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"So, Tsunashi-san, after everything that's happened, what have you taken away from the concert? What do you imagine your future to be like?"
It starts with a question during a variety show.
The leadup to it is innocuous enough, with the three members of TRIGGER discussing their latest album, the one were releasing after the Black or White lives following their fall from grace and subsequent rise back to the top.
Being so soon after the high of the BoW concerts, spirits were higher and, questions like these?
Simple enough to answer.
"Aha, well. That's quite a deep question." Ryuu laughs that shy laugh of his that had come out just a little more during interviews as of late. "I'm excited to see what the coming year has for us. As I've learned this year, while change and growth can sometimes hurt and leave us in despair, it still isn't a bad thing. We're hoping to come out with a new album very soon that I think brings out a new side of TRIGGER. I hope that you enjoy it, and that you'll accept any changes in us with open hearts."
It's perfectly unobtrusive. A little bit of a speech, an assurance that TRIGGER had not at all shuddered under the weight of their fall without directly mentioning it, and a promotion for their upcoming release.
Still, it gives Tenn a moment of pause. As for Gaku, dense as he is—
Ah, so he has noticed , Tenn interrupts his less than kind assumption as he spots the imperceptible moody aura that's overtaken their leader.
They're all too professional to react to it, however, and their interviewer definitely seems not to notice the new edge in Gaku's ever-confident tone.
Something to address later, then.
Later comes sooner than expected, but that's just because Gaku is as impatient as he is stubborn and wilful.
So it's not entirely a surprise when Gaku—suddenly, casually, bluntly—corners Ryuu with a "Hey, Ryuu. What do you think of your image so far?" on their ride back to their shared apartment.
Ryuu blinks, thrown off but not startled by the question.
"Well, I don't hate it," he answers after that momentary hesitation. "It's not who I am, but it's simply a costume I put on for the fans and for the company. Everyone who matters knows who I am deep down, that's enough."
Tenn nods his agreement while Gaku stews in silence.
Honestly. Gaku can be so immature at times. It's not like they haven't had this conversation before, and Ryuu's answer then had been something similar to this.
"Hmm...if we were to change your image, what would you say?"
That, at least, gives Tenn something to stare at.
Gaku scowls at him in return. "Before you start talking any nonsense about betraying the fans or it being unrealistic or pointing out the benefits this gives us, Tenn, I wasn't being serious. Just considering."
Annoyed, Tenn looks out the window. "Well, yes. But it's not one of your most terrible suggestions, either."
And it isn’t. The fans are bound to feel more protective of Ryuu after all that nonsense with the scandal had finally come to light. If they wanted to…soften Ryuu’s image, now was a better time than any other. So if Tenn was being honest about Gaku’s suggestion—
"Wow, a compliment from the great Kujou Tenn himself?"
"Hardly. It was—"
"Okay, okay, settle down, you two," Ryuu cuts in, laughing at their antics. "There's no need to be so fussed for my sake.”
Gaku doesn't look like he agrees, but the car screeches to a stop. Anesagi opens the soundproof window and announces they've arrived home, cutting the conversation before it even had a chance to start.
But here is when things change anyway.
It starts slowly.
With Gaku insisting Ryuu take on some "less sexy" advertisements. With Tenn challenging a young and hot-blooded choreographer on his tasteless erotic choreography for them (because really, leaning so heavily on sex appeal without giving them any challenging moves is much too lazy, especially for quality stars like TRIGGER). With a drama that stars Ryuu as a love interest for a show aimed at young teens rather than adults.
It's not noticeable.
Or, well. President Yaotome hasn't really noticed, in any case. Anesagi may have, but she's always been supportive of their reasonable whims and hasn't spoken up about it so far. Ryuu...also doesn't seem to have noticed. He does wonder one day that he feels a little more comfortable around work, though.
As for the fans?
Well, Tenn was right about their protectiveness sparked from the recent scandal. Of course he was.
They seem to have embraced this side of Ryuu, in any case. Or, more specifically, the small roles Ryuu had taken had woken up the side of their fandom that enjoyed seeing the more wholesome, cute, and human sides of them.
So words like “Ryu-kun is so cute in the new drama. I wish they would use that side more” or “I think they’re much sexier when you leave things to the imagination” start appearing. There are arguments, of course, and the latter kind of commentary—the one that fishes for the sexiness of wholesome things—perhaps isn’t what they’re going for with the “not-change”…but it's not like they've done away with the initial image President Yaotome wanted to build for TRIGGER and Ryuu specifically.
There's just now a...well-roundedness to it that, in Gaku's smug opinion and Tenn's resigned concession, has worked well in enhancing Ryuu's general appeal.
The only people who have noticed it for the full of what it is are, as expected, Re:vale and some of the IDOLiSH7 members—another way of saying that all their members have noticed. None of them make a comment on it, though Nagi does corner Ryuu one day with a, "Tsunashi-shi. Are you happy?"
Tenn sighs. Iori facepalms. Yamato laughs.
Ryuu just looks bemused but fond, as he is of all the IDOLiSH7 members.
"Of course, Nagi-kun. I'm doing something I've grown to love with people I love. What's there not to like?"
Nagi's satisfied nod and "good, good" is where that conversation ends.
"You want me to help you?"
Iori looks baffled, startled, surprised—any of the words would aptly describe the interruption to his naturally neutral or guarded expression.
At that, Tenn raises an eyebrow. "Why not? I heard from Riku you're quite the talented producer. Call it a challenge, if you will."
Gaku sighs. "Tenn, don't aggravate the person we're trying to ask a favour from."
Seriously. For a man nearing his late twenties, Tenn was still as challenging and combative as ever. It was probably kinda cute—somehow he made it work despite his age—but Gaku would never admit that (for his own safety as well as dignity).
At that, Iori crosses his arms and shoots them both a look that is utterly unimpressed.
"I don't do favours," he deadpans.
Gaku feels his brows furrow at the younger Izumi's words. "Then money? Or the promise of officially contracted production work?"
The first response is a decided shake of the head.
"No. I'd rather not have our groups be publically affiliated like that. What I want is you to invite IDOLiSH7 to the next Yaotome Production showcase concert as one of the guest performers."
Gaku inhales sharply while Tenn laughs.
"Oh, you're a shrewd one, Izumi-san." It sounds like both a compliment and insult in Tenn's mouth, with a heavy layer of respect softening the double blow.
There is the barest hint of a smirk from the IDOLiSH7 member. "Consider it proof of my abilities."
As if on cue, Iori is called away at that, leaving Tenn still looking quite entertained and Gaku shaking his head.
Shrewd indeed.
"He knows we only invite one guest performer, doesn't he?" Gaku comments as he and Tenn walk back to the dressing room.
"I don’t doubt it," is the short response. "What a simple but difficult request."
The most difficult part, Gaku adds to himself, will be to convince his stubborn father.
So “this” goes on for a few years.
“This” being Ryuu’s slow image change, that is. But also TRIGGER’s gradual change as well.
They've all had to adapt to growing older, to their youth not quite slipping away—Tenn has a few months before he's just 30, after all—but falling just enough that they need to think about their careers and how they want to move forward.
Granted, they still have a good few years before they need to seriously consider retiring. And given their centre's eternal youth, maybe a little longer. They’re lucky they’re male idols rather than female ones, who usually have to give up the baton before they can even reach thirty. (It's probably a little unfair, but Gaku can't help be a little selfishly glad he can keep TRIGGER together a little longer.)
"It still means so much to me whenever we win an award," Ryuu sighs on a certain day, as he places their latest music award on a shelf bursting with them. "We've been through so many victories, but as long as we can keep singing, these victories will always taste sweet."
Tenn hums his agreement, but he says nothing.
The other two don't mention it.
It's a little weird for the older members as well, the first time they hadn't come face to face with IDOLiSH7.
Oh, the group was fine. But unlike Re:vale, IDOLiSH7 had retired out of the idol industry surprisingly soon and become a more general band, still under TakaPro but doing less...straining activities. Some of them even had part time jobs in other industries. The image of Tenn's shock when Riku off-handedly mentioned his writing career doing surprisingly well despite using an alias comes to mind.
People were moving on. The audience was changing. Their generation was growing up. New trends were hitting the market.
But they were happy.
Ryuu thought so as he finally noticed one day that he wasn't marketed as the sexy son of a hotel owner but a wholesome approachable man with an unintentional seductive appeal. As he noticed Tenn conversing normally with Riku for once. As he watched Gaku get teased by Re:vale for still remaining unmarried and Yamato and Takanashi Tsumugi laughing at their antics.
They were changing. Everything was changing.
But some things maybe never changed.
For now, that was enough.
Ryu is 38 when TRIGGER announces their last album as an idol group.
Despite their declining popularity, their retirement from the idol industry still causes an outcry.
It took Tenn a lot of time to come to terms with it, but he's mellowed and matured over the years. And Ryuu knows that Tenn, in the end, was simply scared of letting go of something he'd sacrificed so much for.
"Well, it's not like we're leaving the entertainment business," Gaku explains during their album interview. "We're just making the way for new and fresh youths to take our place, you know? Maybe they can surpass us, and I'm interested to see what these kids will try."
He winks when he says this, both a challenge and invitation.
"Haha, that's TRIGGER's competitiveness for you," the MC easily picks up the banter. "But for you three? What are you planning after your last concert as idols?"
Tenn smiles, sweet as ever but with an added touch of his usual gravity coming out. "We're always going to make music together," he answers, then glances over at Gaku. "Can’t have us wasting this one’s talents. Actually, when he started to write music, I was quite surprised. 'Our thickheaded leader composing such art? Surely not!'"
"Oi!" Gaku protests when Ryuu and the MC laugh.
Keeping that serene look, Tenn pushes on. "But Gaku is talented, in both acting and songwriting. As expected from our leader. So he and I will both stick to music and acting. We might not be flashy idols anymore, but TRIGGER will always belong to the fans."
He finishes that with a wink at the camera.
Ryuu thinks that it would have looked corny on anyone other than Tenn. Even as old as they are now, Tenn still manages to flawlessly pull off that cherubic image.
"Yes, yes," Gaku huffs, then falls back into an easy smile. "But in short, I probably will be doing more acting and composing nowadays while Tenn here continues performing solo and training other idols."
The MC hums in understanding, "I see, I see." His gaze flickers to Ryuu. "And what about you, Tsunashi-san? You've had quite the exciting career, I would say, with quite the image change! I’m curious as to what your plans are."
Ryuu grins sheepishly. That’s one way to put it.
"Well, I’ve loved and love it all," he tells the MC. "An idol image is precious to the fans. And if they were happy, how could I not be? But I was getting a little older and our production company thought a change was a good idea."
Well, not really. More that when President Yaotome realised what was happening, how his son and devious star idol had played him, it'd been too late to go back.
"Now?" Ryuu makes a show of thinking for a bit. "I'd like to go see my family a bit. One of my younger brothers is also interested in this industry, and I won't go easy on him if he is serious about it. I'll keep working in some acting and voice acting, and of course stay in touch with TRIGGER. Just because our idol days are over, it doesn't mean TRIGGER is over."
From there, the conversation transitions into talks of their upcoming album, concert location, and other bits and pieces about their next steps.
This will be their last interview as idols, Ryuu realises for the 7th or 8th time during that talk.
It's such a…strange feeling, no longer needing to put up with an image catered to the whims of trends. Strange but there’s something like anticipation and excitement in him, too. Briefly, he wonders if he'll be able to eventually discard his more wholesome image and just be able to be…Tsunashi Ryuunosuke.
Not the Ryuu his friends see, no. But maybe a more professional version of who he is. No heavy filters. No needing to lie about his parents. No needing to go on the embarrassing ads that he eventually had grown fond of.
It's quite possible. Gaku and Tenn had hidden it well, but Ryuu isn't blind to the work they put in.
For him.
And well, TRIGGER is heading towards the future together , he thinks as Anesagi drives them back to their shared apartment. It's a lot to ask, but I hope that at least won't change.