Chase My Ideal Idol! - 5: Chasing an Ideal

A few days later

Stage SEKAI

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1

Airi

(Focus your energy on your fingertips...)

2

Airi

(Look straight at the audience and stop on a dime...!)

3

Miku

Wow... That was perfect!

4

Luka

Yes, the way you turned and shifted your eyes was probably the best you'd ever done so far.

5

Airi

Really? Thank goodness!

6

Airi

Then, since that just about covers everything for the chorus, I'd like for you guys to dissect how I do from the middle of the song.

7

Airi

I know the festival's right around the corner, but I feel that I still have some room left for improvement...

8

Luka

I understand why you feel so anxious, but you've been practicing for a while now. Why don't we take a quick break here?

9

Airi

Huh?
But I can still—

10

Airi

I've been at it for two hours already?
I completely lost track of the time.

11

Rin

Yeah, you did!
So, you should take a break and stay hydrated!

12

Miku

Hehe. It's like you and Rin are wearing each others' shoes today, Airi.

13

Airi

Yeah, but Rin's right.
So, I'll take a quick break now.

14

Rin

Okay, good!
In the meantime, I'm gonna keep practicing doing my poses.

15

Airi

You've been practicing doing poses?

16

Rin

Yup! Seeing you work so hard also made me want to practice. I've been having Miku and Luka teach me what to do!

17

Rin

So, as for the last pose for this song I've been practicing...

18

Rin

How does this look?

19

Rin

It's meant to show the crowd that I want to fill them with lots of energy because I love them all so much!

20

Airi

I like it!
It's super cute and suits you really well, Rin!

21

Airi

Actually, wait...
You could magnify that effect a little more by spreading your arms—

22

Rin

Airi, no!
You're supposed to be taking a break right now!

23

Airi

Oh... R-Right.

24

Luka

Hehe.
I don't think I've ever seen Rin scold you before, Airi.

25

Airi

Well, this is embarrassing...
But I couldn't just stay silent knowing that I had a chance to help you improve.

26

Miku

That makes sense since you love idols so much, Airi.

27

Miku

That is also why I think you're going above and beyond this time around.

28

Airi

I guess so...

29

Rin

Your goal is to become an idol who can do it all, right? Someone who can sing, dance and is great at speaking. A super idol.

30

Luka

Yes. As far as becoming this “ideal idol” is concerned, you've raised the bar quite high...

31

Luka

But you're doing everything you can to overcome that hurdle.

32

Airi

I am.

33

Airi

I remember discussing with Len the other day about how I'd convinced myself somewhere along the way that I had a certain role to play...

34

Airi

Which is why I thought I could break free of that confinement and become a super idol who can do it all...

35

Airi

But that ended up being harder than I expected. As it turns out, my habit of drawing lines for myself ran really deep.

36

Rin

That deep?

37

Airi

Yeah. As an idol, I'd really only ever thought about my role and how to maximize my potential while trying to fulfill it.

38

Airi

For example, I avoided trying to perform like Haruka and Shizuku because I thought it'd be too difficult... As a result, I neglected acquiring those skills.

39

Rin

*Gasp*

40

Miku

I see. So that's why you asked Haruka and Shizuku to teach you this time around.

41

Airi

That's right. I realized that I'd never be able to become that ideal super idol I've envisioned if I sat back and did nothing to improve those areas.

42

Airi

But... It really hasn't been easy.
Shizuku and Haruka have been running me ragged every day!

43

Rin

Airi...

44

Luka

But you're having fun, yes?

45

Rin

Huh...?

46

Airi

Yup!
I have been having fun!

47

Airi

I know this is eating up a lot of Shizuku and Haruka's time, so I probably shouldn't be saying this out loud...

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48

Airi

But I wish they'd keep training me even after the festival's over!

49

Miku

W-Wow...!

50

Rin

Yeah, I mean...
There have been a few days lately where you've been so sore that you couldn't really move...

51

Airi

That doesn't make it any less fun.
It's been a gradual process, but I've definitely been improving. I feel like I'm getting closer to becoming that ideal idol.

52

Airi

Also...

53

Airi

I realized that I'd been wasting so much time by avoiding things that I felt didn't suit me.

54

Miku

Huh...?

55

Airi

Everything those two have been teaching me has been extremely hard for me to learn.

56

Airi

But acquiring these new skills and abilities has required me to make use of the ones I've cultivated so far.

57

Airi

Which means nothing is ultimately going to waste. So...

58

Airi

I'm done drawing lines in the sand. I'm done believing how this or that doesn't suit me because I'm a certain way.

59

Airi

So, all of you...
Please tell me if you see me doing that again without realizing it.

60

Rin

Okay!
We'll be sure to tell you if that happens!

61

Miku

And we promise to keep giving you all the support we can so that you can become that ideal idol!

62

Airi

Hehe. Thanks!

63

Airi

Anyway, I've rested long enough...
Let's get back to what we were doing, shall we?

64

Airi

The festival's just a few days away, so we need to make use of every second that we have left!

65

Luka

Right.
I'll also help in any way I can.

66

Rin

You can do it, Airi!

Next Chapter: To the Stage!