I became a girl group idol for my sister.

"Go for it! Mom is waiting for you to make it in Hollywood!"

After ending the call, Mika Komatsu tossed her phone aside and lay down on the bed as if all her strength had left her. Even she felt the pressure. She had faced Naoki Sakurako and Miyamoto Sei, and now the auras emanating from these two were completely clashing.

And tomorrow, the clash of wills on this battlefield will likely become even more terrifying!

"I can't let you steal the spotlight. I'm one of those who will defeat the gods!" Mika Komatsu muttered to herself, clenching her fists.

……

"The results of the general election will be announced the day after tomorrow, aren't you going to sleep yet?" Jin's voice came through the earpiece. As a fan of Nanase Touka, he naturally knew that Nanase Touka was now an idol and was very busy, since they had met before.

"Yeah, it's already past ten o'clock, aren't you going to rest?" Hachi asked, sounding worried.

"Alright, let's let her relax for a bit." These words were spoken by Yui, also known as Yoshino Nanjo.

"Because the pressure of the final selection is immense, it's a real battle of wits," Riko, also known as Yukiko Miyamoto, commented at this moment.

"I'm fine, I just came up to relax for a bit, I'll be back in a little while." Nanase Touka said to everyone, her tone calm. Even though she was nervous, she managed to suppress it very well, making it hard to tell. "I'm co-hosting SKG and AJS with Nana-senpai, you know, so I won't be defeated by this kind of pressure!"

"What a resilient child! And she's quite popular now, she even has her own forum section," Yukiko Miyamoto said in a very mature tone.

"You're not that much older than me!" Nanase Touka immediately protested.

"Hehehe, I'm a high school student, and you're a middle school student!" Yukiko Miyamoto immediately became smug: "So I'm the senior!"

"By the way, speaking of idols, Riko is a fan of Nana, right?"

"That's right, I'm a huge fan of Nana-chan!" Yukiko Miyamoto said proudly. "This time I cast 100 votes for Nana-chan!"

"100 votes? That's 100 CDs? If the Oricon charts allow for multiple purchases, this single's sales are probably off the charts!" Hatch exclaimed in astonishment. "Is this the power of idol fans?"

"I started preparing for the general election a long time ago. I worked during my vacation and tried my best to save my allowance, so I was able to buy 100 discs at once!" Yukiko Miyamoto said with great pride, but she immediately added, "I also voted for Nyan-chan!"

"Thank you!"

At this moment, Jin suddenly asked with a grin, "So let's guess, was it just a symbolic vote?"

"No way! I cast 10!" Yukiko Miyamoto immediately retorted, "We're friends, after all!"

“There are no second picks in the general election, which means it’s a war. You have to work hard for your favorite. Riko, you actually voted for someone else. That’s not right.” Nanjo Yoshino complained. Then Nanase Fuyuka’s voice rang out: “Actually, actually I also bought the disc and voted.”

"Who did you vote for?" a group of people immediately asked curiously. "Yourself?"

"No, I voted for Nana-senpai!" Nanase Fuyuka immediately said, sounding very excited. "This is a battle between Nana-senpai and Sakura-senpai! I have to cheer for them!"

At this point, everyone remembered the preliminary vote count. Although they were third in the preliminary count, the gap between them and the first and second place was not large. If the enthusiasm of the fans for voting could be maintained, second or third place should be no problem at all.

However, Nanase Touka said that this time it was a battle between Miyamoto Nana and Naoki Sakurako. In other words, she directly eliminated Watanabe Hikaru, who was ranked second in the preliminary results, and placed the third and first place in the battle position.

People unfamiliar with the specifics might find this statement quite ridiculous.

In fact, several people also found this statement somewhat strange.

"I watched the children's performance, and it was incredibly moving. Although they are currently in third place, their future development is still uncertain. I even checked the online discussions, and Miyamoto Nana's fans are also aiming for the championship. For them, their real opponent is the previous champion, Naoki Sakurako."

At this point, Yoshino Nanjo said that as a voice actress and idol singer, she has more knowledge about these things than others.

"But they are really amazing. Both Naoki Sakurako and Watanabe Hikaru are extremely formidable opponents, and they are top-tier in the history of Japanese idols. However, Miyamoto Nana, who has only been an idol for three years and has not even had much training time, is able to fight against these people like this."

Nanase Touka thought of Miyamoto Nana's devilish training intensity and muttered to herself, "Nana-senpai really squeezed out a lot of training time..."

"I'm talking about proper training, like training for two or three years before debuting. That doesn't exist for SKR, right? They train for one or two months and then go straight to the stage to debut as graduate students. And they're different from regular idols. From what I've seen of her experience, although she did get opportunities for large-scale independent performances like graduate students, it felt like she was being suppressed most of the time."

"Suppression?"

The group of people became curious.

“I know that!” Miyamoto Yukiko immediately recounted everything she knew about Miyamoto Nana’s path to becoming an idol, leaving everyone speechless.

"They want sales but don't do any promotion? And it's all just fan-driven promotion? It's like they don't care at all, but they've found big names like Shinichiro Watanabe and Mai Yoneyama. If I were an investor, I'd be terrified!" Jin complained frantically.

"Isn't it a strange training method? It's like they're deliberately making things difficult for her, as if they want Miyamoto Nana to fail, but these difficulties have all been overcome, and Miyamoto Nana has grown from an idol novice who knows nothing to what she is now." Nanjo Yoshino stated her conclusion: "So until the very last moment, it's really hard to say."

……

June 7, Nissan Stadium.

Miyamoto, who had left Amagei Risa's temporary office, walked onto the stage with the others.

The roar of fans echoed outside, cheering for their idol.

"Lady Asiko!!"

"Rina is so cute!!"

"Mai! Mai! So cute!"

"Hikari-chan is so cute—!!"

"Sakurako! I love you, Sakurako!"

Hearing the shouts outside, Miyamoto took a deep breath and then stepped out.

Standing behind him, Minami Sakagami looked at the figure in front of her without any confusion. Even the fear she felt yesterday had disappeared. She strode forward with her head held high, exuding a sense of familiarity.

It's that feeling of fearlessness, of constantly moving forward.

Ogiko... Sakurako?

Sakagami Minami thought to herself silently.

The moment she stepped out, she heard the other person's low voice in her ear.

"For me, the six months of full-time part-time work was not only about meeting many people and making many memories, but more importantly, about experiencing so many things. For me, the marks these experiences have left on me are my own strength and my confidence!"

At that moment, his aura exploded!

Is this the source of your aura? It's the confidence that comes from your own experiences. Sakagami Minami thought to herself, and immediately followed.

A smile of satisfaction graced her face.

"Ah! It's Nana-chan!"

"Nana is out!"

"Look, it's Nana!"

"Yo! Miyamoto!"

"Nana-chan!"

"Charge forward! Your goal is to defeat the gods!"

Suddenly, a tremendous roar erupted from the crowd, startling Miyamoto Sei. He had never expected his fans to be so enthusiastic. Such enthusiasm and the shouts of so many people would have been completely impossible last year.

But now, this kind of thing has happened.

Meanwhile, live broadcasts were also taking place on large screens in theaters in distant Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka, and other cities.

Fans who couldn't attend the event watched from here, feeling a sense of participation as a group. Many cheered when Miyamoto Nana appeared.

"It's Nana!"

"It's finally out!"

"I've been waiting for so long, it's finally out!"

"We must keep pushing forward!"

At this moment, for these people, Miyamoto Nana is the idol of their own local team. Even though they only spent two months there, it does not affect their recognition of her as a member of the team they support!

"Thank you all for your support! I'll definitely give it my all today!" Miyamoto waved with a smile, "I'll go all out and I'm sure you'll all be satisfied!"

He spoke with absolute confidence!

Chapter Seventeen: The Final Battle

"Ah, it feels like the support for Nana is even more enthusiastic! We're clearly your fellow townsmen!"

"Everyone in Nagoya, we're all one family!"

"Even though my fans always tell me they're cute, this time the cheers for Nana-chan were even louder!"

On stage, the members of the sub-group were making sarcastic remarks, but they were also smiling. Naoki Sakurako, who was watching all this, relaxed her body indifferently and muttered to herself, "That's about right."

Everyone is now on the stage, ready to compete in the final showdown. Everyone is an opponent!

Miyamoto Seya stood there, feeling the powerful aura emanating from the surroundings. He took a deep breath, his eyes unwavering.

After going through so much, he has finally arrived at this point. At this moment, he stands at the center of SKR and will participate in the biggest battle in idol history!

“Ogiko told me, it’s about time we can break free from the curse of the General Selection.” Naoki Sakurako didn’t turn around, but her voice reached Miyamoto Sei’s ears: “Don’t disappoint me, next generation!”

I don't know exactly how strong I am or what level I can reach, but at least I know that a smile can give people strength and is a bond that connects people.

Everyone is standing on this stage, facing all kinds of pressure. But it's not some magical force that's supporting them. They are just ordinary girls with their own troubles, their own hobbies, and all sorts of little secrets.

Actually, I'm the same. I also have my own secrets, my own troubles... promises with my companions, separations from important supporters... each of these feelings is etched into my heart...

Even if this pressure makes me want to let go of everything, I still want to stand on this stage. I've already made that decision!

It's not just for others, it's also for myself. I want to know what kind of strength I have now. No matter what, I will face everything with a smile!

Whatever the answer may be, whether it be sadness or loneliness, victory or defeat, I will stand here and answer my future with my own actions as an idol!