Another Record

June 9, 2024

Following the first school day since they had done their second round of weekend recording sessions, Momo and Ryosuke met up after a meeting of the theater club to talk among themselves. “So, um… About yesterday, Ryosuke-kun…”

“I’m sorry for that,” Ryosuke apologized to her. “I should have gotten up sooner.”

“No, no, it’s me who should apologize,” Momo replied to him. “I was the one who tripped first and then took you down. I’m sorry.”

Ryosuke insisted, “Nah, it’s me.”

Realizing what was about to happen, Momo sighed and told him, “Look, if we keep doing this, we’re gonna get trapped in a neverending loop of apologies, so let’s just stop here.”

“Agreed.”

“Anyway, I’m looking forward to tomorrow. We’ll be able to spend a whole session rehearsing for our concerts instead of focusing on recording. Honestly, I’m pretty excited to actually get to perform these songs in front of a real crowd.”

Ryosuke, curious, asked her, “Have you figured out outfits you’re gonna wear yet?”

“That’s the thing,” Momo explained. “Tomorrow, I want everyone to look through the extra costume storage at Time Clock Records to see if they want anything for these shows. I’ve already looked through it in my off-time, and I got some ideas laid out already. Trust me when I say I’ll definitely stand out in some form.”

“Now you got me interested.”

Momo chuckled. “You’ll find out tomorrow, don’t worry. I wouldn’t wanna ruin the surprise after all.” She then turned away to head back to her dorm. “Well, I’m off. See you later, Ryosuke-kun.”

“You too, Momo-san.” He then turned around to walk home, and as he did, he passed by a fellow member of the Theater Club. “Hey man, I’m heading out.”

“See you later, dude. By the way, what’s the deal with you and Takahara-san?”

Immediately stopping in his tracks, he turned around and asked the fellow clubgoer, “What do you mean?”

“Well,” he said as he scratched the back of his head. “You two seem pretty close. I would have guessed that she wouldn’t do that as an idol and how some people react to that sort of thing.”

“We’re just friends, man,” Ryosuke assured him. “Nothing more to it.”

Sensing something was off, he asked him, “Be honest with me, dude. If Takahara-san asked you out on a date right now, would you say yes? Hell, if she handed you a love note or sent you a text asking you to be her boyfriend, would you say yes?”

Ryosuke grew silent. He wanted to say no, but he could not bring himself to do it. Momo and him had already been close friends as fellow Performing Arts Program students at Maruyama High School, and now that they were in a band together, they had gotten much, much closer. The two had shared many personal things with each other, and felt so comfortable that they had told each other secrets they let few, if any, other people know. Additionally, Ryosuke admittedly had always found Momo attractive in a more physical way. Some of those outfits she had worn on stage as an idol, while not super racy on account of her age as a high schooler and the fact she had some appearances to keep up, still were enough to not leave too much to the imagination as to how her body was. She definitely was not concealing her curves in baggy clothes or a cloak when she went up on stage, but nor was she just a few wrong steps away from flashing anyone, accidental or otherwise.

“Hey, are you alright, Sakamoto-kun?”

“Oh shit,” Ryosuke said as he realized he had basically stood still as he pondered to himself how to answer his fellow clubgoer’s questions about him and Momo. “Well, I mean… To answer your question, I wouldn’t mind…”

“You like to play a risky game, huh?”

“Hey, come on, man. I don’t wanna put her at risk of being hounded by paparazzi or crazy-ass quote-unquote fans.”

“If she wasn’t an idol, would you be so hesitant?”

“Admittedly, no,” Ryosuke told him as a way to reveal some of the truth. “If Momo-san wasn’t an idol, I would probably try to be her boyfriend. There, I said it.”

“That’s fair, honestly.” The fellow clubgoer shrugged. “I can’t say I wouldn’t do the same in your shoes. I don’t mean to be too horny, but Takahara-san’s pretty hot.”

“Yeah, she sure is, huh…” Ryosuke was a bit uncomfortable hearing someone else describe Momo as attractive in a physical or sexual way, but he could not bring himself to shut it down because he also internally agreed with the sentiment. “Didn’t you and your girlfriend break up recently?”

“Yep, and I’m still kinda pissed about it even though it happened a month ago.”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll find a better girl.” Ryosuke then turned around. “Well, I gotta go, man. See you tomorrow.”

“You too, Sakamoto-kun!”

As Ryosuke walked down the stairs to the exit, he thought about the impending shows, wondering how they would go. He was nervous, but he was also excited, to perform for an actual crowd and not just other members of the band or sound engineers and producers at Time Clock Records. He also looked forward to working with everyone, but especially Momo, for the rest of the week leading up to the shows, as well as during the shows themselves.

…

June 14, 2024

Tonight was the big night. After conducting a brief soundcheck, the band had left the stage and the Fox Lounge nightclub had opened up for the night. Starting at seven in the evening, a steady stream of patrons came in, quickly filling the club with around three hundred visitors. The band was scheduled to go on at nine-thirty, perform for an hour at most, and then leave so another act could perform soon after them. This would be repeated for the next five shows this weekend and the following weekend.

For the pre-show music, a playlist of classic rock with a focus on progressive rock was chosen, a fitting choice given the music of Sweet Juliet. The very last song to be played before the band came on stage was to be Golden Brown, the same song Ai had been listening to in her classroom on that fateful day in early May. As the song played to the crowd in the front, the band was getting ready backstage. The rest of the band was dressed relatively normally, with Ryosuke and Masato wearing casual t-shirts and jeans while Sadako and Ai wore t-shirts with skirts. Momo, meanwhile, was getting dressed in a bathroom, and wore a more unusual outfit to start with: A black business suit and pants with a dark green tie and a light green undershirt, indicative of the very first song of the night, The Tragic Tale of the Green Man.

Ryosuke saw a timer on the wall that counted down to when they had to be on stage, and was told by Ai, “Go get Momo and tell her we have about three minutes.”

“Got it,” he replied as he walked to the changing room. He walked over and intended to knock on the door to announce himself, but when he hit the door with his knuckles, it opened, indicating that Momo had accidentally left it ajar. When the door opened, he was immediately hit with the sight of a topless Momo, wearing only a pair of black suit pants with no clothes above the waist as she held a bra in her hand. Both of them froze in place as the shock of the incident set in. “Uh… Momo-san… What the fuck…”

Momo blushed intensely as she continued to lock eyes with him, slowly putting on her bra and covering herself up before moving on to the green undershirt. Once at least her chest was covered, she looked away and asked him, “What did you see?

“All of it.”

“Both of the-?”

“Both of them.”

“As in both of my boo-?”

“Do I have to make it any clearer? Yes, I saw your boobs, Momo-san.”

Momo sighed and told him as she buttoned up the shirt and then put on the tie, “Well, it’s on me for not checking that fucking door. It’s not like I’m gonna scream you’re a pervert and throw every object I can pick up with my bare hands at you. This isn’t an anime, after all.” She seemed to have trouble with the tie, and asked him, “Hey, can you help me tie this?”

“Su-… Sure…” Ryosuke then walked in and quickly began to tie the tie for her. Although this required him to get very up close and personal with Momo, he did not have the time to care. He took a deep breath and sighed as he finished, and as Momo then put on her business suit to finish the outfit, he told her, “We’re going on extremely soon, like, right now.”

“I know, I know. Let’s just go out on stage and forget this happened for now. We got too many people out there to worry about you seeing my boobs and shit, alright?”

…

Within moments of this incident happening, the stage lights dimmed, prompting the crowd to cheer. Hideki then emerged onto the stage with a microphone to begin offering an introduction. “Good evening, everyone. My name is Tomoe Hideki from Time Clock Records. Many of you may not know who I am, but I manage several acts for the company, among them A TO Z SIX. Now, for those who are unaware, the band coming on stage tonight, Sweet Juliet, has two members of A TO Z SIX in it, as well as three new faces who are incredibly talented young people. All of you will be witnessing history in the making, and I’m glad you all chose to spend your Friday night here at the Fox Lounge to witness the first performances of this wonderful band. Just a couple of house rules I gotta go over first. Cellphone usage is fine, but do not use professional cameras or recording equipment, please. Do not set off fireworks. Do not try to storm the stage or interrupt the band unless there is an emergency. Take time to see where the exits are in case we have to evacuate. Most important of all, have fun, and let’s get the music started!”

The crowd cheered as the band took their positions. On stage was Ai’s drum kit in the back, a small keyboard piano on stage right facing away from the band for Momo to play, two keyboards on stage left facing the crowd and away from the band for Ryosuke to play, and an acoustic guitar stored on a stand. In place of microphone stands, all five members of the band utilized in-ear monitors with built-in microphones, just like how idol groups like A TO Z SIX did while giving them more room to move around while they sang.

Momo cleared her throat as her mic turned on and began to tell a story to begin the concert, reading off of a piece of paper few could see since the stage was still dark. “Good evening. This is Sweet Juliet. Our first tale of the night is a sad one, one that may make you cry, or may motivate you to treat others with respect rather than hatred. It’s about a man who was born green rather than a normal color, and how the world chose to view him as a freak. Despite the tragedy that would unfold, however, in the end, he would eventually find happiness, although it certainly was not easy. This is The Tragic Tale of the Green Man.”

The song began with a short introduction by an organ synth played by Ryosuke, as well as a few light taps on a cymbal by Ai to keep time, followed by taps on the bass drum when Sadako began to play on the acoustic guitar. The stage lights turned their attention to Momo as she began to sing.

Once there was a house by the edge of town

Inside the house was a sight like no other

‘The Green Man lives there’ cried the people with a frown

They said ‘His skin’s contagious, outrageous, vexatiously weird’

The Green Man was none of those, he just wanted a friend

Contagious his skin was not, one touch would not spread his disease

‘I cannot go on’

‘I cannot go on’

The song then transitioned to a rockier chorus and went from a slow but steady 4/4 to a fast-paced waltz as Sadako quickly put her acoustic guitar down and grabbed her electric guitar. The other four members of the band also joined in on vocals, singing additional lyrics. Eventually, all five of them harmonized on the last lines of the chorus.

‘I cannot’ (No!)

‘Stay in here’ (No!)

‘If I do’ (Do!)

I’ll go crazy! (He’ll be crazy!) I’ll go insane!’ (They’ll put him in a nuthouse!)

The man cannot stay

The man cannot stay

He must face his fears

Even if society rejects his color

He cannot stay in his house forever

He has to leave

He has to leave

And find a true friend!

To round out the chorus, Momo picked up her flute and began to play a short solo on it. Hideki watched from backstage and smiled, impressed by how accurately the whole band was playing the song. The crowd was also starting to get into it, clapping along to the beat. So far, everything was going good.

When the chorus ended, Momo set her flute down and Sadako picked up her acoustic guitar once more. For this second verse, Momo sat down at her keyboard and began to play it on the piano setting. After about two measures of instrumentation while Sadako made her guitar switch, Momo began to sing once more.

So the Green Man left behind the house

The house he had known for all his life

That house had brought him comfort and shelter from the world

But now he had to go into a world that was rife

With the judgemental eyes of the public

And the whispers of their rumors

Not to mention laughter

Hahahahahahahahaha!

But then one man saw him and asked him who he was

The Green Man told him his name

Expecting to be laughed at, he almost turned away

But the man stayed

Yes, the man stayed

He reached out (out!)

Gave his hand (hand!)

The Green Man (Man!)

Looked at him and said (Oh, he said!)

‘Why are you here?!’

The other man said

‘You were alone’

“And looked like you needed a friend!’ (A friend!)

Even if society rejects his color

He cannot stay in his house forever

He has to leave

He has to leave

And find a true friend!

After the last lines of the second chorus, Momo got up from the piano and ran to her original position to grab her flute and play another flute solo, this time different from the first and also a few measures longer. When the chorus ended, Momo set the flute down and bowed out while the rest of the band continued to play on. In place of a third verse, Ryosuke played an organ solo while Ai slowed down on her drum-playing, playing a simple and steady beat. Momo used this time to run backstage and quickly change into her next outfit.

Then, after about forty-five seconds of this, the tempo changed again while still keeping in 4/4 time, this time transitioning to a guitar solo while the drums picked up in intensity. The solo lasted for a while, and by the end, Momo emerged on stage again, this time wearing a blue and white outfit more akin to what she would wear as an idol with a white skirt. She furiously played the flute as the song picked up more and more before jumping onto the piano as the song changed tempo one last time. Ryosuke manipulated the pitch of the organ function to give the song a more surreal sound.

Finally, the song came to a screeching halt rather suddenly with a smashing of the cymbals from Ai, the only sounds left being Momo’s piano for four measures before she sang a few final words.

The Green Man and his friend

Shared their days until the end

The Green Man and his friend

Shared their days until the end

Even as society rejected and spat at them

The Green Man and his friend

Shared their days until the end

The Green Man and his friend

Shared their days until the end

Even as society rejected and spat at them

The Green Man and his friend

Shared their days until the end…

Whereas the studio version of the song which would end up on the band’s forthcoming first full-length album would end with a fadeout and these words being repeated endlessly by Momo, the live version cut off more definitively with a cymbal roll from Ai, and as it ended, the impressed crowd cheered and clapped. Momo got up from the piano and bowed, telling the crowd, “Thank you. Thank you very much.” She turned around to Ai and gushed to her as she turned her mic off from her earpiece, “That was fucking awesome!”

“I know,” Ai replied, also having turned her mic off to talk to Momo. “We nailed that shit!”

Ryosuke then began to speak to the crowd, ready to introduce one of his own songs as Sadako and Masato retuned their instruments. “Hello, everyone. Thank you all for your cheers. This is in fact our first proper concert, and we couldn’t ask for a better crowd. Now, our next song comes from what will be our first EP. It’s a shorter one, and it will be our second single release after we put out our first single next week. This song is much like the ones I would sing in musicals as a theatre student, and in the story of the EP that will soon come out, this is in fact a song from the aforementioned play in that story. This is called You Always Smile.”

With a short intro on the drums by Ai, the next song kicked off on the piano, played by Ryosuke on his other keyboard this time, before Momo and Ai began to sing a duet.

Even when you see the world falling all around you

You always smile and say we’ll be okay

(Ai: Maybe it’s your positive nature that brings me to you)

(Momo: Or maybe it’s the way you tell me I love you)

(Ryosuke: She loves you!)

You never know when things will go south in this town

You never know when we’ll be out of luck

But even in the worst of times

Your smile’s all I need to stay right here

A spoken word section then followed as Momo played the flute in the background, voiced by Ryosuke and Ai. Following this, Momo put her flute down and began to sing once more alongside Ai.

(Ryosuke: For this next part, you need to speak up a bit more. Don’t be so hesitant when it comes time to actually perform on stage.)

(Ai: Yes, sensei. My apologies.)

(Ryosuke: Good, now let’s take it from the top. Onto the second verse, everyone!)

Even when you see the world falling all around you

You always smile and say we’ll be okay

(Ai: You really know how to make a girl feel happy)

(Momo: You really know how to make a girl feel on top of the world!)

You always smile, you always smile

(Ryosuke: Yes, that boy always smiles!)

You never know when things will go south in this town

You never know when we’ll be out of luck

But even in the worst of times

Your smile’s all I need to stay right here

(Ai: Ah, oh, ah! Oh yeah!)

You never know when things will go south in this town

You never know when we’ll be out of luck

But even in the worst of times

Your smile’s all I need to stay right here

Once again, another spoken word section followed. This time, Ryosuke spoke to Momo as all other instruments dropped out and Ai did a drum solo.

(Ryosuke: Much better for you, but as for you…)

(Momo: Me? What’s wrong, sensei?)

(Ryosuke: You sounded too flat in the chorus. I want you to do it again by yourself so you can get it right. Follow my lead, okay?)

(Momo: Yes, sensei.)

When the drum solo ended, Ryosuke sang the chorus in a lower key, followed by Momo singing it by herself in the standard key.

Ryosuke:

You never know when things will go south in this town

You never know when we’ll be out of luck

But even in the worst of times

Your smile’s all I need to stay right here

(Do it like that!)

Momo:

You never know when things will go south in this town

You never know when we’ll be out of luck

But even in the worst of times

Your smile’s all I need to stay right here

(Ryosuke: Good, all together now!)

Finally, Momo and Ai joined forces one more time to sing the chorus and end the song.

You never know when things will go south in this town

You never know when we’ll be out of luck

But even in the worst of times

Your smile’s all I need to stay right here

With the last chorus, the song came to an instrumental ending that saw all the other instruments slowly fade out as the organ became the last one standing. Finally, that too faded out, and the song concluded. The crowd once again cheered, with Ryosuke smiling and saying to himself, “I’m so damn glad that went well. God, I was so worried…”

…

The concert ended with all five songs from The Theatre Tapes, two A TO Z SIX songs, The Tragic Tale of the Green Man, and Metal Machine being played for the crowd, all of which received at least a decent reception from the crowd. As the band walked backstage, Ai was busy helping out a stagehand with her drum kit while Sadako carried her two guitar cases in her hands. Meanwhile, Masato was talking to the bassist of the next band to go on, who was in his late twenties and belonged to a local rock band. “You sounded really good on the bass, man,” said the older bass player. “How long have you been playing?”

“Since I was eleven,” he replied. “I started off on the guitar, and then I picked up a bass when I was thirteen. That gives me roughly six years in general and four years on the bass specifically.”

“I’ve been playing since roughly the same age. Fourteen for me, so a year off, but at my age, that’s nothing…”

As Masato and the other bassist continued to speak, Hideki talked with Momo, telling her, “You sounded great out there. If we can keep this energy up for the next five shows, we’ll be golden.”

“Thank you, Tomoe-san,” she replied with a bow. “We won’t disappoint you.” She then turned to Ai, telling her, “Your drumming was off the charts tonight. I can’t believe you almost thought about keeping this shit to yourself, Ai-chan.”

“Honestly,” Ai shrugged. “I didn’t know I had it in me to do something like this. I had always fantasized about performing to a large crowd, but I never would have guessed I’d be doing it until now.”

“Also you sounded great when you sang. Honestly, like I said, if anyone ever happens to me, I entrust my singing duties to you.”

Momo and Ai shared a laugh, with the latter also adding as a reference to Genesis, “And then we’ll have to get an American drummer to fill in for me on stage.”

“You’re damn right, we will!”

Ryosuke looked on, having also talked with the other band coming on after them, and upon seeing Momo laugh and smile with Ai, felt as though perhaps she had moved on from what had transpired before the show in the changing room. He smiled and then turned to Sadako, asking her, “Hey, do you need a hand with your guitars?”

“No, I’m good,” she replied. “Thank you, though.” She then continued on to the waiting van outside the club, finding the back doors open and putting her guitar cases inside. She took a deep breath as she looked around the back alley where the van had parked, still thinking about what she and Momo had said to each other and now debating if she should tell the rest of the band the truth about her being a lesbian. She was sure none of them would actually reject her, but she was afraid if the wrong people at Time Clock Records found out, fearing that it would potentially derail not only her career as an idol, but also derail the careers of everyone in both A TO Z SIX and Sweet Juliet.

Then, a stagehand asked her, “You okay, Takagawa? You’ve been standing there for a while.”

Realizing she had stood still in front of the open back doors of the van for well over a minute, Sadako apologized. “I’m sorry. I’m still just taking it all in. I had a great night.”

“You guys sounded awesome. I hope the next night goes well.”

“Me too, man. Me too…”