by Raine Koh
Mimi rubbed the temples of her head and added, “I probably had too much to drink. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“You know, I was at the cemetery today. It’s the death anniversary of the only friend I ever had in my life. He died as a result of some crazy fan. Fans can love you one minute and then turn on you the next. You know what is going to happen if the public finds out about your relationship? All hell is going to break loose. The fans are never going to let you rest. They will dig up your personal history and slam you on the Internet. The extreme ones may even wreak havoc at your performances. At this stage of your career when you are just starting out, it may destroy you.”
“So what must I do?” she asked.
“I may regret a lot of things, but what I regretted the most was not treasuring my best friend when he was still alive. If you are serious about pursuing this relationship with Yuki, whatever it is, just keep it a secret. Be very careful and never, never let the fans or the media find out.”
“It sounds so troublesome.”
“It is and exhausting too. So you need to ask yourself if Yuki is worth jeopardising your singing career for. But I already know your answer,” he said sitting down next to her on the floor.
“It must be nice to be full of self-confidence,” she said, looking at Sato. She continued, “Does the CEO of Fame Factory have that much power?”
“They have connections everywhere and even have control of all the broadcasting stations. If you look at the music industry, every major boy band that had emerged came from Fame Factory. I mean, I don’t deny that they only produce the best but the rival companies have never gotten a fair fight in the first place.”
“What do you mean?”
“The rival pop groups never get enough publicity. But Mimi, you are doing rock, so this doesn’t really affect you. I heard that you made it to the Oricon charts with your new single. Congratulations,” he said.
“I just did my best. I have to thank the whole team,” she said, shrugging.
“Tell me Mimi, what is your dream? Have you pictured yourself ten years from now?”
She scratched her head and looked at the floor. “Actually I never thought I would say this, but my dream is to be like you.”
“What?” he asked, stunned.
“I mean, creating music not just for myself but for others too. Being a producer, isn’t that such an awesome thing to do?” she said, clasping her hands together, looking starry-eyed.
“I’m sorry to burst your bubble but there can only be one ‘Sato’ in the world,” he said, reaching out to pat her head.
“One ‘Sato’ is more than enough!”
He laughed at her and got up. Mimi looked at him seriously and said, “You know Sato, I’ve always regarded you as a dear friend. Maybe you just treat me as an artiste, but if you ever have any problems, please feel free to confide in me.”
Sato looked at Mimi for a moment when he suddenly winced in pain. Holding his stomach, he crouched down. “Sato! What happened!?” exclaimed Mimi, running by his side. “Do you need an ambulance?” Beads of sweat started to form on his forehead and he looked like he was in pain but he shook his head. He reached for his jacket pocket and fished out his car keys. “Mimi...drive...me home,” he muttered softly. Mimi had a driving license but truth be told, she had never really driven any other cars beside the ones from her driving school. However she decided to ignore that fact, and putting the producer’s arm over her shoulder, she helped him to his feet.
“Did you eat something wrong? Are you sure you don’t need to go to the hospital?” she asked, as they made their way to the parking lot. “Just drive me home,” he answered softly. Mimi soon located the black convertible, endearingly named Baby, and sat behind the wheel. Sato let out a groan as he sat down on the passenger’s seat, rubbing his stomach. Oh my goodness, she thought, I’m gonna drive a BMW. I think it has been more than a year since I drove anything.
“What are you waiting for?” cried Sato, looking at her with furrowed brows. His hands were wrapped tightly around his stomach. Mimi took a deep breath and placed her hand on the clutch.
“Here we go, hold on!” she said, stepping on the pedal. A loud screech was heard and the car zoomed off. Sato felt himself being thrown back. He quickly reached out to hold the side of the car door while glaring at Mimi furiously. “What is wrong with you? Do you want to get hauled in by the traffic police?”
“I need to focus on the road, hush...” she said, suddenly making a sharp turn, causing Sato to slam on the side of the car. “If there is even one scratch on Baby, I’m cutting the repair costs from your pay!” he barked.
“Don’t worry, we’ll be home soon,” Mimi said. She heard a loud “bonk” out of nowhere. “What was that sound?” she asked. A foul pungent smell greeted her nose and now it was her turn to glare at Sato. “Sato, did you fart? I don’t believe you! Open the roof! I can’t breathe!” she cried, coughing and gasping for air.
“I had indigestion,” Sato said, pressing a button on the dashboard, which made the car’s top go down. Another loud “bonk” was heard. It sounded like a mini explosion, but the sound was the least of her problems. Mimi started to gag. “Can you stop farting?” she protested, picking up the speed. Sato smirked, amused at her suffering.
Back in his apartment, Sato ran towards the toilet in Mimi’s old bedroom while she shook her head and sighed. She walked towards the kitchen, having recalled Yamada storing some pills that would help relieve indigestion in the medical cabinet. The apartment was still so familiar to her somehow. She found what she was looking for and started to boil some water for Sato. Twenty minutes later, a toilet flush was heard from the bathroom. Sato staggered out of the toilet and slumped on the guest room’s bed. Holding on to the packet of medicine and some warm water, Mimi checked up on him.
“Sato?”
She saw a pale figure sprawled on the bed, with his eyes shut. He groaned in reply. She sat next to him on the bed. “Sato, take this tablet. It’ll help,” she said, passing him the pills. Sato reluctantly sat up and took them from her, swallowing them down with a gulp of warm water. “Thank you,” he said. “I’ll be fine after resting.”
Mimi never saw Sato look so frail before. But I guess, no one is omnipotent, not even King Midas Sato, she thought. “Sato, do you need anything? I can cook some porridge if you want. You can ask for anything.” But he didn’t answer her. Instead, his eyes looked glazed and appeared to be staring into nothingness. Mimi wondered if this was the first sign of madness when he finally spoke. “Can you spend the night with me?”
“What?” she cried, staring at him in disbelief. Did he just say what she thought he said?
“I have been having trouble sleeping lately. That night when I was spooning you to sleep, that was one of the best nights of sleep I’ve had in a long while. So if you don’t mind...”
Mimi heaved a sign of relief upon hearing his explanation. Sato stared at her curiously. “What? Did you mistake my request for something else? Oh please, I told you before, you are not my type.”
“Anyone would have mistaken you,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “Anyway, I won’t say ‘no’ to a dying man’s request. But if you were to fart in your sleep, I’m out of here!”
“You’re so cold. And who was the one going on and on about us being friends a while ago? And who said I was dying!”
“Fine! It’s really late now anyway, so let’s get some sleep. Even if I’m not your type, no hanky-panky, okay!”
“Fine, I’ll just pretend you’re a soft toy,” Sato mumbled as he turned off the lights. This is such a weird situation, thought Mimi to herself as she crawled into bed. She felt Sato’s arms cuddling her. But I think it’s even weirder that I feel comfortable in his arms, she thought, as she closed her eyes.
“Mimi...”
“What?” she mumbled, keeping her eyes closed. She was feeling really tired.
“Nothing. Go to sleep.” He soon heard Mimi snoring. He won
dered if there would ever come a day when he could be completely honest with her. He held her tightly and closed his eyes. Not today, he thought, letting out a soft sigh.
Track #17
“Naoki, do you want to have a drink?” asked Yuki. It was 1 am, but the both of them had just finished a day’s work. They were both changing out of blue hospital scrubs in the dressing rooms and were completely drenched. They were at the television studios and had just wrapped up filming for a variety show called Doctor X. The both of them were there as guests and had to undergo wacky experiments with animals. Today’s programme included communicating with a chameleon (or at least try to) and trying to swim faster than a dog (which explained their current wet state). Naoki passed his friend a large white towel and answered, “Sure. I need a drink. I can’t believe the dog swam faster than me!”
Yuki smirked. The leader was always so competitive. Actually all of them were, in their own way. Even Jiro with his kooky knitting, hated to be second best to anyone.
The two idols decided on a small cosy bar, located at one of the small side alleys in Ebisu. Soft jazz music played in the background. No one bothered to disguise themselves at this time of the night, not even pop idols. It was already winter. After removing their coats, both of them were clad in thick knitted sweaters (gifts from Jiro), jeans and boots and sat by the bar counter. The place was empty, save for the bartender.
“Two bottled beers and some yakitori please!” ordered Naoki, referring to grilled skewered chicken. They both drank their beers in silence before Naoki spoke up. Turning towards the wavy-haired member, he spoke, “So rumour has it that you passed the screen test.”
Yuki took another gulp from his bottle and mumbled, “It's not confirmed yet.”
“You look distressed. I thought this was your dream? You worked so hard for it,” Naoki said, observing Yuki’s expression.
“But I will be away from everyone for four months, at least. And...” he stopped midway and let out a sigh.
“And?”
“Nothing...” he mumbled, putting the beer bottle down on the counter. Naoki knew better than to pry. He had known Yuki for ten years. They practically grew up together. There was a reason why Yuki wanted to have a drink with him, even though they were both exhausted. The bartender placed a plate of yakitori on the counter. He picked up a stick and start chewing on the meat. It was sweet and juicy. Corinne Bailey Rae’s “Like A Star” was playing in the background while Yuki just continued drinking.
“Naoki, if I work hard at the movie, won’t the Fire Boys become even more famous?” he asked, staring down at the bar counter.
“Of course, it’s a Hollywood movie for crying out loud!”
“Naoki, there is someone I really like.” The leader was taken aback by his confession. Naoki furrowed his brows and said, “The reason you are telling me is probably because it’s serious.”
“Yeah, it is.”
Naoki wished he could knock some sense into Yuki but he seemed resolute this time. Instead, Naoki took a swig from his beer bottle and commented, “You know what our job is like. Even if we date, we don’t even see the other person often. Most girls can’t stand that. You have been cheated on before, what makes you think she won’t cheat on you also?”
“It’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
Naoki banged the bottle on the counter and raised his voice. “Then what about us? You know what Kon is capable of. You may end up being kicked out of the Fire Boys!”
Yuki just sat in silence. Naoki shook his head and threw his hands up, clearly exasperated. A thought suddenly occurred to him. “You knew about the consequences and that was why you had been working yourself to death, haven’t you?”
Yuki nodded. Naoki placed his hand on Yuki’s shoulder and let out a sigh. “Tell me more about this girl. What attracted you to her?”
Yuki placed his elbows on the counter and thought about it for a moment. “The moment I heard her sing, I fell in love with her.”
“So it was love at first sound?”
“Yeah.”
“Is she a singer?” Naoki asked, suddenly feeling curious.
Yuki nodded and added, “You can see her at Music Stage, she’ll be performing.”
“Wow, she must be really special then,” he said, taking another bite of chicken meat.
“More than you’ll ever know.”
“You do know that you are in deep trouble then.”
“I know,” Yuki replied, smiling sadly.
*
Mimi woke up the next morning to an empty bed. It took her a while to realise where she was and she quickly sat up in shock and glanced at her watch. It was seven in the morning and she wondered if Sato was home. She crawled out of bed and the soft sounds of the keyboard were heard from upstairs.
“Sato? Are you feeling better?” she called out. There were no response, but the playing continued. She climbed up the spiral staircase to Sato’s study to see him playing the keyboard. He looked much better now. “Sato?” she called, rather meekly. He stopped playing and turned to look at her.
“Are you alright? Do you want anything to eat? I can cook some porridge for you?”
“No I’m fine. Sit next to me. I want to ask you something.”
Mimi felt a little apprehensive about how he was acting. He was actually being nice and polite. Maybe he’s really sick. She sat down beside him on the piano bench and placed her hand on his forehead to make sure. “Your temperature seems fine,” she said, feeling puzzled. She peered at him curiously. Sato was getting a little uncomfortable at how close her face was to his. He pinched both her cheeks in retaliation. “Ouch!” cried Mimi, retreating away from him.
“Now focus on what I have to say!” said Sato, jabbing one finger on the keyboard, making a ruckus. Mimi glared at Sato angrily but she felt relieved. He was back to being the unreasonable producer.
“I’m listening,” she said.
“Have you composed anything new lately? We need to record your next single soon,” he asked.
Mimi suddenly remembered something. “Sato, I have been writing a new song, but I only have a rough idea of the verse. Could you please take a listen?”
“Sing it for me,” he instructed with both his hands positioned on the keyboard.
Softly, Mimi began to sing a slow rock tune,
“The way you shone when I first saw you.
I should have known you were a star.
Love, music, pain.
Two manic stars creating a cosmic creation across the universe. We may not know what happens tomorrow, but it was a beautiful meteor shower.”
Sato started to play on the keyboard, crafting a melody from the raw materials of her voice. Mimi looked on in awe as he continued playing the tune of the chorus and pre-chorus too even after she’d stopped singing. “Amazing,” she said and clapped her hands when he finished. “It’s done!” she exclaimed, smiling at him. He reached out and patted her head, “Just come out with the rest of the lyrics and you’ll have your song.”
“Yes! We are the invincible producer-artiste duo! The rock industry will experience a revival because of us!” she said, punching her fist in the air.
“You really love him, don’t you?” he asked, looking closely at Mimi. Her face turned red in reply. He continued, “Mimi, if you want to reach for a star, you need to shine as brightly as one. If you want the CEO to approve of you and Yuki, be the best rock star ever.”
The best rock star ever. Mimi wanted to be that too and he was right. The only way to exist with a star was to stand on the same level as one.
“And do me a favour,” he said.
“What is it?”
“Next time, even if I’m dying, don’t ever sleep in the same bed with me again.”
Mimi stood up in a huff and cried, “I don’t even know how to respond to that. You do know you are weird, right? Anyway, I need to go to Niji Records now and I’m already late!” She turned away and walked off, leaving him alone in the apartme
nt.
Once he heard the front door slam shut downstairs, Sato muttered to himself, “If you sleep on the same bed with me again, I don’t think I will ever let you go.”
Track #18
Music Stage is taped live before a studio audience every Friday. Viewers from Japan can tune in to the live show every week from 7 pm to 8 pm. Most of the artistes and their entourage have to arrive at the television studios in the afternoon. For each show, an average of ten artistes will perform. This includes those who are already in the top ten positions of the Oricon charts and those in the “Hot New Entry” category.
Mimi arrived at the television studio, exhausted. She had a radio interview the night before which ended at midnight and a magazine photo shoot in the morning. With her shoulders slumped, she got out of the car, accompanied by Kenta and Ayaka. Compared to some of the other artistes, her entourage was fairly small; not that she minded. Most importantly, she was trying not to fall asleep.