A Yankee and a Singer

By J-R S

Chapter 1: The beginning and Haine.

When Haine Otomiya was born, the concept of being a singer never registered in her head. She didn't want to be a pop star; she didn't want to be in the limelight. She said this when she was in the care of the Otomiya family after her biological father Kazuhito sold her because she didn't want to be an idol to support his business financially. He was hoping for only the best from her, but it was not meant to be. That all changed when someone she loved decided to go to America with distant relatives. That man was known by one name: Shizumasa.

Shizumasa aspired to be a novelist. He wrote a story about a witch and a princess who turned a monster to stone near an area he called Waltzhaagen. He described it as a place of legend, and his illustration and storytelling outrivaled prodigies his senior. At the tender age of 8, Shizumasa Touguu received a scholarship from Yale University, where he could study to be a novelist. His penmanship and vast knowledge of the English language surprised critics on both sides of the Pacific. And he mesmerized only one person: Haine.

But for some reason, Haine didn't see Shizumasa after the two met that one night, at a reception honoring his book, The Unforgettable Song of the Witch. For some reason, the witch singing brought inspiration to Haine. Right then and there, she decided she wanted to sing. She took grasp of a large number of concepts of theory, projection, poise, and all the ingredients necessary to be a great singer. Her parents, especially her new mother, Ryokka Otomiya, disapproved of singing, and Haine did not know why. On top of that, she was too shy to even figure why. But she never lost sight of her aim.

Then, one fateful day, on her 14th birthday, she felt a weird sensation in her throat. She could breathe for a while, and it was as if she was choking. The day after, the doctors told her it was the inevitable. Haine Otomiya had cancer of the throat, and she had to be confined to her bed at home. The surgery would take place 10 months from now, but for the time being, she would have to stay at home, under the eye of her parents. It seemed inevitable that Haine would never get to be an idol, for her one and only Shizumasa.

Or would she?

The situation was just as perplexing for Mitsuki Kouyama. Three years after she had her surgery and she never got to see Takuto, even after he left. She thought, as she walked to school, "He's probably a ghost…I guess I won't get to see him after all, I'll just forget about him too. That's two people I have lost in my life. Guess that's life for you, Mitsuki." She remembered Takuto, when he was a shinigami, and was helping her become a singer with Meroko as Negi Ramen, and later with Izumi. She realized her dream as Full Moon. And she sold millions of copies with hits such as "Angel," "Myself," "Eternal Snow," "Smile," "Love Chronicle," and "New Future." She was popular.

When she announced she was going to have to take a long break, she had the surgery, and thanks to some lucky and sacrificial intervention, it was a success. It would take time before she would sing again. At this point, she was able to. But this time, she decided to take and about face and settle down. Her grandparents that were alive, Fuzuki and Seijyuurou were able to receive funds from supporters of Full Moon and Route L and peers of the Kouyama/Koga clans. The proceeds were more than enough to help Mitsuki transfer to Imperial Academy, an elite coed institution located in the heart of Tokyo, a beautiful setting that has a structured system. Given her status, she would be a copper, the lowest of the elite. Mitsuki had a smart mouth, and a committed mind, and yet, the though of a certain dark-haired person would pervade her mentality.

Sure, Mitsuki could take Eichi Sakurai off her mind. But she couldn't get Takuto Kira off her head. He meant more to her than Eichi, after the hell she went through a few years ago, watered by her transformation into a superstar. And she found new friends to help her ease her transition into an academy so rigorously structured. She even decided to work as a maid within the Academy just because she wanted to.

Little did the two of them know that both their paths would cross.

Haine was not afraid of dying. She knew too well that, like all people, she was living through one phase of life, and was a year away from another one, something that she would be happy to enjoy. For the first time, she noticed the bigger picture, and she applied this in her head.

Her doctor, Kazuki Ishihara, was her family's physician, and he would make frequent visits to the Otomiya residence. She told Ishihara-sensei that she did not want to have the surgery so soon. But some good news was in the works. Haine passed the first stage for Seed Records' New Artist. Ishihara-sensei would not allow such things, though. Haine was stubborn, but for a reason. She promised Shizumasa that she would do this for him.

Itsuki and Ryokka would not allow their adopted daughter to leave the house. It seemed it was that. She would never realize her dream of being an idol, ever. She sat in her room, crying, when suddenly, someone came through the wall. Haine blinked at the sight.

"Ah, this must be her," a young man wearing a cap shaped like dogged ears, a vest with a shirt and collar, and black pants and white wings said, evaluating the puzzled young lady. "Otomiya Haine…age 14."

"Wait up, Izumi!" a girl with pink hair, a cap with bunny ears, and a rather revealing two piece set with boots and white wings said, also coming through the wall. Haine started to be even more paranoid. She was sweating like she wouldn't believe. "You're always leaving without me, even though we are now a team."

"Cool, a usagi-chan," Haine said, her eyes turning into spirals. The two angels turned towards their client.

"You can see us, too?" the two of them said. Haine nodded, alienating them for a split second.

"Wait a second," Meroko said, realizing something. "This is déjà vu all over again, isn't it, Izumi-kun?"

"Like I even care about that," Izumi said, pouting. "How long have you known me, Me-chan? I wouldn't care one bit if she saw us or not." But then after, he realized that it did happen. This was only the second case that a person was able to see shinigami in person when they were still alive. "Well, I guess we have no choice but to present ourselves, Me-chan. Ready?"

"Ready." Striking a pose, Meroko said, "We are the shinigami combo that lies even to teenagers hopelessly in love, in business for three years! Meroko!"

"Izumi!"

Together, in their trademark pose, they shouted, "We are Team Mirumeiku!" No sooner had they finished their speech of identification when they saw Haine rolling helplessly on the floor, laughing insanely. For someone who had cancer, she was lively yet.

"Bahahahahahahahah! They're Mirumeiku! Sounds too friggin cute! Ahahahahah! Rabbit and dog ears….somebody pinch me, I think I'm already in heaven! Ahahahahah!"

"I don't like our combo name," Meroko growled at her accomplice.

"Deal with it," Izumi hissed. "At least this is what we had when were originally together, you know"

"Still…and we have these ears because this is a pediatrics case, for your information." Like someone they knew before.

"A pediatrics case?" asked Haine. "Shinigami…? That's right, I'm going to die." She knew it.

"No, no, no, you're going to die a year from now," said Meroko in assurance.

"The thing is...there is somebody that is going to prevent you from dying. He might appear today, I don't know," pondered Izumi. "We're here to prevent you from meeting this person, so…hey!" He noticed that she wasn't there. "Where did she go?"

"The wall hole, Izumi!" said Meroko. Both of them saw Haine trying to escape. "Not again. This IS déjà vu after all!" Perhaps even more committed than their previous case.

Haine looked for a taxi, running in her pajamas. "This hurts, but I won't take any chances. TAXI!" A yellow cab came. "Take me to Seed Records in Shinjuku! Hurry!"

"Sure," the cab driver. "But I won't let you go, kid." The cab driver turned into…Izumi.

"Kyaaaaaa!" Pinch! Haine had to hightail out of the taxi as soon as possible. It was a good thing she was able to get back home, change into some better clothes, get out, and run to-wards Shinjuku, escaping the shinigami pair every step of the way. This girl was even peskier than their previous case.

"Ah, I made it," Haine said, at the Seed Records entrance, where a modest gathering of candidates and fans convened, in hopes of being or seeing the next big thing to come from their already successful company, fresh off a legacy in Full Moon. Haine saw on a bush, two plush toys. A pink bunny with a red ribbon, and a white dog with a black cap and a suit. "Wow, cute plushies. But I can get stuff like that at the UFO booth in Shibuya. I'll just walk past them and pretend they're not there."

No sooner had she walked past the dolls, when the plush dog got on her back and turned into Izumi. "Gotcha, you pesky little brat. Hurry up and go home!"

"NO! Please, let me enter the audition, Shinigami-san! Please! If I fail, then I will obey you, so…please?"

His heart was moved. Izumi accepted. "Fine, I understand."

"Wait a minute," Meroko said. "You're not going to…oh no…"

"That had better be the truth, okay?" Haine nodded

"Yes. Oh yeah, can you make me look like I'm 16 or 17 or somewhere in between? Can you? Because I already noted that I was 16 in my application."

Sighing, he said, "A shinigami who I used to work against did the same thing, but I can do it to you as well."

"Yeah, someone I used to know," Meroko pouted.

Izumi gave her a dirty glare. "Forget him; you have me, right, Me-chan?"

Her eyes gleamed. "Yes…"

The dog-eared spirit then turned to Haine. "I will make you a healthy 16-year old, with your hair dyed any color you want."

"Make it blonde with auburn highlights, can you?" asked Haine to Izumi.

"As you wish." With a swipe of his hand, he produced a capsule. "Take this and swallow it." She followed through. "When I snap my fingers, the capsule will break inside you. You may feel weird, but you will be fine. Here we go." A snap of the fingers, and something special happened.

Haine's wish came true. She became a sixteen year-old girl, with blonde hair with auburn highlights. "Amazing," she said, looking at herself in as mirror. "Now I can get in the audition. This is my chance, Shizumasa-sama! Wish me luck!" she said to the two- of them, as she entered the room where the candidates were.

"What the hell did you just do?" Meroko said. "I mean, having Takuto do his magic on Mitsuki was interesting enough, but you have to do the same thing as well? Why?" She was angry as heck. She knew the entire story that happened with Mitsuki, but now Izumi got it started all over again.

"Me-chan," Izumi said, putting his hands over Meroko's shoulders, "I used to think that I would just take her soul right now, but this time, I knew that this person has as pure a heart as Mi-ki did. Mi-ki showed me how much better I can be. I want to make Mi-ki proud."

"Oh, and don't you want to make me proud, too?" Meroko said, pouting. She felt herself being embraced by Izumi. Those arms and his body were so warm, she was feeling soft again. Just the way she wanted it.

"Of course," Izumi said, and they kissed. For the two of them, it felt satisfying. Like sugarless milk chocolate, but with the sugar added.

"Mmmmm, but what if she is accepted. She'll regret it…won't she?"

"Never fear, my dear Me-chan, I have something planned." Izumi saw Haine inside the building. He flew inside, and knocked down one of the judges stone cold with a wave of his palm. "I will transform into a judge and fail that kid," he said to his accomplice flying in.

"Good plan, Izumi-kun," said Meroko. "This will save us trouble." But little did she know that her assumption would be rendered fallible.

Haine went inside the room where all the candidates were waiting. "Wow, there are a lot of them," she said, starting to doubt her confidence. "I wonder if I will be able to make it." Haine then noticed that everyone was looking at her with suspicious eyes, as if she had an advantage over them. "This is getting to be a bother…"

"Is there an agency you belong to?" a girl with purple hair, dark eyes and a slightly fancy dress said seated next to her.

"What agency?" Haine asked.

"You're not with a theatre company of talent agency?" she said, a bit surprised.

"Not that I know of…"

She noticed something, as she heard from the room that was doing the interviews. "You know, you're not going to- make it. You know why? Because, well this is between you and me, but the people in there already decided who is in."

Haine was rather startled by the recent developments. "Huh? Then why are people still auditioning?"

"Shhhhh," the girl said.

"Oh, yeah, sorry," she whispered. A second ago, everyone was looking at Haine. They turned back to their discussions.

"See, this audition is talked about by TV and radio shows and newspapers across the nation. Over 10,000 young women from all over Japan have been flocking here to be the next big thing. The winner gets to start a new career making albums and hits…and making money."

Haine nodded. "So, were you accepted?"

"Nope, I wasn't."

"I see." Somehow, Haine felt sorry for her. She thought the girl with the purple hair and the frilled outfit deserved it more. Her humbleness has evident. It seems suffering from cancer did that to her. Humble her into not putting herself better than the others who were fighting for the same spot she was. One did not feel like a hero suffering from cancer, more like a quitter. But her she was, as a healthy 16-year old girl, with no trace of the disease. Surely there was hope for her, right?

"Okay people," an official said. "We will start the judging. When your number on your badge you got when you registered is called, come into the room to begin your audition. Now then, #1, come in."

Time passed, one minute, 5 minutes, 10, 20 minutes. "#9…#17…"

Haine began to doubt whether or not she had the dedication in her to pass this audition. Was it possible for her to even follow through, after she broke her parents' orders, and even Ishikawa-sensei tried to stop from having her dream realized? Her number came.

"#21, come on in," the official said. Haine slowly walked in the room. She did not know it, but another person who wanted to make her dreams come true was holding the same number.

"Okay," one of the judges said. "Let's start. What is your favorite genre of music?"

"J-Pop and J-Rock," Haine responded.

"Is there an ambition you want to have if you became a singer?"

"No, I just like singing, that's all." The judges were taken aback. This candidate had too simple a goal.

The judge who asked the question kept a cooler head. She would've failed period, he said. Of course, the judge was Izumi. "Okay, well let's hear your voice." Haine started to sing, but he stopped her. "Too low, try it louder, please?"

"But I won't be able to breathe," she said.

"I told you," Izumi said, "you would be healthy when you transformed…"

"…huh?"

"Nothing, nothing, just sing, please?"

The words from an artist she adored when she was younger came out. Those words slowly began to take shape, and Haine pronounced them in tone, just like that artist did when she wrote them and recorded it.

Doushite doushite suki nan darou?

Konna ni namida afureteru

"Wow," she said to herself. "I can sing with a loud voice, and my breathing doesn't hurt. This is wonderful!" She continued on.

Ano koro wa ushinau mono ga oosukite nani mo utaenakatta

Sukoshi hanareta basho soko ga watashi no ibasho datta

Kimi no hitomi no oku ni ano hi samisa wo mitsuketa

Futari niteru no kana? Fuu

Kitsukeba itsu mo tonari ni ite kureta

Doushite konna ni suki nan darou?

Kimi no koe kanshii hodo hibiiteru yo

Ima made nani ga sasae datta ka

Tooku hanarete wakatta yo

The judges were shocked and even more amazed by the result. "She just sang like….no, it couldn't be…but it sounds so much just like her…incredible," they said, discussing it.

"Um, I'm done," Haine said. "May I leave?"

The judges went over to confer. "Call Kuroda-san and Suzuki-san quickly! Hayashi-san, send the rest home. We've decided on #21!"

Haine looked at the judges who ran off. "Huh?" It only took her two seconds to realize what has just happened. "Eh? They picked me? No way!"

"Izumi, what the hell are you doing?" exclaimed Meroko. "Idiot! You were supposed to fail her! You just put another burden on our backs!"

Izumi didn't listen, didn't care, and just sat there. He was stunned beyond reasonable doubt. This young lady sung her heart out, good enough not to fail the audition. He didn't know it would open another can of worms. It happened with Mitsuki, now it was going to happen again. With Haine.

Haine left the room, the other candidates except for one discussing why the round had been canceled. She wanted to get out of the scene as soon as possible. "So, they chose you, eh?" she said. "You did have connections after all, don't lie."

"I'm not lying; I don't even know why I was chosen!" Haine said, pleading her case in vain.

"You know why you were chosen? Your cute face, that's why. In the Japanese music world, you get by if you're cute-looking, so there. Even though your song was sung like crap, you still got in. Lucky you." Her dark eyes read manipulation. Haine took the bait without a second thought. She walked out, alone, leaving Haine to commiserate.

"Um, you guys," she said, walking toward the judges.

"Oh, Otomiya-san, we were just out to get you," one of the other judges said.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Please cancel my acceptance!" Haine ran off in tears, away from the mayhem that ensued. She wanted no part of it. None. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Unfortunately for young Haine Otomiya, the new woman among girls at the audition, the judges wouldn't reconsider their decision. She was in, and there was nothing that would stop her.

Except herself.

End Part 1