The revised three songs were accepted, as well as the rest of the four tracks. It seems as if the company now plans on re-introducing the Helens to the public by starting off with a solo album first, but at least those other songs are sitting on the back burner.
Performace-wise, the rest is up to them. Good luck girls.
The Helens all greet me when they all see me outside the practice room now. On my way to ours, I spotted Hayashido-san, she was the quietest but she still dipped her head. I dipped back as I entered our practice room.
"Fukuda-san!"
"About fucking time!"
I was met with a liveliness that was unexpected. This only made me nervous. I practiced the song on my own, but I know band practice was different.
They've also been practicing without me and are probably way ahead but well...
It's been two years since I even played in a band. I had even given up on performing and just wanted to make music.
Here I am again.
As I thought the synergy between the band members was on another level.
Surprisingly whenever Akemi messed up her pitch, she didn't get upset when called out for it.
Hearing her voice versus listening to it on a track, made my hair raise as I played.
I ended up making a couple of mistakes and eventually got yelled at by Akemi, surprisingly... it calmed my nerves a lot. I don't know why. Perhaps, it made me feel included... what am I a kid? Hahhh...
Like that, we proceeded to practice together for many days.
Soon, the time for review arrived.
After hearing the revised song, the higher-ups would give us the green light.
Hanabusa, Kanna-san and a couple of other faces were present that day.
A blonde-haired, blue-eyed foreigner, a tanned chubby-faced Okinawan, with a bob cut that reminded me of a kimekomi doll.
Ah... is she...
The name left my lips."...No way, Kuro Rosha?"
"Hm?"
Agawa glanced at me and in that moment the chubby-faced Okinawan looked up. I averted my gaze.
The foreigner heard me.
"You have a fan, Rosh-chan." He glanced at her.
"No, no, no, I'm not- I mean my Mom-" I waved my hands and panicked.
It was rude to say that I wasn't a fan, I liked her music but well... it wasn't anything like I went out of my way to listen to it. Still it'd be a lie if her music wasn't what piqued my interest in rock.
My mother was a big fan of hers, growing up, her music from her former band PopxSic would always be blasting in the house whenever she fought with Dad or was in the mood to clean.
"Isn't that nice for you Rosh-chan?" the foreigner smiled but Rosh-chan ignored him.
"Currying favor will get ya nowhere, little boy."
The foreigner opened his mouth in objection. "Why are you writing off one of your fans when you never had many to begin-
Kuro-san whacked the foreigner in the stomach with her clipboard and shot him a glare.
PopxSic was a band that didn't last long shortly after debuting, Kuro Rosha herself went on to become a voice actor for many popular kids cartoons and video game characters, even winning awards for her wide range of voices.
It felt like a random character had been pulled out of a gacha and placed here.
The last I heard she had some role in composing music for a popular kid's movie, perhaps she still had more weight in the music industry than it seemed.
I cleared my mind of irrelevant thoughts. Time to focus.
The judges' expressions were unreadable when they finished listening to the song.
"Fukuda-san was it?" The foreigner started. "Not that the original was that bad, but the recomposition..." He kissed the tip of his fingers and gave me a thumbs up.
Agawa and Hagihara never said much, and Akemi's attitude itself didn't seem to have changed so I told myself they were content with it.
Hearing someone finally say it made me feel a weight lifted off my chest.
"... Thank you" I bowed.
"So this is what all the fuss is about. I see." Kuro Rosha eyed Akemi sternly. "You... you all," she looked at us. "Have a bright future ahead of you. Try not to ruin it."
The judges got up and left. Hanabusa stayed behind to talk with us.