Chapter 7 As Well as All Around Me…

As the intro music came up and the curtains lifted I was almost pushed back by a wall of noise. The backing track was lifted into the red zone and the singers’ microphones must have been pushed to the wall to overcome it.

We went into our first number and the sound did not diminish one jot. When we got to the end of the set and the curtains closed I was almost in a trance with the flashing lights and intensity of it all. The three girls came and enveloped us all in hugs. Still the noise from the audience kept going, now added to by a stamping of feet and a rising chant of “Honey Popcorn, we love you.” The stage manager and the girls had a quick conference and then turned to us, saying “You ready to do it again?” We all said yes so Miko said “We will go outside the curtain and make sure that they want us back. We will introduce ourselves and then introduce you so be in your positions when the curtain rises. Miyoko, I want you to stand in front and step through the rising curtain when I say, OK?”

They went through the curtain and onto the front of the stage, calling for a little quiet. Yua asked if they wanted to hear it all again and there was a roar. She then asked “All of it?” and there was another roar. The girls then introduced themselves and then Moko said “A big welcome to the greatest dance team we have ever met, the Senri Flames Dance Team from Osaka, led by their wonderful young choreographer, Miyoko Tachabana” as the curtain started to rise up, the intro music started and I stepped out into a spotlight that, for a few seconds, shone only on me. We did the entire set again and, at the end of it, the girls had us lined up across the stage, waving at the crowd. What was weird was hearing some screaming “Miyoko, we love you” among the screams for the singers.

That finished, we went back to the hotel after gathering up Machiko and the four mothers. Only then did I learn that they had all been filming us on their phones and streaming it back to all the families in Osaka. Machiko told me that she had streamed it back to the assembled teachers who had got together for a Saturday evening social. She then assured me that we had brought much honour to the school and to expect there would be a special assembly at the beginning of the term.

On the bus Miko was on her phone and, as we pulled up at the hotel, she asked for quiet and told us that the Summit organisers had asked for us to do our whole show, in CosPlay costumes, on Sunday afternoon and they were putting some money up for us to do it. Well, today was a whole lot of fun so we said we would do it. She then said that we would be staying at the Summit as there would be several stalls who wanted to talk to us and so we would do the Sunday show still dressed that way. The organisers had thought that it would be a fitting end to the Summit. Machiko and the mothers were straight on to their phones to Osaka to let them organise another social as they would be seeing the CosPlay costumes for the first time.

I could hardly sleep for the excitement of it all but did get enough to be up for breakfast on time. It was a very happy group of dancers that morning. There were six of us that had danced with the band in Osaka but the four youngest had been thrown into the heat of performing for the first time and had done well. Their mothers, all four mothers being from the youngest members, were all bubbling with excitement themselves. The rest of us got more hugs that morning than I had received my whole life! Mid-morning we were taken back to the practise room where we were returned to our characters. I was very happy at being Raven as she was a strong girl. Well, all the anime girl characters are either strong or else totally sexy.

Speaking of sexy, Yua, Moko and Miko turned up looking like every mens’ dream, the make-up turned up to the max. They then got our make-up girls to lift ours as well so it was a group of absolute babes who went to the Summit that afternoon. They do say that performance is all in the impression you make, and I think we must have made a good impression that day.

This time there was no miming; just the backing track and we nailed the entire set again to a smaller, but just as vocal crowd in the main hall. We were then set free to wander the Summit, well, free is one word for it. We were all surrounded by fans wanting selfies and slowly went from stall to stall where there were more pictures and we were given small, and not so small, bags of samples. I wouldn’t have to buy a souvenir for my sister now. Finally we were gathered up by Naozumi and a few of his helpers and taken off for a meal. He was very jovial tonight as I think we had been successful. That evening we did the show in our costumes and it was just as big a crowd as last night and we had to run through the set twice once again.

The following morning I packed and put all of my gifts into the biggest bag I had been given. I would have to look through it all when I got home. At breakfast I was asked, by Machiko, if I could round up our other three senior girls and meet her in the hotel lounge after we had eaten. When I did so she sat us down and was very serious. “Girls,” she said “since we got here I have been told that your dance performance has created a storm of interest. At least three other groups have been in touch with Naozumi and also the Honey Popcorn management, asking if you would put together a routine for them or else just going on stage with them. We have taken details but have told them all that you do need to work on your school classes and that you are nowhere near old enough to become professional dancers.”

She then said “I have been told that you can keep the CosPlay costumes and the group have promised me that if we can organise it, they will come to Osaka to join you on stage for our Christmas Social evening, as long as we do it in the costumes. My mind is already running through the halls we could use as it could turn out to be the best attended social we have ever had. My contacts at the school have told me that the video clip of you on Saturday afternoon has gone viral and the singers are absolutely amazed at how their career has taken off from this weekend.”

She then laughed and said “I have been told that there will be a welcoming committee waiting for us when the train reaches Osaka and I am sure that there would be press and maybe TV there. Please do not answer any questions that seem too private. Refer any persistent reporter to me or one of the school representatives. The head has requested that I attend a meeting on Tuesday and I am sure that the events of the last couple of days will be all we talk about. I do wonder at what we may have unleashed but I have to lay down the law right now. The next two terms are for getting the Flames Gymnastic Team up to winning the trophy again and I am relying on you girls now to do it.”

She gave us all a hug and told us that she had experienced the most fun she ever had and thanked us for being the catalyst in the events. We then went to tell the rest of our group to pack their costumes as they would be taking them home and to make sure they kept them in good order as they may need them again. We all went to repack, this time putting the costumes in our bags. Yua, Moko and Miko were in the hotel foyer when we assembled to leave, coming with us on the bus to the station. They were tired but bubbly and I guessed that they had not had much sleep them -selves last night. They all gave everyone a hug before we went to get on the train and assured us that we would be on stage with them again, some time.

On the way home I was sitting with Okemia, well, we were cuddling a bit, and she said “You know, that day we asked you three guys to sit with us at lunch has to be one of the greatest turning points of my life. For a bunch of thirteen year olds we have had an amazing time so far. I’ve got gymnastic trophies on my dresser that will stay with me for life and the four of us have been given a dream run through school, certain to come out of it with a lot of credit if we can keep it up. On top of that I have you as a friend, perhaps one day as a lover. I so want to give you a big kiss now but we had better stay good until we get alone again.” I kissed her hair and told her that I would find it hard waiting. She then told me that when we go to the pictures again she wanted me to dress in the Raven outfit “Because I have always thought Raven was the best but I didn’t truly love her until I saw her dancing next to me.”

As the train drew into Osaka station there was a big crowd waiting for us. Someone had made a banner that proclaimed ‘The Senri Flames Dance Group – the greatest!’ and I wondered at this as we did not actually exist in that form until we were called that in Tokyo. As we got off the train we were mobbed by our school friends, fans we had never seen before, and the media. There was a lot of flashing of cameras and I was momentarily blinded when a TV crew turned their lights on. All in all it looked, and felt, like a madhouse but that, so I found out in the years to come; is the price of fame.

Marianne G 2021