Someone looked on his watch and said: “It’s almost time to get on stage, Akira-san.” She waited until she heard her name being called out. She had a microphone in her hand. This would be the first time as she would sing as herself, not as Takeru. She heard Takeru making an announcement. The public held its breath in excitement. Her eyes were fixed on Takeru. Finally he pronounced her name. She forced herself to smile. She put a big smile on, ran on stage and high-fived Takeru. She bowed ninety degrees for the public and said: “Hi, my name is Akira. It’s nice being here. And I am very happy to perform on stage with this awesome band.”

“Hey, Akira.”, spoke Takeru.

“Yes?”

“Do you know 39GalaxyZ?”

“Of course I do!”

“Well want to sing it in duet?”

“I will if you’d tell me how.”

“My you are clever.”

“I know right.”, she winked.

“Well how about you do the stanzas, I’ll do the periods and let’s sing ‘Hey Hey 39GalaxyZ yeah’ together.”

“Okay, that’s good.”

“Let the music begin!”, Takeru announced.

Their performance started and everything went great. They even danced. She never made a fault. She was enjoying this. She was glad that she sang as herself and not as Takeru, which she usually did and was used to do. After the duet Takeru hugged her and she bowed another ninety degrees for the public before she left the stage. She sat on a chair and wiped away the sweat with a towel and drank some water. Her make-up was patched up and then a journalist came across. “Hi.”, he said. She turned her head. “They are still performing. You’ll have to wait.”

“Well actually I am interested in you. I want to know who you are, where they got you from and why no one has ever heard of you.” She looked at him with big eyes. “I never dealt with journalists before. Therefor I won’t reply with them here.”, she replied.

“Does that mean you know them?”

“Again no comment.”, she turned to someone of the entourage, “Can someone get security?”

“I’ll take my leave then.”, answered the journalist disappointed and ran away. She sighed and shook her head.

The performance ended and they all dropped into a couch. They wiped away their sweat and drank their bottles of water. Akira took place in between them. Shinpei put his arm around her. “Nice performance, baby.”

“I am not your baby yet, we just dated once.” Shinpei was hurt by the comment and it was visible. “Anyway,” she went one, “a reporter wants me to answer questions.” Takeru’s eyes shot up.

“Have you already answered some?”

“No, I didn’t want to without you guys around. I wouldn’t know how to handle the press at all.”

“It was bound to happen, you know.”, Chiyu said. “You must have gotten accustomed to it by being in Takeru’s place for a while.”

“Yeah, I know. But I don’t want to tell them that I’ve been in Takeru’s place the first concerts.”

“They may not know that at all.”, Yuji said.

“Then how did we met?”

“Ganku’s manager had heard you sing on a street corner with a guitar and took you with him and is now searching a sponsor for you.”, said the manager while popping up out of nowhere.

“That might work.”, said Yuji smiling at Akira. She stared at the manager knowing that this was his trick to bind her to himself. This she didn’t like, but she needs to give in. “I can’t play the guitar.”

“You are a fast learner. You’ll know how to do it in no time.”