MC Bookstore Chapter 16 The Agreement
Chapter 16 The Agreement
"Tell me, what made you think of coming to me?"
Looking at the dejected little dog beside her, head drooping and speechless, Rito chuckled. Although the system had explained that selected members would have a strong desire to join Shinsaka under the influence of their subconscious, people are not machines after all. They can't just faithfully run on a single command. Moreover, life is complicated, and not everyone can do as they please. Rito was prepared for someone like Kobayashi Yui who gave up halfway through, even though it was the first time she had encountered such a situation. However, she didn't expect to run into her again after all this time, and judging from her current state, she seemed to be regretting it again.
"I saw him on the way."
Xiaolin's lips moved, but it took her a long time to finally manage to utter a single sentence.
"Oh, is that all? I'll be going then?"
Rito glanced at her, his eyes flickering.
"Wait a minute." Back in her "lonely puppy" days, Kobayashi was still quite naive. The moment she saw him lift his foot, she panicked and grabbed his sleeve. But when Rito turned around, looking at her with a half-smile, she recoiled as if her finger had been burned, taking a half-step back and lowering her head even further. Stray hairs fell across her forehead, obscuring her eyes, revealing only her tightly pursed lips. People came and went in the corridor, and occasionally a TV crew member would cast a curious glance. She would shrink even closer to the railing, like a stray cat cornered against a wall.
Rito stopped, but his face showed little pity. He crossed his arms and looked at her leisurely: "What's wrong, Kobayashi-san? Why do you make it seem like I'm bullying you? Didn't you refuse to participate in the audition yourself?"
"I'm sorry." Kobayashi's voice had a slight nasal tone, and upon closer listening, it seemed more embarrassed than aggrieved. "I originally wanted to continue participating in the audition, but..."
After that, there was a long silence. Rito raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. He just took out his phone from his pocket, even though phones these days aren't very fun. He didn't look at her.
Half a minute later, Lonely Xiaolin finally organized her thoughts and slowly explained why she had suddenly disappeared during the selection process.
"The day before I received the text message that I passed the second round of auditions, I also got accepted by another company. It was a pure record company, and being a solo singer is my dream." She glanced at Rihito, whose expression remained unchanged, and her voice grew softer and softer as her fingers twisted together in a strange way.
"I understand, so you've debuted? Congratulations!"
"Kubo-san, please stop making fun of me. Who dresses like this after debuting?" She fidgeted with the hem of her clothes and laughed self-deprecatingly. "I overestimated myself. I went to their company for several auditions, but I was rejected in the end. I came to the TV station today to find the person who invited me back then, hoping he can give me another chance."
"It seems that opportunity doesn't always favor the prepared."
"Yes." Although Rito's words were sharp, Kobayashi did not show the slightest displeasure. After going through a round of rigorous screening by a large company, such words could no longer hurt her heart.
Seeing that the girl was neither humble nor arrogant, and was polite and well-mannered, Rito secretly admired her in his heart. He stopped his mocking attitude and said with a serious expression, "I know what you're thinking when you come to see me, but Nogizaka's first generation members have already been formed, and today is the day to announce the positions for the first single. I'm sorry, but if I let you join now, not to mention what the members who have already formed the group will think, I myself can't get past my own conscience."
"...Alright." Kobayashi took a deep breath. This result was within her expectations. She had only been hoping for a last chance and wasn't too disappointed. She bowed deeply to Rito and said softly, "I understand, Kubo-san. Sorry to bother you."
After saying that, she lowered her head and turned to leave.
Rito was silent for a moment, then tossed the empty coffee can into the nearby trash can with a crisp sound. He watched the girl's slightly trembling back and softly called out to her, "Wait a minute, Yui Kobayashi."
Kobayashi suddenly stopped, but didn't turn around; his shoulders just twitched slightly.
"Although the first generation has been formed, the number is still some distance from the large girl group I envision. If the activities go smoothly, there may be selections for the second generation in the second half of the year." Rihito's voice softened a bit. "If you still haven't found a good place in the next six months, send your information to our company email address, and I will directly put you in the final selection."
The atmosphere in the corridor froze for three seconds before Kobayashi Yui slowly turned around. She didn't display the ecstatic expression of a job-hunting worker; instead, she raised her eyes, which had always been veiled by a layer of melancholy, and her gaze now seemed to shimmer like a deep pool into which a pebble had been thrown. Her bangs fluttered slightly in the corridor breeze, revealing her smooth forehead and her exceptionally bright eyes.
"Thank you very much, I will come." Her voice was still very soft. After all, she was a heartless woman who didn't even shed a tear at her graduation concert, but the tremor in her voice still betrayed her feelings to some extent.
"Well, practice your guitar diligently during this time. I really like the tone in the video you sent, but it's lacking in other aspects. Since you've been to other professional companies, you should know where your shortcomings lie. Keep it up, and I hope to see you at the second generation audition."
Rito glanced at the time and realized it was almost time to announce the first team's positions, so he stopped talking, waved goodbye to Kobayashi, and left.
"I understand, thank you so much." Yui Kobayashi nodded emphatically, bowed deeply to Rito, and watched him walk around the corner before raising her head again, wiping the tears from the corner of her eyes, and turning to leave.
Back in the studio, the scene was even more hellish than when Rito left. Because they had been delayed outside for too long, the selection positions had already been announced. For the girls who were experiencing something like this for the first time, the impact was overwhelming in every sense of the word. Although they probably didn't even know where their tear triggers were, they still burst into tears. The "banana man" (a derogatory term for someone who is overly tolerant of others), the director, and the staff were also cruel and didn't comfort them. They just stood there laughing and watching the show. As a result, Rito, who just returned at this moment, became the outlet for the girls' emotions. As soon as Shui Shui asked, "President, why did you take so long to come back?", everyone tacitly gave him a dozen or so resentful or pitiful looks, which almost made him lose his balance and fall to the ground.