Rebuilding Sakamichi in a chaotic worldline

Chapter 15 Recording the Program

After saying goodbye to the president and his prospective assistant, Shui Shui didn't say another word on her way home. Gao Shan knew exactly why, and didn't want to provoke her. He said goodbye to her at the last fork in the road and headed towards his dormitory.

"Suzuki Airi...heh."

Watching her companions leave, Shuishui finally let her guard down and kicked a stone block by the roadside, revealing her true feelings.

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After a few days of simple training, the girls will soon have their first TV show recording. Although Nogizaka46 has not yet officially debuted at this time, the TV program will take some time to air, and the hosts, Bananaman, are very busy, so it was decided to record it ahead of schedule.

The studio lights were blindingly bright, and the air was thick with the smells of hairspray, makeup, and new carpet. The Nogizaka46 girls huddled in the backstage dressing room, frantically making their final preparations before going on stage. Complaints like "Don't push me!" and "Where's my hair clip?" could be heard from time to time, creating a chaotic scene.

"Rina-chan, your bow tie is crooked." Wakatsuki Yumi reached out to straighten Uemura Rina's bow tie, and couldn't help but smile at the other's stiff expression. "Relax, you're our eldest sister."

"I just... didn't expect to have the chance to be on TV so soon." Rina Uemura forced a smile, her eyes wide. "The host is my mom's favorite banana guy. When I called yesterday, my mom even asked me to try to get an autograph."

"Then go ask for it. This show will be going on for a long time. Banana-san should be willing to give us this much face, right?" Inoue said casually, sitting on a chair in the corner, carefully applying eyeliner in front of a small mirror.

"That won't do either. It's so impolite to ask someone for an autograph the first time you meet them!"

"Who are you calling impolite?"

Just then, the door to the dressing room was pushed open, and Rito Kubo, dressed in a dark gray suit, walked in. He happened to hear Fairy Chiba's complaint and laughed as he continued the conversation.

"Ah, it's the president." "President, you've arrived."

The backstage area wasn't large to begin with, so even the slightest movement could easily attract everyone's attention, let alone the arrival of the manager. The girls quickly stood up and bowed to him as instructed by their manager.

"Okay, everyone relax a bit. If my arrival makes you more nervous, then I'll just leave, okay?"

Although Rito was the head of the new company, he was close in age to the girls, and with the ever-reliable Konno playing the "good cop," his relationship with the first-generation members was relatively harmonious. Therefore, none of them felt particularly alarmed by his jokes. The bolder Qiuqiu even teased him back, making Rito laugh heartily. He patted her head and comforted everyone:

"Seeing that you're still so energetic, I'm relieved. I just met with Banana Man-san, and they promised to take care of you as much as possible. Just cheer up and do your best. If you say anything wrong, we can just have the TV station cut it out, understand?"

"Hi!"

Ten minutes later, in the studio where everything was ready, the two hosts from Banana Man were already standing in the center of the stage. Seeing the girls lined up and walking out, Shirakawa immediately smiled and welcomed them, but his persona as a sarcastic commentator on television was too prominent, and the comforting effect was not very obvious.

"Shitara, you scared them." Yuuki Himura chuckled sheepishly, then deliberately put on a serious face. "Hello, I'm Himura, a banana-man (a term for someone who is outwardly Westernized and dislikes the same person), and also the MC of this show. But let me make this clear: if you don't perform well, I won't hold back in my criticism!"

The girls were amused by his antics, and they all lowered their heads, wanting to laugh but not daring to. Sakurai Reika, as the captain, took a deep breath, stepped forward, and bowed to the two hosts: "Hello, Banana-men! We are Nogizaka46! Nice to meet you!"

"Please take good care of us!" The other members also bowed in unison, their voices in unison, demonstrating a good sense of unity.

Shiraku nodded. Since he had already obtained the girls' information beforehand, although he hadn't been able to match their faces with their names yet, they weren't too unfamiliar. After saying hello, he returned to the MC seat and waited for the show to start.

The first episode wasn't anything special; it was simply about the girls introducing themselves to the audience and hosts. As newcomers, everyone was naturally very enthusiastic, which made watching it quite painful for Rito. The various old jokes and the kids' bizarre ideas constantly tormented his nervous system. However, everyone else seemed to be fine with it, and the director even applauded, saying that this was the kind of show he wanted.

Well, so I'm the only one who's out of touch with the masses.

Seeing this, Rito's initial desire to find someone to complain to faded. He made an excuse and slowly left the studio, going to the corridor to rest for a while.

It was 2011, and the TV station was still in a period of absolute dominance. Even in broad daylight, it was still bustling with people. Rito bought a bottle of coffee from the vending machine, leaned against the railing, and planned to wait there for the members to get off work.

"Excuse me, are you Rito Kubo from Nogizaka46?"

As fate would have it, just as he was taking a short break, he heard a slightly apologetic voice interrupting him.

Rito squinted at the newcomer, then suddenly laughed: "No, Nogizaka46 is a female idol group. You've got the wrong person."

The girl paused, then laughed at herself, quickly correcting herself, "Sorry, it was a slip of the tongue. Was it Kubo Rito-san, the one in charge of Nogizaka46?"

Li Ren smiled and nodded, tilting his head. He didn't ask her why she came, but patted the railing beside him as if extending an invitation. The girl hesitated for a moment, but didn't refuse. She obediently stood next to him, about a fist's distance away.

"I know you, Yui Kobayashi." Rito took a sip of coffee and said unexpectedly, "You submitted your application once during the audition, right? But you didn't answer the phone when the staff contacted you afterwards."

The girl called Kobayashi Yui was startled. She never expected that the other party would remember her, who had only submitted her materials once. Her pretty face turned red, and the words she had prepared were useless for a moment. She opened her mouth wide and stammered, unable to say a word for a long time.

Rito gave her a deep look, his smile deepening, a smug thought flashing through his mind:

Got you, Ponpon?

(Keyakizaka first-term student, Saitama Mad Dog)