r18novel Chapter 42 kubo
Chapter 42 kubo
"Ouch--"
Slowly waking from a state of chaos, Rito Kubo found that his head felt as if it were being pierced with many tiny steel needles, and he was in excruciating pain.
He opened his eyes wide and realized that he was already home. The bedroom light was on its lowest setting, and he had been changed into pajamas. The central air conditioning was blowing warm air, and there was an unfamiliar fragrance in the air. He sensed something and turned his head to look. In the corner of the room, a flame was swaying in the wind.
"Oh, you're awake? Those are the scented candles I brought. How's the scent?"
Just then, someone pushed the door open and said this to him.
"...It's alright, just a little sweet."
Rito rubbed his head, moved to lean against the headboard, squinted at the flickering firelight in the corner, and then looked at Nana Min, who was wearing his white shirt as a cover and carrying a glass of warm water as she walked in. He had already pieced together the information in his mind.
"Where are your clothes? Why aren't you wearing your own?" He reached out and took her hand, asking with a smile.
"It's all because of some drunkard." Nanamin rolled her eyes dramatically, shoved the water glass into his hand, and sat down on the edge of the bed. The hem of her shirt just covered her mid-thighs, revealing a section of her dazzlingly white knees. "Drink up, it's freshly made honey water."
Rito took the cup and gulped down a large mouthful. The warm, sweet water slid down his throat, and he felt much better. He put down the cup and glanced at Nanamin's shirt out of the corner of his eye—he often wore this shirt in the summer, so he washed it quite a few times. He had originally planned to put it at the bottom of a trunk and throw it away someday, but Nanamin had found it. It was loose and baggy on her, with her collarbone and one shoulder exposed.
"Ms. Hashimoto, you seem to know a lot, don't you? Why don't you stay tonight?"
Rito licked his lips, suddenly feeling that the honey water wasn't quite enough to quench his thirst. He reached out to grab the girl, but she slapped him away, accompanied by a forced, mocking smile:
"Do you think I'd still have the energy to provide sexual services after dragging a drunkard back, changing his clothes, wiping his face, and helping him to bed? Go take a shower now, and then go sleep in the living room. I've requisitioned this room."
Nana Min glanced at him sideways. Although her face still looked like that of an 18-year-old, her aura was that of a top idol.
Knowing he was in the wrong, Li Ren didn't dare to talk back. He took the pajamas she handed him, got out of bed, and headed towards the bathroom.
"Oh, right," Nana Min suddenly called out to him, "I think that house we went to see together last time is pretty good, why don't we just book it?"
"You mean... the Songtao place?" Rihito hesitated for a moment, then smiled. "Didn't you think it was too upscale and too big, and not suitable for you?"
"I feel it's suitable now, is that not allowed?"
Nana Min's face flushed slightly, but she ignored him, stood up, and walked out of the bedroom.
"Strange? What's wrong with Nanamin?"
Watching her stormy departure, Rito shook her head in confusion, but didn't think too much about it. She grabbed her pajamas and headed to the bathroom.
After washing up, Rito heard the sounds of a faucet, clinking dishes, and then the click of the gas stove igniting coming from the kitchen. Curious, he quickly went over.
"Didn't you have dinner?"
Nanamin looked so delicious in her apron and her hair tied up like a married woman. Rito leaned against the door frame and admired her for a while before going up to her, hugging her from behind, and asking softly.
"Don't be too touched, I just wasn't hungry before."
Nana Min only flinched slightly upon first contact, then remained calm, offered a casual explanation, turned off the heat, cut a small piece of octopus sausage from the pot, and offered it to the man leaning on her shoulder.
"Ooh-sigh—" Rito gave him a thumbs up in a very supportive manner. Nana Min knew, of course, that her cooking skills were only good enough to eat, and octopus sausage wasn't exactly a dish that showcased her culinary skills. However, she was still inexplicably happy and turned to kiss him on the lips.
"This one's good too." Rito chuckled, his odd manner earning him a warning look from Nanamin. The two then plated the dishes together and took them to the restaurant.
After dinner, Rito took the initiative to clear the dishes and wash them in the kitchen. Nana Min didn't stand on ceremony with him either, and curled up on the sofa in the living room, turned on the TV, and randomly selected a channel. The evening news anchor was broadcasting political news that nobody cared about. When Rito came out after washing the dishes, he saw her with her legs curled up on the sofa, her chin resting on her knees, and the hem of her shirt slipped up a little, revealing a section of her upper thigh.
He looked away and sat down at the other end of the sofa.
"Are you really sure about that one? Then I'll call the agent."
"Okay, it's confirmed." Nana Min changed the channel, her tone nonchalant. "Anyway, you make money so easily, I don't need to feel sorry for you, right?"
"Tsk, Nanamin is so unkind. I'm sad, I need a hug to cheer me up~"
Faced with Rito's tantrums, Nana Min finally turned her head to look at him, a smirk playing on her lips. She opened her arms, and soon a familiar voice gradually drowned out the news anchor's headline, echoing in the soon-to-be-owned residence.
-----------------
The morning sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting warm golden dappled patterns on the floor. Rito was awakened by the usual silly tone of the female lead in a morning drama on TV. Opening his eyes, he saw the girl who had been beside him last night had already changed her clothes and was sitting cross-legged beside him, munching on an apple while engrossed in watching her show.
"Good morning." He stretched and climbed onto Nanamin's shoulder like a soft-bodied animal, wanting a good morning kiss.
"Go brush your teeth first." Nanamin rolled her eyes at him and put her index finger between their lips.
"Oh." Rito nodded obediently, got up from the sofa, and walked towards the bathroom. Just as Nanamin was quite satisfied with his actions and was about to give him a treat, she suddenly heard him mutter, "He was more obedient last night."
"Hey! Kubo Rihito!" The man's words reminded Nana Min of some unspeakable scenes from last night. She had paid a considerable price to satisfy his so-called bullshit reason of exploring the system's mechanisms. Now he dared to use these things to amuse himself. Ms. Hashimoto from Hokkaido was instantly enraged. Her sadistic spirit took over, and she leaped up from the sofa to chase after him.
Around noon, Rito changed her clothes and prepared to go out. Nanamin, who had been so imposing not long ago, now looked exhausted, as if she had just participated in some strenuous exercise. Wrapped in a blanket, she leaned against the entryway and asked:
"Are you coming home for dinner tonight?"
Rito paused in tying his shoelaces and looked up at her.
"Don't cook, let's order takeout. I don't want you to turn into a haggard old woman so soon."
"I know, how old am I?" Nana Min pouted, but she didn't really intend to argue with him. She said, "Call me when you're coming back," and dragged her tired steps back inside.
Rito watched her leave, then chuckled to himself, shook his head, and said, "I wonder who provoked her." He then opened the door and went outside.
Arriving at the company right at lunchtime, Rito headed straight for the cafeteria as soon as he entered. Fortunately, all the members were out filming a show today, so no one bothered him, allowing him to enjoy his lunch in peace.
Yoshio Konno, carrying his tray, scanned the cafeteria and quickly spotted Rito Kubo engrossed in a bowl of ramen in a corner. He hesitated for a moment, then walked over and sat down opposite him.
"Kubo-san, I have something to report."
Rito looked up, a little soup still on the corner of her mouth. She pulled out a tissue to wipe it, and mumbled, "Hmm? Go ahead."
"Kobayashi Yui has already submitted her application; she'll be directly placed in the seed group for the final selection without any problem. The same goes for Shiraishi Mai; I think both of them have great potential." Konno flipped through his notebook, reading aloud from each item. "And then there's Seki-san; we haven't received her application yet. Should I contact her?"
"No need, she'll come if she wants to." Rito waved his hand and continued eating his noodles.
Konno nodded, closed his notebook, but didn't leave immediately. He glanced at Rito's expression and tentatively asked, "Kubo-san, the overall quality of this year's applicants is much higher than the first generation auditions. Some are even artists who have already debuted in other companies, and a few were recommended by friends in the industry. I had someone compile a key list; I'll send it to your email later?"
"Okay, after the deadline, send me all the materials you've collected, and I'll compile them and give you a list, just like I did with the first generation." Rito finished the last bite of his noodles, pushed the bowl aside, and leaned back in his chair.
Konno raised an eyebrow, but didn't ask any further questions, simply nodding.
"Also," Rito stood up, picked up his plate, "put more effort into the proposal I gave you last time. Unlike the mainstream idols like Nogizaka46, Keyakizaka46 is an unconventional attempt and the future face of the Sakamichi series. There are no limits to the resources you can provide; you must make a name for yourself."
"clear."
After saying goodbye to Konno, Rito returned to his office and locked the door. He leaned back in his chair, took a deep breath, and focused his consciousness into the selection space in his mind.
"Nanamin gave me a free pull from the main character banner, and with all the regular banners I've saved up for, my luck should be pretty good today."
Familiar gashapon machines lined up in his consciousness. Without hesitation, Rito used up his chances in the regular pool. Several gashapon capsules fell into the dispenser, and he unscrewed them one by one—several familiar official photos floated in the air, along with a few songs and miscellaneous items like points. He collected them all and turned his gaze to the dazzling, top-tier gashapon machine.
"Come on, let's see who's in the center this time."
He reached out and pressed the button. The gears inside the gashapon machine made a crisp clicking sound, and a jet-black gashapon tumbled a few times in the transparent tube before finally falling into the dispensing slot.
Rito reached out and twisted the gashapon capsule. A photo of an official document slowly floated into the air.
The girl had long, smooth black hair and delicate, dignified features. Unlike Hori Miona's gentle yet aloof temperament, her eyes were brighter and carried a stubbornness unique to newcomers, but without the aggressiveness of Hori. She wore a classic idol uniform, and her white skin almost blended into the white background, making her long hair appear even smoother and brighter.
The information bar below the photo slowly appears—
"Nogizaka third-generation student Shiori Kubo."
"It's Ten." Rito wasn't too surprised. After all, there have only been a few dozen people in the history of Sakamichi, so it was expected that someone would be chosen. The only special thing was that the other person had the same surname as him.
"Please, the second generation is the one I'm planning to put pressure on the first generation. It's time to make those girls feel some urgency again."
After saying that, he crushed the card, and the starlight re-condensed in the air.
Just then, the office landline rang. The manager exited the lottery space and answered the phone.
"Rito." It was his father's voice on the other end of the phone, as serious and concise as ever. "Your Nogizaka46 thing is recruiting new members, right?"
"Yes, we're collecting registration materials. What's up?"
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone. The father seemed to be choosing his words carefully before slowly speaking: "Do you remember we have a distant relative in the palace? The branch that came to your coming-of-age ceremony."
Rito's hand tightened slightly on the microphone. A strange premonition crept up his spine, making him almost instinctively blurt out, "I remember, what's wrong?"
"Their second daughter is a second-year high school student. She's not a very good student, but she heard that Nogizaka46 is recruiting and wants to audition. Her father called me." Kubo Masaki's tone sounded somewhat subtle. "I know it's not good to temporarily place someone through connections, but she's a relative after all. Why don't you meet her first?"
Rito leaned back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling with a somewhat unfocused gaze. He did remember having a relative in the palace, but he also remembered clearly that the relative only had one son. When did a second daughter appear?
"I didn't expect you to bring your sister, Ten. Is this some kind of timeline correction? Will your father become the principal thanks to you?"
As he thought this, he also confirmed one thing: the actions of the system in placing members would not affect his memories.
"Riri? Are you listening?" While he was lost in thought, his father, who was sitting opposite him, had already become a little impatient and spoke up to remind him.
"Yes, I'm listening." Rito snapped out of her reverie, trying to make her voice sound calm. "Father, what's her name?"
"Shiori Kubo is actually quite cute, and she's not the type who can't recognize herself."
Rito took a deep breath, suppressing the strange feeling in his heart: "Okay, I'll have someone contact her. I'm going to Miyagi in a couple of days, so I can meet her in person then."
"Going to the palace? Is there something you need?"
"I'm going to see a friend," Rito casually replied, chatted with his father for a few more minutes, and then hung up the phone.