Chapter 20.1

The girls walk into the room and they see a stage and a bunch of seats sitting in front of it. They look for Shishijima but they can’t see him anywhere. They walk into aisle of the row of seats and walk towards front and the start to hear snoring. 

“What the hell! Where is that coming from?” said Mari. 

“I don’t know but it’s starting to weird me out.”  said Rin. 

They get to the front of the row of the seats. They sit in the front row of the seats but they notice another figure sitting at the far left end of the front row. Rin gestures Mari by pointing towards the figure in order to tell her that she’s going to check it out. 

Rin walked over towards the figure and as she gets closer to the person she notices something. She notices that there is a vape  hanging out of the persons coat. That right there was enough of a hint to Rin as to who this was in this seat. 

She bends over and begins to whisper “Shishijima, wake uppppp.” 

He responds by swatting away Rin with his flailing hands. She tries again by whispering “It’s time to wake up now.” 

To which he responds by moving his head from side to side. 

She gets up close to his ear and positions her hands together like she was going to yell across a loud room. 

She takes a breath yells out “WAKE UP SHISHIJIMA!”

He immediately jumps from his seat and yells “AHHH WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU YELLING FOR?”

Rin says “Well I tried to wake you up quietly but , you didn’t respond.”

“Damn! Next time can you just shake me a little!” he says as he stands up fully and begins to walk over towards the back of stage. 

“Glad to see you both were able to make it.” -said Shishijima. 

“So glad to be out of your kitchen and into a space where I can actually stretch out.” says Mari sprawling out in the seat. 

“Hey! That’s not fair. You just wait until you are out of your parent’s house. To really comment on a self-made bachelor such as myself.” said a proud Shishijima. 

“So Shishijima, how are you able to get this performance stage.” asked Rin. 

“Well, let’s just say I have some connections.” said Shishijima with an ominous look on his face. 

“Well, can’t argue with that. So I guess I should change into some different clothes.” said Rin. 

“Sure! There’s a girls bathroom at the other end of the hallway.” said Shishijima pointing towards the door. 

Rin runs out the door and down the hallway to the restroom. There she walked into the last stall and closed it behind her. She sat on the toilet and began to type in her phone manically. 

She stops as she hears the door open and footsteps walking into bathroom. Rin looks out the opening of the stall to see two girls sitting in front of the mirror. 

“Hey! Did you see that creepy old man in the performance hall?” said a young girl with a long ponytail.

“Yeah. He looks shady as heck and the fact that the faculty allowed him to use that hall is even weirder.” a girl with a bow responded. 

The both look in the mirror doing their makeup and one girl says “Well! You better hurry up you guys before the old creepy man comes after you!” 

“Hahaha!”They all laugh as they leave the bathroom.

Rin finally opens up the stall she was in walks out into the hallway. She then walks down the hallway back into the performance hall where she can hear the backing track for the song she is set to perform.

“Hey Rin! So I know you aren’t used to performing on an actual stage but I want you visualize yourself actually performing in front of a crowd.” said Shishijima to Rin.

“Ummm-Ok. How do I even get one the stage?” asks Rin. 

“Yeah. Just walk back to the back of the stage where that door is and walk up the stairs.”  said Shishijima. 

Rin does exactly that and walk onto the stage. Mari and Shishijima look on as Rin walks around the stage to get a feel of the smooth surface for which she is standing on. 

“Alight Rin! Time for you to use the training that we have done the last couple weeks ,here; on this stage.” said Shishijima. 

“Uhmm-Ok.” responded Rin. 

The music begins to play over the speakers and she braces herself as he poses with the mic stand and takes off her mic. 

She mouth the words and take the if from the stand. She begins to sing and walk all over the stage with a bit of pep. The song ends and Shishijima looks with a blank stare. 

“Good job Rin; but can you give us a little more energy. It looks like you don’t even want to be here.” said Shishijima.

“Uhm—yeah; I’ll try to.” with a soft voice. 

The run the performance again and Rin gives an even more lack luster performance. 

“Uhmm-Rin, you have to make eye contact with your audience.” said Shishijima with a stern voice. 

“Ay! Ay!” in a sarcastic tone by Rin. 

“What seems to be the problem?”asks a concerned Shishijima getting from his position in front row.  

“Nothing! I’m just not feeling it today.” murmured Rin. 

“Well! You’re going to have to start to feeling it eventually! This is our only rehearsal!” exclaimed Shishijima. 

“Ok!” said Rin nonchalantly. 

They run the performance again but this time it seems like Rin is ever less enthusiastic. Causing Shishijima to get up from his seat and call Rin down from the stage. 

Rin ultimately comes down from the stage and walks back from its side door and down to a seat in the front row. 

“What is the problem? You seemed way more confident practicing in my living room.” said Shishijima expressing concern. 

“I don’t know! I just don’t think that I am ready  to debut tomorrow. I need more time to hone my skills before I just show them to the world.” said an unsure Rin. 

“I know that is rather sudden but we need to take this opportunity as it is one that won’t show up often.” said a calm Shishijima. 

“Well, yeah. However, now I’m an EV-Idol who’s never supposed to age or show any sign of fear or uneasiness. However, that’s all I seem to feel right now.” said a solemn Rin placing her head back while sitting. 

Well yeah! It’s only natural to feel nervous about doing anything the first time. However, I think if you go ahead and at least give it your best effort you won’t feel that bad because all your energy will be going towards performing.”

“It’s easy for you to say.” said Rin in response. 

“Huh?” squawked Shishijima.

“You aren’t the one who will be getting judged by the people audience so of course you won’t understand!” exclaimed Rin. 

“Wait Rin. Let’s not get carried away! I can say—“. Shishijima tried to explain before getting cut off by Rin. 

“You don’t understand the risk I intend to take by doing this. I can ruin any career I’ll ever have if this goes wrong.” relents Rin. 

“Do you understand?” said Rin snarkily.

Well—I—sort of. Shishijima attempted to respond but her could get his words to come out. 

“Exactly!” says Rin as she grabs her bag with her belongings and walks over to Mari. 

Who is under an immense sleep with her body sprawled over the seat like it’s a throw pillow. 

“Hey! Wake up!” she shakes Mari. 

“Oh! Sorry WHUhT Hapeennnned” Mari yawned. 

“We’re going!” said Rin. 

“What! That was rather fast!” said a confused Mari. 

They both get up and leave the performance hall. Shishijima looks on in embarrassment as he sees his client walk out like she did before. 

They both head for the tram’s stop and once they get there it’s already filled with students from the school including the girls that were in the bathroom. Rin sits on the curb and faces the street looking in a detached manner.  

“So how did it go?” Mari asked. 

“Well, I’m going.” said Rin with an ominous tone. 

“What! You’re just leaving for no reason?” asked Mari in response.

“No. I don’t want to embarrass myself on that stage tomorrow. I’m just not ready.” Rin said in a solemn tone. 

“Wait! Rin; I’m usually on your side but I don’t think that is right.” said Mari in a particularly hesitant tone. 

“What do you know?”Rin said in a rather dismissive tone.

I know you tend to overreact when things don’t go your way. You have an air of someone who thinks they know it all but in the back of their mind they know they don’t. So try to mask that by never wanting to mistake. However, all that ever leads to is the one that doesn’t want to make any mistakes to never fully reach their potential.” said Mari frustrated. 

Rin looks over to see a very irritated Mari. 

“See! You have a very special gift that somebody saw and wanted to do everything in their power to make you a star. This is how you repay them?” Mari says as she walks back towards the school. 

“You can take the tram back by yourself! I’m going to apologize to Shishijima!” Mari yelled out to Rin. 

“Whatever; do what you want.” Rin muttered.

                      LATER THAT EVENING

Rin sits in her living room while she eats a TV dinner she heated up with beans and a grilled flank steak that she is trying to cut with a dull knife. 

“Damn! This steak is tuff as hell. I should set the microwave AI to sensor cook instead of doing it manually.” said Rin in annoyance. 

She takes the cut of steak and places it in her mouth. Chewing incessantly to make sure it’s soft enough to swallow. 

Right then she hears a ring at the doorbell. 

“Who the hell is that?” said Rin to herself. 

“HEYY! RINKOOOO DITTT JOUUU ORRRRUDUUHH A PZAAAAA OR SOMETHING?” Rin yelled. 

“WHAT? SPEAK YOUR MOUTH EMPTY DING DONG!” Rinko yells back. 

Rin opens the door and automatically freezes in place. 

The person at the door is none other than Santana.

Uhhhhh! WHattt ORRR JUU DOEN HEREE?” says Rin with a mouth of steak. 

“UHH HELLLO? YOU ASKED ME TO DELIVER THIS TO YOU BUT WHEN I GOT TO THE ADDRESS A GENTLEMAN TOLD ME THAT YOUR WEREN’T there. So I just looked at the last text you sent me and you just told me to go to the address on the international phone registry.” explained Santana. 

“COMMMEEE INN!” said Rin with her mouth full. 

Santana walks in with jeans and a green T-Shirt with paint  all over it.

“Wow! Your place is really homey!” says Santana looking around. 

“FANKSSS!” said Rin as she sits down. Then swallowing the steak she was just chewing. 

Santana stands and looks around at the compact yet cozy nature of Rin’s home. 

“So uhm take a seat!” said Rin. 

“Oh my pleasure!” as Santana goes to sit down on the couch right next to Rin. 

“So here you go. The thing you asked me to make!” he passes a big duffle bag Rin. 

“Oh Thanks! However, I really don’t need it anymore.” said Rin in a solemn mood. 

“What! Why?” said Santana

“Well—I just have this feeling that I will make a fool out of myself.” said Rin. 

Santana turns his head to Rin and proceeds to say “That’s it?”

Rin looks forward and says “Well Yeah!”

“Oh.” said with a tone of disappointment from Santana. 

“What do you mean “Oh.”?” said Rin in a curious manner. 

“Sorry don’t take any offense to it. I just thought it was a very simple but very open statement. Like usually the answer is more detailed than that. I mean it seems fair enough though.” explained Santana. 

“Well! What i’m doing is rather hard field to break into. So having me make a fool out of myself just for me to never get anywhere is counter productive.” said Rin. 

“Yeah but isn’t that the fun of it all.” said Santana. 

“What!” asked Rin.

“Hey! You aren’t the only one who has tried to take down a Gargantuan task. However, trying is the most exhilarating part.” said Santana with a smile on his face. 

Rin looks confused as she watches Santana grin. 

“Did you know my first year in JV is scored around 20 points the entire school year?” asked Santana.

“No I didn’t know that!” said Rin with a face of confusion. 

“You see. I played basketball on and off my entire life. As my family moved around a lot I was never really able to mold myself around a team. So I usually played pickup games that were 1-on-1.” said Santana. 

Rin just looks in shock as she has one of the most popular kids at her school giving a bit of their life.

“So when I got to high school the team aspect was foreign to me. So I solely focused on scoring a point. Forgetting that basketball is a team sport. As a result I was blocked and had the ball stolen by the other team constantly. So much so the team started to resent me. However, Brad saw my potential as he was one who came from playing on teams.” said Santana as he reminisced. 

“So, was it hard learning a shill that you weren’t familiar with?” asked Rin. 

“Well Yeah! It is for most people who are trying something new.” said an ominous Santana. 

The both star out from the couch as they both have something on their minds. 

“However, if you have a strong team behind you. Ir makes it easier to achieve your goal as often times they possess skills you often lack.” says Santana as he stands up from the sofa and heads for the door. 

“As you may need that for something. You can keep it until you think you’re ready to use it.” said Santana as he leaves out of the door. 

Rin sits in silence as she thinks about what just transpired.

“HEY! WAS THAT THE ACTUAL PIZZA MAN BECAUSE IM HUNGRY.” shouts Rinko from upstairs. 

                       THE NEXT DAY

Rin sees Mari and waves but Mari is seemingly giving her the silent treatment. 

Rin is so embarrassed that she got shot down that she makes it seems like she was trying to shoo a fly away. 

She walks down the steps and waits for the train. When suddenly Coconoko pops up on her phone and says the gig is tonight at 7:30pm and says the address. 

“Why the hell are you reminding me?” said Rin. 

“Well! You never deleted from your calendar. So i’m still at liberty to remind you.” said Coconoko. 

She gets on the tram and sits down on the seat. Then right after she sits an older gentleman sits down right beside her. 

“Hey! Excuse me are you that girl that auditioned for that muse contest a couple months back?” asked the gentleman. 

“Huh? What?” said startled Rin. 

“Are you the girl? I just thought you looked awfully similar.” said the gentleman.

“Uhm. I guess so?” said a hesitant Rin.

“Well! What a surprise. I thought you had fallen off the face of the earth.” said the gentleman. 

Uhh. No I’m just living life. You know!” said Rin sarcastically laughing. 

“Oh well that’s good. Just wanted to thank you!” said the gentleman. 

“Why? For what?” asked Rin. 

“Well! I was actually in the audience that day when you performed. I was just laid off from my job a couple days before. However, seeing you get up there and perform really inspired me to keep going. Now I’ve got another job!” said the gentleman. 

“Wow! That’s great. Uhm—I’m glad that I  could help you!” said Rin. 

“No thank you for that performance. I still listen to it from time to give me some motivation.” said the gentleman. 

Rin then gets off at her stop and walks into the house. While the door shuts  Rinko can be seen making a huge mess. She sees paint everywhere on the dining room table.

“Hey Rinko!” said Rin.

“Hey; wassup shawty!” said Rinko. 

“Where did you learn how to talk like that?” said Rin.

“An old documentary of the 2000’s.” said Rinko.

“Ok! Well clean up your mess before mom gets home.” says Rin as she walks up the stairs to her room.