Greedy Chapter 12

# Chapter Twelve - "Kick it into Overdrive"

### Dam-Bi

    "Good afternoon, ladies. Miss Han, it's a pleasure to be working with you again. And this must be… Oh, I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting you, Miss…?" As usual, Mr. Ono - Interlunium's preferred recording technician - leaned in rather closely as he greeted us, his glasses tucked securely away into the collar of his shirt.

    "Mr. Ono! It's great to see you again! This is Junko, from my group. You remember Junko! It's just Junko…"

    "I see. Of course, how foolish of me. My eyes must be more fatigued than I thought after a long week. It's wonderful to see you again as well, Miss Junko. I hope both of you are well rested and ready to do your best. I don't expect it should take more than one session to finish everything we need to record."

    "Great! You always do a wonderful job, Mr. Ono. I'm sure it'll come out sounding phenomenal with you at the controls!"

    "If you remember the process, we can start right away with the lead vocals. Your friend can have a seat until we're done."

    I handed Tae-Tae my bag and pointed her to the old, worn couches at the back of the studio. Once I was in the booth it was business as usual. Mr. Ono guided me through a few takes, easy peasy, nothing that I haven't done a bunch of times before, and in the back of my mind I was immensely happy that our little masquerade seemed to be working perfectly.

    "That was excellent work. If your friend is as talented a singer then you girls will have made my job too easy. Are you ready, Miss… Ah, Junko?" Mr. Ono gave a telling glance at Tae-Eun, who had so far been sitting quietly in the back of the studio hiding behind her oversized sunglasses. I'm sure she hadn't even said a single word since we entered the building. But still, despite the disguise, could Mr. Ono possibly know that this isn't actually the same Junko he's familiar with?

    "Now Miss, we'll go straight into the song. Ms. Fujimura's email said that you've been rehearsing the backing vocals, but if you have any questions just let me know. Your first take will probably be just a warmup, so I expect we'll do five or six additional takes after. Do you have any questions?"

    Tae-Tae stayed quiet but shook her head before entering the booth. How different could it possibly be from all the other times she's recorded backing vocals? Her first released work was barely months after she got to Japan, so she's been doing this part for *years* longer than I have. She's a total pro, and it showed in the way she didn't falter from her role the entire time she was in the booth. She even *looked* a little like Junko when she sang. It was perfect! Four takes was all it took for Mr. Ono to be satisfied - fewer than I'd ever seen.

    "That was wonderful. I wish that all of my vocalists were as precise as you are." Tae-Tae stepped out of the recording booth and took a small curtsey. "Now, should we all take a seat and discuss the elephant in the room?" Mr. Ono addressed us as soon as it seemed we had gotten away with it.

    "What do you mean, Mr. Ono? I don't think that anyone here is very much like an elephant. That's an awfully risky thing to say to two young idols. You'll give us a complex." I laughed, incredibly nervously.

    He knows, doesn't he?

    Our technician stood up from his control panels and walked leisurely toward the back of the studio, taking a seat in the corner of one of the old couches and pointing at the other. Tae-Eun and I exchanged a worried glance before taking a seat where he indicated.

    "Now, who are you actually, Miss? Surely you can't think I'm so old as to not remember the girls who've been in my booth just weeks ago. You know, I have a daughter just about your age. Would you think that of your own father?"

    Tae-Eun looked down at her feet and answered the older man softly. "No, sir. My name is Tae-Eun Song. I'm a friend of Dam-Bi's. I am really an idol, but with Starsphere. I'm actually a friend of your student Mariya. We're about to debut! She actually… um, nevermind… I've met your daughter Kazue, too. She's very talented. You must be very proud of her."

    "Tae-Tae is super talented too. That's why I wanted so badly for her to record this song. All my friends are great singers, but her voice sounds the best to support mine. Please don't tell Lina."

    "Thank you for coming clean with me without a fight. I'm always happy to meet a friend of my daughter, and I'm glad to hear my protege is doing well. However, this is quite the position you've put me in, girls. I hope you can appreciate that. Your producer already knows what you've done. Surely you can understand that using talent that hasn't been properly paid for could get the company in a lot of trouble, and doubly so when they're under contract with another agency?"

    "Mr. Ono, respectfully, I'm doing it as a favor for my best friend. I'm not concerned about payment or credit."

    "Maybe not, but are you sure that Mr. Akiyama would feel the same way? I've known him and his wife for a very long time, both personally and as business contacts. They're very practical people, but even they would draw the line at sneaking around like this. I'm sorry, but if young Miss Song is to appear on the track then her agency is due its credit for everything it's done for her, or both of you may find yourself in violation of your contracts. Is it really worth that?"

    "No, sir." Both of us spoke in perfect unison, exactly as though we had been caught cheating on a test by a teacher at school.

    "I'm glad you understand how serious it could have been if your ruse had worked. Now, here's what's going to happen." I found myself feeling around until I located Tae-Tae's hand between us. I was practically shaking, and despite what she'd want you to think she's even more sensitive than I am. "As it happens, I don't disagree with your assessment of this track. Miss Song, your friend's opinion of your voice is accurate, and I've told Lina that if she chooses to use what we've recorded today that, in my professional opinion, the end results should be more than adequately in line with what I had hoped. Musically, it's a very sound choice."

    "Th-That's great, Mr. Ono! I can't believe you-"

    "Please don't misunderstand, Ms. Han. Your producer isn't happy with you right now, and it's up to you to convince her your idea has merit. She accepts my opinion as a technician, but there's a lot more than pure musicality that goes into these choices, and the final decision will be up to her. If I were you I would go directly over to her office and apologize, then do the same with Miss Song's producer before it becomes a problem. Do you girls understand?"

    **"Yes, sir."**

    "Then we're done here for the day. Thank you for working hard, even if it wasn't under ideal circumstances."

    Outside the studio - Mr. Ono was polite enough to not even mention that Tae-Tae was technically trespassing or have one of the security guards escort us out - we were both in a rather nervous mood.

    "I'm so sorry, Tae-Tae. I didn't even think that this could get you in trouble too!"

    "I didn't either. I don't think I will be though. Mariya recently made major plays to get Meiko onboard with our plans, and *she* knew that I was coming. Worst case I'll probably only get a slap on the wrist or some extra shifts cleaning the rehearsal studio. How about you? Do you think you're in big trouble?"

    "I don't know. Lina's *always* annoyed with us for something, but Mr. Ono made it sound really serious…"

    We were both pretty shaken up. We honestly hadn't thought it would be a big deal. It's just the backing vocals, not even a featured part, and it seemed like such a small thing. What would Lina do besides sigh heavily and look extra annoyed like she usually does?

    "I guess we should go and apologize now like he said. Your producer is probably expecting us."

    "Yes. We should." My hands are still a little shaky though… "Maybe we should get a snack first. In case she makes us clean her office or something and we miss dinner…" And it would put it off a little bit longer too…

    We took the train station near the studio back toward the I MY ME building. Not too near. I wasn't in any hurry to get back, and getting food was a convenient excuse to disembark a few stations early and walk the rest of the way, since there was really only one thing I could get Tae-Tae to agree to after all the trouble I'd put her through.

    "How can you eat that?" I grimaced lightly, fighting back the urge to make an unflattering sound.

    "These are the best parts. They have the most flavor and the best nutrients."

    "I can't believe we're from the same country sometimes."

    Boba tea is my go-to sweet snack, and one which I know Tae-Tae is fairly fond of as well, but it's hardly substantial, and after working hard on one thing straight into another all day we had ended up accidentally skipping lunch entirely. Personally I don't mind most Japanese food too much. I've always enjoyed exploring other cultures for fun, so even before I visited Japan I'd sampled the food numerous times. It can be a little bland, but I find it helps me stay in the right mindset for my surroundings. Not that those are bland! The cuisine is just different than in Korea, and the food can be a little reminder to spend my time here immersed to the fullest. Tae-Tae is a little more particular - did you know she keeps a little bottle of gochujang in her bag? - but the one food she's developed a love for since she's arrived here is Japanese barbecue. Especially yakitori. Which is fine. I like it too! Except I usually get mine made with the breast of the chicken - or at least the parts you think of when you imagine you're going to be eating a chicken - and she likes all the weird parts. Today it's one skewer of livers, one of thigh meat, and one of… uh… I can't believe people can stomach eating chicken hearts!

    *Grossss!*

    "You're missing out. This is where all the vitamins are." She bit one of the roundish lumps of grilled meat and slid it from the wooden skewer between her teeth. We walked slowly as we ate. The weather was starting to get warm, and I think my friend was starting to enjoy the looks she was getting thanks to her new hair color. "So, it's time to fess up, Bibi. I know we sound great together, but you were way too set on having me record with you for all the trouble it caused. And, I'm not complaining. I know I owe you. But, Junko's no slouch, so either there's something going on you've kept to yourself or you've suddenly started crushing on me. Bad." She even lowered her sunglasses to look me directly in the eye in that don't-even-think-about-lying kind of way best friends do. "And honestly, Bibi, we're both way too high maintenance for that, so you'd better spill what's been bugging you."

    "It's nothing, really. It's just… Can we sit down first?"

    We walked another block as I wondered how to say out loud the feelings I hadn't told anyone. We ended up at the park down the street from my dorm, the last real place to loiter and chat before we were inside the lobby and would have no choice but to go and talk to Lina. The tall tree we'd sat under was covered in leaves and sprouting branches despite being older than our parents' grandparents, and seeing it helped me get my thoughts in order. If something that big and that old could keep growing constantly, why should I accept anything less when I'm so young and full of energy?

    "Tae-Eun, now that you're an idol, do you ever feel like maybe you're not doing enough to further your career?"

    "Well I had time to dress up in Junko cosplay for you and sneak into a recording studio, so I'd say the answer is *probably* yes. But we haven't even debuted properly yet, so we're still building momentum. Is that what's bothering you lately?"

    "Back when I was a solo idol I felt like I was busy all the time. As soon as I found a project I liked I sunk my teeth into it and didn't stop moving until I made it happen, but it must have worked because I was starting to get really successful. Do you know why I joined Interlunium though?"

    "You've never actually said exactly why. I kind of just assumed they needed you like my group needed me. You need someone with experience to keep things on track when you're just starting out, and you were the big get until you guys talked Eimi into joining."

    "They did need me, but that's not why I agreed to join. I didn't hate being the most experienced either, but that just made me feel useful. When my friend Hanarin - Rinko - asked me to join her group, I didn't even think about it for a minute. Hanarin is my best friend at I MY ME, even closer than you and I were at the time. I think I thought it would bring us closer together. And it did. Kind of. I'm really happy I've gotten close to all of my new friends, but it's like…"

    "Kind of like you get along with all of them, but you're always a third wheel, or almost like a babysitter? You haven't really made any best friends. Just casual friends…"

    "That's exactly it! Is it like that for you too?"

    "Sometimes a little bit. Ai and Mariya have been close for years already so they have tons of inside jokes, and Erika's more like everyone's little sister a lot of the time. And, Kohaku has more in common with Mariya than anyone, and couldn't even name a single K-Pop group when we formed, so even though she's nice enough we aren't really close. But I'm friends with a lot of your group too by now, and I see how they act kind of the same. Some of them seem super close. Others act like coworkers. I don't think it's anything to take personally. Some people are just harder to like… Though I never thought that would apply to *you*. You get along with everyone."

    "I'm not saying I want to be everyone's best friend or anything. It's just that Hanarin and Juney have been friends for ages. I knew I'd never be closer to her than Juney is, but I thought we'd be closer than we are now. And as soon as I joined I started hanging out a lot with Megumin, and we still go on morning runs a couple times a week, but we never really clicked like she did with Eimi. All four of the new members even seem to have clicked really well. It's like everyone has a bestie in the group except me! And Lina's handling all these girls at once and all I'm doing half the time is training for stuff I never even get to do, or rehearsing stock songs just in case. I even found an opportunity I wanted to audition for and she sent other girls instead after I showed it to her! I'm happy Yume got the gig, but I used to be able to just go for it! It's like I'm not allowed to advance myself until everyone's caught up with me, and I'm bored because I was already a little successful to start with!"

    My friend sat quietly and attentively as I complained at length about my frustrations, getting more and more animated and loud as my rant went on. I felt bad. I'm more successful now than when I was a solo act, but I'm putting in less work. Shouldn't that be a good thing? On paper everything about joining Interlunium was the best decision I could have ever made for my career. I have more time to spend with friends, to study and go shopping, but maybe I'm just a workaholic. I want to be out there working on things and making my fans happy. And, well, I'm not lonely exactly, but I guess I'm feeling a little less appreciated than I want to be. I even asked Megumin if she wanted to be roommates but she said she prefers her current arrangements…

    "Look, I know you're going to hate the idea, but maybe you should- Hey!"

    I let out a shriek as something jumped up on the bench right into Tae-Tae's lap and bit into the remaining livers she was holding. The creature growled and yanked the skewer loose before jumping to the ground and darting under the bench. My friend sat there in shock at what had happened before freaking out slightly and lifting her legs up to her chest.

    "What was that?! Where did it go?!"

    "It's under the bench!" Even with our fuss, the creature's tiny growls and chomps could be heard clearly below us. "I think it's a raccoon or something!"

    "Why did a raccoon steal my yakitori?"

    "I told you that was the gross parts of the chicken. Of course a raccoon wants it!"

    "Well make it go away!"

    "H-How?"

    "I dunno! Try…"

    Before we could think of a solution to our raccoon problem, it crawled out from under the bench, having quickly polished off Tae's assembly of random chicken pieces. It stared directly at the half a skewer I hadn't finished yet, then let out a loud, sharp sound.

    "Wan-wan!" The animal's tail thrashed back and forth as it demanded my snack.

    "Bibi, you drama queen. That's not a raccoon."

    Looking more closely, and finally getting a good look at it, the mystery creature wasn't exactly a raccoon. It was grayish like a raccoon, and had a tail sort of like a raccoon, but it was shaped a lot differently, and I'm pretty sure raccoons don't bark, or stand up on their hind legs and beg for chicken, or wag their fluffy little tails back and forth.

    At least I don't *think* racoons do any of those things…

    I dunno! I'm not a raccoon expert!

    "It's a puppy!" Sure enough, the mystery beast was in fact a small dog. One with fur that's a little matted, and who's a bit skinny, but who is still completely adorable now that it isn't lunging at us. "Where did it come from?"

    "How would I know? She seems friendly though." Tae-Tae reached out her hand and let the stray sniff her. She let out a tiny laugh as the dog licked her hand. "Go ahead and pet her. She's friendly."

    I wanted to pet our little visitor, but what if she bites me! She looks cute and friendly, but looks can be deceiving, and that applies to animals as much as people. What if the puppy is more an Eimi than a Rinko? I could lose a finger!

    But Tae-Eun isn't having any problems. She even rolled over on her back to show her fluffy little belly. Er, the puppy. Not Tae-Tae. Could you imagine?

    I reached out my hand nervously. The puppy rolled off its back and sprung to its feet, sniffing my hand wildly. She then jumped up straight into my lap and started licking at the skewer of chicken I hadn't completely finished - and wouldn't be finishing now that it was covered in dog slobber. I figured if she was going to steal some of my dinner then the least she owed me was letting me pet her, and I ran my hand down her fuzzy back. The puppy let out a small *grr* at first, but quickly stopped when she realized I wasn't going to take away her meal. After a few minutes - during which my hand got covered in puppy slobber holding her snack - she finished the chicken and settled down into my lap, gnawing at the empty stick.

    "I think she likes you, Bibi."

    "I love her! What kind of dog do you think she is? Why would someone abandon such a sweet little puppy?" In my lap, the puppy stretched out its front legs and yawned. She flopped over onto her side and curled up sweetly, tucking her face under a dirty paw. "Look at how filthy she is. She needs a bath…"

    "Bibi, I know that voice. What are you planning?"

    "Nothing! I just think that such a sweet little puppy deserves to look top notch. Don't you think she could use a makeover?"

    "Sure, but how would we do that? You'll just get in even more trouble if you try to sneak a stray into your room."

    "I know… That's why we need to go back to your dorm instead!"

\_\_\_\_

# Chapter Navigation

* Next Chapter
* Previous Chapter
* Back to Contents