*THE NEXT DAY*
*ENTRANCE - KOTA CITY APARTMENT BUILDING - ODAIBA - TOKYO*
I couldn't sleep last night.
After what Chika told me, I have to realize that no matter how much I want to.
I can't make everyone's dreams come true.
Sometimes you can be so focused on your own path, thinking that you're the protagonist in some story.
That you forget that there are other people just like you with the exact same dreams.
Reality being as cruel as it is, won't allow for both parties to have their wishes granted.
With me and Chika, it's no different.
One of three scenarios will happen on the Main Stage at the School Idol Festival or possibly during the School Idol Showcase.
1. Nijigasaki wins. We defeat μ's and take the spot as the number one school idol group in the country.
But doing so will crush Chika's dreams of surpassing μ's...
2. Aqours wins. They defeat μ's and fulfil their dreams of becoming number one.
But our Nijigasaki dreams will be crushed because of that...
3. μ's wins. They win at both the Showcase and the Festival, retiring undefeated. But both Aqours and Nijigasaki will have their dreams crushed of never surpassing μ's.
Or a fourth scenario would be that a different group entirely rises from the ashes and defeats all three of us at the Showcase.
Damn, that's actually the worst case scenario possible...
But currently, no group poses as much of a threat to μ's as we do. Sorry to say that, Aqours.
If I didn't have a nervous breakdown during the tiebreaker against Maki, then we already would have handed μ's their first loss.
As the person responsible for that failure, I want to be the one to avenge it for the sake of our School Idol Club.
Meanwhile, I'll let Aqours do their challenges. If they need help, they can always ask me.
In the meantime, I will try and turn my Club around. Starting with-
AKI: "Oh, morning, Ayu... Hm? You look tired."
AYUMU: "Good morning, Aki."
AKI: "Uh..."
AYUMU: "Ahaha. Is it that obvious?"
AKI: "Well, yeah. Your eyes are red."
AYUMU: "G-Geez! You don't have to look from that close up!"
AKI: "Sorry. It's just so rare to see you running on less than a full night's sleep. I mean, if anyone's getting in trouble for staying up late, it's usually me."
AYUMU: *Chuckle* "You might be right about that. You are the kind of person to get completely absorbed in whatever it is you've been distracted by, after all."
AKI: "I wouldn't say distracted. What I'm doing is productive for my Club's efforts."
AYUMU: "YOUR Club?"
AKI: "Yes, and as President, it's my duty to ensure the safety of all Club members.
I hope you haven't been up all night worrying. If someone in the Computer Club has made you sad, I won't be happy."
AYUMU: "No, no, it's not like that at all. There are some videos that I've been really into lately..."
AKI: "Videos? What kind of videos?"
...
*TRAIN - ODAIBA - TOKYO*
AYUMU: "This VTuber's videos are what I'm wild about right now."
AKI: "A WhoTuber?"
AYUMU: "VTuber. Virual Tuber."
AKI: "I didn't think you'd be interested in that kind of stuff."
AYUMU: "It's like, once you start watching you just can't stop!
It started with a stream of this game that Rina had recommended. That was pretty interesting so I started searching for stuff on my own. That's when I found this VTuber's channel."
AKI: "Oninattsu channel? So what, is she a gamer or something?"
AYUMU: "Yeah. Some of her videos are like that, but most are just of her doing regular chatting."
ONINATTSU: "Thanks for the donation!"
AYUMU: "I found out that we've got the same taste in bread and manga from watching them, so I felt this kind of connection with her.
Oh! And the live streams that she does sometimes are tons of fun!
Like there was one where she watched a TV show in real-time, which made it feel like you were watching it while talking with a friend!"
AKI: "You could've just watched something with me. I'm only on the other side of the wall."
AYUMU: "Hehehe. Are you feeling jealous? Don't worry, you're extra special!"
AKI: "Sure, I believe that... You're really showing that lately..."
AYUMU: "Huh?"
AKI: "Nothing. Just thinking about the current rise of these virtual idols."
AYUMU: "It's amazing, right?"
AKI: "...No."
AYUMU: "What?"
AKI: "I can see why people are interested. But... That is something that will never interest me."
AYUMU: "Why?"
AKI: "I want to go to live shows and cheer girls performing on stage, giving their all.
Not corporately created imitations of girls.
What I'm saying is... I'm more interested in the girl herself, rather than the character she's portraying.
I want to see organic emotions, not synthesized."
AYUMU: "I see..."
AKI: "I know that these virtual idols are giving it their all.
But idols like you interest me so much more.
I want to see live emotions that an avatar cannot portray.
Where is the shine?
I get no personal excitement from an idol made of binary code!"
AYUMU: "What about Rina?"
AKI: "Rina is herself, not a character.
It's why I love the idea that she can perform an online concert to viewers who cannot attend.
Shouldn't this industry be looking into advancements like that, rather than creating artificial girls?"
AYUMU: "Who's been talking to y-?"
AKI: "Also, please make sure you're getting enough sleep. You've made me worried."
AYUMU: "Hm. It's a bit strange to hear that from you rather than the other way around..."
In the past, I probably would have appreciated things like V-Tubers.
Do I understand their appeal?
Yes.
Does that appeal excite me?
No.
Because Uncle Oda (no relation) has put me on the right path. He told me all about the sickening technological practices at Golden Calf.
Golden Calf's Research and Development branch, the technology they possess eclipses some of Japan's top scientific laboratories. And Kamijou is the one pointing the fingers and barking orders.
His so called 'Greatest Creation'.
They created a robot. A robot idol. One that would never age, and would remain on top of the industry forever. Stella Silver.
An idol not of flesh and blood, but of metal and circuitry. Not of emotion, but of artificial intelligence. Programmed to surpass all idols and remain at the top, unopposed forever.
Had Kamijou remained the producer of QUASAR, it would have spelt disaster for the entire idol industry. But after his father Kamijou Senior died, he had no choice but to become the Chairman.
Of course that meant Uncle Oda took over as QUASAR's producer. And because he actually cares about this industry and fair competition, he got rid of her. Or rather got rid of 'it'. He took it out to pasture somewhere and had his actual hardworking idols corner it in an alley and smash it to pieces.
Good riddance.
Trying to replace the efforts of hardworking idols with corporately created automatons...
Is this the dystopian future of the idol world that I must fight to prevent?
Organic VS Artificial.
Girl VS Machine.
I won't let the efforts of every hardworking idol be replaced by machines!