Idol「偶像, Gūzō?」 is the one-hundred thirty-seventh chapter of Oshi no Ko manga series. It is written by Aka Akasaka and illustrated by Mengo Yokoyari.
Summary[]
Following Ruby's ad-lib performance, a staff member asks Gotanda what they should do, pointing out that Ai's public image will crumble if they leave the scene in as is. Everyone who watched the outburst, including Mem-Cho, Ichigo, and Miyako, believe that the real Ai would never throw a fit like that. However, they also find themselves taken aback by how authentic it was. Gotanda notes that Ruby's acting made Ai seem like the kind of girl you can find anywhere: a timid and delicate child who felt unloved and masked her vulnerability behind a smile, becoming a "lovable pet" that satisfied her fans' ugly desires. Realizing that Ruby is condemning Ai's fans for not treating her like an actual person, the director then finally shouts "cut", ending the scene.
After the scene, the script supervisor and screenwriter raise their concerns to Gotanda that Ruby's improvisation has thrown off the story's flow. However, the director argues that it works with the plot and showcases the strength of Ai's character; besides, they can always rewrite the script, much to the staffs' frustration. Meanwhile, Ichigo is confronted by Kaburagi and asked about his opinion on Ruby's performance. The president claims that she is still lacking, believing that Ai's loneliness was greater, to which the producer agrees but also acknowledges Ruby's growth. Kaburagi then mentions that it was Kana who made this phenomenon possible with her ability to bring out others' best performances and jokes that she would be "perfect" if her popularity caught up to her skills. However, Ichigo believes Kana simply lacks opportunities to demonstrate her capabilities, causing Kaburagi to propose marketing her as a "genius actress".
Outside the studio, Kana finds Ruby waiting for her. Ruby asks what Kana thought of her performance and the latter replies that it felt authentic. Ruby reveals that was because she was genuinely angry and claims to now understand the depths of human psychology: "when bad things happen, people get sad and then angry". When Kana remarks that humans are not that shallow, Ruby elaborates that she felt sad and frustrated when the former treated her poorly because she wanted her to see her perspective. Ruby then claims that she always wanted to be like her mother but now understands that she cannot be, vowing to become her own kind of idol. Kana compliments Ruby but the latter intertwines that this also means that she will not give up on the former like Ai did on Nino. As Ruby turns to leave, Kana just sighs and notes to herself that her concerns about their fight potentially ruining their friendship were groundless.
Characters[]
