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The Portal of Zeta: iDOLM@STER Neo Vision

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ZetaFlare:
Minakami Megumi's Route, conclusion

Over the next few weeks, Megumi’s partners help her boost her skills and confidence. They know she tries her hardest and wants to get better. This allows the unit to bond.

Upon reaching Rank A, Megumi can really feel the progress she has made. Once she hears that ZetaPro has been issued a challenge by NAZO, she becomes slightly frightened. It almost seems as if they are just trying to bully Megumi. Kenji assures her that perhaps it just has something to do with the company itself—nothing against her personally. Besides, he believes his unit has become so amazing to the point where they might be able to stand up to NAZO this time around. On the day of the Harvest Moon Festival, Megumi tries her best to remain calm. Sure, NAZO’s skill is unparalleled, but it doesn’t hurt to at least try. Megumi takes a deep breath and takes the stage. Unfortunately, the performance is cancelled due to a pyrotechnic malfunction. Not knowing what to do, Megumi is frozen in her tracks trembling in fear as the flames reach the stage. With time running out, Kenji boldly rushes in and takes Megumi off the stage to safety. Luckily, she was not hurt, but she is in tears and almost out of breath. As Yamato shows up to take NAZO home, he swings by ZetaPro, laughs at Megumi’s situation, and mocks the company for hiring such a helpless, pathetic weakling as an idol. Only a common-class company like ZetaPro would stoop so low. The only reason she could have become so popular is because her fans are a bunch of easily-moved pansies who felt sympathetic of Megumi. Kenji is fed up with his nonsense and angrily defends Megumi. He can tell Megumi has come a long way since her debut. What started off as a glint of self-confidence became much brighter the more progress she made and the more popular she became. She has become willing to try her hardest no matter what the outcome, even when facing near impossible odds. Plus, her two partners really enjoy having her as their leader. Megumi calmly awakens from her rest just as all this is going on. Yamato scoffs at Kenji, claiming he is soft and trying to help Megumi hide from her weakness. She would get fired immediately if she was working with a big-time upper-class company like RyuuseiPro. He laughs as he and NAZO walk away. As they leave, Kenji claims he will show just what Megumi has become once the IU finals roll around. Once Kenji helps Megumi back on her feet, everyone returns to the office.

That night, Megumi tells Kenji she heard everything during her rest. While she does apologize for causing Kenji a lot of trouble because of the fire, she thanks him profusely not only for helping her out of the fire, but always standing up for her against NAZO and their producer. Being around people like Kenji and the other two idols gives her the strength to carry on. She feels a lot more confident now than ever before. Next time ZetaPro faces NAZO, Megumi feels sure her unit will be able to perform at their level. She knows the road ahead will not be easy, but she will try her very hardest for the sake of ZetaPro. Kenji and the others are so proud of Megumi’s newly-found confidence.

On the day of the IU finals opening ceremonies, Megumi overhears a conversation between Himeko and Yamato. While her rival still claims to be perfect, she feels a little insecure being fully British. She fears that if word gets out (especially about her real name), all the fame and fortune she has will be destroyed and she will have absolutely no chance of winning the IU. Yamato angrily makes her snap out of it. He made her a regal princess idol because she is the definition of pure perfection and proof that the upper class is superior in every way. Her competition will bow to her like the goddess she is. Megumi can hardly believe it. Deep down, Himeko almost feels as insecure as she once was. She tries to chat with Himeko, somewhat sympathizing with her insecure feelings. Despite their differences, they have both become very successful idols. Himeko feels offended and tells Megumi they are far from alike. She’s perfect royalty and Megumi is a helpless commoner. Besides, Megumi doesn’t have to worry about her nationality. You know how some Japanese people are towards foreigners. Himeko runs off back to NAZO’s meeting point.

After Namco Angel gets knocked out of the running in the IU quarterfinals, Megumi helps comfort and cheer up Yukiho after Yamato mercilessly insults her. She can hardly believe how similar she is to Yukiho. Sure they still have their weak moments from time to time, but they have both grown so strong and have somewhat shed their timid natures since becoming idols. Yukiho thanks Megumi for her support and wishes her the best of luck in the next rounds. She knows her potential. She will be rooting for her.

Believing Megumi may have grown too confident for her own good, Yamato decides to try to spoil her good mood by flooding the ZetaPro inbox with a truckload of hate mail on the day of the finals. Since Megumi is the shy easily-broken type, he figures something like this will make her have a nervous breakdown, feel useless, and drop out of the competition, if not the idol world entirely.

As soon as Kenji receives the letters, Megumi is shocked. Never before has she seen so many vulgar and threatening insults towards her. Not one of them contained even the slightest bit of constructive criticism. Kenji is worried that all these messages might make Megumi lose her self-confidence. Much to everyone’s surprise, she just shakes them all off. This is not the time to worry about stuff that can’t be helped. Besides, there are so many people who enjoy her and her songs that the people who disapprove of her don’t even matter anymore. Megumi’s unit is about to perform in the biggest concert of their lives. They are going to need all the confidence they have got especially against NAZO. Kenji and the others are surprised. Normally Megumi would break down and cry in a situation like this, but now she’s aware of her abilities and is brimming with self-confidence! Everyone is so proud of her. As they prepare to head for Tokyo Dome, though, Megumi does look a bit concerned.

After ZetaPro gets dressed out and prepares for the IU finals, Kenji notices that Megumi is looking troubled. Truth be told, Megumi actually felt a little concerned about the hate mail flood. Now she is worried that something might happen during the performance much like the prank that ruined her concert almost ten years ago. If something goes wrong now, she fears she will be hated by everyone. Then, all of a sudden, Megumi hears a decent section of the crowd chanting her name. Plus, Kaito soon arrives with a special present for her. It’s a white rose and a letter that reads, “Do your best, Megumi-chan! All of us at 765Pro are cheering for you! Sincerely, Hagiwara Yukiho.” Megumi is so happy she’s moved to tears. All those hate letters mean nothing. Everybody is on her side. Kenji also wishes her the best of luck—he knows she can do it. Megumi confidently takes the stage with everyone’s support, ready to take on NAZO for the final showdown. As Yamato approaches in an attempt to pick on Megumi, he is flabbergasted at the sight. This was not supposed to happen. Megumi tells him she has changed a lot since becoming an idol. She is much more confident in what she does now knowing that so many people are supporting her and her talents, especially her producer after he stood up for her at the Harvest Moon Festival. Yamato claims all that hate mail was supposed to crush her spirits. It turns out he bribed several diehard NAZO fans to flood Megumi with insulting and threatening messages. Besides, he couldn’t have written them all by himself because people would be suspicious if they all had the same handwriting. Kenji overhears the truth and angrily tells Yamato to stop bullying Megumi and fighting dirty. Realizing his back is against the wall and Megumi is eager to take on NAZO no matter what the odds, he decides to fight fair. Now is Megumi’s chance to prove just how much she has grown!

ENDING

Megumi decides it is finally time to talk to Kenji in private. Becoming an idol really helped her change for the better. She has regained the self-confidence she had as a child and then some. Now she puts her all into everything she does without worry of failure. She has grown much more social in her daily life. She now strikes up a conversation with her classmate (the one who discovered her talents and encouraged her to become an idol) every chance she gets. Because of her time chatting with Kenji, she feels much more comfortable talking to other boys too…although she did have to turn down a date offer from one of them (because of the whole “idols can’t love” shtick). Megumi really has Kenji to thank for shaping her into the girl she is today. His constant care and support for her really helped her find some much-needed optimism. Despite feeling useless, being overly hard on herself, and her fear of failure, he never gave up on her, so she never gave up on herself. Megumi is especially grateful to him after saving her from the stage fire at the Harvest Moon festival and standing up to her in the face of Yamato’s insults. To show her appreciation, Megumi gives Kenji the white rose Yukiho gave her…and a big hug for good measure. Sure Yukiho was a big inspiration of hers, but Kenji was an even bigger one. Think of it as thanks for helping her “bloom.”

liza94:

--- Quote from: ZetaFlare on June 18, 2014, 06:56:55 pm ---idols can’t love
--- End quote ---

Why is it ???

By the way, who is the next character?

MetalPredat0r:

--- Quote from: liza94 on June 18, 2014, 10:30:04 pm ---Why is it ???

--- End quote ---

Apparently, in Japan, idols that get in relationships get widely hated for doing so. I think its a purity thing or something.

ZetaFlare:
Once I get through with a couple of skits, I'll do Kaori, Momoko, and Hikari next.

I believe it probably is a purity thing. I heard about it on a blog bashing people for making explicit fanart of the iM@S girls. Still, that shtick can become pretty much moot when it comes to those doujin writers.

Speaking of, this issue became a big inspiration for Chiyo's story.

MetalPredat0r:
Well, fandom in general tends to ignore certain rules just to make their ships possible. If we went by canon, then YukihoxMakoto would be impossible to have, or at least nearly.

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