Read story Love Live!: School Idol Festival [PART 2] - TO PRODUCE AND PROTECT:

TO PRODUCE AND PROTECT:

AYUMU: 'Hello, I'm a member of the Nijigasaki High School Idol Club! We're holding a joint solo live show with μ's and Aqours. Here's all the details!"

KYOKO: "A live show? Looks like Ai's been totally busy."

IO: "We'll definitely go see it!"

AYUMU: "Th-Thank you very much. Please come and see us!"

KYOKO: "If it's anything like the last one, we're totally up for it!"

AYUMU: "Huh? You came to our last live show?"

IO: "Of course! Ai wasn't the only one who did great, you were amazing too Uehara."

AYUMU: "Wow, thank you so much! I'll do my best at the next one, too! Hope to see you there!"

KYOKO: "Definitely. Catch you later!"

AYUMU: "Bye!"

AKI: "Ayu! I'm all out of flyers. Can you give me some more?"

AYUMU: "Wow, that was fast. How'd you go through them so fast? We have everyone else's flyers, too. So we started with a ton."

AKI: "You're just behind because you take your time talking to everyone. But that's a nice, Ayu thing to do."

AYUMU: "You think?"

AKI: "Of course! And wasn't Harajuku a great place to choose to hand these out?"

AYUMU: "True, I can't remember a time in Harajuku where I didn't go home with a bunch of flyers."

AKI: "Still, I'm gonna work hard so that we hand out every last flyer we've got!"

AYUMU: "Me too! I'll approach everyone!"

AKI: "You've got this street, right? I'll take the next one."

AYUMU: "Meet me here if you run out of flyers, again."

AKI: "Don't worry, I bet the next time I see you, there won't be any flyers in sight!"

AYUMU: "You bet!"

...

AKI: "Please come to a joint solo live show! Please come see three idol groups performing solo!"

KATSUO: "An idol performance, hm? I'll take one."

AKI: "Thank you."

KATSUO: "Hmm... Aqours, μ's and Nijigasaki? The top three idol groups on the female rankings list."

AKI: "That's right! I'm the manager of Nijigasaki who are a solo group, but it's the first time the members of μ's and Aqours will be performing solo."

KATSUO: "So you're not a school idol yourself?"

AKI: "Not at all. I'm actually the Chairman of the School Idol Festival Planning Committee."

KATSUO: "Hm...I take it that these groups will also be performing on the Main Stage at the School Idol Festival, correct?"

AKI: "That's right! The 27 most talented school idols in Japan all sharing one stage. It's all so exciting!"

KATSUO: "The top 27 school idols? To you, they are the top 27?"

AKI: "Of course! They're on the main stage, so why wouldn't they be?"

KATSUO: "..."

AKI: "Is something wrong?"

KATSUO: "Not at all. I'm just a little tired after meeting my producer. My apologies, but I must be going."

AKI: "Thank you, I hope to see you at the joint solo live!"

KATSUO: "We'll see... Mr. Chairman."

Is it just me, or did he look familiar? Wait... Producer?

Is he...?

No, it's probably just my imagination.

...

Hey, Ayu should be here. Where is she?

Ugh, she doesn't have to travel so far. You let the people come to you rather than going to them...

Hm?

AYUMU: "R-Really?"

PRODUCER: "Of course, I'm in a pretty high position at my job."

AYUMU: "That must be an amazing job to have."

PRODUCER: "It is, but none of my girls are as cute as you."

AYUMU: "H-Huh?"

PRODUCER: "How about it? You can work for me. I can get you all the shows you need."

AYUMU: "Um..."

PRODUCER: "It takes a lot to make it in this business. But if you do me some favors heh heh...then I could make you famous. All the money and fame you could ever ask for. Think about it."

AYUMU: "N-No..."

PRODUCER: "Is this about the favors? Come on, you know idols aren't allowed to date. So think of this as a loophole to satis-"

AYUMU: "No, I won't join you. I've got my own manager who thinks the world of me!"

PRODUCER: "You'll never succeed under his guidance. Think about the contract I'm offering you and all the added benefits that come with it. You and I, we could make a very, very special pairing indeed."

AKI: "You heard her answer old man. She said no."

PRODUCER: "Back off, this doesn't concern you. I'm about to make this girl's dreams come true."

AKI: "More like nightmares. I know your type sleezeball. You say it's for your clients benefit but it's all for your own sick and demented desires."

PRODUCER: "You don't know a damn thing about what it takes to succeed in this industry. Now get lost, pipsqueek."

AKI: "Fine, come on, Ayu. We're leaving."

PRODUCER: "Not her. You leave. Now Ayu, if you sign this contract you'll gain all the fame you could ever wi-"

*RIIIIP*

PRODUCER: "Y-You...!"

AKI: "Back off bitch...she's mine."

AYUMU: "?!"

AKI: "We're leaving. Let's leave this deluded ugly bastard to rethink his life choices. Geez, I thought this was meant to be Harajuku, not freaking Shinjuku."

...

AKI: "Odaiba should be a lot safer. I'm sorry you had to go through that, Ayu."

AYUMU: "Don't worry about it, you were my hero back there!"

AKI: "Stop it, I'm no hero..."

AYUMU: "No, seriously, you are! You stood up for me just like you did when we first met."

AKI: "I guess... But I wasn't going to let someone like that ruin your life."

AYUMU: "I wouldn't have signed it. I guess I have your teachings to thank for that."

AKI: "My teachings?"

AYUMU: "Yes, you've told us all about what happens to people in this industry and how situations like that can be avoided.
And how you had the courage to lay it in to someone like that, it just shows how much you love idols and how much of a caring producer you are."

AKI: "Oh stop it... I did what anyone would have done. Anyways, I've handed out my share of flyers."

AYUMU: "You've really been working hard. You deserve a break."

AKI: "All right, I'll go buy us some drinks. Just have a seat, I won't be long."

AYUMU: "Okay, thanks. I'll hand out a few more until you're back."

AKI: "Sounds good. I'll be right back!"

...

For crying out loud Family Mart... Did everyone just decide to go shopping today?!

I need to get back to Ayu. I left her alone once, and it didn't end well...

*RIIING*

Oh? It's a text from Maki.

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MAKI: Akihiko, are you and the Nijigasaki girls busy today?

AKI: Me and Ayu are handing out flyers for the joint solo event. But after that we're practically free for the day.

MAKI: Could I visit your clubroom? I'd like to talk to everyone about what it's like performing solo.

AKI: I see, so that's what you wanted to ask me yesterday.

MAKI: What are you talking about? I said that was nothing!

AKI: It's okay Maki, you can come over. You could have just asked me yesterday, y'know?

MAKI: I told you it was nothing! Ugh... I don't get you!

AKI: See you later!

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Interesting, looks like Maki wants to discuss solo performances.

I didn't get to help her yesterday, and last week I did recommend that she talks to the Nijigasaki members.

That was before she stormed off, but enough about that.

This line is just too long for me to handle! If we get a line this big at the School Idol Festival, I'd say it's a huge success!

Though they'll be waiting to watch a performance, not buying two bottles of Ramune!

...

AKI: "Hey, sorry that took so... Huh? What's wrong? You look like you're in a daze."

AYUMU: "U-Um..."

AKI: "...Which way did he go?"

AYUMU: "No, l-listen to me! A minute ago..."

AKI: "Yeah?"

AYUMU: "Some people I've never met came up to me. I thought they were gonna ask me for directions or something, but then they offered to help me pass out flyers.
I was so surprised, I didn't know what to say. Then they told me they were members of the Ayumu Uehara Fan Club!"

AKI: "What?! You met people from that fan club we saw online?"

AYUMU: "I guess so."

AKI: "Wow! That's wild!"

AYUMU: "I-I know, right? So I accepted their offer, and the flyers were gone in no time. I talked to them for a bit while I waited for you to come back."

AKI: "I see..."

AYUMU: "I asked why they're fans of someone like me, and they said it's the little things I do, like how I take my time talking to everyone when I'm handing out flyers."

AKI: "...The little things?"

AYUMU: "They told me they planted the daisies you passed out at my last solo event. And that they want to grow along with me, just like the daisies."

AKI: "..."

AYUMU: "I apologized for my fan letter replies being so long, and they laughed and said they'd send longer fan letters next time.
This all feels like a dream."

AKI: "Tell me about it..."

AYUMU: "I mean, I'm just writing back because I want to and passing out flyers to help the other club members. It's all just normal stuff. I don't get why they support me so much."

AKI: "I think that's what they love about you, Ayu. I know that's how I feel."

AYUMU: "I don't know... But I guess if you think so, then maybe that's it.
Now I wanna work even harder at being a school idol for all those people supporting me! I want then to know how I feel!"

AKI: "But don't forget about your number one supporter."

AYUMU: "Of course not! I could never forget about you, Aki!"

*RIIING*