First-person: Hoshino Yume
When I tried to proceed with the discharge procedures the next day, my "family" actively tried to stop me.
"Ah, Yume's physical condition is already in top shape, so there won't be any major issues if he's discharged," the doctor explained calmly.
At the doctor's words, they just stared at me blankly. I looked back at them.
"I told you. I'm a bit different from other people."
I said goodbye to the doctor who always takes care of me and led the children out.
Fortunately, the Senior had prepared a car for us, expecting my discharge the next day. When we arrived home, Aqua and Ruby went straight to the living room, and Ai headed to the kitchen.
"By the way, it's almost lunchtime. Is there anything you want to eat?"
"Huh? Yume?"
"Let's order."
"Yume, is takeout possible?★"
"Not possible. Go quietly to the living room."
"Yes~"
Why can't I shake the feeling that I'm being pushed around? Is it just my imagination, or can I already see a future where I'm completely tied down?
I thought about ordering delivery, but in the end, I decided to make a light meal with the ingredients we had at home.
Third-person: Hoshino Aqua / Ruby
The sensational news that an idol was nearly killed by a fan—and that the perpetrator had turned himself in—spread one day after the incident occurred.
Normally, such articles would spread within an hour. However, the company used that day to buy time for the Senior's 'work', keeping the incident quiet for 24 hours.
When the news finally broke, most of the public reaction was sympathetic. But just as there is light, there is darkness. Human nature's darker side led to more than a few posts written by those who toyed with the victim's misfortune to seek attention.
Fortunately, since Aqua and Ruby were known to be under Saito and Miyako's care, they weren't mentioned in the center of the news cycle.
And most importantly, any mention of Hoshino Yume was strongly silenced by the 'company', so there were no reports about him on any broadcast stations or news outlets.
It was only natural. No one had the courage to touch the 'company' that Hoshino Yume belonged to.
While Aqua and Ruby were browsing Twitter on the smartphones Yume had bought them, they read many absurd speculations and bizarre comments. Among them, there were quite a few that were uncomfortably close to the truth, which surprised them.
One post caught Ruby's eye:
[The stalker found out that Ai has a man]
[Yeah, if that's the case, it can't be helped that she almost got stabbed to death]
Fortunately, Yume doesn't use his phone much, so he wouldn't see such posts. If he did, he would likely hack all the personal information of the humans who wrote such things and try to destroy them physically or socially.
"It can't be helped? What?"
Ruby's emotions exploded upon reading that post.
"An idol almost dies because she's in love, and that can't be helped? Huh? That can't be right!!!"
Ruby knew that Ai and Aqua were nearby, but she couldn't hold back her bursting emotions.
"You have real love for an idol!! Isn't it too shameless to deny that!? You're just pouring out your lack of a girlfriend onto women you don't know, and it's disgusting! Die!! Just die!!"
"Ruby."
Ai approached Ruby, carefully hugged her, and stroked her hair. While being held by Ai, Ruby shed tears.
"Mama... why is the internet like this? Mama almost died. Yume almost died after being stabbed in the stomach... Is it that if you're as famous as Mama, you have to put up with any words?"
"Ruby, that's..."
Ai tried to say something to soothe her, but Ruby cut her off.
"What's fame? Customers say things like 'gods' or whatever, but that's not for you to use! Don't use the words that hurt people use to justify their wounds as an excuse to hurt others..!!!!"
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!!!
"That's right, that's right.... Ruby always thinks of Mama."
Ai continued to stroke Ruby until she calmed down. Aqua just watched the two silently, lost in thought.
Actually, the news that Ai was nearly killed died down after about three days, as if the content had been consumed and discarded. After news broke that heavy snow had paralyzed the transportation network, the incident was no longer a topic.
But if the news had been about Hoshino Yume instead of Ai, it would have been covered for at least a week. Ai is certainly a celebrity, but the position of a top executive in the 'company' that Hoshino Yume belongs to carries even greater weight.
Thus, the snow covered up the incident where Hoshino Ai and Hoshino Yume were nearly killed.
First-person: Hoshino Yume
"It can't be helped? What?"
In the kitchen, cooking, I stopped my hands at the sound of Ruby's voice.
"An idol almost dies because she's in love, and that can't be helped? Huh? That can't be right!!!"
Ai and Aqua must be by Ruby's side right now, but it seems Ruby doesn't care about appearances and is letting her emotions explode.
"You have real love for an idol!! Isn't it too shameless to deny that!? You're just pouring out your lack of a girlfriend onto women, and it's disgusting! Die!! Just die!!"
I can understand the emotions Ruby is speaking with, but seeing her explode like this is a first. I guess the shock was that great.
"Ruby."
"Mama... why is the internet like this? Mama almost died. Yume almost died after being stabbed in the stomach... Is it that if you're as famous as Mama, you have to put up with any words?"
"Ruby, that's..."
Even cutting off Ai's words, Ruby had a lot she wanted to say.
"What's fame? Customers say things like gods or whatever, but that's not for you to use! Don't use the words that hurt people use to justify their wounds as an excuse to hurt others..!!!!"
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!!!
"That's right, that's right.... Ruby always thinks of Mama."
From now on, I should learn how to use smartphones properly. To prevent Ruby, Aqua, or Ai from suffering, I need to consider scrubbing information focused on hate comments first.
I'll have to rely on the help of not only the Senior but other 'seniors' as well.
Thinking about the increasing debt of favors I owe the seniors, I sighed carefully and finished preparing dinner.
Thus, time passed, and before I knew it, the day of Ai's dome concert arrived. I was now talking with the Senior backstage.
"Oh my, oh my. As expected of a dome, there are so many people, aren't there?"
"That must be it."
Most of them must be people coming to see Ai.
"Well then, shall we get to the main point?"
"Yes, please go ahead."
"What I want to ask of you is just one thing."
"That's an unexpected thing to say."
"Ahaha, I knew you'd say that, youngest."
The Senior stroked my head as she spoke. Actually, I've been treated like a child quite a bit by her, but considering her age and position, it's not something to mind much. It was best to just stay still.
"You know that our company is preparing a new project this time, right?"
"Yes, I heard that the broad outline has been set, though the detailed plan hasn't been finalized."
"Right. Among the plans, the new project involves each of us executives selecting three people to become singers, actors, and voice actors for new activities."
"Ha! You mean us?"
At the Senior's words, I was so shocked that I let out a hollow laugh.
"Yes. Honestly, youngest, you and I can't say our personalities are 'good', but you know that among our ten, we're considered the normal ones, right?"
"That's..."
After a moment's thought, images of the other executives flashed through my mind:
"Hey!! Let's fight!!"
"That crazy bitch is at it again!!"
"Kyahaahahahahahahahat!!!!"
"Bring the alcohol, alcohol!!!!"
"Hey, I'm getting hungry, aren't you serving food?"
"My sister has a piano recital, can I go?"
"Wow, I want to go home."
"Shall we lightly hack NASA today!?"
I thought of them and sighed.
"Wow, is that f*cking possible?"
"Lately, it's good that our youngest is expressing more emotions, but it seems like the swearing is increasing too. That makes this senior a bit sad."
"I'm sorry. I'll correct it."
But no matter how I think about it, finding normal candidates among them seems absolutely impossible.
"That's why I called you like this, right?"
"Don't tell me."
I really wanted to decline any more troublesome tasks, but...
"Yes, youngest. You choose one of these three roles to proceed with. That's the condition I'm imposing on you."
"Wow, you're really making it so there's no escape route."
"Ufufu, that's this senior's charm, isn't it? By the way, this senior is out of the question for selection."
That must be because she has a husband.
"Well then, what is our youngest's choice?"
".....I'll choose 'actor', please."
"Good choice. I was planning to make 'that child' the idol."
"Ah... you mean 'her'."
"Yes, she has the face and talent, so we should use her, right?"
"Well, if it's her, she'd probably agree right away, saying it sounds fun."
"Fufu, then this senior will be going now. I guess my work for today is done."
"Did you really come just to say this?"
A three-hour round trip just for this conversation?
"Then, as a bonus, I came to give you this information too."
The Senior handed me a document.
"It's information extracted as much as possible from that guy. Honestly, we didn't get much useful intel, but it's better than nothing, right?"
"Thank you."
After handing me the document, the Senior turned her back without hesitation and left, as if her work was finished. I quietly put the document in my bag and headed to the waiting room where Ai was.
"Is the preparation going well?"
"Ah, Yume?"
Arriving at the waiting room, I approached Ai, who was alone. Upon hearing me, Ai turned around.
"Yume energy charging★"
"Don't hug me."
What if someone sees you hugging me so openly?
Actually, since the other B-Komachi members don't know about my relationship with Ai, we need to be careful. But Ai has been getting bolder lately, which is troublesome.
After hugging for about ten minutes, Ai broke away from my embrace with a satisfied expression.
"Yume energy charging complete★ Today's performance will be the best performance!!"
"Yeah."
Your current self is exactly the 'you' I wanted to see, Ai.
So go show them and come back. Show your charm to the whole world. From now on, you will become the 'perfect idol', become everyone's idol, and fly even higher.
The fact that I have the privilege to watch that from the sidelines makes me so happy.
I really am a greedy man.
First-person: Hoshino Ai
So this is the dome~ There seem to be so many people.
Are all these people the ones who came to see me?
Probably so.
Hmm~ I'm in a better mood than usual today. I wonder why?
Of course, it's because right now, I, Hoshino Ai, am in love.
So from now on, there's no need to lie anymore.
Because now, I have people I truly love by my side.
Yes, that's right. As Yume said, I, Hoshino Ai, am greedy.
I want to have happiness as Aqua and Ruby's mother.
I don't want to give up on sharing happiness and love with everyone as an idol.
And because of Yume, one more desire has been added, hasn't it?
I want to have an even deeper relationship with Hoshino Yume, the person I love the most.
So after showing Yume the best performance at this dome concert, I'll tell him.
"Yume, love me even more. Fill me with everything of Yume."
Share Yume's love with me. I'll be waiting, Yume!
[B-Komachi members, please come out!!!!]