The atmosphere in the practice room could be summarized in one sentence: they were walking on thin ice.
After that night, Hide's heart—which had been scorched black—was now frozen solid, like mountain ice in the dead of a bitter midwinter.
Intoxicated by the alcohol in his drinks and the nicotine in his cigarettes, Hide spent his time in the practice room either writing songs at a breakneck pace or shredding his guitar with terrifying intensity. It was almost laughable how the hardships of life seemed to be heightening his prowess as a musician.
"Does it seem like the leader's songwriting ability has gone off the rails these past few days?"
"If being a bald mess is the only way to get that kind of skill, I don't even want it."
Shuji, the bald bassist and a relentless perfectionist when it came to music, watched Hide with a complicated expression—feeling a mix of heavy-hearted concern and raw envy.
In any case, even if Hide the 'human' was falling apart, Hide the 'rock star' had been completely resurrected.
"So you want to use Sakamoto Ryuichi for the Grammys too?"
"Wouldn't a double guitar setup make the sound a lot richer?"
"Does that mean you want to bring him in as a formal member? This isn't just a 'Hide concert,' it's the Grammy Awards."
"Makoto, that's exactly why."
Listening to the exchange between Hide and Miyazaki Makoto, Shuji and Yokishi shared a glance of concern. Hide's current demands were signaling a fundamental shift in the direction of Enfants Terribles.
Because every member possessed such immense talent, they had overlooked it until now, but the band's sound was actually quite minimalist. This was an inherent vulnerability for Enfants Terribles, as their numbers were small compared to other rising bands that typically had four to six members.
The reason they had maintained a three-man lineup despite this weakness was to preserve the band's internal culture as much as possible—a culture that allowed the members to remain 'humans' rather than just 'stars.'
Therefore, Hide's recent demand could be interpreted as a declaration: he intended to focus more on his life as 'Star Hide' than as 'Human Hide.'
"Man, I'm against it."
"Leader, I think it sounds good."
Surprised by the unexpected disagreement, Shuji and Yokishi stared at each other in shock.
The Grammy Awards announce most of the winners in advance. However, there are certain awards that must be presented live at the ceremony—these are the General Field awards: Best New Artist, Song of the Year, Album of the Year, and Record of the Year.
Aside from those, only the awards for genres that led the industry that year are presented during the main event. Unlike last year's ceremony, a 'Rock' category had been newly established this year, and Enfants Terribles had already been notified as the presenters—and winners—of this segment.
[Enfants Terribles' High-Speed Charge! This Year's Rock Scene Was Dominated by Enfants Terribles!!]
Of course, while the 'Best Rock Song' and 'Best Rock Album' winners hadn't been publicly revealed yet, the public already knew.
Guessing the protagonist of those awards was far too easy. They were the ones producing overwhelming results across the global rock scene.
Enfants Terribles, the band that had essentially introduced the genre of 'Rock' to this world for the first time, was still reigning as its undisputed ruler.
[Can Enfants Terribles Conquer the General Field for Two Consecutive Years?]
[Countless Music Experts Predict Enfants Terribles Will Sweep Every Award Except Best New Artist.]
[Enfants Terribles Challenges the Legend. We Are Witnessing the Moment a Legend Is Born.]
While the band had casually brushed off the American Music Awards, their attitude toward the Grammys was noticeably different. This ceremony was the crucial turning point that could turn Enfants Terribles into giants who would be remembered forever in the music industry.
And on the day of the ceremony, countless music fans who had traveled from all over to witness the birth of a legend began to congregate at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
The Los Angeles Convention Center. It was a place where Enfants Terribles had already performed during their first album tour. And today, the most prestigious music awards in the world were being held here.
'It's completely different from a year ago. It's becoming hard for this old man to keep up.'
Paul McCartney, one of the most respected music critics in the UK, smiled as he looked over the audience seats filled with Enfants Terribles fans.
'Even with my dulled senses, I can tell. This year, the General Field awards belong to those kids again.'
As a critic, Paul McCartney was predicting an eight-award sweep for Enfants Terribles. For reference, the record for most wins at a single Grammy Awards was eight, achieved by Michael Jackson in 1984.
'Those kids don't fall behind even when compared to Jackson during his prime.'
Enfants Terribles was satisfying the Grammys' picky standards, which looked at both commercial success and musical integrity. The reason he predicted eight wins was that, frankly, no one was currently more suited to be a Grammy winner than them.
'When are they coming out?'
The Grammy Awards were already past the introductory stages.
Paul McCartney knew they would be appearing soon. The presentation for the newly established Rock genre category was about to begin.
Michael Jackson, serving as the MC for the Grammys, held the cue card and flashed a wide grin.
"The next group... is a group of juniors I'm very fond of..."
As Michael Jackson shrugged his shoulders with the same relaxed confidence he used to tease his concert audiences, the crowd responded with a deafening roar that sounded more like a collective scream.
"The winners of Best Rock Album, EF!!!"
The moment Michael Jackson called out their name, three men with muscular builds began to walk out from among the sea of celebrities. With Hide—the most handsome of the group—leading the way, they stepped onto the stage amidst the cheers of their fellow artists.
Unlike last year, when he had barely managed to drag his drunken members out to grab the mic, Hide took the stage with the unwavering confidence of a 'rock star.' Even to Paul McCartney, he looked different.
Unlike last year, he was radiating a massive 'Star' aura.
"I want to say thanks to everyone who voted for us..."
"As for the judges who didn't vote for us.... if I hit you with this trophy, on a scale of one to ten, how fucking much do you think it'll hurt?"
After starting his acceptance speech with a simple greeting, Hide ended it with a bold, high-tension statement, exuding the raw arrogance of a top-tier rock star who knew they were the best.
Enfants Terribles barely had time to leave before they were called back to the stage.
"The winner for Best Rock Song is Enfants Terribles!!"
They were winning back-to-back. With two awards already secured, the members of Enfants Terribles let out hearty laughs. Their demeanor was a complete contrast to last year, when they had delivered a drunken, rambling speech.
"I heard there were a few people lately saying we were an 'influence' on them."
"Thanks, but fuck off, it was nothing."
Ironically, the audience felt that Hide looked even more like a 'Rock Star' now that he had discarded his 'human' side.