@AFLynx : No more comments about updates, I promise
Thank for the good comments about my writing style
I don't really know what my writing style is, but whatever
And I initially planned it to be longer, but I didn't want to be late... and seems it was enough in the end ^_^
@Tanchan : I couldn't just skip Valentine day ^^ As long as I have fun writing about them, there will be a OneShot about AKB here on Valentine day
@luckymmsg : Aww thank for reading my fic first
I'm glad you enjoyed it ^^ I'll try to make more kojiyuu in the future
@immortal_K : Of course, enemies closer
Why hate someone when you are mean to be together
Thank for the comment ^^
@aruka :
What?
Wow thank you
That's the kind of comment you don't get often, but when it happens... THANK! I'm really happy
When I read your comments for the first time I was like ;__;
@Haruko : Atsumina can make people feel alive
There's so much to tell about them
@Loveforever : thank you =D I'm really happy you liked it, but to the point of "the best I've ever read"
Thank a lot
@ichikawa : Thank
Yeah I like this kind of progression too ^^ It's a great classic ^^
@kahem : Thank you ^^ I worked fast on that one xD
@Keichan ^_^ : I wonder if you're still there to read my answer
In any case, you just died on JPHIP so I don't feel I have pressure to update now ^^
@crazywota : "doki doki and shit" LOL Thank you for always encouraging me
But please, don't cry, I'd feel bad
I will try to create good stories again
And yeah that's right, so many atsumina fic recently that I have to be more prudent not to copy anyone
@Megumi : Eheheh... I love when love starts with hate
Thank for your comment ^^
@Nakamii : I'll try to write more Atsumina in the future then
I have many efforts to do though so it won't be always the time, but I can do it
@meuytato : Thank =D Love this kind of fic too
I hope you won't wait too long... but I'll try my best!!
@FoF : Everyone loves these kind of fic because it's so funny to read
Atsuko as a player, I think it fits her... maybe. Anyway, I couldn't put Takamina for this one
Errrmmm about Pink Vitriol... well... *run*
@pamela89 : Thank you
@Everyone reading :
God I don't think I ever receive so many comments for a fic... I wonder if even half of you will read the answer to your comments
Coz it's been such a long time...
But thank you all! Your comments really made me happy because I did work really fast/hard on this one
First: This "one shot", I don't even think it is a one shot, is not about a pairing. It's just my "perception" of... the recent new of Acchan's graduation. It's not sad... well, I mean, I didn't describe it to be sad unlike many others fics I did.
Many of you, on jphip, facebook, twitter, mentioned that they thought about Pink Vitriol when the news was announced... O.O;; Fic happened =______=
Well to those reading it, about Pink Vitriol, I think you won't be surprised to hear that this fic is on hiatus... for an unlimited time? …? I had started the next chapter but suddenly...
I don't want to bump the thread :fear: Keep it hidden End note2: If Maeda ever decide to graduate while I'm writing this story, I'll stop it right away -_-
Ahhh
Two years ago... not bad
Had never planned a part 2
Sorry for the mistakes. It’s been a while ^^;
Do your best No need to use complicated words to describe her story. No need to try to feel intelligent while explaining her evolution. No need to write an endless text, trying to add more information than necessary. Just simple words were enough to tell her influence.
She was only fourteen years old when she made an important decision. She could have decided to do just as everyone did, going to school, studying, trying to have good grades for the future and so on. Just because, suddenly, she had enough of this life, she decided to try something new. Something that would change her life, that would make the shy little girl eventually hid behind the face of someone stronger, confident, happier.
“Do your best.”
She had heard those words so many times she couldn’t count them. They almost became useless. It was just another expression. She had heard them when she went to the audition for the first time. All she could think about was… that she just had to pass if she wanted something to happen. She had to give her everything. It was kind of frightening to her. It was all about a new group no one knew, a group that would have to make its way to the top, starting from absolutely nothing. It was quite a challenge.
For someone like her, “being popular as a group” was just a sentence without deep signification. It was just five words put up together to bring them a little hope.
It was only when she passed the audition that she realized how much it meant to “work hard”. When no one supports you, when no one trusts you, when you feel like you’re all alone and you’re scared of making even the simplest mistake because the world might crash on you… then “working hard” seems to be the only solution left not to fall into depression.
She heard these three words again, this time because it was harder than expect to debut, especially in Akihabara, where everyone thought it was “otakuland” after the success of “Densha Otoko”. A group of idols, dancing in uniform, in Akihabara… no wonder people looked at them like they were nothing but trash. In fact… she even considered themselves as nothing. A group? No, they were not even a “group” at their debut, because there was no complicity at all. Many members left, speechless in front of this huge mountain stuck before them. Many others just regretted their decision.
She was not in a particular category, even though she had never felt so powerless in her life. No matter how hard she worked, no matter how hard she “did her best”, it didn’t work. Why should she “do her best” when she had no idea what was going on?!
Tokyo Dome? That was never going to happen.
Later, when the group started to get known, she had cried. Not because she was happy, because she was sad and terrified. The producer wanted her to sing a song, mostly by herself, in front of the crowd.
“Do your best!” He encouraged her.
She didn’t want to do her best. She didn’t want to have the weight on her shoulder. What if the song wasn’t good enough? What if the audience didn’t like her enough? Why her? She didn’t have anything special, did she? Even some others members were mad at this decision, but she couldn’t change anything… She had realized it was too late the following days. The decision was made.
She still didn’t know the reason, but that day, she became the face of the group.
And that how it all started. Little by little, people knew her more than anyone. Slowly, she was known by everyone knowing about the group existence, while some others were still ignored. It was cruel, but it was her responsibility.
Though she wasn’t the leader, no one really was at that time, she… she had to bring the group to the top, just because… she was told to do so.
Dancing, singing, appearing on tv shows, practicing all time, lacking sleep, being weaker physically and mentally… she endured everything in order to respect the “do your best” rule. Still, it didn’t feel enough. The group’s popularity was still low. No matter how long she was in front of everyone, she felt she wasn’t the one able to bring them higher.
Despite the encouragements, despite her cute face… despite her efforts… nothing. But still, she smiled in front of the crowd, because it was her job, because she had to be strong. She didn’t leave the group because she was already known enough by fans to be the center for all singles. She was afraid to deceive them, and herself at the same time.
She was like a light in the dark shadow, ready to guide new fans in the discovery of the idols group until they were able to find the one girl they would truly prefer.
Some stayed with her, some moved to someone else, but in any way, they always knew who she was, they always recognized her, they always supported her.
Only after did things started to move.
Though she was the one people knew the most, the group finally reached the million sales. With her friends by her side, with fire in her heart and hope in her soul, she realized being center was a difficult responsibility, but that she was not alone. Now that the group had more fans, she knew it was not all about her. It relieved her. It relieved her so much she wanted to cry forever. She wasn’t “the group”.
“Do your best!!!” Fans would often yell.
Now, those three words meant a bit more to her. They could go farther. They could climb this mountain even higher. Though her role was important, she accepted it as a part of herself. Now she was the ace, totally. If it was what fans wanted, then she would accept it. If it was what the producer wanted, she would do it.
This shy little girl, looking innocently at a poster without knowing its true value had changed a lot. She had learned how to deal with all the negatives sides… but also the positives sides.
She knew now, what it meant to be important to others. She knew how it felt to save people’s lives just because she was a part of their lives, even though she didn’t know them intimately. She knew some people would just look at her and the group, and have their smile back in the blink of an eye. She knew how precious this power was to her…
The power to make people happy, to give them hope in a better tomorrow.
Though she had haters… she cheered every important moment spent in front of the camera. Though sometimes she would rather leave this group, she stayed. She stayed… and faced haters with a smile on her face. Though she would sometimes rather sleep instead of performing, she danced, because she knew some people could go and “sleep forever” if it wasn’t for the group’s existence in their lives. She knew that, for some fans, she and the group had appeared to save them from all their problems.
She saved lives. Not only her, but the whole group as well. They all, as a family, saved people’s lives and cheered other’s ones.
Hopeless in front of a situation, some fans had learned to fight because of some of their songs. She knew the true meaning of loyalty from their fans, and just because of that, she wanted to continue her journey in the group.
Now, she would be the one to scream “Do your best” to fans. They had supported them so much… now it was her turn to give back what she had taken for more than seven years.
When she heard “Give me five” for the first time, she had a shock. She couldn’t bear with it… She cried for a moment… She knew this song could be the one on her mind when she would be graduating. Even though it fit more for high school graduation, it was almost the same. She had grown surrounded by them, her friends. She had learned about everything with them. Love, friendship, what it was to care about other… Her first dream, her first love, her first discovery of the world... She had become the way she was now, because of the group. It was this environment she had learned to live in the entire time. Give me five… just showed that graduation was neither an exit nor a farewell. It was… the beginning.
Tokyo Dome performance was finally part of reality. It was not a dream anymore.
She might haunt people’s dreams… she might bring happiness in others’ lives… she might be the face of the current most popular group of Japan… but now that the group had reached their dream, what could she do? She had had a solo debut, a chance to play in different drama, opportunities to touch every sphere of this entertainment world…
Now what? As the ace, should she stay forever in the group until its popularity fade away again?
No. She didn’t want to live this again. She didn’t want to live rejection and hard times again. New members couldn’t truly understand what it was to be unknown. They had arrived when the group was already popular enough to avoid those dark times. At the opposite, she could still shiver when she thought about their debuts. She could still cry when she looked back at their old path. They had managed to reach the top… now what? Now… she had learned. She would walk on her own path from now on.
It was painful, difficult. She had thought about it for so long… But she knew now… it was about her own choices. She couldn’t depend on the group forever. She needed to learn how to live by herself. She knew she was strong enough to overcome anything that would cross her way. Just like the producer had told her, it was her choice. Not to tell the others was painful. She had talked to them about it… but maybe they really didn’t expect her to announce it for real.
However, because of the ace role, her self confidence was deeper than ever. She was thankful to everyone for this. And it was also one of the reason why she felt ready to leave her second family.
Seeing her friends crying for her this way… it was painful, but she couldn’t back down. She made the right choice… the others knew it deep inside… sooner or later, they would accept it. Again, they would encourage her… They would cheer for her…
Everyone… they used to tell her “do your best” so many times in the past…
When she was young, it was for small matters… It was the three words that cheered her anytime, anywhere. Just to win games, to be good with others or even to walk in the street without holding hands.
When she grew up, it meant to dance and sing with all her might to please the fans. It was to reach this far dream named Tokyo Dome. It was to give a certain meaning to her life. It became a normal expression she would use to motivate her for anything, at the point she wasn’t sure it they held a true power on her mentality. As soon as she felt bad, these three words would appear magically in her head…
Now, the young adult who stood in front of her loyal crowd knew those three words had a whole new significance. It defined the capacity to reach a dream… because now, she felt she could reach any dream she wanted. She knew these three words had some power.
Everything she wanted to learn in this group, she now had control on it. The other things, she would learn them by facing her problems without the group… group that had seen her become the pretty woman she was now. From the little unknown girl, just as a flower would grow up under the warm sunrays, she ended up becoming someone with the ability to make people feel alive.
A young woman, facing her life with a new look.
The group? The legendary AKB48.
The producer? The ambitious Akimoto Yasushi.
The woman? The beautiful ace Maeda Atsuko.
Despite fear, tears, frustration, incomprehension, hatred, love, confusion, optimist…
…
Despite everything, today, “do your best” were three words, shouted by the fans to wish her good luck in everything she would do in the future.
The end
Topic: BouJ525 OneShot [UPDATE Do your best (No pairing/Atsuko's grad)] (Read 45157 times)