Echoes in the Backstage

The city was loud. So very loud. Horns blared, engines roared, footsteps hurried across pavement, and voices rose and fell in a chaotic symphony. Yet the people threading through the streets heard none of it. They drowned out the clamor of everyday life with headphones.

Music.

It was everywhere. A soundtrack for a thousand separate lives, each person lost in their own little world. But among the countless sea of passersby, one of them stopped.

For a moment, they listened to the city, to the music, to everything.

At first, it was unnoticeable — just a part of everyday life. Today, however, it seemed much more obvious than ever before, and it was no wonder why.

Upon the side of the tallest building in the bustling square, a massive screen was broadcasting live news. A man sat behind a desk, and although it didn't emit sound, the headlines made it clear what he was talking about.

The bottom of the screen read, "Sunayomi's newest album takes Japan by storm, solidifying their position as one of the fastest-growing idol groups in the country!"

A trio of young boys stopped to stare at the screen as it shifted to a recording of their most recent live performance.

"Tch... Everyone and their moms are playing their songs on repeat," one of them grunted. "They're so freaking overrated."

"Huh?! What are you on about?!" another exclaimed. "Their songs are so good, their dancing is even better, and they're all so freaking beautiful."

"Yeah, man," said the third to the first. "You didn't go to their last concert, so you wouldn't understand. Dang... I'd kill just to marry one of them."

"Dude... You need a hobby. Badly," the first one muttered.

"And you need to quit kidding yourself. There's no way you don't think they're hot."

"I mean, I guess they are, but that's probably the best thing about them. Songs are mid, dance moves are admittedly good, but come on. It shouldn't be this popular."

The second one shook his head.

"Spoken like a true uncultured swine. Trust me. After the comeback concert today, you're gonna regret these words."

"We'll see."

The day went on, but the music never stopped. Sunayomi's play count continued to rise, boosting their popularity.

Soon, it was time for the moment the entire country was waiting for: Sunayomi's comeback concert.

The venue was fully packed with people waving light sticks, anticipating the arrival of the main attraction. Even though the concert had not yet begun, it was loud. So very loud.

Backstage, crew members were running around like ants, checking, double-checking, and triple-checking to make sure that everything was in order. For an event of this scale, it could not be any less than perfect.

While the workers carried on with tasks, a manager was stationed in the very middle, passing around orders left and right. He then turned to a hooded young man with headphones on.

"Hey, you!" he shouted. "Check with the sound guys. Make sure the systems are good to go for showtime."

"On it," the young man replied.

He made his way through a narrow corridor until he reached two workers beside a complex system of sound mixers.

"Shit..." one of them muttered nervously. "It's still not working, ma'am."

The other one, a woman, came to assess the system, but she, too, could not determine the issue.

"Inform Sunayomi's manager," she said. "Showtime is in twenty minutes. We need this fixed now."

"Yes, ma'am."

The pair left in a hurry, leaving the young man on his own. He glanced at the system before turning back around. However, he stopped, for he could not contain himself from such a rare occasion.

He then emerged from the corner and made himself at home.

For a fleeting moment, his eyes sparked with life, and a faint smirk danced on his lips. His fingers glided over the entire system — every knob, every button, every switch. He moved with such fluidity and familiarity, it was as if he'd been in front of it his entire life.

Right then, the others came back, and they could only watch in awe as the boy flipped through switches while troubleshooting on a nearby laptop.

"M-ma'am...? Is this allowed?" the man whispered.

"Technically speaking, no. Not at all," the woman replied with a smile.

"Then... Shouldn't we be stopping him? He might mess it up more than it already was."

"Hmm... No. Let's see where this goes."

"Huh?! B-but he seems way too young."

"Yeah, that's true, but look at him. His hands aren't moving at random. There's a reason behind his every move. I wasn't sure at first, but now I'm confident. This kid's a pro."

A mere ten seconds later, the young man took off the headphones. He then stood up to leave but paused when he saw the two who were still standing there.

"Check it," the woman said.

The doubtful man snatched the headphones and tested the sounds. Shocked, he glanced back at his colleague

"It's... it's working," he mumbled.

"Hah! Well, I'll be damned," the woman grinned. "For a kid, you sure know your stuff. Good job."

"Thanks," the young man said.

"You're with Yori Entertainment, right?"

"As a contractor, yes."

"Huh? Just a contractor? And they're allowing you to do maintenance work?"

"Well... Not exactly," he said, before reaching for his earpiece. "Director Na. Sounds, check."

"What? You sure about that?" said the director. "I just got a heads-up from the sound guys, and they notified me that the system was malfunctioning."

"There was an issue, but it's all handled now."

"Looks like I chose the right guy for the job. The concert starts in about twenty minutes. You wanna go find a seat before they all get taken up?"

"I'm okay."

"You sure? It's easy money. All you gotta do is sit down and watch the show."

"Again, I'm okay. Just tell me where I'm needed."

"Sheesh. You're strange, kid. Only you would ever give that kind of response to my question. Alright. Meet me at the left wing. I'll find somewhere to put you."

"Yes, sir."

The young man let go of his earpiece and took one last look at the sound system.

"Color me impressed," the woman scoffed. "You weren't lying, and you've got your skills to back that up. Here."

From her pocket, she pulled out a business card and handed it to him.

"I'm inviting you to a full-time position. We specialize in working with events like these. A kid with your skills is wasted as a contractor."

The young man fixed his gaze on the business card, yet he had no visible reaction. If anything, it seemed as though he was completely apathetic.

"Sorry," he said as he handed the card back. "I'm content with my current position."

As stunned as the woman was, she managed to let out a subtle laugh.

"Well, if what you say is true, then I can't convince you."

"Mhm. Then, I'll be off."

With that, he walked off, disappearing into the depths of the backstage. The shadows swallowed him whole, offering a safe place free from the chaos, far from prying eyes and unwanted company.