"The group is still adding members?"
Ai was worried that the new members would be difficult to get along with.
"After all, a current four-person group, because the number of members is an even number for an idol group, makes it difficult to highlight the role of a center position. Generally, there won't be a concept of a center position. Only when the number of members is odd can the role of a center be highlighted, and a group with a center can serve as a focal point. Achieving symmetry that way makes the visual effect much better." Hiko stated some common knowledge about idol groups.
"So that's how it is…" Ai asked curiously, "So my current group will add one more person?"
"It's not just one more person," Hiko gave the precise number. "Your group will probably increase to seven people."
"Three more members to add later… I wonder if we'll get along well." Ai clasped her hands together, holding the can of red bean soup, worried.
"You don't need to worry about new members being difficult. The group has already decided you are the center, so they have to cooperate with you."
Hiko saw that Ai seemed to be worried about the new members and comforted her. "I estimate that even if new members are added, they won't be found too quickly. It might have to wait for auditions or for the company's people to scout them."
"Is that so…"
Ai sighed, and at the same time felt the temperature of the can in her hand gradually decrease, so she held the can and finished drinking the red bean soup.
Thud!
Hiko casually threw the empty can into the nearby trash can.
Ai followed suit and tossed her empty can.
But the can she threw hit the edge of the trash can, bounced off, and fell to the ground. Ai had no choice but to walk over, pick up the can, and put it into the trash can.
Hiko's gaze followed Ai, and suddenly he saw two girls in school sailor uniforms walking out from a fork in the road ahead.
From afar, he recognized one of them as his classmate, Mizuno Haru.
If he and Ai were seen here by classmates, it would lead to gossip.
Hiko thought that it was already after school.
Normally, students would have either already gone home or still be at school participating in club activities.
If male and female classmates were still walking side by side long after school, anyone who saw them would think there was something going on between them.
Their situation would probably spread throughout the class the next morning.
Hiko didn't care about rumors, but considering the potential harm to Ai, he still needed to avoid it.
He knew the terror of rumors deeply.
He had personally witnessed it in his home country before: a boy and a girl who had a decent relationship were seen together after school. The result was that the next morning, someone wrote on the blackboard that a certain girl liked a certain boy. The class then started chanting "XXX likes XXX," and the boy, due to the atmosphere and shame, did not accept it, even saying hurtful words like, "Who would like her? I would absolutely never like her."
The girl cried and fled in a panic.
Ultimately, it led to the two becoming strangers.
Therefore, he was worried that if they were seen by classmates today, still together after school, a similar situation would likely occur.
To avoid an accident that would lead to their relationship deteriorating, Hiko quickly grabbed Ai's hand, intending to lead her in a jog to hide around the corner and go home via a different route.
"What are you doing?" Ai tried to break free, but failed; her hand was held very tightly.
"There are classmates ahead!" Hiko quickly explained, and before the classmates around the corner noticed them, he led Ai to run.
After he explained, Ai's hand, which had been stiff and trying to break free, immediately gripped back, and she subconsciously followed Hiko and started running.
"Is that Saito-kun ahead?" Haru, who was walking from the fork in the road, thought she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure out of the corner of her eye.
It seemed to be Hiko, so she asked the girl next to her.
The accompanying girl looked in the direction she was pointing, but didn't see anyone wearing the same school uniform.
"Isn't Saito-kun in the going-home club? How could he possibly be here at this time?" The accompanying girl had heard Haru mention this more than once.
"But I clearly saw him just now, and it seemed like he was with someone else."
"Although Saito-kun is handsome and excellent, you shouldn't be pining for him so much, right? Now you're even having hallucinations."
"It's definitely not a hallucination! I really did see him just now…" Haru pulled the accompanying girl and started running, trying to prove that she wasn't hallucinating.
While the two girls were talking, Hiko led Ai a long way, turned several corners, and only stopped when he felt safe, saying breathlessly, "Phew… That was close… We almost got seen by classmates together after school…"
"Hmm… Phew…"
Ai had been pulled along and made to run; her chest was now constantly heaving as she breathed heavily. After a while, she had enough strength to ask, "Why did we have to run?"
"…" Hiko felt he didn't know how to explain, so he just said, "If we were seen by classmates, tomorrow there would definitely be headlines like 'Shocking: Transfer student captured by him right after enrollment.'"
"Why… not you being captivated by me…" Ai panted back. "If it's just a rumor, wouldn't we be fine even if we didn't run?"
Hiko felt his chest, due to the intense running, now clearly throbbing with his heart beating frantically.
He placed his hand on his chest, waiting for its beating to become less noticeable before speaking again: "Rumors can get more and more outrageous as they spread.
Perhaps initially they just state facts, but after each transmission, the people who come after will probably add some exaggerated statements or slightly distort the facts, ultimately leading to a trivial matter becoming explosive big news after multiple transmissions."
"So that's how it is…" Ai said immediately after listening. "Couldn't we just explain it?"
"If the negative effects caused by rumors could be eradicated simply by explaining, then not so many people would have their reputations ruined after being slandered. Even if they later won lawsuits, it would be of no avail.
Because people only click on exciting news; they don't pay attention to whether the person exposed was slandered or framed.
Netizens will only vent their twisted emotions on those news stories, typing out various insulting words and spewing venom.
Even if the person exposed was wronged, even if the person exposed committed suicide, unable to bear the humiliation, they wouldn't feel a trace of guilt."
Hiko continued with emotion, "Even if the person slandered committed suicide because of cyberbullying, they would rarely be held accountable."
Ai listened to Hiko's seemingly indignant words, feeling that he seemed to hold a grudge against the act of spreading rumors.
But she had a different view on the current situation of them being seen.
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