Mar 9, 12:30PM
765 Productions Main Office
Quiet! Tokyo was so incredibly quiet! Maya hadn't had a chance to notice that in her previous, oh, three or four visits to the city on various isolated galas, summits, what have you. There in the higher parts it seemed like the kind of corporate fortress town you could find in any city, but on her third day in the more everyday level of the country it had finally hit her. Well, practically anywhere was quiet after New York, she supposed. But the contrast counted!
So far she had just gone through the requisite motions. A short acquaintance with her new neighborhood (though she knew she wouldn't be seeing much of it), a preliminary fridge-stocking grocery run with somewhat less culture shock than she'd anticipated, and of course trying to navigate the unpacking. The anxiety about the new city new job new country was nothing to sneeze at, but she pulled herself together as she always did – and now it was the day of.
The job had gone through after all. Surprisingly quickly – she could tell by Mr. Ooyama's manner over the phone that the much-touted applicant pool had been smaller than expected, especially when you considered how easygoing and permissive the president had been on the same call. A bit… sloppy, if she was being honest? Ah well. That's what she was here for.
It was just on the brink of Spring. Clear sky, clear trees beginning to consider budding. It was a two-minute walk from the almost miraculously complication-free train ride, and then Maya was looking up, confronting her new workplace.
The Namuko agency was based out of a small building. It stood at four narrow stories crammed between its two neighbors, and was rather unremarkable among the quiet commercial district it occupied. The first floor was a restaurant, the second was unlabeled, and the third and fourth formed the office proper – endearingly trying to stand out with a homemade logo reading "765" in tape across its street-facing window. Mr. Ooyama – ah, Ooyama-san, she supposed she'd have to hastily adapt to – had given her a general idea of it before, but she was hoping it was cozier than its apparent crampedness.
The wind pulled at the back of her neck, and she crossed the street to open the tucked-away door. She made her way up the dim but skylit stairwell, reached the fourth landing, and pushed open the frosted glass door for the first time.
She had meant to be a bit earlier than planned, but even so the quietness of the office caught her off guard. It was a small, dense little place – a bit run down, if she was being honest, but clearly well cared for. Apparently empty still, she began to map it out in her head.
There wasn't much to it. A door to a kitchenette stood open to her immediate left, and a coat-hanging area stood in front of a seating area to her right, cordoned off by two repurposed cubicle walls. Past these the office opened up into a larger space, housing a collection of desks, phones and computers in a corner where the two windows overlooking the street met.
She stepped in a bit further, unsure what to make of the silence. "Um, hello?" she hazarded.
"Ah! Miraflores-san?" A woman at the other end of the room, sitting at one of the computers by the windows, finally noticed her and shot up unsteadily. "Welcome, welcome! I didn't realize you'd be here so early, but that's fine! It's great to see you!"
Maya smiled. She was certainly energetic. "You as well! Otonashi… correct? I believe we spoke on the phone?"
She made her way over. "Yes! Hello, that's me. Kotori Otonashi," she giggled sheepishly, brushing a strand of hair out of her face and inadvertently getting it caught on her headset mic. They shook hands. "Ah... did you get here okay? Any issues with the trip? Here, here, I'll get you a seat."
She let Otonashi lead her further in, and continued with the small talk. "Oh, it was fine! I've been here for a few days, actually, and have mostly just been settling in. The commute was no problem; easier than I'm used to. Ah, but, um, your..."
Kotori continued obliviously. "Oh, phew. I know people here for the first time can have issues with the city, it's good to hear you're adapting fine. Ah!" They had reached the sitting area, two opposed couches with a table between them and a television against the wall. "I suppose I should start introductions – this is Miura-san!"
"My, hello! You've made it." A young woman with hair down to her hips looked up from the... seventh grade history textbook? that she had been absorbed with, and smiled broadly at the two. Azusa, Maya remembered, the current most senior performer of the agency.
"Ah, yes! Azusa, am I right? I've been looking into your work for a while, it's a pleasure to see you in person."
"You as well! Shigeru-san's spoken about you, and I think he should be up soon? Please, make yourself at home. Oh, let me clear off the table..." she said, and began gathering up a stack of papers and notebooks.
Maya took a seat across from Azusa, shifting her bag off her shoulder. Azusa wasn't quite what she expected at first glance, but that wasn't saying much.
"Well! I'll go get us some tea and snacks. Again, welcome!" Kotori said.
"Thank you," Maya nodded as she bustled away.
Maya and Azusa smiled at each other politely, but before they had a chance to make small talk, they both looked up at the sound of a door opening. Shigeru stepped through the front door, still in conversation with a young woman she recognized as Ritsuko Akizuki.
"I just want to make sure we have a plan, you know," she said to him, frowning.
"To no small extent this is about making that plan, we –"
"I know, I know, but – oh! She's here," Ritsuko said, finally taking notice of Maya on the couch and walking over. "Hello! Ah, you're early, thank you for that. I'm –"
Her face soured badly, her two braids seeming almost to droop. "Ami."
Maya heard stifled giggling from behind her and felt a sudden, very real fear.
"Put that down. Now."
"Whaaat? I wasn't even gonna do anything!" Maya spun around to two identical kids two inches away from her face, hastily trying to hide something behind the cubicle divider they were dangling over.
"H-how long have you been there?" Maya squeaked. Lost her composure a bit. "Wait, wait – there's two of you?"
"Oh, they've been there for a few minutes now. Ufufu," Azusa offered, smiling with her hands folded in her lap.
"We weren't doing anything, honest!" the one with the left ponytail said, more to Ritsuko than to Maya.
"Pfffhehe," the one with the right ponytail snickered, looking down at her, "she's so surprised."
"Why! Do you have to do this so early! Of all days!" Ritsuko fumed as the twins scuttled back over the divider and finally ran out next to her. Maya was still too startled to even respond.
Ritsuko pointedly ignored the two sidling up to her and tried to talk to Maya again. "Miraflores-san, I'm so sorry. These two are –"
"Ami Futami!" Right ponytail.
"Mami Futami!" Left ponytail.
"I was going to say awful troublemakers, but thank you for the late introduction," Ritsuko sighed, covering her face and pushing her glasses up. "And I'm Ritsuko Akizuki. Thank you for your frankly incredible patience, and welcome to Namuko Productions."
"Thank you. I – okay, thank you very much, Akizuki-san, but I'm actually more surprised about there being two Futamis...?"
Shigeru stepped in, "I apologize. I… well, this is my fault. There's been a bit of a development."
"Sorry, nee-chan. We weren't going to do anything too bad, we just wanted to say hi," Mami offered.
"Yeah. We hope you like it here lots and lots!" Ami added, taking what was apparently her textbook back from Azusa. "Honest."
"No, no, it's fine, just… Ooyama, can we talk about this later?" she hissed. She was trying to not make a scene, but this did change the deal quite a bit. She turned to the twins again, "And I appreciate it. But seriously, what were you going to…?"
The two dissolved into giggling instead of answering and Maya began to feel the true weight of the second reason she had been wary of working with an actual twelve-year-old – gah, two of them now!
"Did something happen?" Kotori asked, returning with a tray of tea and crackers. Ritsuko took a seat next to Azusa, and the twins ran behind her this time, peeking over the opposite divider. Shigeru stayed standing, crossing his arms.
"N-no, no. We're fine here. Just making introductions," Maya said, a bit too hastily.
"Well," Kotori said, "we're still missing quite a few people. Iori-chan and Yayoi-chan should be arriving soon, and the other two..."
"Oh yes, are Yukiho and Makoto here?" Ritsuko asked.
"Yeah! They're upstairs," Ami offered. "Practicing," Mami finished, smirking.
"Again with the roof? I told them…" Ritsuko almost sighed, but caught herself. "Anyway, can one of you go get them? We need to start getting in a full group."
"I'll go!" and Ami was already out the door, tramping up the stairs.
Maya caught her breath.
"So," Shigeru said, "Again, welcome."
"Good to see you again," Maya looked back at him, unamusedly.
"You as well." He shifted his weight somewhat awkwardly. "I, uh, I do apologize for not informing you of Mami's being here earlier. It was a recent decision, I... well."
"Eh?" Ritsuko pivoted to face him, in a short burst of shock. "You still hadn't told her?"
"There was so little time! And – well!" he huffed. He was surprisingly embarrassed at the mistake, and struggled to find the words.
"It's fine!" Maya said, trying to salvage things. "Really. Um, as long as we discuss it this early on, I'm sure it'll be fine. Don't worry about me too much."
"Um... did I do something wrong?" Mami asked, leaning in again.
"No, no, of course not! Just a communication issue, haha..." Ritsuko scrambled to reassure her.
Maya cleared her throat. "Well! Now that that's out of the way... Ooyama-san, do we have anything notable planned for today? If not, I was hoping to ask something of you."
He regained his composure in turn. "Well. Before anything we should get you set up at your desk. And we have Akizuki-kun's event tomorrow as we discussed, but before then I'd like to meet with you and the president. But aside from that, please ask away." He nodded to her, making eye contact.
"I see. I was actually hoping to be able to interview all the girls, one-on-one." She turned to the three across from her. "I'd like to just get a sense of... what you're like, and what you're looking for. Just a bit to get acquainted. Is that an option?"
"My, how fun!" Azusa said.
"That... would be pretty valuable, actually." Ritsuko seemed intrigued.
"A plan, then," Shigeru said, satisfied.
"Wonderful. Ah, now I'm all excited again."
She was, she did mean that. She just hoped there weren't too many more surprises. Four was a very different game than three.
A commotion at the front door. Noises from outside, and several confused voices.
"S-she's here already?"
"Yeah, yeah, just go in!"
"I – I – okay!" and the door flew open, the three all but tumbling in together after clearly having run down the stairs.
"I brought them!" Ami announced.
Maya craned her neck back. The spiky black-haired one she was familiar with, and she seemed surprisingly nervous in person, standing straight up and flustered. "H-hello! M-Makoto Kikuchi here! You're the new producer?"
She stood up to greet them properly. "Ah, yes. Maya Miraflores, nice to meet you."
"Come on, you two! Jeeeez," Ami insisted, dragging a second girl from behind Makoto towards where the others were gathered.
"Um. I'm Yukiho Hagiwara... Ami, let go of me already!" she protested. Ami did, and Yukiho walked over herself and bowed slightly. She was still sweating and in a practice jersey, as was Makoto. "Welcome! I hope we didn't make you wait too long, or anything…"
"No problem! You're perfectly on time, actually."
"I see." Yukiho finally made eye contact. "Please take care of me, then. It's good to finally meet you!"
"Sorry!" Makoto said, holding up her hand. "We were going over one of Yukiho's songs, and... didn't realize how long it was taking, haha! My bad."
"No, it's alright. Practice never hurts, and I'm here early anyway. Thank you for taking time out of that just to meet me."
Makoto smiled, still a bit flushed. "Ehehe... um. No problem!"
"So, um... is it just Iori-chan and Yayoi-chan not here?" Yukiho asked, dabbing her face with her towel.
"Mhm. They mentioned being stuck in traffic... shouldn't be more than a few minutes, though, they are close." Kotori answered, checking her phone.
"Can't believe she's late again..." Makoto mumbled to no one in particular.
Maya turned back to Kotori, "And then that's… everyone?"
"Yes. Well, aside from the President and Chairman, of course. They're both a bit reclusive, though, you see… Oh! And of course there's a few other people we work with but aren't part of the agency; the trainers at the studio we frequent and all," she smiled.
"Hmmm..." She wasn't sure how she felt about that. It'd take at least a week of observation to begin getting a useful handle on how this place was run, and she wasn't used to not having some kind of practice area on-grounds. That did explain the roof a bit. "Well, I'll be looking forward to it."
"Now, while we're waiting," Shigeru said, stepping forward again, "well, I'd offer you a tour, but space is at a bit of a premium here… Akizuki-kun, would you be willing to show her around downstairs? The meeting room would probably work for what she mentioned."
"Yes!" she said, straightening up a bit. "Miraflores-san, if you'd come with me…"
The twins were immediately in an uproar. "Whaat? Ricchan, you're stealing her already?"
"Yeah, that's not even fair! She just got here!"
"Oh, relax, you two! You'll have all the time you need later today!" She shouted back, already leading Maya out of the room. She closed the door behind them, and through it a whole discussion immediately kicked up.
"Um… are you sure about this?" Maya asked, still looking over her shoulder.
She sighed, "Yes. This is all so new, they're excited and about to drown you in questions. A bit of space can't hurt." They had only made it a few steps before Ritsuko spun around again, eyes screwed shut and hands clasped before her face. "And! I really do apologize about the twins, again! I should have planned for you being here early, I had wanted to make this go more smoothly... You've been incredibly patient!" She raised her head hopefully.
Maya jumped to smooth things over, wincing herself. "It's... it's quite fine. Please, don't worry about it! I mean, it's helped me to get a feel for the place, if nothing else."
"Well... if you say so." They continued down the stairs. "But! Moving on! Our lower floor is mainly for storage, but we do have a few other rooms down here. Remember the sign you saw coming in? There's that, and the president's office. It's nothing too special, you understand, but… here we are!"
Ritsuko held the door open for Maya, and she stepped in. "Ah… Ooyama-san meant it about the space issue, huh?"
The place was filled with file cabinets and bookshelves full of binders, stacked worryingly high in one case. Not much else, actually – only a small foyer, a seat or two against the wall, and then two doors.
"So, we won't bother the president yet, but…" Ritsuko stepped forward again, opening the double doors on the opposite wall, "here's what we have. Does this work for you?"
Ah! This was where the cute little sign was. A small window overlooking the street, with two couches on either side of a small glass coffee table. It was rather dingy – clean, but with unfinished walls and floor, and clearly in need of some refurbishment.
"You've been working out of this for how long?" she couldn't help but comment. "Ah! I don't mean to be rude, but…"
Ritsuko sighed deeply, rubbing her neck. "So you think it's an issue, too… seemed like I was the only one. This is where we hold internal interviews and smaller private meetings, though." She gestured to the whiteboard stand against one wall.
"Well… it seems functional, at least. Yes, this seems fine." She nodded, already coming to terms with it. "I can work with this for now."
"Phew! I thought you might've been scared off right away!" Her tone shifted a bit more sheepish. "And, um… I know it's a bit unfair to ask while we're alone, but do you mind starting with me for the interview process?"
Maya laughed back, politely. "Pragmatic! Yes, it's a plan."
"Thank you! And – ah!" Ritsuko jumped as her phone vibrated. "Kotori's messaging me… oh, they're here! We should head back up!" she said, and Maya followed her back to the stairwell.
Immediately upon reaching the landing again, they ran directly into the two late girls – one in a somewhat worn sweatshirt and overalls wearing a huge backpack, and the other in a rather uptight formal dress holding a stuffed rabbit – were just making it up the flight, clearly having rushed their way up.
"Ah! Ritsuko!" the second girl yelped, out of breath.
"Just on time. Really, Iori, you need to get better about this…"
"It wasn't my fault!" she shot back, gesturing insistently. "Shindou keeps taking bad routes lately!"
"Ah. Hello!" the first girl said loudly, noticing Maya first. She bowed deeply, and seemed not to notice her backpack slamming into the back of her head as she did so. "My name is Yayoi Takatsuki! Ever so pleased to make your acquaintance, Mirafuro... Mirafrole... producer...?"
"Aha, just Maya is fine. I realize it can be a bit tough. Pleased to meet you, too."
"Maya-san! Understood. I hope you really really like this place!" The girl beamed like sunshine.
"Wait, that's her? That's her?" the second girl asked Yayoi, hastily adjusting her hairband. "Aah, are we the last ones?"
"Ah. This is Iori-chan," Yayoi said, stepping to the side and holding her arms out to present said Iori-chan.
"Yayoi, I can introduce myself... a-anyway! I'm Iori Minase!" Her raised, eager voice echoed in the stairwell. "Does this mean I'll be d-debuting now?"
"Ah. Good to meet you as well! And yes, that's definitely our goal going forward. I'd like to get to that point as soon as possible." She nodded earnestly.
"Yes! Yes! I knew it!" Iori burst out, so excited that her rabbit's ears were flopping around slightly. "We've been waiting for this forever!"
"I'll try my best to live up to your expectations, haha..."
"Good. I'll hold you to it!" Iori smiled back in a wide, open grin.
"Anyway, come on, you guys," Ritsuko said, clapping for attention and suddenly much more stern. "Stop dawdling and let's all head upstairs now, alright?"
"Fine, fine, let's go!" Iori insisted, stomping rather emphatically past everyone to the next landing.
"Hehe… Sorry if Iori-chan is rushing a bit," Yayoi confided to her as they all moved upwards. "I'm excited too, though!"
Maya was last into the upstairs room, and was rather conveniently and rather overwhelmingly confronted with the full current staff of Namuko Productions laid out in front of her, looking up expectantly.
"Well," Shigeru said, taking the initiative, "Now that everyone's here..."
"Ah! Yes!" Maya performed a weird twitch somewhere between a wave and a bow. "Thank you all again for the welcome. Akizuki-san was just showing me around a bit more, and we met these two on the way up." She nodded to the group, trying to meet everyone's eyes.
"And welcome back! We're glad to have you," Azusa said, still sitting down.
"Yes, do feel at home here!" Yukiho added.
"Thank you, again. So!" She looked around the room one more time, making eye contact with Shigeru for confirmation. "Um. Well, I figure this is a good time to introduce myself."
She cleared her throat, and looked up a bit more seriously. "My name is Maya Miraflores, and as of today I'll be working here as a producer alongside Ooyama-san, with those of you still looking for work. For the previous five years I've been working in a similar role in New York, so I'm not exactly new to this, but I am a bit nervous about the move and all. So I'll definitely need help from all of you to get settled in! Thank you very much for having me!"
She finished and smiled, as the room reacted to her. A bit of oohing and aahing; Iori and Makoto especially were starting to press forward with questions.
Shigeru cleared his throat, cutting short most of the comments the girls were beginning to form. "Please, quiet for just a moment. You'll have time to talk to her later, but for now we'd like to go over the plan for today. Miraflores-san?"
She was a bit impressed at his ability to calm a room down, and continued after a moment's hesitation. "Thank you. Well, as he said, I'd just like to go over what Ooyama-san has set out for me. My first priority while I'm here is getting everyone currently inactive into actual work."
She let the second round of excited murmuring pass around, even more pronounced this time, before continuing. "And, um. It'll take me some time to get to that point, I'll admit! So to speed things up, today I'd like to talk to each of you one-on-one. A small interview of sorts, just to get a picture of where you all are – your goals and strengths, what we can improve on, and just about you in general. Does that make sense?"
"Yep!" from the twins, "Can we ask you stuff too, though?"
"Yes! Yes, please, actually. That part's just as important," she nodded. "Thank you. I really would like to get to know each one of you, not just the ones I'll be working directly with. And I know that will take some time – but I'd like to start somewhere. So, without beating around the bush too much, I'd like to start with the three currently active performers, and then move on to the trainees. Akizuki-san, would you be willing to be first?"
Ritsuko Akizuki
"Well. Here we are again." Maya took a seat in the meeting room, breaking out her notebook – red pen, black blinding, fresh for the new job.
"Yes! Welcome back," she said, settling down into the opposite seat, "And, um, no need to be so formal, you know?" She laughed it off. "Just Ritsuko-san is fine."
She nodded, scratching her head with the end of her pen. "Got it! Still adapting, you know... Well, let's get into it, shall we? Let's start with just introducing yourself."
She nodded and began in a practiced sort of way. "Yes! Ritsuko Akizuki, 18 years old! I've been performing for just shy of two years! Let's see... I have one full album out currently, Mahou wo Kakete, and am beginning to build towards my second."
"Mm! I've noticed. I mean, I've listened and everything, but I haven't gotten a chance to see you on stage much."
"Ah! That makes sense. We're not that big on official live recordings; that's something I'm trying to change," she said, a bit apologetically.
"An album is impressive, though," Maya said, looking up. "Especially in this timeframe." It had taken almost twice as long to get Kay Kay's first full record out.
"Yes!" Ritsuko sat up straighter, "I'm proud of it, if you'll let me brag a tiny bit. The process has taught me so much about my quirks and capabilities… I do mean to be aware of these things, and this especially is getting me closer to realizing how far I can go."
She was taking this as seriously as an actual job interview. "You seem very conscientious," Maya picked out, almost skeptically, "What about idol work drew you to it, actually?"
"Heh. Well..." Ritsuko cleared her throat, narrowing her eyes, "it didn't, really... The truth is, I actually started as an intern here a while back, working under Otonashi-san..."
Maya furrowed her brow a bit, surprised. She hadn't heard that part. "Oh? That's quite a dramatic career switch."
"Well, yes. It did seem necessary, though, and I don't regret it or anything..." she mused.
Maya began taking notes again. "Why necessary, then? I'm curious now."
"Listen, Miraflores-san..." Ritsuko sighed, and rubbed her shoulder, "I apologize for being so frank, but... I know Ooyama-san's been over this with you, but really. We aren't doing too well. Only three current debuts – when I got here it was just Azusa, too! – while supporting five others in training. We just don't have the manpower, the income... and, well, the president is the president; we're skating by on the leftovers from his glory days in the nineties, so I really had to take the stage to keep this place afloat... I-I mean, it's not like I don't enjoy being an idol or anything!" she scrambled, suddenly slightly flustered, "Every girl dreams of this! But..."
She blinked. That was quite a bit to take in. "I have begun to get that sense. Ah... Aki – Ritsuko-san, I am more than aware this agency has its work cut out for it, and, I mean... starting to tackle that is why I was hired, after all." She attempted a diplomatic smile.
"No, no, I get it!" She laughed, "I really am excited to see that, I didn't mean to only complain. I guess what I was getting at is, from what you've seen, what do you think?"
"About what? The agency?"
"About our chances, I mean," she explained, softening her tone a bit. "I suppose I'd like to hear about your plans for us."
Maya leaned back in her seat, appraising the girl. She seemed eager, motivated, and quite passionate; a very good first impression... she just hoped Ritsuko wouldn't panic and move too fast.
"Okay, okay," Maya said, sitting down normally again. "Sure. But I want you to ask me that question in a week. I do have goals and a schedule planned out, but they're very tentative... I'm going to need some time to settle in here, to get to know each of you, and figure out what the general direction is so far. Is that alright?"
Ritsuko nodded. "Yes! I understand. I don't mean to get ahead of myself, but... well, I'll leave it in your hands!"
"Thank you." Maya looked her in the eye. "I'm not going to start asking you to, or letting you do my job, but never feel like you can't talk to me about this. I'll go technical with you, if you'd like. I… this may be premature, but I think your perspective will be extremely helpful going forward. You have a good head on your shoulders."
"Thank you. Looking forward to making an efficient team!"
Maya regrouped, looping back to her more standard questions. "Well... dialing it in a bit – can you give me a picture of how you see yourself, as an idol? I have my own picture, but I do want to hear it from you."
"As in my strengths and weaknesses?"
Maya shrugged. "And what you feel your image is like."
"Hm. Ah, this is a bit much to think about." She furrowed her brow and crossed her arms, but immediately broke out again. "I like to think of myself as energetic, driven... 'straight-laced', maybe?" Her tone shifted up as she tried to phrase it.
"That's a good one, heh."
"Hm... on stage, I... well... ah, this is frustrating!" She took a deep breath, and started over more focused. "Most of all, I aim to be unpretentious and down-to-earth. I want to put myself out there earnestly. I know it's a bit of a cliché at this point, but… I do want to do my best. The best I'm able to, and connect with the audience on those terms."
"... I see." Maya wrote.
She had collected herself again, and spoke surely. "What really made me interested in idols – in the field I mean, not just the job, is the audience aspect. Developing alongside your fans – you understand? There's a sort of feedback that I don't think you get many other places."
Maya thought she did, at least. "Yes, I can imagine."
"I've been very lucky to have gotten a chance like this, and it's been... I've had fun, y'know? I wouldn't say I'm exactly satisfied with small-time, but I've very much enjoyed the space we've been able to establish for me. I've learned a lot."
The phrase "tight-knit" occurred to Maya – admirable, sure, but a non-standard relationship with fans. "Have you considered other roles in entertainment?"
"Oh, no," she waved her hand dismissively, "I mean, it's something I could only really do as an idol, you know? Oh, although I suppose I'm still a bit interested in production and management… someday, maybe. It was what I was training for in the first place, after all. So I'll be watching you closely!"
Maya smiled. "It seems you know exactly where you're going."
"Does it..." Ritsuko answered, laughing a bit nervously. "Well, sometimes it's harder to see something like that from inside than it is from out." A short pause. "Oh! Before we get too sidetracked, since this seems like another stopping point: I remember you saying you were taking questions as well?"
She was pleasantly surprised. "Ah, yes! Please do, please do!"
Ritsuko pulled out her own notebook – a thick one, well-worn and stuffed with post-it notes, and let it thud onto the table. "I do have a few, as it turns out. Mainly about your previous job, general management style, workplace preferences, a bit about your childhood..."
"I... I'm sure you do."
Ritsuko's glasses caught the light for a split second. "Well then, first of all..."
Azusa Miura
At last the interrogation ended – hopefully that was the worst of it. Maya only had about a minute or so to recover, before a polite knock came on the door and the second girl, Azusa, walked in.
She peered in, as if unsure if anyone was there "Hello... I'm sorry, were you ready?"
She straightened up again. "Ah! Miura-san. Yes, of course, please have a seat!" Maya motioned.
Azusa was a surprisingly thin girl. That was, of course, to be expected anywhere in show business, not to mention here – so maybe that's not what Maya was noticing. No, it was more the way she carried herself – wispy, light, curious. Her absurdly long hair, ankle-length skirt and sleeveless black turtleneck all gave her this fresh, elegant, and profoundly normal air.
"It's good to see you again." Azusa nodded, accordingly having a seat. "Did Ritsuko-chan give you trouble, by any chance?"
"Well, haha, you could say that..." Maya said, and Azusa nodded knowingly, with a small laugh. "She's certainly thorough. I don't mind though, that's a very good sign."
"I see, I see!" She looked around. "Now, well... what exactly was this about, again?"
"Ah. Essentially, I'd like to get a picture of you. What you're like, what your goals are... I said this to Ritsuko too; I know we won't be working together too often, but I'd still like to be familiar. And, if I'm not wrong, you've been with the agency the longest, correct? I was also hoping to get some insight into the place's history from you, if possible."
"Oh, I see!" Azusa said. "Yes, if I remember right I've been here for – oh, about three years or so?"
"That is impressive. What was starting out like?"
"I was the first girl here that Shigeru-san was assigned to, instead of the president," she said, nodding with a faint little trace of pride, "so a lot of it was very new to both of us... we were a bit clumsy, if you'll let me be honest! But we had quite a little story together. The agency has been very good to me, I mean that."
There was something a bit more serious in her tone, more than just wistful... Maya found it harder than expected to get a read on her. On the other hand, she would have to ask Shigeru about that same period – no wonder he'd called in for help, if adapting to Azusa had been difficult. "I see. Has it changed much since then?"
"Oh, the office has brightened up so much, lately! Ever since Makoto-chan joined, and then Iori-chan and the others. Everything seems to be moving much faster, now."
"Heh, it does seem like that already." She startled a bit, looking through her papers. "Um, I have done my own research and everything, but I'm looking forward to hearing about it. How it's changed, and all. I think I'm going to have to rely on you a lot!"
"Ahaha," Azusa laughed politely, "Well, I'm not sure how much help I'll be... Ritsuko-chan is definitely more on top of that sort of thing. But! I'll be happy to if I can!" She nodded emphatically.
"So – you're currently twenty, right? Everyone else is in middle or high school so I know their answers, but I was curious as to if you're currently enrolled anywhere? Out of curiosity."
Azusa smiled, in a half-regretful way that almost seemed like a wince. "Aha... well, no. You see, I'm actually focusing on my career here, for the most part..."
"Ah, that makes sense. This is a good time to be building reputation, I understand."
"I suppose so..." She held the wince-smile, not commenting too much.
"So. I do mean to speak to Ooyama-san about this, mainly out of curiosity since I won't be working too directly with you, but..." she looked through her notes, furrowing her brow a bit. "What are the goals of that focus, at the moment? What are you involved in?"
She nodded. "Well... things have quieted down for the most part, after last year... Ritsuko-chan and I were certainly busy, you know!" Her head tilted to the side for a moment. "It was a big year for both of us, and right now... I think we're both trying to decide where to go next? Oh, and there's a drama I'm preparing for, and Ritsuko-chan's thing with the fanclub..." she said, remembering with a sweet kind of excitement.
"Re-adapting."
"That's a good word," she smiled. "The work does feel normal by now, you know? But it never stops being new."
She made another note to ask Shigeru about whatever that big last year meant. "Ritsuko-san did tell me you each had found a stable fanbase for yourselves, that seems like quite an achievement on its own."
"Oh, yes!" Azusa visibly brightened again. "Yes, the ones who've stayed with us so have certainly been wonderful. Well, it sounds a bit silly to say off-camera, but... they've certainly made things worth it, I think. You do have to treat your fans well."
Maya felt something a bit off, still – it would take a long time for her to get used to the audience dynamics here, different as they were from the scenes she had previously run in.
"How do you see yourself? As an idol."
She perked up a bit. "My, that's an interesting question. I haven't really thought about that much, I wonder..."
"How do you mean?"
"For me, it's... well, I've never been the best at planning. I do have a picture of myself, but I'm really bad at forcing myself into an image! You see, early on, I dabbled in a lot of things I didn't really have interest in, just because they were there and would take me..."
Maya nodded along. That was a familiar story.
Azusa continued. "Hm, how do I put this... to be honest, I don't think I worry about image enough. There's things I want to do, and places I want to go, you know? And Ritsuko-chan and Shigeru-san have always pointed me in the right direction. I hope you see that side of them."
"I do, too."
"Oh – but I hope you see the good sides of me, too!" she realized, a bit mischievously. "Haha... Maybe you'll be able to word it better than I can."
She nodded, making another note. "I'll touch base with the others on when I'll be able to see you perform. I'm very much looking forward to that."
"Oh, you're flattering me!" she laughed, waving her hand. She opened her eyes. "But thank you, Miraflores-san. I'm excited to be working with you."
"You as well. Time will tell when I get a chance to… but still!" She closed her notebook, and they shook hands.
"Oh! And if you ever do need to hear any embarrassing stories about Shigeru-san, for whatever reason… be sure to let me know, alright?" She winked so quickly Maya almost missed it.
She grinned right back. "Oh, I'll be sure to. Count on it."
She stood up, waving. "Then! I should go find Makoto-chan for you, shouldn't I… I wonder where she is…" Azusa was already halfway out the door before she started and turned back. "Oh! And it was wonderful to chat a while! I'll see you again, Miraflores-san."
Makoto Kikuchi
"So, Kikuchi-san! Please come in."
"Hello! Thanks for having me." Makoto waved winningly, closing the door and sitting down. She had already changed out of her practice wear into a more casual jacket and jeans. "Just here, right?"
"Ah, yes. Feels a bit weird saying it seeing as I just got here, but make yourself at home."
"No prob!" She settled in, leaning forward in the seat slightly. "Uh, by the way, Miraflores-san – how have these been going so far? As helpful as you were hoping for?"
How considerate. "Yes, actually. This is my first change of job in a while, so I hoped this would get me acclimated faster, haha... a bit of a stunt though, I suppose."
Makoto nodded, looking back eagerly. "Ah! You said New York, right? So, um, you must've been a pretty big deal, huh?"
"Oh, nothing like that," she stumbled. Didn't want people to have too high expectations for her. "I was lucky to get where I did, and it wasn't that high level. It was more the girls' passion and talent that got us that far; I only help carry."
"Heh. I can already tell you're too modest, you know." Makoto said, shifting her weight slightly.
Despite herself, Maya felt herself fluster for a moment. She didn't mean to start off talking about just herself... "A-anyway! Sorry to ramble so much. Mind if we start?"
"Oh. Sure!" Makoto responded, slightly off guard, and sat back again.
Makoto was a sharp girl. She had a high school athlete's physique, and a balance to the way she moved that gave it away if you looked close enough. Still, her effortless handsomeness didn't quite fit her – her eyes tended to wander, and her hands fidget, likely without her even being aware of it.
"So, just to start off," she said, tapping again the red pen against her lip, "remind me of how long you've been performing again?"
"Mm! Let's see, I started right around my birthday last year, so... a little more than six months? I'm still pretty new compared to Ritsuko-san and Azusa-san, ehe."
"Still, you've become appreciably popular in that time. You're quite the rising star, I've seen."
"Well, you could say that..." she said, glancing at something on the ceiling. She snapped down again, and nodded. "But! I'm happy with this kind of head start!"
She frowned slightly. "Did I catch a bit of regret there? Is it not going as you would have liked?"
"Well, how do I say this..." She wondered, looking away again before taking a breath and speaking more formally.
"For a while, producer and I had a lot of trouble settling on an image for me. We talked about it a bunch, though! He taught me a lot about finding my way and being aware of the trends, and I'm getting used to it now."
"Well. Glad you're already thinking about things strategically." She flipped through her notes. "Hmm... I'll start at the beginning, then. How did you start working here?"
"My dad introduced me, actually. Eh, to be totally honest, I think this was just the first agency he found in the phonebook, haha..."
"That's... interesting." She made a note of that "Did he always want that kind of career for you?"
Makoto waved her hands apologetically. "Ah, no! J-just the opposite really. Um. Y'see, he's usually really against this kind of stuff! But since I'm growing up and all... we talked about me trying to be more... more..."
"More...?"
She faltered, breaking into a small laugh and waving dismissively. "Ahaha, sorry, sorry. It's just kinda embarrassing to bring up, after this long. I've just always been pretty tomboyish, I'm sure you noticed that... and I guess I wanted to try changing that about myself? And when I confronted him we had kind of a big fight about it... but he eventually understood."
"And immediately signed you up for an idol agency."
"Yep!"
She sighed, frowning. "But was it really your choice to come here? It sounds like something he pushed on you."
She recoiled, completely taken aback. "What!? I-it's been my dream, Miraflores-san! It couldn't get any better!"
"Ah. That is a relief then." She was struggling not to show her continued bafflement on her face. "So I assume that was what the image issues you mentioned hinge on?"
"That's right... Um, I know you've seen my songs and everything, and I know it's all still a bit in-your-face and tough, and that's taken me a long way already... but producer has me growing my hair out now, and we're taking on more kinds of jobs, lately... so... well, I'm thinking a lot about what I want next."
"Mm. You certainly seem in good hands, then."
"Sorry making you figure it out instead of just being up-front with it. It's just... well, it feels a bit weird to talk about with people besides producer." She paused for a moment. "Ah, though I suppose you're a producer as well. I hope you don't mind or anything."
Was she being too harsh? "No! Oh no, this is the just the kind of thing I'm here to learn about. It certainly helps me understand you better."
"Oh, I'm glad then! And, just since I'm not totally sure on what's changing now that you're here – will we be working together at all?"
She nodded, subconsciously edging towards business mode again. "Well, I'm sure at least sometimes. I'll also be handling general organizational duties, but I'll be much more one-on-one with the newer girls."
"Ah, that's what I thought..." Her head dropped a bit, seemingly disappointed.
Did – did they think so highly of her already? Maybe she hadn't given herself enough credit... "I- I'm not that big of a deal or anything, like I said. You won't be missing out on too much – especially when you've been working so well with Ooyama-san!"
"Oh, I'm not worried about me!" she scrambled, "Again, I'm doing fine! It's just..." she looked around as if someone could be watching, and then leaned in in a very self-serious whisper. "Well, don't tell them I said this, but you definitely have your work cut out for you."
She blinked. "Oh?"
"I mean, I like all of them and everything, but they're still... difficult to handle." She met Maya's eyes, taking on a grave tone. "Just be careful, okay?"
"Are – are you worried that much?" Maya asked, suddenly thrown off and reaching for her bag. "Are they in some kind of trouble?"
"What?" Makoto looked back at her, perplexed, before starting to scramble to clarify again. "Ah, no, I keep saying this wrong... it's you I'm worried about."
"Me."
Makoto nodded once.
"I – I promise I'll be okay, haha. I do know what I'm doing, and they seem perfectly nice so far. How bad could it be?"
"Mm. Well, I'll believe you, then." She sat up straight again, finally getting her smile back. "Sorry, ehe. I must seem really mean, right now."
"Oh, I wouldn't say that," she said, making one last note. "Nervous, at worst. But we're all working on that."
"Well, " Makoto beamed, standing up with a sharp little grin that crinkled her eyes. "Thank you for listening to all that, again! I look forward to working with you!"
She closed her eyes and smiled, bending forward politely. "You as well, Kikuchi-san! I'm very glad to meet you."
"And, um! 'Kikuchi-san' is a bit much, hehe. You don't have to do the whole last name thing." She waved dismissively.
Maya looked at her a moment, blinking once. "Makoto-chan, then. Alright. Send the next one in?"
"Yes, ma'am!" she grinned again, and left.
Yukiho Hagiwara
Maya looked up again – she'd almost not noticed the door opening again. "Ah. Hello, Hagiwara,san."
"Um... hello as well!" Yukiho slipped in, nodding at her and sitting down.
"I think I'm getting into the swing of things now," Maya smiled, lying through her teeth, "so I hope this goes smoothly! How are you?"
"I'm well! Thank you. I've – I've been looking forward to this." She sat politely and with an easy straight posture, hands folded in her lap.
She made a small show of rearranging her papers. "So. Before we get into things, do you have any questions about what we'll be going over?"
She shook her head. "Oh, not especially. I think you explained just fine earlier – I'm ready."
Oh, she liked this one. "Great! Well, to get started then. How long have you been working here, again?"
"Ah, I see. Well, only a few months, so far…" she offered, brow very faintly furrowed, "but most of that has been in training, so I'm not quite sure how much it counts."
"No, that's all I was looking for," she smiled. "How has the agency been?"
"Oh, wonderful! I've already met so many rather amazing people... And I've already come to terms with Namuko not quite being the richest around, and I know things can be tough…" she looked up again, suddenly worried about the impression she was giving. "Not to discourage you or anything."
"No, no, I've noticed." There really was only up at this point.
Yukiho nodded. "Mm. But even so. Producer-san has been working with me so closely to get me ready to debut, and I just… I just… I hope I'm able to repay it! If that's possible for me…"
"I'm sure it will be," Maya nodded, trying to be convincing.
She nodded, brushing her bangs out of her face. "Thank you."
"Um." She readjusted herself, moving a bit forward on her seat. "Well, just going off what you've said – it seems as if you're very committed, regardless. What made you choose this line of work?"
Yukiho took a breath. "Well... I felt as if it was a next step for me?"
"Oh? In what ways?"
"Well, I've always been interested in music, to some degree. I studied piano when I was younger, and chorus more recently. And that was fun and everything, to be sure, but for one reason or another it never really stuck?"
"Mhm. Why was that? The environment?"
"Yes, that's a good word for it." She frowned lightly, trying to phrase it properly. "I... wanted something that would challenge me more. Something that would really push me."
It was good she was aware of the pressures, at least. "In terms of your skills?"
"Yes! Yes, both in performance, and…" She seemed a bit put on the spot. "Well, you see, what I mean is that being here would help me change myself, I think. Um, for a long time I've been pretty bad with people... I don't have that much confidence in myself, even now... And I know it's all probably beyond me, but..." She looked up, shaking her head and smiling a bit sheepishly. "Well, I figured the whole sink-or-swim thing might work, ehe. A bit, at least."
Maya sat back. "That's... quite admirable, actually."
"...You're not worried?"
"Well of course you have to think about risks," she explained, gesturing with her open notebook. "But since you had the guts to take that first step in the first place, as you said, if nothing else it's clear you're taking it seriously. That's what matters."
Yukiho smiled, a bit more calmly. "Hm. I see."
"Ah, but –" Maya began, looping back, "– you said you were bad with people? I know I haven't been here even a day, but even so, I haven't seen any of that – you seem to be perfectly comfortable around everyone here. What do you mean by that?"
She nodded slightly, but noncommittally. "Well... that's because I know everyone here. We're friends, or at least acquaintances on good terms... and most of them aren't boys, either..." She trailed off.
"Ah. I take it you have issues with that?"
"Yes, um. I'm not hopeless or anything," she said, "it's just that... I still don't really know how to talk to them properly, and I freeze up alot, so..."
Maya raised her eyebrows, crossing her legs with a short sigh. "Well. You certainly picked the right field if you're looking for exposure, I suppose. Makoto-chan just mentioned something similar..."
"Mm, I'm sure she did." Her eyes moved to the window for a moment. "I think we're all still trying to settle on who we want to be... even Ritsuko-san, and Azusa-san, if you ask me."
"That's a process that never truly ends – it's encouraging you're aware of it. How has it gone, so far?"
She looked back, not quite getting it. "Has what, do you mean?"
"The whole 'changing yourself' thing. Singing, confidence. Have you made any progress?"
"Well... aha, that's..." she gulped, averting her eyes slightly. "A bit... at least..."
"Well, I'm sure you're getting there," Maya said, trying to be reassuring. "You always have to start somewhere, and –"
Yukiho interrupted her, unexpectedly forcefully. "I... I really do want to be more confident in my voice first! This is all so different than chorus, and there's so much to catch up on... P-producer-san always says I spend too much time on lessons, and perhaps a part of me does want to put off debuting... but... I think I know what I need to focus on right now!"
Maya just sat there, a bit shocked. She was surprised the girl could muster that kind of directness. Yukiho immediately balked at the lack of response, "S-sorry. That was probably a bit excessive..."
"No, no no. Not at all. That was really good."
"Eh? R-really?"
"Absolutely. I'd love to see more of that; learning to really say what you mean." She smiled. "Isn't that a part of what you were looking for?"
"Yes! Ahaha, I suppose that is… That makes me really happy to hear." She smiled, losing herself in thought for a moment before remembering something. "Oh! And… do you mind if I tell you something?"
"By all means."
"Producer – ah, Ooyama-san, I mean – has been very good to me, ever since I've been here. He's one of the first men I've felt comfortable being around for a long time..." She glanced at the door guiltily. "But um, just between you and me? He often doesn't understand girls all that well."
Maya narrowed her eyes a bit. "Heh. Well, that's one way to put it..."
"I know it's a bit indelicate... but I think the whole office will be glad to have you here, even if not everyone lets on at first."
"I understand. I know I have the four actually assigned to me still left… but everyone I've met with so far seems wonderful. I'm excited to get to know you all."
"Well, um…" she smiled a bit forcedly, eyes closed as politely as she could. "G-good luck with the rest, then!"
"Ahaha… Thank you, thank you."
Yukiho fidgeted in the short silence. "Um, do you enjoy tea, Miraflores-san?"
"Hm. Well, I drink coffee more often, but I like tea a bit better. Why do you ask?
"Well, I know this agency isn't the most formal place. But I did want to get you a small welcome gift, just in case." She leaned forward, opening her bag. "Here go you."
Maya took the gift-wrapped box – a simple blue-and-white striped one – thoroughly caught off guard. "Ah. T-thank you, Hagiwara-san. I'm... touched? Thank you so much."
"It's a blueberry matcha blend," she explained clearly, pointing out the side of the packaging. "I wasn't sure if you'd like herbal types or proper tea better, so I thought this would be a nice balance."
"I – I don't quite know what to say," Maya said, smiling unsteadily still, "I'm excited to make some! Have you tried this yourself?" She looked back.
"Ah, no, actually." She shook her head. "Do let me know how it is, though!"
Maya met her eyes and nodded. "Tell you what – I'll make a pot tomorrow; let's share a cup when you get in. It'll be a conversation starter."
Yukiho sat up a bit straighter, caught off guard herself this time. "Oh! Um. Thank you for the offer. I'd be happy to!"
"No, thank you again!" she held the box up again, looking it over. "Really, this is already making me feel at home."
"Thank you! That's very nice of you to say, hehe."
"Aha, do you really think so? Thank you, I –" she started, and looked back at Yukiho. Her composure faltered, and she couldn't help a muffled little laugh.
Yukiho broke into giggles as well, shaking her head. "Sorry, sorry. I'm sure we're both thankful at this point."
"Well! This was a nice chat. And, uh, I know we won't be working together regularly, but please do feel free to reach out any time. I know the very beginning is a rough phase, and I'd like to help."
"Thank you very much!" She bowed. "I'm happy you heard me out."
"It's my pleasure. I'm looking forward to hearing more!"
Yukiho looked back at her and nodded. She left the room, smiling softly to herself on the way out.
Yayoi Takatsuki
Yayoi sat happily across from her, looking her expectantly in the eye in utter silence.
"So, hello again..."
"Mm! Hello." No change.
Ah, the pressure was incredible. Just incredible. Unbearable, like looking at the sun. Yayoi was an absurdly innocent-looking girl, polite and clueless, in the way that made you just terrified of making a wrong movement and somehow spoiling it all. Ah, how to approach this...
"So, um... since we'll be working together, I wanted to have a small talk with you, just to get to know you a bit. Is that alright?"
"Sure! Hello! I'm Yayoi Takatsuki, thirteen, and, um... umm... what else do I say here...?"
"Oh, you're fine. Just... anything you'd like me to know? An introduction."
"Well... ummm..." She looked like she was really struggling.
Maya immediately felt terrible, and tried to back things up. "Aha... sorry, don't worry about it too much. We can –"
"No, I can do it!" She suddenly stood up, clenching her fists. "I like cooking, and taking care of plants, and helping out around the office, and my family, and, um... I'm alright at dancing, I think! And memorizing! But the trainers say I still have to work on my singing! And I like school and going to the movies and cooking too!" She thumped back down again, with a pointed look.
Maya sat back, still a bit bowled over at that barrage. "Wow. That was pretty good."
She laughed nervously, sitting back again. "Ehehe... really? Sorry, I'm not too good at knowing what to say all the time."
"No, no, you were very enthusiastic. That was fine!" She smiled, then opened her notebook again. "So, Yayoi-chan, now that I know a little about you. Why did you become an idol?"
She seemed to settle down a bit. "Well... it was Iori-chan who introduced me to everyone here a little after she started... but, well..." she shied away a bit.
"What is it?" Maya tried to say as kindly as possible.
"Well," she said, turning back, "it's a little complicated, you know? I was thinking about it a lot while I was waiting to talk to you... Pretty much, since I started talking to everyone here, they all told me about these big reasons they have for working. Yukiho-san wants to get stronger, and Ritsuko-san knows just where she wants to be, and Iori-chan has really a lot she wants to, do! But for me... umm, I'm mostly just here for my family, I guess?" She shrugged.
Well. Family issues were not exactly an uncommon theme, so far. "Your family?"
"Mm. You see, I have one little sister, and three little brothers, and mom and dad don't make all that much money even though they work so much. So I thought, since everyone here was so nice, and Iori-chan was so happy, um... I thought that it'd be okay to try it out here, and I could start helping my family more?"
"I see, I see." Alright, a bit heavy. But still.
Yayoi met her eyes, looking slightly guilty. "Do you... think that's bad?"
She started scrambling like an idiot again. "What? Of course not! That totally makes sense, honestly. It's nothing to feel bad about!"
The girl looked away, not entirely satisfied. "Okay... it's just, well I said it before, but everyone else has these big, big plans and all. And I'm still not sure, so..."
"So we'll find it." Maya relaxed a bit, slowing down and trying to be convincing. "It might take some time – but it's okay to start without knowing exactly where you're going."
"... Are you sure?"
Ah, this was going to be an incredibly delicate one. "Yeah. What people want to do always changes over time – we learn more about our jobs, and about ourselves – everyone here, no matter what they say, is still finding that out. Just like you."
"Well... that does make sense. So no one really knows what they're doing?"
Maya laughed, "Well, that's one way of saying it. But really, no. No one ever knows what they're doing, not really. They only have an idea, and that idea is always changing, and growing."
She clenched her fists in front of her and was back to beaming. "I guess that's right! You're pretty smart, Maya-san."
"Ahaha… if you say so! But – we do have to start somewhere. Is there a goal – however small, or vague – that you'd like to aim for first?" She folded her hands in her lap.
"Well…" Yayoi thought, looking down with her puppy eyes again. "Is it okay if it's a little big?"
"As big as you want."
"Then… I'd really wanna have a big live, with everyone! Iori-chan, and Ami and Mami I mean… If I'm here then I have to go all the way, right?" She frowned insistently.
"That's the first thing we aim for, then! A combined concert will be sure to get attention besides being fun, so that's not a bad idea at all."
"Uu-uu!" she outright cheered. "I feel like I have it all figured out now!"
"And you're thinking about everyone else, too." Maya mused, before checking her notes again. "Actually, I've been wondering – are all four of you close?"
"Yep!" she nodded, and started to explain. "Iori-chan and I go to school together, and she's my best friend! And Ami and Mami are so much fun, I've never really seen it before… so… so… I really want to stay here, after all!"
"Well. I'm glad to have you here, then."
"You too!"
"Then – do you have any questions for me?"
She smiled sheepishly. "Um… Well, I'm not too good at thinking up stuff like that… Oh, but I'm sure I'll have plenty of things to ask you later on!"
"Good! I'll be waiting, then – I'll come see you later on once I finish with everyone, and then we have a short practice scheduled."
"Mm! I remembered! Ehe, I get to show off a little." She stood up and made to leave, but stopped suddenly in her tracks. "Oh – do you want me to go find Ami now?"
"That'd be great! Thanks so much."
"Mhm! Thank you very much, Maya-san!" She bowed deeply again, with force enough to whip her pigtails downward, somewhat worryingly. "See you!"
Ahh, jeez. Maya leaned forward on the table, cheek propped up on her hand. Where was she going to start with this one? Yayoi was so incredibly bright, strikingly so – but that detail towards the beginning worried her badly. Girls her age should not have to be worrying about a work-family balance... she leaned back in her seat again, looking out the taped window to the street. None of this was going to be easy.
Ami Futami
"Hi!" Ami said, popping in, "Ami Futami, reporting!"
"Ah! Thank you. Come on in, please sit down," Maya said, gesturing.
Ami came further in, smirking in a way that Maya was already used to – but she did look a bit guilty, honestly.
She paused in the middle of the room, considering her. "Hey, nee-chan... are you still mad about that, by the way?"
Maya looked back up at her, being diplomatic about it. "Well... it was a pretty big surprise, but I'm not mad. From how Ritsuko-san reacted, you guys do stuff like that a lot?"
"I dunno. She always says we play around the office too much, but it would be kind of gloomy without us." She sat down, "You think so too, right?"
"Ask me again in a week," she warned, smiling. "Ritsuko-san has certainly warned me about you two already, I'll be harder to catch off-guard."
"Eh! I-is that a challenge, nee-chan?" Ami started forward, eyes sparkling.
Maya's smile soured immediately, forcing itself to stay. "Aha... I wouldn't go quite that far, but..."
She didn't back down. "Oh, no, I totally get you! I'll be ready!"
Maya laughed halfheartedly again, choosing to let it go for now. She moved to ground the conversation again.
"So, Ami. I want to use this time to essentially get to know you a bit better, and talk about your expectations for being here."
She nodded along. "So stuff like why I want to be an idol, or how I feel about the work and everything, right?"
"Yes, exactly!" She opened her notebook. "Well, since you mentioned it, we can start off there: why do you want to be an idol?"
"Huh, well, I don't really have any big reason or anything..." Ami said, already making a show of thinking. "We pretty much just saw one of Ricchan's shows and went 'Ah! That looks fun!' and when we showed up here the president liked us. So probably because it looked fun?"
"Hm. What about it is fun, though?"
"It just... the excitement, right? Every time we watch people on stage there's just... so much! Everyone there is like yaaah! All at once! The crowd, I mean." She seemed to think for a moment. "So, since dancing's fun, and singing's fun, the more people there are the more fun it is. Right?"
"Yeah," she nodded, bemusedly, "that does sound right."
"That's all it is, really," Ami said, somewhat self-satisfiedly. "So can I ask you questions now?"
Maya was a bit surprised at her enthusiasm. That was fast. "Um... sure, if you'd like."
"Okay!" Ami grinned and leaned forward again. "Do you like dogs or cats better?"
"Oh." Not quite what she was expecting. "Well, cats I suppose."
"Boats or planes?"
"Planes, probably?"
"Hmm..." She tilted her head. "Favorite flavor of candy?"
"Well, um... mango, maybe...? Ami, I –"
Ami interrupted, scooting forward in the seat with a particularly urgent question. "If you could have one superpower, what would it be?"
Alright. This was the deal with kids. Maya leaned back with a small sigh, frowning as she worked through how to approach this – what was clear is that she'd have to stop messing around with the conversation, and get serious. Ami was already completely setting the pace, and it was time to put her foot down.
She cleared her throat, looking Ami in the eyes sternly. "Telekinesis."
Ami gasped dramatically. "Wow, nee-chan! You didn't even have to think about it at all! That's so cool!"
"You answer now," Maya said, crossing her arms, "You have me curious."
"Eh?" Ami recoiled. "Y-you can't just put me on the spot like that, you know!"
"Then think about it! But now I do need to hear it," she cautioned.
Ami got surprisingly deep in thought again. "Hm... well.. let's see... flying? It would have to be flying, right?"
"Would it?"
"Gyah! But being invisible, too... hmmm..." She was really struggling.
Maya stepped in. "Well, let's see. What's the appeal with each?"
"Well, with flying I could go anywhere I wanted, you know? It'd be really easy, and if I got invisible I could sneak up on anyone!" She got a little glint in her eye. "Uhuhu... they'd both be pretty useful, you know?"
"So it's a freedom thing, then."
"Hm?"
She gestured with her pen. "Being able to go anywhere without being stopped. Is that it?"
Ami picked it up easily. "Well, yeah. Yeah, I think so!" She shot Maya a sideways look. "Huh, you're sharper than you look, you know?"
"Then that's something we can aim for, huh?"
She tilted her head. "What? Being invisible, really?"
"No! Well, probably more like flying, since we'll want people to see you... but getting to that same 'going anywhere' feeling!" Maya shook her head, looking down to her notes again. "Maybe that's a bit dramatic, haha."
"Really?"
Maya looked up again. "Hm?"
"Can you really do that? Can it really feel like that?"
Ami was really into it. Both hands on the table, face furrowed in an incredulous pout. She could only answer.
"Yeah. Yes, I really think it can. I've seen it happen before – when people are at their very best."
"That's... kind of amazing!" She sat back down again, and calmed down a bit. "Will you really help with that?"
"That's my job. That's just what I'm here for."
"Well... well... I'm gonna take that as a promise then!"
A lot of promises so far. Well, this one seemed worth it at least. "Let's make it one."
"Alright! Then, can I keep going?"
Maya had hoped she'd forgotten about it... no luck. "Yes, yes. Go ahead."
Ami swung forward again, arms crossed. "So do you like hot or cold weather more?"
She was actually expecting a serious question for a moment there. "Cold, definitely."
"Hm, hm. Then, what about going camping or going to the beach?"
"Ah. The beach for sure."
"Ehh? That makes no sense, though?"
Maya giggled slightly. "What? Why not?"
Ami looked back at her, almost worriedly. "You just said you liked the cold more. So you can't like the beach."
"Well, what's wrong with cold beaches? Like in the winter."
Ami looked at her for a long moment before continuing. "Huh. I get it. You're kind of a weirdo, nee-chan."
She closed her eyes, letting her head droop slightly. "I-if you say so..."
"But okay!" She threw her arms out, and jumped up. "Those are all my questions! I'm done now, I'll go catch Mami for you."
"Are you sure?"
"Yep! Uhuhu... But, now Ami has a complete profile on you, you know! I know everything about you now! You better be careful..." She rose to her feet, pointing at Maya menacingly.
She just smiled, closing her notebook. "I will, I will. I'm glad you learned so much!"
"Yep! I hope you learned a little bit too, I guess." Ami brightened up completely. "Seeya, nee-chan!"
Ami skipped out of the room, waving. Maya waved back, and then deeply exhaled and fell back into her seat. Okay. Round two.
Mami Futami
Mami, almost immediately, barged in. "Hiii! Mami Futami, present!"
"Wow, that was fast! Thank you, come in," Maya said, jolting up and trying to play it off.
Mami smirked slightly at the reaction, but then shook it off and sat down. She looked around the room, curiously. "So is this just the same thing as everyone else?"
"Well," Maya said, "Yes. Just trying to get a picture of who everyone is."
She leaned forward, hands clasped under the desk. "I'm ready! Let's do it!"
Maya shook off any trepidation and didn't miss a beat. "...Alright. Let's just jump in, then. I'll start where I did with Ami, ah – why do you want to be an idol?"
"Huh, well, I don't really have any big reason or anything..." Mami said, grinning a bit embarrassedly. "We pretty much just saw one of Ricchan's shows and went 'Ah! That looks fun!' and when we showed up here the president liked us. So probably because it looked fun?"
Wow. Word-for-word. Maya was almost impressed. "She said the exact same thing, actually... alright. What's the fun part of it for you, then?"
"Well... hm. It's kind of hard, you know."
Our first point of divergence! "...Oh?"
"Okay, so Trainer-chan is always talking about how, like, you have to turn into someone else when you're doing a song, right?" she gestured to try to get the point across.
Maya nodded a bit warily. "It's good advice."
"And I want to, um... I want to try that! I wanna talk to people like that!"
She frowned. Didn't quite get it. "Talk to people?"
"Like the people in the crowd? Whoever's watching, I wanna show them something really cool, and, like... see what they think about it?"
"See...?" She was getting lost.
"Aah, this is haaard..." She frowned but tried again. "I want to be a lot of things! And do a lot of things! And see a lot of things, too. And have people see me back, whoever I am!"
"And being an idol lets you do that?"
"Yeah!" she said happily, "At least I hope so. Can it, nee-chan?" She tilted her head.
How sweet. She nodded, clicking her pen. "There's a lot out there, a lot we both have to discover. I'll make sure it can."
"Ehehe... you better!" Mami beamed back, bouncing in her seat slightly.
Well, that had gone a lot more smoothly. Maya moved on, turning a page in her notes and looking back for a moment. "So, Mami. How long have you been here, again?"
"Uh. Just a month! Ami came here a little before me, since they didn't know about taking both of us at first... was that why you were so mad at aniki?"
Again, Maya was having a hard time keeping but with how she spoke. "'A-aniki'?"
"Yeah. Oh, that's how we call Shigeru-san. Just like how you're nee-chan now. Got it?" She pulled off a little pouty frown.
"Ah. I see." Was she getting suckered into playing house? "No, I wasn't mad about that either, really. Just taken off guard – but you don't have to worry about that!"
"Um, and you said I can ask questions here too, right?"
"Yes, of course." Maya braced herself again.
"Well..." Mami fidgeted slightly, almost nervous to ask. "What was last time like?"
"Last time?"
"Yeah," she nodded, concernedly. "You said you were with those other girls for, like, ten years or something... was it hard to come here?"
"Ah. Yeah." She blinked. "Well, it wasn't quite that long! But even so, yes, it was a bit hard – I'd gotten very used to it, and saw them come a long way. But! Various things happened, and here I am."
"Was it fun?"
She blinked. Wow. She had never really thought of it in terms of fun or not fun before. "I guess I did have fun there, yes. A lot certainly happened."
Mami nodded, seriously. "Hm. Well. Then you just have to stay here for that much time then, right? And have just as much fun, right?"
"That's not a bad idea, haha. I certainly hope I can get to that point!"
She couldn't help but raise her voice, speaking more insistently. "But I wanna know more about it! What was the biggest, biggest thing you guys ever did? Did you get to be in any movies?"
"No movies, no." Maya thought for a moment, clicking her pen absentmindedly. "We weren't quite that big, and I don't think they would have been particularly interested in acting… we really did focus only on music."
Mami didn't quite get it. "That's it? Shouldn't it be more?"
"Well – they were more just singers, not really idols… they're not quite the same job."
"Huuuh… so what was fun about it, then?"
"Well we still did things! The music was fun enough on its own. There were still concerts, and videos, and tours – oh, we just had a recent one through Europe, actually!"
"Eh? Really? Like Paris and stuff?"
"Mm!" she nodded, visibly a bit proud of herself. "And London, and Berlin, and a few others. It was the last big thing I was part of at the job, actually."
"Will we get to go there sometime, too? Can you do your producer magic for that?"
She leaned forward a bit, internally wincing. "Well… I can't make that promise. We'd only be able to start thinking about that much further down the line…"
"I understand, I understand." She nodded, overly seriously. "We have to prove ourselves first."
"That's a way to put it, yes. Right now, building a fanbase is what we have to focus on – we won't get to go anywhere without that."
Mami nodded, standing up with fist pressed to heart. "Then! I'll go tell Ami! By the time we're in high school we have to completely take over Europe!"
Maya couldn't help but laugh a bit at that. "Pfff... well, that's certainly a high goal!"
"Bye, nee-chan! We have so much planning to do… and, if I'm not mistaken, Ami has some extra information to give me now, right? Uhuhu…" She darted out the door, but after a moment stuck her head back in. "And, um… thanks for talking to me like that. I really mean it…" She kicked the side of the door lightly, her eyes averted to the floor.
"It's my pleasure. Even if I can't do anything else, I can always talk."
"M'kay. That's it! Bye then!" Mami nodded, grinning back once more before leaving for real. "Ami, hey Ami…!"
Iori Minase
Right on cue Iori entered the room and walked to her seat, shooting Maya a quick suspicious glance on her way.
Everything about Iori gave off this sense of tension. From her hairband pulling her hair back uncompromisingly tight, to her already knit brow, to the way she dressed, or how she held her stuffed rabbit with crossed arms. Immediately Maya knew she couldn't afford to say the wrong thing.
She put in the first word, almost moving to stand up but deciding against it. "Well, Minase-san! I apologize for the wait, thank you for being so patient."
"Hm. It's fine, I went last for a reason." Iori sat down daintily, adjusting her stuffed rabbit in her lap. "Also, don't call me that, alright? It's just Iori-chan."
What was that reason, Maya wondered. Waiting to see what everyone else had thought? If that was right, Iori didn't seem too impressed with what she'd heard; a far cry from her excitement earlier in the morning. Hopefully it wasn't too late for first impressions.
Had to swing apologetic, here. "Got it! Sorry, sorry, I'm still trying to get used to honorifics in practice, haha. Thanks for reminding me," she smiled.
Iori looked back at her coolly. "Well, I guess that's to be expected." She at last softened slightly and sighed, gesturing vaguely with one hand. "You're Spanish or something, right? I get it, I get it. It's not that hard – basically the same idea as tu and usted, just more specialized."
Maya perked up at the clear conversation starter. "Ah. The promotional materials Ooyama-san provided me with did mention you were multilingual. That's pretty impressive – five, right? Why the interest in languages?"
"Six, actually, and it's not like I had a choice in it, I..." she began to explain, but then snapped back, "Listen, are we going to have the actual interview thing or just keep wasting time?"
There went all her plans. "Iori-chan... um, please think of this more as a conversation, rather than a formalized interview."
She looked back, disappointed but not surprised. "Hm. Sounds like you aren't taking it all that seriously, then."
"I don't mean just small talk!" she said, maybe a bit too defensively. "Really, we're going to be around each other a lot from here on out, and getting to know you off the stage is just as important as figuring out what you're like on it."
"Well. I guess you have a point on that." She thought about that for a second, but turned back again, frowning. "B-but I still want to seriously talk about debuting! Since you're apparently in charge of that now, what do I have to do?"
Oh, she was going to be an interesting one. Alright. Maya shifted strategies, and sat back in her seat.
She put her pen down. "Convince me you're ready. That's pretty much it."
"That's it?" She still held the frown.
"Yes. After this, we'll head out to the studio with Yayoi-chan and the twins, and I'll see where you're all at."
"Hm... And then?"
"And then we'll talk."
"Hmph," she pursed her lips slightly, sitting back in her seat again but considering it. "Well, I am ready. I'll tell you that now, okay? You'll see, pretty much right away."
"And why are you so sure of that?"
"Just look at me! I've already been training for months, I'm naturally gorgeous and talented, we have plenty of connections through the president and the other guy... I just don't get why Shigeru is waiting so long!" She made a little exasperated motion with her non-rabbit hand, and brushed back her hair.
She had said all of that completely matter-of-factly, without even a trace of bragging, and now looked back expectantly.
She wasn't even sure what to say. "Well. Give me a chance to see that talent, and we'll start moving."
Iori continued looking back – the disappointment had almost a tinge of pity to it at this point. It wasn't often that you could feel someone palpably losing faith in you – she tried to reclaim the initiative.
She leaned forward, closing her notebook for a moment. "Iori-chan – why are you so set on being an idol, anyway?"
Iori remained cool. "What do you mean? You sound skeptical."
"Not at all. I'm just wondering... why this is important to you. What are you looking to accomplish?"
"Well," she said, closing her eyes and smiling. "It's simple, really. I want for people to be able to see how special I am."
"So popularity."
The smile faltered a bit. "I mean, obviously, but not only that." She became a little more serious. "Listen. When someone says 'super idol Iori-chan', I want them to know who that is. Not just because I'll be all over TV, or because everyone else loves me – but because they see my talent for themselves."
"Those... are very high-goal assumptions, I hope you're aware."
"Of course. Haven't you been listening? I've been telling you I'm aiming for the top, so all you have to do is get me on my way properly. Easiest job in the world, right?" she finished, brightly.
Maya exhaled shortly, sitting back. This was setting up for even more growing pains down the line than the twins hinted at. "Ambitious."
"Yes. It's me, after all." So self-assured.
"Alright," Maya said, leaning forward again, "we are not going to that kind of excellence unless you're ready for some very serious preparation. You will not get by on just talent. I really want you to understand that if you're committed to aiming that high, I'll have to be demanding."
She clearly took that as a challenge, which was the best that little gamble could have gone. "Be as demanding as you want, then! I'm telling you I can keep up. Easily!" She leaned forward insistently, "Is that understood?"
Maya just looked at her for a moment, not really sure what to think. "Alright. Understood."
"Good!" Iori sat back again, brushing her hair off her shoulder again and crossing her arms. "Now, if you're going to be so demanding as you say, I'm going to, too. You can't expect me to push myself that hard if you don't properly facilitate a supportive environment for me, right?"
"Sure. Yes, I suppose." Where on earth she got these buzzwords, Maya had no idea.
"Good. Then, don't forget that you work for me, and we'll get along perfectly!" She beamed, pointedly.
"I mean, yes. That's the idea. Not quite so subordinate, but..."
"But what?" She made eye contact, with that same smile.
"...Nothing. You're right, you're right."
"Good. Then let's go!" she said brightly, standing up and brushing herself off.
"Ah... excuse me? Go where?"
But she was already at the door. "What? To the studio, obviously. Like we just talked about."
Maya started, reflexively reaching out and fumbling with her things. "We weren't exactly done with the interview, you know? I still had a couple things to go over..."
"Hmph!" She looked back, one eyebrow impeccably raised. "What else could you possibly need to know about me?"
Well. Maya supposed she was right. What else indeed.