NABC Chapter 54 Did you know? Liu Zhimin's group released a new song today.
Chapter 54 Did you know? Liu Zhimin's group released a new song today.
On the night the Bunshun announcement was released, Rito, as usual, went home after get off work. Nanamin had cooked a delicious meal tonight—or rather, microwaved a delicious meal. Rito immediately recognized it as the work of a famous restaurant, smiled, and was actually quite happy. Cooking is just a hobby; if you get too absorbed in it, even a fairy will turn into a haggard housewife.
"By the way," Nana Min put down her chopsticks and suddenly spoke, her fingers unconsciously fiddling with her hair, "Have you been going to the company lately?"
"You went twice last week, what's wrong?"
"I had dinner with Shiraishi a few days ago." Nanamin looked at him with some worry in her eyes. "She said that although the sales of the fourth single were not bad, apart from her, the other second generation members' popularity has not taken off. Shiori and Yui are doing a little better, but Hori and the others are not doing so well."
Rito glanced at the time, then asked thoughtfully, "Is Mai worried, or are you worried?"
"She's alright, but I was mainly thinking about the previous second-generation trainees." Nanamin didn't deny it, revealing an awkward smile as if her thoughts had been exposed.
"They're different. There's Mai, Osamu, Kobayashi, and Hori. Misa-nee's popularity is bound to rise. The first generation can't suppress them forever." Rito said while eating, her tone somewhat confident. "It's only been a short time, they haven't even appeared on two episodes yet. How are you going to get fans to fall for them?"
"But the first generation members are stronger than we were back then, at least according to the data."
"Is there?"
"Of course." Nana Min rolled her eyes at him and continued, "Do you know what the last batch of fans on the forum called Mai-sama?"
"Oh? What's it called?" Rihito became interested when she heard this topic.
"Her name is Babaa Nagi, and she's an old lady named Awa. She said we already have the younger and prettier Inoue Kazumi, so why not let her be the center? Why choose a 20-year-old old woman? It almost made me furious."
As Nana Min was talking, she suddenly picked up her chopsticks and stabbed them hard into the poor plate of tuna sushi in front of her, clearly showing that she was really angry.
In contrast to her, Rito didn't think much of it, and even wanted to laugh a little—from curry white sesame to baba nagi, the world had finally gone mad into the way he wanted it to be.
"Feed—" Nana Min, who had caught her breath, looked at his gloating expression and puffed up her chubby cheeks.
"Alright, alright, I'll ask Konno-san to give them more resources." Rito waved his hand, not taking it too seriously. The first generation members certainly had an advantage, but it wasn't as serious as Nana Min thought. Humans are ultimately creatures of appearance, and he still had a lot of confidence in this second generation.
Nanamin was silent for a while, then finally agreed. After another pause, she suddenly changed the subject:
"There's one more thing, I've already talked to Sayuri about it."
"Is that so?" Compared to the future of the second generation, Yuri-chan, who was the first to break through the system's shackles and regain her memories, was the one that worried Rito more. He put down his chopsticks and showed a serious expression for the first time tonight.
"Yes, she told me that her memory was stuck just before she gave birth. She remembered that the lights in the delivery room were faulty that day, only half of them were on, and that the nurses were encouraging her, shouting that she was about to come out, and then everything went black, and she was back in reality."
Nana Min's voice was somewhat downcast as she spoke. Although she had never been a mother herself, she was mature enough to understand the feelings of parents. After ten months of pregnancy, not even seeing the child's face was bound to be frustrating.
Rito didn't speak, but simply held her hand, silently supporting her. The restaurant remained quiet for a long time, with only the low hum of the air conditioner and the occasional sound of cars outside the window.
Taking a moment to compose herself, Nana Min withdrew her hand, patted the back of his hand, and forced a smile:
"But don't worry too much. Lily is a realist, and this kind of thing won't break her. I can see that she's already trying to get over it. You need to give her some time."
"Of course." Rito nodded. "After all, this all started because of me. Tell her not to worry, and to let me know if she needs anything. I'll do my best to help."
"Why should I tell her? Go ahead and do it yourself. I'm not going to be a messenger." Nanamin rolled her eyes at him, swallowed the last bit of rice in her bowl, and continued, "As for what you're worried about, this is what she said—'Even though I have a thirty-year-old version of myself in my mind, I still feel happy when I'm on stage. That kind of happiness isn't from my memories; it's the happiness of the present moment, happening right now. So as long as this team needs me, as long as the president needs me to stand in that position, I will stay there. Not for any other reason, just because I like it.'"
Looking at Nanamin, and noticing the thin glint in her eyes, Rito suddenly felt a pang of emotion.
"Is this the awareness of the generation that conquered the world? I understand."
Nana Min raised an eyebrow, a hint of mischief in her voice, "Now you know how powerful the first generation members are, right?"
"I've always known, but there are still often new surprises."
"Hmph." Nana smiled with pride, then suddenly seemed to remember something and looked at him: "By the way, hasn't Asuka arrived yet? I'm starting to miss her."
Just as Rito was about to reply, both of their phones on the table vibrated simultaneously. Rito and Nanamin exchanged a glance and quickly picked them up.
Rito clicked the link in the information bar. The digital version of Weekly Bunshun slowly loaded on his phone screen, the headline in bold black font: "Intimate Photos of Popular Idol Group Nogizaka46 Members Exposed?!" Below the headline was a blurry photo, clearly a reprinted photo booth picture, showing two faces pressed together against the backdrop of an arcade, a common sight in the world. The man's face was blurred, but he and Nana Min recognized the woman's face.
"It's Ruoyue, I should have known."
Rito didn't continue reading the text. He slammed his phone down on the table and looked at Nanamin with some annoyance.
"Yeah, it was her last time too. What bad luck."
Nanamin shook her head regretfully. Actually, she knew that many members had boyfriends before joining the group. She didn't expect that in this different timeline, it was Yue Shao who was exposed. However, the good news is that Yue Shao has always been strong, and this little setback should not have any impact on her.
Soon after, Yoshio Konno, who was staying at the company to lead the public relations department in working overtime, called to ask how to handle Bunshun's offensive.
"It's alright, let the PR department rest. I know about this, but it happened before Ruoyue joined the group, so it's all over now. I can just post a notice using my own account."
After hanging up the phone, Rito picked up his phone again and quickly swiped a few times on the screen. Nana looked at him and asked softly, "How are you planning to send it?"
"Of course we should fight back."
He opened Twitter, logged into his pre-prepared official verified account, typed out a long string of text, checked it briefly, and then sent it out.
"I have read Bunshun's report. The photos are real, but the time was before Wakatsuki joined the group. I checked during the audition and made sure that the relationship was clear before recruiting her. Nogizaka has never had, and will never have, the requirement that members must be singles before joining the group. Therefore, the management will not impose any punishment on her for this incident."
Returning to the report itself, I don't think this matter has any news value whatsoever. It's a shame that Wen Chun would go to such lengths to issue a preview, using its own credibility as a guarantee, just to attract attention and gain public interest. To this, I can only say: Enough is enough. If you were to dig up something serious like working as a freelance model, selling used items, or making short videos, then I would thank you for helping me find the oversight in the background check. But if it's just some trivial matter, then stop shamelessly shouting it around the world. Aren't you ashamed? Wen Chun isn't some third-rate weekly magazine.
Finally, anyone who dares to make a big deal out of this during the meet-and-greet will be expelled on the spot and banned from participating in any related activities from then on. Don't say you weren't warned.
Within minutes of the tweet being posted, it had already garnered over a thousand retweets and likes. Most comments were from fans supporting Wakatsuki, with some collaborators also liking the post in support. Of course, there were also criticisms, accusing the management of protecting members and saying that idols are betraying their fans if they're in relationships—but these were ultimately a minority. We're all Japanese; some things are better left unsaid, no need to pretend to be foreigners.
Bunshun's announcement caused such a stir, and it specifically named Nogizaka46. In addition to the management, the members were also paying close attention to the matter. After seeing that it was Wakatsuki who was exposed, and then the president immediately responded, they couldn't wait to open the group chat and offer their condolences to Wakatsuki.
"Thank you everyone for your concern. I'm fine. The whole situation is as the president described, so I won't explain further. I'm very sorry for the impact on the team, and I will work harder to make up for it in the future."
Since it's impossible to reply to each message individually, Yue Shao simply responds to them all at once.
"Don't say things like that, it's not your fault, Yumi."
"Exactly! It's all Bunshun's fault and that scumbag who sold the photos. What bad luck! I knew men were all the same!"
"Who said that? I think the president is great; he stood up for Yumi immediately!"
"Tch, please, the club president isn't in the group chat, he won't see your flattery."
"I can't take a screenshot and show it to him. I'm not like you, Xiao Nan, who sneaks away as soon as the club president arrives. Have you gained a few pounds today?"
"Hey! Miho Watanabe! If you're so tough, don't come to the office tomorrow!"
"What, you think you can crush me with your newfound fat? Don't even dream about it. I'm a former athlete, come at me if you dare."
Whether it was to ease the tension or just for fun, the topic in the group quickly shifted from the Bunshun report to the younger members' daily banter. Occasionally, when they went too far, older members would step in to remind them. The chat history was vast and quickly overshadowed the discussion about the report.
However, few of the first generation members noticed that, although it was a large group chat for all first and second generation members, all the people talking were first generation members. The second generation members, whose numbers were almost equal to those of the first generation members, were completely invisible in the group chat, as if they had never joined.
The forgotten second generation members were gathered in the living room of the Terada Ran family, not for any other reason than that she had the fewest belongings and the emptier room. Even so, seventeen people were still too many, scattered haphazardly in various corners of the room. Even though each person spoke softly, it still sounded quite noisy when they all spoke together.
"Wei Yangnai, why did you call us here? Tell us quickly."
They were having a drink before bed when Misa, who had been called over, seemed a bit annoyed. She clapped her hands to signal everyone to stop arguing and then addressed Houli, the one who had started it all.
"Exactly, I haven't done my beauty exercises yet." "I haven't finished my homework either."
The people below echoed each other, expressing some dissatisfaction. It's no wonder, since Houri is neither a leader nor the most popular among the second generation. If it were Manatsu or Mai who gathered everyone, it would be fine, but it always feels strange that she's doing this kind of thing.
The room gradually quieted down. A dozen or so second-generation students squeezed into Lanlan's living room. Some sat cross-legged on the floor, some leaned against the wardrobe, and several short students sat on the sofa. The air was filled with the scents of various shampoos and shower gels, as well as a subtle tension of unspoken words.
Hori Miona stood in the center of the room, her back to the television, facing everyone. Her black hair was loose, hanging down her shoulders, and she wore a knitted cardigan that had been washed many times and was starting to pill, making her look a little thinner than usual. But when she raised her head, there was not a trace of fear in her eyes.
"I called everyone here to talk about something." Her voice wasn't loud, but it was surprisingly steady. "It's about our situation. It's about the company president."
Several people in the room who had been playing on their phones stopped what they were doing. Bai Ma sat on the edge of the carpet in front of her, her brows slightly furrowed.
"You all probably saw it, how the president responded to the news about Wakatsuki-senpai that Bunshun broke today." Houli held up her phone, the screen still showing a screenshot of the tweet. "Using his own account, he directly confronted Weekly Bunshun and the potential Ekusuke. Pretty satisfying, right?"
"Is there a problem?" Marika Ito asked in a low voice.
"There's nothing wrong with the matter itself. The problem is—" Houli put down her phone, her voice suddenly rising several octaves, "Is it because Wakatsuki-senpai is from Nogizaka46, or because she's a first-generation member?"
The air in the room seemed to freeze for a moment.
"Do you usually chat with the staff?" Houli's gaze swept across everyone's faces. "I do. According to them, when Nogizaka46 was first established, the president stayed by the members' side every day, from morning to night. He accompanied the first generation members during training and was always there when they went on shows. He even took them to greet other artists. Inoue Sayuri's old knee injury flared up, and the medical expenses alone cost hundreds of thousands of yen."
She paused for a moment, seemingly giving everyone time to process the information.
"But what about now? Think back, from the time we merged until now, how long has the president been with the company? And how much of that time has he spent with the second generation members?" Her voice was clearly immature, yet surprisingly persuasive. Many people looked thoughtful after hearing her. "He comes two or three times a week, and every time he comes, he's either looking for Neru or Ayame. Has any of you spoken to him alone? I certainly haven't, but the first generation members in the front row can have him anytime they want."
Silence spread through the room. It wasn't that no one noticed the flaw in her words; Shiori rolled her eyes, thinking that she had seen her running to Rito's office at least five times. "You should at least put some effort into your lies," she thought. However, she was too lazy to argue. The whole room was already in turmoil because of this guy, and she didn't want to become the target of everyone's criticism.
"I'm not blaming the first generation members. They've been through things we haven't. The trust they have with the president is built up over time, and that's true." Houli's voice finally showed a slight ripple, like a pebble thrown into a lake. "But we should also ask ourselves—at this rate, when will we be seen? Not by the fans, but by the president. For him to truly see us as 'Nogizaka46 members,' not just 'replacements for the first generation.' The fifth single is coming soon, and how many selection spots will the second generation occupy this time? Don't you feel any sense of crisis?"
"Hori, calm down." As the top member of the second generation, Mai felt she couldn't let her continue like this. She patted her butt, stood up, and took two steps closer to her. "The president doesn't dislike the second generation members. As long as we work hard—"
"Mai-sama, do you think you've worked really hard?" Hou-ri turned to look at her, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "You jumped straight into the center position, and you're always hanging out with the first-generation members. You've probably forgotten you're a second-generation member, haven't you?"
Bai Ma stopped in her tracks, and the gaze directed at her gradually became serious. Her fair skin, which was known as a reflector, lost its luster and gradually revealed another form.
"Hori, don't go too far. Mai always emphasizes her status as a second-generation member in public, and she's always taken care of us. What you're saying is hurtful." Misa stood up from the floor, stood between the two, and casually handed an empty beer can to Ito Marika next to her. "If you really cared about the second-generation members, you wouldn't criticize her, unless you have ulterior motives."
Hou Li's eyes sharpened: "Misa, what do you mean?"
"You know what you mean. You've been unhappy for a long time about not being selected for the fourth single, haven't you? What, I was also selected, are you going to lash out at me now?" Misa's voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet room. "You're always sneaking into the president's office so often, do you think you can even make it into the third rank for the next single? I think it's unlikely. Otherwise, why are you in such a hurry today?"
Hou Li's face flushed crimson in an instant. She took a step forward abruptly, staring directly into Misa's eyes, her voice forced out through clenched teeth: "Eto Misa, is it easy to cling to Shiraishi Mai's coattails? I wonder if she'll remember you, a former nobody, when she's soaring to the top."
Misa's expression remained unchanged, but the knuckles of her fingers gripping the beer can turned slightly white. Just as she was about to speak, Mai pushed her away from behind.
"Make way, Misa." Nogizaka46's new center stepped forward.
Snapped!
Under the shocked gazes of the other second-generation members, she slapped Houli across the face. The force of the slender girl staggered, but that wasn't all. She immediately grabbed Houli by the collar and began tearing at the air with each word:
"Hori Miona, if I really sleep with Rito, would you still dare to talk to me like that?"
Houli's eyes widened, and she retorted with no less force than her sister, "Shiraishi Mai, if we ever switch roles, I'll show you what true cruelty is!"
"snort"
With a cold sneer, Mai loosened her collar, took out her phone, dialed Rito's number, pressed speakerphone, and placed it on the table.
The call was answered quickly.
"Maisou, what's wrong?"
The speaker's tone was intimate, and the second-generation members looked at each other with complicated expressions.
"President, I have a question for you. Can you guarantee that everything you're about to say is the truth?"
Mai's gaze swept across the entire room without offering any explanation—and there was really nothing to explain. Given that Rihito was the one-man rule in Nogizaka46, how could the new center possibly have a bad relationship with him?
"Hmm?" Rito glanced at the call screen with a puzzled look, feeling that the voice on the other end sounded a little strange. However, she didn't have time to think about it too much and replied with a smile, "I understand. But for difficult questions, I will exercise my right to remain silent. Is that alright?"
"Which do you prefer, the first generation or the second generation?"
Mai-sama neither said yes nor no, but went straight to the point with her question. Her direct and forceful manner almost knocked Rito unconscious. He frowned, thought carefully for a moment, but couldn't come up with an answer, so he pressed the mute button and turned to Nana-min, asking, "What do you think?"
Nanamin pondered for a moment and then came to an answer: "If you ask me, if you remove neru, it shouldn't make a difference."
"Oh." Rito nodded with a half-smile, then turned the volume back up. "I don't think it makes a difference."
"Then why did you spend all your time with the members before, but stopped coming after we second-generation members arrived? Is it because you dislike us?"
Mai-sama didn't give him a chance and immediately asked the second question.
"Tsk." Rito glanced at Nanamin, seemingly implying that the first generation members were indeed impressive, and replied without hesitation, "Because new members have arrived, and Nogizaka is now on the right track, I think it's okay to loosen up a bit. What, does anyone disagree?"
Mai's gaze swept over Houli, who was kneeling on the ground and biting her lip, and she quickly replied, "No, I've finished asking," before hanging up the phone.
"Are you relieved now?"
After finishing her questioning with the president, the number one member of the second generation maintained her powerful aura and looked around at her teammates. Although she usually liked to be funny and do silly things, as long as she didn't smile, the pressure on her face was still very strong. Under her gaze, many second-generation members lowered their heads and dared not meet her eyes.
"That's settled then. Please keep up the good work, everyone. Your efforts will definitely be noticed, unless you're working in the wrong direction. Also, if there's another event like this, don't invite me. If I, Shiraishi Mai, want to steal a man, I don't need so many people helping me out."
Mai-sama tossed out those words, turned and left decisively, and Misa, Manatsu and the others immediately caught up, leaving together in a grand procession.
After the first group left, Shi Xuli dusted herself off and stood up. She was one of the few who managed to stay smiling until the very end. She glanced around the room, walked over to Hou Li, helped her up, patted her shoulder, and whispered in her ear:
"That's not how you steal a man. Learn from Neru how he does it."
After saying this, Xu Xian smiled faintly and gracefully departed.
"What a pity." Following Sen'o's example, Kobayashi stood up and walked to the door. He glanced back at the group of people who were terrified and at a loss, tilted his head and thought for a while, and said softly, "Actually, the president has always been very concerned about us. We will have our own new program next week. I just don't know if the president will let us continue if he finds out what happened today."
"Huh?" Before anyone in the room could react, Silent Kobayashi had already quietly left, and the door slammed shut, leaving only the echoes lingering around.
After a long while, the owner of the house, Terada Ranze, one of the few second-generation students who could play with Houli, sighed, pulled Houli, who had been standing there blankly, to sit on the sofa, touched her back, and hugged her.
"Haste makes waste, Miyonai. This time, you really made a mistake."
With a sigh, Hou Li collapsed, the moonlight shining like frost on her shoulders, the condensed dew wetting her hoodie.
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Almost at the same time that the second generation experienced a major split, the third generation of Sakurazaka, who lived in the Akasaka Western-style building, were also facing their first disagreement.
"What? Rika, you want to go out now? No way, didn't Mikoto say that she has to accompany you every time you go out?"
Riko Endo looked at the eldest sister in the group in surprise and waved her hands frantically.
"Who knew she'd be gone so long and still not back? I've run out of face masks, I have to put one on before bed," Rika said righteously, hands on her hips.
"It won't matter if I miss a day." Riko muttered softly, unable to understand her persistence.
Rika glanced at her and raised an eyebrow: "When you get to my age, Riko, you'll understand. If you don't take care of your skin, it will start showing signs of problems on its own."
"You talk like you know everything, but everyone's clearly suffering from amnesia—"
"Um?"
Riko was still whispering when Rika gave her a look, which made her shut up with a sly smile. She looked up and said, "Let's wait until Junyo and the others come back. They went to the supermarket and should be back soon. Besides, you don't have any money, so you can't buy anything if you go out now."
"Who said I didn't?" Rika smiled, giving her a smug wink, and pulled a thick wad of banknotes from her pocket. "You think your Rika-neechan is just a pushover? A little trick and that guy obediently handed it over, okay? How about it, Riko, want to go out for a stroll with your sister? Tired of staying in this little house, aren't you?"
Looking at her wicked older sister, who was holding Fukuzawa Yuki and trying to seduce her, Li Bao seemed to see the phantom of a little devil behind her. However, the repression from being confined for many days overcame her fear of the devil. Li Bao grinned and said cautiously, "Then let's find a shop nearby. Let's go and come back quickly. We can't let Mei Qing find out."
(Li Bao's looks are amazing!)
"Of course, don't worry, I've already surveyed the surrounding area with binoculars."
Rika patted her chest and readily agreed. The two tidied their clothes, quietly closed the door, and soon disappeared into the night.
At 9:30 p.m., in Songtao's villa, Liren had finished washing up and was about to go back to his room to rest when his phone suddenly rang. He took it out and saw that it was Meimei calling.
"Huh? Why is this guy calling at this hour?"
Rito answered the call with a strange expression. The background noise on the other end was a bit noisy, as if it were outdoors.
"President, I have two lost girls here. They say they know you. Do you want to let them answer the phone?"
The sweet bleating sound traveled through the signal to his ears.
"Huh? Ask them what their names are."
Li Ren was startled and quickly asked.
"The club president asked you what your names are."
Meimei held her phone further away, tilting her head to examine the two girls in front of her. One was taller, her eyes unusually bright under the streetlights, while the other huddled behind her, only half her face visible. Both were dressed casually, wearing indoor slippers, clearly having left in a hurry.
"What are your names?" she asked, and the two quickly gave their names.
"Rika Ishimori, Riko Endo," Meimei muttered to herself before handing the message to Rito on the other end of the phone.
"They said their names are Rika Ishimori and Riko Endo, do you remember them, President?"
Strangely enough, although Meimei's voice was clearly sweet, Rito suddenly sensed something eerie as he listened. He turned around abruptly but saw nothing. However, before he knew it, a cold sweat had broken out on his back, which he had just dried.
"Hmm, it must be my imagination," he muttered, then said to the person opposite, "I understand. Tell me the address, I'm coming to find you now."
"Okay, we're at XXXX now." After giving the address, Meimei put away her phone, walked between the two of them, and naturally took Riko's arm. The grip wasn't strong, but Riko couldn't easily break free. "The president will be here soon. Let's go to the bubble tea shop to wait. It's on me."
I love this damp, ghostly flavor.