Thursday when Hikaru got home she told her mother, "I need to go shopping, for a dress."

Miri stared disbelievingly at first, hardly daring to believe her ears, and then practically bounced with glee. "Let's go," she agreed happily.

After several stops her enthusiasm for the expedition had waned. Hikaru refused all the fluffy, lacy, and ruffled dresses her mother had suggested. "What are we looking for?" Miri asked with surprising patience. 

"I'm not sure," her daughter replied unhelpfully. 

Finally in one store that sold only black and white clothes, Hikaru spotted a pair of skirt pants similar to her Sunday uniform, but in black and with a filmy over layer that drifted around over the slick inner lining when she tried them on.  

Miri regarded them dubiously. "What will you wear with those?" she asked.

Hikaru pondered for a few moments. "What about my dark grey knit with the waves on it?"

Miri made a 'no way' gesture with her arms. "That will look weird! You need something delicate to match well." She suggested hopefully, "Something sheer, or lacy perhaps?"

Hikaru pursed her lips in thought, then asked if the store sold any black lace shirts. Miri watched with repressed excitement, lest Hikaru change her mind. They had some tops with black lace on them, but Hikaru didn't like any of the few offerings. Miri sighed when she put the last one back.  

Hikaru looked at her mother's disappointed face and laughed. She purchased the skirt pants anyway.  

When they left that store, Hikaru asked her mother, "Where else should we look for a lace top? Preferably not too expensive."

Miri couldn't think of anywhere they hadn't already been, and suggested, "We could go back to that second place maybe? Or the one that had that cute blue dress with the silver flowers? We were looking at dresses, not tops."

Hikaru paused and messaged Shizuoka. "Where to buy long sleeve black lace shirt?" 

"Lingerie store," was the short reply.

"Want outer wear not under wear," Hikaru sent back.

"Wear it how you want, it's where I'd look for black lace anything!" was the longer reply.

They went to a lingerie store, which indeed had many lacy delicate things. Hikaru picked out a stretchy long sleeved black lace top.

"How are you planning to wear that?" her mother inquired. "Your bra will show."

"Um," Hikaru replied blankly. "What about over my ¾ sleeve mock turtle? It's thin."

"All black?" Miri asked with dismay. 

Hikaru spotted a red silky sleeveless pajama top and suggested, "I could try it with red?"

She tried everything on together, the filmy pant skirt with red top under the long black lace. "I think the sleeves show through too much," she said, frowning.

"It looks really good," Miri replied with surprise. "It barely shows, no one will notice the marks with the red drawing their attention," she assured her daughter. 

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

"Does it look like I'm wearing underwear?" Hikaru worried. 

"No," Miri replied laughingly.

The shop person who had opened the dressing room for them pointed out, "The line between under wear and formal wear is rather fuzzy."

Hikaru looked shocked, and Miri giggled.

Hikaru bought both tops, and frowned at the receipt. Between both sets of purchases she'd already spent what she allotted herself for two months worth of spending money. It wasn't that anything had been particularly expensive, but she didn't buy clothes often and it was adding up.

Miri said, "You'll need shoes."

"I shouldn't spend more than this," Hikaru replied. "I can wear my black sandals."

"I could buy the shoes," Miri offered. 

Hikaru looked at her mother consideringly. She was a little tempted because her black sandals were a little old and worn, but Miri looked tired already. She tired easily with her pregnancy, and Hikaru didn't want to exhaust her. "No, I'm tired of shopping," Hikaru said.

Miri laughed and said agreeably, "Alright, let's go home and wash everything then." 

--

That evening Hikaru and Kiri talked on the phone for a couple hours about nothing much, and everything important.

-- 

Friday Mirage played at 'The Candella', an old fashioned hotel, for a private event that was being held there. They dressed in their black and silver stage clothes, which meant black pants and the matching silver edged silk shirts they'd purchased to give Mirage a group image.

Each member wore the button down shirts differently. Rin wore his open and with the sleeves rolled up over a black tank, Ryuske and Hikaru wore them buttoned but Ryuske tucked his in with sleeves turned back, and Hikaru wore hers loose. Hatsuharu wore his in a neat business formal style, including tie.

It was a profitable gig. They played three two-hour sets, and were paid at half again their usual rate. When Rin raised his brows in inquiry at Ryuske, Ryuske told them quietly, "I told them our new rate."

"New rate?" Hikaru asked.

Ryuske looked at her and shrugged. Then he looked away and said, "You said you'd give me six months to prove we can make enough money." He looked back. "I told you we can. I've also started submitting demos."

Rin asked skeptically, "Of what? We haven't done any recordings since Hatsuharu's song." 

Ryuske replied, "Yes, I used that, 'Mirage', and 'Your Kiss'."  

Hatsuharu asked, "Those are on the website, is there any point in submitting them?" Hikaru nodded in agreement.

Rin snorted and said dryly, "How good do you think we are? You think a producer is going to join our fan club so they can listen to our music?"

Hikaru blushed and said, "I forgot it was members only."

Ryuske laughed and told them, "Anyway, I raised our performance rate, and we've only gotten more invitations." He looked at Rin and suggested, "Maybe we are better than I think?"

Rin scoffed at the idea. 

Hatsuharu said practically, "It's a proven business tactic. We are better known than when we started, raising our rate probably makes people think we're getting busier. If we're getting busier, they want to make sure they have us scheduled. The question is, can we maintain it?"

No one had an answer for that, but it felt like a nice profit. The payment would be divided by five, for they split their payments up as one share each performing member, and one share for the band.

The band account covered equipment besides instruments, strings and such, their website, and any other group incurred expenses. If they came up short in the band account they'd all pitch in, but that had only happened a few times in the beginning. Their fanclub membership fees also went straight to the band account.

-- 

Saturday's rehearsal was grueling even though they broke it down and took breaks. At one point, mid afternoon, Hikaru banged her head into Ryuske's ceiling after a complex maneuver they were trying, where Rin boosted her up over his shoulder. After a rest break to make sure she was OK, they moved the rehearsal to a nearby park. Interested passers by occasionally stopped to watch the practice.

When they finally quit Hikaru fell over in the grass and just laid there for a bit. Ryuske said ruefully, "Rin and Hikaru at least need to also do a Wednesday practice session. And we all need to walk at least three miles a day extra at least three other days a week for the duration." 

Hatsuharu said, "I'll come to the Wednesday practice too if we can do it after 6pm."

Ryuske shook his head and said "5 to 7:30 I think, to keep Hikaru's schedule."

"I'll come for the last hour and a half then," Hatsuharu said.

After awhile they all summoned up enough energy to crawl to their respective homes.