Emma and Karen’s Adventure

Emma and Karen’s Adventure

About Emma : Before Emma knew it, her purpose in playing soccer had changed from enjoying the sport to winning at it. 

About Karen: Before Karen knew it, her purpose for singing had changed from enjoyment to winning chorus group competitions. 

Both of  these girls come to discover not only was life to be enjoyed, but that they should also enjoy being true to who they are. 

This is the back ground of the song “My Voice is Beautiful.”

Emma and Karen’s Adventure

 ”Emma, soccer is a boy’s sport! Chose something else.”

How many times have people told me that?

But today, I know I’m going to come out on top.

 

Emma was sure of that.

She is a third year high school student.

Her team is in the regional finals. 

The oppossing team has been the consecutive winner of the tournament over the past few years.

 

What we need to do is win this next match.

That is how Emma was feeling.

“The score is tied. We get this next point, and we win!”

It was Karen's voice. Karen, was her teammate, one year junior to her.

 

☆☆☆

(flashback scene)

A year ago, Emma did something ridiculous.

Emma had done a horrible thing to her friend Anna.

She tore a painting that Anna had worked on for a long time.

 

Even Emma didn't know why she had done it.

Though it was no way enough to justify such an action, she thought she may have done it out of envy.

 

At that time, you see, Emma no longer knew what she wanted to do.

She had begun to do what she thought she wanted to do, play soccer .

But Emma was feeling conflicted.

 

Winning had come to be the only aim of her team.

Many of the plays on the field she wanted to try were judged unnecessary and vetoed.

The priority of the team was clear: victory at any cost.

 

“In that case,” she thought, “I want to quit.”

The only trouble was that Emma’s mother wouldn't permit her to.

Emma's mother had been a famous volleyball player when she was a student.

 

"Emma, don’t quit. You have to stay with it- at least until you graduate."

"Look at all the effort you have already put into it. Don’t waste it. Keep on and you may someday become a pro."

Her mother was always saying these sorts of things .

It was then Emma began to understand why she tore Anna’s picture.

Why was it that I did that terrible thing to Anna last year?

 

In one way, I don’t want to know. Especially since I have been surpressing it until now.

Emma went on recalling what happened.

After school that day, I had a date.

 

A boy I liked had invited me to go out with him on our first date .

I was so happy that I would be going out with him and was preparing the clothes I would wear on it that morning.

 

I did that so when I got home from school, I could change clothes right away and go out. I had prepared my best clothes and I was ready to go.

 

That was a mistake.

 

That was because my mother came into my room and found what I had prepared.

She said "Emma, today is your soccer practice! What were you thinking, getting this outfit ready?” 

Suddenly, there I was being scolded .

I don't even remember what I said to her.

I couldn’t believe it. but She ripped up my favorite clothes in front of me.

 

"What you have to do is work hard on your soccer. You are not going to miss practice for whatever it is you’ve been planning !"

Actually, the words she spoke hit me hard and I am not exactly sure I remember how she said it .

 

But, in any case, just because I had this terrible episode with my mother, that gave me no right to do what I did to Anna. I knew that I was doing wrong, but, even so, I couldn't apologize to Anna then.

 

☆☆☆

(game scene)

“The score is tied. We get this next point, and we win!”

Karen shouted.

 

A year ago Emma asked Karen to join the team, and that is why she was now.

 

Though she had never played soccer, Karen was quite athletic.

As the game was being played, and getting close to its end, Emma began to recall the day when she first met Karen.

 

☆☆☆

(flashback scene)

That had happened just one year ago.

It was when Emma had her first date with that boy. That date that did not go well.

Coming back from that ill-fated date, Emma went to the beach and sat down to rest. Tears ran down her cheeks.

She spoke outloud, telling to herself that she wanted to quit the team.

 

She slipped out of her shoes and took a step out on on the dry sand.

Before she realized what was happening her purpose in playing the sport because she enjoyed it had been changed. Now she played to win, no matter the cost.

 

"Losing is a disappointment, for sure. But are sports only about winning?” 

 

Many of her teammates had already quit the team because they felt they could never be good enough to make the team a winning one.

Emma was in elementary school when a friend of hers introduced her to soccer and the joy of playing it. 

But even that friend was among the teammates who quit. The girl who got Emma to start playing soccer was no longer on the team!

 

Emma opened her photo album which she had brought with her to the beach.

And, just then she heard someone singing.

She looked and saw that it was Karen, practicing her singing by the sea.

Emma felt something inside her begin to melt away as she listened to Karen’s song.

Something like a heavy burden that had restricted her, that had clogged her heart.

 

What a mysterious song!

Emma spoke to Karen. It was the first time she ever had.

“What kind of song is that? Where can I get a hold of it?”

Emma continued asking Karen to teach it to her.

 

A few weeks passed.

Emma went to a coffee shop that Karen had told her about. Here, again was that the song. She was surprised.

One of the singers in the group that was performing at that coffee shop was Anna.

 

The next day Emma gathered up all her courage and went to Anna and apologized.

 

“No one should ever do anything like what I did to you.

I want to start anew- I want to be reborn this day.”

 

☆☆☆

(game scene)

“The score is tied. We get this next point, and we win!”

Karen shouted.

 

Emma thought, “Yes, if we can get one more point, we will win.

The game was nearing its end.

We have but three minutes to score to win this game.

 

But if the score remains tied and we go into overtime, we won’t have a chance.”

 

The reason being that Emma's team’s soccer was playing like a beginner .

 

The regular goalkeeper had been injured in the the game and was taken out. Her replacement was sent into the match, but she had little experience.

 

The team that they were playing against was a strong opponent. Should the game go into extra time, there is no telling how many points they could score. 

 

☆☆☆☆

(flashback scene)

Karen recalled that a little over year ago her attitude toward singing had changed. 

Karen who had been singing since she was little girl always loved it and joined choirs and such. But her feelings had changed over time.

 

They changed from enjoying performing into a need to show others that her singing was better than everybody else.

 

She felt that this was a tragedy. When had things changed?

Yes, it was when she was a junior high school student. It was when she got fed up with always performing for the “reputation”of the school, or the “reputation” of the choir.

It was then Karen happened to hear “ the song” which Anna and her friend Yuria sang. The name of it was “Enjoy & Love.”

“If joy does not come to me from my singing, what could possibly motivate me to improve it? Why should I compete to win in singing?  

This song... This song has brought me back to that which is the most important.”

 

Karen started singing seriously again.

And she also found another song which she wanted to sing.

The name of that one was "My voice is beautiful."

It was the song that Emma heard Karen singing when they were at the sea.

 

And that is how the two met.

 

☆☆☆

(game scene)

The game is on. The ball is passed from Emma in a play where she was to pass it to Karen, who was in position to make a goal.

The goal seemed to be a sure thing, except for the fact that her pass was intercepted by the other team. Karen did not get a chance to make the shot. They stole the ball when Emma passed it.

 

Emma’s mind went back to that nagging question.

"It is no fun to lose, that is for sure. 

But is winning all there is to sports ?"

 

“Play for enjoyment!”

Yes, this thought nagged Emma.

 

"I understand that we should play for the fun of the game, but losing it not fun. 

What is fun, anyway? I am having trouble in understanding that.

 

☆☆☆

Another opportunity to score and win came to Emma's team.

All were running towards the opponent's goal. She thought,

"This is our last chance."

 

Karen was to shoot after receiving Emma's pass.

Emma was sure that this strategy had a chance to work.

But, today at least up to now the set up and execution of this play ended in failure after failure.

"I want to win!

But what will I do if this play fails again?"

 

Tension ran through Emma's body.

 

Emma thought, “I will depend on my heart’s intuition to decide on which play to use. 

Should I pass to Karen and give her the chance to make the shot, or, should I make the shot myself? 

Or, perhaps, I should pass the ball to a different team mate? 

I’ll follow the intuition of my heart.”

 

Emma understood something very important then, and she also came to a new understanding of her feelings.

 

☆☆☆

The team players executed the play perfectly.

And just as they had planned it, the ball came to Emma.

Emma said to herself, "what shall I do? What am I saying?

I know what to do. ”

 

She kept on running.

 

" ‘What if I fail?’

I’ve got to get over fearing failure. If not, I will never enjoy playing this sport.

‘But.... If I fail?’

Forget that I must not be hindered by my fear of failing. 

Just make a play, any play! 

That is what I should do! 

I can’t play as I should fearing failure.

 

Failure for me is failing to enjoy the game.”

 

Suddenly Emma started to see clearly the situation around her .

 

She also saw what seemed to be a clear path to make a goal.

 

Emma thought, “Karen could catch my pass.”

Emma saw in her mind’s eye the way to the goal.

 

Though Karen wasn't in position for the play yet, Emma, without even signaling her, kicked ball as if she were there.

 

 

The next moment,

Emma looked and saw Karen had run into position.

The ball seem to flow to Karen and was ready to be kicked with her right foot.

 

Karen shot it with all her might.

The ball hit the net and shook it hard.

The time ran out. 

The game was over. Karen's and Emma's team had won.

 

Fins

Written by　Shun　Shinning

Illustrated　by　Serori

Shun Shining

Shun Shining

 

Singer /song & story writer.

Composer of “Enjoy & Love,” a song to make you glad that you are.

Mr Shining’s research in the field of music and of other various disciplines, such as education, psychology, literature, and the arts, has through an extensive trial and error process led him to the conclusion that one may implement his or her own voice to free the mind from any aggressive tendencies, whether they manifest in one's attitude towards others or towards self.

“Enjoy & Love,” is the fruit of these endeavours.

It is Shun' s hope that his findings become widely known, and that in the actual singing of this song, peace of mind and well being can be achieved by many.

He believes that the mindset that says“I am right and you are wrong,” or, the opposite, “You are right and I am wrong,” is poisonous. 

This poison causes aggression. 

It is an aggressive attitude that blames others, or blames circumstances, or blames ourself for unhappiness. 

It is this agressiveness in our minds that often manifests in the form of war, prejudice towards others, and, even, violence. 

Aggressiveness needs an outlet, but singing, “Enjoy & Love” will free the person from all such aggressiveness.

 

Shun Shining Profile

Anna and Yuria’s Adventure

Anna and Yuria’s Adventure

 “Enjoy & Love”;Story One.

 

This “Adventure” is an update on the old Cinderella story. It is the story of how these two girls turn their lives around for the better with something that could be called magical powers. 

Though there is no fairy god mother appearing in the story, the girls are able to work their magic on themselves, by breaking the curse that has held them back with a special song. 

This song, “Enjoy & Love” is real song, though it is introduced to us in a work of fiction. A tremendous amount of research went into the song’s making. 

It was polished into its current form by the author’s use of a trial and error process. 

This story shows the two girls breaking the “curse” that unfortunate events in their past had brought up on them. With the curse gone they were able to shine in their lives. It is a story for all who want to break free from thier past in older to have a life that shines. This fictional tale offers a life canging reality to you!  

Anna and Yuria’s Adventure

 

Anna was a second year high school student and she was sick of everything. 

No matter what she was doing or how hard she tried, it seems that she would only find herself with nothing but an endless string of bad luck.

 

Yes, one could say that she was unlucky. 

She was unlucky in love, for though she had shown love, it was never reciprocated. 

Beyond that, she was unlucky in all of her relationships with others. 

She felt herself to be unlucky in academics. 

She even suffered bad luck when she took part in extra-curricular activities at school.

 

She always compared herself to her friends and thought “Why do things go so swimmingly, so easily, for them? 

What meaning is there in my life?” 

As for me, I don’t believe my life has any meaning. 

It has no meaning whatsoever.

 

And now, here she was again having her worst day ever.

 

She felt quite puzzled as she looked down at a drawing she had made. 

It was drawing on which she had worked very hard. 

It had taken her over a year to finish! 

But now, it was ruined. A classmate of hers, Emma by name, had ripped it up.

 

“Why did she do such an awful thing? 

Is there something wrong with me? 

But, it really is no wonder that things like these happen to me. 

They will happen, and they do happen. 

They happen because they are bound to happen to someone like me. 

Someone who is worthless.”

 

Her heart was heavy and she was at a loss to know what to do next.

 

One day, as she was on her way home from school, she caught sight of a stylish wooden building.

 

“Is it a new cafe?” 

She asked herself as she went up to a window to take a peek inside.

She looked in and noticed a girl singing.

 

“That uniform she is wearing is from the same school that I go to.” 

Without thinking, she opened the door to the cafe. 

Inside a blackboard was hanging on the wall and in front of it stood a girl. 

Later, she found out that the girl’s name was Yuria, a third year high school student. 

There she was, standing there and singing.

 

This encounter with Yuria turned out to be a pivotal moment in Anna’s life. 

Things in her life were about to change at this cafe.

 

It was but a short time before Anna had come into the cafe that Yuria, herself, entered it. 

She came in, and, for the first time ever, laid her eyes on a page of sheet music to a song entitled “Enjoy & Love.” 

Then, for some unknown reason, Yuria felt compelled to try and sing it. 

She was in the midst of that attempt when Anna entered the room.

 

A long time before all of this happened (and quite a while before coming across this song) Yuria, too, had decided to give up on making friends.

 

“Who needs them?” she thought. “Having friends just means you have to worry about when they will finally backbite you. 

So-called ‘friends’ seem to be good at that!”

 

You see, Yuria had once overheard a friend of hers badmouthing her to someone else. 

And those hurtful words she had heard kept on going through her head over and over again.

 

But something began to change when she sang this song, “Enjoy & Love.” 

The hurt and pain she had been feeling for so long began to fade away.

 

Yuria spoke out loud, and said, “This song seems to have a mystic power.”

 

Let’s go over how these things happened in the first place.

 

It all started with a music stand that was in the cafe. On it was a book. 

In it was a page on which were written the lyrics of and the music for the song “Enjoy & Love.”

 

The book happened to lay open to that song.

 

Yuria, who had never heard this song, took a look at it. 

She studied it and made an attempt to sing it. 

She really did not know why she did so, but she felt that she should try to sing it.

Yuria’s days had been filled with lots of pain— emotional pain. 

So much that she had come to the point where she no longer knew how to enjoy life. 

She had even forgotten how to love herself.

 

 “Enjoy and Love.” As she looked into the open the book, she felt her heart warming.

 Anna, who was across the room from her, had just entered the room. 

She was standing near the door when Yuria began singing “Enjoy & Love.” 

She stood there, quietly watching as she sang.

 

Anna, too, felt her heart begin to warm while listening to Yuria sing.

 

There they were in the cafe before opening time. 

There the two girls stood. 

Anna was listening, and while listening felt as if something hard that was in her heart began to melt away.

 

Yuria kept on singing the song, “Enjoy & Love.”

 

She had noticed Anna’s coming into the cafe, but, even so, she kept on singing. 

Actually, she felt she ought to continue singing the song. 

She should sing it for the girl who had just come in. 

She should sing it for Anna.

 

It was as if a bit of intuition had told her, “Here is a girl who needs this song.”

 

Indeed it seemed that the song was making a difference for Yuria as well. 

It was making a difference for her who had always been overly worried about what others thought of her.

 

Worrying like this had kept Yuria from being confident. 

And she did suffer from that lack of confidence.

It had prevented her from trying new things, even things that she had always wanted to try.

 

But as Yuria read the sheet music and tried to sing it, things began to change.

 

 

“It is time for me to drop this false pride of mine. 

I need to quit worrying about what others think. 

I need to do what I think is important. I need to follow my own heart. 

I am not really sure why, but I think I should also sing this song for her, that girl over there, too.”

 

And now, the voice of Yuria’s singing echoed in the heart of Anna. 

“Enjoy & Love”

 

Anna began singing “Enjoy & Love,” along with Yuria. 

Then, she paused her singing for a moment as she felt the weight of all her burdens easing.

 

Anna rejoined Yuria in song. 

She felt a happiness welling up in her heart, little by little.

 

“I don’t need to compare myself to others. 

And, there is certainly no need for me to blame myself continually for anything and everything.”

 

“It’s like a revelation! 

I have never thought things like this before. 

It wouldn’t have made any sense to me. 

I thought that this kind of thinking was only ‘fine sounding-talk.’ 

But now, how it has touched my heart!”

 

A few moments passed. 

Anna realized something. 

She realized that the encouragement she was feeling to stop comparing herself to others and to quit blaming herself for everything that goes wrong were not actually in the song lyrics. 

Those thoughts had come from within her.

 

“There is no need to compare myself to others! No need to always blame myself!”

 

Anna continued with Yuria, singing “Enjoy & Love” over and over again. 

By singing “Enjoy & Love ” they both felt as if their hearts were shining brightly together.

 

Anna felt as if her inner being was shining out! 

She looked at Yuria’s face. Yuria nodded to her silently, and with a smile.

Then, Yuria said, “I think we should call this song ‘The Shining Song.’”

 

They decided to continue to meet at the cafe at the same time each week. 

So, every Wednesday after school when the owner was busy preparing for his dinner customers, the two girls would come inside the cafe to sing.

 

It wasn’t long before Anna and Yuria decided to form a singing group. 

They called it “The Shining Song Girls.”

 

Remember Emma? 

She also came around to the cafe and rediscovered her old friend in the singing group— Anna.

 

The group had come together and, then, Emma surprised Anna with an apology.

 

She said “I am sorry. Really sorry for how I acted toward you, Anna. 

I guess that I was envious of your talent.”

 

 “Of my talent? You think that I have talent? ”

 Anna could not believe what she was hearing Emma say.

 

Yuria, also, found strength to do something that she would never have been able to do before. 

After they formed that group, she approached the owner of the cafe and proposed they hold a singing contest there. 

She suggested that they try to gather together other young people who had an interest in singing. (In doing this she was hoping to meet people who enjoy singing.)

 

The owner replied, saying “Actually, I have held singing contests here often. 

How about you joining our next one?”

 

Anna, who had accepted Emma’s apology, decided to redraw the drawing that had been ruined. 

This time she was able to complete the artwork more quickly than the first time. It only took her a month.

 

She also started thinking she might have artistic talent. 

This was because for the first time in her life she won an award for her artistic work. 

Her redrawn picture won an award for what she loved doing, drawing.

 

Yuria continued to sing with “The Shining Song Girls” and felt a strong bond of friendship between her and Anna. 

A heartfelt trust had been formed. Anna felt the same way.

 

One day, someone new came to join the group. 

Her name was Karen. She was a first year high school student.

Even though Karen had always loved to sing and had been in choirs since she was a little girl, her attitude towards singing had changed through the years. 

She changed from enjoying performing to having a need to show that she could sing better than all the others. To her, this was no less than a tragedy.

 

She had realized the change in her attitude when she was a junior high school student. 

It was then that she began to feel fed up with performing for honor… the “honor of the school” or “the honor of the choir.”

 

But when Karen came across“The Shining Song Girls" and heard their performance, the joy of singing was rekindled within her. 

After listening to them, she also joined the group as a singer.

 

“Singing should bring joy,” she thought. “If it doesn’t, why should one try to improve? 

If singing doesn’t bring joy, is there any reason to try to win contests? 

It is thanks to Anna and Yuria that I have gotten back to what is truly important in singing.”

 

Anna and Yuria continued to find their good fortune increase. 

Both of them had changed. Both of them were now able to act on what truly inspired them.

 

So now Anna and Yuria had the confidence that they had longed for. 

And as long as they sing “ Enjoy & Love,” as long as their hearts shine on, they will be able to go wherever their hearts lead them.

 

They have confidence that no matter what life deals them, in the end, all will turn out fine. 

Written by　Shun　Shinning

Illustrated　by　Serori

Afterword.

 

Our adventures continue with the story of a teenage girl named Rena. 

In her limited world she has a problem. Her problem is her inability to share her heart with others in order to make friends.

However, she has a passion. She wants to pursue: Singing.

 

As you may remember, the previous story, Yuria found a book which had the music and lyrics to the song “Enjoy & Love” printed in it.

But there is not all. Its main content was the story you are about to read. 

This book introduced Anna and Yuria to each other and the song that was in its pages changed their lives.

 

Just what is the song, "Enjoy & Love?" What can it do?

What kind power does it have?

 

Read the story “Rena and Crumpy” and learn about this mysterious music.

This Fantasy-story can work to inspire your life and change it for better in a fantasic way.

 

You will be surprised at how reading it will open your eyes to a better future.

Rena and Crumpy