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The Portal of Zeta: iDOLM@STER Neo Vision

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ZetaFlare:
Jinguuji Tamaki's Route, cont.

Kenji and Kaito arrive at a shrine which serves as the home of Tamaki’s family. The only people at home are Tamaki and her father. Kenji finds Tamaki outside praying at a fountain. Tamaki is happy to see her producer again. She actually predicted his arrival. Not only was she trained to be a miko since her childhood, but she’s also fairly skilled at divination. Her father claims she got that trait from her mother. Tamaki is still feeling a little upset because her father will not let her become a singer. Since she comes from a long line of miko in her family, her father wished to pass on the family’s traditions to their next of kin. Ever since her mother mysteriously disappeared, her father has become much stricter with Tamaki’s training. However, Tamaki scorned the “boring” life of a miko, having to remain at the shrine most of the day doing divinations, prayers, selling charms, and kagura dancing. Instead, Tamaki preferred a more adventurous lifestyle, going out with friends and looking for love in many different places. She would often gush over and flirt with any strapping young man who enters the shrine. She would rather listen to her favorite boy bands than some traditional form of music her father would always play in the background. She was willing to do anything to make the boys go wild over her, even going as far as wearing something revealing (like a bikini) instead of her usual miko garb when doing business with pretty guys. After discovering Jupiter, Tamaki decided to try her hand at singing in the hopes they would recognize and love her. Unfortunately, her father recently caught on to her plans, deleted her NicoNico account, wiped the entire “Rei-tan” persona off the face of the Internet, threw out all of her CDs, and even sold her laptop computer. He highly disapproves Tamaki’s hotheaded personality, boy-crazy tendencies, and desire to be an idol. He believes a love life like that will never work and will eventually lead to prostitution. He also does not like her going out and about as much either…they never know when someone might turn to her for divine guidance. Tamaki was always expected to be pure, polite, and respectful (especially towards shrine visitors), do exactly as she is asked, and take her miko duties seriously. While he sounds like he is treating her like this for her own good and for the sake of the family, Tamaki feels trapped on a path she does not wish to travel. She thought if she could not be an utaite or a net personality, she could become a real idol. After all, boys really love their idols too. As an idol, she might be able to realize her dreams of getting noticed by Jupiter and maybe even find a boyfriend. One night, Tamaki ran away from home and decided to find a talent agency to audition for. It took a couple of tries, but the President of ZetaPro accepted her. Tamaki is having a pretty good time as an idol so far. Her new jobs felt much more exciting than her miko duties or even her NicoNico song projects. All of a sudden, Tamaki’s father interrupts the conversation. Reminding her that prolonged personal conversations with visitors are strictly forbidden, he calls Tamaki back inside. He then asks Kenji to leave as he is becoming a major distraction to his daughter. Kenji asks him if he ever tried listening to Tamaki’s heart for once. She’s old enough to make her own decisions. Perhaps she does not care about being a miko. However, all he gets in response is a loud, enraged “Get out!” Kenji quickly leaves, but still deeply worries about Tamaki. As Tamaki’s father heads back inside the shrine, he tells her to come straight home after school and tend to the shrine and its visitors. No more of this idol nonsense…Kenji has become a bad influence. Tamaki cringes as she begins her divination lessons. Tamaki predicts she will realize her dreams in the future. Her father thinks she’s making up false predictions and tells her to focus, but she claims she was telling the truth. As Tamaki continues to read the cards, her father worriedly looks at her. “If only you would understand…”

Next week, Tamaki manages to escape her confines in the shrine and head back to ZetaPro for her next assignment. In her hand is a gossip magazine with an article that reads, “Rei-tan returns! Beloved net singer thought to have suddenly disappeared from NicoNico currently working as a live idol.” The rumors spread through her school like wildfire. Some people felt dejected that Rei-tan selfishly betrayed them. However, others were glad to hear their net angel’s voice again and learn that Tamaki was able to move on to bigger and better things. Tamaki never really takes gossip magazines seriously at all. With her fortune-telling skills, she can learn the real truth.

(to be continued)

ZetaFlare:
Jinguuji Tamaki's Route, cont.

On the day of the IU preliminaries, Tamaki looks everywhere for Jupiter, but cannot seem to find them. She is a little disappointed, figuring they would participate in a tournament this big, especially seeing how they lost to Ryuuguu Komachi in the final round of this particular tournament last time. Kenji eventually finds Tamaki and asks her to stay with the rest of her group so she does not get lost in the sea of idols waiting in line. Tamaki still wants to find her favorite male unit, but Kenji figures they might have some business of their own they have to attend to. It would be best not to interfere with them. Still, Tamaki wonders…who knows if they will run into her later after the audition? After the competition blocks have been assigned, Tamaki gets confronted by Hineko and her two partners. Tamaki is not pleased to have to put up with Himeko’s pompous attitude again. Himeko cannot wait to teach the “lovesick skank” her place and force her to give up her immature, impure dreams, especially considering how she utterly destroyed Tamaki’s unit by herself in their last encounter. After the audition, both Tamaki and Himeko are surprised to see that ZetaPro managed to pass, although they still place a distant second to NAZO. Himeko claims “Rei-tan” only got lucky. When Himeko heard Tamaki’s singing voice earlier, she figured she sounded familiar. The boy-crazy miko idol and the “overrated” NicoNico singer with mediocre-at-best covers and skanky fangirl tendencies who selfishly abandoned her fans are one and the same. Himeko never really liked the Rei-tan persona anyway. She sings tasteless love songs just to try to find love of her own. All her fans are mindless sheep that pretty much fell for her “forbidden black magic.” Once Tamaki’s new fans figure out who she really is, they will abandon her much like she did them. Himeko demands Tamaki quit her shenanigans and let her little boy toys worship their true princess…no, queen. Tamaki suddenly notices Touma exiting the venue and instinctively rushes past Himeko to get a chance to talk with him. Himeko orders her to stop, claiming she has not finished talking with her yet, but Tamaki is too quick for her. Once Tamaki opens the door, Touma and the others are long gone. Tamaki is beyond annoyed, thinking Himeko set her up so she could spend some private time with her dream guys. Kenji disagrees, believing it was just a case of bad timing. With Rei-tan’s old fanbase still fueled by slander and supposed deception, fear of her father potentially catching on to her plans, and Himeko still being a nuisance to her, Tamaki knows she is not out of the woods yet.

Once Tamaki arrives back home, her father urgently calls her to meet him in her room. Tamaki gets a little nervous as she approaches him, expecting the worst to happen. Her father recently noticed a note on her bed saying that he felt like she belongs at ZetaPro. All her life she wanted to be a singer, not a miko. She’s old enough to start making her own decisions and her father needs to understand that. While she does respect her parents’ thoughts and wishes, she never wanted a pre-arranged future. While she originally decided to be the utaite “Rei-tan” and later an idol in order to get noticed by the pretty boy idols she likes and hopefully be able to find her dream lover, her time with Kenji and her two partners felt so special to her and helped her change for the better. She enjoys the idol life from hearing her fanboys’ cheers to the variety shows and advertisements she participates in as well as being able to sing and dance her heart out on stage. After Tamaki’s father noticed she went missing again, he thought she was being stubborn and disobedient. However, once he read her note, he had a bit of a revelation. Ever since his wife (Tamaki’s mother, a well-known miko) suddenly died, all he thought about was maintaining the honor and traditions of both sides of the family without once thinking about his own daughter’s feelings. Nearly all the women on the maternal side of Tamaki’s family have at some point in their lives (if not their entire lives) worked as miko. Her father owns and runs the shrine she has lived in since she was born. Her father knew right away that she acquired her natural beauty and top-notch fortune-telling skills from her mother. He figured Tamaki had what it takes to continue her family’s miko traditions and help his business flourish. One day, however, Tamaki’s mother seemed to suddenly lose her divine powers. Her fortune-telling became inaccurate and her prayers and charms were reported to cause a series of unfortunate events. It became so bad to the point where she was labeled as a fraud, causing rumors to spread around the city. With her family’s honor shamed, she was forced to step down as a miko and leave the shrine’s future in Tamaki’s hands. She only wanted the best for Tamaki, but felt guilty to place such a heavy burden upon her daughter at such a young age. A few days later, Tamaki’s mother’s streak of bad luck reached a climactic moment as she was killed in a fatal hit-and-run accident by someone who was driving under the influence after running a red light. After that, Tamaki’s devastated father greatly intensified Tamaki’s miko training. He heavily disapproved his daughter’s naïve views of love, hoping to keep her as pure of heart as possible just like her mother and almost any other tried-and-true miko. Tamaki’s note left her father reminiscing about his wife. He remembered the pain she felt after dishonor fell upon her…the regret she faced sacrificing her daughter’s free will for the sake of her ancestors’ honor. If she could speak her last wish today, it would definitely be that Tamaki live a free, happy life the way she wants it. If she wants to be a miko, that’s fine. If not, that’s fine too. Tamaki feels very sorry for herself. All this time her father told her she was travelling Japan bringing blessings to everyone who called for her divine aid. The truth was just too shocking to believe. If she would have known earlier, there was a good chance she might have forsaken her dreams in favor of devoting her life to becoming a miko. However, she feels relieved, knowing that both her parents now appreciate and support her dreams. The best thing she can do to make her mother happy now would be to follow her own heart…and her heart is telling her to be an idol. Besides, Tamaki has been even more successful as a live idol than she Rei-tan was as a net singer and she’s participating in one of the country’s biggest tournaments. To make up for all he has done, Tamaki’s father decides to do everything in his power to support her career. Tamaki thanks her father for understanding her feelings. She heads to the outside fountain and prays to her mother, stating that she will uphold her last wish and not disappoint her.

Next week, Tamaki tells ZetaPro the news. They are all very happy she was able to convince her father to let her be an idol. Weeks later after spending some extra time to get to know her partners better, Tamaki feels ready to take Himeko on again after ZetaPro is challenged by NAZO to square off at the Harvest Moon Festival. The wannabe princess does not disturb her anymore. Unfortunately, the performance is cancelled halfway through the performance due to a pyrotechnic malfunction. Yamato shows up and proceeds to mock ZetaPro, mainly Tamaki. To him, Tamaki is only popular because she’s pretty. Deep down, she’s just as hopeless, stupid, and ignorant as any other middle-class girl her age. Trying to do anything to get the guys to love her? It sounds like she could be planning to one day “show off” to her fans. Besides, what Tamaki does not know is that idols are supposed to be pure…no relationships, no exceptions. To think she would learn better especially now that she’s Rank A. She’s selfish and heartless the way she abandoned her net fans (for Rei-tan suddenly leaving NicoNico) and her parents (for giving up her miko duties to become a singer). Plus, she has no real talent. Rei-tan’s voice was just too plain to really stand out above the other utaite singers…there was nothing special about it at all. Both her net and live personae are highly overrated. ZetaPro pretty much hired her knowing that because she gained modest popularity over the Internet, she would be easy money as an idol. It just goes to prove how cheap and greedy lower-class companies can be. Tamaki should just give up being an idol and go back to being a miko like her family wants her to be. Tamaki strikes back, informing him it was not her decision to delete her Rei-tan persona. It was her father’s, but he knows better now. Now she’s free to do whatever her heart tells her. While she has more freedom than before, she knows her bounds and would not do anything scandalous to get boys to love her. Plus, even if she does not find a boyfriend, she doesn’t care anymore. What matters is she made such precious friends over the course of her career, mainly her partners and producer. Yamato scoffs at Tamaki’s statements, believing ZetaPro is spoiling her with their lies. Besides, there is no escape from her past. It will always come back to haunt her. He laughs as he takes NAZO back to his limo. Tamaki is not scared of Yamato’s threats, but hopes what he said about the past does not prove to be true.

On the day of the IU opening ceremonies, Tamaki 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. Tamaki never figured there was more to Himeko than meets the eye. Underneath her proud, rude, self-centered nature beats the heart of a scared, insecure girl. Tamaki figures Himeko is not in the mood to talk right now so she just lets it be for now. Besides, she knows Jupiter is in the near vicinity and really wants to talk to them. She looks everywhere but cannot seem to find them. Unfortunately for her, Kenji tells the group they are heading back to the office. Tamaki is a little disappointed she could not get to chat with Jupiter again, but figures she will get her chance once the actual finals begin.

(to be continued)

ZetaFlare:
UPDATE: Now finishing

Jinguuji Tamaki's Route, conclusion

ZetaPro will face Jupiter in the quarterfinals. Tamaki squeals with delight upon finally seeing her favorite male idols in person, telling them she has been a major fangirl of theirs ever since they formed and was inspired by their work to become a singer herself. She is really thinking about throwing the match to Jupiter in order to allow them to have their desired rematch with Ryuuguu Komachi, but ultimately decides against it. One, Kenji and the others would not let her seeing as through their mission is to defeat NAZO and bring their haughty elitist producer (and the President's son) to his senses. Two, if she did, Jupiter (especially Touma) would not take her very seriously as an idol at all...she really has to prove how and why she made it this far. Once Jupiter is defeated, Tamaki apologizes for knocking them out of the running for the IU. Touma and the others are really impressed by her skill and victory, they congratulate her for her efforts and wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors. Touma encourages her to give it her all as the heads down the last leg of the tournament, not wanting to be disappointed. Tamaki is so overcome by infatuation she swoons and nearly faints, but Kenji is there to catch her before she could fall. As a sign of appreciation, Jupiter even signs Tamaki's Alice or Guilty CD cover. Tamaki is delighted and inspired. Now that she has realized her dream of being noticed by Jupiter, she feels as though nothing could possibly go wrong now.

Tamaki's unit later defeats Project Fairy and will face NAZO in the finals. With the situation getting more out of hand, Yamato desperately searches the archives for something he could use to put an abrupt end to Tamaki's career. Suddenly, he sees something particulary eye-popping and laughs maniacally...

The next day as ZetaPro arrives at their dressing room, they notice an ominous red letter with a dragon motif. It's obviously from Yamato. It reads, "Dear Tamaki-chan...or should I say Rei-tan, You do realize you have no chance of defeating NAZO. You're nothing more than a Jupiter fangirl with a naive view of love and impure thoughts. I have recently discovered something that will prove to the entire country you are nowhere near idol material. Remember that little risque self-photoshoot Rei-tan posted on Jupiter's fan page? I have got my hands on the photos. Your net persona may be gone, but your legacy has not been forgotten. I will make you an offer...drop out of the IU finals and surrender to NAZO or else your photos shall be released to the public. Like I told you before, there is no escape from your past. Just do yourself a favor and give yourself up, you pathetic fangirl!" Tamaki remembers those photos. To show Jupiter how pretty she was, "Rei-tan" posted pics of herself half-naked performing very dangerous, suggestive poses. There is even one in the collection where she is seen exposing her nipples (though the viewers cannot see this for obvious reasons). Tamaki is so distressed she does not know what to do. She really wants to perform, but is convinced Yamato will go through with his ultimatum if she does. Both her online and offline reputations will be ruined! With time running out and Tamaki growing more and more stressed, Kenji comes up with a plan to counterattack...

Later that evening as Kenji and Kaito search for the photos, they run into Jupiter dressed as RyuuseiPro agents. Touma overheard a conversation Yamato had on the phone earlier today involving the ultimatum he sent to Tamaki. It turns out even if Tamaki did drop out of the tournament, Yamato was not going to keep his word...he plans to release the photos anyway to teach his father the error of his ways as well as prove that Tamaki should not be an idol. Not willing to once again fall for a corrupt manager's lies, Jupiter decides to aid Kenji in putting a stop their former producer's plans, believing someone like Tamaki deserves a fair fight against NAZO. Touma tells Kenji to leave everything to him since he knows where Yamato's quarters are. Once Yamato is away, the male idols are able to fool security, sneak into the room;, and open the computer. Luckily, Shouta finds the folder containing the scandalous photos and deletes them just in time. As soon as Jupiter puts the computer in sleep mode and get set to leave, Yamato suddenly enters, much to their surprise. Once Yamato asks what they are up to, Touma claims they arrived to clean up the room. Yamato thanks the disguised agents for their "service" as they exit their former producer's quarters.

Just as Tamaki's unit is about to take the stage, Jupiter shows up (back in their stage outfits) and lets Kenji know the coast is clear. They managed to delete Tamaki's photos without raising any suspicion. Tamaki thanks Jupiter graciously and hugs them with all her might, much to Touma's annoyance. With Tamaki clear to perform, she confidently takes the stage and meets NAZO face to face. Yamato, still unaware of what Jupiter has done, believes Tamaki must be a masochist for not abiding to his end of the deal. He calls one of his agents to hook up his computer to the dome's screens and display the images. However, the agent claims there is a problem...he no longer has access to the photos. Yamato is surprised. How could this happen? Jupiter suddenly appears before Yamato. Having once before worked with corrupt management who was willing to do anything to crush his enemies no matter how underhanded, Touma could not stand by and watch Yamato score a dishonest victory. Tamaki and her partners are very respectable idols. Yamato just does not want to admit it. Kenji and Jupiter demand that Yamato quit his shenanigans and fight fairly. It's what they deserve. Tamaki swoons as she thanks Jupiter for their assistance. After the conversation, Tamaki takes the stage and lets everyone know that she and the utaite Rei-tan are one and the same. She left the Internet due to circumstances beyond her control, but she loves all her fans, both online and offline. Now she wants to show everyone (especially all the pretty guys out there) the fruits of her perseverance!

ENDING

Tamaki's success and popularity are enough to make her father's shrine flourish more than ever. Some people arrive not for blessings, but for autographs. Tamaki includes a charm with each autograph as a thanks for their support. As a bit of an apology, Tamaki's father buys her a brand new laptop and USB microphone, allowing her to revive the Rei-tan persona, continue recording song covers, and even opening her own blog. One day, she meets up with Kenji again, telling him the news. She could not be any happier than she is right now and it's all thanks to him. She was able to convince her father she wanted to live her life the way she wants, her talents have won the hearts of several male fans, and she was able to get noticed and supported by her favorite male idols. However, she decides to keep a bit of a miko persona while on stage. Before her performances, she would often wave a tamagushi, blessing her audience before dazzling them with her song and dance. She figured both her father and mother would like it if she decided to incorporate both elements in her idol image. Suddenly, she gets a notification on her smart phone. She got a reply on her blog. It's from Shouta! It turns out he has become quite an avid fan of Rei-tan's song covers. He then asks if the two of them could spend a little time together after their respecive units face off in a festival. Tamaki gasps...it's like a dream come true!

ZetaFlare:
Two more story mode routes to go! Because Hotaru seemed to develop a bit of popularity when I introduced her, I'll save her for last.

Busujima Ryoko’s Route

Kenji first meets Ryoko just outside the office practicing on her guitar. It becomes apparent she has been playing or a few years now and really knows what she’s doing with her instrument. She also shows off her deep and powerful yet cool and controlled singing voice. Kenji can really tell Ryoko has that rock spirit the President told him about. Once he strikes up a conversation with her, he notices her demeanor is very punkish and boyish. If it were not for a certain chest feature of hers, Kenji might have been convinced she was a boy instead. Ryoko assures Kenji she is a genuine girl despite her looks. Upon hearing the news of her upcoming debut, she is fired up and cannot wait to be able to rock the stage. Still, Kenji wonders. Can a rockin’ girl who is even more boyish than Makoto really become a successful female idol?

At first, Ryoko has a very difficult time adjusting to idol life. She really does not enjoy acting cuter and more feminine and will sometimes even refuse to wear a dress, let alone a skirt. During some commercials and variety shows, her rock soul will often get the better of her, causing her to go all out with a loud voice and fiery, overly-enthusiastic demeanor when trying to advertise, often failing to appeal to the product’s target demographic. She would sometimes pass the time practicing on her guitar even during events when her guitar was not needed at all. Even after all that, Ryoko and her unit still gain a modest fanbase and are able to reach Rank E. Once Ryoko’s unit returns to the office after their festival performance against 876Pro, Ryoko decides to talk to Kenji in private. She apologizes for acting snippy with him and the others and giving them a rough time. Despite her rebellious demeanor, she really is a nice girl deep down. She admits idol life is much different than what she is normally used to. The truth is she never intended to be an idol in the first place—her dream is to become a rock star. Ryoko is the daughter of Ryunosuke Busujima, a big time rock singer and lead guitarist of the band known as Cobra. Ryoko devoted nearly her entire life following in his footsteps. She took up guitar lessons and honed her naturally strong yet crisp voice by singing along to some of her favorite rock albums. Because she grew up in a very rock-centered family, she began to develop a strong will, a punkish look, and a brash, boyish personality. Once she got into high school, she tried her best to join garage bands and rock music clubs, but despite her talents, none of them really seemed to accept her just because she was a girl. The fact there were no real female rock bands in her school and neighborhood did not really help much either. She even tried cutting her hair short and spiking it in order to appear more rebellious, but still no band accepted her. Still, she was allowed to perform at Ryunosuke’s favorite bar from time to time, where she became a pretty big hit. Once Ryoko began college, she began taking professional lessons and even tried her best to start up a female rock group of her own, but none of the girls in the school were interested. One day when she was practicing, the President overheard her singing and offered her to become an idol. Ryoko did not have much of an idea what idols were at the time, but her eyes lit up at being able to enter the professional music industry, seeing it as a perfect stepping stone in her path towards the world of rock. Kenji finds her story particularly interesting, especially seeing how she is the daughter of a rock artist he knows pretty well. While Kenji’s main focus is classical and instrumental music, he has listened to and enjoyed quite a few Cobra songs when he was younger. Until she can realize her dream, Ryoko promises she will do her best to become the best idol she can be. The path may a bit rockier than she thinks, but she is the type who always gives 110% in everything she does and never even thinks about giving up. It’s just not her style.

As the days go by, not much has changed. Ryoko does not feel like she’s really improving much as an idol even though her dancing has gotten much better and her voice is still as strong as ever. On the day of the Sunny Beach Festival, Ryoko puts on her best performance to date, but it still is not enough as her unit is crushed by Kagura. Kagura really does not care for Ryoko at all. Due to her looks and demeanor, she is hardly even considerable idol material. It’s like ZetaPro pulled a gangster boy-in-a-girl’s-body from the slums. Even if she was into rock music, there is no way someone like her can be shaped into a proper idol. All she will do is hold the rest of her unit back. No matter what she or her friends do, she cannot change fate. Getting a little frustrated from such demeaning comments, Ryoko tries to defend herself, claiming she is much more caring and dedicated than Kagura thnks, but Kagura quickly silences her, considering Ryoko’s “pathetic” excuses annoying. She then demands Ryoko to quit being an idol as she is a disgrace to both the idol world and the rock world. Just before she leaves, she turns back and tells Ryoko, “By the way…Cobra is overrated.” Ryoko almost snaps and urges Kagura to take back what she said, but Kagura simply ignores her and leaves the festival venue.

Back at the office, Ryoko is really disappointed with herself for snapping at Kagura. It’s like she just proved her statement true. Kenji assures Ryoko that everything Kagura said about her is far from true. He is not quite sure what is going through Kagura’s head right now, but he can tell she is far too stuck up to open up to Ryoko and prove her true feelings do not necessarily match her appearance. Still, Ryoko blames herself for the unit’s loss. Compared to her partners, when it comes to developing her idol aura, she feels as though she is falling way behind. No matter how hard she tries, she is too used to her punkish rock persona, often sticking her in awkward situations. Kenji comforts her, claiming that adjusting to a brand new, completely different lifestyle is never an easy thing. It’s like when you first move from the city to the country or vice versa. Some of the other idols feel like they needed to adjust their styles a bit too. Their adjustment situations often proved to be just as difficult. Rest assured, Kenji will make sure that he and the other two idols help Ryoko change and become the best rockin’ idol she can be, even if it’s just a stepping stone for bigger and better things. Nobody else is giving up on her so she should not give up on herself either. Ryoko thanks everyone for the support. She promises to do her best to help out the unit as much as she can, but still worries that her best might not be good enough.

As Kagura informs her “mysterious” producer of her recent victory, she seems curious about her opponent. Her family name happens to be Busujima…could she really be related to him? Nevertheless, Kagura’s producer knows Ryoko is simply no match for her and is hardly a threat to his plans…

(to be continued)

Expect the appearance and involvement of a 765Pro idol in the next part!

ZetaFlare:
Busujima Ryoko's Route, cont.

Ryoko’s unit manages to get their momentum back after a couple of successful outings. As the weeks go by, while Ryoko’s natural talents keep on improving, her nature still has not made much change. She still prefers to wear dark colors over cute, girly, or glittery outfits. She still acts very boyish and often winds up sparking awkward situations. She continues to utilize a powerful, rock-type singing voice even during songs where it is not really necessary (i.e. cute, hyper songs or quiet/sad ballads). It almost appears as if she is way too used to her “rock girl” image or simply does not want to change. Even after her unit reaches rank C and faces off against 961Pro/Ryuuguu Komachi, Ryoko still gets complaints from directors and some fans regarding her behavior. According to them, while she shows more and more promise the further she progresses, she just does not seem to fit the general description of a tried-and-true idol with her punkish rockin’ girl attitude. There appears to be almost nothing cute or innocent about her at all. Plus, it seems like she does not even want to try to change her act for the better. Because of this, she is starting to become a burden to her unit. If anything, she should just stick to the rock music word and forget about being an idol. Ryoko is starting to get a little upset reading these messages, not knowing what to do in response. Looking a little depressed, she meets Kenji in the park one day to discuss her problems. People are starting to get the idea that she is not taking her idol career very seriously. If she wants to be a successful idol, Ryoko has to make the appropriate adjustments and look like she really wants to be an idol. However, Ryoko believes that task is becoming more and more impossible and is beginning to understand why. She is just too used to her “rock girl” image and does not want to throw it away, fearing as through by doing that she will ultimately wind up failing her father and all the other amateur groups she tried auditioning for. Suddenly, the conversation catches the attention of a familiar figure. It turns out 765Pro idol Makoto Kikuchi has been eavesdropping on Kenji and Ryoko and decided to lend an upcoming idol a helping hand. Makoto recognizes Ryoko from seeing her on TV a couple of times. Once she hears the name Busujima, her eyes light up…it turns out she has been quite an avid Cobra fan when she was younger and is overjoyed to be able to meet the lead guitarist’s daughter. Still, Makoto tells Ryoko she can really sympathize with her when it comes to her personality. Makoto wonders if Ryunosuke raised Ryoko to be a more boyish rock star like him in order to pass down his legacy. Ryoko tells her she was actually inspired by his success and tried her best to emulate him, especially in terms of his guitar style and personality. Makoto claims her childhood was much different as she was essentially raised to be a boy. Still, deep down Makoto was a genuine girl. Becoming an idol really helped awaken her cute, girly charms, although the road to changing her image was a rocky one. While she is a lot better than she was before, she admits traces of her brash tomboy nature will slip out occasionally even these days, often sticking her in unnecessarily awkward situations or causing her to attract more girls than boys. Makoto assures Ryoko that if she can change her demeanor like that, Ryoko can too. If Ryoko chose to become boyish of her own free will, she would not be failing Ryunosuke at all if she decided to make a few changes to her life. Ryoko then recalls what her father once told her when he saw her playing the guitar along to one of his CDs. All he wanted was for his daughter just to be happy. He did appreciate Ryoko’s adoration of his work with Cobra, but he assured her that she should be the only one who ultimately makes the decisions of what she should do with her life. She should try listening to her heart more than his CDs. Makoto knows Ryoko has what it takes to become a truly magnificent idol. Even though Ryoko claims she did not have much luck when it came to joining amateur rock groups and school clubs, she needs to take advantage of the opportunity ZetaPro gave her to make her first big impact in the music industry. Becoming a rock star may be a future goal, but Makoto reminds Ryoko to keep her focus on the present. To help her on her way, Makoto even offers her some extra lessons to provide some tips in appearing more cute and feminine, including getting used to wearing skirts and glitter. Ryoko enthusiastically accepts Makoto’s offer. Makoto reminds Ryoko that even though changing her nature will be very difficult, the trick is to stay persistent, even if she accidentally switches back to her old tendencies from time to time. Kenji and especially Ryoko thank Makoto for the chat as the three of them head home for the evening.

As the weeks go by, Ryoko’s extra training is starting to pay off. Many more people are accepting her as a true idol now. Kenji and the others are very impressed with Ryoko’s incredible progress. On the day of the IU preliminaries, she cannot wait to show everyone what she has accomplished, especially Makoto, who has told her she too will enter the tournament. Ryoko looks everywhere in the main hall, but cannot seem to find Makoto or her companions. Because she has to stay in line and register with the rest of her unit in person, she cannot find a space to practice on her guitar either, which makes Ryoko slightly more impatient. After registering, ZetaPro discovers they have been placed in the same competition block as NAZO, which makes Ryoko feel slightly uneasy. She really does not want to blow it in front of Kagura again (both socially and performance-wise) after what happened last time. Kagura can hardly wait to teach Ryoko her place especially now that NAZO is coming at them full throttle. After the audition, both Ryoko and Kagura are surprised to discover that ZetaPro has managed to pass. However, the gap between Ryoko’s unit and the first-place NAZO is immense. Kagura figured Ryoko’s family name sounded familiar…she’s the daughter of the “great” rock artist Ryunosuke Busujima. Perhaps his so-called talents…and vulgar, rebellious attitude…have been passed on to his daughter. Still, the way Ryoko acts makes Kagura think she could be a bisexual. This particular comment starts to make Ryoko feel tense, but she remembers what Makoto taught her and manages to calm down (she really does not want to blow her top and appear confrontational). Plus, no matter what Ryoko tries to do, she can never change who she really is. If she chooses one path, she must stick to it the rest of her life. This is what’s called fate. Calmly, Ryoko tries to explain that she really has changed with the help of Makoto, her partners, and Kenji, but Kagura claims they are the ones really holding her back from what could potentially make her the absolute best. They are trying to spoil her and hopelessly steer her away from her destined path. She suggests that Ryoko stop kidding herself, quit being an idol, and stick to being a mediocre rock artist like she was raised. Suddenly, Makoto arrives and intervenes in the conversation. She has been watching Ryoko develop before her eyes and on TV. She can tell Ryoko has become such a fantastic idol in such a short amount of time. Besides, fate cannot decide the path she takes in life…her heart does. Makoto suggests that NAZO no longer underestimate Ryoko or they will soon be in for a big surprise. Kagura has had enough of the conversation and leaves the venue with her partners. Ryoko thanks Makoto profusely for coming to her defense. Makoto knew if she did not see all of that potential in Ryoko, she probably would not have even considered aiding her. After the tomboy idols fist-bump, Makoto overhears Yukiho calling her back to her group as 765Pro is getting set to leave. Makoto heads over towards Yukiho but not before telling Ryoko to keep up the good work and stay determined.

(to be continued)

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