Page 69 of Make The Cut

The cameras are rolling, the lighting is perfect, and Mitchell is pointing his microphone directly in our faces. Well, maybe not directly, but—pretty close. A teleprompter shows the comments that fans have left, since this is the last video in our YouTube series before the final episode ofMake The Cut’s first season airs.

All Poppy and I have to do is get through the Q&A portion of this video before we wrap up this YouTube series for good. A nervous lump sits in my throat, refusing to budge, even though I have no logical reason tobenervous. I mean, all I’m doing is what I’ve done thousands of times before, which is sit and answer an interviewer’s questions. The only difference this time is that the ‘interviewers’ are my fans, which should be easier.

But it doesn’t feel easier. And as Mitchell takes his producer roletooseriously, reading the fan’s comments as they come across the screen during the livestream, anxiety threatens to swallow me whole. “First question:Naoya, Poppy, when and how did you guys meet?”

“Um…” Poppy flashes a nervous glance at me. “Naoya, you can take this one.”

“We met atLa Modesix or seven years ago,” I say. “I was there for a photoshoot and she was an intern.”

“Next question,” Mitchell says, nodding his approval. “Poppy, what is your favourite one of Naoya’s songs?”

“I really likeHoping It’s You,” she says, surprising me by naming one of my deep cuts from when I was just starting out. Back then, my voice had barely stopped cracking and I was a young, inexperienced kid who signed a bad contract.

“Here’s another question.Does Ryder know that you and Poppy are friends?” says Mitchell.

“Well, if he didn’t before, he does now.” I shoot a wink at the camera and run a hand through my hair. Beside me, Poppy shifts in her seat, picking at her cuticles. I want us to go public with our relationship, even if another part of me wants to keep it all to ourselves. At the very least, shouldn’t herbrotherknow that we’re together?

“Oh, and @NaoyaSugawaFan on Twitter wants to know if you two are dating.”

Poppy chokes on the bottled water she had just picked up. “Heck no.”

I echo her denial, even though it creates a frisson of guilt in my stomach. “We’re just friends.”

“This one’s for Poppy.” Mitchell clears his throat. “How did you become Naoya’s stylist and where can I sign up for that job?”

“Step one, you need to have a famous brother,” she deadpans.

“Actually, I’m pretty sure I was just really desperate when I hired you,” I joke.

She rolls her eyes. “There’s that, yeah. No, I just became his stylist because his former stylist was out on maternity leave early.”

“Okay, this comment says…Get yourself someone who looks at you the way Naoya Sugawa looks at the girl he does the Make The Cut YouTube channel with.Aw. They added heart-eye emojis.”

“How do you look at me?” Poppy jokes, fiddling with the cap of her water bottle.

“Like this,” I say, fluttering my eyelashes for dramatic effect.

“You look like you’re having a medical episode,” she says. “Maybe that’s what they mean? Get a man who goes into a seizure just from seeing your face?”

“Definitely,” I say, fighting off a snort. “What’s the next one?”

“Hi, Naoya, it’s my birthday today and I would love it if you could sing Happy Birthday to me. My name is Jacklyn Wilde and I’m your biggest fan,” Mitchell says, doing a pitiful imitation of a fourteen-year-old girl who I assume is the commenter.

Relieved by the change of topic, I oblige.

Poppy claps. “How much does it cost to have you perform atmybirthday?”

“Four million dollars. But for you… Three million, nine hundred thousand, and nine—“

“Okay, we get it, there’s no friends and family discount.” She waves at Mitchell. “Moving on.”

“One person wants to know if you’ll ever do a collaboration with Ryder Black.”

“Would I ever sing a song with Ryder Black…” I tilt my head to one side. Itwouldbe good publicity. As he told me the night he arrived back in Los Angeles, when Poppy sent him over unexpectedly to convince me to collaborate on a song with him for the Grammys. “I might. Don’t rule that out.”

“And someone else wants to know…Who knitted the scarf that Naoya wore on the red carpet at the MTV EMAs?”

“Poppy,” I say. “Couldn’t you tell by her supreme dexterity?”

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