Chapter 44: Music Station
On Friday evening, Takashi Kadomori set aside his work documents and sank into the living room sofa. As Xini's Entertainment's ace manager, it was rare for him to enjoy such a relaxing weekend night, but tonight was an exception–Hikaru Hoshino was about to make his debut on *Music Station*.
He had to admit he was incredibly dedicated, still stressing over his artist long after clocking out on a Friday.
Following the massive success of the album, Hikaru had been flooded with invitations from various music shows. Taking his schedule into account, Kadomori had carefully selected the most high-profile programs for him, spacing them out according to plan.
On the television screen, the familiar theme music kicked in, and the host opened the show with his usual high-energy introduction:
"Welcome to tonight's *Music Station*!"
The camera quickly panned across tonight's guest lineup. The moment Kadomori spotted Hikaru sitting near the middle-back row, he instinctively sat up straight.
"Tonight, we have a very special guest. A rookie singer who has taken the music industry by storm recently–Hikari!"
The camera cut to the interview section, and Hikaru slowly rose from the guest seats, walking toward the show's iconic red sofa.
Kadamori didn't care too much about this part, as long as Hikaru didn't say anything completely unhinged. After all, the kid's train of thought was occasionally hard to follow.
Meanwhile, Hikaru himself was also watching the broadcast–together with Ai.
In the spacious living room of Ai's apartment, Hikaru, Ai, Aqua, and Ruby were all huddled around the television.
Earlier that day, Ai and Hikaru had finished shooting the final scenes for the music video. Afterward, Hikaru mentioned he was heading home to watch a broadcast. When Ai pressed him and found out it was his debut on *Music Station*, her interest was instantly piqued, and she dragged him over to her place to watch it together.
"Why do I have to sit here and watch his show too?" Aqua muttered expressionlessly.
"Well, he's an acquaintance, so it's only right to show some support," Ruby nodded, sounding completely official.
*Wasn't that my exact line from before?* Aqua thought.
He stared quietly at Ruby, his eyes practically screaming: *How did you switch sides so fast? Since when do you speak up for Hikaru?*
In reality, Ruby was just keeping her mouth shut because Hikaru had recently written nursery rhymes for them, and her future debut still relied heavily on his help. When you're indebted to someone, you have to play nice.
Driven by reality, Ruby had no choice but to swallow her pride for now and improve her attitude toward him.
"Isn't it great to watch TV together? I've always wanted an atmosphere like this," Ai said, her eyes flashing with stars, looking incredibly happy.
"But watching yourself on TV is actually pretty embarrassing," Hikaru admitted, slightly averting his gaze.
Recalling her time on the reality dating show, Ai nodded in deep sympathy. "I know, right? It feels so weird."
While they chatted, the interview on screen began.
"First of all, congratulations! I heard your album sales are doing phenomenal," the host opened with a smile.
"Thank you. I'm incredibly grateful for everyone's support."
On screen, Hikaru wore a slim-fit dark grey suit over a crisp white shirt, leaving the collar unbuttoned without a tie. His blonde hair gleamed under the studio lights, and his deep sea-blue eyes looked incredibly striking in the close-up shot–like a vast ocean reflecting the stars above.
"But about your name... weren't you previously known as Hikaru Kamiki? And what's this about amnesia?"
"Some things happened. After losing my memory, I didn't really like who I used to be, so I wanted a fresh start."
"Resenting your past self? That's an interesting concept. Is that why you changed your name?"
"Yes. I used to be a pretty dark, gloomy person, and I wanted to make a change."
Watching the dialogue play out on screen, a curious gleam flashed in Aqua's eyes.
*A dark person in the past... so he was incredibly gloomy before losing his memory? Or is he just casually lying again?*
He found himself growing more and more curious about what exactly had transpired between Ai and Hikaru in the past.
"Is that the reason behind your stage name, 'Hikari'? Your new album, A Poem Composed with You, contains quite a few heartbreaking love songs. Do you have a history of failed relationships?"
"They represent my entire understanding of love. I've always admired the concept of romance. Even if a relationship ends in failure, it still holds a beautiful, radiant place in my eyes."
"And the song you'll be performing tonight, 'Takane no Hanako-san' (Miss High-Maintenance)... what kind of song is it?"
"It's a song about looking up to someone," Hikaru said with a touch of melancholy. "We've all been there, right? Meeting someone special and feeling like they're an unattainable flower on a high peak‐beautiful, but completely out of reach..."
Hearing Hikaru's response on television, Ai looked over at him, thoroughly intrigued.
"Oh? Have you ever admired someone like that, Hikaru?"
He waved his hands dismissively. "It's just PR talk. You can't believe everything people say on these shows."
On the other side of town, Kadomori nodded in satisfaction, finding Hikaru's answers perfectly standard and free of any major blunders.
Next up was the interview segment for the other guests. There were five groups in total tonight; aside from Hikaru, the lineup included a popular idol group, a mainstream female pop singer, a rock band, and an elderly enka singer.
Once the interviews concluded, the broadcast transitioned to the live performances. The stage lights dimmed, and a circular platform slowly rose from the center of the stage. The background LED screens displayed an abstract starry sky with drifting flower petals, utilizing a deep blue-to-white gradient to create a dreamlike atmosphere. The live string quartet and piano accompaniment were already in position.
Standing on the rising platform, Hikaru stood perfectly still. His blonde hair looked like scattered stardust under the lighting, and his deep blue eyes focused sharply ahead. As the intro chimed in, he parted his lips and effortlessly launched into the song.
Before long, the track hit its emotional peak.
"Under the midsummer sky, I tremble as I think of you..."
Tonight, Hikaru was dressed exceptionally sharp. Coupled with his striking visuals, he wouldn't look out of place even if you threw him into a trendy boy band.
He looked directly past the camera lens, as though staring intensely at the object of his unrequited love.
Ai suddenly felt her heart skip a beat.
On the television, Hikaru continued to sing with deep emotion.
"Your favorite ice cream flavor must be..."
"I want to see you so badly. Will you suddenly come running to my side from around that corner?"
"Even if you and I were born on different planets, with the power of a chance encounter or summer magic, is it still impossible for you to be mine?"
Sitting in the living room, Hikaru couldn't bring himself to look at his own performance, quietly turning his head away.
*Watching your own performance is pure torture!* he screamed internally. *If I ever watch myself on a show again, I'm a total idiot!*
Besides, even though he had just used the original lyrics of the song, why did they feel so strangely profound and loaded with subtext right now? He fell into deep thought.
Ai also stared intently at the screen, feeling as though his gaze at that moment was incredibly sharp–as if it were cutting straight through the television display.
She felt like she was the exact person he was looking at.
"He's actually pretty romantic," Ruby whispered to Aqua. "Writing a song as a love letter is definitely the kind of thing that makes a girl's heart race."
*Did Sarina use to fantasize about romance like that too?* The question immediately surfaced in Aqua's mind.
He instinctively shot it down. "Playboys who pull romantic stunts like this 24/7 are usually just toxic jerks."
Ruby thought about it for a moment. "True." Remembering the distinctly unromantic Doctor Gorou, she nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, Ai leaned closer to Hikaru. "You sang beautifully, Hikaru," she praised softly.
Still paralyzed by second-hand embarrassment, Hikaru kept his head turned the other way, his eyes darting around. "Yeah, I really did sing great."
Aqua and Ruby watched the two absolute dorks, completely speechless.
After Hikaru's performance concluded, the other artists took turns singing their respective tracks, interspersed with a few commercial breaks.
Finally, the live performances came to an end. "And now, let's look at this week's CD sales chart!" The host's voice snapped everyone's attention back to the screen.
A golden chart materialized on screen, with the name "Hikari" rendered in a flashy, stylized font.
Rank 1: Hikari – A Poem Composed with You
First-Week Physical Sales: 201,847 copies
Digital Sales: 156,283 downloads
Total: 358,130
"Wow! To take first place as a complete rookie is incredibly rare!" The host pulled an exaggerated expression of shock.
The camera cut to Hikaru, who looked slightly surprised but maintained a humble posture. "Really? Thank you so much, everyone... I honestly never expected these kinds of numbers."
Ruby couldn't take it anymore. "He is acting so fake! Can't he just be normal for once?!"
Aqua, however, expressed his understanding. "At the end of the day, that's just how television recording works. It can't be helped. If I ever get the chance to do variety shows in the future, I'll probably act exactly the same way."
Hikaru nodded, completely agreeing with the sentiment.
On screen, the camera cut back to the host, who was still showering Hikaru with praise. "These numbers are absolutely ridiculous! We've never seen a rookie like this before! Are rookies these days just monsters?!"
The host's voice echoed through Kadomori's living room, causing the manager to instinctively nod along in agreement.
*He really is a monster,* Kadomori thought, a proud smile spreading across his face.
And he was the exact person who had discovered this monster.
Even though he had already known the sales figures beforehand, seeing them displayed on national television still hammered home just how absurd the data was.
With the album selling like hotcakes and show offers piling up endlessly, Hikaru's nonstop appearances on music and variety programs had caused his fan base to skyrocket at breakneck speed.
Originally, a few other managers in the agency had quietly complained about handing a coveted Kohaku slot to a complete rookie. Now, even they couldn't find a single thing to nitpick.
Hikaru's appearance at the year-end Kohaku Uta Gassen was now entirely set in stone.
And by the time he stood on that stage, he would have only been debuted as a singer for a grand total of six months.
If Tsunomori recalled correctly... tracking purely from debut date to a confirmed Kohaku appearance, absolutely no one in history had ever done it faster.
Just like how certain bands liked to brag about achieving the "fastest Budokan performance," Hikaru had just pulled off an achievement that was significantly harder and carried vastly more weight...
The "Fastest Kohaku."
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