by Raine Koh
They were both sitting in one of the meeting rooms in Niji Building. Her manager Kenta was typing furiously on his laptop while he listened to her talk and talk... And talk.
“Kenta, I really don’t think anyone will come. I’m not feeling it. We should have it after my album is out.” She was supposed to have a discussion about the upcoming showcase but she couldn’t stop stressing about it.
“Don’t be such a baby. Anyway you need to promote yourself in any way possible. By the way, have you been monitoring the sales of your single on the music charts?” Kenta retorted, seemingly annoyed. He took out a piece of A4 size paper and shoved it in her face. Mimi took a look at the piece of paper. Printed on it was a line chart, similar to a stock market chart. Kenta jabbed his finger on it and said, “See this blue line? It shows the sales of ‘Maybe’. Since its release two days ago, you can see that it has been steadily rising. It may even overtake Fire Boy’s “Violet Crush” soon.”
Mimi added, “That doesn’t mean that these people would actually come to the showcase.”
Her manager snorted and handed her another piece of paper. “Judging from the figures, you should be attending Music Stage soon.”
“What? Are you serious?” she said, standing to her feet.
Kenta smirked and said, “So stop whining and give something back to your fans. Anyway, back to the main point of this meeting. You will be escorted to a section where there is a small stage. People who have already purchased your album are allowed inside.”
“So I just sing my two songs and that’s it? Do I have to sign any autographs?”
“No, there is no autograph signing here. You just have to sing. Well, a showcase needs to run for at least 30 minutes, so I don’t think two songs are enough. You can’t sing the songs from your new album yet so I suggest some covers of your favourite songs.”
Mimi rested her chin on her hands and thought for a moment. “What about songs by Filth?”
He snapped his fingers and said, “That’s a great idea! You would be helping to promote Niji Records too.”
“Yeah, I can sing their older songs, maybe do an acoustic version,” she said, running through a list of titles in her head.
“Have you heard the latest news about Filth?” her manager asked.
“What is it?”
“I heard from their manager that they are seriously thinking of switching labels. They may move to a major recording company like Magnum soon.”
“What! Why? I thought Magnum only dealt with pop music?”
Kenta shrugged and said, “Who knows why? More money? Magnum is branching into rock though. I heard they have signed up a couple of bands already.”
Mimi remembered that time when she overheard Shuji having a shouting match with Sato. Could that be the reason for Filth wanting to break away from Niji? Could she be the reason? The thought of it left a bitter aftertaste in her mouth.
“Anyway, we have been receiving a lot of media requests lately, asking for interviews and photo shoots. Front actually requested for a joint interview with Sato. It’ll be a cover story with pictures and interviews. Front is more of a personality magazine than a music one, but we have to check with Sato’s schedule first.” Kenta’s mobile phone rang at this moment and he answered, “Yes, Sato. This evening? Okay, I will tell them.”
He faced Mimi and said, “Sato is free this evening, so we’ll conduct the interview here.” He handed an old issue of Front to her and continued, “So you’ll be heading to the rehearsal room now? I need to arrange the timing for this interview. It should start at around 8 pm, I’ll meet you here. Oh and I thought this was rather amusing. Free publicity from the tabloid Chi Chi, it seems like the Fire Boys like you.” Kenta whipped out a newspaper from his bag and passed it to Mimi. She recognised Jiro and Yuki on the front page and the headline read “Fire Boys Purchase 20 Copies Of Newly Debuted Artiste’s Single!”
“Wow,” Mimi gasped. He hasn’t forgotten me after all, she thought. Holding on to the newspaper and magazine, Mimi made her way to the rehearsal rooms. Her band was already there with their equipment and instruments.
“So besides 'Maybe' and 'Farewell', we will do an acoustic cover of ‘White Face’ and ‘Grim Beauty’,” said Mimi looking at the scores of the two songs by Filth. “We can do a run through of these two songs now. Please change it to my key.” Mimi loved rock music with a passion that made her heart ache at times. She had been a fan of Filth since their debut and J-rock music had helped her a lot in overcoming the dark times of her teenage years. But why did Shuji hate her? The thought of it seemed so ridiculous. Filth was currently on an overseas concert tour so she couldn’t ask him even if she wanted to.
At 8 pm, Mimi walked back to the meeting room and found Sato sitting inside, reading a music magazine. Mimi bowed politely and greeted him. After all, he was a respected person at Niji Records. Sato pretended that she wasn’t there and continued reading the magazine.
“Must I take note of anything during the interview?” Mimi asked.
“Just use your common sense,” he said curtly.
“Is it true that Filth is leaving Niji Records?”
“I am not a reporter, how would I know?”
Mimi thought that his mood swings were worse than a pregnant lady's. She gave up trying to start a conversation and just fiddled around with her mobile phone. Her brother had just sent her a text, telling her that he was catching the flight back to Singapore tomorrow morning. She couldn’t believe how busy she had been during his visit to Tokyo and replied with a text telling him that she’ll send him off at the airport.
Kenta soon appeared with the journalist from Front. Sato gave him a small smile as the journalist apologised for being a little late.
“My name is Ryo. Thank you for agreeing to do this interview.” He sat down and quickly took out his notebook and voice recorder. “So Sato, how did you discover such a talent like Mimi?”
“Hmm... You may not believe it, but she just appeared in front of me. Like a stray cat.” Mimi, who was sitting next to him, felt like kicking him under the table. Ryo laughed and asked her, “So Mimi, what were your impressions of Sato?”
“I thought he was very arrogant,” she said. She felt a sharp pain spreading through her leg as Sato kicked her hard from under the table. They both exchanged angry glares, but she continued on, “But as a musician, there is no one better to work with, other than him. I trust him.”
Ryo turned to Sato and asked, “What about Sato, what were your impressions of Mimi?”
“She’s the kind of person who, once she finds something worthwhile to hold on to, she never lets go. You can call it faithfulness, loyalty or just plain foolishness, but Mimi is like that.”
She stole a quick glance at him and wondered what the producer was talking about. Was he talking about Yuki?
Ryo asked her a few more questions regarding her latest single and upcoming album. The journalist finally turned to Sato and asked, “What is your inspiration for your music?”
Sato ran his fingers through his hair and replied, “Pain. I am someone who has experienced a lot of pain from the world. As her producer and mentor, I hope I can help protect Mimi from all that, but I know if I did that, she can never grow as an artiste. So I can only give her advice.”
“Thank you for the interview. We will move on to the photo shoot. It will take place at the recording studios,” said the reporter, bowing politely.
*
Narita Airport was exactly how Mimi remembered it and there was the usual bustle and crowds. Despite her brother’s constant appeals telling her that she did not need to be there and that he could manage very well by himself, Mimi insisted that she had to send him off. He had checked in his luggage and was ready to enter the departure hall. She ruffled his hair and said, “Take care of yourself Roy, and please keep me updated about your music college applications.”
“Sis, I have a request.”
“What is it?”
“Take c
are of your health, you’re getting way too skinny lately. And come back to Singapore if it ever gets too hard, there’s always a place for you to rest your wings.”
Mimi felt herself go teary-eyed. “My little brother has grown up. Even until the end, you are still protecting me. Please take care of yourself. Once album promotions are done, I’ll come back to Singapore and see you.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll call you when I’m home.”
Mimi held back her tears, knowing that crying won’t make Roy feel any better. Instead she reached out and pinched her brother’s cheeks.
“Hey!” he cried and took a step back.
“Bye, Roy!” she cried. Mimi waved frantically as Roy walked towards the International Boarding Gate. He smiled and waved back and before long, he was out of her sight. He was gone. She was missing him already. She let out a soft sigh and turned around.
“Wait a minute,” she mumbled to herself. In the distance, a guy wearing a black cap made her gasp. It was Yuki, carrying a big black shoulder bag and donning sunglasses. Next to him, was another man whom she assumed was his manager and both of them were walking towards her! Mimi quickly turned away. She darted to a nearby pillar, hiding from their view.
“What is Yuki doing here? And where is he going?” she thought aloud. She didn’t see the other Fire Boys, so it couldn’t be an overseas tour concert. Mimi peeped out cautiously. They were both at the counter getting their boarding passes. He looks like a star, she thought, “And totally out of reach,” she muttered with a sigh. She didn’t even know why she was hiding. There was no reason for her to hide, was there?
She turned away from the two and let out another sigh. She should get back to Tokyo. At least he looked much healthier now, compared to the last time she saw him at the hospital.
Suddenly she felt someone hold her hand. She yelped in shock to see Yuki beside her, standing behind the pillar. He stood silently there, just holding her hand. His hand felt warm.
“Yuki...Where are you going?” she whispered.
“Los Angeles, just for a few days.”
She wanted to ask a million and one questions, but his hand held tightly onto hers and she felt that words were not needed now. She clutched onto his hand tightly too, knowing that this moment was not going to last forever. His mobile phone started to ring. Yuki stared at it for a moment before letting go of her hand. “I need to go.”
Mimi just nodded in reply. He was so near yet so far. She looked on as the gap between them grew wider.
Track #15
Stacked with five floors of music albums in every genre, HMV Shibuya was every music junkie’s paradise. On one of the higher floors, there was a small corner with an event stage for artistes to perform. Right now, that whole area was being covered by a black curtain to prevent prying eyes from looking in. Mimi and her band were standing behind the black fabric barricade, doing their final sound checks on the small stage. Her husky vocals could be heard from beyond and many curious shoppers stood around, listening. The showcase area could hold around 80 people and a line was already forming around the shielded portion. Security staff were employed to make sure that everything ran smoothly. After the sound check, Mimi went backstage as the fans started streaming in.
“How are you feeling?” asked Kenta as he stood beside his artiste.
“I’m kinda excited to see everyone. I mean, these are people who bought my single right?” said Mimi, peeping at the audience. She was wearing a black birdcage veil, a white fitted blouse with a ruffle design at the front and black skinny jeans with boots. Her make-up artist, Ayaka, had applied dark smoky eyeshadow and pale pink lipstick on Mimi.
“You’re so naive, they are all staff from Niji Records,” said Kenta, snidely.
“I’ll be really naive if I believed you,” she answered. At the moment, there was a host on stage telling the audience to not record any part of the performance. “And without further ado, please give a warm welcome to Mimi!” The fans cheered as Mimi and her band got on stage.
“Hello everyone, I’m Mimi. Let’s have fun, shall we?” The crowd clapped enthusiastically in response. She grabbed hold of the microphone stand and started to sing “Maybe”. While she was singing, she took note of each and every person in the audience. Most of them were girls in their late teens and early twenties and there was the odd male in the audience. They looked as if they were really into her music and that fired her up even more. A guy wearing a black cap at the back of the crowd suddenly caught her eye. He was staring at the floor the whole time but underneath the black cap, Mimi noticed a mess of black curls. It was only when she was singing “Farewell”, the last song of the showcase that he finally looked up at her. There was no mistaking it, it was Yuki. Like a silent angel, he stood there watching her. It was hard to control her tears as she sang the tragic song. Mimi felt a sense of déjà vu as she sang from the stage while never taking her eyes off Yuki. It was like the very first time they saw each other, but things were different back then. They were just two nameless individuals who saw each other across a crowded room. When Mimi saw Yuki for the first time, she didn’t know who he was and what he did. But she was certain that she was in love with him even before he spoke a word to her. Right now, she was the one crying because she realised that she was still in love with him. When she finished, Mimi bowed deeply to her fans and thanked them for their support. Her very first showcase was a rousing success.
“Great performance, you’ve worked hard. Anyway, you’ll be happy to know that you’re free for the rest of the day. Try to get some rest,” said her manager when she went backstage. Mimi nodded while Ayaka detached the birdcage veil off Mimi’s hair. Her assistant then wrapped a black trench coat around her and said, “Luckily the make-up was smudge-proof. Try not to cry too much during your performance!”
Mimi smiled sheepishly and wondered if she should call Yuki later. She was then ushered to the back entrance of the building by the HMV staff together with her manager and Ayaka.
Kenta pushed open the door that led to the streets outside. Much to her surprise, there were some fans waiting for her around the back entrance. As soon as they caught sight of Mimi and her manager, they bombarded them with small packages and gifts. In the midst of the chaos, someone wearing a blue Power Ranger mask and a denim jacket suddenly reached out and grabbed her hand. He pulled her away from everyone and started running. Mimi was too stunned to even shout as she ran together with him. They both ran across the Shibuya junction and then towards a parking lot. Mimi wondered if she should be afraid but his hand felt familiar. He stopped beside a white Audi and took off his mask. It was Yuki.
“I’m sorry. Did I scare you?” he asked, looking at her uncertainly.
“A little bit. I thought you were a crazed fan. I thought you were in America?”
“Well, I came back this morning...” His left hand was still holding on to Mimi’s hand. He let go reluctantly and said, “I’m sorry I should have told you this beforehand but, I really missed you. If you don’t mind, can we spend the rest of the day together?”
“It’s kinda hard for me to turn back now,” said Mimi. She really didn’t want to assume too much even though her heart was beating wildly. Right now, being next to him was already more than she could ask for. Maybe he just wanted to be friends. He smiled at her and fished out his car keys. Mimi went to the otherside and sat in the passenger seat, while Yuki took the wheel.
She glanced at Yuki and thought that he looked a little troubled. Was it because of her? She couldn’t figure it out. Yuki leaned over to the back seat and passed her a pink Power Ranger mask. “We have to wear these in public, if we don’t want to attract unnecessary trouble.”
She thought that it was ironic that wearing a character mask would attract less attention than her real face, but she nodded. “Where are we going?” she asked. Mimi peered out of the window. It was nearing evening and they seemed to be travelling towards Tokyo central.
“When I was in Singapore,
you took the trouble to take me around to all those interesting places. I should return the favour.”
They were driving across a giant steel suspension bridge, crossing over waters that separated Tokyo from an island. Mimi spotted a replica of the Statue of Liberty standing on the island and she figured out where they were headed. “Odaiba!” she cried, looking at Yuki who was grinning. “We are going to Odaiba! Does this mean we are now driving on the Rainbow Bridge?”
“Yeah. Do you know why it’s called the Rainbow Bridge?” he asked.
“I have no idea.” The bridge looked whitish silver to her.
“You’ll know when the sun sets.”
Odaiba was a large man-made island with various attractions. Mimi had never been there before and she was excited. She had been so exhausted with all her debut preparations that she never did get a chance to have much fun. Mimi clasped her hands together and said, “Thank you, Yuki!”
“The pleasure is mine,” he replied.
