AN UNEXPECTED CHANCE
October 10, 2022
Desperation was a little word to compare with the feelings of every KPOP fan of one of the most popular boy group in the Philippines, Seventeen.
For the Carats who already secured their tickets, a desperation to meet the boys immediately rises every nerve in their system. Luckily to them, the desperation was lesser because they will surely meet the guys no matter what, only a couple of hours to wait.
But luck was not with those who haven’t secured a ticket. The unlucky ones who were not able to purchase a ticket for a 2-day concert during the 3-day ticketing sale. As what everyone calls them, the TEAM LABAS.
And I was one them.
I was one of those fans who were not able to get a ticket. As for defense, I don’t really have enough budget during the ticketing sale and I was already preparing myself to leave the country. I wasn’t sure if I could wait for October to see Seventeen before leaving.
While processing my papers, I counted the days, the months I needed to fulfill my requirements of working abroad. And here’s the thing. It will be completed by the end of October or early weeks of November.
So I told myself, I will be able to witness again their concert.
During Diamond Edge, the first concert of Seventeen I attended, I was able to buy a ticket through the market place in Facebook. It was a bit pricey but not too much. During Ideal Cut, I did the same. With my little amount of money and the same desperation I had, I found a seller which I could pay the ticket during the concert date. It was a bit pricey as well but not too much.
And so, I did the same thing for Be The Sun. I was expecting I could find just at least one ticket no matter what section or seat already as long as it was within my budget. It was a 2-day concert after all.
But my luck was leaving me. The chance was leaving me. The organizers of the concert announced a sold-out ticket for the 2-day concert. I expected someone from Facebook or Twitter to sell their tickets but no one seemed to want to let go of their tickets.
A few days before the concert, some started selling their tickets.
BUT, they were all overpriced!
Like, the Gen Ad ticket in which the original price was 2,900 became 10K. Upperbox tickets were sold for 15k-20k. Lowerbox were sold from 20k-30k.
Like, I mean, SERIOUSLY???!!!
I know how desperate Carats were to attend the concert but the scalpers seemed to be more desperate as well.
I started to lose hope.
For the first day of the concert, I was still in the province. I still had my duty at the hospital. My body was inside the hospital but my mind my flowing over the concert already.
I was desperately looking for a ticket both on Facebook and Twitter. I contacted someone on twitter selling her ticket of LBA Premium for 22K. It was pricey, double the original price, but I was desperate. But unfortunately, when she learned I was still in the province, the negotiation became a failure.
I wanted to cry but I was still hoping. I would still go to Manila without any assurance of getting a ticket but with a hope to buy one. I didn’t know if a Gen Ad ticket worth 15k would be worth it but the realization of not being able to attend the concert was scary.
Again, I was on Twitter still browsing when I came across a post stating that an hour before the concert started, the organizers began to open a few more tickets on SM ticket outlet at MOA arena. But because of the chaos happening that time at the arena, only some got the chance to buy one and enter the concert hall.
As for the scalpers roaming around the arena, they didn’t lower down their prices even to the last minute before the concert started.
When I saw that post, my hope increased a little bit. I will sacrifice everything just for that chance of getting a ticket. So I hopped inside the bus and prayed for the safety of my trip to Manila and that I may still be able to purchase a ticket.
I went to MOA arena a bit earlier, around 6:30am. Then I went to Coral Way where the supposed ticket would be available. There was a line already but I didn’t fall in line immediately because I thought that line was for those who have not yet claimed their tickets.
I messaged the one who I was negotiating with LBA premium 22k ticket but she didn’t respond. I began to lose hope once again. While sitting, I met some who doesn’t still have a ticket as well.
I started to notice the line and I thought, the line was maybe for the chance ticket. They may have lined up immediately for a more organized line than the other day. So I invited the one I got to know to fall in line. True enough, the line was indeed for the chance ticket.
So we followed the line under the super heat of the sun, not really minding if we will be barbecues at the end of the day, just to secure that chance ticket for an original price. They said they would open it at 10am but the clock ticks and 10am passed, there were still no news. We thought they might opened it at the same time they opened the other day.
Still, I didn’t lose hope. I wanted to go to the bathroom but I was afraid I might lose my position. Even if I am with someone, we were not totally friends. I slowly felt the hunger but I dismissed it. I reminded mysef the reason why I had a heavy breakfast that morning. I knew the day would be long and tiresome.
Someone from the front of the line came to us and asked us if we were able to list down our names and we were shocked. I followed only the line. There was no words of a list. Fortunately, they took us into consideration and we became the ‘the special case’.
The determination of Carats were standing tall despite the jealousy we felt while we watch the VIP Soundcheck ticket holders moved their lines and one by one, enter the arena for strapping. All we could utter was ‘Sana all. Congratulations.’ I was bitter, we were bitter, but we were not losing hope.
Suddenly, Mr. Sunshine became shy and hid behind the darkness of clouds that covered the entire arena. It started to pour heavy rain.
But we were determined and desperate. Not even the thick rain could wither the determination and desperation.
No one broke out of the line. No one left their positions and we stood still as the heavy rains poured. My clothes became wet. My shoes became soaked with water inside and painted with dirt outside. My bag was getting wet.
But I didn’t gave up.
I was there and I was desperate. We were all desperate to see Seventeen. And not even the strong heavy rain could stopped us.
The organizers? Don’t bother asking about them if they did something to help us. It seemed that the word ‘sympathy’ was not a part of their vocabulary. We begged them to let us in even before the sun hides but they didn’t listened. We were soaked already but they just looked at us.
Thankfully, the rain didn’t last long. But we were still soaked wet.
Some of the organizers started to run here and there and some of them pointed at us. We didn’t knew if they already learned the word ‘sympathy’ and showed us a bit of it but we chanted ‘Tickets please!’ Then a little bit minutes to 1:30pm, we saw one of the organizers talked to the one who arranged our line and listed our names.
My hope was getting high. Our hopes were getting high. Then she came down and told us to properly get our line straight and not to shout or chant. They will open the tickets 5 minutes before 2pm. We will enter by 10’s.
And even if I wanted to scream, I was overshadowed with nervousness. The fact that we might get a ticket for the concert was really overwhelming.
Then two o’clock hits the clock, the line started to move.
I was trembling, I was shaking, from hunger, from tiredness, but mostly, from excitement. But until I get inside and purchase a ticket, the fear would not leave me.
We saw the ‘ate’ girl purchased her ticket and we were all happy. We wanted to chant but because we had to maintain the orderliness, we simply congratulated her. More and more from the front of the line purchased their tickets.
My nervouseness was getting high when I reached the tent, only a few steps to the ticketing booth. I was really shaking. My hand holding the queuing paper they gave us was getting wet. I couldn’t even held my ID’s properly together.
Then, BAAMMMMMM!
I am inside!
They put a white strap on my wrist, a sign maybe to differentiate us from the regular ticket holders. Then I was already in front of the cashier and my hands were trembling while I gave the cash to pay the ticket.
Then HURRAH!!!!! I HAVE MY TICKET!!!!
I wanted to cry of excitement and happiness but I thought my tears have left my eyes already because of fear, anxiety, and tiredness. But I was really happy and glad to have purchase an original ticket at an original price for Be The Sun concert.
I really thank God for hearing my prayers and for giving me another chance to experience the most fun-filled concert I will ever had in my entire life.
There were some glitches though. That someone I got to know, Kim was her name, was short in money. Her mother who I spoke with a lot when we were outside the coral way was really nice and I really admired her for letting her daughter experience things the things I couldn’t experience myself when I was a student. So I told her, since she said that her budget was only for a Gen Ad ticket, I will let her borrow my money. Trust me I am not rich. I was also short on budget but she also deserves to see Seventeen as she is 17 years old already and preparing to get into college. Trust me when I say, Seventeen really inspires a lot of Filipino youth. I read a lot in Twitter and Facebook that many Carats are graduating with high honors. So Kim really deserves that chance to watch them. So I lend her cash to purchase the ticket. I trust her mother to pay the money so yeah.
There was another one as well. She was with us in the line since morning. She was also a student. Her money was only for a Gen Ad ticket as well. She get sunkissed, she get wet, her shoes even got ripped. I wanted to help her as well but my money was only for one person. She cried and I feel pity to her. A lot of Carats deserved to watch Seventeen live especially the students but because of the organizers, a lot were robbed from that chance. I actually hoped the organizers would take pity on her and gave her a Gen Ad ticket because she was crying already but they didn’t showed a bit of anything. I know I should be thanking the organizers for giving us a chance to buy tickets but seriously, I believe we deserved those tickets. We got sunburned under the hotness of the sun, we got soakingly wet under the heavy rain, so yes, even if it wasn’t their fault we have waited there and it was our choice to stay there, they could have shown us a bit of pity much earlier before we even experienced those things.
Seventeen loves their fans so much that what happened during Ideal Cut was still one of the best memories I ever had during a concert. So yeah, I know, Seventeen would not let their fans suffer from that kind of treatment like the organizers treated Carats.
So I believe one day, that girl will see Seventeen again. Always praying for her since I couldn’t seem to forget her face. I didn’t know her name but I know, she’ll do everything for a chance to see Seventeen.
Once we purchased our ticket, they didn’t let us out already. I planned to go checked in first to my hotel and change clothes since I already smelled foul from travelling and lining up under the sun and then getting wet. I also felt my feet deeply soaked with water but I couldn’t removed it since it may even smelled fouler. I grabbed a cup of Iced Latté from Starbucks and got to pee already. My UTI was waving again because the fact that I was on antibiotic for my infection but I needed to withheld my urged to go to the bathroom.
We began moving by 3:30pm for another strapping then went for another line for queuing.
The shouts from outside the arena was really overwhelming. It was exciting.
Then 5pm hits the clock and they let us in.
That was how I got into Seventeen’s concert. For the entire three hours of the concert, I felt energized despite my weakened body and mind. The feeling of attending Seventeen’s concert was really unexplainable. No words could even described the feelings. All I know was I did have a lot of fun and energy for the entirety of the concert.
I promised myself when I sacrificed myself and worked abroad four years ago that once I come back to the Philippines and Seventeen will announce they will have a concert in the country, I would have enough money for a VIP standing with soundcheck and see them upclose. After all, I went to another country for a reason that I could buy all of their merchandises and albums and saved money for their concert.
But it seemed that it was not my time yet. My money always went first to my family and their needs. So I set aside Seventeen a little bit. And because of the urgency of coming home because of the fear I had from that institution, I came home with only a little bit of savings.
This time, I will fulfill my promise. This maybe was the reason why God had given me a chance to watch their concert. That I will be more determined and more desperate to save money so that in the future, my time to watch Seventeen upclose will come true.
For now, I am still on cloud nine and having that excitement I felt attending Be The Sun Manila. I will forever treasure that unexpected chance to watch them live for one last time before I again venture and work in a new environment far away from my homeland. I will surely see you again soon, Seventeen, my forever second home and family.