Chapter 506: The Painting Exhibition

On the weekend, Sakai Rie drove the car with Kishimoto Masayoshi sitting on top of the passenger seat, and together they went to the painting exhibition. When they arrived at the place, after she parked the car, the two of them were still inside the car and didn’t walk out back and forth.

“Can you smile?” Rie Sakai said as she looked at his old reluctance.

Masayoshi Kishimoto turned his body sideways towards her and pulled the sides of his mouth with his left and right fingers and gave her a forced smile.

“Forget it, you’d better not smile.” Rie Sakai said bluntly.

“What the hell do you mean you’ll let me smile one minute and then not the next?” Masayoshi Kishimoto said calmly.

“Is that you laughing? It’s clear that you have a problem with me.” Sakai Rie snapped.

“No, absolutely nothing. Tonight, I still want to get a solid night’s sleep, and I don’t want to reason with you slowly anymore.” Masayoshi Kishimoto said with a knowing smile.

Sakai Rie threw him one of her customary big blank stares. Afterwards, she opened the car door and got out of the car first. She and Masayoshi Kishimoto weren’t just a couple, unlike some of the couples who were there today.

Masayoshi Kishimoto got out of the car, and once his feet hit the ground, he stretched out with his arms wide open. He stepped forward a bit before getting closer to Sakai Rie.

Sakai Rie took the initiative to extend a hand to hold his left arm, and in her other hand she was holding the invitation to the painting exhibition. This was an exhibition of paintings by the daughter of the president of a Rosebud-like organization in Aoyama, Minato-ku.

It was said that the other party had returned from her studies in France and would be working in Tokyo, Japan in the future in the field of painting and art. This exhibition was her official debut.

The appearance of Rie Sakai and Masayoshi Kishimoto immediately drew extra attention from the organizers, the Chiba family. Their entire family appeared in full costume.

Even if they had any internal discord, they would still show that the family was very happy and fulfilled at this time. The hypocrisy of the upper class was evident.

“Welcome, welcome, Mr. Kishimoto, the fact that you were able to take the time to come here really makes my daughter’s painting exhibition is a lot more colorful.” Mr. Chiba said with a polite smile.

“If you’re there, you’re really too polite.” Masayoshi Kishimoto similarly put a polite smile on his face and said.

Sakai Rie was practiced to the point of being at ease with such social events. It was only natural for her to make a necessary pleasantry with Mrs. Chiba.

“I’ve heard that your Rose Society is going to have a reelection recently. You have the highest calling. All along, I’ve never been very interested in that current president of yours.

Even when she repeatedly made overtures towards me, I didn’t pay any attention to her. As far as my daughter’s painting exhibition this time around, I didn’t invite her.” Mrs. Chiba showed quite a bit of enthusiasm and said.

“Once I’m elected as the president of the Rosebud Society, then we’ll have to communicate and bond more closely together between the two of us.” Sakai Rie said with an unchanged smile.

“Nishimabu, Aoyama, Platinum, these are the core and representatives of our harbor district. If we don’t stick together, we’re bound to be laughed at behind our backs by Chiyoda Ward, Chuo Ward, and even some of the people in Shinagawa Ward, Meguro Ward, and Setagaya Ward. Just a few moments ago, Chairman Oda of Platinum and her husband went in.” Mrs. Chiba smiled brightly up and said.

“Okay, then I’ll go in and take a good look as well.” Rie Sakai excused herself.

The Chiba family was straight away smiling. Masayoshi Kishimoto and Rie Sakai unhurriedly retraced their steps and headed inside.

The two walked in and walked around aimlessly. They both knew in their hearts that this congregation of people who were able to be invited here had been carefully selected.

The painting exhibition was one aspect, the other was to formally introduce this Chiba family’s young lady to the people inside the circle so that they could take care of her more in the future.

Masayoshi Kishimoto suddenly stood in front of a pair of paintings, looked slightly to the left and right to see that no one was there, and said with a smile, “Look at the pile, pile, pile of shit on this painting, does it look like a pile of shit on the ground.”

“Behave yourself. This isn’t inside the house, it’s outside.” Rie Sakai was afraid that he would be overheard by the others.

“If it’s music, that’s your specialty. If it’s literature, it’s my hobby. Only this one, painting, you don’t understand it, and neither do I. Even if we don’t understand it, we still have to pretend to understand it. What’s the point?” Masayoshi Kishimoto cried and laughed.

“The need to socialize and the need to socialize. The arts all have something in common. Vladimir Nabokov, the writer of Lolita, was both a writer and a painter.

Although he was separated from his wife Vera at rare times in his life, the writer still insisted on writing love letters to her for over 50 years.” Rie Sakai said seriously.

“Vladimir Nabokov was also a spitfire. He said Picasso was just a third-rate painter, and Dostoevsky, whom I admire the most, was a writer who only played around with writing techniques.

He also had problems with his positions, sometimes scolding this and opposing that, and other times going on to scold that and opposing this. In a word, he was the best at what he did and wrote the best.

To be fair, I don’t think he wrote as well as Dostoevsky. Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov is widely recognized as his best writing.

The book Lolita is notoriously controversial. Morality aside, it’s still a good long novel.

Still, there’s a saying of his that I strongly recognize, that even great writers still mess up their writing.” Justice Kishimoto said without haste.

“Do we really need to buy one, two paintings?” Sakai Rie asked with an intentionally lowered voice.

“Buy this some shit back.” Justice Kishimoto laughed a little and said.

“Are you done?” Sakai Rie said unhappily.

“I’m the one who came here in person, that’s giving the Chiba family the greatest face, what else do we need to buy paintings for. Do we have to go out of our way to please the Chiba family?

You and Mrs. Chiba may not necessarily have any friendship in place. The reason why she invited you and not the president of your Rosebud Society is because the strength of our family is there.

Besides, friendships between you women are often as thin as a cicada’s wing. The Chiba family and I have never had business dealings on top of that either.” Masayoshi Kishimoto said bluntly.

“Just because there isn’t one now doesn’t mean there won’t be one in the future.” Sakai Rie snapped.

“What happens in the future will be discussed later. If you feel really bad about it, then just buy this one then.

Even if the painting is shit poop, it’s still not bad to be able to paint it like this, after all, it cost a certain amount of paint.” Justice Kishimoto said immodestly.

“Not buying it. The more I hear you say, the more it makes me feel sick inside.” Sakai Rie was on the verge of being speechless.

“What’s so disgusting about it? I won’t say it’s shit poop, garbage is always fine! Or else, I’ll say that this kind of abstract painting is not something that ordinary people can appreciate.” Masayoshi Kishimoto grew more and more immodest.