Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16817330662545387095/episodes/16817330664454261994
[Ptolemy Agency]
It is an entertainment agency located in an office building in Ebisu, Shibuyaku, Tokyo.
Although small in size as a production company, it is a small elite group of well-known artists and talents.
In a private room of Ptolemy’s office, a man is in a good mood playing music on an audio system.
“That’s great, Lyconess.. It will definitely sell.”
Matsudaira Jun, 40 years old, is a producer at Ptolemy.
“Is Lyconess that good? Well, the vocalist certainly has good visuals, so I think they could be sold in gravure.”
Honda Kenichi, another Ptolemy producer, asks Matsudaira.
“You don’t understand, do you? Listen to the sound.”
Matsudaira was a little taken aback by the question. Honda is a man of discerning taste who has done a lot of work producing actors. Matsudaira, on the other hand, works mostly in the music field and has a good ear.
“These lyrics, this riff. It’s definitely going to be a hit.”
Matsudaira criticizes with a smug look on his face.
Then the office door opens without knocking, and a woman enters unceremoniously.
“Matsudaira chan, good work.”
Dressed in a punkish outfit of leather jacket and damaged jeans, she is Kirinin Shouka. She is a Ptolemy artist nicknamed “Kirisho” by her fans.
“What, are you listening to a song? Let me listen to it too.”
“Oh, go ahead !”
Kirisho sits down on the sofa, but Matsudaira, the owner of the room, does not question her. He believes in building a relationship that transcends the boundaries between the talent and the audience.
What band is this song by? I’ve never heard of them.
“Which band is this song by? I’ve never heard it before.”
“The band I’m going to sign with next time, Lyconess.”
“Hmmm…………I mean, the guitar player is really good……..”
Kirisho’s voice, which had been so loud, suddenly became calmer.
The eccentric man’s eyes, which always spoke in a manipulative manner, were as sharp as cold blades.
“Oh, Kirisho understands, doesn’t she?”
“I do. It’s a riff that’s theoretical and royal, but has its own personality. The way he plays is nervous and precise, but he also plays around with it. He’s not just good.”
Matsudaira was pleased to hear Kirisho’s excited evaluation. He felt as if he had been given the stamp of approval by an up-and-coming artist.
Last summer, a music producer friend of his introduced him to Lycoris Darkness, or Lyconess for short, saying, [I found an interesting band.]
A young band from a rural area, they were amateurs that no agency would touch.
He was skeptical about their abilities.
But when he heard the CD they gave him, he was intrigued.
He wanted to hear them live, so he traveled to a town he had never heard of called Hokusei City.
He heard that they were going to perform at a university festival, so he went to listen to them.
He got goosebumps when he heard them play.
He listened to the band’s playing technique, which was beyond the realm of a student band.
The guitarist was especially good. As Goto said, he is not just a good guitarist. He had the skill and playfulness to pull off the riffs with precision and make the audience enjoy listening to them.
“This guitar can be used in the UK and America, the home of rock music. Who composes the songs?”
“Kingo, who plays guitar, writes both the lyrics and the music.”
“Heh, a guitarist who can also write lyrics. So a solo career is not just a dream ! But maybe that’s too soon to say.”
Perhaps it is because of her youth, but Kirisho is a bit arrogant. However, she is a skilled performer and, like Kingo, a real musician who can also write lyrics.
Matsudaira feels that the Lyconess he admires so highly–or rather, Kobayakawa Kingo–has indescribable potential.
In this age of consuming entertainment, he foresaw that Lyconess would be a revolutionary figure.
In these days when there is no end to the number of artists who release a hit song only to be forgotten the following year, Lyconess is sure to become a monster band that will be loved for a long time to come.
The core of the band will surely be Kingo.
(No, I will make the revolution happen ! I will nurture Lyconess !)
Matsudaira’s ambition flared as he gazed out over the streets of Shibuya, the epicenter of fashion.
He could see the people who were binge-drinking on entertainment trembling when they heard the sound of Lyconess.
＊
Meanwhile, Nobuhiko and Yua were on the banks of the Tama River. In front of them stood a boy holding an electric guitar.
Since then, Nobuhiko has been searching for a guitarist through his part-time job and SNS. The results were not good, but he somehow managed to find a guitarist.
Today, they were going to hold an audition and meet him.
“Itsuki kun, this is our bassist, Yua. Please introduce yourself again.”
“Sup ! I’m Itsuki Hiroshige, and I’m from Kitasai City like the two of you ! Nice to meet you !”
“I never thought I would come all the way to Tokyo to meet a guitarist from my hometown. Just like us, Yua !”
Itsuki is full of enthusiasm and Nobuhiko has an Ebisu kind of face. They met at the same part-time job and hit it off.
Yua looked at them with a complicated mixture of relief and suspicion.
“Then, Itsuki kun, please come up with something for the audition. Can I ask you to play a riff you’re good at and some backing vocals?”
“Alright ! Leave it to me !”
Itsuki prepared with bated breath and played the riff as he was told. The song of choice was the familiar theme from the movie [Rocky.]
The theme from Rocky echoed along the banks of the Tama River.
However, Nobuhiko’s smile became more and more twitchy as the song progressed. Hope faded from Yua’s face, and she turned serious.
Itsuki was too absorbed in watching the fretboard to see what they were doing.
Their expressions were dull during the backing.
Eventually, the performance ended and the amps fell silent.
“How’s it !?”
Itsuki’s expression was full of confidence and anticipation, as if he was feeling a positive response.
“It’s……great ! You’re hired ! We’re counting on you !”
“Really !? Thanks ! It was worth dropping out of high school and running away from my hometown ! I never thought I’d make it in show business like this.”
“I-I’m sure we were meant to be together. I’ll let you know what I’m going to do, so let’s break up for now.”
“Yes ! Thank you very much ! I look forward to working with you from now on !”
The chance to make it big had arrived, and Itsuki left with light steps.
Nobuhiko and Yua looked at the catfish flag swaying in the wind with pale faces as they watched him walk away.
“Hey, Nobuhiko. Are you really going to let him in?”
Yua asked in a tense voice.
“I’ve never heard such a pathetic Rocky. Sylvester Stallone is going to lose, you know? He’ll be KO’d, you know?”
Yua continued to harp on the subject.
“He can’t play an F chord, his rhythm is shaky and sloppy, his chord changes are slow, and he’s just hopeless. He’s no good even in the light music club, that’s for sure.”
“I know ! I know, but this is not the time to be picky !”
Nobuhiko was obviously irritated and yelled at her.
The contract with the office is set to be signed at the beginning of the new year. He wants to have all three of them ready to perform by then. The time frame is too tight considering the amount of practice time they have.
“We have no choice but to let him practice until the skin on his fingers is so calloused that he will become a pro. At the same time, we will continue scouting for a guitarist.”
“Eh, isn’t Itsuki the obvious choice?”
“We need a plan B in case he’s useless, don’t we?”
“Are you sure you can handle that kind of switching? Won’t the people at the office be upset?”
“In this industry, anything is possible as long as the performance sells. I’ll take care of the arrangements with the office, so you don’t have to meddle. Also, Yuai, please find someone who can play the guitar. It doesn’t have to be a man.”
Yua is skeptical of Nobuhiko’s desperate plan. However, since he is the only one who can take charge of the future of Lyconess, she has no choice but to follow his lead after all.
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