Mystery meets high fantasy
“You assholes—”
“Y-you!”
Then she sucked in a deep, deep breath, so big it seemed almost impossible, and—
“I love my mom and dad! Stop being mean to them and just shut uuuuuuuup!!!”
Her scream carried so far, I thought it might make it clear to heaven.
“…I wonder if they heard me.”
Then Saikawa took a breath, getting herself under control. Her blue eye turned toward me. She looked as if she’d come back to her senses.
Of course, that wouldn’t have resolved everything. At the very least, though, I had the feeling she’d sing her very best song after this.
“Yeah, that was a good scream. The radio towers could’ve picked that one up.”
“Ah-ha-ha! It would be bad if my fans heard that, huh. But…” Saikawa looked up at me, clasping her hands behind her. “If they start flaming me, I’m counting on you to put out the fire. Okay, producer?”
The smile she gave me was as pure and open as a flower.
Girls always want to wear pretty dresses
After that, we headed for the TV station again. Once Saikawa left me to go to her dressing room, I took advantage of my position as producer to duck into the studio.
This was the music program’s special summer vacation edition, and it was being broadcast during the evening prime-time window. Lots of lights and cameras surrounded the set, and on the other side, the audience seats were filled with spectators.
“Performers on set.”
When the program’s start time came, a staff member called out, and the emcee, his assistant, and the featured artists walked in. The audience cheered. After several other performers, Saikawa entered, waving. In a sharp change from this morning, her makeup was flawless, and she was dressed in a frilly costume. That was Yui Saikawa the idol, all right. Her aura was in a whole different league.
But then something weird happened.
“…So that’s really how it’s going to go, huh?”
A slight stir ran through the audience. It was as if everyone had noticed something but was pretending they hadn’t. That was true of the other performers as well. It didn’t show on their faces, but somehow their smiles looked like an act.
I’d seen this coming, though. Saikawa was appearing on the show right in the middle of all that media coverage. It would have been weirder not to care about it. And yet when she realized the cameras were cutting her out, she smiled brightly and struck a pose. She was mugging for them.
Near me, a backstage staff member murmured, “Doesn’t have much on her mind, does she?”
Seriously? Did he think Saikawa hadn’t noticed the awkwardness? In that case, he’d flunk the Yui-nya Level 5 Certification exam.
“Times like this are when she smiles the most.”
I folded my arms, watching over the broadcast from the back of the room.
During the program, the emcee talked with each artist, and then the artist performed their song. There were fifteen featured acts. About two hours into the program, Saikawa’s turn came along.
“Next up is Miss Yui Saikawa.”
As the emcee called her over, the camera zoomed in on Saikawa.
“Helloooo, it’s Yui Saikawa! The world’s cutest idol!” Striking another pose, Saikawa walked onto the set and stood next to the emcee. Then they talked about her latest single and her work for a minute or two.
So far, so good. But then…
“It sounds like you’ve had quite a mess on your hands lately,” the emcee said, smiling thinly.
“…!” Saikawa’s eyes flew open.
“Oh, come on! What was the point of that advance meeting, then?!” I bit my lip.
That morning, I’d discussed the flow for today’s interview with the program’s producer, and I’d specifically asked him—politely—not to bring up the scandal during the broadcast. Were they trying to generate a buzz, to boost their ratings? They’d brought up something everybody wanted answers on but couldn’t ask about.
“Even if it was your parents who were directly responsible, I’d imagine it isn’t possible to disassociate yourself from it,” the man pressed. Saikawa had frozen up.
“You slimy little—” I almost stepped forward…but then my eyes met Saikawa’s. She shook her head slightly, then turned back to the emcee.
“I’m sorry there’s been such a commotion over my parents.” She bowed her head meekly; she didn’t try to sidestep the question. That set the studio buzzing. “However…” Saikawa looked up. “I am myself. Today, this is my show. And so for now, I’d love it if everyone focused on me.”
She gave the emcee a goofy little smile.
“She’s just trying to protect her image,” somebody muttered.
Was it a performer, someone in the audience, a staff member, or a plant to make the show more exciting? Whichever it was, the voice that echoed quietly through the studio was trying to hurt Saikawa as much as they could.
“…You’re right. I may be.”
After a few seconds of silence, Saikawa nodded.
But I knew she wasn’t the type of girl who’d let a thing like that end her. She’d gotten through her parents’ death, she’d fought the enemies of the world, she’d shaken off the countless unfair things that had showered down on her, and here she was.
“Even so, I’m not going to stop. After all—” Once again, Saikawa smiled. She beamed.
“Idols always want to look pretty, you know.”
Without looking at the emcee, Saikawa winked at the viewers on the other side of the camera.
The studio went very quiet.
In the back, a crew member rolled his arms in a signal.
“…And now it’s time for Miss Yui Saikawa’s performance.” After a moment’s hesitation, the emcee hastily got the show back on track.
However, control of the studio had already passed into the hands of one girl.
This was Saikawa’s show, by Saikawa, for Saikawa’s fans.
“Erm, the song is…”
Saikawa grabbed the mic from the rattled emcee.
“The song is—‘Sapphire
Phantasm’!”
She shouted in a clear, carrying voice. A voice that might have reached the top of a hill out in the country.
Thus the nightmare strikes
After the program had ended without further incident, I was waiting for Saikawa in the TV station’s underground parking garage.
“Damn, she’s good.”
While I waited, I’d been skimming social media comments about the program on my phone. The ones I saw were critical of the emcee, and most of them supported Saikawa.
Naturally, Saikawa’s parents hadn’t been cleared, and the prosecution would probably keep investigating. Still, Saikawa had taken the awkwardness in the studio and flipped it with just one song. No, she’d done better: she’d turned around the spite of the general public, which was a hell of a feat.
“It was like SIESTA said.”
There had never been anything I could do. I’d only needed to watch Saikawa’s decision play out. Witnessing that had been my job this time around.
Now all I had to do was take Saikawa back to SIESTA’s house. Except…
“She sure is taking her time.”
All she’d had to do was go to her dressing room, change, and come back, but I’d already been waiting for over half an hour.
“Hm?”
Come to think of it, I’d called for the car, but it wasn’t here yet either.
Actually, it had been a while since I’d seen anybody at all. This underground parking garage wouldn’t exactly be crowded…but still, in the last thirty minutes, not a single soul had passed by.
Then, I thought I felt a tepid breeze.
“…!”
On top of that, all the lights in the garage began to flicker. There were irregular spells of darkness, and then the lights went out completely.
“Gimme a break.”
As I said, I’m bad with stuff like this. I took out my smartphone, using it as a flashlight. If I turned around now, something was bound to be right there. I’d seen enough paranormal shows to know how this worked. I backed up against a column, squinting into the surrounding darkness.
Now I had to make a phone call. If I was talking with somebody, no ghosts would show up. They’d covered that in Shinken Zemi. I punched in a number with a shaky fingertip. “C’mon, Natsunagi, pick up, Natsunagi, Natsunagi, Natsunagi Natsunagi Natsunagi Natsunagi Natsunagi Natsunagi Natsunagi Natsunagi.” I called her over and over like a total stalker, but Natsunagi didn’t answer.
This can’t be because of the ghost too, could it? They mess with radio waves and stuff, right? Just when I was working myself into a panic—
“Oh? They’re…on?”
They weren’t as bright as they had been, but the lights had begun to glow, dimly.
…Geez. Don’t scare me like that.
I stepped away from the pillar, ending the call.
However, I’d forgotten the fear I’d had earlier. If something was going to show up, it would be now, when I’d relaxed.
“What an opportune place to find prey.”
The next instant, a sharp pain ran through the back of my neck.
“…!”
I couldn’t even scream. The strength drained out of me, and I slumped to my knees.
I didn’t understand what was going on, but a fear of death skittered around my mind—
“I suppose a tidbit will avert the crisis.”
Still, if my premonition was wrong, it was only because it had detached itself from my neck sooner than I’d expected.
“…!”
Collapsing onto the asphalt, I looked up at the figure that had been standing behind me.
It was a tall man, dressed in white from head to toe. His hair was silver, his eyes golden. His face was very handsome, but cruel and haughty. His lips were stained with my red blood.
“Who are…?” I asked. My mind was hazy.
“What’s wrong, human?”
Then he spread two large, black wings.
“Have you never seen a vampire before?”
Mystery meets high fantasy
The blustering night wind woke me up.
…Woke me up?
I looked around. I was on the roof of some building… Probably the TV station.
And…
“You’re awake, human?”
He was sitting cleverly on top of the narrow fence around the roof. He had one knee up, and he was holding a wineglass full of…something.
“What’s the matter? Entranced by the sight of your own blood…?”
The silver-haired, golden-eyed man swirled the contents of the large glass. He was grinning boldly at me.
The nightmare wasn’t over yet.
