Arc 3 Ep-01

The Monday after the Reitaisai.

I head to the production office from the morning.

As for the condition of my right arm, it’s fine as long as I don’t move it, but when I do, there’s a sense of discomfort and a bit of pain.

I should probably avoid using my right hand during song choreography for a while.

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"Good morning."

"Good morning, Kayanuma-san. I’m Fujiyama, the general manager of the internal group Schus Sola."

"Kayanuma-san, good morning. I’m Niikura, the sub-manager."

"Yes. Pleased to be working with you."

I’ve seen their faces countless times, and we exchanged names during my debut greetings, but we greet each other as if it’s the first time.

Fujiyama-san is a man in his late forties, and it seems he has been the general manager since the internal group Shus-Sola was formed.

As for sub-manager Niikura-san, she started as a manager trainee, then sub-sub-manager, and has been in her current position since last year’s Reitaisai.

"For the time being, we will manage you as one member of the whole group, but once your individual work increases, we may assign someone to you exclusively."

"Understood."

"That said, we do plan to limit your workload while you’re still in compulsory education. Well then, shall we go greet the other members?"

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I’m taken to a room better located and larger than the break room we used as sixth-gens. There, the other eight members besides me were already assembled.

"Good morning. Thank you for waiting. Starting today, the new member, Kayanuma Mikuri-san."

"Good morning. I’m Kayanuma Mikuri of the sixth generation. I look forward to working with you from today."

"Yes. Pleased to be working with you."

"Likewise, let’s do our best."

"Pleased to work with you."

"Please to meet you~"

Some people welcomed me with a friendly smile, some responded with interest, some were neutral, and some didn’t seem particularly welcoming.

It seems this group has rather delicate internal relationships.

"Kayanuma-san. As for how you introduce yourself, from now on please go with ‘Terra, also known as Mikuri Kayanuma' or ‘Terra of the Sixth Generation, Mikuri Kayanuma.'"

"Ah, right. I’ll keep that in mind."

From today, I am a member of the internal group Schus Sola. Naturally, that means receiving an appropriate nickname.

I accept Niikura-san’s correction honestly.

"……Now then, before I talk about the upcoming plans, Kayanuma-san."

"Yes."

"How is your right hand injury?"

They ask about the honorable wound I received yesterday when protecting Nozomi-chan.

Well, it will affect future activities, so of course they’d ask.

"If I don’t move it, there’s no issue, but moving it causes slight pain. The rest is bruising from internal bleeding, I think."

"The bruise can be hidden with foundation until it fades, but the pain… Will it affect choreography?"

"It’s tough if I move it forcefully or for a long time."

"……I see. Then it’s better for you to practice without using your right hand for a while."

Saying this, Fujiyama-san looks around at all nine of us.

"As you all know from last year, we have Music Window on Saturday."

Music Window.

One of the few remaining live terrestrial broadcast music programs, now practically an endangered species. To allow minors to appear, the broadcast is from 9 PM for one hour.

Other programs start at 10 PM or 11 PM, so this is the only one middle-school idols can appear in.

It was two years ago, right after the Reitaisai, when internal group Schus Sola started appearing on Music Window on its first broadcast of the season.

That was the year Tomomi-san placed first in the popularity poll. Around then, Schus Sola began rising into the upper ranks among idol groups.

Naturally, the same was true last year, and since the other eight members all appeared, they’re used to it. I’m the only one who’s new to everything, so I have it the hardest.

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By the way, internal group Schus Sola consists of nine people, myself included. Among them, the ones I had only an acquaintance-level relationship with were four.

First, the leader of Schus Sola: Mutsumi Hayase-san.

She’s a first-generation member, twenty-three years old, and has stayed in single-digit rankings since the first popularity poll. Her nickname is Venus, and she placed eighth in this year’s poll.

She’s quite the beauty and a classic-style idol, though she may soon risk dropping to Dwarf Planet rank.

Next, also a first-generation member and Mutsumi-san’s partner-like figure, the sub-leader: Junko Sumi-san.

She’s also twenty-three, and since the first popularity poll she has held the internal group Schus Sola nickname Mars. She placed seventh this time, though she has ranked third multiple times in the past.

She too is a beauty with a classic idol feel, but the pressure from her juniors is intense.

It wouldn’t be surprising if Nozomi-chan pushed them both to second group next year.

Next is Schus Sola’s top loli little-sister slot: Yuka Tatsumura-san.

She’s also a first-generation member, twenty years old, and since the first poll she’s ranked in single digits as Mercury.

She placed fifth this time, but she was second in the second and third polls, back when she used the nickname Terra.

If I’m the fourth Terra, then Yuka-san is the second Terra. She has the strong traits of being a short, slender loli.

She’s also a real beauty and has kept later-debuting same-attribute juniors at bay with her popularity.

Now that she’s twenty, the group is about ready for a successor, which is why the promising newcomer from a ff•Fortissimo-connected family appears in the eighth generation.

Until that rookie loli rises in the popularity polls over the next few years, Yuka-san will need to hold the position.

Lastly, the cool-type idol: Rio Kidato-san.

She’s the same third-generation as Tomomi-san, eighteen years old, and a handsome beauty with the nickname Neptune.

She ranked ninth in the fourth poll, and also ninth in this one, barely maintaining her Schus Sola position.

Since Suzuka-san, a similar type of idol, is above her, climbing higher is difficult.

She’s trying to gain popularity with male fans since she loses clearly in female popularity, but there are many rivals on that front too.

She is probably also one of those intimidated by Nozomi-chan’s presence.

Then there are Rina-san, Tomomi-san, Erika-san, Suzuka-san, and me.

Three first-gens, two second-gens, two third-gens, one fifth-gen, and one sixth-gen.

These nine will make up internal group Schus Sola for the coming year.