Arc-2 Ep-50

"Don't mock me!!!"

"Wh-what's going on!?"

The sixth-generation genarel manager let out a startled cry at that shout, flung the door open, and rushed outside in a hurry. Naturally, we also bolted into the hallway through the door she had left wide open.

"S-stop it!!! Senpai!!!"

"I-I'm sorry!!! So, aaah!!"

"Don't joke around!!! You're just filler for the unpopular ones!!!"

"I said stop it!!!"

Farther down the hallway, past the seventh-generation waiting room and beside the sixth-generation waiting room, three people were somehow fighting. Seeing this, Taneyama-san hurried over.

"Uwaaa... it's Higashiyama-san..."

Thanks to someone’s muttering, I understood the situation. One of them was Kae Higashiyama wearing her standard Sistema Solare costume.

The other two were members of the fourth generation's mini-live group, already changed into their casual clothes.

Those girls were being repeatedly struck with something the notorious problem child of Sushu-Solare was holding.

"I told you to stop!!! Higashiyama-san!!!"

"Shut up!!!!"

The genarel manager tried to intervene, but restraining someone who was completely out of control was impossible for her alone.

"You all stay inside the waiting room!!! Someone call the higher-ups!"

U-understood!

"Sayaka-san, I’ll go too!"

When the seventh-generation members peeked from their door to see what was happening, Shion-san stopped them and yelled to us to go call the appropriate staff. Following Sayaka-san, who had answered, Sakiko-san also rushed down the hallway after her.

"Higashiyama-san!!! This will become a serious incident!!!"

"Uh!! D-damn it!! Haa haa"

Appearing to have forgotten all dignity as an idol, Kae Higashiyama spat vulgarities and turned her face toward us. When her gaze landed on Nozomi-chan and me standing side by side, her expression twisted even more harshly. Her face no longer resembled that of a woman, let alone an idol.

"...Y-you people, if you hadn't been here, I would have...!!"

"Wha-!? No!!"

"Kyaaaaa!!"

Kae Higashiyama, enraged once again, hurled whatever she was holding at us. Considering her emotional state, it would have been better if the throw had gone wildly off course, but her aim was unfortunately accurate; it came straight toward us.

The box-shaped object flew more toward Nozomi-chan on my right than toward me.

"Kyaa!!"

"Nn!! ...Ouch!!"

My right hand instinctively shot up, knocking aside the incoming object aimed at her. Even after hitting the floor from the force of the throw, it bounced and struck Nozomi-chan’s foot, but it did not seem strong enough to injure her.

Rather, the damage to me was greater; the flat face of the box had slammed into the front of my right forearm. Looking closely, the thrown item was a sanitary box.

It hurt quite a bit, but I supposed I should feel fortunate it was made of plastic. If it had been metal, it would have been too heavy to throw or use as a weapon in the first place.

"M-Mikuri-chan!?"

"Are you okay!? Mikuri-san!!"

"Probably okay."

"This way!!"

"Hurry!!"

At that moment, Sayaka-san and Sakiko-san, who had gone to call for help, finally returned. Starting with the sixth-generation sub-manager Matsuzono-san, two male and two female managers arrived at a run. It seemed quite a few Sistema Solare members who heard the uproar had also gathered.

"That’s enough!"

"I said stop!"

"L-let go!!"

The men shielded the two fourth-generation girls behind them, while the three women, including Taneyama-san, restrained Kae Higashiyama.

Considering strength, it likely would have been easier for the men to restrain her, but they must have avoided touching her because she was a young woman.

"Are you alright!?"

"We were late. Sorry!!"

With even more people arriving to reinforce them, the one who had been raging finally fell quiet. For the moment, the uproar seemed to have ended. The aftermath, however, would surely be troublesome.

"Okada-san. Take those two, along with Kayanuma-san and Nanazawa-san, to the hospital."

"H-hospital!?"

The man in his early thirties whom Taneyama-san addressed looked stunned. If I recalled correctly, he was a fifth-generation sub-manager, which meant he was an unfortunate bystander with no direct connection to this incident.

"Yes. Those two were struck repeatedly with that thing, and these two were hit by the object she threw."

"I-is that true!? This is a huge problem!!"

"I-I was protected by Mikuri-chan, so I’m fine..."

Even though it had hit her, Nozomi-chan insisted she was alright, since the force had been reduced thanks to me. However, the overall manager shook her head and began persuading her.

"No good. Even if you feel fine, a doctor needs to confirm it."

"But..."

"If complications appear later, it will become an even bigger issue. So go."

"Y-yes. Understood..."

"...Then the four of you come along. Also, Takamori-san, you too."

"U-understood."

We ended up walking, surrounded by the gazes of Sistema Solare members who had gathered, with Okada-san leading the way. Among the onlookers was Erika-san, who looked worried, but I smiled at her to show I was unharmed.

"Mikuri-chan... are you really okay?"

"It hurts a bit, but probably just a bruise? I think the senpais are in worse shape."

The two fourth-generation members walking ahead kept their heads down, shuffling forward dejectedly. I had no idea what had transpired between them and Kae Higashiyama, but they must have said something—or been overheard saying something—that provoked her.

It was unlikely to have been said directly to her face, so it was highly probable she overheard gossip.

"The Reitaisai had finally ended safely, and we were just about able to breathe again..."

Takamori-san, the trainee manager walking at the very back, murmured in a low voice.

There had been talk that after the post-Reitaisai reorganization, she might be promoted to at least a sub-sub-manager role somewhere, yet with something like this happening, she looked completely dispirited.

"...This is definitely going to become a major problem, isn’t it?"

"Of course. This is unprecedented. Even the president and top management will have a hard time deciding how to handle it."

"I suppose so..."

As an idol group, this alone was a serious enough scandal. Even for us on the victim side, since we were part of the group, making a fuss would not be wise.

Honestly, the fact that I, who ranked second in the popularity poll, and Nozomi-chan, who ranked eleventh and was a well-bred young lady, were involved made the situation look even more serious.

The after-party tonight would definitely be canceled, I thought, letting out a small sigh as I contemplated the difficulties to come.

[T/N- T/N: I don’t know much about how idol agencies actually operate, but from a corporate standpoint there should be proper talent managers, HR, and duty-of-care protocols to prevent something like this. Fortissimo as a whole has been a total shitshow in this regard. I really hope real agencies don’t run this way.

P.S. After this chapter a new translator will take over, so expect some differences in style going forward.]