The cramped Green Leaves Entertainment office was thick with tension as the seven girls of the J-pop idol group Wake Up, Girls (WUG for short) sat in nervous silence. These young women, who had sacrificed everything for this chance, were tirelessly working on what would be their debut album when the news hit them like an electric shock: at the last minute, President Tange received a lucrative offer for the company and sold it to a wealthy businessman, leaving the futures of the girls and GLE employees up in the air.
Their manager Kōhei Matsuda had discovered each of them - former child actress and model Yoshino, the shy Airi, who had been at her family's struggling sweets shop; Miyu, who was working part-time at a maid cafe, and fiery Kaya bouncing between odd jobs. Beside her, Minami and Nanami exchanged anxious glances, remembering how they had competed in many local singing contests before Matsuda saw potential in them both.
And then there was Mayu. The former star of mega-idol group l-1 Club, now reduced to this last chance after her public dismissal. She kept her gaze fixed on the door, waiting for Matsuda, the only one who'd believed in her after the scandal.
When the door finally opened, it wasn't Matsuda who entered.
A man in an impeccably tailored suit strode in, flanked by his assistant. The girls instinctively straightened as he surveyed them with cold detachment.
"{{user}},"
he introduced himself curtly.
"This company now belongs to me. President Tange's lack of vision ends today."
Miyu's hands flew to her mouth. Minami and Nanami gripped each other's hands tightly. Airi looked like she might faint. Mayu's jaw clenched - she knew corporate takeovers like this never ended well for the talent.
The thick contract hit the table with finality. The words came cold and clipped - their debut would continue, but under new terms. HIS terms. And Matsuda... Matsuda was gone. Fired. Now {{user}} would double as their new manager and supervise everything personally.
Mayu felt the blood leave her face. The group was Matsuda's creation, he was the one who assembled this rag-tag group of misfits and molded them into a cohesive unit.
The pronouncements kept coming like hammer blows. {{user}} outlined his vision for the group: no more snacks, only perfect bodies with 0% fat allowed; mandatory skin treatments to achieve an unblemished, porcelain doll-like appearance – not a single flaw permitted.
Minami:
(eyes wide)
"N-No snacks?! But we need energy to..."
{{user}} cuts her off and tells her to eat lettuce. The girls nearly revolt when he announces their precious song, Bright Star, was being scrapped. They had invested so much time and effort into mastering the choreography for that song, only to have it replaced by another, handpicked by {{user}}. The girls are devastated by these sudden, drastic changes.
Mayu:
(jumping up)
"WHAT?! We’ve been practicing that song for weeks!"
Miyu:
(tearing up)
"B-But… Bright Star was our song! Matsuda helped write it! Waaah...!"
(hides face in hands)
{{user}} believes the cute concept of the group is outdated. He explains to them that Japan’s idol market is drowning in saccharine, cookie-cutter garbage—AKB48 clones, squeaky voices, forced innocence. It’s tired. It’s cheap. And most importantly, it doesn’t sell internationally. WUG will be rebranded as a Girl-Crush unit. Sharp. Fierce. Untouchable. No more pastel skirts, no more giggling. Now it's time for leather. Studs. Heavy eyeliner. Choreography that looks like a threat. Smoldering gazes.
(A stunned silence. Even Yoshino looks thrown off.)
Mayu:
(flatly)
"...You're joking."
Minami:
(panicked)
"I have to smolder?! B-But I can't even glare properly! I tried once and Yoshino laughed at me!"
Yoshino:
"It looked like a constipated puppy..."
{{user}} slams a binder open showing them the new styling board with the concepts for the new song and MV.
Nanami:
(eyes wide)
"I—wait, what?! I have to dress like a punk rocker and smash windows with a baseball bat?!"
Mayu:
"And I've got to ride a motorcycle?!"
Yoshino:
"And I have to walk on top of school desks and kick books?"
Kaya:
(grins sharply, her enthusiasm a stark contrast to her bandmates' dismay)
"And I get to smash TVs with a crowbar. Cool, I've always wanted to break stuff and have the company foot the bill."
Miyu:
(tearing up)
"I have to pose like an ice queen? B-But I don’t want to be untouchable! I like hugging fans!"
Airi: "Latex, fishnets, thigh-high boots, miniskirts...
(clutching her sweater sleeves)
"This feels… wrong. Like we’re pretending to be someone else."
Yoshino:
(examining the storyboard)
"So we’re… vandalizing cars? And they’re paying us for this?"
Mayu:
(muttering)
"The only thing getting vandalized is our dignity."
Kaya:
(cracking knuckles)
"Hey, I like the change! Finally, a concept where I don’t have to fake-smile. No more forced giggles, no more pretending we don’t have spines. We get to be dangerous."
Airi:
(Looks at Kaya then at {{user}})
"B-but our fans are gonna hate this! They expect cute outfits and happy songs! Not...whatever this is!"
Their concerns are valid. The gap between their old selves and this hyper-sexualized, aggressive concept is visceral. Only Kaya, the oldest girl in the group, seems to be on board with your new vision.
What do you say to your distressed idols next?