Takeda was surprised but willing to talk to Mirage immediately despite the late hour. They arranged to meet him at The Pavilion.

Mirage arrived first and were settled into the large corner booth before Takeda arrived. They watched him approach, an older man, neatly dressed in a business suit. After greetings were exchanged, he sat comfortably next to Hatsuharu as though he met bands in family restaurants every day.

Ryuske, after arranging the meeting, seemed unable to speak, he just sat stiffly and stared at Takeda.

Hikaru whispered, "Do you know him after all?"

Ryuske shook his head. "I don't think so," he replied.

Takeda watched them curiously and Hikaru frowned and said, "I'm sorry, Ryuske had some bad history with Inline, but we're kind of stuck and Kiri said you have experience if we need advice."

Takeda was taken by surprise and offered hesitantly, "I know of Kobayashi Ryuske's history with Inline, and I greatly regret how the incident was handled at the time. Unfortunately I wasn't on the team dealing with Edge."

"I won't sign another contract without full veto rights," Ryuske said stiffly.

"Then we're wasting our time here," Takeda said calmly and moved to stand.

Hikaru interrupted before he rose from his seat. "Wait please, you'll have to be willing to explain everything for us to get anywhere. Why is a contract with full veto rights impossible?"

Takeda settled back into his seat, but instead of answering, asked, "If Kiri, by which I'm assuming you meant Takeshi-san, told you I've got enough experience to give advice, why aren't you asking him directly, he's got enough experience to offer the same advice and he's my boss?"

Hikaru answered honestly, "Because he's very busy tonight and because he doesn't want to work with us."

Takeda looked at her thoughtfully and said, "He's in Korea tonight so far as I know."

Hikaru nodded and said, "And he'll be busy until 3am, and then he needs to sleep."

Takeda raised his brows at her and asked, "And why doesn't he want to work with you?"

Hikaru blushed and replied, "Because he's my fiancé."

Ryuske clenched his hands and said, "It doesn't matter, I won't sign without veto, if we can't have that, we are wasting our time."

Rin thumped Ryuske on the shoulder and said, "Hush, even if we only get advice without a contract, it will benefit us."

Takeda surveyed Mirage's members slowly and then answered the earlier question, "A contract with full veto is impossible because the company needs to make a profit off of the deal. We can't put ourselves in the position of having to pay for the production of things that a group then refuses to release."

Even Ryuske nodded at this explanation, though reluctantly.

Takeda asked cautiously, "What kind of situation are you in that you suddenly need a manager's advice?"

Hikaru said when Ryuske stayed silent, "Our song is being pirated by another company, they're trying to force us into signing their contract."

"Hikaru!" Ryuske protested.

Hatsuharu said quietly, "If we want useful advice, we have to tell him the entire situation."

Ryuske said bitterly, "And put ourselves at his mercy too?"

Takeda started to reply but Hikaru interrupted, "Yes, if necessary. You already made the call."

Ryuske looked at her for a moment and then looked away and nodded.

"And as for the full veto, then if Mirage paid the production costs up until the album was ready to release, it would be possible?" Hikaru asked Takeda.

He shrugged and said, "I suppose it would, but there would be no signing bonus, no guarantee of any profit."

"As long as it's not impossible, that's enough for now," Hikaru said firmly. Then she explained the situation Mirage was caught in, with help from Rin and Hatsuharu. Ryuske was silent.

Hatsuharu added, "There's another problem with the releases that company has made. They are using our full names."

Ryuske spoke at last, "I tried to put in a complaint. I even asked Nezumi if he could hack it and edit the information, he said he can't."

Takeda asked, "Why is having your full names published a problem?"

Hatsuharu said, "Because I could get fired or Hikaru could get expelled."

Takeda looked at Hikaru and asked cautiously, "Are you still a minor?"

Hikaru blushed and nodded, but instead of reacting with shock or mentioning Kiri, Takeda smiled with pleasure.

"In that case, having the information corrected should be easy. If we decide to work together," Takeda said.

Rin said coolly, "If we decide to work together, I'm sure there are all sorts of things you can do to help, and if we don't decide to work together? What does a man who's been planning his retirement want with Mirage?"

Takeda laughed openly. When he finished laughing, he said weakly, "I feel you have me at a disadvantage, if we don't work together I'll tell you my idea before I go."

Hikaru pointed out, "We feel the same way."

Takeda sobered and nodded. "Alright then, I'll lay my own situation out for you as well. I have been thinking of retiring soon, but I saw Mirage play and looked into you. You're good, but you seem like a part time band."

The members of Mirage nodded.

Takeda continued, "But I thought there was potential for an album perhaps anyway, a part time job with a part time band for an old man."

Ryuske twitched but didn't comment.

Takeda eyed him and said cautiously, "I didn't realize at first that Mirage had Kobayashi Ryuske, I found that out while I was researching you, but in your situation that could be used to great advantage, if you were willing. Even more so if Mirage takes a contract with Inline."

Ryuske nodded once.

Hikaru asked, "What fan number are you?"

Everyone looked at her in surprise, but Takeda grinned at her and said, "219".

Ryuske returned his gaze to Takeda with shock.

Takeda smiled gently and said, "I think Mirage is great." To Ryuske directly he added, "And you've improved vastly. In your song composition, in the many instruments you've learned. Musically, the Kobayashi Ryuske of Mirage is incomparable to the Kobayashi Ryuske of Edge."

"Just Ryuske, Mirage's Ryuske," corrected Ryuske stiffly.

Takeda nodded and accepted the correction. "So, we need to figure out if we can work together, then, regardless of the outcome, I'll tell you the things I've thought that could be done for your situation," he told the members of Mirage.

"How much does it cost to get an album ready for production?" Hikaru asked.

Takeda looked at her and said, "The recording is the smallest part. If you were willing to record hours when no one else is scheduled to use a studio, we could even cut a deal for you to do the recording at Inline even if Mirage pays the production costs. It's the other stuff that I doubt your ability to cover."

He explained, "Video crews are expensive, photographers, sound crews, it's the dozens or hundreds of other people who become involved in the project that make it expensive. That's what production companies do."

"Give us an idea of the minimum we'd need?" she asked.

He frowned at her and said, "Three good music videos, an album cover, publicity shots, the album recording itself, ten songs minimum. Preferably originals rather than the covers you use to pad your stage performances at the moment."

Hikaru nodded thoughtfully and Rin pulled his hair back and asked, "Assuming we say we can cover all that, using our own people, then what?"

Takeda looked taken aback and asked, "Seriously?"

Hatsuharu replied for them, "Yes, what would our contract look like in that case?"

Takeda thought for a few moments and then replied, "Basically just a publishing contract. You provide us with ready to publish work, if it passes our approval, it gets published and you receive a percent, if not, nothing happens."

"What percent?" asked Hikaru.

Takeda looked at her and said, "Usually we give the artist 10%."

Hikaru stared at him, appalled. Hatsuharu frowned too, only Rin and Ryuske looked unsurprised.

Takeda offered, "But if you really can produce high enough quality work without using Inline's staff, or by paying for the use directly, then we could probably offer 25%."

This time Rin and Ryuske looked surprised.

Hikaru asked, "How much would a good music video through Inline cost?"

Takeda replied thoughtfully, "Anywhere from 5k to 25k, if it's kept domestic."

"Oh, that's not as bad as I thought," Hikaru said more cheerfully. Rin, Ryuske and Hatsuharu nodded.

Takeda stared at them. "What kind of resources does Mirage have to put into this project?" he asked.

Everyone turned to Ryuske and he grinned wryly, "Well, we just paid for that concert, so the account was a little flat before the new memberships, but it's sitting at around 40k at the moment."

"We might be able to do it for less than that too, we have Nezumi for special effects if nothing else," Hikaru pointed out.

Takeda regarded Mirage in shocked silence.

Rin asked Hikaru, "Who's the guy you thought might do video?"

Hikaru blushed. "He's the photographer who did the sunset girls calendar on your wall."

Rin stared at her and questioned, "Oh?"

Hikaru said defensively, "He's amazingly good at capturing people at their best look."

"I'm not arguing, I'm just incredibly curious," Rin said with a grin.

Ryuske and Hatsuharu were looking at Hikaru incredulously as well. She muttered, "He offered Shizuoka a job last year, and Risa and I went with her, because we thought it was suspicious."

Rin said calmly, "He must have really impressed you."

She nodded.

Takeda said, "Mirage has more resources than I thought, so you want me to try to draw up a contract?"

Hikaru nodded then turned to Ryuske and asked, "Does it need to be full veto for you, or for Mirage, do we vote on it?"

Ryuske looked at her in shock. Rin laughed and said, "Yes, do you trust us enough that if the rest of us vote for something, will you go along?"

Ryuske said angrily, "Of course I do!"

"It makes a difference," Hikaru said quietly.

"Quite a large difference actually," offered Takeda. When everyone looked at him he said, "There's more precedence for writing contracts that depend on a majority agreement of members than for a full veto right. If you'll agree to that, I can include more services that Inline usually offers its artists."

"But Ryuske is still our leader," Hikaru said firmly.

Rin and Hatsuharu agreed immediately. Ryuske looked at them all in surprise. "Why?" he asked.

Rin put his arm across Ryuske's shoulders and said with a grin, "Because you lead us leader."

Hikaru told him, "You do, you've already been doing most of what I think a manager would do for us. Are you sure about this?"

Ryuske looked at her and asked, "What about you?"

Hikaru told him, "I think it's a lot better than the other options we came up with. Though I'm afraid Kiri isn't going to be happy."

Ryuske frowned but said, "I'm willing, if the rest of you are for it."

They were.

Together they worked out a contract with Takeda. Hikaru pointed out that she'd need to have her mother sign it, when they got to that phase.

Takeda asked, "Are you fairly confident that she will?"

Hikaru nodded.

Takeda said, "Then we'll move as though it's done. Also, with my understanding of how Ryuske's contract was ended, if we need to, I think we can argue that he's been under contract with Inline the entire time."

Everyone stared at him. He looked at Ryuske and said, "The contract was just released, you didn't finish it, nor were you penalized, correct?"

Ryuske nodded.

Takeda grinned and said, "Then if the legal department has to, I suspect they can claim that it was merely on hold, until it was supplanted by this new agreement, and that Inline already owned the song they've illegally published."

Ryuske shifted uncomfortably and said bitterly, "For all I know, that's true."

Hikaru looked worried and Takeda said reassuringly, "It was released, but no one but you and Inline know that for sure. It's just a backup plan. For now, let's take care of that information leak."

Takeda made some calls, finally he reached someone with authority in the support department for the company that had published the stolen video and song single. He told the person that they were endangering a minor who was under contract with his company and must immediately change the description. He didn't ask to have the video edited or removed, just the text changed and it was to be effected immediately.

Mirage watched in silence as he did the same thing with the sites selling the song online, although with that those he also dictated that it should indicate that it was a live version of the song. When he finished he looked at them and smiled.

"In the morning, I'll have the legal department start working on getting the video and packaging edited to match the way Mirage prefers to publicize," he said.

Ryuske asked for them, "You're not just going to have it stopped?"

Takeda grinned and said, "Why waste free publicity? Instead, if you would kindly thank their company for this publication after your placement in the underground competition, as though it were a prize offered, that will be much more effective. How soon can Mirage get it's album recorded do you think? The first video?"

"Damn, that's sneaky," commented Rin.

The other three members of Mirage agreed.

Ryuske said, "We have enough songs, though I'd hoped to have a couple more, a couple days perhaps for recording time. We'll have to find out about the video. But Mirage still only works on weekends."

"Nights OK?" asked Takeda.

"Friday and Saturday night," replied Ryuske. "And you can use my name if you have to, I'll do interviews or whatever, but the rest of Mirage doesn't do that stuff until after Hikaru graduates."

"Not even me?" Rin asked.

"No, if we only leave Hikaru and Hatsuharu out, it makes it obvious," Ryuske replied.

Hikaru said, "I'll ask about the video." She did a brief search then made a phone call, and everyone watched.

"Hi, can you do videos as well as still pictures?" Hikaru asked. After a moment she protested, "Not that kind of video! A music video." After a few yes, no, maybe replies she asked, "How much do you think?" She frowned and said, "I see, yes, OK, yes. How long would it take? I see. We'll send you an email and you can decide. Thank you."

"So?" Ryuske asked.

"He'll think about it, he wants to hear the songs and see pictures of us. If he decides to do it, a minimum of five hours, likely several days and he thinks a minimum of 3k," she replied.

Rin said, "That's not much less than the minimum from Inline."

Takeda commented, "That's actually a reassuring sign." He smiled when the members of Mirage looked at him and said, "It's less, but a similar bid so quickly offered means a better chance he has some idea of what the project actually involves."

They departed for their respective homes shortly after. Takeda had a fancy portable printer, so they each took paper copies of their new contract away. Hikaru promised to go over it with her mother after school the next day.