Becoming the No.1 Idol

"I've read the contract, but I still have a question to ask."
After reading the contract carefully, Kana Fujita looks at the well-dressed woman in her thirties and asks a question.
"As you should know... the previous group I was in didn't do that well and was disbanded before your company acquired it. It's also been several months since I
participated in any of the relevant training..."
"The company has already evaluated this internally." The woman claiming to be a manager smiles as she responds. "Miss Fujita, there's only one question you need
to ask yourself. Do you still want to become an idol?"
Hearing that question brings Kana Fujita back to midsummer one year ago.
She had just entered high school, and the arcade version of the music game Lovely Life was really popular at that time. As someone who loves games, there's no w
ay she will miss out on this game, so she went to the arcade in the commercial strip after school every day.
The cute game characters with sunny personalities dancing energetically on the stage always strive to encourage people and bring them joy, as well as draw peopl
e's eyes to them. Kana Fujita often imagined herself dancing around under the spotlight on the stage among them.
Every girl wants to be a star in everyone else's eyes, and Kana Fujita never tried to hide her thoughts, so it wasn't really unexpected when a scout from an age
ncy named Memory approached her.
She agreed to sign a contract almost instantly without needing to consider it and became the fifth member of Sweet Heart. After that, she spent all her time tra
ining with the group, dreaming of the day she would stand at the center of a concert stage.
Unfortunately, reality is reality and a game is a game. One can't clear a level simply by moving their hands quickly in harmony with the rhythm to hit notes per
fectly. The agency wasn't run effectively, and Sweet Heart didn't receive the promotional resources it needed. It wasn't long before it became a group that got
together to sing covers of popular songs to warm up the atmosphere at weekend gatherings.
Kana Fujita, who couldn't improve the objective problem, could only force herself to practice harder to become a better idol as she thought this would help her
out of this predicament.
But this predicament faced by the group as a whole couldn't be changed by the efforts of one person. The other group members couldn't accept the cold shoulder t
hey received and grew angrier with the agency with every passing day. Eventually, fewer and fewer people were willing to participate in the regular performances
. Five became four, then four became three, and then two... When Kana lost her last teammate, Sweet Heart officially disbanded.
This was completely different from the life of an idol the scout had described when approaching her. An idol who loses their stage is essentially unemployed. Ka
na Fujita was unwilling to accept this, but she didn't know how she could change her situation. As time passed, she gradually lost her confidence in being an id
ol.
Until—
She received a call from this manager.
She politely stated that Samu Corporation had acquired Kana Fujita's former agency, and that the boss and other senior producers wanted to create a group called
W.I.N with her as the core member because they were very pleased with her abilities after watching videos of her performances.
Upon hearing this, Kana Fujita gripped her phone tightly as her heart started beating faster and she imagined a gorgeous stage in her mind. This was when she re
alized she had never stopped dreaming of becoming an idol.
She wanted to become an idol and stand on the stage again. If she got another chance, the outcome would be different this time... right?
This thought is precisely what led to this meeting between Kana Fujita and the manager.
"Miss Fujita?" Seeing that Kana Fujita hasn't agreed yet, the manager decides to up the ante. "If you're okay with it, why don't you visit the new practice room
with me first?"
Her former agency's lack of action was one reason for the group's disbandment, so Kana Fujita naturally wanted to learn more about the strength of this company.
She nodded, then got up and followed the woman outside the office.
A bright and spacious dance practice room, technologically advanced recording studio, and professional and famous teachers... The things that she never had befo
re were now within her reach. Kana Fujita's last trace of hesitation was gone.
She accepted the contract, agreeing to the densely packed schedule consisting of vocal music lessons, dance lessons, etiquette lessons, and so on.
The manager smiled at her reassuringly. "I almost forgot, the boss said that if you accept the contract, you should prove to him with your performance that you'
re worthy of all these resources and investments. Ahem, I softened and embellished the boss' words and tone, but that's the gist of it."
It sounds like this boss has very high standards.
"Don't worry, I'll definitely do my best!" Kana Fujita's eyes shine brightly like a dazzling star in the night sky. "I'll be the No.1 idol. I'll be in your care
from now on, Miss Manager."