Chapter Text
I. October 2022
In the surrounding sea, waves of beaming colorful lights follow the rhythm and sound that vibrates the whole concert stadium. In the light's absence, an all-encompassing void of pitch darkness would await. An empty abyss that he gazes at and, in return, would gaze at him.
His team members were spread out, moving to the same rhythm but on different parts of their stage. The cheers and the screams are loud, but they are louder as they belt out the lyrics they know by heart.
When his part comes up, Isagi waves his hands as the cameras pan onto him. His eyes turn into sweet crescents, and his lips were gently tugged at the corners to give that smile he knows his fans adore.
"さあタイムトラベルだ あの日まで 取り返そう 初めての告白を"
(Alright, time to travel back in time, to that day; Let's take it back, my first confession.)
He holds his microphone out towards the myriad of lights, and the fans take it in stride, chanting the next part that they know by heart.
"全部全部無かったことに それでいいんだ それでいいんだっけ"
(As if nothing had ever happened; That's fine; Was this fine?)
Altogether, they continue the rest of the song, a melody of the idol and the fan that can never be perfectly replicated because it is an art that forms right during that moment, only captured in film and residing in fond memories of the past.
When the song finishes, the members all make it back to the middle, standing in their respective positions. Isagi is the heart as his members structure themselves around him; he is their beating center.
As all endings go, they hold on to each other's hands and bow together. They each shout out their gratitude amidst the loud cheering. Though it is nearing the end, there's a persistent spread of happiness all around, a jubilant mood as the members shine with their bright smiles.
As the leader, Hiori starts with his speech. "Everyone! Thank you so much for coming out to our concert tonight! We always work to give our 100% in each performance, and we are so grateful for your support every time!" With the hold of everyone's attention, his gaze is the epitome of doe innocence despite having the dominant and commanding role as a leader.
Following was their resident visual, Chigiri, who brushes his red hair aside and lightly patted the sweat off his face with the back of his hand.
"I wanted to give an extra thank you for all of the love and care you all have shown me this past while," Chigiri pauses as he takes a deep breath. "The hiatus had been tough on me, and the recovery process for my knee had been quite painful." His smile had turned more into a wince, and Isagi reached out his arm to hold his team member.
"However, the one thing that helped get me through it all was our beloved fans! The messages that you have sent to me became a great pillar of support for me, and they were a reminder that there are always people that will be waiting for me."
The fans cheered after Chigiri's speech, with some yelling out various messages of don’t be sad, and everything will be alright! Isagi was next in line and cleared his throat, which caused a momentary increase in the cheering volume.
"Our fans are so lovely as always! You know what makes half of our shows are your chants right?" To prove his point, Isagi pauses as he lets the fans respond in their loud shouts. He hears a million things at once, but above them all he hears his name being echoed, over and over like a never-ending tune.
If the cheers weren't loud before, they increase exponentially when Bachira suddenly jumps to embrace him from behind.
"Ah ah, Isagi has to go and say cheesy stuff again, huh?" He responds with a playful jab. Unfazed, Bachira continues, mentioning all that he was grateful for from the fans and how fun it was performing. Like all the members before him, Isagi listens attentively to Bachira's speech and nods when necessary.
Last to finish it off was Kurona, a member whom Isagi thinks is the dark horse of stealing the hearts of fans, though it was always unintentional. Kurona had stated that he doesn't like to stand out as much, but his idol image consisted of only lovable and strong points from his irreplaceable supportive role.
Altogether, they are pieces of a carefully constructed vision of dreams and desires. They are the bright colors artfully used to create a dynamic picture of talent and beauty. And at that moment, Isagi truly had thought that they were perfect.
⊱— · ⋆ ✩ ⋆ · —⊰
J-STARS Daily
POPULAR IDOL GROUP CONFIRMED FOR UPCOMING COMEBACK
LockedON announces a comeback for early summer.
October 15, 2022
The boy group that has taken the world by surprise in a whirlwind of excitement and passion is making headlines when teasers were posted from the group's official Twitter account.
LockedON is a relatively new idol group that had only debuted less than a year ago under the Egoist agency, a new entertainment company created by the well-known Ego Jinpachi. As stated by Jinpachi, the members (Hiori, Isagi, Bachira, Kurona, and Chigiri) were carefully handpicked to create the "most ideal" idol group. LockedON boasts the likes and admiration of many fans from across the world, with the member's individual social media accounts parading millions of followers.
Images that were posted to the Twitter page reveal that members will each have a part in producing songs for the full upcoming album. While the concept of the comeback has yet to be confirmed, fans are seen speculating on social media that themes such as "youth" will be emphasized based on the teaser images. This will be the first time members will have an active role in producing the album since their debut.
Follow J-STARS on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest news updates on your favorite Japanese celebrities!
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⊱— · ⋆ ✩ ⋆ · —⊰
He often wonders if there will always be eyes on him. When he leans over the balcony ledge, he becomes uninhibited, his fear of falling is drowned by a sudden feeling of calm clarity. In his mind, he thinks about the chance that someone was looking at him, so far up into the sky and darkness, questioning whether he was really going to tip over.
Becoming a public figure gave Isagi the paranoia that, really, his privacy was never really private. Most people don't bat a glance at the ordinary and everyday, and he fits neither of those two descriptors. Wherever he goes, a show will always follow him. He thinks that at that moment if he does push himself over, there would be at least one bystander that had their camera trained on him from the start.
Isagi closes his eyes and basks in the chilling night air, a reprieve from the hot, stifling feeling from inside the apartment where his group members were drunkenly, but still endearingly, babbling to one another.
His quiet moments become interrupted when he hears the door slide open behind him, and he senses an upcoming hug from behind.
From memory alone, he feels Bachira's arms snake around him as he plants his chin on top of his shoulder, sharing the view in front of them.
"What are you doing out here looking so lonely?"
Isagi smells the alcohol under his breath, but he knows that after him, Bachira had drank the least.
"I needed some fresh air."
His eyes are open now, and he can feel Bachira's gaze on him. "Hmmm," he ponders. "There's something on your mind."
He maneuvers himself so now his back was leaning against the balcony railing, and Bachira was forced to let go.
"Just feeling a bit sad that this was our last concert for the next while."
Bachira let out a short laugh. "Of course, you are feeling sad about that. I swear concerts always give you some kind of high that's way more intense than the rest of us feel."
Isagi shares Bachira's feelings of amusement as he tips his head slightly back with a smile. This time, he stares up at the starless sky above him.
He knows he was being a bit overdramatic, as it's not like they won't be performing anymore. They still had small appearances here and there before their comeback, but Isagi would still argue that there was nothing like having the whole concert stadium to themselves. The grandness and largeness, all filled with the love that others had for them. Performing will always be his lifeblood, and the biggest stage makes him feel more alive than ever.
Bachira made a sudden noise before a bright phone screen was shoved in front of him. "Itoshi Sae is coming back to Japan for his next movie!"
Isagi feels the surprise hit him like a shock of cold water, all his previous thoughts disintegrating as the popular actor's face filled his mind. He reads the short article in front of him, his eyes widening instinctively.
The ever-elusive Itoshi Sae was coming back to Japan after leaving for years out of nowhere. While he wouldn't say that he was the biggest fan of the actor, he couldn't lie that the works that feature Sae compelled him to watch them. Isagi, like everyone, recognizes the brilliance behind his acting and why he was so sought after.
Isagi nudges the phone away and sighs. "Well, I guess the media will be up in a frenzy reporting about that."
Bachira’s eyes are glued to his screen and Isagi watches as he rapidly scrolls through all of the latest updates. "Hopefully, his new movie doesn't overshadow our comeback."
Isagi shakes his head. "I don't think the timing would match up. Ego would have foreseen this."
Realization dawns on Bachira's face. "Oh, right, I guess that's true."
Isagi moves away from the railing, signaling that he is heading back and Bachira follows behind him. He had become too cold and was ready to brace the drunken mess inside. When he made his way back to his spot on the couch, Kurona, who sat beside him, stared at him with a cloudy look on his flushed face.
"You okay, Kuro?"
Isagi saw how his eyes suddenly became bright before he lunged forward and hugged him around his waist. Kurona buries his face into the fabric of his shirt, murmuring familiar nonsense that Isagi no longer tries to decipher. He moves his arm around Kurona's body and holds him as he watches the television screen in front of him.
The group was watching some dating reality show for fun. Isagi recalled that it was Chigiri's sister who recommended it, and many of the guys were always looking for opportunities to sidle up close to the sibling. However, Isagi doubts most of them would even remember what happened from how drunk they were, and would not be able to improvise during a conversation about the show. Still, he looks at them strewn around him in fondness.
Hiori was already passed out on the recliner, while Chigiri was aggressively talking Bachira's ear off about some random passerby that deserved the wrath of his numerous insults.
Isagi thinks to himself that without knowing who they were on the stages and billboards, they would appear to be like an ordinary group of friends, spending a Friday night drinking and having fun.
He also knows that their fans would yearn to see them have moments like these, pictures of them living like normal people, pretending to be like normal people. However, these moments are precious to Isagi, and it's one of the few pieces of himself that he refuses to give up to the public.
They can have so much of him, and he willingly allows that, but they will never have his everything.
⊱— · ⋆ ✩ ⋆ · —⊰
After so many rounds, Isagi had forgotten how many times they had already restarted the song. Out of breath and a sweaty mess, he was tired, and his group members were not faring any better.
Hiori claps his hands together. "Alright guys, I know it feels like we've already done it a million times, but we need to practice this choreography for a bit more."
Despite how his body may protest, Isagi agrees that they also need more practice. He hears groans from his group members, but they all move back to their starting position. When the music starts, the members each follow along with their respective dance moves. They remained synchronized until the chorus where Isagi catches himself moving slightly off-beat. He silently reprimands himself as he pushes himself to follow more closely with the others.
When the song ends again, Isagi bends down as he breathes heavily. He hears Hiori give them some words of encouragement before a knocking sound interrupts him.
Anri stands at the door with a sheepish look on her face. "Ah sorry! I just need to borrow Isagi for a bit."
Isagi straightens up and tells his group that he'll be back before following their manager out. They move aside from the doors when Anri turns to him with unbridled excitement in her eyes.
"You got a movie role!"
The unexpected news stuns him in place. He gives a bewildered look to their manager, barely holding back the questions that were about to spill out of him.
Anri places her hand on his shoulder. "I know this is coming out of nowhere, and that Ego really does not tell you all what he is ever planning, but long story short, he was contacted by a director that wanted to have you in their movie."
When he hears how a famous figure in the industry had wanted him, Isagi couldn't help the pride that swells up in him. As the center of their group, he was the one that drew the most eyes and attention. However, he knocked himself off his high horse when he realized that he was going to be acting, in a role, in an actual movie, which he has never done before.
"Wait, but-"
Anri claps him on the same shoulder. "You never acted before, we know, so for the next while you are going to be taking some basic acting lessons. And don't worry if acting is not your forte because your role in the movie is very minimal." She then shrugs. "Honestly, you are mostly there to bring the fans in, which sounds degrading, but those were Ego's words."
Isagi suddenly imagines the many scenarios where his acting actually turned out really bad, and he does not want to lose his own fans over this. He still hasn't properly processed how he felt about acting, was he excited or terrified? Did he want to do this? He knows career-wise, it helps branch him out to meet other key people in the world of entertainment, but it felt too soon, like everything was moving faster than he had paced himself for.
He must have shown his inner conflict on his face because Anri soon gives him a slightly sympathetic look. "If you really don't want to do it, I'll help you fight Ego on this."
Isagi shakes his head. "No, well I haven't come to that decision yet, but I'm going to need to sleep it over. Though I am leaning more towards doing it."
Anri immediately brightens up after his response. "Okay, great! I'll give you a few days to mull it over and let me know as soon as possible what your decision is."
She soon leaves him after wishing him the best for the rest of dance practice. When the hallway was empty, Isagi slumped against the wall. He was trying to come to terms with what his future may entail now. As a passive bystander to other idols who had become actors, he has seen many of them receive backlash for their lackluster or incredibly poor acting skills.
He also does not even know what he wants to achieve with his acting. Did he actually want to be really good and have people praise him to act more? Or did he just want to be good enough so that he didn't humiliate himself? From Anri's description, he seemed like the director viewed him as a token, a method to up the star power and drive attention towards the film. He knows he is being used in that way, but it honestly did not bother him.
When it comes to business, his face had value and in a way, his career as a celebrity made him a commodity for business deals. Ego made that point painstakingly clear when he signed his contract. His lack of reluctance in trading away aspects of his humanity should have been frightening.
But Isagi had stronger aspirations. He had been promised to be made into the brightest star, an unforgettable and timeless piece to the hearts of many.
In a sea of darkness, he will be the reason why there is light.