After the encore, Mie hugged her. "You're changing the idol game."
Later, in her tiny dressing room, she sat in front of a cracked mirror. On the glass, a fan had stuck a note: "You taught me that strength doesn't need to be loud." Japanese Idols - Ai Shinozaki
The strobes cut through the Tokyo humidity like a heartbeat. Backstage, Ai Shinozaki pressed her palms together, feeling the familiar tremor in her fingers. Not fear. Anticipation. After the encore, Mie hugged her