– TOKYO FM “Nogizaka46’s SCHOOL OF LOCK” (10 August 2023) –
[𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙥𝙩]
“Radio name: Kurumi-chan, from Akita Prefecture, 15 years old.
Good evening, Haruka-sensei and Seira-sensei! This is Kurumi who shares the same birthday as Seira-sensei! I was so happy when I found out that I share the same birthday with such a cute person that I bragged to my friends (LOL), so when that Seira-chan announced her graduation, to be honest, I couldn’t stop crying. It’s sad to think that I won’t be able to see Seira-chan anymore, but on her birthday this year, I will do my best to send her off on the path she has chosen to take with a smile on her face! And even after Seira-chan graduates from Nogizaka, I will continue to celebrate her birthday on August 24th every year for both myself and Seira-chan! We only have a few days left until your graduation, but I would be happy if we could make your birthday filled with love by getting all the love from the members and fans!”
Kakki: That’s it!
Seira: Oh my … what should I say? Now that I receive a letter like this again … thank you, Kurumi-chan. These days I’ve been getting a little bit nervous about how special these messages are. I’m glad! But if you continue to celebrate for me, I’d like to continue to celebrate for Kurumi-chan too.
Kakki: Woah, so happy! Kurumi-chan, are you listening? Kurumi-chan!
Seira: Let’s celebrate it together!
Kakki: The birthday is around the corner, but on the birthday, August 24th, Seira will graduate from Nogizaka46. Only two weeks to go …!
Seira: Eh!
Kakki: That surprised me too ….
Seira: What should I do? Two weeks from now we won’t be in the same group!
Kakki & Seira: No way, no way!
Kakki: I see. We did say like, “There’s actually still a moth left,” didn’t we?
Seira: We did, but we didn’t really see each other anymore.
Kakki: ‘Cause I was too busy with the tour.
Seira: But we kept in touch, right?
Kakki: Yeah, we did! But I couldn’t help but come to Seira and invite her to Nogizaka LOCKS for the last time.
Seira: Thank you very much.
Kakki: So today, I’d like to spend some time talking about my memories with my fellow the assistant homeroom teacher of Class 4, Hayakawa Seira who is about to graduate from Nogizaka46.
Seira: Alright!
Kakki: Good evening, students! This is the assistant homeroom teacher, Nogizaka46’s Kaki Haruka and ….
Seira: Hayakawa Seira! I wanted to imitate your (jingle) “Kaki Haruka~” (LOL).
Kakki: I know!
Seira: So cool!
Kakki: I know, right! I’ve always wanted to say that too (LOL).
Kakki and Seira: Kaki Haruka~
Seira: Ah, how should I say? It’s such a trivial thing, but I’m sad that I won’t be able to see you say it anymore ….
Kakki: During the tour, Seira had a graduation ceremony at the Osaka show, and you stopped participating afterwards. Then we did the Okinawa, Aichi, and Hiroshima shows, and Mayutan was something!
Seira: Eh? What do you mean?
Kakki: She disturbed the members, in a good way, and it was something! Since you were not there, it was her against everyone … she was lonely.
Seira: Oh my, you’re so lonely, aren’t you, Mayutan?
Kakki: It seems! That was really something!
Seira: I was a little worried about you, Mayutan. We were always together, and I wondered if you were alright, so I contacted you often, but if you could play around with everyone, then I’m relieved! Please play around with them a lot more.
Kakki: I was just gonna say that everyone seemed to be having a blast!
Seira: Really? That’s great to hear!
Kakki: I was gonna say, “Don’t worry (about her)!”
Seira: Yeah, I’m not worried!
Kakki: Today I thought of talking about our memories, but there’s just too much (LOL).
Seira: Very true.
Kakki: What should we do…?
Seira: 'Cause we have even started chatting in the very early days, when we weren’t even sure we would be able to join Nogizaka.
Kakki: We did!
Seira: At the joint audition, when it was decided that we would be assigned to XX, about five girls were called in at a time and we were waiting in the same waiting room. Looking back on it now, I realize that all of us at that time were Nogizaka. We were all called together as Nogizaka46.
Kakki: Yeah we were called together.
Seira: At that time, I was next to Kakki, and Kakki suddenly said something like, “I have a hole in my lung.” The place started getting tense! It was also the first time for me to hear such a thing, so I was like, “What does it mean to have a hole in your lung …?” Then Kakki said, “I’ve had it several times …, ah, I’m called!” Kakki went ahead of me. After that, I was half worried about my nervousness and half worried about Kakki’s lungs (LOL)! I was called after that, and Kakki was there when I entered the room, so I told her, “I’m relieved ….”
Kakki: I’m sorry. I made you worry like that. But you were the one who talked with me the most. I got along with Seira before I joined Nogizaka46. (At that time) I had unilaterally liked you.
Seira: That makes me happy.
Kakki: You’re a year older than me, so you’re like a big sister. You spoke in Kansai dialect and was very friendly, so I could talk to you about anything.
Seira: We stayed in the same hotel, right? I greeted Kakki’s mom on phone (LOL)! I said, “We have made it to the same group, I’m Hayakawa, nice to meet you.” And she was like, “Ah! Nice to meet you too, Seira-chan!”
Kakki: That brings back memories! I have a timeline at hand now.
Seira: Amazing! It takes me back to the times I appeared on SCHOOL OF LOCK. Oh! Very nostalgic. The first time I appeared in the live broadcast class, with Kakki and Yuri-chan (10 September 2020). It was super nerve-wracking!
Kakki: It was!
Seira: And when the principal and vice principal got really excited with “Aitakatta Kamoshirenai” during the call handshake (10 June 2021)! It was so much fun now that I think about it again, I clearly remember it! How nostalgic. I also made a surprise (appearance) when Kakki first became an assistant homeroom teacher at SCHOOL OF LOCK (8 April 2021).
Kakki: You actually came! I literally cried…
Seira: So nostalgic. I remember it so much! And when the new beginning (after lockdown; no CD release) had just began. When was it? 2021?
Kakki: 28 January 2021. Two years has passed!?
Seira: What a newness.
Kakki: How nostalgic! How old are you now?
Seira: I’m about to be 23.
Kakki: 23 years old!
Seira: And this recording day is ….
Kakki: It’s August 8th.
Seira: Kakki’s birthday! Happy birthday!
Kakki: I’m turning 22.
Seira: Alright, here’s your birthday present.
Kakki: Right now!? You gotta be lying.
Seira: (LOL) Congrats!
Kakki: Thank you. This makes me so happy.
Seira: I heard that you have been working really hard on the tour, I thought I’d like you to feel healed when you take a bath, so here’s some bath stuff.
Kakki: So happy! So happy!
Seira: We’re the same age for a bit.
Kakki: Oh, right!?
Seira: Since my birthday will come on the 24th of this month, we’re the same age just for a bit.
Kakki: I’m glad! On your 23rd birthday, you will be graduating as well.
Seira: That’s true. I was kind of lost about deciding my graduation date. My photobook will be released on the 29th, though.
Kakki: What’s the title?
Seira: “Mata Itsuka” (lit. Until then; See you again).
Kakki: Everyone, it’s “See you again”!
Seira: It’s “See you again”, so I thought of matching it (the graduation date and the photobook release date), but I ended up going with my birthday.
Kakki: It’s a special day.
Seira: So I want everyone to congratulate me! I’m sorry for saying on the premise that you’d support me (LOL).
Kakki: I wonder how I would feel about celebrating it. Maybe like, “Seira-chan, happy birthday! Ah, but, ah …, congratulations! But ….”
Seira: Since it’s also a celebration, you gotta be cheerful.
Kakki: That’s right.
Seira: (We should celebrate) because I have made the decision that I wanted to graduate. And you have Jingu coming up.
Kakki: Yeah.
Seira: It’s the next day, starting from the 25th.
Kakki: Yes, yes! I’ll root for you.
Seira: Thank you. I’ll root for you too.
Kakki: Thank you.
Seira: I gotta cheer for you, on the Jingu.
Kakki: As you should! On the Jingu live! Well, lastly, I’m going to show you a message that was sent to Seira.
Seira: Yeay!
“Radio name: Kinoko Yama no In, from Mie Prefecture, 15 years old.
Good evening, Haruka-sensei and Seira-sensei! The first radio program that I listened to was Nogizaka LOCKS, which featured Seira-sensei and Haruka-sensei! I was still in middle school at that time, struggling with relationships and high school entrance exams, so it was dreadful to go to school every day. However, I was encouraged by the cheerful vibe and positive words of Seira-sensei and Haruka-sensei at that time, and the song "Out of the blue” which I heard for the first time, so I managed to go to school for the remaining days and until the graduation ceremony.
From that point, I began to love Nogizaka. Now that I’m a high schooler, I’m blessed with good people and I enjoy my school life. However, sometimes I hit the wall. During those times, I listen to “Out of the blue” again and see the smiles of the 4th generation to cheer myself up. Seira-sensei, Haruka-sensei, thank you very much for always bringing smiles to my face!“
Seira: You’re very welcome. Thank you very much for sending us this wonderful message. 15 years old!? You sound mature. Thank you.
Kakki: Thank you very much!
Seira: I see. If you’ve gotten through your troubled times and are now going to school well, then we can’t be any happier.
Kakki: True. That’s a relief.
Seira: When I was in middle school, I too had troubles with relationships. I spent so many times alone, and I had to go to a high school in which there was no one from my middle school because I wanted to change the environment completely …. I was very troubled at that time, so when I heard that this child was cheered up by our fun conversations, I feel as if I’m saving my past self and I’m very happy.
Kakki: How wonderful. But that’s why we’re doing this job.
Seira: That’s right.
Kakki: For real, for the past four years, or almost five years. In five years, I think there are so many fans that have been cheered up by Seira.
Seira: No, that’s ….
Kakki: You could do that here as well!
Seira: Right, I’m glad. When I was doing my job, I felt frantic every day, even when I thought I was aware (of the job) and knew what I was doing, but now that I’m quitting, I realize how grateful I am to have been able to do it. I have a lot of love and affection for SCHOOL OF LOCK! Hold up, it’s getting sad now ….
Kakki: It’s sad, yeah ….
Seira: I feel like I’m directly receiving power from the students. We have been told, "You’re cheering me up!” But I think it is a program that cheers us up too. I’m sure there will be many more visits from the Nogizaka46 members, and I hope you will continue to support this program a lot in the future. And please protect Kakki’s cute smile. Please lend your support to this program! Thank you so much!
—
[“Out of the blue” is playing the background]
Kakki: The song we’re presenting you is “Out of the blue” by Nogizaka46. We have memories about this song.
Seira: Yeah! It was the first and last song I got to serve as the center, and we the 4th generation also got to participate in many music shows on TV. Now that I listen to this song, it deeply moves me. Please sing it a lot from now on.
Kakki: I will! I will sing it on and on.
Seira: You and Mayutan should be the double center!
Kakki: REALLY!? I’ll tell Mayutan, “Let’s do it together!”
Kakki: 'Kay! Only two weeks left until your graduation. And you’ll have a photobook coming out in the meantime!
Seira: It would be bad if I get sick now. That’s right.
Kakki: Right! Have lots of fun!
Seira: Thank you.
Kakki: Thank you for today. It was fun!
Seira: I was healed.
Kakki: Me too. It’s already the time to end the class. I’ll see you next week in this classroom! It’s been the assistant homeroom teacher, Nogizaka46’s Kaki Haruka and ….
And thank you very much for everything. I haven’t said it much, but up until now, there were times when I thought it might be so painful that I wanted to quit. I think I was able to run through to the very end because all of you were there for me. Thank you very much.
I think the tale of Nogizaka will continue from here and on, so I would be happy if you continue to give the members a lot of support.
Today I feel like I’m the happiest birthday girl celebrated in the world. ☺️
U can grieve and still live life. U can miss loving someone and love others. You can hold onto the good moments and simultaneously the bad moments. You can take the learning from a person you let go off and use it for the better. You can love someone and they may not be the right person. You can wish someone the best and love them from a distance. You can think fondly of someone and never talk to them again.. mysteries of the world…
As my theater professor said, “Smart people can hold two opposing ideas in their heads at once.”
it’s about the small acts of intimacy… forehead kisses, putting jewelry on you, rubbing your hand with their thumb, putting a jacket on you, touching your necklace, running your hands through their hair, wiping away their tears, peeling them an orange, un/zipping their dress, tying their shoelaces, holding hands, removing an eyelash from their cheek, washing their hair, putting an anklet on them, tucking their hair behind their ear, sorting out their collar, untangling their necklaces, drinking out of a cup in their hands
I just want a soft love. Tender kisses early in the morning. Gentle hugs from behind as I cook. Holding hands while walking outside on a perfect day. To still feel butterflies anytime I see you no matter how long we’ve been together. Soft love sounds so lovely
