Greedy Chapter 15

# Chapter Fifteen - "Leveling Up"

### Junko

    "But why nooot?!" Rinko whined, filling the entirety of the small office with an off-pitch soprano.

    On the whole, nearly everything we'd been told since entering Lina's office had been positive. Now that a small amount of time had passed since our debuts, the official verdict from company management was in:

    Interlunium is a success. There's no doubt about it. At least as far as the critics, trade magazines, and sales of our music are concerned.

    Our first single? A hit.

    Reception to our new members? Overwhelmingly positive. Fans love them all. They're all trending even faster than the rest of us did after our first debut.

    Ticket sales to all of our scheduled concerts? They're already completely sold out. Even the tickets usually reserved for us to claim for family or friends are in short supply. Investors love us just at much as anyone, and it's everything the higher ups can do to keep them happy.

    Even the albums which feature tracks by Megumi or Rinko and I, most of which barely sold at all when they were first offered, have become highly sought after collectibles, prompting Mr. Shishito to place a rush order for entirely new print runs. We even had to autograph a bunch to sell on the company website.

    It's pretty crazy.

    This is why Lina has called all eleven of us into her office today - which, despite our complaints, still doesn't have enough seating for more than eight idols, and that's if we're feeling very cozy - to give us all some big news.

    "You did a great job on the lyrics for the first song. Nobody is saying that you didn't. It's been a huge hit. But now the stakes are higher, and upper management is taking an interest in how you girls do. Especially after I had to justify adding four more members even though you were already a hit. Luckily it's working out, but it was a risky move. They were on the fence about you girls until Yume made splashes all over the industry, but now they want to promote her as much as possible, so you can thank her for making up their minds. They're all in on you girls. We've moved past being able to take risks and have to do things by the book for the immediate future." Lina, our producer, paused to remove her glasses and massage the bridge of her nose, letting out a long, slow exhale of breath. A frequent habit when she's dealing with Rinko. Or, really, any of us. Just… especially Rinko.

    The most positive thing to come out of all of this is that, despite being the latecomers to Interlunium, all four of the new girls had ended up folding into both our social group and our professional image seamlessly. Even now, Akira was sandwiched between Rinko and Yume, who was herself glad to be adorably pocket-sized since Anette, Kazue, Kanon, and Chiyo all pressed on her from the other side, sitting far more closely than I could ever be comfortable with. Seven idols on one couch…

    That's at least three too many…

    Lina's second couch felt a good deal more like the "adult" seating, for those of us not as comfortable with the concept of a "cuddle pile", as Kazue calls it. I was seated at one end of the second couch between Dam-Bi and Megumi while Eimi was seated at the far end. Four girls on one couch was still a close fit, but no more so than sitting on a crowded train or bus, so it's tolerable, at least for the amount of time we'd be spending on it before Lina kicks us out.

    That's pretty much the inevitable result of any of our meetings.

    "But I know that if you give me another chance I'll be able to do it again!" Rinko protested yet again with a rather cute pout.

    "The lyrics for the song are already written. They were written before you even formed. One of the composers has been working on a passion project for some time now, and when management started to scramble to find new material for you they made their pitch. Adding four new girls is already driving the design team crazy, and that's why Mr. Shishito has stepped in personally."

    "M-Mr. Sh-Shishito is writing the lyrics personally?" Chiyo stammered in surprise, missing the meaning of Lina's statement. Our producer signed again, heavily.

    "No, Mr. Shishito isn't writing the lyrics. A lyricist wrote the lyrics. Just be quiet for two minutes and I'll explain everything, okay?"

    "O-Okay…" Chiyo clamped her hand over her mouth.

    "Hush. Two minutes. Everyone got it?"

    Lina somehow managed to make eye contact with all of us at once. I recently learned while studying for exams that scallops have up to two-hundred eyes under their shell. I had to wonder if, given her rough exterior and all-seeing gaze, perhaps Lina wasn't part shellfish. Despite this fishy theory we each nodded our heads, though a few girls grumbled at being treated like kids. Funnily enough, mostly from the kid's couch.

    And, amusingly, Eimi.

    Maybe she should leave this couch for Megumi, Dam-Bi, and I.

    "That's better. Now, as I said, your next project has been vetted by the entire senior management. No expense is being spared. I'm sure that some of you have heard of the Rossi Agency?"

    Unsure of whether or not she was allowed to talk, the fashionista next to me raised her hand. Lina almost smirked. I could tell that she was loving us being obedient for once. Lina pointed at Dam-Bi and nodded her head, signaling that it was okay for her to talk.

    "They're a huge deal in European fashion! They're mentioned in almost every issue of my favorite magazines! Every European model who's anyone has worked with them!"

    "That's a little bit of a simplification, but Dam-Bi basically summed it up. The Rossi Agency is a talent management company a lot like I MY ME, except instead of a few hundred talents they manage thousands all over Europe. They're experts at executing important campaigns. Even if you don't recognize them by name, you've definitely seen their work. Mr. Shishito has hired them to head your next project, so welcome to the professional idol circuit." Even Lina, for all her usual grumpitude and indifference, had a certain excitement in her voice.

    "Well that sounds awfully melodramatic." Eimi piped up. "Do the higher ups not think our own people are able to do the job?"

    "To be blunt…" Lina stared daggers at the blonde at the end of the couch. "...Yes. That's exactly it. I don't think you girls really understand the scope of your next project. I MY ME hasn't undertaken an advertising push of this size and scope in nearly ten years, not since Taeko Yashiro's last big project. It may not have hit you all yet, but you're kind of big deals now. Even you, Eimi." Immediately Eimi made a sound like she was choking on natto and took on an indignant expression. "A few months ago the Rossi Agency would have laughed at the thought of producing a video for any of you - even you, Eimi - and now they're doing it even though several of you have barely even debuted. None of you have ever come close to this kind of popularity before. Even you, Eimi. Congratulations on graduating from little league. Does that answer your question?"

    Eimi turned a bright shade of bubblegum before nodding meekly, her mouth half agape as though she wanted to say something Eimi-ish but couldn't. Or maybe she just realized how bad an idea that would be.

    "Now, as for the details. Planning by both agencies is well underway. This is your next step. While you were skipping around Kyoto and mistaking Kazue for a leprechaun-"

    "They thought I was a ghost, Auntie. Not a leprechaun. That would have been *ridiculous*." Kazue laughed, recollecting how it was she came to be a member of Interlunium. It's still weird hearing someone talk to Lina so politely…

    "Right, Sweetie. While you were running around the dorm thinking Kazue was a ghost and learning to work in your units, we've been working overtime behind the scenes to set this up. It's all based on video games. Teenagers still like those, right?"

    A round of gasps and light applause from most of my friends confirmed that to be true. They do, in fact, mostly love video games. They play them at every opportunity they get. Especially idol games.

    "It's a whole fantasy thing. I dunno. Something about fighting dragons and searching for treasure in dungeons. I only play gacha games, but it's all well under control by the design teams. Next week we'll be recording the audio, then starting the following week we'll be reporting to the set downtown to record the video. The head of the Rossi Agency herself has agreed to executive produce, and I'm sure I don't need to impress on you how rare an opportunity this is. This is the kind of project that could make or break your careers for decades. I can only do so much to smooth things over if you blow it. Do. Not. Screw. It. Up. Got it? I cannot stress enough how many eyes will be on each and every one of you during this entire project."

    "W-Wait!" Dam-Bi interjected, suddenly shaking against my thigh. "The head of the agency?! Caterina Rossi?! You can't mean… The Saint of Fashion herself?! No way!"

    "I can mean that, and I do. So practice your manners, okay? You wanted to be serious idols, right? Well now you get to see what that's actually like. See how Dam-Bi is freaking out? Go do that now so you can keep cool heads during the project. I'm serious. Get out of here. I have mountains of paperwork to do thanks to you all."

    A few of us looked around, confused, but Lina wasn't joking. It was time to leave, and even Rinko's fourth try to bring up the lyrics was met with a stony gaze harsh enough for even my best friend to get the hint. Out in the hallway, everything went nuts.

    First was the shrieking and bouncing from the girls who had understood everything Lina was saying, which happened to be led by Dam-Bi, Anette, and Eimi. Next came the explanations, once too fast for any of us to understand and again in a cadence we could process. The general idea was easy to grasp though. If this woman was so important to the world of fashion that both Dam-Bi and Eimi were struck giddy, then the next few weeks were going to be extremely interesting…

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