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It was about 9 in the morning. Shuuichi was sitting out on the back patio with a cup of hot tea on the table next to him. He was just looking around the backyard while thinking about something that has been on his mind. As much as Shuuichi wants to get back into the music industry, he has been thinking that he may want to go a different route when it comes to being a singer. And now that he is basically going solo, he thought that it is time for a change. They took a sip from their cup and then let out a sigh before hearing footsteps coming towards the sliding glass door that connects from the kitchen to the back porch.
Shuuichi turned his head as he heard a knock on the glass. It was only Hugo, who was waving at him from inside of the house. Shuuichi waved back then motioned for him to come outside to join him. Hugo did just that. He opened the sliding glass door and joined his husband outside on the patio.
“You are outside early.” Hugo suddenly brought up as he sat down in another chair at the table. Shuiichi looked at him.
“Is that a bad thing?” Shuuichi asked, being curious.
“Not at all. It is just rare to see you out like this so ealry in the morning, but I am not complaining. It is really nice out here, though.” Hugo replied.
“It really is. I need to do this more often.” Shuuichi agreed.
“I noticed last night that you could barely sleep so I just wanted to check on you. Are you feeling okay?” Hugo asked another question.
“I am feeling and doing okay but at the same time, I just feel so confused about something.” Shuuichi answered.
“What are you feeling confused about?” Hugo wanted to know. Shuuichi let out a sigh.
“I am not sure if I want to go back to fully doing J-pop for when it comes to my music career.” Shuuichi told him.
“What are you thinking about switching to?” Hugo was curious.
“I know this may sound dumb but…I am thinking of switching to K-pop. Not because it is popular or anything. I just love the genre a lot, and I know how to write, speak and read Korean fluently. I am not saying I want to give up doing what I am originally known for, but I want to experiment a little bit as well. I also kind of want to do English once in a while, too. I am known for J-pop, but I also want to be more than just that. I want to be myself. Yet I am worried that it will backfire on me as well. Especially with my fans.” Shuuichi explained.
“And there is nothing wrong with going in that direction, babe. You never know if it will unless you try it. I personally think you should if it is what you truly want to do and if you lose some fans along the way, it is not the end of the world. Your happiness is the only thing that matters when it comes to this.” Hugo said.
“If only I can find a label that can help me achieve this then I would love to do this but so far, I have not been able to find one and it is kind of frustrating. Some days, I want to keep searching and other days, I feel like giving up but how much longer can I do with content creation and stuff. I also feel like I am being so lazy, but I assure you, that is not what I am trying to be.” Shuuichi said back.
“The music industry can be rough, I know. I do not think you are lazy at all. You are doing what you can and that is a good thing.” Hugo let him know. This gave him an idea.
“By the way, I have a good friend that may be able to help you with this search. I should have mentioned this earlier when all of this was going on, but I did not know if you would feel comfortable with someone, I know helping you with all of this.” Hugo suggested. This piqued Shuuichi’s interest.
“You really have someone that can help me? That is awesome! I am okay with this if you know them personally.” Shuuichi asked. Hugo felt relieved.
“Yes, he worked in the industry, and I can contact him to see if he can find you a record label that would be perfect for you and also, he can help you find an agent as well. If you need help with that, too.” Hugo offered. While Shuuichi was excited about this, he also felt bad as well.
“I do not want to feel like I am taking advantage of you by having your friend help me, but I can use all the help that I can get since I am having no luck on my end.” Shuuichi spoke up.
“You are not taking advantage of me, hun. Plus, I am the one who suggested this in the first place. No need to feel bad and unless he already has too much on his plate, I think he would like to help you.” Hugo explained. Shuuichi thought about it for a minute before giving him a firm answer on his decision.
“Well…if you are okay with me having your friend help me then I would very much like his help if he is able to.” Shuuichi accepted his partner’s offer.
“Great! I will contact him a little later on today but for now, everything is going to be fine. Also, I think a switch in genres may help your creativity as well since you also have been having trouble with trying to come up with lyrics recently, too.” Hugo also told him. This was true. Shuuichi has been in a bit of a rut trying to come up with songs. In a way, Shuuichi felt so relieved.
“I really hope that I can find a label soon and get back to making music. Yet I am going to trust the process and see where this goes. I feel like this is going to be a good and fresh start for me.” Shuuichi assured himself. He suddenly held one of Hugo’s hands in his, feeling so excited and happy.
“And thank you so much for helping me with this. And your friend, too. And you are right. If I feel like that, I really want to do this then I am going to go for the genre switch. I am not giving up on what I am originally known for but adding to the mix.” Shuuichi spoke with a smile on his face. Hugo smiled back and held Shuuichi’s hand a little tighter in his. Deep down, Shuuichi felt like this was going to be so good for him. And if his husband’s friend is wanting to help, that would be even better. Yet he also thinks that he should focus on finding an agent first and then go back to finding a label that will want him to be part of it.
A lot has changed for him since leaving his relationship with Yuuki (for good), leaving Japan and disbanding his band altogether. As for when it comes to his fans, Shuuichi knows that going to and trying K-pop may cost him some of his fanbase, but he was willing to take that chance. He has always been a fan of it and wanting to dwell in it has him excited to see what will come from it. For now, he should focus and was just going to let things fall where they may so he can come back and be better than what he was before.
The End