PNB Chapter 50 An Immoral Summer
Chapter 50 An Immoral Summer
The office door closed gently behind me, shutting out the faint noise of the trainees coming from the corridor.
Rito sat down at his desk and gestured for Airi to sit opposite him. The afternoon sunlight streamed in through the blinds, making their eyes a little blurry. Rito squinted and slowly began to speak.
"Airi, for the next six months, my focus will be on Keyakizaka." He pushed a document in front of Airi. "Konno-san is keeping an eye on Nogizaka, so you don't need to worry about it for now. Your job is to quickly familiarize yourself with the concept of Keyakizaka and take care of their daily lives."
Airi took the document, opened to the first page, and quickly scanned its contents—it was Keyakizaka's debut project draft, including the member list, training schedule, debut timeline, and so on. She quickly glanced through the contents and nodded.
"I understand. Give me a week, and I will master it completely."
Seeing her confident demeanor, Rito couldn't help but laugh: "No wonder you're a current university student, your brain works really well."
"I don't know if it will work, but passing the exam is better than failing, right?"
Airi glanced at him intentionally or unintentionally, and suddenly said something in a strange tone. At first, Rito didn't understand what she meant, until Airi gestured with her eyes towards the direction downstairs, and then he burst out laughing.
"Oh—you mean Neru? I don't think there's anything wrong with it, isn't it quite cute?"
"At eighteen, you could still be considered young and impetuous, but if you get any older, you'll just be outspoken and reckless."
Airi crossed her arms in front of her and gave him a stern reminder.
"Alright, alright, I'll teach her a lesson later." Rito could ignore the advice of the others, but Airi was new, so he had to give her some face. He smiled and made a gesture of surrender, but whether he actually listened or not, only he knew.
Airi sensed his perfunctory attitude and rolled her eyes slightly, but she didn't push her luck. She stood up from her chair and her voice suddenly lowered a few decibels. "Is the business over? Now let's talk about who I need to be careful of. I don't want to offend someone I can't afford to offend without realizing it. Good jobs aren't so easy to find these days."
Rito watched her figure suddenly disappear into the shadows and smiled: "Is it hard for Tokyo University students to find jobs? This is Japan's golden age of economic development."
Airi didn't answer; she just watched him silently from the shadows.
"Alright, alright, I was planning to tell you later." The company president, realizing he'd been rebuffed, shook his head and said, "The first one is Hashimoto Nanami. I'll introduce you to her tonight."
When talking about the person he trusts most in the world, Rito's expression softened considerably. His gaze fell on the newly planted Keyakizaka tree outside the window, and he continued slowly, "She now works in Dentsu's venture capital department. You two may have a lot of interaction in the future, but she's very easy to get along with, so you can rest assured about that."
Airi's eyelashes trembled slightly as she silently memorized the name—Hashimoto Nanami. She had assumed that, based on her understanding of Kubo Rito, the first name she would hear would be from Nogizaka46, but she hadn't expected there to be another expert. She couldn't help but feel a little curious about this woman who had outshone so many beautiful idol girls.
"And there's Nishino Nanase, you've already met her." Rito turned around and looked at her again, his expression somewhat strange. "She's one of my people too, but she's a bit naive. If it's not something important, you don't need to cater to her. Just do what you're supposed to do. If she acts up, tell her to come to me. Don't spoil her."
Airi was silent for a few seconds, then burst out laughing.
"What are you laughing at?" Rito felt a chill run down his spine from her laughter.
"I'm laughing. President, you're really strange. You clearly dote on Neru so much, but it's Nanase who's actually the one who's going to make a move." Airi covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking. "I know what you mean. I'll keep an eye on Nanase for you, but I feel like she's actually quite sensible. Aren't you being too harsh on her?"
"You've only known her for a short time, how dare you say such things?" Rito shook his head, both amused and exasperated. "Fine, I'll tell you what I mean, even if you don't believe me. Anyway, you'll have plenty of time to spend together in the future, so you know what's going on."
Airi, having finished laughing, put on a serious expression again and stuffed Keyakizaka's proposal into her bag: "I understand. I'll head to the practice room now. To understand them, you have to meet them face-to-face, right?"
"Whatever you want, but I have a private meeting this afternoon and I might not be able to come back to pick you up. I'll send you the address later, and you can come over yourself tonight."
"Did you send it to the wrong person again?" Airi looked at him suspiciously.
"Maybe."
Li Ren shrugged, picked up a coat from the sofa, and left with her.
Meanwhile, in the practice room on the second floor, the atmosphere was much more relaxed than before. The trainees scattered in twos and threes to rest. Some went to the vending machine to buy drinks, some stretched against the wall, and a few bolder ones gathered around Shuishui and Nana Sai, chattering and asking all sorts of questions.
"Nagahama-senpai, is Nogizaka's training much tougher than ours?"
"Senior, I'm a fan of yours, could I take a picture with you?"
"Nishino-senpai, is it true that you and Inoue-senpai got into a fight in the locker room, as some online sources say?"
"Hey! Who's talking nonsense!"
After a brief commotion, someone suddenly asked a very rude question, which instantly darkened Nana Sai's face, and her sharp gaze swept across the room like a machine gun. Just as everyone was trembling and about to scatter like birds, Shui Shui spoke up to defuse the situation, saying, "Nothing like that. Nana Sai is so skinny; if a fight really broke out, she would have been covered in bruises by Xiao Baihe."
"Hey, Neru, do you have so little confidence in me? Sayuri isn't that much stronger than me, okay?" Nanase glanced at her sideways and said with a hint of defiance.
"Others have abs, what do you have? You're the kind of person who can't even bend over backwards without looking like you're about to die." Shui Shui sneered, mercilessly exposing her shortcomings in front of everyone. However, the trainees could tell that there was a joke in her words, so they breathed a sigh of relief and echoed her. But no one dared to ask the same suicidal question again.
In a corner of the practice room, Hirate Yurina sat alone, her earphones plugged in, her gaze fixed on the window, as if the surrounding noise had nothing to do with her.
Shuishui's gaze inadvertently swept over her, then quickly shifted away. She had just noticed this girl—while everyone else was resting and chatting, she was the only one sitting quietly in the corner, like a forgotten island. That sense of alienation made Shuishui feel inexplicably familiar, yet also somewhat uneasy.
"Neru-nee, are you watching Hirate?" A trainee followed her gaze and said in a low voice, "Hitate is usually like this, not very talkative, but she's the strongest among us. The president also said she's a stage genius."
"Really?" Shui Shui withdrew her gaze, smiled, and didn't say anything more. She was used to the familiar feeling she often experienced from certain people, and simply attributed it to the mutual appreciation between kindred spirits.
After chatting for a while, the door to the practice room was pushed open from the outside. Rito stood in the doorway and waved to the trainees: "Have you rested enough? Let's start training. I have to go out for a bit. This is our new assistant, Suzuki Airi-san. She's in charge while I'm gone."
Upon hearing the president's words, the trainees all turned their attention to Airi, whose appearance was in no way inferior to that of the two seniors. Many of them were surprised. At first, they thought she was also a senior from Nogizaka46 and even secretly searched for her on the official website. They never expected that she would be the president's new assistant. However, they didn't have time to think about it at the moment and quickly bowed.
Just as Airi and the future Keyakizaka members were introducing themselves to each other, Nanase walked quickly along the edge of the practice room to Rito's side, poked his shoulder, and whispered, "I want to be with you."
"Okay, then come with me."
Faced with Nana Sai's coquettishness, Rito didn't refuse. He had originally intended to broaden her horizons, and after agreeing to her request, Rito looked at Shui Shui not far away and raised an eyebrow at her.
"I'm not going. You and Nana can go," Shui Shui said casually. "I'm very interested in Keyakizaka's new song and want to listen to it more."
Rito's eyes narrowed slightly, somewhat surprised. He looked at Shui Shui for two seconds, and Shui Shui calmly met his gaze. Rito couldn't discern anything amiss, and finally nodded: "Okay, then you can stay here. Tell Airi if you want to go back."
"Okay." Shui Shui waved to him, then turned to Nana Sai with a meaningful smile, "Nana Sai, be careful on the road."
Nanase's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, but she quickly regained her harmless smile: "Yeah, Neru, you should go back early too."
Rito led Nana downstairs to the parking lot and found their car. The moment the car door closed, the car suddenly fell silent, with only the low hum of the air conditioner and the faint chirping of birds outside the window.
Nana wasn't wearing a seatbelt. She turned to the side, snuggling up to Rito like a cat, burying her face in his shoulder, and taking a deep breath.
"You miss me that much?" Rito smiled indulgently and reached out to ruffle her hair.
"No, I'm just tired." Nana Sai's voice was muffled and came through the fabric of her clothes, sounding somewhat indistinct. "I'm still not quite used to team life."
"Still haven't made up with Sayuri?"
"What can I do if she won't talk to me?" Nana raised her head, her big eyes staring straight at him, filled with an emotion that was hard for a rational person to understand at a moment. "Manatsu promised to help me convey the idea of reconciliation, but I don't know if she can do it."
Rito chuckled, "It's really shameless of you two first-generation members to bother Manatsu, a second-generation member, with your business."
Nana didn't speak, but simply buried her face in his shoulder again, nuzzling her forehead against his neck. She was using citrus-scented shampoo today, refreshing with a subtle sweetness, exactly the same scent as that kiss on that rainy night last year.
Rito looked down at her. Sunlight, partially obscured by clouds, slanted in through the car window, falling on her slightly flushed cheeks and casting a warm golden hue. Compared to the Osaka gyaru she was when she first participated in the audition, she now possessed 80% of her peak abilities, coupled with the youthful collagen of an eighteen-year-old. Rito suddenly felt a thirst for something more.
Hiding in the man's arms, Nana Sai didn't need to look up to feel his possessive gaze lingering over her body, as if it could become tangible. The tips of her ears quietly turned pink, but she didn't look up. Instead, she buried her face even deeper.
"Nana Sai," Rito called her name softly.
"Um?"
"Raise your head."
Nanasai hesitated for a moment, then slowly raised her head. Their eyes met, and the air in the carriage suddenly felt thick. Rito looked at her, reached out and brushed aside the stray hairs that fell across her forehead, his fingertips inadvertently tracing her temple, causing her to tremble slightly.
"I want to kiss you." Rito pressed his forehead against hers, his voice unusually earnest.
Nana puffed out her cheeks and gave him a disgruntled look, her eyes, also filled with a spring-like allure, seemed to say: What are you waiting for? Did I stop you?
"Airi said I might be too harsh on you, so I was thinking..." Rito lowered his head, still babbling on and on, but Nanase couldn't wait any longer and sealed his lips with hers, staying for about two seconds before pulling away.
"Shut up, then kiss me."
Her heart was pounding so loudly she doubted he could hear it too. Even though they had already done more intimate things, she still got so nervous at times like this that her palms would sweat.
Rito was amused by her appearance and pinched her chin, making her lift her head. Nanasai could only look him in the eye, her eyes already veiled with a thin layer of mist, her lips slightly parted, like a rosebud about to bloom.
"My Nana is such a little flirt," he teased in a low voice.
Then his kiss landed on her lips, soft, warm, with a touch of early summer restlessness. Nana didn't close her eyes; she looked at Rito's face so close to hers, at his slightly lowered eyelashes, at the shadow of his nose cast on her cheek. Only when his tongue gently pried open her lips did she finally close her eyes, wrap her arms around the back of his neck, and cling to him.
Rito's hand slid from her cheek to the back of her neck, his fingers running through her soft, long hair. With a slight pull, he made her tilt her head back. Nana let out a very soft nasal sound, and her body involuntarily pressed closer to him.
Platinum sunlight streamed in through the car windows, casting their shadows onto the backs of the opposite seats, overlapping and indistinguishable. The carriage was utterly quiet, save for the occasional soft breaths escaping from their lips and the low hum of the air conditioning.
After what seemed like an eternity, Rito finally released her. Their foreheads touched, their breathing slightly erratic. Nanasai's face was flushed crimson, the blush spreading from her cheeks to her ears and neck. Her usually mischievous eyes were now wet, as if something was about to spill out.
"Rito..." she called his name softly, her voice so gentle it was almost unbelievable, with a slight upward inflection at the end, carrying a hint of coquetry.
"Um?"
"Is Hashimoto home?" She bit her lip and almost gasped for breath as she asked.
Rito paused for a moment, then smiled.
"Hey, you don't think I called you out just to do *that*, do you? I really had something to do this afternoon, okay?"
Nana didn't speak, but buried her face even deeper. She was wearing a cream-colored knitted cardigan today, and Rito's right hand had already slipped inside the seam. Following the delicate texture of her skin, he could feel the shape of her spine, segment by segment, thin and slightly arched, like a taut bowstring, aimed directly at his heart.
"Wait until summer is over, you're going to be very busy this summer."
After a long period of tenderness, Rito took Nanase's earlobe into his mouth and whispered softly in her ear.