1. I should've hired you as a scout, huh?Copy !req
2. Popular YouTuber and influencer, MEM.Copy !req
3. I'm surprised to hear you were interested in being an idol.Copy !req
4. Your YouTube channel has 370,000 subscribers.Copy !req
5. And you have 638,000 followers on TikTok.Copy !req
6. It seems you're quite popular online.Copy !req
7. To start, can I ask if you're with an agency?Copy !req
8. Well, I'm in the streaming business as a sole proprietor.Copy !req
9. I currently work with an agency called FARM,Copy !req
10. but I'm not directly signed with them - rather,
we're business partners.Copy !req
11. Under my agreement with them,
it's no problem for me to freely take on jobs.Copy !req
12. Makes sense.Copy !req
13. So, in this case, Strawberry Productions would be
commissioning your services in the idol industry.Copy !req
14. We have plenty of internet personalities with us,
so there'd be no problem making such a contract.Copy !req
15. It feels like a very timely offer...Copy !req
16. but that look on your face tells me there's
something you need to get off your chest.Copy !req
17. Well, I have a good idea of what it is.Copy !req
18. Your age... You're misrepresenting it, right?Copy !req
19. You can tell?Copy !req
20. Yes, your bone structure makes
you look quite young, but you can't fool me.Copy !req
21. There's no need to be afraid.Copy !req
22. Claiming to be younger by a few years is common for
independent entertainers.Copy !req
23. It doesn't bother me.Copy !req
24. You really mean that?Copy !req
25. That's a relief.Copy !req
26. Well? How old are you really?Copy !req
27. Um, well...Copy !req
28. The truth is...Copy !req
29. Uh-huh, uh-huh.Copy !req
30. You fudged it big time!Copy !req
31. I am deeply sorry!Copy !req
32. Your claimed age is 18, which means...Copy !req
33. You've got some nerves of steel, huh?Copy !req
34. Please stop counting!Copy !req
35. How many years did you subtract? Three or so?Copy !req
36. Double that.Copy !req
37. You totally mispresented it!Copy !req
38. So, that makes you 24?Copy !req
39. Twenty-four... was my age, until this spring.Copy !req
40. So you're 25.Copy !req
41. At this point, it's no use to downplay it.Copy !req
42. So at 25 you went on the show
claiming to be a high schooler...Copy !req
43. That's mental toughness gone too far.Copy !req
44. I had my reasons!Copy !req
45. I... always dreamed of being an idol.Copy !req
46. But, I had a single mother and two younger brothers,Copy !req
47. and I thought it'd be best if I went out and got a job.Copy !req
48. But, my mom said...Copy !req
49. Don't worry about that and follow your dream!Copy !req
50. I'll do my best too, okay?Copy !req
51. After that, I started to apply for auditions,Copy !req
52. and I even made it to the final screening
at a major agency.Copy !req
53. But, in my third year of high school...Copy !req
54. my mom overworked herself
and ended up in the hospital.Copy !req
55. The family needed money, you see...Copy !req
56. So, I temporarily withdrew from school
and worked various part-time jobs.Copy !req
57. That enabled me to send my younger brothers
to college, and our mom got better too.Copy !req
58. But, I had turned 23 by that point.Copy !req
59. And in this world, they start treating
you like an old lady when you reach 20.Copy !req
60. All the auditions stipulate they only
accept girls who are no older than 20.Copy !req
61. When I was finally in a position to pursue my dream,
I was no longer of the age where that was possible.Copy !req
62. With that path closed, I channeled
my passion into streaming.Copy !req
63. I was still on temporary leave from high school,Copy !req
64. so I positioned myself as
"a high school girl - parentheses lol -"Copy !req
65. and it went over better than expected.Copy !req
66. I gained a crazy number of subscribers!Copy !req
67. And soon, I'd gone too far to turn back!Copy !req
68. I kept that up for another two years...Copy !req
69. which brings us to the present.Copy !req
70. It's hopeless, after all, isn't it?
I'm fudging my age by seven years...Copy !req
71. It'll cause trouble if I'm found out, won't it?Copy !req
72. As if a 25-year-old could ever be an idol...Copy !req
73. That's not true!Copy !req
74. It's MEM-cho! In the flesh! So cute!Copy !req
75. I've been listening in.Copy !req
76. Arima.Copy !req
77. I, too, was hounded about my age...Copy !req
78. so I can sympathize a bit.Copy !req
79. Seems like more than just a bit.Copy !req
80. Once I reached 5th grade or so,
my child-actor agency gave me the axe.Copy !req
81. It really makes me sick!Copy !req
82. Yeah...Copy !req
83. Miyako-san!Copy !req
84. Hey, I never said I was against her joining up.Copy !req
85. How do you feel, Ruby?Copy !req
86. I'm all for it!Copy !req
87. Age has got nothing to do with being an idol!Copy !req
88. After all, there's no stopping someone's longing!Copy !req
89. Welcome to B Komachi!Copy !req
90. Aw, thank you!Copy !req
91. There goes my sister glossing over things again...Copy !req
92. Arima, please look after Ruby and MEM.Copy !req
93. Can it! Don't act all friendly with me.Copy !req
94. Go make cozy with Akane Kurokawa.
You womanizing house steward.Copy !req
95. I'll take care of this group without being told.Copy !req
96. C'mon, let's go out to eat.Copy !req
97. Yeah, let's go!Copy !req
98. What's with you kids? You're so welcoming...Copy !req
99. And just like that, MEM-cho joined our group.Copy !req
100. The new B Komachi got its official start.Copy !req
101. Aww, Love Now's already over.Copy !req
102. Hey, hey, how'd ya feel havin'
your big bro kiss on the show?Copy !req
103. How did I feel?Copy !req
104. Could you imagine anything
besides super mixed feelings?Copy !req
105. Yeah, I bet.Copy !req
106. It was five times as awkward as when that kiss scene
on that siblings TV series aired.Copy !req
107. Yikes!Copy !req
108. I bet ya will eventually meet Akane-chan in person, huh?Copy !req
109. I mean, she is your brother's girlfriend.Copy !req
110. Girlfriend...Copy !req
111. But...Copy !req
112. Aqua's feelings toward Akane...Copy !req
113. are surely...Copy !req
114. Are you talking about Love Now?Copy !req
115. Um, yeah.Copy !req
116. Oh, you know the show, Shiranui-san.Copy !req
117. I know someone in the cast, after all.Copy !req
118. It was entertaining.Copy !req
119. You don't need to be so considerate...Copy !req
120. It was full of hot guys and beautiful girls...Copy !req
121. A real feast for the eyes.Copy !req
122. "Feast for the eyes"?!Copy !req
123. So even top stars say that kinda stuff...Copy !req
124. No one hates good-looking people, right?Copy !req
125. It truly was easy on the eyes.Copy !req
126. I feel like my vision improved by 0.5 or so.Copy !req
127. She's funny!Copy !req
128. Personally, I enjoyed seeing
MEM-cho acting like a maiden.Copy !req
129. Had I been one of the male cast members,
I totally would've pinned her down.Copy !req
130. I was thinking, "Fire yourself up and win that girl over."Copy !req
131. Shiranui-san is cool as a cucumber on TV,
but I guess this is how she is in private...Copy !req
132. I hear it's actually totally a thing.Copy !req
133. It's hard for funny girls to get popular 'cause
guys'll see 'em as rivals before catchin' feelings for 'em,Copy !req
134. so they won't joke around while they're usin'
their pristine image as a sellin' point.Copy !req
135. How dreadful...Copy !req
136. It might be in part because I know Aqua-san personally,
but he really made my heart race.Copy !req
137. I bet everyone feels that way.Copy !req
138. "Big Brother" Aqua... seems to be quite popular
with the general-ed girls.Copy !req
139. It appears a number of performing-arts girls
have taken an interest in him, too.Copy !req
140. Well, he's officially in a relationship,
so they'll all probably just watch and wait for now.Copy !req
141. Love Now actually drew a lot of attention,Copy !req
142. and it likely ended up as a big show in terms
of how it'll impact my brother's future.Copy !req
143. And it had a sizable effect on B Komachi, too.Copy !req
144. With the addition of MEM-cho, we were able to make
videos for our channel that really looked the part.Copy !req
145. Wow, we have 10,000 subscribers!Copy !req
146. Well, I used my channel to draw viewers over.Copy !req
147. It'd be embarrassing if we
didn't get this many, you know?Copy !req
148. It kinda... feels like we're official now!Copy !req
149. What else would we be?Copy !req
150. We still haven't uploaded much
besides a self-intro video,Copy !req
151. and I'd like to post a music video
sooner rather than later...Copy !req
152. How're we doing on the music front, anyway?Copy !req
153. It seems the president has asked
some artists she knows for help.Copy !req
154. But we can't do anything until the music is finished, right?
That's still some way off.Copy !req
155. Let's just take it easy for now.Copy !req
156. Not a chance!Copy !req
157. Have you forgotten that we're B Komachi?Copy !req
158. And B Komachi has all the B Komachi songs, right?Copy !req
159. Oh, that's right!Copy !req
160. It's no problem for us to use any of the old songs!Copy !req
161. Exactly.Copy !req
162. You're a genius, MEM-cho!Copy !req
163. Tch, they've realized...Copy !req
164. Starting now, we'll do as much as we can!Copy !req
165. If we dillydally, I'll be 30ish before I know it!Copy !req
166. Self-burn!Copy !req
167. The first duty of idols!Copy !req
168. It is the pride of idols and yet also
the most exhausting aspect!Copy !req
169. The choreographing of dances, which begins now!Copy !req
170. There are 30 songs with choreography
that remain on video...Copy !req
171. There's no way I'll be told to memorize them all, right?Copy !req
172. I can't match the motivation of those two idol otaku...Copy !req
173. Why'd I ever agree to be an idol in the first place?Copy !req
174. Good work out there.Copy !req
175. Thank y-Copy !req
176. I don't want it! Get outta my sight!Copy !req
177. You've been acting like this toward me all the time lately.Copy !req
178. I know you've got a foul mouth and an attitude.Copy !req
179. But...Copy !req
180. even I'll feel hurt if you keep it up.Copy !req
181. What the hell? What...?Copy !req
182. You started it...Copy !req
183. You...Copy !req
184. Aqua!Copy !req
185. What I'm about to tell you is like digging up
the grave of the deceased, so to speak.Copy !req
186. Why exactly is it you want
to know about Ai-kun so badly?Copy !req
187. I'm a fan of hers, hopelessly so.Copy !req
188. Is that not reason enough?Copy !req
189. The illusions held by fans are shattered
once they come to know the real person.Copy !req
190. There is not a single exception to this.Copy !req
191. The entertainment industry is
a competition in bluffing, as it were.Copy !req
192. When appealing subject matter tells appealing lies,Copy !req
193. it produces a charisma that doesn't exist in reality.Copy !req
194. Basically, we're in the business of doing
the kind of stuff people will doCopy !req
195. when they're trying to land a job at a good company.Copy !req
196. Even so, I want to know.Copy !req
197. If you're her fan, that's all the more reason
it's better not to know...Copy !req
198. But, things don't always go as we wish.Copy !req
199. As I said before, I had a close connection to Ai-kun,
and I sent a lot of jobs her way.Copy !req
200. At the time, she was country bumpkin
fresh out of the sticks.Copy !req
201. She lacked professionalism,
didn't try to become friendly with those around her,Copy !req
202. and would show up for work wearing clothes
she got on the cheap that didn't suit her.Copy !req
203. She was that kind of child.Copy !req
204. So, I thought about what might help her, and I introduced
her to a workshop hosted by a certain theater company.Copy !req
205. A workshop?Copy !req
206. It's a place I was a member of myself back in college.Copy !req
207. It's called Lala Lai, the same theater company
that Akane-kun belongs to.Copy !req
208. Though, it wasn't all that famous in those days.Copy !req
209. They say that love changes people.Copy !req
210. It must've been there...Copy !req
211. that Ai fell in love.Copy !req
212. After she started attending the workshop,
she began taking more care with her appearance,Copy !req
213. and she started asking me about nice places to eat.Copy !req
214. As you might expect, I don't know
exactly who the guy was,Copy !req
215. but I do remember how she suddenly
had the face of a grown woman.Copy !req
216. If you're interested, I'll introduce you
to the leader of Lala Lai.Copy !req
217. There, I suspect you'd come closer to the answers you
seek.Copy !req
218. Why would you do all that for me?Copy !req
219. I'm a failed actor without any accomplishments.Copy !req
220. Because I sense the potential in you.Copy !req
221. This industry is a place of creating
and calling in obligations.Copy !req
222. As you know, in Japan's entertainment industry,Copy !req
223. the exchange of obligations between the agencies
and production side plays a big role in casting.Copy !req
224. And based on the casting, earnings can
change by hundreds of millions of yen.Copy !req
225. So much money moves around it makes
this 40,000-yen sushi dinner feel like small change.Copy !req
226. If I make you obliged to me now, when you
become an in-demand actor who's at his very peak,Copy !req
227. I'd be bound to gain a big advantage
in battles over casting.Copy !req
228. That's what the job of a producer is, you see.Copy !req
229. And I'm not just doing this for you, of course.Copy !req
230. I can see the potential in Kana Arima-kun
and MEM-cho-kun, too.Copy !req
231. It seems you guys have embarked
on something intriguing.Copy !req
232. I hear you've revived the famed B Komachi.Copy !req
233. I see it as a rather promising target for investment.Copy !req
234. No way...Copy !req
235. Japan Idol Festival?!Copy !req
236. Yeah, the producer I worked with
on Love Now has a connection.Copy !req
237. If we're interested, he says can
squeeze us into the lineup.Copy !req
238. JIF is next month, isn't it?!Copy !req
239. Impossible! There's no way! We aren't prepared at all!Copy !req
240. The idea of newcomers like us going
on such a big stage all of a sudden-Copy !req
241. C'mon, c'mon, let's do it!Copy !req
242. This is JIF we're talking about! JIF!Copy !req
243. Isn't it amazing that the reborn B Komachi can have
our first performance on such a huge stage?!Copy !req
244. But it's a sure thing we'd make a bad impression.Copy !req
245. They'd go on and on about
how we must have connections.Copy !req
246. Oh, it'll be fine! After all, we're the successors
to the legendary group B Komachi!Copy !req
247. Yeah, because you just went and started calling us that.Copy !req
248. Actually, I think it would be a waste not to do it.Copy !req
249. It's a stage that ordinary groups are only able
to stand on after years of tireless work.Copy !req
250. If we don't take this opportunity,
what're we even being idols for?Copy !req
251. I guess you have a point...Copy !req
252. If you insist, I'll do it.Copy !req
253. This is my job, after all.Copy !req
254. Alright, it's settled!Copy !req
255. Well, the next matter is THAT!Copy !req
256. It's about time we decide on it.Copy !req
257. On what?Copy !req
258. On who'll be B Komachi's center!Copy !req
259. Is that all that important?Copy !req
260. Does it really matter who it is?Copy !req
261. You bet it's important!Copy !req
262. Centers are the stars among idols!Copy !req
263. A role for a cute girl who can really sing
and dance, they're the face of the group!Copy !req
264. It's the most important position of all!Copy !req
265. Right?!Copy !req
266. I see you two get on well...Copy !req
267. Well, anyone want the role?Copy !req
268. I-it's not like I'm champing at the bit...Copy !req
269. but if everyone really insists...Copy !req
270. Sure enough, it comes down to the wisdom of age.Copy !req
271. Not that I want the role or anything,
but my life experience brings the group together.Copy !req
272. You both look like you're dying to get the role.Copy !req
273. I'm a great dancer, so shouldn't it be me?!Copy !req
274. No, with my media savvy and wealth
of experiences, it should be me!Copy !req
275. If that's the criteria, my senpai should do it.Copy !req
276. She topped the Oricon charts with "Bell Pepper
Exercises" and went on tons of music programs.Copy !req
277. Wow, that's a blast from the past!Copy !req
278. Don't dredge up my dark past!Copy !req
279. Bell Pepper Exercises is starting!Copy !req
280. If you eat bell peppers, you'll be SupermanCopy !req
281. If everyone dances along, you'll be Peter PanCopy !req
282. Aww, the way her singing was slightly off-key...Copy !req
283. Yeah, it was so childlike and adorable.Copy !req
284. They made us dance to it in preschool.Copy !req
285. Sing it a little for us!Copy !req
286. Not a chance in hell!
Even I can tell that I'm a lousy singer!Copy !req
287. Actually, maybe singing ability is
what's needed to be center.Copy !req
288. Good point. If the center is gripping a mic,
she won't shine, right?Copy !req
289. How shameless...Copy !req
290. How about whoever gets the highest score
at karaoke will be the center?!Copy !req
291. You're on!Copy !req
292. You're coming too, Senpai, right?!Copy !req
293. I'll pass.Copy !req
294. Huh? But...Copy !req
295. You fool. The center is the face of the group, right?Copy !req
296. If I'm made the center,
the group would never get popular.Copy !req
297. That's not true...Copy !req
298. I have more than enough evidence to back that up.Copy !req
299. Hm?Copy !req
300. Considering that I persevered in this industry
even after my flash-in-the-pan child-actor days ended,Copy !req
301. do you think acting is all I did?Copy !req
302. Despite never gaining popularity even
when I tried my hand in a number of fieldsCopy !req
303. and causing lots of companies - which gave me jobs
based on my fame as a child actor - to lose money,Copy !req
304. I still shrewdly collected my performance
fees and eked out a living.Copy !req
305. In short, I, Kana Arima, don't have any dependable fans!Copy !req
306. I totally get why they wouldn't wanna spend money on
a foul-mouthed girl who's lost her innocence, though!Copy !req
307. Come to think of it, didn't the Sweet Today
drama come out in the red, too?Copy !req
308. MEM-cho has tons of subscribers.Copy !req
309. You've at least got a very pretty face,
and I think your innocence would go over well.Copy !req
310. Besides...Copy !req
311. it's accommodating, cute girls like
you two that people take a liking to.Copy !req
312. Not troublesome, cynical girls like me.Copy !req
313. Just think of me as the one who livens things up.Copy !req
314. Decide on the center between you two
with karaoke or whatever.Copy !req
315. You've been beating yourself up lately.Copy !req
316. Did something bad happen?Copy !req
317. Not in particular...Copy !req
318. It's gonna be alright. I mean, even my brother
who hardly compliments anyone called you cute.Copy !req
319. You're not troublesome or cynical.Copy !req
320. But, he said that same thing to MEM-cho on Love now.Copy !req
321. What a troublesome, cynical girl you are...Copy !req
322. You find fault with everything I say.
Any guy who dates you will have it rough.Copy !req
323. Well, entertainers are pretty much all difficult people.Copy !req
324. Wait a minute... both of them joined up
after Aqua asked them to.Copy !req
325. I'm getting an increasingly good idea of the type of girls
my brother's into, which is kind of off-putting.Copy !req
326. Come join us later, okay?Copy !req
327. 'Kay.Copy !req
328. How could you dare to compete with a score like that?!Copy !req
329. Y-you're bad too even if you make it look good!Copy !req
330. Idols are all about individuality!Copy !req
331. Even if I'm not the best, I have commercial value!Copy !req
332. But it's totally hopeless if you're straight-up bad!Copy !req
333. The joy of watching an unskilled girl gradually get
better over time... That's what I plan to offer fans!Copy !req
334. There's a sense of drama to it!Copy !req
335. We should've practiced singing more seriously.Copy !req
336. Both of us need some intensive training!Copy !req
337. Hey, could you not lump me in with you?Copy !req
338. Why don't we take a little break?Copy !req
339. Yeah. Let's see, a light song we can relax with...Copy !req
340. How about singing my senpai's Bell Pepper Exercises?Copy !req
341. You've got some personality, Ruby.Copy !req
342. I like it, to be honest.Copy !req
343. Arima-chan...Copy !req
344. put out a number of songs after Bell Pepper Exercises.Copy !req
345. I had no idea.Copy !req
346. Wanna give it a listen?Copy !req
347. Sure.Copy !req
348. She really is a difficult person...Copy !req
349. She calls herself a bad singer?Copy !req
350. I'd say she's too hard on herself.Copy !req