Chapter 214 – EMI Records

December 24th.

As if to prove the saying “Christmas is always more romantic when it snows,” flakes began to fall over Tokyo just as the morning sun rose.

Aoki didn’t hate the snow—but to say he liked it would’ve been a stretch. In truth, he barely paid attention to such things.

What weighed more heavily on his mind were the aftershocks of the storm from a few days ago.

The so-called “butterfly effect” was real, after all.

A small-time video blogger who called herself “Coke Beats Coffee” had uploaded a video on Youtube.

On her own, she wasn’t exactly influential, but somehow—her video had stirred up a sudden wave of new Kessoku Band fans across America.

That single spark was enough to catch the attention of major music platforms there.

And when profit was on the line, those platforms moved fast.

Around nine in the morning, while idly scrolling through his email, Aoki spotted a message from EMI Records.

It was short and simple: a cooperation proposal, with contact information attached.

Kei had already been considering expanding beyond Japan, but until now he hadn’t found the right path.

And after NH Music had suddenly purged all Kessoku Band tracks from their platform, this invitation felt like a pillow arriving just in time for a weary head.

So, with a “why not give it a try” attitude, he picked up his phone and dialed the number in the email.

After a brief ring, the call connected.

“Hello, this is EMI Records. May I ask who’s speaking?”

A soft, polite female voice came through the receiver—steady, professional, and pleasant.

“This is Aoki Kei, from Kessoku Band. I received your cooperation request by email...”

There was a brief pause before the woman’s tone brightened with surprise and excitement.

“Ah! Aoki-sensei! It’s really you! Hello, hello! About the collaboration—would you happen to be available soon? We’d love to meet in person and discuss the details!”

Kei didn’t mind.

After a bit of back-and-forth, they arranged to meet that very afternoon at a café in Shibuya.

————————————————————————

At 2:40 p.m., Kei threw on a coat and caught the train into the city.

At the café, he didn’t have to wait long before a man in his early thirties approached him, bowing deeply as he extended a hand.

“Aoki-sensei! It’s an honor to finally meet you! My name is Kikuoka Seijirou, head of EMI Records’ Tokyo branch. I’m a huge fan of your work—please, just call me Kikuoka!”

Seeing how enthusiastic the man was, Kei could only nod politely and laugh a little awkwardly.

“Ahaha… Thank you for coming all this way, Kikuoka-san.”

Seijirou chuckled at Kei’s formal tone.

“Not at all! I actually had some business nearby, so it wasn’t much of a detour.”

As He took a seat across from Kei, smiling warmly as he put his brief case aside and relaxed into the chair.

“Oh, and I listened to your new song—Hikoutei, right? It’s incredible, Aoki-sensei. Truly impressive. You really are a genius when it comes to writing and performing your own songs.”

He leaned forward slightly, enthusiasm lighting up his face.

“I also really love your song Loser. It’s one of those rare pieces that truly resonates with everyone, I mean who haven't felt like a Loser once in their live, right?"

“...Thank you,” Kei replied, a little awkwardly.

It wasn’t often he met someone so genuinely excited to see him—especially a man in his thirties acting like a starstruck fan.

Most of the people he met before were a student like him or just a little older, while some "older generation" who enjoyed his music tended to be eccentric types like Hiratsuka-sensei.

“Ah, sorry, I’ve been talking your ear off,” Seijirou said, scratching his cheek with an apologetic grin. “That reminds me—if you haven’t had lunch yet, please order whatever you’d like.”

“No, it’s fine. I’m not that hungry,” Kei said, shaking his head slightly.

Under normal circumstances, he’d never turn down a free meal.

But accepting lunch from someone he’d just met felt a bit awkward—especially when he wasn’t sure if this meeting would even lead to anything.

“It’s fine, don’t be shy,” Seijirou insisted, grabbing a menu and handing it to him with an easy smile. “You’re still young—you should eat properly. Think of it as doing me a favor, keeping me company for lunch.”

Before Kei could protest, Seijirou raised his hand toward the counter.

“Excuse me! We’d like to order something!”

“Yes! Please wait just a moment!” the waitress called cheerfully from behind the counter.

Looking at Seijirou who already talk with the waitress Kei sighed inwardly, realizing there was no polite way to refuse.

With a small shrug, he picked up the menu and decided to order something too.