Hello friends, readers who randomly came across this story, and anyone else who I couldn't think of. I'd like to welcome you to my first chapter of 'Proving Your Worth'. I feel as if this title is a far more accurate portrayal of Utau's personality than you might think at this moment, so keep an open mind when reading and most of all, try to enjoy the chapter.

I will only do one disclaimer in this entire book, because I think it's rather obvious that I don't own Shugo Chara. There it is; that was the disclaimer.

Utau sprinted from the office, to the elevator, through the hall, and out the door of Japan Music Production Incorporated. She had kept her head low so they hadn't seen her tears. Just a glance at her face would tell you her story; Eagerness, rejection, disappointment, regret, embarrassment. Another music company had denied her. 'You're just not what we're looking for' they had told her so many times. Then to soften the blow they would praise her with meaningless words of encouragement like 'Keep trying, you've got a beautiful voice!' and 'You're a stunning girl. You just need to find the right place for you.'

"The fools." She scoffed, tears still streaming down her cheeks. She tried to be an adult about it and not take it as a personal attack, but how could she take it as anything but? She had put her heart and soul into that interview and had put herself out there, only to be rejected and utterly humiliated. "They think this will stop me. Hah. I'll only use this pain as incentive to get better. They have only motivated me!"

Her spirits lifted, she turned from the depressing building and walked to the park, where she always had an audience who was willing to listen. Her voice captivated those who were out on afternoon strolls, or dates, or just passing by. She wanted the world to recognize her talent, and she wanted her music to speak to people, but how could she? By starting at the bottom, of course.

Another large crowd of people gathered around her as she sang to her hearts content. She was used to large crowds, but for some reason, this one was smaller than usual. Maybe her poignant attitude she had acquired after the interview was affecting her singing? It was possible, but unlikely. She never let her feelings mix in with her songs.

A little orange haired boy was tugging on his mother's sleeve, begging her to let him listen to Utau's singing. She reluctantly allowed him to drag her to the crowd of people, and both the mother and the child enjoyed the performance. Utau smiled to herself. The little boy looked so much like her old friend, Kukai. They were twelve and ten when they met, Utau being older, but a week after Utau's sixteenth birthday, Kukai announced that he was moving to China for a few years.

"China!" Utau had demanded when he told her. She had never had a single friend in her life, mainly because she was always too much of an introvert, and didn't even get along with her own mother that well. The idea of losing her best friend, and only friend, was too drastic to comprehend.

"Well, yeah." The boy, then fourteen, had replied. He wouldn't even look her in the eye as he said this. She held back tears, only because it was in her nature, and took him up in an enormous hug.

"You'll come back, right?" She said as her chest began to shudder. Though initially shocked, Kukai almost immediately wrapped his arms around her in return. He was a good 4 inches shorter than her at that time, but it was to be expected, as he was two years younger.

"Of course. I'm not sure when I'll be back, or if I'll even be able to get in touch with you when I do return, but I promise we will meet again." This wasn't what Utau wanted to hear though. She wanted him to tell her how he would see if maybe he could stay in Japan, or how he'd fly back on weekends, or the second he got a chance he would call her and talk to her for hours on end. But he never said any of these things, which only served to disappoint Utau even more. She had always been a shy, reclusive person, but when Kukai had not followed her romantic fantasies of him sweeping her off her feet, she gave up all hope and promised to only focus on her music.

When Utau's performance was over, the little orange-haired boy came up to him, smiling widely. Utau bent over to hear his quiet voice.

"You are a gweat singer!" He told her, his arms exploding in the air to show just how wonderful he thought she was. She felt so proud at that moment that she could hardly contain it. The boy's mother pulled him back a few steps with her gentle arms.

"Now now, Aito, let me speak to her for a moment." The soft-spoken mother moved him to her side and wrapped her arm around him to keep him still. "Who are you with? Japan Music Production Incorporated? Yuna-Japan Inc? EMI Music Japan?" Utau lowered her gaze to the ground, and her smile faded away to a solemn frown.

"Actually, they've all… rejected me." She admitted. Once it was out there and no longer festering inside of her, she felt the power to raise her head and look the woman square in the eye. She wasn't finished yet, after all. She would, one day, become a famous vocalist, no matter what they said!

"Really? I honestly cannot believe that. Anyways, if that's the case, you should consider some smaller music corporations. There are also foreign music companies that might be interested in you. America, the Middle East, China, and those types of places are options too, you know. You don't have to start out local."

Although Utau was getting advice from a stranger who knew nothing of her desperate attempts to get signed in the past, she couldn't help but feel better hearing these options. Honestly, she hadn't considered them. Maybe if she spoke to her mother more than once a month she might have suggested these things, but as that wasn't the case, Utau had never thought of it like that.

"Thanks, I'll definitely look into that." She said with sincere gratitude. The woman smiled, and after hushing her son a final time, prepared to turn away. But just as she was about to leave, she remembered something.

"Oh! I mentioned China just a moment ago, didn't I? Well, my cousin is also an aspiring singer, and she got signed onto Asian Culture Music Inc. The CEO's son and he are from China, but they moved to Japan to build their business up even higher. In China they're quite popular and well-known, so it won't be long before they are popular here as well. You should take advantage of their current state and talk to them." Utau thanked her again for the advice and waved as the mother and son walked away, happy to have heard Utau sing.

I like making people smile. She thought blissfully, her mind wandering and swooning at the idea of making the whole world smile. And that's exactly why I'm going to talk to some of the agencies that woman mentioned.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

After returning home from her rather disappointing day of job-hunting, Utau was more than relieved to finally arrive in front of her apartment building. When she had first chosen it, it seemed the ideal place to live for someone like her. Small and cheap, but also in the center of town. Good for networking, right? Wrong. Half of the rooms were filled with 50 year old men whose wives had kicked them out, and the other half were aspiring artists like her. Not just singers, but painters and dances too, and plenty of other competitors.

But the rent was low and she had already signed a lease, so she stuck with that particular building. Her apartment on the fourth floor had no elevator, which meant lots of walking just to get to her home.

Utau's undersized home was hardly worth living in. The combined living room, dining room, and kitchen were hardly larger than the average Master Bedroom. A stove, refrigerator, sink, and dishwasher, plus a table large enough for two chairs were all that could fit in the kitchen area, while the connected living room had merely a television, couch, and small fireplace.

Her bedroom and bathroom combined were even smaller than the other room in her home, which was perfect for someone like her, but she still hated the size. She knew she couldn't afford more, and she knew she didn't have friends or family to entertain anyway, but she still wished she had a larger home.

I should call Mom. She thought to herself. As a 21 year old woman, she was free to live her life, and she hated the idea of calling her mother and asking for advice, but if she called her mother she might also ask for updates on her dad, and how Ikuto was doing. Ikuto, her elder brother, was engaged to some woman Utau had never even met and didn't really care to meet. She unlocked her door and immediately dropped her purse onto the ground. Within seconds she had changed into sweat pants and a t-shirt, laid herself on her couch, and grabbed the phone book and her cell-phone.

A few small agencies offered her an interview, some completely ignored her, and Asian Culture Music Inc. advised she bring her résumé down to the main office the next morning. Utau excitedly began typing up her résumé, called her old school teachers and asked them to write her a letter of recommendation, and even texted her mother that she had found a place that was interested in her. After dinner, she was preparing to go to bed, when she started thinking about why she had been asked to come down. She replayed the conversation a hundred times in her mind.

"Can you please tell me your name, age, and address?" The secretary had asked her when she called. It was really just standard procedure, and the bare minimum amount of information that could be asked.

"Utau Hoshina, age 21, and my address is…" After giving the information asked for, the secretary said she needed just a few minutes and put Utau on hold. Anxiety built up inside of Utau as she waited for the woman to take her off hold and talk to her, but she was forced to endure 15 agonizing minutes of waiting. Finally, the secretary returned.

"May I ask where your home town is, the name of your mother, and of any siblings?" Utau thought those were very strange questions, but if she would be more likely to be accepted, she had no problem with answering.

"Um, Tokyo, Souko is my mother's name, and I have one brother named Ikuto." The woman put her on hold again, but returned within minutes this time.

"Can you come tomorrow morning, at about 10 AM, for an interview?" She asked very suddenly. Utau couldn't believe it. That's not how it worked unless you "knew somebody", and she certainly didn't know anybody. The now electrified young adult thanked her and agreed to be at the building at 10 AM prompt. That night she slept very well, eager for the next day to come, with dreams filled to the brim with the possibility of her life changing forever, and for the better.

Your reviews mean a lot to me, though you aren't obligated to review. Have a nice day, and don't forget to keep writing.