I became a girl group idol for my sister.

“Is that so? A formidable opponent.” Sakagami Minami’s expression was one of smiles, but there was a hint of sadness in it. “I’ve known Sakurako for many years. She’s really infuriating. She’s good at everything, and I can’t even come close to her level.”

When someone tells you that the other person is so much better than you, although you feel resentful, the emotion you express is more of a worry.

"But the real Sakurako, she hates balloons, afraid they'll pop, and she'll casually take off her clothes, even putting her bra on backwards... She'll get nervous and suddenly go to the bathroom before the show starts, and she's usually like an old man... Despite all this, because Ogiko-chan is gone, she's especially worried about SKR's future, afraid that showing her anxiety will make others worry about the future too..."

Sakagami Minami clenched her fist.

"So, she's always been alone... When she cries, she does it silently by herself... Even when the pressure forces her to cry, she does it alone... She doesn't want anyone else to see..."

Miyamoto remained silent, suddenly realizing that he had forgotten the most important thing.

“That fearless, seemingly invincible Naoki Sakurako doesn’t actually exist. We’re all just ordinary girls,” Sakagami Minami said softly. “The so-called Naoki Sakurako is just an outer garment that’s been worn by this ordinary girl for the past seven years…”

Naoki Sakurako was just an ordinary girl, an ordinary person who pursued her dream of becoming an idol and eventually became one herself!

"Therefore, Sakura is very strong, because she has been able to hold on until now!"

"An idol is just a piece of clothing, and the person inside is actually someone who's entangled in that clothing." Sakagami Minami suddenly laughed, draping the clothing over Miyamoto Sei's shoulders. "See, even Nana-chan put it on in no time, didn't she?"

"senior……"

"You've been working hard taking on all the responsibilities, I've been wanting to tell you this for a while." Sakagami Minami patted Miyamoto Sei on the shoulder, the gesture looking a little awkward due to the height difference. "Shall I make you some tea, or would you like a Coke?"

Miyamoto Seiya laughed: "Cola!"

Yes, I kept thinking that Hikari-chan didn't need to bear this kind of pressure, thinking about how Sakura-senpai and Ogi-senpai entrusted SKR to me, and thinking how strong they were, how amazing they were. But I forgot the simplest thing: they are just ordinary girls who have been bearing such enormous pressure all this time...

So, I will definitely defeat you, Sakura-senpai!

Absolutely, this time I will definitely defeat you, and stand in the champion's position, so you know that you can put down that burden!

Chapter Fifteen Declaration

Sakagami Minami watched as Miyamoto Nana's departing figure disappeared into the night, and a slight smile appeared on her face.

"If it were you now, you might be able to defeat Sakurako."

She muttered to herself for a moment, then went back inside and picked up the clothes she had bought with Miyamoto Nana that day.

"Indeed, this dress is fantastic!"

Miyamoto Sei sat on the train. There weren't many people around him, and he was wearing a mask. He sat quietly for a moment, then took out his phone and sent a message to Naoki Sakurako.

[Sakura-senpai, please wait, I will win, I will definitely win! I will stand in the center position!]

Tomorrow on stage, I need to outshine Naoki Sakurako, who shares the same stage with me, in terms of presence and charisma!

……

Naoki Sakurako was lying on the bed, relaxing her body. This was the only time she could relax a little. Tomorrow was the final battle!

Just then, her phone rang. Naoki Sakurako reluctantly picked it up, wondering who could be sending her a message.

"Can't you just let me rest properly? Please don't let it be some kind of job that suddenly pops up..." Naoki Sakurako prayed as she opened her phone, and then paused for a moment when she saw the message.

Looking at the sender and the content, Naoki Sakurako couldn't help but smile. She laughed out loud, and even her legs bounced up and down on the bed with joy: "Hahaha, as expected of Nana-chan, sending me a message like this at a time like this!"

[Come on, just like you told me last time, I'm going all out. If I lose this time, I'll graduate from SKR!]

These words, which looked like a threat, were sent by Naoki Sakurako without hesitation. She knew they weren't a threat, and she believed the other person would know they weren't.

……

Miyamoto Sei smiled as he read Naoki Sakurako's reply.

"Graduation? Please move forward towards your own wishes...senpai." Miyamoto muttered to himself, his reply brief.

I'll make sure my senior graduates!

……

"Naoki Sakurako's vote count has surpassed the all-time high! She currently holds the top spot with 142920 votes, while Miyamoto Nana is in second place with 140968 votes, also surpassing the all-time high!"

At this moment, Risa Tenbei's secretary was reporting the voting situation to Risa Tenbei. This data would not be told to the fans, but the official count of these votes could be continuously tracked. Of course, there were also third parties monitoring the data.

The young secretary was utterly shocked: "This...this is incredible! This year, two people have surpassed the all-time high number of votes, and one of them is...a newcomer who has only been an idol for a few years!"

"Is it that impressive?" Risa Tenbei asked with a smile as she looked at the data.

"I... I originally thought the domestic idol market was almost saturated. I thought that although there would still be competition among them, the total number of votes shouldn't change much..." the secretary hurriedly said.

“Actually, it’s not truly saturated yet. What’s saturated is the original idol market,” said Risa Tenbei. “What these kids are doing now is attracting people who weren’t originally part of the idol fandom to become their fans, just like Ogiko is now an actress. These kids aren’t just idols; they all have their own unique qualities.”

"It should be certain that Naoki Sakurako is the champion now, right? With a difference of nearly two thousand votes, Naoki Sakurako will likely continue to receive votes, and the gap will widen further. Besides, there's only one day left until tomorrow..." The secretary offered her analysis: "It's going to be too difficult for her to surpass that."

"Is that so?" Risa Tenbei smiled, said nothing more, simply turned off her computer, and continued her work.

Some people are still holding onto their votes, waiting for the final choice. Even if someone joins the fandom tomorrow and becomes a fan of someone, they will still choose to contribute on the last day. The current data is still not conclusive. Everything will only be revealed after voting ends tomorrow...

……

The next day, in the morning, in the temporary office located on site.

"You came all this way just to find me, didn't you? You don't want to know how many votes there are now, do you?" Amagai Risa asked Miyamoto Sei with a smile.

“There’s no need for that.” Miyamoto Sei smiled, showing no trace of fear now, but rather brimming with fighting spirit: “I will give it my all, using today’s stage as my battlefield, and defeat my opponent!”

"Oh?"

"I will defeat the gods, not just one god, I will defeat all eight gods!" Miyamoto looked at Amagai Risa and said with great power, "You promised you would write a center song for me."

"I won't go back on my word." Risa Tenbei nodded easily.

However, Miyamoto blinked and said, "But you're saying that if I make it into the Kami 8, you'll give me an extra single with me as the center. Isn't that separate from this general selection single?"

“Yes, they’re separate. If you win the overall selection, you’ll get a center position for a medley track in addition to this single.” Risa Amagai laughed, seeing ambition in Miyamoto Sei’s eyes: “So, do you want to take the champion’s position?”

"I believe I can do it, and I will defeat Sakura-senpai, who is giving it her all, on this stage today! I will overwhelm her with my aura!"

“It seems that sending you to participate in the national selection was indeed the right decision.” Risa Tenbei’s lips curled up slightly. “Then good luck to you. My promise is still there. If you make it into Shin-8, then I will give you a song with you as the center. If you become the selection champion, then of course you will be the center of this selection song.”

"I understand, then it's a deal!"

After finishing his sentence, Miyamoto turned and left the office.

He saw Miyu Ange and Mika Komatsu not far away.

The two were not together as usual, and their expressions looked extremely determined.

Clearly, they all intend to treat today's performance as the final battleground for the general selection, and fight here!

"A girl from the Warring States period? You, who are called Oda Nobunaga, should cut down the god!"

Inside the office, Risa Tenbei murmured to herself, her smile unchanged.

Chapter Sixteen Appearance

Let's rewind to the evening of June 6th.

"The final rankings are about to be announced. Are you feeling a lot of pressure?" The mother's voice on the other end of the phone was filled with worry.

"To be honest, there is some pressure, but I won't back down, Mom!" Miyu Nagasu said with a smile to her mother on the other end of the phone, "Because I'm not alone anymore, everyone is very supportive of me, so I will definitely try my best to face it!"

"Honey, what's your opinion?"

"What did I say? Since that's her choice, she has to work hard to make a name for herself on this path. If the pressure gets so great that she wants to quit, then wouldn't her initial choice have been a mistake?"

The conversation between her parents came through the phone, and hearing their words, Yongan Meixi smiled even more sweetly.

"Dad's still the same as always, but just like he said, I'm sure I'll make a name for myself as an idol!" Miyu Nagasu said with a smile, "I definitely will!"

"Okay, I'm hanging up now, Mom. I have a performance tomorrow morning, so I'm going to rest now."

After hanging up the phone, Yongan Meixi stared at her phone in silence for a while before putting it aside.

She lay down on the bed after her shower, silently reminiscing about the past few years.

Even when she was on Team K, standing on the stage, she would involuntarily think of the figure standing in front of her, the figure that shielded her and protected her.

This time, I won't need your protection anymore, Nana-chan!

I will stand on that stage and fight you!

Because what I want is the opportunity to stand on the same stage as Nana-chan, to step onto the stage of the general election together!

……

"The final selection is coming soon! I saw the preliminary results, and seventh place is still pretty impressive!" On the other end of the phone, Komatsu Miyoko, the mother who liked to nag, said with a smile. Komatsu Mika listened quietly, and after hearing this, she smiled slightly, but said nonchalantly, "It's just seventh place, there's nothing to celebrate. Besides, it's just a preliminary result."

“I think it’s already amazing that you’re ranked seventh in the preliminary results. Considering you’re a center at SKR, this is an achievement you’ve made through your own hard work. As your mother, of course I’m very happy.”

"After all, I'm a genius, and I work very hard, so it's natural that I have this level of skill," Mika Komatsu said, though she was thinking about other things.

Seventh place in the preliminary rankings looks good, but it's very risky. One wrong move and it could fall to eighth, ninth, or even tenth place.

But I have enough fans, so staying in seventh place shouldn't be too difficult. But is it really possible to go further? I wish I could go further—sixth, fifth, or even fourth…

The ones ahead of them are all at monster level, but I really didn't expect that Nana could fight Sakura to such an end. Although she is only third now, judging from the level of online discussion and the enthusiasm of the fans, it is certain that her votes will skyrocket!

"Oh, right, that girl Nana is amazing too. She got third place in the preliminary rounds, and her results are so good. That kind of strength is rare even in previous years. If she had the same amount of time to grow as her opponents, she could sweep everything away by herself." Komatsu Miyoko continued, and then steered the conversation toward Miyamoto Sei.

"She's a monster, you know, with freakish talent, and she works incredibly hard too. This is the result she deserves." Mika Komatsu smiled, extending her hand free from her phone, looking at her fair skin, and took a breath: "Okay, Mom, I'm going to sleep now. Tomorrow is the final battle!"