Those precious moments – part 3
My feet were aching & burning but I kept walking. I felt like a long distance athletic walker who have still long way to go before he reaches the finishing line. Only one thought in mind: Must walk, must reach my target. Then I’m almost there. I’m in kind of semi Heaven. Before me I saw hundreds of people walking & runing across Shibuya’s main crossing near metro station.
That view wasn’t anymore a photo from a book or documentary clip from TV. I really was THERE. I stood in Shibuya Station Square and felt no pain. Dreams sometimes come true. Busy people passing by me and I’m like in trance watching super large video screen across the street displaying various Japanese commercials.
That was spring in the year 2002. My first trip to Tokyo. Hanami season at it’s best.
I remembered very well Morning Musume’s long version of Love Machine PV. In the begining of that video worker guys glue together giant size MM billboard near Shibuya Station. It was of course an advert of Love Machine single. Maki Goto’s debut in MM. Maki is also in a leading role on that PV. She is browsing some CDs in a record store somewhere in Shibuya. She’s smiling so mischievously. I remember that smile forever.
Back to reality. I crossed the Shibuya crossing and walked about hundred metres up to road that led me to HMV store. When going in I instantly had deja vu, I was quite sure that this was the place where Maki was smiling. I looked around. Yeah, this must be it! Then I almost died. Morning Musume posters hit my eyes. Never seen these before. And there on large stand was hundreds of brand new MM albums waiting for their new homes. When I got over that pleasant shock I realised that this album, 4th Ikimasshoi!, was released just day before. Lucky me. I stayed in HMV quite a long time and when finally got myself out, had something very precious in my bag.
Then, when walking through Shibuya Hills, another thought hit me. I was there. I have been walking the same footsteps those Maki had walked before. I was smiling and the pain was gone.
In the end of Love Machine’s long version one guy in HMV is listening Love Machine with his headphones. First he does not recognize Maki, who’s picking MM’s new single from the stand before him. When Maki leaves store, she smiles to this guy and then he realizes who was smiling to him. The face expression of that guy is priceless.
Zush
[to be continued]
