兄弟 追憶のhide
Brothers: Recollections of hideAuthor: Matsumoto Hiroshi
Translation: w_b
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A Star's Homecoming
p. 20-23
I can't tell you how many times I have been struck by hide.
Every single time I nearly snapped back, "Damn it, that hurts!" Every single time I came close to taking up his challenge. But needless to say, I bit my lip and kept quiet.
Getting punched or kicked by hide became a daily occurrence from the moment I started my job of personal manager at 26 years old.
He beat the responsibilities of a manager into me right from the start, to teach me that the world was not the kind place I thought it to be.
You could say that my older brother, a person of strong character, re-educated me, his irresponsible little brother 3 years his junior. Moreover, now I understand that it was all due precisely to him viewing the situation from the perspective of an older brother. It was so that the people around him would not get the false impression I had been hired out of 'brotherly love'.
At the time however I was irritated by the sudden beatings, and that kind of reasoning was beyond my grasp. I hate to admit it, but in my head I was constantly cursing him out.
I began working for hide in the spring of '95.
There were no big events planned in particular for that year aside from X Japan's country-wide tour slotted to start in November. The members were focused on composing and on their individual solo activities.
The timing was ideal for me to gradually learn the duties of a personal manager.
After graduating from cooking school I had hopped from one job to another. I had worked as a cook for the American military base in Yokosuka and for Japanese restaurants, then as a shuttering carpenter, and other blue collar jobs. My body was therefore toned, and my physique had improved as well.
I had married at 21 and started a family.
Since I had two sons, I picked my jobs based on salary rather than their intrinsic worth, and had already switched jobs several times for that very reason.
The reason I ultimately steeled myself for a dramatic pay cut and decided to take the plunge into the new realm of personal manager, was hide's personal request. I had been happy to hear him ask, "Come work for me?"
The fact that my only older brother told me I would be fit for the job induced me to fling myself at the offer.
Meanwhile, X had already set their sights on a launch onto the global market. Under the new name of X Japan, the members followed Yoshiki in taking up residence in L.A. in the state of California, and were making round trips over the Pacific ocean.
Hide rented and apartment with a pool in the vicinity of Hollywood, and devoted himself to his creative activities in his L.A. home studio.
That is how at the time I came to see hide as 'the guitarist from the world-wide hit band X'. A great 'star'. The great magnitude of helping out such a person with their work held an appeal for which there was no substitute.
I resolved to take the plunge.
I started in the spring of '95, by going to greet hide and claim his luggage upon his return to the country after several months of recording with X Japan.
I drove to the Narita airport in a hurry. I was waiting in the arrivals lobby when hide appeared in the exit, in the middle of the group of awaiting fans. A stir rippled through the crowd.
I rushed over to him.
"Welcome back, sir."
"Yeah, 's good to be back home."
He answered without ever stopping. Sunglasses on, he broke into a little smile even as he passed beside me as swiftly as the wind. One of the managers from his office entered the lobby behind us, and handed me hide's cart piled high with suitcases.
No doubt about it, this was the scene of a 'star's homecoming'.
Hide acknowledged the crowd of fans waiting in the arrivals lobby with a look as he passed by. Even in ordinary, casual clothing he exuded a vibrant aura, almost like a halo.
I think he made no attempt to stop and chat with me because he understood it would cause chaos. After all, in his eyes I was but one of the staff.