Jeopardy

“You’re finally here,” Luna greeted from the sofa. Her legs and arms were both crossed in patient elegance.

Miyuki had left Komi in the hallway on the outside of the studio and entered alone. “Thank you for inviting me,” she reverenced her with a curtsy.

“I assume your friend is waiting outside,” she said as she uncrossed her legs and rose to her feet. “Let’s hear the song,” she reached for a couple pairs of charcoal headphones that were plugged into the soundboard that sat against the wall, just below the large window into the recording room, and handed one to Miyuki.

Without a second thought, Miyuki pulled the headphones over her ears and waited for something to happen like an alert cat.

Luna hooked her phone into the soundboard and messed with a few buttons and knobs. Time ticked silently by, and within a few moments, music escaped from the headphones. The catchy tune was quick and upbeat, and Luna’s vocals harmonized perfectly with the instrumental chords. Miyuki’s head bobbed to the beat, visualizing her thoughts on the melody.

A few minutes passed, and the song came to a satisfying conclusion. She slid the headphones off her ears and carefully set them back on the soundboard. “That was incredible! I’m sure my fans will love it.”

“I’m glad you think so,” Luna smiled, removing her own headphones from her head. “With this, everyone will know who Japan’s top idol is. You should be honored to have helped this country remember that.”

“I’ll take that as a thank you,” Miyuki giggled, knowing that Luna doesn’t often praise others. “Working on this with you was quite the experience, but I’m glad you gave me this opportunity. I’ll be checking to see how it performs on charts.”

“It will make it to the top,” Luna said. “Do you still have time to talk, now that you’ve heard my masterpiece?”

Miyuki nodded. “It would be rude to say no after coming all the way here.”

“Excellent,” she walked Miyuki over to the couch and sat her down, taking a seat next to her. “The Idol Awards is getting closer. Have you been doing anything to prepare for it?”

“Not yet. I’m looking for inspiration for a new song but not much has come yet. Maybe because it’s not on the forefront of my mind,” she said. “Is Komi allowed in now?”

“Your friend…” Luna sighed. “Yes, she can join us if you want her to.”

“Awesome! I’ll let her know she can come in,” she sent a quick text to Komi and returned her phone to her pocket. “Komi told me there are a few idols who have been preparing for the Idol Awards for a while now.”

“So I’ve heard,” Luna crossed one leg over the other. Her eyes betrayed nothing as to what she was thinking.

The door behind them swung open, and Komi slipped into the room. “Hello again,” she waved to Luna and moved to the chair that was placed in front of the soundboard to sit. The room fell silent for a moment, and they played poker with the different yet equally unreadable expressions Luna and Komi were wearing.

“Komi Koizumi, was it? Would you mind giving me a formal introduction of yourself?” Her proud gaze peered into Komi’s soul, searching for information.

“I believe I introduced myself last time I was here,” she said.

“All you told me was your name and that you were a friend of Haruno’s here, which was quite obvious,” Luna argued. “I want a formal introduction of who you are. For starters,” her eyes narrowed menacingly, “why your voice is familiar.”

Komi’s body flinched in shock, but she quickly shook it off. “I have some friends who are somewhat involved with idols. Perhaps you heard me in passing when I was visiting one of them.”

“That answer doesn’t satisfy me, but I suppose I’ll let you play your game. Tell me more about yourself, if you will.”

Miyuki shifted her glance from one to the other, confused by the obvious venom of distrust Luna spat.

“I’m originally from Sapporo, but I’ve been living in Akita for the past three years. Keeping up with the latest info on idols is one of the few hobbies that I have, and I tend to prefer being either by myself or with a small group. I met Miyuki in person about a month ago at school, and have been spending a lot of time with her and Nanami since then.” Then she paused. “I believe that’s all the important info there is.”

“Right… Well, if you don’t want to share anything else, I won’t make you. Secrets all get revealed one way or another,” Luna flipped her hair behind her. “Anyway, about the thing I wanted to discuss with you, Miyuki…” She trailed off, drawing Miyuki’s curious attention like a siren.

“What is it?” She leaned forward, her heart fluttering in her chest at the anticipation building off of Luna’s delayed response.

Luna’s eyes gazed into hers, her pride giving way to an ominous aura. “I want you to withdraw from the Idol Awards.”

Miyuki stared at her in bewilderment. “What?”

“You heard me. Withdraw from the Idol Awards. Or I’ll have to resort to methods I’d rather not deal with.”

“Why…?” She stole a glance at Komi, who returned the look with concern. “Why would you want me to not participate? I thought you were certain you were going to win.”

“I am,” Luna boasted. “But with you out of the race, your fans will flock to me and further secure my victory.”

“What ‘methods’ are you threatening?” Komi asked on Miyuki’s behalf.

“This,” Luna revealed her phone. On the screen was an image of Miyuki joyfully splashing Jin at the pool.

Miyuki’s eyes widened. “How did you get that picture?”

“I had some business to attend to in Akita and happened to relax at the right place at the right time. So, if you don’t recall yourself from the Idol Awards, I will reveal this photo to the public and tell them all about your secret relationship.”

“You think people knowing Miyuki has a romantic life will be enough to destroy her career? Plenty of idols have romances that are public knowledge,” Komi said.

“That’s true, but they aren’t actively trying to hide it, are they? Nor are they going to a man’s house, spending hours alone with him doing who knows what. That is what will make her followers lose faith in her,” Luna grinned in wicked pride.

The looming threat frightened her. She could feel her body shake under the heavy weight of what Luna could do to her. ‘I don’t want people thinking I’m in some sort of scandal.’ she thought. Time stretched itself, turning seconds of silence into what felt like minutes. Just as she was about to give in to her demand, the thought of what the Idol Awards meant to her this year slapped her in the face with the force of a mighty lion. ‘The last day of the Idol Awards… That’s when I’m going to steal Jin’s heart. I can’t give up that opportunity!’

“What do you say, Haruno? Will you play it safe and be a good girl, or will you deny my gracious warning and destroy yourself? The choice is yours.”

Luna’s vicious stare drove daggers through her heart. The anxiety of the moment clouded her judgment, but after having a few moments to think, a definite decision came to mind, and she wasn’t going to back down. No matter what Luna threw at her, she was going to win Jin’s heart.

Miyuki took a deep breath to steady herself. “I will not withdraw.”