Chapter 259: Official Live Stream Channel
”Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the official live stream channel of the Tokyo International Art Association!” announced the emcee.
Standing at the entrance of the Hengshan Grand Hotel in Tokyo, where the Sato Sakura International Piano Competition welcome party was being held, journalist Imai Yui welcomed everyone with a beaming smile. Clad in a sharp professional suit and towering black stilettos, she looked every bit the part.
As one of the official livestream channels under the Tokyo Art Association, Imai Yui was the only approved journalist allowed inside the main area tonight!
And as a preview broadcast for this competition, her broadcast was drawing attention from music lovers all around the world!
Imai Yui, visibly nervous, spoke into the camera. At 24 years old, she had graduated from the Tokyo University of the Arts in the broadcasting and hosting program. She’d been promoted due to her striking looks and excellent skills, working for two years now.
Tonight marked her first time handling such a significant broadcast!
Her job was straightforward:
First, introduce the pianists from around the world, especially those that the audience was most curious about, ensuring they got more camera time.
Second, hype up the event and fan the competitive spirit.
Although everyone knew Sato Sakura International was more about performance than competition, young folks needed some drama!
Gazing into the grand hall, Imai marveled at the lineup. Each person represented top talent among the young generation of pianists globally. It was electrifying!
Usually, she only filmed mundane stuff for official YouTube accounts. Now, she was about to meet so many big shots in the art world! How could she not feel excited?
”All right, follow me! Let’s take a tour and see which celebrated pianists have come to grace us with their presence!”
With an eager spark in her eye, Imai darted into the hall.
Right then, viewers from around the globe were bombarding the livestream with various comments.
”Aeolus, Big Boss Burk is here! Quick find him!” – Korean
”Can someone interview that Nishikawa Yuha fellow? He needs to release new music pronto!” – Japanese
”Oh my lord, there’s Williams! That dashing musician, I’m such a fan!” – English
”On another note,” – Unrevealed
”Hear me out, everyone! Look at this welcoming gala.”
Imai lifted the camera to capture the whole scene.
Wearing tuxedoes, the musicians mingled in small groups. Waiters passed by, offering glasses of wine. The background hummed with music composed by the legendary Sato Sakura himself.
The scene sent the viewers into a frenzy.
”There’s Williams, right there on the right!” – French
”These legends are unreal! I’m a pianist too, but we’re roughly the same age, and wow, what a difference! Can you imagine being invited like this?” – Japanese
”If someone set off a bomb here, would the world’s piano music regress?” – Arabic
”I heard that famous Tianchao musician, ‘Moonlight,’ is also invited. Can you show us what he looks like?” – Korean
”Wait, the one with the cat called Moonlight? He’s here too?”
Imai recognized the name. Moonlight was a big deal in China, Japan, and South Korea. He’d topped charts recently, and Imai had definitely heard his work.
”The piece ‘Por Una Cabeza’ is fantastic, and his tango music with cello is just amazing,” she said cheerfully, trying to interact with her viewers.
A few viewers chimed in.
”I agree! This guy drops big projects almost monthly! It’s only a matter of time before he conquers the globe!” – Various
”True, if born in Britain or Austria, his music would’ve taken the world storm already!” – Various
However, a majority chimed in with:
”Who’s this ‘Moonlight?’ Who even knows who they are?” – Doubtful
”What do you mean conquering the world? That seems a bit exaggerated, doesn’t it?” – Realistic
”Come on, everyone knows Tianchao music sucks, talking like that is silly!” – Skeptical
The mixed reactions annoyed many viewers who immediately started bickering.
”Hey, hey, let’s not cause any trouble!”
Seeing chaos erupt, Imai decided she needed a new topic fast.
A curly headed man just happened to walk into view. Before he could escape, Imai jumped to her feet.
”Hi there, sir! Got a moment for an interview?”
He turned with a stern face. Startling Imai.
”Pehh, not interested, go bother someone else.”
Imai felt embarrassed. Just then, a viewer piped in with the scoop:
”This is Gray Harvey from the UK, making his debut at Sato Sakura International!”
Imaya, feeling relieved, saw no threat.
Suddenly the man spun back around with his usual stoic face.
”If you want to talk about some fresh meat, try interviewing that Lin Tian chap.”
(Fin)
