Main Story | Chapter 2

───── next morning, hotel room ─────

─── next morning, hotel room ───

Norita

Aaaaah~ I can't believe I couldn't fall asleep until late, thinking about today. And I even forgot that expensive perfume at home…

I'm finally meeting the rest of my group members today. Heh, I'm basically an idol already.

It's not that I'm worried about the other two. More importantly…

Norita

Hayashi Kanae. I'll see him in person. Up close. Down to the smallest detail. And in a private setting, too.

Of course I never doubted it would work out — we are talking about me, after all. But this means I'll be in the same idol group as him, living together in the dorms, breathing the same air, and seeing him up close every single day for the next five years?!

This is insane!! Even married couples don't usually have it this good!

Norita

Heh, not so long ago I was standing in a crowd of fans at his concert, and they had no idea that their favorite idol's future partner was right there among them! And now, I'll be closer to him than anyone else~

Sorry girls, don't be too jealous~

Norita

Oh, a familiar face — are you here to meet me? Now that's service!

Futami-san! Good morning. I'm not late, am I? Or are you waiting for someone else?

Emi

Good morning, Akabane-san. You're not late, but everyone else is already in the conference room.

I just wanted to make sure you wouldn't get lost.

Norita

That's very sweet of you~

Emi

Just don't be nervous and try to get along with everyone. It will make your life in the group easier.

Norita

How does she know I'm nervous?! Is it that obvious?

No, no, no, I'm perfectly calm. I just need to act like I usually do — relax and smile~

Why would I be nervous, haha?~ I'm excellent at making friends.

Emi

That's good. I would really like you four to become good friends.

Norita

…

Why did her tone of voice change?

Norita

Futami-san. I think you should try to be less nervous too; you know, it's bad for your skin — especially skin as beautiful as yours~

Emi

…

A little worry comes with the job, Akabane-san. But if there are no problems with the group, I suppose I can try to relax. So, let's give it our best right now!

Emi pats Norita on the back, a little harder than necessary. He makes a sound, but abruptly falls silent and straightens up when she opens the door. They walk into the conference room together.

Norita

Act natural. Act natural!

So, are those two sitting next to each other and whispering the remaining two members of our group? Mmm, yeah, whatever you say.

More importantly... There he is...

Norita

HAYASHI KANAE!! AHHH!!! I can't believe it, it's really him!

This is insane! Even from the back, he radiates such a confident aura!

NGHHAA!!—HE LOOKED AT ME!!

NO WAY! As much as I want to, I just can't bring myself to look him in the eye. It's impossible; he's so close, and there are only three other people in the room besides us. Not thousands, like during a concert.

Emi

Welcome, everyone! This is the fourth member of your group. Akabane-san, please take a seat.

Norita

H-hey, nice to meet you...

Emi

Since everyone is here, let's not waste any time and start with introductions. My name is Futami Emi, and I am your group's manager. Feel free to reach out to me at any time with any questions. My business cards are on the table in front of you; please save my number to your phone.

Emi

Seeing all four of them together in one room brings back such intense nostalgia.

I was so excited when I managed to select all the participants. I can't believe it, feeling this again, after they broke up.

It might happen again if I don't play my part correctly this time.

Emi

Your debut will be officially announced in the near future, so preparation and training will begin as early as tomorrow.

I don't want to scare you right from the start... It's going to be very difficult. But I believe you can handle it.

Now, I think it's time for you to introduce yourself to the rest of the group. Iwai-kun, let's start with you and go around the circle.

Takao

Uh-huh, alright.

Hi everyone, my name is Iwai Takao. I haven't been in the industry for very long, but I did manage to take part in one project. I don't have much experience yet, so I'd appreciate your guidance, and I look forward to working together~

It's nice to see you again, Hayashi-san.

Kanae

Likewise, Iwai-kun.

Norita

That's why he seemed so familiar. He was on the audition show with Kanae. Although, at first, I mistook him for a girl...

Anyway, he's a lucky guy to have met Kanae a few times already. What a lucky little brat—

Emi

Takao-kun... A charming young man. He was always the least troublesome. But for some reason, I never managed to get to know him better...

It seems the only one who knew him best was Haruma-kun. They were inseparable from day one.

Haruma-kun is a good kid too, but I've always found it hard to tell what's on his mind. I still don't know what happened between them... But it definitely played a major role in the group's breakup.

Haruma

Hi there~ I'm Iwaki Haruma, Takao and I go to the same school. Though, I think Taka-chan has more experience in the idol industry than I do... Anyway, I'm counting on your help, Manager, okay? I'm already pretty good at working a crowd. I think being an idol will be an interesting new skill for me.

Hmm, usually when idols introduce themselves, they talk about trivial things their fans like, right? Well then, my birthday is October 16th, I love bugs and sweets, and my favorite color is pink~ Something like that, right?

Norita

What a weirdo... Is he one of those strange elementary school kids who go around in groups catching bugs in the summer?? Ugh, I never understood them.

Takao

Ooo~ Haruma-kun already sounds like a real idol.

Emi

True.

Those two are one thing, but the older members of the group... Haaa...

Norita is going to be a handful. But at least now that I know a few things about him from last time, maybe I have a chance to prevent the conflicts that completely ruined the group in the past.

Norita

Ah, my turn. Uh, well...

Yeah, my name is Norita Akabane, and I'm 19. I started training at a subsidiary agency recently and have just moved to Tokyo. I can sing pretty well and charm the hearts of our fans! I'm looking forward to working with you all.

Norita

AHAHHRMGAVB! He looked at me!!! DAMN IT! I hope it's not obvious how red my face is. Seriously, I need to get used to this; we're going to be living together, after all.

...hmphazzavhmhahahvtv!!

Emi

Just look at him. He acts like a big shot, but he keeps glancing at his oshi with puppy-dog eyes.

Ha~ I can't believe the director approved a total fanboy for the group just because he has a lot of money!

So far, Hayashi-kun seems the most responsible of the four, which is exactly why I asked him to mentor the others whenever possible last time.

Should I do the same now? Not everyone takes his advice lightly, but he definitely knows what he's talking about.

Kanae

Since we're introducing ourselves like real idols here...

My name is Kanae Hayashi, in case anyone doesn't know yet, and I'm 21. I've been in the idol industry for quite a while, as a solo artist. Being part of a permanent group is a first for me, but I hope we'll get along.

Norita

…

Takao

…

Haruma

… Is that all? What about interesting facts that nobody knows?

Takao

H-Haruma! That's an invasion of personal space...

Norita

I agree with that brat, I wouldn't mind learning something new about him either.

Emi

Hayashi-san, your juniors turn out to be quite demanding.

Kanae

I hope they're ready for the same treatment in return.

Haruma

Uhh?~ That's scary~ I just wanted to know what your favorite color is and stuff like that.

Norita

Ha! Noob! He doesn't even know Hayashi Kanae's favorite color! Purple and gray, obviously. You have to know the basics! He talked about it in an interview!

I can't believe they were invited to work in the same group as him, and they can't even be bothered to learn these things out of respect!

Kanae

My favorite colors are purple and gray, my favourite drink is iced tea, and my favorite season is winter. I’m pretty good at charming the fans' hearts myself, I suppose~

Emi

Oof!... That was a critical hit to...

Norita

NGSHMMNHHSS!!-

"Not bad" is an understatement! He’s a total heartthrob machine!

Haruma

That’s all common knowledge and a facts, but it’ll do for now.

Takao

I think we’ll have plenty of time to learn a lot more about each other~ That’s inevitable when you’re living under the same roof.

Haruma

Does that mean I’ll learn something new about Takao, too?

Takao

Haha, I’m afraid you already know everything about me as it is.

Haruma

Maybe~

Emi

Now that we’ve all introduced ourselves, we can start discussing the group's plans.

I will send you the details for the dormitory you'll be moving into shortly. You only have one photoshoot this week, but vocal and dance training will begin next week. Be prepared for that.

Kanae

You shouldn't drag it out for so long.

Norita

I’m singing with Hayashi Kanae next week! Yay!!

Emi

Make good use of your free time while you have it, and get to know each other better.

───── after the meeting ─────

Emi

Ah, Akabane-san, right!

Almost forgot about that again.

Norita

Emi

You’re moving into the dorm a bit early, today. Here’s the key; you can move all your things in throughout the day.

Norita

Oh… I’ve never lived in a dorm before… How many rooms are there?

Emi

It’s a small house, so there are two bedrooms and you’ll have a roommate.

Presumably… Kanae.

Norita

…Futami-san.

Emi

What?

Norita

Your agency's service is exceeding all my expectations.

Emi

DON'T SAY THAT WITH SUCH A SERIOUS FACE!

Emi

Well… the dormitory might seem a bit small to you, Akabane-san, so please accept my apologies in advance.

Norita

No, no, it's fine! I'm going to go pack my things now~

NO WAAAAAAAAY!!!!!

Emi

Akabane-san… I haven't even given you the address yet.

Norita

Hahaha, noted.

───── dormitory ─────

Norita

Right, right, judging by the manager's photo, this is the one. Yeah, it could look a bit more impressive, I suppose.

Kanae is going to be living there, after all!

Me too. Heh-heh~

Norita

Yep, the key worked, so this is definitely the place. Let's see...

The living room and kitchen aren't very big, but at least it's clean. Oh, there's even a second floor.

I guess the bedrooms are up there? Emi-san said I could pick any, but I don't think there's much difference between them... Let's see.

Yeah, just as I thought. Alright, let's go with this one. Though I’ll still have to get used to the mattress and pillows here. Hmm, maybe I should just buy my own?..

*ding-a-ling*

Norita

Hello, who is this?

Amy

Akabane-san, were you able to find the building?

Norita

Aaah, Futami-san~. Yeah, I found it, but it’s a bit empty in here.

Amy

Naturally, the others haven't checked in yet. It’ll be more fun tomorrow evening; you can unpack your things for now.

And don't forget about the photoshoot tomorrow. I'll send a car to pick you up. If you get lost, just text me.

Norita

I won't get lost, but can I call anyway?~

Amy

Oh god, why is this happening to me...

Text only, I might be in a meeting.

Norita

Booooo…

Oka~y~ See you tomorrow~

Norita

Since I have the choice, I'll take this one.

Hmm… The closet is a bit small; it might not fit all my things. Maybe I'll buy a better one later, along with everything else.

Alrighty, let's get started~

───── ??? ─────

*door lock clicks*

Kanae

Ah, the shoes are here. That means he is home.

Though I suppose it makes sense, since I'm moving tomorrow.

…

Kanae

*inhale*

Kanae

Good evening, Ishida-san. Sorry to have kept you waiting.

Ishida

…

Kanae

Not even a greeting back? As usual...

Ishida

How are the others?

Kanae

I'll see them in action later, but the visuals are promising. I think we have the makings of a huge success.

Ishida

I see.

That doesn't matter. You must always remain better than the others, no matter what.

A group isn't a place to make friends. Your own group members are your main rivals for the fans' attention and love. Remember that and use this opportunity as a stepping stone toward your goal.

Kanae

...

Of course, don't worry, I'm serious about this... I'll go get packed.

Ishida

Don't take everything with you; you're not leaving forever.

Kanae

...

Main Story - Chapter 2