After school Johnny was waiting for me at the front gate. We didn’t have club activities that day because the building was being used for a test, so they needed it to be nice and quiet. Johnny was the kind of guy that didn’t wait on anyone. He was either not coming or he was the last to show up.

“This isn’t a confession is it?”

Johnny rolled his eyes, “Can you can the sarcasm for one day Miyako? I wanted to tell you about something.”

“Yeah?”

Johnny pulled out his phone and showed me a video of our concert at the bar, it had quite a number of views. Far more than what I was expecting from some bad quality handheld footage. He scrolled down to the comments without looking and I realized why, some smartass had put two and two together and realized who I was. The brief pick-up artist smashing sensation from weeks ago. Nearly every comment was expressing some kind of condescending surprise that I had any talent at all.

“God help me.”

Johnny put it back into his pocket, “That’s not the important part. Some talent scout got wind of the whole deal and wants to see you.”

“A talent scout? Like an agent?”

I knew where this was going. A vulture swooping in on a hot trend that had some national relevance for a few weeks. As much as I thought highly of all the people I played with, they were not up to a professional standard just yet. Taking it a step further, I wasn’t even up to a professional standard. That was my first and only time singing in front of a real audience. Natural talent can’t carry you to success in music, you need to work for it. I didn't even want to do it as a job.

“Yeah! A big name! He wants to be your agent!”

“Oh come on Johnny. They just want to get in on me while I’m having my fifteen minutes of fame. And anyway, I’m playing with you guys. Getting my neck collared by some guy in a suit isn’t my idea of a fun time.”

“I didn’t think about that,” he admitted, “But I don’t think we’d judge you if you went for it. This is a big opportunity.”

“If he isn’t a complete bullshitter.”

“I looked him up, he’s legit. He runs an agency.”

I wasn’t interested. If I were thinking about having a future career as an idol I’d have jumped at the chance. But that wasn’t what I was into. "Sorry, but no thanks."

Johnny looked nervous for some reason, “Well, I kinda’ agreed to meet him already.”

“What? Johnny for god’s sake.”

He flinched, “Sorry! I just kind of went along with it – I was getting excited… on your behalf.”

I sighed as we started to walk further into the town, “And let me guess, you can’t cancel on him?”

“It’d be rude if we didn’t show up now.”

“Johnny, you have a seriously bad habit of putting me into places I don’t want to be. Up front in the band, now meeting this guy.”

“I want to help you out!”

“Sometimes I don’t want to be helped out. Could you at least ask me first before deciding to groom me as a future rock star?”

“…Sorry.”

“…Let’s go put this guy down gently and then hang out – I want to take my mind off today.”

Johnny scrambled to keep up with me as I powered down the street, “Why?”

“Nothing. Just had an argument with Reina.”

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“Huh, so even you two argue sometimes.”

“Obviously.”

To be truthful, it was the first argument that I’d been an active participant in, versus some kind of backfilled memory given to me by God. We’d argued a lot of times before. When you spend so much time in close proximity with a family member it’s simply inevitable. Reina always keeps her cool, it was usually my fault. Wanting to play with something, wanting to go somewhere, getting into stupid fights over nothing…

We arrived outside of one of the many cafes that lined main street. It was a western style place with tables and chairs outside. It was trendy, and exactly the kind of place that Johnny avoided like the plague. He wouldn’t pick a spot like this if he wasn't trying to impress this agent, “Alright, I’m about to blow this dude away.”

I poked at his shabby blazer with a stray finger, “In your uniform.”

“Hell yeah, Americans love that kind of thing! It's exotic.”

“He's not even American, idiot. Where is he?”

Johnny scanned the place until he spotted a well-dressed men at a booth near the back, “There he is. Come on.” I followed Johnny down to the gallows, the man stood and welcome up with open arms.

“Ah! There you are. I take it that this is Miyako?”

“Uh yeah.”

“Sit down sit down! Order whatever you like.”

The man looked like the stereotypical overworked businessmen that I saw shambling home every day, and did I ever see a lot of those. Thick glasses, chubby cheeks permanently flushed from too many meetings with drink, and a frankly awful combover as he tried desperately to fight back his receding hairline.

The real bravery is just going bald.

I sat down with no small amount of trepidation. Before I could shoot him down on the spot he started to speak again, “I’m Kashiwagi, it’s very nice to meet the both of you.” He fumbled around in his jacket pocket and handed me a small white card with the name of his agency.

“Kashiwagi-Vladivostok?”

“My business partner! We started as a small agency focused on foreign actors and talent. He’s a very stern man.” The more I learned about this agency the more it sounded like exactly the kind of low-class garbage that I was worried about. Was I going to end up at the circus?

“Can we just cut to the chase? Why do you want me exactly?”

Kashiwagi smiled, “You’re a bit of a media sensation already! You’re exactly the kind of person that we look for – a natural personality with talent to boot. Did you know that girl power is really in vogue right now?”

My eye twitched slightly, “Oh really? So I'm going to be an... idol? Or something like that.”

“Don’t you think idols are a bit… outdated? There’s always a market for them, but we like to think bigger. A no-nonsense kind of person with a big voice, that’s you. Why do what everyone else is doing when you can strike out and innovate.”

Because following trends is how you make money. Idols were big business, and they had to maintain a squeaky clean image to keep themselves in the limelight - something I'd already failed at. It was me being a total punk that had gotten me this exposure in the first place. “I’m glad to know that you find my personality so innovative,” I snarked. “So what you’re saying is that you think that I’m manly enough to find a new market for you?”

He wilted under my gaze, “I wouldn’t put it that way. You’re a role model to a lot of young women.”

I interlocked my fingers and turned the screws tighter. “I’m sure you think that my sister being harassed was very cool and marketable.”

I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to come with Johnny, and maybe I was being unfair to the guy. If I were doing his job, I’d probably be doing the same thing. But the argument with Reina had put me in a bad mood and I needed to get myself worked up somehow. The man’s face grew redder somehow as I started to pierce him with barbed questions.

Johnny elbowed me, “Hey, chill out Miyako. You look like you’re about to pop a blood vessel.”

“Uh, I can see that we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot. I think that you’re a very talented group of people. A lot of other agencies would consider your… impulsive response to be a liability, but I think it speaks to a strength of your character. I think you were entirely right to show that man what for.”

I sighed, “Fine. Whatever. I’d only agree to do it if the rest of the band could come with anyway.”

He stroked his chin, “Hm. You’re graduating soon? Are you planning on going to a University?”

“I don’t know. Johnny isn’t.”

Johnny choked on his drink, “Hey! I never said I wasn’t.”

“Who said you have a choice?”

Kashiwagi thought about it for a moment, “If your friends would like to help out, I could give them an opportunity too. Assuming they want to continue playing music.”

“Like I said, I don’t know. I don’t know if I want to get involved either.”

“Of course, I’m not asking for a commitment. You’re at an age where a lot of doors are opening to you. I wouldn’t want to ask you to dedicate years of your life to pursuing my suggestion. When I was your age, I didn't know what to do with myself. I spent decades working in an office before starting my own.”

“Yeah sure, are we done?” I looked at Johnny who was taken aback by my intense desire to be away from this man and his marketing speak. I stood from my chair, bowed, and turned to leave.

“You have my card! He cried out as I walked away, “The door is always open!”

Johnny scolded me as we exited the store. “I didn’t even get to finish my drink!” Good to see that he had his priorities in order.

“Alright Johnny, comment from me.”

“Yeah?”

“Reject any asshole like this in future.”

Johnny nodded, “Sorry.”