Stage

Hushed whispers filled the audience in the darkness of the stage. Miyuki took a deep, shaky breath to release her anxieties into the hot, stuffy air of the crowded stadium. She had never given a performance to as many fans as were here at the current moment. That, however, was not what made her nervous. 

Until now, all her music was a dream in the search of one boy; a friend she had never forgotten since he disappeared from her life. As her fame grew, so did her hopes that she would be reunited with him. Everything she had worked tirelessly to perfect the past three years all led up to this moment–the performance that takes her from dreaming to acting. This new song she thought long and hard to make was her invitation to her childhood love to reenter her life.

A spotlight cut through the darkness, drawing the eyes of thousands to Miyuki. Then another one lit up more of the stage. 

The audience roared as music started to play. Miyuki's body moved in perfect harmony with the beat as she began to sing, captivating the attention of everyone present. 

Within a few minutes, the song ended with Miyuki striking a pose with her hand reaching into the air, followed by an eruption of applause and cheering. Her lips curved into a wide smile. ‘Can you hear my voice, Jin? This song is for you!’

After giving the crowd a moment to calm down, she bowed. “Thank you all for coming to support me today. I'm truly grateful for you all. I've been working on this song for almost a year now, so I'm happy you like it! To tell you the truth, I wrote this song specifically for someone I used to have in my life that I've been searching for. I hope that this song will reach him as it has reached you. With your help, my dreams can become reality soon. So thank you all!” 

-

“That was so great! I think that was your best performance yet,” Miyuki's friend and biggest supporter, Nanami, squealed in excitement and threw her arms around her. 

“Thanks, Nanami. Could you let me go, please? It's getting a little hard to breathe…” 

“I'm sorry!” She immediately released Miyuki from her hold and stepped back. “Its just, I'm excited for you! You're really going places with your music! Look at this!” Nanami pulled out her phone and showed it to Miyuki. 

The screen showed a list of the current top performing songs in Japan. Miyuki's eyes widened as she looked at the listed songs. First on the list was Miyuki Haruno's Phoenix. “N-Number one..?” She turned to Nanami. “This could actually reach him!” 

“I bet it’s already graced his ears,” Nanami winked. “There’s no way–” a knock on the door interrupted her. 

“Oh, that must be my manager,” Miyuki stumbled over to the door and opened it. “Hey Hiroshi! What brings you to my residence today?”

“Great news, Miyuki. Your-”

“Song is number one on the charts? I know! It’s really exciting!”

“You already knew?”

Miyuki nodded. “Nanami showed me just a moment ago.”

Her manager’s gaze flicked behind her to where Nanami was standing. “Ah, so your friend is here too. Well,” he said, turning his attention back to Miyuki. “Could I come in?”

“Of course,” she said, stepping back to let her manager in her apartment. 

Once the door was closed, he cleared his throat. “There’s something else that I came to talk to you about. Ms. Yoshida from Japan Today wants to have an interview with you.”

“An interview? That’d be great! When is it?”

“Hold on a second, Miyuki.” Hiroshi took a deep breath. “The press doesn’t have your best interests at heart. They have their own agenda. If you give them anything they can work with, they will create a story that will damage your reputation. You shouldn’t be so ready to jump at an interview with them. That being said, if you handle it well, your fame will boost.”

“I understand your concern, Hiroshi,” Miyuki started, “but an interview in the news? What better opportunity will I have to find Jin?” 

“That’s exactly what I’m worried about,” he replied. “They are undoubtedly going to ask about that since you mentioned it so casually during your performance. If the news learns the details of your quest, they will surely use it to ruin either your life or his.” He shook his head. “I’m glad I can be your manager, but you have to think about these things before you get ahead of yourself.”

Nanami took a seat on a chair that rested by a small round table. “What if she doesn’t reveal his identity, or pretends he’s just a close friend?” 

“That would be great, Nanami, but we both know Miyuki would spill her secrets as soon as she’s asked the right question.”

Miyuki pouted. “Who do you take me for? I can keep secrets! Nanami, back me up!”

Her friend looked the other direction and whistled, as if she were minding her own business.

”Nanami..!” Miyuki dramatically collapsed to her knees in defeat. “Okay… I’ll be careful during the interview…” 

“Do you promise?” Hiroshi raised an eyebrow.

”I promise…” With a heavy sigh, she pushed herself back to her feet, and her defeated attitude was immediately replaced with the pure excitement of a kitten about to play. “So when is the interview?”

“Whenever you would like. I told her I’d email her your response."

 “Hmm…” She put her finger on her chin, deep in thought. “What about Friday at 1?”

Behind her, Nanami let out a laugh. “You’re just trying to get out of exams, aren’t you?”

Miyuki spun toward her friend. “N-No! I just forgot we had exams on Friday, that’s all! I suppose Saturday would work instead…”

”Saturday at 1?” Hiroshi asked, to which Miyuki nodded. “Let’s see, today’s Wednesday? That should be enough notice. I’ll let her know.” He turned to leave, but paused. “In the meantime, Miyuki, you may want to prepare for the interview. Can I rely on you to help you with that, Nanami?”

”Of course. Anything to help Miyuki avoid making a fool of herself on live television,” she teased. 

“Thank you. Good luck this weekend, Miyuki. How you perform in this interview will make or break you.” Footsteps echoed through the apartment as Miyuki’s manager left her apartment. 

She turned to Nanami with a big smile on her face. “By this time next week, Jin and I will finally be reunited!”