"...Kaoru, what are you thinking about?"
When Ai, who had been staring intently at his face from the passenger seat, asked him that in a casual voice, Kaoru flinched and cleared his throat.
As expected, his wife’s instincts were a strategic weapon of asymmetry in and of themselves.
Kaoru turned on the blinker and changed lanes before speaking after a brief hesitation.
"...If I said it was nothing, you’d probably tell me not to lie, right?"
"...Pffft—! How did you know?"
Ai immediately covered her mouth and burst out laughing at Kaoru’s words, her starlit eyes sparkling as she chimed in.
They had been living side by side for ten years already. Aqua and Ruby were in fourth grade, and Ame was already in kindergarten.
After marrying, living with the twins, and having Ame, the cold, sharp temperament born from the painful, lonely wounds of his past life had slowly begun to soften as well.
As his wife, Ai knew full well that whenever her husband was struck by one of those periods of contemplation he had never truly been able to enjoy in his past life, that unique look would ripple through his beautiful blue eyes like the sea.
Ai, smiling with starlight in her eyes, slowly reached out and stroked her husband’s broad shoulder.
"I’m not exactly good at counseling people, but—if it’s for my husband, then I’ll do my best~★"
"...I never said I was troubled."
"Mm-hm~ Mm-hm~ I know, so tell Ai. Then maybe Ai can go poof—★ and solve your worries like a fairy, you know?"
Smiling, Ai waved her right hand as if she were swinging a magic wand.
Unable to resist his wife’s adorable expression, Kaoru smiled despite himself.
He stopped the car at a red light, moved his lips for a moment, then looked at Ai and said,
"Do you know a child actress named Arima Kana? Ai."
"Arima Kana? The girl who filmed with Aqua when she appeared in "The Beginning of It" back then?"
"You know her?"
Kaoru asked in surprise, and Ai tilted her head, looking at her startled husband.
"Yeah. Aqua and Ruby were in "The Beginning of It", so of course I know her... Hm? Kaoru, you watched the movie too, didn’t you? You know the one Ruby-chan always used to call the "pepper exercise girl", right?"
"...Haha."
Why had he assumed his wife wouldn’t know? He thought he understood her pretty well, but she’d caught him off guard from an unexpected angle.
Pepper exercise, the same movie, appearing together... Of course there was no way she wouldn’t know.
Kaoru scratched the back of his neck awkwardly and cleared his throat before continuing.
"Actually, I ran into Arima-chan in the parking lot earlier. Her mother was with her too."
"Eh~! Really?! How was she? Has she grown a lot? Maybe as much as the twins?"
"Yeah. She’d grown a lot. I gave her my autograph too, and told her to keep doing well."
"Hehe— I see!"
When the light turned green, Kaoru pressed the accelerator.
"She’s grown a lot taller than she was in "The Beginning of It", but I hadn’t seen her anywhere recently... not on set, not even on TV over the past few years. She’s a child actress, but ever since I saw her in "The Beginning of It", I’d always thought she was talented."
"..."
"...Maybe it’s just a rough patch for an actor."
"There are all kinds of reasons. Industry people like Producer Kaburagi or Director Gotanda judge actors by values beyond what other actors see."
Ai nodded at Kaoru’s words as well.
As an idol, Ai understood the workings of the industry well, and she leaned back into the car seat as if sinking into it, letting out a breath.
"So I told Arima-chan to hang in there and that we’d definitely meet again someday. She seemed so admirable, working hard even though it’s tough, and if Ruby were... if she were feeling that down because of it... I just couldn’t walk away."
"I understand. Yeah, if it were me... if it were me, I’d have felt the same."
Now that they were parents of three children, they had learned that every parent’s feelings toward their children were the same.
If their child looked even a little down, their heart would lurch; if they had even a slight fever, they’d panic; and if they heard news of a child around the same age being in a traffic accident, they’d grow inexplicably anxious—
That was what it meant to be a parent: to sit down together over dinner that evening and, with genuine concern, tell them to be careful on the road.
Even when parents did a hundred things right for their children, it was the one thing they failed to do that stayed in their memory.
"But Arima-chan’s mother... looked like she wanted me to disappear as quickly as possible."
"Eh? Why?"
Ai frowned and tilted her head at the unexpected turn.
If the actress her daughter liked had come over, called her name first, cheered her on, and even given her an autograph, wouldn’t her mother naturally be overjoyed?
Kaoru gave a bitter smile, sorted through his thoughts for a moment, then carefully asked his wife,
"Ai, if you were an ordinary person instead of a celebrity—and Ruby had been a promising child actress whose popularity faded, how do you think you’d feel?"
"Hmm..."
Ai fell silent and thought for a moment.
If her popularity faded... she’d be regretful and heartbroken, but never to the extent Ruby would feel it.
As a mother, of course she would comfort the twins and care for them, struggling however she could to help them stand back up.
And if that still didn’t work... even if they gave up in the end, she would hold Ruby tight and tell her it wasn’t her fault, that it was because Mom hadn’t been able to do more for her.
Even if it remained a painful memory. She would hope it could one day become a happy memory they could talk about with a smile.
"Why do I keep thinking of Akane-chan?"
Akane’s mother, smiling happily as she stroked her daughter’s hair. The look in her eyes and her smile, full of genuine love and affection for her daughter, had left a deep impression on Ai, who was also the mother of three children.
If it were Akane’s mother... wouldn’t she surely think the same way?
Putting aside the thought that had flickered through her mind, Ai looked at Kaoru and shared her answer.
"Hahaha!"
Kaoru burst out laughing at Ai’s answer, which was far more serious than he had expected.
His laughter made Ai’s face flush red with embarrassment, and she puffed out her cheeks in mild indignation.
"Hey—what’s that reaction? I was being super serious when I said that!"
"Sorry. You were so serious about it that it was cute, I couldn’t help it. Hahaha~"
"...Tch."
Still, since he had called her cute, she couldn’t really hate it. Ai shot him a playful glare, then remembered what they’d been talking about and asked,
"So?"
At Ai’s question, Kaoru nodded and said,
"Someone who has so much of what I don’t have. A celebrity whose child is more famous than mine. It’s only natural to feel envy and jealousy.
If I were in that position, I’d probably feel the same. With my daughter’s reputation in free fall and no casting offers coming in— I’d even start thinking, ‘Are you rubbing it in?’"
"..."
"But no matter how much envy and jealousy blind a person and cloud their judgment... they should never act that way in front of their child."
When they arrived at the studio for Ai’s photo shoot, Kaoru stopped the car and looked at her.
"If I had been Arima-chan’s mother—"
At her husband’s words, Ai pressed her lips together and thought about it too. If she had been Arima-chan’s mother.
"Even if I were embarrassed and ashamed— even if I knew it would be a nuisance— I’d throw away my pride and say this.
Thank you for looking kindly on our child. Our daughter’s situation is like this, so please, if you could, say good things about her to other people too.
I’d stand quietly behind my daughter with my arms crossed, not looking at her with eyes like that..."
Kaoru’s gaze remained steady.
"If I were a parent who truly wished for my daughter’s success... then even if it were hard, I’d endure it for her sake."
At the unshaken look in Kaoru’s eyes, Ai’s own starlit eyes shone brilliantly with the joy of having understood each other, and she nodded.
If it were her, she would have grabbed the hem of their pants and even asked for President Rentaro’s phone number.
She would have done anything for the sake of the child she loved.
But not every parent in the world loved and cherished their children as unconditionally as Kaoru or herself.
There were parents who abused their children for no reason, and parents who used them only as tools to satisfy their own desires.
And Ai herself had been the one who had lived through that kind of misery.
So, like herself—
It was only natural that Kaoru, who lived with the resolve never to pass unhappiness on to his children, would feel bitter when he saw the Arima mother and daughter.
Ai smiled quietly, patted Kaoru’s shoulder, and then stroked his face.
"Don’t take it too much to heart, Kaoru."
"Ah... haha... It was less a worry than just me venting, I think. Thanks for listening."
"No! I’m actually happy you told me honestly. Hehe~★"
Ai rose slightly from the passenger seat, kissed Kaoru’s cheek, and caressed his face.
"...Hehe— now I’m curious what Kaoru’s reaction will be when Ruby brings home a boyfriend someday."
"..."
Kaoru’s upper body jerked.
A boyfriend?!
Ai giggled with a little devil’s smile and slung her shoulder bag over her shoulder.
"You said back when Kaoru was in America, the dads there would greet their daughters’ boyfriends with shotguns~ So you’re not allowed to buy one without telling me! Got it?"
Kaoru forced an awkward smile, leaned over, and kissed Ai.
"...I love you, honey. I’ll call you later."
"Heheh~★ Mm~♥"
Judging by the fact that she didn’t answer, it seemed he was definitely preparing for Ruby’s boyfriend.
At his hopeless daughter obsession—
Ai suddenly remembered something Miyako had once said while watching a drama.
"They’re the same as the people who stole someone else’s daughter, so why do fathers hate their daughters’ boyfriends?"
That memory made her burst out laughing again. Then she got out of the car and walked toward the studio entrance.
Kaoru waved back as Ai entered the studio with the other female manager who had arrived earlier.
"..."
Once he confirmed that his wife had gone inside, Kaoru turned the car around and headed back home.
-
"Cut! That was good acting~"
"Thank you."
Kurokawa Akane politely clasped her hands together and greeted the director and the staff on set.
"You can really see you’re improving day by day. Keep this up, and you’ll become a good actress."
"Thank you very much!"
Kurokawa Akane was a naturally gifted actress.
With her innate persistence, effort, and meticulous analytical ability, she immersed herself in the script and role and performed with extraordinary talent.
Unlike most child actors, who tended to go bad as soon as they became famous, Akane’s kind and humble personality naturally left a good impression on the staff as well.
Though she was only a minor child actress, the fact that her performance was being highly praised by viewers also made her happy.
"Mom!"
"Akane~ Oh my, you really are something."
When filming ended and she was embraced in the dressing room by her gentle, kind mother, Akane felt a happiness that could not be exchanged for anything in the world.
It felt as if her fatigue melted away without a trace.
"You did well again today, my girl. Get dressed. Let’s go home."
"Okay!"
She would go home, eat a delicious meal with her father and mother, soak in warm water, then go up to her room on the second floor and read the script while practicing her lines and emotions.
And then—
"..."
- I’m not running away anymore!
Before bed, she would binge-watch the stage DVDs released by the Rararai Theater Troupe on her laptop, carefully and thoroughly analyzing and reviewing every single one of Kaoru Kamiki’s performances.
Her parents worried because she stared at the laptop with the lights off, saying it would ruin her eyes, but the young Akane had already established her own routine, so there was nothing she could do about it.
"...It really is different. Kamiki-senpai’s acting when he was seventeen..."
Akane thought as she alternated between the notebook filled with meticulous notes and the records of Kaoru’s performances.
She was still too young to fully understand, but if she compared his acting at seventeen with his acting now... the performance at seventeen had been perfect too, but there was a sharper, colder charisma standing out beneath it.
Now, his charisma was still there, but it felt as if winter had passed into a warm spring.
"..."
After being hurt by Arima Kana, who had once been the object of her admiration and longing, the one who once again became the object of admiration and longing for the confused, sorrowful little girl was none other than Kaoru Kamiki.
The day she went with her mother to watch a play performed by the Rararai Theater Troupe— Kaoru Kamiki’s beautiful, powerful acting was a [sun] shining once more on little Akane’s wounded heart.
It was enough to make her want to join the theater herself, to learn stage acting in the Rararai Theater Troupe.
Akane had always regretted and felt disappointed that, at Kaoru Kamiki’s fan meeting and autograph session— where her parents had miraculously both won tickets— she should have greeted him then too.
But three years ago, when she happened to meet Ai-senpai in a drama waiting room, Akane had been so shocked and so happy.
That encounter with Ai made her dream of meeting Kaoru and acting alongside him grow even firmer—
"..."
It was already almost midnight, and she had school the next morning.
"Haaahm— ugh... just a little more..."
Akane fought off sleep and watched the DVD to the end.
And the stage she had been waiting for came sooner than she expected.
With the drama that featured Ruby, the daughter of Kaoru Kamiki and Ai, as a minor child actor nearing its end—
the agency received a casting offer for the role of the daughter of a supporting character who had been injured and hospitalized.
There was no audition. The production staff, who had been keeping an eye on Akane, cast her immediately, so not only her parents but Akane herself could not hide her joy.
"Phew...!"
Though her lines were few and her appearance brief, simply being cast in a prime-time drama with good ratings was exciting enough.
Akane arrived on set with her heart swelling with anticipation.
Her mother had prepared her outfit more beautifully than usual, and as Akane greeted the staff, all eyes naturally turned toward her.
After greeting the director as well, she went to the waiting room with her mother, finished her makeup, and waited deeper inside the set.
"I’m nervous."
"Hoho~ You’re tense, aren’t you?"
"I-I am... yeah. I’m nervous. There are so many more cameras... and so many staff members."
Akane’s mother, Riko, gently stroked her daughter’s hair and said,
"It’s okay. Akane. Why don’t you just work hard and do your best like you always do?"
At Riko’s reassurance, Akane nodded and quietly watched the set with shining eyes.
Then—
"Hello~★"
"Ah, Ruby-chan! And Kamiki-san too! Hahaha!"
The director, who had been sitting heavily in his chair, sprang up and warmly welcomed Kaoru Kamiki and his daughter as they entered from the doorway.
Seeing that, Akane’s heart began pounding as if it would burst.
'No way!!!'
They were meeting like this? Here?!
Akane’s eyes trembled. The feeling of finally meeting the object of her admiration and longing was so thrilling, so dreamlike, that it couldn’t even be described with the word exciting.
Just looking at him, she could almost see an overwhelming aura radiating from him.
"Papa! Do I really have to watch Ruby act?"
"Haha. Of course, Ruby."
A girl with bright hair that resembled Kaoru Kamiki’s blond locks, and a cute, pretty face, smiled sweetly and acted spoiled toward him.
Akane stared blankly at the father and daughter pair and clutched at her pounding heart.
I want to greet him... I want to greet him— I want to greet him...!
As Akane stamped her feet and clutched the hem of her dress, watching them with a nervous expression,
"..."
a pair of blue eyes that shone clearly even from a distance turned to look directly this way.
Riko, who had been wondering whether to go over and greet them, and Akane, who as a fan absolutely wanted to say hello, were both utterly stunned.
They were so far away— how could he be looking this way?
Kaoru Kamiki, whose senses were sharper than expected, asked the director for permission and began walking this way, holding Ruby’s hand.
As he walked, Kaoru chatted quietly with Ruby, and Ruby looked at the Kurokawa mother and daughter and nodded with an "Ah~".
Riko, clearly having never expected Kaoru Kamiki to bring his daughter over here, said to her daughter in surprise,
"Oh my! Oh my! You kept saying you wanted to greet them so badly! Looks like your wish is coming true!"
"Eh—?!"
Right— greeting them!
As Akane panicked, Kaoru and Ruby stopped in front of the Kurokawa mother and daughter.
"Hello. Kurokawa-san. Have you been well? Wow, Akane-chan, you’ve grown so much!"
At the longed-for meeting with Kaoru Kamiki—
Akane swallowed hard.
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