A shock announcement
Jurina looked over the crowd, barely able to hear her own words and not exactly sure what she was saying. She was trying her hardest to hold back her tears and as she looked down through the audience, she could see some already openly crying, and her heart almost broke. But she was doing what had to be done.
Just a moment ago, Jurina had stood up, shellshocked as the announcer had called her name.
"Coming in at 14th in the general elections...Matsui Jurina the 2nd!
She had walked up to the microphone, taken a deep breath, and started talking. None of it was scripted - Jurina hated pre-planning, and she just let things happen.
"Almost a year ago, I applied for AKB0048," she had begun, smiling her trademark smirk as she talked. But even her more casual fans could see she was forcing it. "I didn't really think I could get in. I was almost 19 years old at the time I applied. My classmates all said the same things.
'How do you expect to get in?'
'You're too old.'
'You're too boyish.'
'Not cute enough.'
I didn't have any friends in that class. I always stood out, with my red hair and my freakish height." She had patted her own head, laughing. "And I've grown even taller. It's not something to brag about, but I broke the 180cm mark a couple of months ago!"
"But standing out was what got me accepted, I think. All my life, I thought it was wrong, that being different was wrong, that what I was dreaming of was wrong, that not being girly enough was wrong. I cursed my life. But 0048 taught me that I was the one who was wrong. The girls here embraced me and accepted me for who I am, and I finally found my family after I had been alone for so, so long. Suzuko encouraged me, telling me that being different was right. Chieri directly challenged me to take her Centre Nova throne when I first joined, pointing out that having an ambitious dream was right. Sae made me feel like a girl, even if I looked like a boy, and taught me that my looks were what made me who I am. Tochi and Seika, I don't think I could've done it without them. They were my best friends, my roommates, my comrades, my family. Sonata-chan was like the little sister I never had. And all the other girls here, they're all very special to me and will always hold a place in my heart. And for the first time in forever, I felt like my life was blessed."
The crowd had begun shouting at that point. They knew what was coming, they could feel it. She could feel the stares of the other girls on her back. She hadn't told anyone, but they knew it too.
She had breathed a deep sigh.
"But sometimes, good things have to come to an end, you know? Even if they're what makes you happy. Even if they gave you a meaning in life. Even if you don't want to leave them behind. Sometimes, there are other, more important things. Things like a mother, who was thought to be lost, miraculously recovering from a coma. Things like needing to support your family by being there for them. Things like getting a job, education, actually passing high school the second time round. So because of this..."
"I, Matsui Jurina the Second, am graduating from AKB0048."
And now back to the present. The crowd was still shouting, some encouragements, other pleas not to leave, some even angrily demanding that she stay. She forged on ahead, tears spilling from her eyes as she tried to maintain her composure.
"I know you're all probably bored of listening to my long, boring speech, but there's one more thing I want to say. One very important thing that I want everyone to hear and know."
She took a deep breath and shouted into the microphone at the top of her lungs.
"Don't give up on your dreams!"
"Even if people knock you down! Even if people call you ugly, or not cute, or stupid, or too fat, or too skinny, or too ambitious, or a red-haired giant witch. Don't give up! You dreams are what keep you going! Your dreams are what fuel you! They're what keep you going on the road to your happiness! The road may wind and turn and bend, but stay on that road! Never leave that road, no matter what obstacles come at you! A roadblock of insults in your way? Drive right through it like it isn't there! A truck of bad luck in front of you? Be patient, and rush past it when there's a chance! Missed a turn into a sidestreet of opportunity? Don't lose hope and keep going! There are plenty more down the road! Even if you reach your happiness and it lasts for such a short time like mine, at least you reach it, right? At least you reached the end of that road, and you got to that final goal - your dream. Some people might never reach this goal in their entire lives because they'll take detours, stop the car to go sightseeing, get too tired and decide to make a u-turn back. They don't think such fleeting happiness is worth it. But I'm telling you here, right now, that it is worth it! Once that dream has been achieved, once you've reached the end of the goal like I have, once you're standing where I am, then you'll see. You'll see what I'm seeing now, at the end of this road, what I thought was the end of my dream, my happiness."
She looked up at the crowd, tears glistening on her cheeks as she smiled her widest smile.
"A new road. It looks more uncertain than the previous one I had taken, and I'm hesitant to go on it. But there's a sign there, telling me that it's time to move on. I thought that I had my fill of happiness, of achieving my lifelong dream of getting into 0048. I thought I had reached the end of the road. But the sign speaks to me, telling me that there's more, that there's more happiness to be obtained, that I can have other dreams, that I can live my life after what I thought was my one shot at happiness. That happiness is unlimited, that it will be there at the end of every road, no matter how much harder it is than the previous ones, no matter how uncertain it looks."
She raised a hand to the crowd, as though waving farewell.
"So that's my final message to you, my wonderful fans, and the girls behind me, my beautiful family. Don't be satisfied just reaching one dream. I said to not give up on your dreams, right? Not to not give up on your dream! Dreams! Plural! Live, love, be happy, and don't be afraid to take that journey on that uncertain road! Jurina...No, not Jurina anymore. Takahashi Miyuki, thanks you from the bottom of her heart! For everything!"
With that, she lowered her hand and head in a bow, sobbing uncontrollably as the crowd applauded.
//outofjuju: Hey guys! I got a little emotional too writing this - the Miyuki/Jurina inside me is bawling her eyes out right now. The official reason for Jurina leaving is that her mother has recovered from her coma, but is still weak and needs her daughter by her side (if you didn't pick that up from the long, drawn-out speech by Jurina). Yuko on the other hand, will still be available to be picked up by anyone, as I'm not letting her graduate just yet. The official reason that I'm leaving is a bit more boring than that - it's simply that I've been overwhelmed by schoolwork and I can't find any time anymore to RP. It's been so fun getting to know you all, RPing with you guys and your muses, and sharing those little silly moments with Jurina and Yuko. The last 9 months or so (even longer! Almost a year!) have been the first time I've ever been part of an RP group, and I've had so much fun and learned so much in my time with everyone here. I'll still lurk a bit on my main acccount if you want to chat at any time, but as for my RP ones I'll be leaving them indefinitely. Good luck to you all, and have fun RPing!
TL;DR: Jurina graduating, Yuko is available now to be RPed, I'm quitting RPing (...for now).
