Hey! Say! JUMP Solves A Mystery - Intro + Chapter 1
Hey, guys! ^^ I am finally posting the first chapter of Hey! Say! JUMP Solves A Mystery! I hope I haven't kept you all waiting too long!
Get ready for a murder mystery! :D
DISCLAIMER: I'm not claiming that this actually happened in any way! XD Take this all as an "alternate history"-type of thing! I tried to keep some things accurate, like how B.I.Shadow was still a 3 member group at the time, but the rest of it was manipulated by me! ^^;;
Hey! Say! JUMP Solves A Mystery
Introduction: Who Are YOU?
Hi, my name is Arioka Daiki. I’m seventeen years old, and, guess what? I’m already famous. Now, you might ask, why would a seventeen year old be famous? Well, I’m actually part of this Japanese boy band called Hey! Say! JUMP. All ten of us were born in the Heisei era, which is the time period that stretches from 1989 to the present, and we bring our youthful Heisei power to the stage! (At least that’s what the gimmick is…) Although it’s quite fun to be able to work hard and play hard alongside some of my best friends, being famous is tough! In addition to having insane work hours that border on child labor, we sometimes have some “adventures” as well.
Here is one of them.
Chapter 1: We Go Exploring, And Not the Dora Kind
When Hikaru said that we should go exploring, I knew that something would go wrong.
On that day, the other Hey! Say! JUMP members and I were on the set of our latest PV, “Dreams come true”, which took place inside the studio. Unlike our previous videos, this PV took place all on the same set! The room the crew had made for the PV was painted a bright orange and white, creating a cheerful look that contrasted with the stark, almost warehouse-like appearance of the rest of the studio. Throughout the rest of this space, various children’s toys and games were strewn about, inviting us to play with them.
“Awesome!” exclaimed Yuto, his large eyes shining in excitement as he ran over to a pile of toys and picked up a ray gun. “Look out, Keito-kun! I’m going to shoot you!” Yuto shouted gleefully as he aimed the little orange gun at his friend.
The English boy put his hands up in a mock defensive motion to cover his face, scrunching it in an expression that managed to look cute. “Oh, no! So scary, Yuto-kun!” said Keito playfully as he fought to keep the gun away from him, the tip of the gun catching on the edge of his blue sweater.
As Yuto started to chase Keito around the studio, I could tell that the Yuya standing next to me couldn’t keep the excitement from welling up inside of him. Already, the lanky, black leather jacket-clad BEST member was eyeing the gigantic yellow exercise ball that was resting against the legs of a table. Finally, unable to restrain himself, the notoriously childlike adult ran over to it, picking up the exercise ball and immediately tried to spin it on one of his fingers like a basketball player. “This is…AWESOME!” he shouted when he succeeded, a huge grin on his face. It always amazed me how even though Takaki Yuya had a mature style and appearance, his face still shone with the wonderment of a five year-old.
Smiling as the others all surged forward to play with the various toys, I picked up a remote that had been placed on a folding table nearby and started messing around with it, pushing and pulling at the little knobs and joysticks. I jumped in surprise as a little black toy car whizzed by my sneakered foot, narrowly missing it. Shaking my head in amusement, I bent down and examined the little car in front of me, running my finger over the plastic windows and doors.
As soon as he saw me jump a foot in the air from his peripheral vision, my best friend, Chinen Yuri, turned around and started laughing, his laughter a cute tinkle that reflected his adorable, mini-acrobat appearance. “Already acting like a stupid-head, Dai-chan?” he asked teasingly, treating me with that smile that made legions of fan girls die of cuteness overdose.
Already long since immune to my best friend’s cute antics, I replied with a simple, “Oh, shut up, Chii.” Seeing Chinen’s pouting expression from the corner of my eye, I pretended to ignore him, instead turning my attention to the toy car as I made it speed through the room. Finally after a couple minutes of Chinen’s pout attack, I relented, sighing as I plopped myself down on the nearest chair. “Oh, okay, Chii. You can sit in my lap now.”
“Yay!” exclaimed Chinen as he launched himself into my lap, his fists punching the air in his triumph. “Thank you, Dai-chan!” he said, as I grunted noncommittally in response. The little acrobat settled himself down comfortably as I shifted under him, trying to find a way to evenly distribute his weight
Just as Chinen found his comfortable spot, I heard a voice yell, “I see Chinen’s making you his chair again, Dai-chan!”
I turned my head from side to side awkwardly as I tried to see past Chinen’s head, trying to pin down the source of the yell. My gaze fell upon a younger boy with interestingly distinct features, who was leading two other boys with him. All three of them wore fashionable street clothes and grins that would have lit up a city street at night.
“Hey, guys!” I greeted, waving at the three boys that made up B.I.Shadow. “I see you’ve made it to our PV shooting! Come make yourself at home!”
The boy who had yelled at me earlier patted me on the back. “Thanks, man,” said Takahata Misaki good-naturedly. He looked around at the other Hey! Say! JUMP members, who were still playing around. “I’m glad we came. It seems like you guys are having a lot of fun!”
I grinned back at our junior. “Of course! PV shootings are always fun! I’m just glad that Johnny-san let you guys come observe the process. I’m sure you guys will learn a lot of useful things about being an idol, which will be important now that your debut is coming up soon.”
“Congrats on that, by the way!” said Chinen, his happiness for the Johnny’s Jrs. evident.
“Thanks, guys,” said the boy on Misaki’s right, Nakajima Kento, his eyes turning into half-moons as he smiled gratefully. “We’re really glad about it too! I feel like we’ve been waiting forever!”
Kikuchi Fuma, who had been standing on Misaki’s other side, nodded in agreement and said, his tone slightly bitter, “Yeah, debuting is great and all, but I just wish it wasn’t through being cast as such bad boy characters in that upcoming ‘Scrap Teacher’ drama that we’re all going to be in. Seriously, is that supposed to help us gain fans? I couldn’t even wear my lucky shoes for it!” His pouty lips became more pronounced as he expressed his dissatisfaction.
“You have lucky shoes, Fuma?” asked Chinen curiously, craning his head in an attempt to catch a glimpse of Fuma’s shoes, which were a pair of white sneakers with large green stars on the sides.
Kento nodded, patting his fellow B.I.Shadow member on the shoulder. “Yeah, and he always wears them too! But the casting director of ‘Scrap Teacher’ said that his shoes didn’t really fit with the ‘bad boy’ concept that we were supposed to play, so she refused to let him wear them.”
“Stupid ‘bad boy’ image!” muttered Fuma, still pouting.
“Yeah,” agreed Misaki, giving Fuma a sympathetic look, “it’s going to be weird for us to play people whose personalities are the complete opposite of ours!”
“Now, now,” I said reassuringly, giving the leader of B.I.Shadow a pat on the arm, “I’m sure it’s not that bad. Girls usually like the ‘bad boy’ type!”
“Says the one who gets to play one of the ‘super junior high students,’” answered Kento, giving me a significant look.
“Well, at least you all are not too old for middle school,” I replied wryly.
The others couldn’t help but start laughing at my self-lamenting tone. Out of all the Johnny’s cast in “Scrap Teacher”, I was the only one who was too old to be playing a middle school student. In reality, despite my shorter stature and young appearance, I was already a senior in high school! Glad that my attempt at self-pity had dispersed the tension that had gathered at Fuma’s remark, I joined in the merriment. As our laughter increased, the other Hey! Say! JUMP members looked over at us, finally realizing that B.I.Shadow had joined us. Putting their toys and games to one side at once, they made their way over to our group, each of the members giving the B.I.Shadow boys a high five in greeting.
“Hey, guys! Glad you could make it! Do you all want a drink or something? Maybe a snack, if you’re hungry?” inquired Kota, his Yabumama side kicking in.
“Nah, we’re fine, Yabu-kun!” replied Fuma, waving a hand carelessly. “We’re not famished orphans, you know!”
Before Kota could say anything in response, our PV director interrupted, shouting through a megaphone, “Okay, everyone! We will start shooting soon! Hey! Say! JUMP, please get to your places!”
All of the JUMP members’ heads whipped up as soon as we heard the director’s call. Unfortunately, Hikaru had whipped his head upward with a bit too much force. The BEST member winced as he massaged the back of his neck, his brown sweater’s sleeve flapping comically as he did so. “Oh, well,” the jokester muttered. “You guys heard him. That’s our cue!”
Ryutaro groaned, his expressive face easily betraying his reluctance to go to work. “And just when I thought we would finally get some down time!”
“No complaining! You guys are idols, aren’t you?” came the director’s magnified voice. “Things can’t always go your way!”
“Sometimes, I wish they just would,” grumbled Ryutaro under his breath. I noticed his eyes glance back and forth nervously, fearing that the director had heard his retort.
Pushing Chinen gently off of my lap, I put my arm around the youngest JUMP member’s shoulders, pinching his cheek. “It’s alright, Ryu-chan. If we work very hard today, maybe he’ll let us go earlier.”
Ryutaro brightened considerably upon hearing my suggestion. But before he could say anything, Kei whispered, bringing one of his famously beautiful pianist hands to his mouth as if he was about to tell a secret, “We probably should get to our places, guys. The director’s looking at us with a fearsome expression on his face.”
“Oh, no!” exclaimed Yuto, his large eyes troubled. “Inoo-chan’s right! Look at that face! It’s like someone spit in his horse sashimi!”
Ryosuke wrinkled his nose delicately. “That’s gross, Yuto-kun.”
“That’s not the point!”
To what was obviously Yuto’s immense disappointment, none of the JUMP members stuck around to hear what his point actually was. Instead, we all ran toward the doors on either side of the orange and white room set and lined up in our predetermined orders. The B.I.Shadow boys made their way around to the front of the set, sitting in chairs that were placed at a safe distance away from the cameras and other film equipment.
As Misaki, Kento, and Fuma took their seats, the PV director turned in his seat and sneered derogatively at them, “So glad to see that you guys could made it, Boys in Shadow.”
Misaki’s lip curled upon hearing the director’s snide tone as he emphasized each word in his band’s abbreviated name. “You got a problem with us being here, director?” he asked, struggling to keep his normally mild-mannered self in check.
“No, no problem at all,” replied the director, his manner suggesting otherwise. “All I want is for you to do what you do best, boys, and stay in the shadows. Don’t be stupid and ruin the video for your Hey! Say! JUMP seniors.”
“Hey, we won’t be in the shadows much longer!” declared Fuma, his eyes defiant.
Kento nodded in agreement. “Yeah! We’re going to debut soon! Misaki, Fuma, and I are going to be big stars before you know it! You’ll see!”
The director laughed at B.I.Shadow’s attempts to defend themselves. “You might think that, Boys in Shadow. But I wouldn’t be so sure. Some people are just not meant to be in the spotlight.” He turned away from them, and as he did so, I could have sworn that, from my place in line, I saw Misaki’s fingers angrily pull themselves into clenched fists.
Worriedly, I turned away as the cheerful intro to “Dreams come true” started to play from the studio’s speakers. Shaking my head to dislodge what I had just witnessed from my thoughts, I narrowed my focus to a small dot on the back of Yuto’s bright red jacket. Forcing myself to smile, I put one foot in front of the other as Yuto pushed open the door and walked out onto the set. Suddenly, I could feel the powerful lights of the studio shine down upon me and the familiar sensation of euphoric excitement that came with being a performer quickly followed.
It was show time.
* * *
“Whew!” gasped Yuto, throwing himself down on a chair, trying to get his breath back. “I’m so glad the director gave us a break! I think that was the most hula hooping I’ve ever done in my life! So tiring!”
Kei stuck out his tongue at the tall 7 boy. “At least you weren’t running on a treadmill for the past half hour. If anyone deserves a seat, it should be me!” He went over to Yuto, pushing him lightly on the shoulder. Yuto dipped his head in mock submission and got up from the chair, bending over at the waist in a little bow while gesturing theatrically at the now vacant chair with his arms. Kei smiled gratefully back at him and sat down heavily.
Meanwhile, Hikaru had been messing around with the kendama toy that Ryutaro had been given for the PV, trying out tricks like “All of Japan” and others that he had learned as a child. Just as he was about to get the ball to land squarely on one of the two flat sides of the kendama, he heard a loud burst of electronic-sounding music to his right. Startled, he turned his head to find Liz, our lead makeup artist who had lived in America previously, standing there, a flustered expression on her face.
“Hey, Hikaru-kun!” she exclaimed. “Do you mind pulling out my cell phone for me? It’s in my pants pocket.” She held out her hands, which were coated in a glittery blue-green substance. “I don’t want to get this stuff on my clothes,” she explained, gesturing at her outfit, which consisted of a pale pink lacy blouse and light grey skinny jeans.
I noticed a sneaky expression cross Hikaru’s face. “Sure, Liz-chan.” He reached into Liz’s pants pocket, and I had a feeling that he had ulterior motives for helping Liz retrieve her cell phone. Liz was young, and pretty to add to that. It was hard to blame Hikaru for not being completely altruistic.
Hikaru pulled out Liz’s cell phone, which was pink with cute Hello Kitty stickers on it, and held it open for her. “Thanks, Hikaru-kun” she said, taking the cell phone gingerly from Hikaru and holding it with only two fingers. “See, one of the occupational hazards for being a makeup artist is always having glittery stuff on your hands. It makes picking up stuff a big pain in the butt! Anyways, I’ve got to answer this!” Before Hikaru could say anything, she walked away to complete her call.
Hikaru shook his head from side to side and sighed. “Well, there goes another pretty girl. Do you think we’ll ever get Liz-chan to notice us, Dai-chan?” he asked.
I laughed, giving Hikaru a pat on the arm. “I’m sure it’ll be okay, Hikaru-kun. There are plenty of girls out there. We’ll find someone eventually!” However, Hikaru seemed to remain unconvinced.
“Hey, guys,” said Kota as he walked toward us, looking from side to side with a concerned expression on his face, “do you know where B.I.Shadow went? I was going to ask them what they thought of our PV shoot and if they needed anything. But…I can’t seem to find them!”
Alarmed, I turned toward the front of the set, searching for our juniors. But, they were nowhere to be seen. My eyebrows scrunched together in confusion; this was strange. Where could they be? As I continued my search, I noticed that, conspicuously, the PV director had also disappeared. Worried about what had become of our friends, I tapped the nearest JE employee and asked, “Hey, do you know where the director and B.I.Shadow have gone?”
The employee, taking no notice of my anxious expression, replied, “Oh, the Shadow boys? They said they had something to say to the director and requested to have some time alone with him. I think that was about an hour ago. I believe they went into one of the backrooms. It’s the reason why we were able to give you guys a well-deserved break, Arioka-kun!”
“Ah.” I nodded vaguely, my thoughts concentrated on the one image of Misaki’s hands clenching themselves into fists. Was there something going on between B.I.Shadow and the PV director? If that was the case, what would cause the normally easygoing Misaki to become so angry? It just seemed so out of character.
My thoughts were so preoccupied by what I had seen that I was completely taken by surprise when Hikaru suddenly leaned in, his face only a few centimeters from mine, saying in a sing-song voice, “Dai-chan! Dai-chan! Can you hear me?”
“Huh?” I snapped my head backwards as soon I realized the proximity that Hikaru’s face was to mine. Wanting to preserve my personal space, I stayed in my awkward half-leaning back position. “Yes, I can hear you, Hikaru-kun! What are you doing?”
Hikaru made a face at me. “Well, I just asked you a question, but you didn’t respond. I had to get your attention somehow!” He poked the side of my head with his index finger. “So, what about it, Dai-chan? Are you going to come exploring with us?”
“Us?” I asked questioningly, looking around in confusion.
Sure enough, the other members of JUMP had gathered around a short distance away from the two of us and were looking impatiently in our direction. Kota was standing with Kei, who had a huge smile of excitement on his face that totally did not fit the suit-clad, professional image he had for the PV. Yuya had crossed his arms in front of his chest, his foot tapping an irregular rhythm against the floor, while Yuto had a restraining arm around Chinen, who had his best pouty face on. Keito and Ryutaro looked like they were up for anything that didn’t involve waiting around aimlessly any longer, and Ryosuke brushed a lock of hair out of his face, seemingly uninterested in the prospect of exploring. Nevertheless, I knew the 7 boy well enough to know when he was putting on an act. However cool he might try to act on the outside, inside, Ryosuke was just as silly and fun-loving as the rest of us. Our ability to understand each other so well is how we’ve been able to stay close as a Hey! Say! JUMP family.
“Oh…That us…”
“So, are you coming or not?”
I sighed, chuckling softly as I put up my hands in mock surrender. “Sure, why not? I’ll come too. After all, what could possibly go wrong?”
Little did I know that I would come to regret those words.
* * *
“So scary…Who would have thought that the backrooms of the studio would be this creepy?” gasped Kei, grabbing hold of Kota’s arm as we walked through a dimly lit room that was caked in dust. A tall shelf that had originally been holding old props had fallen over, its contents scattered everywhere. The walls had dark rust stains running down them, and broken film equipment and a corroded toolbox had been tossed in a corner, casting pointed shadows in the gloom.
Kota patted the pianist on the head, saying soothingly, “It’s okay, Kei-chan. Nothing’s going to hurt you here.” Kei smiled gratefully back at his friend as he laid his head on Kota’s shoulder.
Hikaru, who was leading our expedition, remarked, “Well, I think we’ve learned that when the studio says that a room is a ‘backroom’, they mean it! I don’t think anyone’s been in here in ages!”
Ryosuke wrinkled his nose, stepping around a cracked camera lens. “Yeah, it’s so dirty back here. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were rats.”
“Rats?” squeaked Chinen. I quickly put an arm around the little acrobat, knowing that the only thing stronger than Chinen's fear of rats was his irrational fear of the color orange. So, if there were any orange rats around, we were in trouble.
Ryosuke noticed Chinen’s squeak and immediately said hastily, “Though I’m sure there are none.” I felt Chinen relax slightly next to me.
Yuto said excitedly, “Maybe there will be beetles! I love beetles!”
All the others shot looks of revulsion and horror at each other. None of us shared Yuto’s love of beetles, or horse sashimi for that matter. Even though Yuto could be quite the adorkable spaz and a great friend, sometimes, we forgot how strange his tastes could be.
“Um…I think it’s better if we just keep exploring,” I said, effectively changing the subject. The others all voiced their agreement.
As Hikaru continued to lead us around the back parts of the studio, up and down decrepit stairs and through suspicious doorways, we talked excitedly to each other, glad that we were spending our break in such an interesting way. “Dreams come true” was our second single, so the post-debut fervor had not yet completely faded out; we still felt like kids in a candy store being given the best opportunity of our lifetimes. The best thing of all was, of course, that we each had nine of our best friends to share it with.
“Hey! What’s that?” said Keito suddenly.
“What’s what, Keito-kun?” asked Yuto, cocking his head to one side.
Keito screwed up his face in concentration. “I think I hear something. It sounds like running water. Are there bathrooms back here?”
Kota had a troubled look on his face. “Not that I know of. And even if there were, who would be using the showers back here? Why not use the ones near the main part of the studio?”
“Yeah,” agreed Ryutaro. “They’re much cleaner and easier to get to.”
We looked at each other in apprehension. By now, we had proceeded close enough to all hear the running water sounds that the English boy had noticed. I, for one, was getting seriously creeped out. There shouldn’t be anyone back here except for us.
I laughed uneasily. “I’m sure it’s nothing, guys. Maybe a long time ago, someone forgot to turn off one of the showers, and it’s been running ever since.” I stepped to the front of the group, beckoning at the others. “Besides, we’re supposed to be exploring, remember? What’s the use of exploring if there’s no adventure?”
Yuya cleared his throat, trying to be tough like Ogata Yamato, his character from Gokusen 3. He tugged on the ends of his leather jacket, straightening it forcefully. “Dai-chan’s right. What’s wrong with a little bit of adventure?”
The others all nodded hesitatingly. Taking the nods as an affirmation, I leaned forward to open the door to the abandoned shower room, gripping the doorknob firmly as not to betray my nervousness. I heard a sharp intake of breath from behind me as I started to pull open the door to reveal the darkness within. Kota stepped next to me and moved to switch on the lights.
What we saw next, we never could have predicted.
It was a corpse.
---
This way to Chapter 2~
Get ready for a murder mystery! :D
DISCLAIMER: I'm not claiming that this actually happened in any way! XD Take this all as an "alternate history"-type of thing! I tried to keep some things accurate, like how B.I.Shadow was still a 3 member group at the time, but the rest of it was manipulated by me! ^^;;
Hey! Say! JUMP Solves A Mystery
Introduction: Who Are YOU?
Hi, my name is Arioka Daiki. I’m seventeen years old, and, guess what? I’m already famous. Now, you might ask, why would a seventeen year old be famous? Well, I’m actually part of this Japanese boy band called Hey! Say! JUMP. All ten of us were born in the Heisei era, which is the time period that stretches from 1989 to the present, and we bring our youthful Heisei power to the stage! (At least that’s what the gimmick is…) Although it’s quite fun to be able to work hard and play hard alongside some of my best friends, being famous is tough! In addition to having insane work hours that border on child labor, we sometimes have some “adventures” as well.
Here is one of them.
Chapter 1: We Go Exploring, And Not the Dora Kind
When Hikaru said that we should go exploring, I knew that something would go wrong.
On that day, the other Hey! Say! JUMP members and I were on the set of our latest PV, “Dreams come true”, which took place inside the studio. Unlike our previous videos, this PV took place all on the same set! The room the crew had made for the PV was painted a bright orange and white, creating a cheerful look that contrasted with the stark, almost warehouse-like appearance of the rest of the studio. Throughout the rest of this space, various children’s toys and games were strewn about, inviting us to play with them.
“Awesome!” exclaimed Yuto, his large eyes shining in excitement as he ran over to a pile of toys and picked up a ray gun. “Look out, Keito-kun! I’m going to shoot you!” Yuto shouted gleefully as he aimed the little orange gun at his friend.
The English boy put his hands up in a mock defensive motion to cover his face, scrunching it in an expression that managed to look cute. “Oh, no! So scary, Yuto-kun!” said Keito playfully as he fought to keep the gun away from him, the tip of the gun catching on the edge of his blue sweater.
As Yuto started to chase Keito around the studio, I could tell that the Yuya standing next to me couldn’t keep the excitement from welling up inside of him. Already, the lanky, black leather jacket-clad BEST member was eyeing the gigantic yellow exercise ball that was resting against the legs of a table. Finally, unable to restrain himself, the notoriously childlike adult ran over to it, picking up the exercise ball and immediately tried to spin it on one of his fingers like a basketball player. “This is…AWESOME!” he shouted when he succeeded, a huge grin on his face. It always amazed me how even though Takaki Yuya had a mature style and appearance, his face still shone with the wonderment of a five year-old.
Smiling as the others all surged forward to play with the various toys, I picked up a remote that had been placed on a folding table nearby and started messing around with it, pushing and pulling at the little knobs and joysticks. I jumped in surprise as a little black toy car whizzed by my sneakered foot, narrowly missing it. Shaking my head in amusement, I bent down and examined the little car in front of me, running my finger over the plastic windows and doors.
As soon as he saw me jump a foot in the air from his peripheral vision, my best friend, Chinen Yuri, turned around and started laughing, his laughter a cute tinkle that reflected his adorable, mini-acrobat appearance. “Already acting like a stupid-head, Dai-chan?” he asked teasingly, treating me with that smile that made legions of fan girls die of cuteness overdose.
Already long since immune to my best friend’s cute antics, I replied with a simple, “Oh, shut up, Chii.” Seeing Chinen’s pouting expression from the corner of my eye, I pretended to ignore him, instead turning my attention to the toy car as I made it speed through the room. Finally after a couple minutes of Chinen’s pout attack, I relented, sighing as I plopped myself down on the nearest chair. “Oh, okay, Chii. You can sit in my lap now.”
“Yay!” exclaimed Chinen as he launched himself into my lap, his fists punching the air in his triumph. “Thank you, Dai-chan!” he said, as I grunted noncommittally in response. The little acrobat settled himself down comfortably as I shifted under him, trying to find a way to evenly distribute his weight
Just as Chinen found his comfortable spot, I heard a voice yell, “I see Chinen’s making you his chair again, Dai-chan!”
I turned my head from side to side awkwardly as I tried to see past Chinen’s head, trying to pin down the source of the yell. My gaze fell upon a younger boy with interestingly distinct features, who was leading two other boys with him. All three of them wore fashionable street clothes and grins that would have lit up a city street at night.
“Hey, guys!” I greeted, waving at the three boys that made up B.I.Shadow. “I see you’ve made it to our PV shooting! Come make yourself at home!”
The boy who had yelled at me earlier patted me on the back. “Thanks, man,” said Takahata Misaki good-naturedly. He looked around at the other Hey! Say! JUMP members, who were still playing around. “I’m glad we came. It seems like you guys are having a lot of fun!”
I grinned back at our junior. “Of course! PV shootings are always fun! I’m just glad that Johnny-san let you guys come observe the process. I’m sure you guys will learn a lot of useful things about being an idol, which will be important now that your debut is coming up soon.”
“Congrats on that, by the way!” said Chinen, his happiness for the Johnny’s Jrs. evident.
“Thanks, guys,” said the boy on Misaki’s right, Nakajima Kento, his eyes turning into half-moons as he smiled gratefully. “We’re really glad about it too! I feel like we’ve been waiting forever!”
Kikuchi Fuma, who had been standing on Misaki’s other side, nodded in agreement and said, his tone slightly bitter, “Yeah, debuting is great and all, but I just wish it wasn’t through being cast as such bad boy characters in that upcoming ‘Scrap Teacher’ drama that we’re all going to be in. Seriously, is that supposed to help us gain fans? I couldn’t even wear my lucky shoes for it!” His pouty lips became more pronounced as he expressed his dissatisfaction.
“You have lucky shoes, Fuma?” asked Chinen curiously, craning his head in an attempt to catch a glimpse of Fuma’s shoes, which were a pair of white sneakers with large green stars on the sides.
Kento nodded, patting his fellow B.I.Shadow member on the shoulder. “Yeah, and he always wears them too! But the casting director of ‘Scrap Teacher’ said that his shoes didn’t really fit with the ‘bad boy’ concept that we were supposed to play, so she refused to let him wear them.”
“Stupid ‘bad boy’ image!” muttered Fuma, still pouting.
“Yeah,” agreed Misaki, giving Fuma a sympathetic look, “it’s going to be weird for us to play people whose personalities are the complete opposite of ours!”
“Now, now,” I said reassuringly, giving the leader of B.I.Shadow a pat on the arm, “I’m sure it’s not that bad. Girls usually like the ‘bad boy’ type!”
“Says the one who gets to play one of the ‘super junior high students,’” answered Kento, giving me a significant look.
“Well, at least you all are not too old for middle school,” I replied wryly.
The others couldn’t help but start laughing at my self-lamenting tone. Out of all the Johnny’s cast in “Scrap Teacher”, I was the only one who was too old to be playing a middle school student. In reality, despite my shorter stature and young appearance, I was already a senior in high school! Glad that my attempt at self-pity had dispersed the tension that had gathered at Fuma’s remark, I joined in the merriment. As our laughter increased, the other Hey! Say! JUMP members looked over at us, finally realizing that B.I.Shadow had joined us. Putting their toys and games to one side at once, they made their way over to our group, each of the members giving the B.I.Shadow boys a high five in greeting.
“Hey, guys! Glad you could make it! Do you all want a drink or something? Maybe a snack, if you’re hungry?” inquired Kota, his Yabumama side kicking in.
“Nah, we’re fine, Yabu-kun!” replied Fuma, waving a hand carelessly. “We’re not famished orphans, you know!”
Before Kota could say anything in response, our PV director interrupted, shouting through a megaphone, “Okay, everyone! We will start shooting soon! Hey! Say! JUMP, please get to your places!”
All of the JUMP members’ heads whipped up as soon as we heard the director’s call. Unfortunately, Hikaru had whipped his head upward with a bit too much force. The BEST member winced as he massaged the back of his neck, his brown sweater’s sleeve flapping comically as he did so. “Oh, well,” the jokester muttered. “You guys heard him. That’s our cue!”
Ryutaro groaned, his expressive face easily betraying his reluctance to go to work. “And just when I thought we would finally get some down time!”
“No complaining! You guys are idols, aren’t you?” came the director’s magnified voice. “Things can’t always go your way!”
“Sometimes, I wish they just would,” grumbled Ryutaro under his breath. I noticed his eyes glance back and forth nervously, fearing that the director had heard his retort.
Pushing Chinen gently off of my lap, I put my arm around the youngest JUMP member’s shoulders, pinching his cheek. “It’s alright, Ryu-chan. If we work very hard today, maybe he’ll let us go earlier.”
Ryutaro brightened considerably upon hearing my suggestion. But before he could say anything, Kei whispered, bringing one of his famously beautiful pianist hands to his mouth as if he was about to tell a secret, “We probably should get to our places, guys. The director’s looking at us with a fearsome expression on his face.”
“Oh, no!” exclaimed Yuto, his large eyes troubled. “Inoo-chan’s right! Look at that face! It’s like someone spit in his horse sashimi!”
Ryosuke wrinkled his nose delicately. “That’s gross, Yuto-kun.”
“That’s not the point!”
To what was obviously Yuto’s immense disappointment, none of the JUMP members stuck around to hear what his point actually was. Instead, we all ran toward the doors on either side of the orange and white room set and lined up in our predetermined orders. The B.I.Shadow boys made their way around to the front of the set, sitting in chairs that were placed at a safe distance away from the cameras and other film equipment.
As Misaki, Kento, and Fuma took their seats, the PV director turned in his seat and sneered derogatively at them, “So glad to see that you guys could made it, Boys in Shadow.”
Misaki’s lip curled upon hearing the director’s snide tone as he emphasized each word in his band’s abbreviated name. “You got a problem with us being here, director?” he asked, struggling to keep his normally mild-mannered self in check.
“No, no problem at all,” replied the director, his manner suggesting otherwise. “All I want is for you to do what you do best, boys, and stay in the shadows. Don’t be stupid and ruin the video for your Hey! Say! JUMP seniors.”
“Hey, we won’t be in the shadows much longer!” declared Fuma, his eyes defiant.
Kento nodded in agreement. “Yeah! We’re going to debut soon! Misaki, Fuma, and I are going to be big stars before you know it! You’ll see!”
The director laughed at B.I.Shadow’s attempts to defend themselves. “You might think that, Boys in Shadow. But I wouldn’t be so sure. Some people are just not meant to be in the spotlight.” He turned away from them, and as he did so, I could have sworn that, from my place in line, I saw Misaki’s fingers angrily pull themselves into clenched fists.
Worriedly, I turned away as the cheerful intro to “Dreams come true” started to play from the studio’s speakers. Shaking my head to dislodge what I had just witnessed from my thoughts, I narrowed my focus to a small dot on the back of Yuto’s bright red jacket. Forcing myself to smile, I put one foot in front of the other as Yuto pushed open the door and walked out onto the set. Suddenly, I could feel the powerful lights of the studio shine down upon me and the familiar sensation of euphoric excitement that came with being a performer quickly followed.
It was show time.
* * *
“Whew!” gasped Yuto, throwing himself down on a chair, trying to get his breath back. “I’m so glad the director gave us a break! I think that was the most hula hooping I’ve ever done in my life! So tiring!”
Kei stuck out his tongue at the tall 7 boy. “At least you weren’t running on a treadmill for the past half hour. If anyone deserves a seat, it should be me!” He went over to Yuto, pushing him lightly on the shoulder. Yuto dipped his head in mock submission and got up from the chair, bending over at the waist in a little bow while gesturing theatrically at the now vacant chair with his arms. Kei smiled gratefully back at him and sat down heavily.
Meanwhile, Hikaru had been messing around with the kendama toy that Ryutaro had been given for the PV, trying out tricks like “All of Japan” and others that he had learned as a child. Just as he was about to get the ball to land squarely on one of the two flat sides of the kendama, he heard a loud burst of electronic-sounding music to his right. Startled, he turned his head to find Liz, our lead makeup artist who had lived in America previously, standing there, a flustered expression on her face.
“Hey, Hikaru-kun!” she exclaimed. “Do you mind pulling out my cell phone for me? It’s in my pants pocket.” She held out her hands, which were coated in a glittery blue-green substance. “I don’t want to get this stuff on my clothes,” she explained, gesturing at her outfit, which consisted of a pale pink lacy blouse and light grey skinny jeans.
I noticed a sneaky expression cross Hikaru’s face. “Sure, Liz-chan.” He reached into Liz’s pants pocket, and I had a feeling that he had ulterior motives for helping Liz retrieve her cell phone. Liz was young, and pretty to add to that. It was hard to blame Hikaru for not being completely altruistic.
Hikaru pulled out Liz’s cell phone, which was pink with cute Hello Kitty stickers on it, and held it open for her. “Thanks, Hikaru-kun” she said, taking the cell phone gingerly from Hikaru and holding it with only two fingers. “See, one of the occupational hazards for being a makeup artist is always having glittery stuff on your hands. It makes picking up stuff a big pain in the butt! Anyways, I’ve got to answer this!” Before Hikaru could say anything, she walked away to complete her call.
Hikaru shook his head from side to side and sighed. “Well, there goes another pretty girl. Do you think we’ll ever get Liz-chan to notice us, Dai-chan?” he asked.
I laughed, giving Hikaru a pat on the arm. “I’m sure it’ll be okay, Hikaru-kun. There are plenty of girls out there. We’ll find someone eventually!” However, Hikaru seemed to remain unconvinced.
“Hey, guys,” said Kota as he walked toward us, looking from side to side with a concerned expression on his face, “do you know where B.I.Shadow went? I was going to ask them what they thought of our PV shoot and if they needed anything. But…I can’t seem to find them!”
Alarmed, I turned toward the front of the set, searching for our juniors. But, they were nowhere to be seen. My eyebrows scrunched together in confusion; this was strange. Where could they be? As I continued my search, I noticed that, conspicuously, the PV director had also disappeared. Worried about what had become of our friends, I tapped the nearest JE employee and asked, “Hey, do you know where the director and B.I.Shadow have gone?”
The employee, taking no notice of my anxious expression, replied, “Oh, the Shadow boys? They said they had something to say to the director and requested to have some time alone with him. I think that was about an hour ago. I believe they went into one of the backrooms. It’s the reason why we were able to give you guys a well-deserved break, Arioka-kun!”
“Ah.” I nodded vaguely, my thoughts concentrated on the one image of Misaki’s hands clenching themselves into fists. Was there something going on between B.I.Shadow and the PV director? If that was the case, what would cause the normally easygoing Misaki to become so angry? It just seemed so out of character.
My thoughts were so preoccupied by what I had seen that I was completely taken by surprise when Hikaru suddenly leaned in, his face only a few centimeters from mine, saying in a sing-song voice, “Dai-chan! Dai-chan! Can you hear me?”
“Huh?” I snapped my head backwards as soon I realized the proximity that Hikaru’s face was to mine. Wanting to preserve my personal space, I stayed in my awkward half-leaning back position. “Yes, I can hear you, Hikaru-kun! What are you doing?”
Hikaru made a face at me. “Well, I just asked you a question, but you didn’t respond. I had to get your attention somehow!” He poked the side of my head with his index finger. “So, what about it, Dai-chan? Are you going to come exploring with us?”
“Us?” I asked questioningly, looking around in confusion.
Sure enough, the other members of JUMP had gathered around a short distance away from the two of us and were looking impatiently in our direction. Kota was standing with Kei, who had a huge smile of excitement on his face that totally did not fit the suit-clad, professional image he had for the PV. Yuya had crossed his arms in front of his chest, his foot tapping an irregular rhythm against the floor, while Yuto had a restraining arm around Chinen, who had his best pouty face on. Keito and Ryutaro looked like they were up for anything that didn’t involve waiting around aimlessly any longer, and Ryosuke brushed a lock of hair out of his face, seemingly uninterested in the prospect of exploring. Nevertheless, I knew the 7 boy well enough to know when he was putting on an act. However cool he might try to act on the outside, inside, Ryosuke was just as silly and fun-loving as the rest of us. Our ability to understand each other so well is how we’ve been able to stay close as a Hey! Say! JUMP family.
“Oh…That us…”
“So, are you coming or not?”
I sighed, chuckling softly as I put up my hands in mock surrender. “Sure, why not? I’ll come too. After all, what could possibly go wrong?”
Little did I know that I would come to regret those words.
* * *
“So scary…Who would have thought that the backrooms of the studio would be this creepy?” gasped Kei, grabbing hold of Kota’s arm as we walked through a dimly lit room that was caked in dust. A tall shelf that had originally been holding old props had fallen over, its contents scattered everywhere. The walls had dark rust stains running down them, and broken film equipment and a corroded toolbox had been tossed in a corner, casting pointed shadows in the gloom.
Kota patted the pianist on the head, saying soothingly, “It’s okay, Kei-chan. Nothing’s going to hurt you here.” Kei smiled gratefully back at his friend as he laid his head on Kota’s shoulder.
Hikaru, who was leading our expedition, remarked, “Well, I think we’ve learned that when the studio says that a room is a ‘backroom’, they mean it! I don’t think anyone’s been in here in ages!”
Ryosuke wrinkled his nose, stepping around a cracked camera lens. “Yeah, it’s so dirty back here. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were rats.”
“Rats?” squeaked Chinen. I quickly put an arm around the little acrobat, knowing that the only thing stronger than Chinen's fear of rats was his irrational fear of the color orange. So, if there were any orange rats around, we were in trouble.
Ryosuke noticed Chinen’s squeak and immediately said hastily, “Though I’m sure there are none.” I felt Chinen relax slightly next to me.
Yuto said excitedly, “Maybe there will be beetles! I love beetles!”
All the others shot looks of revulsion and horror at each other. None of us shared Yuto’s love of beetles, or horse sashimi for that matter. Even though Yuto could be quite the adorkable spaz and a great friend, sometimes, we forgot how strange his tastes could be.
“Um…I think it’s better if we just keep exploring,” I said, effectively changing the subject. The others all voiced their agreement.
As Hikaru continued to lead us around the back parts of the studio, up and down decrepit stairs and through suspicious doorways, we talked excitedly to each other, glad that we were spending our break in such an interesting way. “Dreams come true” was our second single, so the post-debut fervor had not yet completely faded out; we still felt like kids in a candy store being given the best opportunity of our lifetimes. The best thing of all was, of course, that we each had nine of our best friends to share it with.
“Hey! What’s that?” said Keito suddenly.
“What’s what, Keito-kun?” asked Yuto, cocking his head to one side.
Keito screwed up his face in concentration. “I think I hear something. It sounds like running water. Are there bathrooms back here?”
Kota had a troubled look on his face. “Not that I know of. And even if there were, who would be using the showers back here? Why not use the ones near the main part of the studio?”
“Yeah,” agreed Ryutaro. “They’re much cleaner and easier to get to.”
We looked at each other in apprehension. By now, we had proceeded close enough to all hear the running water sounds that the English boy had noticed. I, for one, was getting seriously creeped out. There shouldn’t be anyone back here except for us.
I laughed uneasily. “I’m sure it’s nothing, guys. Maybe a long time ago, someone forgot to turn off one of the showers, and it’s been running ever since.” I stepped to the front of the group, beckoning at the others. “Besides, we’re supposed to be exploring, remember? What’s the use of exploring if there’s no adventure?”
Yuya cleared his throat, trying to be tough like Ogata Yamato, his character from Gokusen 3. He tugged on the ends of his leather jacket, straightening it forcefully. “Dai-chan’s right. What’s wrong with a little bit of adventure?”
The others all nodded hesitatingly. Taking the nods as an affirmation, I leaned forward to open the door to the abandoned shower room, gripping the doorknob firmly as not to betray my nervousness. I heard a sharp intake of breath from behind me as I started to pull open the door to reveal the darkness within. Kota stepped next to me and moved to switch on the lights.
What we saw next, we never could have predicted.
It was a corpse.
---
This way to Chapter 2~