More than ten years have already passed since I started living with Ai.
And two years ago, the film directed by Gotanda Taishi received fairly good reviews and was nominated for a director's award, though I don't remember the name of the award.
Looking back now, it seems both Aqua's acting and my own were quite good. But
ultimately, that film ended up in Ai's hands.
That was the turning point, and the jobs coming in for Ai continued to increase. In short, the current Hoshino Ai could be defined as
a rising idol, I think.
Ai will soon turn twenty, and if she hasn't forgotten the promise I made long ago, she'll express her feelings. That way, we'll also find out who her partner is.
Honestly, the idea that Kamiki Hikaru is Ai's partner has completely faded.
From the investigation results, Kamiki had almost no contact with Ai. After confirming from CCTV footage that there was no contact whatsoever, I've been trying to figure out who Ai's partner really is, and I've eased up on monitoring Kamiki a bit.
On a separate note, I've been searching in various ways for Dr. Goro's body, which disappeared along with that 'girl,' but even after two years, there's been no news.
At this point, I even started wondering if his body was intentionally hidden, but since this is a story determined by the gods, I decided to go along with it for now.
And the most important thing is
“Hmm~~~~ So cute today too!! Adorable!!! Well, totally, Mama is cuter though.”
“What kind of rivalry is that?”
Seeing Ai ignite a rivalry even with her own children,
“Don't waste your competitive spirit on the kids, and you should start getting ready to go out.”
“Mmmph!!”
Ai's children, Aqua and Ruby, have started attending kindergarten.
After sending the kids to kindergarten, on days without work, Ai almost always hangs around me.
Nowadays, whether the kids are around or not, she comes over to hug me as a matter of course—my lap has become her exclusive seat. She occasionally gives it up to Ruby, but aside from that, lying on my lap or sitting on it has become routine.
Why am I saying this? Because even now, Ai is lying with her head on my lap.
“You're heavy.”
“Huh!? How dare you say a girl is heavy!!”
“Is that so?”
Well, I really wish you'd get off my lap.
As Ai is approaching twenty, it seems like I need to start being a bit more careful with this kind of behavior once she becomes an adult.
“Yume~”
“What is it?”
“Ai-chan is almost twenty now, what do you think?”
“You should hold back a little.”
“Ehh~”
“Don't you think your mental age feels lower than Aqua or Ruby's as the days go by?”
“Flattery?”
“Tsk!”
“Papa~”
“Be quiet.”
“Ugh!?”
I covered her mouth to stop her from saying any more unnecessary things. But I underestimated Ai.
“What the heck are you doing!?”
“Ehehehe~★”
I never expected she'd naturally lick my palm.
In the end, to wipe the hand Ai licked, I set her head down from my lap and headed to the kitchen. I tried to ignore Ai following behind me like a baby bird chasing its mother, and
when I arrived at the kitchen and washed my hands under running water, she naturally came behind me and gave me a back hug.
Does craving affection increase even more as you get older? After thinking that,
I need to find Ai's partner soon so she can give affection to Ai, and Ai can show genuine love to Aqua and Ruby.
After roughly washing my hands, I dried them with the hanging towel and, still with Ai clinging to me, came to the living room and checked my smartphone.
“.........Ai.”
“Huh?”
“Stop burying your face in my back and look at this.”
“What is it?”
Ai finally detached herself from behind me at my words and checked the smartphone in my hand.
“It's a parent observation day?”
“Yes, and it says they'll show a dance, so Ruby probably practiced a dance. Since you're an idol too, go help Ruby out.”
“Okay~!”
“......Why are you clinging to me?”
“Let's go?”
“.........I really need to educate you later.”
“I refuse~!”
In the end, Ai hung onto my back until Aqua and Ruby returned home. Honestly, I was just left wondering how she managed to hang on like that.
When Ruby and Aqua returned home, Ruby was in the practice room prepared at our house, practicing alone while I watched from behind.
I thought she'd refuse, but to my surprise, Ruby easily agreed, so I kept watching her practice dance.
“Huh? Already practicing dance?”
“I think I said I would since earlier?”
“Oh right~!! Then let's do it together with Mama. I have to practice for the live performance where we need to do an old song.”
With that, music started playing from Ai's smartphone, and as Ai began to dance slowly, Ruby watched as if observing.
“Mama, that part's movement is a bit off. At Budokan, Mama's hand was higher.”
“Huh? Did you watch my live video? You remember it well~!”
Ai patted Ruby's head as if praising her, but I felt pity seeing Ruby like that, because...
I know that Ruby's past life spent all her time in the hospital, so in her past life when she was hospitalized, Ruby must have watched Ai's videos tens, hundreds, thousands of times.
That must have been her only happiness.
It wouldn't be strange if she knows the choreography even better than Ai herself.
“Eh~ again... how was it here, a bit more...”
Watching Ruby dance, I wasn't the only one who felt puzzled.
Ruby's movements seemed like she was preparing to fall.
‘Ruby's movements.... looks like she's preparing to fall.’
But I knew exactly why Ruby moved like that.
She was always only falling. If she hadn't prepared to fall, she might have gotten hurt.
I couldn't even imagine how great that sorrow must have been, but at least for you, Ai...
You'll be able to cover that child's sorrow.
“If you're afraid of falling, you'll fall even more. Stand up straight and be confident, Ruby.”
Ai put her hands under Ruby's armpits and helped her up, saying,
“It's okay, trust Mama.”
I didn't stay in the practice room any longer and quietly stepped aside to let them have their time alone.
Before I knew it, it was night, and after confirming that the three others were asleep, I was working in the living room not as a bodyguard but as a manager.
Since Ai's work is gradually increasing, I've had to work until night more often, so I had no choice but to work at night like this. While doing so,
“............Ruby?”
“Yume?”
Ruby carefully came out from the room where she should have been sleeping, but unfortunately, she met me working and showed a slightly surprised expression, then with a 'pat pat' sound, she approached me, jumped onto my lap, and started looking up at me.
“Hey, Yume.”
“What is it?”
“Yume, what if... what if, you know.”
She told me the story of a girl who spent most of her life in a hospital room.
I knew that story was about Ruby's past life, Tendouji Sarina, but I pretended not to know and kept listening.
After hearing Ruby out, I set her down on the floor and decided to give advice that wasn't really advice, which was none other than
“If that girl hadn't given up, I would have told her not to give up.”
“Give up?”
“Yes, I'd want to say don't worry about the past, just focus on the present. So,”
I plugged wireless earbuds into Ruby's ears and
“So, Ruby, it's okay for you to dance enough too.”
I played Ai's song. Then, Ruby's body slowly started moving, and soon
Ah, as expected, Ruby, you've inherited the same sense for dance as Ai, along with the looks passed down from Ai.
“Hoshino Ruby, you'll definitely become an idol who surpasses Ai. I'll make sure of it...”
Just smile and move forward.
As I said that, I quietly gestured with a finger to my lips toward Aqua, who was watching from behind without knowing. Aqua seemed to understand my intention, nodded once, and went back into the room.
After watching Ruby dance for an hour, I took the tired Ruby back to her room, put her to sleep, and was about to prepare to sleep myself, but a message came on my phone, and after checking it,
“Ha...... no wonder it's been quiet...”
So this is how you hit me from behind, Kamiki Hikaru.
The information sent by my subordinate was just one thing:
[Unable to monitor Kamiki Hikaru's actions for about a day.]
Damn...
It seems like I shouldn't be sleeping for a while.
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