Mika's Chance

When did I become so attached to him?  It’s only been a few days since we had last seen each other and I feel like I’ve lost all my motivation. I can’t play how I used to and I reach the end of my days feeling deflated, with no energy. How am I supposed to practice like this?

I sat in the usual park, looking towards the empty space where Aoi liked to sit and simply watch, or read, while I practiced. I know so little about him, yet the things I do make me want to learn more and more. I sulked, closed my eyes and hugged my knees while sitting down, trying to relax and forget.

Yet I knew what to do, as always. I just started humming away my nerves, and soon enough I had picked up my guitar again. I promised I would keep practicing, I don’t need anyone to remind me of that!

The days were gradually turning into autumn since I first met with Aoi. The leaves were very slowly starting to lose their green summer shine. It was, as I always thought it was, a beautiful place for a song. I finished playing while closing my eyes, blocking everything else outside, forgetting about everyone, including Aoi.

I heard a person clapping and I quickly opened my eyes and went back to my reality in the park. I noticed someone looking at me from the adjacent street. I panicked somewhat, ready to spring to my feet and run away if necessary. The person walked closer, revealing an above average looking young man, who seemed happy about my song.

“That’s a nice song,” he said with confidence.

I still wasn’t sure what to think about the interaction, so I simply thanked him.

“I’m Hiroaki and you’re… never mind. You don’t have to tell me. I’m sorry I startled you.”

The strange young man’s body language somehow inspired trust in me. He was slightly taller than Aoi but was just as well dressed. Instead of the calm, distant demeanor that Aoi had, he seemed a lot more outgoing and free spirited. Unlike Aoi, his thoughts were more transparent; his emotions felt genuine and he was good at expressing them.

“Thank you, I don’t know what to say,” I answered nervously.

“What does that song mean to you? The one you just played.” He was confident enough to address me directly.

“I’m… not sure,” I answered, never having thought about that myself. He then paused to think for a few seconds, before talking to me once more.

“Ever thought about having more people listen to your music? It’s a bit hard to get the crowd you deserve out here, you know?” he said as he looked around. “Don’t get me wrong. It’s beautiful though! A beautiful corner of Tokyo, there’s never two places alike.”

“Thanks… I don’t really have a choice though,” I answered unenthusiastically.

“What if I told you that you did?” He did a bad job at hiding his excitement, if he even tried in the first place.

“I do?” I asked, surprised.

“You don’t believe you always have a choice?” He asked me directly, and was visibly confused.

“Actually,” I said, “I want to believe we always have a choice.” I stopped, realizing maybe I had gone too deep with my thoughts. But he inspired trust in me, and I didn’t want to give him a dishonest answer. “It just… seems difficult. Sometimes too difficult for me to imagine.”

“Leave the imagination to me,” he said, pointing towards himself. “You just need to bring your lyrics and yourself. What do you say?” The young man walked towards me, but I was still unsure if he meant well or not. I couldn’t fully trust him, and he noticed my hesitation.

“I’m sorry I… might’ve been too direct,” he said while slightly backing off, “I’m Hiroaki from Imagination Frontier.” He left a card close to where I was sitting, and backed off respectfully. I picked it up and read the contents. Hiroaki… wasn’t sure about his last name, Talent Recruitment/Creative Director, Imagination Frontier Corp. My nerves slowly turned from worrying about being harmed by this person to the fear that I might’ve suddenly met someone who was a big deal. I was speechless.

“Maybe this was a bit too much. Please forgive me.” He paused and thought for a few seconds, “Why don’t you come in and see for yourself? You can research all about us as well, that way I won’t surprise you too much. You don’t even have to give me your name. Can I take a picture so they know who’s coming? They’ll let you right in whenever you want to go.”

“Ah… sure.” I didn’t know what to think but a picture seemed harmless, he snapped one quite quickly and I’m sure my face was still surprised when he did. I didn’t know what to make of the whole situation.

“I’ll be waiting, alright? Drop a message on the number on that card whenever you want to come by. Whatever day works best for you. We’d be happy to have you.” He kept offering kind words, in what seemed like a recruitment attempt, while I sat there bewildered. He didn’t waste a single minute and kept talking even as he walked away and said goodbye.

Once I stopped being in awe at his efficiency, I felt a change as sudden as if an asteroid came crashing on my head: burning and exploding and dragging me with it until I woke up again, unconscious, wondering what had hit me.

Am I being scammed? Pranked? I had nothing to give and there’s nothing really funny about all this. The card seemed real and the impression I got from him was genuine. I spent the next few minutes reading about Imagination Frontier. It was an audio-visual entertainment company that had several products. They worked with music, concerts, live streaming, dubbing and video production. While I had never heard of the company before, I was familiar with some of the artists listed on their website.

What strange fortune have I run into? I always thought success was about luck and hard work. Maybe that night was my lucky night. My one chance. Had I kept sulking about being lonely, I might’ve never had it. Had I stopped coming here when I first met Aoi, this would’ve never happened. Had my mom not supported me when I felt defeated, I would still be feeling down and locked inside my room.

The weight of my emotions was too much, but in the end, I was excited. I decided to trust him, and find a chance to visit their office. I rushed my way back home to talk to my mom. My steps gradually turned weightless, like I was floating in a dream. She immediately noticed I was happy as I rushed my way inside our apartment.

“Hey Mom, guess what?”