NMB48's Yoshida Akari and Matsuda Shiori suspend activities

As announced on NMB48's official website, NMB48 Team N members Yoshida Akari and Matsuda Shiori will suspend their activities in the group and take a break. There is no information given how long this "break" is supposed to be. Both girls will not take part in NMB48's 2nd single, and Yoshida Akari will also give up her spot as Senbatsu member for that single.

Translations of the announcements are as follows

Yoshida Akari (Original Message )

Thank you for always supporting NMB48.
We have an annoucement concerning Team N member Yoshida Akari.

We have a suspension request from Yoshida Akari who is a member of Team N and the management has accepted it, so we let you know about it. In the following part we publish a comment by the person herself.

In addition we will announce the 2nd Single Senbatsu member change that follows Yoshida Akari's suspension on a later date.

I, Yoshida Akari, have an annoucement to everyone who always supports me. From today, September 4, on, I am going to let my activities in NMB48 rest for a while.

Also, I will withdraw from the 2nd Single Senbatsu.
Recently, while I was doing a lot of work everyday, I have had worries and insecurity, and it seemed like I would become unable to face my activities in NMB48 anymore.

Through this conduct I have caused troubles to the staff and members, and above all I came to think that I maybe could not meet the expectations of all my fans.

To continue my activities in NMB48 while I have this restless feelings and insecurity is not good for myself, and above all I think it is inexcusable to everyone who supported me.

But I have never regreted joining NMB48 and of course I love NMB48, so I am going to return to my initial feelings once again and find myself again while I am taking a break.

In order to be able to make my dream true in NMB48, I thought I had to throw everything away and work from the start with all my might.

I feel very sorry towards everyone who supported me, to the staff and the members. But I would be happy if you watch over me kindly from now on too.

I will power up and return for sure.

Please treat me well.

NMB48 Team N Yoshida Akari

Matsuda Shiori (Original Message )

We have a suspension request from Matsuda Shiori who is a member of Team N and the management has accepted it, so we let you know about it. In the following part we publish a comment by the person herself.

I, Matsuda Shiori, will let my activities in NMB48 rest from today, September 4, on.
Until now I have been busy with work everyday, but I started to think 'Can my current work meet the expectations of all my fans?' and 'Am I myself really ok with this?'. Continuing my activities in NMB48 with this insecure feelings led to anxiety/more insecurity, and I felt that I need time to find myself again.
I am very sorry to all the fans who supported me, to the staff and the members.
I don't want to give up my dream, so please give me time to sort out my feelings.

I love NMB48.

I am really sorry for causing troubles with this self-willed request.

I will return in front of everyone for sure,
so please somehow watch over me kindly until then.

NMB48 Team N Matsuda Shiori

What is going on there? NMB48 Kenkyuusei Shimada Rena was just suspended a few days ago and now two Team N members, one of them a front girl, follow her? Not a good situation for the group. Could this be related in any way to the scandal? I really hope there is not more to this. Too much uproar for me.