A few days later
MORE MORE HOUSE
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Hiiragi
A light that can never go out.
A bright beacon of hope that has a duty to stay illuminated for the sake of their fans.
A bright beacon of hope that has a duty to stay illuminated for the sake of their fans.
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Luka
<You told us that you were going to investigate why you girls stopped receiving offers, remember? I was a little worried that you were burning the candle at both ends.>
Haruka
So, I found out why we stopped receiving offers... And I was just thinking about how I'm going to tell the others...
Luka
<Hehe. An idol can't just leave someone be when their beautiful smile's been turned upside down.>
Luka
<You might feel better after telling someone about what happened. What do you say...?>
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Haruka
Mr. Hiiragi said that idols are beacons of hope that have a duty to stay illuminated for the sake of their fans, and I haven't been able to get that out of my head.
Luka
<...>
Luka
<Because losing the thing they love most is the worst thing that can happen to a fan.>
Luka
<But the fact of the matter is that you gave quite a lot of people quite a lot of hope when you were still with ASRUN, no?>
Luka
<Yes, and I personally know someone who did. She's been using the hope you gave her as the fuel which propels her forward.>
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Luka
<Yes, by deciding to leave the stage behind, you caused your fans quite a lot of pain...>
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Luka
<But you did your absolute best for them until then, and it's clear now that you gave them hope.>
Luka
<So, Haruka, as long as there are people out there who you inspired, then you get to say that you spread hope to them...>
Luka
<Also, I don't believe for a second that you're not allowed to be an idol just because you took a slight detour.>
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Haruka
Ultimately, how you deal with this is going to be up to you... But that doesn't mean you have to suffer all alone.
Haruka
Please ask for help if you ever think you need it. I promise to do everything in my power when you do.
Hasegawa
<It became hard to work on my song because I was so scared that it'd end up hurting more people. However...>
Hasegawa
<Even after dwelling on this for so long... I realized that I don't want to stop making my own music.>
Haruka
(What I said to Hasegawa that time, I was able to say because I'd faltered once already.)
Luka
<So, I believe that you will become an idol that can keep spreading hope to others for a very long time.>
Haruka
Mr. Hiiragi said how there's no guarantee that an idol can stay lit after having burned out once.
Haruka
He's right. I have no way of knowing what's going to happen. All I can really do is vow that it won't happen again.
Haruka
I did reach my breaking point...
But in doing so, I also gained a lot and made some profound realizations.
But in doing so, I also gained a lot and made some profound realizations.
Haruka
I learned that some feelings don't change, and I got to form a group with my dear friends.
Haruka
Because of everything that I experienced. All of it. I've been able to see things that I never would have otherwise...
Haruka
After my fall from grace, I was fortunate enough to encounter people and things that have helped make me stronger.
Haruka
So, the current me... Haruka Kiritani of MORE MORE JUMP!... I vow that she'll never fail as an idol again.
Haruka
But that just means I have to do what I can to regain their confidence. So that they feel hope again.
Haruka
I still don't have a solid idea of what I need to do yet, but I'll start by asking Minori and the others...
Next Chapter: Even So