When Takuhisa and Fingerhara enjoyed food, they were both in Tokyo at the AKS headquarters on the 8th floor of Don Quijote in Akihabara.

Yasu Akimoto, the well-built AKB producer, was approving documents in his office, but his frowning brow showed that he was not in a good mood.

It had been two years since the recruitment was released in 2005 and AKB was founded, but things did not develop as he had expected at the beginning, and the failure of album sales caused Sony Music, which cooperated with AKS, to gradually lose confidence.

If it can't be changed, I'm afraid that Sony's side will completely lose confidence.

He reduced expenses by moving members to the office where he moved his citizenship, and some of the costs were transferred to the office where he moved to his citizenship, but even so, AKB is still in a state of making ends meet, and it is not surprising that Sony is now asking to terminate the contract with Yasushi Akimoto.

If it were him, he would also choose to terminate the contract.

It's just human nature.

What should I do after that?" thought to Akimoto with sorrow.

After the failure of founding the Kitten Club in the 80s, after 20 years of exploration and hard work, he continued to found AKB, but the recession in the industry and the failure of AKB's album sales to be profitable as expected, AKB is likely to go down the same path as the Kitten Club.

Knock knock.

There was a knock at the door, and Akimoto Yasushi said please come in, putting aside this part of his worries for the time being.

walked in a man with bronze skin and a strong body, this is Togasaki Tomonobu who founded AKB with Yasushi Akimoto, and now almost all the affairs of AKB are in charge of Yasushi Akimoto and Togasaki Tomonobu, and Yasushi Wata, the president of AKS behind AKB, patted his ass and left after the investment, and it is difficult to find his trace in the office.

"Akimoto, this is the list of students who will be selected for the fifth term tomorrow. ”

"Hi, thank you. Yasu Akimoto took over the thick list.

"Akimoto ......" Togasaki has something to say.

"What's wrong?" Akimoto asked.

"Kenji Kitagawa came to me today. His face looked like he had been shaved hard by a knife, and he was also a little worried at the moment.

Kenji Kitagawa is the second son of Sony Music COO Naoki Kitagawa and is now in charge of film production at AKB and is Sony's spokesperson for AKB.

"yes, I see. Akimoto Yasushi lowered his head, and sure enough, he still came, "What did he tell you?"

"Kenji Kitagawa told me that if the sales of the album next year still can't improve, Sony may terminate the contract with us. ”

"Really, does he have a specific number?"

Togasaki didn't answer, just gave a number with both hands.

Yasu Akimoto put down the list in his hand and stood up, "Togasaki, do you think it is possible for us to do it next year, breaking the possibility of double digits?"

Togasaki shook his head without thinking for a few seconds.

"That's the reason, we at AKB are different from Good Morning, the initial plan is based on the theme of fan cultivation and idol growth, and the process must be extremely slow until a sudden outbreak at some point in time. And now, it's not that time. ”

"What do you mean, Akimoto?"

"Sony's side is going to give up on us, and they can't wait for the day when they break out. Akimoto Yasu sighed and said, "I estimated that the results of this order at the end of the year that will be released soon will not be much better than the previous orders, and Sony also knows this." ”

Akimoto looked out the window at the crowded street: "They're just looking for a reason." ”

"But that's the case!" Togasaki was a little excited about to say something, but was stopped by Akimoto Yasushi waving his hand.

"Don't talk about this, what do you think of the list of fifth-term students?" asked Akimoto changing the subject.

"There are a couple of good seedlings. Seeing that Yasu Akimoto didn't want to continue, Togazaki didn't continue the topic, "Overall, it's still a good issue." ”

"That's good, that's good. Qiu Yuanyasu couldn't help but smile on his face, "Our basic plate now is these recruited members, and the quality of the newly recruited members must be passed, which is the key to whether or not we can turn the tables in the future." ”

"Well, I know that. ”

"I'll go to the theater to see the members first, I haven't seen them in a long time. ”

"They'll be happy. ”

"I hope so. ”

……

In the theater, the girls are sweating.

After two years of development, AKB is no longer an unknown group with only seven audiences at the opening, and there are many audiences for one performance per day.

Although it can't do the volume of album sales, it has become a strong force in the idol circle, and I don't know how much better it is than a few years ago when it was first established.

Yasushi Akimoto's sturdy body was next to the stage, quietly watching the girls' performances.

The girls' sweaty performances reminded him of the kitten club he planned more than 20 years ago, when he was in the prime of life, when his project was successful and the kitten club became popular all over the country and even in Asia.

It's a pity that because of the lack of experience as a producer for the first time, the kitten club had to choose to disband after two and a half years of fire, the ratings of the show plummeted.

There are also many reasons for this, including producers like him, who secretly ate the members inside, and a scandal broke out.

In short, after absorbing the lessons, AKB can be regarded as thriving.

The sweet singing of the girls came to an abrupt end, and there was a round of applause from the audience, which also woke Yasushi Akimoto from his past memories.

After the performance, the girls rushed to the backstage, and when they saw him, they all stopped, and affectionately called "Akimoto-sensei".

The team for today's performance is Group A, and they are all young and energetic girls, just like the girls in the Kitten Club at that time.

"Mr. Akimoto, it's been a long time since you've been in the theater. "The first to speak out was Atsuko Maeda, who personally appointed Fudo C.

"That's right, Mr. Akimoto-sensei hasn't seen you in a long time. ”

"We miss you so much!"

……

After she spoke, the other girls also spoke, expressing their thoughts about him.

"There have been a lot of things lately, is the performance going well?"

"We're all used to performances, so everything is fine, Mr. Akimoto. Atsuko Maeda, who is the center, also said as a spokesperson for the group.

After two years of baptism, she has grown up from the introverted little "boy" image when she signed up, just like a pond that has washed away filth, blooming like flowers.

"Well, keep persevering, and believe you can do it. Akimoto patted Atsuko Maeda on the shoulder and said with a tone of encouragement.

"Hey!"

The girls replied in unity.

"Then I won't delay your rest time, you can go backstage first. ”

"Thank you, Mr. Akimoto, let's go first. One by one, the girls left Akimoto and walked to the backstage of the theater.

Togazaki also came over at this time, and the girls he met greeted him one after another, and he responded politely, walking to Akimotoyasu's side, "How about it, I just said that these girls still miss you very much, right?"

"Haha, that's right. I watched their performances, and they all performed very well. ”

"After all, Teacher Xia Zhengong has such strict standards, and it is difficult for these girls to think badly. ”

"That's right. ”

The two laughed, remembering that when AKB was first established, the girls were scared to cry under Xia Jingong's strict request, and it is very interesting to think about it now.

When it comes to schadenfreude, everyone is the same.

"Maybe I can go to Jingle to discuss. After laughing, Akimoto said.

"Do you have a split group?"

"Yes, we can't get involved in that place anyway, so it doesn't hurt to hand it over to them, and you can also receive a franchise fee. ”

"That's true, but why would they be interested in it?"

"It's just that there is too much money for illegitimacy, and idols just symbolize their needs. Yasu Akimoto answered Togasaki's questions, and unlike Togasaki, who had been the manager of a tourist bar in Roppongi before working at AKB, Yasu Akimoto, who had been involved in the entertainment industry for decades, knew the inside story of the company very well.

"Also, will tomorrow's audition start in the afternoon?" asked Akimoto as he thought of something.

"Well, it started around one o'clock in the afternoon. ”

"In that case, I'm going to meet with someone before I start. ”

"Who?"

"A man who can save AKB now. ”

……

In the dressing room behind the stage.

Yuki Kashiwagi, who had just passed the AKB selection last year, carefully flipped through his mobile phone.

There are two messages on the phone, which come from the original finger.

Before she joined AKB, she was a well-known Wota on the Internet, and she learned about the same famous Tsukihara on the Internet at a good morning concert, and the blog was connected, and the exchange of text messages also made the relationship between the two better and better.

After she passed the selection of AKB, after her debut as a waitlist for Yuko Oshima, Tsuhara also went to see her concert at that time.

Now she learned from Zhiyuan that Zhiyuan would also come to participate in the selection of the fifth term, and she was also inexplicably excited.

Sashi said that I will be in Akihabara tomorrow morning, so I will take leave to pick her up in the morning, Kashiwagi thought so, and quickly typed on his mobile phone and sent it.

As soon as I finished sending it, a pair of small hands hugged me behind my back.

"Yuki, what are you doing!" said in an innocent voice.

"Didn't do anything, Mayu. Referring to the original turned her head and replied with a smile, behind her was Mayu Watanabe, who was admitted to the third student selection at the same time as her.

Mayou, who was born in 94, is still very young, only about thirteen years old, but she is so young, and her performance in training and performances is not inferior to other older team members.

During the same period, Yuki Kashiwagi had a lot of fun with her.

"Don't believe it, Yuki, you must be doing something to hide from me. "Although Mayu is young and a little bearish, he is very smart, and he can see that Yuki Kashiwagi has something to say.

"It's really fine, Mayou, you're thinking too much. Yuki Kashiwagi patted Mayu on the shoulder and said.

"Really?"

"Of course it's true. ”

"Then who is this finger?" Seeing that Yuki Kashiwagi didn't admit it, Mayu laughed like a little devil, looking like you were seen through by me.

"You saw it and asked me. Seeing that Mayou already knew, Kashiwagi deliberately pretended to be very angry.

"There is nothing. ”

"I saw it, okay!"

The two frolicked backstage.