I have just finished the rival route and I must say I am a little disapointed, not by the character or the story (the two are great) but by the way you handle with the two dilemnas your rival give to you.
First : Idol Nation
Rival : We mustn't let the name of Idol Nation be denatured ! We are the nation of idols ! We know Better !
Me (thinking) : I can understand but that's stupid, the idol concept is not even japanese and koreans are already doing it too.
Rival : Everyone boycott !
Me (thinkin): What about no ?
TV company : Come or...
Rival : The TV company threaten ! That's why we must unite !
Me (thinking) : If I don't boycott I fear the career of the girls are busted. Should I do it ?
Rival : Smart move to not boycott. You are good at business.
Me (who can't tell what I am thinking) : MY INTENTION WAS TO STAY TRUE TO WHAT I THINK ! NOT MAKING MONEY !
And in the rival route :
Rival : You should drop out.
Me (thinking) : What ?
Rival : It'll be the best artistic move ever ! Nobody will ever know ! Do you accept to drop out ?
Me : No.
Me (IRL) : Don't you dare talk with me again ! You create a group of idols only to use it as a springboard for your artistic project, a proof that you don't give a sh** about the hard work of your girls and now you ask me to do the same ? This girls trust me to do the best for them, my employees work hard to make them success (and be successful as well) and you are asking me to betray their trust to support your artistic bull**** ? Maybe you are the most concerned by the concept of idols but you obviously don't care about the girls ! I helped you in the past because I could without betraying the people of my company but what you ask me is just outrageous !
Honestly the rival arc is interesting but I am disappointed about the only way we can refuse her/him, by a pure business approach. I wanted so much to yell at her/him to remind her/him that we work with and for some humans who trust us and that (s)he just stomp their trust and ask me to do the same.