Devil’s Music

Chapter 270: An Incident in Japan

In front of Asahi TV on the day of Music Station recording.

As we entered the studio for recording, fans of the singers lined up, shaking balloons and placards. Security guards were stationed everywhere to protect the celebrities from fans attempting to barge in, but the relatively orderly Japanese fans stood outside the line, only shouting or calling out the names of their favorite celebrities as they passed by.

In one corner of the studio, a group of people wearing yellow balloons and yellow t-shirts stood with serious faces, each looking at their phones. A teenage girl with her hair cutely tied in pigtails pushed up her round glasses and said to a girl with a ponytail standing next to her.

"Look at this, Koharu. There was a rumor that Kay appeared at the variety show recording studio yesterday. It's up on SNS again."

Koharu, adjusting her neatly tied hair, snorted with laughter.

"Hmph, Ayano, do you really believe in such urban legends? Think about it. If Kay had come to Japan, don't you think someone would have noticed?"

Ayano puffed out her cheeks and held out her phone.

"Look at this. This person claims to be part of the broadcast lighting staff."

Koharu shook her head in disbelief after seeing the phone Ayano held out.

"What's that? It's just a few words. There's no photo. It would be great if Kay came along, but we're here to support Sister Shizuka, so let's cheer our hearts out."

Ayano looked around at the other people wearing the same yellow clothes with a dissatisfied expression.

"But do you think we'll be able to get into the prerecorded session? It seems more crowded than I thought."

Koharu also looked around with a slightly anxious expression.

"I thought the competition would be weaker since the fan club was newly established, but I was mistaken. I started feeling a bit uneasy when the club membership exceeded thirty thousand just three days after its establishment. Oh! They're coming again!"

Ayano exclaimed urgently upon seeing another group of people wearing yellow clothes approaching from the direction Koharu pointed.

"Let's hurry and stand where the AD might come out!"

"Yes! Let's run!"

Avoiding the crowd of nearly three hundred people in yellow clothes, Ayano asked,

"Only a hundred people can enter the prerecorded session, right?"

Koharu, without taking her eyes off the building's door, nodded while keeping an eye out for the AD.

"Yes, absolutely no more than a hundred people are allowed. It's first-come, first-served as soon as the AD calls for Sister Shizuka! From here on, it's every man for himself, so stick close, Ayano."

Ayano clenched her fist with a determined expression.

"Yes! If not today, when will we see Sister Shizuka again? If she's active with Kay, the US will be their main stage, so we have to see her face today to endure the endless waiting."

Koharu also clenched her fist and shouted,

"That's the spirit! Let's keep our heads on straight!"

The moment they saw a person coming out of the building door holding a cue sheet, they quickly ran towards the person. Before they could say anything, the man who saw the two girls approaching shouted,

"Fans of Ms. Shizuka Miyawaki, come this way! The first hundred will be allowed into the prerecording!"

"Aaaaaah!!! Run!!"

"Hurry! Run faster!!"

Despite the chaos, with some people falling over in the rush, a victorious smile spread across the faces of the two who were at the front, pushing back the people trying to squeeze in from behind. The AD, holding a clicker to count exactly one hundred people, pushed back the people behind and said,

"I'm sorry, but this is it."

A chubby man with glasses, holding a camera and shaking it, shouted last,

"Please let me in too! Huh? Huh? I came all the way here from Osaka to see Shizuka-san, taking the dawn train!"

As the man shouted, the people behind him also raised a clamor. However, the AD, with a stern expression, said decisively,

"The prerecording is limited to a hundred people. If you protest further, we will officially ban you from entering M Station as a fan club. Please step back."

Fans who received the ban order from M Station retreated with sullen faces, knowing that being expelled from the fan club meant lowering the club's prestige. The hundred fans who made it laughed quietly, looking at those enviously watching, hoping at least to see Shizuka's entrance. They quickly moved to the entrance, and the AD led the remaining hundred fans to the studio where the prerecording was taking place.

"Please follow the instructions during the move. Anyone not following my lead during the move will be expelled. Line up in two rows and follow me."

The fans

, neatly lined up in two rows, entered the recording studio. The prerecording allowed only a few singers, like Shizuka, with global recognition, to perform on their own specially prepared stages in the studio. The fans who were guided into the recording studio gasped at the sight of Shizuka's stage.

"Wow! Look at the stage! It's really beautiful!"

"Look at the lights, the soft pink lighting, and there are golden butterflies on the floor too!"

In the large studio, a set created by Fantagio was installed. Square-shaped multi-vision screens were stacked in a box shape, and golden butterflies fluttering on the floor were displayed through multi-vision. The overall warm and pretty atmosphere of the studio, illuminated by pink lights, and a golden grand piano placed in the center caught the fans' attention, who began to take out their phones to start taking pictures. After allowing the fans a moment to take pictures, the AD shouted,

"Okay, please take your seats now! Do not stand up during the recording. Also, be careful not to let your cheers overpower the audio."

The AD, who had been trained under the meticulous Music Station PD, paid attention to even the smallest details for a while before leaving. Ayano, with an excited expression, looked at Koharu, who was reinflating a deflated balloon.

"Koharu! It's my first time entering M Station!"

Koharu, puffing her cheeks to blow air into the balloon before tying it up, replied.

"This is my fourth time. I was here for the AKB48 stage and the Pink Lady performance too. Last year's Yurumerumo concert was a total meltdown. I never thought I'd see idols doing such crazy things on Music Station."

"Yurumerumo? The girl group Ano-chan is in?"

"Yeah, it's fun to watch them because they make these really weird faces and act crazy, but I'm not sure about their musicality."

"Hehe, I still find them fun to watch on TV though."

"It's fun, but as singers, shouldn't they compete with music?"

"Yeah, that's true. But I thought their songs were pretty good. Oh? I think I'm going to appear!"

As Ayano spoke, Koharu quickly lifted her head and saw Shizuka, wearing a sky blue dress, ascending to the stage.

"Kyaaaaaaa!!! Shizuka unnie~~~~~~~~!!!"

"Oh my, she really looks pure!! Kyaaa!!"

"Shizukaaa~~~!!!! Your husband is here!!"

"What are you talking about!! Shizuka is my goddess!!"

Hearing the fans' roaring, Shizuka shyly smiled and hesitantly stood at the center of the stage, holding the microphone.

"Thank you for coming from far away to support me today."

"Waaaaaaa!!!"

"You're pretty, unnie!!"

"Beautiful!! Gorgeous!!! We love you, Shizuka!!"

As the fans cheered, Shizuka smiled faintly and slightly bowed her head. The assistant director (AD) approached Shizuka and said,

"Miss Shizuka, this is the center of the stage. Please, take two steps to the left. Yes, right there. You should stand there when you first come out, greet, and then naturally walk to the piano."

Shizuka smiled gently and brushed her hair behind her ear, causing the AD's face to turn red. After checking her movements, Shizuka sat at the piano and seemed to loosen her fingers with a brief play, causing the busy staff to stop their work and look at Shizuka, mesmerized by the beautiful piano sound. Not just the fans, but even the staff were watching Shizuka when the producer's (PD) sharp voice burst from the monitor speakers.

"What are you all doing! There's no time, hurry up!"

Prompted by the PD's sharp outcry, the staff hurriedly moved again, and Shizuka, dusting her hands off the piano, said to the AD,

"I'm ready, Mr. AD."

The AD looked around briefly and then whispered to Shizuka,

"Where is Mr. Kay?"

Shizuka widened her eyes, glanced at the fans watching her and the AD, then covered her mouth with her hand and whispered,

"He's in my dressing room, don't worry."

The AD sighed with relief and nodded,

"Phew, you're on time, thank goodness. I heard that the piano performance starts and Mr. Kay appears after 1 minute and 13 seconds, is that correct?"

"Yes, Mr. AD. That's correct."

"Understood. I'll check where Mr. Kay will appear and ask you to pass the message to Miss Shizuka."

"Yes, Mr. AD."

After listening to the AD's instructions, Shizuka disappeared behind the stage, and about 5 minutes later, the stage lights dimmed slightly. Realizing that the pre-recording was about to start, the fans waited with bated breath, focusing on the stage. The stage veteran male voice actor introduced Shizuka, causing the fans to start screaming. The AD waited for the fans' roaring to subside and then, spinning the cue sheet rolled in his hand, signaled the staff who shouted to Shizuka waiting behind the stage,

"It's your cue, go out!"

As Shizuka quickly made her way to the stage, Byungjoon patted her back, saying,

"Leave the back to us and go enjoy!"

"Yes, Manager!"

Shizuka, with the warm pink lights adding warmth to the stage, brushed her hair behind her ear and stood politely in the center of the stage as designated by the AD, greeted, and then the cheers erupted. Shizuka gently smiled and walked to the piano and sat down, then closed her eyes. While she took a moment to compose herself, the audience quieted down, focusing intently on her fingertips. Soon, the stage of Music Station was filled with the beautiful melody of the piano. Lost in the fantasy of a beautiful vast plain with flocks of sheep frolicking and running across the field with a pan flute in their mouths, Ayano unknowingly closed her eyes, bringing her hands to her chest, swaying slightly to the music. Suddenly, the fans' roaring snapped Ayano out of her trance.

"It's Kay!!!"

"Is it real? Is Kay really in Japan?"

"See! I told you it wasn't an

urban legend! Kyaaaaa Kay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Ayano's eyes opened to see a strikingly handsome man with a smile, holding a microphone, walking towards the grand piano. Koharu, with her mouth agape, drooling, wiped the drool with one hand and murmured,

"Is that a human, or a demon? He looks so sexy···"

>

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