Chapter 7

Fumiko Ahyma was everything that a girl from Japan could dream of. A wealthy family, a lavish lifestyle and a promising career as a musician. Ever since she was young, her future was set. She was going to become a famous musician or become a famous doctor or surgeon. Whichever came first.

She excelled in school. She even had many friends and every boy that saw her wanted to be with her. The only problem was that behind that façade of wealth, privilege, and fame was a shell of Fumiko that no one ever saw.

Fumiko was one of the shyest people in her music group. She didn’t feel comfortable going outside of herself to meet other people. She was a completely introverted person. But on the contrary, her famous side was everything that she dreamed of.

Sociable. Likeable. Happy. Successful.

Happy. Happiness was something that only she could dream of.

Every chance she got a sliver of happiness, they took away it from her. A new love interest? Didn’t have enough time for it. A new job opportunity? Couldn’t take it because then she would be uprooting her and her family. Which was something that was against the rules within her household because then that would mean that she wouldn’t be making nearly as much money as she was being a musician.

Her family was like leech of the sea. Any money that Fumiko got; her parents were the ones to receive it because she was too young by Japanese law to receive any of the money she earned. She countlessly tried to hit that law to receive her own money. But every time she did, her parents severely punished her. They felt as though she was rebelling against them or trying to make a new life without them. Which was wrong, but the Japanese law didn’t see it as such. And as a result, Fumiko suffered constantly.

Her school life wasn’t any better. The girls constantly harassed and bullied her in her school because they viewed her as pompous and arrogant. Which was all a lie, but there was nothing she could do about it. They had already made up their minds about her. No matter how much she tried to sway their thoughts about her into something positive, they harder that fought to make her life that much worse.

She would occasionally bring her games to school on days that were free days. But the problem was that one day she forgot one of games at school on accident and by the time she remembered, she was already at home. She went back the next day to get it, but upon going into her classroom, she saw that someone had stolen it. She went around asking her classmates about who stole it, but everyone just dejected her and made her the reason it got stolen.

“Well, you make a lot of money. Why don’t you just replace or buy something better?” A classmate would say.

“It’s not the end of the world, Miss Ahyma. You can just get something new.” Another classmate added. “You usually roll around in all that money that you make from your shows and from all your little sponsor deals.”

“No, you don’t understand!” She would say, trying to defend herself. “It’s not like that at all! I don’t ever get anything!”

“That’s a bold face lie, and you know it!”

“Please! You have to believe me!”

Fumiko’s cries would always go unanswered. Every time she would try to defend herself, she would be shot down and ridiculed by those around her. She never felt like she got the opportunity to defend herself or even stand up for herself. It was always her feeling like she was on the backfoot of every conversation or on the defensive, trying to explain away her situation.

***

7.2

Her family life was the best situation, either. If you remember, her family would end up receiving the money that Fumiko earned because they still considered her a minor, according to Japanese law. So, whatever money Fumiko made; she never received. And the money that she received was what was left over from her parent’s spontaneous spending sprees. Her money was always going to waste on menial material things, like new cars, a new apartment in the center of Tokyo, expensive clothes. Or they spent her hard earned on other darker things like drugs.

Fumiko was unaware of her parents' more “elaborate” spending habits. They were slowly becoming more and more addicted to drugs ever since Fumiko became famous. They always chased that feeling of peace and tranquility.

When Fumiko found out her parents’ spending her hard earned money on drugs. She wasn’t happy.

“You’re ruining our lives!” Fumiko cried. “Why would you do this to us?”

Her cries always fell on deaf ears. She was never once a thought or a concern factor to her parents once she became famous.

***

7.3

They threw her across the room and her head slammed against the wall.

“Why can’t you do it right?” He screamed. “Do it, again! Now!”

Fumiko was frail and could barely move. Her body was weak and she was disheveled. It was typical of her father to put his hand on her. She was used to it by that point.

“I can’t… I’m too weak.” She was able to mutter. “I need a break.”

“We can’t afford for you to take a break! What about our livelihood? Or our means on living? You can’t just abandon us, Fumiko!” Her brother said.

“But I can’t keep doing this…”

“Give us one good reason why you can’t.”

“I haven’t gotten anything from my work. You all have taken my money from me. And you spent it on things that mean nothing. I can’t even have a single yen.”

“You will receive your money when you get older, Fumiko.” Her mother said. “We are holding on to it until you get older. That was the deal.”

Fumiko couldn’t refute her mother’s words. Her mother was right. Before Fumiko signed that deal to the music company; her mother signed the deal that her parents would receive the money that Fumiko made until she was eighteen. Fumiko, being the naïve girl that she was, didn’t see a problem with that. She trusted her family and she believed they would do the right thing and hold on to her money and treat her career with respect and dignity.

Her father grabbed her by her arms and pulled her up to where her feet were off the ground, “Get back out there and do it right.”

He threw her to the ground, and she painstakingly got up and wipe the blood from her nose and gave a fake smile, “Yes, father.”

She took one breath in and walked out onto the stage. “Showtime.”