Sasaki Mirei to a handshake guest: "You're embarrassed. How cute!"

Best story to come out of the Sunday Keyakizaka46 handshake event in Yokohama came from a 21-year-old fan calling himself "Dai-chan".

He was meeting Sasaki Mirei (who is 18) in her handshake line but somehow revealed that he also supported Kakizaki Memi.

Mirei: "So you like Memi-chan?"

Dai: "But I like Mirei, too!"

Mirei: "You're embarrassed! How cute!"

Dai: "What?"

Mirei: "You're really embarrassed. It's cute."

Dai: "Well, I'm ashamed."

Mirei: "You're cute. Come again, okay?"

Dai: "Uh, yes. I'll come again."

Mirei (left) and Memi at Sunday's handshake event

On his Twitter home page, Dai-chan says his oshis are "Nogizaka: Asuka, Miria and Hinachima.  Keyaki: Yui-Pon, Mirei, Sarimakashii, Ayaka and Memi" but says recently he has been most motivated for Memi.

Mirei is getting more and more interesting. At the Omotenashikai, she led the chorus club in its surprisingly good a capella versions of Hiragana Keyaki and Silent Majority. She is a competent dancer. And she has a strong and supportive presence within the group. Other members depend on her.

Her competence may be partly due to the fact that she is the member with the most experience as an idol: she was an important part of the Osaka early-teen idol group Choco★Milq.

Rumours are that her family is quite well-to-do, and I can actually imagine her as a future company president, lol. Strong and capable.