No one had expected them to deliver a performance of that caliber. No one, that is, except for the wily veteran judge.
'Enfants Terribles.'
It was inconceivable that those rude eccentrics, whom most of Japan's reputable newspapers despised and condemned, could produce such a stage.
"This is... well, a perfect score! Naturally!"
The veteran judge, his hair thinned with age, offered them high praise with a broad, uncharacteristic grin. The other judges were still frozen in shock, unable to break out of their stupor.
It was the ASAYAN Host who finally broke the heavy silence on the stage. In broadcasting, the most critical thing is ensuring there is no dead air.
"Wow! That was truly a monstrous performance! Could you please introduce yourselves?"
The Host thrust the microphone forward, attempting an interview. It was a natural and skilled maneuver from one of the industry's top MCs.
"You probably won't know the name 'Enfants Terribles,' so let's just say we're the guys who flipped the bird at the staff."
As the handsome young man with blonde hair—Hide—spoke, the filming set erupted into a mixture of cheers and jeers. True stars always have the power to make both fans and haters lose their minds.
Hide gestured toward his bandmates, introducing them one by one.
First, Yokishi, the dark-skinned, muscular drummer, started things off with a roar.
"Hello! I'm Yokishi, and I'm in charge of the drums for Enfants Terribles!"
He introduced himself alongside a display of flamboyant drumming.
Wait, isn't he going to snap the sticks at that rate...?
"How's it going! I'm Shuji! I'm the guy who tried to bash the staff's heads in!"
Next was the bald bassist, Tanaka Shuji, who introduced himself while the stage lights reflected off his scalp. It felt as though a miniature sun was shining right from the top of his head.
"That was truly an incredible stage! Looking at the introductory broadcast, the atmosphere suggested you were going to be eliminated immediately!"
"'Enfants Terribles' refers to uncontrollable, terrifying children. The idea that someone could control us? Don't make me laugh."
Without a doubt, they were the stars of the second preliminary round.
Though many other performances followed, the only one etched into the public's memory was that of 'Enfants Terribles.'
- Has there been any music as good as theirs lately?
- How do they get that kind of sound? Is that even possible?
- I thought they were just loud-mouthed hacks, but I guess I was wrong.
Once the second audition ended, Hide was bombarded with calls from everyone—from major agencies to people he had met while trying to form the band. If it had been winter, he could have used his vibrating phone as a hot pack.
"But you guys know this is just the beginning, right?" Hide said.
They were getting attention now, but to sublimate that attention into actual popularity, they needed to at least reach the finals. That was Hide's assessment.
"Hey, Boss... about the rules for the Round of 16... isn't this way too stacked against us?"
From the Round of 16 onwards, the performers were required to play a mandatory song chosen by the judges. If they refused, they would be disqualified before they even stepped onto the stage. This wasn't a situation where they could pull another stunt and insist on playing their own original music like last time.
"Actually, it's better this way! Let's show them just how much their music tastes like trash!"
Shuji, the bald bassist, was already fuming and hardening his resolve at the mere mention of music.
In this world, the lineage of rock band music had been severed.
The designated song would almost certainly be a performance-heavy track suited for idols. For a rock band like them, that was a major hurdle.
"But there's no point in worrying until the assigned song actually comes out, right? ( ◜࿀◝ )"
"""Ah."""
It seemed Ai was clearly the one with the quickest wits among them. Indeed, youth really is the best.
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