A day after Ai introduced Chasers to the Saitous, Ai was pretty adamant about attending the concert so they had to scramble to buy the tickets. Thankfully, there were ten tickets left so Miyako immediately bought five of them at around ¥6000 each. Considering the venue's capacity was around 200 people, it was pretty impressive that it was practically sold out. Ichigo meanwhile, was pretty eager to sign them to Strawberry Productions so they had to set up an entirely new division just for them. Of course, other than seeing how well the band can perform live, they had to do some prior research.
When Miyako looked up Chasers online, they unfortunately don't have any presence aside from a small fan page. Ai also mentioned their vocalist's name was Seiya Kinzoku so Miyako looked him up as well. Fortunately, the name Kinzoku was a fairly uncommon name so finding him was rather easy. What she didn't expect however, was to find out that he was a professional kickboxer at twenty-one years old. From the photos she found, Miyako would agree that he looked absolutely stunning just like Ai said and from the videos she saw, he looked like a pretty intimidating fighter despite his 2-1 record, "Hey honey, I want you to look at this. Apparently, this is the Kinzoku guy Ai was talking about."
"Woah-hoh, Ai wasn't kidding about his looks but he's a pro fighter? Hmm, contract negotiation's gonna be a pain if he's gonna juggle between performing and fighting. From what I know, they'd spend weeks to train before a fight. I'm not sure we can commit to that kind of schedule," Ichigo stated, reconsidering his stance on signing the band.
"But he's already doing what you just said. If he's willing to perform in front of a measly 200 people as an active fighter, I think it's still possible for us to sign him and the rest of the band. Do you still have that number you got on the CD?" she asked him.
"Yeah, still do. Do you want to call now?" he asked.
"Better we get the negotiations settled as soon as possible so do it," Miyako suggested as Ichigo dialled the number and put it on speaker. It didn't take long for them to answer.
"Hello, this is Sayaka Sasaki, manager of the band Chasers speaking. How can I assist you?" came the voice from the other side. The voice sounded pretty young and nasally, almost like a teenager's so Miyako assumed the band hired a friend of theirs to be their manager.
"Yes, this is Miyako Saitou from Strawberry Productions. We would like to talk about signing Chasers to our company," Miyako stated as a matter-of-factly.
"Strawberry Productions, eh? Hang on a minute," Miyako complied while hearing the subtle sounds of a keyboard clacking in the background. After a few seconds, Sasaki was back, "So, why does an idol company want anything to do with a metal band? I doubt you'd want to corrupt your innocent idols to the guys' violent brand of music," she said in a sarcastic tone.
"Well actually, one of the girls discovered the band's music and in turn exposed us to their music and we could see some potential with them as part of our brand," Ichigo answered which prompted a question from Sasaki.
"I'm sorry but who are you?" she asked.
"Oh, I'm Ichigo Saitou. President of Strawberry Productions and like my wife said, I'm really interested in signing Chasers. I see great potential in them. After all, I was the one who discovered Ai and that caused B-Komachi to reach unbelievable heights. I believe I can do the same to Chasers," Ichigou gave his opening pitch to Sasaki.
"Uh-huh, that's great and all but you scouted idols. Metal is a different beast entirely and if you haven't noticed, Japan's metal scene isn't exactly thriving. Also how did you find out about us anyway? You said one of your girls found the guys' music but that would only be possible if they attended our gigs. Wait a minute, Seiya gave one of our CDs to your girl didn't he?" she assumed correctly.
"Yes, he did. Apparently she liked the songs so much she forced us to listen and… here we are," was the response from Ichigo. From the other end, they could hear Sasaki snort.
"Wow, who would've taught that would work out so well. Well, considering he doesn't follow idol music, it doesn't surprise me if he thought she was just some random girl. And that idol of yours has great taste in music. Alright, we can discuss about the contracts but I don't think doing it via a phone call is appropriate so should I come to your offices?" she asked.
"Yes that would be best. Does tomorrow afternoon work?" Miyako asked.
"Yeah, that should be fine," Sasaki replied.
"Great, we'll see you tomorrow," Miyako bid her goodbye before hanging up. When she looked up at Ichigo and saw the unsure look he had on his face. This caused Miyako to groan in frustration, "Uggh, you were so eager to sign the band but the moment you found out that he was a fighter, you did a complete 180. Sure, scheduling's going to be a pain but it's not like he'll have to fight every month or something. I'm pretty sure fighting events are months apart from each other so we'll have plenty of time before he has to start training again," she assured him.
"It's not just that. It's about Ai," this caused Miyako to raise an eyebrow in confusion, "You remember what Ai said yesterday, about how he treated Ai like a normal person and she missed that feeling? Well since that manager said that Kinzoku doesn't follow idols, I don't think he'll treat her any differently if he finds out that Ai's an idol which would make him more attractive in her eyes."
Miyako soften her expression. She knew how much Ichigo cared for Ai, much to the envy of the rest of the group. Seriously, the least he could do was not be so obvious with his favouritism, "Well think of it this way. If those two do start dating and he's actually a nice guy, then we won't need to pay extra for her security," she joked, hoping to brighten his spirits a bit. She honestly didn't mind if Ai started dating as long as it was kept from the public. Hell, two of the B-Komachi girls are secretly in relationships not to mention how many other idols were doing the same.
"That's another issue. If they do start dating and get caught, Ai's career is over while his career will stay relatively untouched since he's not an idol. Although now that I think about it, the backlash won't be so bad considering how attractive he is, her fanbase wouldn't honestly blame her far dating someone like him and people will be scared to approach them when they know he's a fighter," he said while rubbing his chin.
"Honey, what are you scheming?" she asked in concern. It's honestly amazing how he could go from excited to concerned and back to excited again in a span of a minute.
"I'm thinking, what if we passed of Ai's kids as his?" Ichigo blurted out with the idea.
"Are you crazy!? We don't even know if he'll date Ai and you want him to claim Ai's kids are his?" Miyako pointed out the major flaw to his plan.
"Think of this as a backup plan if Ai's secret was somehow found out. He looks blonde enough to be the twins' dad. If he doesn't want to date Ai, then we'll drop this plan altogether and think of another one," Ichigo further explained his plan.
"You seem to be all in on Chasers' success. Why are you so invested in them anyway?" Miyako asked.
"Well other than their quality music and the guy's looks that'll attract a lot of female fans. It's because of their longevity. Face it Miyako, as idols, the girls only have a few years left before they have to graduate. Chasers on the other hand is a metal band and from my research, they can perform for decades if they make it big. Think how much money we can make from them in that amount of time," Ichigo explained.
Miyako could see what Ichigo was going after, except for the whole dating and passing the twins of as Kinzoku's thing. From the looks of him, Kinzoku has the potential to be a star both on stage and in the octagon and he would be a tremendous talent if what Ichigo said about his longevity is true. Maybe they can reach an agreement with ONE about his fight contracts, "Well in any case, we should talk to their manager tomorrow before deciding anything."
With that, they both agreed to wait for the band's manager and hope they can come to an agreement.
(The next day)
Miyako was at her desk planning B-Komachi's future concert until the intercom started buzzing, "Hello, is this Strawberry Productions? I'm Sayaka Sasaki. I have an appointment with the Saitous," the voice said.
"Oh yes, we've been expecting you Miss Sasaki. Hold on, I'll buzz you in," she replied before turning towards Ichigo, "She's here let's go."
The two headed for the lobby to meet Sasaki. When they got there, they were met with a short, white-haired woman wearing unbuttoned shorts and a crop top which revealed her black sports bra along with a jacket that barely covered her midriff. To add to the girl's eccentric clothing, she had a bow on her head that resembled bunny ears and a pair of purple glasses and she was holding a laptop they assumed was for business purposes. How was she not cold wearing so little clothing in autumn?
"Hello, you must be Sayaka Sasaki. I'm Ichigo Saitou, president of Strawberry Productions, and this is my wife, Miyako Saitou, the vice president. Well then, shall we get started?" Ichigo greeted the girl.
"Lead the way," Sasaki said. The two then led the girl to the meeting room to start their negotiations.
"Let's not waste any time with pleasantries. What do you need to know?" Sayaka said bluntly.
"Well as you're already aware, we want to sign Chasers to our company. However, we barely know a thing about the members apart from Seiya Kinzoku being a professional kickboxer. We hoped you'd shed some light on the subject," Miyako asked her for a background check on the band.
"Simple enough. There are five members in the band," she then opened her laptop to reveal each member one by one, "First of all, we have our drummer, Shouta "Shooter" Umino. If you're weirded out about the Shooter part, don't be. The guys give each other nicknames and they use it as their stage names," the picture showed an energetic young man with bright blue hair, "Shooter's one of those hyperactive guys with near limitless energy that can barely stay in place for too long, making him perfect for the drums. He's a bit of a hothead but otherwise pretty harmless."
"Next is our bassist, Yuma "Yams" Yamaguchi. I know, Yams is a terrible name," just like before, she showed a photo on her laptop. This time, it showed a slim man in his twenties with light purple hair reaching his shoulders, "Yuma's an introverted guy that would rather stay in the background which makes him perfect for the bass because unfortunately or fortunately for him, bassists are always in the background. He may keep to himself most of the times but once he's familiar with you, he's just as chaotic as the rest of the guys."
"Next we have Hiro "Hero" Murakami, the rhythm guitarist," on the laptop, there was another young man with short dark blue hair, "He's one of those goody two shoes types. Always helping out in any way he can. Got a few girlfriends out of it, of course they all ended rather quickly because they were just taking advantage of his kindness. Thankfully, none of them ever went further than the second date and he wasn't all that interested in those girls anyway."
"Then we have the lead guitarist, Roki "Rock" Sasaki and yes we share the same last name. That tends to happen when you're married after all," that announcement shocked the Saitous. They did not expect the woman in front of them to be married. Looking at the image, it was that of another young man but this time, with crimson red hair tied in a pony-tail, "Rock's basically the leader of the group. Seiya may be the frontman but Rock is the one that makes sure the band doesn't do anything too wild. Sure he'll join them in their shenanigans from time to time but he's there so the guys don't go overboard. We're practically the parents of the group," Sasaki said with a slight snort.
"And last but certainly not least, we have Seiya "Hook" Kinzoku. Our frontman, the guy who wrote all of the band's songs and the reason why we haven't drifted apart yet. Oh and if you're wondering why his nickname isn't a play of his name, it's because according to the guys, he throws a mean right hook. Personally, his kicks look more dangerous than his punches but hey what do I know," once again they looked at the laptop and lo and behold, it was the same guy they saw kicking someone's head in in the octagon, "As you may know, he's a pro fighter as well but don't worry, he has the personality of a golden retriever. He's probably one of the friendliest people you'll ever meet contrary to what most people believe about metal singers and fighters. He was also raised in the States which explains why all his songs are in English and don't be surprised if he's more outspoken than most people you've met because of that. Lastly, his father owns a kickboxing gym and has been training Hook since he was a kid which explains his career choice. I suppose that's all there is to share about the band members. Do you have any questions for me?" she asked the Saitous.
"Yes, there is one concern. Mainly about Kinzoku's fight schedule. Now him being a fighter would be good for his image, girls do love guys showing off their bodies which he has in spades and in turn would be good for us. But we're concerned that his fights might interfere with his musical performances," Ichigo raised the issue.
"Oh, you don't have to worry about that. If given the choice of furthering his music career or fighting career, he would choose music ten times out of ten. Of course that doesn't mean he'll just quit fighting, he's passionate about both after all but I'm sure you can work it out with him. But you might have to wait a while before he can start working with you, he has a fight scheduled a month from now in Bangkok and after the concert, he'll be focusing on training," Sasaki said, causing Ichigo to breathe a sigh of relief hearing Kinzoku was willing to accept their offer but also grumbled in annoyance since the issue he brought up was literally happening now.
"Alright, I suppose that concludes-," before Miyako could continue any further, Sasaki interrupted her.
"Hold on, I haven't mention the rest of the guys yet," she then continued, "While Seiya might agree to sign for you, provided you two work around his fighting schedule of course. The rest on the other hand, need a bit more convincing. They all have full-time jobs so at the very least, you need to pay them enough so that they can afford to quit their jobs. You're not the first agency to scout us and the contracts they gave us were not worth the hassle so you better make it worth our while."
"Alright, we'll have to adjust our finances for that but with how good your songs are, I wouldn't be surprised if the band becomes an instant success. Now then, I think we can-," before Ichigo could finish, Sasaki interrupted again.
"Wait, we've discussed about the band's terms. Now it's my turn," Sasaki said, causing the Saitous to give her a perplexed look, "After all the agreements have been made, I still intend to be their manager and as such, I would like to apply for a management position here."
The Saitous took a minute to gather their thoughts before addressing her statement, "Why should we consider hiring you?" Ichigo asked as the impromptu job interview began.
"Simple, I've been the one organizing their gigs and merchandise sales over the years and I've been the one planning gigs around Seiya's schedule since the day he went pro two years ago. Plus, the guys aren't gonna sign with you if I wasn't involved with them anyway since they trust me much more than they trust any suits wanting their signature. Not to mention that with their signing, you'd more than likely start a new metal division or something since you only employ idols so far, so it wouldn't hurt having someone experienced like me on your wage bill," Sasaki made her arguments.
Ichigo and Miyako took a minute discussing this between themselves before facing Sasaki again, "Fine, we'll sign you on as a manager for the metal division."
"Great, now I-," Sasaki was interrupted by the Saitous who took great pleasure after she did it to them twice.
"However, all bets are off if we find out that they're not good live performers. We already bought tickets for their concert on Saturday, so no telling them about this discussion. Don't want to give them cold feet now do we?" Miyako said with a smirk however that attempt at intimidation only caused Sasaki to grin further. Sure the quality of a studio recording is much better than that of a live performance but either of them doubt that the quality drop would be that bad.
"Excellent and a bit of a recommendation. The guys have their own private lives outside of this band and getting them together for practice or a performance is quite difficult so your best bet is to come to them with the offer on Saturday after they're done with their performance. Well if there's nothing else, it has been a pleasure doing business with both of you and I'll keep in touch with you to make sure that the contracts you draw up satisfy the band. So would one of you kindly escort me out of the building?" she asked them.
"Yes, of course. Follow me," Miyako stood up and showed her out of the offices. It didn't take a minute for Miyako to return to the meeting room and sat next to Ichigo, "So, do you think we made the right choice?"
"I turned B-Komachi into a well-known idol group from nothing in a market saturated with idols. Chasers are better than B-Komachi can ever hope to be in an untapped market full of potential. I have more resources now than I had ten years ago, so you bet your ass we're making the right choice. Miyako, get the contracts ready, we're about to make some stars," with that declaration, the two were set in signing Chasers.
"Great, now you can actually keep your promise of me working with hot guys. It's a shame that Ai's interested in one of them and another one is already married. Well I suppose three out of five isn't bad," Miyako reminisced of the reason why she married Ichigo in the first place.
"Oh come on! You're still going on about that?" Ichigo complained as they started on the necessary paperwork.
(later that day)
"Ah, what a day," Miyako groaned tiredly as she plopped down on the couch at Ai's place after picking up the twins from kindergarten.
"Why do you look more tired than usual today, Miyako?" Ruby asked.
"We had a meeting with Chasers' manager. The negotiations went well enough, she's willing to head the metal division and the band's willing to sign if we pay them enough to quit their jobs which we have the funds for now. The only headache is to work around Kinzoku's schedule as a kickboxer," she recalled her prior negotiations with the gremlin Chasers call a manager.
"He's a kickboxer as well? Sheesh talk about multi-talented," Aqua voiced his thoughts.
"Not to mention that Ai wasn't exaggerating about his looks," Miyako then pulled out her phone and showed them the video she saw earlier, "That's him, the one the in the grey shorts."
As they watched the video, their eyes were locked on the man in question. Physically, he was very handsome, yes. But there was something about him that oozes confidence. Maybe it was the intensity of his eyes fixed solely on his opponent contrasting with his relaxed body language. Nevertheless, they were hooked. Maybe that was the real reason behind his nickname.
"No wonder Ai's attracted to him," he said as he winced watching Kinzoku getting kicked in the head but brushed it off like it was nothing, 'Man, martial artists are a different breed of humans,' he spoke internally.
"So does this mean he can protect mama if they start dating?" Ruby asked, convinced that he was worthy of being in a relationship with Ai.
"No you, idiot. If Ai starts dating him then her career is over. Shouldn't you know this by now?" Aqua vehemently rejected the idea, "Besides, I still don't trust this guy. How can he not know who Ai is? Does he not look at a billboard?"
"That's what I thought so at first but according to their gremlin- uh I mean manager, he doesn't follow idol music so even if he knew Ai, it's most likely that he didn't care and I think that's the case. It's been two days since they bumped into each other and no one's been on social media claiming to have seen Ai in the flesh. Not to mention his socials mostly consists of him posting about the band and his cats," Miyako explained. The twins caught the fact that she called the band's manager a gremlin but decided to let that matter slide. However, regarding Kinzoku, Aqua was more relieved than anything that Ai's secret was safe while Ruby was disappointed that he wasn't a fan of Ai but she still believed that Seiya was Ai's best choice for a boyfriend since she only deserved the best.
"Well either way, she's going to be more acquainted with him along with the rest of the band. Provided Kinzoku won't be too preoccupied with fighting of course," Miyako said. As the words came out of her month, they returned their attention to the video only to find Kinzoku's opponent clutching his ribs after a brutal kick to the sides, leading to a knockout victory for Kinzoku.
"Wow! He must be good if he can win by kicking someone in the ribs. I always thought you need to hit them in the head to get a KO," Ruby cheered. Aqua meanwhile winced as he knew that he might have a bruised rib at least.
"Please don't copy what these people do. They're trained to fight and they genuinely hurt each other," Miyako pleaded to Ruby.
"Don't worry, I'll only use those moves on Aqua," Ruby commented, causing the other two to sweat drop.
It was a few hours later that Ai returned home and as per usual Ruby came running towards her. Ai then went to the living room with Ruby in her arms, "You look tired," she commented after seeing Miyako's face.
"It's because the Chasers' manager is driving a hard bargain about their contracts. Not to mention due to Kinzoku's fight next month means that they'll have to make their debut at least a month after they're officially signed. Fortunately, that gives us time to advertise the band. Oh and you were right, he's not really a fan of idols so he doesn't know that you are one," Miyako gave the abridged version of what was discussed with Sasaki.
"Fight?" Ai asked.
"Yeah! He's a kickboxer and really good as well," Ruby said excitedly and handed the phone over to Ai. She watched it and was enamoured by what she was seeing. Ai kinda knew that Kinzoku had a strong built when she bumped into him but not this built. Although she was a bit disappointed to find out that he was a fighter as she's never liked violence after the abuse she endured, but she had to admit there was something mesmerising about his movements despite the brutality.
"So he has a fight next month?" Ai asked Miyako.
"Yeah in Bangkok. As far as I'm aware, he's in it for the long haul considering he's under contract with ONE, the biggest MMA promotion in Asia and I'm pretty sure he makes a decent amount of money from fighting," Miyako answered.
"How much exactly?" Ai asked.
"From what I've researched, newer fighters like Kinzoku earn a guaranteed $2500 dollars per fight, convert that to yen, that's almost ¥360,000," Miyako explained. This caused the Hoshino's mouths to gape.
"That's about what I make in two months from idol work alone," Ai commented. Even though B-Komachi has gotten more success in the last few years, Ai still needed to do side-jobs to earn a decent wage.
"That's not all. ONE also gives out $50,000 bonuses to fighters who had outstanding performances, which he earned in his last fight six months ago. That's over seven million yen for the record. So in two years, he's fought three times and earned around eight million yen. That's not even mentioning he works for his father at their family gym so he's financially stable," Miyako finished.
Eight million in two years. That's more than what every member of B-Komachi make in a year combined but unlike B-Komachi, he gets to keep all of it, "Then why take the risk with the band when he clearly makes enough money fighting?" Aqua asked.
"Apparently, he's one of those musical geniuses and from what we've heard from his band, that doesn't surprise me. But like people say, genius and madness are two sides of the same coin. It wouldn't surprise me if he makes absolutely nothing from this yet he still would keep on going," Miyako gave her two cents.
"But you're still going to sign them right?" Ai asked eagerly.
"Of course we are, they'd be a great asset to our company and Ichigo believes that they'll be a success so he's all in," Miyako said.
"That's great. With them joining Strawberry, perhaps you could reward me with a finder's fee? After all, if it wasn't for me, none of us would've discovered their music," Ai reasoned.
"I suppose that's fair. Alright, name your price," Miyako said.
"Do you still have the VIP ticket for our dome concert?" Ai asked.
"Of course but why would you want to-…. No, no, no. You're not giving him the ticket just because you have a crush on him," Miyako rejected Ai's obvious plan.
"What? No that's not the reason. Well, not the full reason. You said he wasn't a fan of idols right?" Miyako nodded at Ai's question, "Well, why not give him the best idol experience possible? Considering he made us a fan of metal music, it's only fair that we try to make him a fan of idol music and what better way than giving him an expensive VIP experience," Ai gave her reasoning even though she was mostly doing it because she had a crush on him.
"Why can't it ever be easy with you? Fine, you can give him the ticket," Miyako conceded.
"Yay! Thank you, Miyako. You won't regret this I swear," Ai cheered with the results. Now all they had to do was wait for Saturday.
(Saturday, 6:00 P.M)
"Alright you three, if you don't want to get left behind, you better pick up the pace," Ichigo yelled from the front door.
"Comiiing," Ai responded as she walked to the door with her disguise on with Aqua and Ruby in tow. All five entered the president's car, making their way to Shimokitazawa Shelter which was about thirty minutes away.
"Remember, you kids need to stay close to us as there aren't any seating provided. Who knows how wild things will get in there," Miyako warned the twins.
"Yes ma'am," the two saluted like the good soldiers they were.
"My first metal concert, how exciting. How do you think the atmosphere will be like?" Ai asked.
"Not really sure. All I know is it will be loud and people will be headbanging for entire songs. At least that's what I found from researching," Ichigo answered.
"In any case, make sure your disguise is intact and don't make eye contact with anyone. Don't want to risk two hundred people to know you're there," Miyako ordered.
"Aye, aye, Miyako," Ai copied her kids' antics from earlier and saluted like Miyako was a commander.
Eventually, they found a decent parking spot and walked to where the Shelter was. They reached a staircase leading underground filled with graffiti art. Once they reached the entrance, there were only about a dozen people there, granted they were half an hour early. On stage, they saw the band members warming up for their performance. They were all wearing dress shirts and slacks, maybe it was their gimmick or something.
Just then, a short white-haired woman in rather revealing clothes approached them, "Well, well. You two came after all. Didn't expect you to bring kids with you though. And who's this?" she pointed her head at Ai.
"Oh, this is my cousin. She's visiting Tokyo for the week," Miyako gave the excuse.
However, it didn't seem the girl bought it. She then squinted her eyes at Ai, only to widen it immediately after, "Come with me, now," she ordered them to follow her.
Once they were in a more secluded spot, the woman looked rather irate but whispered slowly as to not attract any attention, "What the hell were you thinking bringing an idol here? Shouldn't you know how dangerous it is to have an idol be seen in public?"
"Please, miss. Don't blame them, I insisted them to take me here because I wanted to watch Chasers perform," Ai pleaded to the woman.
"Where on Earth do you know about us? Did you two tell her?" she asked the Saitous. When they shooked their heads, the gears in her head started turning before she massaged her head, "Seiya gave that CD to you didn't he?"
"Yes he did. I then made Ichigo and Miyako listen to the songs and they came to the decision to sign them to the company," Ai explained the story.
"Of all the people that idiot had to bump into, it just had to be Ai. I suppose I should thank you though, if it weren't for you, the guys wouldn't get their big break," the woman said as she slowly starts to calm down. She then turned her attention to the Saitous, "You did bring the contracts, right?"
"Yes, right here. You can look over them if you want but the terms are the ones we agreed with," Ichigo said as he handed her the contract.
She read the contracts, mumbling about numbers and sales before finally turning her attention towards the group, "Looks good. Now remember, present them this after the concert and after they've signed I suppose it's safe to reveal your identity to them considering you'll be colleagues after all. Oh by the way, names Sayaka Sasaki, manager of Chasers and I suppose now, head of the metal division at Strawberry Productions," she introduced herself to Ai while giving Ichigo and Miyako a smug look who returned her look with annoyed glares.
"The guys won't be performing for another half hour so I suppose you guys can just chill here until the show starts," Sasaki said as she left the group alone.
"Ugh, can't believe I have to work with her," Miyako said in annoyance.
"A sacrifice we have to make I suppose," Ichigo said in a defeated tone.
"You guys really don't like her, do you?" Aqua asked.
"Let's just say we had a few disagreements in regards to the contract," Miyako said vaguely. With nothing else to do they waited until the concert would finally start. The underground venue would gradually be filled by people so they decided to leave their spot and stood in the front row.
When it was time to start, the band finally entered the stage with Kinzoku addressing the crowd, "How ya'll doing tonight!?" he was met with applause and cheers, the crowd obviously eager for the performance tonight, "Before we begin, I would like to address the elephant in the room or in this case, kids in the room," he then approached Miyako who he probably thought was the mother of the twins, "Ma'am, as flattered as I am that you'd bring your kids here, they are aware that this is a metal concert, right?"
Before Miyako could answer, Ruby interrupted her, "Of course we know this is a metal concert! That's why we even came here in the first place!" she yelled before being admonished by Aqua for her impulsiveness.
Kinzoku, rather than being offended, was audibly laughing, "Wow, sassy for a five-year old. I like you kid. But I also don't want you two to get crushed by the crowd so would you guys please give them a bit more room?" he asked the crowd in which they obliged rather quickly.
The adults were surprised at Kinzoku's considerate attitude. Never have they seen an artist show concern for a fan's safety, even Ai had to embarrassingly admit she had never done that. With ample room given to the twins and their 'mother', he finally started the performance.
"Alright, now that that's settled we can actually start," he declared and was met with an ovation of cheers, "Now this is a song some of you have heard, I see a few familiar faces in the crowd so those of you who know, are welcomed to sing a long while those who don't can just enjoy listening so here is, Wishful Sinking."
(play Wishful Sinking by Blessthefall)
The song started slowly before it would gradually pick up for the guitar riffs and slow down again for Seiya to reveal his melodic voice. As he started singing, not only could they see how amazing his voice was, which Aqua was stilled puzzled how one man can sound so soft but immediately scream bloody murder in the next line, they could also see how much stage presence he commanded as he flawlessly executed each and every note, and that's not even mentioning the catchy chorus. 'You're a shore, I'm a tidal wave' was perfectly delivered but what set this song above most was probably the breakdown especially the cuts that were added mid-breakdown.
Unlike the first time she heard them, Ruby did not resist and was thoroughly enjoying the performance but thankfully didn't start doing an idol dance because, well this wasn't an idol performance so she instead followed the crowd headbanging to the beat. Aqua, not seeing any harm in letting loose a bit joined in with Ruby while Ai could enjoy the song for what it was since the lyrics didn't target her insecurities this time. Although, she did notice that he would interact with the crowd when he could by walking back and forth between sections and making eye contact with as many people as he could. It was so much different than an idol performance as it was more spontaneous and less choreographed. But most importantly, she could see how genuine he was on stage. Miyako and Ichigo looked at each other and nodded, knowing whatever they were paying the band was worth it.
(stop playing Wishful Sinking by Blessthefall)
As the song came to an end, the band was met by a round of applause and cheers, even Ai and the twins joined in, something Kinzoku noticed, "Alright, I see that our youngest audience members weren't kidding about wanting to see us. By the way ma'am, you're raising these kids right," he complimented Miyako, not knowing that their mother was actually Ai. Miyako flushed a bit after being complimented by a hot guy causing Ichigo to scowl at him but due to him wearing sunglasses, the scowl went unnoticed.
The concert continued for another half hour, with Chasers performing the songs that were in their demo and after every song he would interact with the audience and crack jokes that were honestly pretty funny and somehow, they sounded better live than in the recordings, "Alright, we had an incredible night tonight. I'm sure you guys enjoyed yourselves as well, I know those kids' brains are rattled after the amount of headbanging they did," Kinzoku joked causing the audience along with Ai to chuckle and cause the two of them to blush in embarrassment, "Now to close this show out, I'd like to perform a special song. I wrote this song after a dark period of my life and I hope this will at least give those that are struggling right now the courage to seek help. So without further ado, this is More Than Misery.
(play More Than Misery by Caskets ft. Telle Smith)
When the music played, the five of them were expecting the same quality music from Chasers. Granted they got that, but what they also got was probably the most emotional song any of them had ever heard. The lyrics were powerful as is but Kinzoku's amazing vocals and heartfelt performance only elevated it. It was clear, that this song was much more personal to him than the others were.
Miyako and Ai shed a tear or two at how emotional this song was. Ruby, who despite not being able to speak English, could tell from Seiya's tone that this was supposed to be an emotional song. Aqua, who could speak English, smiled as his inner doctor could understand how this song could help someone emotionally if the young woman crying in the front row was any indication. Ichigo meanwhile, smiled as this proved that his gamble would pay off massively.
As Kinzoku breathed out the final line and the guitar played out its final notes, the song finally came to an end and was met with the loudest applause of the night.
(stop playing More Than Misery by Caskets ft. Telle Smith)
"We've been Chasers! Goodnight everyone!" Kinzoku bid the crowd goodbye as they bowed to close out the show.
The five of them saw Sayaka approach them and ushered them to the backstage area. Once there, they saw all five band members relaxing and chatting, "Alright boys, I've put this off for long enough," Sayaka called, gaining the members' attention, "This is president Ichigo Saitou of Strawberry Productions. We've been in contact for about a week about you guys signing with their company."
"Well, considering you brought them straight to us, I can assume the pay's good?" asked her redheaded husband.
"You and the rest can see for yourself Mr Sasaki. We've had lengthy discussions along with her lawyer about your contract disputes so I hope you will find the rates acceptable," Ichigo handed the contract over to Rock.
"Let's see, we get twenty-five percent of all royalties, so that means five percent each. A million yen signing on bonus, so 200,000 each. Strawberry Productions will own any and all songs composed by Chasers but will have the creative freedom to compose any song they want. That's great and all but how can you guarantee you'll make any money from our music?" Rock asked, understandably concerned about their possible sales figures.
"It's the best you guys are going to get. No other company would be this generous with their offer. If you don't want to sign with us and continue doing jobs that you hate, I can't really blame you. That way, you'd at least have a consistent source of income," Ichigo added, hoping that a little reverse psychology would push them to accept.
"If you're worried about your income then you guys can take my cut," Seiya said as everyone in the room started to look at him. Was he insane? Was he really going to do this for free?
"Hook, we can't just let you not take any money from this. You're our frontman. Hell, if anything you should be earning more than us," Hiro tried to reason followed by calls of agreement from the rest of the band.
"You guys do realize that I'm the only one with financial security right? I at least have my parents' support for my kickboxing career. For fuck's sake, I haven't used the 50k bonus yet," Seiya defended but was called out for cursing in front of children even though one wasn't a child mentally, "Pardon my language, but the point I'm making is that I can afford to get zero money from this. Ultimately, it's up to you guys because I'm not signing it if you guys aren't."
The five outsiders were genuinely surprised how much Seiya was willing to give for his bandmates. The one most surprised was Ai. Despite B-Komachi being a unit, every member was out for themselves and there were a fair share of bullying and sabotage. But here, seeing someone willingly give up his earnings so the band could go on was something she had never seen before. Honestly, she was a bit envious that she and B-Komachi weren't as close as they used to be. She hoped the same wouldn't happen to Chasers because from that short interaction, she could see how close their bonds were and to lose that would be a shame.
The band sighed at Seiya's declaration before Rock spoke, "You don't have to give us your cut of the profits. As much as I know you can survive without it, it just wouldn't be right to have our star not get any money," he said as he signed the contract.
"Well, guess that settles it I suppose," Hiro said as he too signed the contract and one by one, each member signed on the dotted lines.
"Welcome to Strawberry Productions, gentlemen. You'll start working as soon as Kinzoku returns from Bangkok. Until then, you should get your resignation letters ready. Oh Sayaka, I expect you to report for duty on Monday," Ichigo informed the band and Sayaka.
"Uh Saya, what did he mean by report on duty?" Rock asked his wife.
"What, did you think I was about to let someone else be in charge of you idiots? Please, I've been your manager before the two of us started dating, might as well get paid for it," she smugly said as Rock could only snort in response.
"Well, since you guys are part of Strawberry now, I suppose there's no harm in revealing my identity now," Ai finally made her presence known as she took off her hat and glasses while doing an idol pose, "Welcome to Strawberry Productions, let's get along," she did her greeting while maintaining the pose.
The guys' mouths were wide open, surprise as why would an idol as big as Ai would bother coming to a dirty underground concert. Except for Seiya, who raised an eyebrow at Ai's antics, "Are you some sort of idol or something?" the moment he said that, Ai loss her composure and dropped to her knees. Sure Miyako told her that he might not know who she was but to find out that it was true was depressing.
"Seiya, that's Ai from B-Komachi," Sayaka explained who Ai was.
"Am I supposed to know who that is? I only recognize her because I gave her one of our demos," he countered.
"How could you not know who she is? She's been appearing on shows and their songs are all over the radio. How could you not know who she is?" the usually quiet and reserved Yuma yelled while shaking Seiya's shoulder.
"Chill, Yams. You know I don't watch Japanese TV shows. If she appeared in a Netflix series, maybe I would've recognized her but as far as I know, she doesn't. And you guys all know I'm not a fan of idols so I don't listen to any of their music. No offence, by the way Ai," Seiya explained himself to Yuma.
"Uh, guys. Am I in a dream?" the petty argument was interrupted by Shouta's question.
"No, this is pretty much real life, Shooter. And no, this isn't a prank show either," Hiro explained.
"Nope, this might still be a dream. There's only one way to find out," he then turned his attention towards Seiya, "Hook, slap me in the chest as hard as you can."
"I'm sorry what?" Seiya asked in confusion.
"I know you're tough and all so I want you to try and wake me up from this dream. I would ask you to hit me in the face but if this isn't a dream, that would put me in one. So slap me on the chest as hard as you can. No holding back," Shouta made his declaration known.
"Oh boy," Sayaka said as she went off somewhere.
"If you say so but don't get pissed at me for doing something you asked for," Seiya reluctantly agreed and was preparing to slap the drummer's chest, "On the count of three. Ready?" he asked which Shouta nodded, "One, *slap*," he didn't even get to two before delivering a really loud slap to Shouta's chest. Shouta meanwhile, let out a girly shriek and was on the ground, clutching his chest.
Sayaka then returned with an ice pack, "You see what I have to deal with?" she told the five visitors who just looked on at the ensuing chaos. She then placed the ice pack inside of Shouta's shirt and addressed the five, "Now if there's nothing else, I believe our business has concluded."
"Wait, can I have a word with Kinzoku for a moment?" Ai asked causing the band, minus Shouta who was still on the ground nursing his wound, to look at her confusingly before smirking at her and Seiya.
"Well you heard the lady. Go on you lucky bastard," Roki pushed him towards Ai so that they could talk.
"So what is it you wanted to talk about Miss Akane Hoshino?" Seiya jokingly called her by her semi-fake name.
Ai slightly chuckled in embarrassment, "Yeah sorry about that. Had to keep my identity a secret since you never know who you'll bump into in public."
"I think I get it. There are a lot of psycho fans out there from what I've heard so I can't really blame you. So, I guess I made you a fan after all since you went out of your way to come to our concert and dragged your president here to sign us. Must've made a hell of an impression on you," Seiya noted.
"We had an agreement if you made me a fan of your music, I'd come. And as a reward I'd like to give you this, ta-daa," she handed him the VIP ticket.
He inspected the ticket and then talked to her again, "Why are you giving me this? Isn't this like super expensive?"
"They are. Think of it as me returning the favour. Since you made me a fan of your music, I might as well, try to make you a fan of my music. I would've liked to invite all five of you but there was only one ticket so, sorry guys," she apologized to the rest of the band in which they waved off but had disappointed looks on their faces.
"I can't talk you out of this can I?" Seiya asked.
"Nope. Besides, we're planning on promoting our music to a broader demographic and attractive young men are part of said broader demographic so what's losing one VIP ticket going to do?" Ai fired back with the line he used to make her take the CD,
Seiya chuckled in respond, noticing what she just did, "Alright, alright, I'll go. Can't promise I'll enjoy it though. No offence but like I told you, I've never been interested in idols."
"Oh I'm sure I can prove otherwise," Ai said with a wink but oddly enough unlike most people who'd swoon at that, as evident to the rest of Chasers including Shouta, who had apparently recovered from that chop, Seiya only snorted, finding it amusing.
"Well, it's been a pleasure meeting all of you but we should get going. Her concert is tomorrow after all so she should get her rest," Miyako excused themselves as they began leaving.
"Bye Chasers!" Ruby waved them goodbye as she was visibly happy seeing Ai made progress with Seiya. Aqua meanwhile, simply waved and nodded at them as he thoroughly enjoyed the concert.
"You lucky bastard!" as soon as they left, the rest of Chasers began mobbing Seiya, "Not only did you get us signed by giving Ai that demo, you bagged yourself a VIP ticket as well," Rock said as he put Seiya in a friendly headlock.
"This calls for a celebration! Steak dinner for everyone, Hook's paying of course!" Shooter exclaimed which was followed by a cheer of agreements by the rest of the band.
"Why am I the one paying? Shouldn't I be the one getting treated?" Seiya protested.
"If I remember correctly, you said you're the only one who's financially stable. It would make sense for you to cover the bill," Saya responded, using his words against him.
"Cheap bastards. Fine but no A5 Wagyu. That shit's expensive," Seiya relented which caused them to celebrate.
AN:
Yo, I'm back.
So Chasers are now part of Strawberry and apologies if the negotiations seemed unrealistic or if the pay regarding ONE fighters or the band's contract seemed wrong. I did my research but couldn't find definitive evidence on how much money a Japanese band would make or how their contracts work so I had Sayaka pester them for more money. Also, I changed Seiya's height from 185 cm to 178 because I found out that Ai's only 151 cm tall. And apologies if the first half felt too much like an info dump
Speaking of, here are the characters the band members are based off:
Shouta "Shooter" Umino based on Caspar from Fire Emblem Three Houses
Yuma "Yams" Yamaguchi based on Yuma Ilvern from Shining Resonance Refrain
Hiro "Hero" Murakami based on Rean Schwarzer from Trails series
Roki "Rock" Sasaki based on Diluc from Genshin Impact
Sayaka Sasaki based on Silver Wolf from Honkai Star Rail
Lastly, I would like to thank altajir95 for giving me a lot of ideas on what I can do in future chapters of this story.
I guess that's it, see ya.