vstars Chapter 53 The Lost Son
Chapter 53 The Lost Son
While Shibuya is still reveling in its ever-burning neon lights, and Shinjuku is still echoing with its ceaseless clamor, the pine forest, a wealthy residential area, becomes quiet at night, with only streetlights and tree shadows remaining. Occasionally, one or two black cars glide silently across the asphalt, their headlights sweeping over the walls before quickly disappearing around the next corner.
Li Ren parked the car in the garage, turned off the engine, but did not get out of the car immediately.
The garage door slammed shut with a heavy groan as it hit the ground. He leaned back in the driver's seat, eyes closed, still troubled by the day's events—Rika Ishimori remained as wary of him as ever, Junya Mukai complained about the clothes he'd bought for her that didn't suit her taste, Miu Murayama sat on the windowsill lost in thought, and Aiki Taniguchi's exasperated expression as she kept asking, "When can we go out?"
There's also the line, "This is illegal imprisonment," spoken by Kojima Nagisa when she tried to escape through a window in the middle of the night but was caught by the American youth.
Rito opened his eyes, twitched the corners of his mouth at his reflection in the rearview mirror, and the expression on the person in the mirror was somewhere between a bitter smile and self-mockery.
"Illegal imprisonment, my foot! I've practically been treating you like royalty. I'd be lucky if someone else didn't throw you in a basement for bondage play," he muttered under his breath, then pulled out the keys and opened the car door.
As he entered the main house, the entryway light was still on, as if welcoming him. A faint scent of black tea wafted through the living room, mixed with the aroma of the scented candles that Nana Min had recently been enjoying, with a subtle citrus sweetness floating on a woody base.
"I'm back."
He obediently took off his shoes and put them in the shoe cabinet. Since Nana Min didn't like it, he also gave up the idea of hiring a live-in housekeeper and instead had a cleaning company come every few days. So he still had to be careful, otherwise Ms. Hashimoto's loving slaps were no joke.
Nana Min sat cross-legged on the sofa, a half-open financial magazine lying beside her, glasses perched on her nose, a mug in her hand. She looked up when she heard the door open, said a curt "Welcome back," and then looked down again.
Rito, who was used to S, didn't take it seriously. He dragged his feet over, lay down, rested his head on her lap, and whined like a child.
"Did you get things sorted out with the Sakurazaka third generation?" After being teased like this, Nana Min couldn't concentrate on her book anymore. Helplessly, she put the magazine aside and asked with her head down.
"Stop talking, I've never seen anyone so difficult to deal with." Rito said with her eyes closed, her voice muffled. "Especially that Ishimori Rika, she's always treating me like I'm a criminal. Doesn't she ever think that if I really wanted to do something to her, with her skinny arms and legs, could she really fight back?"
Faced with his complaints, the clever Nana Min just smiled. Although she had only heard the name Sakurazaka from him, after seeing the concept of Keyakizaka, the predecessor of Sakurazaka, she had a general idea in her mind—it did seem like something he would like.
"My husband, Rihito, is very mature most of the time, but there's actually a little boy inside him who never grows up."
Nana Min cupped his face in her hands, teasing him with an undisguised smile.
"What, is that not allowed? Nana Min, don't look down on people just because you're mentally mature."
In front of others, Rito might have to put on an act, but he didn't need to have those extra concerns with Nana Min. He glanced at her and muttered as he pinned the Hokkaido fairy down beneath him.
Under the dim, yellow light, the two fooled around for a while, then stopped just before their passion was about to flare up. Nana Min gazed at him for a moment, then lowered her head and gently kissed his forehead.
"Keep going," she said, her voice soft but firm. "They'll understand you eventually."
Rito looked at her. Nanamin's face was backlit by the overhead light, its contours bathed in a soft, warm hue. Her expression was calm, but her usually clear, mirror-like eyes held a tenderness he rarely saw.
"I know." He smiled, sat up from the sofa, hugged her from behind, and rested his chin on her shoulder.
"Oh, right, there's something else I need to ask you, Nanamin." While still touched, Rito suddenly remembered something else. "Sayuri has been avoiding me ever since that day, and I don't know what to do with her. Why don't you go talk to her for me? It seems that in her extra memory, she's already married to someone else. If she feels she can't adjust her mindset and wants to continue being an idol, I'll agree to let her graduate. Don't keep it all bottled up inside; what if she gets sick from it?"
Nana Min turned her head and gently brushed her cheek against his.
"Are you trying to get rid of her?"
"Oh, how could that be what I meant?" Rito paused, both amused and exasperated. "I was just worried about her. Nana Min, didn't you say that as she gets older, it's embarrassing for her to act cute like Minami and the others? Yuri-chan didn't get married until she was thirty. If you let her hang out with a bunch of seventeen or eighteen-year-old girls, she'd probably feel awkward too."
Nanamin was silent for a moment, then nodded slightly.
"Okay, wait until I have some free time."
"Okay, I'll have Airi give you her number."
Rito nodded, hugged her tighter, and whispered something against her earlobe. Nanamin's face flushed instantly. She gently patted him on the head with the magazine, then took off her glasses, turned around, cupped his face, and planted a serious kiss on his lips.
"Alright, go take a shower. Don't get the gauze on your hands wet, I'll change your dressing later."
Rito obediently got up, but turned back to look at her halfway down the street. Nanamin had already picked up the magazine again, curled up on the sofa, her chin resting on her knees. The warm yellow light of the lamp fell on her, enveloping her in a soft halo.
"It's so wonderful that God gave me Nanamin," he thought.
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The next day, Rito went to a small, unassuming office in Shinjuku. The office's sign hung on the fourth floor of an old, mixed-use building, sharing the floor with an imported musical instrument store. The intermittent guitar sounds from the neighboring store during a rehearsal drifted through the hallway. When Rito opened the door, there was only a middle-aged man wearing glasses inside, eating instant noodles in front of three monitors.
The man's name was Yamada. He was nominally the head of a law firm, but in reality, he was involved in all sorts of shady dealings and had extensive connections, including acquaintances in various government departments.
I got to know him through Dentsu. Sometimes, just throwing money at a problem isn't necessarily efficient; you still have to find the right connections.
"Seven?" Yamada pushed the instant noodles aside, wiped his mouth with a tissue, took the folder Rito handed him, and flipped through it, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper. "Your illegitimate daughter?"
"Yeah, I accidentally got a classmate pregnant when I was in kindergarten." Rito rolled her eyes and sat down opposite him.
Yamada chuckled and continued flipping through the pages. When he reached the last page, he suddenly burst out laughing, the unspoken understanding in his laughter obvious.
"Hey, am I seeing things? You're actually going to make them idols?"
"Is that not allowed?"
"It's feasible, but if someone investigates, I can't guarantee I won't be exposed. You know, my main customers are illegal immigrants or illegitimate children; they don't attract this much attention." Yamada took off his glasses and rubbed his temples with his thumb. "You've written too much detail here. Look at this: Ishimori Rika, from Gunma Prefecture, birthday, blood type, school she graduated from, parents' occupations—do you know how many people are involved in this line? I'm not a god; how could I possibly be completely airtight?"
Li Ren smiled wryly; he knew this, of course. After thinking for a moment, he spoke again, "Then do you have any good ideas?"
Yamada thought for a moment, then reopened the folder, his fingers lightly tapping on the pages. He stared at the overly detailed personal information for a long time, then suddenly spoke: "Tsunami."
"What?"
"You surely haven't forgotten last year's massive tsunami, have you? More than 20,000 people died, and several thousand are still missing." Yamada leaned back in his chair, took a cigarette from his drawer, twirled it in his hand without lighting it, and continued, "Miyagi, Iwate, Fukushima—many families were wiped out. A large number of surviving children were sent to shelters and distant relatives all over the country. The household registration system was in complete chaos during that time. Some children were registered multiple times by different institutions, and some lost their original records during the transfers. And some—nobody even knows who they are."
Liren listened in silence.
"If you want to make these seven people's identities flawless, the best way is to stuff them into that disaster." Yamada put down his e-cigarette and put his glasses back on. "Make each of them a story of losing both parents after the disaster and moving between different shelters. That way, all the missing information can be explained by 'post-disaster chaos.' Lost school records—normal. Incomplete household registration information—normal. No elementary school graduation photos—still normal. Because that was Tohoku in 2011, everything was lost, everything was in chaos. No one will question the incomplete identities of a group of post-disaster orphans, because incompleteness itself is part of that disaster."
Rito leaned back in his chair, looking up at the buzzing fluorescent light on the ceiling. While the idea sounded perfect, he still felt a pang of guilt towards the third generation members. Firstly, the label of "tsunami refugee" was one that was impossible to remove, especially in the entertainment industry, a place so prone to creating stereotypes. It would undoubtedly lead to further complications. Secondly, the first generation consisted entirely of orphans who lost loved ones in the tsunami—practically providing fodder for Bunshun's propaganda. Without a doubt, they would thoroughly investigate, and if even the slightest clue was uncovered, it would become a sensationalist attempt to exploit the disaster for attention. Not only would it affect them, but the entire Sakamichi region would likely be shattered.
"If you insist on doing it the original way, it's not impossible." Yamada, a shrewd person who deals with snakes and rats all day long, could tell from Li Ren's expression that the trick he came up with to save trouble was doomed. In order to keep this big order, he immediately racked his brains and added, "However, it would be best to arrange their address in a more remote place, and it would be even better if there were local strongmen to cooperate."
Li Ren remained silent for a long time before finally nodding: "I understand. Just get the documents done to appease them. I need to process their transfers. I'll talk to you about the rest later."
Upon hearing this, Yamada shrugged, said nothing, and put away the documents. After Rito left, he flipped through the pages, lit a cigarette, and chuckled, "Playing this high, be careful you don't die of exhaustion before you're forty, Kubo-san."
By the time we returned to the three-story villa in Akasaka, it was already dark.
Rito pushed open the door and saw a scene completely different from the previous few days. The atmosphere in the living room seemed a bit more relaxed than before—Mukai Junha and Endo Riko were huddled on the sofa watching TV, Kojima Nagisa was peeling oranges at the dining table, and Murayama Miu was still sitting cross-legged on the windowsill, staring blankly at the streetlights outside. Taniguchi Aiki was washing dishes for Mio in the kitchen, the tap running and the two chatting idly. Only Ishimori Rika was still sitting in her usual chair in the corner, her eyes immediately scanning Rito like searchlights when she saw him enter.
"Come here, everyone, I have something to tell you."
Rito walked through the door, clapped his hands to gather the women together, explained the difficulties they were currently facing, and then, without waiting for them to speak, directly stated his thoughts:
"I've thought about it carefully, and I don't think it's as difficult as that middleman made it out to be. Let's take it one step at a time, Odakura Reina."
The third young lady stood up upon hearing the sound and walked up to him with a grin (◝‿◜).
(Cang'er is so cute~)
"You are the daughter of my family's overseas relatives. It just so happens that you speak good English and know a little bit about all sorts of random things. You're like one of those optimistic, silly girls from a rich family."
Rito looked at her and couldn't help but laugh along.
"Yay~ Nagi, I'm the young lady now~"
The third young lady seemed quite satisfied with her new identity. Her words contained no questioning of Rito's self-determination, only joy at getting a new role.
"Tch, don't think you can avoid washing the dishes just like that. Try sneaking upstairs again next time and leaving me alone in the kitchen."
Kojima pursed her lips, wondering what she was gloating about, even though she knew it was all fake.
Ignoring the two who started bickering whenever they had a spare moment, Rito coughed and continued arranging the identities for the others. Aiki was the daughter of his driver, who had worked for the Kubo family his whole life, so he certainly wouldn't refuse a nominal position. Besides, he was about to retire and go to Brazil to enjoy life, so most people wouldn't be able to find him anyway. Miyu was a child who had returned from overseas, and her parents worked in Shanghai, China. There were so many Japanese people in the CN region, so she could find her if she wanted to. Junya and Riko were girls from out of town who had come to Tokyo, so their identities would be handled by Yumiko. She had a way of dealing with things in Kyushu. Nagisa and Rika were given the identities of native Tokyo residents, and he would later have someone complete their life trajectories. Anyway, they wouldn't become idols anytime soon.
After briefly asking everyone's opinions on their new identities and confirming that there were no major objections, Rito said that he would further refine the details according to these settings. Just as he turned to leave, Ishimori Rika, who hadn't said much, suddenly called out to him.
"I have something to tell you. Come to my room."
Lihua walked past him, leaving him with a remark, and went upstairs on her own, the wooden stairs creaking under her feet.
Rito, his face covered in salt, looked at Mio, hoping to get some information from her. Unfortunately, their past life romance was not going to continue in this life for the time being. Mio shrugged, indicating that she knew nothing.
"Okay~" Rito pursed her lips and followed the lingering fragrance in the air as she walked up to the second floor of the villa.
Rito pushed open the door to Rika's room, and before he could even see the furnishings inside, a slender hand grabbed his tie and pulled him inside. The door slammed shut behind him, the lock clicking shut.
Rika loosened his tie, took two steps back, and leaned against the edge of the desk with her arms crossed. She was still wearing that slightly faded Uniqlo sweatshirt, but unlike a few days ago, her hair wasn't tied up; her long, black hair cascaded over her shoulders, making her face appear smaller than usual. Her eyes shone unusually bright in the warm light of the desk lamp, with tiny, shimmering golden specks dancing deep within her pupils.
"Tell me, who are you?" she asked, her voice lower than usual, but with a slight rise at the end, making it impossible to tell whether she was in a good or bad mood.
"Hasn't Meiqing introduced me to you?" Rito straightened his tie, which she had pulled askew, and smiled slightly.
"Okay, then I'll ask you a different question. Who am I?" Rika suddenly took another step closer, so close they could feel each other's breath. Her fingers slowly slid up his chest, across his collarbone, past his Adam's apple, finally stopping at his jawline. With a slight pressure, she forced him to lower his head. "Ishimori Rika, from Gunma, has an older sister, her mother and sister both love watching idols, her father is a youth basketball coach, and he likes listening to the radio. Who is this person? Is it me?"
"It's you." Rito didn't deny it. Before leaving, he discovered that someone had tampered with his information. He guessed it was her, and he was right.
Raising an eyebrow, Rika withdrew her hand and placed it gently on his waist, without applying any pressure. "Didn't you say we were summoned by you, so I'm not just a string of data, right?"
"you guess?"
Rito's eyes curved into crescent shapes as he looked at her with interest, while Rika, not to be outdone, returned his gaze with her captivatingly large eyes. The two faced each other like two trees tentatively testing each other in a storm, sensing the wind and hesitating whether to entwine or keep their distance.
"Do my mom, dad, and sister exist?"
After an unknown amount of time, Rika turned her head, her voice trembling slightly.
"I don't know, but even if they really exist, they wouldn't know you."
"real?"
"I swear, everything I did was for your own good."
"I know, but it's not enough." Rika stood on tiptoe, her lips almost touching his earlobe, her voice like a feather brushing against his ear, "I hate this feeling of having to rely on others. You owe me so much."
Rito didn't speak. He placed his hand on her waist instead, applying a little pressure that made her look pained. He smiled, his gaze lingering on her flawless white neck, as if considering where to start.
"Rika Ishimori, where do you get the nerve to bargain with me?" Rito said, his voice suppressed, like the sound of wind before a storm.
"Because you need me, though I don't know why." Rika showed no fear, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck. Her wrists were intertwined behind his neck, her fingers casually playing with the stray hairs at the ends of his hair. "You're being too obvious, Kubo Rito."
"So you think you can control me?"
Rika let out a soft laugh, the sound traveling directly from her lips to his skin without any air as a medium. Her fingers slowly slid down the back of his neck, her fingertips tracing the lines of his spine, segment by segment, as if smoothing something over, or perhaps stirring something up. Rito felt a tingling sensation travel up his bones and straight to his brain.
"You want to know the truth?" he suddenly asked, his voice low.
"uh-huh."
"Then try your best to please me. Maybe one day I'll tell you when I'm in a good mood." He lifted her waist, forcing her to stand on tiptoe even higher, until they were almost pressed together. His lips brushed against her temple, his voice like a pebble thrown into a deep pool, creating imperceptible ripples. "But until then, keep these guys in line. Don't cause me any trouble before I've sorted everything out."
Rika didn't speak. Her hand rested on his back, her fingertips slightly curled, gripping the fabric of his shirt.
Then, suddenly, she exerted force, bracing her hands against his chest and pushing him back two steps. Rito's back slammed against the door with a dull thud. Rika gave him no time to react, pressing her hands against his shoulders, pinning him to the door, and looking up at him. Her eyes were slightly red, but not from resentment or weakness—they held a burning, almost frenzied light.
"I understand," she said, her voice much softer than before, but every word was clearly audible to Rito. "The agreement is reached, it's time to sign."
Then she stood on tiptoe and kissed him.
(Vision Teguruna XDD)