Side One Hundred And Eighty-Five – Kanzaki Keiko

    “You were great.” one of the other members of AKB0048 gushed, praising Keiko and the others. “But don’t get complacent. We won’t be outdone!”

    “That’s right!” another groupmate agreed. It was one of the rare occasions when the entire group was gathered, to put on a huge performance, and while AKB0048 weren’t the headline act, they were second billing, and were positioned before the intermission, having the same length of set as the headliners. “Even though you’ll be doing your song where you’re centre, Kanzaki-chan, so are we!”

    “Yes, Juu-chan is too!” yet another said, and Keiko exchanged a wry glance with Asuka and Ema, who were likewise being mobbed by their fellow groupmates, as were the three girls who were part of the collaboration song with Red and White. Seeing that, the most respected member of the group, Narumi-chan, or Rumi-Rumi to the group members who looked up to her, clapped her hands, her stunning smile drawing all eyes.

    “All right, I know everyone is excited. Even for us, playing Tokyo Dome, and more, being seen nationwide and worldwide is a huge deal... but we’re AKB! We are always ready to give it our all. So... calm down everyone.” Her smile was beautiful, and for a moment Keiko was envious of her, as Rumi-Rumi had achieved great success and had been centre on a record number of songs, winning fan vote after fan vote.

    “We can do it, just like always. Now... watching Kanzaki-chan, Yoshino-chan and little Ema, as well as the others, doing the collaboration song got us fired up, but... again, we’re AKB! Performing awesome songs for the adoring fans is what we do! And we’re the best at it. Tamami-chan and Red and White are like our little sisters, and which little sister can outdo her older, wiser siblings?”

    “Objection!” Ema raised one hand cheerfully. “I’m the youngest, and I’m not content to be in everyone’s shadows forever! I’m looking forward to our song, but...” She stared at Keiko, her eyes intense. “...I’m going to grab a centre spot soon, be a hit with the fans, win a poll! Besides...” Her smile turned wicked, like a little imp. “...I know you’re upset that your ideal man isn’t here to watch, Keiko-chan! But if you were to date him, you’d have to quit. It’d make me and Asuka-chan super sad, but... follow your heart and your dreams!”

    Keiko found herself blushing. Ema, you cheeky little... Before she could say anything, Ema was squawking in protest as she had been swept into Rumi-Rumi’s arms, pressed against her ample bosom.

    “Well done little Ema!” Rumi-Rumi smiled warmly. “Your cheeky antics have calmed everyone down. You know, maybe you’ll surpass us all one day. But before that... it’s not easy to win a fan poll!” Releasing the flushed girl, Rumi-Rumi chuckled, patting her head gently and carefully, so as not to muss her hair. “As for you, Kanzaki-chan... It’s not like I don’t understand it. Oshiro-san is very heroic and brave, but... it’s bad form for an idol to say she likes someone. It ruins the dreams of our fans. We’re for everyone, not for someone. But again... I understand it.”

    “Yeah, but I only said he was my ideal guy.” Keiko’s flush returned. “Which he is. I mean, he saved us! But... you’ll see soon. It’s just a fantasy. Just like our fans fantasise about us, can’t I about someone else? Anyway, when his sister and his girlfriends come backstage after our set, be nice, okay?”

    “Yeah...” Asuka giggled cheerfully. “They’re all rather amazing, in their own ways. I don’t think I could do it, share my boyfriend... hey, I don’t have one, okay?” she insisted, before anyone could speak. “Just saying!”

    “I could!” Ema giggled. “It’s actually a little romantic. I asked Matriarch Daiyu about her experiences, and... it’s dreamy. The Dao of Love! Maybe I’ll follow that path!”

    “I don’t understand...” Rumi-Rumi was puzzled, and she wasn’t alone. As Asuka grabbed Ema and playfully teased her, Keiko shook her head.

    “We’ve told you about Cultivation. It’s one of the reasons we’re so good now. The Dao... it’s like your way of life, your core, what you believe in and embody most. It’s well beyond me, to be honest. But then, our Matriarch admits it’s beyond her too, for now. But...” She looked out at the host of groupmates, all resplendent in their matching outfits, be they wearing shorts, skirts, waistcoats or scarves. “...honestly, don’t you find it wonderful and terrifying? The world...” I’ve thought about it a lot. Ever since talking to Akio-kun and Arisu-chan. Being saved from Sora-kun. Becoming a disciple under Matriarch Daiyu, putting on the uniform I was given... nothing seems real, yet it’s actually the most real life has ever felt...

    “... we are AKB0048, you’re right Rumi-Rumi.” Her voice echoed in the changing room as everyone looked on. One of the event staffers glanced at their watch worriedly, but Keiko knew she had time. “We do more than sing and dance. We’re the stuff of fantasies and dreams. Not all of them are good...”

    “Like Sora-kun... that was a nightmare, not a dream...” Asuka sighed, and around her there were nods. Sadly, stalking wasn’t uncommon in the idol scene, though Sora-kun was fortunately a rare escalation, even if it almost ended in unthinkable tragedy.

    “...yes, sometimes the dreams we offer corrupt. But for many... we bring light into boring, dreary lives, offer escape. But... I want us to be more than just that.” Yes, they are all clever, driven, intelligent and powerful women. Ruthless too. Some of them scare me a little. But one thing anyone can see is... the world will go their way, or they’ll crush it. And honestly... I’m jealous of the world they see in their dreams. And... I do believe in destiny.

    “What do you mean?” Rumi-Rumi spoke for everyone, as she often did, and Keiko’s answering smile was radiant. Even Rumi-Rumi flushed a little at her charm.

    “Asuka knows. Ema knows. Those who danced with us just a while ago know.” There were nods as she continued. “As idols we sell dreams, and give a hope that the world isn’t grey and bleak. Each song, each dance is almost like a prayer, in a way. Tamami-chan gets that, hence Red and White call themselves servants of the Gods and the fans. But... this is a world now that truly needs those bringers of hope.”

    “And you think we can be that?” Rumi-Rumi was no fool, so she understood Keiko’s point.

    “I know we can be! When people fear disasters and for their own safety and those of their loved ones, just like now, we can dispel the gloom. When the world seems bereft of hope, we can be there to shine like a beacon, showing there are still those that would dispel the darkness!” Yes, idols used to be objects of devotion, usually from the Gods. Isn’t that a little similar to Akio-kun and the others, those who carry the hope of the Gods that Earth won’t perish, that humanity will prosper? “And... when our fans, our believers, are threatened, are menaced... we will not only give them courage, but we’ll use our strength to defend them!”

    Yes, weakness is a sin. We can’t rely on our agents, our security, to protect us from what’s coming. I... we’ve seen the other side.

    “I... we... we’re entertainers yes, but...” Rumi-Rumi began, only for Ema to giggle madly. Yes, she understands. After all, Sora-kun nearly... until Akio-kun came soaring in like a prince, no, like a Divine being, and ended our nightmares...

    “You don’t get it Rumi-Rumi. Fighting is for police and soldiers, right? Everyone thinks like that. But while Matriarch Daiyu certainly isn’t ordinary... when you speak to Eri-chan, or Aiko-chan, or many of the others... they are just like us. They know that strength isn’t something you leave for others!”

    “Exactly!” Asuka backed them up, addressing everyone, pumped up. “If... if we were strong, Sora-kun could never have done what he did, we might have even been able to steer him off his destructive path! Think about it... if we weren’t saved... we might be dead. Or if not...”

    “Our careers as idols would have been finished.” Ema didn’t like to think about it, Keiko knew, and the younger girl still had nightmares, though they diminished a lot after the Chirurgery. Increased Resilience, I expect? “Some would say I’d be finished as a woman, but... that’s not something we should say.”

    Yes, not something we should say. It’s too cruel to her, Suzuki-san. I can still hardly believe she’s a ghost.

    “Instead...you’d be mourning. AKB0048 might even have finished. A few times in the past, when things got bad, it looked dicey, didn’t it?” Ema asked piercingly, and Rumi-Rumi had to admit it was true. And incidents of stalking and assault are nothing compared to what would have befallen the three of us...

    “Yes, but...” one girl spoke up, and Asuka took over.

    “Do you know why Matriarch Daiyu asked us to be her disciples? It seems crazy. We’re idols, singers and dancers, entertainers. It’s because when it comes to pursuing our dreams, we’re single-minded, to an almost idiotic degree!” Her words were self-deprecating. “We have a diet that rivals third-world prisoners, we constantly train and exercise, repeating routines over and over, sometimes a thousand times, until we can do it without a mistake...”

    “Yeah.” Keiko continued. “...we keep ourselves absurdly fit, yet always beautiful. To be at the top, we deny ourselves love, pleasures such as sweets and free time... and we’re still not satisfied. We can always be better, be the centre, of attention, of the group, of the fans! Well, despite everything, I believe in the fans, though... I no longer want to deny myself the pleasures of life.”

    “We don’t have to, Keiko-chan!” Ema insisted. “Daiyu-chan... err, Matriarch says she did it that way, and ended up all alone, left adrift in the oceans to die, horribly wounded. But now she knows that true strength comes from grasping everything she desires. And that love is the strongest path of all. I like it. The Dao of Love!” she repeated her earlier words.

    “So let amber lightning flash, let brilliant rain fall...” Asuka sang.

    “Against headwinds of sorrow, raise all your might and walk...” Ema joined in, before they all sang together.

    “Because after lightning strikes thrice, the sun will come! Your hopes bloom like sakura blossoms in spring, clouds part and misfortune runs! If you press on, and let none bar your way, amber lightning will flash, and sorrow burns away!”

    They paused, the lights dimming to nothing, apart from the spotlights, the remaining dancers frozen.

    “We’re lightning that strikes thrice!”

    With that last line delivered by the three of them the music died, and the audience responded, and Keiko found her face wet, her voice choked up. Looking at Asuka and Ema, who seemed to feel the same, Keiko wiped her face, before smiling at the crowd, who were waving their glowsticks frantically in approval.

    “Thank you, thanks you all! It was an honour, singing this song! Like we told our fans at the AKB cafe? in Akiba that fateful day, this song was modified a little. So, Shaeula, I know you’re watching, thank you for helping Matsuri-chan realise her dream. In fact, her song is up next!” The spotlight then lit up Juu-chan, who was similarly teary, yet composed. “So... thank you. I hope you continue to let nothing bar your way. And that... you’ll go easy on us in training!” She winked, while Ema burst out into giggles. “Anyway, there are two versions of the three of us in the special idol gacha, our ordinary AKB versions, and thrice lightning versions, which like Suzu-chan, are super rares! It’s all for a good cause, so why not buy a few? The ones in the arena do have a slightly boosted rate, as a bonus for buying a ticket...” Keiko confided slyly, as if giving secret information. “But even so, our online and international orders still have a shot at some one-off collectors editions!”

    “Yeah, I look awesome cute in my thrice lightning getup!” Ema giggled. “And... if we sell enough, maybe we can do this again. Maybe we’ll even ask Akio-kun if his girlfriends in various costumes can be part of the set?”

    “No way, he won’t allow that... he’s the jealous type.” Asuka sniggered. “Unless... we really hit monumental sales and sell out the gacha that factories have been running around the clock to fill with merchandise. Anyway... we better stop now, or Matsui-chan will cry...”

    “Yes, back to our positions!” Keiko agreed. “But... say a few words first, Matsui-chan! This is it, your big moment. Nothing more bars your way!”

    “I know...” Juu-chan laughed. “Anyway...” She gave high-fives to the three of them, before occupying the vacated centre spot, Rumi-Rumi as her backup. “Yes, I’m Matsui-chan, and... this is my moment! Our moment!”

    As the lights switched to a brilliant cross shaped pattern, lighting up the members of AKB0048, the music began to play, quietly at first, and then, cannons full of confetti cherry blossoms blasted out into the crowd, and flames shot into the sky, some of them sparking to ashes in a beautiful and also dangerous display.

    Watching the blossoms fall, burning, Keiko smiled, as the long-awaited song Cherry Blossom Fortune Telling began. Really, we can only do such impressive stage shows because of the presence of Chosen. I hope this changes people’s perception of them. It’s not all villains like Sora-kun... Then she had no more time to think, as she was moving through her part of the dance routine...

    ***

    “Thank you one and all!” Rumi-Rumi declared, as the final song, Teacher Teacher, finished. Flames sparkled and a cascade of golden sparks sheeted down from the roof, flanking the stage in an elegant display. “We are AKB0048, and we love you all! Dig deep into your hearts and your pockets, and do donate to this good cause, or take a try on our idol gacha for no end of awesome prizes! But don’t get addicted, okay? Trying to get every member of AKB0048, especially with alternative costumes, will bankrupt you!” She winked, exuding the grace and charm that had made her the manager of AKB0048 within the girls of the group.

    “No kidding. Though... I’m one with an alternate costume.” Juu-chan also spoke. It was as if a devil was lifted from her, and honestly, Keiko wasn’t the only one to have shed a few tears during her song. Fortunately we were on the fringes for Cherry Blossom Fortune Telling, as Ema was crying big ugly tears. Luckily you can’t tell under those lights...

    “Anyway... we want to thank Red and White for collaborating with some of our promising young members.” Juu-chan continued. “And also...” She thanked the previous bands, and those to come.

    “And thanks to Suzu-chan and Suzumebachi for warming up the crowd, and our wonderful hosts.” Rumi-Rumi waved at Arisu-chan and her co-hosts. “Anyway, we’ve said our piece already, but... this isn’t the end. No, we’ll go from strength to strength, and so will Japan! We’ve suffered sad tragedy and loss, but... like our song says, the stormy clouds will pass! Be well everyone, and now it’s the intermission, feel free to spend some money!”

    Everyone in the group took a bow, and then the lights dimmed, revealing Arisu-chan, Aoki-san and Fumie-san.

    “That was a spectacle, wasn’t it?” Fumie-san spoke cheerfully. “Though my heart shook when the fiery rain of blossoms happened. That’s a breach of health and safety regulations for sure, I don’t want us to get shut down!”

    “Yes, for a moment I thought that a mistake had happened and the fire alarms were going to go off.” Aoki-san joked. “That would have made history in a different way. But you looked as calm as ever, Arisu-chan!”

    “Of course. It was carefully choreographed, with support of a number of wielders of wind, the spectacle was contained. And rather beautiful.” Arisu-chan agreed. “Besides, even were there a genuine accident, I am here. I would handle it.”

    “Not as beautiful as you, Arisu-chan. Why, if I was twenty years younger...” Aoki-san repeated his usual joke, as the members of AKB0048 left the stage. There was cleaning and restocks to do before the next acts, and besides, everyone was exhausted. Except us three, of course.

    As they entered their dressing room, Keiko smiled. “Matriarch, fellow disciples. Aiko-chan, Kana-chan.”

    “Whoa, our dressing room is full of beauties. Hey... is that... Shaeula?” one groupmate said, eyes wide, and the woman in question nodded, her amber hair and eyes drawing attention.

    “Indeed, it is me-me.” She snorted, amused. “And it is quite-quite the pleasure to meet you all. I am very-very much a fan.”

    “Hey, don’t forget me!” Aiko-chan declared. There were a number of girls behind her, two in gal fashion, and two more, in gyaru stylings, though one looked simultaneously uncomfortable and excited. “Anyway...” Aiko-chan gave everyone a thumbs-up, before coming over.

    “Hey, Keiko-chan, Ema-chan, Asuka-chan, great song! Shaeula was hilariously embarrassed by it. You were all great too!”

    As the VIP visitors who were either friends, family or lovers of Akio-kun, it seemed, were mingling with the idols as they changed clothes and stripped off their makeup, Daiyu strode over, forcing the three of them to instinctively stand up straighter. It’s sort of ingrained in us, isn’t it?

    After giving them an appraising glance, their usually expressionless Matriarch gave a brisk nod. “Not so bad. Your performance was tolerable.”

    “Thanks!” Keiko laughed in relief. “Anyway, now you’re here, let me introduce you to everyone...” Glancing around the packed room, Keiko felt a surge of pride and joy, as well as determination. I’ve done it. I sang my song as the centre, at the biggest event I’ll likely ever see. But that’s not enough, not anymore. No, our horizons have opened up, and we have to seize lucky lightning when it strikes, or forever regret it...