From the Marks Left Behind - 6: What A Reunion Leads To

TV Station - Studio

Minori

Listen

What are you doing here?

Minori

Listen

Oh, are you here to see another shoot...?

Elderly Lady

Listen

Yes, that's right.
I'm here today for a music program.

BGM: --:-- / --:-- Play

Minori

Listen

Wow!
You must really love TV considering how often you're here!

Elderly Lady

Listen

Yes, I do...
As a result, I've become familiar with quite a few celebrities.

Minori

Listen

Oh...
Is that how you knew my name?

Elderly Lady

Listen

Yes, I've seen you on TV.
You're Minori Hanasato from MORE MORE JUMP!

Minori

Listen

Oh wow...!
You really know who we are? But we haven't been on TV all that much...

Minori

Listen

Thank you very much! I'm so happy!

Elderly Lady

Listen

Hehe. I'm happy about getting to meet such a cute idol again...

Elderly Lady

Listen

But are you okay?
You seemed to have your shoulders hunched just now...

Minori

Listen

Oh...

Minori

Listen

N-No, I'm okay!
Honest!

Minori

Listen

I'm as cheerful as ever!

Elderly Lady

Listen

You are...?

Elderly Lady

Listen

Working in show business isn't easy.
At times, you're forced to endure quite a lot.

Elderly Lady

Listen

Idols in particular, since it's your job to spread hope to others. You have to keep smiling no matter what.

Minori

Listen

Wait...

Elderly Lady

Listen

I'm sorry...
I overheard a bit of what those people in the audience were saying just now.

Minori

Listen

Oh...

Elderly Lady

Listen

So, if you think it'll help, would you mind telling me what you're really feeling?

Minori

Listen

What I'm really feeling...?

Minori

Listen

Thank you.

Minori

Listen

Then, if you'll give me a minute to explain...

Elderly Lady

Listen

Yes, of course.

Minori

Listen

So...

Elderly Lady

Listen

That explains why you seemed so deflated...

BGM: --:-- / --:-- Play

Minori

Listen

Yes...
We thought we were doing our best to make things as enjoyable as possible for the audience...

Minori

Listen

But we ended up disappointing everyone who came here to see LiLia because we couldn't fill their shoes.

Minori

Listen

I felt so powerless when I realized that...

Elderly Lady

Listen

Minori...

Elderly Lady

...

Elderly Lady

Listen

Was there anything you could've done about that?

Minori

Listen

Huh?

Elderly Lady

Listen

LiLia has its own unique qualities...
Qualities that no one else can copy.

Elderly Lady

Listen

Any group replacing them was doomed to suffer this fate. MORE MORE JUMP! just happened to draw the short straw in this case...

Elderly Lady

Listen

So, Minori, I don't think you should be blaming yourself.

Elderly Lady

Listen

This is actually a common occurrence.
And I've seen quite a few of these shows.

Minori

Listen

Yes, I understand what you're saying...

Minori

Listen

(But...)

Elderly Lady

...

Minori

Listen

(We can't just let things go on like this and have them leave feeling disappointed...)

Minori

Listen

(We should do everything we can to make sure they go home smiling...)

Minori

Listen

(Which means...)

Elderly Lady

Listen

Minori?

Minori

Listen

I know what I need to do now...

Minori

Listen

Yes, you're right about us having no hope of filling LiLia's shoes...

Minori

Listen

But we still need to do everything in our power to ensure that our audience has even a little bit of fun or gets even a little bit of energy.

BGM: --:-- / --:-- Play

Minori

Listen

That should allow them to keep believing in a better tomorrow.

Elderly Lady

Listen

...!

Minori

Listen

So, I'm going to try even harder during the remainder of this shoot...!

Elderly Lady

Listen

Minori...

Minori

Listen

Hehe...
Talking with you has really helped clear up my mind for some reason.

Minori

Listen

Thank you for listening!
I feel so much better now!

Elderly Lady

Listen

I see...
I'm glad I could repay the favor you did for me the other day.

Minori

Listen

No, please don't worry about that!
It was nothing. Really...

Minori

Listen

Wait, our break's almost over!
I've gotta head back to the set!

Minori

Listen

I-I'm sorry for not noticing sooner!
I need to return for my shoot and...!

Elderly Lady

Listen

Hehe. You should hurry.
And good luck with the rest of your shoot.

Minori

Listen

Thank you!
I hope we see each other again...!

Elderly Lady

Listen

Me too...

Sound Effect: Play

Elderly Lady

Listen

Minori Hanasato from MORE MORE JUMP!...

Several dozen minutes later

BGM: --:-- / --:-- Play

Minori

Listen

Can I get a camera over here?!

Minori

Listen

You gotta show Mr. Arimura's daifuku!
It's overflowing with red bean paste! Look!

Yuika

Haha. Talk about a close-up!
But this does make it easier for the audience to see.

Arimura

Yes, on top of seeing that it's coarse and not fine, they're getting a look at how wrinkly my hands are.

Sound Effect: Play

Haruka

Listen

(Ever since our break ended, Minori's been making a huge effort to please the audience.)

Shizuku

Listen

(And they seem much more interested in what's going on compared to earlier.)

Airi

Listen

(I dunno what happened during the break, but this is going great...)

Airi

Listen

(That means we gotta follow her lead.)

Minori

Listen

I'm loving your segment about local delicacies hiding in plain sight, MYU! I feel like I'm going somewhere else with every bite I take!

Haruka

Listen

Me too...
I knew you traveled a lot as an influencer, but I didn't realize just how knowledgeable you are about local delicacies.

MYU

That's definitely one way to get on my good side!
I've still got plenty more in store. Next, we have...

Camera Operator

E-Excuse me! Sorry!
We need to stop temporarily!

Minori

Listen

Huh...?

Yuika

Now?
Is something wrong?

Camera Operator

I'm so sorry...!
The thing is...

Camera Operator

We're missing a lot of footage...

Kuromiya

How much?
From where...?

Camera Operator

W-We're missing...
Everything since the break...

Arimura

What?

Shizuku

Listen

That means...

Minori

Listen

They didn't get any of that forty-minute conversation we just had...?!

Next Chapter: Technical Difficulties?!