Arc-2 Ep-42

"Thank you so much for coming to today’s mini-live as well♪"

"Next Saturday and Sunday will be off because of the Reitaisai~"

"Let’s meet again at the mini-live in two weeks with the new members!"

"Bye-bye~♪"

"Uoooooh!!!"

"Kyaaaa!!!"

"I’ll definitely come that time too!!!"

The mini-live featuring members without nicknames, alongside the 6th generation, concluded on the weekend of the first week of August. The mini-live scheduled for the third week, with the Reitaisai in between, will include the 7th generation members, marking this as the graduation for us, the 6th generation.

Hypothetically, if all 6th generation members ranked 22nd or lower in the popularity vote, it might not be impossible for the 6th generation to continue as a standalone group—but realistically, that’s not feasible. From this point onward, the only remaining activity as the 6th generation group should be the December Sistema-Solare comprehensive concert.

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"...Whew, it’s finally over~"

Upon returning to the waiting room after the mini-live ended, Yuuna-san was the first to speak.

Her tone was the same as always, yet her words carried a subtle, complex mix of emotions.

"Now that I think about it, one year really was short."

"Yeah. It feels like, has it really been a year already?"

"...Sakiko-chan and I will also be graduating from the dorm, huh."

Mami-san’s words resonated in the conversation, tinged with nostalgia and all kinds of feelings. The two of them, who had come here through the Sushu-Solare audition, now had to become independent.

"The next place for the two of you is the apartment introduced by the agency, right?"

"Yes. It’s an apartment near the agency building. Other Shusu-Solare members live there too, so it’s kind of like a ff•fortissimo exclusive building."

"But from now on, we’ll have to handle cooking, laundry, and all household chores ourselves, so it’ll be tough."

"The rent will go up too."

While the financial burden should be manageable, the amount of work will increase compared to this past year, when we were essentially apprentices. Free time will become scarcer.

"It seems easier to visit than the dorm though."

"That’s true. Please come visit if you have the chance. You’re always welcome."

"Being close to the agency is tempting."

"...Just don’t freeload there, Yuuna."

"Why only me~"

"Damn it"

Because our activities as the 6th generation aren’t completely ending, the mood doesn’t become overly sentimental. There were only two exceptions.

"Are you two okay, Nanazawa-san and Chie-chan?"

"You were way too clingy just because it’s the last mini-live with your beloved Mikuri."

"Ahaha"

Laughter rose among everyone at the words of the 6th generation leader and sub-leader. After retreating to the waiting room, the two of them sat on either side of me, hugging my arms.

"It’s the last one today... Chie is going to be lonely..."

"I never thought one year would pass this quickly..."

"No, wait, why does it feel like I’m retiring or something!?"

Looking at the two beside me, their expressions conveyed the feeling that we might never meet again.

"Even if I get promoted, I’m still a 6th generation member."

"...Even if—you’re obviously going to rank high."

"Uu, Mikuri-saaan"

"Mikuri-chan..."

"Ahh, fine... I understand. Until we go home, do whatever you want."

Being clung to by beautiful girls is exactly what I want, so I let them do as they pleased until satisfied. Watching that, the other members began changing clothes.

Of course, with the warmth of the two on either side of me, I continued to admire the enchanting scene presented by the idols.

After the Reitaisai, I would probably get to admire their even more beautiful figures as they change.

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Summer vacation began, and the drama filming progressed at a rapid pace. Until then, the broadcast had been catching up to filming due to the speed at which the scripts were completed.

Because the story is about high school romance, several cast members are actually attending high school or junior high. The goal is to finish filming (crank-up) during their summer vacation.

Although I was busy preparing for the Reitaisai and other matters, my scenes were few enough that it should be manageable.

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It seemed that the number of scenes I appeared in had increased compared to what the scriptwriter and director originally planned. That said, the development itself had not changed in particular.

I play the beautiful girl admired by the male protagonist (Tsujii-kun), but ultimately, the female protagonist is chosen—that’s the story. The main theme revolves around the love games between the two childhood-friend protagonists.

The beautiful girl I portray, Sakiko Miyata, is not meant to have romantic feelings toward the male protagonist.

She only sees him as a friend or acquaintance, and I must act with that in mind, while still captivating both the male protagonist and the viewers—a direct request from the scriptwriter and director.

In other words, I simply have to do on set what I always do: float a gentle smile with my rare beauty and deliver lines in a voice that is pleasant to the ear. There is no need to unleash God-level acting skills.

Well, this face and voice are already God-level, so I’m not exactly going without them. Regarding ratings, since they are based on the average of previous works by a popular scriptwriter, there are no particular concerns.

The story itself isn’t highly praised, but since I am not the main character (just an important supporting role), this can be considered a safe actress debut for me. The time for my God-level acting skills to truly shine is still ahead.

However, as an ultra-beautiful idol, my manager Taneyama-san seemed to struggle to secure acting roles that wouldn’t damage my image. Both the agency and I want to avoid roles that could harm my public image.

Moreover, after the Reitaisai, I will join one of the internal groups, leaving the overall management of the 6th generation by Taneyama-san, and be taken over by that internal group’s manager.

And so, the Reitaisai arrived—the moment when the results of the popularity vote would finally be announced.