(This is a fan fic based on the "public images" of various Hello!Project artists and is no way shape or form trying to imply anything about the personal lives of the real people behind the public images.)
Note: Because Reina wants to sound "yankii", she pronounces the word "kaichou" as "kaicha".
Note: Bodycon is short for "body conscious".
Petals 7 - Chapter 3 - The First Practice Session.
Risa and Ai walk to school together.
"Um, sempai?"
Ai looks lost in thought.
Risa nudges her. "Sempai?"
"What is it Risa?"
"You never really told me if you consider me your kouhai or not."
Ai stops, looking frustrated. "Risa, we've known each other a long time, right?"
"Yes, you've walked me to school since first grade."
"I know. That's the problem. What more do I have to teach you? My class is full of really interesting girls who could teach you a lot. One of them would be a better choice than me for a primary sempai."
Risa pouts. "But, I don't want one of them. I want you."
"But, we have a different relationship now. You're in my club, so we're going to see each other a lot anyway. However, as club leader, I might not always be able to put your needs ahead of the rest of the club. That's why you need someone else."
Risa sighs. "But, sempai..."
"Sorry, but my decision stands."
They arrive at the school gates.
"Now, study hard."
"Hai!" Risa runs off.
I wonder who would suit her as a sempai?
"Hey kaichou!"
Ai looks around to see Reina, her skirt already hiked up to nearly the level of her glutes, running towards her. "You don't need to call me your boss."
"Got to stay respectable, I got it." Reina winks. "But, I think I am going to have to put a condition on my joining your club."
Cheeky first year student! "Condition?"
"You said you wanted me to single-handedly make idol singing cool, right?"
Ai nods.
"Well, if I am to fulfill this mission, then I must insist that you go shopping with me after school today."
"Our first practice isn't for a couple days, so I guess it's okay."
"Good! We'll get something done about that fashion sense of yours. Toodles!" Reina runs away.
What have I gotten myself into?
---
Ai catches up to Maimi in the hall. "Maimi-kun!"
Maimi smiles warmly. "Ai, how did recruiting go for your club?"
"Pretty good, for a new club, we are only one person short."
"True, your club is new. Of course, the dance club is now full."
"As expected, considering the recruiter."
"Of course."
"But, I do have a favor to ask of you."
"You would ask a favor of your rival? This is good. I am all ears."
"You know Fukumura Mizuki, right?"
"I know her as well as you know Risa-chan. I used to walk Mizuki-chan to school."
"Good. I need help recruiting her into my club. She seems stuck somehow."
Maimi nods. "I know what you mean. She's never been very decisive."
"Would you know what to say to her?"
"Not really. But, I do know someone that Mizuki talks about a lot. That would be Eri-pon."
"Thanks. That sounds like a good idea."
"No problem. If you're going to be my rival I can't have you floundering. That would reflect badly on me."
"Okay."
---
Eri bumps into Reina in the halls during lunch. "Reina-kun, how goes it?"
"It's going."
"Did that club succeed in recruiting you?"
Reina grabs Eri and pulls her aside. "Who told you that?"
"Risa-kun."
"Well, yeah, they did. They were a lot more formidable than I thought."
"They got me, too."
"No way!"
"This might be an interesting situation."
"Hey, I have your back in case there's trouble."
Eri smiles. "I can see that I might need some back up. However, are you going to try to change this club into some sort of a bad girl gang?"
"I don't need to, it already is."
"An interesting situation indeed."
---
"Excuse me?"
Fukumura Mizuki turns around. "Are you talking to me?"
Ikuta Erina smiles. "Yes, I was scouting for a kouhai and Maimi said that you might be interested."
"Me?" Mizuki blushes. "Aren't you going to be busy as head majorette?"
"I have a good crew. They shouldn't occupy all of my time. So, how about it?"
Mizuki puts her hand over her mouth and waves her other hand. "This is so embarrassing."
Chance! Let's see if the plan that Takahashi-kun gave me has any merit. "Hey, that was pretty cool."
"What?"
"That gesture." Erina imitates Mizuki's pose. "Would you mind if I used that?"
Mizuki looks at Erina with a completely blank expression.
"Did I say something weird? You'll have to forgive me if that is true. People tell me that I say weird things all the time."
"I'm not sure if it is weird, but it is really unexpected. For Erina, someone who dreams up such cool and original moves, to ask to borrow a pose from me, I am shocked."
Working like a charm! "May I call you Mizuki?"
"Sure."
"Well, Mizuki, maybe you're thinking of some other Erina? I don't think I've ever made up a move by myself."
"No way!" Mizuki strikes a pose where she points to a distant place and shields her eyes.
"I stole that one last year from a senior. She did it a lot better than me so no one caught on that it was the same move."
Mizuki strikes another pose.
"Look, look. If you want to be known as an original person, learn to steal from right people."
"I don't know what to think."
"Well, what's your favorite pose of mine?"
Mizuki leans to the left and waves with her left hand.
"Awesome. I would like you to also start using that move."
"No way!"
"For real."
"But, you use it."
"If you were my kouhai, we could do it together."
Mizuki blushes.
"So, Maimi was also worried about you. She said that you didn't have an after school club yet."
Mizuki hangs her head.
"My friend Ai has a club, I think you would fit in there."
"Me, an idol singer?"
"Sure. I think you have the right look for it."
"Really?" Mizuki blushes.
"Yeah. I'll tell Ai-kun to send representatives to get you oriented, okay?"
"Okay."
"Okay, what?"
"Okay, sempai!"
Erina puts her hands on Mizuki's shoulders. "However, I need you to do your best. It would be bothersome to me if my kouhai was a lackluster idol."
"I'll do my best!"
---
Ai waits in front of the Shimamura clothing store in the local mall.
Reina runs up. "Kaichou!"
"Is that going to be your nickname for me?"
"Well, you are the boss, right?"
"It's a weird nickname."
"Well, putting that aside, I think we should work on an outfit today that will express what you want to show as an idol singer."
Ai rolls her eyes. "Okay."
After ten minutes of rummaging around the store, Ai brings her basket of clothes to Reina. "Okay, I will try these on."
Reina looks dubiously at the clothes in the basket. "Well, let's look at them all together when you have them on."
"Okay."
Reina grabs a pair of polka dotted socks out of the basket before Ai can move. "But, let's forget these, okay?"
"But..."
Reina gives Ai a scolding look.
Ai goes into a changing booth.
What is she thinking with that junk?
Ai comes out. "So, what do you think?"
Must not yell. Must not yell at my kaichou. "Well, why don't you explain your outfit to me."
"The theme is flowers, so I have on flowered beach sandals and a flowered top. This is coordinated with rough style pants with thin lines and a white men's style shirt."
"So, do you see yourself as kind of a boy-styled girl idol?"
"Yes."
"But, shouldn't all the girls have their own look?"
"Sure, but what do you mean?"
"Kaichou, I heard we recruited Eri-kun. Don't you think that she should handle the boy-styled girl idol look? I mean, she's practically a reverse trap."
"Oh, I guess you're right."
"Let me whip up a look for you."
"I'm scared."
"Just trust me, okay?" Reina winks, grabs a shopping basket and runs off.
After about ten minutes, Reina returns. "Try this."
Ai takes the basket and goes into the changing booth.
Reina smirks to herself and pulls out her cell phone.
"Ehhhhh? Are you kidding me? Am I supposed to wear this on the street?"
"Kaichou, those clothes would be your image on stage. Of course you can tone down that image for the street."
"I look like a prostitute!"
"Calm down. Just trust me, okay?"
"You're not going to shoot blackmail pictures or something?"
Reina quickly puts her cell phone away. "No, no. Not me."
Ai sticks her head out from behind the curtains and looks both ways.
"I promise this isn't a trap."
"Okay." Ai walks out of the booth. "This is bad! I don't usually wear bodycon stuff."
Holy crap! Look at that butt in that tight dress! "Kaichou, you should have some self confidence. I can show you similar outfits to this in a dozen magazines at the news stand. Are you going to tell me that all of those models are prostitutes?"
"But, why should I have this image, with this leopard print?"
"I think it suits you actually. We can work on some poses and moves later that will help you grow into that outfit. I think you'll look really fierce."
"Well, actually, this isn't as bad as I was expecting."
"What where you expecting?"
"That you would style me as some motorcycle gang member."
"Kaichou, please let that be my department!"
"I don't want it!"
"Good. We'll work on your style one step at a time."
---
"Here!" Sayumi enters the third music practice room.
The rest of the members look at her funny.
"I'm just being fashionably late."
Ai looks at Sayumi sternly. "Be five minutes late again and you'll find yourself being fashionably punished."
"Meanie."
"Anyway, now that we are all here for our first practice, I have a new surprise for you all."
The members look at each other with fear.
The piano in the corner starts playing.
"Eh?" Risa gets up and runs over to the piano. "Jun Jun-sempai?"
Jun Jun smiles and stops playing. "Risa-chan. Good afternoon. Are you ready for some singing lessons?"
The rest of the group runs over. "Ehhhh?"
Ai smirks. "Jun Jun is quite a singing coach. She would always give me tips when we went out for Karaoke."
"We'll do some warm-up exercises first, then I will give you guys a simple song. We'll go over it for a bit, then I will take each one of you into a booth and have you sing it for me in private. Sound like a plan?"
"Hai." The group does not sound enthusiastic.
--
"Okay, first into the booth, I want Ai-kun."
Ai nods and goes into the room.
Risa grabs Riho and pulls her aside. "I'm scared."
Riho nods. "So am I."
"Really?"
"Yes, if Jun Jun really is a good teacher, I'm sure she will have very harsh words for all of us."
"Crap!"
"I know. That's why I am afraid."
"You're afraid she's going to cut you to shreds?"
"No. I'm afraid she's going to be indifferent. That's the worst. That means that she thinks that your singing is at such a low level that she can't help you."
Sayumi's ears prick up. "Well, that won't happen to me, I'm too cute."
Riho gets a horrified look on her face but doesn't say anything.
Ai comes out of the room. "Riho, your next."
"Hai."
Risa rushes over. "Sempai, how did it go?"
"She was pretty brutal. She said that I had a problem that she could not help me with."
"What?" Risa has a look of despair on her face.
Ai waves her hand in front of her face. "It's okay. We figured out someone who could help my problem. It's no big deal, okay?"
"Okay."
Reina turns to Eri. "This doesn't sound good."
"Suck it up. She's probably going to be kinder to you than she will be to me."
"That might be true but it still doesn't help."
Riho comes out. "Mizuki!"
Mizuki goes into the booth.
Sayumi sneaks up behind Risa. "Jun Jun looks like she likes to eat girls alive, huh, Risa? I'll bet she has a whip and a mask in there."
"Ehhhhh?"
Eri sneaks up behind Sayumi. "Excuse me, why are you whispering to my girlfriend? You should tell whatever you said to her to me."
Sayumi turns red. "Ah, never mind." Sayumi walks off and sulks.
Risa looks at Eri with a strange look. "Girlfriend?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. Maybe I spoke out of turn. I just thought that since we had such a spark together on the basketball court that it was a done deal."
Risa's face turns red, but then she regains her composure. "No."
"Oh, come on."
"Eri, I said no. You do know what that word means?"
"With the last dozen girls I was with it meant yes."
"For you information it means no."
Mizuki walks out of the booth. "Risa!"
Risa goes into the booth, fuming.
"Anything wrong?"
"Nothing wrong, just some people being immature out there."
"Well, please focus. Now, sing for me." Jun Jun starts playing the stand up piano in the booth.
"Ojamajos are in here. It's just center of the heart. We are all together anytime. Let's play lively..."
When Risa finishes, Jun Jun sighs.
"It was that bad??"
Jun Jun smiles. "Risa-chan, singing isn't easy. Do you have problems? Yes, you do. Rhythm, pitch, phrasing, breath control, the list goes on and on. However, you looked like you enjoyed yourself, right?"
Risa nods.
"Good. You have a lot of hard work ahead of you, but if you like singing, you will get through it."
"I will?"
"Yes. However, you won't be able to do it alone. I would suggest respectfully asking Riho for help. She seems willing to mentor other members and she has a good grasp of the basics. She could definitely help you avoid wrong turns and set backs."
Risa nods.
"And, Risa? Be genki. Lack of experience is not a crime. You still have a long time before hitting the stage. Okay?"
"Okay."
"Send in Sayumi-chan."
Risa walks out.
Okay, this next one Ai told me is going to be a huge problem. Let's see how bad it is.
Sayumi walks into the booth. "Michishige Sayumi!"
"Please sing for me, please."
Sayumi finishes.
Jun Jun looks at Sayumi sternly. "Sayumi-chan, what do you think would happen if you went out on stage and sang like that?"
"The audience would think I was cute."
Jun Jun angrily slams her fingers on the piano keys making an angry sounding chord. "Are you stupid? Do you really think that? Well, you are not correct. I'll tell you what the audience would think: 'You know, when she first walked out I thought she might be cute, but now that I've heard her sing she is not only not cute she is delusional. Her friends must really hate her guts to not tell her how terrible she sounds.'"
Sayumi starts crying.
"Let me say this to you plain. I will recommend that Ai give up on you and replace you. Her club needs people who are willing to work hard for their dream, not people who think they are already entitled to success."
"But, I am cute! I am the cutest!"
"Am I supposed to be impressed with your narcissism? Please call someone else in here. Someone who deserves to be in this group."
Sayumi runs out of the booth and then out of practice room in tears.
Jun Jun looks out of the booth door and shrugs her shoulders. "Eri, please."
Riho runs after Sayumi. She is able to run down Sayumi before Sayumi can leave the building. "Where are you going?"
"It was horrible!"
Riho nods. "Were you expecting anything different?"
"Yes, I was expecting that she would say that my singing wasn't good but that it didn't matter because I was cute."
"No way she would say that."
"She said that she would recommend that Ai kick me out of the group."
"And, this surprises you because..."
"Riho, you baka!"
"Sayumi, I have already promised Risa that I would help her. I could help you at the same time. That is, if you wanted to be helped."
"But, I don't need to be helped!"
Riho shrugs her shoulders and starts walking back.
"Wait, where are you going?"
Riho ignores her.
"What am I supposed to do?"
Riho keeps walking.
Oh my god, she gave up on me! "Riho! Wait!" Sayumi races after Riho and catches up to her. "Okay, okay. Maybe I would be cuter if I improved a little. Could you please help me?" Sayumi throws herself prostrate on the ground in front of Riho.
Riho speaks softly. "No. I don't accept people with half-hearted commitments." Riho walks away.
Sayumi slams her fist against a locker. "Okay Riho, you win! Please make me a good singer. Please do whatever you need to do."
Riho turns around and smiles. "Sayumi, why are you standing there for? Let's get back to practice. Okay?"
Sayumi nods.
---
Reina and Jun Jun walk out of the booth.
Jun Jun smiles. "Thank you all for your time. I have given Ai some handouts for some exercises I want all of you to do for next week. Please forgive my harshness, but Ai wanted me to tell everyone the complete truth."
Jun Jun starts walking out. Sayumi runs after her. "Sensei, thank you."
Jun Jun smiles a sinister smile. "Why thank me, Sayumi? I'll be here next week and I might be twice as harsh."
"Sensei, next week, make me cry twice as hard!"
Jun Jun whispers in Sayumi's ear in a sexy voice. "My pleasure." Jun Jun walks out.
Did I just get sexually harassed? This day sucks!
---
Eri lies on her bed, looking at the handouts. Wow, Jun Jun really laid into me. But, she seems fair, and she did encourage me at the end. I guess these exercises don't look that hard.
Eri's cell phone rings with Reina's ring tone.
Eri picks up. "What's up?"
"Licking my wounds."
"Same here. She was tough."
"True, that. However, I have a bigger problem than an oni-sensei telling me that I need to stop singing from my throat."
"What? Do you have a crush on that devil teacher?"
"She is hot, but not her. I'm crushing on kaichou."
"Takahashi-sempai? Aiming big I see."
"Yeah, didn't you see those jeans? That junk was big for sure."
"I wasn't talking about her butt, nice though it might be. I was thinking about how she's our boss and she's older than us."
"Hey, you have to go for it."
"Yeah, even if you get shut down in the most humiliating way possible."
"Oh? Did something happen?"
"I hit on Risa and got totally punked."
"Hey, I'll help you if you help me, okay?"
"That's what buds are for."
To Be Continued
Topic: Petals 7 - cheezy fake manga cover - 10/19/2012 (Read 12509 times)