Love Letter to Keyakizaka46 (Saito Fuyuka x Sato Shiori BOMB November 2017)

After the tour, Saito Fuyuka poured her thoughts about each member, one by one into her blog. From here, We’re talking to Keyakizaka after their summer tour and the extremely important burden that they seem to carry. Together with Sato Shiori, with whom she exchanged a letter during birthday festival, they will talk about their growth and about their love for Keyakizaka46.

An intimate friendship that began when they became front line members for “Futari Season”

I was wondering if we could start to talk about the letters that you two wrote to each other for each others birthdays, an event that happened at the start of the national tour this summer. First of all, what do you think when you look at each other lately?

Shiori: Saito Fuyuka is an important existence within the members, a person that everyone needs. When someone is feeling down,, also when everyone has problems, it feels like Fuuchan is the first person that everyone goes to first when they need her advice. Also, because she is funny she becomes a place where i can relax. While we were on tour,I realized all over again just how big her presence is.

Fuyuka: Shiichan often says that, it makes me happy. But, i’m only interesting because Shiichan has such low standards. For example Suzumoto (Miyu) and (Watanabe) Risa, they will never laugh no matter what i do, they told me that i’m boring (laughs)

Are you conscious when you are listening to member’s stories?

Fuyuka: I talk alot as it is , because i also talk about trivial and just normal things with members, that’s probably why we’re also able to talk about serious things.

Shiori: Yeah. Because we are talking to her regularly, i think it makes it easier for us to talk about our troubles

And how did you see Sato-san lately, Saito-san?

Fuyuka: It might be in both good and bad points (laughs)

Shiori: That’s it! That’s what i think too!

Fuyuka: In a good way, i think her adult appeal continues to increase  this one year, and i think she has the highest sex appeal between the members. Especially in her expressions during live performance, you can really feel it. But, i like the Shiicchan during “Futari Season”, so i think she has grown (laughs). At that time her hair was short, black, and she looked young. “I want to go back to that time!” She said it herself. Hirate (Yurina) said it too

Shiori: Yep. She just told me that yesterday. She said “Your  hair, it grew long. I liked it when it was shoulder length like  during (Futari) Season”. But, that hairstyle embarrassed me and i can’t do it anymore. I think i caught up with my age (laughs). Because i don't think it’d suit me anymore

Both of you read each other’s  letters during the birthday festival, but how did you see each other’s existence?

Fuyuka: I wonder when did we start to get along

Shiori: Wasn’t it when we become the front row for “Futari Season”?

Fuyuka: Wasn’t it before that?

Shiori: Yes, but we are the got closer during “Futari Season”. Our positions were next to each other too. I was negative when i entered the group, so i thought I’m not going to be able to become close with everyone, I kind of gave of a really negative aura ya know (laughs). Techi (Hirate Yurina) said it too, “Her personality has changed this year”. I think the one that actually helped me change was Fuuchan.

Fuyuka: I’m happy that she said something like that now. I also think though that Shiichan herself tthought “I want to change”. Last year at summer, during the drama shooting, it was pretty horrible (bitter smile)

Shiori: I don’t remember anymore

Fuyuka: She  herself doesn’t remember anymore, but at that time she would give off such a horribly dark and negative aura, it was hard for everyone even talk to her (laughs). I myself am a super positive person, so I thought that she would change if I stuck with her, so we gradually started talking. And then, about the time summer ended, we started hanging out in private too. And it was good timing too, because we become front row together in “Futari Season”, and so we become even closer and begun to talk about all sorts of things

What do you think we can do to change our attitudes from negative to positive?

Fuyuka: I’m always a positive person, so I always try to think about the good things. Like, if there’s something bad i would forget it after a day when I sleep. That’s why, when Shiichan is troubled over something, after we talk together, our opinions are different because of the negative Shiichan and the positive me. But, because in addition to sharing, i think that her way of thinking has gradually started to change too.

Shiori: Honestly, I have changed (laughs). At first, even though i didn’ think i could be a good friends with everyone, now i love everyone, it feels like i’m going to work because i’m looking forward to seeing the members.

Fuyuka: That’s right. Because Shiichan is an art student,  she’s really busy. Until recently, she’d come to work after university exhausted and quiet, but just recently, she’d have a classes from the  morning and you’d think that she would be very tired, but she comes in with a bright smile on her face like “I worked hard at school today, i can’t wait to start dancing!”

Shiori: It was like I wanted to come as soon as possible (laughs)

Fuyuka: (Ishimori) Nijika and Suzumoto are like that too, at first they seemed distant with the other members, but now, hearing them say how they say they love the members, this year they’ve started saying it more, and it’s like I get this really happy sensation.

With the members gradually starting to say those kinds of things more often, has the overall group atmosphere started changing too?

Shiori: I feel like it’s really changed a lot. What i recently think it that, because it’s always the 21 of us, in the MVs or for Lives, for the NHK Kouhaku, because we’re all worried but doing this together, I guess those experiences have brought us closer together. And that the members are all somewhat alike. We are bad at putting things into words, we’re often misunderstood, that and I think it’s kinda like fate and a miracle that a group of people like this could be gathered together.

Fuyuka: But, i think that becoming close friends, is "not good and not bad”. I think it might be alright if there was some electricity among the group. Between each other it might seem like there is a bit of rivalry but, in Keyaki there really isn't. So if you watched from the start, it kinda feels like there’s this warm feeling between members right?

Keyakizaka46 doesn’t have a single senbatsu election like 48 Groups or even like Nogizaka46. And so, not just as a ground of friends, but as an idol group, what becomes the motivation of Keyakizaka46?

Fuyuka: I feel like as a group  our wish is to be able to stay together with the 21 members, and be able to continue showing the good sides of members, that’s what has become our feeling of tension and motivation. That’s why the feelings we put in our live is so strong. And so to be able to reach that goal, the rehearsal and excersices are difficult but, our motivation is just that big.

After the end of the national tour, Saito-san wrote a blog on 5th September where you poured your thoughts out and wrote about each member one by one. What you wrote for Sato-san is “Shiichan, on a certain night, the two of us talked right. (Laughs) It’s always nice to be able to talk seriously with Shiichan” What happened on that ‘certain night’?

Fuyuka: Can i talk about it?

Shiori: Sure, it’s okay.

Fuyuka: On that day, the first day of the national tour in Nagoya (16th August), Shiichan wasn’t doing so well. I’m a bit at loss whether to tell her or not, but because i wanted to be able to say what I was thinking, I told Shiichan directly in the hotel that night. I said to her, “When you stood on the stage, you didn’t perform like you usually do in front of the audience.”

Shiori: I really felt how she thinks about me. If she didn’t care, she wouldn’t have said anything to me. Not just me, but she also thinks about the group as a whole. I don’t want the overall performance to be dragged down because of me, and i’m glad we talked about that.

What happened to you, Sato-san?

Shiori: I injured my legs a long time ago, i wanted to dance well but even though it was sore I couldn’t dance as well as I used to. I’m flat footed, so my muscles moved in a weird manner. But, if i dance too much, my muscles start to hurt. It frustated me, because the tour was already halfway through it felt like all the members were starting to get tired.

It was an intense schedule

Fuyuka: Not only because of tiredness, but when Hirate was absent from performances due to poor physical condition on the 1st day of Nagoya, the atmosphere inside the group become worse, but there are lot of parts that we pull out together because there’s always 21 members that can come together

Shiori: Right, at that time we become somehow clueless. It’s like, i lost the desire to do something. I also thought “My legs, why are they hurting?” so i was frustated. But the next day, even with it hurting, i went all out and gave it all I had.

Fuyuka: Even though her legs are in a bad condition, she did her best.

Shiori: I used taping techniques, so i managed to somehow endure my leg pains.

On top of that experience, how was this summer for the two of you?

Shiori: For me, that was the busiest summer in my 20 years of living. We were on tour, but we also had festivals and TV appearances, i pretty much spent all of August together with everyone. In the middle of the tour, there were a lot of opportunities to speak with the other members. During our first drama “Who killed Tokuyama Daigoro?”, i didn’t think about talking with members, i couldn’t even do that. And as we progressed, we talked about how good it is to proceed like this.

Fuyuka: Yeah. During the tour, when it felt like my feelings for Keyaki slipped , i managed to talk with everyone about each of our feelings, and once again we looked forward, i think that was a very important thing. Also, up until now due to the strength of those around us, only the good parts of Keyakizaka were seen, not our faults but, this summer we had a lot to think about and not only face the good parts.

And what do you mean by “the not so nice parts"?

Fuyuka: No matter what kind of trouble happened backstage, whether it was professional sense, or switching, when we stood on the stage, i think that we must show Keyakizaka as usual. But this summer, it was hard for us to control our emotion.

Shiori: It’s true that there were a lot of times during the tour where we just couldn’t smoothly switch back successfully.

Fuyuka: It was like we were being swallowed up, when someone’s mood turned bad, everyone else would get overwhelmed by that atmosphere. But, i don’t think that it’s a bad thing, that we’re able to feel the same thing. I feel like it’s a point that only Keyaki have. That’s why, when we unite as one we become powerful.

I see. It’s easy to be taken by people’s feelings, but when you are in a good direction members become united. Is that Keyakizaka’s current condition?

Fuyuka: Right now it feels like that, you know?

Shiori: Yeah. We are close with each other, so when we say “Everyone, let’s do this!” it’s easy for us to unite as one.

Fuyuka: But when it’s the opposite, it gets hard (laughs). Because we have good relationship, when someone is troubled, there are lot of kind members, so we can talk about it together. I think you can strongly sense that it’s not Keyakizaka46 when every member isn’t present.  Actually, TAKAHIRO also creates the choreography that requires everyone.

The sense of unity in Keyakizaka46 is truly strong, isn’t it?

Shiori: Lately, members have been talking a lot about going on a trip together. I wouldn’t even  think of doing something like that when we just formed (laughs). “what does everyone want to do”, “how can we perform in the most fun way together”, that “We” word usage has increasing in the member’s conversation.

Fuyuka: This summer, there has only been 1 or 2 days without a contact with the members. So much so that, when they members are there, it doesn’t seem like anyone is saying “I want to go for travelling with my family”, or “I want to hang out with my friends from my hometown”. Members would say that they wanted to go on a trip together. Also, what surprised me is that in the group LINE chat, someone would send “I’m going to go to this place today, is there is anyone else free?” It’s reached the point where they don’t care who joins them as long as it’s a member (laughs). I really think it’s amazing that we could be friends to that point.

Shiori: I want to go out to today, with Fuuchan. It feels like ‘I can go at anytime!”

Fuyuka: Maybe not today (laughs)

Shiori: Oh, okay… (cry)

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