/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>Q. What did you talk to Sakura about at the end of the election on stage?

J : I was finally able to say thank you to her for being my rival.

I'm going to be honest right now, l'll tell the whole story.

I'm first placer so I'm not scared of anything, I'lI lay It all out.

After all, I trust everyone, I'm only here because of everyone's support and I'm really filled with nothing but gratefulness for everyone, so I'll tell the complete truth, I'm prepared for the backlash.

It's a long story, is that okay?

During the concert, we performed '10-nen Sakura', and there's the lyric "let's meet again in 10 years".

While singing that, I was reminded of the other SKE first-gens, and how l'm the only one left.

I thought about how if I continue working hard, I'd be able to see everyone else again in 10 years time and that cheered me up, but when I looked around I realised that no one from that time (10-nen Sakura's release) was here besides Minegishi Minami, and that she herself wasn't even on stage at that time.

When I thought about how such accomplished senior was missing, I became a little shaken, and then I realised I was really the only one left to do it.

I danced and sung like my life depended on it.

But there were girls there who looked at me and didn't think anything of it, since they didn't see me as their senior.

I feel that with this first place, I'll finally be recognised (in that way) by everyone.

But I don't want people to think I'm just saying this now because I won SSK.

That's why during '10-nen Sakura' during the part "when we promise to meet again", I told Sakura that if she doesn't dance better, AKB is finished, but that just made her unable to dance at all at that moment.

That makes me sad.

But the reason why I said that is because I love Sakura.

48 Group needs her to keep the group alve and interesting.

That's why I told her to enter SSK next year.

After all, I'm entering too, and I need her to be my rival.

Next year It'll be a one-two finish.

I'll continue doing this for another 10 years.

That's why I run in SSK.