The teacher who was the advisor of my high school's baton club was a J. F. Oberlin University alumna of the Song Reading Club, and showed me a video of his own performance—that's how I met CREAM in the Song Reading Club. The sense of unity, technique, and expressiveness left a huge impression on me, thinking, "I've never seen anything like this before—I want to dance here too!" With something this wonderful, both the practice and the atmosphere must be quite tough...... With that resolve, I joined the trial session, and from the appraisal stage, they approached me in a friendly manner, and the atmosphere of everyone helping each other made me admire CREAM even more.

After being selected and joining the club, and even after practice started, the seniors cared deeply for and supported the juniors. Even if I couldn't put them into words well, someone would listen to my thoughts and turn them into concrete words to ask back. In high school, the hierarchy was strict, and I felt insecure and sometimes hesitated to speak, thinking, "I have to speak properly." But after joining CREAM, I felt strongly that even if I couldn't share everything, someone would make up for it, and I wanted to speak up for the sake of the team, so I felt I could actively express my opinions without hiding them.

However, I wasn't able to be honest from the start either. In my first year, I was depressed because I couldn't convey anything through acting, and I went through a period of constant frustration. I thought I was hiding it, but the upperclassmen around me must have noticed. One day, when asked, "What do you think your strengths are?", I answered, "Giving my all to what I'm told," to which they replied, "That's important, but you should be more honest and show your true self. You've been hiding it all this time." Everything I had been holding inside exploded at once, and I burst into tears.

The workshop I attended when I participated in the world championships in the United States during my second year of high school also gave me an opportunity to let go of my inhibitions. The dance I performed at that workshop was street dance, which I, with my ballet background, was not good at. I participated somewhat reluctantly, but the way the international dancers performed there conveyed a strong feeling of "Look at my dance! I'm shining the brightest!" It's okay to be bad at it, as long as I dance in my own way. I realized this, and on the last day of the workshop, I danced freely, fully expressing my own individuality.

Dancing while hiding your true feelings is incredibly difficult. Your movements become smaller, and you can't express yourself properly. That's something that surely comes across to the audience. CREAM's goal is to become the best in Japan, possessing both technical skill and strong emotions. We don't want to just perform technically brilliantly. That's why we want to fully express the unique individuality of each of us and convey a wealth of strong emotions to the audience.

Of course, songleading isn't just about expressing your own individuality. Because it's a sport you can't dance alone, I always keep in mind that I dance for my team, my coach, and my family. I'm grateful for the environment that allows me to continue dancing, and with strong will and my own individuality, I will move straight ahead towards my goal of becoming the best in Japan. I want to deliver a performance that touches people's hearts, achieve solid results, and express my gratitude to everyone who has supported me.