Hey everyone, sorry for the late update. Life has been good but COVID made me think of different priorities that didn't include writing.
I'm updating Tomb of Roses (my other story) again. So watch out for it! :)
-NuteWelt01
A tempo playing the soft thrumb of a guitar behind the sound of a piano indicating the slow blend of a voice overlaying the recording. She stood in the booth, all by herself announcing the words with soul and a clever ting at the end of her voice. It wasn't her first single but the only one she has written and has a hand in producing. Pink hair swayed to the invisible beat streaming inside black headphones covering the whole of her head. Her mouth opened to repeat another verse, holding the tell end of a word in anguish. Sakura was unsure how to end it but asked to continue without getting hurt.
" Nothing can fill up the space, won't ask you to stay."
Taking a breath she didn't see the rest of her crew standing behind a glass office watching in awe. Since the start of the year, they've seen Sakura grow from a shy girl with a beautiful voice to a woman climbing the ranks in grace and with skin of steel. It was unfortunate what happened as neither person ever addressed it since the media let the story run its course.
"Ohhh when. did. you. fall out of love, out of love?" A hand grabbed the bottom of a pale hoodie squeezing the loss of warmth from the memory of the boy that made her insides woozie. From the tears that salted her cheeks when there was nothing left to prove how insane the situation became.
"Oh when did you fall out of love with me?" In a dazed husk Sakura asked, pouring out all the confusion and a confession to know what happened. There in the booth the rest saw the scars left behind. How someone like Sasuke Uchiha could still be prevalent in the star's life without actually being there.
After a few more versus the singer called for a break placing the head phones above the mike. The studio was silent for a moment unsure how to proceed. Sakura sighed in relief feeling lighter than she has in months. The constant nagging to write her feelings down on paper couldn't express the amount of yearning that hadn't been displayed. Looking up from her place, five pairs of eyes stared back in bated breath.
A brilliant smile lit the room.
"She must be done now." A soft voice countered another that snorted. The dark haired beauty blinked before rolling her eyes. Oh course, Ino would think otherwise. Hinata watched her friend open painted lips in a faint sneer. She flinched from the blond's next words.
"Forehead is taking her time explaining to that jackass what an asshole he is."
"Ino!" Tenten countered in horror and faint embarrassment. She knew her friend was still upset about what happened a year ago. It was unmistakable how much Sakura's behavior had changed since the beginning of the year. She was work driven, refused to give interviews, and avoided the paparazzi at all cost. The brunette sighed leaning back on the plush couch. They were all seated in a lounge area of the recording studio gossiping as usual. It tired her to no end.
"Writing a song about her feelings helps her get over it - you know that."
Ino eyed Tenten pausing the filer across the top of her nails. Whenever they go anywhere together for a recording session she finds herself contributing to personal beauty. None of the other girls seem to understand the upkeep it took to look the way she did. In addition, Ino wasn't arrogant enough to suggest the rest of the girls group didn't take care of themselves. Each had their own way of coping with things. Setting down the object that has never let her down time and time again, Ino faced Tenten with a pointed stare.
"I'm not disrespecting Sakura's intuition to sing about her feelings." Leaning back into the couch, Ino huffed, "I'm wondering if this will help her."
The last part was full of worry, one thing Tenten is used to seeing behind closed doors. She knew Ino meant well and worried about her friend;Those two have known eachother since diapers. Tenten merely nodded, not arguing her point further - no point in beating a dead horse. This has been going on for the last month since their tour ended in Paris.
Ino would conjure more of the conversation until the door swung open. Another member of the trio strode forward, the click of chunky black boots tapping against the carpeted floor like the call of war drums. Out of all the women in the group "Forgetting Alice", Temari had an air of superiority that even Tenten nor Ino could rival on a normal day. Sashaying closer with a light frown on puckered red lips, teal hues narrowed on the younger women dropping a plastic bag in the middle of a table situated between them all. The crop top stretching over the envy of many models in today's industry with black skinny jeans to match did nothing to refute her reputation as the bands designated 'badass'.
"Still debating the lead singer's life choices?" She enquired teasingly, lacking the amusement it usually held since the start of the year. For someone outgoing as Temari with the next debut at the forefront of her mind, she is always ahead of the game in terms of what the group should focus on. Everything that went down between the boys took a toll on her. Looking at the lounging pair to her right, a brow raised in question. Hinata blinked in surprise, flushed in the cheeks.
" We..are wondering if Sakura will be okay." She answered truthfully.
The blond nodded, expecting the same behavior from their lead singer. Every other week was hours upon hours either going their separate ways or waiting on Sakura in the recording studio. Since their high school days before being discovered as the new 'it' girls the girl group had been inseparable - always having each other's backs. When Sakura announced her renewed interest in making a solo album Temari silently protested. As any worried surrogate sister would do after months of drama, schemes, and personal meddling into each of their band members' lives- Temari didn't feel the idea was a good one. Any sane person would take this as a warning sign that the band was breaking up.
Another sigh escaped the blond brooding in the corner of the couch. A hand reached out untying the neat knot on top of the plastic bag before reaching in, rummaging around the small boxes of food.
"If she isn't - whipping her back into shape as a group won't kill us."
Hinata nodded to the sentiment thinking of Sakura's contributions as a bandmate and a friend. She was the determination behind every written song. No matter what music exec tried changing the course of their band's sound, Sakura persisted. It saved them from emotional and financial heartache. With her hands tightening around a box of shrimp fried rice, Hinata voiced her opinion.
" We can do this. It's a solo album but being there for Sakura is more important. As bandmates, we are more than friends. We're sisters."
Tenten stared at Hinata when she finished. The Hyuga hadn't stuttered; not once in the ten seconds she spoke. Temari couldn't help bursting out in laughter at the reaction from Ino (dropping a dumpling on her lap) and Tenten's hanging mouth was cause for concern. She dug in through the plastic bag as they got themselves together.
"She can talk without a stutter, guys."
"When she sings!" Tenten yelled back watching as Ino abandoned her food to pull on Hinata's cheeks. Said girl squeaked in fear from the attention pitifully muttering the belongs name in a plea to end the invasive treatment. Temari bit into a piece of broccoli watching the display before turning to Tenten, intending for Hinata to fend for herself.
Their bunned bandmate set with a disbelieving stare, the actions being displayed reminding her of a close friend. A flash of green spandex flashed across her memory making an involuntary shiver form across her back in slight disgust. Maybe today was not the day to be thinking of passionate declarations of youth.
Clearing her throat, Tenten turned to the resolute blond.
"Still on the fence about this album?"
Beating around the bush would do nothing if not cause a brief spout of irritation from the blond. Tenten learned long ago to be direct.
Temari picked at her food for a moment,
" No, just the aftermath."
-
Across town in the deep renaissance of winding high-rises cuddled by streets of traffic stood the KYM building. Formally known as Konoha's Young Maker Studio, a universal recording label, one of the most successful that survived internal strife and change in the country. Not many in Japan were able to pass the competitive contest put out every year to find the next rising star. Especially if said contest was put on hold under uncertain circumstances.
" Some of the regional scouts are anxious to start the search." A grumble echoed in the once quiet meeting room since the announcement. A council member pulled at his collar earning an unimpressed look from his partner from the right. Black eyes directed themselves downwards at the attention from across the room. Their leader was watching.
Many of the council members exchanged words of shock from the announcement handed down by the CEO, Danzo Shimura. His patched face remained neutral, having expected the backlash. However, KYM has been his main priority since the torch was passed to him. Danzo's gaze moved from the younger associate's stiff frame to the other side of the room.
Enhanced imagery of multiple faces appeared on the screen to everyone's left on the projector. Confused expressions replaced heated discussion viewing each artist under the KYM label on the wall, holding stats and popularity trends. Danzo set straighter moving to straighten a pen on his desk.
"Each member has been assessed to fulfill a quota by the end of the month." Commanding the attention of each person many felt uneasy for where this was going. Before Danzo could continue a less than enthusiastic employee spoke up, halting the speech. Brown hair sway with the same visible feature of the previous CEO of KYM making the older man grit his teeth. Few looked away while others watched the exchange uncomfortably. Brown eyes narrowed in challenge shedding a few papers across the table to provide stats of a different sort.
"Sir, each member is accessed in terms of their contracts. By group or individual, the month for renegotiations has passed."
Danzo observed from the end of the table refusing to show an inch of emotion. He gathered his palms together over a stack of folders labeled with each artist.
" Are you questioning my authority in renegotiating contract terms specified by the late CEO Hiruzen Sarutobi, Mr. Sarutobi?"
Even though Danzo was in control of company affairs, Hiruzen's grandson still had a say in the ebb and flow of daily operations. A silly but friverish effort to keep the company in the family. Danzo suppressed the urge to smirk at the slow realization dawning on Konohamaru's face. Despite sitting in a room with multiple people Danzo knew how to keep his position without turning a blind eye.
Konohamaru slowly righted himself, realizing none of the council members, even the board members, had touched the papers handed out to them. A folder from down the table, handed out by Danzo, fluttered into his hands stipulating different conditions and changes the company would undertake after Sarutobi's death. His grip on the paper tightened as he flipped page to page grasping the situation with less confusion and more anger than professionally warrented. His gaze snapped to Danzo but the CEO started the monologue of scrapping the scout program and cutting percentages of artist cuts.
Looking up from the folder, different people turned away from the would-be-heir of KYM in silence. It's not that the others knew the specifics to Danzo's plan but couldn't help change anything. Konohamaru's hands shook, spying his grandfather's signature at the end of the document.
'What the hell is going on?'
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