Episode 47 – Torrent of Fate (Yua Side)

Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16817330662545387095/episodes/16817330666175393751

Harajuku, Takeshita Street. A town where young people pursue the latest fads.

After finishing her part-time job at a trendy café on Takeshita-dori, Yua walks through the crowded streets with a blank stare and a vacant eye.

It is already evening, but she has no intention of going back to her room. When night falls, a part-time shift at a girls’ bar awaits her. Until then, she was just passing the time on the main street.

“These clothes are cute. But it’s a little expensive.”

She was fascinated by the tight miniskirt on the mannequin in the show window, but her shoulders slumped when she saw the price tag.

Beauty and fashion are Yua’s hobbies. She became interested in beauty when she started dating Kingo, and she is always on the lookout for cosmetics and beautiful clothes.

However, life in Tokyo is financially difficult, and at that time, she had to hold back from buying new clothes.

But now, for other reasons, her enthusiasm for her hobbies has cooled.

“Haa……what am I doing?”

Cute skirts, vibrant cityscapes, and Tokyo people enjoying life. She couldn’t help but feel miserable in the midst of it all.

“Hey, are you alone?”

She dodged the sudden arrival of a frivolous-looking man and left the place as quickly as she could.

She had hoped that something would change once she arrived in Tokyo. She had been told in high school that she was the “most beautiful girl in school” and that she was the [most beautiful girl in school], people around her would make a big show of her.

Her expectations were half right and half wrong.

Her part-time job was going well. At the girl’s bar, she quickly became a repeat customer, and she was in the upper echelon of the sales competition. Thanks to this, the manager praised her, and the boys took notice of her.

But that is not the kind of achievement she is looking for.

Why did she come to Tokyo? Of course, she came here to play music.

But the results have been disastrous. The contract with the agency fell through, and on top of that, she was made to understand that she had made a big mistake.

“Where did I go wrong…..”

Yua muttered to herself, but she knew it was true.

But she did not want to admit it. If she were to admit it, she would be crushed by her own stupidity, as she would be forced to admit that her life had been ruined by her own mistake.

Her immature heart could not bear it.

In such a situation, it is her lover who can support her, but she did not want to see him for a while. So she kicked him out of the room.

But that was only temporary. She had no intention of seriously quitting anything, even though she had spoken of quitting Lyconess on the spur of the moment. It is her bad habit to get emotional.

At the moment, Yua is worried about her relationship with her boyfriend and what to do about her activities at Lyconess.

She is a lonely person, however, and has no idea how to promote the band’s activities. In the end, she relies on Nobuhiko.

“I can’t do anything. No matter what I do, I’m always half-hearted……”

She hates herself so much. She wants to disappear even more. She wish she could change so much that she could think she was gone.

“Hey, you.”

It’s another pick-up. Yua was fed up with it and tried to walk away without turning around.

“Wait a minute.”

But this time the pickup was persistent. The sound of his voice made him sound middle-aged.

(It’s so weird to try to hook up with a young girl.)

She was proud to be looked at with envy, but she didn’t want to be made a sex object.

“Hey, wait.”

“Oh, you’re so persistent !”

She was so annoyed that she turned her sharp gaze at him. But,

“It’s Yua chan after all !”

The voice of joy in a cheerful manner. Caught by surprise, Yua lowered the ring she was holding and stood there with a pomp.

This man knows her. She knows him too. But she can’t remember.

“It’s been a while. Do you remember me? I’m Honda from Ptolemy Agency.”

“Honda san……. Ah, you were next to Matsudaira san…….”

“Thank you for that. Well, what a coincidence that we met at such a place.”

Honda had a friendly smile on his face, as if he didn’t care about what happened the other day.

“Why don’t we have some tea? I’ve always wanted to have a long talk with you, Yua chan.”

Unbeknownst to her, this invitation would change Yua’s destiny.

＊

They entered a nearby café and sat down facing each other.

“So, what about Lyconess?　How’s the licensing thing going?”

“Well…..I have no idea about that.”

“No wonder. I’m guessing that you and Kingo had a falling out.”

She was hit by the bull’s-eye and fell silent. In reality, it wasn’t a breakup–it was worse. The truth is, if she were to tell the truth, it wouldn’t be strange if she were to be shunned. In addition, Yua’s shoulders were shaking slightly, embarrassed to have played a part in the lie.

But Honda, sensing Yua’s attitude, did not blame her.

“Well, it happens all the time. But for what it’s worth, it’s tough for Lyconess. Nobuhiko kun doesn’t seem to have the ability to write songs, and even if he finds someone who can, it’s not necessarily going to meet Matsudaira san’s expectations. You don’t think scouts will come again in these days when bands are so plentiful, do you? In fact, what are you going to do now, Yua chan?”

“…………I don’t know. I’ve just been playing as I’ve been told all my life, so I don’t know what I should be doing or what I want to do.”

Hmmm, Honda sighed mysteriously and looked at Yua. After having seen many people, Honda immediately understood that she was not unselfish, but rather lacked initiative.

(This kind of unmotivated girl doesn’t grow…….)

The entertainment industry is not so naive that you can make it big just as the producers tell you to. He was about to give up on her, thinking that he had made a premature judgment.

That’s when,

“But if I could, I’d like to stand on stage again……. I don’t care in what way, I want to get back……”

Yua’s true feelings spilled out of her mouth. And her eyes were as beautiful and strong-willed as the stars that shone brightly in them. Naturally, it struck Honda’s heart.

“I’m glad to hear you say that, Yua chan. I’d like to ask you a favor, but would you like to team up with me?”

“With Honda san?”

“Yeah. I’m actually in the middle of a production project at my office right now, and I’d like you to join me. I’d like you to join us.”

Yua’s heart leaps with a thump. It was like a sudden feeling of hope, like a lost child walking and arriving at a familiar place.

“What kind of….project is it?”

“The concept of the project is [a full-fledged girl band that can also push the looks of the audience.] Yua-chan is cute and has experience, so I would definitely like to entrust her with the role of bassist.”

Her heart was beating fast. She’s happy that she was praised for being cute, and she’s also proud that she was scouted because of it. She was very happy to be able to continue her music career, which had been her original goal.

However, there is one thing that worries her.

“What should I do about Lyconess?”

She dared to quit, but she didn’t really mean to leave. She was concerned about what to do about the bass vocalist position at Lyconess.

“Oh……Lyconess. I want you to concentrate on the project, but you can do whatever you want. You can work two jobs at the same time as long as it doesn’t interfere with your work. I’ll tell Matsudaira san, so you don’t have to worry about that.”

Honda gave his approval with a passive, thoughtful look on his face. Yua was relieved to be able to continue with the band she had been a member of for so long. However, Honda continued,

“If you really want to succeed, sometimes it’s important to cut loose. You can’t compete with the serious ones if you’re clinging to your comfort zone and trying to find a place to escape to. The entertainment industry is the most competitive industry anywhere.”

Honda’s once calm tone suddenly turned sharp. Even the naive Yua could tell that he too was a fiercely competitive person who had fought his way through the fierce competition in the industry.

Therefore, there was something that stung in her heart. He said that she was clinging to a comfortable place…..

“I’m sure we’ll figure out how to have it both ways later on. So, what are you going to do? Do you want to give it a try?”

Honda dexterously changed his expression to Ebisu and probed Yua’s feelings.

Yua could not answer immediately. The opportunity swam before her eyes and she was ready to do so, but she hesitated because of Honda’s true feelings.

“L-let me think about it for a bit…….”

“I see, I understand. I’ll give you my business card then, and you can call me when you’re ready.”

Honda nodded amiably, placed his business card on the table, bowed, and left Yua’s presence.

Yua stared at his back in amazement and felt a painful tightening in her chest.

Yua was stunned by what she saw and felt a painful tightening of her chest.

However, for Yua, leaving Lyconess, which had been her home, would be a great adventure, equivalent to rowing out to sea with only her body.

In addition, she would be betraying her lover. She was tormented by a sense of guilt.

On the other hand, as Honda’s back was turned away from her, she felt as if the opportunity she had just seized was slipping away.

“To succeed, you have to cut loose….. I have to leave behind Lyconess, Nobuhiko, my weak self…….”

Slam !

Yua overturned her chair and stood up.

“Honda san !”