by Raine Koh
“I don’t think we have time to do this properly, so I suggest you wear a hat to cover your face. You’re lucky, today is just a sound rehearsal so the only real concern they would have is the quality of your voice,” Ayaka said, passing Mimi a black trucker cap.
“Thanks, Ayaka,” she said, taking the cap from her.
“Anyway, Filth is now on stage. Once they’re done, you can go on and do your thing. Your keyboardist Kamaki is in the washroom. He’ll join you later.”
Mimi, with shoulders slumped, walked over to the front of the stage. The hall was empty save for the sound crew and a few managers and assistants. Filth was on stage, performing a dry run of the songs for the concert. At the back of the hall, Sato, wearing his sunglasses, was seated and observing the rehearsal like a silent spectator. Filth was in top form. They sounded great and the concert setlist was impressive. Mimi wondered about the situation between Shuji and Sato. The lead vocalist was not looking at the producer though, and Sato acted as if nothing bothered him.
Both of them are such professionals, unlike me who’s always letting my emotions get the better of me, she thought, bringing the cap closer to her eyes.
Kamaki appeared beside her. “How’s your wife doing?” she asked, turning towards him.
“She’s doing good. I just came from bringing her to the hospital for a routine check-up,” said Kamaki. He tilted his head towards the stage and asked, “Are you nervous?”
“You bet. And this is not even the real live yet. But looking at Filth, I really need to make them look good. I can’t let them down.”
“Hmm...” Kamaki winced a little.
Mimi looked at him, surprised. “You don’t agree?”
“It’s true that you’re their opening act, but you shouldn’t sing for anyone else but yourself.”
Mimi was a little taken aback by what he said. But she understood what he meant. Back at her own pub, she never sang for money or fame. She sang because she loved music. “The stage is my sanctuary,” she told herself when it was her turn to get on the stage. She knew that it didn’t matter what problems she had offstage, the only thing that mattered right now was music and she was going to sing her heart out.
“Great job,” said Kenta, after Mimi finished her rehearsal. Sato just sat quietly throughout her two songs. Mimi thought that was much better than hearing him hurl insults at her performance.
“You want to grab dinner?” asked her manager.
“It’s alright. My brother’s in town, I’ll grab a bite with him.”
“Glad to hear he’s here.”
“Actually, I think I’ll be staying over at the studio tonight, can you help me tell Sato that?”
“What... You guys are not speaking to each other now? Seriously?” he said, placing his hand on her shoulder.
“Do me this favour please? Kenta, you’re the best manager in the world,” Mimi pleaded and her manager relented.
“Okay, whatever. Anyway, I’ve already found a place for you. It’s actually in the same apartment building as your friend, Shina. You can move in after you get back from Okinawa Island.”
“I’m going to Okinawa? What for?” Mimi asked. Okinawa Island was a plane ride away from Tokyo, and this was the first time she was hearing this.
“Your music video. Ah right, I haven’t given you next week’s schedule yet.” He passed her a sheet of paper that stated her upcoming schedule.
“Okay. Anyway Kenta, please remember to pass the message to Sato.” Maybe she was being childish, but she didn’t want to speak to him, not until he apologised. Although there was a better chance for pigs to fly than that happening. Mimi met Shina and Roy for dinner and was glad to see the two of them hitting it off so well. Roy was usually shy around strangers, but the both of them seemed to have many common interests. Before tonight, Mimi didn’t know that Shina used to play the violin and had the same passion for classical music like her brother. Leaving the two of them to rave about Bach and Beethoven, Mimi took a cab back to the studio. She had finished recording for her debut single and the only things left were a few more songs for the album. Honestly, she didn’t really have to be in the studio, but Mimi wanted to be alone and the instruments in the studio helped to calm her down. There was a couch in the recording studio and Mimi could always fall asleep on it.
It was nearing midnight when her mobile phone rang. The easily excited voice of an elderly lady spoke at the other end. “Mimi, how are you doing? I heard that you’ve been losing weight these days, so I prepared a nice home cooked meal for you. You’re in the studios right?”
“Yamada!” she exclaimed, happy to hear the warm woman’s voice, “It’s so late now though.”
“Don’t worry, I live very near the Niji Building. Anyway, I am already at the lobby. I’m coming up now.”
Mimi hadn’t seen Yamada around as often after her ankle had fully recovered. She was so busy with her debut preparations and she had heard that Yamada was on a holiday overseas. The elderly lady burst into the studio with a big smile on her face. She was carrying a bento set, wrapped in a purple cloth.
“Yamada, so nice to see you. Please take a seat,” Mimi said, motioning to the couch.
“Mimi, you really have lost a lot of weight. I prepared some tuna sashimi and rice balls for you.”
“Thank you. How did you know I was here?”
“Oh, I was at Mr. Sato’s apartment in the evening. He’s leaving for an important meeting in Osaka tomorrow. Anyway he told me to keep an eye on you. Isn’t he such a kind man?” Yamada raved.
He just wants to make sure I don’t run amok, thought Mimi.
“Yamada, I heard you went on a holiday. Where did you go?”
“Ah, I was on a packaged tour around Asia! You see, the Fire Boys were on an Asia Tour, and a group of Japanese fans traveled with them. It was so fun! And we traveled with the members too!” she gushed excitedly, clasping her hands together.
“Wow...” Mimi replied, not knowing what to say. But she had to give props to Yamada’s dedication. She opened the bento box and was about dig in when Yamada’s mobile phone rang.
“Hello? What!!!” she suddenly shouted, startling Mimi. “Yuki is in hospital!? I will be right there!” Yamada looked at Mimi apologetically. “I’m sorry but I need to go. If you’re not hungry, can I bring the bento set to Yuki? He is in dire straits right now! My boy needs me!”
“Of course, let him have it. What happened to Yuki?” she asked, furrowing her brows.
“My friend Maki told me that he suddenly collapsed in the dance studio,” Yamada replied, frantically packing up the food and wrapping it back with the purple cloth.
“Wait, so you are going to see him now? It’s way past visiting hours!” Mimi cried, looking at her watch. The time was 12 midnight.
“Yes, my friend Maki and I will try to,” she said standing up, getting ready to leave.
Maybe she was too caught up in the moment, or maybe she just wanted to make sure the two elderly ladies didn’t get into too much trouble. Whatever the reason, Mimi wasn’t sure what spurred her to say the next few words. “Yamada, take me with you,” she said, reaching out to grab Yamada’s arm.
“Are you sure, Mimi? We will be infiltrating hospital security,” she replied in a solemn manner.
“Let’s go,” she said, standing to her feet.
They arrived at the hospital in Yamada’s purple Mini Cooper. Yamada’s friend, Maki, was waiting for them in front of the hospital entrance and got inside the car. She was ten years older than Yamada but seemed to have ten times more dedication and passion for the current mission. Holding on to a huge black duffle bag, she explained the intricate details of their “must-feed-the-tired-idol” plan to the other two.
“Okay, so I managed to get us some disguises,” Maki whispered, unzipping the bag. She fished out one light blue outfit for Yamada who was going to disguise as a hospital patient, and one nurse uniform for Mimi. “Since visiting hours are over, we need to have a valid reas
on for being there. So Mimi will be the nurse, and the two of us will be patients. I believe he is staying in room 707.”
Mimi didn’t know if she should be impressed or scared by Maki’s resourcefulness. But she was the commander of the current mission, so she thought it was best not to raise any questions. “Let’s change in the car now,” Maki directed. “And after that, we put on the surgical face masks.”
They entered the hospital premises without any difficulty although Mimi’s heart was beating wildly throughout the entire time. Holding on to the bento box, Mimi tried to walk as naturally, as any nurse would, in a hospital with two elderly patients by her side. Probably because it was the graveyard shift, but the whole hospital was rather sparse. Walking over to the lift, Mimi pressed the “7” button. Yamada and Maki couldn’t hide their excitement. “I want to take a picture with him, do you think he remembers me?” squealed Maki, losing that no-nonsense demeanour she had in the car.
“I’m so excited. I hope he is okay though,” remarked Yamada. The lift was making its way to the seventh floor and Mimi suddenly became scared. “Erm, you know what, why don’t you ladies go first, I will come in later...” she mumbled. The two senior citizens didn’t seem to hear her though, because as soon as the lift doors opened, they started scampering towards room 707.
“Hey both of you, what are you doing here?” shouted a man in a suit, pointing at the two elderly ladies.
“Ah, it’s Jun, the manager, we need to get away from him,” panted Maki, sprinting off in a different direction, with the Fire Boys’ manager following after them. Mimi stared and gaped at the scenario in front of her. Now what? Looking around, there was no one else in the corridor and she was still holding on to the bento box. Maybe she should just pass it to Yuki. At least their efforts won’t be in vain. He shouldn’t recognise me with my mask on anyway, she thought, trying to reassure herself.
“Mimi, is that you?” a small voice asked. She turned around to see Jiro standing behind her. Wearing a black hoodie and jeans, he looked at her curiously. “You got a job as a nurse?”
Mimi took off her mask and smiled sheepishly. “Erm... Not exactly,” she muttered, finding it hard to explain the situation.
“Are you here to see Yuki?”
“I guess so. How is he?” she asked.
“He will be alright. He just fainted from exhaustion. He took some medication and is sleeping now. Yuki has been working like crazy these past few months. He doesn’t even sleep anymore. We are all really worried.” Mimi could see him getting teary-eyed. “I’m sorry to hear that, Jiro.”
“Mimi, I don’t know if I should say this... But Yuki told me something last week,” he said, with a soft sigh. It was the first time Mimi saw the brown-haired boy looking so solemn, and it worried her even more.
“Jiro, what is it?”
“He told me that he regretted letting you go.”
Mimi opened the door to room 707 and tiptoed inside, careful not to make a single sound. Jiro was helping her stand guard outside, in case their manager decided to return. It was a private room, like the one she stayed in before and Yuki was on the bed, sleeping soundly. He had an IV drip attached to his arm but it didn’t look like he was in any pain. Placing the wrapped bento box carefully on a table, Mimi sat down on a chair beside his bed.
How long has it been since she last saw him in person? Eight or nine months? Since then, Mimi had been trying to lose herself in her own music, running towards a dream she never thought was possible. She reached out and gently brushed his curly locks away from his face. He looked so frail and it looked like he had lost weight. I miss you, but I can only support you this way now, like a fan, she thought. She stood up and turned to leave.
“Mimi...” he whispered. Her eyes widened in alarm. Has he woken up? She turned slowly back, but Yuki’s eyes were still shut and he was still asleep. “Mimi... Don’t go...” he mumbled in his sleep. Mimi felt her heart break all over again and she didn’t know what to do. Her eyes started to glisten with tears again. Jiro suddenly entered the room, “Mimi, you need to go, Jun is coming,” he cried in a frantic whisper. Mimi nodded and quickly followed Jiro out.
“Are you okay?” Jiro asked, passing her a tissue. They were both at the ground floor and Mimi couldn’t stop her tears from flowing.
“I will be,” she replied with a sniff, taking the tissue from him. Her mobile phone rang. She received a call from the two hardcore fans who were sounding panic-stricken at the other end.
“Mimi, help us! We are at the mental ward, and they won’t let us go unless someone comes and gets us,” cried Yamada, frantically.
“Oh my, I will be right there, as soon as I change out of my uniform,” Mimi answered. She felt so sorry for the two senior citizens who didn’t even get to see their idol.
“Who called?” Jiro asked. Mimi looked at the boy band member and an idea suddenly struck her.
“Jiro, could you do me a favour? There are two ladies upstairs who are big fans of the Fire Boys. Would it be possible to meet them and take a picture together?”
“Of course, why not?” he asked, beaming.
Upon seeing Jiro, all the trials that Yamada and Maki had just gone through (being chased around the hospital and almost getting admitted to the mental ward) vanished in an instant. It looked as if Christmas came early, the way the elderly pair squealed and giggled. Using their camera phones, Mimi helped the two fans snap a picture with their beloved idol. Their enthusiasm was contagious and she couldn’t help but smile too.
“Thank you, Jiro, and please take care of Yuki,” Yamada and Maki chirped in unison, waving goodbye. Mimi waved goodbye too, but her smile was a sad one when she remembered Yuki.
I can only watch you from afar now.
Track #11
The day of her performance was creeping closer and closer and soon, there was only one more day left and Mimi was freaking out. She had been practising non-stop with her band for weeks and her live debut on a Tokyo stage was tomorrow. “Sato won’t be there tomorrow?” asked Kamaki, looking at her. The band was taking a break and some of them had left the building to grab a bite, but Mimi and her keyboardist had stayed behind in the studio to rehearse a little longer.
“I doubt it, he’s still in Osaka,” she answered, with a shrug. She had yet to speak a word to Sato and had not seen him since the sound check. Just like what Yamada said, he was suddenly called to go to another city for an urgent meeting and may not even be back for her debut performance. Needless to say, Mimi never received an apology from him. Not that it mattered at this point. Though Mimi did think that it would have been nice to have him there, although that would just leave him room to insult her performance. She walked towards the mic and turning to Kamaki, said, “Come on, let’s run through ‘Farewell’ again.”
The next day eventually came and despite only getting a few hours of sleep, Mimi arrived at the rehearsal studio early. The butterflies in her stomach were having a field day and she couldn’t have a proper night’s sleep, even if she’d wanted to. Ayaka, who had taken on the role of make-up artist slash wardrobe coordinator slash overall assistant, entered the room with a huge flat white box. “Hey, someone left a package for you with the Niji Building receptionist,” she said. “You already have fans?”
“That’s not possible,” Mimi said, staring at the box. There was no card attached to it and no clue as to who it was from. Mimi opened it and gasped. Inside it was a Betsy Johnson hot pink, strapless, taffeta and tulle dress.
“It’s beautiful!” exclaimed Ayaka, “You should wear it tonight. It’ll really suit you.”
Mimi looked at the dress. The top was shaped like a well-fitted corset top while the lower portion was flared with black tulle at the bottom. “I’ve always wanted this dress. I searched for it everywhere,” she said, touching the taffeta material.
“Who do you think it was from?” asked Ayaka. Mimi didn’t have a clue. The only person who knew that she wanted this dress was probably Roy. But
a student like him probably couldn’t afford this dress, nor would know where to find it.
“Anyway, just wear it for tonight. Try it on now,” Ayaka instructed.
That night, Shibuya O-Nest was packed as Filth fans filled the floor. From backstage, Mimi could hear them chattering among themselves. The crowd was made up of mostly teenage girls donned like the members of Filth in their music videos. Mimi was clad in her hot pink dress, which fitted her perfectly. Ayaka had pulled out all the stops for Mimi’s make-up. She had on thick black eyeliner with long false eyelashes made up of feathers and blood red lip gloss. Mimi thought she looked like a tragic, sad doll and the feathered falsies were preventing her from seeing clearly. Her band stepped up on stage first to warm up the crowd.
