Secretive

Chapter 6

There was only the sound of gentle breathing in the room.

The screen of the mobile phone placed on the bedside table lit up, displaying the name of the caller, and then the lively ringtone of the call vibrated in the air in the room.

On the big bed, which was big enough to sleep three people, the bulging quilt squirmed.

Bare arms stretched out from under the quilt, fumbled to answer the phone.

"Hi, I'm Takahashi." The voice sounded extraordinarily sober.

"Director...what should I do, Mr. Kitano won't let me in." Miyamoto's mournful voice came from the other end of the phone.

Gao Qiao sat up from the bed, and he snorted expressionlessly from his nasal cavity: "What happened? By the way, can't you stay at home properly even though it's the weekend?"

"But..." Miyamoto wanted to explain, but cut off the words.

"Anyway, you wait there, I'll rush over now." Takahashi hung up the phone, got up to wash, and changed a set of clothes casually.

Ito was using the computer on the table in the living room, and caught a glimpse of Takahashi appearing out of the corner of his eye, and asked, "What's the matter, didn't you say you're going to sleep until twelve o'clock?"

Takahashi hugged Ito from behind, and leaned his head on his shoulder: "I'll go out for a while." But he squinted his eyes, looking sleepy.

"Urgent?"

"I'll go to Kitano-sensei's apartment."

"This time?"

"Ah."

Yito nodded: "Be careful on the road."

Takahashi rubbed against Ito before letting go and leaving.

Ryu Kitano lived not far away, and it was only three stops away by bus from where they lived.Takahashi hadn't been there for a long time, so he looked for it based on his impressions.

Miyamoto stood outside the apartment building, wearing a suit that looked like a high school uniform, carrying a bag, and drooping his head in a decadent manner.

"What's the matter?" Takahashi asked when he approached and was still some distance away.

When Miyamoto saw Takahashi, the gloomy expression on his face seemed to be lit up and glowed with brilliance.

"Director Takahashi!"

"Okay, let's go."

"En!" Miyamoto nodded solemnly, turned around and walked towards the apartment building.

Gao Qiao grabbed his arm: "Where are you going?"

Miyamoto showed a puzzled expression. He looked up at the apartment upstairs, probably in the direction of Ryu Kitano's room.

"Don't go up, no matter how hard you try, he won't drive."

"Eh?"

"Murazaki has encountered this situation many times." Takahashi walked back, pulling Miyamoto's arm.

"I see, but why..." Miyamoto's pace was smaller than Takahashi's, so he had to speed up his pace to keep up with Takahashi, walking staggeringly.

Takahashi quickly let go of his hand, his eyes were looking around, and he answered Miyamoto's words: "So didn't I tell you to stay at home on weekends?"

"Because the syllabus is almost finished...I can't wait."

Takahashi stopped in his tracks, fixed his eyes on a ramen shop with Ashin written on the noren curtain, and walked in as soon as he turned around.

Miyamoto stopped quickly when he passed him by three or four steps, backed up and followed him in.

"What do you want to eat?"

"I've already eaten this morning." Miyamoto waved quickly.

"Boss, have a bowl of ramen and a cup of oolong tea."

The plump boss responded with a vigorous voice, and Takahashi sat down in the empty seat.Miyamoto also sat next to him, and the oolong tea was quickly served.

Takahashi moved it in front of Miyamoto, and said, "Here, where is the outline?"

Miyamoto took out the document from the bag he was carrying, and Takahashi read it.

"Indeed, the problems mentioned by Ono have been improved, and the story line is complete enough. Relying on Mr. Kitano's ability, this article can indeed become a wonderful work." When Takahashi put down the file, the ramen just came up.

He collected the outline and returned it to Miyamoto before bringing the ramen in front of him.

"However, the overall tone still doesn't match the style of our magazine. - I started"

"Just because of that?"

"Ms. Kitano's writing contains thoughts, and the personal consciousness revealed in this book is quite obvious."

Miyamoto showed a look of half-understanding.

"We are a magazine for young people. Sometimes works with strong personalities are not very popular. The magazine is already in a recession. It is a risky move to adopt this work."

"That's it...too disrespectful to Kitano-sensei."

"It's just that this level of disrespect can be forgiven." Takahashi ate his ramen, completely ignoring Miyamoto's faint protests.

"You are 100% confident that if the magazine adopts this work, will the sales rate increase?"

"...No." Miyamoto became depressed. "And now, Kitano-sensei has also rejected me."

"Don't be easily depressed by such things." Takahashi drank the soup, "Murazaki has been turned away countless times."

"However, I don't know why Kitano-sensei is angry..."

Takahashi put down the chopsticks and spoon: "Thank you for the hospitality."

"It's useless to ask me about this kind of thing." Takahashi smiled, "But you've been visiting Kitano-sensei too frequently recently, so it should be troublesome."

"I have to apologize to Kitano-sensei..."

Takahashi smiled and comforted: "Don't worry, you will be forgiven soon." Because the face is so cute.

"Thank you, Director, for coming here specially for this matter..." Miyamoto thanked him sincerely.

"Don't worry about such small things." Takahashi only blamed himself for not waking up thoroughly.

"Then, please let me treat this meal."

"What are you talking about, let's go back first." Takahashi put the money on the table and said.

"I am so sorry."

After taking the bus, Takahashi got off one stop later than Miyamoto.

"Isn't the director getting off here?"

"The next station is relatively close." Gao Qiao didn't change his face.

Miyamoto nodded, he got out of the car, his eyes followed the figure of Takahashi who was moving with the car.

Finally, Takahashi seemed to notice something, and looked up from the phone.He met Miyamoto's eyes, and a smile appeared on his face.

"I'm back." Takahashi entered the door.

Ito stood in the kitchen, wearing an apron over his home clothes, holding a spoon in one hand and a mobile phone in the other.He heard the voice and looked over with obvious dissatisfaction on his face.

"What... what's wrong?" Seeing this, Takahashi stopped at the door instead, not daring to go any further.

"I came back too soon, the soy sauce is gone." Ito put away his phone, put down his spoon, and untied his apron.Turn off the pot that was simmering on the stove.

"I'll just go. Soy sauce, right?"

"Let's go together." Ito walked over.

Takahashi pursed his lips, and the corners of his mouth were desperately raised.

"what happened?"

"No..." He turned around, "I just think the weather is fine today."

"...The umbrella should be placed here, right?" Ito opened the cabinet above the entrance to look for the umbrella.

"Can't you hurry up?"

Since it is rare for both of them to go out, it is natural to go shopping in a larger supermarket.

After bypassing several residential buildings and walking uphill, the supermarket appears in front of you.

"Do you want pasta?" Takahashi asked, but two bags had already been thrown into the shopping cart that Ito was pushing.

"I still have it at home." Ito picked it up and put it back.

"Then buy pasta sauce." Takahashi stopped in front of the sauce cabinet.

Ito stopped and waited for him.

"Speaking of which, Suzuko Abe is your classmate in university, right?" Takahashi looked at the various sauces, but did not look into Ito's eyes.

"Who?"

"Oh, I heard that she is a new beauty from the fashion department, I just remembered."

Ito paused for a moment, apparently recalling whether there was such a person.

"...Ah, a junior from college days. Why are you talking about this all of a sudden?"

"It's nothing. We talked about it at the previous gathering. In order to get close to that beauty, Ono and the others even said they wanted to get close to you."

"What kind of logic is this?" There was an obvious smile in Ito's voice.

Takahashi threw a box of sauces for two people into the shopping cart, looked at Ito's smile, and said, "That's right, after all, I haven't even had a chance to meet him yet."

Ito reached out and grabbed Takahashi's playful cheek, and said lightly, "I don't think it's necessary."

"It's 'you think' again." Takahashi opened his mouth, motioning to bite him.

Yito let go and pushed the cart forward.

The highlight is in the fresh food area. The sales promotion that never knows when it will start and the housewives who are ready to go are extremely difficult to overcome.

"The steak over there is half price?!" Hearing the announcement, Takahashi turned and walked over there.

"Hey……"

Before Ito stopped him, Takahashi had already been hit by the army who heard the news and turned around several times.

Takahashi, who stood still after being pulled by Ito, was still in a dizzy state, and he could already hear the hoarse shout of sold out.

"It's amazing fighting power." Takahashi said in disbelief.

"You are obviously a novice, so don't rush into the fierce battle zone casually." Ito teased in an overly serious tone.

"Half price must not be fresh steak." Takahashi had a gloomy expression on his face.

Ito laughed, and simply reached out to rub Takahashi's hair.

"Don't be cute at this time, Ritsuya."

"Hey, if you must compliment me, please compliment me as 'handsome'." Takahashi gestured to emphasize the subtitle.

"Are you talking about me?"

"Yes, my Xiaoqiao is the most handsome~" Takahashi made a very coy gesture, and looked at the disgusted and tangled expression on Ito's face with satisfaction.

"It's really lucky that I haven't had lunch yet." Ito turned around very simply.

"You really understand well."

"That's really each other."

It turned out that the things they bought were enough for their rations for a week. When the bill was lined up, Takahashi's hand on the cart rail began to tremble.

"This is terrible, I must not have enough cash on me..."

"It's okay, I brought it."

"The Minister of Finance is awesome!" Saying that, Takahashi threw two boxes of condoms into the shopping cart.

Ito: "..."

Takahashi took his own drink and waited behind him to pay the bill.

After leaving the supermarket, Takahashi followed Ito bitterly with three big bags in his hand.

"What's for lunch today?"

"Potato Stew."

"anything else?"

"Not ready yet."

"I want to eat mapo tofu."

"No mapo, tofu miso soup?"

"...The important thing should be Ma Po, right?"

"I like to eat or not."

"I'm sorry Ito-sama, but tofu miso soup is my favorite."

Takahashi took two steps forward and rubbed Ito's shoulder.

Ito smiled, and the sunlight passed through the gaps in the leaves, casting countless light fragments on the gray-white road.

"Mr. Kitano, I'm really sorry for the time ago." Miyamoto bowed ninety degrees, his ears were so red that he was about to bleed.

Kitano looked tired, his beard was visible to the naked eye, and he was wearing a faded gray old shirt and pants that were too bulky to fit. When he heard the apology, he just waved casually: "Sit down."

"Ah, this is the yokan for apology." Miyamoto tidied up the messy wooden table and placed a box of beautifully packaged yokan.

"Thanks. Then, the next step is the final revision of the outline?"

"Yes." Miyamoto sat upright.

Kitano stood up and flipped through the high pile of books in front of his desk, and then pulled out a thin page of manuscript paper.

"Start reading now." Miyamoto took it with both hands and said.

Kitano took the yokan and went to make tea.

"Ms. Kitano—this..."

"An accident?" Kitano threw tea into the pot and asked without looking back.

"I don't know whether this ending is good or bad." Miyamoto smiled wryly.

"The effect is not bad." Kitano unpacked the yokan and cut it into several pieces with the knife that came with it.

Miyamoto watched Kitano walk in front of him, and nodded his thanks when the teacup was placed in front of him.

"I believe in the teacher's ability, the style of the article itself has deviated from the style of the magazine, and with this ending..."

Kitano propped his hands on the table, and leaned over upon hearing the words, his eyes as if hiding a sharp knife made Miyamoto hold his breath subconsciously.

"Isn't that kind of underestimation of me?" He said slowly.

"No, that's not what it means." Hearing such words, Miyamoto anxiously wanted to explain.

"It doesn't matter to me, and it doesn't have to be serialized in your magazine." Kitano stepped back, drinking tea slowly.

Miyamoto had a complicated expression on his face, as if he wanted to say something, his eyes kept rolling, but his lips were tightly pressed.

"what?"

"Eh?"

"What do you want to say, say it quickly."

"No..." Miyamoto lowered his head and muttered quickly and quietly.

Kitano frowned, and he looked at Miyamoto without saying a word, as if he was going to drive him out the next second.

Miyamoto looked up at him, as if he had finally mustered up his courage: "Even if it is not serialized in our magazine, it is not published by our publishing house. I really hope to read this novel written by the teacher. It is not as an editor, but as an editor. Miyamoto Suzu's own thoughts."

The haze on Kitano's face seemed to have encountered a storm and was blown away under the struggle.

"You bastard..." Kitano didn't know where his aura just now went. "It's a real defeat."

"The manuscript for next month is ready, take it away."

"Yes." Miyamoto happily agreed.

... Ryu Kitano sat on a completely clean table and said to Miyamoto Suzu who was holding a vacuum cleaner, "Didn't I let you go?"

"I'll go back after cleaning."

Miyamoto said energetically.