Chapter 173
Since the "deviant" comments had been automatically filtered, the feed Kotori and the others saw was now incredibly clean.
Seeing that Mineo-oniichan had so many friends offering them words of praise, Honoka, Kotori, and the rest were moved to the point that their eyes began to shimmer with tears.
"Kotori, Umi, we did it!"
"We... we really did it!"
Honoka looked at her two best friends and squeezed their hands with raw excitement.
However, at that moment, Eli let out a flat, cold voice.
"Isn't it a bit too early to start celebrating?"
"If a group only fixates on good comments and is unable to see its own flaws, I don't think they will be able to go very far."
"Unable to see our own flaws?"
Hearing Eli's assessment, Honoka and the others froze in place, stunned. The three girls looked at each other in confusion.
Eli continued, her tone unwavering:
"Your singing voices are indeed very good; I won't have much to say about that."
"But for a qualified idol group, if you want to capture the audience's attention, a singing voice alone isn't enough."
"Songwriting, vocal delivery, dance expression... these are the three vital elements that cannot be missing if an idol group wants to succeed."
"The choreography you just performed was likely sourced from videos on the internet, then combined with your own imagination and modified."
"The design of the movements themselves is reasonable enough, but haven't you realized it? Your bodies are extremely stiff, many movements completely lack coordination, and you aren't able to make people feel captivated."
"Aside from that, I also want to discuss the matter of the work itself."
"As far as I know, Sonoda Umi-san is skilled in writing poetry, so the lyrics you sang were likely written by her."
"But Minami Kotori-san and Kosaka-san, the two of you shouldn't be experts in music composition."
"Was the musical score for this piece also found on the internet?"
"If a school idol group doesn't have the ability to create their own original works, they won't be able to leave a deep impression on the audience."
Just as Eli finished her sentence, Nishikino Maki, who had been sitting alone not far away, stood up slowly.
"Their music composition is my creation."
"It wasn't found on the internet."
"The composition was created by you?"
Eli glanced toward Nishikino and then asked:
"Are you also a member of the group Muse?"
Hearing Eli's question, Maki shook her head expressionlessly.
Seeing that, Eli turned back to Honoka and spoke:
"I understand your enthusiasm and your desire to save the school."
"But, give up."
"This path is not very suitable for you."
"In this Tokyo area, many schools have idol groups that are incredibly prominent. If you yourselves don't possess a unique talent, then with what exactly do you plan to compete against others?"
Hearing Eli's words, the faces of Honoka and the others instantly turned pale.
Nozomi, on the other hand, began to speak up:
"Eli-chi, aren't those words a bit too harsh?"
"A performance itself is something that needs to be handled seriously, isn't it?"
Eli glanced at Tojo Nozomi, then at Mineo.
Only after that did she speak calmly to Honoka and the others:
"Currently, while Sonoda Umi-san still has the ability to write lyrics, what appeal can the other two of you provide for the group?"
"I am not denying you; I fully acknowledge the results of your performance just now, and I also feel a deep admiration from the bottom of my heart for the hard work you've put in. But as I said before, professional differences cannot be covered up simply through hard work."
"After all, this kind of performance is truly serious. Once you stand on that stage, you must show your best side to the audience! But for this kind of preparation, are you really ready?"
Seeing Eli's incredibly serious and steadfast gaze, Kotori and the others fell silent.
In her heart, Honoka felt a bit dissatisfied. She pursed her lips and said softly:
"But... Kotori can make the costumes, and I... I can find talented people."
"Didn't Mineo-oniichan once say, as long as you have eyes that are clever enough to find beauty, and look for ways to pull everyone into the team..."
Even though Honoka's voice was quite low, Eli was standing very close, so she heard the gist of what was said.
Unconsciously, Eli looked at Mineo.
And at that exact moment, Mineo was also looking toward Eli.
"Um, Eli, do you mind if I speak and interrupt for a bit?"
Hearing Mineo's voice, everyone instantly turned their eyes toward him.
Eli looked at Mineo with a cynical glint, saying word for word:
"If Mineo-kun has any thoughts, just say them."
"It's not like I could shut your mouth anyway, right?"
"..."
Mineo glanced at Eli with a slight headache before speaking with a trace of helplessness:
"In my opinion, the group Muse can definitely go all the way to the end."
"Even though the points Eli made just now were very professional, the flaws you mentioned actually have solutions."
"Stiff dancing isn't an issue."
"Just find a professional to teach them little by little."
"Isn't Eli an expert in dance? You surely have a way to train them properly."
"Then there's Maki; she can play the piano and compose music. You've already heard the quality of the music in that piece just now."
"As long as she joins the group, is there really a need to worry about not having songs in the future?"
Hearing Mineo's words, Eli showed a faint, thin smile:
"And here I thought Mineo-kun could offer some constructive advice!"
"Asking me to guide them in learning how to dance? I am not a member of their group; I shouldn't have any obligation to do such things..."
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