Rehearsal (Yuna Kagurazaka)
| Rehearsal (Yuna Kagurazaka) | |
|---|---|
| Date of Cutscene: | 24 December 2014 |
| Location: | Fraulein Sector: Earth |
| Synopsis: | The fruits of Yuna's training with Ryudia are revealed as Yuna prepares for her annual Christmas Eve concert in Shiraokadai. |
| Cast of Characters: | 385 |
Yuna is tired but happy as she makes her way off the arena's stage, wearing a loose T-shirt over her leotard; Marina, in her "civilian" mode, hands her a bottle of juice as Yuna's manager, Ishikawa, walks in with a big smile on his face.
"That was spectacular, Yuna! Where did you say you've been training all these months? I might have to see if some of our other idols can go there too ..."
"Mrk - !" Yuna manages, somehow, not to choke on her juice at her manager's question. "It's, uh ... well, I can ask, but it was ... really kind of tailored to me personally. And music wasn't really the main focus of it." Unless, she adds internally, you count musical showdowns between her and Aleftina, "dueling" to see who could break the other's concentration and force her to accompany the "winner" of each round. And even that was only brought in over the last few weeks.
"That's too bad," says Ishikawa. "Some of our talent could use the training - what was the focus, if you don't mind my asking? You were really shining on stage, and that was just a dress rehearsal. The real concert tonight ... you're going to have a whole new wave of fans, I'm sure!"
A soft blush tints Yuna's face pink, but she grins nonetheless. "It was ... I guess you could call it spiritual training of a sort. Or maybe it was more 'heart training' ..." They reach the green room, and Yuna wastes little time in taking a seat. "I didn't tell you about this before I left, but - some of my friends were worried about me losing my way in the Union," she admits. "And looking back, I think they were right to worry. So one of them arranged for me to get special lessons, but I had to go away for a while so the training wouldn't be interrupted. Technically, I'm not really done with it yet, either, but Ryudia knew I needed to come back for Christmas season concerts and the like, so -" She spreads her arms briefly. "- here I am again."
Ishikawa nods. "I had been wondering myself, actually ..." He takes a seat, facing Yuna. "There was a while after you joined the Union when I wasn't sure if you'd be able to continue as an idol. Not just because of trying to juggle your time, although that was a question too ... it was like you lost your sparkle, especially after some crises you got swept up in. You had to make yourself smile - it didn't come as naturally."
Yuna winces, turning her juice bottle around in her hands. "You noticed, huh?"
"It's part of my job to notice, Yuna," Ishikawa replies. "If you can't keep working as an idol singer, I'm the one who has to decide what to do. But after today's rehearsal, I'm not worried any more. There's a light in your smile and a warmth in your voice that weren't there sometimes; whatever you learned while you were away has helped you reclaim those." He checks his wristwatch. "You'd better go take a quick shower; Kitaoka's going to be here shortly to get you ready for the concert." He gets back to his feet. "I'm sure I don't have to wish you good luck; like I said, you're going to get a lot of new fans tonight, as well as bringing back some old ones. But since I might not get the chance later - Merry Christmas, Yuna."
With a bright smile, Yuna rises from her chair as well, bowing properly to her manager. "Merry Christmas, Mr. Ishikawa!" And as her manager leaves, Yuna finishes her juice and heads to her dressing room with a familiar flutter rising in her heart: the excitement that always precedes a good concert, almost a good-luck charm in its own right.
She couldn't tell Ishikawa that her special training was part of being the Savior of Light; however, she's sure that he was telling the truth, not just giving her a pep talk. Ryudia's patient lessons and guidance have helped her find her heart again, after all.
