It was, quite literally, a massive upset. Enfants Terribles, a band of ragtag troublemakers formed only recently, had snatched victory from KAT-TUN—a group considered a top contender alongside AAA.
They were no longer mere hopefuls.
The veil of public skepticism that once clouded them had been lifted.
—What are these guys, seriously?
—In our Great Japan! A new kind of music has been born!
—I've been listening to all their tracks, and every single one is insane.
—Honestly, isn't the way they cause chaos just freaking cool?
The rewards for defeating a powerhouse agency group like KAT-TUN in a head-to-head rival match were immense. This momentum was immediately reflected in the Billboard Japan Hot 100.
[A Syndrome of Troublemakers Sweeps the Japanese Archipelago!! Enfants Terribles Achieves a Clean Sweep on Billboard Japan Hot 100!!]
[The First Chart Sweep in 10 Years! The Troublemakers' Riot is a Success Today as Well!]
In a flash, we went from being cocky newcomers to rising stars.
The sharp criticisms previously leveled at us by the media began to vanish, replaced by articles that were largely supportive and positive.
But the biggest change of all was the flood of requests for performances. Historically, bands make their real money through gigs and touring.
Digital sales revenue? No matter how much you pull in, it's pocket change compared to the profits of a world tour.
"Yokishi, Shuji. We're going to be rich."
I spoke with a sly, devious grin. It was time to say a permanent goodbye to the days of surviving on tear-soaked, cheap snacks.
"Big bro, what do you mean by that?"
"I mean we've finally become a band that gets invited to play events."
"Oooh!!!! Now that gets me fired up!!!!"
I was just as giddy about the performance requests. To think that I, a man who once barely held onto session gigs, was now being specifically requested by others to play music... Plus, since we didn't have an agency, we'd get to keep every single cent of the performance fees for ourselves.
"Hehehehehe..."
I was lost in a dark chuckle, arms locked with my bandmates in celebration. However, Ai, who had been watching our reaction with a confused expression, threw a question our way.
"Eh? But can you even go to events while you're participating in ASAYAN...? [・ヘ・?]"
"""Huh??"""
The Semi-Finals of ASAYAN, just like the Quarter-Finals, would be an all-or-nothing showdown using original compositions. The only difference was the addition of text voting and the shift from a single-elimination format to a Best-of-Three series.
We needed to create three original songs all at once. For groups backed by major agencies, this wasn't much of an issue since they could mobilize an army of professional songwriters. For us, operating as a DIY home industry, it was a different story.
'Even if I know the melody lines of legendary songs, implementing them into a full arrangement takes time.'
Yokishi and Shuji's excellent musical instincts had been a massive help in recreating hits from my past life, but now, I needed their strength more than ever.
In truth, the act of 'composing' isn't that difficult in itself.
First, you envision a melody in your head and translate it onto an instrument. Then, you hammer out some lyrics that fit the melody.
The problem is that 99% of the songs produced this way are garbage. Great songs don't emerge just because you worry about them. That's why 'composition' is truly the realm of raw instinct and talent.
"If writing three songs is that much of a burden, should Ai help you out a bit?"
That was it. This was a world where those with stars in their eyes possessed monstrous talent. And Ai was the girl with the most brilliant stars I had ever seen.
'Wait... then wouldn't she be good at writing music too?'
.
.
.
.
"Ai, do you want to try learning the guitar first?"
In my past life, I was a lowly E-rank session musician, but I was also the guy who lured countless kids into the world of guitar while working as a tutor.
'It's an unwritten rule that true composition happens on a guitar. Hell yeah!'