Aikatsu Crescent! BRIGHTEST☆STARS || アイカツクレセント！Season 3

「Phase 132」To the Ends of the Earth

"I would like to make an offer."

Across opposite ends of the small room, Sachiko and Akemi stood. Sachiko with her arms crossed, feigning confidence and Akemi brimming with it. Next to her was her loyal partner, Izumi.

"What is it?" Sachiko quietly asked, her voice but a whisper. She was pale, her eyes slightly red.

"I've been watching everything go down," Akemi explained. "For some of your fans to turn on you for something as insignificant as that... it hurts my heart."

Sachiko quickly placed her hand on her cheek, where a faint red mark remained. "It's none of your business."

"I know. But I couldn't help but notice that the reason really was insignificant in the grand scheme of things. And that led me to wonder if their minds could be changed by a distraction."

"A... distraction?" Sachiko whispered. "What are you planning, Akiyama--?"

"Nothing extravagant. I would like to propose that you compete against Divinity Heaven. If you manage to win - which as the top active idol of Japan, I'm sure is something you can achieve - people will quickly forget and go back to praising your every move?" She smirked. "Not a bad deal, is it?"

Sachiko looked down. "...What do you get out of this?"

"Getting so suspicious of anyone who's ever nice to you won't get you anywhere," Akemi simply said, flipping her hair idly. "We just figured you'd bring a large audience. It's a great chance to advertise ourselves."

"..." Sachiko grabbed onto her wrist, her expression unclear.

Shrugging, Akemi turned around. "Well, we already arranged it with the headmaster. You don't really have a choice in the matter." Raising a hand as if to convey a goodbye, she left the room, Izumi following her.

Once the door had shut, Izumi sighed.

"I do feel bad for her..." she said. "Having so many fans turn on her just for falling in love."

"I don't."

"Huh?"

Akemi continued to walk ahead, her expression cold and stern. "She committed one of the worst acts of betrayal that an idol could. She deserves everything coming to her."

"You think so?"

"It's the truth. Many people in the Katsu Corporation agree; her parents, too, as I'm sure you heard. Idols don't have many rules but the ones they do have are in place for a reason."

Izumi looked down.

"Do you really think being an idiot is going to make me happy?"

"...You're right," she muttered. "All love does is interfere."

Akemi smirked. "I'm glad that you agree."

─── ｡ﾟ☽: * .◇. * :☾ ° . ───

"-And now, for our next segment of news on the ever-busy Aikatsu☆Starlight! Just now it's been announced that Hanabusa Sachiko will be competing against the recently super hot and trendy Divinity Heaven! The phoenix against the Goddess unit... I wonder who could possibly win!"

"Woah!" Usagi exclaimed, her eyes bright.

"Seems like this year's big event," Minori commented. "After the past two unit cups occurring early last year being so significant, I guess they wanted to do something that could match that."

"Part of me is really excited," Saki said. "But the cynical side of me knows it's just damage control."

Claire nodded. "That's almost certainly what it is."