“Tatsuki’s the best dancer in our generation. Everyone wants to emulate her. Everyone hones their skills hoping they’ll beat her one day. Everybody wants to get onstage at this club and put on an unforgettable performance.”
“But Tatsu… Ryuzetsuran… She’s changed.”
“Yeah. She ruined her original dance style. She’s influenced by too many things that are outside hip-hop culture. Now, she’s talking about wanting to get more media exposure, cleaning up the neighborhood… She’s trying to curry favor with the public. I wouldn’t expect normies like you to understand, but from a hip-hop perspective…Tatsu’s dancing has become crap! It’s completely lame!”
“I think Tatsu is aware of that as well.”
“…Huh?”
Gokokuji’s mouth fell open, and it appeared that Shiika’s words had taken her aback.
“Hip-hop will die out if it doesn’t evolve. But Tatsu hasn’t been able to find the right answer as to how best to make it evolve. She’s been searching for the best way to get hip-hop accepted by the mainstream, to create that compromise, without disrespecting the origins that made it come to be in the first place.”
“Compromise… That will just result in something totally lackluster!”
“You’re wrong.”
Shiika shook her head.
“It’s going to be difficult. It’s hard to forge a new path while maintaining the spirit of the original. Just like how it was hard for a singer like me to learn how to dance. So Tatsu’s been struggling. She hasn’t been able to focus on staying cool, the way you want her to be.”
This meant even more coming from Shiika, an uncoordinated girl who hated the very thought of exercise.
I think the students at Ryouran High School expected a certain kind of charisma from Shiika, who made a name for herself as a singer. But her appearance, at least until the video was posted, was pathetic enough to disillusion them.
Well, it makes sense. She was trying new things. You can’t hope to succeed on your first try.
“Gosh, you’re annoying! Anyway, pandering to the general public always leads to a loss of the original spark! It’s the same for everyone who goes from the indie scene to the big leagues! They all become scammers, abandoning their artistic souls! Don’t think you can sway me with slick words!”
“Which one is the scammer, though?”
“Huh?”
Gokokuji looked over her shoulder at me when I interrupted.
I didn’t want to get in the way of Shiika’s roll, but there was something that bothered me, too.
“Wasn’t it Sengoku who said all that stuff about the BRAVE unit being a soulless cash grab aimed at gaining mass appeal?”
“Wh-what’s with you people? You got psychic powers or something?!”
Afraid not. Shiika’s ability may be considered close to supernatural, sure. But as for me…I’m just a regular normie.
I had Zeke hack into Ryan Sengoku’s account, and I dug through his message history.
About 80 percent of Sengoku’s business conversations were just him capitalizing on his position as a former BRAVE student.
And this might get hairy, but the truth is that he only told people he quit the BRAVE school because it was a soulless cash grab aimed at mass appeal and that it went against everything hip-hop stood for. But rumor has it that he was kicked out due to his problematic behavior. He had to lie to everyone about the real reason.
“Sengoku was able to explain why Ootsuka’s actions seemed so annoying to you. So you started to have faith in Sengoku, and you sought to get closer to him. But can you really say that the guy truly loves the hip-hop world? Do you really think he’s cool, when he’s just making excuses, pretending he can’t get by in the industry without the crutch of sex, violence, and drugs?”
Okay, I’m preaching here. But it’s okay, because unlike some people, I have no delusions that I’m cool.
The important thing now was to break down Haruka Gokokuji’s illusions.
Although my words were more of a side dish, like the pickled ginger served with a plate of curry, or the garnish on top of a beef bowl. I had spoken up in the hopes of giving her a final push, but honestly, I didn’t expect my words to have much impact.
The event that would truly move Haruka Gokokuji was just about to happen.
Whoaaaa! The club erupted in cheers.
Gokokuji turned to the stage, startled.
It was Ootsuka. Ootsuka taking the stage and addressing the audience, telling everyone about the filming that was about to begin and the safety precautions that needed to be followed.
“It’s starting,” Shiika said. “Forging a new path without losing one’s true soul… Watch Tatsu. See how she accomplishes it.”
“…”
Gokokuji held her breath, and the lights went out. The club was awash with silence and darkness.
And…
…Ootsuka’s silhouette appeared beneath a single spotlight.
“Welcome to the cesspool of the night! I’m so happy to see everyone here tonight! This video is not just a final-exam assignment. For me, this is deeply significant. This is a video that will express my love and gratitude to those who raised me as a dancer: Kikyo and J-Bozu, and everyone in this club. Let’s do it!”
As the music began to fill the space, the crowd responded with bewilderment.
The intro was low, quiet, and slow, and Ootsuka’s dance movements were slow, too—completely different from her usual energy.
Tatsuki Ootsuka, aka Ryuzetsuran, always danced with vigor to soulful, powerful, and energetic songs.
But now, she stumbled around on the stage to Shiika’s monotonous, languid music, eyes blank like a drug addict prowling the night streets for a fix. But her movements weren’t just slow. They were also hypnotic. Everyone in the club had their eyes glued to her body. Ootsuka’s innate skill and the otherworldly nature of her movements were what made this possible.
But then, we reached the heart of the song.
A sudden change in key and a complete change from the gloomy atmosphere. The tempo suddenly quickened, becoming faster.
“Whoa…!”
Gokokuji’s eyes widened.
As the song’s tempo increased, it was clear it was now a sort of homage to J-Bozu’s music.
This symbolized Ootsuka herself, who previously had no goals or dreams and had all but given up on life.
Then a mentor came to her, and she began to incorporate more of the steps she was known for today. The whole vibe of the track had become bright, positive, and up-tempo.
Using the colors in sounds, Shiika had painted a story that unfolded almost like a picture book.
The story of Tatsuki Ootsuka.
A dancer rescued from the quagmire of everyday life by hip-hop, a girl who discovered new challenges, who encountered new people, and decided to aim higher.
No doubt Haruka Gokokuji realized that she, too, had been a part of Ootsuka’s story, and her eyes brimmed with tears as she gazed up at the stage.