Chapter 6. ~Minami~
I had looked at the clock and stopped the time. It took exactly 7 minutes and 31 seconds until my new made friend came out of the practicing room. She didn't look as confident as I was, but for some reason nobody talked in this waiting room and I didn't want to break the silence. It took about about half an hour until everyone of us was done. I was all alone with my thoughts which wasn't very helpful. What if one of us won't pass? I asked this question for the first time and I couldn't really imagine the answer. If I wouldn't pass…no it wss no time for doubts, but if one of them wouldn't passit wouldn't be the same either. I felt that it was meant to be us four making our dream come true. I recalled the audition. Mariko-sama had a strict expression, a bit too strict but Takamina smiled at me as I answered their question why I wanted to be an idol with: „It's my dream". I sang „Seifuku ga Jama wo Suru, one of my favourite songs, although it was pretty old and as I was done everyone was silent. I wondered if it was because of I was so good or because I was bad. I didn't know.
My thoughts were interrupted because of Takamina who came out of the room:
„You can go in for the dance audition, I'll get Mariko a coffee first, see you" She grinned and rushed around the corner. We slowly got up and got ourselves in the room.
„Are you confident?" Tomochin asked with a grin.
„Yes!" We all shouted in almost one voice. Then we all had to laugh. Seemed we all thought the same thing. Tomochin, Yuko and Sayaka laughed as well.
„If you are that confident, you should show us an incredible dance now" Mariko said. „Where's Takamina? We want to start"
„I'm coming, I'm coming, here are five coffees" She held a tablet which was about to fall down as she entered the room.
„Watch out Takamina! Don't ruin my coffee!"
„As expected she doesn't care about me falling down but only about her coffee" Takamina mumbled.
She placed a cup of coffee at every place of the five.
„Can we start?" She asked not noticing that everyone was looking at her.
„We just waited for you, you needed much time just for getting some coffee…" Mariko said quietly but understandable.
„Drink your coffee, Mariko-chan" Takamina laughed. „Well, girls, we'll now decide which position you will hold. You'll pull a card. The two red ones are the two center positions, green is the second row and yellow the third. But don't worry we'll see everyone."
Yuko grabbed a box with cards from behind and held them to us. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and got one card out of the box. Red. Okay. Wait. Red?! Center?! Well, great…
„So get in your positions we don't have much time" Mariko clapped her hands.
I looked around. Aya and the mysterious girl, Sachiko were standing in the third row, the second onewas formed by Kaori Hikari and Kana and Misaki stood next to me a big smile in her face.
„I still don't know how we did this but were standing in the center together"
„Yes, let's do our best, Misaki-chan!"
I took a last deep breath then it started.
AKB….48!
That was fun. Dancing next to Misaki all of my pressure disappeared.
„That was great right?" Tomochin nipped at her coffee.
„Yes, it felt like the girls in the center could really lead them" Yuko did so too.
„They really got the dance everyone looked at them so they were very synchron, right?" Mariko looked in her empty cup as if she was trying to fill it up just with mental strength.
„That's what a leader should be like!" Takamina made a pose which almost threw her cup over. She earned angry looks from her comrades. „Sorry, sorry, I liked the ones in the third row too, they didn't look very special or energetic right? But while they danced they shined"
„I couldn't tell who was the best could you?" Sayaka sipped the rest out of her cup and placed it on the table dramatically „I liked them"
„How do you think we were?" Misaki asked me as we rushed out of the studio.
„I think we would make great leaders" We gave a high five and laughed.
„I think it was great" Aya said from behind us. „I stood in the third row I could see how synchron we were.
„You two were really great, I hope I was as great as you two" Kaori praised them.
„You were, I saw it" Aya said.
„What should we do now?" I asked.
„I don't know….sleep?" My bluehaired centerfriend answered.
„Why don't we look a bit around the ship. I think i won't be able to sleep" Kaori suggested as we passed the cantine.
„Where are we now, we never took this path…"
„Aya don't be scared, we'll find the way back" Kaori grabbed her hand.
„Yes, so we have to count one hour in for the way back" I sighed.
The announcement of the results would be at 6 o clock at dinner. We had 10 hours left, so what should we do?"
„Uhhh, what's this? Let's go in" Misaki shouted as we passed a room which looked like a lounge or something. In there were comfortable looking chairs and tables and you could order drinks. I started to wonder what this ship was.
Most of the tables were empty, only one was surrounded with people. I got a shock when I saw who was sitting there. Mayuyu, Kojiharu, Sae and Yukirin were drinking a coffee, right in front of them. It seemed every old member of AKB was now a staff member.
My friends seemed to were shocked too and we slowly took a few steps back like in the hollywood films when the protagonists see a sleeping monster, hoping it doesn't see them. I wasn't sure if it was allowed to enter this room and I didn't wanted any staff member to tell me after throwing me out.
Suddenly Yukirin turned around, a surprising look on her face.
„What are you doing here?" She asked but she smiled.
„W-W-„ I couldn't really say a thing.
„We just wanted to look around, we didn't knew it's-" Kaori pressed out
„It's what?" Yukirin looked confused.
„It's only for staff members, we're sorry" She almost bowed to the floor.
„Well, it isn't… it's a lounge for everyone. I wonder why nobody is here. You can sit down here with us"
The three ex-idols next to her nodded and Yukirin pointed out to three free chairs next to them.
We slowly sat down.
„You were the first ones right?"
We nodded.
„How was it?" asked Kojiharu while nipping her coffee.
„It was good" I answered.
„Yes, after Mariko-sama got her coffee it was really fun" Misaki said sarcastic.
The girls laughed.
„Are you confident?"
We nodded again.
„I hope I'll pass the two final auditions." Aya said with a dreamy expression.
„You will if you believe" Sae blinked to us and took the four empty cups. „I'm sorry but I'm afraid we have to leave you, we're here to work not to drink coffee, right girls?"
Mayuyu sighed: „This work is exhausting. I'm so looking forward to being on Akibastar again."
With that words she lifted herself up and the four girls disappeared through the door.
„It's funny what for people we meet here, right" Kaori seemed still a bit whacked from meeting four of their idols in a lounge in a space ship where they would live for a few days.
Yes, this was crazy.
„I love Kojiharu" I said „It has definitely only advantages to come here right?"
Before the others could agree or something the door opened and three wellknown girls came in.
They didn't even gave us a look after they disappeared very quickly after the audition. I didn't understand this, they could at least have looked at us, we were their rivals after all, but after they ordered coffee –I started to think that coffee was the only think you could drink on this ship- they came straight to our table and sat down looking at each of us veerrryy closely. What the hell was that about?
„So, how did you find the audition?" The light brown ponytailed Kana asked.
„It was good right?" I looked at my friends.
„Yes, what I saw from the third row was great" Aya said shyly „You three are great" She added.
„Thanks" HIkari said twirling her pink sideponytail around her finger. It sounded kind of arrogant.
„Do you think we'll pass?" Misaki asked trying to keep a conversation since we didn't really knew hat to talk about.
„Well, I'm confindent" Hikari has let go of her ponytail and drank her coffee, still in this arrogant voice I didn't like but the others didn't seem to notice.
„We are confident as well" Kaori said and we agreed.
„I think I saw Takamina smiling, that should be a great sign, right?" Kana said „Weall did a good job"
„Well, if Takamina liked us it would be great, she's a great person and a great leader right? I really adore her" I raved.
„Yes, me too and that's how leader must be chosen" Hikari said between two sips.
We looked at her confused.
„What do you mean?" I asked and tried not to show my lacking sympathy for her.
„I mean, leaders must be chosen after how great they are…not by drawing lots, right?"
„Hikari…" Kana looked uneasy.
„Well, it was fair right?" I noticed that Misaki didn't seem to like her too. Yes, we would be great friends.
„Yes…and no. I mean they should put the best one into the center, right?"
„How should they know?" I got angry now. Did she thought I wasn't good enough? How could she think she was better than me?!
„Well, we sang right? And they have the audition video, they could know. Maybe I would have been in the center then"
„I bet they have not the time for deciding this for each group" Kana chuckled.
„Wait! Do you want to say you're better than me?" I almost screamed this.
„I don't know but maybe. I just want this to be fair since you six are all my rivals."
„Isn't it too early to think about this?"
„Why I bet not all of us will pass" She looked at me way to long. „But now you and this girl" She pointed out to Misaki „are my biggest rivals and I definitely won't lose to you"
„We'll see that. Maybe you won't pass either…"
„Oh right you couldn't watch me, you we're standing right in front of me. Don't be afraid. I WILL please excuse me, I want to catch at least a few hours of sleep. Sachiko let's go"
Sachiko who hadn't said a word in this conversation stod up and followed Hikari through the door.
Kana started: „Well, she's kind of on the temperamantic side, but don't worry I think she's just nervous. She spoke a lot while she slept. Sachikosan slept the second she fell on the bed, that was so creepy but she's overall a bit strange. I think she might be nice but I would maybe know better if she spoke more however, me and Maki couldn't sleep and listened. She has really pressure, poor girl, oh Maki is our fourth room mate but unfortunately she wasn't with us in the auditions. I really like her. Now she's the only one of our room there. Ayaway please don't be angry at Hikari."
Shetook a deep breath and I was stunned how fast she could talk.
„Sorry, I don't think my stories are very interesting" She laughed.
„But I just wanted to make sure we all become friends. „
„I'm Kana…you probably know this because of that sign" She looked at the sign with her name and her number on her chest. „But I just want to introduce myself properly."
We did so too.
„So, if we all pass, I think we all get along with Hikari" I didn't think so but I thought itwould be childish to say bad things about our comrade behind her back.
„I don't like her" I was just too angry.
Kana sighed: Maybe I can understand you, she and Sachiko are troublesome comrades, I know that since I'm in the same room…but they're also great singers and dancers so Hikari isn't that wrong with her confidence." Suddenly she looked sad and I understood that she didn't like fights and that I sounded pretty rude.
„Anyway let's don't bother with this. I am Minami. Nice to meet you"
My three friends introduced themselves too.
„Are you confident too?" Misaki asked.
„Well, I don't know really. I know I have to believe in myself but I can't really say I'm confident."
She looked down to the table.
„You'll make it you're great too, you know, I standed in the third row. I observed my rivals closely" Aya smiled.
„Really, thank! Maybe I'm a bit more confident now but I have to excuse me now, I'm dying to take a bath. See you at dinner. At showtimmme!"
She rushed out of the room in such a dramatic way we all had to laugh.
It was funny which different girls we met here. But at least we had found some friends but I wondered how long we would stay together. Why did I always have this damn thought, I should enjoy the time here and not think about goodbye but it just didn't work.