Chapter 6: Meeting the Parents
"Ryosuke... will he really commit suicide after this?"
Ai asked with a hint of concern.
"Based on my deduction, there's about an 80% probability it will develop that way," Hikaru Hoshino said calmly. "You saw his reaction. The belief that had been supporting him has shattered, and that kind of collapse is enough to destroy a person."
"I feel quite sorry for him, though."
The apology on Ai's face didn't seem fake; perhaps she truly did love her fans. But even so, when it came time to take action, she hadn't hesitated.
"Don't take it too much to heart," Hikaru Hoshino reminded her. "He wasn't killed by you. The only thing that killed him was his own stupidity. Being an 'idol failure' is no excuse to become a stalker. Deciding to commit murder just because an idol isn't as perfect as one's ideal... reaching this point is entirely his own doing."
"No star feels sympathy for a *sasaeng* fan."
Hikaru Hoshino flatly stated this cold and undeniable fact.
However, he didn't mention the role Hikaru Kamiki played in all this. After all, he was still wearing Kamiki's skin; it was better to reveal that explosive news a bit later.
"Aqua, were you scared? Come here, let Mama give you a hug."
Standing behind the door, Aqua had undoubtedly witnessed the entire process. He said nothing, but his expression was one of relief. He knew very well that if it weren't for Hikaru Hoshino, Ai's life would have been in grave danger today. At the thought, his favorability toward this strange man rose slightly.
Probably from -100 to about -90.
Ruby arrived late, rubbing her eyes as she tottered out of the bedroom.
"Mama, why is everyone in the hallway? Also, who is this uncle?"
The moment she saw Hikaru Hoshino, Ruby's eyes became very dangerous.
She had realized a terrifying fact: the strange man before her looked almost exactly like a grown-up Aqua. From that perspective, he had to be her...
"Hmm, I'm your father."
Hikaru Hoshino walked over to Ruby and firmly patted her head despite her panicked expression.
"Let's clean up first. The president of Strawberry Productions should be arriving soon."
"Don't forget you have the Dome performance tonight. That's what really deserves our attention."
"Oh, right! The President is coming soon; we can't let him find out what just happened."
Ai frantically grabbed a mop and began tidying up the "crime scene."
Ruby, meanwhile, kept pestering Aqua to tell her exactly what happened. But Aqua was determined not to tell her, remaining unmoved no matter how much she acted spoiled.
*So, this man is the "father" shared by me and Ruby...*
Four years ago, he was the one with Ai, leading her to make a mistake that could have ruined her career.
Aqua watched Hikaru Hoshino out of the corner of his eye, thinking emotionlessly.
From a fan's perspective, he had zero affection for Hikaru Hoshino. As a child, seeing that Kamiki let Ai give birth alone and vanished for four years, he certainly wasn't a good father either.
Now that he had suddenly appeared before their family out of nowhere, what exactly was he planning?
"According to reliable intelligence I've obtained, Ryosuke..."
*Where did this "reliable intelligence" come from?*
Aqua decided to observe Hikaru Hoshino secretly for a while, monitoring his every move. If he found anything detrimental to Ai...
He would use every means necessary to make him pay.
Ai Hoshino finished cleaning the house quickly. The four of them sat on the living room sofas—Ai sat on one side with the two children, while Hikaru Hoshino sat opposite them.
"Ugh, why isn't the President here yet? It's such an important day."
Ai pouted and complained cutely.
"The Dome performance... is it tonight?"
Hikaru Hoshino confirmed the time with Ai. Having resolved the threat of Ryosuke, he began to look seriously toward today's show. The Tokyo Dome is every idol's dream (though Ai only acted like it was a big deal because the President cared so much), a symbol of an idol group truly reaching the summit. In the original story, this performance never took place. Hikaru Hoshino felt a twinge of regret regarding that.
*It must be a spectacular show,* he thought sincerely.
And now, he had a brilliant idea to make this performance even more incredible.
"Yes, it starts at 8:00 PM tonight. But because it's the President's dream, he's been excited since yesterday. He told me I have to start preparing from early this morning and that absolutely nothing can go wrong."
" 'To see Ai perform at the Dome, I could die with no regrets!' Those were his exact words."
Ai mimicked the President's expression perfectly, her vivid imitation making Ruby giggle.
*Ding-dong—*
"Ah, the President is here." Ai scrambled to her feet to open the door.
"I'll go." Hikaru Hoshino stood up first and opened the door for her.
"Ai! How was your rest yesterday? Is your condition all dialed in?!"
The moment the door opened a crack, the President's boisterous voice boomed from behind it. Hikaru Hoshino sniffed; he smelled a heavy scent of alcohol. It made him frown instantly.
Ichigo Saitou... this man was drinking heavily so early in the morning!
Following behind was his wife, Miyako Saitou, looking helpless. She appeared much calmer than Ichigo.
Ichigo Saitou's voice cut off abruptly when he saw Hikaru Hoshino opening the door. He pointed a finger at him in disbelief.
"You... you... you... Ai! Tell me who this man is right now! Why is he in your house?!"
Ichigo stared at Hikaru Hoshino for a moment before slapping his forehead in realization, letting out a grief-stricken roar.
"Ai! Do you remember what I told you before?"
" 'This is a critical time; you must not meet with the father of the children.' How could you just ignore my words?!"
Miyako immediately covered his mouth and forced him inside the house.
"Are you crazy? Yelling like that—what if there are paparazzi nearby?"
The group entered Ai's home noisily. With six people, the living room was suddenly packed.
"Ai, you haven't answered me! Why did you choose today to have a secret meeting?! If anything goes wrong, it will directly impact the Dome show!"
Hikaru Hoshino took over the conversation with a smile. "I'm afraid the President is blaming the wrong person. I came to visit of my own accord today."
"What?!"
The President's face turned dangerous, flushing red. Combined with the smell of alcohol, he looked ready to start a fight.
"Kid, I'll set aside your past mistakes for a moment, but what mischief are you up to today? Are you determined to completely destroy Ai's career?!"
"No, quite the opposite."
"I'm here to offer a helping hand for the performance."
As Hikaru Hoshino spoke, a mysterious smile played across his lips.