*THE NEXT DAY*
*EAST TOWER BUILDING - NIJIGASAKI HIGH SCHOOL - ODAIBA - TOKYO*
*P.O.V SWITCH - AKIHIKO SUZUKI*
I had to come back to school sooner or later. As Ayu said, Rina, Setsuna, and Mia are counting on me to help them succeed in their entry into the High School Game Creator Contest.
Even if I completely suck at games, I at least want to offer them some of my other skills. Plus they need a team of four people to enter, and we've already submitted our team...
Who knows, maybe that'll be a great distraction from everything.
Oda, Katsuo, Kamijou.
For now, I can concentrate on this instead...
What's more is that the girls got in contact with the others, and Yoshiko offered Setsuna some game magazines to borrow.
So, that material should help-
*BUMP*
AKI: "ACK! S-Sorry! I was distracted and, are you okay?"
TSUMUGI: "Yes, I'm fine."
AKI: "That's a relief. Wait a second..."
TSUMUGI: "...Um."
AKI: "Hey, I remember now. You're that girl from back at the live show!
Sorry if I was rude, I guess everyone comes to a school idol live show for different reasons."
TSUMUGI: "Ah... I should apologize, too. I was also rude, you were kind to invite me and I threw it back in your face..."
AKI: "No, it was out of line for me to call out to you like that. I understand it must have shocked or intimidated you in some way."
TSUMUGI: "I wouldn't say intimidated... Because I meant what I said."
AKI: "Eh?"
TSUMUGI: "I don't feel like there's any point in me cheering for them."
AKI: "Oh, that's right..."
...
AKI: "Did you come to see the live show? I just thought it must be hard to see from here."
TSUMUGI: "No, I'm actually-"
AKI: "Why don't we both go and cheer them on closer to the front?"
TSUMUGI: "Cheer...?"
AKI: "Yeah! C'mon, you can join me and my friend Shiro. We'll have a great time cheering for the Club!"
TSUMUGI: "Cheering is pointless. I don't cheer for school idols."
AKI: "...Huh? Then...why are you attending a school idol live show?"
TSUMUGI: "Sorry, excuse me!"
...
AKI: "But why? Can I ask you about why you said cheering is pointless? I'm curious."
TSUMUGI: "...Very well."
...
*CAFETERIA - NIJIGASAKI HIGH SCHOOL - ODAIBA - TOKYO*
TSUMUGI: "I don't think I'm capable of genuinely cheering anyone on."
AKI: "Why?"
TSUMUGI: "I think there's something egotistical about cheering, even if you don't notice it yourself."
AKI: "Egotistical?"
TSUMUGI: "Yes. The longer you cheer people on, the more your ego grows, until it's nothing but ego.
And that's when you start imposing your own ego onto other people."
AKI: "I-I don't get it, explain..."
TSUMUGI: "Take for example you support a sports team. You become very tribal and egotistical about them.
But if someone else supports a different team, then you begin to insult them. Because after all, you believe because you follow something that it's better than anything else."
AKI: "That's..."
TSUMUGI: "Look at what's happening in your own field. School idol fans are fighting over who is superior.
Recently, when Liella! have taken territory from other school idols, their fans are boastful and egotistical about it. Which leads to herd mentality, where everyone likes the same thing."
AKI: "Wait, how did you-?"
TSUMUGI: "Then there's the matter of fans who get too passionate or indulged in something. Like a work of fiction.
They feed into the fantasy, but they cannot prevent themselves from being egotistical. They insert themselves into the position of the protagonist and act as if they themselves are the protagonist in that world.
They cheer on the person providing them the material for that fantasy, yet when they do something that contradicts that fan's own vision of the fantasy, they often impose their frustrations onto the person they're supporting.
They tell them to do things differently or to do things the way that they want them to, rather than what the creator originally planned.
All in the name of feeding their own ego with a fantasy, using cheering as an excuse.
They're not cheering, they're indulging."
AKI: "But-"
TSUMUGI: "Idols are not so different. They sell their fans lies and fantasies. A false reality in which they, the fan, are the one who is closest to that idol.
Which often leads to fans having an unhealthy obsession with idols, and trying to dictate how their careers should go.
Also god forbid any idol have a romantic partner, because that completely shatters their fans' egotistical fantasies.
It's nothing genuine, supporting someone isn't about someone's love for another.
It's about them wanting the other person to do things the way that they want to, because people cannot see past their own reflection. It's egotistical narcissism.
And in that case, cheering is pointless. That's what I think, anyway."
AKI: "Um... But I'm pretty sure not all idol fans are like that. Plus, I don't think there's anyone out there who wouldn't be happy about being cheered on. It's what gives you strength to do your best. That's how we've always operated in the School Idol Club, I've always given those girls my support."
TSUMUGI: "So you're saying your support is always 100% completely genuine?
Or perhaps you are too blind and egotistical to notice that it isn't."
AKI: "...Excuse me?"
TSUMUGI: "Are you really going to use yourself as an example? What about other fans of the School Idol Club? Do their cheers not matter? Did they not contribute to the success of those girls?"
AKI: "They-"
TSUMUGI: "Because I'm pretty sure I saw you hurt Shiro Kosaka on Valentine's Day. Then you usurped the Student Council presidency and imposed your own selfish will on everyone.
All on Valentine's Day of all days. Is it because your idols had feelings for others?
Is it that your ego couldn't take a hit that big?"
AKI: "What?!"
TSUMUGI: "Then you have the audacity to say that you are doing this out of support for them. Like you're cheering them on.
You're not. I've kept an eye on you.
You're just possessive. Because the moment those girls show any hint of breaking your fantasy, you lose your mind. Like any other idol fan."
AKI: "Th-Th-"
TSUMUGI: "When they tried to do what they wanted to do, it was against your own vision as a fan.
So you imposed your own ideas onto them, banning them from participating in other Clubs."
AKI: "I lifted that ban!"
TSUMUGI: "There shouldn't have been a ban in the first place. You're a supporter of the School Idol Club, but only when you're in control, aren't you?
The moment you lose that control, you turn against them."
AKI: "That's not-!"
TSUMUGI: "Ai and Karin joined the School Idol Clique, and you resented them. Because you weren't in control."
AKI: "B-But-"
TSUMUGI: "I bet you were thinking 'But I supported them. Why would they do this to me? After all the cheers I gave them.' right?"
AKI: "...That's right, but-"
TSUMUGI: "I've been a spectator for a while. Though it may seem unnatural to you, but the world does not revolve around you. Other people, we do exist. The School Idol Club were the center of everything this past year, after all, everyone has been watching you. It was hard not to.
The rest of the school may have forgiven you for what you did last month, but I have not.
Because you are an egotistical control-freak who cannot transcend the nature of cheering.
You have no genuine feelings, you only want control. Just like any fan who has grown too egotistical for their own good. Not once have I seen any genuine feelings of support from you that wasn't to feed your own ego.
And to cap it all off, you're going to try to play the hero and take the spotlight from the rest of those girls, because your ego couldn't take being in the background. You're not doing this for them, you're doing it for yourself.
Everything has to be about you.
Because you are an egotistical fan who thinks they know better than who they support."
AKI: "............"
TSUMUGI: "Sorry. I shouldn't force my way of thinking on you. But that's how I see things. It's the nature of cheering, after all.
Goodbye."
AKI: ".............."
...
*LATER THAT DAY*
*RINA'S ROOM - TENNOJI RESIDENCE - BRILLIA ARIAKE CITY TOWER - ODAIBA*
AKI: ".................."
MIA: "Babyboy... Hey?! Babyboy?!"
AKI: "Eh? Sorry, what was that?"
MIA: "What're you staring off into space for? You wanted to study the magazines Yoshiko loaned us, right?"
AKI: "Huh? Oh, right... Of course! Th-The contest begins tomorrow after all! Today's our last and only chance to iron things out."
RINA: "It's great that she gave us so many. I'll have to call her to thank her later."
SETSUNA: "Oh, I already sent her a message. Apparently, Yoshiko and the others are all going to watch our stream tomorrow. I feel really motivated now!"
MIA: "You won't be able to keep that energy up for the next 48 hours, Setsuna."
SETSUNA: "I know, but I'm going to try with everything I've got!
Besides,, other people are going all out just like us right now. So I've gotta give it my all too!"
RINA: "Oh, today was one of Karin's photoshoot, wasn't it?"
MIA: "And Emma went out to record a video, right."
AKI: "Yeah... Uh...... Oh, Ayu and the others are stocking up on ingredients and making food to bring us. That's cool... She made a nice stew the other day, it was yummy..."
SETSUNA: "Oh boy... Feeling everyone's motivation makes me energized too! Okay, let's do our best with these final preparations!"
...
*MEANWHILE*
*LIFE DESIGN COURSE CLASSROOM - NIJIGASAKI HIGH SCHOOL - ODAIBA - TOKYO*
TSUMUGI: "Kanata, about what you asked before... I can't go with you after all."
KANATA: "I-I see..."
TSUMUGI: "I'm so sorry for having to turn you down."
KANATA: "No, I'm just glad you thought about it. Thank you."
TSUMUGI: "I'm sure you can win the National No. 1 High School Patissier Contest by yourself, Kanata. The sweets you make are super delicious, after all."
KANATA: "Oh, I can't make them as well as you do, Tsumugi. I wish I could though."
TSUMUGI: "Believe in yourself. I know you'll be fine, Kanata."
KANATA: "Okay, I'll do my best!"
TSUMUGI: "I know you will. Goodbye..."
KANATA: "Goodbye.
...*Sigh*
Aw, she turned me down..."