Infatuated by the rehearsals of Dynamite band, organized by him, in April 1978 Yoshiki entered the second secondary school in Tateyama.
Yoshiki had grown to 160 cm and got stronger, although in comparison with solidly built Toshimitsu seemed the same as in elementary school fragile. However, asthma attacks had stopped completely.
On entering the high school, Yoshiki and Toshi, carried away by rock music, constantly discussed band affairs. Yoshiki offered Toshimitsu to look for a new vocalist. Still the same high-pitched like a girl's voice of Yoshiki, no matter how you think, was not suitable for the rock songs performance.
"We need to find a vocalist who could sing really well!"
Toshimitsu, who was laughing quietly every time he heard the singing of Yoshiki was fully agree, and they started to look for a vocalist.
And soon they were joined by one of their classmates. On this occasion, Yoshiki changed the name of the group. Now it was called NOISE, which meant bang, din, and crash. Since the participants were now five, they were able to expand their repertoire and began rehearsing songs of groups such as KISS, Led Zeppelin and DEEP PURPLE, which became hits in Japan.
Yoshiki and Toshi had been very busy. At that time training at the club of wind instruments also began. Both entered the club immediately, Yoshiki played the trumpet, and Toshi played baritone (a wind instrument similar to a French horn). Brass Band of the second high school had great traditions, so all members rehearsed strenuously. There were no exceptions for newcomers Yoshiki and Toshi as well. Yoshiki, who knew how to play complex melodies, immediately became one of the major musicians.
Entering high school, Yoshiki gradually mastered the new situation. Full of live energy, he spent time with the band and orchestra, and had completely forgotten about past illnesses.
He continued to visit the additional training, where his success had also increased. After all, while he had asthma, no matter what the interest to studies was, time spent in the hospital did not make it possible to study with full strength, and he often skipped classes and did not pass the required tests. Now absence from classes due to illness stopped, and he was able to devote his time to studies and music. Doing sums, memorizing chemical formulas, learning English words by heart, Yoshiki experienced sincere interest in learning and often received high scores for his tests. And music, and education - all that aroused enthusiasm in him. His indefatigable energy was finding its way out everywhere.
Soon, however, clear days of school life were overshadowed by the unexpected incident, which inverted his thoughts completely. The reason was cruel punishment, which he was subjected to at school, because of the haircut.
At that time when Yoshiki was accustomed to high school, one day he was suddenly stopped by a teacher who grabbed the boy by the arm and dragged him to the teacher’s staff room. Then the teacher pulled out a hair clipper and threatened to cut his hair bald. Of course, Yoshiki’s hair was a little longer than it was instructed by the school rules. Bang reached eyebrows, and hair covered his ears at the side. And in accordance with the rules, the hair of boys should not reach their ears. So Yoshiki's hairstyle was a violation.
"What is it? What kind of hairstyle do you have! You should be sorry! Immediately go and do a haircut! "- the teacher shouted to Yoshiki.
"No, I will not apologize! I have nothing to apologize for! "
Seeing insubordination, the teacher was furious and decided to cut the hair of the obstinate student with clipper here and now. Yoshiki resisted with all his might, but then other teachers arrived, and held him for several minutes until his head had not become like the head of a young monk.
Pinned to a chair, Yoshiki saw falling locks of his hair, and could not hold back his tears because of the offence.
When shaven Yoshiki returned to class, he was met by thunderous laughter and mockery of his classmates. And though it was just harmless laugh, Yoshiki heard intolerable mockery. He fell onto the table face down, covering with hands, again, chocked with tears of offence.
After school, he had to go to a rehearsal of the orchestra, and the fuss had become even greater. Sempai, on seeing slightly pointy bald head of Yoshiki started to tease him, called him cutie and stroked his head and scoffed continuously.
"Hey, you look like an alien from the movie of Spielberg!"
Yoshiki, only slightly recovered from teasing of Toshimitsu and other classmates, and now sempai started to stroke his head. Without paying attention to people, Yoshiki burst into tears and was unable to play the trumpet that day.
Coming back home, Yoshiki could not calm down. Oppressed by the force of adults, he had his head shaved in 10 minutes. And he could not do anything but to shed tears.
Yoshiki was raised in an atmosphere of generosity and freedom, and was never forced to do anything against his will before. But there was no need to offer resistance as well. That's why when Yoshiki was dragged by force to the teacher’s staff room he was just confused at the first moment.
And now Yoshiki had only one word in his mind: "Rebellion". Of course, the leadership of teachers in high school was necessary, but to cut hair without asking consent by force - that was, according to Yoshiki, an unwarranted violence.
From that day on, the face expression of Yoshiki changed. Everyone could notice his rebellion to teachers.
When barely cropped hair had grown to 2-3 centimeters, he brightened them with peroxide, and from now on dyed his grown hair again. And each time he was taken back to the teacher's staff room and gotten his bleached hair cut.
In the third semester of the first year of high school Yoshiki once again realized his complete incompatibility with teachers. In a school essay on the topic "The dream of the future," Yoshiki wrote: "I want to be a rock star." After reading these words, the class teacher summoned him to the teacher's room.
"Well think about it seriously! What nonsense you have written! "And the next moment, getting a strong slap in the face, Yoshiki fell to the floor. Hence, a teacher who seemingly should be the closest categorically refused to understand his dream, considering the desire to become a rock star just a silly joke. From the standpoint of Yoshiki this was a sign of abuse of power over the freedom and youth.
"I absolutely cannot do what teachers say."
But the confrontation with teachers concerned not only Yoshiki. Group members of NOISE, which were always together, were considered bad students, too.
And this group of untrustworthy students gathered at night and rode bicycles through the city. Yoshiki, who dreamt of a motorcycle, changed the shape of a bicycle wheel and attached the flashing lights to make it look like a real motorcycle.
Meanwhile, his mother closed store and by investing in stocks and real estate received income. She was worried about Yoshiki and continually asked him about what was happening. But entering high school, Yoshiki told almost nothing about school life.
When Yoshiki moved to the second grade of high school, he became unrecognizable. It was not quite the spoiled child, which everyone knew in elementary school. Together with friends he started to smoke, the conversation was rude, look - sharp. He attached great importance to the appearance as a sign of rebellion, so he began to shave his eyebrows and dyed his hair permanently.
At that time, Yoshiki joined the football team to let out anger boiling inside with the help of intense training. It would seem a good idea, but Yoshiki had problems each time during a match. Fascinated by the game, he pushed the contenders, tapped their feet. After 15 minutes from the start of the match, Yoshiki had been removed from the field. Neither the coach nor teammates could help it.
Teachers, not knowing how to stop the rebellion of a student tried to break him by force. Physical punishment followed one another, as a punishment he was bound by hand and foot. But Yoshiki resisted with even more strength, caught by a vicious circle. And after a while he gained firmly stuck label of a completely spoiled and ran wild.
But Yoshiki was a great hassle for teachers for some other reasons. The thing was that he was not simply a bully, he was another person. It was hard to believe that this student with problematic behaviour had a completely different side. His achievements in music and education could not but rise an admiration of others.
Yoshiki had participated as a trumpeter in a brass band, which won first place in prefecture's competition. At a school concert during the second part of the symphonic poem "My Fatherland" by B. Smetana, entitled "Vltava", he accompanied on the piano and made a great impression on everyone who was present.
"Wow, he was always against teachers, but it turned out, he played the piano so well."
"How come such a bully performs complicated music so wonderfully?"
Each time, hearing surprised voices, Yoshiki thought:
"Men - is not just an appearance."
However, Yoshiki was distinguished not only by the piano and trumpet playing. His study achievements were also very noticeable. Among the nearly 400 students of the same age, he was always in the top ten in academic achievements. Yoshiki scored 100 points during the math exam, which was held annually in Chiba Prefecture. At that time he was the only one in the entire prefecture, who managed to win all the points.
However, he failed the first place for academic performance at school due to the fact that the overall evaluation score was spoiled by the music grades. Compared to his piano classes, Yoshiki considered general music lessons too easy and did not take them seriously. Angry with his flippant attitude teacher often put him the lowest marks.
Thus, Yoshiki, who had these two sides, became the most difficult student for teaching. On the one hand, he was constantly called to the teacher's staff room for bad behavior, but on the other hand, he showed remarkable progress in education and music.
Many students supported Yoshiki, who was the brightest figure at school. Girls on seeing him, acknowledged unanimously: «He is cool!"
However, Yoshiki lived his own life, not equalizing himself with anyone, and affirming his individuality. He was a student with poor behavior, but not a bad person at all. Opposed to teachers, but had not chucked in his studies, he was surrounded by friends. And now he had much greater authority at school than in the days when he was an obedient student.
At that time, Yoshiki, whose skill in playing drums grew steadily, saw in the catalog the drum kit with two bass drums. The ambitious desire for mastering the play on this drum kit kindled in his heart.
"With two bass drums it will be possible to perform more complex rhythms."
At his request, mother gave him this expensive drum kit as a 14th birthday present.
Members of NOISE and classmates, who loved rock music, thought that Yoshiki bought a drum kit under the influence of a famous rock drummer Cozy Powell from Rainbow. But Yoshiki did not think so. For him it was a challenge to master the play on double drums, which was difficult even for professionals. He was constantly practicing, and soon his play had surpassed the highest expectations of friends. The complexity of drumming was an important part of excellent performances.
So gradually the second year study in the high school had been finished. At this time the band had an opportunity to perform on stage during the graduation ceremony. For the first time a rock band had to show up in the concert part of the ceremony, among other performances.
Members of the group headed by Yoshiki moved and installed musical instruments and amplifiers themselves on the stage in the school gym. That evening they performed the music of Kiss and Deep Purple. Of course, the performance was not exactly perfect, but all students of the school, listening to the five second grade students were amazed by brightness and sound of music. Yoshiki's drumming was simply magnificent.
Gathered in the gym pupils moved to the music played by the band, and welcomed the performance with joyful cries. Sounds of his own music aroused huge surge of enthusiasm in Yoshiki, support and warm welcome of the audience filled his heart with joy. Excitement reached its climax. The energy of rock music took possession of the stage, and the listeners. Yoshiki, whose body seemed to radiate energy, was overflowing with happiness. When the performance ended, flushed musicians exchanged looks with each other.
"We will appear on stage again for sure!".
And Yoshiki, whose heart was driven into an impasse by continuing conflict with teachers, was hoping for it.
Yoshiki started his studies in the third grade, and soon significant changes in school life had happened. By this time the number of students in the second high school in Tateyama exceeded the acceptable level, and the third city high school was opened. Some students, including Yoshiki, in accordance with their residence, were transferred to a new school. And the band members were divided. Fellow who was the vocalist in NOISE stayed in the old school, while the rest of the guys moved into a new one. While studying in different schools, they could not meet frequently, so they had to find a new vocalist. Then Yoshiki offered the remaining members of the band:
"Let the vocalist will be that one of us, who sings the best."
Yoshiki immediately excluded himself from the possible vocalists.
"Let's start with Toshi."
Toshimitsu immediately began to sing a familiar melody. And at the same moment Yoshiki chose a new vocalist.
Toshimitsu's voice was confident and at the same time had its own power of influence. His voice had a wide range and beautiful higher tones. He could easily sing melodies in a fairly high-key. Playing in a brass band, Toshimitsu knew the notes and quickly learned new tunes.
"From today, Toshi is the vocalist".
"Great! I do not mind at all. "
Nominated as a vocalist Toshimitsu looked very happy. He liked to sing much more than playing guitar, where he made no significant progress.
But the other fellow who played guitar with Toshimitsu really mastered the technique, amazing for his age, and could copy professional guitarists. He can safely be trusted all the guitar parts. Leaving the guitar, Toshi did not feel the slightest regret.
With Toshimitsu as the new vocalist the band began rehearsing the new songs from the repertoire of Led Zeppelin. Once they were on stage before the entire school, next goal was a performance for students of other schools and just audience.
This dream came true. By bringing all of their savings together, they were able to rent the city house of culture for one day. They called friends and anyone who was interested in rock music and gave a real concert. They performed with great enthusiasm in front of hundred people.
"The true essence of the group - is performance."
Yoshiki had no slightest doubt in this now.
In contrast to the success of the band school life of Yoshiki took turn for the worse. Teachers of the third school had heard from teachers of the second school about defiant behavior of some students, starting with Yoshiki, and decided from the outset to take the toughest measures in relation to any misconduct of students.
Yoshiki, who smoked, dyed hair, and often missed classes, was, of course, one of the most unruly.
There was no brass band in this school, so Yoshiki continued to participate in the football team. He gained strength and grew up.
Every time teachers tried to cope with him by force, Yoshiki started to resist even more. He and his friends were breaking windows in the school building, damaging walls, crashing tables and chairs in the classroom. Yoshiki had always been the instigator.
Few people were called to the teacher's room on the issue of smoking once. The teacher announced: "Some of you began to smoke, recently."Yoshiki himself came forward, and to punish him the teacher was going to cut his hair again. However, Yoshiki jumped in the face of a teacher, ran out through the back door and rushed to escape. Cowered away from the two teachers who ran after, he climbed over the school gate and lost in urban areas. However, pursuing him teachers tracked runaway down, caught him, and returned to school, where still cut his hair as a penalty.
Yoshiki thought it over. He did not want to give up. He could not just resign himself to force control. And he could not help feeling anti-tyranny of adults.
But on the other hand, he loved music and studies. And it was impossible to tell, which side showed him in true colours.
The school ceased to be the place where he could find solace for his confused heart. Along with seniors and some friends, he spent time in the company of bikers until late at night .Toshimitsu was interested in baseball, and was actively involved in school life, but Yoshiki began to spend his time quite differently than his friends in a rock band.
Adoring motorcycles, he often went to enjoy a quick ride on a motorcycle or car on the night streets. Had not yet received a driver's license for two-wheeled transport, he often appeared in the company of bikers. At the moment when the sharp sound of the engine ripped the silence, his heart began pounding faster. Sitting in the backseat of a motorcycle, enjoying the roar of the motor and sense of speed, he thought that there was nothing better than to dissolve in it completely.
Anger and protest often shook his body, but at the same time he knew that he feared nothing and could not succumb to pain and sorrow.
It was often happened that while sitting with friends in the stairwell at the school or in the evening among the bikers, he asked with a serious face:
"Why do people live?"
And if friends had not heard him, he then repeated it several times. And it was a question he often asked himself.
Once Yoshiki with friends skipped school and went to the sea, to spend time sitting on the breakwater. Yoshiki was staring at the waves and suddenly jumped into the sea, completely astonishing his friends. Although he was a good swimmer, but it was hard to stay afloat in soaked clothing. Swallowing sea water and coughing, he began to sink. When frightened friends helped him out, he just smiled shyly.
"What were you thinking?"
Yoshiki said to astonished friends:
"Whatever is done, human is still going to die ... How much water is needed to be swallowed to die ...I guess I'm not afraid of death."
But the friends never heard his quiet muttering. Just at that time, Yoshiki discovered an important secret. The cause of his father's death, whom he lost at the age of ten, was not a cardiac arrest. Father committed suicide by filling his car with exhaust fumes. When Yoshiki was visiting relatives he overheard this conversation, and was shocked.
Every time he thought about his father, he felt inquietude. The line that separated life and death became quite vague.
Heart, beating quietly, suddenly began to pound with a furious force. It was very difficult for Yoshiki to cope with the flows of energy, which were overfilling him.
He was driven by the closely intertwined urge towards destruction and the desire to create. His behavior, reaching these two extremes, in an unusual way showed boiled inside him energy.
Winning in struggle with children's asthma, Yoshiki often made sudden movements, sometimes hurt himself to make sure that he was alive. In addition, the more he became convinced of this, the more he had been thinking that death was lurking somewhere nearby.
Whatever difficulties you might have in life, whatever anger would be seething in your heart, but if you die, this very moment everything will be absorbed by darkness.
More thoughts of death visited him, even more. He was able to calm down and fall asleep,imagining the moment of his own death.This melancholic feeling lasted until the day he had finished high school and went out of Tateyama.
Although Yoshiki was constantly cited for bad behavior, classmates and younger students loved him.Friends and girls could not understand why such an affable and calm Yoshiki sometimes was completely out of temper.
Although by this time Yoshiki had scarcely obeyed his mother, he kept the serious promise given to her - not to deal with drugs, not to steal and not to fight, and prepare for exams.
So when the time for examinations came, Yoshiki did not forget about studying, even during evening meetings with bikers. He even became famous among them for the fact that sitting in a racing car he took out a notebook and began to repeat English words. However, even among bikers no one said a word when Yoshiki started his studies.
Despite the conflicts with teachers, he began serious preparations for the exams. Sometimes he sat till morning pounding the books and in the stillness of the night heard the crying of newborn babies, from the nearby maternity hospital.
"That's another life began its run toward death," - Yoshiki was repeating to himself, and the night full of secrets, seemed to him a sacred time.
Yoshiki decided to enter the best third stage school in Tateyama Chiba Prefecture,Awa.
Mother firmly told him: "You're a man, and do not search for easy ways. If you fail, you are going to work and attend the evening school. «Therefore, he did not apply to a private school.
And after a hard training in March 1981 15-year-old Yoshiki entered Awa High School. Known for his diligence in study Toshimitsu also entered the same school.
However, preparation to move to a new level did not dampen the stubborn nature of Yoshiki. On the day of the graduation ceremony, with a group of disciples, he rushed to the teacher's staff room to tell everything to teacher's faces. Yoshiki surveyed teachers sharply and shouted:
"The arbitrary rules established by the adults should be broken. I'll never follow them. "
And turning his back to stood still teachers, he jumped out of the room.
Now the third stage Awa high school will be the field of action for Yoshiki.
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