N-M Chapter 1335 Saka Minatozaki
Chapter 1335 Saka Minatozaki
Chapter 1335 Saka Minatozaki
November 6th, Sunday.
It started to drizzle in Seoul in the middle of the night, and by morning the rain had intensified, dancing in the air with a light patter. The raindrops pattered on the ground and the edge of the bed, making a soft, muffled sound, and the whole window and even the sky turned gray.
The sound of rain pattered into Twice's dorm room, drowning out the deep, long breaths of the other two members who were fast asleep.
The only one awake, Minatozaki Sana, sat alone curled up on the bed next to the bed, head down, looking at a book open in front of her in the dim light from the window.
It's "Meeting 100% of the Girl"
Raindrops kept pattering against the window next to her, pattering onto the bed. Some of them, from the side, looked as if they were dripping onto her cheek. The surrounding temperature seemed a bit cold, so she pulled the small blanket tighter around her, curling her already huddled-up body even more tightly.
Sana Minatozaki has a lively and enthusiastic personality. This isn't a persona she's putting on for the camera; she's genuinely cheerful and loves to laugh and be romantic. Listening to the rain and reading alone doesn't seem like something she should be doing.
However, occasionally when she is alone, she will become unusually quiet, and the ever-energetic smile in the camera and in the eyes of her friends will become somewhat listless and depressed.
Although she was engrossed in her book, seemingly quiet and absorbed, her slow page-turning and the occasional loss of focus in her pupils suggested that she was preoccupied with something else on her mind.
Twice recently made a comeback and are currently at their busiest time of the season. Yesterday, they recorded a program until 3 a.m., and by the time they got back to the dorm, showered, and went to sleep, it was already past 4 a.m.
The other members were still fast asleep, but as soon as it was dawn, she couldn't help but wake up suddenly, and no matter how tired she was, she couldn't fall back asleep.
This insomnia and irregular sleep schedule has been going on for quite some time now.
She herself knows what's wrong... She's been in a bad mood lately, and the pressure is really immense.
Although she was very eye-catching in the "Likey" music video for her comeback, and fans online praised her recent stage performance as sweet and beautiful... Ironically, she knows her own situation; both her mental and physical condition are actually not good.
First, there's Twice's hectic schedule this year. They've been working almost non-stop since the beginning of the year, with one event after another. It's been a year of intense work, and now that the year is almost over, she's honestly reached a breaking point.
Then there are the things that come with being an idol... as Twice becomes more and more popular, all sorts of frustrating and helpless things happen in the industry and around us.
Each of them has a terrible temper, like a TV PD who doesn't hold back when disciplining idols, powerful directors and second-generation heirs surrounding the company, and various partner brands and representatives who need to be curried favor and even socialize.
These things weren't too bad for Sana Minatozaki, who was originally quite good at socializing. Her cuteness and liveliness were part of her personality, but also her weapons.
But as she met more and more people, some rather unpleasant things also appeared, leaving her somewhat exhausted from dealing with them.
Then there were all sorts of senior figures in the industry who showed their goodwill. As Twice became more and more popular, her personality and appearance were liked by more and more people, and the number of suitors around her became more and more numerous and enthusiastic.
If it were just a simple pursuit, that would be fine; she's experienced in that and has plenty of methods... But when she encounters those with ulterior motives, or even those who use their status and methods to harass her, she really has no way to deal with them.
Like the male idol whose family owns an advertising company last month, and the senior colleague from the same company a while ago.
The person who introduced her to Park Yoochun, a senior figure in the industry, was already married, so it was clear he didn't have good intentions. But there are many people you really can't afford to offend, so you can only play along.
Originally, she thought that knowing a very powerful senior would be able to take care of her. Minatozaki Sana, who has always been very ambitious in her career, is also happy to make connections. She has always done so, and she used her Japanese habit of integrating into groups and her somewhat ingratiating social style here.
...But after getting to know her, she realized it wasn't as simple as she had imagined.
The main problem is... in this complex and murky entertainment industry on the Korean Peninsula, she, a girl from Osaka, Japan, really doesn't have much confidence.
At the same time, she also encountered a lot of unpleasant things in her career. She has never had many songs in the group, and she is one of the members with the fewest songs. Even after "Cheer Up" became a huge hit, this was still the case.
Although LIKEY has only been active for a week, the planning for the next album has already begun. Yesterday, the company held a meeting to assign parts to the title track "Heart Shaker" for the next album.
Sana Minatozaki's parts were already very few before, but this time it was even more excessive, so few that she found it hard to bear... In the entire three and a half minutes of the song, she only had a ten-second solo part, with two sentences, accounting for only 5%, which is the least among all the members.
In terms of the amount of screen time, Lim Na-yeon and Park Ji-hyo each have four or five times more screen time than her.
To put it bluntly, she just stood there like a backup dancer, only watching others sing.
Thinking about the scene at yesterday's meeting, and her emotions when she saw her assigned part, Minatozaki Sana felt a tightness in her chest.
...Regardless of her popularity within the group, the company doesn't promote her as a Japanese member at all.
She had been reading the book in her hand for a long time, but was still on the same page. She was awakened by the sound of rain, turned her head to look at the hazy window next to her, and looked at the blurry and gloomy sky outside. Her face, which was always smiling, was full of worries.
Lately, one troublesome thing after another has been happening. Coupled with physical and mental exhaustion, Sana Minatozaki feels depressed and frustrated. She feels stressed everywhere, which has completely disrupted her sleep schedule and made her increasingly anxious and unable to control her emotions.
Besides these things... after EXO returned to Korea, and after seeing Ji Kyung-won the day after that concert, she couldn't help but think about Ji Kyung-won more or less these past two days.
That day, everyone met backstage after so long. Whether it was Lim Nayeon, Chou Tzuyu, or even Ji Kyungwon himself, they all showed joy and happiness. Even Minatozaki Sana herself was quite happy to see him.
He greeted and exchanged pleasantries with Park Jihyo, with whom he had only a casual relationship, but he simply nodded to Minatozaki Sana, as if he didn't even see her.
Even Kang Daniel said more than she did...
And last time, several Twice members texted Ji Kyung-won together, playing a game of 'seeing who he replies to first'. Ji Kyung-won replied to everyone except her...
It was clearly a mass message, but her name was deliberately removed.
Do you hate me that much?
Thinking back to that embarrassing moment, Sana Minato couldn't help but bite her lower lip. Even now, she can still vividly recall the intense disappointment she felt at that time.
Chi Jingyuan was clearly treating her differently. She could clearly feel the deliberateness, the disregard... and even the disgust that made her extremely uncomfortable.
It seems that ever since breaking up with Mina, my opinion of her has suddenly turned sour... Minatozaki Sana herself doesn't even know how things suddenly turned out this way.
Sana Minatozaki looked out at the misty rain, raindrops clinging to the windowsill, mingling with the long, steady breaths of the other two members fast asleep inside. In comparison, she seemed to feel even colder.
Perhaps this is the punishment she received for harboring immoral thoughts about her beloved boyfriend behind the backs of her trusted best friend.
She simply put down her book, hugged her legs, and curled up her whole body.
…………
An hour or two later, all the Twice members got up, washed up, and took a van to the company. There was no recording work during the day, and they would continue with yesterday's new album project.
After the meeting, seeing the other members leaving one after another, Sana Minatozaki, who deliberately slowed down, gritted her teeth, mustered her courage, turned around and took the initiative to find her manager.
"Oppa."
Sana Minatozaki stood in front of her manager, feeling a little nervous but also expectant and hopeful. With a serious expression and a sincere tone, she pleaded, "Could you give me more parts in this new title track? Many fans have said I've been in great shape lately, and some of my fans have said they want to see more of me..."
The manager immediately understood what Sana Minatozaki meant, but he clearly didn't think the topic needed to be discussed, and interrupted her before she could finish speaking.
"The allocation of parts for each comeback is specially arranged by the company after discussion. It is based on each member's position, strength, and related plans. There is no room for change, so don't say anything more."
First, he righteously and firmly rejected her, then the manager became serious, looking at the stunned Minatozaki Sana in front of him, and naturally adopted a lecturing expression and tone:
"Sana, is this your first day in the industry? Is this something you need to worry about? Or do you think you can question the company's decisions just because you've been in the industry for two years and have gained some popularity?"
"I've noticed you're getting a bit too cocky..."
The manager's stern voice was like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing Minatozaki Sana's expectations. She immediately thought of the cold, hard glass next to her that morning, constantly being hit and knocked by the rain. How could it not resemble herself now?
Not only did her expectations not come true, but she was also severely reprimanded. After being scolded a few times, Minatozaki Sana bowed to her manager who was walking away quickly, and slowly turned around and walked back the way she came.
Sure enough...
But she wasn't surprised by the result; in fact, she had already anticipated it before she even spoke.
After all... this isn't the first time.
Even though it was within her expectations, she still couldn't control the disappointment and depression in her heart. At the same time, thinking about her manager's righteous words and attitude, she couldn't stop feeling resentful and angry.
When a dating scandal broke out in the group, Mina completely admitted to it, but the company didn't punish her at all. Apart from giving her a few words of reprimand, they acted as if nothing had happened.
What about her? She just had a cup of coffee with Kim Jong-in, there was absolutely no real relationship between them, and yet she was severely scolded by her company. No matter how she explained or denied it, they wouldn't listen, and they even confiscated her phone.
She will remember that incredibly real and stark contrast for the rest of her life.
More recently, during an event in Japan last month, after filming wrapped up, the production crew, industry veterans, and brands invited several of them to dinner, but Tzuyu said she didn't want to go.
After she said that, her agent really didn't let her go.
What if Sana Minatozaki says she doesn't want to go? She'll definitely change her expression and words.
Her steps grew heavier, and she bit her lower lip, her teeth digging into the lines of her lips with such force.
Why should it be like this?
Why is it always like this?
…………
But their bad mood and situation took a turn for the better after lunch. That afternoon, while everyone on Twice was practicing their new song in the practice room, their manager suddenly walked in. After casually mentioning the GUCCI dinner that evening, and to Sana's surprise, called out his name directly:
"...As you already know about the performance at the MAMA Japan event, the organizers just informed us that it has been agreed upon that a new collaborative stage has been added."
"Sana, this is a collaboration between you and Kyungwon from XO. The song is 'Uchiage Hanabi.' The stage design and lyrics are handled by him. We'll start practicing next week."
Sana Minatozaki was already somewhat surprised when she heard her own name, and even more so when she learned that she would be performing a solo stage with Ji Kyung-won. When she finally found out that the stage was actually "Uchiage Hanabi", she looked even more astonished, her lips slightly agape, as if she had misheard.
The other Twice members around them were also extremely surprised to hear this, and several of them couldn't help but secretly glance at Mina not far away.
Mina's smile froze the moment she heard her manager's words, her right hand clenched, and she seemed somewhat out of place.
However, her unusual behavior quickly faded before the other members could look over, and she remained calm, as if what her manager said had nothing to do with her.
After a brief moment of surprise, Sana Minato couldn't help but glance at Mina beside her... Of course, she knew better than anyone the significance of this song to Mina.
Why would they suddenly pair her with... Chi Kyung-won on stage?
"This collaboration was proposed by the organizers. They first consulted Avex and Jingyuanxi, and it was only after a long discussion that it was finalized."
"The company actually knew about it a long time ago, and we had been discussing the stage and the details of the collaboration."
The manager, seemingly oblivious to the members' slightly odd behavior, continued to offer timely explanations:
"This is the first time MAMA has been held in Tokyo, and hit songs like 'Uchiage Hanabi' are sure to get a stage,"
"The reason we chose to collaborate with Sana is because the organizers saw your very popular cover video, and because Twice and XO are the two most popular K-pop groups in Japan this year."
“There has been a lot of discussion about ‘Uchiage Hanabi’ and the chorus in Japan. This collaboration stage is the first official collaboration with Sana, so it will definitely be the most anticipated performance and become a hot topic.”
"So, come on."