|
Post by LAW-JET Alliance on Dec 4, 2019 21:58:04 GMT
Midori Miyamoto junko
Both competitors are ready to go as Yoko Kudo takes her place at the center podium. Yoko Kudo: Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the press conference for this JET World Championship match! Both of you know the rules well but I will explain it, you two are being given the freedom to speak whatever you feel like but if there is any kind of violence, this match will be thrown out and both of you will be suspended.
|
|
|
Post by Midori Miyamoto on Dec 9, 2019 1:44:05 GMT
Midori Miyamoto’s eyes scanned the conference room as Yoko Kudo spoke. And as she did, something started to click in her mind.
It was all the same.
The same media members conference after conference. The same instructions the Ms. Kudo gave each event. The same woman she’d been battling with since she signed to Joshi Extreme Takeover over a year ago.
For a moment, her eyes darted towards the JET World Championship.
That coveted prize―
Midori truly began to understand the gravity of the situation in that moment. The main event of Sendai Spotlight wasn’t really about the war she’d fought against JUNKO, though it did loom in the background. The match wasn’t evenly really about Midori herself.
It was all about the JET World Championship. It’s what made that fateful encounter with JUNKO something special.
After Ms. Kuda had taken her seat, Midori leaned forward and spoke into the microphone.
Midori Miyamoto: Good afternoon.
Her Japanese was clear and crisp.
Midori Miyamoto: I’m going to do something new today.
The young woman unfastened the microphone from its table stand before she stood to her feet. She gave the cord a little slack as she walked around the table. The champion wore a cream blouse and black fitting dress pants.
Midori Miyamoto: I always envision this press conferences as two talking heads spewing insults at each other. But today? I don’t want to be a talking head. Today? I want you to see me. I want you to see me for who I am as a person, and as a wrestler.
She took a moment before she pressed on.
Midori Miyamoto: Now, let’s get down to business. And I want to start off by talking about my opponent.
She nodded her head as she turned in JUNKO’s direction.
Midori Miyamoto: JUNKO? I’ve never liked you. And I don’t think that’s a secret to anyone in this room, or anyone watching online. For months and months, you tried to make my life here in JET a living hell. You attacked me. You attacked my teammates. You tried to crippled to this promotion and put it out of business.
She paused for a moment.
Midori Miyamoto: JET has been about growth from its inception. Helping the sport as a whole grow to new heights. Helping wrestlers grow and develop into mainstays. That is the spirit of JET. And you attempted to kill it, JUNKO. You and the rest of KAGUYA-Gun tried to murder something that was pure. You sought to damage the lives of many people, all for the sake of your idotic bitterness. All because some other people had done wrong things in the past.
Midori’s gaze transformed into a vicious glare. However, the world champion then turned and looked back at the media members.
Midori Miyamoto: However, this match at Sendai Spotlight isn’t about punishing JUNKO. I’ve already beaten and embarrassed her.
She paused for a second.
Midori Miyamoto: No. This match all about the JET World Championship.
Midori stepped aside so that the photographers could get a shot of the championship belt on the table.
Midori Miyamoto: That championship?
Midori pointed towards the table.
Midori Miyamoto: That championship belt encompasses all of the promotion’s history. It is JET’s driving life-force. It is JET’s legacy.
She paused for just a moment.
Midori Miyamoto: Miss Manami? Mio Suzuki? Nina Sanada? Despite your individual feelings about them, there’s a clear and distinct denominator between the three of them―
Midori Miyamoto: They sacrificed everything that had to obtain the JET World Championship. And once it was in their grasp? They fought, they struggled, they scraped to defend it. Not for personal gain or recognition, but for the sake of JET as whole. They fought so hard because they knew that the JET World Championship was vital to the promotion’s success. And that is the very reason why I’ll be giving it my all against JUNKO.
The young woman nodded her head and waited for the reporters to finish some of their notes. And once they did, she walked over and lifted the championship belt off of the table. She sat it on her shoulder. And instead of looking back at the media members, she kept her eyes fixated on the belt itself.
Midori Miyamoto: This belt fell into the wrong hands when KAGUYA won it. She had no intent of defending the championship with honor and pride. She had no intent of making sure that this company thrived. But she was soon defeated. She was defeated by me. And whether she realizes it or not, one of the reasons she lost that match is because I care about what happens to this company. I care about what happens to this championship belt.
Midori lifted her eyes up and glanced over at JUNKO.
Midori Miyamoto: I’m not going to let you have the JET World Championship. I’m not going to let you devalue this belt. I’m not going to let you soil the legacy of all the previous honorable champions that came before me. And I’m not going to let you pull this company into ruin. No.
The reporters rushed to jot down her words. In the meantime, Midori walked back around the table and rested the microphone back into its stand. Afterwards, she took a seat back in her chair.
|
|
|
Post by junko on Dec 9, 2019 10:24:44 GMT
There was a cold silence over the room after the camera flashbulbs die down from Midori's statement, all eyes now on JUNKO to respond. She has had her head down the entire conference, hasn't looked over to Midori as she spoke, hasn't looked over the reporters, nothing. Since sitting at the table, she hasn't done anything she usually has done at there things. When she does, eventually, reach for the microphone to make her statements, we expect to hear the barrage of insults, bleak life outlook and vigorous energy she usually brings. ”I want to make something perfectly clear, okay? Today, right now, I am not speaking as the JUNKO you think you know. I am speaking as Chiyoko Watanabe; I am speaking as the young, starry-eyed girl that wanted nothing more in this world than to become this larger-than-life wrestling star." There is a murmuring of confusion from the audience as JUNKO turns her head up, looking over everyone in the crowd. ”Getting to this point in my career I have had to change a lot about myself. I had to start out as this idol wrestler, struggling to stand out from my contemporaries. It was incredibly uncomfortable, I couldn't enjoy the dancing and singing, forcing this smile to keep with the spirit of being an idol. I was just one of the faces, failing to stand out, never the center of focus in any number or performance. I was pushing myself through all of it to try and live out that dream in this weird hybrid of female wrestling and idol music, starving myself to try and be something I wasn't comfortable being just to open the door for myself and be in a place like JET where I could earn my spot. Earn my opportunities. Earn my legacy and make every inch I struggled to get worth it." There is a lot of passion forced out of these words as she continues. ”So to anyone who believed my goal from the beginning was to cripple this promotions progress, destroy everyone and sweep their feet out from under them; you couldn't be more wrong and an idiot to think so. I cast aside all the starry-eyed ambition and daydreaming to become JUNKO for one sole reason." JUNKO points her finger at the JET World Championship. ”Because I wanted to become a champion. I wanted to achieve that dream no matter how unlikely it started to become. I had to change who I was because nothing I did got me closer to that dream. Always one step forward and two steps back." She pauses for a second, tongue in cheek before looking over to Midori. ”You wouldn't know anything about that, would you Midori? The second you came to JET you were put on this pedestal as the next golden child of the company. You were given every opportunity and, unexpectedly, you ran with every single one. A lot of that was at my expense -- you're right -- you have embarrassed me. To this day, you continue to embarrass me because here you sit; JET World Champion. You became the prize goose they set you up to be. That's why I hate you. It's why I attack you. It's why I hate people *like* you. You fit the mold, you don't have to really try, while I have done nothing *BUT* try to no avail -- never making headway no matter how hard I pushed myself, no matter how much I begged and pleaded for an opportunity to be given a chance to get closer to my dream." There is another pause, JUNKO starting to actually chuckle. Not like her usual, chaotic self, this one was more self-reflective. ”Because I wanted to become a champion. I wanted to achieve that dream no matter how unlikely it started to become. I had to change who I was because nothing I did got me closer to that dream. Always one step forward and two steps back. I became exposed to the truth about the world; it's a cruel and unforgiving place where the strong feed on the weak. People don't care about your personal dispairs, they only care about themselves and in this sport? It's no different. So I became someone else. I became someone who wasn't going to ask for opportunities. Someone who wasn't going to just sit on their hands and wait for them to come along -- I became someone who was going to take opportunities even if it was out of the hands of others. I wasn't going to be apologetic, I was going to get what I have worked so hard for." JUNKO starts to cackle behind her hands, like it's being forced out of her against her will before she collects herself to proceed. ”And still, I have been denied. Hell, I even fought for JET against team LAW -- I won the match for JET and do you remember how I was repaid? I was knocked off shows for months. I did what you ignorant people praise Midori for and I am sent home, no reward, not even a thank you. So say what you will about this opportunity -- it doesn't matter how I obtained it -- I *EARNED* it. And not a single one of you can deny me that." She pauses, waiting for anyone to interject. No one. She smirks. ”For once, this isn't about KAGUYA-Gun or their mantra. This is about me. This is about me getting what I have rightfully deserved for a long time -- a shot at that title and Midori; it won't matter what you care for. This company or that championship belt. You're right, you're not going to let me have the JET World Championship. Sendai Spotlight; I am taking it from you." With that, JUNKO places the microphone down.
|
|
|
Post by Midori Miyamoto on Dec 15, 2019 4:57:43 GMT
Midori Miyamoto: JUNKO?
There’s an emphasis on the woman’s ring name.
Midori Miyamoto: Do not sit here and insult my intelligence. Do not sit here and insult the intelligence of everyone seated in this room.
The young champion shook her head as she carried on.
Midori Miyamoto: I commend you for opening up. I commend you for speaking about your past. But do not sit here and act as if it has come from a good and honest place. Do not sit here and act as if all the dirt that you have brought to JET’s doorstep can be washed away with a tear and an empowered speech.
The sound of pencil and pen hitting pad could be heard.
Midori Miyamoto: JUNKO? I can tell that your words here today were meant to tug on the heart-strings. However, those words do not tug on my mine―
Midori Miyamoto: Those feelings that you claim to have felt? Feelings of insecurity. Feelings of doubt. Feelings of uncertainty. They are not unique to just to you or your situation. Those are feelings that just about every person has when they enter into this sport. Those are the feelings that every person has when they remove themselves from their comfort zone and attempt to do something greater.
She nodded her head.
Midori Miyamoto: I had very similar feelings before I debuted here in JET. I wondered if I was truly ready. I wondered if I would fail and let my mentors down―
An audible pop could be heard throughout the room as Midori snapped her fingers.
Midori Miyamoto: Myself and the old Chiyoko Watanabe are not too dissimilar.
She paused for a brief moment as she looked over at the media.
Midori Miyamoto: But there is a key difference. And that difference is the reason why she is challenging for the championship, while I am holding it.
Her focus shifted back to JUNKO.
Midori Miyamoto: Throughout all the adversity, throughout all the attacks by you and your crew, throughout all the hardships―I never changed who I was. I stayed true to myself. I stayed true to my values.
Midori Miyamoto: But you, JUNKO? You gave up on yourself; you gave up on who you were. You threw away everything you had worked for. You threw away your soul―
Midori Miyamoto: And you still failed to achieve your ultimate goal, JUNKO.
Throughout the course of her speech, Midori’s eyes had remained fixated on JUNKO.
Midori Miyamoto: I understand your plight. I understand what you went through. However, I cannot feel sorry for you. And no one else in this room should feel sorry for you either. Why? Because you chose this path current path. You chose the painful path of darkness, failure, and pain. Therefore, you do not have the luxury of sitting here and trying to paint yourself as a victim. No.
Her eyes glanced over at the championship belt that rested on her shoulder.
Midori Miyamoto: I said that what makes this upcoming match special is the JET World Championship. It’s one of the most historic and prestigious championship belts in professional wrestling. It is what continues to propel JET forward as a company. Therefore, the JET World Champion must be someone who is mentally and physically strong. Someone who is willing to stand up and fight against every odd. The JET World Champion is not someone who can buckle under pressure. She cannot fold when the going gets tough.
Midori Miyamoto: That person is me. I’ve proven it time and time again. I hold this championship belt because despite all the bull crap that you put me through, I never gave in. I never called it quits. That’s the type of champion that this belt deserves, not someone who was so willing to throw away her identity for a tiny drop of clout.
The media members continued to write their thoughts as she pushed the mic back.
|
|
|
Post by junko on Dec 15, 2019 7:32:22 GMT
”You are absolutely right, Midori." JUNKO firmly asserts.”You are not willing to throw it all away for an opportunity. You're not willing to cast away the unnecessary things to achieve a goal that just seemingly keeps distancing itself from you. You do not adapt to survive. It is why you are constantly in the KAGUYA-Guns sights. It is why you always found yourself at the wrong end of the attacks. You're the prey that just slips away; not the hunter. You are not willing to adapt to what the world has become, yet you hold the world championship of JET. That is why your time is dwindling. Good luck can only get you so far." JUNKO leans forward against the table in front of her, elbows propped up, microphone in her hand. ”I am not insulting your intelligence, Midori, I am insulting your resolve. Your convictions. You pretend to know hardships when you've fit the mould since the very beginning of your career. You were a prospect the second you walked in on this company. I fought for crumbs. I had to starve for this opportunity and now I am the one sitting at the table. You just have these romanticised problems. Problems that don't at all make you this tragic person suffering for their dreams. You just have these manga heroin problems like not thinking you were ready but, turns out, you were the golden child. I was *told* I wasn't ready. I was *told* I wasn't going to be anything. And I got here in spite of that. I changed to do it, and I can look you dead in the eyes Midori and tell you that I don't regret a single second of it. Attacking you. Joining KAGUYA-Gun. Even defending JET just to be kicked to the sidelines. I don't regret it because now, NOW, I am here. Top of my game and hungry to become the champion." There is a lot of venom behind her words as she is almost visually spitting with her tirade. ”Chiyoko is dead. She has been dead for a long time. And it's good that she is because she would have never made it here. She'd be fighting in the opening contests as the company laughing stock. I didn't give up on myself, I cured myself of a sickness killing my career and dreams.I evolved to be here. My past bouts against you have trained me to be here and trained me to beat you because I simply can *NOT* allow you to embarrass me again. And I haven't failed my goal until I have beaten you and claimed that championship. I won't be waiting much longer for that." Again, the hyena-esque laughter is muffled behind a hand she forces over her mouth as the tail-end of her sentence is breaking in chuckles. She clears her throat to collect herself. ”You're telling me bullshit if you think you understand me. If you even think you at all relate to who I am now. You don't. You're the privileged little girl who got her way just for showing up. I don't want you to feel sorry for me. I want you to turn your nose back down to my eye level and stop thinking just because you now have the gold you're above me. Especially since you won't be having it for much longer. Its prestige. Its integrity. Its lineage. All that doesn't play a factor in the slightest at Sendai Spotlight. It's about the strongest will and who is willing to push themselves the furthest to claim the title." JUNKO stands up from her chair, it falling back and security are braced to jump in if she lunges. She doesn't as she stands over Midori with the microphone in hand. ”Midori, you are going to have to kill me at Sendai Spotlight. Only then will you truly have the right to say you've defeated me. Don't do it for them -- ." She scans her finger across the room while maintaining eye contact with Midori. ”Don't do it for JET, it's image or it's honor. There is no honor in a war like this. Fight me in this match because you need to beat me. Because if I have to end your career to claim that title..." She gets nose-to-nose with Midori, security really between them now trying to force JUNKO away though she keeps her ground. ”I WILL NOT HESITATE!" She tosses the microphone down, not breaking eye contact with a serious expression on her face. This maintains a little while until a smile cracks its way to the surface and a little bit of laughter before she takes her leave from the room.
|
|