[ B-Komachi is not nearly as close-knit as they lead everyone to believe, and Kanade isn't so naive as to think otherwise when the facts are so clearly in her face. The gossip was typical of what you can expect from a group of young girls who are only hanging out because of obligations, and Kanade isn't immune to being the subject of it either. Confidence goes far, but not all the way.
Honestly as far as working environments go, it was one of the worst, though she'll hand it to the producer... he was doing his damn best regardless. There's not much you can really do, it's a struggle universal to any underground idol group.
Still, that should never mean one should just sit back and let it happen, right? For better or worse, Kanade has done her best to try and keep tensions low among the group like some sort of team mom. It didn't always work, she occasionally felt the urge to shake them violently whenever she heard a particularly selfish and/or unsympathetic point of view, but it was a necessary role to play.
Especially for the girl who played the role of their center... Hoshino Ai. When she first arrived, Kanade could tell what was going to happen right from the get-go. For better or worse, Ai was practically born to take the spotlight. She's attractive, she draws others in, she has a charisma to her that even had Kanade stunned.
Anyone with a brain could see the resulting jealousy. Hell, Kanade would be lying if she said she didn't feel it herself... but feeling jealous doesn't justify being a bitch, Kanade thinks.
Besides, call it a hunch, but... she never felt like Ai was as flawless as the image they give to the public. Her smile was practiced, Kanade even caught her practicing in front of a mirror once. She was a liar, and a really good one at that... so it's no wonder why she was such an incredible idol.
So... Kanade continued to do her best. Lord was it hard, though. The rest of the group was so fiercely jealous of Ai that Kanade herself started to face some backlash within the group from what they perceived as "defending" her. Not that they were wrong, but Kanade is pretty sure she was very justified in blowing her top at the girl who she caught cutting up Ai's old hoodie with a pair of scissors, among other things.
That girl got unceremoniously kicked off the group, and the complaints of favoritism intensified... but Kanade remembers grabbing Ai by the hand and dragging her off to get a replacement for her now-ruined hoodie, no ifs or buts... so at least one good thing could come out of this whole mess.
And well... a lot of things happened from there. To this day, Kanade still isn't quite sure if Ai has actually opened up to her, but in an environment rife with jealousy and teenage girls trying constantly to drag each other down... she tried to be a trustworthy presence in Ai's life, or at the very least one that she didn't have to worry about.
...what can Kanade say? When she looked at Ai, it just felt... necessary and right. Like some kind of maternal instinct kicking in when she looked at those eyes so blindingly bright she could barely see what was past them.
...so imagine her worry when she began to notice Ai seeming nauseous, or getting tired faster, and at one point even vomiting.
Imagine her distress when she stopped showing up entirely, was informed that she was taking a leave of absence due to health issues, and contact was dropped altogether. It was even more annoying when she was able to get in contact with the producer, only for him to skillfully dodge every question and swiftly retreat.
Still, until she got an answer, Kanade simply kept blowing up Ai's number on a daily basis. Sometimes it was demanding to know if she was okay, asking to see her, wishing her good health, and so on and so forth. She was committed, and she was stubborn, keeping it up for over twenty weeks without fail.
What can she say? She'll never feel at ease until she can confirm Ai's health with her own eyes. ]
B-Komachi AU
Honestly as far as working environments go, it was one of the worst, though she'll hand it to the producer... he was doing his damn best regardless. There's not much you can really do, it's a struggle universal to any underground idol group.
Still, that should never mean one should just sit back and let it happen, right? For better or worse, Kanade has done her best to try and keep tensions low among the group like some sort of team mom. It didn't always work, she occasionally felt the urge to shake them violently whenever she heard a particularly selfish and/or unsympathetic point of view, but it was a necessary role to play.
Especially for the girl who played the role of their center... Hoshino Ai. When she first arrived, Kanade could tell what was going to happen right from the get-go. For better or worse, Ai was practically born to take the spotlight. She's attractive, she draws others in, she has a charisma to her that even had Kanade stunned.
Anyone with a brain could see the resulting jealousy. Hell, Kanade would be lying if she said she didn't feel it herself... but feeling jealous doesn't justify being a bitch, Kanade thinks.
Besides, call it a hunch, but... she never felt like Ai was as flawless as the image they give to the public. Her smile was practiced, Kanade even caught her practicing in front of a mirror once. She was a liar, and a really good one at that... so it's no wonder why she was such an incredible idol.
So... Kanade continued to do her best. Lord was it hard, though. The rest of the group was so fiercely jealous of Ai that Kanade herself started to face some backlash within the group from what they perceived as "defending" her. Not that they were wrong, but Kanade is pretty sure she was very justified in blowing her top at the girl who she caught cutting up Ai's old hoodie with a pair of scissors, among other things.
That girl got unceremoniously kicked off the group, and the complaints of favoritism intensified... but Kanade remembers grabbing Ai by the hand and dragging her off to get a replacement for her now-ruined hoodie, no ifs or buts... so at least one good thing could come out of this whole mess.
And well... a lot of things happened from there. To this day, Kanade still isn't quite sure if Ai has actually opened up to her, but in an environment rife with jealousy and teenage girls trying constantly to drag each other down... she tried to be a trustworthy presence in Ai's life, or at the very least one that she didn't have to worry about.
...what can Kanade say? When she looked at Ai, it just felt... necessary and right. Like some kind of maternal instinct kicking in when she looked at those eyes so blindingly bright she could barely see what was past them.
...so imagine her worry when she began to notice Ai seeming nauseous, or getting tired faster, and at one point even vomiting.
Imagine her distress when she stopped showing up entirely, was informed that she was taking a leave of absence due to health issues, and contact was dropped altogether. It was even more annoying when she was able to get in contact with the producer, only for him to skillfully dodge every question and swiftly retreat.
Still, until she got an answer, Kanade simply kept blowing up Ai's number on a daily basis. Sometimes it was demanding to know if she was okay, asking to see her, wishing her good health, and so on and so forth. She was committed, and she was stubborn, keeping it up for over twenty weeks without fail.
What can she say? She'll never feel at ease until she can confirm Ai's health with her own eyes. ]