The New Member is the Prime Minister!? ~Sixty Years Old, Starting as an Idol~ [Short Short]

8:00 AM on New Year's Eve.
A mysterious, booming sound echoed from a room in the Prime Minister's official residence.
“Boom! Boom! Boom!”
The sound of rhythmic drumming.
Sato, the secretary, hurriedly opened the door.

“Prime Minister, what are you doing!?”
“Rehabilitation, it's rehabilitation! Being an idol is all about physical stamina, you know!”

Prime Minister Sanae Tachibana, sixty years old.
She is the top of Japan in both name and reality, but her hobbies are drumming and motorcycle maintenance.
Tonight, she was scheduled to stand on an incredible stage—the New Year's Eve countdown concert of the popular idol group “Colorful★Muse”.

It all started a week ago.
Miku, the group's leader, said,
“Don't we want something with impact for the year-end highlight?”
Then a staff member jokingly suggested,
“Should we ask the Prime Minister?”
Laughter erupted, but an unexpected reply arrived from the official residence.

《If I can use special makeup to hide my identity, I can perform. Please treat me as a new member.》

The staff froze.
“For real!?”
“What about security!?”
As a result, a top-secret project began under tight security.
The Prime Minister's codename was “Sana”.
She was in charge of the white costume.
A team of makeup specialists visited the residence daily, but it is said that no one was told what they were doing.

On the day, in the dressing room.
“...Haha, is this me?”
In the mirror was a new idol who looked like she was in her twenties, no matter how you looked at her.
The makeup artist puffed out their chest. “It's a three-layer special silicone structure!”

Then Miku and the other members entered.
“Sana-san! Nice to meet you!”
“Nice to meet you too. I'll do my best not to get in everyone's way.”
The Prime Minister bowed politely.
But the next moment, she slowly opened a guitar case.

“Also, would it be alright if I played the guitar during rehearsal?”
“...Prime Minister, I mean Sana-san, where did you bring that from!?”
“It's a hobby.”
All the members' eyes went wide, thinking, “As expected of the country's leader, the scale is different.”

Backstage.
The live concert was at its peak. The cheers shook the ceiling.
And finally, it was time for the surprise.
Miku's voice rang out.

“Everyone! Today we are introducing a new member! It's ‘Sana’!”

White lights flashed.
Sana appeared.
She struck a pose while running—did a flashy turn, and then completely ran off the frame.
“Th-the edge of the stage!”
The audience burst into laughter. The Prime Minister had gone all out for the punchline from the moment she appeared.

The new song “Dream Countdown ~A Story Starting from White~” began.
The Prime Minister standing in the center was dignified.
“Whoa! The new member is a great singer!”
“Her vocal volume is amazing!”
“Wait, doesn't she look a bit like the Prime Minister!?”
“No way! The Prime Minister was on a year-end special, wasn't she!”

──The special had been pre-recorded.

Wrapped in heat and laughter, the concert ended on a high note.
“Sana, you were the best!”
“Thank you. My goodness, so this is what ‘dancing in front of the citizens’ meant.”

Without anyone realizing it was the Prime Minister, the curtain fell on the stage.

The next morning, Sana... no, Sanae, returned to the official residence.
While tinkering with her beloved classic sports car for the first time in a while, she couldn't stop grinning.
“Man, that was more effective than squats.”

Sato, the secretary, who happened to see her, asked timidly.
“Prime Minister, um... did you really go last night?”
“What are you talking about?”
She feigned ignorance while rhythmically turning a wrench.
Her movements were strangely light.
The TV news began to play in the background.

“New member ‘Sana’ appeared at last night's Colorful★Muse countdown live! Although her true identity is unknown, she is rapidly gaining popularity even among the older generation!”

“...It seems it was well-received by the citizens.”
“Prime Minister, you really were there, weren't you!?”
“Like I said, what are you talking about?”
She was completely in the zone.

New Year's press conference.
The Prime Minister took the podium in his usual neat suit.
A reporter asked, "How did you spend your New Year's holidays?"
"Well, actually, I was allowed to stand on a certain stage, and it was a very educational time."
"A stage?"
"Yes. Perhaps you all saw it on television?"

The reporters looked at each other.
After the press conference, the internet erupted all at once.

《W-wait. Is there a 'Sana = Prime Minister' theory!?》
《The height and hand movements match!》
《The Prime Minister can dance!?》
《A politician whose dance, not just their speech, goes viral is the strongest, right?》

"#SanaPrimeMinister", "#SixtyYearOldIdol", and "#YearEndMiracle" trended.
The view count on Colorful★Muse's YouTube channel also skyrocketed.
A handwritten message from Miku arrived at the Prime Minister's Official Residence.

《Sana Prime Minister, please join us for a training camp next time!》

"...A training camp?"
Sana gave a bitter smile and lightly twirled her favorite drumsticks.

Afternoon.
The break room at the Prime Minister's Official Residence.
While watching her own live performance footage playing on the TV, Sana sipped a cafe latte.
Secretary Sato asked quietly.
"Prime Minister, is your next day off for a live performance... as well?"
"No? I was thinking of trying out a rock festival on guitar next."
"...Please, spare me."

Laughter spilled out from the window.
Outside, there was a bright winter sky typical of the new year.
Sana muttered.
"Whether it's politics or entertainment, you have to have a heart that enjoys it."

After that, "Sana Prime Minister" became a national icon, and her name was added to the official website as an honorary member of Colorful★Muse—though in the role column, it was written as,
《Prime Minister and Bass Apprentice White》