When I Come Around
Track 4
A/N: Wow, I'm on Track 4 already! And that's a good thing, because I have Volume 2 of the Gravitation Anime DVD's (and currently working on getting 1, 3, and 4). So, in writing these next three chapters, I can accurately blend the episode plots and my own ideas together! How much fun will that be?
Believe it or not, the next day was even more hectic and confusing than the last.
Sakano rushed into the studio with a huge smile on his face, and threw a paper into my face.
"You're getting a new manager! YOU'RE GETTING A NEW MANAGER!" he exclaimed, as if I had not heard him the first time. At first, I was confused as to why Sakano was happy about being boosted as manager. Not necessarily a good thing. But, after I saw our new manager slam the door open and place his scruffy-looking boots onto the ground, I knew it was a change for the better.
"Stop right there!" he said, pointing a gun at us. I immediately took back my thoughts and hid behind Hiro, frantically. In spite of all our scared reactions, the guy laughed.
"Hah, just kidding! It wasn't loaded!" he said soon after, chucking the gun on the floor and smiling. "I'm K, your new manager. I expect good things from you fellas."
Sakano smiled, although he was still shaking from the gun prank. "Since I'm not exactly the best manager, we decided that K would manage you and I would be your producer." he said, surprisingly calm.
Hiro and I looked at each other weirdly, neither of us really knowing what was going on. So K's going to be our new manager, and Sakano is now our producer. Ok, Shuichi, you can do this. Everything's gonna get better, right?
"So, K, when's our next gig?" Hiro asked, out of the blue. Suguru looked at him oddly, and I was just happy that someone asked something to break up the odd silence.
"In a few hours!" K exclaimed. Sakano instantly began to sweat and I jumped up and down in excitement.
"WHEN? WHERE? AND WHATTTT?" I screamed, in one of my hysterical moods. K laughed at me and smiled once again (he seemed to smile a awful lot)
"Just follow me boys. We've got it all covered." he said, not answering my question and making me more curious.
20 Minutes Later…
We were at a television studio. Yes, that meant that we would be performing on television! This announcement from K brought applause to the room we were in (apparently a conference room, because of the coffee in the middle of the table and the huge whiteboard at the front)
"Oh yeah, you'll be competing on a game show!" K mentioned, as if he forgot that VERY important detail. Suddenly, the applause stopped and Sakano fell on the floor.
"Competing? As in "not performing," K?" Suguru asked. K nodded his head. Hiro hit his against the table. I just stared off into space, madly in disbelief. We couldn't be on a game show! People didn't even know our music! That would just be…wrong.
"I'm sorry guys, I know I forgot the details. But hey, just be happy that you're appearing on TV! You know your rival band Ask! wanted this opportunity! And you might win the 1 million dollar prize, who knows?" K said enthusiastically. Wait a second… 1 MILLION DOLLARS? Suddenly, I was excited again.
"We don't want a million dollars. We want to perform." Hiro complained.
"But that's not right! It just can't be!" Sakano added, still on the floor frustrated and upset.
"We are a band, not a bunch of game show contestants who mindlessly hit a buzzer all day and night!" Suguru commented.
K looked at me, waiting for my comment. For once, I had nothing to say.
During all of this, I thought about Eiri. Would he watch the show if he knew I would be on it? Or would he not watch it, claiming that he didn't watch much TV (which I knew was true). I sure hoped that he watched us, even if we weren't performing. It would mean a lot.
Before I had a chance to think about anything else, K ordered us to get ready. Makeup people put all this foundation crap on my face (I thought that was for girls!...), hair people combed and trimmed my hair (and I had just got it trimmed…), and wardrobe people de-linted my jacket. After all that fuss, we all were rushed onto the stage, which was bright and lighted heavily. It almost gave me a headache.
What really started my headache, however, was the yell of the game-show host as filming started.
I have to say, however, that K did a good job in picking out a good gig for us. Sure, we weren't performing, but it was fun to slam your hand on the buzzer and give a answer.
We were actually close to winning, too!
Until Hiro whispered something completely crazy into my ear.
"Shuichi, we should ask to perform as a prize instead of winning the money!" he whispered. My eyes bugged out of my head as Suguru took over for us answering the questions. That would be…cool.
"Well, go ask K and Sakano. They're right there!" I replied, pointing to K and Sakano, who were right behind the director.
So, Hiro went up to them and asked them. At first they seemed unsure, but after a small discussion they green lighted our idea.
After it was confirmed by the network, and announced by the game show host, us 3 worked our butts off to win. Even when I had to run like a little hamster on a treadmill, I managed to get most of the questions correct.
"Alright teams! Now, your last question." the host started. "Name the popular romance novelist who is a bestseller with ladies nationwide. He has blonde hair, blue eyes, and is very private about his personal life."
Hiro and Suguru jumped at the sound of this question. They obviously knew who he was. And they seemed to think that I did too.
Then it clicked in my head. EIRI YUKI!
"EIRI YUKI!" I screamed. There was a bout of silence, until applause suddenly exploded.
"Congratulations to the Bad Luck team! You win a performance on our stage, right here and right now!" the host announced. I raced back to Hiro and Suguru and hugged them madly. WE HAD WON!
After that, it was all a blur. We performed our new single, The Rage Beat, and after we were done, the crowd exploded in applause. I smiled at the crowd, truly grateful that we got the opportunity to sing in front of millions.
Meanwhile, Ask! was standing in the viewing room, obviously mad. They whined and complained to the station, Tohma, and most importantly, us. "You don't deserve to perform on TV! You're new!" "Why are THEY on TV, and not us?" were some things they said. It left a bad taste in our mouths.
I was shocked to, when I got to Eiri's apartment, to see Eiri sitting in front of the TV and watching the show. He glanced at me and turned the TV off.
"I saw your little game show there. Pretty interesting, I guess." he commented.
And all of my problems just seemed to flutter away.
