The Top Idol Next Door Can't Help But Crave My Guilty Pleasure Meals-Chapter 9Volume 1 .4 - I Lacked the Resolve

ROUND 9 – I Lacked the Resolve 4

“I also aimed for it in the past—to be an idol.”

Casually, a shocking statement was made.

“I wanted to be fawned over. Isn’t it the best to satisfy your need for approval and make money at the same time?”

Moreover, the motive was rather low.

“But my parents were both teachers, and they took great pride in their work. That’s why they wanted their daughter to follow in their footsteps, especially with my mother. We used to argue about it a lot.”

Mikami-sensei often includes small talk during lessons.

However, she had never brought up her family environment before.

“When I was told, ‘Being an idol is just a game,’ we even got into physical fights. From her perspective, she was probably worried about the future of her only daughter. Still, even if it’s just a desire to ‘try something,’ even if there’s no lofty ambition, I wanted to live my own life.”

When people start something, at the core is usually a strong desire.

I too started cooking because I had the wish to cheer up my father.

“No matter how much they opposed me, I persistently persuaded them. I was finally allowed to chase my dream on the condition that I graduate high school. During weekdays, I sent out demo tapes, and on weekends, I participated in auditions. To earn the entry fees, I filled all my free days with part-time jobs. I had to balance it with my studies too, so I studied until late at night, always keeping my grades within the top ten of my class.”

I know that a teacher named Mikami Momose is actually a hard worker.

She’s more enthusiastic about classes and events than most other sensei, and she always includes personal comments for each student when returning tests.

“In the summer of my third year of high school, I finally made it to the final audition. From the ten of us who had made it that far, members were chosen to form an idol group. It was a three-day, two-night training camp, but as I interacted with everyone, I realized something.”

“…What did you realize?”

“Our resolve was different. I thought I was doing quite well, balancing studies and part-time jobs, but that’s the norm. I went to various idol concerts to take in input, devoured books on improving conversation skills, and attended entertainment-related drinking parties to make connections——yet I was the only one who had more than four hours of sleep a day. Especially for those over twenty, there’s no turning back. They were staking their lives on becoming idols, even if it meant cutting their lifespan short.”

I remember Yuzuki’s daily rhythm.

Maybe the reason I heard sounds of life at night or dawn wasn’t just because of irregular work hours but also because there must have been time spent preparing, like doing strength training or memorizing scripts.

“After realizing that, I thought to myself. ‘I can’t keep living like this for the rest of my life.’ I want to go out and have fun sometimes, and I want to sleep in on weekends. In the end, I even failed the final audition. There was still time before the deadline of the promise I made to my mother, but I gave up on becoming an idol. From the latter half of summer vacation, I studied hard, attended a national university, obtained a teaching license, and became a school teacher. I have no regrets. But still, ‘I lacked the resolve’ to push forward on the path I wanted to take.”

Mikami-sensei, speaking dispassionately, seemed refreshed.

Surely, by doing things her own way, she was able to face her failures properly.

“That’s exactly why I am so in love with Arisu Yuzuki’s determination. No matter how small the venue, she gives her all, and even after becoming popular, she never slacks in her efforts. I love Yuzuki-chan for embodying the spirit of an idol.”

The source of this c𝓸ntent is frёeweɓηovel.coɱ.

I’m well aware that Yuzuki is earnest and a perfectionist. But hearing the story of a former idol aspirant makes me feel the weight of the word ‘perfect’ even more.

“So I was so surprised at the last live performance. Of all people, Arisu Yuzuki unusually made a mistake in her choreography.”

“…what?”

It felt as if cold water had been poured over my heart——a sensation of freezing spreading from the inside of my body.

“It was during the debut song ‘Spotlight.’ She corrected it immediately, and since the camera was close-up during the stream, I don’t think anyone else noticed. Her mistake in a live performance is rare; in fact, it was the first time as far as I know. How did I notice? Well, I’m member number 000005.”

Ignoring Mikami-sensei’s smug look, various dots connected into lines within my mind.

At the recent live performance, I felt a slight fluctuation in Yuzuki’s expression.

——It wasn’t just my imagination.

Her strong obsession with perfection.

The thoroughness of not even showing her true self to school friends.

In the end, she’s trying to exclude even me from her ‘world’.

A normal idol would think, ‘Just this once.’

But if it’s Arisu Yuzuki──

☆☆☆

When I returned to the apartment, I ran into the apartment’s owner in front of room 810.

Apparently, there had been a request from the resident of this room to move out.