r18novel Chapter 1 Kubo Rihito
Chapter 1 Kubo Rihito
"Mr. Kubo, President Kitagawa and the other senior executives are waiting in the conference room. May I take you there now?"
The sea breeze from Tokyo Bay slipped through the half-open window into Sony Entertainment's bayside office. Despite it being springtime, a lingering chill still hung in the air. A young woman with delicate features, dressed in a standard business suit, entered and bowed slightly to Kubo Rito, who was sitting upright on the sofa, asking him a question in a low voice.
"Hmm? Oh, okay."
Kubo Rihito's eyes widened suddenly. He was the only son of a powerful director at Dentsu, a major Japanese tech giant, and was here today representing Dentsu to negotiate a major collaboration with Sony Music. At that moment, disbelief and bewilderment churned in his brown pupils, only to be instantly suppressed. He straightened his suit jacket, flashed the newcomer a flawless business smile, and followed him at a leisurely pace.
The staff member leading the way walked ahead, while Rito silently followed behind, his eyes involuntarily scanning his surroundings. In those youthful, spirited eyes lay a curiosity and nostalgia that seemed completely out of place with his identity as a "pure-blooded Dentsu elite"—if his friends were here and saw him like this, they would surely make a good laugh at him.
It really is Tokyo Tower. The symbol of old Tokyo that Grandpa always talked about is exactly the same as the one in the textbook photo. It turns out, I really did travel through time.
Rito blinked, a complex expression flashing across his handsome face. That's right, he wasn't the original Rito Kubo of this world. Despite sharing the exact same name, the body of this only son of a Dentsu director housed a soul from another parallel world. In his previous life, while not as prominent as the original owner, he had still lived a comfortable life, and within minutes, he had largely accepted this new identity.
Rito glanced once more at the red tower his grandfather had so fondly remembered, sighed inwardly, and then looked away. As a future person born in the era of the AI revolution and who had played countless real-world games, a mere Tokyo Tower was not enough to shake his resolve. He looked down at the documents in his hand, his knuckles turning slightly white—what truly stirred his emotions and made him instantly accept his transmigration was the memory belonging to the original owner of this body.
"Akimoto-san, why did you leave like this?"
Rito murmured to himself. In this world's timeline, when the calendar turned to 1989, Akimoto Yasushi, who had just disbanded Onyanko Club and was preparing to start a new era for Japanese idols, was killed on the streets of Tokyo by a heavy truck driven by someone hired by Weekly Bunshun due to a conflict with the latter's revelations. He was only 31 years old.
The sudden death of the man known to later generations as the "father of Japanese idols" had an impact beyond taking away the long-established magazine Weekly Bunshun in a near-self-destructive manner. Its more profound influence was also etched into the history of Japanese idol development for the next thirty years.
In this timeline, there was no national idol craze sparked by AKB48, no decades-long generational succession of Hello Musume, and no Sakamichi Series consisting of Nogizaka, Sakurazaka, and Hinatazaka, which held up the ceiling of the Reiwa idol world. More than thirty years later, the Japanese idol scene in this world is left with only a few scattered, insignificant underground idols, living on the fringes of the entertainment industry, unable to even touch the threshold of the mainstream market, let alone national-level groups, let alone the idol culture that swept across Asia.
The original owner of this body was a complete idol fanatic, with an almost obsessive fascination with the idol culture of the Showa era's golden age. In order to revive the former glory of idols, he spent three whole months writing this hundred-page proposal, and then pleaded with his father for days and nights before finally persuading him to use Dentsu's top resources to join forces with Sony Music to create a brand new idol group, injecting new blood into this long-desolate industry.
Whether due to excessive tension or a pre-existing ailment in his body, he suddenly fainted a few minutes before meeting with Sony Music. When he awoke, he found himself inhabiting a different body—that of a visitor from another world.
Well, well, well, I'm so sorry, Kubo-san, you share the same name as me. I didn't mean to steal your place, but to express my apology, let me help you fulfill this wish. After all, I personally witnessed that magnificent idol-filled Warring States period, and besides, I also have…
"Kubo-san? Kubo-san? We've arrived."
Just as Rito's thoughts were wandering, the respectful voice of the secretary leading the way pulled him back to reality. Meeting her inquisitive gaze, Rito's cheeks flushed slightly. He coughed lightly to cover his embarrassment and nodded to indicate that he understood. The secretary, with impeccable professionalism, didn't ask any further questions, bowed slightly, and opened the conference room door for him.
Behind the door was a spacious conference room. Sony Music President Naoki Kitagawa sat in the main seat, with a group of senior executives from the production and marketing departments behind him. All eyes were on Rihito Kubo, who had just entered.
"Kubo-san, thank you for waiting." Kitagawa Naoki stood up, smiling, and extended his hand. "I heard you weren't feeling well earlier. Are you feeling better now?"
"Thank you for your trouble, it's just a minor issue." Kubo Rito shook his hand in return, his tone calm and unhurried. His experience as a rich second-generation heir in his previous life, combined with the confidence of a transmigrator, allowed him to instantly get into character. The moment he sat down, he placed the proposal in the center of the conference table, drawing all eyes to him.
After two hours of detailed discussions, both parties finally settled the last few points of contention. Kubo Rihito and Kitagawa Naoki signed and stamped the final contract, marking the official conclusion of the collaboration between Dentsu and Sony Entertainment regarding this idol project. As agreed, two months after the new company's establishment, they will launch a nationwide audition for Nogizaka46's first generation—Dentsu will be responsible for all-channel promotion and pre-launch publicity, while Sony will provide the venue and on-the-ground execution team. Together, they are determined to make this new group an instant hit.
"Then I'll take my leave now. I'll have my subordinates liaise with you regarding the follow-up matters."
"Alright, take care, Kubo-san."
He declined the Sony Music president's polite offer to see him off and walked briskly out of the Sony building. He stretched lazily in the bright midday sun. Even with the memories in his mind and his experiences from his later life as a foundation, this long commercial tug-of-war still left him somewhat exhausted.
Just then, a calm electronic voice suddenly resounded deep within his mind:
[Complete the initial preparations for the group to unlock the New Player Gift Pack: S-rank potential member: Keyakizaka46's Nagahama Neruru, and 3 chances to draw from the regular gacha pool. Please refer to the New Player Tutorial for detailed rules.]