I should’ve read the fine print! When I agreed to join AKBTG, I thought they’d remake me into a member of AKB48… But as it turned out, I was assigned to JKT48, bound for Jakarta. I tried to back out, but they’d already spent so much, and I was liable to pay if I quit, which meant debtors jail, or worse!

People who think of joining AKBTG worry about the physical transformation but believe me, that’s the easy part. You go to the facility, get in the nanochamber, and your body is shrinking, reshaping, and harmonizing with the chosen appearance in just minutes. It’s surreal, sure, watching a new skin tone spread as your feet shrink and your chest expands, but it’s painless and over in minutes. The real pain comes from the mental implants. One moment you’re a native English speaker, and the next, you’re a native speaker of another language, which sounds simple, but language isn’t just words; it’s your identity! And don’t forget the forceful download of attitude, cultural and behavior adjusters. Now I must fight against the compulsive urge to perform Indonesian customs or break into pop song routines at the drop of a hat. My mind often feels like a battleground, the original me wrestling with the JKT48 persona. The worst thing is that I heard your neural pathways will slowly be fried by the implant, locking you into this new identity. I don’t want to be an Indonesian girl inside as well, but every day more slips away. I can barely remember my old name or the city I grew up in now.

I’ve got five more years of my contract, and then I can change back at my expense. Not that I am sure there will be anything left of me by then!