The results of the Grammy Awards were, in a way, expected.
[Enfants Terribles Sweeps the Grammy General Field!!]
The protagonists of the night were Enfants Terribles, who had sold a staggering 65 million copies of their first album alone. A single group sweeping the General Field categories was an event without precedent in history.
They were geniuses of the century who achieved in a single year what even Michael Jackson could not. Following the massive events of the night, Japanese media outlets were doing their absolute best to cover this auspicious occasion and secure interviews.
For the first time since the founding of Japan, a Japanese act had won at the Grammy Awards. And they had done it by sweeping the General Field for the first time in history. The Japanese public was whipped into a frenzy by the news.
- Can we agree that Enfants Terribles are the Japanese GOATs?
- Japan's musical prowess is number one in the world!!!!!!
- Their songs won't leave my head, I think I'm screwed. What do I do?
↳ Just leave it playing while you sleep.
↳ It's legendary when you start humming it at work.
↳ I'm a student studying for entrance exams.
↳ You're screwed. Good luck.
Beyond that, the shocking performance delivered by Enfants Terribles at the ceremony sent ripples through all of America.
Their stage was unlike anything seen before in the history of popular music, and it was brilliantly executed. Their performance didn't rely on massive capital investments or piercing high notes meant to startle the listener; yet, the public was awestruck.
Pure music.
This was an achievement Enfants Terribles reached solely through the power of sound.
The band was already a global syndrome, but now they had ascended beyond that level. Enfants Terribles' music echoed everywhere in the United States, and their entire catalog began climbing back up the Billboard Hot 100 to line up the charts once again.
[Enfants Terribles' Second Single, 'Basket Case,' Claims #1 on the Billboard 200 Immediately Upon Release, Overtaking ' Morning Glory?']
With their second single, released to coincide with the Grammys, becoming a massive success, the heat showed no signs of cooling. With every album suggesting a new meta for music, they were gradually being hailed as icons of the era and pioneers of sound.
The entire world was busy rushing to worship them.
When the four men arrived at the airport and stepped through the gate, the airport began to shake from the fans' excitement.
"EF! EF! EF! EF!"
"I love you!! Hide!!!"
"Yokishi, your muscles look amazing!!!!"
"Shuji, your head shape is so cool!!!!"
Naturally, the members of Enfants Terribles could feel the intensity. So many people had gathered at the airport that New York City officials had to step in to manage traffic control.
"Line up if you want an autograph!!"
"Hey, Baldy, you're seriously going to sign for that many people?"
Though they were known for being troublemakers, Enfants Terribles was always dedicated to their fans. They calmly organized the crowd and began signing. They did this for a staggering six hours.
Even then, a massive line of people who hadn't received an autograph remained.
A line that stretched all the way outside the airport.
.
.
.
.
.
"Hide! Why aren't you picking up the phone!"
Phone...? What phone...? The three of us had passed out the moment we escaped the crowd and returned to our quarters, so my head was in a fog.
'Ah, I was supposed to have a meal with Ai before she went back to Japan, wasn't I?'
I seemed to recall promising to call her once I reached New York to discuss where to eat. Checking my phone, I saw there were ten missed calls from while I was asleep.
'I'm going to get an earful for this...'
Bracing myself for Ai's lecture, I dialed the number with trembling hands. I was certain she was going to nag me to death.
"Hide! You promised!! ヽ(ﾟД)ﾉ"
"I fell asleep as soon as I got back to the room..."
But I had my excuses. Having spent six hours aggressively using my triceps and biceps to sign autographs, collapsing the moment I hit the bed was inevitable.
"If that's the reason, it's okay! -☆"
The response was unexpected. Normally she would have thrown a tantrum, so the lack of one left me feeling quite flustered. They say kids grow up in the blink of an eye, and it seemed to be true.
"So, where are we eating?"
Ah, I'd overslept and hadn't decided on the most important thing.
Why was it the most important?
Because as a Korean, I live on the power of rice.