At the end of the show, the audience left their seats and walked out of the concert hall one after another.
Maybe the performance is over, but there is no sadness of parting.
“It was worth it tonight.”
Walking out of the concert hall, Akizuki Aoi sighed sincerely.
"Next time I see Kurosawa, I will definitely thank him in person."
Hinata nodded heavily, agreeing deeply.
Tonight, no matter which piano piece is taken out alone, it is an audio-visual feast.
Ten songs in a row... Even if you play them again in the second half, you won’t get tired of listening to them.
The hot girls came in groups, and also walked in groups of seven.
"Um?"
At this moment, Yamamoto Daiki, whose height was very outstanding and very conspicuous even in the crowd, suddenly saw a flash of white in front of him.
"What's wrong?"
As his girlfriend, Matsushita Tong looked up and saw his strange expression, and felt confused.
"I think I saw contestant Miki."
Yamamoto Daiki's eyes followed the distance, but he was still not sure.
Because there were a lot of people ahead, densely packed and busy.
"Miki? The one who does figure skating?"
When Song Xia Tong heard the name, his face immediately turned unfriendly.
"Come to think of it, it seems that Miki also came to watch Master Zero's performance last time. He must be a fan as well."
When Shiina Lan heard this, she suddenly remembered something.
"Is this true? Why didn't you tell me about this?"
When Yamamoto Daiki heard this, he was immediately convinced and complained.
"Forgot..."
Shiina Lan questioned this, glanced at Matsushita Dou, and shrugged.
In fact, anyone who has been to the show remembers seeing Miki at the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan.
After all, contestant Miki is so beautiful. No matter where she appears, she stands out like a crane among chickens. It is difficult to ignore her.
While they were talking, they followed the crowd and left the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan and went back to their homes.
…
The Tokyo Bunka Kaikan covers a large area and has various rooms in addition to large and small concert halls.
As the performance ended and the audience dispersed, in a room backstage.
The Ninomiya family sat in the room waiting.
"Ten minutes."
Ninomiya Naoki raised his hand to check the time on his watch and spoke calmly.
As a banker, he had experienced being left out in the cold.
But the situation now is different. He wants to meet his daughter's boyfriend as an elder, not to ask a favor or to meet the big boss.
"For the audience, tonight's show is over, but for the organizers it is not over yet."
Hearing this, Ninomiya Chizuru, who was sitting nearby, came to the rescue.
She could sense that her father was very angry, but she wanted to comfort him but didn't know where to start.
"Don't worry, meeting tonight is too sudden, it's normal that I can't get away for a while."
Chie Ninomiya, who was leisurely drinking tea with an elegant and calm temperament, spoke up.
"?"
After hearing this, Ninomiya Chizuru, who was originally very anxious, couldn't help feeling surprised and looked at her mother.
Why did the tone sound like he was speaking for Kurosawa Hikaru? Did she misunderstand
"I'll wait another five minutes. If he doesn't show up, I'll go home and go to bed."
Ninomiya Naoki expressed his opinion with a cold face.
"Can you sleep so early? And don't forget that you promised President Horie to get an autograph from Lingshi for them."
Chie Ninomiya lowered her head and played with her fingers, speaking lightly.
"That's what you promised."
When Ninomiya Naoki heard this, he got angry and said dissatisfiedly.
He could have decided according to the circumstances and not agreed to other people's requests. They were all close partners and savvy people, and they would not fall out over such a small matter.
As a result, before he could even think of resigning, his wife agreed.
"The only thing I agreed to do was to get an autograph for President Horie's daughter. I'll need one later anyway... As for the autographs of the others, you agreed to get them all."
Ninomiya Chie had already expected him to have this trick, she said calmly.
"… "
Ninomiya Naoki wanted to refute, but he was speechless and leaned back on the sofa sulking.
For bankers, the most important quality is credibility, which is more important than anything else.
It is no exaggeration to say that when a banker loses his credibility, his career will undoubtedly be ruined.
Although this matter is different from investment, even if it is not done, it is only a small breach of trust and will not affect professional ethics, but it is unnecessary.
"Has she changed her mind?"
Ninomiya Chizuru, who was very skeptical just now, was immediately convinced when she heard this, and couldn't help being surprised.
When her mother found out that her boyfriend was an artist, she scolded her severely.
Not only that, during the day, the mother made a special trip to her office to find her and have a face-to-face talk with her, clearly expressing all her objections.
What happened? Was it because Kurosawa's performance tonight was so amazing that the mother was impressed
“Knock, knock, knock.”
After a few minutes, there was a knock on the door.
Immediately afterwards, the door opened and Kurosawa Hikaru, wearing a mask, walked in.
He was wearing a tuxedo, with a straight figure and steady steps. He turned around and closed the door.
"It was such a big shelf that we had to wait for 14 minutes."
Finally, he arrived and Ninomiya Naoki snorted coldly.
"Father and mother-in-law, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. I just talked to my agent about work, and on the way here I was stopped by fans, so it took me a while to get away."
Although dissatisfied with this, Kurosawa Mitsuru did not mind. Instead, he took off his hat, faced the two elders, bowed his head slightly, and apologized in a gentle voice.
"Who is your father-in-law?! And if you're going to lie, you should tell a decent lie. This is the backstage, how could someone come in?"
Upon hearing this name, Ninomiya Naoki, who was already getting impatient, became like a cat with its fur standing on end, and became extremely aggressive.
What a joke! His daughter isn't even married yet, how can he be a father-in-law
Seeing her husband explode like a landmine with a loud noise, Ninomiya Chie sat aside without saying a word, just raised her eyes and looked at the gentle and elegant Lingshi.
"You're right. Outsiders cannot enter the backstage, but this fan has a special status and can enter and exit the backstage freely."
Kurosawa Mitsuru was not satisfied with this, but he was not impatient. He just walked towards Ninomiya Chizuru step by step and sat down beside her.
"… "
When Ninomiya Naoki heard the calm tone, he wanted to open his mouth to ask more questions, but he suppressed the anger in his heart.
You have to stay calm when encountering things. He was really worried because he was confused. Since this matter concerned his daughter, he was so easily upset.
"How special is your identity?"
Just then, Ninomiya Chie asked curiously.
"She is the daughter of the Shifengyuan family."
After hesitating about this question, Kurosawa Mitsuru answered.
"Why did she stop you?"
Upon learning of this identity, Chie Ninomiya was stunned for a moment and became confused.
"She asked me for an autograph and asked me some questions about the piano music."
"that's all?"
"that's all."
Kurosawa Hikaru nodded without saying anything more.
"Since it's the daughter of the Shifengyuan family who stopped you, there's really nothing we can do."
After thinking about it, Chie Ninomiya nodded, acknowledging his reason for being late.
The daughter of the Shihouin family, a big shot of this level, even their best friend, the congressman, had to be entertained with servility.
"Thank you, mother-in-law, for your understanding."
Hearing this, Kurosawa Mitsuru responded with a laugh and raised his hand to take off his mask.
Although this mask must be worn all the time in front of outsiders and fans to maintain mystery, it would be impolite to continue wearing it in front of the father-in-law and mother-in-law.
"You..."
As he moved, Ninomiya Chie's attention was attracted. After seeing his face after taking off the mask, she was shocked and stunned.
Because Ling Shi's appearance was beyond her expectations.
According to her impression, Lingshi should be a man under 30 years old, between 28 and 29 years old, with a mature and handsome appearance.
Why is he mature and handsome? It is because she knows very well how picky her daughter is. If he has an average appearance, it would be impossible to attract her daughter with talent and money alone.
She guessed right, Lingshi was indeed handsome and had an extraordinary bearing.
Unexpectedly, Ling Shi looked too young.
"How old are you?"
Ninomiya Chie suspected that he looked younger than his daughter because he took too much care of himself, so she couldn't help asking.
"Father and mother-in-law, let me introduce myself again. I am Kurosawa Hikaru, and I am 20 years old."
Kurosawa Hikaru's tone was very steady, and he never changed his way of addressing people, just to make his point clear.
"Twenty?"
When Chie Ninomiya heard this number, she was stunned.
If this is really her age, then wouldn't her precious daughter be eight years older than Kurosawa Mitsuru
"Twenty?"
Faced with this age, Ninomiya Naoki, who had chosen to remain silent from the beginning, raised his eyelids and spoke.
Being young has never been a quality to be praised in Japan.
Especially for bankers, being young means lack of experience, knowledge and ability to handle affairs. The only thing worth praising is the potential for the future.
But if one is young but has talents and advantages far beyond his age, that is another matter.
In an instant, scenes related to the events of Zero Hour appeared before my eyes.
He is well-known throughout the country and abroad, has dominated the Twitter trending list many times, is a piano master who is at the peak of his career, and is even known as the God of Piano... and just now on the stage, his piano skills impressed everyone.
Even if he is prejudiced against the profession of artist, the value and excellence of a 20-year-old piano master and genius cannot be denied.
"right."
Kurosawa Mitsuru knew that this father-in-law was the most difficult to deal with, so when he saw him speak, he also responded.
"Twenty is the age to go to college... Are you still in school?"
Realizing his unusualness, Ninomiya Naoki looked at him and pondered.
"I'm still in school. I'm currently a sophomore in the Department of Economics at the University of Tokyo."
"Are you Chizuru's student?"
Hearing about this subject and this grade, Ninomiya Naoki suddenly realized something.
"It used to be, but it's not now."
Kurosawa Hikaru nodded and explained.
"Teacher-student romance?"
When Ninomiya Chie heard this, she couldn't help herself.
She originally thought that the relationship between Chizuru and Reiji was a sister-brother relationship with an eight-year age difference, which was already a very special relationship.
But no one expected that there would be even more explosive news.
"No, absolutely not. Break up immediately. If this gets out, how can I, your dad, live like this? How will others view you?"
After confirming this, Ninomiya Naoki immediately found a breakthrough and resolutely stopped the marriage.
"Dad, I'm no longer a teacher at the University of Tokyo. I'm a bank employee. Strictly speaking, this isn't a teacher-student relationship."
Speaking of this, Ninomiya Chizuru quickly added.
"Even if you say something extravagant, it doesn't change the fact that you and him were teacher and student when you first met. If this gets out, you'll be ruined. This is a matter of principle."
Ninomiya Naoki naturally knew her profession, and when he saw her still quibbling, he glared at her.
Ninomiya Chizuru wanted to refute this statement, but was speechless.
"Don't jump to conclusions and say things so harshly."
At this moment, Chie Ninomiya reached out and pulled her husband back, holding him down.
"Is my speech rude?"
Ninomiya Naoki had been trying hard to control his attitude and tone, and he was inevitably surprised to hear this.
"Chizuru, you resigned from Todai because of him, right?"
Immediately, Ninomiya Chie took over the conversation and asked.
In fact, she couldn't understand one thing: why her daughter suddenly quit her job as a university teacher.
You know, my daughter's job as a teacher at the University of Tokyo is her support in fighting against them.
Because she was worried that her daughter would be bullied, she even paid someone to inquire about the situation, wanting to know whether her daughter had been wronged.
The truth came out. Because my daughter was too young and beautiful, she was affected by rumors and gossip for a long time at the University of Tokyo and she was indeed wronged.
But now it seems that such rumors are not enough to hurt her daughter.
"yes."
Ninomiya Chizuru nodded and did not deny it.
"Do you really want to be with him?"
Chie Ninomiya put aside social issues and looked at the two people sitting on the sofa opposite.
"I really want to be with him."
The mother and daughter talked, and although Ninomiya Chizuru was embarrassed, she still nodded firmly.
"Why can't you wait a little longer? If you wait a few more years until he graduates, all the problems will be solved."
Ninomiya Chie asked again.
That's right, just wait a few more years until Kurosawa Hikaru graduates, and all problems will be solved.
In Neon, the profession of teacher is sacred and has a very high social status.
Why is teacher-student love strictly prohibited? It is because of the concern that there may be inequality and involuntary relationships due to the existence of a conflict of interest.
But whether it is the students graduating or the teachers resigning, the relationship and position have changed and there is no longer any intersection, that is another matter.
In other words, although there might be some gossip about them, there is actually no problem or concern about Chizuru being with Kurosawa Hikaru.
"Because I'm worried that if I continue to wait, he will be snatched away by someone else... If I don't quit, I won't be able to be with him because of my identity and position."
Talking about the reason for resigning early, Ninomiya Chizuru couldn't help but glance at Kurosawa Mitsuru beside her and explained.
She can be sure that her love for Kurosawa Hikaru will be long-lasting and will not change even if she waits for two more years.
But at that time, she really had no way of being sure how long Kurosawa Hikaru's love for her would last.
Because they had waited for a long time, because they had been to the amusement park and traveled together, and because she had heard him play "Adeline at the Water's Edge", she knew very well how deep her love for Kurosawa was.
She didn't want to lose Kurosawa, so she had to take action.
Because Chizuru's sudden voice disrupted the rhythm, Kurosawa Hikaru had been silent since the beginning and just watched the discussion of the three of them.
"… "
But at this moment, Kurosawa Hikaru felt the gaze of Ninomiya Chizuru and couldn't help feeling distressed. He opened his mouth, but because his father-in-law and mother-in-law were still present, he could only give up the idea of comforting her or hugging her.
He actually knew the reason why Chizuru resigned as a teacher at the University of Tokyo, and he felt guilty and respectful, so he tried his best to be nice to her.
Although his guess was almost right, he still felt distressed when he heard the reason from his own mouth.
In the period before the Kyudo Tournament, both Yuki and Chizuru were afraid of losing him and took action.
Xiao Yuki ran to the gate of Tokyo University and waited there, quietly followed him and found his residence.
Chizuru quit her job as a teacher at the University of Tokyo and directly cut off the insurmountable gap between them.
"There's nothing to worry about. If he gets snatched away by someone else, we can just find another one. It's not like we have to have him."
Naoki Ninomiya, who was standing by, couldn't sit still when he saw his daughter's humble and distressed expression.
Are you kidding? His daughter is so outstanding and beautiful, is she afraid that she won’t be able to find a suitable husband
"I can't change it. I just can't live without him. I want to marry him and be with him forever."
Ninomiya Chizuru shook her head, her eyes were extremely firm even when facing her father, whom she had always been in awe of.