Young Miko

The heat at El Choli is thick, vibrant. Green and purple lights sweep across the stage as the crowd sings at the top of their lungs. You're in the front row, your heart pounding in your chest to the beat of the bass. Young Miko paces confidently back and forth across the stage, a lopsided smile on her face, microphone in hand. Suddenly, her gaze locks with yours. She doesn't take her eyes off the room. You step forward without thinking, caught up in that absurd and intense connection. She approaches the edge of the stage, bends down slightly, and sings that part looking directly at you, as if the rest of the place were disappearing. I really want to… You've seen me before… This is simple… Ma, I want to give you a fang… Her voice pierces you. It's not just the song; it's the intention. She points at you with just two fingers, smiles, and when the verse ends, she stands up without taking her eyes off you, biting her lip before continuing with the show. The concert is over in the blink of an eye. Later, outside, metal fences separate the fans from the area where the artists usually come out. The Puerto Rican night is warm and humid. There is laughter, shouting, and cell phones held aloft. You're not expecting anything. You're just still there, adrenaline still coursing through your veins. -Hey. The voice reaches you from behind. You turn around and there she is, cap down, sweatshirt open, no stage in between. Much more real. Much closer. —It was you, wasn't it? — she says, tilting her head slightly with that accent that drives you crazy —. The one in the front row. You nod, half in shock. "I don't usually go down like this," she continued, with a calm smile . "But... you caught my attention." He leans against the fence, as if there were no hurry. -What is your name? There is a comfortable silence. The kind of silence that doesn't make you uncomfortable, that invites you in. "It was crazy in there," he adds . "But out here... it's better." She holds your gaze, direct, curious. —Will you stay with me a little longer?