band? They were the guys to listen to before Duckling eclipsed everyone." Flex suddenly remembered.
"The Breakup Series! How could I forget!?" DJ Future snapped his fingers and pointed at Flex. "They came under fire for that song especially but there wasn't a protest though. Ok Noh. I would like to hear your opinion of these people."
"Honestly? I think your being selfish and using us/me to fit your own agenda. You may have wanted a poster child to represent the community who was open and free talking about their relationship and instead you got me with all my mistakes and 'shady', for lack of a better word, past. Who wants a faulty band like that? Well I'm sorry but until you can create your perfect band and debut them, willingly or unwillingly, we are what you have right now. So suck it up." The last bit was all Noh and he felt he needed to put a little bit of himself in his answer or it just didn't seem authentic.
"What he said," Dye seconded.
"And here we have some hard truths people. Politely asked and politely answered. Lets try this way from now on. Thanks for being on Current Elevation and I hope we can see you guys again."
"Your welcome. This had honestly been one of my favorite interviews. Can't top Sempai Mel though. Notice me Sempai!" Ex waved at the camera.
"No one can top her." DJ Future admitted easily. "I think many companies secretly wished they had one of her on their roster, us included."
That interview quickly went viral for all the right reasons this time. While the paparazzi were still the worst, even some of them had changed their tactics and started approaching stars politely. It threw everyone off and actually got them interviews they would otherwise have missed. It was such a surprise that even the recognized journalists were taken aback and some of the more famous late night hosts (TV and Live) commented on it.
One actually called this the Noh Effect and another jokingly asked if Elevation was out to steal hearts and reform journalism. P'Ash even found himself on the other side of the table, answering questions about that night and how it all went bad. He played his cards right and came across very human and easy to understand. He also admitted that in his 5 short years of working, he had never come across a group quite like this one and with that kind of dynamic. He thought he was pushing the right buttons and making the right decisions because he followed the standard. There were some exceptions where the standard just didn't always apply and that wasn't a bad thing. It was a learning experience.
Some of the strong protesters also found themselves on a few shows. They tried not to but they did come across as rejecting the band simply because they didn't feel that they represented the community in a good light. Their arguments were too shallow and they ended up showing the dark side to the community.
"Don't they see that we appreciate a real life representation of what we are going through?"
"Who wants a perfect ideal? We are living in a faulty world. They are real life role models who are sharing their story to teach us a lesson."
"I don't stan this band but even I can see that they have good intentions. I don't see why his lover has to remain a secret though. That's just fan service."
- "What's wrong with fan service? I personally like the idea. He was a secret in the beginning and if he came out now, he would just become a target. He needs room to grow too. Timing is important.
- "I agree. He is already a celebrity because he is dating P'Noh. Imagine how much he will suffer if he came out in the open. Let him establish himself first.
"I think this band is trash!"
- "Fuck off troll!"
"Just ignore the idiots. Keep doing what your doing Elevation! I listen to your music because I went through a lot too and it's nice to have someone to connect too who went through a lot as well. Love is really hard."
Noh read all the comments to Phun under one article he liked, even the trolling comments and people's responses to those. Phun chuckled but he listened. It now became their ritual to face the comments together when Noh wanted to brave the internet. They were mostly positive these days but some had been harsh or mean just because.
"I liked that last one. Noh. You realize you'll be traveling from Monday right. What will you do when I'm not there?"
"Call you. I don't want to do this with anyone else. Ok?"
"Ok. I promise I wouldn't check the internet unless you tell me to. I'll only go on twitter, IG and Facebook as usual and if I happen to get a notification like "Is Noh cheating on Secret? Band leader caught kissing a fan at a club in New York Underground," I will not fly off the handle or at least I'll wait until the shock passes before I call you and ask you what was that all about because I'm pretty sure it was something like a greeting that got out of hand or some bad angle that was taken out of context."
Noh had been folding his lips, trying not to laugh the entire time when suddenly it hit him, it could actually happen for real.
"Ok and I promise not to over react if I get that kind of phone call from you. Also I promise that if something dumb happens, I'll call you immediately and talk to you about it because lets face it no one loves Earn more than Pete and he still managed to have a baby with Yu."
"And that right there pretty much sums it up so yeah. Just don't go starting a revolution in the US like you did here. They may not be ready for the Thai gut with the golden voice to put them in their place in their own country. You might get blocked from going back."
"I don't play nice for anyone but I'll be kind to them if they are to me."
"That's all I can ask for. Now. About that oasis..."
"Keep searching for it buddy." Noh said with a smirk and walked out.