Chapter 21: Preparing the New Song
"Thank you for the meal."
"Wait, I don't think I'm the one who's supposed to say that?"
After finishing dinner, Hikaru Hoshino pressed his hands together in thanks, only to realize something wasn't quite right. Although they were at Ai's house, he was the one who provided the ingredients and did the cooking; strictly speaking, he wasn't the one being "treated."
"Biyoo's cooking is great. Thanks for the meal," Ai said, using her pink tongue to lick a stray grain of rice from the corner of her mouth. "If all Chinese food is at this level, I'll probably eat it all the time from now on."
"Chinese restaurants out there..." A drop of sweat rolled down Hikaru's forehead. "...might be a bit different from what I make."
"If you like it that much, I'll cook for you again next time."
"Anyway, I'll be taking my leave now. I'm not in charge of the dishes." Hikaru prepared to make a nimble exit.
"You really only came here to cook!" Ruby couldn't help but retort loudly.
"Just passing through," Hikaru said, glancing at Ruby. "I'm quite busy myself. The President put me in charge of producing the official MV for *Idol*, plus there's the matter of recording my new song. I feel like I don't have enough hours in the day."
"Oh? Are you recording a new song already, Biyoo?" Ai asked in surprise.
"Yes. The new song will be released alongside the *Idol* MV, and it needs to be done as soon as possible, otherwise the hype will fade."
"So, you're really transitioning into a singer? I remember Kamiki was an actor before. Hmm... I first met him at the Lalalai Theatrical Company. Thanks to him, my acting improved so quickly. I'm actually quite grateful to him for that."
Ai began to reminisce, her expression remaining calm.
"Being a singer... it suits you."
"Remember to secretly send me the new song; I want to be the first to hear it!"
Aqua listened from the side, his heart growing increasingly confused, which reflected on his face. *Why does Ai keep switching how she addresses Hikaru... was their past really that complicated?*
"I'll definitely let you hear the finished product first," Hikaru replied. "In fact, I'd like you to accompany me to the recording."
"Eh?"
"I don't have my own team yet, so I have to borrow Strawberry Pro's space and equipment. Ichigo Saitou makes a sour face the moment he sees me. If you come along, I'm sure his attitude will be much better."
Hikaru lied without a shred of guilt. In truth, he suspected the President's face would turn even sourer seeing them together.
"As a reward, how about I write another song for you?"
"Eeeeh???" Ai cried out in shock. "Really? Is that okay?"
"The 'reward' doesn't even match the effort!"
"It's just a business collaboration, don't overthink it," Hikaru waved a hand. "A good composer naturally seeks out talented singers to work with, otherwise I'd be stuck using vocal synthesis software. Your popularity and status are top-tier; you can help me build a name in the industry. Besides, it's not for free—I'll be getting my share of the compensation."
"You probably don't know this, Ai." Hikaru suddenly put on a sly expression. "When it comes to song royalties, I'm the one taking the lion's share."
"I handled both the lyrics and the composition, which means the copyrights belong to me. If you hold a concert or perform *Idol* on TV, half of the earnings go into my pocket. Songwriters taking 50% is the recognized rule of the industry. The remaining 50% goes to the company, and then they take their cut before giving you yours."
"Records and paid albums are calculated differently, and that income usually goes to the company. However, I have confidence in the quality of my work. Since I'm in a strong bargaining position, I intend to take a bit more of that part, too."
Hikaru was explaining the royalty situation in the Japanese music industry. In Japan, songwriters enjoy a high status and take their share without hesitation. This creates a healthy ecosystem that stimulates creator passion. In his past life in China, the agreements were different; big companies would find every way to buy out copyrights, rarely giving creators a percentage. This led to creators earning very little compared to companies, which is why independent musicians became more common as people refused to be exploited.
"So that means..." It took Ai a long while to process Hikaru's words. "I'm basically working for you?!"
"That's exactly right," Hikaru nodded. "In short, I won't let myself lose out. So, work hard."
Hikaru patted Ai on the shoulder with an air of "encouragement."
"As long as you work hard enough, I can live in a bigger house! As long as you work hard enough, I can get a better luxury car!"
"But Biyoo, you don't even have a car yet," Ai muttered. "You get around by subway and taxi—though people who take taxis all the time are usually pretty rich."
"You!" Hikaru snapped, exasperated.
It wasn't that he didn't have a car; he was just a newcomer and hadn't found where Kamiki hid the car keys. Once he went back and searched properly, he would naturally join the ranks of car owners.
"Tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM, report to the company."
With a stiff face, Hikaru huffed and left, leaving only that final instruction.
Once he was gone, Ai burst out laughing. "What was that? Acting like a boss... he's not convincing at all."
To save time, Hikaru took another taxi home. While paying the fare, he felt the profound necessity of having a car. He immediately dropped all other work and began rummaging through his house.
Finally, he found a Honda car key and a driver's license with the surname Kamiki. It listed only the surname, address, and issue date, with a headshot on the right. The photo was terrible; his handsome face had been captured looking like a plain passerby.
*I've changed my name; I wonder if I can still use this.*
*Whatever, I'll try it tomorrow. The police shouldn't just arrest me on the spot.*
Hikaru tucked away the license and opened his computer to prepare for the MV. Since B-Komachi already had a massive following, the live version of *Idol* shot straight to the trending tab the moment it was released. Taking advantage of this, Hikaru siphoned off a massive wave of traffic.
He opened his own homepage and was delighted to find he already had... over 10,000 followers!
*It's tiny compared to Ai, but it's a good start,* Hikaru comforted himself. He couldn't actually produce the MV himself since he didn't know how to animate; in this life, writing scores and singing was enough to make a living. Rather than forcing himself to be a polymath, it was better to leave professional tasks to professionals.
The animation studios from his past life didn't exist here; in their place was a list of names he'd never heard of. Hikaru researched their art styles and eventually sent a DM to "Anime Kobo." He also found the company's official contact email and sent a packaged collaboration request.
As the composer of *Idol*, and with the project being the MV for that massive hit, they surely couldn't ignore him, right?
Recalling the official MV released by YOASOBI, Hikaru began drafting a script. He kept most of the early parts—the rabbit plushie and the old TV stayed. But he cut all the shots of Aqua and Ruby. For the final sequence, he decided to use the concert footage. He'd copy Ai's concert moves and turn them into an animated version.
The theme would be "Lies and Truth," and all content regarding children would be replaced with "fans." It wouldn't be as gut-wrenching, but it would still be quite good.
Then, Hikaru began selecting a song to record tomorrow. As the track to establish his name, the quality had to be high and it had to match his persona. There weren't many such songs, but after a period of deep thought, he found the perfect one and "swish-swish" wrote down the lyrics and score.
Finished with his work for the day, Hikaru dragged himself to the bedroom, crawled into bed, and fell into a deep sleep after a single yawn.
His sturdy, bare legs were exposed to the air, and outside the window, the sky was already turning a deep, dawn blue.
Without realizing it, the sun was already coming up.