After the second album tour concluded, Enfants Terribles was granted a considerably long vacation. However, once the emperor of the pop world entered seclusion, a mountain of changes occurred in just half a year.
To briefly summarize the global shifts: first, peerless bands that had been building their strength in the indie scene began to pour into the mainstream.
In Australia, AC/DC—often called the country's greatest export after beef—burst onto the scene. In the UK, a band of rascals called Led Zeppelin, who had crossed paths with Enfants Terribles at a concert, were raising hell. In the United States, Guns N' Roses, who had appeared like a comet the previous year, finally seized the number one spot on both the Billboard Hot 100 and 200 with their second album, Use Your Illusion.
In the midst of this, Hoshino Ai's new song, which had conquered Japan and broken into the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100, was an added bonus. The current music industry was, quite literally, a Warring States period.
When the vacation period finally ended, the members of Enfants Terribles began to gather one by one. Aside from major award ceremonies, these original troublemakers planned to pour all their energy solely into their third album.
Just what kind of monstrous creation would the third album be? While one might expect the mood to be buoyed by the historic success of the first and second albums, the atmosphere at their local American agency was dead serious and gloomy.
Saito Ichigo, visiting as the representative of Strawberry Productions, and Miyazaki Makoto, the manager and producer of Enfants Terribles, attended the meeting with bright expressions, contrasting sharply with the American executives.
They spoke with overflowing confidence.
"The third album? It will obviously be a success. Isn't the Enfants Terribles fanbase still expanding even now?"
"Look, our damn stars are still selling albums at a terrifying pace."
"And then? Can you guarantee success even after the third album?"
One of the executives from the American agency countered the confident remarks from the Strawberry Productions side. Having spent years rolling through the dirt of this industry, the two could not help but understand the underlying motive behind the question.
"Why are you bringing this up already? Enfants Terribles is a band that has just entered its absolute peak—the kind of peak a singer only meets once in a lifetime. They will earn overwhelmingly excellent profits at least until their fourth or fifth albums."
"Look here, Manager, stop pretending you don't understand and speak to us straight. We hear things too. You need to tell us exactly how long you expect things to remain stable so we can come up with an estimate."
"For this upcoming third album, they will achieve massive sales regardless of quality. They are the spirit of the age. As long as the members maintain their health, their prime will last for more than a decade."
"So you're saying there's absolutely no issue through the third album?"
The agency executive took on a serious look and rubbed his face hard with his hands. There was only one reason they were having this conversation regarding Enfants Terribles, the spirit of the era.
Promotion costs. Ironically, as an artist's weight in the industry grows, the scale of investment required for a comeback increases in tandem. As is typical of a fixed-cost industry, high revenues can cover it, but a failure results in everything being written off as a loss.
Even the legendary Enfants Terribles was no exception to the logic of the business world. Business is conducted with a long-term perspective.
"In that case, how about we reduce the promotion costs for the third album slightly? Their name value is sufficient now, so wouldn't they be well-publicized even with a moderate budget?"
"Hey, quit playing games. Do our damn stars look like jokes to you? Enfants Terribles is a band that is still growing. And you want to cut promotion costs now? If you make a suggestion like this again, the entirety of Strawberry Productions might just move to another agency."
Saito Ichigo rebelled strongly against the agency's opinion. Enfants Terribles was still the symbol of the age. A band with this much symbolism and popularity would be hard to find again.
Meanwhile, Miyazaki Makoto, who had been quietly listening to the exchange between Saito Ichigo and the executive, was feeling a sense of doubt. It would be one thing if Enfants Terribles had lost momentum with their second album, but they had just hit a career high.
To already discuss whether or not to cut promotion costs for a band that would serve as a cash cow for twenty years... After the meeting ended, Miyazaki Makoto placed a call to a friendly contact at another agency to investigate.
"They've signed Avril Lavigne and Pink Floyd. Avril was already a star, and I heard Pink Floyd's performance has been incredible lately."
"Wait? They're acting this bold because of that level of talent? Wasn't a stable source of income the most important thing for an agency? Where else are they going to find a stable cash cow like Enfants Terribles?"
Miyazaki Makoto couldn't understand it. Compared to Enfants Terribles, they were merely stars of 'that level.' Avril Lavigne had clear limits, and while Pink Floyd supposedly had potential, they were still small fry in his eyes.
Therefore, they shouldn't give up on Enfants Terribles yet. The costs were high, but the results were guaranteed, weren't they?
'They'll last at least twenty years. As long as they stay healthy.'
Miyazaki Makoto viewed the lifespan of Enfants Terribles as being very long. Unlike idol dance groups, they were a band that communed with the public through their music.
While he was lost in these thoughts, his contact relayed some strange news.
"Is it because of Hide and Hoshino Ai? Word is Hide's in bad shape after breaking up with that girl who's currently blowing up in Japan?"
"Ah..."
Only then did Miyazaki Makoto realize why they were talking like that.
"Listen, Hide will overcome it. And after filming that commercial, he's actually doing better than before."
"Hmm... But since he's been in seclusion ever since, there's no way for anyone to know his status."
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