Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Love or Hate ❯ Volume One, Chapter Two: Rival ( Chapter 2 )

Rival

-Three Days Earlier-

Charm Inu were kings of the Japanese rock world. Now, they have competition. The manager wrinkled his nose.

“Who do they think they are?” he asked.

“What is it, Kaz?” Isao asked. Kaz flung the music magazine at him. Isao and the band crowded around for a look.

Lady Dragon. They came out last year. All-girl J-rock band. Their record label was a small indie brand. Kaz wrinkled his nose.

“So stupid,” he muttered. Isao shrugged.

“Not too bad to me,” he said. Kaz whipped his head around.

“Are you kidding me?” he asked. “This is an insult!”

“If you say so,” Isao said.

“How are you so calm like this?” bassist Tokuma asked.

“You know how he gets,” the vocalist said. “It's bout the attention and the money. Did you know he used to be a pop star in the 70's?”

“I heard that,” guitarist Katsuya said. “What happened? Was there like a scandal or something?”

“She was nineteen!” Kaz shouted. He stormed out of the recording booth. The band stared with curious looks on their faces.

“That bad?” drummer Hideki asked.

“Yeah,” the older guys said.

“Oh…” he said. The band looked down at the article in front of them.

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Lady Dragon had just finished their latest recording session.

“Whew!” vocalist Mai shouted as she took off her headphones. She clapped her hands above her head. The girls in her band looked up and clapped.

“Thank you!” she said.

“Solid!” guitarist Subaru said. Mai smiled and nodded. Suddenly, her phone rang.

“Excuse me,” she said. Mai picked up her phone.

“Hello?” she asked. The conversation didn't have to last long. Mai started frowning.

“Are you serious?!” she complained. “No. No! I won't do it. Oh no, you're not going to pull that one on me!” She threw back her head and groaned.

“Seriously?” Mai asked. “Fine. What time? What?! Tomorrow? But… Fine, whatever. Whatever!” She gritted her teeth and hung up.

“Your uncle again?” bassist Kasumi asked.

“He got married again,” Mai said.

“How many is that now?” drummer Yoko asked.

“Four,” the other girls said. Yoko's jaw dropped.

“Wow,” she mumbled.

“Yeah,” Mai said. “He wants me to meet her tomorrow.”

“Oh,” Subaru and Kasumi said. The vocalist nodded. And she relied on him for money too? Mai rubbed her forehead.

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-Present Day-

Isao stood blinking with his jaw wide open. “What?!” His mom lowered her head.

“It's true,” she murmured.

“When did this happen?!” the vocalist shouted.

“Last month,” his mother said.

“Last month? Last month?!” Isao grabbed his hair, ready to scream. Instead, he broke down laughing like a madman.

“Isao-kun?” his mother asked. Her husband squeezed her hand.

“Honey?” she asked. The man shook his head.

“Let him get it out of his system first,” he said. “He's just in shock.” His wife, Tomoe, looked at her son huddled up in a ball on the floor. He looked like his soul left his body. If Isao thought this was bad, he had no idea of the headaches coming for him next.

Track Two