Quoted By:
>"Tam Nakano is the type to get back up when it seems like it's all over, so I believed she would win until the very end. I didn't want to think about what would happen if I lost. But I was prepared. I was prepared, and then in the end, the three count really did happen... At that moment, Kurara was crying, and I felt frustrated and lonely, but more than that, I was suddenly overcome with anxiety about the future of Kozuen and Stardom."
>While Natsupoi and the other members were all confused, Nakano went backstage. Nakano embraced the members who were crying and formed a circle. It was different from the pre-match ceremony, and it was probably also the disbanding ceremony for Kozuen led by Nakano. As he spoke to each member, it seemed to include some specific advice for the new Kozuen.
>"Whatever the outcome, I wanted to welcome Tamu-chan with a smile. But all of a sudden, all the emotions welled up inside me, and I couldn't smile. As Tamu-chan was talking to everyone, I burst into tears. Normally I would have wanted to say, 'Tamu-chan, you've got a weird face' (like after being sprayed with black spray), but I couldn't. I should have been the one to say, 'Tamu-chan, you're fake crying', but I couldn't. I was the one crying. Tamu-chan listened to everything I said, nodded, patted me on the shoulder, and asked, 'Natsupoi is fine. What are you worried about?' Tamu-chan always says, 'It's fine' (laughs)."
>It all happened in a few minutes. At first, everyone was in tears, but eventually their faces turned to smiles. Nakano entrusted the future of Kozuen to Natsupoi, Anou, Mizumori, Sakura, and Kurara, and the members accepted Nakano's retirement as a reality. And so, Kozuen started their Golden Week tour without Nakano Tamu...
