Tokyo dome was filled to the edge of people. The eight thousand was all sharing the same emotions of happiness and passion. They had gathered to watch NG productions top band Bad Luck on their release gig of their new single "Stormy water".
The crowd shouted as Bad luck's lead singer began on the refrain with his powerful and beautiful voice. It all was lifted by the sound of the electric guitar and the Roland keyboard. The three members of the band Bad luck let them selves be swept away of their music. The guitarist dressed in a purple shirt and tight dark blue jeans let the plectrum dance over the strings. The younger keyboard artist with green greyish hair and eyes colour let his finger glide over the tangents.
People from the crowd tried to jump up on stage to touch the lead singer. He was a small man today dressed in a reddish sweater. In his hand the microphone was held like a weapon. The sound which was coming out captivated the listener in a deadly charm.
When the music ended the crowd wouldn't want stop applauding and scream.
Experienced of those situations Bad luck played three extra numbers before dealing with their fans.
Many of the fan girls had bought sweaters with the three band members on and everyone wanted them signed. The guitarist Hiroshi Nakano left his elegant autograph with a red marker pen. Suguru Fujisaki the keyboard artist's curly autograph not to unlike his cousin Thoma Seguchi's own was written with a black marker pen. Thought they had to write many autographs the most popular to get was the lead singer's. Ryuichi Sakuma had to write his name frenetically with his ugly childish handwriting. After a few minute the band's manager made his way through the mass of girls and boys. He simply shot everyone in his way with a gigantic magnum pistol.
In less than five minutes he had taken Bad Luck out of Tokyo Dome, something that otherwise had taken at least two days.
When they all four were outside in the hot Japanese night he dragged his hand through his long blonde American hair.
"Hmm that wasn't a bad gig you guys did." K said praising as he put his gun in the waiting car.
Hiro laughed a little bit nervously.
"It is always so chocking how many they are." He said as he stuffed his guitar careful in the tail board together with the keyboard.
Ryuichi was hugging a super sized Kumagoro.
"Where are we going now?" Suguru asked his manager.
K rubbed his chin.
"I think Thoma wanted to speak to us."
The band members looked surprised at him. Why would Thoma want to speak to them right after a gig? It was quite late to, the clock had passed eleven. Suguro thought for himself that his cousin really worked too hard sometimes.
"It sounded urgent so we better hurry." K said and all four went into the car.
K was the one in the driver's seat.
Between Tokyo dome and NG was it a thirty minutes way by car. The band members chit chatted with each other but as usually it became all quiet when they passed Yuki's apartment.
Yuki was a romance novelist and had been the formerly lead singer of Bad Luck's lover. Especially Hiro became depressed. Suguro laid a hand on his shoulder. Hiro had moved on but still missed Shuichi Shindou. Of course all missed the hyper active pink haired boy but Hiro did it the most. They had been best friends since kindergarten and just continue with the band had been hard, especially as it was Shuichi's idea to start it. But it was five years since the terrible auto wreck and time to live in the future and not stay in dark memories. Two seconds and they had passed the apartment.
The NG building was all dark beside a room on the fourth floor, Seguchi's office. K used his pass card to enter the building and was followed by the others. They took the elevator up and came directly to the office room. Seguchi sat behind his filled working table with his elbows on the woodblock. His face was all missing emotions as usually beside a twinkled eyebrow that told them he was concerned over something. It took a few second before he responded on their presence.
"Ah, you're here, good, have a seat." When he spoke he pointed at a group of chairs.
"What was it you wanted to tell us about?" K asked.
"It is about your Japan tour."
Hiro and Suguru instantly became worried (Ryuichi played with Kumagoro in a corner). It couldn't be cancelled?
"Is it any trouble with it?"
Seguchi calmed them with a hand move.
"Both yes and no." he answered.
"We ARE going on tour? Are we?"
"Yes but I will change your destinations a little."
Everyone looked surprised and curious at Thoma. Suguru was just to say something but Thoma quieted him with a glance.
"That lead us to the other and most important thing I wanted to speak to you about."
Thoma rose from his chair.
"As you all know Bad luck is on top and have been that the latest two years without any obstacle. But now it has come to my known that a rather small music company has grown a lot the latest year with a band that can even be penetrating the superposition we have for the moment."
"What band is it?" asked Hiro curiously.
"Have you heard of "Golden moment?" asked Thoma.
"Is that the band name? It sounds kind of ridiculous in my ears." Said Suguro.
"Maybe but they have five singles on "Music hot" list already."
Hiro twinkled an eyebrow. Something wasn't right. Bad luck had had many rivals through the years. Seguchi had never called them in for such a thing.
Hiro gave air to his thoughts and asked:
"Is it something special with this band?"
"Watch this music video it is their latest." Seguchi said pressing a button on his work computer.
The music started. First it was an intro made by a drum set and a guitar. After a while a piano came in. The music stile was quite rocky and fast. Then the song started. Obviously it was some kind of love song. The band seemed to have four members all dressed in sparkling clothes. They stood in front of a huge public on a black scene. The video was obviously a live tape. It was a really good song but the members of Bad Luck couldn't hear it. They stared in shock at the small screen. The boy in the middle. They thought their eyes fooled them, it couldn't be him?!
One year earlier
The hall was only lit up by a few candles which were placed on the many tables covering the floor. The gests sat around them chit chatting or eating snacks. Louisiana was a quite big club in Osaka where guest came to eat and listen to the entertainment, Louisiana club played ballads.
This evening the hall was quite crowded. All the tables were filled up. People listened to the music coming from the many speakers in the room. Of course it was modern ballads. Louisiana wasn't any sort of cheap place where everyone could arrive; it was a place with class. The clock was nearly seven in the afternoon and only five minutes before the nightly show on the scene would begin.
The scene was located in back of the club as far from the entrance as you could come. It covered the whole wall and it was loads of space on it so the artists could move freely. It was made of black wood and a red velvet curtain prevented the crowd to see what was on stage.
Only one minute before the curtain would be lifted away. Behind it waited two violinists with their instrument ready and behind a black varnish piano sat the pianist and drummed his fingers inaudible against the tangents. The singer was a young boy with pink hair and intensive purple eyes. He held a microphone in his left hand ready to go on. Shindou Shuichi checked his watch, thirty seconds before they started. He made sure his costume looked good. Made sure there were no wake on the shirt and that his tie sat correct.
Slowly the velvet curtain moved aside revealing the people behind. The club guests applauded polite when the four people on stage became visible. Before they started singing the club host for the night a young short girl with the rarely combination of blue eyes and black hair made a presentation.
"Welcome to club Louisiana I hope you have enjoyed the night this far. Now the night's entertainment will start. It is the club's house band we will hear tonight. Honoured guests say welcome to the Lilys."
With those words she stepped of the scene and left it free for the artists too begin their show.
Shuichi put the microphone to his mouth and started singing. He sang a calm song to the sound of the piano and the violins. He had a strong and mystical voice. When he sang his eyes was filled with emotions. The love song was filled with a melancholic under tone. The crowd only watched him trapped of his voice. It was sadness in the air. Maybe because of the singer's eye's which were filled with sorrow and pain.
Shuichi Shindou breathed in the instrument's sound listened to the slow rhythm. He sang without thinking. He loved singing, but not songs like this. This was just something paying his bills. Three years ago after he left the hospital he had gotten offered this work and without any hesitation said yes. He would no longer play in Bad Luck. That life was behind him. It had been swept away together with his happiness during the car crash. But actually this was his last appearance on this stage too, just one mouth ago a music record had discovered his talent and offered him a contract. He had hesitated, wondered if he was ready to start again as a rock star but finally decided to say yes. Now in only one week he would be put in a new band.
Ten o'clock Shuichi's appearance was over and he left the stage followed by huge applauses. It was like thousands of people sat in the hall instead of two hundred.
He went back stage to the room intend for the artists, left the microphone and headed for the back door. Before he could get out he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. It was Julie. She was an American looking girl with the fairy skin of the western people and long blonde hair. Tonight she wore a long pink dress with loads of bands and ribbons. Julie was the owner of the club. She had personally asked if Shuichi wanted to work there. It had been a great offer by then since Shuichi after the long stay at the hospital didn't have much money, but he had later realised the job had with her personal feelings towards him to do.
Shuichi stared into Julie's greyish eyes with a face that show no emotions. She looked back straight into his eyes. Her expression was pleading. Shuichi knew very well that she didn't want him to leave. She had got all upset when he had left his letter of resignation. Her face told him there were lots of things she wanted to say but she remained quiet and Shuichi turned away from her and left the club. Before he turned round a corner he could hear Julie cry.
Flash back ended.
"Shuichi!" Hiro and Suguru screamed in choir.
That was true. Thought he had coloured his hair black there was no doubt about who it was.
Hiro frowned shocked.
"It is impossible!" he said as he shook his head in disbelief. "He would have contact me if he was still alive!"
They just stared a few seconds.
"Where is he?! We must contact him!" Suguru said with an unusually high voice.
Thoma nodded his head in a yes.
"As soon as possible!" he answered.
He continued:
"I think I can get a car for tomorrow."
The music video ended. The band left the room followed by Seguchi.
"Hey, are we bringing Yuki too?" Suguru asked.
That was a hard question and nobody answered directly. Yuki had been really sad when Shuichi was reported dead. Now he had a girlfriend but everyone knew that he still loved Shuichi.
"Maybe we should wait until we have spoken to Shindou and the situation isn't so unsure." Thoma finally said.
"What do you think?" Suguru asked Hiro.
Hiro didn't answer. He was too busy thinking. Shuichi was alive. Then why hadn't he contacted them? Why hadn't Shuichi contacted his best friend?
The three band members were drove back to their respective homes by K.
To be continuing…
