First-person: Hoshino Yume
It had been months since Ai made her comeback as an idol.
B-Komachi, the group Ai belonged to, gradually increased their activities. However, financially speaking, it couldn't exactly be called profitable yet.
I saw Ai sitting on the sofa at Ichigo Production, staring at her payslip with a serious expression. Having seen this scene dozens—if not hundreds—of times before, I thought, "Here we go again," and preemptively distanced myself. I knew exactly what would happen if I stayed too close.
"This month's salary is 200,000 yen... Hey, isn't our agency's pay too low~? Wasn't our last single ranked number three on Oricon? Aren't you taking too much off the top?"
If they were skimming too much, I would have handled it on my end—though, of course, Ai wouldn't know about my interventions.
In response to Ai's complaints, Miyako, working on her laptop, replied without looking up.
"Unlike major corporations that handle everything from production to distribution, we're a small company. We knew the profits would be low from the start, right? Why are you bringing this up now?"
I knew Ai was saying these things for the twins' sake. Even though I had told her not to worry and that I would help financially, her response back then had been quite unexpected.
"Hmm, since they're my children, I'll raise them myself. I'll accept Yume's help later."
"Later... you say."
"Yeah, hehe★ I'm sure Yume will definitely help eventually."
"Well, I'll look forward to it then."
I was surprised by her determination to handle it herself. Since I never expected to hear the phrase "since they're my children" come from Ai's mouth, I decided to support her even more fervently.
"I've realized that this world ultimately revolves around money."
""You've realized something dirty, haven't you?""
Miyako and I seemed to have the exact same thought at the exact same time.
For a moment, it looked like the stars in Ai's eyes turned pitch black, but it must have been an illusion. I got goosebumps and rubbed my arms.
Then, Ai picked up Ruby and said, "But to send these kids to good schools or academies, to give them options... I need to do better and earn more, right? If things stay like this, I can't make them happy."
I lightly bopped Ai on the head for saying such unnecessary things.
"Ouch!!"
"Don't harbor such unnecessary thoughts. I told you, Ai, I will definitely take responsibility as your guardian and protect you, Aqua, and Ruby. Instead of worrying about a few pennies, cut back on the Häagen-Dazs first."
"Huh!? No way!! How can you tell me to cut back on Häagen-Dazs!!"
"Waaah!!"
Ai naturally clung to me, so I lightly hugged her back and patted her head. Unexpectedly, Ai froze up.
"Don't worry. Just do what you want to do. If that includes raising those kids, don't think about money—I'll handle everything you need, okay?"
As I continued to stroke her hair, Ai grabbed my clothes tightly with both hands and buried her face deeper into my chest.
"...Okay."
She muttered just that one word and stayed still. When I tried to put her down to take her to her lesson, she resisted.
"Let's go like this."
"Huh?"
"I like it like this."
"Sigh... phew... Well, who am I to stop you?"
I glanced at Miyako, Aqua, and Ruby.
"Miyako, I'm leaving the kids to you. Be good, okay?"
After telling them to behave, I carried Ai out and headed to the lesson venue.
After the lesson, there was an event scheduled, so I had some time to kill until it ended. Just as I was about to enter a nearby café to pass the time...
Caw~!!
Caw~caw!!
Caaaw!!!
"...Crows."
Don't tell me...
With a hint of suspicion, I looked around. There, at the café I was about to enter, sat the 'girl' I thought I had seen for the last time when she forced me to witness Dr. Goro's death.
Seeing me, she smiled.
"How about a cup of tea?"
".....I'll go now."
I had planned to go to Ai's event, but it seemed something more important had come up.
Third-person: Hoshino Ai
"Ai-chan, you seem a bit down today?"
"You shouldn't overdo it since you just recovered from being sick, right?"
When two members who were taking lessons with her spoke worriedly, Ai smiled awkwardly.
"No~ it's just that I didn't eat lunch, so I'm su~per hungry!!"
"What's that? A hungry character now!?"
Using a convenient excuse to send the other members away, Ai sighed internally.
Sigh... Yume isn't here, and I'm not in a good mood today... I guess I should do some surfing.
While scrolling through her phone, a specific tweet caught Ai's eye.
[Ai's smile is, good or bad, a professional smile. It feels somewhat inhuman, doesn't it? It's hard to feel at ease supporting her. Except for that impressive comeback stage, it never changes.]
After reading the tweet, Ai muttered quietly so no one could hear.
"That hits a sore spot....."
Ai knew it, too. During the comeback stage, she sang with love for Yume in her heart. But except for that specific time, she never felt the same way again. She knew the reason.
For her to be a perfect idol without lying, Hoshino Yume had to be by her side. Since Hoshino Yume never participated in regular events, she always ended up reverting to being a liar—an idol.
"Well, Yume is always busy because of me, so it can't be helped."
After the lesson, Ai headed to the event stage with the other members.
[Now, today we have the three members of B-Komachi with us~!!!!]
With those words, Ai began to sing.
But even as she sang, the tweet kept lingering in her chest and mind.
[Ai's smile is, good or bad, a professional smile.]
"Even if you say that... I am a pro, you know."
[It feels somewhat inhuman.]
"I don't really get that. Aren't you the ones who demand something inhuman?"
Hoshino Ai always researched in front of a mirror, adjusting every millimeter. How wide to open her eyes, the exact angle of her mouth—it was all calculated. She always wore the smile that made people happiest.
Just as the thought "I'm made of lies" filled her mind...
"Babu! Babu! Babu! Babu! Babu! Babu! Babu! Babu! Babu! Babu! Babu! Babu!"
She saw two children madly waving glow sticks in both hands. Ai's eyes, usually the eyes of a perfect liar, widened in genuine shock.
"What's that!? Those babies are dancing in sync!?"
"For infants, that's some impressive coordination!!"
My kids are so cuuuute~~~~~~~~~~~~~♥♥♥♥♥♥
She smiled a smile only a mother who truly loves her children could make. The event came to an end on that high note.
As a result, the video of the twins waving glow sticks achieved a feat of 210,000 retweets and 2 million views.
Incidentally, when Yume checked that video later, he grabbed the back of his neck and collapsed onto the sofa.
First-person: Hoshino Yume
In a café that should have been crowded, there was not a single person except for me and this girl.
Since it seemed possible for her to make people avoid this place entirely, she probably wasn't the same kind of human as me. Considering her previous statements, I drew a conclusion about the girl before me.
"Are you a god?"
She wasn't on the same level as the being that reincarnated me, but she seemed to be a being just beneath that.
"Well, are you asking after already deciding?"
"Hearing it directly is different from just thinking it."
As someone who always wants a definite answer, I always act cautiously unless confirmed—that's my principle.
"Well, that's true. Let's say yes for now."
"I see."
"By the way, you seem to be doing quite well?"
"I'm getting by somehow."
"Really? So, are you prepared to change fate?"
"If it's Ai's fate to die, I'll change it no matter what. Even if I have to kill you."
"How scary~ To casually say you'd kill such a delicate girl. You're not normal either, are you?"
Was that really so? In my past life as a bodyguard, the lesson I learned most viscerally was that if you go easy on a child even once, you might see dozens of colleagues injured or dead from a single mistake.
Some might call it PTSD, but it wasn't to that extent. Still, the principle remained: even if it's a child, if they are a threat, eliminate them. This was one of the instincts in this life born from past events.
"Did you appear before me just to talk about this?"
"What if I did?"
"Do we have anything left to discuss between us?"
"No, nothing. So, I just wanted to say one thing."
"....What is it?"
"Indeed, I am the 'god' you think of, but right now I can't do anything—not even intervene in your affairs. So... I'm just a reader, you could say?"
"A reader... I see."
So, to the gods, our actions are no different from a story in a book.
"So, I'll be looking forward to your story, Hoshino Yume. Please, lead Hoshino Ai, Hoshino Aquamarine, and Hoshino Ruby down a happy path—I'll pray for that."
Leaving behind those god-like words, she vanished. It began to feel as if no one had been sitting before me from the start, and silence settled in. I carefully felt this loneliness and simply waited for Ai's event to end.
Until Ai called, I waited without a single thought, just idling away the time.
In the end, without even receiving a call from Ai, I returned to the office. Seeing Saito, Miyako, Ai, Aqua, and Ruby gathered around watching something, I asked, "I'm back. What are you watching?"
As I said that, I checked Miyako's phone, which was at the center of the huddle.
"....Sigh....."
I was overwhelmed by a sudden headache and collapsed onto the nearby sofa.
Meanwhile, after slowly reading the tweet that accompanied the viral video, Ai approached me. She lay down next to me on the sofa, clung to my arm, and quietly muttered:
"I see... so this is what 'good' is. Learning complete~"
It seems it's still not enough to draw out your true feelings, Ai.
Hearing Ai's muttering, I simply closed my eyes.