Male Idol Extra 22

Chapter 22 Sabato Miyako, Idol Audition

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Edited by: Kanaa-senpai

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 ”What am I going to do?”

 I applied for the audition with a carefree attitude, thinking that Lapis-chan and Subaru-chan would be participating too.

 But when I got here, I realized that there are so many talented people, and I don’t belong here.

 Yet, I was appointed as the captain of Team D.

 ”Miyako-chan, can I have a minute?”

 ”Ah, yes!”

 One of the staff members asked me to support Aqua-sama during the year-end song competition.

 The captains of each team were invited: Fujibayashi Misono-san from Team A, Amamiya Kotori-san from Team B, Inori Hisui-san from Team C, and I, the captain of Team D.

 ”Nice to meet you!”

 ””””Nice to meet you!!””””

 We, who arrived early, helped prepare the waiting room used by Beryl’s members.

 We did a thorough check to make sure there were no suspicious objects or hazards, prepared drinks and snacks for everyone to enjoy during breaks, organized the script changes and notes from the staff, and even brought in the costumes we’d be using for the performance.

 ”It’s almost time, let’s go greet Aqua-san!”

 ””””Yes!!””””

 Following Kai-san’s instructions, we went to the backstage entrance to greet everyone.

 Since this year’s song competition would feature Beryl’s members and the Prime Minister, there were an incredible number of security personnel.

 We had to submit our identification documents, copies of our residence certificates, and other documents in advance. The staff badges provided by the national broadcaster even had our photos, IDs, affiliations, and names printed on them.

 After waiting for a bit, a black van pulled up to the backstage entrance.

 ”Good morning!”

 ””””Good morning!!””””

 It was Morikawa-san who came down from the middle.

 When you see her on TV, you can’t tell, but when you see her in person, her face is small, her style is beautiful, and when she’s quiet, she really looks like a beautiful announcer lady.

 ”Morikawa-saaaan! About today’s proceedings, can I ask you something?”

 ”Morikawa-san, about this script…”

 ”About today’s entrance scene…”

 ”After the song battle, it might be a bit tight on time…”

 ”Sorry. There was a slight change in the schedule…”

 Morikawa-san was surrounded by about 5 staff members and walked into the waiting room, discussing things as she went.

 When you just watch her on TV, you can’t tell, but when you see her like this, you really believe she’s a Mary (a perfect person) who was a special student. She gives off a smart and capable working woman vibe.

 ”Good morning!”

 ”””””Good morning!”””””

 Next to come down was Kohina Yukari-san.

 Kohina Yukari-san tried to just pass by, but stopped in front of us.

 ”Where’s Useless Aqua?”

 ”Ah… he hasn’t arrived yet.”

 ”Tch! Thanks. I’ll see you later.”

 ”””””Likewise, thank you very much!”””””

 It wasn’t directed at us, but her tongue-lashing was scary….

 Kohina Yukari-san walked down the middle of the hallway, heading towards the waiting room.

 Wow… it’s like the parting of the Red Sea, with people dividing to the left and right. Amazing….

 Oh, when I looked closely, even the Prime Minister was standing at the edge, greeting Kohina Yukari-san. As a middle school student, I thought, “You’re our country’s Prime Minister, so please try to be a bit more dignified.” But then I heard Kohina Yukari-san’s voice saying, “Hey, you’re the Prime Minister, so try to be a bit more confident!” and the people around us burst out laughing.

 ”Good morning!”

 ”””””Oh, good morning…!”””””

 Wow, wow, wow! It’s Tsukimachi-san from eau de Cologne!

 As always, she’s ridiculously cute no matter how many times you see her!!

 Amamiya Kotori-san from Team B, who loves Tsukimachi-san, was sparkling with excitement.

 Even before the singing competition, Tsukimachi-san was calm and collected, looking like a super cool older sister to someone like me, a middle school student.

 It’s like she’s even more composed than the prime minister I saw earlier, but I’m probably just imagining things, right? Yeah…

 Then, a little while later, a car pulls up. Ah, this is it!

 ”Good morning!”

 ”Nice to meet you!”

 The managers get out first, followed by the Beryl members and President Atori.

 And finally, Aqua-sama gets out last.

 Dressed casually, he was on the phone when he arrived, but quickly hung up to greet the people around him.

 ”Sorry about this. I’ll just take this call later. See you later, then.”

 At first, I thought he was talking to Kanon-sama, but his tone didn’t seem like it. I wonder who he was talking to on the phone.

 ”Oh, everyone’s here!”

 Aqua-sama stops in front of us, smiling brightly.

 ”I think it’s going to be tough, but as the captain, I need you to know the overall flow. I think we’ll learn a lot today, so let’s do our best!!”

 ””””Yes!!””””

 We follow the 4 of them to the waiting room.

 After that, we helped with some small tasks and went shopping, but mostly we just watched.

 The first thing I noticed was that Aqua-sama was really relaxed backstage.

 He’s really natural, and even teases the Beryl members and talks to the other performers, making friends with them.

 The most entertaining part was when he was chatting with Kohina Yukari-san and Morikawa-san in the big room.

 ”Whoa, what’s going on! This senbei (rice cracker) is picking a fight with me, isn’t it?!”

 ”Senpai, please don’t pick fights with senbei just because you don’t have any friends. Let’s fight with humans instead!”

 ”No way, Aqua-kun, isn’t it better to fight with senbei than with humans?”

 ”Ah… really, Kaede?”

 ”Hey! You just dissed me, saying I don’t have any friends, useless Aqua! Haha, my phonebook’s gotten so long, I can scroll down forever Look, see for yourself!!”

 ”Senpai…”

 ”Huh? Did you, Kohina-san, lose your phone and all your contacts got deleted or something…”

 ”Hey! Are you picking a fight with me, Announcer Morikawa?! Ah, that’s right, you still haven’t exchanged phone numbers with me! Come on, show me your phone!!”

 ”Eh…”

 ”What’s with you! You can get Kohina Yukari’s phone number for free. Come on, lend it to me!! Yeah, I’ll register it… but you have to answer within 3 calls, okay?”

 ”…I’ll just ignore it, I guess.”

 ”That’s fine, Kaede. I don’t want to be bothered at night either, so I’ll ignore it too.”

 ”Heyyyy!? Useless Aqua, your words just now, I can’t ignore them!!”

 ”Oh, it’s just your imagination. Here, eat this cookie and calm down.”

 ”I got it…. And, this cookie’s so delicious!! Who got the snacks today And they’re all so dry, they’ll suck the moisture out of your mouth Can’t you just prioritize taste and variety a bit more?!”

 ”Here, have some of my tea.”

 ”Gulp gulp gulp… Ah, I’m revived. Thanks… And, it wasn’t you who gave it to me, was it? This super crunchy cookie!”

 ”Shh, I’ve been found out. By the way, it was Morikawa-san who brought this cookie.”

 ”And, it was Aqua-kun who brought the senbei.”

 ”Alright, got it. You guys, go outside now!!”

 THey’ve been chatting like this for a while, and the singers around us are all ears, and the staff are pretending to work while eavesdropping on their conversation.

 After all, this is… not Kohina Yukari’s, but Morikawa Kaede’s room. I think we can make money just by broadcasting this footage.

 And, the last one is an indirect kiss, right? There’s a woman in this world who can stay calm after indirectly kissing Aqua-sama… I receive a strong impact that warps time and space.

 And then, after a while, the main event finally approaches.

 ”There are 10 minutes left until the main event!”

 Behind the stage, many performers have gathered.

 Ah… Toa-kun noticed me and winked at me. Seeing Toa-kun’s energetic figure makes me happy too.

 I mouth “good luck” to him, and he mouths it back to me.

 ”Shirogane Aqua-san is entering!”

 Everyone looks at Aqua-kun.

 Wow, he’s so cool… Unlike his casual outfit from earlier, his stage outfit is overflowing with coolness.

 ”Is everyone from the Minamoto clan ready?”

 ”Of course!”

 ”I’m ready to go anytime!”

 ”Leave it to me!!”

 The people from the Minamoto clan respond to Aqua-sama’s call with enthusiasm.

 Aqua-sama, with a smile, touches each of their hands one by one and heads towards Beryl’s group.

 ”Is everyone ready?”

 ”Obviously You’re the one who’s going to be the host, Aqua, so don’t get too nervous!”

 ”Ah I’m also in top condition for today!”

 ”Of course, I’ll leave it to you If anything happens, count on me, juniors!!”

 Aqua-sama seems to be happy with the responses from the 3 of them and gives hugs to Toa-kun, Mayuzumi-san, and Tenga-san in that order.

 ”Senpai, I’m the main host today, so I’ll leave Beryl’s group to you.”

 ”Ah, got it!”

 Tenga-san might be the only one who’s older, but the atmosphere between Tenga-san and Aqua-sama feels different from Toa-kun and Mayuzumi-kun in a good way. It feels like Aqua-sama truly trusts Tenga-san from the heart.

 Aqua-sama leaves Tenga-san’s side and heads towards Kohina-san and Morikawa-san’s location.

 ”I’m not gonna lose to Kohina-senpai no matter what!”

 ”Ha! Bring it on!! I’ll crush you with all my might!!”

 The 2 of them, grinning from ear to ear, exchange blows. The people around them can’t help but smile too.

 Regardless of whether they’re friends or foes, staff or performers, the 2 of them manage to draw everyone in and create a sense of unity.

 I was reminded once again just how amazing these 2 are.

 ”Ayana, I’ll count on you!”

 ”Of course, leave it to me!”

 Aqua-sama high-fives Tsukimachi-san, who’s the top batter.

 Then, she calls out to Jou Maron-san and Kurushima Fran-san as well.

 ”It’s almost time for the main event!!”

 The staff’s shout echoes through the air, and the atmosphere changes once again.

 ”Everyone, let’s get pumped up!!”

 ”Yeah!”

 Morikawa-san’s shout is met with Aqua-sama’s immediate response. Then, voices start rising up from all directions.

 From that point on, it’s a whirlwind of activity. People are moving around frantically, and the situation is changing rapidly.

 In the midst of all this, everyone is focused on their own job, trying to do their best.

 ”That was amazing, wasn’t it?”

 ”U-um…”

 On the way back, riding in the van with the leaders of the other teams, we chat.

 It wasn’t just me–everyone seemed to have their own thoughts.

 During the Christmas event, I was just in awe, feeling like a customer, but this time, with the second on-site observation and the main audition approaching, everyone’s perspective seemed more realistic.

 What I really want to do…

 Aqua-sama, standing on stage, shone brighter than anyone else.

 I could tell he was doing what he truly wanted to do. His joy was overflowing from his entire body.

 So, what do I really want to do?

 Why did I apply for the audition in the first place? I wanted to become an idol like Lapis-chan and Subaru-chan.

 I was hesitant, but I decided to apply together with Lapis-chan, who was also unsure, to give her a push from behind.

 It was because I got to see the backstage of Chrismas and New Year’s Eve that I realized what I wanted to do.

 ”Umm… can I talk to you about something?”

 ”Yeah, go ahead.”

 I happened to run into Aqua-sama at the dorm and called out to her.

 ”I want to be the producer for Team D!”

 Aqua-sama asked me with a gentle smile in response to my proposal.

 ”Why?”

 ”Because if this continues, Team D won’t be able to bring out 100% of everyone’s abilities!!”

 I took out a notebook from my bag and opened it in front of Aqua-sama, showing him what was inside.

 This notebook had all my ideas on how to make Team D better, how to bring out everyone’s charm, and how to make the team perform well.

 It might look like a scribble to Aqua-sama and the pros, but I had put a lot of thought into it.

 ”Can I take a look?”

 ”Yes, please do.”

 Aqua-sama slowly flipped through the notebook, page by page, with a serious expression.

 ”Miyako-chan, this is amazing. You’ve really thought about everyone’s strengths and weaknesses as a captain, and I’m truly grateful. I’m glad I chose you as the captain.”

 I almost cried at Aqua-sama’s words.

 It meant that everything I had done so far wasn’t a waste, and Aqua-sama acknowledged it.

 After finishing reading the notebook, Aqua-sama closed it quietly and looked at me with a serious face.

 ”Just to confirm, Miyako-chan, are you really okay with this? I think you have the charm of an idol too. So if the support from me, the other teachers, and the staff wasn’t enough, I’ll work even harder to support you more. Even so, will your decision remain the same?”

 ”Yes! What I really want to do isn’t being an idol, but making the people who become idols shine even brighter!! And if possible, I want to produce Team D with me as the leader!! I’m still in middle school and I know I’m not perfect, but when it comes to Team D, I’ve seen them more than anyone else!! So I have confidence. I want to make everyone an idol!! So please, I’m counting on you!!”

 I clenched my fist and bowed my head to Aqua-sama.

 I know this might be just my selfish desire and breaking the rules, but I couldn’t bear to see everyone who has worked so hard with me until now get eliminated. Everyone is so charming, and none of them deserve to fail!

 ”I’m sorry. You’ve taught me so much, used your slot for me, and even gave me your time, and on top of that, I’m being selfish like this…”

 ”There’s no need to apologize.”

 Aqua-sama gently touched my shoulder.

 ”Miyako-chan has found what she really wants to do, so she should be more confident and proud! I’m the one who should apologize for not noticing earlier. And I want to respect Miyako-chan’s feelings, but this isn’t something I can decide on my own, so I’ll talk to Ako-san and the program staff today. In return, you’ll have to explain it to the team members yourself.”

 ”Yes! Of course!!”

 After parting with Aqua-sama, I told the team members about what I really wanted to do and my reasons, and that I was serious about it.

 Subaru-chan said I was serious, and when I said I was serious, she understood and promised to support me, which made me really happy.

 And then, a little while later, Aqua-sama told me that I could stay as the leader of Team D.

 I was thrilled. At the same time, a sense of responsibility weighed heavily on my shoulders.

 But more than that, my heart was racing with excitement.

 ”Everyone, listen! I have an idea.”

 To make Team D pass, I steeled myself and started taking action.

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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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