novellhall Chapter 60 ride on
Chapter 60 ride on
Since the behind-the-scenes incident, Kubo Rito has been out of the public eye for a long time. Whether it's because he knows his mistakes and corrects them, or because his haters think he's afraid to show his face, he now acts more like a normal company executive, minimizing his presence. Konno is quite pleased with this and believes that this is the right way to operate. The public relations department won't have to be on tenterhooks all the time, afraid that their president will get upset and start arguing with some haters on Twitter again.
Throughout the second half of the year, Rito only posted once on his account, celebrating Nogizaka46's selection for this year's Kohaku Uta Gassen. The explosive growth in sales of several singles, coupled with the renewed idol craze in society, meant that he didn't even need to do much public relations this year. NHK itself extended an olive branch, which can be considered a way of redeeming himself from the humiliation of being rejected last year.
The announcement of the red and white lists also signifies that the end of the year is approaching. After a busy year, Rito finally plans to unload his burdens. He handed over Nogizaka46 to the old man, and since Keyakizaka46 hasn't debuted yet, he simply took a long vacation. Nanamin is also going back to Hokkaido. He stretched in his office, preparing to go home and start a happy time alone.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. Just as he got up to get his car keys, his phone rang. The caller ID showed "Father." Rihito glanced at it and quickly answered.
"When are you coming back for the New Year?" The middle-aged man's deep voice sounded somewhat tired. It was understandable, after all, Dentsu was notorious for its overtime hell, and he was a powerful director who was strict with himself, so it was no wonder that he was working hard.
"Let's wait a couple of days," Rito replied. Although the other party had never doubted his identity, a fake is a fake, and keeping his distance had always been his way of dealing with the other party.
The person on the other end of the phone coughed, not dwelling on the whole topic, and continued, "Will Yumiko come back with you?"
"O-chan—" Rito drawled, his tone tinged with reproach.
"Can't I even ask?" The old father was unhappy about his son's disdain.
Rito's fingers tightened slightly as she held the phone, and she said with a wry smile, "If it really comes to that, I'll let you know in advance."
"That's more like it." The person on the other end clicked their tongue, remained silent for a moment, and then reminded him, "I can't interfere in your young people's affairs, but Yumiko's parents and I have known each other for decades. Whether you two make it work or not, just don't embarrass me too much in front of them. Your father has lived a respectable life, and you don't want me to be brought down in a gutter like this, do you?"
"I understand, Dad. Don't worry. Yumiko is also a very important person to me. I won't let her get hurt."
Without hesitation, Rito picked up where he left off, expressing his own stance.
"You know what's going on. By the way, we haven't been in touch with Sendai for several years. Since they've sent their daughter over this year, why don't you go and visit them for me? You can also take Shiori back with you."
"it is good."
After hanging up the phone, Rito rubbed his temples, grabbed his coat, left the office, and arrived at the entrance of the second-generation practice room.
Speaking of which, compared to the situation when only three members were selected for the fourth single, completely overshadowed by the first generation, the second generation made a great leap forward in the selection for the fifth single. Shiramasa remained in the first rank, while the second rank included Kubo, who came up from the third rank, and Kobayashi, who was under last time. The third rank also included Misa, Sister-in-law, Ranran, and Uncle Yuan, for a total of seven people. If it weren't for the Sayuri incident, this would have been the most attention-grabbing news in the second half of Nogizaka46.
Thinking of some unpleasant things, Rito's eyes darkened. He pushed open the door to the practice room, glanced around inside, and greeted the one with the most beautiful hair.
"Hi, I'm here." Xu Xian, who had been called, quickly abandoned Bei Bei, who was standing to the side. It wasn't that she didn't care about their sisterly bond; it was just that this girl had no concept of her own strength and would push her several meters away with a single shove; when she was in a good mood, she would pinch and squeeze her, making her suffer terribly. Now that she finally had a chance to escape, she naturally ran faster than anyone else.
Seeing Shiori running up to him with a relieved expression, Rito didn't understand why, but guessed it was just girls playing around. He didn't take it too seriously, said "Come with me," and walked towards the door.
"When are you planning to go back to Sendai?" Rito leaned against the wall in the corridor. The weather in Tokyo was bad today, with heavy dark clouds pressing down overhead. The only light came from the incandescent lights in the corridor, and the pale light reflected off the girl's snow-white skin, creating a dreamlike and ethereal feeling that she was about to disappear.
"Probably the day after tomorrow. I'll pack my bags tomorrow and go to Ginza to buy some local specialties," she said. Although she often appears pessimistic, her voice has a surprisingly strong quality.
"Okay, don't bother buying tickets. I'll drive you back. I also need to go to Sendai."
There was no air conditioning in the corridor. Shi Xuli rubbed her hands together and glanced at him. There was a hint of surprise in her eyes, but not to the point of being overly anxious. Although the other party hadn't taken special care of her when they were in the group, they had at least met each other's parents, so there was no need to be so polite about such a small matter.
"I understand." She nodded, sweeping her long, flowing hair behind her. "The day after tomorrow morning?"
"Okay, I'll call you when I get to the dorm. Don't stay in bed."
Li Ren nodded, and without lingering, turned and left.
Two days later, early in the morning, before dawn in Tokyo, Rito arrived as promised. His gray Porsche Cayenne stood out starkly in the morning mist as it pulled up in front of the second-phase dormitory building. He didn't turn off the engine, tapping the steering wheel while listening to the busy tone on his phone. Keyakizaka's demo was still playing in the car CD player. Outside the window, the streetlights of Tokyo were still on, the dawn light and lamplight blending into an ambiguous gray-blue hue on the asphalt.
"Now? Are you serious?"
Just seconds before the call was about to go to voicemail, the phone was finally answered. Hearing Rito say that he was already waiting downstairs, Xuxian, who had been taking extra classes last night because she had missed dance class due to external affairs, was so speechless that she didn't even have the energy to be angry. Her tone carried a faint deathly aura.
"I'll give you half an hour. I'm going to get some breakfast," Rito replied indifferently, and hung up the phone.
Half an hour later, the glass door of the apartment building was pushed open on time. Shiori came out dragging a large suitcase that was almost as tall as her. When Rito saw this, he put down his coffee and got out of the car.
Just then, a few second-generation members walked by on the street—because the Red and White Song Battle was on the third single, the second-generation members had nothing to do, so they were already on vacation and had plenty of free time.
"Shiori, oh, and the president." The group walked over together, their eyes curiously glancing at the luxury cars parked by the roadside. But considering the president's status, they didn't find it strange and waved to the two of them.
"Getting up so early is good; that's a healthy routine."
Rito chatted with them for a bit, while Shiori didn't say anything, but simply nodded and handed the box to Rito.
"President, what's going on here?" After hesitating for a moment, one of the bolder members asked.
"I'll take her home," Li Ren said without further explanation. Seeing this, the others didn't dare to ask any more questions. After exchanging a few meaningless words, they went into the dormitory building.
"Now everyone knows I'm a relative." After their figures disappeared into the hall, Shi Xuli pouted and tugged at his sleeve.
"It's alright. We Nogizaka46 may not have much else, but we have plenty of connections. We won't miss you."
Rito chuckled and lifted her suitcase with force. The suitcase was large and heavy, packed full, with a faded amulet tied to the handle. The embroidered pattern on it was a banner from the Sendai Tanabata Festival. He recognized it as the one she had hung up when she first joined the group last year, and he was surprised that she hadn't taken it off.
"You haven't changed it for so long, is it because it's very effective?" he asked.
"I don't know if it works or not." Shiori opened the car door, sat in the passenger seat, and fastened her seatbelt. "But the image of the local idol is very important. If it's Senso-ji, people will criticize us."
Rito started the engine, and the car slowly drove out of the dormitory area. In the rearview mirror, those second-generation students had sneaked back to the apartment entrance. One of them had his phone screen lit up; he couldn't tell if he was taking pictures or sending messages. He couldn't be bothered to care. At worst, there would be a few more gossip posts in the LINE group tomorrow about "the president personally driving Kubo back to his hometown."
As the car entered the Tohoku Expressway, the sun had just risen above the horizon. Sunlight streamed in through the side window, gilding Shiori's profile. She untied her scarf and took off her hat, letting her long hair fall over her shoulders, her face slightly turned towards the window. The scenery along the highway gradually changed from the gray buildings of Tokyo to the residential areas of Saitama, and then to the farmlands and orchards of Ibaraki. Suddenly, she pointed to a frozen pond outside the window and said that when she was in elementary school, her school organized a sketching trip to a nature park, and her drawing was terrible; her teacher told her to her face that it wasn't as good as her older sister's.
"Ha, you didn't expect that, did you? I'm now an idol of Nogizaka46."
She dramatically twitched her eyebrows, displaying a smug, petty smugness.
"Do you hate it when people compare you to your sister?"
Looking ahead at what seemed like an endless expanse, Rito casually asked a question.
"No, I don't even know if that just happened or not."
Her tone was calm, so calm that it didn't sound like she was talking about her own life. Rito knew this feeling, but Xuxian was in a worse situation than him. At least he still had his past memories and could find an anchor in the new world. She was first stripped of everything and then forced to put a bunch of things that didn't belong to her in it. It was like a sugar box being used to hold salt, and she could only taste a little sweetness in the corners.
"They're all good memories," he said, his gaze still fixed on the highway ahead. "Otherwise, you wouldn't be the way you are now."
Shi Xuli turned to look at him. Her eyes were quiet; Northeastern women always seemed so preoccupied.
"Yes, maybe I shouldn't be so sentimental." She placed her hands on her knees, her fingertips gently tapping the back of her hands. "I'm already so lucky. My family treats me very well. I couldn't concentrate on my studies, but soon a big shot in Tokyo invited me to be an idol. Within two months of joining, I was standing at the front of the line. What else do I have to complain about?"
Rito's fingers tightened slightly on the steering wheel. He wanted to offer comfort, but didn't know how to begin. The car drove through a tunnel, and a brief darkness engulfed the cabin before it was illuminated again.
When the light returned, Xuxian's eyes were no longer sad, and she laughed as she talked about the various interesting things that happened in the group. Rito also adjusted his mood and chatted with her casually. After about halfway through the journey, the two decided to rest at a roadside service area.
Rito parked the car, and the two got out to stretch their muscles. Shiori bought two cans of hot coffee, and pressed one of them to his face. He winced from the heat, while Shiori burst into laughter, the sound carrying far across the empty parking lot.
Rito grabbed her down jacket, chuckled, and patted her head as punishment. Turning around, he suddenly noticed a boy standing at the entrance of the convenience store.
The person looked to be a high school student, wearing a baseball cap and a dark blue work jacket. He was tall and thin, standing next to a vending machine, holding an unopened can of coffee, staring at him mysteriously, as if he were plotting something.
Rito's nerves hadn't fully recovered from the previous incident. He shoved the coffee can back into Shiori's hand and walked towards the boy.
"Paparazzi? Which one?" His tone unconsciously carried a hint of arrogance, and he didn't pause for a moment. When the other person saw him walking quickly towards them, they subconsciously took a half step back, almost dropping the coffee can in their hand.
"I'm not a paparazzi." The man quickly waved his hand, his face flushed red under his baseball cap. "I'm Nanami Hashimoto's younger brother. You must be Rito Kubo?"
Rito suddenly stopped, his anger turning comically into incredulous astonishment. Nana Min's younger brother? He sized up the boy in front of him; their faces did indeed resemble each other, especially their high, straight noses—they were practically identical.
Afraid that he wouldn't believe him, the boy quickly took out his phone again, pulled up a photo of himself and his sister, and even showed his student ID to prove that his surname was indeed Hashimoto.
"My sister and mother mentioned you. I overheard them, so I specifically searched for you online." The boy scratched the back of his head, smiling a little awkwardly. Judging from his mother's words, this man probably wouldn't really marry his sister. Therefore, when he recognized him, he didn't choose to reveal his identity. He just took a few more glances out of curiosity, not expecting the other party to be so sensitive.
"Oh, sorry, I got too excited just now."
It took Rito a few seconds to come to her senses. She took a deep breath, composed herself, and then solemnly apologized to Hashimoto's younger brother.
"It's okay, I understand."
Hashimoto's younger brother shook his head and prepared to leave silently.
"Wait a minute." Irene called out to him, took a white bag from deep inside her clothes, and handed it to him. "Take this. Don't tell your sister. She won't let me go to Asahikawa."
"Eh? How could I possibly do this—"
"There's nothing to be embarrassed about. Nanamin's brother is my brother too." Rito pressed down on his hand, which was trying to push it back. Hashimoto's brother refused several more times, but Rito finally forced it back in.
Hashimoto's younger brother held the few banknotes, his lips moved, and a thin glint suddenly appeared in his eyes. He bowed to Rito, the movement somewhat clumsy, but deep, and remained there for a long time.
"I can tell my sister likes you a lot, and my mother and I are very happy for her. My sister is a good person, just a little stubborn. If she has offended you, please forgive her." He lowered his head, his voice a little hoarse. "Really, thank you so much for taking care of my sister."
Rito looked at him, his Adam's apple bobbing, but in the end he didn't say anything. He just patted him on the shoulder, took out a business card and put it in his pocket. Hashimoto's younger brother carefully put it away, then turned and left.
After Hashimoto's younger brother left, Rito stood there for a while. When he turned around, he saw Shiori leaning against the car door, holding a bottle of coffee in each hand, tilting her head to look at him.
"My friend's younger brother," Rito said, taking the initiative.
Shiori raised one eyebrow, her expression clearly showing disbelief, but she didn't press him for details. Instead, she shoved one of the cans of coffee into his hand, pulled open the tab on the other can, and sipped it slowly.
"Let's leave early, we still have time to have lunch in Sendai," she said, opening the car door and getting back into the passenger seat.
When the car rejoined the highway, Shiori didn't recount those memories of the past. She rested her head against the window, her eyes closed. The car stereo had switched to a radio program where two comedians were discussing the lineup for this year's Kohaku Uta Gassen (Red and White Song Battle). When Nogizaka46's name was mentioned, her eyelashes fluttered, and the corners of her mouth curved into a very subtle smile. She didn't open her eyes, but simply pulled her scarf up, obscuring half her face. But Rihito saw in the rearview mirror that there was a very small dimple on her cheek, faintly visible in the gentle airflow from the heater vent.
By the time Sendai city finally came into view, it was already dark. The streetlights weren't on yet, and the gray sky stained the snow a somber silver-gray. Rito waited at the intersection for the light to turn red, one hand on the steering wheel, the other reaching for a coffee can on the center console.
Suddenly, a muffled thud came from the rear of the car. The sound wasn't loud, but the car shook slightly. Shiori lurched forward, pulled back by the seatbelt, and the back of her head gently bumped against the headrest. Rito instinctively reached out a hand to shield her, a gesture that was physically meaningless but only made the girl's face turn slightly red.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"Okay." She nodded, unbuckled her seatbelt, and said, "I'll go down and take a look."
Li Ren tried to stop her, saying he would get out on his own, but she had already opened the car door. He had no choice but to quickly unbuckle his seatbelt and chase after her from the other side.
The cold winter wind of Sendai swept in, carrying the scent of dryness and desolation. She walked around the front of the car to the back and immediately saw the cause of the incident.
The vehicle that was rear-ended was a silver light truck, and its bumper was dented. The other driver was leaning out of his car window, his face full of apologetic smiles, saying, "Sorry, sorry, the road was too slippery," but his eyes were scrutinizing the Porsche emblem on Rito's car, his pupils slightly dilated, probably worried about compensation.
Shi Xuli walked to the other car window, bent down slightly, and made eye contact with the driver. She wasn't wearing high heels, so she had to tilt her head back to talk to him, but her presence was in no way inferior.
"Sir, you rear-ended someone. Do you have insurance?"
Liren also came over, glanced at the damaged area, and saw that only a little paint had been scratched off, so he didn't think too much about it.
"Shiri, let's just forget about it. It's normal to lose control in this kind of weather."
As he said this, he was about to return to his car. Just as the driver of the car behind was overjoyed, thinking the matter was over, Shiori fiercely stopped him, saying, "Don't go!" Then she jogged to catch up with Rito and said to him with a serious expression:
"President, everyone has to pay the price for their actions. I mean, everyone."