The hallway was lit with bright lights that blinded me if I looked in them too long. The walls were dark grey and littered with framed pictures of various singers. I walked down the hallway at a brisk pace, anger building up in my chest.
I came to a wide room with various people scuttling about, holding clipboards or wearing headsets, either stressed or extremely busy. One person stood in the middle of the room, obviously the center of attention. He looked to be in his late sixties, with grey hair that was slicked back, and a crisp black suit. He turned around when someone gestured to me.
"Len!" He called to me with a grin on his face. I scowled and folded my arms across my chest. He walked right up to me, and I could smell cologne wafting off of him in waves. He threw an arm across my shoulders casually, but I shook it off.
"Takahashi." I said the man's last name flatly. He knew I only said his last name when I was serious or angry. He just grinned. "Come on, Len! Put a smile on!" He looked quickly to a bystander with a camera and smiled. The camera flashed, and I momentarily saw stars. He led me to a door, and shoved me inside the room once he opened it. He closed the door and turned to look at me, now frowning.
"Len, would you try to be a little bit happier? The cameras are always watching." He said sarcastically. My scowl got deeper. "I didn't know I had a performance tonight, Dai! I just got back from Australia yesterday, for Christ's sake!" I exclaimed. Dai rubbed his forehead with his hand. "Look. Whether you like it or not, you're performing. There are millions of people out there that have paid good money to come see you sing. Do you know what will happen if you suddenly can't perform? It'll be all over Japan."
I glared at Dai, and he glared back. "Fine." I forced out curtly. Dai nodded. "Miku will be here soon. You guys will have about five minutes to talk before Makeup gets here." He walked out of the room, closing the door firmly behind him.
I sighed and looked around the room. There were two couches set on a plush white rug, and a table with various snacks strewn across it. A TV hung from the ceiling in a corner, a remote on a coffee table under it.
Suddenly the door opened, and a small girl with long green pigtails smiled in at me. "Len!" She cried. She ran up to me, throwing her arms around my neck. Kissing my cheek, she leaned back a little to look me in the eyes. Her face was lightly covered in makeup, making her green eyes seem brighter than they already were.
"How was your trip to Australia? Did you see any kangaroos?" She asked me. "Fine. I saw a few." I replied, chuckling. "But it wasn't as fun without you." I leaned down to kiss her for a moment, wrapping my arms around her waist. She smelled faintly of perfume.
She was the first to pull away. "Aw. You're so sweet. But I just had to go to America for a performance. They'd been begging for one forever." I smiled as she scrunched up her face.
"Well, at least it's done and over with." I whispered. I leaned down to kiss her again, but then a procession of people walked in.
"I thought it was five minutes, not one." I mumbled. I pulled away from Miku, and she smiled. "I'll see you later, okay?" She said. She kissed me on the cheek and skipped out of the room. I sighed and looked at the makeup crew. "Let's get this over with."
About forty five minutes later, I was dressed in a white button up T-Shirt with the first few buttons undone, black jeans, and black sneakers. My hair was fashioned into a short ponytail, and my face was done up with light makeup so that it just about shined in the light.
I headed out of the room, grabbing my headset from someone as I strode to the side curtains. Dai seemed to appear out of nowhere. "The usual songs are playing tonight. The finale will be a duet in Magnet with Miku." He whispered in my ear. He put one hand on my shoulder. "Good luck." I nodded, putting the headset on.
Rushing onto stage, I took my place in the middle. The lights were off, so the crowd couldn't see me yet. I heard the shuffling of the dancers behind me, taking their places as well.
The faint sound of music turned on, and then blasted up to a louder volume. The melody of Spice came on, and the lights flashed onto me. I began to sing the first verse, and the crowd screamed. I could see countless pairs of hands reaching out to me, and even more girls holding up posters with 'I LOVE YOU' plastered on them.
Knowing the dance routine by heart, I moved around the stage with as much enthusiasm as I could muster. I seemed to be doing a good job, for the crowd was still going wild. The song ended about four minutes later, and I took a half minute water break. I took my place again to begin the next song.
The next few songs seemed longer than usual. On the outside I put on the performing facade I always had, but on the inside I was a storm of emotions. I felt unsure and unsteady, which was rare for me. I also felt the coming of change. Something big was about to happen, I could feel it.
Finally the last solo song ended, and the lights went off. I went backstage to get into my Magnet outfit, looking around for Miku. I was rushed into my jet black outfit before I had time to find her. As I got ready to get back onto stage, I put on the green and black butterfly headphones required for the song. I was pushed to my place on a platform and left to wait for the music to start.
The lights were still off, so I could not see Miku. I bit my lip as I realized for the first time that my outfit was different from the usual. It was grander, and it reminded me of something a groom would wear to a wedding.
The music started a piano melody that I had heard so many times. The spotlight went on the opposite part of the stage, and Miku stood there, starting to sing the first verse.
I was stunned. Miku was wearing a long black gown that looked exactly like a wedding dress. Her hair was hanging down her back like a green waterfall, sparkles and all. A small black top hat rested on her head, and a yellow and black butterfly headset was on her head. Her makeup was done to perfection, every eyelash in place.
She was the most beautiful girl in the world right then.
I almost forgot to sing my part when it came up, but I caught myself in time. The beginning was much too slow for me; I wanted to cross the stage and be near her a soon as possible. I almost chuckled at the thought that she was dragging me to her like a magnet.
The world seemed to melt away as we finally touched, fingers resting together. Suddenly I couldn't hear the crowd, or see the stage around me. The only thing I saw or heard was Miku. I couldn't imagine myself loving anyone but her.
And then the song ended much too soon. As the last ringing note faded away, there was silence for a split second. Then the crowd went wild. The cheers were deafening. I could almost feel Dai's pride emanating from backstage. He lived for performances like the one Miku and I just made.
After some time, we headed backstage. As we reached the safety of backstage, the room erupted into a wave of applause. Miku blushed and smiled, taking my hand. I squeezed her hand lightly.
Dai came running up and hugged us both. "That was amazing, kids. These are the moments I live for." He leaned away. "Len, you car is outside. Miku, so is yours. You both deserve a good night's sleep." He hugged us again and walked away.
Once he was gone, I pulled Miku into an embrace. "You are so beautiful. I almost couldn't sing tonight when I saw you." I said. She glowed. "You were amazing, too. I was just wondering why they made us dress up like we were getting married. I mean, we're only nineteen." She said thoughtfully. I chuckled. "That's show business. Although, I must say, I like the idea of us and marriage." Her eyes widened and she blushed a little more. I kissed her and hesitantly let go of her hand. "See you tomorrow. Love you." She smiled and replied, "Love you more."
I headed to my dressing room and changed into my casual jeans and sweatshirt. I couldn't shake the image of Miku out of my head. I hadn't been lying when I said that I liked the idea of marriage. I could see myself spending the rest of my life with Miku. But, like she said, we were both only nineteen. If we were going to get married, we at least had to wait a few years.
I shook my head. Just one song and I was already thinking of my future commitment plans. Finished changing, headed out to the car. The night sky was littered with millions of stars. There was a sleek black car out back, although there were also paparazzi. I ignored the bombardment of questions and microphones being shoved in my face, and climbed into the car. Once the door was closed, the driver sped away along the street.
The drive to my home wasn't long. The car stopped in front of the gates, and I climbed out. I told the driver to go ahead and put it in the garage. My garage was medium sized and next to the house, and held several shiny new cars. Punching the code in the keypad, the gates opened and I walked down the driveway.
My house was modern in style. It held four bedrooms, a large living room, and a kitchen with an adjoining dining room, two bathrooms, and a workout room. It was two stories and was fairly large in size. The master bedroom was mine; it had a balcony that extended from the house evenly. In the back there was a pool as well as a hot tub.
I strode inside the house, turning on the lights as I went. I sighed when I went into the kitchen to find the garbage still in a corner. A little frustrated at the maids, I made a mental note to talk to them later. Grabbing the garbage bags, I headed out of the house and went to the back alley that had the dumpster. There were several connecting alleys that led to other houses.
I lifted the lid of the dumpster and threw the bags in, and the lid shut with a soft thump when I was done. I turned around to go back to my house when I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. It was hard to see in the darkness of the night, but there was something yellow coming from behind a garbage can. Curiosity got the better of me and I went over to look behind the garbage can. I froze as I saw what it was.
A girl lay on the ground.
