['Rock 'n' Roll Star'—Enfants Terribles Tears the Stage Apart Once Again!]
[Apex's Unauthorized Absence Successfully Suppressed!]
[The Magic of Enfants Terribles: Even Other Fandoms are Enthralled!]
After the Enfants Terribles performance ended, the media went into a complete frenzy.
The primary reason was the rarity of the occasion; despite being a band born in Japan, it was incredibly difficult for the Japanese public to see them perform live. Since the release of their first album, Enfants Terribles had spent most of their time active in the United States rather than their home country.
"Tonight I'm a rock 'n' roll star"
Precisely because it was Enfants Terribles, the Utakon stage was transformed into a magnificent spectacle where every person in the building sang along to every lyric.
For the record, the absence of Zard caused a massive controversy. Her name had clearly been on the Utakon lineup, yet she never took the stage.
Apex attempted a desperate damage control maneuver, claiming that Sakai Izumi had complained of anemia, but public opinion was not easily swayed.
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"Yes!!! B-Komachi is finally hitting its stride!"
In the aftermath of the performance B-Komachi delivered yesterday, the Strawberry Productions office was in a state of chaotic excitement. Standing in the middle of it all, a massive, satisfied grin broke across the face of Saito Ichigo.
"Miyako, I think we can move up the release date for the new B-Komachi album. Once this round of music show appearances with Enfants Terribles is over, let's get that album out and start the promotions immediately!"
Saito Ichigo couldn't have been happier.
While B-Komachi's excellent performance was a factor, the mere fact that they shared a stage with Enfants Terribles had garnered them a level of public interest that was incomparable to anything they'd experienced before.
In this climate, the song 'Cupid' that Hide had crafted would act as a razor-sharp blade—a blade that would carve through B-Komachi's competitors and elevate them to the summit of the idol market.
With those thoughts in mind, Saito Ichigo looked over at Hide, who was sprawling on the sofa, sipping an iced Americano with cubes of ice rattling in the cup.
"My lucky star... what brings you here? I didn't even call for you."
"Sato, what do you think was the real reason Apex bailed? After what I went through on ASAYAN, it feels personal."
"It's not Sato... it's Saito, you damn star. You don't need to overthink it. They tried to stage a boycott and got stabbed in the back by their own scheme."
Having honed a sharper intuition through running a major label, Saito Ichigo immediately deduced the logic behind Apex's boycott.
"Then do you think there's any chance they'll try to harm B-Komachi?"
"No, none at all. From their perspective, there's no merit in picking a fight with another major agency like Strawberry Productions. You know how it is—the entertainment world is a web of interconnected interests."
Hide offered a bitter smile at Saito's words. Just as he said, the industry was a world that revolved strictly around business and mutual benefits.
Lately, Hide had been feeling this reality more acutely. As Enfants Terribles grew into bigger stars, the space once occupied by human elements like friendship was being steadily replaced by business.
"Yeah, I'm well aware."
"Of course, if they show any sign of doing something like that, we'll step in. Even if we have to leverage the influence of Enfants Terribles."
Hide felt that realization once more while looking at the man in front of him. The success of Enfants Terribles had turned even Saito Ichigo—who used to value humanity and loyalty above all else—into a cold-blooded professional.
"But if this were the old days, wouldn't you have stepped in first? You're the one who cherished B-Komachi like they were your own flesh and blood, Saito."
"Public and private matters have to be kept separate. I'm not just B-Komachi's manager anymore; I'm the President of Strawberry Productions. Hide, what I'm doing now isn't a charity. It's business."
There was nothing logically flawed in Saito Ichigo's argument. However, Hide, the leader of Enfants Terribles, couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow seeing everything surrounding him slowly turn into a transaction.
"Do you still consider Ai to be your daughter?"
"Of course I do. But 'Ai the Idol' and 'Hoshino Ai, my daughter' are two things that must be distinguished."
"You've changed a lot, Saito."
Saito Ichigo let out a smile tinged with bitterness before opening his mouth to speak.
"Nothing in this world is forever, after all."