First-person: Hoshino Yume
After fainting for what felt like five minutes, I woke up and stared blankly out the window. Sitting beside me was Ai, watching my reaction intensely. She looked like a puppy that had caused trouble, her eyes darting around nervously.
The atmosphere itself wasn't heavy, but for some reason, no one spoke a word. An inexplicable loneliness hung in the air.
The Senior, watching us, seemed to find this atmosphere amusing. That somehow irritated me, but since I owed her big time, I tried to ignore it.
We couldn't stay silent forever.
"Ai."
"Uh... yes!?"
When I called her name, she looked at me like a dog awaiting its next command. I had the idle thought that if she had a tail, it would be wagging furiously.
"First... let's hear the circumstances."
"Yes★"
Put away the star.
After hearing the full story from Ai, what shocked me the most was...
"You really drugged me with sleepi... sleeping pills and had sex with me!?"
"Yes!!"
"Couldn't resist a momentary impulse!?"
"Yes, yes!!"
"More than that, how did you even know about such things!?"
"The internet!!!"
"This damn!!!!!!"
"Hey, youngest. You shouldn't swear."
Damn it!!!
Scolded by the Senior, I cursed inwardly again. Eventually, I sighed.
"Phew... well, if this is fate, then it's fate..."
Did that 'girl' know this would happen when she told me to change fate?
Perhaps the only thing that has changed is my role. Originally, I intended to live as the protector of these children. But from now on, that has evolved. I will protect them as their parent and... their father.
"Ha... well, what's done is done..."
"Then!?"
"Ai, you're an adult too, so you have to take responsibility."
"...Yume, you're the best!! I love you sooooo much~~~♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡"
"Yeah, yeah."
It was always the same 'I love you' she said, but it seems the meaning of 'I love you' between us was different all along. It's too late to say I only realized it now, so I guess I'll just accept it.
I patted Ai, who was hugging me tightly, and looked at Aqua and Ruby, who were hesitating nearby.
"Come here, Aqua, Ruby."
"....Papa!!!!!!"
"Dad..."
Ruby came running, hugging me and calling me Papa. Aqua, perhaps a little shy, said "Dad" instead, but he also ran to my side.
In the end, I hugged all three of them at once. The pain in my abdomen had already faded away.
While holding Ai, Aqua, and Ruby, I looked at Saito.
"...What about the dome concert?"
Trying to ignore the pitiful look he was giving me, I asked about the show.
"Don't worry, it's fine, youngest~"
"Senior?"
The person who answered wasn't Saito, but the Senior.
"For this dome concert, our side provided quite a bit of support, you know? We postponed it to next week on the condition that we cover all the costs."
"...It seems like it will be a considerable amount."
"Well... it might not be small, but it's an amount that our youngest can cover by working hard for just one month, right?"
"....It seems you have a lot of work lined up for me."
"Ufufu. By the way, this money came from my personal funds?"
"Sigh... I understand."
Knowing her personality, receiving such a favor meant I would be sucked dry to the bone marrow. I steeled my heart in advance.
"Then, I'll take my leave first. See you at the dome next time, okay?"
"Yes, please go ahead."
"Take care of yourself~"
The Senior said that and left the hospital room, leaving me, Ai, Aqua, Ruby, Saito, and Miyako.
"Saito, about that..."
"It's okay. Honestly, I expected it to some extent, so... if there's any shock, it's more on the other side..."
Saito said that and looked at Ai, who was still in my arms. She seemed to be having a territory dispute with Ruby—both holding my right and left hands in a silent tug-of-war—while Aqua had already taken refuge nearby.
"To be honest, it's better for us that you become Ai's lover."
"Huh?"
What is this, casually announcing Ai's love life like that...
"I have no intention of announcing it publicly, so relax your face."
"I'm sorry."
I didn't mean to look so grim...
"Anyway, you're registered as Ai's guardian, so there shouldn't be any legal problems now, right?"
"That's true, but..."
"Then, marry her after she retires."
"......Thank you."
I felt deep gratitude for Saito's consideration and bowed my head. Saito waved his hands frantically, looking embarrassed.
"Hey hey hey! Don't bow!? I didn't even know you were such a high-ranking person...."
"Ahaha...."
The atmosphere lightened. Saito teased me, and I accepted it, creating a good mood.
Saito and Miyako left first. Eventually, the only people remaining were me, Ai, Aqua, and Ruby—just our family.
"Is it okay if we don't go home?"
"Yes. From today on, I won't leave Yume's side."
"Ruby won't leave Papa's side either!!"
"Ah!? Ruby, Yume belongs to Mama!"
"Since he's Ruby's Papa, Ruby has the right to have Papa too!!"
".....No, Dad isn't an object."
Watching Ai and Ruby argue over my "rights," I felt a lump form in my throat for some reason.
"Yume, are you crying...?"
"Papa?"
"Dad?"
"Ah....."
I knew that the warm liquid flowing from my eyes was tears. I tried to wipe them away, but...
"Huh... ahaha... for some reason today..."
I'm so happy... but why can't the tears stop?
Without even thinking of wiping them anymore, I just smiled and hugged my family again. The 'family' in my arms soon shed tears just like me.
Our hospital room echoed with the sound of crying, as if vomiting out all the accumulated fears and anxieties.
After crying their fill, Ruby and Aqua, exhausted, fell asleep on the bed I was lying on. I got up carefully to look out the window for a moment.
"What are you doing, Yume?"
"Nothing much. What about you, Ai?"
"Me? I..."
Ai came close and hugged me as always.
"I'm ~so happy~♡"
"Is that so?"
Thinking back, with Ai's personality, even from my position as guardian, she wouldn't have hugged me like this so often, right? Was I really that oblivious?
"Yume."
"What is it?"
"I was really scared, honestly."
"I know."
I tried to show her only the good things, but it seems my caution was lacking.
"But thanks to what you said, I feel like all the actions I've thought of until now were lies... but not really lies."
"Yes. The reason you felt like you were lying is because you hadn't been honest with your feelings yet. So from now on, if you express those feelings without lies, I'll be satisfied."
"Yes. So I'm going to try expressing it from now on."
"Ah.. Ai?"
Ai slowly approached me, wrapped her arms around my neck, and met my gaze.
Chu.
"Ehehehe★ I've become a body that can't live without Yume, so you'll take responsibility, right?"
Ai's eyes were filled with desire. All I could do upon seeing those eyes was respond honestly.
"Yes, I'll stick by your side until you hate me."
I hugged her to convey my sincerity.
"Then, can Yume and I do 'that' now?"
"'That' what?"
"Sex. I mean sex."
"Pfft!?"
At Ai's blunt statement, I felt the pain in my abdomen—which hadn't been hurting a moment ago—come rushing back. I cautiously guessed that this pain wasn't from a stab wound, but stress-induced stomach cramps.
"First, how about we start by fixing your self-centered personality from today, Ai?"
"Aaaaah~!!!! I want to, I want to!! I want to have sex with Yume!!!!"
"Don't say it so loudly!? The kids are here too!!"
"They're sleeping!!"
"They might wake up!!"
Worried that Aqua or Ruby might wake up due to our rising voices, I glanced at the bed. Fortunately, they were still sound asleep, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
First, I need to cover Ai's mouth, which keeps shouting that crazy word right in front of me.
"Mmph!! Mmmmph!!!!"
"Please be quiet."
I beg you. I clearly said to convey sincerity, but I didn't mean convey it bluntly like this.
As an extra bonus, Ai was diligently licking my palm again. While enduring the damp sensation, I continued to cover her mouth.
Even after licking continuously, since I didn't remove my hand, Ai eventually gave up and tapped my arm. I finally let go.
"Puh~ You're not letting go this time."
"I'm not falling for the same trick twice."
I need to wash my hand first.
No matter how much time passes, I never get used to this dampness.