funbook-pk Chapter 13 Gao Shan cleverly resolves his inner conflict
Chapter 13 Gao Shan cleverly resolves his inner conflict
After a quick recovery, the exhausted girls got up from their seats and prepared to leave in twos and threes.
"Neru, shall we go back together?"
Gao Shan rubbed her aching lower back and extended an invitation to Shui Shui, who was standing next to her. Although she had learned from their previous interactions that Shui Shui did not live in the dormitory prepared for them like most of the local groups, but had her own separate residence, they were all in roughly the same direction, so it did not seem too abrupt.
"Okay, but I need to go upstairs to find the club president; I left my backpack with him."
Shuishui didn't refuse, but asked her to wait for her while she grabbed her bag and came back.
Gao Shan had no reason to refuse such a small matter, so the two agreed to meet in the lobby on the first floor. Shui Shui left first, pushing open the door to go away.
As she watched her go upstairs, Gao Shan was tidying herself up in front of the mirror when suddenly two sweaty figures came into her view from the side. Upon closer inspection, she recognized them as Inoue Sayuri, who looked remarkably like a Hong Kong star, and Watanabe Miho, a basketball player.
It was the two of them.
Gao Shan frowned, seemingly already anticipating the two men's intentions.
"Kazumi, are you and Nagahama close?"
Inoue Sayuri glanced at Watanabe Miho and spoke first.
(A first-generation member of Nogizaka46, often referred to as the Maggie Cheung of Nogizaka46)
"I'm alright, what's wrong?"
A fool can't get along with everyone. Beneath her seemingly kind exterior, Takayama thinks far more than she appears. She clearly remembers the gloomy expression on Sayuri's face when Neru was called away by the club president and didn't go into the practice room with them. She dislikes Neru, and that's obvious to her, with no intention of hiding it.
Ultimately, this is an era that has never seen a truly successful large-scale girl group. Without Morning Musume or AKB48 as role models, it's normal that the girls who passed the audition this time have a skewed concept of idol groups. Including Sayuri, a large number of girls didn't really see Nogizaka46 as a group that needed to lead everyone forward. Instead, it was more like a battle royale game to see who could survive to the end. That's why she showed such strong dissatisfaction with Sleepy, who was ahead of everyone else.
"It's nothing much, I just wanted to ask you, are you sure you want to stand with her?"
Xiaobaihe frowned, not believing that Gaoshan hadn't understood the meaning behind her words, and pressed on with her question.
Takayama glanced at her. Unlike most of the members who were still caught up in their rivalry, she had an extraordinary sense of anticipation for this new group. After all, she was determined to become the next Yamaguchi Momoe. Knowing that she could never achieve that with her own abilities, she pinned her hopes on teamwork that could take her further. She wanted more people to see her, instead of just a small group of people looking at her. After confirming that the two companies were not just dabbling in the project, but had invested real money in the group, she decided on the path she wanted to take.
"Why aren't you saying anything? You know how annoying Nagahama is, right? She takes advantage of her looks and does nothing but fawn over the club president all day long. She's always the last one to arrive for practice. Shouldn't someone like that be our common enemy?"
Sensing the disapproval hidden in Gao Shan's gaze, Xiao Baihe grew increasingly agitated, stepped forward, and coldly recounted Shui Shui's misdeeds.
"And Miho, do you think so too?"
Takayama knew that Sayuri's anger wasn't entirely out of jealousy. She was just that kind of straightforward person; she would bring up anything that upset her on the spot. Because of this, she had offended her manager several times, but she had also gained the favor of many members. She didn't want to have any real conflict with Sayuri over the matter, so she chose to avoid answering and turned to look at Watanabe Miho beside her.
Seemingly surprised to be called out, Miho Watanabe was initially a little dazed. However, as an athlete, she quickly composed herself, pondered for a second, and replied earnestly, "I just want a fair chance to compete."
(Hinata-zaka second generation student, an exceptionally talented athlete, and an adorable ball)
"I almost forgot that you're an athlete, Miho. But even on the supposedly fair basketball court, there's a difference in talent, isn't there? Would you feel it's unfair to lose to a genius whose talent far surpasses your own?"
After a moment's thought, Gao Shan understood what she meant. His mind raced, and he gave an analogy from her perspective.
"Don't change the subject, we're talking about Nagahama Naru right now."
Xiaobaihe turned her head and saw that her companion looked dazed, seemingly moved by Gaoshan's words. She immediately became anxious, glared fiercely at the innocent-looking Elbow Brother, and forcibly brought the topic back.
"Well, actually, Neru isn't the kind of person you think he is, whether at work or in private. But I don't think you'll believe me if I say that, Sayuri. I just want to tell you that the adults have spent so much money, and they're definitely not pursuing the success of just one of us. If you really came here with the goal of becoming a star, then please trust the president, Konno-san, and Neru, whom they chose. I believe that in the end, you won't regret it."
After glancing at the time, Gao Shan didn't want to linger with the two for too long. She gently pushed aside Xiao Baihe, who was blocking her way, and said these words earnestly. Then, carrying her cheap bag with frayed edges, she left towards the door.
Just a month ago, Xiaobaihe was an ordinary high school student. When Qiuqiu and Xiaobaihe suddenly heard such a mature speech, they were both stunned and stood there for a long time before they came to their senses. They looked at each other and their expressions became a little strange.
"What's with all this? They're barely older than us, why are they acting like adults?"
A few seconds later, Sayuri, her face flushed, stomped her foot on the spot. Her pride as a beautiful high school girl made her unwilling to admit defeat so easily—she was the one who had always been praised for being mature beyond her years. Takayama's words made it sound like she was some unreasonable brat. Didn't he know that she hated that kind of person the most?
"Sayuri, Kazumi actually makes some sense."
Qiuqiu, being a sports student, didn't quite grasp the thoughts of her peers. Hearing her say this, she thought that Lily-niang hadn't given up on her plan against Neru, and couldn't help but look troubled.
"Miho, you!" Xiaobaihe rolled her eyes at the clueless Qiuqiu. Now that things had come to this point, even if she wanted to admit defeat, she couldn't back down. Her eyes darted around, and suddenly an idea flashed through her mind. She left Qiuqiu, who was stammering and didn't know how to persuade her, and strode off downstairs.
(A first-generation member of Nogizaka46, nicknamed Elbow Girl, a comedic girl who occasionally surprises everyone with her amazing comedic talent)