ebookslot Chapter 14 First Encounter
Chapter 14 First Encounter
As the sun set, the glass curtain wall turned a melancholic orange-red. When Shui Shui ran out of the building with her backpack, Kazumi Takayama was leaning against a utility pole by the roadside, kicking pebbles at his feet.
"Sorry to have kept you waiting, Kazumi." Shui Shui ran to her side, took a breath, and reached out to tidy her bangs that had been messed up by the wind. "I couldn't find the president. I asked the others, and it seems that he went out. That's why I was delayed."
"It's nothing, I just came down not long ago." Takayama straightened up, smiled, and patted her shoulder. "I really envy you, your relationship with the president."
Shuishui smiled faintly and didn't dwell on the topic. The two walked side by side along the sidewalk, the aroma of oden wafting from the convenience store, and occasionally a bicycle jingled past them.
"Speaking of which, the teacher said the first order is coming out soon, but the positions and everything haven't been announced yet. Neru, do you know anything about it?" After walking for a while, Gaoshan asked casually.
"Hmm? Oh, I heard the first round is a selection process for all members. There are eighteen people in total, excluding Nishino-san. But the specific positions don't seem to have been decided yet. Do you want me to ask for you tomorrow?" Shui Shui tilted her head and didn't hide anything, directly telling everyone the information she knew.
Seeing that she seemed oblivious to everything, Gao Shan swallowed back the words "What about you?" that almost escaped his lips, and shook his head: "No need for that, I was just asking casually."
"Oh, it's not long anyway, it should be announced when they record their first anime series." Sleepy casually dropped another bombshell, then ignored Takayama's exaggeratedly surprised expression, and continued walking, "Although I think most people aren't good enough to debut yet, the president said that's the kind of newcomer beauty he wants. Hmph, it sounds a bit far-fetched, I wonder if they'll flop after their debut? But that's fine too, I can always go back to Nagasaki, Tokyo isn't all that great anyway."
Tsk tsk, who are you kidding? Your school has been transferred to Tokyo, do you really think you can go back to Nagasaki?
Behind her, out of her sight, Gao Shan rolled her eyes, of course not believing the nonsensical nonsense she spouted. The two chatted idly, unknowingly reaching a crossroads. The red light came on, and they stopped, waiting for the traffic to pass. Just then, a black sedan slowly pulled up in front of the girls' high school across the street. The window rolled down, revealing a face they knew all too well.
"Is that Kubo-san?" Takayama recognized him first and pointed to the other side with some surprise.
Following the direction she pointed, Shui Shui saw Kubo Rito leaning against the car window, one hand on the steering wheel and the other holding a phone, seemingly texting. The setting sun cast its light on his profile, making him appear quiet and aloof, an expression she had never seen before.
"Why is he here?" Shui Shui muttered softly, feeling inexplicably uneasy. She thought that Rito should still be working at some company at this time, after all, he said in the morning that he had a bunch of contracts to sign.
No sooner had the words left her mouth than a girl in a school uniform ran out of the school gate. She had a high ponytail, carried a black bag, and her ponytail swung behind her as she ran. Her two small, pointed fangs were her most striking feature. She ran straight to the car, opened the door, and sat in the passenger seat with practiced ease.
"Huh? Who is she? Is she the president's sister?" Takayama asked curiously, guessing instinctively.
"No, the president is an only child." Sleepy, with her eyes half-closed, suddenly clenched the strap of her backpack. Inside the car, Rito patted the girl's head and laughed smugly.
Just then, the green light turned on. Takayama tugged at Shui Shui's arm, gesturing for her to cross the street. The two had just reached the middle of the road when Rito, on the other side, looked up and saw them.
"Yo, Neru, Takayama." Rito rolled down the car window, waved at them, and said in a light tone, "Training over?"
"Yeah, just finished," Takayama replied with a smile. "What are you doing here, Kubo-san?"
"I'm here to pick up a friend from school." Rito said, turning slightly to reveal the girl sitting in the passenger seat. "Airi, these are the Nogizaka46 members I told you about. This is Kazumi Takayama, and the one next to her is Nagahama Naru. They're all first-generation members of Nogizaka46. You'll probably see each other often in the future."
Upon hearing this, Suzuki Airi turned around, gave the two of them a standard smile, and bowed slightly: "Hello, I am Suzuki Airi. Please take care of me from now on."
Her smile was sweet, and her eyes curved into crescent shapes, but Shui Shui keenly noticed that her gaze lingered on her for a little longer than Gao Shan's, and the deeper meaning behind it was particularly intriguing.
"Hello." Shui Shui bowed to her as well, her voice slightly lower than usual. "I am Nagahama Naru, nice to meet you."
"I know you've been helping Rito with his work lately, right? I'm very grateful to you for filling in when I wasn't around," Airi said with a smile that remained unchanged.
Their gazes met briefly in the air before quickly shifting away. An indescribable, subtle atmosphere seemed to permeate the air, making even the surrounding evening breeze feel thicker.
Standing nearby, Takayama keenly sensed this. She subtly took half a step forward, smiling as she tried to smooth things over: "President, who is this Suzuki-san to you? She's so beautiful, could she be one of your secret weapons?"
Rito, sitting in the driver's seat, was completely unaware of the undercurrent between the two girls. When she asked this question, he casually replied, "I guess she's a reserve assistant, but we'll have to wait until she gets into university. Becoming an idol is too much work for her; she can't handle it."
"Hey, don't make it sound like I'm spineless. It's you who won't let me go, okay?"
"Alright, alright, I don't want you to go, okay?"
"That's more like it."
Rito and Airi were still bickering in the car. Seeing that Shui Shui's face was gradually darkening, Takayama secretly tugged at her sleeve and smiled as she told the president that she and Shui Shui had something to do and were about to leave.
"Where are you going? Do you need me to take you there?" Rito asked symbolically.
"No need, no need, our dorm is just ahead." Gao Shan guessed that Shui Shui definitely didn't want to get on the bus, so he waved his hand and refused.
"Alright then." Rito didn't press the matter and nodded. "Be careful on the road. Don't be late for training tomorrow, especially you, Neru. Even though your name means 'sleep,' you can't just stay in bed all the time."
"I won't stay in bed!" Shui Shui immediately retorted, glaring at him angrily.
Rito smiled, said nothing more, and started the car. The black sedan slowly drove away from the roadside and merged into the traffic. Rito, sitting in the passenger seat, turned her head slightly and took one last look at Shui Shui standing by the roadside through the car window.