Of Rock Bands and Romance[ I do not own Bleach or any of the characters used. That belongs to Kubo Tite-sama. The song is "New World" by L'Arc-En-Ciel, and I also do not own it. ]
The beam of a spotlight cut through the haze of the bar, descending onto the small stage where a band of four waited to begin their show. The leader, a young man with striking orange hair, raised his head and regarded the crowd.
"We're Blade of Fate, and we're gonna show you one hell of a show."
Without further ado, the young musician struck a chord on his guitar, and the other members joined in with the song.
Koko ni aru tashika na riaritii
Furi kaeru kinou nante kudaranai
Togirenai sora wo doko made mo
Kage sae mo utsuranai sekai e
Kensou ni magurete todoita kakusei no koe
The young vocalist's voice rang out, strong and clear and full of passion, earning nods of approval from many of the guests in the bar. One man in particular was interested in the amateur band leader, and watched quietly from under the shadow of his striped bucket hat as he sipped from his bottle of sake.
Yami wo saite afure dashita hikari tsukami kakagero
I'm awakening in the new world
Sono te wo nobashite kuretara
Ima sugu kimi wo tsurete ikeru
Dare yori mo takaku ukande
Te ni ireta mujouryoku chitai e
The more the sandy-haired man heard, the more he decided he liked the sound of this band. They were inexperienced, but he thought it might be worth the risk to set them up with a record deal. After all, he knew raw talent when he saw it. The moment the performance ended, he slipped backstage to talk to the lead guitarist who had so easily caught his attention.
"Excuse me," the man called out to the vocalist/guitarist, "but I would like to have a word with the band leader!"
The young man in question, with his permanent scowl and warm chocolate-brown eyes, regarded the oddly-dressed stranger skeptically.
"I'm the lead singer and guitarist, Kurosaki Ichigo. Is there something you needed? I don't do autographs." Ichigo could not help but wonder who this man was and that he had in mind. The way he looked and carried himself reminded him of some sort of conman.
"Oh, I'm not here for an autograph, don't you worry! My name is Urahara Kisuke, and I'm a talent manager. It just so happens that your performance struck a chord with me, so to speak." Urahara chuckled, hiding a sly smile behind a sensu fan.
The rest of the band, having overheard Ichigo's conversation, gathered around him.
"Let me introduce you to the guys… The guy with the glasses is Ishida Uryuu. The redhead with the tattoos is Abarai Renji. The short chick is Senna. We're Blade of Fate." Senna, the drummer and sole female member of Ichigo's band, punched her leader in the shoulder after hearing him call her "short", but was mostly ignored. The bassist, Uryuu, merely adjusted his glasses, while Renji, the rhythm guitarist, picked at his fingernails.
Urahara and the band spoke for hours, staying behind as the doors of the bar closed for the night. After the grounds of a contract were discussed and eventually agreed upon, Ichigo returned to his apartment, mind reeling. His dream of becoming a professional musician was finally in his grasp. However, he had little idea of what was in store for him and his friends. After all, the road to greatness always has many twists and turns.