The three siblings spent Saturday from lunch to evening at the amusement park, left in Miyako’s care because Ai had said she had plans.
It had been great fun spending time at the amusement park with Myaemon, their older brother, and their little sister, but Ruby, who was still desperate to spend time with Mama, was—
"Mama! Ruby’s heeereee~♥"
Even before she had fully unlocked the door, she let out a shrill cry and danced excitedly on the spot.
"Ame’s heeereee toooo! Mamma!!!"
Ame, wearing the headband she had bought at the amusement park and holding a balloon, followed her sister and bounced in place with a giggly laugh.
Seeing that, Miyako, and Aqua, who was opening the door after hearing Ruby’s shout, could only swallow dryly with awkward smiles.
They were worried they had arrived sooner than expected and interrupted the couple’s happy time, and that thought had settled into Aqua and Miyako’s hearts—but—
'We couldn’t really drag our feet...'
'And there was no way to break Ruby’s stubbornness.'
Both of them sweated bullets while taking care of Ruby, who was so eager to go home that she barely ate dinner.
Miyako hadn’t told Aqua the full details, and Aqua hadn’t made it obvious that he knew this was an arrangement for the couple’s happy time—but!
Ruby’s obsession with Ai(!) had shown tremendous power!
Beep beepbeep beep
Beep
After entering the door code and pressing his thumb to the fingerprint sensor on the doorknob, Aqua opened the door and stepped inside.
"Mama-!!!"
"Mommyyy!"
"We’re home."
"Oh my?"
Miyako and the three siblings opened the inner door and came in, and Ruby in particular, her star-bright eyes sparkling, hugged a pile of souvenirs from the amusement park and hurried into the living room.
"Mama? Mama?"
"Ruby~★"
"Mama!!!"
At the sound of someone calling her, Ruby turned around with a starry smile.
"!"
But Ruby couldn’t help flinching and trembling for a moment.
"Hehe— your skin’s a little tanned♥"
"Ruby~ Did you have fun?"
Whatever they had been doing, they had come out of the bedroom to greet her—
Mama and Papa, their faces flushed a suggestive red from the heat.
Ruby’s star-bright eyes wavered slightly.
She didn’t know exactly what had happened, but it was clear they had done something.
'What... is this?'
The unfamiliar, ticklish scent clinging to Mama.
The strange atmosphere around Papa.
The red mark on Mama’s neck, like a bug bite.
The scratch-like mark on Papa’s neck.
"Hee~ Our Ruby even bought a souvenir for Mama~! Thank you-★"
With a sincere smile, Mama stroked her hair and kissed her cheek, but—
"Y-yeah..."
Ruby, sensing the thick scent of Papa on her beloved Mama, could only chew over the deep suspicion rising in her heart....
Their body temperature was hotter than usual, and there was that strangely flushed smell of an "adult" about them.
She didn’t know what had happened, but... Ruby, who unconsciously felt a jealous surge of anger, glared sharply at Papa, who was blushing and scratching his cheek while avoiding her gaze.
'Suddenly... I... hate Papa...!'
But Kaoru, not noticing his daughter’s stare, walked over to his son and patted his shoulder.
"Dad. Did you eat?"
"Yeah, I did. Did you have fun?"
"Yes."
"Ame had fun too! Hug me, Dad!!"
"Haha, our youngest. Come here~!"
Ame threw herself into Kaoru’s arms and giggled. Kaoru played along as Ame proudly showed off the souvenirs and headband she had bought at the amusement park, then walked over to Miyako, who was sitting on the sofa looking exhausted, and said,
"Thank you so much for looking after the babies."
"Mm... it wasn’t bad. Just hot, that was the problem."
Muttering that she’d better go downstairs and put on a face mask, Miyako rubbed her skin and looked up at Kaoru with a sly smile.
"So, did you handle it properly?"
"......Ahem."
Kaoru kept his usual poker face in response to Miyako’s mischievous question, coughed lightly, and gave a quiet nod.
"Thank you for helping us."
"My, my~ No need to thank me~ If I can help, then of course I should. It’s for Ai’s sake too."
With a laugh, Miyako looked over at Ai, who had somehow already sat down at the dining table and was chatting away with the twins.
Then she winked at her stylish son-in-law, who was holding Ame, and said,
"I’m looking forward to good news, okay?"
"......"
Kaoru smiled in place of an answer and lightly pinched Ame’s soft cheek.
-
Time passed quickly, and before long it was September, and all three siblings started school again.
As Kaoru and Ai’s busy schedules also eased into a lull, they no longer found themselves in the same situation as July and August, when they barely had time to share their love.
With the babies needing to go to school, they went to bed early, and the couple’s nights became calmer and happier.
And at last...
"K, K, K, Kaoru!"
"!"
"Oh my!"
Ai came running out of the bathroom holding a pregnancy test, her star-bright eyes sparkling as her whole body trembled.
The sight of those star-bright eyes shining with joy and delight made it obvious how happy she was.
Kaoru, his face tense with nerves, carefully took the pregnancy test and checked it.
Two clear lines.
"Haah!"
As soon as the blue eyes widened, Miyako, who had been clasping her hands together, finally jumped in place and hugged Ai.
"Oh my!? Ai?!"
"Miyako-chan!"
"Kyaaaah! Oh my! Congratulations! Congratulations!!!"
"H-hic— hic! Thank youuu— hehe— hic!"
Her heart had raced ahead of itself, and Ai burst into tears from the joy of having a precious baby growing in her womb.
Miyako’s eyes also grew moist as she patted the precious girl she cherished like a daughter.
Kaoru also smiled as he patted his wife’s shoulder.
"Thank you. Ai."
"Mm— Our Ame said she wanted a little sibling, so I really, really worked hard!"
Ai slipped out of Miyako’s arms and into her husband’s, crying tears of joy.
Watching her fondly, Miyako crossed her arms and tapped her chin with her index finger.
"I never dreamed I’d end up dreaming Ai’s baby dream again this time. What can I say? I was half in doubt, but with this hit rate, should I open a fortune-telling shop?"
Indeed, Miyako was right.
The day before.
Kaoru and Ai had both had a good feeling and bought a pregnancy test to check, but when no second line appeared, they had felt something was off. Then, today, after hearing that Miyako had dreamed the baby dream, they tested again—and the two lines appeared immediately.
Miyako’s baby dream had hit with uncanny accuracy, despite being only one day apart!
"Well~ the sun flew down from the sky and went into Ai’s belly, so I immediately tied on an apron and got all excited, bragging to people.
I was shouting, 'My daughter’s pregnant with the sun!' and when I looked at Ai, she was all lit up from the inside!
It was different from when I dreamed about Ame, you know? It was sunlight, sure—but oh my, all these beautiful lights were mixing together around her and shining!
I’ve never seen such beautiful light in my life. To think I’d see a radiance I’d never even seen in waking life in a dream... haah~"
As Miyako explained the baby dream she had seen, her smiling face was filled with the pride of having witnessed the miracle of new life first.
Whenever Miyako dreamed Ai’s baby dreams for her, Kaoru could feel that she perfectly—more than perfectly—filled the absence of the "mother" who should have been by Ai’s side.
Though they were not blood-related, Miyako was for Ai a person more precious than even the role of "mother."
Kaoru nodded and stroked Ai’s hair as he said,
"Let’s get dressed. We need to go to the hospital together with Miyako-san."
"Okay-★"
Ai and Kaoru rode in the car Kaoru was driving and visited the obstetrics clinic where Ame had once been delivered, where they had blood tests done.
The doctor looked over the blood test results, hormone levels, and other comprehensive findings, then smiled and said,
"Congratulations."
Ai, tears of joy glistening in her star-bright eyes, wrapped both hands around her belly.
As always.
The joy of carrying new life was beyond words.
"Eeeh-?!?!?!?! There’s a baby in Mama’s belly?!"
"...Y-you’re pregnant?"
"Ame’s getting a little sibling?!"
"......Huh."
After dinner, the three siblings gathered in the living room along with President Ichigo, all unable to hide their shock.
Ruby, tears of joy welling up, rushed over and hugged Ai tightly—
Aqua burst out laughing and clenched both fists—
And Ame—
"Little sibling! Little sibling! Little sibling! Ame’s getting a little sibling too~! Hooray! Hooray!"
jumped up from her seat and ran around, cheering at the wonderful news that she was getting a little sibling.
As Ame, who had begged for a little sibling, received the best gift of all, Kaoru, Ai, and the twins laughed as they watched Ame’s adorable antics.
Meanwhile, President Ichigo quietly lifted his sunglasses and nodded in silence.
Just as it had been when they had Ame, as a father hearing the news of his daughter’s pregnancy, he simply hoped this time too that she would give birth safely and in good health.
And then...
"Hohoho-"
He felt sorry as a husband for Miyako, who was watching Ame’s antics with a genuine smile.
After the company had stabilized, the Saito couple had also made many efforts to have a baby, but the happy news never came.
While undergoing checkups at the obstetrics clinic, Miyako had hidden, more or less unconsciously, the self-reproach she felt toward herself.
Ichigo could only silently comfort his wife.
His wife had lived with him for more than ten years, carrying the absurd dream of raising the idol he had nurtured all the way to Tokyo Dome, and the promise that he would make that dream come true.
Now, instead of having a baby herself, she had decided to focus on the company’s work and enjoy watching and supporting the three siblings, who were practically her grandchildren, grow up healthy and strong.
"President?"
Miyako, looking down at Ichigo quietly taking her hand under the table, opened her eyes wide in surprise.
Unable to openly show his regret to his wife, who was sincerely congratulating them without a trace of resentment, Ichigo met her beautiful eyes and said in an indifferent voice,
"...Take good care of the child. You’ll be busy with work, but."
"Of course! Who else would take care of Ai if not me? Hehe, I wonder if it’ll be a girl or a boy?"
As Miyako laughed and spoke, Ichigo nodded too.
Hoping the fourth would be a sturdy son.
-
< [Breaking News] Kamiki Kaoru♥Ai couple announce pregnancy with fourth child >
< A miracle once again... Kaoi couple announce fourth pregnancy >
< The amazing power of the birth-promoting ambassadors! Fans rejoice at the Kaoi couple’s fourth pregnancy news >
< The entertainment industry’s model couple announces their fourth child... which other celebrity parents of many are there? >
< Congratulations messages continue pouring in from all walks of life over the Kaoi couple’s fourth child news... even the Prime Minister sends a direct message of congratulations... >
When news of Ai’s fourth pregnancy broke, the whole country was thrown into excitement once again.
The fourth pregnancy of Japan’s most famous celebrity couple naturally led to renewed attention on their glamorous(?) past history.
As pregnancy news was reported day after day, congratulations poured in not only on social media and the internet, but in real life as well.
Since the drama starring Ai was nearing its finale, they decided to film while checking her condition as much as possible.
And the star of the news, Kaoru, too!
"Wow, hahaha! Congratulations! As expected, when you’re young you’ve got to have babies fast and have lots of them! That’s what makes a man, right?"
"Thank you."
Director Kuramoto, wearing sunglasses, slapped Kaoru’s shoulder heartily.
Kaoru nodded and thanked him.
The cast and staff had all come up to Kaoru one by one, saying things like, "Let us share some of the luck from making a fourth one," and offered their congratulations with jokes, shaking his hand or patting his shoulder.
In Ai’s case, the female cast and staff had come to congratulate her warmly, but Kaoru was sweating coldly under the men’s hot, meaty congratulations.
And the same went for Rentaro!
"Wow, Kaoru. Our king of stamina! You worked hard!"
"...Aren’t you busy?"
"Hey, what’s busy got to do with it? If I heard that Ai-shi was pregnant with a fourth child and just sat there, I wouldn’t be Murakami Rentaro, would I?"
Kaoru answered the mischievous Rentaro, who had personally come to the set and volunteered to drive him, with a rotten smile.
Thanks to Rentaro setting aside all his busy affairs and personally driving over to handle manager duties after a long time, Kaoru could finally breathe for a moment.
There was a management team assigned to Kaoru, but honestly, Kaoru himself didn’t find it as comfortable or fun as the days when he and Rentaro would go to the set together, snacking and chatting one-on-one.
"Hey, my wife says to pass along her regards too. She says congratulations."
"Yeah. She sent me a message this morning too. She said to tell your brother to explain things properly about the third child?"
"......"
Rentaro’s face darkened sharply, and he became much quieter. Though they were definitely still in the car, the hallucinated sound of Yuno humming in the shower echoed in his ears.
Rentaro, who had become like a person standing before the most frightening choice of his life, like Oppenheimer before a nuclear test, shook his head and brushed away his thoughts.
"Anyway, congratulations. Haha~ Ame’s going to be in second grade next year too, so if the baby’s born she’ll probably even change diapers by herself and everything, huh?"
"Probably. Ame’s already been studying by searching how to take care of babies on YouTube. Aqua and Ruby are already helping take care of Ai beside her. Even if I go in, they don’t even acknowledge me...."
At the faintly resentful tone in Kaoru’s voice, Rentaro burst out laughing.
That’s how it should be. Rentaro, who had never expected the great Kamiki Kaoru to end up getting the cold shoulder, grinned from ear to ear.
Kaoru’s twins, not even thirty yet, were already first-year middle schoolers. By the time the fourth child was born and entered elementary school, Kaoru would be a university student, making them practically a second set of parents.
"Would you rather it be a girl? I think I’d rather it be a girl. One boy and three girls sounds best."
"I don’t mind. The first priority is that the baby is born safely."
"That’s a very you answer. Since Ai-shi had natural births with the twins and Ame too, the fourth one should be a piece of cake. Don’t start worrying before you need to—just take good care of Ai-shi."
At Rentaro’s words, Kaoru nodded and smiled.
Taking care of his wife was, no matter what anyone said, a husband’s job.
He resolved in his heart to properly set an example as a father to the children he loved.
-
Kaoru quietly bent his knees and cupped water from the pond with both hands, drinking it.
It tasted sweet, as if there were no impurities at all in the clear, pure water.
Lotus blossoms in bloom, clear water flowing down from the valley.
After drinking, Kaoru spotted a woman sitting on the green grass in the distance and carefully walked toward her.
As the woman, who had been playing with cute baby animals, turned her head, a huge dragon rose from the pond and handed Kaoru a five-colored wish-fulfilling jewel.
"Please accept it."
Despite its enormous and majestic body, the voice that reached him was as clear and pure as the pond water Kaoru had drunk, seeming to dissolve even the worries in his heart.
Taking the jewel with one hand, Kaoru was startled to discover that inside the five-colored glow there was a small but brilliantly shining sun.
"What is that?"
"!"
A mysterious woman had appeared before him before he knew it. It was the very same woman who had been playing with the baby animals.
Yet even though the woman before him was clearly Miyako, Kaoru showed no surprise or panic at all, and instead handed the jewel to her as if she had been its rightful owner from the beginning.
"Please take it."
"Eh? Me?"
"Yes. It’s something that was always meant to be yours, Miyako-san."
"I-I can have it? Really?"
As she shed tears, Kaoru quietly took her hand and made her hold the jewel, smiling as he said,
"Because Miyako-san is a truly wonderful person."
"......"
"Miyako-chan, try that! It’s delicious!"
"Ai?"
Ai suddenly popped up behind Miyako, took the hand holding the jewel, and brought it to her mouth, where it slipped inside.
Kaoru stared blankly at the unbelievable sight, and Miyako’s eyes sparkled as she shouted,
"It’s delicious!"
-
What the hell.
Kaoru woke from that bizarre, completely incomprehensible fever dream and gently touched the face of his wife, who was sleeping beside him.
He got out of bed for his morning jog, quietly gathered his clothes so as not to wake her, washed up briefly, and stepped outside.
After getting off the elevator and leaving the first-floor lobby—
"?"
"Ugh— heegh— bleh—"
"Miyako-san?"
Kaoru was startled to find Miyako retching in the flowerbed beside the lobby and hurried over to pat her back.
Miyako’s face had gone pale white; she gagged and spat repeatedly before taking Kaoru’s hand and nodding while breathing hard.
"I-I’m okay... haa. haa."
"D-did you drink too much last night?"
"No. I haven’t even eaten, let alone drunk. My stomach’s been weird lately. Nauseous, and just sick to my stomach.... I even had an endoscopy three months ago and they said there was no problem... maybe it’s gastroenteritis?"
Kaoru rubbed her ice-cold hand as she sweated and looked deathly pale.
It was only natural to worry if someone as healthy as she was suddenly fell ill like this.
Kaoru was about to tell her to go see his friend Shohei at the hospital when, the moment he drew breath, he suddenly remembered the contents of the dream that had flashed through his mind and froze.
The dragon and the jewel. And Miyako eating it.
"Why? Kaoru, do you have something to say?"
Seeing Kaoru freeze in the exact posture of someone about to speak, Miyako asked while patting her upper stomach.
Kaoru’s blue eyes turned to her, and after opening and closing his mouth for a moment, he pointed at himself and said,
"I think I... had a dream. About Miyako-san..."
"Eh? A dream about me?"
At Miyako’s bewildered response, Kaoru nodded and began to explain.
And then—
"...W-wait? Huh? Haa? Haa... th-that’s unscientific... not unscientific, but... haa... I dreamed Ai’s baby dream, so could it be that... ah..."
After hearing the dream, Miyako hesitated for a moment about going to work, then quickly pulled out her smartphone, sent a message postponing the meeting, and went right back into the mansion with Kaoru.
In Miyako’s mind flashed the night from a few weeks ago—especially, unusually, intensely hot—she had spent with her husband.
Toward the pregnancy test in the drawer, which she had bought so many of with hope and longing, but had barely used at all.
Gathering her resolve to face once more the moment she had feared so much.
And that afternoon.
In the obstetrics clinic exam room where Ai had been checked.
Saito Ichigo and Saito Miyako finally became parents.
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