The family’s lunchtime routine was as warm and harmonious as any ordinary household, with nothing unusual about it at all.
As viewers watched the three siblings happily eating the nutritious, delicious sandwiches and milk Ai had made by hand, smiles naturally spread across their faces.
Their cheerful family chatter, and especially the way Ai’s starry eyes sparkled as she worried over the twins with her about the dinner menu, brought a refreshing feeling to most viewers, who were used to rather conservative family dynamics.
Not only that, but Kaoru kept carefully checking whether Ame was eating well, more so than he was eating himself. That thoughtfulness made female viewers of every age sway like a suspension bridge.
As a result, from married women in their twenties to married women in their sixties, the husbands sitting beside them were left dazed by a sudden barrage of complaints.
Whether the silent hostility from married male viewers toward Kaoru burned hotter or not, the broadcast kept moving forward.
【 Right now! Here! A little kid is lying down! 】
When Ame, sprawled out on the twins’ floor, appeared on screen, every viewer watching TV lost the battle against laughter.
With dramatic BGM playing and a serious narration rolling over the scene, Ame stared at her older siblings with an intensely solemn expression that was completely at odds with her unpredictable four-year-old self.
Aqua was wearing a stethoscope, Ruby was holding a toy syringe, and both of them were staring at Ame with equally grave faces.
- What is this?
- Are they playing house?
- It reminds me of White Tower lol
The internet’s reaction was a mix of curiosity and amusement.
Then Aqua, with the toy stethoscope on, laughed in a somewhat tired voice and said, “Yes, patient. What seems to be hurting this time? This is already your fifteenth visit~”
【 Fifteenth! 】
Dun!
『Fifteenth Visit (the grit of a four-year-old)』
With narration emphasizing the shocking number fifteen, a huge caption popped up around Ame’s devilish little smile, accompanied by a sound effect.
Regardless of what kind of pretend hospital play this was, the sheer persistence of Ame coming back fifteen times with the exact same setup—and not even glancing at the doctor or nurse roles, single-mindedly insisting on the patient role and nothing else—was enough to impress anyone.
“Pff—”
Kaoru barely managed to swallow his laughter and bowed his head. The twins’ effort in going along with Ame’s absurdly stubborn playacting, far beyond what anyone would have expected, was admirable.
The viewers felt much the same.
- Hey, is that where my health insurance premiums are leaking away?
ㄴ Fifteen times? Wouldn’t the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare call by then?
ㄴ RE: You think civil servants would catch something like that?
- Add her to the blacklist.
ㄴ Black consumer Ame
ㄴ She’s gone beyond a chronic faker!
- Honestly, if it’s a fifteenth revisit, shouldn’t we be questioning Aqua’s skills?
ㄴ Is he a quack doctor?
ㄴ At this point, isn’t this basically human experimentation?
- Ruby’s injection technique is no joke.
ㄴ How to train your forearms with a syringe.
- When you play house with little kids, they’ll sometimes say they have a hundred younger siblings.
ㄴ Before you know it, you’re a princess from some kingdom.
ㄴ My youngest and I have a huge age gap too... apparently my youngest is 200 years old and in elementary school.
- The twins have it rough lol
【 My tummy hurts! 】
【 Your tummy hurts~? I already gave your stomach medicine earlier~】
Ai, her starry eyes shining, hugged Aqua tightly and burst out laughing.
“Kyaahaha—★ Aqua’s face— you look so tired! Was it hard playing doctor~?”
“Hahaha. N-not at all.”
【 Oh~ Ame ate it all! 】
【 Wow~ You already finished it all~? Then, Nurse Ruby? 】
【 Yes! Then I’ll give you a shot! Swoosh swoosh~ 】
“Oh~ Big sis gave Ame a shot!”
When Ame, sitting in Kaoru’s arms, pointed at the TV screen and said that, Kaoru and Ruby both smiled.
“That’s right. Big sis gave you a shot so you’d get better faster!”
“Hehe~ Big sis~♥”
“Ame~♥”
【 Kyaaaaa~ Hahahaha—! Ame’s ticklishhh~! 】
As Ame wriggled and laughed on the TV screen as if tickled, Aqua and Ruby smiled too, watching their little sister laugh happily.
【 Yes, treatment is complete. Goodbye? 】
When Aqua waved at Ame, the screen suddenly shifted into slow motion and the grand BGM started up again.
Then the camera cut to a full shot of Ame’s solemn eyes, filling the entire TV screen.
【 Will Ame’s doctor... make a full recovery, or come back again!? 】
Dun!
At the moment the serious narration hit and the effect sound rang out—
【 My tummy hurts! 】
【 Sixteenth Visit (the grit of a four-year-old) 】
With Ame pointing at her stomach, a huge caption appeared boldly over the screen.
【 Kyaahahah-! 】
【 Grrr... 】
At Aqua’s expression as he swallowed a pained groan, and Ruby’s reaction as she fell backward laughing,
“Kyaahahahaha!”
“Pff—hahahaha!”
Ai and Kaoru, watching the TV, burst out laughing at the same time.
Happy laughter echoed through the living room, and Aqua nodded with a blissfully resigned smile.
He comforted himself with the thought that if his sacrifice had made his parents laugh, there could hardly be anything better than that.
Of course—
“Big bro~! Uh, let’s play hospital again tomorrow~!!! Together with big sis!!”
“……”
“……”
Even the twins had no choice but to take Ame’s adorable request seriously.
Either way, the viewers’ reaction to the three siblings’ cute, tiny, lovable pretend play was no different.
In fact—
【 Doctor Aqua! Mom’s tummy hurts too! Please treat her~★ 】
【 ...... 】
【 Could Ame’s stubbornness be hereditary!? 】
When Ai, who had come to pick up the three siblings for a drive, sat down beside Ame and declared herself a patient too, Aqua’s face crumbled white as paper.
- LMAOOOOOOOO
- I’m dying, this is too funny lolololol
- lolololol
- Turns out he was a master doctor all along
- What hospital is this? I’m going too
- I could go back a hundred times
- The Aqua-Ruby siblings will never escape~!
The viewers exploded with reaction after reaction.
As proof of how much buzz it had created, the keyword 「pretend play」 shot up the real-time Twitter trend rankings in an instant.
“Ow—hoo—my stomach~!”
As Ai wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes after laughing so hard her stomach hurt, Aqua dashed into the kitchen, filled a cup with water, and brought it back to her.
“Here you go!”
“Oh, thank you, Aqua! Mm~★”
“Eh—! Doesn’t Papa want any?”
“Papa’s fine, Ruby. Drink it if you want it.”
“Ruby’s fine too~!”
“Oh~ Ame’s fine too~.”
While Ai drank the water, the TV screen shifted to a familiar supermarket interior.
As befit a celebrity couple at the height of their popularity... their clothes were very plain, just a jumper and a cap thrown on casually, and viewers couldn’t hide their confusion.
- No dedicated stylist?
ㄴ Maybe they have one and just didn’t bring them?
- If it weren’t for the camera, I wouldn’t even know who they were.
- Ai-chan’s always been famous for dressing simply in private.
ㄴ True lol No wonder B Komachi members once picked her as the member they most wanted to buy clothes for lol
- Hey, Kaoru! If you keep dressing like that, what happens to all the clothes brands you advertise?!
- And yet the twins and Ame are all dressed so nicely.
- Ame is so cuuuute ><
- The twins should recommend some nice clothes for their parents...
【 The family has come out to shop! What will they buy?! 】
【 All eyes on them 】
【 The citizens inside the supermarket all turn to look this way! A once-in-a-lifetime miracle: seeing celebrities right in front of you! 】
Shocked citizens holding their phones were caught on camera one after another.
But Kaoru and Ai didn’t pay them any mind and started shopping in earnest.
Viewers could only marvel at the Hoshino family shopping happily together without worrying about anyone else’s gaze.
- Shouldn’t they be fighting a little here, like, “Why are we buying this?”
- Ame! Throw a tantrum!!
ㄴ Nah, Dad’s lap is the best
- Huh!? They’re eating the same ponzu as my family!
- Ruby-chan carrying okra. Cute.
ㄴ Someone report this creep
- Isn’t this about the time Aqua or Ruby should start saying something weird in the toy aisle?
ㄴ They’re fourth graders, they’re past that age
ㄴ I’m thirty and I still throw tantrums at my wife???
- Spend what you earn. Contribute to the economy!!!
- Look how light their cart is.
As Ai carefully checked the quality and price of each item, the TV showed her thoughtful expression and the narration praised her.
【 As expected, the right way to shop is thriftiness! Mother’s household ledger is always written in her head! 】
Of course—
【 Häagen-Dazs…! 】
【 Wow~! 】
【 Still, ice cream is an exception for mother and daughter! 】
When Ai and Ruby’s eyes lit up at the sight of ice cream, Kaoru and Aqua smiled just as they had before.
Since the supermarket segment wasn’t especially entertaining as variety content, the editing gave the shopping scene about another minute, then moved straight to Uminomori Park.
【 After shopping, the family headed to Uminomori Park, located by the waterfront in Koto Ward! 】
【 The family gets out of the car and walks through the park. In the wide open area nearby, campers have set up their spots! 】
【 So what brought them to this quiet place!? 】
The narration continued, and soon Ruby and Ame were shown running cheerfully across the screen.
Little by little, the surprised faces of citizens passing along the walking path were caught on camera.
Then Kaoru and Ai appeared on screen, walking hand in hand along the path.
“...Heh.”
Ai smiled bashfully and fidgeted with her right hand.
It was because she remembered the warmth and soft touch she felt whenever she held Kaoru’s hand, and her heart fluttered all over again.
Even after ten years, whenever she held Kaoru’s hand—
【 The two of them, flustered and excited, look just like a painting! 】
- Damn
- My side feels cold
- This drink tastes sweet... no, bitter...
- I held my husband’s hand after seeing this and he told me to move my foot... hey! Doesn’t he even recognize his own wife’s hand?!
ㄴ Hohoho. My ex-husband ran off to the bathroom saying he was going to wash up~ ^^
ㄴ You have my sympathy. My wife is still nagging me to this day.
- I want to date someone
- Could I live like that even after getting married...?
ㄴ You can. Try to be a better person every moment.
ㄴ RE: Can I still be a better person if I have debt?
ㄴ Well. Anyway, try as hard as you can.
- I’m happy as a fan seeing Ai-chan so happy, but as a human being I’m overwhelmed by sadness.
ㄴ Hang in there, damn it, you’ll find a good woman
ㄴ RE: I’m a woman?
ㄴ Then want to go out with me?
ㄴ RE: Eat shit
【 Yat-! 】
【 Mama~★ 】
【 Mamma~★ 】
When the bench came into view, Ai’s starry eyes sparkled and she ran toward it, and soon Ruby and Ame came running to Ai and sat down.
At Ai’s call, Aqua also sat down beside her in the blink of an eye and smiled.
The peaceful music and the scene of a family overflowing with happiness slowly drew the viewers in.
And then, Kaoru’s interview clip began.
“Eh? Papa!”
“?”
“Dad~!”
【 Why did you visit Uminomori Park? 】
A caption appeared at the bottom of the screen, and Kaoru’s blue eyes, lit with a soft glow, looked straight into the camera.
At Kaoru’s smile, which carried an unreadable meaning, the three siblings and the viewers alike tilted their heads in confusion.
But Ai, who shared that secret with Kaoru, let her starry eyes shine faintly.
She already knew what her husband was about to say... because she fully shared the secret and the memories tied to that place.
The scene cut again, showing the family laughing and chatting warmly on the bench.
【 Aqua, won’t you come sit next to Mom too? I need your warmth so~ badly! 】
Ai, already full of Ame and Ruby’s warmth, hugged Aqua tightly with sparkling eyes.
【 Seeing it like this, they really do look like a baby penguin and its mother penguin, don’t they? 】
【 Eh? Ruby’s a baby penguin too? 】
【 Of course~ Our Ruby is still a baby penguin. 】
【 Hehe~ Kaoru’s a daddy penguin too. 】
【 Hahaha! 】
With Kaoru’s laughter, the video cut back to the interview. Kaoru scratched his cheek for a moment, then said,
【 The reason we came to Uminomori Park is because it’s a place of unforgettable, precious memories for my wife and me. 】
【 A place of precious memories, you mean? 】
【 Ten years ago, on the day our first dating rumor was reported... my wife and I were sitting together on that very bench. It was incredibly cold then, but the day we came as a family was warm, so it really brought back a lot of feelings. 】
“Huh?!”
“...Eh, the bench from when Mama and Papa— the dating rumor—?”
Aqua let out a shocked cry, while Ruby muttered blankly.
【 Is this the first time you’re revealing this? 】
【 Yes. Enough time has passed now. It was really cold, and the wind was strong too... we were very flustered, but it’s an unforgettable, precious moment for my wife and me. It was the day I realized my 『sincerity』 toward my wife. This is the first time I’m saying it, with my wife’s permission. 】
At the confession, revealed after ten years, the twins felt a ringing in their heads and looked up at their parents at the same time.
“Pffft— a surprise reveal!”
“So that bench was?”
“Yep—★”
“P-Papa— i-it’s really— not a lie?!”
“Hahahahaha.”
The shiver running down their spines left Aqua and Ruby speechless.
So that was why they had gone to that quiet little waterfront park, one so famous it had never even been on their radar in their past life—because of that exact reason?!
And on top of that, it was the place where their father had realized his 『sincerity』, his 『feelings』 for their mother, in that historic moment!
“Waaah!! If you’d said that back then— I would’ve treated it so much more seriously— Ruby would’ve treasured that bench so much—!!”
As Ruby stomped her feet and protested, Kaoru pulled his daughter into a tight hug and said,
“Hahaha. Papa can always make memories with Ruby. Benches disappear someday, but the memories I make with Ruby, Aqua, and Ame will never disappear.”
“...”
【 Then was that also why you revisited the place with the three siblings? 】
【 I wanted to layer that memory over again, together with our children. 】
Kaoru’s smile was captured in slow motion, and the scene immediately shifted to Kaoru sitting on the Uminomori Park bench.
【 Kyaahah! Ruby~ Mama’s ticklish~ 】
【 Hehe! Mama, you’re so pretty! 】
【 Mom, do you see that? I looked it up, and that over there is a water sports venue! 】
【 A water sports venue~? Whaaat~? 】
A wife smiling happier than anyone else in the world, sharing warmth while surrounded by the three precious children she loved.
And Aqua, Ruby, and Ame too.
Kaoru’s face, looking quietly at the most precious beings in the world with blue eyes and a smile, was shown in a full, wide shot on the TV screen.
As the emotional music swelled and the family’s image filled the screen—
“Hic—”
Ai finally burst into tears, though a smile stayed on her lips. Even if crying while smiling might have looked strange, right now she just wanted to follow whatever emotion was flowing through her.
Ruby, who had been sitting in Kaoru’s lap, immediately moved over to Ai, plopped down beside her brother, and hugged Ai tightly, burying her face against her.
Aqua did the same, hugging his mother tightly.
“Mooom~? Why are you cryiiing~? Don’t cry~”
Of course, Ame didn’t care why her mother was crying and simply patted Ai’s shoulder with her tiny palm, telling her to stop the tears.
【 This is true happiness and joy. To form a family is, in itself, a brilliant miracle! 】
As the Hoshino family’s episode came to a close with the gentle narration, the viewers’ reactions exploded like a shaken bottle of soda with the cap suddenly popped off.
- If this is scripted, give the writer an award. If it isn’t, kill Kamiki.
ㄴ Yeah, 2.6 seconds.
- I cried so much after a long time. The final narration was moving. To form a family is, in itself, a brilliant miracle!
- I finally agreed to sleep in the same bed with my wife for the first time in ages, even though we’ve been sleeping in separate rooms.
ㄴ Congrats
- This family was honestly so unrealistically harmonious that I couldn’t relate at all. But seeing them sitting together on that bench at the end made me weirdly happy.
ㄴ The bench was a real surprise, damn it
- I don’t remember it well since it was ten years ago, but back then, because of that dating rumor, one of those two was basically one foot in the grave.
ㄴ It was seriously brutal.
ㄴ lol It was right before the Budokan concert, so the atmosphere was insanely serious.
ㄴ Back then my older sister was defending Kamiki and didn’t even eat while hammering away at her keyboard, but when Kamiki retired she stopped eating altogether.
ㄴ B-Komachi fans who went around defending the comments, raise your hands~
- Sending my heartfelt support to Kamiki Kaoru and Ai! And the adorable three siblings are growing up so well too, it makes me proud and grateful.
- It wasn’t smooth getting here, but that’s why they’ve worked so hard and done their best. I’m so happy.
- The legend of zero affair scandals remains unbroken.
- Ame-chan is just too cute.
- I was a little disappointed the twins didn’t get more screen time. I wanted to see more...
The real-time Twitter trends were filled with keywords about 『Eyes Wide Open! Family of Stars!』, 『the Hoshino family』, and Uminomori Park.
Riding the momentum of the Kaoru-Ai couple episode that ran for forty minutes, there were plenty of viewers looking forward to the next forty-minute episode featuring Kurokawa Takuya and Kubo Shizuka.
Broadcast stations and companies alike were cheering as the ratings soared.
< The true family love we hoped for... the tender love of the Kaoru-Ai couple >
< The truth behind Uminomori Park? It takes over the real-time Twitter trends! >
< The adorable three siblings’ cuteness! Sixteenth hospital visit leaves viewers in stitches >
< 『Eyes Wide Open! Family of Stars!』, which family will appear next? >
Even while the show was still airing, the media was racing to publish article after article, fanning the flames of attention.
It was already the center of an enormous craze, but—
“Uu— I cried so now I’m hungry!”
“Should I make you a sandwich? There’s some of the ingredients I prepped earlier left over.”
“Yeah★ Please!”
“Papa! Ruby too!”
“Ah, Dad! M-me too!”
“Oh~ Ame’s fine~!”
Kaoru headed to the kitchen and looked back at the four of them on the sofa, smiling as they watched the next episode’s stars, Kurokawa Takuya and Kubo Shizuka.
He didn’t particularly care how noisy people outside were being.
Just watching his family smile happily was enough to leave him short on twenty-four hours a day.
“...I’m glad I appeared...”
Kaoru, preparing the sauce for the sandwiches, murmured with a nod.
Once again, he felt certain that the effort of relentlessly pressuring the two producers until the final review cut was perfect had not been wasted at all.
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