Chapter 26: Fate Has Not Changed Yet

First-person Hoshino Yume

Ai's dome concert was delayed by a week, but because it was delayed, even more anticipation built up, making it the best performance.

I watched Ai's performance from start to finish.

I could tell that Ai's expression had clearly changed.

Anyone else might not have noticed that subtle difference, but having spent so much time with Ai, I could.

Ai had definitely changed because of that day's incident.

That change would surely bring good things for Ai, and it was my role to continue watching over that change.

And now that I've become the man responsible for Ai's life, there will be even more things to pay attention to around her.

But even so, I will definitely manage.

Because I'm greedy and want to continue our daily life with Hoshino Ai, Hoshino Aqua, and Hoshino Ruby forever.

Until Ai's performance ended, I just kept watching her.

Third-person Hoshino Aqua/Ruby

After the concert, Ruby was watching people leave from inside the car, while Aqua was continuously looking at something on his smartphone.

During this, Ruby said,

"Mama said, 'You can become an idol too, can't you?' Aqua, do you think someone like me could do it?"

Ruby had always been recommended the path of an idol by Ai, who would say, 'Our Ruby can definitely become the best idol! After all, she's my daughter!!' and after that incident, Ruby had always been troubled.

But Ruby wasn't the only one feeling this way.

"Well, if you want to do it, you can, right? Honestly, if you want to make money, other jobs would be faster. And even if you become an idol, fans will always be selfish, and if you find a man you truly love, you'll surely get hate comments."

Aqua gave Ruby the most realistic talk, and Ruby just smiled brightly while watching the people leaving the venue.

"Yeah, but Mama shone so brightly."

"Certainly, this dome stage was almost like Ai's solo performance."

Ruby and Aqua also watched Ai's dome concert from the seat next to Yume, and they could once again see how amazing an idol Ai was, having broken through the wall of lies.

Aqua noticed that Ruby, seeing that sight, would continue to walk the path of an idol. But for Aqua, it was no longer possible to think like Ruby after seeing Ai.

The reason was that after seeing Ai, who was almost killed, and Yume, who suffered a near-fatal wound to the abdomen trying to protect her, he realized that the higher you rise as an idol, the more dangers there are.

Moreover, although he was somewhat happy that Hoshino Yume was his father, he thought that a life where he couldn't even express it outside had its own constraints.

While thinking such thoughts, a sudden idea came to Aqua's mind.

First-person Hoshino Aqua

'That stalker and the man who killed me are probably. No, definitely the same person.'

'But how did he find the hospital where Ai was admitted?'

'Even if the hospital is one thing, how could he have found out the house we live in?'

'According to Yume, the information about this house we live in now is almost top secret.'

'And he even said that the people living around here are all employees of the same company.'

'Even so, the culprit was just an ordinary student with no skills, so it doesn't seem possible for him to do something like a detective.'

'There must be an informant.'

'And it might be someone quite close to Ai.'

'I can't say for sure yet, but the culprit might be in Yume's company.'

'As far as I know, only the Director and Yume knew about the hospital. The Director would never do such a thing to the star of the company he cherishes so much.'

'And Yume kept it a secret from all the employees, and what I heard was that he even kept it a secret from the Director and came to the hospital. Besides, before being our father, Yume is someone who loves and cherishes Ai more than anyone, so it's absolutely impossible.'

'Then a colleague? No, that can't be either. According to Yume, Ai actually gets along well with the B-Komachi members, and if there was any strange behavior, Yume would have handled it.'

'And of course, I know Ai has no relatives, and even if she did, it seems like she doesn't know their contact information.'

'Then what remains is.'

'Someone in Yume's company or someone who was close to Ai in the past.'

'Originally, she probably didn't tell anyone about her personal circumstances except Yume, not even the Director, and her social circle was narrow, so the other party might be an 'entertainer' and since Yume is always in contact with employees, it could be among them.'

'Then this informer is in the entertainment industry. If not the entertainment industry, then in Yume's company.'

'The guy who tried to have such a thing happen to Ai, the guy who gave Yume a near-death crisis, if not in the entertainment industry, is in Yume's company.'

'Surely, that bastard will approach again as long as Ai and I, Yume's child, are around.'

'Ah, yes....... What I must do for Ai, Yume, and Ruby to be happy is. Until I find this bastard with my own hands and put an end to him with my own hands....!!'