"Haine, this is not something either of us wanted. However, I hope in a new environment you will learn who you are."

  The Voice recording played in the background as the bus solemnly carved through the wet landscape of the city at night. The recipient of the note, a short red haired lady with a tawny beige tan in her early twenties, was playing a song over the message. The elderly man in the recording took a sigh before he spoke again.

  The bus took a right turn.

  "Living away, you should learn the value of money. Understand that I do this in your best-"

  She peered out the glass as the bus travelled past a convenience store.

  The store was closing.

  "You h-a-v-e to come with me to see Four Leaf Clover this time. They are litteraly amazing."

  Two of the employees were preparing to leave, with this conversation starting from a poster about an upcoming performance.

  "It's a lot of money though isn't it?" The second said as they left the store.

  "Oh come on it's not that - Oh Triss remember you're locking up tonight. Byeee!"

  A ding of the door.

  Triss was behind the counter, giving it final wipe. Her dirty blonde hair was barely surviving in it's last minute bun. She looked at her rustic watch on her sandy arm. The time still wasn't right. Putting the towel away, she took her bag. As she passed, she turned to the poster.

  "Must be nice."

  Ding.

  Tucked away in an alley at the centre of the city was an unassuming grey door along a concrete wall. The only way to notice that it was any more than a sewer entrance was the dimly lit black sign above it that read in white font "Little Paradise" and had a neon palm tree aside it but was otherwise plain. A contradiction to the noise coming from inside.

  Triss was walking through to the door passing some loiterers outside that paid her no mind. Upon entering the atmosphere changed. There were people everywhere. A group of office workers sitting at the first booth to the left all in jovial mood, a quiet couple to the far end of the Bar trying to start a special date, a strong debate at the front of the bar around world affairs, a game of pool played between a group of college friends, and a lady sitting at the stage with a guitar by her side with her attention on her phone. This was the little corner where life hid during the dark hours.

  She strolled through looking for a place she could rest where she would be less then disturbed. That paradise was found on a table furthest from the exit, with the only guest at it a red haired lady who was fast asleep.

  Somehow I'm not the most tired here, Triss thought, taking a seat next to them and having a rest.

  "You have five more minutes to get your band in order Ai, I still need a gig this side of midnight." The manager of the establishment called from the Bar to the girl on the stage.

  Ai was a young woman with an umber brown skin tone and pink medium length hair she kept under a white beret.

  A crease formed between her brows. All attempts at reaching her bandmates had failed. Frantically she scanned the audience for someone - anyone that could fill in with her. Two booths far from the stage, near the centre of the bar there was another lady leaning against the wall. She had ivory pale skin, unnatural grey hair and black shades with what was most definitely a guitar bag hoisted on her shoulder.

  Target acquired.

  The grey haired lady had a glass in her hand and took a sip as the woman from the stage approached her.

  "Ummm heyyyy, do you happen to be a musician?"

  There was a short moment of silence as the lady turned to answer.

  She nodded before answering.

  "Happen to be. Why?"

  Ai rolled her thumb around her fingers. "My band kind of bailed and I really need some cover."

  Hearing her tale, the lady with shades gave a short "Tragic." before finishing her drink.

  Ai was dismayed at the response but before she could leave the lady continued.

  "Name's Ena, When do we play?"

  Ai gave a small cheer. "I'm Ai.. and uh pretty much now."

  As the two headed back they got a grasp on what each was going to do, Ai as the lead guitar and the lady doing the vocals. When Ai quickly handed her a rough note of the lyrics her new friend was considering she may have made a mistake. The two had caught the eye of Triss who was slowly getting a grasp of what was going on. Though she was determined to stay quiet till she heard 'Bass'.

  "You two need a bassist?" Triss called over from her table.

  Ai and Ena stopped talking for a moment, turning to the caller and turning to each other.

  Ai replied "If you play sure!"

  The next recruit gave a small cheer under the table as she stood up trying to act more casual. In doing so she forgot the other passenger at her table and managed to cause enough noise to wake up the red head. Triss then moved over to the group and they continued discussing how the performance would go.

  "Two minutes Ai," a shout from the distant bar.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Ai answered that things were working out, but she noticed that Ena was still staring at the table Triss had come from. The other two also looked over and they found the woman who was asleep earlier was now staring at them grinning like an evil child.

  "I can play drums!" Haine shouted over.

  Ai let out a short awkward laugh at the chance. As she lifted her right hand to beckon them over.

  "I mean sure why not."

  Haine let out a very loud cheer before joining the makeshift band. Though their conversation had to be cut short to keep on schedule.

  The guitarists got on stage and started making sure they were tuned, as Haine acquainted herself with the drum set the establishment provided.

  Ena prepped the mic "Testing testing, Blah blah blah, we're good to go."

  She followed up with the lyrics she was handed. Cohesion was not their friend, not to begin with. Yet they adapted. Triss started to follow the rhythm and Haine, whilst taking longer then the others, eventually managed to keep in time. Now it wasn't anything grand, but the curious murmurs of the bar began to attract a few people.

  The college students having finished their game strolled over, then the couple.

  Momentum.

  They took it.

  The bar philosophers next, even the company party. A crowd had begun to form in front of the group, fighting with them over who could be the loudest.

  The band won.

  A roar.

  Ai jumped to the front.

  "I hope you enjoyed A-RISE! The only number 1 band in Japan!"

  Haine at the back let out a very loud cheer, Triss following.

  Even Ena broke a smile.

  The crowd had many more faces. More still appearing.

  The band turned to collect their things, and despite trying to hold it in they could not help but fall into the explosion of emotions.

  Slowly passing the steps down from the stage they were met with a tidy young man in a suit with a beaming smile. He seemed unaware of the shadow looming behind him.

  "H-hi! May I interest you in..."

  A tap of the shoulder. Turning to convene with the figure behind him the young man made way.

  Now in view, that figure was a tall man in his later years, with a smoke to fit. Jet black hair, suited and tidy, though more grizzled then sharp. He methodically took out a business card from the depths of his coat.

  "Takaito Talent Agency." He said as he snuffed out the cigarette. "We'd like you to join us."

  He only now looked towards the band, eyeing for which of them seemed most assured.

  "A Moment." Ena answered as the shadow of her eyes contracted underneath the shades.

  Turning from the man she beckoned the group into a huddle. The other girls expected Ena to say something else, but she brought an awkward silence that lasted until Ai broke it.

  "So uh, if we are planning on doing this. Staying, that is then this would be a big deal. There is lots of money and prestige on the line."

  The group nodded in understanding.

  "But it would probably have some shady clause or something." Triss added.

  The group nodded again.

  "If we are serious about this, it may be the best and only chance we have at going big."

  Haine closely following the conversation gave a dull "I don't really mind."

  All turned to Ena, who stood up from the huddle, turning her sight to her right.

  "If you take the deal I'm out."

  Ai's eyes widened.

  Bopping her head from side to side, Haine stated "Well that settles it no?"

  A few more whispers before they turned back to the man, calmly standing.

  Ai took a cautious step forward, before taking two further.

  "We thank you for the offer... though i'm sorry to say we are not interested."

  "Damn shame." He straightened his jacket before holding out his card for them to take.

  Ai gazed at it before taking the card.

  The man turned away slowly, eyeing Ena, before continuing;

  "When you're ready to make a wiser choice, give us a call."

  Ai went to ask him a question but he was already moving on.

  A falling whistle from Haine. Ai recollecting herself turned back to the group. Remembering that the sun would soon be waking up she asked the others if they could pass on their details for a group chat.

  "Thanks for today, I really hope we can play again soon!" Ai gave a smile before leaving.

  Ena stepped ahead too, nodding to the remaining girls before heading up to the bar. Haine and Triss walked off together. the redhead seemed to be calculating something before she spoke.

  "I kind of want to get a burger."

  "It's litteraly like 1am."

  "Yeah and that's NOT the perfect time go get one?"

  "I- You know what fair enough."

  As those two exited the bar to the left, to the right where the car park was Ai had been going over the messages in her group chat with the other A-RISE members. Whilst scrolling up to see small conversations here and there she saw they had been dwindling recently, to the point where now it was all but a sea of her own thoughts. She held back as she entered her old car and drove home. Ai's flat wasn't very large, but she made up for it with the multitude of colourful posters and different artworks all plastered around the rooms.

  A buzz.

  Ai instinctively opened her group with A-RISE.

  No change.

  She noticed though the conversation was coming from the one she had setup with the girls earlier.

  Haine: Wazzuuuuup

  Triss: Haine there is no way you actually had a burger at 2am.

  Ena: That's unhealthy.

  Haine: Don't judge my life choices!

  This made Ai chuckle a little, giving her a smile she thought she had lost.

  She added a cheeky reply to the conversation before sitting at her desk, which had a collection of different pencils. She began to draw.

  Haine's eyebrows were twitching, yelling to her phone she exclaimed

  "What do you mean MISTAKES?"

  There was one other person at her apartment floor, who took a moment to stare at Haine with concern before continuing on their own. Haine shook her head putting her phone in her left back pocket. Doing so, she took out a set of keys and chucked them a short distance in the air before catching them.

  "Let's see what he's got."

  After opening the door she nodded.

  "Not bad."

  At the other end of the city, Triss had nearly finished their walk home, still talking to the others over the group. Approaching a back-alley door she could hear lots of noise coming from within it.

  "Oh boy."

  Knocking on the door a lady in her 40s was quick to open it. "Triss it's 3."

  "Yeah I kind of messed uh-p"

  She slowed as she noticed her two younger brothers playing an intense game of tag in the background.

  "Why are they awake?"

  "Stephen called, wanted to see how they were doing."

  Their conversations blurred together.

  Ai: I think Triss fell asleep, I don't know if Haine is eating or something though.

  A message sent a few minutes ago.

  Ena: Must be a really good burger or she's asleep.

  Ai: Well it is really late now, I should go too. Goodnight!

  Ena:"Night."

  Ena was lying on her bed.

  It was quiet.

  She turned over to put her phone on charge before lying on her back looking up.

  She smiled.